As my Ms. QueenB has stated, nothing much has changed at home and being back in Canada, where we will begin our last year of school together, will be like stepping back in time. It will be as though we've never left...eerie! Sure a building or two has changed, your neighbour has a new pet, or that one annoying pothole has become even bigger; but in other ways, things are very much the same.
Chatting with some of the government representatives this week, I've come to realise how very different my expereince of Bergpolder and the neighbourhood centre (where I spent 4 days a week for the majority of this year) could potentially be. Why you ask? Due to the economic crisis and the changing of the guard (that is the members of parliament who might not think programs that set out to better the atmosphere of neighbourhoods and the relationships between neighbours to be so important), there might not be enough money for the programs at the centre or for the services that are currently provided through neighbourhood organisations. Nothing is written in stone and in fact, it's business as usual until otherwise told, but I can't imagine what a different experience I would have had, if it were not for the centre and the connections I made through various neighbourhood activities.
Although I've made it clear in other places, my working with the neighbourhood was not so much a choice but one of my only options when looking to see the daily interaction of individuals who come together in public places. Through the interest groups, the educational activities and the space itself, this centre and other neighbourhood communities have this local community buzzing! These busy bees are doing a great job getting people out of the house and into the streets, starting sustainable projects and generally making bergpolder a rather pleasant place to be.
So what will happen if the funding goes away? Truth be told, I find the activities to be quite luxurious and I was always a bit surprised at the amount of help, both financially and otherwise, that these centres and the projects of different individuals, acquire. I must see if the city of London, Ontario carries a similar approach but something tells me...probably not. Seeing how well it works here however, I can't imagine not having this network of hopping individuals and thriving groups.
I'm certainly glad that those hard decisions are not up to me. I'd probably make the city broke by approving everything that came across my desk! I guess only time, and the wavering Euro, will tell.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A step to the left, a step to the right...
Take a step to the left (Pars Plus!) then a step to the right (Shake hands with the devil!), stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!
At least that's what all the newspapers are calling for with the upcoming discussions between the liberal VVD, Geert Wilders' PVV, and the CDA. With the disintegration of talks between the possible Purple party coalition (this name comes from mixing the red and blue of the left PvdA and right VVD wing parties, which makes purple. The plus (+) comes from the little extra parties thrown in, GroenLinks and D66), the VVD has put together this new possible coalition in hopes of creating a ruling cabinet so they can start, you know, potentially running the country.
However, like the last match, the newspapers are skeptical of this new pairing since the parties have much ground to make up in order to reach a level playing ground. For example, the CDA is absolutely for the freedom of religion and is positiviely against a head scarf tax as proposed by Geert Wilders' and his PVV party. But of course, this is just one example...
As it stands, Harry Potter (sorry!) Jan Peter Balkenende continues his role as the acting head of state as the rest of the country's steering group plays match maker. The Queen is supposedly becoming more and more frustrated as she continues to request different 'catalysts' to help push the process along. But she's not the only one getting a little frustrated.
It feels like we've been in political overdrive since March when we had the municipal elections, then the fall of the Dutch government, the national elections and now this ongoing speed dating trials between the various parties to see who can kiss and make up a cabinet that will hold for some time. I'd write 'hold a full term' but this hasn't happened in the last 4 governments so why ask for more?
I think many people, and myself included, are weary of a coalition with the wild Wilders' factor. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for an answer to the coalition question if it meant that we could return to something a little more purple, and a lot less ... bewildering.
At least that's what all the newspapers are calling for with the upcoming discussions between the liberal VVD, Geert Wilders' PVV, and the CDA. With the disintegration of talks between the possible Purple party coalition (this name comes from mixing the red and blue of the left PvdA and right VVD wing parties, which makes purple. The plus (+) comes from the little extra parties thrown in, GroenLinks and D66), the VVD has put together this new possible coalition in hopes of creating a ruling cabinet so they can start, you know, potentially running the country.
However, like the last match, the newspapers are skeptical of this new pairing since the parties have much ground to make up in order to reach a level playing ground. For example, the CDA is absolutely for the freedom of religion and is positiviely against a head scarf tax as proposed by Geert Wilders' and his PVV party. But of course, this is just one example...
As it stands, Harry Potter (sorry!) Jan Peter Balkenende continues his role as the acting head of state as the rest of the country's steering group plays match maker. The Queen is supposedly becoming more and more frustrated as she continues to request different 'catalysts' to help push the process along. But she's not the only one getting a little frustrated.
It feels like we've been in political overdrive since March when we had the municipal elections, then the fall of the Dutch government, the national elections and now this ongoing speed dating trials between the various parties to see who can kiss and make up a cabinet that will hold for some time. I'd write 'hold a full term' but this hasn't happened in the last 4 governments so why ask for more?
I think many people, and myself included, are weary of a coalition with the wild Wilders' factor. I wouldn't mind waiting a little longer for an answer to the coalition question if it meant that we could return to something a little more purple, and a lot less ... bewildering.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Sunny Side
I just love these new templates available at Blogger. This drippy page represents the current weather here as I finish off my last official week of research in the Netherlands. You read me correctly...following this week, I will be on my way to Hungary for 10 days and then back in Rotterdam for only 3 precious days of research before my mother comes to visit me here for my final week in the ol' Netherlands.
This trip for my mother is very special because it has been 17 long years since her last vacation here. Some might ask why it was that I decided to choose the Netherlands, of all places in the world, to do my research and the answer to this question could be found in my family tree. My mother and (the majority of) her family were born here in the Netherlands (everyone can collectively say 'ah ha!'). They moved when my Opa recieved packing orders from his work, the cement company Ainsi in Maastricht, to relocate to Canada with a couple other Dutch workers (and their families). After organising things in Canada, my Opa collected up the whole family (only 7 children at this point) and brought them to the french speaking province of Quebec where they stayed for two years.
Many nights I've been regaled with stories about the immigration of my mother and her 8 brothers and sisters. Like some of the migrant individuals and families that I meet here, their stories were often about finding oneself in a new place and learning a new way of life. For example, when my mother and her siblings would march to the store in their small French Canadian town, they would chant :'Un pain blanche, un pain blanche' so that they wouldn't forget their order on their way to the bakery.
When the company moved my mom's family again to the english speaking province of Ontario in Canada, they were again affected by language, changing social networks, and the task of getting used to their new surroundings. Although Oakville, where she lives to this day, was outfitted with 'Dutch stores' I am now only starting to imagine how tough these moves would have been for both the children and the adults. I learn more everyday about the toll of immigration and its subsequent introducation and (subjective) integration into new cultures and langauges must have been like from others', as well as my own, experiences.
After some time (and this also seems to be the case with the people I meet here), I find that the story of immigration to a new country is often retold in a positive and optimistic light. Instead of seeing the rain, it is often the sunny side of experiences that is told. While I haven't experienced too much inclimate weather in my immigration experience, I can only imagine how I would tell my own story up to this point, if I weren't going back in less than 30 days.
With my impending departure, I've come to reassess my experiences here and have decided that they will always be different from the majority of immigrants around me because I'm english speaking, I'm temporary, mobile and for the most part, educated. My own experiences and learning the migration stories of others has definitely given me a new depth of understanding to those articles that I used to read in Canada about immigration. Wow. That's all I can say - Wow.
This trip for my mother is very special because it has been 17 long years since her last vacation here. Some might ask why it was that I decided to choose the Netherlands, of all places in the world, to do my research and the answer to this question could be found in my family tree. My mother and (the majority of) her family were born here in the Netherlands (everyone can collectively say 'ah ha!'). They moved when my Opa recieved packing orders from his work, the cement company Ainsi in Maastricht, to relocate to Canada with a couple other Dutch workers (and their families). After organising things in Canada, my Opa collected up the whole family (only 7 children at this point) and brought them to the french speaking province of Quebec where they stayed for two years.
Many nights I've been regaled with stories about the immigration of my mother and her 8 brothers and sisters. Like some of the migrant individuals and families that I meet here, their stories were often about finding oneself in a new place and learning a new way of life. For example, when my mother and her siblings would march to the store in their small French Canadian town, they would chant :'Un pain blanche, un pain blanche' so that they wouldn't forget their order on their way to the bakery.
When the company moved my mom's family again to the english speaking province of Ontario in Canada, they were again affected by language, changing social networks, and the task of getting used to their new surroundings. Although Oakville, where she lives to this day, was outfitted with 'Dutch stores' I am now only starting to imagine how tough these moves would have been for both the children and the adults. I learn more everyday about the toll of immigration and its subsequent introducation and (subjective) integration into new cultures and langauges must have been like from others', as well as my own, experiences.
After some time (and this also seems to be the case with the people I meet here), I find that the story of immigration to a new country is often retold in a positive and optimistic light. Instead of seeing the rain, it is often the sunny side of experiences that is told. While I haven't experienced too much inclimate weather in my immigration experience, I can only imagine how I would tell my own story up to this point, if I weren't going back in less than 30 days.
With my impending departure, I've come to reassess my experiences here and have decided that they will always be different from the majority of immigrants around me because I'm english speaking, I'm temporary, mobile and for the most part, educated. My own experiences and learning the migration stories of others has definitely given me a new depth of understanding to those articles that I used to read in Canada about immigration. Wow. That's all I can say - Wow.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Going Green
All the changing of the blog might be a bit silly but what can I say, I find myself moved by the colours of my research as of late. The season has changed and I'm going green...
These photos are of the Bergweg garden project where G.A. coordinated gardening help from the local seniors' residence and continues to hold projects there, for example, having youth from the next neighbourhood partner up with a senior to be taught about gardening and sustainable food choices.
Today I was lucky enough to meet the man with a plan over making Rotterdam Noord more sustainable when it comes to eating it's own food. As the leader of 'Transition Town Rotterdam (Noord)', the Green Avenger (from here on known as G.A.) is busy in the city creating community gardens. These gardens feed many and teach even more, with lessons such as how to grow ones own vegetables, how to maintain one's garden (did you know covering exposed earth with straw helps keep the soil moisturised and allows the soil to remain nutrient-rich?), and importantly a little 
bit more about your neighbour.
bit more about your neighbour.
These photos are of the Bergweg garden project where G.A. coordinated gardening help from the local seniors' residence and continues to hold projects there, for example, having youth from the next neighbourhood partner up with a senior to be taught about gardening and sustainable food choices.
Why is it important to bring neighbours together? I asked him today as we sipped coffee and tea at my favourite interview spot, the Nika Cafe in Oude Noorden. G.A. said something to the effect of 'It's important for two reasons. One because it helps people get to know their neighbours which supports the project itself so that it can be more easily maintained. Secondly, it's important to bring new neighbours together because they will in turn make their network grow bigger as their bring their own personal connections into their neighbourhood projects'.
This is wonderful! I said. For the first time I could really put my finger on the point of why it is that everyone around here is trying to get their neighbours involved in neighbourhood projects beyond the goal of working toward one's personal interests (e.g. I like green things, let's go gardening!). Like the roots that grow from trees to the soil, G.A. was able to show me that the sustainability of projects and of one's connection to their physical space, through social networks and the physical space itself, was of utmost importance.
Not rocket-science? I know, but as I said to QueenB today, sometimes it's good to have things said in a different way because they tend to shed more light on the subject. They make things grow...
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