netherlands – Page 13 – Citizen Reporter

bmtv6 Video Proof of QD’06

I’m not putting it into the main feed this time, but for those wanting something for sunday evening/monday morn, here’s a vlog about Queen’s day. Starring lots of famous Amsterdam and Netherlands characters from my life who will not be named in this post. Cept the mindcaster… of course I’ll use his name, my co-pilot on board the red august.

All in all, the red august braved the Amsterdam waters despite bumper to bumper bigass boats with DJ’s and people shakin their booties on board. It was certainly not the August’s first queens day, as I was a guest on board back in 2003. Still, this time I was captain and owner of the vessel, it was a big responsibility, but I survived and enjoyed taking the friends around town in style.

For full coverage of Queen’s day from the view of expats and nonexpats, consult BlondeButBright, Todd over at Waking up in Amsterdam, Gabe Mac of Xolo.tv, and of course the Mindcaster himself. Just to name a few.

Travelin South Is Good for the Sole

On the Amsterdam to Brussels snail-rail train this morning, I couldn’t avoid hearing an American couple across the isle. Nice little couple, in their 50’s, presumably travelling around Europe for the first time. They talked during the whole ride, it was exhausting. I put the volume up on the K’Naan album and luckily a hip-hop artist who grew up in Mogadishu can overpower the never ending child-like observations of Mr and Mrs Jones. Or Smith. or whatever.

But I did listen to alot of their observations, and some of it was interesting. They kept talking about what “was smart about european design” and what they should have in their homestate cause it would help with whatever problem they have back in Plansboro or boringsville Pennsyltucky. No offense to the Pennsyltukians, I’m sure you could teach the world a thing or to about something. Maybe.

So they did actually provide inspiration. Instead of just sleeping the whole ride down through the Netherlands, I looked out over the fields and the cities and I thought about the history of this place. How much things have probably changed yet if I look outside, the year could just as easily be 1955, if you cancel out the train that Im on, the mp3 player in my ears, and the whole wheat bagel I just ate. (who could find a bagel in 1950’s europe?)

I’m not a person with any religion, but I do love having 2 days off for easter. It’s always a weekend that reminds me of my familia; the A-Ren, and all the fun of being with them for holidays. But hey, here in the low countries, I have an equally great tradition from the past 4 years, of spending these days with my cousins in Brussels. Photos and vlog will be up soon, when I’m done eating pie for breakfast and lunch.

And since the photos aren’t uploaded yet, todays is of a dear friend who’s moving back to her island in the atlantic for the next 6 months.

Expats and the elusive Doctors

Check out my doctor’s office! Not Impressed? It’s part of the former hospital that was squatted decades ago. Still not impressed? Well I am.

See I realize many of my readers have lived or do live abroad. Others of you have never lived abroad but you’ve pondered it in your head. Whatever the case, one of the issues that comes up with being an expat is, of course, medical care.

Now right away you start with a strike against you. No matter what work permit or European Union agreement you might have going for you, very often you simply don’t quite get into the system like a regular citizen. Maybe you haven’t filled out the right forms. Maybe you can’t read the right forms to begin with. Medical words are scarey, even in your native tongue, nevermind Dutch. – All this to tell you that despite my almost four years in the Netherlands, I’ve never had a proper doctor.

Until last week.

Using my best friend, the internet, I located my local health centre and noted what documents were necessary. I mentally prepared for any questions they would ask me, cause one of my long running phobias is that I won’t understand and then instead of switching to english, Ill stubbornly pretend I understand, and end up agreeing to an enema or a spinal tap or something.

Since you may be wondering, what’s the big deal – why wait so long to get an MD bm? It’s hard to explain. Mostly it’s this feeling that comes back whenever I have to handle something official, that I’m doing something wrong or committing some crime.

Back to the story–
I walked into the super cool doctors office located in my favorite legalized squat-hospital, and the cutest girl wearing a head scarf greeted me with a smile. After enjoying practicing the pronounciation of my name for a minute, she put me in the computer and voila – I had a doctor and even an appointment to boot. It took four years, but I was going to speak with my very own doctor.

Or so I thought….
(to be continued… insert cliffhanger music and that voiceover guy from Dukes of Hazard)

Oh look.. a blog from South Africa.. or the Netherlands.. or something.

New Jerseans Abroad

B has been in Amsterdam this week, visiting from Paris. He’s been living in Paris for something like 5 years now, along with his fiancé. B and I go way back to the days where we studied together in Aix-en-Provence, down in the sleepy south of France, 2000. As cosmic forces would have it, we are both from New Jersey, and for the last 6 years we’ve managed to meet up fairly often in either the US or Europe. I must say it is extremely comforting to hang with an old friend and someone who can relate on so many levels as an expat from new jersey with an additional european nationality, living in a third country. Sounds a bit like jupiter aligning with the pluto or whatever your favorite unlikely scenario.

We’ve spent a good amount of time comparing life and work in the Netherlands versus France. Naturally we’ve touched upon the demonstrations in the streets of France and the CPE law which effects the employment of young people. B expressed mixed feelings about the demonstrations, especially considering their timing – only after the law was passed did people take to the streets. He remembered reading extensively about the proposed legislation back in November during the street battles in the Parisien suburbs. Somehow at that time the type of collective action we see now did not occur. A bit late, is what B seemed to be saying.

Practically speaking, whether you live in France or Bolivia or wherever, it is indeed frustrating when people only get concerned about laws after they are passed. Even if there is a good amount of information available and decent warning from all the different types of media available these days, many seem only capable of ignoring it and then later when it’s much more difficult to change something, they get angry. It is, in basic terms, a bad habit. But a typical one of the type of democracies many of us live in.

Landed Back in Siberia

I felt dumb walking around with a coat under my arm on the way to the airport in Lisbon this afternoon as it was a summer-like 22 degrees C. Then I got off the plane and zoomed out of the airport here in the Netherlands and felt dumb for not having more layers.

So it goes. PT journey is over. Lots more video, audio, and written text thoughts to come; especially about how wonderful my family and friends and Portugal are, but not tonight.. the clock says 335 am.

Viva Costa Rica

The random February rain has arrived in Amsterdam. One minute sunny, the next, rainy. Which gives me a good excuse to have some whiskey with my dear Fleur, and to seek out blogs/guests for my upcoming podcast on the Costa Rican elections.

There’s one thing I love, above all about Costa Rica. – No military! I love it. As Yakov Smirnov would say — “what a country!”

Naturally there’s much more to love and learn from when it comes to Costa Rica. And so today I turned to the His Fault blog, for rants and commentary from an expat in Costa Rica. So far I’ve enjoyed his blog. Then there’s a Costa Rican in the Netherlands who blogs mostly in Spanish and its refreshing to read a blog in spanish about such a hip country. And the last one I’m trying out is Medea Material, mostly in Spanish, all about Costa Rica.

So there you have it, maybe you’re curious about the perfect weather in San José. Maybe you want to hear about eco-tourism and the important plants and species that one can find in this central American country. Now you’ve got somewhere to start.

As for the elections… runoff pending…