Week 49 Not Even Winter

Week 49

Grey Weather....

no wonder it is so depressing.... and it's still not even winter! taken at 1520 hrs!

Around the farm...

I was just chopping firewood, actually thinking how good it is that I can still do some of the things I do, albeit for not very long!.

On the first Monday of every month, at 1200hrs, there is a siren sounding from our village. It sounds like an air-raid siren from the past. This is a test (and obviously the best time for an invasion); I have only heard it once in anger; I was walking in the forest - my first thought was, huh, it's not 12 o'clock! But then I realised and hurried back to the farm. It turned out to be a fire in Heerenveen and they included us in the general warning.

This Monday was also the first time that a "Test Message" for NL Alert was sent out via mobile phones. Post-2012 Android "should work automatically" and Apple phones have (had) to be set up to receive it.

this translation from www.nl_alert.nl

In an emergency in your area you want to know what to do. That's why there's NL-Alert. If in your area a disaster occurs, you will receive a text message on your mobile. This is exactly what is going on and what you can do best at that time. Now go to the settings and set up your phone. With NL-Alert the authorities can alert people (and keep them) focused and informed during a disaster in their neighbourhood. The message is what's going on and what you can do best at that time. For example, you must close all windows and doors, (fire). (There will also be advice as to) what you should do in the event of a terrorist attack in the area. All carriers transmit NL-Alert via their networks. And you will receive NL-Alert information even if the network is overloaded.

H, one of "our" twins, 15 now. Of the two, maybe he will find limited work on a farm. The brother has been given a (different)  long-term classification that will probably exclude him from the workforce. I feel most of all for the parents, of course. As the kids get older, there will be many more challenges. It is rather special that the parents appreciate us, although it is getting increasingly difficult to provide meaningful activities for all of them. Sometimes, "being there" is enough, but I always try to keep an eye on the future. Funny thing that...they all seem to grow up after a while!

New refugees..

1000 jobs lost in the refugee sector, due to fewer numbers than expected. A "deal" with Turkey means that many will be staying there. (300 Billion euros paid to Turkey?).
still no sign of any extras coming to our place. the wheels turn slowly.....

(Maybe). We received an email saying that we will be getting a woman with three kids in one apartment and a single woman in the other. This time all from Eritrea. Now, I must confess I don't know exactly what the trouble is there, so I have looked it up - and actually learnt something! Even with an Italian link, which is topical given the recent "anti - anything" vote.

On Thursday we welcomed a Mum and 3 kids from Eritrea. They have been in the refugee centre in Drachten for 4 months. Luckily, the eldest son has picked up enough Dutch to help us all through the process. He is 11 or 12, the daughter is 5 and a younger son 2. They all love Zoey and would rather be playing with the skelters - all in a rather sad state of disrepair after 9 years!

The volunteers helped them get settled and went to buy a few necessities, including a new TV. Within a few minutes, they had it working via our wifi, with Eritrean stuff via You Tube!
Not too sure what the unintelligible language is and there is not a word of English. I haven't yet deciphered their names, either.
Apparently Dad is somewhere in Sweden, awaiting transfer to here - and hopefully not too long to wait before they get a house somewhere in our Local Government area, Opsterland.
Mum appears to be not so handy at household duties, but maybe I am being too critical after our last lot? Hopefully, Dad has the wherewithal to make a go of it.

Edit.

I'm late on Sunday as I write this. I just had a cup of tea with Mum and the kids. I really just wanted a photo of them on the skelters, but as is usually the case, the hospitality came to the fore and I agreed to a cup of tea!.

It took me a while before I dared to ask, but I jumped in and asked them how they came to be here. Some of the details may have been lost in translation, but the general gist of it is that....

Dad has been in Sweden for 2 years ? I need to check this because the youngest is 2 + _ probably nearer to 3.

Mum and the 3 kids took 12 months! to get through Sudan and Libya - "difficult, difficult" was the best I could get from the eldest Saree (something like that).

The girl in the photo is 5 - Zara. Still haven't got the other 2 names yet!

BTW The language is Tigrinya (properly Tigrigna; /tɪˈɡriːnjə/ (ትግርኛ təgrəñña) is an Afroasiatic language of the Semitic branch. It is mainly spoken in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa, with around 6,915,000 total speakers.
They then went by boat! to Italy. We hear so many horror stories of people in the boats.....
Then from Italy to here, 4 months ago.
I asked Mum about the youngest one - she pointed to her back - she carried him there the whole way. The eldest boy also said they had some time in a car going through Libya.
I came away from their apartment just shaking my head at the ordeal they must have gone through. (I'm also feeling rather guilty about my "household duties" comment).
They come from a place called Tsorona, near the border of Ethiopia. This map shows the distance they had to travel! Maybe I'll get a better understanding after they have been here for a while. I asked if Dad speaks English - no, Swedish - now! We think that he will be coming here around the 5th of January. And we "think" that there will be a house available from the 1st of February.
I'm also reminded of reading about some concerns that the care workers have - that of "dormant (trauma) problems" that may arise later in the kids, especially the eldest.

New Christmas tree!

Last week, in Dokkum, we visited (yet another) 2nd hand shop and found this ladder. Janny asked how much? €20,00 the reply. OK we'll take it - but it won't fit in the car! The woman said "you can cut it in half", to the sound of much laughter from the other customers! "Do you have a saw"?, asked Janny. (Janny and I had already discussed this point, because she knew what she wanted to do with it - and besides, it was no longer useable as a ladder!). So, a couple of hinges...... and a new use for an old ladder!

Ben Coming home soon....

He has finished his proper schoolwork as far as Hong Kong is concerned.

He has already booked his hotel room in Amsterdam where he will "live" until he finishes the Netherlands part of his University Course.

He mentioned in his blog last week that the best nightlife is to be found in Lan Kwai Fong (LKF).

Ben keeps finding people who have fallen asleep!

.

Week 48 The Freulevijver

Week 48

Walking

The freulevijver

The red markers indicate historical photos coming later. This is a regular 5 km walk behind our place. We walked there late on Sunday afternoon and I finally took the trouble to read the information sign.

Which says that the Oude Bosch (Old Forest) was planted around 1880 by the Lycklama family from Nijholt. Obviously a wealthy family, they used the forest for wood production and as a "private park". The Oude Diep is a creek which runs nearby. The banks were damaged and a small " vijver" (lake) was formed. This was later enlarged by the family and used as a feature of their park, with a boathouse, an island and rhododendrons which survive spectacularly to this day.

Some historical photos - mainly saved by Durk - a now 75 year old farmer who came to my "Conversational English" classes in 2012

Boathouse, 1924

Royal visit, 1935

"Teahouse", 1937

"Teahouse", 1938

and again, 1940

1960

1962. This photo shows a groom going to pick up his bride at the front door. The house was next to the freulevijver and was later removed by the Forestry Commision

Now my photos from "late" on Sunday afternoon - 1600hrs and already getting dark.

We had a few hours "off" on Friday...

....so went for a drive on a newly completed 4-lane "By-Pass Road" from Burgum to Dokkum. In one stretch of 16 kms, I counted 22 bridges that we went over or under. These included bicycle bridges, waterways and roads to the many by-passed villages along the way. It represents a significant time reduction, increased safety and of course, our road taxes at work = infrastructure!.

For some reason, there were several "tall ships" in Dokkum

Around the farm.....

Going to pick up Lucas on Tuesday...

When it's this cold, we let our "drifter" sleep inside. In fact, that's what happens throughout the Netherlands; shelters are opened for the "homeless" and the Police round them up from known sleeping places.

Tree down in June....

Firewood for (end) 2018 - the oak needs 2 years to "dry".

and, of course, the leaves!

From the Newspaper

There is a proposal to ban SMS and whatsapp(ing) in the car. The Bureau of Statistics says that there are more than 600 deaths or injuries caused each year by use of mobile phones. Authorities are investigating, among other things, a device to be fitted to cars that will automatically stop some functions of the mobile.. Apart from the deaths and injury, there is also a major concern over the traffic jams that can occur from even a minor collision. ie the traffic jams are already a problem without the extra complications.

When looking up the Road Toll in the Netherlands, I found this.

Of the 570 road traffic deaths recorded in the Netherlands in 2014, 185 involved cyclists and cyclists also accounted for half of those seriously injured. ‘This does illustrate that if we want to reduce the number of road deaths, much more attention needs to be paid to cyclists,’ Van Boggelen told the paper. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is also one of the safest EU countries to use the roads, the report shows, with just 28 deaths per one million people. Only Sweden and Malta performed better.
The Road Toll in 2015 was 621. Again, about 25% being cyclists. It really looks as though it is dangerous to be a cyclist! But, of course, with so many cyclists, the number is bound to be higher. One argument says that they should be calculated by including the number of kilomtres travelled, to give a fairer indication.

From our Asia Correspondent

Ben writes an occasional Blog for his University in Zwolle. His latest is titled "Hong Kong's Top 5"

In Dutch, here

https://www.windesheim.nl/studeren/studie-kiezen/blogoverzicht/reporters/ben-copeland/blogs/hong-kong-s-top-5/

Google Translate does a pretty good job....


1. The Surroundings

Before I came to Hong Kong, I had no idea that there would stand an incredibly beautiful nature outside the city with towering skyscrapers and millions of people. If you take a bus from Central Hong Kong you can be on the beach within 10 to 15 minutes. Take a little longer time to travel out of town, you can do a hike with a phenomenal view and arrive on untouched beaches. While hiking in the Netherlands is almost impossible, I'm going to find it a fun weekend activity here.

2. The food

In Hong Kong is to find an endless supply of good food. Virtually all types of kitchens are fully represented, but the local specialties are surely my favorite. So you have the egg waffle, waffle that looks like bubble wrap with chocolate or other filling of your choice. You also have the famous hotpot, where you cook your vegetables on the table itself. The most delicious food, however, is the dim sum: different steamed or fried snacks with vegetables, meat and fish. You could describe it best as Chinese tapas. There are even dim sum restaurants with a Michelin star, where you can eat cheaply unwise, and here we are also often found.

3. Public Transport

Another great point of Hong Kong (is the) public transport. The metro network is extremely easy and very cheap. We live in Kowloon, an island opposite the centre of Hong Kong, but with the subway, we are 20 minutes away on the other side. In addition, Hong Kong everywhere introduced the so-called Octopus Card. This can be seen as a kind of Ov-card. You can use it to pay for all public transport; but here you can also use it to pay in the supermarket, with candy and drink vending machines or at the cinema. Handy!

4. The Nightlife

In a city like Hong Kong, the nightlife is certainly in the "top 5". The most famous place to go out is Lan Kwai Fong (popularly LKF), a street of bars and clubs in the centre of the city. Often meeting people at 7/11 (a kind of Albert Heijn (supermarket) to Go) drinks and dancing in the street - and drinking. LKF offers you guaranteed a fun night, regardless of the day of the week. In addition, Happy Valley, where the races are held, a popular place to go out for an evening.

5. The Skyline

Last but not least in this list is the Hong Kong skyline. No matter how often you see the skyline, beautifully lit, iconic buildings, you will not be bored. In particular, the views of the skyline from the harbour side are breathtaking. There are also plenty of rooftop bars where you can enjoy a drink while the light show "Symphony of Lights" (daily 2000 hours) illuminates the skyscrapers. And if the smog is not that bad, we could even get a glimpse of Hong Kong's "business card", from the roof of the university.

Week 47 Mr. Grumpy

Week 47

Walking

Rather a sickly month - a cold/flu should be over after 10 days? Yeah, right! 5 1/2 bloody 
snotty weeks!
And not much to report. A few minus temperatures and expecting minus 6 during the coming week. Routine is a wonderful thing......sometimes. Pottering is also nice!

About Mr Grumpy

There is a chap who I often see walking. He has a pair of binoculars, so I presume he is one of the bird-watchers. Now, Mum used to always say "smile" when you say hello - a habit I have carried over to this day. I'm sure some of the locals think I'm mad....maybe it's a cultural thing, but many people quite often seem a bit surly... maybe it's my imagination?
Anyway, Mr Grumpy, the Bird-watcher just totally ignores me when I say hello, or "goededag" (sounds a bit like g'day). The last time I saw him I was trying to make up my mind if I'd say hello, or not bother..... and he totally floored me by saying "hello", just like that! Wasn't terribly enthusiastic, but it's a start......

The new boat colour....

In Europe they use RAL colours to ensure that the colour is always the same - doesn't always work..... this is the colour we are after, but it is not a RAL colour - maybe I have to order an extra pot? This is Antiek Groen (Antique Green) which we use around the farm. 

For the boat, it has to be two component for the extra hardness. The painter wants to use a particular brand, so I am having discussions with them about getting the right match. The computer gives varying results, depending on the graphics card. This looks black, so maybe we have to look for something "greener". or Blue? - the boat was blue when we bought it.
Ah, decisions, decisions.

The RAL classification came from Germany in 1927; the unpronounceable.....

ReichsAusschuss für Lieferbedingungen

It applies to 210 " Classic" colours.

These are what we now have available from the colour chart. Probably safer if we need to touch up later. It's going to be hard to change from the red.

From the Past 

May 1985

Frank (ex MFB, France/Melbourne) sent me a hard copy of this photo. I had put the hard word on Frank to come to the Training College to be an instructor. He later went on to kick a few goals as a trainer in private Industry. Nice to have this reminder of a previous life. As I think about it, it is now something really special that we can still be in touch; Frank and a few other special friends, so many years later. This is no doubt exaggerated by me being so far from home.

Ben in Hong Kong

Another music festival, a bit of study and his "coldest day yet" -  PLUS 16 °

Week 46

Week 46

Walking

Featuring Zoey, park benches and late Autumn colours......and a strong wind warning on Sunday - watch out for falling branches!

I've always been intrigued by the changing colours of the Heath area over the road from us.

I dug up a couple of old photos.

The Pieterpad

thinking of doing this in my spare time....(ha!).

The Pieterpad is a long distance walking route in the Netherlands. The trail runs 492 kilometres (306 mi) from Pieterburen, in the northern part of Groningen, south through the eastern part of the Netherlands to end just south of Maastricht, on the top of Mount Saint Peter (St Pietersberg), at a height of 109 metres (358 ft). The Pieterpad is one of the official Long Distance Paths in the Netherlands (Lange Afstand Wandelpad Nummer 9) and by far the most popular of its long distance walking routes. It is possible to walk the route in either direction, and throughout the year. It is well signposted, and is well served by public transport and accommodation throughout its length. The official guide book is in two volumes, Pieterburen-Vorden and Vorden-Maastricht.[1] A dedicated website (in Dutch) also gives updated accommodation details.[2] Although the walking is always easy and never remote, it is a varied and often beautiful walk, passing through woods, polders, heathland, and numerous small Dutch villages.

More on the Deltaworks

This set of locks has been declared a National Monument. It was built as one of the first parts of the Deltaworks, between 1956 and 1970, as a result of the flood disaster of 1953. I Mentioned the Deltaworks last week. This is the 2nd "real" news story in 2 weeks - at the same time they are showing a Dutch Mini-Series drama about the "next" time the dykes break. Episode 2 saw 25,000 people dead. ( I suppose the irony is, in the TV drama, the Deltaworks didn't save the day as intended).

Around the Farm.....

The clients are working on a project to prepare 350 "Christmas Gifts" for the members of one of the churches in Bakkeveen. As the deadline approaches, Janny's Mum is even helping...

One of the Church members brought back some "angels" from Kenya. These are extremely well-made handcraft objects that will form part of the "package". Our main work is in making a "Christmas Tree" and assembly of Fair Trade products onto a tray.

Picking up Lucas, around 0800hrs.... and minus 1

On Sinterklaas

A character based on Saint Nicholas (for whatever reason) comes along on the 5th of December (?) to distribute gifts to the children. Traditionally, he has a few helpers, all known as Zwart Piet (Black Pete). What could possibly be wrong with that? The kids love it. The role players love it - it's for the kids, after all. But no, someone (of colour and in a political role) decided that it represented slavery in some way. In more than 20 years of watching the fun - I have a brother in law who does a pretty good Sinterklaas and nieces who spend a lot of time dressing and making up as Zwart Piet - and not once did I think of slavery. I'm sure I thought of the Moors at one stage but as equals and not slaves - but I'm not even sure they ever ventured this far north. So, in a world-gone-mad form of "Political Correctness", Zwart Piet is under pressure. Many people are protesting that he should remain as part of the tradition - and some are only half doing the make-up - to give the "sooty" effect after he has been down the chimney!

In any case, many of the Sinterklaas "arrivals" are done by boat..... this one in Gorredijk.

My photo, a few days later

Photos on the day from a news-in-Gorredijk website...

Our Man in Hong Kong

Did some photo shoots with a Chinese photographer,  "just for the portfolio"

and this week off to........

Macau