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Tag: Netherlands

  • Monkeys and grasshoppers!

    Last Thursday we decided to go to a park near Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, called “Apenheul“. Literally, this means “Monkeyhill”, but I like to refer to it as Monkeyland. Before I continue and tell you about the monkeys, I’d like to direct your attention to the pictures above.

    Yes, it is what it looks like. I ate grasshoppers. Since they were fried they mostly tasted like… fried stuff, but I have to say it wasn’t bad. For €4.- we got a portion of about 6 grasshoppers so I suppose they’re supposed to be eaten as a delicacy. I expected a lot more and when I saw the plate with just 6 grasshoppers I felt disappointed and relieved at the same time, as you can imagine.

    Time for some monkeys now. I went to the park with Tsvety, my girlfriend, and Petar, a Bulgarian student and friend of mine who lives here in The Netherlands.

    One of the first types of monkeys we came across is this beauty at the left. The monkeys in this park are not in cages, but instead have their own areas or, if they’re dangerous (like gorillas), their own island. So most of the monkeys you see can be just a meter away from you (3 feet), or less!

    On the Monkeyland map they write down the feeding times, which is a particularly special time to go and have a look. You’re not allowed to touch or play with the monkeys, because they want them to be as ‘wild’ as possible instead of them being used to human contact. Yet the most fascinating time to see them is when they’re in contact with people.

    This doesn’t go for all the monkeys though. They have a group of bonobo apes, which are, I believe, the lifeform that’s closest to human beings and watching them is just fascinating. They are so man-like in their behaviour and movements. It’s almost like it’s people dressed up as apes.

    I think we as human beings are very arrogant to think we are much more than these apes. Go to this park and have a look at the human behaviour in there. We act like animals, pushing each other to be able to see more, cutting in line at the food places, mimicking our fellow Earthlings. 😀

    I’d like to leave you with some more ‘family pictures’. Enjoy!

    And finally our decapitated delicassy 😉

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  • Sandals vs flip-flops

    Sandals vs Flip-flops header

    So, I’m about to embark on my holiday to Bulgaria. Pushed forward from Saturday, to Wednesday, to Thursday, to Friday, I’ve been preparing for the trip for a while now. Seeing as it will be very warm in Bulgarian and Macedonia, I don’t want to wear my shoes all the time. So I told my girlfriend that when I’m in Sofia, where she lives, she’s going to help me pick out a pair of flip flops. She reacted as if I had asked her to help me find some sandals.

    Well… that’s for Holland. In Holland, sandals are perceived as a rather nerdy thing to wear. Flip-flops are cool! In Bulgaria, flip-flops are apparently not cool. Well, not if you want to be perceived as masculine anyway. Apparently there, it IS okay to wear sandals. Which is a big don’t in Holland.

    So obviously you understand my big fashion dilemma right now. How to look cool everywhere!? I will go not eat something now and starve myself to death so I look more like the people I admire. I’ll leave you with a question though. Or two. Two questions! No, three.

    What’s it like in your country? Are men who wear flip-flops really less masculine? Is wearing sandals in the city for nerds and old people?

    Let the debate commence!

    Sandals vs Flip-flops header

  • My Interview about Wilders

    A few weeks ago I was interviewed about my views on the Geert Wilders movie Fitna by Alex, a PR professional, journalist and blogger from Bulgaria. I have a strong opinion about this, so when he asked me, I immediately told him yes and we made it happen. It was published a while ago and now I figured it’s time for a crosspost.

    What were the first consequences of the Geert Wilders video “Fitna” in Holland?

    Well, the first consequences actually came before the film was released. For about three months, we’ve been waiting for this film, not knowing what would be in it. Given the statements Wilders had made in the past though, a lot of people were worried that it might be very offensive to Muslims and spark riots in some of the immigrant areas of our cities.

    So the main consequence was a lot of fear and a big debate about Islam and it’s position in our society and western society – and how far the freedom of speech goes.

    After the release it stayed pretty calm. I think it’s less bad than what was expected or feared for and the tension really seems to be gone now. Or in the background.

    Was it changed because of that Armageddon-expectations? And in fact this couldn’t be the main version?

    I doubt it. If those expectations had come true, Wilders could have said “Look! I was right.”

    I don’t think it was in his interest to tone his film down. I would find it hard to believe he would done that, it’s not his style.

    Do you feel kind of disappointed of the final result?

    Partly. I was expecting a well produced film, though this is cut and pasting with fragments we have all seen numerous times, probably hundreds, in the case of the 9/11 footage even thousands of times. I am happy that he didn’t go as far as others said, because that could have caused national problems as well as international problems for the Netherlands (politically as well as economically). Some countries were threatening with boycotting Dutch products for instance.

    Can you find Wilders right in any of his statements expressed in the movie?

    Yes, with regards to Islamic extremism being a problem we need to be concerned with, like any form of extremism. No, with regards to the fact that he doesn’t limit his judgment to the small group of the 1 billion Muslims that is extreme, but is generalizing all Muslims.

    Although he himself claims he doesn’t; he is talking about the Islam, not the Muslims. I think that’s just a childish point, because when speaking about a faith in this way, you automatically talk about its followers.

    You’ve lived in Bulgaria for about an year. What makes Wilders differ from Volen Siderov?

    Well, I lived there a half year, and I assume Volen Siderov is from Ataka (?), but I didn’t get enough of an impression of him or them to say anything about that. Sorry.

    I do think Bulgaria is in a very different position than Holland though. Since the Islam in Holland came through immigrants; in Bulgaria through occupation by Turkey. If I wasn’t misinformed, at least.

    Can we expect that Geert Wilders will be treated like they did to Theo van Gogh?

    Times have changed a bit and both are different. Since the politician Pim Fortuyn was assassinated, politicians have been getting a lot more security. Since Theo van Gogh, any politician that makes sensitive statements regarding Islam gets more security. Theo van Gogh didn’t have this, as far as I know.

    Geert Wilders has a secret address and has to change from residence every so often (I don’t know and I think they keep it secret for his safety). But yes, he is under threat and I’m sure that there are some crazy people who would try to get him if they just saw the chance to do it.

    It can be either Muslims who think he has insulted their faith/prophet, or people who don’t like his angry and right-wing tone (which can be extreme at times) and are concerned about the future of the Netherlands or just personally upset by him.

    http://bigtandem.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/bas-about-wilders/

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