The SentinelAmsterdamIntegrity heart humour

FEATURE

pERSpEcTivES

smileliFESTylESOpiniOnREviEWTEchnOlOgyFilMTREnDSSpORTclASSiFiEDS

vol 5 6 ndash 21 February 2012

CLOseenCOunters

cOnTEnTS 02

03cOnTEnTS

In this issueFEATURE p 04

cOlOphOn

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Allison Cohen Valeria Scimia David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre Simon Owosu Steve Austin

Close Encounters of the Dutch Kind

pERSpEcTivES p 14

Smile

TEchnOlOgy p 24

Cloud Central

TREnDS p30 SpORT p 34 MORE

Allah save the queen

The Gold Room cAFeacuteBAR REviEW p 18lsquot Loosje

SpOTTED p 28Where is this in Amsterdam

FilM REviEW p 29Room 2C

BOOk REviEW p 29Snow Crash

CLASSIFIEDS

lsquoAmsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their repressed desiresrsquo

lsquoThe rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trendsrsquo

lsquoSmiling is one of the best activities one could possibly practicersquo

lsquoCloud Computing has already brought about a revolution in the workplacersquo

04FEATURE

lsquoMy first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploitsrsquo

Close Encounters of the Dutch KindmAKING SENSE Of ThE lOCAlS

leather pointy shoes clicking as they move away One of them points me to the ticket office As the ticket agent hands me my ticket she asks ldquoDo you know how to travelrdquo Excuse me I think What kind of question is that I got here didnrsquot I ldquoYesrdquo I answer confidently ldquowhich platformrdquo The agent rolls her eyes and scoffs ldquoI just asked you if you knew how to travel and you said lsquoYesrsquo Platform 3rdquo On that note Irsquom off

making my way through the streets of Amsterdam the anticipated sights and sensations are present the many canals traversing the city the distinct availability of sex the overwhelming tourist presence and the scent of mari-juana hanging in the air Around the red light district a man wanders red-eyed and giddy as he stoops down to pet a dog Everything seems to be in place

With bikes passing by I take note of the all bike multi-task-ing going on The ingenuity renders me equally impressed and disturbed biking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects under-arm biking while smoking biking while drinking beer biking on a lsquobakfietsrsquo biking with no hands biking while textingphoning The list goes on I even witness a woman biking with a baby casually strapped to her chest and two more children in rear seats I would relish in the fallout if this were attempted in my hometown of Washington DC Unlike Americans the cyclists donrsquot seem concerned about the safety hazards even with young helmetless children in high-traffic areas

FEATURE 05

Often maligned as the lsquoDisneyland for drug-giesrsquo many tourists flock to Amsterdam with the same destructive enthusiasm of an Ameri-can hitting the bars the moment they reach the legal drinking age While the hedonist joys and tolerant attitude of Amsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their re-pressed desires my first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploits in sex and drug tourism

freshly flown in from the Tuscan countryside I scan the bustling corridor of Schiphol airport and train station and relish my first opportunity to gain an impression of Northern non-Anglo Europe After seven months in Italy I appreciate that my blondness and inability to accessorise doesnrsquot instantly give me away as a foreigner The modern clean well-lit aesthetic makes me feel like Irsquove firmly returned to the 21st century Realising that I still need to buy a ticket to Amsterdam Central I notice lines of people forming behind yellow electronic ticket machines But the machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit card I try again diligently deliberately not looking over my shoulder at the line behind me as it splits off to the adjacent machines

I stand bemoaning my foreignness while a string of tall Dutch men breeze past me their hair slicked back and

By Allison Cohen

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

cOnTEnTS 02

03cOnTEnTS

In this issueFEATURE p 04

cOlOphOn

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Allison Cohen Valeria Scimia David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre Simon Owosu Steve Austin

Close Encounters of the Dutch Kind

pERSpEcTivES p 14

Smile

TEchnOlOgy p 24

Cloud Central

TREnDS p30 SpORT p 34 MORE

Allah save the queen

The Gold Room cAFeacuteBAR REviEW p 18lsquot Loosje

SpOTTED p 28Where is this in Amsterdam

FilM REviEW p 29Room 2C

BOOk REviEW p 29Snow Crash

CLASSIFIEDS

lsquoAmsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their repressed desiresrsquo

lsquoThe rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trendsrsquo

lsquoSmiling is one of the best activities one could possibly practicersquo

lsquoCloud Computing has already brought about a revolution in the workplacersquo

04FEATURE

lsquoMy first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploitsrsquo

Close Encounters of the Dutch KindmAKING SENSE Of ThE lOCAlS

leather pointy shoes clicking as they move away One of them points me to the ticket office As the ticket agent hands me my ticket she asks ldquoDo you know how to travelrdquo Excuse me I think What kind of question is that I got here didnrsquot I ldquoYesrdquo I answer confidently ldquowhich platformrdquo The agent rolls her eyes and scoffs ldquoI just asked you if you knew how to travel and you said lsquoYesrsquo Platform 3rdquo On that note Irsquom off

making my way through the streets of Amsterdam the anticipated sights and sensations are present the many canals traversing the city the distinct availability of sex the overwhelming tourist presence and the scent of mari-juana hanging in the air Around the red light district a man wanders red-eyed and giddy as he stoops down to pet a dog Everything seems to be in place

With bikes passing by I take note of the all bike multi-task-ing going on The ingenuity renders me equally impressed and disturbed biking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects under-arm biking while smoking biking while drinking beer biking on a lsquobakfietsrsquo biking with no hands biking while textingphoning The list goes on I even witness a woman biking with a baby casually strapped to her chest and two more children in rear seats I would relish in the fallout if this were attempted in my hometown of Washington DC Unlike Americans the cyclists donrsquot seem concerned about the safety hazards even with young helmetless children in high-traffic areas

FEATURE 05

Often maligned as the lsquoDisneyland for drug-giesrsquo many tourists flock to Amsterdam with the same destructive enthusiasm of an Ameri-can hitting the bars the moment they reach the legal drinking age While the hedonist joys and tolerant attitude of Amsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their re-pressed desires my first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploits in sex and drug tourism

freshly flown in from the Tuscan countryside I scan the bustling corridor of Schiphol airport and train station and relish my first opportunity to gain an impression of Northern non-Anglo Europe After seven months in Italy I appreciate that my blondness and inability to accessorise doesnrsquot instantly give me away as a foreigner The modern clean well-lit aesthetic makes me feel like Irsquove firmly returned to the 21st century Realising that I still need to buy a ticket to Amsterdam Central I notice lines of people forming behind yellow electronic ticket machines But the machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit card I try again diligently deliberately not looking over my shoulder at the line behind me as it splits off to the adjacent machines

I stand bemoaning my foreignness while a string of tall Dutch men breeze past me their hair slicked back and

By Allison Cohen

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

03cOnTEnTS

In this issueFEATURE p 04

cOlOphOn

The Sentinel Amsterdam

e-mail sentinelpostgmailcomwebsite wwwthesentineleu

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photosillustrations that are subject to copyright If you consider your copyright to have been infringed please contact us at sentinelpostgmailcom

Editors ndash Gary Rudland amp Denson PierreDesign realisation and form ndash Andrei Barburas amp No-OfficenlWebmaster ndash wwwsio-bytestumblrcomWebhost ndash Amsterjammincom

Contributors Allison Cohen Valeria Scimia David King Dirkje Bakker-Pierre Simon Owosu Steve Austin

Close Encounters of the Dutch Kind

pERSpEcTivES p 14

Smile

TEchnOlOgy p 24

Cloud Central

TREnDS p30 SpORT p 34 MORE

Allah save the queen

The Gold Room cAFeacuteBAR REviEW p 18lsquot Loosje

SpOTTED p 28Where is this in Amsterdam

FilM REviEW p 29Room 2C

BOOk REviEW p 29Snow Crash

CLASSIFIEDS

lsquoAmsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their repressed desiresrsquo

lsquoThe rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trendsrsquo

lsquoSmiling is one of the best activities one could possibly practicersquo

lsquoCloud Computing has already brought about a revolution in the workplacersquo

04FEATURE

lsquoMy first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploitsrsquo

Close Encounters of the Dutch KindmAKING SENSE Of ThE lOCAlS

leather pointy shoes clicking as they move away One of them points me to the ticket office As the ticket agent hands me my ticket she asks ldquoDo you know how to travelrdquo Excuse me I think What kind of question is that I got here didnrsquot I ldquoYesrdquo I answer confidently ldquowhich platformrdquo The agent rolls her eyes and scoffs ldquoI just asked you if you knew how to travel and you said lsquoYesrsquo Platform 3rdquo On that note Irsquom off

making my way through the streets of Amsterdam the anticipated sights and sensations are present the many canals traversing the city the distinct availability of sex the overwhelming tourist presence and the scent of mari-juana hanging in the air Around the red light district a man wanders red-eyed and giddy as he stoops down to pet a dog Everything seems to be in place

With bikes passing by I take note of the all bike multi-task-ing going on The ingenuity renders me equally impressed and disturbed biking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects under-arm biking while smoking biking while drinking beer biking on a lsquobakfietsrsquo biking with no hands biking while textingphoning The list goes on I even witness a woman biking with a baby casually strapped to her chest and two more children in rear seats I would relish in the fallout if this were attempted in my hometown of Washington DC Unlike Americans the cyclists donrsquot seem concerned about the safety hazards even with young helmetless children in high-traffic areas

FEATURE 05

Often maligned as the lsquoDisneyland for drug-giesrsquo many tourists flock to Amsterdam with the same destructive enthusiasm of an Ameri-can hitting the bars the moment they reach the legal drinking age While the hedonist joys and tolerant attitude of Amsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their re-pressed desires my first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploits in sex and drug tourism

freshly flown in from the Tuscan countryside I scan the bustling corridor of Schiphol airport and train station and relish my first opportunity to gain an impression of Northern non-Anglo Europe After seven months in Italy I appreciate that my blondness and inability to accessorise doesnrsquot instantly give me away as a foreigner The modern clean well-lit aesthetic makes me feel like Irsquove firmly returned to the 21st century Realising that I still need to buy a ticket to Amsterdam Central I notice lines of people forming behind yellow electronic ticket machines But the machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit card I try again diligently deliberately not looking over my shoulder at the line behind me as it splits off to the adjacent machines

I stand bemoaning my foreignness while a string of tall Dutch men breeze past me their hair slicked back and

By Allison Cohen

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

04FEATURE

lsquoMy first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploitsrsquo

Close Encounters of the Dutch KindmAKING SENSE Of ThE lOCAlS

leather pointy shoes clicking as they move away One of them points me to the ticket office As the ticket agent hands me my ticket she asks ldquoDo you know how to travelrdquo Excuse me I think What kind of question is that I got here didnrsquot I ldquoYesrdquo I answer confidently ldquowhich platformrdquo The agent rolls her eyes and scoffs ldquoI just asked you if you knew how to travel and you said lsquoYesrsquo Platform 3rdquo On that note Irsquom off

making my way through the streets of Amsterdam the anticipated sights and sensations are present the many canals traversing the city the distinct availability of sex the overwhelming tourist presence and the scent of mari-juana hanging in the air Around the red light district a man wanders red-eyed and giddy as he stoops down to pet a dog Everything seems to be in place

With bikes passing by I take note of the all bike multi-task-ing going on The ingenuity renders me equally impressed and disturbed biking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects under-arm biking while smoking biking while drinking beer biking on a lsquobakfietsrsquo biking with no hands biking while textingphoning The list goes on I even witness a woman biking with a baby casually strapped to her chest and two more children in rear seats I would relish in the fallout if this were attempted in my hometown of Washington DC Unlike Americans the cyclists donrsquot seem concerned about the safety hazards even with young helmetless children in high-traffic areas

FEATURE 05

Often maligned as the lsquoDisneyland for drug-giesrsquo many tourists flock to Amsterdam with the same destructive enthusiasm of an Ameri-can hitting the bars the moment they reach the legal drinking age While the hedonist joys and tolerant attitude of Amsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their re-pressed desires my first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploits in sex and drug tourism

freshly flown in from the Tuscan countryside I scan the bustling corridor of Schiphol airport and train station and relish my first opportunity to gain an impression of Northern non-Anglo Europe After seven months in Italy I appreciate that my blondness and inability to accessorise doesnrsquot instantly give me away as a foreigner The modern clean well-lit aesthetic makes me feel like Irsquove firmly returned to the 21st century Realising that I still need to buy a ticket to Amsterdam Central I notice lines of people forming behind yellow electronic ticket machines But the machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit card I try again diligently deliberately not looking over my shoulder at the line behind me as it splits off to the adjacent machines

I stand bemoaning my foreignness while a string of tall Dutch men breeze past me their hair slicked back and

By Allison Cohen

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

Close Encounters of the Dutch KindmAKING SENSE Of ThE lOCAlS

leather pointy shoes clicking as they move away One of them points me to the ticket office As the ticket agent hands me my ticket she asks ldquoDo you know how to travelrdquo Excuse me I think What kind of question is that I got here didnrsquot I ldquoYesrdquo I answer confidently ldquowhich platformrdquo The agent rolls her eyes and scoffs ldquoI just asked you if you knew how to travel and you said lsquoYesrsquo Platform 3rdquo On that note Irsquom off

making my way through the streets of Amsterdam the anticipated sights and sensations are present the many canals traversing the city the distinct availability of sex the overwhelming tourist presence and the scent of mari-juana hanging in the air Around the red light district a man wanders red-eyed and giddy as he stoops down to pet a dog Everything seems to be in place

With bikes passing by I take note of the all bike multi-task-ing going on The ingenuity renders me equally impressed and disturbed biking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects under-arm biking while smoking biking while drinking beer biking on a lsquobakfietsrsquo biking with no hands biking while textingphoning The list goes on I even witness a woman biking with a baby casually strapped to her chest and two more children in rear seats I would relish in the fallout if this were attempted in my hometown of Washington DC Unlike Americans the cyclists donrsquot seem concerned about the safety hazards even with young helmetless children in high-traffic areas

FEATURE 05

Often maligned as the lsquoDisneyland for drug-giesrsquo many tourists flock to Amsterdam with the same destructive enthusiasm of an Ameri-can hitting the bars the moment they reach the legal drinking age While the hedonist joys and tolerant attitude of Amsterdam can inspire some to publicly indulge their re-pressed desires my first glimpses into the city give me an insight into Dutch culture more interesting than the clicheacuted tourist exploits in sex and drug tourism

freshly flown in from the Tuscan countryside I scan the bustling corridor of Schiphol airport and train station and relish my first opportunity to gain an impression of Northern non-Anglo Europe After seven months in Italy I appreciate that my blondness and inability to accessorise doesnrsquot instantly give me away as a foreigner The modern clean well-lit aesthetic makes me feel like Irsquove firmly returned to the 21st century Realising that I still need to buy a ticket to Amsterdam Central I notice lines of people forming behind yellow electronic ticket machines But the machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit card I try again diligently deliberately not looking over my shoulder at the line behind me as it splits off to the adjacent machines

I stand bemoaning my foreignness while a string of tall Dutch men breeze past me their hair slicked back and

By Allison Cohen

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

It starts to rain and I wonder how it is that the Dutch rely so heavily on biking when the weather is so rainy windy and generally unpleasant how do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstorm The slightest hint of rain elicits a sea of umbrellas in Italy But as the cyclists pass by they just endure it and get wet

On the corner I find shelter in a fEBO also known as lsquothe wallrsquo among the Dutch which has managed to cut out hu-man interaction from the fast food process entirely A hot vending machine vestibule separates the clientele from the anonymous employees who restock little plastic draw-ers with krokets hamburgers and frikandellen

The no-nonsense approach of fEBO strikes a chord in me and it all starts to make sense The defining thing about Dutch culture is practicality and personal responsibility often at the expense of romance Need to bike to a date interview or business meeting where a first impression is crucial yet itrsquos pouring with rain Wear a raincoat and hope for the best Nearly a quarter of your country is below sea level Build canals and windmills to pump out the water and build an airport there while yoursquore at it Expect a guy to hold open a door for you Why would he when you can do it yourself And while you might think it dis-courteous itrsquos nice to know that others think Irsquom capable of handling it myself

FEATURE 06

lsquoThe machine doesnrsquot take cash and distastefully rejects my US debit cardrsquo

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

07FEATURE

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

08FEATURE

lsquoBiking with adult or child passengers on the front or back biking while toting large objects underarm biking while smokingrsquo

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

FEATURE 09

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

10FEATURE

lsquoHow do the women keep their hair make-up and clothes intact during a rainstormrsquo

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

FEATURE 11

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

SpORTclASSiFiEDS 12

clASSiFiEDSclASSiFiEDS 13

14pERSpEcTivES

lsquoIt is the reason why people here act oddly when you smile at themrsquo

SmIlE

pERSpEcTivES 15

lsquoPeople offering free hugs have shown up in many citiesrsquo

lsquoIt also tricks the brain into heightening emotions and believing something good is happeningrsquo

Everyone has seen happy spontaneous Dutch people having great fun away from their home country Think of the movies they have made like Costa that embrace their free-spirited happy summertime experiences Then once back home everything is immediately grey and flat again Itrsquos rare to see a Dutch person smiling and being outgoing without having had a little alcohol to drink beforehand

Smiling is one of the best activities one could possibly prac-tice Often I hear people complaining that in Amsterdam people donrsquot smile at each other enough or in the same way as when theyrsquore abroad In warm southern countries itrsquos quite normal to randomly smile at people something that is considered weird and inappropriate here If you smile randomly at someone the person sitting in front of you on a tram for example you will generally get back a strange look that says ldquoWhat are you smiling atrdquo and the person would probably look away I have even been told that if a girl smiles at a guy he is allowed to think that she is interested in knowing him in the biblical sense This astonishes me and makes me wonder if it is the reason why people here act oddly when you smile at them they may think that you want something from them Quite the opposite is usually true itrsquos the pure random spreading of happiness

maybe it is really because of the lack of sunshine here many notice how the sun greatly contributes to peoplersquos happiness levels and that people in warm countries smile

more than those who live in cold grey ones This rings true here In fact when the sun does come out everyone looks happier and shows as many teeth as possible

Sadly Amsterdam is not the only city where you generally see less smiley faces Big cities promote rushing around and individuality and people are too busy and worried most of the time to remember to smile or even accept a smile People offering free hugs have shown up in many cities trying to make everyone remember to take a break and have a good time living in the moment So why not simply smile more

medical studies have also proven the beneficial effects of smiling not only does it improve onersquos appearance by keeping face muscles active it also tricks the brain into heightening emotions and believing something good is happening thus relieving stress improving our immune system and making us healthier

So herersquos some good advice for people living in Amster-dam and abroad smile more even when itrsquos rainy and grey out there Remember how you feel and behave while enjoying a great holiday Donrsquot allow the weather to determine your shininess Also donrsquot be scared of someone you donrsquot know smiling at you they probably donrsquot want anything and are just one of the lsquohappy peoplersquo Itrsquos nice to smile at a person whose eye catches yours And if it can improve your general happiness why not give it a try

By Valeria Scimia

clASSiFiEDS 16

pERSpEcTivES 15

lsquoPeople offering free hugs have shown up in many citiesrsquo

lsquoIt also tricks the brain into heightening emotions and believing something good is happeningrsquo

Everyone has seen happy spontaneous Dutch people having great fun away from their home country Think of the movies they have made like Costa that embrace their free-spirited happy summertime experiences Then once back home everything is immediately grey and flat again Itrsquos rare to see a Dutch person smiling and being outgoing without having had a little alcohol to drink beforehand

Smiling is one of the best activities one could possibly prac-tice Often I hear people complaining that in Amsterdam people donrsquot smile at each other enough or in the same way as when theyrsquore abroad In warm southern countries itrsquos quite normal to randomly smile at people something that is considered weird and inappropriate here If you smile randomly at someone the person sitting in front of you on a tram for example you will generally get back a strange look that says ldquoWhat are you smiling atrdquo and the person would probably look away I have even been told that if a girl smiles at a guy he is allowed to think that she is interested in knowing him in the biblical sense This astonishes me and makes me wonder if it is the reason why people here act oddly when you smile at them they may think that you want something from them Quite the opposite is usually true itrsquos the pure random spreading of happiness

maybe it is really because of the lack of sunshine here many notice how the sun greatly contributes to peoplersquos happiness levels and that people in warm countries smile

more than those who live in cold grey ones This rings true here In fact when the sun does come out everyone looks happier and shows as many teeth as possible

Sadly Amsterdam is not the only city where you generally see less smiley faces Big cities promote rushing around and individuality and people are too busy and worried most of the time to remember to smile or even accept a smile People offering free hugs have shown up in many cities trying to make everyone remember to take a break and have a good time living in the moment So why not simply smile more

medical studies have also proven the beneficial effects of smiling not only does it improve onersquos appearance by keeping face muscles active it also tricks the brain into heightening emotions and believing something good is happening thus relieving stress improving our immune system and making us healthier

So herersquos some good advice for people living in Amster-dam and abroad smile more even when itrsquos rainy and grey out there Remember how you feel and behave while enjoying a great holiday Donrsquot allow the weather to determine your shininess Also donrsquot be scared of someone you donrsquot know smiling at you they probably donrsquot want anything and are just one of the lsquohappy peoplersquo Itrsquos nice to smile at a person whose eye catches yours And if it can improve your general happiness why not give it a try

By Valeria Scimia

clASSiFiEDS 16

clASSiFiEDS 16

clASSiFiEDS 17

18cAFEBAR REviEW

CafeacuteBarReview

CafeacuteBarReview

lsquot LoosjeBy Denson Pierre

cAFEBAR REviEW 19

lsquo t loosjeNieuwmarkt 32-34 1012 CS Amsterdam Tel 020-6272635

One of the few remaining classic Amsterdam cafeacutes in the city centre (bordering the Red Light District) which has kept its full 20th-century charm and reasonable pricing It was also the scene of my first sampling of the now omnipresent La Chouffe Blonde in 2000 (it had just won the Public Prize at the World Beer Championships) It has become my all-time favourite beer and is still served here along with many other high quality beers lowland liqueurs and spirits to an always engaged engaging and happily mixed clientele

AmbianceAlthough they offer a lunch service this cafeacute is best relished in the evening when the beer connoisseurs come out It is always nicely busy never raucous and is a prime date cafeacute especially if your prospect claims a liking or knowledge of the best beers in the world It is also the perfect example to international visitors of what Dutch speakers mean when they refer to something as being lsquogezelligrsquoRating 5

StaffregularsThis cafeacute is almost legendary attracting numerous tourists and interesting students with mature attitudes due to its supreme location Other regulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city population Staff members are always friendly pleasant and knowledgeable about the specialised

drinks they serve It is indeed a cafeacute in which you would really love to work if cafeacute work was your choiceRating 5

Televised sport There is now a 32rdquo flat-screen TV there but it really is not the type of bar at which you would want to spend time gawking at a screen full marks for effort in making it pos-sible for those who request it and I am sure many doRating 5

PricesOverall the feeling is that of the last century in a city-centre postcode zone that has otherwise totally lost its sense of value for money responsibility to the non-tourist with extortionate pricing levels A fine glass of Affligem Dubbel at c 350 should put you in the pictureRating 5

MusicBar staff make the tune selections and play fittingly mid-tempo grooves Excellent sound system and the music never overpowersRating 5

Smoking area provisionYes some folk still smoke in Amsterdam so lsquot loosje has a substantial awning-covered terrace area overlooking the Nieuwmarkt for puffers to enjoy their fix without gassing a bar full of non-smokers there for the exotic drinksRating 5

Total rating 3030(Ratings from 1-5 where 1= Very poor and 5= Excellent)

A perfect score This cafe is almost unique in setting out and consistently succeeding in doing what it wants in terms of its individual style offering and taste

lsquoOne of the few remaining classic Amsterdam cafeacutesrsquo

20cAFEBAR REviEW

lsquoThe perfect example to inter-national visitors of what Dutch speakers mean when they refer to something as being lsquogezelligrsquorsquo

cAFEBAR REviEW 21

lsquoRegulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city populationrsquo

22clASSiFiEDS

CafeacuteBarReview

lsquot LoosjeBy Denson Pierre

cAFEBAR REviEW 19

lsquo t loosjeNieuwmarkt 32-34 1012 CS Amsterdam Tel 020-6272635

One of the few remaining classic Amsterdam cafeacutes in the city centre (bordering the Red Light District) which has kept its full 20th-century charm and reasonable pricing It was also the scene of my first sampling of the now omnipresent La Chouffe Blonde in 2000 (it had just won the Public Prize at the World Beer Championships) It has become my all-time favourite beer and is still served here along with many other high quality beers lowland liqueurs and spirits to an always engaged engaging and happily mixed clientele

AmbianceAlthough they offer a lunch service this cafeacute is best relished in the evening when the beer connoisseurs come out It is always nicely busy never raucous and is a prime date cafeacute especially if your prospect claims a liking or knowledge of the best beers in the world It is also the perfect example to international visitors of what Dutch speakers mean when they refer to something as being lsquogezelligrsquoRating 5

StaffregularsThis cafeacute is almost legendary attracting numerous tourists and interesting students with mature attitudes due to its supreme location Other regulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city population Staff members are always friendly pleasant and knowledgeable about the specialised

drinks they serve It is indeed a cafeacute in which you would really love to work if cafeacute work was your choiceRating 5

Televised sport There is now a 32rdquo flat-screen TV there but it really is not the type of bar at which you would want to spend time gawking at a screen full marks for effort in making it pos-sible for those who request it and I am sure many doRating 5

PricesOverall the feeling is that of the last century in a city-centre postcode zone that has otherwise totally lost its sense of value for money responsibility to the non-tourist with extortionate pricing levels A fine glass of Affligem Dubbel at c 350 should put you in the pictureRating 5

MusicBar staff make the tune selections and play fittingly mid-tempo grooves Excellent sound system and the music never overpowersRating 5

Smoking area provisionYes some folk still smoke in Amsterdam so lsquot loosje has a substantial awning-covered terrace area overlooking the Nieuwmarkt for puffers to enjoy their fix without gassing a bar full of non-smokers there for the exotic drinksRating 5

Total rating 3030(Ratings from 1-5 where 1= Very poor and 5= Excellent)

A perfect score This cafe is almost unique in setting out and consistently succeeding in doing what it wants in terms of its individual style offering and taste

lsquoOne of the few remaining classic Amsterdam cafeacutesrsquo

20cAFEBAR REviEW

lsquoThe perfect example to inter-national visitors of what Dutch speakers mean when they refer to something as being lsquogezelligrsquorsquo

cAFEBAR REviEW 21

lsquoRegulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city populationrsquo

22clASSiFiEDS

20cAFEBAR REviEW

lsquoThe perfect example to inter-national visitors of what Dutch speakers mean when they refer to something as being lsquogezelligrsquorsquo

cAFEBAR REviEW 21

lsquoRegulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city populationrsquo

22clASSiFiEDS

cAFEBAR REviEW 21

lsquoRegulars are simply folk who like a good beer in nice company and come from a cross-section of the city populationrsquo

22clASSiFiEDS

22clASSiFiEDS

23clASSiFiEDS

TEchnOlOgy 24

By Simon Owusu

TechBit Sio-BytesA couple of issues back (volume 5 issue 4) we talked about the shifts happening in the post-pc era and how we are moving away from desktop computers to post-pc devices like smartphones and tablets In the previous issue (Volume 5 Issue 5) we talked about the rise of Ultra-books making us more mobile with powerful machines providing sufficient processing capacity to perform very complex tasks on the go whereas before we would have been tied to a desktop computer These shifts have been accelerated by Cloud Comput-ing the glue binding all these technology shifts together Cloud Computing has already brought about a revolution in the workplace and it is now sparking a Personal Cloud Com-puting revolution in our homes Wikipedia describes Cloud Computing as ldquoa marketing term for technologies that provide computation software data access and storage services that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the servicesrdquo In simple terms it is a group of technologies used primarily over the internet to deliver an application information or services from remote locations consisting of centrally managed

computer servers (ldquothe cloudrdquo) all without users having to know what the technology is how it works or where it is Cloud Computing derived its name from the symbol commonly used in flowcharts to represent the internet or any large area network It is used to describe a technology or group of technologies without detailing the underlying technical complexities There are three important aspects to Cloud Computing that should be mentioned They are Connectivity Applica-tions (or Services) and Storage high-speed broadband allows us to move large amounts of information from our computing devices to computer servers in remote locations at blistering speeds It is this speed in transferring infor-mation back and forth that makes the Cloud Computing concept viable in terms of connectivity Then there are Applications or Services Cloud Computing is about provid-ing a service or an application to a remote user as if the application were installed on their desktop computer or smartphone when actually it is running in ldquothe cloudrdquo

The final aspect to the Cloud Computing concept is Storage As services or applications run in ldquothe cloudrdquo your information and the applications are both stored on remote servers This amounts to a lot of data and for Cloud Computing to work the central servers need to be capable of hosting large amounts of data This is accom-plished by having large estates of computer servers with vast amounts of storage capacity in locations the size of

CLOuD CentraL

lsquoCloud Computing derived its name from the symbol commonly used in flowcharts to represent the internetrsquo

lsquofor Cloud Computing to work the central servers need to be capable of hosting large amounts of datarsquo

TEchnOlOgy 25

lsquoCloud Computing has been around for years and you have probably been using it without realisingrsquo

football fields typically referred to as Server farms many large technology companies like Apple microsoft and Google have server farms at multiple locations across the globe for back-up and redundancy filled with thousands upon thousands of servers Technology is at its best when you can use it without having to understand the complexities of the underlying components You use it without even realising that you are using it When the great complexity of hardware infrastructure networking topologies and redundant arrays of storage are all hidden away you can have the magical and mystical experience of accomplishing the task at hand without the need for advanced computing expertise Cloud Computing has been around for years and you have probably been using it without realising If you have ever used a service like hotmail Gmail or any web-based e-mail service you would have had your hand in Cloud Computing

Before Cloud Computing your e-mail client the program you used to access your e-mails was an application installed on your local computer Your e-mail messages were downloaded through the client and on to your computer taking up storage space You created read and sent your messages with the client With services like hotmail which uses the Cloud Computing model all this has changed The e-mail client has been replaced by a web browser connected to an e-mail application hosted in the cloud and it is from here that you create read and send your e-mail messages The e-mail messages are now stored in server farms and no longer take up valuable storage space on your local computer These web-based e-mail services were probably the earliest forms of Cloud Computing to become part of the personal computing experience however they are only the beginning of the Personal Cloud Computing revolution into which I will delve further in my next instalment

clASSiFiEDS 26

lsquofor Cloud Computing to work the central servers need to be capable of hosting large amounts of datarsquo

TEchnOlOgy 25

lsquoCloud Computing has been around for years and you have probably been using it without realisingrsquo

football fields typically referred to as Server farms many large technology companies like Apple microsoft and Google have server farms at multiple locations across the globe for back-up and redundancy filled with thousands upon thousands of servers Technology is at its best when you can use it without having to understand the complexities of the underlying components You use it without even realising that you are using it When the great complexity of hardware infrastructure networking topologies and redundant arrays of storage are all hidden away you can have the magical and mystical experience of accomplishing the task at hand without the need for advanced computing expertise Cloud Computing has been around for years and you have probably been using it without realising If you have ever used a service like hotmail Gmail or any web-based e-mail service you would have had your hand in Cloud Computing

Before Cloud Computing your e-mail client the program you used to access your e-mails was an application installed on your local computer Your e-mail messages were downloaded through the client and on to your computer taking up storage space You created read and sent your messages with the client With services like hotmail which uses the Cloud Computing model all this has changed The e-mail client has been replaced by a web browser connected to an e-mail application hosted in the cloud and it is from here that you create read and send your e-mail messages The e-mail messages are now stored in server farms and no longer take up valuable storage space on your local computer These web-based e-mail services were probably the earliest forms of Cloud Computing to become part of the personal computing experience however they are only the beginning of the Personal Cloud Computing revolution into which I will delve further in my next instalment

clASSiFiEDS 26

clASSiFiEDS 26

clASSiFiEDS 27

28SpOTTED

Answer to sentinelpostgmailcom

Where is this inAmsterdamBy David King

Room 2cfilm

A book at lunchtime

James Stewart and Alfred hitch-cock have worked together many times but this little pearl of a film is my favourite of their collaborations Two young men decide to show off their lsquosupe-riorrsquo intellect and commit the perfect murder by strangling a friend and hiding his body in a chest They then proceed to hold a dinner party with the victimrsquos friends and family all invited There is tension all around as we await his arrival while suspicions deepen

Allow me to introduce you to one of my very favourite writers writing in the cyberpunk style about a far from ideal distant or near future Snow Crash is Neal Stephensonrsquos third novel like many of Stephensonrsquos other novels it covers history linguistics anthropology archaeology religion computer science politics cryptography memetics and philosophy

The great thing about this particular book is that it feels a bit like reading a Jules Verne novel from this era The book has a lot of seemingly extremely futuristic (even science fiction-like) and unlikely stuff in it (especially if you read it in the 1990s as I did) which has now become more like the probable near future Nanotechnology plays a big role as well as the virtual world There are screens everywhere digital paper and extreme forms of advertising that unfortunately Irsquom already starting to see in my own lifetime

You could say that in essence the story is about a voracious world-ending computer viruspseudo-narcotic called lsquoSnow Crashrsquo You could say it is about the Sumerian culture and language You could say it is about a terminator-like good guy called hiro Protagonist whose business card reads lsquolast of the freelance hackers and Greatest swordfighter in the worldrsquo Whatever you say itrsquos an exciting read

By David King

By Steve Austin

Rope (1948)

Snow CrashNeal Stephenson 1992

FilM REviEW 29

TREnDS 30

31TREnDS

A positive trend that Irsquove noticed in the last few weeks is the subtle but sure chess-type moves our queen has been making against the rise of right-wing politics in our wet and small country The rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trends I have lived through in my short lifetime of thirty-six years and a bit

Through some kind of evil magical force it seems the wannabe fascists have taken the media hostage along with the political landscape of this flat partly artificial piece of Europe Not a day goes by without newspapers re-porting on the latest outrageous comments made by such parties thereby maintaining focus on them across media With only 10 of the vote but 90 of the media attention it feels as if they are the largest party instead of just a splinter group although 10 is still 10 too many

All of the other parties in the meantime only seem to be busy with a) Reacting to the statements or political goals of the ultra-right b) Subtly shifting their own political goals a little more to the right because they think that is where the votes are and c) making decisions out of fear of being criticised in the media by said parties In this way the right-wing parties have bullied their way into a posi-

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

tion that gives them much much more say than any party with just 10 of the vote has ever before had

In this climate when everyone else is keeping quiet a sur-prising and subtle statement emerges from Queen Beatrix who simply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against them As this right-wing group claims to be the most republican she fights back by making up her own mind and defies being claimed as part of this movement

In her Christmas speech she struck them by asking us the people to look into a more durable and environmental way of life and to care for the planet pointing out her understanding that the planet does not have limitless resources This annoyed the right-wingers since lsquotheirrsquo queen was now in bed with the greens in their eyes 1-0

On visiting some mosques while on a recent state visit to Abu Dhabi she covered her head as is the tradition right-wingers were again lsquoinsultedrsquo since they hate muslims and their religion 2-0

The queen then became personal as well as political and made an official statement calling the torrents of com-ments by right-wingers ldquoPure nonsenserdquo and not wasting another word on them 3-0 A great trend and example for Dutch politics

lsquoQueen Beatrix whosimply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against themrsquo

Allah Save The Queen

clASSiFiEDS 32

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwyourtuliptourcom

Room 2cfilm

A book at lunchtime

James Stewart and Alfred hitch-cock have worked together many times but this little pearl of a film is my favourite of their collaborations Two young men decide to show off their lsquosupe-riorrsquo intellect and commit the perfect murder by strangling a friend and hiding his body in a chest They then proceed to hold a dinner party with the victimrsquos friends and family all invited There is tension all around as we await his arrival while suspicions deepen

Allow me to introduce you to one of my very favourite writers writing in the cyberpunk style about a far from ideal distant or near future Snow Crash is Neal Stephensonrsquos third novel like many of Stephensonrsquos other novels it covers history linguistics anthropology archaeology religion computer science politics cryptography memetics and philosophy

The great thing about this particular book is that it feels a bit like reading a Jules Verne novel from this era The book has a lot of seemingly extremely futuristic (even science fiction-like) and unlikely stuff in it (especially if you read it in the 1990s as I did) which has now become more like the probable near future Nanotechnology plays a big role as well as the virtual world There are screens everywhere digital paper and extreme forms of advertising that unfortunately Irsquom already starting to see in my own lifetime

You could say that in essence the story is about a voracious world-ending computer viruspseudo-narcotic called lsquoSnow Crashrsquo You could say it is about the Sumerian culture and language You could say it is about a terminator-like good guy called hiro Protagonist whose business card reads lsquolast of the freelance hackers and Greatest swordfighter in the worldrsquo Whatever you say itrsquos an exciting read

By David King

By Steve Austin

Rope (1948)

Snow CrashNeal Stephenson 1992

FilM REviEW 29

TREnDS 30

31TREnDS

A positive trend that Irsquove noticed in the last few weeks is the subtle but sure chess-type moves our queen has been making against the rise of right-wing politics in our wet and small country The rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trends I have lived through in my short lifetime of thirty-six years and a bit

Through some kind of evil magical force it seems the wannabe fascists have taken the media hostage along with the political landscape of this flat partly artificial piece of Europe Not a day goes by without newspapers re-porting on the latest outrageous comments made by such parties thereby maintaining focus on them across media With only 10 of the vote but 90 of the media attention it feels as if they are the largest party instead of just a splinter group although 10 is still 10 too many

All of the other parties in the meantime only seem to be busy with a) Reacting to the statements or political goals of the ultra-right b) Subtly shifting their own political goals a little more to the right because they think that is where the votes are and c) making decisions out of fear of being criticised in the media by said parties In this way the right-wing parties have bullied their way into a posi-

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

tion that gives them much much more say than any party with just 10 of the vote has ever before had

In this climate when everyone else is keeping quiet a sur-prising and subtle statement emerges from Queen Beatrix who simply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against them As this right-wing group claims to be the most republican she fights back by making up her own mind and defies being claimed as part of this movement

In her Christmas speech she struck them by asking us the people to look into a more durable and environmental way of life and to care for the planet pointing out her understanding that the planet does not have limitless resources This annoyed the right-wingers since lsquotheirrsquo queen was now in bed with the greens in their eyes 1-0

On visiting some mosques while on a recent state visit to Abu Dhabi she covered her head as is the tradition right-wingers were again lsquoinsultedrsquo since they hate muslims and their religion 2-0

The queen then became personal as well as political and made an official statement calling the torrents of com-ments by right-wingers ldquoPure nonsenserdquo and not wasting another word on them 3-0 A great trend and example for Dutch politics

lsquoQueen Beatrix whosimply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against themrsquo

Allah Save The Queen

clASSiFiEDS 32

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwyourtuliptourcom

TREnDS 30

31TREnDS

A positive trend that Irsquove noticed in the last few weeks is the subtle but sure chess-type moves our queen has been making against the rise of right-wing politics in our wet and small country The rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trends I have lived through in my short lifetime of thirty-six years and a bit

Through some kind of evil magical force it seems the wannabe fascists have taken the media hostage along with the political landscape of this flat partly artificial piece of Europe Not a day goes by without newspapers re-porting on the latest outrageous comments made by such parties thereby maintaining focus on them across media With only 10 of the vote but 90 of the media attention it feels as if they are the largest party instead of just a splinter group although 10 is still 10 too many

All of the other parties in the meantime only seem to be busy with a) Reacting to the statements or political goals of the ultra-right b) Subtly shifting their own political goals a little more to the right because they think that is where the votes are and c) making decisions out of fear of being criticised in the media by said parties In this way the right-wing parties have bullied their way into a posi-

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

tion that gives them much much more say than any party with just 10 of the vote has ever before had

In this climate when everyone else is keeping quiet a sur-prising and subtle statement emerges from Queen Beatrix who simply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against them As this right-wing group claims to be the most republican she fights back by making up her own mind and defies being claimed as part of this movement

In her Christmas speech she struck them by asking us the people to look into a more durable and environmental way of life and to care for the planet pointing out her understanding that the planet does not have limitless resources This annoyed the right-wingers since lsquotheirrsquo queen was now in bed with the greens in their eyes 1-0

On visiting some mosques while on a recent state visit to Abu Dhabi she covered her head as is the tradition right-wingers were again lsquoinsultedrsquo since they hate muslims and their religion 2-0

The queen then became personal as well as political and made an official statement calling the torrents of com-ments by right-wingers ldquoPure nonsenserdquo and not wasting another word on them 3-0 A great trend and example for Dutch politics

lsquoQueen Beatrix whosimply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against themrsquo

Allah Save The Queen

clASSiFiEDS 32

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwyourtuliptourcom

31TREnDS

A positive trend that Irsquove noticed in the last few weeks is the subtle but sure chess-type moves our queen has been making against the rise of right-wing politics in our wet and small country The rise of the right-wing is in itself one of the most negative trends I have lived through in my short lifetime of thirty-six years and a bit

Through some kind of evil magical force it seems the wannabe fascists have taken the media hostage along with the political landscape of this flat partly artificial piece of Europe Not a day goes by without newspapers re-porting on the latest outrageous comments made by such parties thereby maintaining focus on them across media With only 10 of the vote but 90 of the media attention it feels as if they are the largest party instead of just a splinter group although 10 is still 10 too many

All of the other parties in the meantime only seem to be busy with a) Reacting to the statements or political goals of the ultra-right b) Subtly shifting their own political goals a little more to the right because they think that is where the votes are and c) making decisions out of fear of being criticised in the media by said parties In this way the right-wing parties have bullied their way into a posi-

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

tion that gives them much much more say than any party with just 10 of the vote has ever before had

In this climate when everyone else is keeping quiet a sur-prising and subtle statement emerges from Queen Beatrix who simply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against them As this right-wing group claims to be the most republican she fights back by making up her own mind and defies being claimed as part of this movement

In her Christmas speech she struck them by asking us the people to look into a more durable and environmental way of life and to care for the planet pointing out her understanding that the planet does not have limitless resources This annoyed the right-wingers since lsquotheirrsquo queen was now in bed with the greens in their eyes 1-0

On visiting some mosques while on a recent state visit to Abu Dhabi she covered her head as is the tradition right-wingers were again lsquoinsultedrsquo since they hate muslims and their religion 2-0

The queen then became personal as well as political and made an official statement calling the torrents of com-ments by right-wingers ldquoPure nonsenserdquo and not wasting another word on them 3-0 A great trend and example for Dutch politics

lsquoQueen Beatrix whosimply isnrsquot busy with these parties ignores them but also slightly rebels against themrsquo

Allah Save The Queen

clASSiFiEDS 32

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwyourtuliptourcom

clASSiFiEDS 32

Get advice on housing rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

wwwwswonennlenglish

wwwyourtuliptourcom

clASSiFiEDSclASSiFiEDS 33

wwwconcultancymarketmediacom

yourobjectiveourresolution

SpORT 34SpORT

Peak season is a good time to peek at the top performers as far as we in the FFG-CL are concerned Time to draw up the shortlist of players being considered for Player of the Season 2011-2012 The usual factors of points scored and impressions made both profes-sionally and aesthetically are placed high up in the criteria but ultimately the element of sheer brilliance is the deciding factor Insuf-ficient time remains for this season to redeem its lack of quality and be considered among the best but despite this the following play-ers have stood out and would have done so in more memorable seasons Teams have been generally poorer this time round and the athletic levels in the Premier League and skill levels in the Champions League mean that no team can reign over others with just the odd star player onboard

Michel vorm (Swansea city) ndash has redefined the spectacular between the sticks As a relatively short keeper (183 cm) his acrobatic shot-stopping from dead-ball situa-tions and open play has been regularly breathtaking

yaya Toure (Manchester city) ndash The measure of his in-fluence in driving and solidifying the Premier league title contendersrsquo efforts meant that once he departed for the African Cup of Nations the City team suddenly appeared markedly frailer

David Silva (Manchester city) ndash If the first third of the season was all we were to judge this on then he would already be crowned Player of the Season

Sergio Aguero (Manchester city) ndash Effortlessly brilliant

Ramires (chelsea) ndash An outstanding athlete who has come into his own and is now showing truly lsquoBrazilianrsquo qualities while adding heavier scoring to his game

Juan Mata (chelsea) ndash As impressive a debut season as could have been expected of a player trying to get a mam-moth club playing snappier football once again

clint Dempsey (Fulham) ndash has transferred that lsquoAmeri-can winning mentalityrsquo into his game play and it remains bizarre that a club of greater pretensions has not scooped him up given his proven and continued high levels of effectiveness

luka Modric (Tottenham hotspur) ndash managed to keep his team ticking over impressively whenever he was allowed the opportunity to orchestrate sensible almost total football

Robin van persie (Arsenal) ndash Still among the top scorers and looking very good whenever he is involved in the play

The PotS winner will be announced in the following issue so get your bets in now

By Denson Pierre

The Gold Room

SpORTSpORT 35

Ramires - Chelsea

copy pieter bakker

clASSiFiEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

36

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

SpORTSpORT 35

Ramires - Chelsea

copy pieter bakker

clASSiFiEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

36

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT

clASSiFiEDS

wwwczechtourismcom

36

CZECH REPUBLIC - STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT