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Wednesday, April 2
On
the last day of Michaels and Orens stay in Europe we had a grand tour
thru the center of Amsterdam. Including a visit to the Rijksmuseum,
dinner at Indonesian restaurant Tempo Doeloe 
and a wonderful evening in the opera hall.
The National Ballet
performing old ballets of three New York choreographers (George Balanchine,
Martha Graham and Jerome Robbins).
In the meantime the media war on Iraq continues. As American troups are said to be approaching Baghdad, the cruelties of war are turned into tasty bite-size chunks. 'Thousands of young Iraqi men were bombarded' is kindly translated into 'Iraqi troups have been diminished'. There are no reports on casualties, says the anchorman; but the liberation of one single American prisoner of war is discussed at length. It's like an exciting episode of a soap opera. With only Clint Eastwood missing. Nothing about babies dying of Aids or starvation in Africa these days; a giant landslide that killed hunderds of civilians in Bolivia is just another newsbrief.
The
pope has other worries though.
A new 1,000-page lexicon says that homosexuality stems from an unresolved
psychological conflict. It says that those who want to give gays and
lesbians the same legal rights as heterosexuals in society deny a psychological
problem which makes homosexuality against the social fabric. According
to the Vatican heterosexuals in society have been made to feel guilty
for even questioning homosexuality.
Elsewhere the book says that countries which allow gay marriages (e.g.
Holland) are inhabited by people with profoundly disordered minds. (Hmm,
we love it!) It says 'gays have not stopped proclaiming, often in a
dispropor-tionate if not aggressive way, their normality.' The lexicon
also condemns the use of condoms for safe sex, calling it an exercise
in self-justification. (See also: .)
Friday, April 4
While Sars (sudden acute respiratory syndrom) is taking over the globe, birdpest is spreading over the country. Today a new case was reported in the south of the Netherlands. After the 'clean up' of pigs (because of pig pest) and cattle (because of mouth and claw disease) in recent years, it's now the chicken's turn to be gassed. By the millions! There's even a national blab line to report remnant free-range chickens in people's gardens.
Within a couple of months
millions of animals have been destroyed for economic reasons. But unlike
the war on Iraq no discussions about the ethical inpropriety of it all.
Most people eat meat.
Our fear: how long will it take the food industry
to dodge transport restrictions again and bring the pest to this part
of the country?
Ergo: will Kobus and the ladies survive this Spring?
Monday, April 7
Ongoing siege of Baghdad, birdpest, Sars, grandpa still in hospital... Amidst all this a child's mind is flexible. A small icecream works magic.
Monday, April 14
Everything's a mess. The greenhouse had to be emptied before the new kitchen was delivered and the kitchen had to be cleared so that the new kitchen can be installed next week. As a result the greenhouse is packed with cupboards, the guestroom is packed with pots and pans and our collection of Meditteranean plants fills every shady place there is on the terrace. (On their first days out the plants need to be protected against sunburn.)
Outside our little shelter
Americans are still busy conquering Tigrit, the last resisting city
in Iraq and hometown of Sadam Hussain. Birdpest in the Netherlands and
Sars are spreading relentlessly.
Dad is still hospitalized. In The Hague the christian party and social-democrats
broke off their negotiations for the formation of a new government after
three months of talking. It is expected that another center-right government
will soon be installed.
Thursday, April 17
In celebration of Queensday on April 30, many cities in Holland have a fair. Like this one in the center of Haarlem on the historic main square. Crammed with young kids: loud and agressive.
A mile further south a young man enjoys the tranquility of the parc. This week we have extraordinary warm weather with temperatures up till 23 °C. (Average maximum is 13 °C.)
Tuesday, April 22
We spent all Easter weekend emptying the old kitchen cupboards and repotting and putting the Meditteranean plants in their proper place.
Today construction workers have begun to break down the old kitchen. The new kitchen will be installed by Friday.
Monday, April 28
The new kitchen is almost
ready, our Meditteranean corner in the garden restored, the roses have
been pruned and most weeds are under control. Even dad is doing better
after a second surgery last week. In Iraq life has returned to a kind
of normal. And in Holland
- after months of debating - we see the first signs of a new right-wing
government. It's been a busy month and time for a break! Can't wait
to meet our friends tomorrow in our little Greek recluse.
