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Complicated

Last Friday the Dutch cabinet fell.

I have thought about this. I have watched Dutch talk shows: Op1, WNL, Buitenhof.

I noticed the clear condemnation of the Dutch politicians: verschrikkelijk, terrible was the general used word. This never should have happened. Rather easy to say after a devastating report called Ongekend Onrecht (Unknown Injustice). I did watch all the talk shows and the press conference of the cabinet in which they announced their resignation. It was a month since the report came out, and the pressure had not died down.

I do not follow Dutch politics each and every day. I do not know all the names of Dutch governors. But the past few days i watched as much as i could, read a couple of articles on reliable sources. But not nearly enough.

And it is not only Dutch politics in which things like this are happening. The whole Brexit thing, the Trump government with the storming of the Capitol on January 5 this year, only a week and a half ago.

People are fooled easily. Including me. There is hardly any truth around, only falsehoods, things skimmed over, things not told, things not seen.

Complicated.

Het geheugen van de Tweede Kamer is kort, zodat het verband tussen de problemen van vandaag en de oplossingen van gisteren zelden wordt opgemerkt.

The memory of the House of Representatives is short, therefore the connection between problems of today and solutions of yesterday is seldom noticed.

Source: de Correspondent: Tienduizenden gedupeerden, maar geen daders: zo ontstond de tragedie achter de toeslagenaffaire

Published on January 19, 2021 at 6:00 by
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Favorite photos sofar

Source: A stash of lipsticks
Source: A walk in Rotterdam: the Euromast
Source: A walk in Rotterdam: around the Kralingse Plas
Source: A walk from Scheveningen to Hoek van Holland
Source: A walk in Rotterdam: around the Rottemeren
Source: Old works and photos
Source: A walk in Rotterdam: from Marconiplein to Dijkzigt
Source: A walk in Dordrecht
Source: Winter in Rotterdam
Source: A chat
Source: Mieke: 3 Juni 2005 – 18 Maart 2017
Source: Spring buds
Source: A rather normal day of working in the garden
Source: The sea
Source: Educatieve tuin de Enk
Source: A good day in the garden
Source: Almost spring
Source: Spring time
Source: On my way to the garden
Source: In the garden
Source: Cold cold cold
Source: Sunflower
Source: Muis: 18 July 2003 – 30 August 2019
Source: Mushrooms
Source: The wall
Source: Empty spots
Source: Autumn in the garden
Source: Walking through the Kralingse Bos
Published on January 18, 2021 at 6:00 by
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Television

A week ago i moved to my current room. I didn’t realize beforehand that part of the room is a television. With an active Ziggo account. I confess, i have watched way more than i should. Sunday i watched Heel Holland Bakt and Pride and Prejudice. Monday i watched half The Lord of the Ring – The Two Towers. Tuesday morning i finished this happily. Tuesday evening i watched half an hour of Fifty Shades of Grey. In the afternoon i watched The Planets on BBC2. Really enjoyable and still a few episodes to go. After that Escape to the Country, an old favourite of mine.

I have been following the news a bit more than usual. I am also thinking about who to vote for in the Dutch elections in March. Still not sure about this. I’ll keep you informed.

The Planets
The Planets: Saturn
Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country
The news: Asscher leaves
The early evening talk show M about Asscher
Published on January 15, 2021 at 6:00 by
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Slow

Today on a walk i thought about what to do for the post for tomorrow. It entered my mind: slow. Slow is exactly how i feel my life is going. Slow and precise. Careful. Teeny tiny steps.

I do feel that at one point during this year 2021 my life will make a turn. But not right now. With the pandemic covering the world, all the measures taken by governments to stop the spreading of this virus, it is not the right time yet. Besides, i still have some money.

Moving slowly with my eyes on the world, paying attention to as many things i can let in. But also simply living my life.

I hope you will have a good weekend. Salute!

Published on January 8, 2021 at 6:00 by
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Another round

Today i made another walk around and through the city. I do feel a bit sad that it is so quiet. So deadly quiet. It is not that i shop that much myself. Quite the opposite, i would prefer people to buy less things they do not need anyway. But this silence does feel unnatural.

I did first walk to the Vredestuin Noord. We drank a cup of tea and the others went on to work in the garden. I left and walked past my old home to the pharmacy, the apotheek. After that i went to the library, the bibliotheek, to return the one book i had and hadn’t finished yet. Then i went into the supermarket and got something to eat for the next two days before i move to the next room this Friday.

I walked past the square where the snackbar stands where i bought a frikandel with fritessaus and a bit of tomato ketchup. I sat on the square and looked around for a bit while i ate my food.

Then onwards home.

To be honest, i am really tired. This walk lasted around three hours. Pfff 🙂

Published on January 7, 2021 at 6:00 by
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Walking through the city

Today i had an appointment with my dietician. Yesterday i checked on the map how long i would be walking from where i am staying now to all the way to Kralingen: an hour! So i walked, through the empty city, the Highstreet, the Slaak all the way to the dietician. I told her i had thought about my health and made a decision to be more strict. I also had my supplements for magnesium and vitamin D3 with me. The magnesium does make me sleep better so far. It can also be a placebo effect of course. You never know. My plans for the future are to calculate my macro’s, the amount of protein and fat i should take daily. The carbohydrates is set to 20 grams. It was a pleasant talk. I like my dietician. Eline is her name. (Waves to Eline! 🙂

An hour walking back. When i got home i made my dinner. After that i made coffee with some of the Belgian chocolate thins i bought this afternoon in the Gimsel when i was walking home.

And just yet i was browsing Netflix. And Pride and Prejudice is there! The 1995 BBC series, which i love! So yeah, i started it up, but decided to type this post first.

Ooh, the last photo is a poem of Jules Deelder the most famous Rotterdam poet which is on a wall of a building on the Vierambachtstraat. I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It touched me.

Lotgenoten,

Ons gaan is een komen
Ons komen een gaan

De zin van het leven
is dat we vergaan

De wereld van iedereen
Niemand de baas

Het heden is eeuwig
Alles is waar

God of Jehova
Allah Jahweh

De één is de ander
De ander de één

Ontsteekt uw geweten
Kijkt om u heen

Het lot dat we delen
laat niemand alleen

Jules Deelder (1944-2019)
uit: Ruisch (2011)

Published on January 6, 2021 at 6:00 by
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