A soup with different tastes

In the Netherlands have been elections recently.
People can choose from many different political parties.
To represent them in the Parliament.
The House of Representatives.

After these recent elections the following political parties are in the Dutch Parliament that has 150 seats.

The VVD, a right wing liberal party with 31 seats.
The PvdA, a mild socialist party with 30 seats.
The PVV, a right wing anti-muslim party with 24 seats.
The CDA, a Christian center party with 21 seats.
The Socialist Party, a left wing party with 15 seats.
The D66 party, a center liberal party with 10 seats.
The GroenLinks party, a left wing environmental party with 10 seats.
The ChristenUnie party, a conservative Christian party with 5 seats.
The Partij voor de Dieren party, a political party mainly defending animal rights with 2 seats.
The Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij, an ultra orthodox Christian party with 2 seats.

Because there are so many political parties without one having the majority, a Government can only be made when two or more political parties come to an agreement.
They have to compromise and merge somehow their political targets and principles.
This means that after elections, political parties start negotiating and this process is controlled by the Queen of the Netherlands.
She decides who will be in charge to invite certain political parties to start negotiating.



This method has two consequences.
First, it can be a lengthy process.
If political parties ordered by the Queen to talk to each other cannot come to agreements because they don't want to make compromises, fearing to disappoint their electorate too much who might then not vote for that party next time anymore, it ends in a dead end street.
And a new combination of political parties is ordered to talk and see if they can come to a compromise.
In Belgium, where they have a same system of making a Government, the country has been without a Government sometimes for over a year.
All that time political parties were talking and unable to come to a compromise.

The other consequence of this system is that a Government has never a one sided political program to rule from.
The agenda of a Government is always a mixture of plans and intentions depending on what kind of political parties came to a compromise.
It is like a soup with different tastes.
One spoonful is tomato soup.
One spoonful is bean soup.
Often it is said this is not good for a country.
When a dictator is in charge, like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela or Raul Castro on Cuba, they have a monochrome policy.
A very clear one way strategy how to run the country.

But in the end it all doesn't matter too much.
The Netherlands, in spite of its many political parties and the Government policies based on compromises, is a prosperous country.
It is rich, many people are well to do and the trains run on time.
Yes, fervent and loyal blog readers, we may wonder why a country like the Netherlands has in fact elections, a Parliament and a Government.
They could probably run it much better as a company.
By making every citizen a share holder having a vote which persons are elected in the board of the company.
Holland Inc.
And in the boardroom the Queen can serve the coffee.


.

A good question

The weather in the Netherlands is fabulous.
Warm and sunny.
And the Dutch are in a good mood: their national team is doing very well at the World championship of soccer in South Africa.
So far.

Therefore, every restaurant has put tables and chairs in front on the pavement for people to eat and drink in fresh air.
And they see the decorations many have put on their houses, their cars and bikes, to support the national soccer team.
Orange flags, orange banners, orange mascots.

An appointment was made with a friend and because of the happy mood and the good weather the meeting was to take place on the terrace of a bagel shop famous for its excellent caffé latté.

The friend was delayed but who cares when the sun is shining and the coffee tastes good?

But then suddenly a guy passed by who saw the pioneering photographer sitting there comfortably and content.
He stopped and said: "Excuse me, but are you Michel?".
How to deny?
The friendly person turned out to be a fervent and loyal blog reader.
And recognized his daily servant of words from the portrait picture that can be seen on the blog.

Of course the fervent and loyal blog reader was invited to sit down and was generously offered a drink.
Who expressed how amused and entertained he was by reading the blog daily .

Except for yesterday.
When a rather strange image was published and nothing else.
A woman could be seen and she didn't look very much alive.
To the contrary: attentive fervent and loyal blog readers noticed that a cable was around her neck having ended her possibility of breathing making her leave unfortunately this existence.
She might have been a bitch or she might have made hell of the life of her guy but it goes really too far to strangle a blonde, correct?

What was that image about, the friendly blog reader asked.
What was the idea of publishing such a horrific picture?

And, in spite of the sunshine and the good mood and the national soccer team doing well, there was no answer that could be found.
There were no reasons that could be given for shocking the readers so badly.

Only one answer could be given.
A rather silly one.

Don't know.




.

Anarchy destroys

The Netherlands is a country that is wealthy.
There is plenty of money.
They have an excellent welfare system.
Nobody lives in poverty.

These conditions boost individualism.
Living in a rich country drives people to get the best for themselves.
There is no need to do things together anymore.

This is why many people in the Netherlands have become extreme individualists.
The highest and most important in their lives is their individual freedom.
They must live without restrictions, otherwise they loudly protest.

In a city like Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, this attitude among the people can be clearly noticed.
The ones that ride a bicycle and of them there are many.

Driving the bike in town makes them sit on a moving island and nothing must get in their way or they get upset.
Because their individual freedom is obstacled.
It is very common to see cyclists who disrespect traffic laws and simply do what they want.

For example, intersections are equipped with traffic lights.
As we all know, a green light means you can proceed and a red light means you have to stop.
Not so for cyclists in Amsterdam.
If they approach an intersection, they look if any car is coming and if not, they simply proceed ignoring the red traffic light.

It is a similar situation with pedestrians crossing.
White and black lines on the road offer an opportunity to pedestrians to safely cross because the traffic laws say all vehicles must stop.
Not so for Amsterdam cyclists.
They feel they are above pedestrians and higher in a hierarchy.
They see pedestrians crossing, ring the bells of their bicycles and expect the pedestrians to get out of their ways.
If not, they get angry and start shouting severely:
"Get the fuck out of my way !"

It is a sad thing these demonstrations in traffic of extreme individualism.
Because a society that consists of people that only choose for themselves, is a society that is rotting from within.
It will shrivel and crumple and stumble.
Collapse in anarchy.
Lose the coherency of unity.
Rome revisited.


'

Love in the forrest

Now in the Netherlands.
A sophisticated country where people live in peace, comfort and wealth.
Most is well taken care of and organized in an efficient way.

Yesterday for example a walk in the forrest.
From the centre of the city bike lanes are made for cyclists to reach safely the forrest that is close to the town.



In the forrest, a former estate of a baron, well kept paths make walking an ultimate pleasure.
People that happen to pass by each other on a path greet.



A pancake house next to a small river serves excellent food.



And the sun is shining and it is warm and there is love.
Because the Queen of Dreams on her skeelers showed the way to the beautiful forrest.

Going Dutch

Maybe many fervent and loyal blog readers, when reflecting a day, recognise a feeling that it was beautiful?
Full of wonderful experiences?

This feeling strongly occurred when walking back to the apartment along the canals of Amsterdam, the Netherlands last night.
After a day full of meetings with friends and family.

A trip was made to the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
A city in the south of the Netherlands, a one-hour train ride away from Amsterdam.
A meeting was arranged with a photographer with who has been studied at the art school.
A fellow student who became a long time friend and colleague.
This photographer also works autonomously and uncommercially.
Which makes it very interesting to exchange ideas and experiences and learn from each other.
And to support one another as the way we choose to work is more and more difficult to be successful.

The appointment was in a factory that has been rebuild into a cultural centre.
The “Verkade Fabriek”.
A marvellous building that has been restored very well and that many people like to visit.
To eat or drink.
To go to the movies, a concert or the theatre.
Or to see exhibitions.

Soon another person joined the conversation.
A film editor from Rotterdam.
And this gave extreme dynamic to the conversation.
Fast and furious, but often funny also.
In the Dutch language and after not having spoken it for one year it was an ultimate test how many words were still in the brain cells.

Later another photographer joined the company.
The Netherlands is a small country and easily one meets an acquaintance.

That night, back in Amsterdam, a dinner with the brother in law in the beautiful first class baroque restaurant of Central Station.
A man with who a very intense emotional relationship is flourishing.
And again conversations as only can be had while in the Netherlands.
No limitations for language.
And a kind of home feeling how to relate.
In this very specific way Dutch people deal with each other.

The experiences of the day gave therefore a sensation of ultimate happiness and harmony.
To land on the bed in the apartment to watch some silly talk show on TV.
In the Dutch language.




.

The captain of life

For one year the language of the Netherlands was not spoken.
But being in Holland now, it is permanently Dutch words and sentences that are being used.
Fortunately the language of the Netherlands is not forgotten although sometimes an English way of saying things slips through.

Last night with friends, a couple, it was 5 hours of chatting.
Of course about relationships.

The friends have a sailing boat that they use in their spare time.
The rule is that the one at the rudder, is the one that gives the orders.
Hence, there is a captain and a sailor on board.
But it is not as simple.
When the woman is the captain, the male sailor sometimes doubts the commands.
And makes it a point of discussion.
And because women in the Netherlands are emancipated, when the man is the captain, his commands are sometimes openly doubted by the female sailor.

This is not a good situation on a sailing boat.
And also not on land in real life.
Part of command structure is that, no matter what, the authority is recognised and respected.
Maybe in a later stage, while reflecting and evaluating the decision made, it can be kept against the light.

The conclusion was that sailing was possible but only when it was in a relaxed way.
Not looking for challenges like participating in races and competitive sailing with other boats.
Because then the stress would strike and clear command structure would be definitely necessary.

It was remarked that a couple they knew that most of the time won the sailboat races had a man as a captain who was yelling and insulting the sailor who was his wife.
Because the man could express himself freely and the woman was able to swallow it, their sailing boat won all the time.
Hopefully that woman had a way of getting back at that man and balance the relationship.

It was a very interesting conversation about this subject.
Without the option of coming to clear conclusions.

Very different from an evening recently in Los Angeles: also with friends, a couple.
There the woman wanted very much to dominate her two male companions.
This was so intense and getting that much escalated that true fear was felt.
Fear that she, who did the cooking, would put poison in the food.
To kill the two men at her table.
That would have been a lousy death.
Because a certain woman wanted to be the captain of life.



.

Poplars under girls

Winter has been harsh in the Netherlands.
Long months of low temperatures, snow, dark clouds and not much sun.
People locked up in their houses and winter coats.

But together with the traveller from Mexico, the spring has come to Amsterdam.
Relative warm temperatures, a blue sky and bright sunshine.
That is how the Dutch like it!
They are coming out of their hiding places and swarm over the city.
To enjoy the warmth and the sun drinking drinks on terraces, taking sunny sunbaths and parade the parading grounds.

People are happy and joyful like lambs born in spring.
The last year the societies of the USA and Mexico have been experienced.
But suddenly it is the Netherlands.
And immediately strong differences are observed.

In the city of Amsterdam people are very liberal and free.
They do what they want.
But this has overdeveloped in a mentality with many of them that can be described as: I will be myself no matter what.
Hence, get the fuck out of my way.

This is most prominently demonstrated by the liberal bicyclist.
Of which there are thousands and thousands.
They just go their own way driving on the pavement reserved for pedestrians, ignoring red traffic lights and parking in obstructive ways.
Rule one is not to get upset with them.
To simply step aside in case one is a pedestrian.
Otherwise the bicyclist will yell at the critical pedestrian.
Or will possibly put a fist on the nose.
That can bleed and make a mess on the clothes and in the mind.

Of course, the bicyclist meets often dangerously the car that is higher in the hierarchy.
And that results in yelling by the bicyclist as well.
With no result as the driver is safely inside the car.
And will not likely submit to the bicyclist and shift priority.

On the other side of the liberal Dutch spectrum we meet with great pleasure the women.
They are dressed in a way no Mexican Señorita would dare to.
The Dutch woman knows very well what are her good assets and emphasises them in her public presentation.
They wear for example mini skirts with colourful panties.
Showing endless long legs shaped like poplars.

But most impressive is the way how they show themselves.
Whatever is the outfit.
They seem to be self-assured.
They look like they are used to being desired madly.
They seem to have sex in their lives as common and normal as shooting a pistol.

No wonder that those women are admired, adored and admitted.
No wonder that Amsterdam feels like a warm shower of sunrays.
A healthy male visitor to Amsterdam becomes therefore a solar panel producing high energy.

But tomorrow a train will carry the hot tot to Antwerp in Belgium.
To cool down and do biz.





.

All Amsterdam

Housed in a lovely apartment in the centre of Amsterdam.
Arriving from the airport after a totally uneventful flight in the arms of friends.
Drinking beer in front of the house in the warm afternoon sunshine to talk the Dutch language after 11 months.
Hearing and telling stories and because everybody after a long winter is in an excellent mood due to the warm spring weather tears rolling down the cheeks because of the hilarious words spoken.
But rolling also for happiness being back to a town where 15 years full of events has been lived.


Now a time of three to four appointments per day will be performed to see other friends and boost business.


.

Where is he?

Arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Where the weather is warm and so are the friends.