Netherlands' Olympic team returns home

25 August 2008 Olympic athletes from the Netherlands returned home Monday and were cheered by 25,000 fans at the Amsterdam stadium which hosted the 1928 Games. Led by medal winners, team members walked or danced along an orange-colored catwalk to a stage set up in the Olympic Stadium before being reunited with family and friends. The Netherlands ended 12th on the Beijing medals table with seven golds, five silvers and four bronzes.
"This is great. There are so many people here," said Marianne Vos, who won gold at the cycle track in the women's points race. "We have only just flown home, but you would not want to miss this." Hockey gold medalist Minke Smabers told the crowd that her boyfriend Tjerk Smeets, a catcher with the Dutch baseball team, proposed to her in Beijing at the closing ceremony. "He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. I said 'yes' straight away," Smabers said.
International Herald Tribune

Amster-damn! Wow factor is high in the Dutch capital

24 August 2008 The New York Daily News visits Amsterdam:

"The art lovers go to Amsterdam for the Rembrandts, the flower lovers go for the tulips, and the hipsters go for the - well, you know what the hipsters go for. The point is, no matter what your preference, you'll find what you want in the capital of the Netherlands, one of Europe's most exciting cities with 45 museums, numerous canals, historic palaces and churches, and a distinctive international atmosphere.
Starting with the museums, you mustn't miss the Rijksmuseum, one of the great art museums of Europe. It exhibits works by such Dutch masters as Rembrandt and Vermeer, along with artifacts that showcase the Netherlands' culture and history. The highlight: seeing Rembrandt's huge masterpiece "The Night Watch" up close.

A look at one of the world's first social service ventures is provided by the Begijnhof, an enclosed area of small houses, courtyards and gardens that gave refuge for centuries to destitute women. Now housing senior citizens, the Begijnhof is a quiet refuge amid the teeming metropolis, with architectural gems and beautiful landscaping. Other architectural attractions include the Royal Palace, an impressive domed building in the center of the city that was originally the Town Hall, and the Nieuwe Kerk or "New Church," built in the 15th century. Daily tours of the Royal Palace are offered to see its rooms of state and artworks, while the Nieuwe Kerk features art and history exhibitions.
But perhaps the best way to experience the city's unique atmosphere is by taking one of Amsterdam's canal tours. Several companies provide day and night tours of the Venice of the North, while a "museum boat" goes to the museum district. Water taxis are also available to specific locations, such as hotels and restaurants."

Read the entire article with lots of travel tips here

Dutch Olympic team chief "more than content"

24 August 2008 Chef de Mission of the Dutch Olympics team, Charles van Commenée, looks back on the Games with a good feeling. He is "more than satisfied" with the Dutch performance in Beijing. In the past two weeks, the Dutch team won 16 medals: seven gold, five silver and four bronze. That is less than in the previous two Games, but more separate teams and individuals were involved in winning the medals. In Sydney and Athens, the Dutch team relied on just a few competitors such as swimmers Pieter van den Hoogenband, Inge de Bruijn and cyclist Leontien van Moorsel.
More at Radio Netherlands

With 16 medals the Netherlands end up in 12th place in the overall medal standings.

Olympic Games: 2x Gold

22 August 2008 Americans forced to settle for silver in water polo
The Americans lost, 9-8, to the Netherlands in the gold-medal game Thursday when Dutch superstar Danielle de Bruijn scored with 26 seconds left. The loss follows a trend. The U.S. lost in the gold-medal game in the final seconds in the 2000 Olympics, lost in the final seconds of the semifinal in 2004 and lost again in the waning seconds Thursday. This defeat is easy to explain. The Americans could not stop de Bruijn, who scored seven goals in her final game. She announced her retirement after the medal ceremony. The Netherlands quickly rolled to a 4-0 lead, and the Americans never recovered. The U.S. tied the game at five and later at eight but never led.
Detroit Free Press

Netherlands win women's hockey gold
World champion the Netherlands has beaten host China 2-0 to win its second Olympic hockey title. China won silver, its first hockey medal of any colour, while Argentina earlier outclassed Germany to take home the bronze for the second consecutive Olympics. The Dutch took the lead from a botched penalty corner in the 51st minute, with forward Naomi van As knocking in a rebound and scoring her first goal of the tournament.
ABC

The men's hockey team was less successful, losing to Germany in the semi-final. After drawing 1-1, they lost on penalties in extra time. There was also disappointment when both Dutch table tennis hopefuls were knocked out of the women's singles competition in the fourth round. Singapore's Feng Tianwei beat Li Jie of the Netherlands, while Li's compatriot, Li Jiao, the current European champion, didn't have a chance against China's Guo Yue.
Radio Netherlands

13 medals, mixed results

19 August 2008 Star rider wins Olympic gold for the Netherlands
Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands won her third consecutive gold medal in the individual dressage equestrian event at the Olympics. She scored 82.40 percent with her horse, Salinero, in the grand prix freestyle riding on Tuesday to bring her total to 78.68 percent for the grand prix special and freestyle tests, confirming van Grunsven as the queen of the sport.
Sportsnetwork.com

Netherlands advances to semifinals of men's field hockey
After an uneventful first half, the Netherlands and Pakistan battled back and forth in men's Pool A field hockey, with the Dutch emerging with a 4-2 win. The Netherlands scored its second marker on a penalty corner in the 46th minute, followed by a second penalty-corner goal in the 58th minute. With 10 points from four matches, the Netherlands only needed a draw to secure a place in the semifinals. The Dutch won a silver medal at the Athens Games.
CBC.ca

There was also disappointment in the Dutch camp, with cyclist Willy Kanis failing to secure a place in the finals during Tuesday's track sprint finals; she ended fourth to miss a bronze medal. Gymnast Epke Zonderland also failed in his bid for a medal in the men's horizontal bar final; he fell from the apparatus, ending in seventh place.
Radio Netherlands

Olympic Games: 10 medals so far

17 August 2008 Rowing: Dutch double win lightweight gold
Netherlands duo Kirsten van der Kolk and Marit van Eupen won gold in the women's lightweight double sculls after a close battle with Finland.
BBC

Dutch upset defending gold medalists in water polo
The Netherlands upset defending gold medalists Italy 13-11 in penalty shots in the quarterfinals of the Olympic women's water polo tournament Sunday. Erzsebet Valkai's first missed penalty shot in three years with the Italian national team came at the worst possible time, helping the Dutch to victory. The Netherlands advanced to play Hungary in the semifinals Tuesday. The Hungarians won the teams' earlier meeting, 11-9 in pool play. "It's our duty to reset that first match, if you know what I mean," Dutch driver Danielle de Bruijn said. "I think we have a score to settle."
International Herald Tribune

Hockey: Dutch women down Australia 2-1
Reigning world champions the Netherlands snatched their fourth win and secured a semifinal spot, defeating Australia 2-1 in the Olympic women's hockey on Saturday. Australia, ranked fourth in the world, suffered their first loss since the tournament started. Australia went 1-0 up on a field goal from Sarah Young in the 17th minute. However, just three minutes later, Maartje Paumen from Holland leveled the score to 1-1 with a penalty corner. He scored his second in the 46th minute, also a penalty corner, and set up the Dutch's win.
Xinhua

Cycling: Tough times in Beijing for the Dutch
If the Dutch cycling team don't seem particularly cheerful in this year's Olympics, it's hardly surprising after the series of problems which have hit the team in Beijing. Worst off by a long way was their team pursuiter Niki Terpstra, who crashed badly as he was riding to the Laoshan stadium for the qualifier this morning. When team-mate Robert Slippens braked, Terpstra went into him and over the handlebars. His injuries was major: two broken arms, possible fractures in the sternum and a possibly fractured jawbone.
That's not all, either: Yesterday Peter Pieters, the team coach, was struck by a rider at the velodrome and although initial suspicions of a broken hip turned out to be unfounded, he does have a broken cocycx bone in his lower back. On a sporting level, things have not been going too well either. Theo Bos fell and was eliminated from the keirin on Saturday, whilst team-mate Teun Mulder was disqualified for not keeping his line.
Cycling Weekly

US defeats Dutch 7-0 in baseball
The United States has beaten the Netherlands 7-0 in a baseball game that was called off after eight innings following a second rain delay. The Dutch protested the decision because they had loaded the bases in the ninth inning with no outs. The protest was denied by baseball's international federation. The players shook hands after the game, which started 6 1/2 hours earlier.
Associated Press

Dutch journalist killed in Russian bombing of Gori

13 August 2008 A Dutch television journalist was killed overnight when Russian warplanes bombed the central Georgian city of Gori. The television news station RTL reported on its Web site that its cameraman Stan Storimans, 39, was killed and correspondent Jeroen Akkermans was wounded in the leg in the attack. RTL said at least five people died in the Gori bombing. At least two other journalists have been reported killed previously in the fighting between Georgian and Russian troops, now in its fifth day.
Gori was bombed overnight by Russian forces who have occupied the nearby Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia and on Monday advanced into Georgia proper. Gori was all but deserted late Monday after most remaining residents and Georgian soldiers fled. Dutch Ambassador Onno Van Elderenbosch said Storimans was working in a media center that had been set up on the top floor of Gori's three-story television and radio center. It was not clear whether the building itself had been hit.
Associated Press

RTL has opened a special page on their website with news and reactions. (In Dutch)

Day 5 of the Olympic Games

13 August 2008 Dutch Olympic women's judo bronze
Dutch Olympic judo contestants continue to win medals in Beijing, with Edith Bosch taking the bronze in the women's 70kg category. However, her compatriot, Mark Huizinga, was knocked out of the men's 90kg category contest.
Radio Netherlands

Swimming: 'Hoogie' wants to win just once more
Pieter van den Hoogenband has just one goal at the Beijing Olympics: He wants to win his third gold medal in a row in the 100-meter freestyle, the main event as far as swimming is concerned.
If he does, he will be the first person to do so in the history of the Olympic Games. At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Van den Hoogenband was the first person to swim the 100-metre freestyle event in under 48 seconds. This is the thirty-year-old's last competition season and he wants to shine just one more time. "I want to show myself and the rest of the world that I am the best. Just once more." It's also Van den Hoogenband's fourth Olympics.
Radio Netherlands

Football: Sibon Keeps Dutch Olympic Dream Alive
Netherlands 1-0 Japan. The Dutch needed a win to qualify to the next round, but Japan did their best to bring them down. Oranje needed a Gerald Sibon spot kick to seal the deal. Japan are already eliminated after two losses, while Holland have been unable to impress with two draws. As a result of the results so far Holland needed to win today’s match by two goals to make sure of qualification. Injury time was a tense time - it usually is when Holland are playing. Vermeer had to be on his best as Japan had a late goalmouth flurry. Thus, the narrow win for The Netherlands was enough to help them qualify for the next round, because of the Nigerian win against USA. However, the quarterfinal won’t be easy for Oranje. Reigning Olympic champions Argentine are waiting.
More at Goal.com

Holland's rowing team on a low as weed slows them down in Beijing Olympics
Racing may be cancelled after Holland – Britain's main rivals in the men's four – complained that their elimination in a semi-final was due to weed slowing down their hull. Holland were too late to make an official protest to FISA, but the international rowing governing body will check the course early and, if necessary, cancel racing so that it can be cleared.
The Telegraph

Hockey: British hopes suffer blow at hands of Dutch
Great Britain's hopes of a medal in the men's hockey suffered a blow after a late goal condemned the British side to a 1-0 defeat against the Netherlands. A 4-2 victory over Pakistan in their opening group game had raised British hopes, but the Dutch, silver medal winners in Athens in 2004, presented a sterner test. The result leaves Britain in third place in Pool B, behind the Dutch and Australia, both of whom have 100% records. The top two teams in each of the two groups qualify for the semi-finals.
The Guardian

Olympics: Dutch judoka wins silver

11 August 2008 At the Olympic Games in Beijing, Dutch judoka Deborah Gravenstijn has won a silver medal in the women's under-57 kg category. In the final, she lost to Italy's Giulia Quintavalle after she was unable to take the intiative following an uko. Nevertheless it was a good day for Ms Gravenstijn in Beijing. She was not expected to win an Olympic medal. She won a place in the semi-final after beating the Brazilian Ketleyn Quadros and the Spaniard Isabel Fernandez. Once she beat China's Xu Yan in the quarter final, she was certain of winning a medal.
More at Radio Netherlands

Hockey: Dutch and Germans open with big wins
Defending champions Germany and the Netherlands swamped their opponents on Sunday, while former champions Australia scraped past South Korea in the first round of the Olympic women's hockey. Germany thrashed Britain, ranked 10th and whose last Olympic appearance was eight years ago, 5-1 and top-ranked Netherlands hammered South Africa 6-0.
More at Reuters

Sailing: Dutch women on right track
The British trio of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson continue to lead the Yngling after finishing fourth and second in Monday's races. They dropped a seventh place finish in race four and have a total of 15 points, giving them a three point advantage over Mandy Mulder, Annemieke Bes and Merel Witteveen of the Netherlands. The crews in spots 3-11 are separated by a mere four points. Australia and the United States are in third and fourth, respectively, with 32 points, and Finland is one point back with 33.
Beijing Olympics website

Olympics: Swimmers win first Dutch gold medal at Olympics

10 August 2008 Veldhuis anchors Dutch to relay gold, second medal
Marleen Veldhuis anchored the Netherlands to women's 4x100 metres freestyle relay gold on Sunday to secure her country's first Olympic title in the event in 72 years. Dara Torres, who became the first U.S. swimmer to compete in five Olympics as well as the oldest at 41, followed Veldhuis home for the silver while world champions Australia finished third. The Dutch quartet, whose Olympic record time of 3:33.76 was only just outside the world mark of 3:33.62 they set in March, were chasing their country's first gold in the event since the 1936 Berlin Games. More at Reuters

Football: Injury time goal gives Dutch 2-2 draw with US
Gerald Sibon converted a free kick in the third minute of injury time and salvaged a 2-2 tie for the Netherlands against United States on Sunday, keeping Dutch hopes alive for advancing in the Olympic football tournament. The Americans fell into a tie atop Group B with Nigeria with four points each, two better than the Netherlands. Only two teams advance from the group stage and the Americans will face off against the Nigerians on Wednesday in the final group game for both.
Associated Press

Hockey: Australia under pressure, says Dutch player
Olympic champions Australia will feel the pressure when they begin their defence of the men's hockey title on Monday, Dutch player Teun de Nooijer said on Saturday. The experienced midfielder, who will be playing in his fourth Olympics, was talking from experience. Australia stopped the Netherlands' bid for a third straight title in Athens. The Netherlands, who finished fourth in the Champions Trophy, are in the same group as Australia and will also play Pakistan, Britain, South Africa and Canada in the preliminary stage.
More at The Guardian

Bronze medal for Ruben Houkes
The Netherlands has won its first Olympic medal. Ruben Houkes, the reigning world judo champion in the under 60-kilo class, has won a bronze medal by beating the Israeli Gal Yekutiel. Houkes lost in the semi final to the South Korean Min-Ho Choi, who went on to take gold. The Austrian Ludwig Paischer won the silver medal.
Radio Netherlands

Dutch Olympic team chief looks to top 10 finish in Beijing
The Dutch Olympic team faces tough challenges from South Korea, Spain, Hungary and Japan in its road to a top 10 finish in the medal tally, team chief Charles van Commenee told Xinhua in a recent interview. "Our ambition is to finish in the top 10 in the medal tally. There are a few countries who are in the same bracket," the Dutch Chef de Mission said. Van Commenee has high hopes for cycling, which in his opinion will probably bring home the most medals. The Dutch cycling team abounds with world class players, including Marianne Vos, who took the biking and road racing titles in 2006 world championships and became the track racing world champion in the points race this year.
Judo is another sport where the Dutch are likely to reap medals. The team boasts Ruben Houkes, the gold medalist in the men's under 60-kilo class at the 2007 World Judo Championships, and Mark Huizinga, who won one gold and two bronzes in the past three Olympic Games. The Dutch are also strong in equestrian, field hockey, swimming and sailing. The Dutch women's hockey team is one of the favorites to took gold in Beijing, while Anky van Grunsven, 40, is looking to take her third gold in individual dressage in as many Olympic Games.
More at Xinhua

Everything about the Olympics can be found on the official website, including bios for all the participating countries (The Netherlands).

Going Dutch in Amsterdam

07 August 2008 The New York Times does Amsterdam (as well as other cities) on a budget.

"Early last Friday evening, the sky over Amsterdam turned a cold indigo, and the uncurtained light from shops and homes glowed a vibrant yellow. A breeze rippled the water of the canals, where a few couples were enjoying the sun’s fading rays, while in the nearby sidewalk cafes, smartly dressed Amsterdammers were drinking flutes of pale amber beer. It also happened to be my birthday, and I was aimless, alone and chilly. But above all, I was thirsty.
As I walked up Weteringstraat, an unassuming street not far from the city’s most famous museums, I spotted a corner bar, the Café de Wetering (Weteringstraat 37; 31-20-622-9676), its entrance shrouded in grapevines. Inside, beyond the clumps of pale green fruit, it was narrow, the wood all burnished brown, with a low-ceilinged mezzanine and, all the way at the back, a fireplace. Soft jazz played on the stereo, a melodic counterpoint to the Dutch spoken by the dozen regulars, one of whom set down his glass and announced, to nobody in particular, “Sonny Rollins.”

I bellied up, ordered a Belgian white beer (2.95 euros, about $5.75 at $1.60 to the euro) and soon found myself discussing used-book stores with the bartender. Before long, one of the regulars was buying me glasses of jenever—essentially Dutch gin, but more complex and served alone at room temperature — and talking about the gentrification of Amsterdam’s blue-collar neighborhoods. I sipped my drink and felt a flood of warmth — and not just from the alcohol. This bar was gezellig, a Dutch term that conveys cozy conviviality, and gezelligheid was just what I needed."

Lots of addresses and information in the article.

Dutch more positive about Muslims

07 August 2008 Dutch people are less negative about the presence of Muslims in their midst. That's the significant finding in a survey of 1100 Dutch adults carried out by TNS NIPO. But at the same time, there are also fewer and fewer Dutch people who believe that the integration of Muslims into Dutch society will ultimately be successful. NIPO has carried out similar surveys in recent years. Particularly in 2005 and 2006, shortly after the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh and the attacks in London and Madrid, a large percentage of Dutch people appeared to regard Islam as a threat, and the presence of Muslims as disagreeable.
A major reason for the reduction in fear and unease about Islam is of course the fact that no large-scale attacks have taken place in the EU since 2005. But fatigue probably plays a role too. The hysteria surrounding Islam seems somewhat to have subsided. Notably, contact between Dutch people and Muslims has actually increased. The number of those surveyed who said that in their daily lives they mix with members of ethnic minorities, including Muslims, has doubled since 2006 (26 percent in their personal circle of friends, 40 percent in a work environment). Fewer Dutch people say they would move house if a lot of foreign children came to live in their neighbourhood. Furthermore, since 2004 a growing number of Dutch people say they have a reasonable knowledge of Islam. But the NIPO survey also tells another side of the story. Despite the more positive image of Muslims, fewer and fewer Dutch people believe in the possibility of Muslims integrating into Dutch society. No less than 71 percent of those questioned think that integration will never be entirely successful. Strikingly few Dutch people display any interest in maintaining contacts with Muslims or other members of ethnic minorities. The number was always low - 21 percent in 2005 - but it has now dropped to a new low point of just 14 percent.

Read the entire article at Radio Netherlands

Instant weekend ... Amsterdam

05 August 2008 From The Guardian:

Why go now?
There is nothing quite like spending a hot summer's day in Amsterdam. The moment the first rays of sunshine come out, the locals hit the city's terraces in droves, take to the canals with their boats or hang out at the travelling theatre festival De Parade (deparade.nl). For the first two weeks of August, this runs in the Martin Luther King park, featuring theatre and musical performances in a setting that is best described as a quirky mix between a circus (the series of performances take place in tents) and an old-fashioned funfair (complete with Ferris wheel).
Amsterdam is a small city and most of the sights are within walking distance of one another. The De Jordaan area, with its cobbled streets and tree-lined canals, is the picture-perfect Amsterdam that both visitors and locals love. Following the canals from Central Station you're bound to hit the busy Leidsestraat, which ends up in the equally crowded Leidseplein. Too busy for your liking? A mere stone's throw away is Vondelpark, the lungs of the city, where hippies, dog walkers, joggers, tourists and suits coexist happily.

More tips and addresses in the article

Saturday: Amsterdam Gay Pride 2008 Canal Parade

31 July 2008 Along with Berlin, Amsterdam Pride is one of Europe's top Gay and Lesbian Pride Festivals. Visitors will enjoy a fun programme that includes a canal parade, sporting events, street and club and circuit parties, a film festival and much more. Where most gay pride parades use trucks, Amsterdam has boats. Some 75 decorated boats sail from 14:00 until 18:00 through the Prinsengracht and Amstel river. Nighttours and YouTube will host one of the biggest boats during the Canal Parade this year, featuring DJ Fabio White and Diva MayDay.
Culturekiosque.com

For more information, see www.amsterdamgaypride.nl.

Holland in the news: Happy hookers, windmills and dikes

27 July 2008

Happy Hooker swaps Penthouse for Dutch B&B
The “happy hooker” who was deported from America after writing a bestseller about running a New York brothel is “back in the bed business”, as she puts it, this time managing a Dutch bed and breakfast. Xaviera Hollander has lost none of the frankness or sense of fun for which she became famous after the appearance in 1971 of The Happy Hooker, her account of life as New York’s most successful madame. The Happy Hooker, which sold millions of copies, chronicled Hollander’s progression from secretary at the Dutch consulate in Manhattan to upscale call girl. She speaks candidly in it about her enjoyment of sex and her belief that she was performing a social service. The book is still widely read, it seems.
More at The Times

Let the sea rise, say the Dutch
Seventy percent of the Netherlands is below the sea, making it more vulnerable than any other country to climate change-triggered rising sea levels. The Dutch plan to deal with this national threat in a unique way - by adapting to the rise rather than trying to halt it. “In the Netherlands, we’re facing the impact of climate change every single day,” said Pavel Kabat, the country’s chief planner on how to deal with this issue, and one of the lead authors of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that shared last year’s Nobel Peace Prize for its seminal fourth report on the subject.
"Already, there are parts of our country six metres below sea level. We cannot keep raising our dikes higher. And if there’s a breach in a dike, it will affect the region responsible for 80 percent of our economic produce.” Kabat illustrated what the Dutch planners plan to do instead. “Take the case of the Rhine, which flows through the Netherlands. Its level will also rise. We can keep raising the dikes on both sides. But how long can we do that? So instead, what we plan to do is to break the dikes on one side. Let the extra water flow there. And we’ll change the land use pattern on that side so that people on whose land the water will then flow can start commercial fishing or a similar activity. It’s a very new philosophy,” as Kabat pointed out. “It is the difference between hard infrastructure (as now) and allowing the water to rise and accommodating it as a part of your development. Let us not try to keep the water from coming,” Kabat said. “Let it come, when it does. Let us adapt to it. That is the basic idea.”
How will the Dutch protect the actual coast? Again, they plan to use local material. The North Sea bed has a huge reservoir of sand - and the Dutch are planning to dredge that up and create artificial islands in a line parallel to the coast to break sea surges.
More at Thaindian.com

Flour power keeps Dutch windmills turning
THE Dutch are building windmills again. Up and down the coast, just offshore, you can see them: white and tall and slender as pencils, their three slim blades turning lazily in the North Sea breeze. These generate electricity, of course, rather than grind grain. Yet the government is also building, and rebuilding, mills like the squat, homely ones that have seemingly always dotted the Dutch countryside, and reflect as much the nature of the countryside, and reflect as much the nature of the country as do tulips or Gouda cheese. Last year, the government, concerned that one of the foremost symbols of the Netherlands was about to disappear out of neglect, approved an $80m programme to build or restore 120 mills of roughly 1,040 still standing. That has created a backlog of work for previously strapped mill restorers.
More at The Scotsman

South of the border: Belgium in identity crisis

20 July 2008 Belgium struggles to resolve an old identity crisis
A team appointed by Belgium's King Albert II started work Friday to resolve a stalemate between the nation's French and Dutch speakers. At stake is not whether Belgium falls apart, but whether it becomes more like Switzerland. Ever since elections in June 2007, Belgium has been in trouble. It took nine months to form a government. Belgian newspapers ran alarming headlines warning of the nation's possible breakup. On Monday, the prime minister, Yves Leterme, offered to resign.
Belgium's Flemish majority has been restless ever since the country was formed in 1830, when French-speaking aristocrats, merchants and bankers set up Belgium as a unified, monolingual state. Even today, Brussels is a predominantly French-speaking island in the Dutch-speaking North. Previous constitutional shifts in 1970, 1980, 1988 and 1993 have since transformed Belgium into a Balkanized federal state with seven parliaments and some 60 cabinet-level ministers. Children go to separate French and Dutch schools. The major political parties have split into separate French- and Dutch-speaking versions.
Now, Belgium's Flemish majority, numbering six million, is pushing for further constitutional change, driven not least by resentment at the large annual transfers of their tax money to French-speaking Wallonia, in the south. The transfers amount to between $3 billion and $6 billion a year, according to a 2006 study commissioned jointly by the regional governments of Flanders and Wallonia.
More at the Wall Street Journal

Brussels the key in battle for Belgium
The joke on the streets of Brussels is that this year's fête nationale could prove to be the last. Promising chips, beer and a 'day of national rejuvenation', the city's tourist board has invited all-comers to an extended party in the capital tomorrow. But celebrations of Belgium's national day have been overshadowed by renewed fears of a permanent split between the country's French and Dutch speakers.
Relations between the inhabitants of Flanders, who speak Dutch, and those of French-speaking Wallonia appear close to irrevocable breakdown and an overhaul of the constitution which would give more power to the regions - in what is already the most federal nation in the European Union - has exacerbated those tensions.
The country's embattled prime minister, Yves Leterme, a Flemish Christian Democrat who struggled for more than 200 days to come up with his contorted five-party coalition government, believes more devolution is crucial if Belgium is to remain a unified country. But the Francophone community, which has fallen behind economically in recent years and receives generous subsidies from the state, believes the federation is already too loose.
More at The Guardian

Belgian king pleads for unity amid political crisis
King Albert II called on Belgium's Dutch and French speakers Sunday to remain united and find new ways of working together to resolve a political crisis threatening the country's cohesion.
Speaking on the eve of National Day, the king said the longtime disagreement over more self-rule for the two language camps was bridgeable. "Unity and tolerance, with respect for identity of every federal entity, those are the only routes forward in our democratic society," he said. "We have to think of new forms of working together."
Frequently quoting his deceased brother Baudouin, the previous king and a uniting element in a fragmented country of 6.5 million Dutch-speakers and 4 million Francophones, Albert II said in his speech that Belgium is enriched by its multicultural character.
The government — a cumbersome seven-party alliance of Christian Democrats, Liberals, Socialists and nationalist hard-liners from both language camps — took office March 20. But it failed to agree on devolving more federal powers to Flanders, Belgium's prosperous Dutch-speaking north, and Wallonia, its economically poorer southern half. The appointment of three politicians — two Francophones and the leader of Belgium's tiny German-speaking region — was seen as a desperate bid to force a breakthrough in a dispute that has deadlocked Belgian politics since June 2007 elections. Flemish parties want their half of the country to be more autonomous by shifting taxes, some social security measures, transport, health, labor and justice matters to the linguistically divided regions. Francophone parties accuse Dutch-speakers of trying to break up Belgium, which gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1830.
More at the International Herald Tribune

New York’s birth date: Don’t go by city’s seal

14 July 2008 From The New York Times:
For decades, the proud seal of New York City, with its depiction of a sailor and a Manhattan Indian, of beavers and flour barrels and the sails of a windmill, has celebrated 1625 as the year the city was founded. There’s just one problem: Most historians say the year has hardly any historical significance.
The first settlers arrived in what would become part of New York City on a Dutch ship as early as 1623; some say 1624. The Dutch “purchased” Manhattan in 1626. The first charter was granted in 1653. And the most notable event of 1625? Dutch settlers moved their cattle to Lower Manhattan from Governors Island.
“It is simply wrong,” Michael Miscione, the Manhattan borough historian, said of 1625 as the city’s birth date. “The first founding settlers of New York City landed here in 1624.”

The story of how the city arrived at 1625 as its founding year, however, seems a uniquely New York narrative. It entails machinations to glorify the Dutch, humiliate the British and, some believe, outdo Boston, thereby underscoring how in New York even something as seemingly inviolable as the city’s birthday is subject to political manipulation. The official city seal dates from about 1654, but the current one was more or less created in 1686, when Gov. Thomas Dongan granted the city a charter from the king. In 1784, the royal crown was replaced with an eagle; in 1915, the Board of Aldermen changed the date from 1686 to 1664, the year that Peter Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York. (The aldermen also shortened the sailor’s pants, perhaps in a nod to the growing influence of the city’s garment industry on fashion.)

Nobody complained much about the date until 1974, when Paul O’Dwyer, the Irish-born and Anglophobic president of the City Council, figured that the 700th anniversary of the founding of Amsterdam in the Netherlands was as good a time as any to strip the British of the distinction of having founded the city and bestow it instead on the Dutch. But how to define founded? The City Council, more familiar in those days with obliterating the past by changing street names to honor more contemporary worthies, was suddenly thrust into a debate of, well, historic proportions.
“The island of Manhattan was being used as a big pasture in 1625,” said Charles T. Gehring, director of the state’s New Netherland Project, a collaboration of the New York State Library and the Holland Society. “If you want to talk about New York City and not Manhattan, then 1624 would be a good date. If you want to put the actual date when it was purchased, when Peter Minuit made the deal, that was 1626.”

Now, on the eve of an elongated quadricentennial celebration that begins next year with a commemoration of Henry Hudson’s voyage of discovery (he was English; his employer was Dutch), some historians hope to correct the record.
“Next year there will be much hoopla over the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York in 1609,” Mr. Miscione said. “That will cast a lot of attention on colonial New York history. I think it would be a good time to revisit the flag date.”
Read the article here.

More about next years celebration here: 1609-2009: 400th anniversary of Hudsons landing in NY

Travel: Big-town charms in Holland's canal-rich capital

14 July 2008 The Edmonton Journal visits Amsterdam:
The first thing we noticed in Amsterdam was that we were constantly walking in the wrong place. Gamely, we plodded the streets, marvelling at the architecture, the throngs of people, the hundreds of cyclists, and, of course, the picturesque canals, most of them lined with boats. Amsterdam roads have a car lane - and most of the vehicles are quite small - a bike lane and a pedestrian lane, and bicycles come first. No argument. No questions. But Amsterdam isn't all bikes and barely averted disasters. No, as its inhabitants will proudly tell you, it's just a big town of under a million people - though I had no trouble getting lost.

The canal system is legendary, but what isn't so well known is that the canals are flushed out every week to fend off stagnation. People fish in them, as do grebes, cormorants and the very common great grey heron, and people live on them, transport goods on them, and cruise around on them having a jolly old time. On our smaller canal, lined with houseboats, people from all over the city -- mostly the young -- would cruise in all manner of craft, talking, laughing, drinking, playing guitars and doing the equivalent of what young people in North America do when they drive up and down Main Street.

Tulips, canals, Rembrandt, and coffee houses: what's left to see in Amsterdam, or, at least this part of the Netherlands? Well, if you ignore the fascination of the city itself, with its easygoing attitude, its friendly inhabitants who are almost all multilingual and can offer helpful directions in English, its remarkable colonial history and the strong Indonesian presence that history has brought home, there's the lovely cuisine resplendent in sidewalk cafes, bakeries, restaurants and corner herring stalls. Then there's the multitude of cheeses, chocolates, coffees and apple tarts, and the seemingly boundless farmers market. That leaves the many museums, galleries, shops, and - who could forget? - dikes and windmills.

The Netherlands' smoking ban

08 July 2008 From the LA Times:

In the Netherlands, "secondhand smoke" takes on a whole new meaning. The country is among the last in the European Union to impose a smoking ban in restaurants. Or rather, a cigarette ban. Make it a tobacco ban. Because while the smoking of conventional cigarettes was officially forbidden starting last week, marijuana is still allowed at the 720 cafes where it already was in wide use. Of course, marijuana is illegal, even in the Netherlands, but the country's policy of "gedogen" calls for turning a blind eye to its own law. In fact, the special cannabis cafes are licensed to sell small amounts for consumption on the premises, where it is understood that customers will not be arrested or even questioned by police. Unless, that is, they mix it with tobacco. The Dutch prefer to blend their marijuana with tobacco for a smoother smoke. And now that is illegal.

But before we chuckle at the Dutch pot paradox, we should check out the puzzling ways of cannabis right here. Marijuana is legal in California for medicinal use but illegal according to U.S. law. Last year, federal drug agents raided five medical marijuana clinics in West Hollywood, one of the handful of California cities that have instructed their police to make even recreational marijuana arrests their lowest priority. A Garden Grove police officer confiscated a driver's medicinal marijuana, but a judge last year ordered it returned because its possession was legal under state law -- though a federal agent acting under federal laws would have had the right to take it.
Oh, those wacky Dutch.

More on the smoking ban here

We should look to Amsterdam for a glimpse of our future transit plans

06 July 2008 So Americans bedeviled by $4-plus-a-gallon gas want more transportation choices? They have no idea of what real choices are. For a taste of our necessary future — driven by rapid energy cost inflation and climate emergencies — check the streets of Amsterdam.
Sure, cars still function here. But by our standards, their numbers are remarkably modest. Especially on center city streets, another king reigns: the bicycle Bikes, indeed, swarm around by the thousands. With reserved lanes on practically every street, they're ridden by passengers of both sexes, virtually all ages, from necktied gents and high-heeled ladies to jeans-clad youth and uniformed police officers. And what the busy Amsterdamers accomplish on their two-wheelers defies imagination. They read maps, talk on cell phones, window shop. They "walk" their dogs, carry kids or canines in baskets great or small. Still rolling, they text message, eat ice cream, drink coffee, carry huge packages and musical instruments, sometimes a second rider. I even saw lovers on two bikes, holding hands as they cruised the streets.

Bikes, overall, account for 37 percent of Amsterdam transport. Public transit comes in second, at 22 percent of trips. On top of regular and high-speed rail, there's a massive light-rail network — 50 miles of tram lines, with many stops, dense in the center city, radiating out to neighborhoods and suburbs with cross-connecting lines, too. Recently, freight tram cars began running through the city, cutting truck use (and pollution). And Amsterdam has added three new subway lines since its first in 1976.
So what's the Amsterdam game plan? For decades it's been to nurture the "compact city," slowing a middle-class exodus and preserving the open landscape by dense development, recycling old industrial areas and intermingling uses. Reducing auto use — now just 41 percent of trips compared to 90 percent-plus in most U.S. cities — is the heart of the plan.
Helped along by the Netherlands' high gas taxes (per gallon costs are now over $9), the Amsterdam approach not only cuts energy use but provides a starting point for dramatic carbon reduction. But its genius, so rarely discussed in America, is smart land use and curbing the auto use that so easily overwhelms modern world cities.

Read the entire article at Daily Press.com