In 1983 I visited Berlin on occasion of a school-trip. In fact we travelled by bus from the Dutch-German border, through the federal republic of Germany to the German Democratic Republic. In the GDR, I remember a long road paved with concrete. We, all children, didn't see any people in the gloomy and grey landscape we crossed. Arriving in West-Berlin was like arriving at an oasis after being in the desert for a while. I felt exited.
The most impressive thing was the memorial for a few people who tried to escape from East-Berlin but were shot in their attempt (`auf der flug erschossen'). It was situated on the left corner of the Reichtag facing the river Spree. When I was there I saw Vopo's (Volkspolizei) or guards in their watchtower looking over the mined and wired field to the Spree. (in fact it wasn't mined because of the noise it would make. How cynical!) And I looked at the memorial and watched the Vopo's.
Walking along the Spree to the Brandenburger Tor I had a first view of the concrete Berlin Wall. It was on the right corner behind the Reichtag facing the Spree. Some classmates touched the Wall. I didn't, reading the signs. Can you believe it; I stood there face to face with the monster called Berlin Wall and I didn't touch the Wall. I was to impressed and afraid of things what might happen when you wake up the monster. What I felt was the Cold War! But I missed a once in a life time opportunity.
Some days later we went on a trip to East-Berlin. In the Pergamonmuseum a doorman, who was in fact a woman, told that she has never been in the west, but she told that she knew a lot about Holland. When I remember the sadness in her eyes I feel the pain in my heart back in 1983, because she was prisoned in that system without being guilty. Of course they will have laughed. For me it didn't feel good. At the Fernsehturm in East Berlin we stopped also to have a view from the television and radio tower. Walking in the December cold on the Alexanderplatz I stopped to buy a warm sausage. It was so cheap and I felt such a pity for the boy who sold the food that I gave him much more than the actual price.
On our way back to West-Berlin we visited checkpoint Charlie. There I bought a poster of Solidarnosc, the Labour Rights Movement of Lech Walenza in Poland. In fact the fall of the communist dictatorship started with that movement of Lech Walenza and others in the early ninetheen eighties.
In 1992, only 9 years later, I went back to the places I went before. The memorial site for the man and woman `auf der flug erschossen' behind the Reichstag had disappeared but the Watchtower of the Vopo´s was still there. I walked to the other side of the river to the field where the watchtower was and I climbed on it. I had the same view of the Vopo´s in 1983 but I saw a complete different world. The world can really change in nine years.
Now, 20 years and one day have past since the Berlin Wall fell. Step by step this Cold War disappears, but we got to be alert for new wars like these.
The German movie "Das Leben der Anderen" is an example of life in East-Berlin.
The extreme control of the East-Germans is made clear in the plot of Das Leben der Anderen
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Thoughts
A week ago I had a meeting with the Works Council. We talked about matters I can't remember immediately. That means how important it is. In fact the decisions are already made by management. Management of a Municipality controlled by politics. The Works Council can only slowdown the process. In fact that is what we did.
The Council has to agree with a proposal of management to reform some departments. Management gave us a 50 pages report which doesn't give a clear view of what the management wants. That's why the Councils chairman decided that a new brief report of 2 pages has to be sent to us. Not a 50 pages bookwork.
After one month of being part of the Works Council I can say that it's a lot of paperwork, a lot of invested hours, even time outside office hours and not much effort. The only advantage till now is that I see more the organisation as a whole.
Of course I know the organogram, but now I can fill it with real people. And they all got the same problems, like the vertical and horizontal mobility of people to other functions. Management is supposed to know that the quality of an organisation depends also the learning possibilities of the employees.
My employer uses people for it's short term benefit. The benefit should be mutual on the long term. So there should be development programs for every person and not for a few.
So there must be more possibilities to grow. One of the goals of management is that young people should take the municipality into consideration as a employer. The way it works now isn't one to think about my employer.
If management only think in short term benefits they are like the banking system and their management. Greedy people, only thinking about their own sake. But the Dutch and the British Government know what to do with their banks.
The Council has to agree with a proposal of management to reform some departments. Management gave us a 50 pages report which doesn't give a clear view of what the management wants. That's why the Councils chairman decided that a new brief report of 2 pages has to be sent to us. Not a 50 pages bookwork.
After one month of being part of the Works Council I can say that it's a lot of paperwork, a lot of invested hours, even time outside office hours and not much effort. The only advantage till now is that I see more the organisation as a whole.
Of course I know the organogram, but now I can fill it with real people. And they all got the same problems, like the vertical and horizontal mobility of people to other functions. Management is supposed to know that the quality of an organisation depends also the learning possibilities of the employees.
My employer uses people for it's short term benefit. The benefit should be mutual on the long term. So there should be development programs for every person and not for a few.
So there must be more possibilities to grow. One of the goals of management is that young people should take the municipality into consideration as a employer. The way it works now isn't one to think about my employer.
If management only think in short term benefits they are like the banking system and their management. Greedy people, only thinking about their own sake. But the Dutch and the British Government know what to do with their banks.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
bankrun
Maybe you heard the news about a bank run in the Netherlands.
I always thought it would only happen abroad, till last year, when the Northern Rock received support of the Bank of England and a real bank run emerged. That was the moment when the American credit crisis came to Europe.
That was September 14 2008, now it's October 25 2009 and stability has not come back.
In the Netherlands another bank collapsed this month. It happened very quickly. The Dutch bank authorities had problems with DSB-bank of billionaire Dirk Scheringa. There where some reforms in DSB and there was a press statement made in a breakfast TV-programme by one of the stakeholders in DSB. He called for a ordinary bank run asking all bank account holders to withdraw their money. A week later the bank was bankrupt. Now 4,000 people with more than Euro 100,000 on their account lose all above that number. Hundred of thousands of people can't get their money for some time. 2,000 people lose their job. They should tell on their curriculum that they worked for a known crook, Dirk Scheringa.
I always thought it would only happen abroad, till last year, when the Northern Rock received support of the Bank of England and a real bank run emerged. That was the moment when the American credit crisis came to Europe.
That was September 14 2008, now it's October 25 2009 and stability has not come back.
In the Netherlands another bank collapsed this month. It happened very quickly. The Dutch bank authorities had problems with DSB-bank of billionaire Dirk Scheringa. There where some reforms in DSB and there was a press statement made in a breakfast TV-programme by one of the stakeholders in DSB. He called for a ordinary bank run asking all bank account holders to withdraw their money. A week later the bank was bankrupt. Now 4,000 people with more than Euro 100,000 on their account lose all above that number. Hundred of thousands of people can't get their money for some time. 2,000 people lose their job. They should tell on their curriculum that they worked for a known crook, Dirk Scheringa.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Autumn
The leaves are falling. The wind blows around the house. Temperatures sank below 10 degrees Celsius. The stove is working again after 5 months. The nights will be cosy again. Yes it's autumn.
In the previous month many things happened. Of course I made my trainings hours on my race-bicycle. Every week a little bit more. The last 2 weeks I rode on Wednesday with the club. Only 70 kilometer because at 8 pm it was to dark to ride.
September 24, the day when I had a severe accident in the past, will always be my day of reflection. This year was a special one. At work we had a day out for the employees, our team. In the afternoon there was a visit arranged to an institute for handicapped people. They were mentally handicapped.
The people who work with the handicapped people welcomed us with the words "welcome in our world" We were supposed to work with the mentally handicapped who were also fysically handicapped.
My task was to make a walk with the people who live in the institute.
A wheelchair and 2 other persons were appointed to me. My colleague had 2 persons and there were employees of the institute. Some people could have epileptic attacks, so instructed personal had to be present.
It made me go back to November, December 1982 when I was "locked up" in an institute for fysically handicapped children (under 18). In that institute was a boy of my age who had a brain-injury. He could almost be one of the visited institute. What "welcome in our world"? It's our world. At least it could have been a part of my world.
This short trip was good for ourselves because it made us think. Also it was good for inhabitants of the institute, they cheered up. It was no team building or a sociable day to a leisure park.
Many things happened I said. Also I will be member of the Works Council of the department I work for. It will start on Monday October 5. Many things to learn, a lot to see. I'm looking forward to it. It's a lot about the organization and the place of the employees in it. The time ahead of us will be one of change and turmoil.
At work we have fixed work places. Again the whole organisation of the place has been altered. My colleague and I had an option on 2 places between we could choose. We have lots of space now. Far above the minimum.
In the previous month many things happened. Of course I made my trainings hours on my race-bicycle. Every week a little bit more. The last 2 weeks I rode on Wednesday with the club. Only 70 kilometer because at 8 pm it was to dark to ride.
September 24, the day when I had a severe accident in the past, will always be my day of reflection. This year was a special one. At work we had a day out for the employees, our team. In the afternoon there was a visit arranged to an institute for handicapped people. They were mentally handicapped.
The people who work with the handicapped people welcomed us with the words "welcome in our world" We were supposed to work with the mentally handicapped who were also fysically handicapped.
My task was to make a walk with the people who live in the institute.
A wheelchair and 2 other persons were appointed to me. My colleague had 2 persons and there were employees of the institute. Some people could have epileptic attacks, so instructed personal had to be present.
It made me go back to November, December 1982 when I was "locked up" in an institute for fysically handicapped children (under 18). In that institute was a boy of my age who had a brain-injury. He could almost be one of the visited institute. What "welcome in our world"? It's our world. At least it could have been a part of my world.
This short trip was good for ourselves because it made us think. Also it was good for inhabitants of the institute, they cheered up. It was no team building or a sociable day to a leisure park.
Many things happened I said. Also I will be member of the Works Council of the department I work for. It will start on Monday October 5. Many things to learn, a lot to see. I'm looking forward to it. It's a lot about the organization and the place of the employees in it. The time ahead of us will be one of change and turmoil.
At work we have fixed work places. Again the whole organisation of the place has been altered. My colleague and I had an option on 2 places between we could choose. We have lots of space now. Far above the minimum.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Vuelta
Last weekend I was the town I grew up partly. The cycling race tour (Vuelta Ciclista a España) started there. Friday I saw the team presentation. For the first time in years I had a dinner with my mother and her friend in a restaurant. Saturday I took my bicycle and cycled 75 k through the province. More times I had to shelter for rain showers. One of those sheltering moments I was in front of the house in Westerbork where I lived in my youth. From that place I cycled over the route the Vuelta would take the next day. I cycled from Westerbork to Tynaarlo, a 35 k or so. It never crossed my mind to do that. Along the route I visited the burial site of my dog. It's a piece of land close to a stream where nature can be nature. It overwhelmed me that that site has actually become a nature reservoir and it was so mature. Years ago there where meadows originally meant for cows. The land was given back to the wild animals, deer, badgers, rabbits, foxes, birds, insects and plants. On Sunday the Vuelta passed my mothers house. It was a spectacular scenery of 198riders passing by.
Look at this video:
Between last weekend and the present weekend I had a week off. I had to think about joining the Works Counsil. This counsil has every 2 weeks a meeting to talk about subject which are important for the employees. Every month the counsil has a meeting with the head of the department we´re working for. I haven't seen an agenda with things talked about. That's what I have to do Monday morning as soon as I started the computer. Hopefully the network is working.
Look at this video:
Between last weekend and the present weekend I had a week off. I had to think about joining the Works Counsil. This counsil has every 2 weeks a meeting to talk about subject which are important for the employees. Every month the counsil has a meeting with the head of the department we´re working for. I haven't seen an agenda with things talked about. That's what I have to do Monday morning as soon as I started the computer. Hopefully the network is working.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Fresh
I was washing the dishes when this song came into my mind. Make up a happy melody yourself. ;)
" In kindergarten they said
I had a lot of imagination.
What?
My aunt is Turkish
and my uncle is an Indian
My father is a chinese poo
and my mother to the moon
Later when I was wiser
it seemed to be true.
I've searched on the Internet.
and we are all family apart
lalalala lalalala
In kindergarten they said
I had a lot of imagination.
No kidding.
My aunt is Turkish
and my uncle is an Indian
My father is a chinese poo
and my mother to the moon "
" In kindergarten they said
I had a lot of imagination.
What?
My aunt is Turkish
and my uncle is an Indian
My father is a chinese poo
and my mother to the moon
Later when I was wiser
it seemed to be true.
I've searched on the Internet.
and we are all family apart
lalalala lalalala
In kindergarten they said
I had a lot of imagination.
No kidding.
My aunt is Turkish
and my uncle is an Indian
My father is a chinese poo
and my mother to the moon "
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Documentary
I saw a part of a documentary on BBC Worldservice today. I didn't really pay attention to it and I thought it was about the economic recession in Iran.
What I saw was a man who showed the rooms in a house. Listening I learned that he was a famous football player. He was married and had a so called mistress. Now his wife was murdered and the football player his mistress found the dead body.
Now she is the accused murderer. Her name is Shahla Jahed. She confessed she did the manslaughter. But later she withdraw her confession, saying she was under pressure.
The law is severe in Iran. She is sentenced to death by hanging. When I see her in the documentary as a smart woman pleading not guilty I believe her. There is reason for doubt and that is one of many reasons I am against death penalties.
Investigate this, prosecutor of Iran, instead of prosecuting peaceful demonstrators.
google on "Shahla Jahed" bbc
What I saw was a man who showed the rooms in a house. Listening I learned that he was a famous football player. He was married and had a so called mistress. Now his wife was murdered and the football player his mistress found the dead body.
Now she is the accused murderer. Her name is Shahla Jahed. She confessed she did the manslaughter. But later she withdraw her confession, saying she was under pressure.
The law is severe in Iran. She is sentenced to death by hanging. When I see her in the documentary as a smart woman pleading not guilty I believe her. There is reason for doubt and that is one of many reasons I am against death penalties.
Investigate this, prosecutor of Iran, instead of prosecuting peaceful demonstrators.
google on "Shahla Jahed" bbc
Sunday, June 21, 2009
democracy
In the Greek period of Homerus, Socrates and other wise men (men and women!), there was democracy. But what kind of democracy. One had to belong to a certain class to raise their voice. Later the Roman empire was an oligarchy. The old empire was ruled by a few men and their family in their own interest.
In the western world we still live in an oligarchy. According to some this is the irow law of Oligarchy. This theory was formulated in 1911 and says that democracies develop into oligarchies. The reason behind this can be found on wikipedia.
What happens in Iran looks to me as a reaction on the suppression of the Iranian theocratic government. But suppressed people will always find a way out I was told. So, where are their votes?!
According to the International Programs Center, U.S. Census Bureau, the total population of the World is 6,788,007,610 06/21/09 at 12:33 GMT (EST+5) Only a few worldleaders decide the faith of the world. Isn't that tragic?
update: watch and hear the news updates about the G8-meeting in Italy. They want to reduce pollution and stop climate change. Their goal is world average temperature not to increase with 2 degrees Celsius.
I say this because I don't feel myself involved in this decision making process. It's an example of the oligarchy on a world scale.
How can we fight that oligarchy? It's not how to fight oligarchy but how to become active instead of being passive. A passive population is one of the reasons why an oligarchy can exist.
Have a look at Russia. In Russia is no real opposition. Medvedev and Putin have a carte blanche ruling Russia.
The best example of an European oligarchy is Italy of Berlusconi. He's is a person a lot of Italians hate. They just do nothing because the majority doesn't matter him to be in power. He´s chosen but that doesn´t make him no oligarch. Some people say that he is a delay on Italy's development.
Do I undestand that oligarch´s collect power. Do they in order to preserve their power don´t want change in their Kingdom?
Yes, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a veiled oligarchy. And a lot of countries are.
In the western world we still live in an oligarchy. According to some this is the irow law of Oligarchy. This theory was formulated in 1911 and says that democracies develop into oligarchies. The reason behind this can be found on wikipedia.
What happens in Iran looks to me as a reaction on the suppression of the Iranian theocratic government. But suppressed people will always find a way out I was told. So, where are their votes?!
According to the International Programs Center, U.S. Census Bureau, the total population of the World is 6,788,007,610 06/21/09 at 12:33 GMT (EST+5) Only a few worldleaders decide the faith of the world. Isn't that tragic?
update: watch and hear the news updates about the G8-meeting in Italy. They want to reduce pollution and stop climate change. Their goal is world average temperature not to increase with 2 degrees Celsius.
I say this because I don't feel myself involved in this decision making process. It's an example of the oligarchy on a world scale.
How can we fight that oligarchy? It's not how to fight oligarchy but how to become active instead of being passive. A passive population is one of the reasons why an oligarchy can exist.
Have a look at Russia. In Russia is no real opposition. Medvedev and Putin have a carte blanche ruling Russia.
The best example of an European oligarchy is Italy of Berlusconi. He's is a person a lot of Italians hate. They just do nothing because the majority doesn't matter him to be in power. He´s chosen but that doesn´t make him no oligarch. Some people say that he is a delay on Italy's development.
Do I undestand that oligarch´s collect power. Do they in order to preserve their power don´t want change in their Kingdom?
Yes, the Kingdom of the Netherlands is a veiled oligarchy. And a lot of countries are.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
running
I ran today. I don't know how long, but it felt better than last time. I ran quite a long distance along the canal, crossing 2 bridges. Maybe I should do this more often. My legs hurt momentarily; Running and cycling are different muscle groups.
The advantage of running is that it's cheap and you don't need so much time to waste energy compared to cycling. It's what I call a recession proof sport.
The advantage of running is that it's cheap and you don't need so much time to waste energy compared to cycling. It's what I call a recession proof sport.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
4th of June
Election Day in the Netherlands and Great Britain.
It was a day to vote for the EU parliament.
The silly thing is we got to vote nationally.
That means that for the appr. 730 seats thousands of would be European parliamentarians are on the list. In my country we can only choose 25.
And the most stupid thing is that head president of the EU, at the moment Portuguese mr. Barroso, will be chosen behind the curtains of talks between heads of the member states. There isn't any transparency. This is no democracy.
So world, even in Europe there isn't real democracy.
I voted on a party that is in favour of the EU but doesn't want to expand for a while. The party lost half of it's previous seats. My party I vote for nationally gained in the EU elections. They doubled their seats.
It was a day to vote for the EU parliament.
The silly thing is we got to vote nationally.
That means that for the appr. 730 seats thousands of would be European parliamentarians are on the list. In my country we can only choose 25.
And the most stupid thing is that head president of the EU, at the moment Portuguese mr. Barroso, will be chosen behind the curtains of talks between heads of the member states. There isn't any transparency. This is no democracy.
So world, even in Europe there isn't real democracy.
I voted on a party that is in favour of the EU but doesn't want to expand for a while. The party lost half of it's previous seats. My party I vote for nationally gained in the EU elections. They doubled their seats.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
stress, obsession
It seems ages ago that I wrote a small post. It's about my obsession with cycling.
When I think about it I admit that it´s a metaphor for a compulsion in dealing with matters. Traffic is the issue in which I can get very furious. A certain stress comes over me. Sometimes I feel nothing can happen to myself when a car or bicycle on the wrong side of the road pass me at close distance.
Is this an obsession? What I do know is that it happens to much and it doesn't make me feel good.
Why do I have to tell an immigrant not to cycle on the cycle path in the wrong direction. Why? The immigrant might offend me with racism or whatever. But it isn't. It's my perception of justice.
I've chosen the wrong profession. :-( I should be an ordinary policeman in the streets.
Maybe I shouldn't be so relentless.
When I think about it I admit that it´s a metaphor for a compulsion in dealing with matters. Traffic is the issue in which I can get very furious. A certain stress comes over me. Sometimes I feel nothing can happen to myself when a car or bicycle on the wrong side of the road pass me at close distance.
Is this an obsession? What I do know is that it happens to much and it doesn't make me feel good.
Why do I have to tell an immigrant not to cycle on the cycle path in the wrong direction. Why? The immigrant might offend me with racism or whatever. But it isn't. It's my perception of justice.
I've chosen the wrong profession. :-( I should be an ordinary policeman in the streets.
Maybe I shouldn't be so relentless.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
obsessive
I'm okay... maybe I'm a bit compulsive.
Does it mean that I do things I don't want to do?
Today I felt to tired to cycle 80 k. So I didn't. Normally I would just do it.
It might have to do with last Sunday when I cycled almost 190 k with my cycling-friends.
Do I feel good now? I have to think about that.....
Does it mean that I do things I don't want to do?
Today I felt to tired to cycle 80 k. So I didn't. Normally I would just do it.
It might have to do with last Sunday when I cycled almost 190 k with my cycling-friends.
Do I feel good now? I have to think about that.....
Monday, April 13, 2009
attention: raw food and bottle of water
When I pay attention to it I see girls and women with small bottles of water...only fifteen minutes away from something to drink.
And what about eating raw food, when I pay atten...., yes I see it all around me... even Caren might eat raw carrots...
And men, no here in Europe we don't have anything to do with that.
And what about eating raw food, when I pay atten...., yes I see it all around me... even Caren might eat raw carrots...
And men, no here in Europe we don't have anything to do with that.
Friday, April 10, 2009
whale
click this video. It's about a whale seen close to the Verrazano bridge, New York. Is that Sarah Ackerman on the video? No of course not. :-(
Saturday, April 04, 2009
being small
To extend my last post, even in peace lacking Mosul (Iraq) there are some lucky people, like Najma and her fiance. Maas from Mosul is writing again as dr. Human after being busy with her study.
Dr. Human, aka Maas and Najma were friends when I read their blog for the first time some years ago. Now their blogs aren´t linked anymore. Hopefully their friendship is still there.
Today, April 4, it´s 400 years ago since the ship de Halve Maen sailed from Amsterdam. The VOC ordered the English captain Henry Hudson to sail along the edge of the north pole to find a new route to Asia. He disobeyed orders and discovered land in his effort to find another passage to Asia and more specific the Dutch east Indies. Hudson failed in his mission and found Mannahatta, in the language of the native people. On nowadays Manhattan the first settlers founded Nieuw Amsterdam.
The West Indian Company claimed land that Henry Hudson sailed and called it nieuw Nederland. In 1624 the first settlers from the Dutch Republic arrived.
In 1664 the English attacked Mannahatta. It was the end of the Dutch presence. Nieuw Amsterdam was renamed New York.
Dr. Human, aka Maas and Najma were friends when I read their blog for the first time some years ago. Now their blogs aren´t linked anymore. Hopefully their friendship is still there.
Today, April 4, it´s 400 years ago since the ship de Halve Maen sailed from Amsterdam. The VOC ordered the English captain Henry Hudson to sail along the edge of the north pole to find a new route to Asia. He disobeyed orders and discovered land in his effort to find another passage to Asia and more specific the Dutch east Indies. Hudson failed in his mission and found Mannahatta, in the language of the native people. On nowadays Manhattan the first settlers founded Nieuw Amsterdam.
The West Indian Company claimed land that Henry Hudson sailed and called it nieuw Nederland. In 1624 the first settlers from the Dutch Republic arrived.
In 1664 the English attacked Mannahatta. It was the end of the Dutch presence. Nieuw Amsterdam was renamed New York.
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