Vulgar

Britons see US as vulgar empire builder. Well, I don't blame them, judging by the stories that come to my attention.

Some are good, of course. Like this one: Finale the Americans are doing a really good deed: they are sending rice to the Middle East. At least: that's what I heard on the radio today.

One of the other stories I hear is that several people are staying in American prisons while being innocent and more than once evidence that can prove their innocence "disappears".

Speaking of innocencen: don't you just love the innocence of young children? Take mine for example. Today they joined me in a visit of my daycarecentre-nanny (if that't the word...). I hadn't seen her in over thirty years but it seemed less than a decade...;-)

Tomorrw is the introduction-day of this years summercamp for the volunteers and since I'll be one of them and I can't leave Eva en Ferdinandn home alone we'll spend best of the day in the dunes near Haarlem. Should be fun.

Busy

The past couple of weeks had been hectic: with an average of 64 working hours a week I've been busy working for the local council, my son's school PTA, at The Amsterdam Dungeon and working as entertainer at nightclubs. At times I skipped sleeping and still finding the time to guide my American cousins Chris and Cynthia through the city of Amsterdam, going to a beads-shop with my daughter Eva and musea with my son Ferdinand. In the meantime looking up my mom in the nursery home (since about ten days she's in her own home again. Yes!)

In the meantime there's been a flood in Suriname and hundreds have lost their homes or their lives in floddings in Sulawesi. Internationale pressure is building up to withdraw troops from Iraq and the closing of the concentrationcamp Guantanamo Bay..

Still I feel useful and happy. At least I can say I've tried to improve the situation in the world while more than a few people have given up on it and have turned selfish. Nothing wrong with being selfish but next to being selfish you can still help others. I think we have the obligation to help others whenever and however we can. It's really easy. Have you tried it?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali...er...Magan

There's this highly entertaining thing going on in The Netherlands. One of the leading political parties, the VVD (The Dutch Liberals) had sort of declared war against asylumseekers. There are extemely strict rules now for anyone outside the EU to become a Dutch passport. A Turkish family was send back after Mrs. Verdonk, minister of Integration, found out they had been lying about their names upon applying for citizenship.
Back in 1992 a Somalian woman entered the country, supposedly fleeing from the strict regime in her country and because of a pre-arranged marriage. She got her citizenship ("poor girl, having to leave her family and friends!") and was taken aboard by the PVDA (The Dutch Labour) to boost the darker side of the electorate.

She was then told she couldn't say in public what she wanted to say because people expect from party-members that they defend party-issues and not attack them...
So the Africa-born lady switched completely to the other side of the Dutch political spectrum:"Boohoo, they won't let me say what I want! Can I with you?"-"Of course darling. As long as you are willing to take a seat in parliament and win us countless of votes from black woman and people who dislike Islam."-"Okay!" she replied "But I have to tell you something. When I arrived in your beautiful country I lied about my name and birthdate."
-"No problem, dear. We just keep it hush hush.-"Okay".

Then the woman made a little mistake last week: in a TV-documentary she admitted to having committed fraude and wasn't sorry about it.

Her fellow party-member Mrs Verdonk now faces a tough challenge. In her running for party leadership she has taken on an act as iron lady who never makes exceptions. In that retrospect she had Ms. Ayaan Hirsi Ali backing her up:"You go girl! Kick those Turks out of the country!" Now mrs Verdonk told a reporter that, had she been minister back in 1992, ms Ayaan Hirsi Magan (formerly known as Ayaan Hirsi Ali) had not been allowed to enter the country. Just hours later she told Ms. Magan she had nothing to worry about and everything was done to keep her Dutch.

However she will have to choose: expel Ms. Magan and loose a lot of voters who had taken the side of Verdonk and Ali..er...Magan or make an exseption for her party-member and seriously hurt her reputation as iron lady, thus loosing a lot of voters. In both scenarios it is not unlikeley she will win the election about the party leadership to grey mouse Mark Rutte.

Like I said: highly entertaining.

Ps: I forgot to mention VVD is not my favourite political party...