From Only in Holland, Only the Dutch:
The Dutch have a passion for football and their national team; however, the Dutch penchant for performing to expectations and not being the tall tree that catches the breeze even transcends into this extremely competitive realm. To the Dutch it's how you play the game that's important and not whether you win or lose. One of the Netherlands' most admired and best-loved coaches, Foppe de Haan, stated, "Winning is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to play a good game". Other Dutch coaches, fans, players and reporters echo those sentiments about the importance of playing a good game rather than winning at any cost. The Dutch are extremely contemptible of what they see as the unprofessional football tactics, like defensive play as practiced by other countries, such as Italy, Spain and Belgium. Furthermore, they loathe the tactic of kicking the ball into the stands and taking the easy way out instead of trying to continue play. English fans applaud their players for such maneuvers while the Dutch will actually boo this casual style of play. Because Dutch players are not expected to perform or behave in any way that may make them too conspicuous or appear to be striving for the limelight, just as in Dutch society, the players focus at performing to the best of their abilities in the most professional manner.
The Netherlands has only won one major football tournament, the 1988 European tournament, although experts of the game feel that they possess the talent to have won many more. This lackluster winning percentage is clearly indicative of the Dutch approach to performing to expectations and living within one's own domain. The Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker summarizes the Dutch mindset by stating:
"At a world cup or a European Championship, ninety percent of the teams are there to win. But there's always one country who only wants to show how good they are. And that's Holland. It's our drama. With all our talent, our technical and tactical skills, our offensive football, we have only once won a major tournament and that was by accident. We love the game, but we lack something. We are like a boxer who boxes very well but doesn't have a knockout punch. We don't have the mentality to take him by the throat, but sometimes you have to ... (squishes throat) strangle? Yeah. We have no killer touch. That's been the problem during the whole history of our football. For the Dutch it's much better to come in third place while playing a good, professional game than by coming in first place playing sloppily or haughtily."
Best goal ever?
Celebration in Amsterdam after the Dutch won in 1988
The story of the valiant struggle against Spanish and religious oppression is immortalized in the Dutch National Anthem, the Wilhelmus. Prince William fought gallantly in order to free his country from tyranny and religious oppression and is accredited with being the Father of the Netherlands. The anthem commemorates Prince William’s leadership and heroic struggle against the mighty Spanish regime. In the Wilhelmus, the Prince of Orange addresses the oppressed people of the Low Countries in dramatic fashion. In his lofty speech, the Prince conveys his sincerity, determination and innermost motives for rising against the king of Spain. Prince William shows sympathy and empathy towards his followers, but also encourages them to join in the struggle against their oppressors. His speech is interrupted by a prayer in verses six and seven and he also reminds his loyal followers of their duty to obey the law of God.
The poem comprises fifteen verses. Only the first and sixth verses are usually sung on national occasions. The first verse is to this day misunderstood and controversial as it describes the Prince being loyal to the king of Spain - "to the king of Spain I've granted a lifelong loyalty". People from other countries are befuddled when they hear the Dutch singing these words of allegiance to the king of Spain. At the outset of the war, William of Orange-Nassau was elected Stadhouder, meaning he still represented the king’s authority. Originally, William and the Dutch people had no misgivings with honoring the king, as long as the king let them self-govern and respected their autonomy. The Dutch originally felt that the King of Spain had good intentions, but was receiving bad counsel from his Spanish delegates, which, subsequently, resulted in the king formulating bad policies. The Dutch rebels did not withdraw their loyalty to the king early on in the struggle. They only wished that their rights were honored and that they didn’t have to be subservient to Spanish policies.
The song’s style resembles that of the work of the Rederijkers (rhetoricians: sixteenth-century poets). The rhetoricians played an important role in contemporary society and had a great influence on the development of the modern day Dutch language. The first letters of the fifteen verses strung together brilliantly spell the name William of Nassau. The text is also thematically symmetrical, in that verses one and fifteen resemble one another in meaning, as do verses two and fourteen, three and thirteen, etc., until they converge in the eighth verse, which is the heart of the song: Oh David, thou soughtest shelter/From King Saul’s tyranny.
25 March 2008
An interesting interview with UK Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg in the Guardian about his Dutch roots:
At least some of this incongruity seems to be down to Clegg's Dutch roots. Throughout his childhood, his family would spend "every single holiday" in Huizen, a modestly sized town half an hour from Amsterdam. When he's with his mother, they converse in her native language (he can also manage Spanish, "rusty" German and French).
He is, he tells me, "quite Dutch, culturally speaking." Which means what?
"Low church," he says. "Quite Calvinistic, in some respects. It's akin to Presbyterianism north of the border. Not keen on ostentatiousness. Quite blunt. Perhaps not always very diplomatic."
And very liberal with it, one assumes.
"Yes, but Dutch liberalism is actually very interesting. Dutch society is very liberal in one sense, but it's actually quite moralistic and austere in another. There's this very literal view of what liberalism should be about. It's very in your face: sex should be in your face, drugs should be in your face, and the Dutch are very keen on this idea that you should say anything you want. But at the same time, you've got this side of Dutch society which is quite suburban, neat, and very consensual."
Related and links
"More people than ever before are delving into the archives to unravel their family histories. The Dutch Genealogical Society (NGV) puts this down to an increased interest in the past in general, and the advent of the internet in particular. [...] Some tips for people wanting to search Dutch archives and websites on genealogy from outside the country.
Be aware that the spelling of names is very important. For example, Van Dyke is a common name in the US, but the original Dutch name may be Van Dijk or Van Dijck. It's also good to know exactly where a person was born. Ask relatives and friends of the family to help: they may have birth certificates or know relatives in the Netherlands who can help you." More at Radio Netherlands.
22 March 2008
Several thousand demonstrate in Amsterdam against anti-Quran film
"Demonstrators of all races and colors crowded Amsterdam’s central square [today], braving wind and sleet to show their opposition to anti-immigration lawmaker Geert Wilders.
The protest, called "Netherlands Shows Its Colors," is primarily a reaction in advance to the short film Wilders says he will release later this month criticizing the Quran as a "fascist" book." Boston Herald
Chronicle of a film foretold: About 'Fitna, the movie'
"What exactly is going on in the Netherlands? Where has this Geert Wilders character sprung from all of a sudden? What do his fellow countrymen think of him? And if the Dutch government is so scared of this film, why don't they simply ban it? Could it be that they actually support it?
Radio Netherlands Worldwide has produced its own short film about the issue in an effort to answer these questions. About 'Fitna the Movie' takes a more in-depth look at aspects of Dutch society, such as freedom of speech, aspects that sometimes lead to confusion abroad. The film also seeks to put Geert Wilders himself in perspective." Read more and see Radio Netherlands' movie here.
Update
Web site for Dutch anti-Quran film suspended by host
"The web site where Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders was promoting his not-yet-released anti-Quran film has been suspended by its U.S. hosting service, Network Solutions. The site formerly showed the film's title, "Fitna" — "coming soon" — and an image of a gilded Quran. Now it shows a note that the company is investigating whether the site violates its terms of service. 'Network Solutions has received a number of complaints regarding this site that are under investigation,' the note said." International Herald Tribune
19 March 2008
2009 marks the 400th anniversary of the day that Henry Hudson set sail from Amsterdam, dropping anchor in New York Harbor five months later in September 1609. His first steps on the tip of Manhattan eventually gave rise to a thriving settlement on what is today New York, in many ways the capital of the world.
Henry Hudsons Halve Maen (Half Moon) in the New York Harbor.
The Englishman Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East Indies Company, first established Dutch claims to the area currently known as New York in 1609. In 1626, the Dutch officially purchased the southern tip of Manhattan Island from the native American population, and founded New Amsterdam, the main settlement of the colony New Netherland. The colony gradually developed into a prosperous settlement under director-general Peter Stuyvesant, until an English fleet conquered New Amsterdam in 1664 and renamed it New York. Yet the Dutch role in New York was by no means over. Dutch settlers maintained their religious institutions, social forms, and cultural values as they gradually adapted to the altered context of their lives. Two regime changes, in 1673-74 and 1689-91, briefly returned political and religious power to Dutch hands.
1656 Dutch map of New York in New Netherland, by A. Vanderdonck.
The original Castello Plan. Full size photograph of manuscript map in the Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana of Florence, Italy. The Castello plan is the earliest known plan of New Amsterdam and the only one dating from the Dutch period.
A monumental flagstaff in Battery Park (NYC) commemorates the Dutch establishment of New Amsterdam and the seventeenth century European settlement which launched the modern metropolis of New York City. Designed by H.A.van den Eijnde (1869-1939), a sculptor from Haarlem in the Netherlands, the monument was dedicated in 1926 to mark the tercentenary of Dutch settlement, and the purchase of the island of Manhattan from Native Americans.
On Saint Nicholas Day, December 6, 1926 the Netherlands Monument, a gift of the people of Holland, was formally accepted by Mayor James J. Walker and Parks Commissioner Francis D. Gallatin. In 1939 the monument underwent restoration and the inscriptions were recut. Subsequently, a fire caused damage to the monument. When the park was closed from 1940 to 1952 for renovations and to build the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, the monument was relocated to its present site at the northeast entrance.
Links Henry Hudson400.com: The Henry Hudson 400 Foundation was organized to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's legendary voyage to the new world in 2009 in both Amsterdam and New York City. Explore NY 400.com Ian Chadwick.com: Extensive research about Henry Hudson and his travels.
17 March 2008
"Amsterdam, a city teetering on swampland, displays unique poise as it balances Dutch tradition with social, sexual and narcotic tolerance. Here's a museumgoer's paradise with Rembrandts and Van Goghs, where bicycles rule the streets, dogs snooze in offices and locals invent weird before Portland thinks of it. Amsterdam celebrates gay marriage, sanctions prostitution and allows pot smoking -- and offers visitors a welcome with European grace, Dutch warmth and fluent English." OregonLive.com
24-hour roomservice at The Shipping House
The Scheepvaarthuis – The Shipping House – stands on the spot where vessels departed for the East Indies in Amsterdam's Golden Age. Dating from 1916, this fascinating and beautiful building was created to provide showpiece office space for the city's leading shipping companies, and is one of the finest examples of the Amsterdam School of architecture and design (the Dutch version of Art Nouveau). After a painstaking renovation, the Amrâth Dutch hotel group opened it as a five-star hotel. It's worth visiting just to admire the superb ornamental, maritime-themed decoration. More at The Independent.
Seeing Amsterdam the way the locals see it
Like-a-Local now has over 200 volunteers in Amsterdam and plans to grow its service to 35 cities around the world (the company already offers service in European cities like Paris, Brussels, Madrid and London). Anyone can choose the type of experience they're interested in, from walks in the park and home cooked meals to staying aboard a houseboat in the canals. www.like-a-local.com
1000 Dutch delights
A new travel website promoting Holland's best kept secrets. 1000dutchdelights.com
17 March 2008
The police have arrested a 26-year-old Pakistani man “suspected of belonging to a global jihadist network which is preparing attacks in Western Europe,” including Britain, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. The Dutch police had been investigating the suspect, who was not identified, since late January. He was under 24-hour observation and was finally arrested in Breda, “to prevent terrorist activities,” the prosecutor’s office said. The authorities said there was no information he was planning an attack in the Netherlands. (NY Times).
The Netherlands is deeply divided about the tone of a debate on Islam after a far-right deputy announced he would broadcast a movie criticising the religion later this month. While politicians almost unanimously back the right of lawmaker Geert Wilders to make the movie, most admit they would prefer he did not and criticise the harsh timbre of his arguments. That sentiment appeared reflected in remarks by Dutch prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who noted that "with freedom comes responsibility." The Netherlands also fears a repeat of 2006 riots worldwide which followed the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed in a Danish newspaper - and worries about possible retaliatory attacks by the Taliban against Dutch troops stationed in Afghanistan. (Peninsula On-line).
Iranian minister calls on Netherlands to stop anti-Islam film
Iran's deputy foreign minister on Tuesday called on the Dutch government to stop a far-right politician from distributing an anti-Islam film that has drawn protests in Muslim countries. "I think they can stop the movie," Mehdi Safari told reporters after meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen. "The government is responsible." He added: "This film is insulting to the 1.2 billion Muslims in their values and principles." The Dutch government has twice tried unsuccessfully to convince far-right deputy Geert Wilders to abandon his plans to distribute his film (AFP).
12 March 2008
The Holland America Line was founded in 1873 as the Dutch-America Steamship Company, a shipping and passenger line. Because it was headquartered in Rotterdam and provided service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line (HAL).
Former HAL Headquarters, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. At present Hotel New York
In 1971 Holland America abandoned its passenger transportation service and switched to running cruise ships full time. Due to the increasing popularity of the exotic and rarely-visited ports of call featured on annual "Grand World Voyages" (usually lasting more than 60 days), the ms Amsterdam will offer the Grand World Voyage in addition to the Prinsendam's Grand Voyages in 2007 and 2008. 2008 is the 50th anniversary of Holland America Line's Grand World Voyage and will feature a true circumnavigation of the globe. In 2009, the sister-ship to the ms Amsterdam, ms Rotterdam will complete the Grand World Voyage.
Holland America Line in the news
Queen Beatrix will be godmother of the Eurodam
"Holland America's Eurodam will be christened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, as befits the venerable line's Dutch roots. The ship debuts on July 1, 2008." Eurodam News Blog, which "serves as the primary portal for all news and information, images and video, gossip and discussion about Eurodam".
About the Eurodam
"We already knew that Eurodam, which will debut in summer 2008, would represent an evolution in ship design for the line. Holland America has since revealed some enticing details about the 86,000-ton, 2,104-passenger vessel, the largest ever for HAL, and the first in its Signature-class of ships. Innovations will include the 142-seat Tamarind, a top-deck Pan-Asian restaurant; the Silk Den Bar (located adjacent to Tamarind); an African-themed Explorer's Lounge; Caneletto's, a 66-seat Italian specialty restaurant incorporated into the Deck 9 Lido restaurant; a newly designed atrium; and a reconfigured show lounge." From Cruise Critic
A review of traveling aboard the ms Statendam
"Part of the Holland America Line, the Statendam's decor has a Dutch explorer and artistic theme mixed with Art Deco touches. The Van Gogh theatre combines a starry, starry night motif with sweeping colourful curves. A four-metre statue stands amid the three-storey atrium in the centre of the ship." Dutch courage from the Travel section of the Sydney Morning Herald.
09 March 2008
This week in Dutch (related) news and links:
Despite earlier reports, Johan Cruyff is not coming back to Ajax after all. "Former Ajax Amsterdam great Johan Cruyff has pulled out of plans to revamp the club's youth department because of differences with Marco van Basten, who takes over as coach on July 1". (Reuters) And a fans view.
High life in Holland under threat. "For over 30 years, the Netherlands has had the most liberal drugs policy in the world. But all that is about to change. After this week's parliamentary debate on the drugs issue, it looks like even the Nethferlands' world-famous 'coffee shops' may not escape the present government's reforms." (Radio Netherlands)
Afghan protesters burn Dutch, Danish flags. "More than 2,000 protesters burned Dutch and Danish flags Sunday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, the latest of a wave of rallies against cartoons and a film they say insult Islam." (AFP). In the New York Times: "Concern Over Film. The Dutch foreign minister, Maxime Verhagen, met ambassadors from 30 Muslim countries to discuss the imminent Web and possible television broadcast of an anti-Islam film made by the right-wing politician Geert Wilders, the ministry said." However it seems that Dutch television stations refuse to broadcast the film (Radio Netherlands).
The Dutch terror alert has been raised to "substantial" (BBC News).
In 2009 and 2010, the four largest cities in Holland will be taking part in a large-scale art and cultural event called Holland Art Cities (HAC). The top ten museums in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht will create an unprecedented art spectacle. The Amsterdam museums the Hermitage and Stedelijk Museum will also be celebrating their opening. For more information see hollandartcities.com
Coverage of the TEFAF in Maastricht. "Of all the Art Fairs [covered here] this annual gathering is by far the largest and most fantastic. Almost 9000 invited guests came on the first day to see the amazing collections of antiques and works of art — paintings, drawings, prints; modern art, classical antiquities and Egyptian works of art valued at more than $1 billion and filling more than 200 booths which occupy the sprawling center." San Francisco Sentinel (That should be Maastricht in the title..)
"Exclusive: Fabchannel Scores Major-Label Live Concert Streaming Deal. Fabchannel, which webcasts shows from the best two venues in Amsterdam (Paradiso and Melkweg), is one reason 2008 will be the year live music webcasting makes sense. The company plans to announce a deal Tuesday with Universal Music Netherlands that will let it offer free, ad-supported webcasts of Universal Music artists' shows at those venues." (Wired)
General Gayety: The royal treatment. "The most prominent person due to attend a Dutch gay rights conference is a future queen, and I don't mean a teenager with a tendency toward the fabulous. A spokesman for the Dutch royal family confirmed that Princess Maxima, the wife of Holland's Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, will participate in the conference in early March." (pridesource.com)
More fabulousness: Amsterdam's annual stiletto run. "Hot on heels, hell on ankles" (Melbourne Herald Sun)
» Anti-Koran film goes live, Dutch relief over restraint
Holland's prime minister roundly condemned the anti-Muslim film "Fitna" on Thursday within hours of its appearance on a Web site in the Netherlands. The country's cabinet went into a crisis meeting directly after the "debut" of the controversial film by right wing politician Geert Wilders as police formed a security cordon around the Dutch Parliament building in the Hague. "Fitna" links verses of the Quran to a background of violent images from terrorist attacks. Wilders had been unable to get his film posted on the Web or broadcast, but at 7 p.m. Dutch time Thursday his political party PVV put a link to the 15-minute short on its Web site. English- and Dutch-language versions were posted at www.pvv.nl via a link to liveleak.com. (Hollywood Reporter)
Dutch relief at Muslim restraint over Koran film
The Netherlands breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after Dutch Muslims reacted with restraint to the release of a film by a Dutch lawmaker that accuses the Koran of inciting violence. Dutch authorities reported a calm night after Islam critic Geert Wilders launched his movie on Thursday evening, in contrast to unrest that swept the country following the murder by a militant Islamist in 2004 of film director Theo van Gogh. (Reuters)
No comments | ¶
» Profile: Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders's bleached-blond hair goes to the root of his character. Days away from releasing a much-anticipated short film said to be critical of the Koran, Wilders recalled in an interview the advice he said he received years ago from political leaders about how to get ahead. "First, you have to moderate your voice about Islam," he remembered them telling him. "Second, change your stupid hair." The International Herald Tribune.
No comments | ¶
» Winehouse to perform in "the weirdest club in the world"
"Amy Winehouse is being offered $700,000 to perform in "the weirdest club in the world." The Grammy Award-winning artist is close to signing the deal with Dutch nightclub Watt that the boss says it's as "good as certain." Watt, which is scheduled to open in September, will function using a concoction of body fluids. An insider says, "The energy will come from urine and sweat from the visitors, and toilets will be flushed by rainwater. The club is set in the heart of the biggest drugs circuit in Holland. It is so out there that it might even shock Amy." All Headline News.
No comments | ¶
» Netherlands pro-euthanasia psychiatrist publishes do-it-yourself suicide guide
A Netherlands psychiatrist who assisted in the suicide of a grieving mother that ultimately led to the Dutch Supreme Court ruling that the depressed should have the right to kill themselves has now published a do-it-yourself guide to committing suicide. It also contains information on how to perform other acts of suicide using starvation techniques and describes the quickest and least painful ways to do so. "Doctors learn little about this subject during their training," author and psychiatrist Boudewijn Chabot says, according to the London Telegraph. "This book is for people who want to make their own decisions about ending their own lives." More at lifenews.comNo comments | ¶
» Snow causes traffic chaos
Departing flights at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam were delayed due to continuing snow in the Netherlands. Train traffic was also affected by the snow. All train traffic to and from Rotterdam was suspended on Tuesday. thewest.com.auNo comments | ¶
» Dutch tolerance: Always a hot topic
"Several recent current affairs articles have highlighted changes in attitudes that are having an impact on the famous, or infamous, Dutch tolerance surrounding sex and drugs, as well as freedom of speech. These highly charged topics have created a lot of heated debate on our forums, and sadly some misinformation too." Read more at Radio Netherlands, including reader reactions from around the world.
No comments | ¶
» Salt could shake up world energy supply
"Only up to powering light bulbs so far, "salt power" is a tantalising if distant prospect as high oil prices make alternative energy sources look more economical. Two tiny projects to mix sea and river water - one by the fjord south of Oslo, the other at a Dutch seaside lake - are due on stream this year and may point to a new source of clean energy in estuaries from the Mississippi to the Yangtze." See: The Guardian.
No comments | ¶
» Dutch anti-Islam filmmaker refuses to be silenced
"The last time a high-profile Dutchman made a film critical of Islam he paid for it with his life. Stabbed to director Theo van Gogh's lifeless chest by his Dutch-Moroccan killer was a note warning other critics of Islam they would be similarly 'silenced'." More at Reuters See also: Dutch Muslims surprised by anti-Wilders ad. "The statements of right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders are on the same level as anti-Semitism. That's the thrust of a full-page advertisement that Dutch-Jewish television producer Harry de Winter placed on the front page of Monday's edtion of newspaper de Volkskrant. Dutch Muslims have reacted with surprise." Radio Netherlands.
No comments | ¶
» Dutch pitcher finds a home with Marlins
"According to an old proverb, if you shout in Dutch that you are lost, a Dutchman will pop up from behind a tree to help you. For Marlins pitcher Rick VandenHurk, the Dutchmen answered from inside a Publix supermarket. [..] When VandenHurk made his first appearance, he became the first player from the Netherlands to pitch in the majors since Bert Blyleven concluded his 22-year career in 1992." Oxford PressNo comments | ¶
» Free speech versus freedom of religion
"Later this month, a Dutch politician is scheduled to release a film that reportedly calls for the Koran to be banished and hints that Muslims might be expelled from the Netherlands. The 15-minute production, aptly called Fitna--Arabic for "strife"--has already generated death threats, security alerts, protests, and international condemnations." More at weeklystandard.comNo comments | ¶
» $1.8M diamond necklace stolen from arts fair
"Thieves took off a with a diamond necklace worth an estimated $1.8 million from an arts fair in the Netherlands, according to press reports. Police arrested two women from Mexico and a man from Costa Rica suspected of carrying out the theft, but the necklace has not been recovered, a police spokesperson said." diamonds.netNo comments | ¶
