SkinVision - Holland Focus

holland focus
Special Adventures in cultural
historical building
filmmaker Ate de Jong
SkinVision
A revolutionary solution to check your skin health yourself
September/October 2015
photo front page: King, Queen and children on the beach (Odi Busman)
CONTENTS
ARTICLES______________________
6 Herfst, autumn, Tegenvoeter - Ruud Hisgen
8 On ontbijtkoek
12 Botanical Garden Leiden celebrates
425th anniversary
18 Prinsjesdag, opening of the
Dutch Parliamentary year
24 Dutchies in love with the CÔte d’Azur
28 Filmmaker Ate de Jong
36 Special Adventures
in cultural historical buildings
41 Rinske Geerlings
42 Dutch explorers mapping the world
54 Myth, Legend or Story?
58 SkinVision
64 750 years Oudewater welcomes
King Willem-Alexander
68 How to plan your next stay at home holidays
70 Slotviering 200 jaar Koninkrijk
71 photos of the Royal Family by Odi Busman
REGULARS___________________
3 editorial
17 Gedicht Belicht - Frans Hertoghs
23 Dutch/Flemish movies - the Loft
48 Kiwikorrels - Is het schoensmeer,
fruit, mens of vogel?
50 Dutch Cuisine - The original Brabantse Koffietafel
52 Taals Taaltje - Met een fris brein
65 Brisbane conference
66 Verbeeldingen - de visser
© Odi Busman
kroketten, bitterballen
en frikandellen
A TOUCH OF DUTCH
shop and café
altijd te bestellen
even Cees of Anneke bellen
Come and enjoy traditional, and
not so traditional Dutch food.
We proudly serve Douwe Egberts coffee
and Pickwick tea in our cafe.
Brisbane en omgeving:
07-5546 3361 / 0433 133 622
a touch of Dutch for only the best and the
latest in Dutch groceries and products.
Fresh Warana Waters
239 Nickling Way, Sunshine coast
07-54932860
Experience a cup of excellent Douwe
Egberts coffee and Dutch apple-pie
in our cafe and shop in our Dutch
grocery store next door.
Available at Fresh sensations; shop 20,
Capalaba park shopping centre
07-32452596
Of kom gezellig even langs bij Eugenie op de Chandler
markt (Sleeman sports complex) bij de
POFFERTJES SHOP waar wij alles in voorraad hebben!
Shop 3 & 4 Village Arcade
46-50 High Street, Berwick, VIC 3806
Tel. 03-9769 7999
Open Mon-Fri shop 9am - 5pm; café 8am - 4pm
Sat-9am - 3pm
check out our facebook page for café specials and updates
2
Corry van den Broek’s grandson dressed up as Zwarte Piet
Zwarte Piet, a Dutch children’s friend.
Does
he have to go or change colour?
send your comments to [email protected]
Kamp Westerbork
www.personalisedhollandtours.com
a taste of Holland and Portugal
We offer all holiday makers - from Dutch expats to those who simply want to see
Holland for the first time - the chance to spend time discovering the wonders of the
Netherlands and the Algarve in Portugal.
Your personal tour guide Jan Veltrop will take care of everything during your entire stay.
This biography of fifteen postwar Dutch migrants is a story full of Joie
de vivre—the joy of living; it’s contagious, uplifting, and humorous.
The resourceful, tolerant, artistic, and freethinking Paulusses take
centre stage in Vertrek quickly form friendships with native-born
Australians. Aussies resonated with links of Dutch historical strands
that made up the Australian identity, begun in 1606.
Arriving in at the “Migrant Assimilation Camp,” the Paulusses’ were
urged to drop their native language, cultural norms, and values.
Culture shocks were relentless for this liberal Dutch family whose
values clashed with a monoculture conservative Angloceltic society
that was years behind in attitude and sophistication. Living in a transit
Caravan Park, the family came face to face with human rights abuses.
Confronted with the White Australia Policy, inequality of women,
nonrecognition of Aborigines, the stealing of babies from unmarried
mothers, and the stolen generation of Australian aborigines, all were
“awareness incubators” for the family’s later involvement in social
justice.
This biography begins in the effervescent cultural cauldron of the
counterculture movements. Not only did the pill change sex from
procreation to recreation but completely changed the mores of
conservative Australia. Despite the antiwar movement’s popularity,
the Australian government was about to conscript eighteen-year-old
Dutch boys to fight in the killing fields of Vietnam. As of old, the Dutch
revolted, tens of thousands started a new exodus of Vertrek back to
Nederland.
Order your signed copy of Vertrek directly from the Author
Email: [email protected]
or phone Kees to order your copy immediately 0407240349
A$29.50 includes packing and postage anywhere in Australia.
Add: A$17 postage for anywhere in the world.
Or order your copy through: www.vertrekaustralia.com
www.amazon.com, www.exlibris.com, www.barnsandnoble.com
More on Facebook: Vertrek
Book Reviews - readers feedback
Peter Mc Kinnon author of Jessie Adams What a wonderful read. The personal story and social history it contained was very entertaining and vividly conveyed the highs and
lows any life event of significance always has.
KIRKUS review USA
Vertrek’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses. It’s loaded with perceptive portraits of the Australians and Dutch Paulusse knew and descriptions of his family’s struggles.
Vertrek also provides an ambivalent take on assimilation and the so-called advances of modern life compared with “a quieter, more stable time.” Overall, these memorable
anecdotes are told with empathy and laced with wit and warmth.
Claudio Corlazzoli Paris France
I recommend ‘Vertrek’ to everybody. Very fluent and never boring. I liked the pictures at the end of the chapters, so I could give a face to the people mentioned. I underlined
the sentences that I liked the most, I’ve been meditating on many things. I liked how you talked about social issues, comparing the present and the past. Especially I liked the
part about conscription for Vietnam’s war and the real story about the discovery of Australia. And The last intimate chapters about your family were touching. This book kept a
lot of company to me as a solo traveller around the world. I’m looking forward to your up coming 2nd book!
Nel Terri New York USA
“Vertrek” seemed interesting, but when I saw the bookcover with the picture of you and your sisters my curiosity took over and I ordered the book on Amazon. When I told my
sons about it they also were enthused so I ordered and received copies of your book for them as well; I hope Amazon pays you the royalties! It was amazing to read how you
and your family coped with the hardship in settling in Australia. I have high admiration for your mom and dad to stick with it during those times.
Margaret Calloway , Baronia Victoria
Iam Australian , 92 years of age I still read a lot, I just wanted to let you know that Vertrek is one of the most inspiring touching and witty books I have ever read. There is
only one thing wrong with it , at 315 pages and 25 Chapters it is too short. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out this year. I just love and respect the Dutch even more after
reading Vertrek. My son inlaw is Dutch and he bought copies for all of his family in Netherland the US and Australia.
Keith Paulusse was born in the city of Terneuzen, situated in the province of Zeeland, the
Netherlands. At age eleven, he migrated to Australia. He left school at thirteen to start
work in an Australian butter factory; at fifteen years, he become a postman. He completed
his secondary education by working and studying part-time at Deakin University, paying
his way.
Keith studied social science, majoring in psychology. His life was shaped by championing
social justice. At various times, he was an entrepreneur, starting and publishing cultural
magazines. For the past six years, he has operated a tuition-free school of languages for
international students, refugees, migrants, and Australians with literacy challenges.
accommodation in Australia
Lelystad
Komfortabele appartementen te huur
Volledig ingericht met TV, telefoon en
internetaansluiting.
45 min. van Schiphol en Amsterdam.
Wasmachine en 2 fietsen aanwezig.
TE HUUR
Vrijstaand stenen vakantiehuis in
particulier park in Ommen (Overijssel).
Gezellig en compleet ingericht voor 6 personen
gratis internet
Vanaf €225 tot €450 p.w.
Tel. +31-33-4631156
www.vakantiebungalow-our-refuge.nl
1 pers: 36 euro
per nacht.
2 pers: 44 euro
per nacht.
incl. lakens en
handdoeken.
Korting vanaf
1 week.
accommodation in the Netherlands
Brochures en foto’s:
Ria Luikink- van Uum
Moezelstraat 12
8226 LA Lelystad. The Netherlands
Tel: +31 320 254316
Email: [email protected]
www.luikink.nl
APARTMENT FOR RENT
Luxury 3 person apartment
60 Euro per night
mobile: +31 629095974
Corry van den Broek
Prins Clauskade 39
2405 CA Alphen aan den Rijn
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.appartementalphen.nl
SLUITHEK B&B
Short or long stay
luxury apartment in
Central Holland
Also for disabled guests
Your Dutch pillow
5
www.sluithekbnb.nl
Apeldoorn canal
HERFST,
autumn
In the month of September when HERFST (or ‘najaar’), as
the season is called in the Netherlands, began, I was loafing
about Terneuzen in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (southern Zeeland). It
was a melancholy moment.
The sun had set and in the distance the huge Ferris Wheel
was being dismantled. The KERMIS (fair) was moving out of
town. All Saturday and Sunday, when I was in town, the small
city of Terneuzen had been taken over by the loud noises
of the many fairground attractions which seemed to be
everywhere.
Suddenly autumn had come around.
The departure of the rowdy fair heralds the coming of winter.
words Ruud Hisgen
66
In England this season used to be called ‘harvest’
until the sixteenth century. An appropriate word
because the end of summer is the time of year
when crops are being gathered. It is a pity that
the English replaced this beautiful word with ‘fall’
and the originally French word ‘autumpne’. Latin
‘autumnus’ or ‘auctumnus’ was probably derived
from ‘auctus’ which means ‘increase’. It does not
have the same wistful ring as ‘harvest’.
“Augustus Bevilacqua”. Bust
of the emperor with the
Civic Crown.
photo Bibi Saint-Paul
The Dutch word HERFST is clearly related to English
‘harvest’ and it has been around for a millennium
or even longer. In Dutch the first recorded word is
‘hervistmanot’ (herfstmaand -> autumn month).
The Dutch do not associate HERFST with ‘harvest’
anymore. The modern word for ‘harvest’ is OOGST.
OOGST in its turn was derived from the name of the
month of August (in Dutch: ‘augustus’, the eighth month
of the year). And ‘august’ was borrowed from the Latin
word ‘augustus’ (the honorary title of Roman emperors)
meaning ‘sublime’.
August, of course, is traditionally the beginning of
the OOGST and the harvest months. The original
medieval Dutch name of August was not ‘augustus’ but
‘arenmaent’ which means ‘harvest month’. Dutch ‘aren’
is the plural of ‘aar’ which is the ear, or the head or the
spike of grain or corn.
In German the word for harvest is still ‘Ernte’ which is
clearly related to the Dutch word ‘aren’ and the English
verb ‘to earn’. The Dutch still have the saying: ‘wie zaait
zal oogsten’ (as you sow, so shall you reap).
It is a sobering fact of life that your existence on this
earth is drawing to an end when you start to harvest what
you sowed in youth. That’s what I clichéd when I watched
the end of the fair in Terneuzen from the Scheldedijk.
In my mind’s ear I heard the coarse voice of
the German singer Lotte Lenya singing the
‘September Song’. A song which she recorded
when she was 59 in 1957. A song written by
Walter Huston and composed by her husband
Kurt Weill for the unsuccessful 1938 Broadway
musical ‘Knickerbocker Holiday’ (a musical set
in New Amsterdam in the sixteenth century).
Many other crooners have made this song
famous. There are wonderful renditions by
Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Sarah Vaughan and
Eartha Kitt, but Lotte Lenya’s version remains
my favourite.
So now that autumn has come: carpe diem
(seize the day), let’s harvest, ‘laten we oogsten’
for there is no more time for ‘the waiting
game’.
7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdc4oBnu_fw
‘Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December
But the days grow short when you reach September
When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame
One hasn’t got time for the waiting game
Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few
September, November
And these few precious days I’ll spend with you
These precious days I’ll spend with you’
De Oogst, 1888 by Vincent van Gogh (Van Gogh Museum)
On Ontbijtkoek
Recently, two new flavours of the popular Dutch spice cake known as ontbijtkoek hit
the supermarket shelves: a whole grain version studded with a minimal amount of
cranberries and another variation made with spelt and rye wheat flour. I tried them both,
however, to be completely honest, I can’t say I noticed much of a difference in taste. In
fact, there are quite a few varieties of ontbijtkoek out there and they all taste the same
to me. Perhaps it’s because most ‘variations’ are actually pretty much composed of the
same ingredients: glucose-fructose syrup, rye flour, sugar and spices.
words and photos Paola Westbeek
8
Not really very healthy you might say (and you would be
right in making such an assumption), but more on that
later. Any extra ingredients are minimal and mostly found
on top of the cake. So why do new flavours keep being
added to the already long list of over seventy varieties
of the moist, aromatic and delicately spiced Dutch cake?
And how Dutch is it really?
It wasn’t until the end of the Middle Ages that the cake
would make its appearance in the Netherlands. The
cake was originally baked in convents using home grown
wheat and honey from bees kept on the premises.
Soon the cake was being made professionally around
Utrecht, Schoonhoven, Friesland, Groningen, Brabant and
Deventer. Especially in Deventer, there were strict rules
around the beginning of the 15th century regarding the
weight, composition and hygiene standards involved in
the production of the cake.
It’s hard to pinpoint when the first ontbijtkoek was baked.
What we do know is that although you may be inclined
to think otherwise, it didn’t originate in the Netherlands.
The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans baked a very similar
cake made with whole wheat grains, honey and spices.
The cake was so special that it was even offered to the
gods and served during important ceremonies. This
‘honey cake’ was also loved in 10th-century China during
the time of Genghis Khan.
It is interesting to note that the oldest bakery to make
the cake, JB Bussink, still exists in Deventer today. You can
even enjoy a piece of the cake at their shop, located in
the centre of town, on Brink 84.
But the market leader when it comes to ontbijtkoek is
still Peijnenburg, a company that started as a family-run
also named: peperkoek, feeste,
lekkerkoek, zoete koek, honingkoek,
kruidkoek or pondkoek
9
business in Geldrop back in 1883. During
the crisis years of the 1930s, Peijnenburg
was clever enough to come up with a
‘surprise cake’ – a great way to boost
their sales. This cake, which only cost
25 cents, came in a nice box along with
a surprise such as a piece of gum or a
pen. Despite its significant role in Dutch
ontbijtkoek history, Peijnenburg was
purchased by the Belgian company Lotus
Bakeries in Lembeke in 2006.
From the very beginning, the spice cake
was a success in the Netherlands. It was
eaten at birthdays but also at funerals.
It even made its way overseas to the
New World with the Dutch colonists.
There are records of wealthy families
in New York such as the Van Cortlandts
and the Van Rensselaers dating to the
18th century in which honey cooke is
mentioned. Though its most frequently
used name states otherwise, ontbijtkoek
is not only a breakfast item today. It is
also enjoyed as a snack, and because
it contains very little fat, it is often
advertised as being ‘healthy’. Sometimes
it is even recommended as a remedy for constipation!
Unfortunately, the health claims are not really true if you
consider that one of the main ingredients is sugar and
that it consists of over 90% carbohydrates. But the same
can be said for stroopwafels (syrup waffles) and speculaas
(spice cookies), two other treats loved by the Dutch. And
by me. That fact that ontbijtkoek isn’t healthy shouldn’t
be the problem (everything in moderation). The fact that
it is advertised as such, however, is another story.
What I can’t get my head around are all those new and
improved variations. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times.
People are no longer satisfied with the everyday and are
constantly in search of bigger and better. Walking past
the ontbijtkoek aisle at my local supermarket is starting
to remind me of the cereal aisles from my youth in the
United States. How many flavours can there possibly be?
With that in mind, I decided to come up with my own
version of the cake. A recipe that, at least in my house,
will never change and will remain consistently good.
Though be warned – traditional it is not. I hope you enjoy
it as much as we do.
Bussink pictures: geheugenvannederland.nl
10
Paola’s Easy Ontbijtkoek
Makes approximately 8-10 slices
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
220g all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsps koekkruiden
100 g light brown sugar
100 ml honey
50 ml single cream
50 ml water
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 220°C and line a rectangular baking tin with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and
baking soda into a large bowl. Add in the koekkruiden and the brown sugar and mix well. Make a well in
the centre and add in the honey, cream, water and eggs. Carefully fold in these ingredients until you have a
smooth batter. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 20 minutes. Cover with foil and continue baking
for another ten minutes. Take the tin out of the oven and place it on a rack for 5 minutes. Take the cake out of
the tin, allow to cool and serve.
11
Hortus Botanicus Leiden 1610, Willem Swanenburgh after Jan Cornelisz Woudanusgif
Botanical Garden
Leiden celebrates
425th anniversary
It is 425 years ago that the botanical garden in
Leiden was founded: the Hortus Botanicus, the
first botanical garden in the country. Holland as
a seafaring nation travelled to many, until then,
unknown continents, looking for spices, buying and
selling spices, rubber, cotton etc. Along the way they
learned about useful herbs and plants.
words Birgit Blankers
photo Birgit Blankers
12
Mrs. Gerda van Uffelen, Biologist, PhD Leiden University,
is the collection manager at the botanical garden in
Leiden. Being a botanist she is passionate about plants.
“I love being a biologist”, she says, “Animals tend to run
away when you want to study them. Plants don’t do that
which makes things a lot easier.”
Having worked for the Hortus since 1993, and still going
strong, she is very knowledgeable about the history
of the botanical garden and she is happy to talk about
it, while sitting on a sunny terrace surrounded by
blooming plants. She explains that during the times of
the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East
India Company) the world’s first multinational business,
founded in 1602, by Jan van Riebeeck, their ships sailed
to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to find interesting
plants, animals and minerals. During those long voyages
a ship’s doctor or botanist accompanied the crew to take
care of the crewmembers’ health, but also to search for
new useful plants. One of these by now famous people
was Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein.
Born in Amsterdam, 1636, he became a military man
and also colonial administrator of the VOC. The VOC
sent him to Malabar where he became a botanist. He
wrote a book about the flora in India called: Hortus
Indicus Malabaricus. He described 740 plants of which
the names were published in at least five languages:
Latin, Arabic, Sanskrit, Malamayam and Dutch. He
collected plants and sent some over to Leiden, to the
first university in Holland. In that period of time India,
Mrs. Gerda van Uffelen with Wollemia Nobilis,
photo Birgit Blankers
13
buste of Carolus Clusius in the Botanical Garden Leiden, photo Biccie
more specifically Kerala, was very fascinating to Holland,
because of the wealth of available spices, like pepper and
nutmeg. Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Drakenstein
died in 1691 on his way from Cochin to Surat. He received
an honorable burial in Surat on 3 January 1692.
Also some botanical gardens were founded in Indonesia
for instance at Buitenzorg (now Bogor). Indonesian and
Dutch botanists still have a good relationship. Today
Indonesia is founding many more excellent botanical
gardens without the help of foreign scientists.
page from Hortus Indicus Malabaricus
Another famous person in the history of the gardens
is Carolus Clusius, born in Atrecht (now Arras) in
1526. In 1551 he studied healing arts and botany at
Montpellier. After having worked as a botanist in Vienna
and Frankfurt, he became a professor at the university
of Leiden. He also became the head ‘Prefect’ of the
botanical garden in Leiden.
The Austrian ambassador in the Ottoman Empire gave
Clusius a few tulip bulbs that originated from sultan
Süleyman the 1st. Clusius did a lot of research on tulips
and thus he was one of the founders of the Dutch tulip
growing industry, development and improvement of the
flower. Clusius died in 1609 in Leiden. A bust made after
his portrait stands among his beloved plants in Leiden.
14
Semper Augustus, Tulip before 1640, most expensive tulip at the time - Norton Simon Museum
Paradise preserved in greenhouse Hortus, photo Birgit Blankers
New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax)
Early 19th century the Netherlands and
New Zealand had a good affiliation
and many native plants were sent
over to Leiden. This stopped when the
British started ruling New Zealand, but
relationships between New Zealand and
the Netherlands are still good due to the
many Dutch who migrated to New Zealand.
In May 2015, Veranoa Hetet, professional flax
weaver and teacher in New Zealand came to the
Museum voor Volkenkunde (Ethnology Museum)
in Leiden to demonstrate the traditional and
contemporary Maori art of flax weaving. She also
visited the Hortus in Leiden.
Mrs. Van Uffelen met her in Leiden.
”Veranoa asked for our flax plants and she took
one of the leaves, just like that, extracted the
fibers and started spinning a thread from it”,
Gerda says still amazed.
”She was so skilled and very fast.” Mrs. Van
Uffelen shows a tread spun by Veranoa.
Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis)
From Australia comes the Wollemi Pine.
”It was discovered in 1994 in the Blue Mountains
near Sydney, now the Wollemi National Park”,
Gerda explains. “Until then the tree was only
15
known as a fossil.”
Australia sold plants to the botanical garden in Leiden,
but sold them to many other gardens too, such as the
gardens in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Although the Hortus in Leiden celebrates a long and rich
history, it also looks to the future.
“Plants are being analyzed for useful ingredients, for
instance their healing qualities”, Mrs. Van Uffelen
explains. “Today these methods are more sophisticated
and faster than in the olden days.”
The search for new herbal medicines continues.
Plants from all over the world are being analyzed for
this purpose. The botanical garden in Leiden plays an
important role in this.
www.hortusleiden.nl
Jan Mortel, still life with flowers 1688,
Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden
LOOKING FOR
DUTCH SPIRITS?
NCCA, the business networking organisation
for the Dutch and their associates in Australia
DE FRE
E
AU L I
FO STRA V E
R A LIA R
LL
W Y
Are you interested in becoming part of the primary forum in Australia
where individuals and businesses with links to the Netherlands meet
and network? Would you like to broaden your industry connections
and strengthen your business relationships?
If the answer is yes, then why not join us?
Visit www.ncca.com.au for membership and forthcoming events.
Phone: 0413 581 362
Networking for Business
These are now being directly
imported by Nicks Wine Merchants.
OV
ER
OR I D
E
D
$20 ERS
0
Freecall Australia wide
1800
069 295
email: [email protected]
•10-12 JACKSON CRT, EAST DONCASTER, VIC 3109 PH: 03 9848 1153
www.nicks.com.au
GB
edicht
Het is een vreemd soort taal, gedichten. Normaal gebruiken wij onze taal alsof het geld is: je
geeft het uit en je ontvangt het. Maar je kijkt er eigenlijk nooit naar.
Je werkt ermee, maar je ziet het niet. In gedichten gaat dat anders:
Dan kijk je in het hart van de taal. In het hart van de mens.
elicht
Een mooi vak
photo Philip d’Arenberg
Als ik vaststel: De zon speelt haar tintelend spel
Aan een stoffige hemel van matgrijs pastel,
En de zee geurt naar kruidnagelkaas,
Hoort men algemeen pruttelen ‘zou dat nu wel...
- maar toevallig ben ik hier de baas.
De Verbeelding aan de Macht. Dat zou de titel kunnen zijn van dit merkwaardige gedicht van Simon Knepper. Het
gedicht gaat over dichten als “vak” en als “beroep”. Dichten is spelen met woorden, niets meer en niets minder. En de
dichter speelt niet op z’n eentje. Hij schrijft niet alleen voor zichzelf, maar hij wil ook gelezen worden.
Moet hij zich dus maar aanpassen aan zijn lezers? Knepper vindt van niet. Hij is net zo vrij om te schrijven waar hij zin
in heeft als de lezer om het gedicht te verscheuren of – nog erger – te negeren. En hij maakt zijn punt door een gedicht
in een gedicht te stoppen. De eerste twee-en-een-halve regel zijn relatief “gewoon”, een soort plaatje. Maar mag de
zee die hij schildert wel naar kruidnagelkaas ruiken? Gaat hij dan niet de dichterlijke perken te buiten?
Maar niet toevallig is de dichter hier de baas. En dat laat hij ook ronduit weten. Iedereen mag vinden wat hij wil. En
vooral de dichter. Die heeft altijd gelijk. En is dat dan geen prachtig vak? En zijn wij niet allemaal dichters, de baas over
onze eigen taal?
PRINS WILLEM ALEXANDER VILLAGE
Netherlands Retirement Village Association Of Queensland Inc.
What are your plans
for the future?
Imagine living in an environment that reminds you of “back home”.
Inspired by the traditional “Zaanse” style architecture, the village offers
many choices in accommodation and lifestyle, from independent living
to the highest of care. There are 74 independent living units, 44 Hostel
units, 14 one bedroom apartments and a 64 bed Nursing Home.
Enjoy our friendly and happy environment. Many members of our
dedicated staff speak Dutch as well as English, because we realise the
importance of the mother tongue.
You may like to visit the village and discuss your options for moving into
this ideal village facility. Just ring us first to make an appointment, so we
can be available to discuss opportunities for you.
Prins Willem Alexander Village
62 Collingwood Road, Birkdale
Tel.: (07) 3822 0800
Email: [email protected]
a new care facility is presently under construction
Prinsjesdag
opening of the Dutch
Parliamentary year
18
words Erik Feenstra
Prinsjesdag 2014, by Minister-President
Rutte
below: Minister Dijsselbloem, by
Rijksoverheid/Valerie Kuypers 2014
19
left: 2014, Rijksoverheid, Valerie Kuypers.
below: 2013, Ministerie van Defensie
Every third Tuesday in September, The Hague has
its big day: Prinsjesdag, this year on September
15th. The King and Queen travel in the Gouden
Koets (GoldenCoach) to the Ridderzaal, heart
of the Binnenhof, residence of the Dutch
government, to open the Parliamentary year. The
Head of State reads out the troonrede (Crown
speech) to the members of the Eerste Kamer and
Tweede Kamer (Dutch Senate and Parliament),
in which the government explains what can be
expected the upcoming year. It is one of the rare
Dutch days with many traditions and rituals.
Prinsjesdag: how did it start?
In the 17th and 18th century, the name ‘Prinsjesdag’
was used to celebrate the birthdays of the Princes
of Orange, stadhouders (stadtholder) of the
Republic of 7 Provinces: Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht,
Gelderland, Overijssel, Groningen and Friesland. The first
half of the 18th century was an era without a stadtholder
(Stadhouderloos Tijdperk), because there was no male
heir. Although a republic – the first one in modern world
history – the stadhouder shared some rights and duties
with crowned heads, like succession rights. After the birth
of Willem V in 1748, his birthday was a day to celebrate
with the Oranje fans, called ‘Prinsjesdag’.
Prinsjesdag and the government
The first real Prinsjesdag was on May 2nd, 1814, when
King Willem I (son of Stadhouder Willem V) read out the
troonrede. Until 1848, the King decided on the content
of the speech. It was the year of revolutions and turmoils
throughout Europe and many crowned heads were forced
to abdicate or were even killed. In the Netherlands - a
united Kingdom since 1813 after the defeat of Napoleon
- the change in history was so-to-speak a peaceful
revolution: King Willem II ordered statesman Thorbecke
to change the Constitution. It happened in a liberal way:
the Head of State was no longer ‘the boss of the country’:
the ministers became responsible for everything the Head
of State said or did. From 1848 on, the troonrede was no
longer a Kings’ affair: the ministers wrote the content of
the speech.
20
Prinsjesdag as we know it today
During the first half of the 19th century, Prinsjesdag
was held on the first Monday of November, later on
the third Monday of October. With the big changes in
left: 2014, Stef Blok and partner,
Rijksoverheid Bas Arps,
below: 2011, Prince Constantijn and
Princess Laurentien, Ministerie van
Defensie
1848, the troonrede became the yearly budget
presentation for the upcoming year. Therefor
it was better to advance the date a month. For
members of Parliament travelling from remote
parts of the country Monday was not a good
day: it meant they had to travel to The Hague
on Sunday, and Sunday rest was ‘holy’ in those
days. In 1887, Prinsjesdag officially moved to
Tuesday. Not until the First World War, before
the troonrede got the character it still has: an
outline of the state of the country and a presentation of
the plans for the upcoming Parliamentary year. The name
‘Prinsjesdag’ became popular around 1930 and in 1931, it
was filmed for the first time, with the microphone next to
Queen Wilhelmina’s throne.
Prinsjesdag, a day of rituals
On Prinsjesdag, the Netherlands shows off its royal
grandeur. The King and Queen tour through The Hague,
from Paleis Noordeinde (the work palace of the King) to
the Binnenhof. His brother Prince Constantijn and his wife
Princess Laurentien join them in the Galaglasberliner. This
second prestigious royal coach has just been restored and
will be used the next four years by the King and Queen,
because the Golden Coach needs to be restored as well.
The procession, accompanied by a range of army groups
in gala uniforms and members of the court in smaller
coaches, always leaves the Palace at 12.50 pm and arrives
at 1.15 pm. After having read the troonrede, the return
starts at 2 pm.
When they leave the Palace and before they enter the
Ridderzaal, all members pay a salute to the Vaandel
(standard) of the army. With the departure and arrival
of the King, the national anthem Wilhelmus is played.
Along the route erewachten (guards of honour, with
representatives from different students resiliencies) are
placed, together with bands from all parts of the army
and a citizen deputation from one of the provinces (every
year another one). When the King leaves the palace,
every minute one gun salute is fired, until he returns at
the palace. The day ends with the balconscène (balcony
scene), when the members of the Royal Family appear on
the balcony of the palace, to wave to the people.
Traditionally, after her abdication, Princess Juliana
watched the procession behind a window in the Kabinet
der Koningin (Queen’s Office) and wove to her daughter
Beatrix. Being Princess again, Beatrix did the same last
year for the first time. The Kings’ children will accompany
their parents, after they turn 18.
Dress code and hats
The members of the Royal Family wear gala; for the other
guests a different dress code is applied. Men should wear
a three-piece suit, ladies in a formal dress or a ladies suit
and a hat. Being the hostess of the event, the head of
the Eerste Kamer is the only one not wearing a hat. Since
several years, many women wear striking hats, afterwards
largely discussed by the media. This ‘Dutch Ascot’
tradition started in 1977, when former swim champion
and Member of Parliament Erica Terpstra appeared with
an outrageous creation on her head, in her words ‘to
change the grey masses’.
Incidents
Basically, the outline of Prinsjesdag looks the same every
year. There were a few exceptions and some incidents.
In 1939, when World War II had just started, the Golden
Coach made place for an open coach. According to
stories, the Golden Coach had been hidden in a haystack
during the war, but that story cannot be confirmed.
In 1945, right after the war, Prinsjesdag took place in
November in a sober way without coaches. The years
after, the ceremony was sober as well and the coaches
stayed in the Royal stables. In 1948 the Dutch could see
the Golden Coach again, with the newly inaugurated
Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. In 1963, an incident
21
Rijksoverheid, Bas Arps
disturbed the departure of the crème-calèche, the open
coach with Princesses Beatrix, Irene and Margriet in
it. The horses run wild, the coach ended up against a
tree, but the Princesses were unharmed. They had to
accompany their parents, Queen Juliana and Prince
Bernhard, in the Golden Coach (which turned out to be
rather small for five people).
In 1974, due to a high-jacking at the French embassy
in The Hague (more or less along the route of the
procession), cars were used instead of coaches. In
2001, Prinsjesdag took place just one week after the
9/11 attacks in the USA. There was no music and for
one minute the Golden Coach stood still in front of the
American Embassy (along the route), to bring a salute
to the American people. It was remarkable and well
noticed in the States: as according to protocol, a Head of
State never waits. In 2010 a bewildered man threw a hot
plate towards the Golden Coach. It was quit harmless,
but a frightfully remembrance of the attack during
Koninginnedag 2009 in Apeldoorn, when a man in a car
drove through a group of spectators in the direction of
the Royal parade, killing eight people.
Golden Coach
The Gouden Koets (Golden Coach) was a gift by the
GOURMET
TEFAL
Gourmet en Raclette Sets
verkrijgbaar bij
SYNCRO AUSTRALIA
www.syncroelec.com.au
176 Old Bowling Green Rd,
Palmwoods
Qld 4555 Australia
tel: +61 (0)7 54788663
de sfeervolle en lekkerste manier om gezellig samen te zijn.
Tevens uw adres voor alles op het gebied van radio communicatie,
CB's, amateur en marine radio's.
Iets op afstand te bedienen, wij maken dat voor U.
residents of Amsterdam to Queen Wilhelmina, to
celebrate her inauguration in 1898. The cornice is curved,
because she wanted to be able to stand up in the coach
with her hat on. On her wedding day, February 7th of
1901, she used the coach for the first time, together with
Prince Hendrik. Since 1903 the Head of State uses the
coach at Prinsjesdag. In the beginning, when the weather
was bad, the coach stayed indoors, to avoid impairments.
The Golden Coach was also used during some important
Royal occasions: the christening of Princess Juliana in
1909 and Princess Beatrix in 1938 and the marriages of
Juliana and Bernhard in 1937, Beatrix and Claus in 1966
and Willem-Alexander and Máxima in 2002.
According to an ancient protocol, eight horses draw
the coach when a crowned head is a passenger, in all
other cases six horses have to do the work. The coach is
party beguiled and richly decorated. Actually, the coach
is not made out of pure gold, but teakwood from Java,
partly gold plated. A coach of pure gold would be and
too heavy to be practical. Spijker, in later years maker
of automobiles, produced the coach. Some examples:
Spijker used the Dutch Karos van Staat (Coach of State) –
which disappeared during the French invasion at the end
of the 18th century - and the still existing Kings Coach of
Charles X of France.
Recently the Golden Coach was subject of discussions: on
the left side half naked African and Indonesian men are
depicted, titled ‘Homage to the Colonies’. The Landelijk
Platform Slaverijverleden (federal group slavery past)
regards it as ‘a transfiguration of slavery and colonialism’.
One can argue if they have a point, because the depiction
was created in the very start of the 20th century, when
colonialism was a big thing in Europe. On the other side
of the coach is depicted ‘Homage to the Netherlands’.
After Prinsjesdag 2015, the Golden Coach will disappear
behind closed doors for four years, for a radical, but
necessary restoration.
Please go to www.eropuit.blog.nl. Do you have any
questions or comments about one of these sites: you are
most welcome to react under ‘plaats reactie’).
22
Dutch/Flemish
movies
the LOFT
While Hollywood
remakes of nonEnglish language films
are pretty common,
it’s a bit more unusual
when the director of
the original recreates
their own film -- some
examples include
Michael Haneke’s
Funny Games, Ken
Scott’s Starbuck,
George Sluizer’s The
Vanishing, and this
issue’s film, Erik van
Looy’s The Loft.
The original Dutch
language version of
The Loft was released
back in 2008 and
proved to be quite
a hit in Belgium and
the Netherlands,
and Van Looy filmed
the English version
in 2011; however, due to studio complications, the film
sat on the shelf for around three years before finally
receiving a rather short-lived theatrical release in late
2014. The film is now out on DVD, a medium to which it is
perhaps better suited.
Beyond the director, there’s a link to the original version
in the form of Matthias Schoenaerts, who here reprises
the role he played in the 2008 film. Schoenaerts plays
one of a group
of five male
friends who
keep a secret
apartment
(the loft of the
title) to be used
as and when
they wish. This
words Darren Arnold
arrangement appears to have
served the men well, but it
all goes very wrong when the
corpse of a young woman is
found in the apartment. As
no-one other than the five
men has a key, the friends
soon turn on each other as
they try to work out who’s
responsible. They’re not the
only ones seeking the truth,
as the police have their own
ideas about what happened
in the building and have
some tough questions of
their own for the men. With
the aid of many flashbacks,
we gradually learn all about
these five men and, most
crucially, why there’s a
dead woman in their loft
apartment.
Predictably and rather
dispiritingly, The Loft is yet
another example of the
inferior English language
remake; the original is no masterpiece, but anyone who
enjoyed the Dutch language film has very little to gain
from this version, which actually looks and feels a lot less
cinematic than the film it’s based on. If it wasn’t for the
presence of a few notable stars (beyond Schoenaerts,
there’s Star Trek’s Karl Urban and X-Men’s James
Marsden), this would pass as your average television film.
While the limited success of this version of The Loft
will do little to stop the practice of giving non-English
language works a Hollywood makeover, it perhaps does
at least prove that audiences may be a touch more
discerning than studios seem to think. While The Loft
is by no means a complete disaster, it’s a somewhat
pointless effort that largely deserves the straight-to-DVD
status it has in some territories.
23
Dutchies in love with
the Côte d’Azur
That are the members of the Côte d’Azur Autrement. Some time ago they left
their country. A life of busy, busy, busy was exchanged for quiet, space and
freedom. Without any specific reason Peter and I were invited to visit them.
“When you finally cut the umbilical cord, you are free from your
mother(country). Then you are gone,” Nikolas Juste says. Together with his
wife Marian, Peter and I enjoy a plat du jour in the restaurant ‘castle pub’ in
Chateauneuf.
words and photos Marianne Visser van Klaarwater
24
left Sydney and Karin, below
Nicolas and Marian
Villa Menuse
Tonight we have dinner at their place in their Villa
Menuse, where they opened a B&B in 2014. We will eat
the asparagus they picked the day before. For dessert
their two children will bake a cake from a batter of melted
chocolate. Nicolas used to have a very busy building
company, employing 25 people, in Belgium. Marian
enjoyed her well paid management job. “We were always
busy, busy, busy”, Nicolas says.
a monthly salary of 40,000 euro.
The Antibes also have a Picasso museum. Just like many
other artists he was drawn to the Côte d’Azur. Being one
of the most expensive locations on earth, it is also a spot
to fall in love.
Trip Advisor
About 27 years ago the accountant Rob Heuver and
interior designer Willem Zoon fell hopelessly in love. They
got married. “In 2006, we moved to the Côte d’Azur. With
20 people working for me, all I was doing was earning
money in the Netherlands. I did not want that anymore.”
In 2014, Trip Advisor gave Villa Cédria a winning 5 star
rating.
No mistral
Now they live in Villa La Menuse where they started a
‘chambre d’hôte’ in 2014. Not just the mountains and
the sea, but also the weather attracted them. Nicolas:
“Different to other parts in the South of France: no
mistrals here.”
Villa Cédria
Its 1500 years old olive trees, cypress trees and fig trees
make Villa Cédria a paradise on earth. The walls are
decorated with paintings by Rob. Funny, joyful and lively.
Rob surprises us with delicious homemade jams at
breakfast. The taste is smooth and very fruity. “For the
plum jam I use 650gr sugar on 1 kg plums. I mix the
Antibes
Villa La Menuse is close to the Antibes. Private yachts
belonging to the super rich are anchored there. Equipped
with their own aircraft landing area. After the landing of
their helicopter they sail away quickly. Their captains earn
25
Rob Heuver and Willem Zoon
Côte d’Azur. President is Sydney. “It has always been
Sydney’s dream to live at the Côte d’Azur,” his wife
Karin explains. “Since he was two years old he has been
holidaying on the one special beach near Cannes, every
summer.”
clementines with slivers of their skin, boiled until tender,”
Rob reveals.
Colle sur Loup
Villa Cédria is situated in la Colle sur Loup, the hill of
the wolf. “The river here is as untameable as a wolf.
Once restless and rough, then calm and subdued,” Rob
explaining the name of the valley.
Close by is the artists’ village St Paul de Vence, with the
grave of Chagall. We drink a glass of Monaco, a nice drink
made from lemonade, beer and grenadine, on the cosy
terrace next to the jeu de boule course.
Art of cooking
Sydney and Karin met in Hong Kong. She was a financial
controller and he worked in the fashion world of the Beau
Monde. They have been living at the Côte d’Azur for 8
years now. Sydney surprised us with his cooking skills.
Sydney: “A builder gave us the idea to start a chambre
d’hôte. He planted a seed and we started it. Here, we
meet people from all over the world. Many nice people
who inspire us. The same as our guests.”
Côte d’Azur Autrement
Rob and Willem are members of the Côte d’Azur
Autrement, just like Marian and Nicolas. An association
between 17 owners of luxury chambre d’hotes at the
La Parare
Their villa La Parare is somewhere between Nice and
26
Côte d’Azur Autrement meeting, left Sydney van Volen
Cannes. It is the world of film stars like Robert de Niro
and Roger Moore. An apartment costs minimal one
million euro. The most expensive villa sold for 550 million
euro.
From the beach we look over the azure blue water.
“We have got everything here,” Sydney says. “Quiet,
nature, culinary art and culture. We from the Côte d’Azur
Autrement know all this and explain it to our guests as
the ambassadors of the region.”
more info:
www.cote-azur-autrement.com
Villa Menuse, www.villamenuse.com
Villa Cedria, www.villacedria.com
La parare, www.laparare.com
10 tips:
1 Museum Fondation Maeght
2 St Paul de Vence, well known artists’ village
3 Restaurant Castle Pub, www.pub.castle.fr
4 Gordon, mountain village
5 Reservoir Mercantour
6 Mountain village Peillon and Auberge de la Madone.
[email protected]
7 Col de Tende through the Vallee de Merveille
8 Nice
9 Route Napoleon
10 Cap Ferrat
27
www.tnbtulips.com.au
Ate de Jong during the filming of Fogbound
Filmmaker
“I never read reviews,
28
Ate de Jong
With a great diversity of successful film and TV productions under his
belt, he’s one of Holland’s highest-profile directors: Ate de Jong. At
the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, we had an in-depth
conversation with this internationally acclaimed filmmaker.
words Ton van Rooij
the good ones included”
29
Ate de Jong: “I was
recently at one of the
storage facilities of
the film museum EYE,
because a print of A
Flight of Rainbirds
had been completely
acidified and now had
become contagious,
and therefore had to
be thrown away. It
was quite symbolic,
I thought, so we
ceremonially ‘buried’
the cans.”
“Perseverance more important than talent”
Ate de Jong, born in 1953 in Aardenburg, Zeeland,
studied at the Dutch Film Academy in Amsterdam from
1970 to 1974. “Of the 700 people who applied for the
academy in 1970, only 27 were accepted,” says De Jong.
“I was very young, 17, when I started and knew very, very
little about film. I had seen one film! I certainly was not
more talented or more intelligent than others. And then
you find out that films don’t get made at all by those
who have the most talent, but those who have the most
perseverance. The talent of a good filmmaker is not just
knowing how to make a film, but also making sure that it
géts made!”
What directors did he come to admire during his study?
“The ones that I still admire, such as Stanley Kubrick,
who I consider to be phenomenal. And I thought Ernst
Lubitsch – almost nobody knows him anymore – made
the best films imaginable. Among my favourites were
also Josef von Sternberg, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Luchino
Visconti – who still watches their films? I thought their
work was fantastic! Later on, people like Francis Ford
Coppola followed, but they were already of a second
generation. There are also current filmmakers I like a
great deal, too, but genuine admiration I have for those
who had a formative effect on me.”
In 1981, De Jong, who over the years has also been active
as a journalist and novelist, adapted Maarten ‘t Hart’s
novel A Flight of Rainbirds / Een Vlucht Regenwulpen for
the screen. Just as the book marked the breakthrough for
‘t Hart three years earlier, so did the film for De Jong. An
endearing mix of drama and comedy, it revolves around
a nerdy biologist, clumsy in approaching women, and his
debonair, extraverted alter ego (both portrayed by Jeroen
Krabbé in his first leading film role). Van ‘t Hart’s novel
was reprinted in November 2014 on the occasion of the
annual campaign ‘Nederland Leest’ (‘Holland Reads’).
In 1987, he made the leap to the USA, where he directed
an episode of the popular and hip police series Miami
Vice. He went on to make the film Highway to Hell, in
which a man literally goes through hell to rescue his
girlfriend, and Drop Dead Fred, a comedy about a young
woman and her imaginary friend.
Triumvirate with Jeroen Krabbé and Edwin de Vries
In 1998, he, actor/director Jeroen Krabbé and actor/
screenwriter Edwin de Vries (husband of actress Monique
van de Ven) founded the film production company
Mulholland Pictures. The first motion picture made under
this flag, the highly-praised drama Left Luggage (1998),
showed the struggles of a young Jewish nanny working
for a strict Chassidic family in Antwerp in the 1970s.
The company was also responsible for one of the most
prestigious Dutch movies ever, The Discovery of Heaven /
De Ontdekking van de Hemel (2001), directed by Krabbé.
In this adaptation of the international bestseller by Harry
Mulisch, God orders angels to design a merciless and
ingenious plan to have the Ten Commandments brought
back to heaven.
With Mick Jagger, they co-produced Michael Apted’s
thriller Enigma (2001), in which British experts try
to break the Enigma Code of Nazi U-boats. Another
Mulholland Pictures project was Fogbound (2002),
directed by De Jong. It’s the bizarre story of a married
couple and their friend who during a road trip get
completely blanketed in fog, after which one of them is
30
found dead.
Since February 2005, after a breach with Krabbé, De Jong
became the sole owner of Mulholland Pictures. “With
Jeroen, I’m not in touch anymore, because he doesn’t
want to. With Edwin, however, I am still close friends.
Jeroen is very much self-centred. He wanted to make
films that I thought weren’t the right films, which he then
held against me. In the end, he never made those films.
After The Discovery of Heaven, he’s never made a film
again. He had great ambitions to continue as a director,
but he chose the wrong path. And now, I think, he’s very
content with his painting. Actually, he’s more a painter, in
my eyes, than an actor or a director. Not only is he trained
as an actor, but also as a painter. Plus, he comes from a
family of painters.”
In Left Luggage, a Jewish woman (Isabella Rossellini)
becomes a nanny in a strict Chassidic family which includes a
four-year old boy (Adam Monty) who’s incapable of speaking.
Ate de Jong and Jan Smit on the set of The Blitz: The
Bombardment of Rotterdam / Het Bombardement.
Proud on The Blitz despite bad reviews
Not the success De Jong had hoped for was his World War
II drama The Blitz: The Bombardment of Rotterdam / Het
Bombardement (2012). Set around the time Rotterdam
was bombed, in May 1940, it followed the trials and
tribulations of a Dutch boxer and his German girlfriend.
Upfront, some criticised the makers because a non-actor,
popular Dutch singer Jan Smit, had been cast in a leading
role, and again after the film’s completion (though much
less so in the UK), because many reviewers purported the
script and acting left something to be desired.
What did all the negative comments on The Blitz do to
the filmmaker personally? “Well, those probably were
the worst reviews I’ve ever had in my life! Although I
never read reviews, the good ones included, because I’m
too Calvinistic for that, I had heard it from hearsay. That
31
Deadly Virtues: Love. Honour. Obey. - written by Mark
Rogers. As he recalls: “Three weeks after the premiere
of The Blitz, I visited my two sons in London and
discussed all that negative response with friends. One
of them was Elliot Grove, founder of the Raindance Film
Festival and film producer. I complained, complained,
complained… After ten minutes, he went: ‘Are you
finished complaining?’ And then: ‘Would you like to
take a look at this script?’ I said I would. A day later, I
told him: ‘Elliot, you can get David Cronenberg or David
Lynch for this, that’s how good it is!’ He then said: ‘Yes,
but then it would get very expensive. We at Raindance
work with low budgets. Can’t we make it as a no-budget
production?’ Whereupon I replied: ‘Yes, why not?’ For
me, this came exactly at the right time. For the best thing
you can do as a director to get over a disappointment is
to make a new film.”
He adds: “It’s Mark Rogers’ first script that got filmed, but
he’s already written something like 200 scripts, mostly
for short films. He writes incredibly fast, but he’s autistic.
Only once did I speak with him, for ten minutes. All
further communication took place by e-mail. And thén
he writes the most intelligent things, but face to face he’s
unable to talk.”
What, according to him, makes his script stand out? “The
enormous fear these three people feel to have no right
to exist. The intruder gets his right to exist by having the
two occupants do whatever he wants, and all that as pure
as possible, in accordance with Japanese philosophy. The
spouse claims a right to exist by dominating his wife. And
the wife obtains her right to exist by wresting herself
from his dominance. She is the only one who undergoes
a transformation. What I also saw in it was something I
always try to find in a film: something I can relate to, in
wasn’t pleasant, but I’ve been around long enough to
know you mustn’t take that personal. Overall, the public,
by contrast, did like the film. We had almost
€1.5 million in the box office, while most Dutch films do
less than € 100,000. But much less people came to see it
than I had expected, while I felt this film deserved a large
audience. Thát, for me, was the biggest disappointment.
Nonetheless I’m still very proud of The Blitz. The fact
that the film was attacked so severely has something to
do with that, too. This meant it needed my emotional
support even more.”
Did the bad reviews play a role in the lower than
expected visitor attendance figures? “Eventually, they
did, but in general, reviews, also good ones, don’t have
that much influence on the success of a film. But what
we had underestimated with The Blitz was that the bad
reviews served as the flywheel for an extremely negative
Twitter and Facebook campaign. Participating in this were
numerous anonymous people who thought it was great
fun to write the meanest things about the film. And that
did have a huge impact.”
Oppressive: Deadly Virtues: Love. Honour. Obey.
In November 2014, his thriller Deadly Virtues: Love.
Honour. Obey. - a joint venture between Raindance Raw
Talent and Mulholland Pictures - was released directly on
DVD, Blu-ray and Video on Demand in the Netherlands.
The production has also been sold abroad, including
to Australia and New Zealand. In this oppressive film, a
psychopath invades the home of a young couple, ties up
the man and starts mentally tormenting the woman. In
the process, he brings about some self-reflection with her
– to her own surprise.
By coincidence, De Jong had got hold of the script of
32
In Deadly Virtues: Love. Honour. Obey., a violent stranger (Edward Akrout, pictured here), invades the home of Alison (Megan Mackzo) and her husband Tom.
Johnny Flynn in Love Is Thicker Than Water.
Lydia Wilson in Love Is Thicker Than Water.
33
With her documentary If Mama Ain’t Happy,
Nobody’s Happy, Ate de Jong’s daughter Mea
won several prizes, including the award for best
short documentary and the audience award at the
Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival in
Babelsberg, Germany.
this case awfully deep jealousy. I had just experienced
that with a woman who was very jealous of things that
had happened 20 years ago, while she had nothing to do
with those previous women.”
Many lauded the film. De Jong: “It was easy to put
together a long list of excellent quotes from a wide
variety of reviews from different countries. Particularly
the UK press was very well-disposed to the film.”
film definitely has cinema quality. It has a top UK cast,
including Johnny Flynn, who recently starred in Song
One with Anne Hathaway, Lydia Wilson, who you will
very soon hear a lot about, Juliet Stevenson, a Laurence
Olivier Award winning actress, Henry Goodman, who won
several Oliviers, and Ellie Kendrick, who plays a recurring
role in Game of Thrones. Therefore, the film certainly
will stand a good chance of getting released in Englishspeaking countries such as Australia, New Zeeland,
Canada and the UK, and hopefully the USA, too.”
Coming soon: Love Is Thicker Than Water
De Jong once played with the idea to make more Deadly
Film talent runs in the family
Virtues movies. “The second Deadly Virtues film has
De Jong’s daughter Mea directed the documentary If
actually been made as Love Is Thicker Than Water,”
Mama Ain’t Happy, Nobody’s Happy (2014), in which she
he notes. “It’s a modern Romeo and Juliet tale that
and her mother, Laura Dols, outline a portrait about four
Emily Harris and I directed. It will probably premiere in
generations that all managed without a man. Her father
spring 2016. All my associates – including the financier
appears in it, too.
– want another title, because they are afraid this movie
“The film has won awards at five international film
otherwise will be pushed too much into the horror/
thriller corner. Thematically, there definitely are links, but festivals,” De Jong senior proudly mentions. “There are
genre-wise less. For me, however, that’s no objection. It’s several festivals that even ask her to submit the film! My
best advice to her is: ‘Pack your bags as soon as possible.
a case of wait and see what the final title will be.”
In the Netherlands you’d become a subsidy slave and
About the making of the film, he says: “It was a feast to
deeply unhappy. Foreign countries, especially the UK
shoot it, but never choose a location next to a squat as
and USA, will give you more opportunities and a broader
we did! One day, the squat was swept clean by a strongcanvas’.”
arm squad. Then the police came, followed by the firebrigade, together with a large group of sympathizers of
Further information
the squatters. And everyone was thinking that we with
our cameras were from the news. Just try to shoot a calm, www.mulhollandpictures.com
www.raindance.org/rawtalent
intimate love scene with all that mayhem going on!”
Will the film get a theatrical release? “We think the
34
Dutch Clocks in Oz
• Zaanse, Sallanders,
Schippertjes,
Frisian Tail Clocks
• and a variety of other
clocks from Holland
located in Springwood, Qld, 4127
visit by appointment only
ring Rob Schmidt
on 0432 832 800
e-mail: [email protected]
phone: 0433 446 350 or 0433 344 167
www.dutchclocksinoz.com.au
• Australia’s best assorted online Dutch Food shop,
offering an extensive range of delicious Dutch food
and nice Gifts, imported directly from Holland.
• Easy to order and prompt delivery to your doorstep.
• Australia wide shipping, $11.50 for a parcel up to 8 kilo.
• New Food and Gift items are added on a regular basis.
• Our assortment now also available at our shop.
webshop: www.itsalldutchtome.com.au
shop: 61-63 Taunton Drive, Cheltenham Vic
Schopkes, geven dropkes
Schapenwolken geven regen
Small clouds give rain
verkeerd gezegde
Hij heeft de melk horen klotsen, maar hij weet
niet waar de tepel hangt
is eigenlijk:
Hij heeft de klok horen luiden, maar hij weet
niet waar de klepel hangt
The Lost White Tribes of Australia Part 1:
1656 The First Settlement of Australia
A small community, all as white as
himself, he said about 300; that they
lived together within a great wall to
defend them from black men; that
their father came here 170 years ago
from a distant land across the sea …
Lt Robert Dale 1832 WA
An Ideal Gift
Includes Free $20,000 scratchie (NSW
Lotteries)
Free gift wrapping and
autograph upon request.
Only $44 Parcel Post or
$48 Express Post.
Multiple copies to the ONE address:
Two books: $74
Three books: $104
Send cheque to:
Henry Van Zanden
PO Box 49N
Campbelltown North
NSW 2560
35
Pay by PayPal, visit:
australiadiscovered.com.au
Special adventures
in cultural
historical
buildings
Natuurmonumenten manages not just more than 350
natural reserves in the Netherlands, but also about
3200 cultural historical buildings. Of these 550 have a
monumental status. They are special buildings, brimming
with stories.
Cultural history is popular with older people, but also
young ones enjoy having High Tea at historical country
estates or in a castle. Two third of the Dutch visit at least
one time per year a cultural historical building or country
estate in the Netherlands. People especially want to see
and experience staying at a country estate. This shows in
a survey conducted by TNS Nipo for Natuurmonumenten
with 1000 responses.
No fewer than 82% of the Dutch are of the opinion
that cultural heritages should be opened for public.
At the same time 40% indicate that remediation for
the monuments should be found to make sure they
are financially independent. To keep these building
sustainable they are often closed to the public. Twice
yearly; in May and September, Natuurmonumenten
makes an exception to the rule and organises the Cultural
Monuments Month. Then special cultural historical
buildings will be opened to the public. Apart from that
a growing amount of renovated country houses have
created accommodation and holiday facilities.
words Yolanda Edens
photos Natuurmonumenten
36
The old soul of the Keunenhuis
One of those special buildings is country estate
Keunenhuis in ‘t Woold. Here time stood still since
1908. When approaching the original access road to the
Keunenhuis one leaves modern time behind. The stately
farm looks lived-in. The curtains still hang in front of the
windows, the living room is furnished. The antique Singer
sewing machine stands on the table, ready to use. The
living room and kitchen have high ceilings, the windows
have shutters on the inside. The fireplaces still have the
original tiles. On the walls is still the original
jute wallpaper. Even the paintwork dates from
1908. Clothes are hanging in the cupboards.
On the bed in one of the bedrooms long,
woollen underpants are ready to be pulled
on. It seems that the people that live here can
walk in any moment to resume their activities.
work trousers for the farmers. Who, at the same time,
functioned as musician as a clothing maker did not earn
enough. In the Sniederhuuske too livestock was placed.
The original floor is made of small veldkeitjes (kind of
cobblestone) which show letters. Rauwerink: “It seems
as if it says Keunen, but we are not sure. We still haven’t
found anything in the archives about it.” In the ‘schoppe’
(shed) is a waste tank. The cracks in the roof are plugged
up with straw.
Sniedershuuske
The livestock was placed in the space behind
the house. But also the maid and workhand
slept here. Their rooms are above the stables
and are furnished and intact. On the coat
rack overalls are hanging and a rope with
two wooden sticks on both sides. “That are
the clubs,” ranger Hans Rauwerdink explains.
“When a cow was calving and it did not happen naturally,
the clubs were attached to the calf’s legs to help pulling.”
In the yard are a water well, a dog kennel and an
authentic Sniederhuuske dating from 1840. “Here
lived the clothing makers (the snieder) who made the
37
Nothing changed since 1900
Mrs Hijink lived in the Keunenhuis till December 2012.
“The estate was part of the swamp woods Bekendelle
till about 40 years ago. After that it was split up, Mrs
Hijink wanted the estate to be one again. To her it was
important that nothing would disappear.” Since the 80s
Bekendelle is owned by Natuurmonumenten. By buying
the Keunenhuis the estate is consolidated again.
“We will restore the old fields to its former glory. The
meadows will become grain fields where we will grow
spelt, Sint Jans rye, barley, legumes, potatoes and beets.
The meadows will be full of flowers again and fruit
trees, for picking fruit, will be planted. In between the
fields we will plant hedges, so people can walk freely.”
By recreating the old landscape plants will be chosen to
attract animals.
“This estate is so special because it is still intact. Since
1908 nothing has changed to the fields, the patterns of
the houtwal (hedge of trees), canals, small meadows and
woods. This is the landscape of 1908. We see exactly the
same as people of that time who were standing on this
spot.”
In the ‘schoppe’ is a
waste tank.
Holidaying in Land house or historic farm
Natuurmonumenten offers not yet discovered overnight stays in the middle of beautiful nature reserves.
Relaxed waking up in the countryside in special holiday houses. Holiday in a centuries old castle, an idyllic
country house or a historical farm. Look for all possibilities on:
www.natuurmonumenten.nl/activiteiten/vakanties/vakantiewoningen
38
and a plot with brushwood. There is an old farm, a coach
house, a gardener’s house, a washing room, standing fruit
trees, a vineyard and a hot house with grapes.
From the villa the old, castle-like water tower (from 1912)
is visible, that provided their own water supply to the
estate. “One of the most important features of the estate
is that it was entirely self-sufficient,” ranger Cor Jansen
says. “Their own livestock provided meat and milk,
vegetables were grown in the vegie-patch. The wood of
their own trees was used to heat the stoves. The to its
own glory restored hot house for grapes from 1915 still
provided grapes to bottle their own house wine ‘Chateau
Oud Groevenbeek’.”
Hard work
Natuurmonumenten bought the estate in 1968 of the
then owner mister P.A. van Schermbeek. In 1990 the
renovation plan was made. Jansen: “The aim was to bring
it back to the old style as close as possible. That turned
out to be hard work. They needed special large bricks that
had to be baked especially. The hothouse was demolished
and rebuilt again. The windows of the hothouse had to be
made in Czechia. The ironwork and the original wheels to
open the windows have been restored and reattached.”
During the renovation the building experts paid a lot of
attention to details and the reapplying of the authentic
colours.
Estate Oud Groevenbeek
Estate Oud Groevenbeek has been renovated by
Natuurmonumenen and brought back to its original
style. It is now possible to spend holidays in the villa.
The estate is between Ermelo and Putten and spans 224
hectare. The stylish villa, originating from 1907, stands
out because of the tower and the coloured tiles on
the outside walls. The estate is surrounded by woods,
beautiful views, colourful flowerbeds, agricultural land
39
The hunting room
To record the life on the
estate as accurate as
possible, Jansen spoke
to people who worked
on the estate. “With the
help of a former maid
we could regain the old
naming of the rooms. Then
we discovered that the
room we had named ‘the
hunting room’ never had
that function.” Not just
the style, but also the selfsufficient character of the
estate will be reinstated.
“The heaters and the
hot water service will be
heated by wood from the
estate. The former shed
has been adjusted to fuel
house. We want to bring
back the smell and colours
of the past on the estate.
Everyone who visits Oud
Groevenbeek as a walker
or holiday maker, has to
get the impression that
they return to the rich
land life of 1900 for a little
while.”
Holiday making
At Oud Groevenbeek
different stylish holiday
apartments are for rent.
An apartment is accessible
by a lift and adjusted for
wheelchair users. The
royal and comfortable
apartments have a living
room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
A comprehensive network of walking paths along the
estate, the Volenbeek and the burial mounds to the
Groevenbeek moor. The Groevenbeek path has facilities
for visually handicapped people and is also accessible for
people in wheelchairs.
was reopened five years later as pannekoekenrestaurant.
The beautiful restored front house can be rented for a
holiday. A maximum of six people can enjoy this beautiful
spot where Scottish highlanders, deer and boars regularly
wander about. The pancake restaurant on the other
side of the building is opened during the day and has a
marvellous terrace.
Holiday house Carolinahoeve
Holiday house Carolinahoeve is in the middle of the
idyllic landscape of Nationaal Park Veluwezoom. About
1900, the tenant sold pancakes on the Carolinahoeve.
Later the farm was used as boarding house and tea
house. One of the guests was cabaret performer Wim
Kan. After its closure in 1973 he, together with -amongst
others- Simon Carmiggelt, organised a successful action
to safe the Carolinahoeve. The farm was renovated and
(Source Natuurmonumenten)
40
Preparing to keep the thirteen rusks
that come in a roll fresh. For
for crisis
this we can thank Verkade,
management
the Dutch company from
Zaandam that first started
selling their rusks in a tin
in order to preserve their
freshness.
Although, I must admit to
not owning a tin myself,
and to not eating a whole
lot of rusks, I still have a
Crisis management has been aweakness
late-comer
forinthem and will
management theory and practice,
but
major
happily indulge in them
environmental and industrial disasters
the
1980s
from timeinto
time.
Espemarked an awakening of its importance.
Probably
thein
cially if they’re topped
notion that it gains only urgency
when
something
one of the followinggoes
ways.
dreadfully wrong, usually totally
unexpectedly,
positions
Perhaps
a bit of inspiration,
it low on the list of management
priorities.
Secondly,
should
you want
to try
it involves a considerable cost that
may
not
be directly
something other
than the
recouped. The smaller the organisation
the lesstoppings.
this cost
more traditional
appears justified perhaps.
Beschuit Vitello Tonato: Tuna salad, thinly sliced veal and
Listening recently to Rinske Geerling’s presentation to a
capers
receptive‘Cupcake’:
Dutch LinkCream
audience
one flavoured
soon realizes
this
Beschuit
cheese
withthat
sugar
is
dangerous
shortsighted
management
thinking,
often
and vanilla, sliced strawberries and freshly-grated dark
very costly as well. Her business “Business as Usual”
chocolate
suggests
thatBeschuit:
an entire Sliced
raft ofavocado,
preventive
measures
Green
Mean
lime
juice, olive oil
and
operational
substitutes
should
be
in
place
to get
and garden cress
the
business
back
in
action
as
soon
as
possible.
Such
Beschuit Italiano: Pesto, mozzarella, cherry tomato
and
continuity
is
obviously
a
major
plus
for
any
organization.
basil
The dangers
are realSoft
andgoat’s
manycheese,
actuallybaby
well spinach
known in
Sunshine
Beschuit:
and
Australia:
major
floods,
huge
fires,
storm
damage,
oil
sun-dried tomatoes
spills, strikes,
drought,Scrambled
power failures,
andblack
sieges.
Rinske’s
Beschuit
Parisienne:
egg with
truffle
emphasis
is
on
ability
to
cope
with
the
situation
as
Beschuit Elvis: Peanut butter and sliced banana
effectiveBeschuit:
as possible.
In aManchego
broader long-term
perspective,
Spanish
Sliced
cheese and
figs
the
need
for
permanent
changes
for
an
organization
Nordic Beschuit: Cream cheese, smoked salmon and
presents chives
itself as well. In many cases those without a
chopped
plan
(50%)
do Beschuit:
not reopen
at all; and
90%chopped
fail within
two
Nutty Nutella
Nutella
hazelnuts
Rinske
Geerlings
THE CLOG BARN
Experience the colour & charm of Holland
without leaving Coffs Harbour
years. So when serious trouble hits the fan: What is your
plan? If there is a plan, are staff entirely familiar with
it? Are the substitute operations ready to role? Have
all staff trained sufficiently to be ready to perform, etc.
Being fully ready could not only save a lot of money but
actually increase turnover and profits. Part of any plan
should be to have the necessary insurance of course. Is
the business ready to deal with the press? What happens
if some staff cannot reach the organization on account of
fire, failing transport services, flood or strikes, etc. Or if
staff have to deal with pressing issues at home? Are there
pre-arranged alternates in the organisation? Could there
be any possible language difficulties? What if the power
outages stop the mobile network, etc. An example was
presented: the Blue Chip Bank’s Business Continuity and
Disaster Recovery Plan and their training plan.
Yet, many business are indeed not prepared for such
calamities or only half prepared. So Business as Usual
would be hard for them to achieve. To be fully prepared
would probably still be rather unusual! So, get in touch
with Business as Usual.
An excellent, entertaining power point presentation by
Rinske who is not only a business woman but also a Jazz
and Latin singer.
Klaas Woldring, DACC
Clog Barn
Take a leisurely browse through the Clog Barn, where
you will discover a treasure of souvenirs - e.g. Delft blue
pottery - and special gifts and fascinating daily clog making
demonstrations. You can also view the North Coast’s largest
collection of Diecast Collectable cars and motorbikes.
Clog Making Demonstrations 3 times daily 11am, 2pm and 4pm.
www.clogbarn.com.au
Dutch Village
Don’t miss OMA’S COFFEE HOUSE
Delicious meals
Dutch pancakes, Croquettes,
Uitsmijter, Bitterballen, Poffertjes
Take a delightful stroll around
the model Dutch Village with
working windmills and working
trains! Free admission to the
Dutch Village.
A Family Fun Adventure
215 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour
phone: 02 6652 4633
open 7 days from 8 am
picture by Piero Falchetta
DUTCH EXPLORERS
MAPPING THE WORLD
Cartography or mapmaking has been a part of history for thousands
of years. From ancient cave paintings to the clay tablets of the ancient
Babylonians (see image left); through to the ancient maps of the
advanced Greek philosophers and Claudius Ptolemaeus’s ‘world map’,
based on an earth-centered system where the sun, stars and moon
rotate around a round ‘flat’ earth. The only civilisation that diverted
from the round, flat earth theory were the Chinese, who believed that
the earth was not only flat, but it was square, until the astronomer
Zhang Heng (78 – 139 AD) described the earth as the ‘yolk of the
universe’ lying in the centre.
After the dark ages, the European Mediaeval and Renaissance
cartographers created the most artistic and colourful depictions of the
earth as they envisaged it. An example of this beautiful depiction by
Fra Mauro in the 15th century is pictured above.
words Monica de Knecht
42
On this page a comical portrayal of the flat earth as a disc
or sphere and a traveller arriving at the edge of the world
poking his head through the firmament by an unknown
19th century engraver, dubbed the Flammarion engraving,
because it appeared in a book by Nicolas Flammarion, the
French astronomer. It is amazing that the very advanced
Chinese held this theory until the 17th century. There is
even now the International Flat Earth Society founded by
an Englishman of the name of Samuel Shenton in 1956. It
became inactive in 2001, but was resurrected in 2004 by
Daniel Shenton. Strange but true!
Nevertheless, the practical Dutch were the first to replace
the mediaeval fantasy maps with the actual observations
of their explorers from the 16th century onwards. The
great Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator was the
first to use the term “atlas” for a collection of maps. He
was the first to invent a way of creating the globe on a flat
sheet of paper and he drew the latitudes and longitudes
at right angles, instead of curves. His maps enabled
explorers to “plot a straight line course and preserve
direction much more accurately”. (Cannon, 1929).
43
Loekie (YouTube)
To digress a little; we are all familiar with the Dutch Lion
as the representation of the Netherlands. The Order of
the Netherlands Lion founded by William I, King of the
Netherlands was, until recently, used to bestow honours
on individuals from all walks of life, military, religious
and secular, who had performed great services to the
Netherlands. Now the Order of Orange Nassau has taken
its place, but the Order of the Lion is still given to those
who perform exceptional services in the arts, literature
and sport and the Order of the Lion is never given to
foreigners, who can
only be awarded the
Order of the Crown
or Orange Nassau.
On a more flippant
note everyone knows
about Loekie de
Leeuw (Loekie the
Lion) the cartoon
character on Dutch
television.
The great Flemish cartographer
Gerardus Mercator was the first to use
the term ‘atlas’ for a collection of maps.
44
However I wonder if you knew that the Lion of the
Netherlands was first used on a map in 1513 by Michael
Eytzinger to portray the Netherlands with its then 17
provinces, as most of them used a lion in their coats of
armour. When the Peace of Westphalia was signed in
1648 the lion was used to represent the new nation with
its seven united provinces and official recognition of their
independence (Wilson, 1987).
It stands to reason that some of these numerous maps
printed by the Dutch publishing and printing houses
would fall into the hands of a young English Lieutenant
named James Cook, who only had to travel along routes
earlier discovered by the Dutch and “Bingo!” he found the
east coast of New Holland, because he insisted “on the
western side I can make no new discoveries, the honour
of which belongs to the Dutch navigators” (Cook, J) Cook
was actually looking for another great South Land apart
from New Holland. He was disappointed at just finding an
east coast of what had already been discovered. It was
not until Flinders and Bass circumnavigated New Holland
that it was realised that New Holland was indeed Terra
Australis (the Great Southern Land).
Although Cook was one of the greatest navigators known,
he was also a brilliant cartographer; but the British
did not use their printing houses to use his or other
British discoveries and charts to produce international
maps. Neither did any of the other European nations.
They only logged everything to be used for their own
maritime use, not globally as the Dutch publishers did so
profusely. It is known that approximately one third of the
world was discovered by Dutch explorers and therefore
their accurate navigation and mapmaking replaced the
artistic speculation of other nations. They can truly be
acknowledged as the ultimate mapmakers of the globe.
A school of mapmakers and printers flourished in Holland
to try and keep pace with the rapid expansion of the
Dutch empire and the VOC’s conquests. Even though
the Italian, Galileo and the Englishman, Newton made
improvements on the telescope, it was first developed by
a Dutch optician named Hans Lippershey. This enabled
ready communication with other ships at sea and
recognising enemy flags and could even spot “rippling
water or waves that signalled danger” (Cannon, 1929)
and eventually the development of full and accurate
navigation which was then charted and recorded by the
skilled Dutch mapmakers.
Dutch explorers were instructed to report all observations
in great detail. Hence, the countless ships sent out by the
VOC in the seventeenth century with explorers such as
Janszoon, Hartog, Houtman, Tasman, Carstenz, Thijssen,
Nuyts to name just a few; enabled the printing houses of
Holland to produce constantly revised maps of the Great
South Land, which was first called Hollandia Nova or New
Holland by Abel Tasman in 1644.
˃˃˃˃˃˃˃˃
45
Mercator world map, 1569, composite photo by Wilhelm Krucken
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Cannon, Michael, 1929, National Library Cataloguing in The Exploration of Australia, Reader’s Digest 1987, NSW
Wilson, Charles, 1987 ‘Rebellion Liberty and Nationhood in the Divided Netherlands’ in The Golden Age of Europe
edited by Hugh Trevor Roper.
The Journals of Captain James Cook, in Captain Cook in Australia edited by A.W. Reed, published by A.H. & A.W. Reed,
Wellington, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne. Levi, Peter Atlas of the Greek World, Phaidon Press, Oxford, 1987.
The concept of ‘the
wallbed’ has been
around for a long
time. While we may
remember them
from old American
movies (the Marx
Brothers and the
Three Stooges
always seemed to
enjoy them), they
have continually
been produced and
installed, and are
now enjoying a major
resurgence in North
America and Europe.
TILT-AWAY BEDS
Tiltaway can provide standard side cabinets, or they can design
cabinetry to suit a client’s individual situation.
With a range of finishes available, these beds can be an
attractive addition to a home or unit, while adding significant
value to the investment.
Phone 0439 807 957
www.tiltawaybeds.com.au
Tiltaway wallbeds (also known as Murphy beds) are now
available in Australia and are proving to be just as popular here
as overseas. With the bed cabinet protruding only 403mm
from the wall, they create space in any area including the home
office, the spare room, the caravan, or student accommodation.
Because of their light, finger tip operation, they are even
appropriate for granny flats. They fold away fully made up
(including doona and pillows) so they are an ‘instant bed’.
Tiltaway Bed’s mechanism’s are manufactured in Canada and
come with a 15 year warranty.
47
kiwikorrels
Is het schoensmeer,
fruit, mens of vogel?
Frans Hertoghs
Deze kiwi met zijn pluizige veren is de onbetwiste wereldkampioen reuze-eieren leggen. Zo’n ei haalt gemakkelijk de 430 gram en loopt soms op tot dicht bij de halve
kilo. Het zijn de grootste van de wereld in verhouding
tot zijn eigen afmetingen. Zo’n twintig procent van zijn
moeders’ eigen massa. En zijn poten zijn zo stevig dat
een volwassen vogel zich kan verdedigen tegen kleinere
roofdieren. Maar daar moet onze kiwi het wel mee doen.
Tegen katten, honden heeft hij geen schijn van kans.
Dat is niet zo moeilijk. Ze zijn het allemaal, echte
kiwi’s. De beste schoensmeer van de wereld, de Chinese
vruchten waarmee Nieuw-Zeeland zo succesvol de boer
op ging, de Nieuw-Zeelander zelf en de loopvogel die
het symbool geworden is van het land, zijn fruitje, zijn
schoensmeer en zijn bewoners.
Hoewel? Is de kiwi eigenlijk nog wel een vogel? Het
begint er al mee dat deze bosbewoner niet kan vliegen.
Hij heeft wel een paar vleugels, maar die zijn rudimentair
en niet groter dan een luciferdoosje, zo’n vijf centimeter.
Ook de staart is verwaarloosbaar. Hij heeft eigenlijk maar
drie echte uitsteeksels die er mogen zijn: één snavel en
twee poten. Daar moet hij alles mee doen. Verder is hij
bijna blind. Zelfs zijn botten zijn niet meer hol. Daar zit
gewoon merg in. Over handicaps gesproken.
Ze behoren tot de familie der ratites, de rallen. Recent
DNA-onderzoek heeft aangetoond dat ze merkwaardig
genoeg nauwer verwant zijn aan de uitgestorven olifantsvogels van Madagascar dan aan de ook al uitgestorven
moa’s van Nieuw-Zeeland.
Hoe kan zo’n dier met zo weinig uitsteeksels overleven?
Vroeger was dat geen probleem. Toen waren er geen
mensen, roof- of huisdieren en vooral geen eierrovers
zoals hermelijnen, wezels en ratten. En er was ook nog
meer dan genoeg bos om te schuilen. Tegenwoordig
komen er van de eerste steeds meer en van het oerbos
steeds minder. Maar vijf op de honderd kuikens halen de
volwassenheid. Enkele tientallen jaren geleden waren er
nog meer dan honderdduizend en tegenwoordig wordt
het totale aantal op niet meer dan twintigduizend
geschat.
Toch is het geen invalide. Bij de grootste soort, de Grote
Gevlekte Grijze kiwi hebben de vrouwtjes een lengte van
bijna een halve meter (45 cm.) en een gewicht van 3,3
kilo! De mannetjes zijn iets kleiner. En hij kan zich prima
verdedigen met zijn stevige poten, drie tenen en een
spoor aan de achterkant, net als bij hanen. En hij is snel
als de wind en kan harder lopen dan een mens.
Je ziet ze eigenlijk nooit. Het zijn nachtdieren en ze
struinen het bos af op zoek naar kleine insecten en
wormen. Daarvoor is die speciale lange kromme snavel, die bovenaan een bosje haren als voelsprieten
heeft en – ook al heel bijzonder – echte neusgaten
helemaal aan het puntje. Er zijn dan
ook niet veel mensen die ooit
een kiwi in het wild hebben
gezien. Wie een kiwi wil
WestportWiki
48
ze rond onze voeten, misschien hopend dat wij met onze
lompe poten wat insecten of kleine strandkrabbetjes zouden verstoren. Eén begon aan een loshangende schoenveter te trekken, alsof het de lekkerste worm was van
het hele strand. Uiteindelijk besloten ze dat we niet de
moeite waard waren en verdwenen weer in de bosrand,
luidkeels tegen elkaar schreeuwend. Wij bleven alleen
achter.
zien die niet slaapt als een blok, die moet in dierentuinen
in een nachthok gaan kijken. Als je ogen aan het duister
gewend zijn zie je een vogelachtige gedaante die in plaats
van verwoed de bosgrond op te spitten gezapig zijn gehakt eet uit een schoteltje. Wie uit is op spectaculaire
waarnemingen kan daar maar het best uit de buurt blijven.
Toch is het mij gelukt om kiwi’s in het wild te zien. Sterker nog, ik had ze kunnen aanraken. Een geheim strand
op Steward Island is een verzamelplaats voor kiwi’s die
er zich tegoed doen aan de insecten die zich verstoppen
onder bosjes zeewier.
Bij het licht van de sterren en een nageltje maan zagen
we ze uit de bosrand komen, luid schreeuwend met hun
pauwachtig stemgeluid. Want een minderwaardigheidscomplex hebben ze niet. Ons kleine groepje stond daar
bij elkaar en de vier of vijf vogels besloten even langs te
lopen om eens een kijkje te nemen. Parmantig stapten
Lithographic plate by John Gerrard Keulemans (1842–1912)
Dinosaurussen die eerst vleugels en veren ontwikkeld
hebben om te kunnen vliegen en die daarna de vleugels
en zelfs de staart weer verloren omdat ze niet meer nodig
waren. Vogels die op geen enkele manier gehandicapt is,
maar die nu door de evolutie zijn ingehaald. Zulke vogels
verdienen het voort te leven. Niet alleen als schoensmeer, mensen of fruit.
49
Dutch
Cuisine
The original
Brabantse
Koffietafel
photo Dennal
Origin
In the olden days the Brabantse koffietafel was an abundant meal, which was served to the neighbours during
slaughter season. This custom originates from Noord Brabant.
Slowly the meal cultivated to a more formal one. Farmer’s soup, several different sorts of bread like rye bread,
Krentenmik, Peperkoek, worstenbroodje (this editions recipe), balkenbrij (last editions recipe), fresh butter, cheese,
several varieties of ham, like ham of the bone, parma ham etc., salami, zult, golden syrup, honey, jams, hagelslag
(chocolate sprinkles) loads of coffee or tea with sugar and fresh milk and brandy with sugar was served.
As it is an easy way to serve a lot of people at the same time it is quite often used after a funeral and with celebrations
like a baptism.
Noord Brabant is a
province in the South
of the Netherlands. The
capital is
’s Hertogenbosch, but
more often called Den
Bosch, which is my home
town.
The largest town is
Eindhoven and for the
soccer fans: the home
town of PSV.
St Jan’s Cathedral in Den
Bosch,
photo: Ingo Ronner
50
Brabants worstenbroodje, makes about 30
Similar to a sausage rol but the dough used is different.
To prepare the dough
1kg white flower
60gr yeast
20gr salt180 gr butter
500 – 600 ml water
Mix all ingredients. When using a kitchen machine knead
at least 12 minutes, by hand at least 20 minutes.
Dough will be properly done when you can roll it out
thinly without the dough tearing apart.
Divide into balls of 35 gr each, about the same size as a
golf ball. This needs to rest for about 10 minutes
Flatten the balls and place sausage on it. Place sausage
more to one side of the dough and fold over the other
side. Press the sides together.
Lillian
Sausage mix
1 ½ kg minced meat
20gr spices, like pepper and any other spice you like
Some extra salt
Mix the minced meat with all the spices and divide into
30 sausages.
Preaheat over to 250 degrees
Bake the little breadrolls in about 7 to 8 minutes
Eat warm.
k
j
i
l
e
mak
eet s
Dialect used in Brabant, most of you will know Houdoe,
which means goodbye.
BrabantsVertaling
Affesere Haast maken, opschieten
Bedinne Relaxen, even niet zeuren
Durske Deerne, meisje
Golliepaop
Scheldwoord; “gollie paop” = “Gallische Paus”, naar de Franse pausen uit de
14e eeuw.
Griesele Harken
Houdoe Afscheidsgroet; “houd oe” =
“houd je (goed)”
Meepesant
En passant, tegelijkertijd
Petazzie Stamp (stamppot)
Schottelslet
Vaatdoekje
Tesnuzzik
Zakdoek
Zibbedeeske
Een verlegen, beetje zeurderig,
beetje sullig oud vrouwtje.
: [email protected]
[email protected]
51
Met een
fris brein
TaalsTaaltje door Frans Hertoghs
beheerst scoort op latere leeftijd veel beter bij lezen en
begrijpen. Het verouderingsproces blijkt dus door een
tweede taal aanzienlijk te worden vertraagd.
De eeuwige jeugd is niemand gegeven. Misschien maar
goed ook. Maar een lang en gelukkig leven is natuurlijk
wat we allemaal wél graag willen. En laten we eerlijk
zijn, ouder worden heeft ook zo zijn voordelen. Voor
sommige mensen is het zelfs de gelukkigste tijd van hun
leven. En toch is het evengoed niet leuk om te zien dat je
geestelijke vermogens achteruit gaan.
Onderzoek
Het onderzoek is een halve eeuw geleden al gestart, in
1947. Toen werden ruim achthonderd kinderen getest op
hun intelligentie. Ze waren toen elf. Op hun zeventigste
werden ze opnieuw getest om te kijken of en in hoeverre
ze in intelligentie achteruit waren gegaan. En wat bleek?
Een derde van de deelnemers was aanzienlijk beter dan
het gemiddelde. En wie waren dat? Dat waren de mensen
die in de tijd na het onderzoek, op latere leeftijd dus, een
tweede taal hadden geleerd.
Vergelijkingsmateriaal
Het onderzoek is zo uniek omdat de onderzoekers
negenenvijftig jaar later rekening konden houden met de
begin-intelligentie van de proefpersonen. Ze konden niet
alleen de uitkomsten meten, maar ook de vooruitgang
of afbraak van de intelligentie. Uiteindelijk kwam het
aanleren van een tweede taal of meerdere talen als
gemeenschappelijk kenmerk van het succes vanzelf als
belangrijkste oorzaak aan het licht.
Training
Maar is dat wel nodig? Kun
je helemaal niets tegen die
afbrokkeling doen? Jazeker, toch
wel. Je brein kun je net zo goed
trainen als je lichaam. Of misschien
zelfs beter. In actie blijven, lezen,
puzzelen, praten en discussiëren,
het helpt allemaal. Het zijn allemaal
goede hulpmiddelen om zelf nog
lang van je brein te genieten en
anderen te kunnen helpen. En
misschien de allerbeste hulp is een
tweede taal.
Baanbrekend
Daar is de laatste tijd baanbrekend
wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar
gedaan. Zo werd kort geleden een
groot universitair onderzoek in Edinburgh afgerond.
Daaruit bleek dat een tweede taal het ouderdomsproces
van het brein aanzienlijk vertraagt. Wie een tweede taal
photo:MK2010
52
Vertraagd
Het verouderingsproces wordt dus flink vertraagd door
het aanleren van een tweede taal. En het interessante is,
dat het daarbij niet uitmaakt wanneer die tweede taal is
geleerd. Je hoeft er dus niet mee opgegroeid te zijn. Je
kunt die tweede taal ook best op latere leeftijd geleerd
hebben. Zelfs als je er vandaag pas mee begint kun je al
een verschil maken.
Opfrissen
De onderzoekers hebben zich
bij deze belangwekkende
conclusie niet uitgelaten over
wat er precies in het brein
gebeurde. Maar neurologische
onderzoeken hebben al eerder
aangetoond dat je door het
leren van een nieuwe taal
automatisch fonkelnieuwe
hersencellen gaat aanmaken.
Je brein wordt dus groter en
daardoor komen er ook meer en nieuwe verbindingen tot
stand. Het frist er van op.
Taal is kijken en denken
Voor taalkundigen is het duidelijk dat het leren van een
tweede taal is het leren van een andere manier van
kijken en denken. Wie een andere taal leert, produceert
automatisch een andere kijk op zijn of haar wereld.
Het is alsof je in een gezapig oud huis ineens een muur
doorbreekt en er een venster inzet waardoor je naar een
heel nieuw stuk van de wereld kunt kijken.
Andere wereld
Er gaat een frisse wind door de stoffige ruimten
waaien, woorden en begrippen die muurvast zaten
worden opnieuw geladen
en gerangschikt, ervaringen
krijgen een nieuwe dimensie.
De krakende wagen wordt
geolied en begint weer
gesmeerd te lopen. Alsof je
verjongd wakker wordt in een
andere wereld.
Jong hondje
En denk nu niet dat je
voortdurend woordjes moet
leren of onregelmatige
werkwoorden of duizenden
uitzonderingen. Maak liever gebruik van de nieuwste
en speelsere ontwikkelingen in het aanleren van een
tweede taal: zing een lied in de andere taal of leer een
gedicht van meerdere regels van buiten. Leer de woorden
uitspreken en zing of zeg ze hardop. Al pratend en
zingend zet je allebei de helften van je brein in beweging.
Vul die grotere stukken tekst daarna aan met kleine
handige woordjes van alledag, zoals Goedemorgen,
welkom, hoe gaat het, mag ik een kop thee, wat een
mooie dag vandaag! Begin die te pas en te onpas te
gebruiken. Hou het kort en simpel.
Je zult zien dat de nieuwe taal vanzelf als een jong hondje
naar je toe komt.
Praten met anderen
Het helpt ook als je mensen kent die die taal al spreken.
Zoek ze op en probeer naar ze te luisteren en mee
te praten. Je hoeft er geen examen in te doen, je
hoeft alleen maar meer plezier te krijgen in je eigen
verrassende leren, het gevoel dat je weer vooruit gaat.
Met een frisse wind in je zeilen.
De eeuwige jeugd is niemand gegeven. Maar ouder
worden is geen doodlopende weg. Het is een aanloop
naar nog ouder worden. Met frisse adem en een even
fris brein.
http://www.nu.nl/wetenschap/3791372/leren-vantweede-taal-vertraagt-ouderdomsproces-.html
Wie elke week bij zijn mail een fris TaalsTaaltje
wil ontvangen, stuurt een mailtje naar
[email protected]
Je krijgt het gratis, zonder reclame of verplichtingen
toegestuurd, mét een originele taalpuzzel
Het kan ook weer heel eenvoudig afgezegd worden.
photo: Lingvopedia
Myth, Legend or Story?
words Henry van Zanden
For instance: Coincidence 1 It was the right timeframe for the Vergulde Draeck. ‘...
their fathers came there about one hundred and seventy
years ago.’ This would bring the approximate date to
1662 which is not far removed from 1656, the date of the
shipwreck. Since he was a boy, Heinrich Schliemann had a dream
that he would excavate the ruins of the ‘mythical’ city of
Troy. Using the geographical features outlined in Homer’s
ancient Iliad, Schliemann discovered a city that was
supposed to only have existed as the Legend of Troy. There have been many examples where a myth or legend
has proved to have some historical accuracy. The same
could be said for some Aboriginal myths as well as the
Leeds Mercury article that outlined the discovery of a
white tribe in 1832 by an English explorer. (DISCOVERY
OF A WHITE COLONY ON THE NORTHERN SHORE OF NEW
HOLLAND, 1834)
Initially I was quite sceptical of the validity of the Leeds
Mercury article but, like every lead, I followed it up
until the lead became exhausted. As I poured through
the detail, coincidences started to mount up with the
shipwreck details of the Vergulde Draeck.
Coincidence 2
The number of survivors is almost the same. ‘... eighty
men and ten of their sisters ... were saved on shore.’
Although there were 68 Vergulde Draeck survivors, a
further 11 men had become marooned from the rescue
ships that arrived in 1657, the total number of survivors
becomes 79, one short of the same number recorded in
the Leeds Mercury article.
Coincidence 3
The Leeds Mercury article gave the location of the
settlement somewhere in the middle of
Australia. However, not far removed from
1832, the prime meridian (zero degrees
longitude) was not Greenwich in England,
but the island of Tenerife. When we convert
the longitude to the much used Spanish
and Portuguese longitude, the site of the
settlement falls somewhere along the
Western Australian coast. The article also
stated that they travelled ‘towards the rising
sun’ meaning that they travelled from west
to east.
Coincidence 4
The story of their shipwreck fits perfectly
with the Vergulde Draeck story. ‘Their
traditional history is, that their fathers were
compelled by famine, after the loss of their
great vessel, to travel towards the rising
sun, carrying with them as much of the
stores as they could, during which many
died; and by the wise advice of their ten
sisters they crossed a ridge of land, and
meeting with a rivulet on the other side,
followed its course and were led to the
spot they now inhabit, where they have
continued ever since.’
54
Coincidence 5
The site of the Lost White Tribe had to have
enough stone to build a wall.
…I gathered from him a few particulars of a most
extraordinary nature: namely, that he belonged to a small
community, all as white as himself, he said about three
hundred; that they lived in houses enclosed all together
within a great wall to defend them from black men…
This is one of two locations where there is plenty of stone
at the Lake Garagan site.
Coincidence 6
Explorer, Ensign Dale, coincidentally explored a region
along the same adjusted longitude as the Leeds Mercury
and circled a very large lake.
Coincidence 7
Not long after Dale’s return to the Swan River Colony,
Governor Stirling made an unscheduled return to England
bringing with him a publication of Explorer journals
and a map detailing the areas explored. However, there
was one major omission: Dale’s northern exploration
despite it being detailed on the explorer’s map and Dale
discovering a significant body of water.
Coincidence 8
Stirling, upon his return, banned any survey, exploration
or land claim in the proximity of the site of the Lost White
Tribe. The law made it impossible for any settlement to
occur for at least 50 km from Lake Garagan.
Coincidence 9
Perth Aboriginals called white men, ‘Waylo’ men or men
from the north. However, the term Waylo had already
been in existence before the arrival of the British in 1829.
Waylo country is in the same region as Lake Garagan.
This particular tribe had a very different way of speaking.
Aboriginals described the Perth white people as speaking
like the Waylo men from the north. The following was
reported by George Fletcher Moore.
‘April 2lst. ...The Perth natives now say that the Perth
white men speak “English plenty,” meaning broken
English, but that I speak like a Waylo man, that is, a man
from the North. Waylo is the name of the district we
visited.’ (1835)
Coincidence 10
The famous warrior chief Yagan related to a settler Robert
Lyons who helped him draw a map of Waylo territory.
Coincidentally, there was a very large lake also in the
approximate adjusted longitude of the Leeds Mercury.
Coincidence 11
Yagen is pronounced similarly to the Dutch Jagen
which means to hunt, pursue, chase and capture
game animals. A jager is a huntsman or was also used
to describe a soldier in the rifles.
Yagan statue. Heirisson Island, Perth, Western Australia.
The statue was sculpted in 1984 by Robert Hitchcock.
photo: Nachoman-au
55
Coincidence 12
He also had two sons, Willim and Naral – also Dutch
names given to them before the arrival of the British.
Their mother’s name was Moyren – a European name.
goblet or bowl and was perhaps a drinking hole. Mulle
means loose, sandy earth or loose earth. The Bookal was
probably a stream that ran off the Mooler River (Moore
River.)
Coincidence 13
Waal in Dutch means river and walk or fallen means
rampart, shore or embankment. The ‘o’ on the end
of Waylo was sometimes added by the Aboriginals to
describe a body of water, such as a lake or river, with the
addition of an ‘o’ sound.
Walloon is also a geographical place in Belgium which
has a very large river surrounded by stone walls on the
hillside overlooking the river which sounds very much like
the description in the Leeds Mercury article. Coincidence 15
Augustus Oldfield’s account of a Lost White Tribe
‘A long time ago, there were two tribes living on the
banks of a large river, one (blacks) inhabiting the southern
side, and the other (whites) residing on the opposite
shores. For many years the two tribes were on amicable
terms, intermarrying, merrymaking, and fighting with
each other, and so it continued, until by and by a change
in the sentiments of the northmen took place. These
whites were evidently the superior of the two races; for
they were more powerful, athletic and agile than the
blacks, and made better spears, boomerangs and other
arms, and, what is of greater importance, could use them
more efficiently than the poor southmen, as the latter
learnt to their cost. At length, proud of their superiority,
these northmen refused to hold any intercourse with
their southern neighbours, save and
excepting in the matter of fighting, in
which diversion the advantage was
always on the side of these insolent
whites. Coincidence 14
Lyon wrote in some detail of the geographical names of
the tribes and areas surrounding the Waylo territory.
Words such as Byer, Bookal, and Mooler all have a Dutch
sound. For example, the Dutch word, Bokaal, means cup,
Compare this to the Leeds Mercury:
‘All the young, from ten up to a certain
age, are considered a standing militia,
and are armed with long pikes.’
Things continued in this state for a vast
number of years, till one day it began to
rain, and poured incessantly for many
months, and the river overflowing its
banks the blacks were forced to retire
before the rising waters, and this way
they were driven far away from their
own country. The flood was long in
their ebbing as it had been in rising,
and thus it was long ere they regained
their old hunting grounds, as they
had to follow the subsiding waters;
but arrived there, what was to their
astonishment to find, in place of the
fordable river they had left, that the
impassable sea rolled to the north
of them, and that their late haughty
neighbours had entirely disappeared,
and they were never to be seen or
heard of by the black men.’
In 2013, I brought with me to the site
a landscape archaeologist, Dr Heather
Builth who confirmed that the Moore
River once flowed directly into a huge
lake. In 1833, a massive flood occurred
which changed the direction of the
Moore River. It now flowed not into the
lakes but the Indian Ocean.
56
Coincidence 16
‘A Great Flood which covered all the land’
Coincidentally the Leeds Mercury article matches the
Legend of the Great Flood as recounted by one of
Australia’s most important anthropologists, Daisy Bates.
She wrote: There were vague traditions extant amongst
some of the South-western tribes of a great flood which
once covered all the land except certain hills …In the
Gin Gin district, it is said that a long time ago there was
a great flood which once covered all the land except
Mindangup Hill and on this hill all the animals took
refuge. The people also went to the top, but they were
afraid to kill the kangaroos until they became very hungry.
After some days the water went down and the kangaroos
and the people spread themselves over the country.
the descendants of the mutineers Captain Pelsaert left
behind… As for the Australian natives’ hair, I have noticed
that in the west it is not wooly but straight, and often fair
enough to make a European envious.’
I have been criticised for using stories by Aboriginals,
newspaper accounts, and explorer’s journals or is this just
a coincidence?
For Father’s Day, I will gift wrap, autograph, enclose a
card and post to any address in Australia.
Coincidence 17
In relation to where the Lost White Tribe ended up,
probably the Irwin River Valley; Salvado from the New
Norcia mission wrote in the 1840s that: ‘They told me through one of the mission natives that
near the coast, four days journey north of New Norcia
there were other white men. After looking into this
matter I came to the conclusion that these could well be
GÖTZINGER
SMALLGOODS
LEKKERE
ROOKWORST
Available from all good Delicatessens, IGA stores
(Qld, NSW, Vic), or call for your nearest store
Also available from the Gotzinger Deli;
126 Lahrs Rd, Yatala
07 5549 3955
SkinVision
A revolutionary solution to check your skin health yourself
A recent study done by Euromelanoma, a pan-European skin cancer
campaign, indicates that 54% of the people deaths caused by
melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, could have been
prevented. Another study shows one out of five people will be treated
for skin cancer during their life. To bring these percentages down,
SkinVision, an app to check and keep track of your skin health, was
developed by the eponymous Dutch/Rumanian startup.
words Ton van Rooij
58
previous page: With the SkinVision app, the
eponymous company wants to increase early
detection of skin cancer as first priority to prevent
melanoma, the worst kind of skin cancer.
above: After a picture of a mole has been taken with
a smartphone using the SkinVision app, it is analysed
online with a special algorithm, resulting in a ultrareliable outcome.
right: Former skin cancer patient and SkinVision user
Caroline Pownall: “It’s enormously convenient to be
able to check your skin at all times and anywhere in
the world.”
This algorithm uses ‘fractal geometry’, a mathematical
theory that is widely used and documented in biology
and can also be applied for medical imaging. The
algorithm is used to calculate the fractal dimension of
skin lesions and surrounding skin tissue and builds a
structural map that reveals the different growth patterns
of the tissues involved.
As Dick Uyttewaal, CEO of SkinVision since March 2013,
explains: “Our analysis function searches for signs of
unnatural growth in a photo made of a mole and is now
looking at seven different criteria for this analysis. Skin
cancer grows chaotically, often from moles, so if a mole
shows chaotic growth characteristics, this could be a sign
of skin cancer.”
It was actually a PhD study to apply fractal geometry
for medical imaging that spawned the founding of the
firm SkinVision in Bucharest, Romania, in 2011. A year
later, the organisation moved to Amsterdam. “The
student who conducted this study, Andreea Udrea, was
connected to the mathematics faculty of the University
of Bucharest, Rumania,” says Uyttewaal. “She applied this
well-documented mathematical theory – simulation of
natural growth in biology – for the first time in medical
images and specifically those of suspicious moles. She is
now the leader of our research department, still based in
Bucharest, where the algorithm is being further improved
and is being expanded to other serious skin diseases.”
Already now, the mobile solution shows huge potential.
How SkinVision works
When using the SkinVision app, you start out by making
a photo of a suspicious spot on your skin. This picture is
stored into a secure online personal gallery, accessible
from both the app and the website www.skinvision.com.
Subsequently, an online risk assessment is carried out,
determining potential non-natural growth of pigmented
moles on your skin that could be an indication for skin
cancer. It provides a risk rating for the mole in each form
of a traffic light colour that helps you select the moles
that should be tracked for changes over time. Your
personal gallery enables you to compare pictures taken
at various moments and share photos with a doctor. The
SkinVision website also grants you access to all kinds of
useful features, such as ultraviolet radiation forecast,
forums or finding a dermatologist in your area.
Especially vulnerable to contract skin cancer are people
who spend or have spent a lot of time outside in the sun,
people with a pale skin, red hair, more than 50 moles,
more than three striking birthmarks and/or a family
history of melanoma. Among women in the age range of
25 to 35 years, it’s the most frequently occurring kind of
cancer.
Unique risk assessment method
It is SkinVision’s in-house developed algorithm that is the
‘recipe of the cook’, making this solution unlike any other
skin analysis app.
59
“In 80% of all cases, the app can recognise nonmelanoma skin cancer with certainty, and in 95% of all
cases with great probability,” Uyttewaal is pleased to say.
For now, the company is focused predominantly on
marketing the app, currently used by over 200,000 people
worldwide, in Europe and Australia. Uyttewaal: “We look
at countries in which skin cancer is widespread and at the
size of the market. The Netherlands is in the top three of
countries where many people die of melanoma, while in
Australia, the incidence is the largest of all.”
Scientifically proven
The accuracy of the online assessment using the
algorithm has been tested scientifically in 2013 at the
dermatology clinic of the Ludwig Maximilian University in
Munich, Germany. This clinic is one of Europe’s premier
academic and research institutions specialised in skin
cancer. The LMU dermatologist who led the study, Tanja
von Braunmühl, states: “SkinVision is a promising solution
for awareness and self-detection for individuals and
a new communication platform between doctor and
individual.”
The Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is
currently conducting groundbreaking scientific research
to see to what extent SkinVision can help recognise
other types of skin cancer than melanoma. Dr. Monique
Thissen, one of the hospital’s dermatologists, is leading
the research project, which will last until the end of this
year.
What’s also significant is that SkinVision is the first and
only skin health app that is CE certified. CE stands for
Conformité Européenne, meaning that products with this
mark are in accordance with legislation in the European
Economic Area, comprising the European Union plus
Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland.
Also very useful for medical professionals
For medical professionals, SkinVision can also be very
useful. Clinics using it can create their own profile with
information such as services, schedule and available
doctors.
Does the fact that the app has been scientifically
proven and is bearing the CE mark also mean that
more and more physicians are willing to use it when
setting a diagnosis? Uyttewaal: “What we see is that
dermatologists are open to understanding the usefulness
of technology and there is consensus that apps will
help to make people more aware of risks related to too
much sun exposure. It is estimated that they only treat
5% percent of the skin cancer risk population. They
understand that technology can properly help them get
in touch with these people faster, more efficiently and
earlier.”
On 20 August 2015, SkinVision announced it had secured
an investment and business collaboration with LEO
Pharma, a global healthcare company dedicated to
helping people achieve healthy skin. “This agreement
will enable us to expand into new areas and it validates
our approach,” says Uyttewaal. “It also gives us the
SkinVision allows you take high-quality pictures of suspicious
spots on your skin, analyse them by using a unique online
assessment (algorithm) with a scientifically proven accuracy,
store them into your personal gallery and share them with your
dermatologist.
60
this picture: SkinVision provides a risk rating for
each mole in the form of a traffic light colour that
helps you select the moles that should be tracked for
changes over time.
right: A picture of a birthmark after analysis, in this
case one involving medium risk.
to the market that EIT Digital invests in through its eight
Innovation Action Lines – be it innovation activities or
startups.
EIT Digital’s mission is to foster digital technology
innovation and entrepreneurial talent for economic
growth and quality of life in Europe. It brings together
entrepreneurs from a partnership of over 130 top
European corporations, small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), startups, universities and research
institutes.
For a backgrounder on EIT Digital, see Holland Focus of
May/June 2015.
opportunity to make the connection between consumer
and physician, so that medical practitioners will also be
able to make use of it more easily.”
SkinVision now also available in Android
SkinVision at first was only available for iPhone 4s and
higher. Since 27 July 2015, though, it can also be used
on the Android devices Samsung S4 to S6. In the future,
more models will follow on which it can be used. The app
is free to download from the Appstore or Google Play,
after which you get a trial month of unlimited analyses.
Next, you can decide to continue with a subscription for a
month (€ 4.99), three months (€ 9.99) or a year (€ 24.99).
“Android has many models and even at Samsung, we
see large differences in the cameras used”, Uyttewaal
observes. “The quality of the camera is essential for
a reliable analysis. With expanding the use of the app
to Android, we meet the fast growth of the number of
enthusiastic users in Europe and Australia.”
How melanoma altered Caroline Pownall’s life forever
Caroline Pownall, who’s half Dutch and half English,
has gone through a lot after she was diagnosed with
skin cancer eight years ago. It all began with a mole
underneath her right shin. “Over time, it had become
more greyish-black and grown in size”, she recalls. “After a
visit to the dermatologist, it turned out to be a melanoma
which had worked its way inwards. So I was too late. I had
waited too long to go to the doctor, out of fear.”
What followed was a lengthy and impactful therapy.
“After the birthmark had been removed,
a biopsy was performed”, says Pownall. “Treated next was
the sentinel node, where an infection of two centimetres
was found. Subsequently, I underwent surgery to have 20
lymph vessels removed from my right-hand groin. From
Coached by EIT Digital
SkinVision is one of the many startups coached by the
Business Development Accelerator (BDA) programme of
the leading European open innovation organisation EIT
Digital, until recently known as EIT ICT Labs. EIT Digital is
a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European
Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The BDA
team is fully committed to bringing those innovations
61
here, specialists checked whether there were metastases
in the liver, in which case chemotherapy would follow.
Fortunately, there were no metastases, but it did mean I
would have to chronically wear therapeutic stockings to
control the lymphedema, an abnormal accumulation of
moisture and proteins in the tissue. The rehabilitation I
then had to go through took six months.”
After having dealt with all this, she saw herself faced with
a new reality: the necessity to lead an entirely new kind
of life. “This meant I had to follow new rules of life”, she
reminisces. “Day in, day out, I have to wear therapeutic
stockings, which limit me in wearing clothes and choosing
holiday destinations. In the summer, they really feel hot.
I also regularly have to undergo lymph drainage therapy.
I can’t sit or stand for a long time, which compromises
my visits to parties, concerts, trips, et cetera. I have to
exercise quite a bit in order to keep the blood in my legs
circulated well. And finally, I must be alert all the time not
to get exposed to more than just a little or dosed amount
of sunlight.”
Despite the impairments her new life entails, Pownall is
also grateful. “One of the things I’m grateful for is that
the situation I ended up in has raised early awareness
with my children when it comes to skin cancer. Four
years ago, on two occasions a congenital suspicious mole
was removed on my oldest daughter, who was eleven
at the time, and just like me has a pale skin. That was
truly a shock, as everything pointed in the direction of a
melanoma. Fortunately, though, it proved to be a Spitz
nevus, which has all the symptoms of melanoma, but is a
benign form of it.”
Dick Uyttewaal, CEO of the company SkinVision that developed
the app: “It is estimated that dermatologists only treat 5%
percent of the skin cancer risk population.”
make sure I do not get burnt. I’ve also noticed that my
skin has become ‘quieter’, exhibits less spots and is less
red and irritated.”
The app also has given her substantially more control
over her health. “When in doubt, I now immediately go
and see a specialist.”
Caroline Pownall’s experiences with SkinVision
How did Pownall hear about SkinVision? “About a year
ago, a friend of mine, Steve Seuntjens, who’s employed at
Skin Vision, told me about this app and the work he does.
Dick Uyttewaal then approached my husband, who he
knew business-wise, about the SkinVision app and later
also approached me. Subsequently, I started to study the
app and use it.”
Wasn’t she initially hesitant to use the app, given the
chance there was that she would get bad news again?
“No, on the contrary. Because I’d already had my bad
news, I knew one can never be early enough with
detecting skin cancer, so I was – and still am – very happy
with it! It’s enormously convenient to be able to check
your skin at all times and anywhere in the world. What I
also welcome is the clear SkinVision website, which gives
a lot of practical information.”
Regarding this particular point, Uyttewaal notes: “People
sometimes are startled by seeing a red or orange rating
and only then start reading what the app really does.
Many people download the app to use it once and then
discover they have the characteristics for developing skin
cancer. This is something we would rather not know, so
this brings along a whole awareness process.”
Speaking of awareness, does Pownall now also feel she
has more ‘skin awareness’? “Yes, absolutely! I rub myself
in with sun cream with a high solar factor, sunbathe
outside UV radiation peak hours and above all things
Caroline Pownall: “I must be alert all
the time not to get exposed to more
than just a little or dosed amount of
sunlight.”
Further information
www.skinvision.com
www.eitdigital.eu
62
Radio 4EB
Het is altijd een spannende tijd voor de Nederlandse Radio Groep
van 4EB FM98.1 zo aan het einde van het financiële jaar. Dit is
de tijd voor het betalen van het lidmaatschapgeld. Halen we het
benodigde aantal leden weer voor de vier uitzendingen per week
of halen we het niet?
De uitzenduren hangen af van het aantal betaalde leden. U moet
er toch niet aan denken dat er een uitzending vervalt!
De Nederlandse radiogroep heeft tot heden toe vier keer per
week kunnen uitzenden. Dat is niet altijd zo geweest.
Wij waren één van de eerste taalgroepen die begonnen bij radio
4EB. Zo’n 35 jaar geleden was dat heel bescheiden met twee
uitzendingen per week.
Er was behoefte aan nieuws en muziek van eigen bodem. De
Nederlandse emigranten van toen waren de pioniers die het
niet altijd even gemakkelijk gehad hebben. Zij hadden behoefde
aan sociale contacten. Denk aan de koffieochtend elke tweede
woensdag van de maand in Brisbane.
Wijlen Jan Holweg, de oprichter van ‘The Windmill Delicatessen
Inc.’, in Brisbane, later beter bekend als ‘’t Winkeltje’, was een
trotse sponsor. Zo ook Cor Veraart, de bekende groenteboer aan de
Ipswich Road en later in Inala en Hans van der Drift. We kunnen nog
altijd op hun steun rekenen!
Wijzelf bijvoorbeeld waren de “luxe” emigranten: wij kwamen ook
per boot, de “Britanis,” een Griekse rederij. Ons gezin met drie
kinderen genoten de luxe van een gezinshut. Wij kwamen in april
1972 aan en werden naar het opvangcentrum in Wacol, Brisbane
gebracht. Hier waren nog twee jonge Nederlandse gezinnen die
iets eerder aangekomen waren en al gauw raakten we bevriend.
Eén gezin vertrok en met het andere zijn we nog altijd bevriend.
En ja, zij zijn ook lid van de radio. Zelfs hun kinderen steunen de
Nederlandse groep met hun lidmaatschap. Wij waren trots om
lid te worden toen de radio in 1979 begon met uitzenden en we
vonden het heel leuk dat ze onze “nieuwe” LP’s gebruikten. Helaas
hebben we van verschillende leden van het eerste uur afscheid
moeten nemen.
Toen kwam de computer en contact met het moederland is nu geen
probleem meer. Bellen doen we bijna gratis of via Skype. BVN tv is
in menig huishouden aanwezig. Zelf hebben we dat ook.
Maar lekker achterover zitten met een kopje koffie of een glaasje
wijn, terwijl je naar radio 4EB FM 98.1 luistert DAT geeft je dat
echte huiselijke gevoel. Bovendien wordt u op de hoogte gehouden
wat er zoal rondom Brisbane te doen is!
SBS Radio Dutch
Wednesday and Saturday / 11am - 12pm
SBS Radio 2
How to listen
Sydney:
Melbourne:
Perth:
Darwin:
•
•
•
•
Ina Huig, Convener Nederlandse radiogroep
63
Adelaide:
Brisbane:
Canberra:
106.3fm
93.3fm
105.5fm
Analogue or digital radio
Digital TV
Live and catch up at sbs.com.au/dutch
SBS Your Language App
3ZZZ, Dutch radio is on-air every Monday from6/06/14
4 – 5 pm, and every Friday from 8 – 9 am.
Please tune into 92.3 fm.
sbs_dutch_radio.indd 1
Bijvoorbeeld nieuws over de Familie Dag bij de Dutch Club NAQ op
zondag 19 juli jl. Voor de kinderen waren er spelletjes en jong en
oud genoot van het sjoelbakken. De Nederlandse Radiogroep van
4EB FM 98.1 was ook aanwezig. En wat was het weer fijn om oude
bekenden te zien, maar ook om de jongere generatie te ontmoeten
en hen over onze programma’s te vertellen. We zijn heel blij dat we
op deze dag acht nieuwe leden mochten verwelkomen!
97.7fm
93.1fm
96.9fm
100.9fm
2:23 PM
750 years Oudewater
welcomes
King Willem-Alexander
words and photos:
Marianne Visser van Klaarwater
On 3 July, Oudewater celebrated its 750th anniversary
attended by King Willem-Alexander. The monarch called
Oudewater ‘the warmest town in the Netherlands’. These
words did not just refer to the tropical temperature, but
also the spontaneity and hospitality of the citizens of
Oudewater.
Cardinal Wim Eijk, being a distant successor of Hendrik
van Vianden, was one of the invited guests. Hendrik was
the 38th bishop of Utrecht and in 1265 he granted town
privileges to Oudewater. The 750th anniversary reflected
the brave move of Oudewater, together with 11 other
towns, to join the First Free States meeting on 19 July
1572 in Dordrecht.
In 1572, in the Augustine monastery in Dordrecht, twelve
Dutch towns chose Willem van Oranje to be their political
leader. This was the base of the State of the Netherlands.
Oudewater had to pay dearly for its resistance against the
Spaniards in 1575 with ‘the Oudewater’s Murder’. This
event is still remembered yearly.
Verkerk: since the 12th century in Oudewater
The same applies to Joop Verkerk. His family has been
living in Oudewater since the 12th century, as research
by Professor Joh. Schouten (1910-1981) shows. The
dagger and skull (ca 1575) he found in his cellar and are
on display in the Utrechtse Schatkamer reminds of the
Oudewater’s Murder.
Joop: “Taking revenge on the brave resistance by the
inhabitants of Oudewater, the Spaniards murdered them
by stabbing a dagger in their bodies. About 800 to 900
people lost their lives this way. The Spaniards also burned
down many houses.”
Brave Oudewater
To reward their brave support to his distant great-uncle
Willem van Oranje, King Willem-Alexander visited
Oudewater on 4 July. The afternoon was concluded in
hotel-restaurant Abrona, opposite the house of Joop
Verkerk and his wife Gerda.
Joop: “Such a high visit will only happen every 40 or 50
years. And he even visited our street. What the royal
house means for us? My wife and I have an unconditional
64
bond with the royal house. We always watch Blauw Bloed
(TV programme about royals). We have to keep our royal
house and take care of them. That is the only thing that
keeps our country together.”
Crossover point
Being the youngest mayor in the Netherlands, Pieter
Verhoeve (33) calls the events from 1572 “a crossover
point in our national and local history. The standing up for
freedom is still real.”
He is honoured to welcome the king to his town. “His
visit is unforgettable. This date will - for years - be an
important day in the collective memory of its citizens.”
Oudewater: St Michaëls church
The first part of this day takes place in the Grote or St
Michaëls church. Miraculously the church was saved
during the Oudewater Murders in 1575.
This day the mayors of the twelve towns that elected
Willem van Oranje as their political leader in 1572 gather
here.
As Professor Dr. H. Pleij mentioned in his speech, the
1572 resistance triggered the birth of the Netherlands.
With this Pleij underlines my own vision as mentioned in
my book ‘Het geloof van Oranje’ (U2pi, September 2015).
1000 singing children
After the gathering in the church King Willem-Alexander
walks to the Markt, through the Noorderkerkstraat
and the Wijdstraat. On both sites of the streets school
children are standing behind an orange rope, signifying
the rope industry of Oudewater. When cardinal
Eijk appears they spontaneously start singing ‘Dag
Sinterklaasje’. The link to Bishop Hendrik van Vianden
eludes them.
The king cannot keep up with shaking people’s hands.
Spontaneous, cordial, warm and sympathetic is the king’s
walk to the Visbrug. After arriving there singers of the
theatre group Treatief sing a song for the king from the
terrace and from behind the windows of the old town hall
(1588).
Water monument Oudewater
Later the king walks on through the Korte Havenstraat
to the Markt to unveil a water monument. After that he
boards the Geelbuik. This ship sails through the harbour
(Havenstraat) and the Hollandse IJssel towards the
Arminiusplein.
Tips:
Grote or Michaëlskerk : http://www.oudewater.net/bekijken/
kerken-oudewater/st-michaelskerk/
Touwmuseum www.touwmuseum.nl
Museum Heksenwaag: http://www.heksenwaag.nl/
Oudewater Tourism http://www.oudewater.net/bezoeken/
toeristisch-informatie-punt-oudewater/
Arrangementen Oudewater http://www.oudewater.net/
beleven/arrangementen-oudewater/
Historical bike routes through Oudewater http://www.
oudewater.net/beleven/historische-fotoroute-door-oudewater/
town walks through Oudewater http://www.oudewater.net/
bekijken/stadswandeling-in-oudewater/
Sailing in Oudewater http://www.oudewater.net/doen/varen-inoudewater/
Abrona: http://hotelrestaurantabrona.nl/
Abrona
Finally the king walks to hotel-restaurant Abrona to talk
to some invitees and people involved with the visit.
Afterwards the hotelier confides in me that the king was
honoured to visit Abrona. By employing people with an
intellectual disability, Abrona strives to give them their
own place in today’s society.
Subsequently Mayor Verhoeve looks back on a successful
day. “It was a relaxed day. Festive and dignified. A day to
look back on with gratification.”
65
Jan en Kaspar Luiken: Het Menselyk Bedryf
De visser
Dreigend weer, de zon staat al dicht aan de horizon in het westen. Op een laag duin
staat een man in lieslaarzen en een muts van wel heel erg ruwe wol. Hij is armelijk
gekleed. Zijn korte jekker is op de schouder versteld en op zijn elleboog zit een
winkelhaak. Zijn wijde pofbroek puilt uit de halfhoge lieslaarzen. Hij draagt zijn
schepnet en een uitpuilende mand waar we een flinke vissenstaart zien uitsteken.
Naast hem liggen drie flinke vissen op het zand. Links zien we de rug van een andere
man, naast een grote mand. Vissers die met de vangst naar huis gaan.
Intussen wordt er verderop aan het strand nog steeds gevist. Minstens tien man
trekken moeizaam een treknet het strand op. Dat kan best uitgezet zijn door de vissers
vooraan die met hun kleine roeiboot bezig zijn. Vlakbij zien we de enige herkenbare
vrouw van deze prent zeulen met een loodzware draagmand vol druipende vissen.
Maar ook de grote visserij is er. Enkele zeilschepen komen er net aan en verderop
liggen er een paar die al op het strand getrokken zijn. Hun zeilen hangen aan de
ra’s te drogen. En dat is nog niet alles, nog verderop, te zien boven de opgeheven
vismand, steken nog veel meer masten uit zee. Het vissersdorp ligt tussen twee
duinen, waar de wolken het donkerst zijn. En op het duin staat een hoge seinmast
met een grote windwijzer. Het ziet er overtuigend uit. Maar heel realistisch is deze
prent van de stadsmens Luyken niet. Niet alleen de golven zien er merkwaardig uit,
ook de strandlijn met zijn vreemde bochten en de vreemde vorm van de duinen
zijn behoorlijk romantisch. Dat neemt niet weg dat het een prachtige prent is, vol
dynamiek en diepte. En meer dan genoeg detail om er lang naar te blijven kijken.
Wie er ook zwemt in ‘s werelds stromen
Kan ’t Grote Visnet niet ontkomen.
Zoals een Visnet op het strand,
Zo - zegt de Wijsheid - zal ‘t verkeren
Wanneer de Grote Visserhand
Zijn mensenvangst zal gaan sorteren:
Het goede gaat in ‘t hemels Vat,
De afval in een smerig Gat.
66
The Fisherman
Looming weather, the sun is close to the horizon in the west. On a low dune a man
wearing waders and a beanie made of very coarse wool. He is shabbily dressed. His
short jacket has been mended on the shoulder and the fabric on his elbow is ripped.
Very wide knickerbockers bulge from medium high waders. He carries his fishing net
and a bulging basket with a sizeable fishtail sticking out of it. Next to him three ample
fish lay in the sand. To the left the back of another man is visible, next to the large
basket. Fishermen returning home with the catch.
In the meantime fishing is still going on further down on the beach. At least ten men
labouredly pull a net on the beach. Which could have been laid out by the fishermen
at the front, who are busy working on their small rowing boat. Close-by the only
recognisable woman in this image is lugging a heavy carry-basket brimming with
dripping fish. But also the deep-sea fishery is in the picture. Some sailing ships just
arrive and further down a few have already been pulled on the beach. Their sails hang
on poles of the ships to dry. And that is not everything as yet, even further down,
visible above the highly lifted fish-basket, even more masts rise above the sea. The
fishing village is situated between two dunes, where the darkest clouds are. And on
the dune is a high signal-post with a large wind vane. It looks convincing. Still this
image by the city slicker Luyken is not very realistic. Not just the waves look strange,
the beach line too with its strange bends and the strange shape of the dunes are
rather romantic. That does not mean that it is not a beautiful print, very dynamic and
deep. And more than enough detail to look at it for a long time.
All you who swim in this World’s Wet
Will not escape the Great Fish Net.
Wisdom declares it will be so:
Like from a net upon the beach
The Hand of the great Fisher will
Sort out the people in his catch:
In Heaven’s Barrel each good soul;
While waste awaits the Hellish Hole.
67 Frans Hertoghs
HOW TO PLAN YOUR NEXT STAY AT HOME HOLIDAYS AND KEEP
EVERYONE HAPPY - INCLUDING YOURSELF?
parents and holiday program makers on which you find
all creative, active and inspiring holiday programs in one
place. Quick, easy, fun.”
Parents, do you recognise this: With everything back into
routine after the holidays, in a few weeks you’ll have to
start thinking about the next holiday period. And if it’s
not going to be on a trip, then what do you do with the
kids this holiday? Whether you are a working parent or
a stay at home parent, planning and keeping everyone
happy can be a challenge.
Australian parents are busier than ever and planning
far ahead is for most families one of the least favourite
things for them to do. And it doesn’t come easily: kids
want to do a lot of things these days, you have to decide
if you are taking days off from work and need to start
planning to fill the holidays without getting the kids too
bored - although: a little bit of boredom is good for kids.
And you have to find a half or a full day program, but
where to get the inspiration when you need it.
Now there is a way to help solve the time and inspiration
problem. Parents can go to www.holidayprogram.com.
au, a website where you can search, find and book
Melbourne’s most creative, active and inspiring holiday
programs for children.
HOLIDAYPROGRAMS ONLY
The platform is ONLY focussing on holiday programs for
kids in the age of 4 - 17. You can find programs that cater
for just a few hours to programs that offer half a day and
full day programs and a variation of activities from art&
craft, sport and language activities to even a robotics
camp. This makes it very easy for parents to schedule. All
listed holiday programs are handpicked and are certified
to offer kids activities.
A search filter helps you to narrow your results by activity,
duration, age and location. For example, if you’re looking
to book a holiday program in a specific week or on a
specific day, select “date”. Or if you’re looking for a special
activity, like tennis select the activity of your choice
and narrow it down by area and you can start planning
activities straight away.
HOW IT WORKS
Holidayprogram.com.au helps to establish the contact
between parent and holiday program by sending the
booking request directly to the holiday program. From
there parents and the holiday program can interact
and confirm bookings directly with each other before
booking confirmation and payment. When a booking is
made, payment will be made directly between booker
and provider. There are no extra or hidden booking costs
for parents nor for holiday programs. Holidayprogram.
com.au visitors can profit from special discounts given by
suppliers of the holiday program.
A LITTLE HELP IN THE MAZE OF ACTIVITIES
Where does this idea come from? The answer to that
question is given by Michelle Taylor, founder of www.
holidayprogram.com.au. “As a mother of two I am always
wrestling with the exact same problem as you: “What to
do with the kids this holiday?” I would go on-line trying
to find a nice activity that I could sign them up for. When
I asked around, most of the parents would sign up for a
day camp or a half day camp if they only knew how and
where to find them.
So as an entrepreneur I decided to build a platform for
68
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Of course there are plenty of websites that offer a list of
kid’s activities and there are a couple of other websites
that display holiday program activities amongst their
activities, but I always got lost in a maze of activities,
or found a closed system and a login is required to see
any results, or bookings needed to be made through
the system, or the website offers lots of different
activities and finding the right thing is a challenge.
HolidayPrograms.com.au want to keep things very simple
by showing all programs to parents in a simple search
engine without booking costs or other extra costs. And for
parents the use is absolutely FREE!
and in print and by talking to people. It was a challenge
finding equivalents for the shops she used to buy from in
the Netherlands. For example in the beginning she did not
even know where to buy a nail and hammer to hang up a
painting, but by asking around she found out Bunnings was
the one to go to. She made lists of playgrounds and things
to do for kids as well by using all information available in
Melbourne and managed to get around pretty quickly.
With no family in the neighbourhood, she still finds it a
challenge to fill the holidays with activities for her kids
and sometimes drove many kilometres to bring her kids
to a holiday program. People started asking what she was
going to do and soon she started sharing lists of activities to
other parents. That’s how she got the idea to build a search
engine for other parents to find local holiday programs.
From her work as a marketing consultant she also has a
passion to support the local entrepreneur.
Michelle lived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 6 meters
below sea level and has worked in sales and marketing in
the direct marketing, software, insurance and automotive
industry. In 2011 she decided to start working as a
freelancer and work mostly virtually.
Michelle is married and has 2 daughters in the age of 7 and
9 years old. She loves her active family life, surfing, running
along the coast of Port Phillip, tennis and Melbourne’s
coffee culture.
ALL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS IN ONE PLACE
Holiday programs can keep using their own booking
system and pay a small fixed fee per term. The only thing
they have to do is sign up. We advertise their program on
the website with a potential reach of 4 million people, our
blog, social media, newsletter and other press and local
media. And if they have difficulty with writing content, we
can help them with our team of copywriters and bloggers.
We plan to cover the whole Melbourne area and we think
that there are plenty of holiday programs to list, so that
will bring plenty of choice for parents. Only in the Bayside
Area we already have a list of more than 250 holiday
programs and if I have to make an approximation: think
of 33.000 kids under 18yrs and 44.500 couples in the
Port Phillip and Bayside area only, then there are lots of
activities out there that nobody has listed properly!
At the moment we focus on the Bayside and Port Phillip
Area because we started in these areas with our listed
holiday programs, but we will cover more areas very
soon. Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter and receive
holiday programs suggestions in your mailbox just when
you need them. We are hoping to cover the city of
Melbourne soon and after that there are plans to build a
platform for Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Holiday Program.com.au started in April this year and
so far we are listing holiday programs every day and our
audience is growing steadily. At the moment I do all the
work (marketing, sales, search and website development)
from my home office in Brighton East. My ideal working
situation is working during school hours from anywhere.
We are keeping costs low by working with freelancers
only for design, IT, copywriting, marketing and sales.
Preferably flexible, virtual professionals, who don’t need
to commit to 9-5 but can work from any place any time.
Indien u informatie kunt verstrekken over
gezochte personen of als u een verdacht
persoon ziet, neem dan zo spoedig mogelijk
contact op met Crime Stoppers.
Voor het geven van inlichtingen over
gezochte personen is een beloning
beschikbaar gesteld.
U hoeft uw naam niet te noemen. U krijgt
een codenummer toegewezen, dat gebruikt
moet worden voor elk contact met de
politie totdat de beloning betaald is.
Bel gratis naar Crime Stoppers op 1800 333 000 of ga naar
www.crimestoppers.com.au
ABOUT THE OWNER
Michelle Taylor moved to Australia 3 years ago and owns
a digital marketing agency in Melbourne. When she came
here she had to adopt to her environment and started
making lists on everything by what she could find online
69
Slotviering 200 jaar Koninkrijk
Slotviering 200 jaar Koninkrijk: Muzikale vertelling van
herkenbare thema’s. Nederland is jarig en viert 200 jaar
Koninkrijk. Op zaterdag 26 september wordt de twee jaar
durende viering afgesloten.
Muzikaal spektakel op Amstel tijdens slotviering
Na een officiële bijeenkomst in Koninklijk Theater Carré,
waarin onder meer wordt teruggeblikt op de viering,
vindt er vanaf 20.30 uur een muzikaal slotspektakel plaats
op de Amstel.
Meer dan 30 Nederlandse artiesten, waaronder Kovacs,
André Hazes Jr., Ellen ten Damme, Rowwen Hèze, Ruth
Jacott en Sjors van der Panne treden op. Bij de slotviering
zijn Koning Willem-Alexander, Koningin Máxima en
Prinses Beatrix aanwezig.
Thema slotviering is Eenheid in Verscheidenheid
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, voorzitter Nationaal Comité 200
jaar Koninkrijk: “In ons Koninkrijk komt een veelheid aan
culturen, levensstijlen, dialecten, tradities, overtuigingen
en meningen op weinig vierkante kilometers samen. We
mogen er best trots op zijn. Daarom staan we hier tijdens
de viering van 200 jaar Koninkrijk bij stil.”
Slotviering zeer divers muzikaal geheel
Bij het slotspektakel wordt eenheid in verscheidenheid
vertaald naar een zeer divers muzikaal geheel. Het
programma kenmerkt zich door bekende muziek in een
nieuw jasje, verrassende combinaties en bestaande hits,
gekoppeld aan herkenbare thema’s.
Van 200 jaar fietsen, tot het leven met water, van
vaderlandse kunst tot hoogtepunten in de sport.
Een scala aan Nederlandse artiesten brengt muziek
aansluitend op deze thema’s, ondersteund door
historische beelden op grote LED-schermen en acts op en
rond het water.
De Magere Brug
De Magere Brug maakt onderdeel uit van een uniek
decor van de viering waar onder meer Kovacs, André
Hazes Jr., Ellen ten Damme, Rowwen Hèze, Sjors van
der Panne, Ruth Jacott e.v.a. zullen optreden. De NOS
verzorgt een live-registratie, vanaf 20.25 uur live op
NPO1. Het avondprogramma wordt ook door leden van
de Koninklijke Familie bijgewoond.
Slotviering biedt in Carré terugblik
Voorafgaand aan het buitenprogramma vindt er in
Koninklijk Theater Carré een officiële bijeenkomst plaats
waarin wordt teruggeblikt op eerdere evenementen die
zijn georganiseerd in het kader van 200 jaar Koninkrijk.
Dit is te volgen via een livestream op NOS.nl en NPO
Nieuws van 17.45-18.45 uur.
Binnenprogramma Slotviering
Het binnenprogramma, gepresenteerd door Art
Rooijakkers, kent diverse optredens, zo brengt het Frysk
Jeugd Orkest haar winnende versie van de compositie
‘Van Oranje’. Ook zal er muziek zijn van o.a. Jeroen van
der Boom. Voorzitter Ank Bijleveld–Schouten van het
Nationaal Comité 200 jaar Koninkrijk spreekt in Carré
haar slotwoord uit, waarna de viering officieel wordt
afgesloten met het slotspektakel op de Amstel. In Carré
zijn o.a. vele vrijwilligers te gast die zich de afgelopen
2 jaar hebben ingezet voor de viering van 200 jaar
Koninkrijk.
Publiek welkom tijdens Slotviering
Het publiek is van harte welkom om vanaf de kades van
de Amstel het slotspektakel te komen bekijken. Vanwege
de verwachte drukte wordt echter aangeraden het
evenement via TV te volgen.
200 jaar Koninkrijk
In september 2015 is het precies 200 jaar geleden dat
Willem I werd ingehuldigd als Koning van het Verenigd
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden.
De viering in Amsterdam is het laatste nationale
evenement in het kader van 200 jaar Koninkrijk der
Nederlanden. Vanaf 30 november 2013 organiseerde het
Nationaal Comité 200 jaar Koninkrijk evenementen in
Scheveningen, Den Haag, Sint Maarten,
Maastricht en Zwolle.
Naast deze landelijke evenementen
waren er talrijke initiatieven op nationaal,
regionaal en lokaal niveau om de 200
jaar viering nóg meer luister bij te
zetten. Tijdens de viering staan we stil
bij ons gezamenlijke verleden, heden en
toekomst, en een aantal democratische
verworvenheden. www.200jaarkoninkrijk.
nl.
tekst en foto
Marianne Visser van Klaarwater
70
photos © Odi Busman
ADDRESS
PO Box 169, Olinda Vic. 3788
T +61 (0)3 9751 2795
M 0419 465 516
E [email protected]
www.hollandfocus.com
ABN 40 118 310 900
editor and publisher
iet fuijkschot
contributors to this issue:
D. Arnold, B. Blankers, O. Busman,
Y. Edens, E. Feenstra, F. Hertoghs,
R. Hisgen, M.de Knecht,
T. van Rooij, J. de Rooy, L. Schmitt,
M. Visser van Klaarwater,
R. van Voorst, P. Westbeek,
K. Woldring, H. van Zanden
advertising sales:
T +61 (0)3 9751 2795
E [email protected]
hollandfocus.com
DISCLAIMER:
Any views and opinions expressed
within Holland Focus are solely
those of the individual author or
other information source and do
not necessarily represent the
opinion of Holland Focus.
No part of this publication may be
reproduced without the written
permission of the editor.
© holland focus
ISSN 1833-4253
https://www.facebook.com/
HollandFocus
71