Thesentinelamsterdam #6-14 by Consultancy Market Media

vol. 6 #14 – 23 July 2013

The Sentinel Amsterdam

Integrity, heart, humour

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POLAND: JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EU culture

NORWAY: BERGEN

CULTURE PERSPECTIVES LIFESTYLES TRAVEL OPINION REVIEW TECHNOLOGY ART FILM MUSIC TRENDS RECOMMENDED SPORT

BUM SUM PER EDI MER TIO N!

in this issue

perspectives - p.20

culture - p. 62

Poland

Dam in 60 mins: Monnickendam

Norway: Bergen

‘Balancing the ancient and traditional with many aspects of the ultra-modern’

‘The only real city in Waterland’

‘It is not as though I was expecting scorching weather’

interview - p. 76

lifestyles - p. 98

trends - p.124

Mulligans at 25!

Antwerp

The future of everything

‘Renowned within the universe of fashion’

‘Technology that professes to be world-changing’

more travel - p. 44

culture - p. 82

art - p. 110

Croatia: Dalmatia

Poland: The Witches’ Storm

so 2013

amsterdam city life - p. 117

star beer guide - p. 119

recommended - p. 121

Bring back

de koninck triple d’anvers

spotted - p. 122

film - p. 123

perspectives - p.126

Where is this in Amsterdam?

Room2c

Amsterdam: a love story

health & well-being - p.130

technology - p.132

heat

User Interface

The Sentinel Amsterdam

E-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com Website: www.thesentinel.eu Contributors: Sam van Dam, E.D. Muntrem, Dirkje Bakker-Pierre, Evelina Kvartunaite and Andrei Barburas

Editors: Gary Rudland & Denson Pierre Design, realisation and form: Andrei Barburas & No-Office.nl Webmaster: www.sio-bytes.tumblr.com Webhost: Amsterjammin.com

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photos/illustrations that are subject to copyright. If you consider your copyright to have been infringed, please contact us at sentinelpost@gmail.com.

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Poland: journey to the centre of the EU By Denson Pierre

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This short article is really about the value possible on a trip deep into the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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‘Road test the development in packaged ideas that they consider worthy, in terms of attractiveness or their downright interest’

The Polish Tourist Organisation and its office in Amsterdam did recommend to its regional partners that I be the first Dutch journalist to be invited in on a press trip there, to road test the development in packaged ideas that they consider worthy, in terms of attractiveness or their downright interest to visitors. This is what I found, enjoyed and can sincerely recommend.

Poland perhaps better suits those who like to drive or be driven as, with fine highways and A-roads, getting around is pretty straightforward. What is sure is that, once you are a reasonable distance from Warsaw (Krakow is also only 80 km in the other direction), you will find yourself rolling into some absolutely and grippingly beautiful countryside. The scenery when approaching Kielce, the region’s capital, is blessed with History has been pretty harsh on Poland but this as inspiring a landscape as those travellers so enjoy in country of some 38 million increasingly globally mobile countries like France. This fact was not lost on my and engaging population continues to re-invent itself as experienced Swedish colleague on this trip (Rolf a society, by balancing the ancient and traditional with Holmgren), who blurted out just this fact at exactly the many aspects of the ultra-modern. There is so much point I was thinking it on our drive. Unspoilt areas of space and fertility in Poland that it is guaranteed, such luxuriance and mixed flora with high hills and a within a generation, to be the envy of many other mountain in the distant background. On other countries that have been offered the same chances over stretches the horizon and sky appear to be much the past 20-30 years and have blown it. further away and higher. I reasoned that this must have been a trick of perception, as my brain is unused to Now, before I get too far ahead of myself, it is worth processing horizon views that are not cluttered by stating that this short article is really about the value something to do with man. Here in the Netherlands possible on a trip deep into the country. It is all about there is no view toward the horizon you can take, from leisure, holiday and education in the vast (it is one of anywhere in the country, which remains unspoilt by the country’s smallest, actually, but I am (Trini-)Dutch man, in the form of buildings or ‘land use’. so have a different appreciation of what is in big or small when it comes to regions and countries) and At the end of a fair stretch of driving the press group beautiful region of Świętokrzyskie. Never heard of it? was to be shown how entrepreneurs in the region have This is understandable, as the humble, very friendly, cashed in on the widespread tranquillity and closeness quiet people of this region have, up to now, not really to nature by developing a series of wellness centres and appreciated that their surroundings could be of interest spas. The first we visited and stayed at was a medical to outsiders. spa, which is available to regular citizens unable to

For those left pondering the virtues, rather than holding on to some sort of masturbatory, easyfault-picking tendency regarding the European Union as a great, progressive, socio-economic, living idea for the entire continent (and Ireland), I simply say go to Poland. Observe, learn and appreciate how a profound culture right at the heart of the union and the map of central Europe has benefitted from membership and is now almost at the point of strutting about its amazing variation in landscapes, flora and fauna, its social warmth and economic advancement.

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‘The horizon and sky appear to be much further away and higher’

afford the usual rates, by doctor’s prescription. It can take a couple of years, apparently, but it is a lovely place and maybe locals who wish to use it should try to get diagnosed earlier, so they can get on the waiting list long before the rehabilitative potential of such a complex is directly needed. Unfortunately, I do not have photos of this centre, as most people there are less inclined to posing with the full joys of life when they are mainly there for physical therapy. I was, however, able to meet a young man from a nearby town who was holidaying at the spa with his wife and baby. The holiday did not just consist of trips to the bar, where we met, but Lukasz Senetra is one of those heroic men who risk everything on the high, Arctic, Norwegian seas for months at a time, rustling salmon. He explained that there was nothing nicer than spending a week at this particular spa after those harrowing experiences, receiving the full range of restorative treatments.

European law and we went to the grand estate and attraction centre of Kurozwęki Palace to see some. We were the guests of a family who can trace its lineage and attachment to the centrepiece castle and museum back through hundreds of years. The bison are the American breed, also known as buffalo, and this was the closest I have ever been to playing cowboys and indians. When the behaviour and habits of these great beasts were explained by our hosts, it became clearer to me why the story of the animal is actually a parable on the history of the United States. The meat is said to be less calorific than chicken and that leanness, added to its scarcity, of course, means it is one of the most expensive meats out there. Otherwise, the kids totally love being around these impressive animals, making this a super recommendation for a visit and mini-safari.

We closed the day by visiting the ruins of Krzyżtopór: a castle complex recorded as having been the largest and The following day we moved on to another even more most elaborate in Europe, until the construction of the dynamic wellness centre, which has only recently Palace of Versailles. The skies above the ancient towers opened to replace a historic one (the original building is told a story of more imminent and dramatic change but still standing on the real estate). It is like a wellthat we will explore later in this issue of The Sentinel. designed private hospital with a resort feel but the key to its success is that it is sat on a world-famous natural Partners on these legs of the press trip: sulphur source. Over the years the therapeutic effects of malinowehotele.pl sulphur and its application to human ailments have basenymineralne.pl been thoroughly explored here and this is, therefore, a kurozweki.com centre of excellence. Regular swimming pools and krzyztopor.org.pl stylish dining and relaxation zones are also available swietokrzyskidwor.pl and I was tempted to consider a couple of days there myself. These things work because it sometimes takes this type of deliberate effort and setting to focus us on ourselves and our everyday health problems and, in so doing, learn to heal ourselves. So, what were the chances that, after all of this wellness and gentle massage, we would next visit one of Europe’s largest bison farms? Bison are considered cattle under

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‘A medical spa, which is available to regular citizens unable to afford the usual rates, by doctor’s prescription’

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It sometimes takes this type of deliberate effort and setting to focus us on ourselvesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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Je moet er geweest zijn.

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Authentic and full of surprises. That’s Mechelen. Hospitable and honourable. That’s the people of Mechelen. Come and experience the city’s urban charms for yourself.

photography © Milo Profi

Mechelen Mechelen

perspectives

Dam in 60 minutes! 20

Monnickendam

By Sam van Dam

perspectives

‘I plunge into the relaxing surrounding of wide open fields inhabited by cows, plenty of cows, the occasional herd of sheep and birds’

On our last trip I took you to the charming little village of Broek in the wonderful Waterland area. Because it was so nice out there, I decided to keep going deeper into the Dutch countryside, instead of returning to Amsterdam. As I exited Broek I followed the signs to Monnickendam, a place that refers to itself as being the only real city in Waterland, a claim that I intended to verify for myself.

As I bike past more cows I indeed enter the actual city of Monnickendam, which has a different vibe to Broek and, even though it breathes the charm of the Waterland world, clearly functions on a larger scale. I even manage to get lost while finding my way towards the meeting point with my liaison from the local Tourist Information Organization, VVV Waterland.

Once we descend, Rini shows me around inside the church, explaining the meaning of the gravestones and their symbols, of the stories documented in stained glass windows and the unfortunate ending of Wendelmoet Claesdochter, the first female martyr during the Reformation period. He then rushes off into the warm summer’s day to take up his post at the local museum, but not without inviting me to visit him there later on. I enjoy a delicious and entertaining lunch at the cafe De Zwaan with Janine Klein, the head of the VVV, who goes out of her way to accommodate my visit to her dear and lovely city, which received its charter in 1355. I then move on to the Waterlandsmuseum de Speeltoren, the local museum that houses the world’s oldest functional carillon in its tower. It is situated right next to the Waag, the former weighing house for cheese, and the local jail-house, a scary, dark place that is, luckily for criminals, out of commission but instils in me an instant desire to adhere to all local laws.

We climb up through the different levels of the museum, admiring the displays of historical items that Luckily, my first stop is at a landmark you simply can’t document Monnickendam’s role as the only major miss, the Grote Kerk (the Great Church) of conurbation in Waterland that does not rely on fishing Monnickendam, and it sure is called that with reason: but, rather, the industrious activities surrounding it. the tower overshadows all other parts of the town. I have the pleasure of encountering a very knowledgeable Rini takes me to the top level, where we can see the carillon at work. Unfortunately, this is the last stop of and friendly guide there, Rini de Weijze, one of the my visit and with a heavy heart I commence my ride many volunteers who keep the VVV going with the back to the rough, noisy city. Thank you wonderful precision of a Swiss watch. He takes the time to walk Waterland! me around the massive structure of the church,

Leaving the outskirts of Broek, I plunge into the relaxing surrounding of wide open fields inhabited by cows, plenty of cows, the occasional herd of sheep and birds that are lazily populating the endless sky above the idyllic scenario. In the far distance the skyline of Monnickendam looms and beckons me towards it but I stop here and there to fully appreciate the becalming landscape. I gaze at the grazing animals and wonder once again what it is that always pulls me back into the big city, when these pretty places around it are so beautifully and overwhelmingly peaceful and attractive.

explaining its history and the different phases of its building process; a very interesting tale that you should most definitely hear yourself, since it is too lengthy to share here. I climb up the tower of the Grote Kerk with Rini and am breathless at the magnificent view and my own fear of heights. But this is very much worth overcoming to witness the city centre spread out at our feet, inviting us to dive into the heart of this beautiful place.

perspectives

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Rotate 360 degrees to take it all inâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Breathless at the magnificent view and my own fear of heightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;With a heavy heart I commence my ride back to the rough, noisy cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

perspectives

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tripping days

Croatia: Dalmatia 45

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nature can put on such a show if you have the time for itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Denson Pierre

By the time I opened the balcony doors, overlooking the olive grove and the early morning birds above, busy with their ritual dance of getting things sorted before the sun climbs above a 25-degree angle on the eastern horizon, it was apparent that it was going to be a hot day. I observed the different birds for some time and realised that they fed in layers. There were some chunkier, slower movers, which seemed to be comfortable hopping and scratching around on the ground; there were the mid-zone zoomers, just darting from tree to tree collecting insects and maybe bits of fruit; and then there was the higher altitude group of high-speed merchants, which never came close to the ground but appeared to be picking off insects fleeing the disturbances made by their feathery cousins below. Nature can put on such a show if you have the time for it.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sibenik, which aspires to receiving further accreditation from UNESCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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‘The Krka National Park and the lakes, rivers and awe-inspiring waterfall system within it are worth a trip to this part of Croatia on their own’

We were now in the rather charming and old city of Sibenik, which aspires to receiving further accreditation from UNESCO. For now, it has a cathedral built in multiple styles on the list of world heritage sites and a comfortable, friendly city in which walking about for a couple of hours, checking the sites and sampling the goodies, comes recommended. For us, it was a jumping-off point into some inland nature that was rumoured to be spectacular. The Krka National Park and the lakes, rivers and awe-inspiring waterfall system within it are worth a trip to this part of Croatia on their own. The authorities have created an entire educational and fun walk through the naturally watery complex, in which you can literally lose yourself and spend an entire day. Just marvellous and I suggest that the tourism authority push this amazing site a whole lot more, as it is currently a secret jewel but within such easy reach, once you enter the region. Roaming through the water wonderland took our minds off the ambient temperature and it was only later that we remembered that we were actually walking about in some pretty strong sunshine and had become tanned in the process. I suppose there is nothing like the spray from a waterfall to keep you cool. By the time we were done, or at least able to drag ourselves away, under the supervision of our lovely guide from the local tourist office (Sibenik), it was time to head to our next resort for fun, relaxation and surprises. There is one thing that touring in heat and humidity is guaranteed to do and that is to make you very thirsty

On this particular day, the temperature was set to rise to about 27˚C but it would feel like 32˚C if you were out and active in it. With a fine breakfast inside us, we departed Waterman’s Resort to catch the ferry back to Split and connect by bus to Sibenik. The trip back to Split was just as pleasurable as the trip there, given that Split is such a gorgeous city to approach by sea. Once on the bus, we realised that we could have been better advised to chat more extensively to the driver and conductor about the actual departure time. Even though we were on the bus some ten minutes before the scheduled departure time of 10.30am, we soon realised that the bus was only going to leave when the bus company considered it had a full load. This is not such a bad way of approaching this type of cityconnecting, multiple-stop journey but, in this case and on this day, it was to prove uncomfortable. As we sat in the bus, the thermometer indicated that we were cooking in 35˚C. The buses are air-conditioned so the hope was that, as soon as we got moving, we would be rescued by some cool air blowing away the sweat that had formed on all passengers. When we did get moving, after the patience shown by locals and tourists alike, there was no heat relief at all. The air conditioning was turned up to maximum but it was clear that the chilling gas needed to be topped-up, as all it did was blow more warm air around the sealed bus. By the time we got to our destination 2.5 hours down the road, and although the fresher air forced in while travelling up the highway did give the impression of easing temperatures, the thermometer was still displaying 35˚C.

tripping days

‘It is currently a secret jewel but within such easy reach, once you enter the region’

and hungry. Within a short drive from the national park we would solve these issues. We arrived at the gate of what, to me, is the largest resort and spa facility I have come across. Altogether, the Solaris Resort has some 1,508 rooms! It is a town, really. There are four main-building hotels, each with hundreds of rooms, plus there are campsites, huts and family villas across its sprawling grounds, backing on to open water. Play areas (and a hotel) for children and activity and sport facilities for adults are well represented but even these are not the resort’s star offer. Instead, it is the resort’s bars and restaurants, and the wide range of excellent consumables they offer.

over to offer my compliments, had designed a service that had me gushing superlatives from first sight and bite. Such excellence in the balancing of flavours and textures, while incorporating various fresh produce and self-made soya curd, to form a mini-festival of food. I was so impressed with the entire meal that I must borrow a couple of ideas from it for the cookbook I find myself writing. Antonio later revealed that a reason his food might have struck me with such profound impressions was because he spent five years in chef school specialising in macro-biotic cuisine. Sometimes, it is all about balance. With such a warm and pleasant feeling after the great dining service, lovely staff and even the all-male group It was recommended to us and scheduled that we were of troubadours, it was time to have a night cap and to dine at the Dalmatian Village Restaurant. I could not sample the glowing bar on our own Hotel Ivan’s ground have expected that it was to be a full recreation, in floor. This was also very nice, but indoors. The night miniature, of what the communal food preparation and was still pleasant, so we went for a semi-perimeter dining areas would have looked like in more ancient stroll and could not resist the call of the pirate ship times in this region. Impressive, large grills, housed in bar-disco glittering away further out on the promenade. a huge fire house, not only provided spectacle for those Easily affordable cocktails and a little dance. Some went not used to this form of cooking on such a scale, but further but, soon after watching a Macarena routine, also warmth and colour as the evening freshened. The we felt the time right to seek some restful sleep after an staff here are very much in character with the theme, amazing day. in terms of dress and what I imagine could have been the level of hospitality in the olden times, at least when Partners on this leg of the trip: the hosts were sure you meant them no harm. topdestinacije.hr solaris.hr We have mentioned earlier in this Croatia adventure that it is a paradise for healthy food lovers. The Dalmatian Village excelled in its preparation of a three-course vegetarian meal of such élan and flavour that I can honestly say chef Antonio, who I had to call

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One thing that touring in heat and humidity is guaranteed to do and that is to make you very thirsty and hungryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sometimes, it is all about balanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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culture

‘When in Norway you should simply think like a Norwegian’

Bergen, Norway culture

Fresh & Cool By Denson Pierre

I had arrived in Bergen at the invitation of Innovation Norway and Fjord Norway, to absorb and transmit a feel for the city and its almost unique outlying nature, in an attempt to keep the European City of Culture (2000) properly positioned as one of the refined choices for city and activity trips among Beneluxbased travellers. It goes without saying that, due to Norway’s only partial involvement in the European Union, some aspects of pricing and the availability of certain goods can disappoint slightly. But when in Norway you should simply think like a Norwegian.

Bergen is charming and immediately puts you at ease. Folk there are relaxed, friendly, helpful and laugh easily when prompted (either that or I am a funnier than I thought). On my tour with the guide from Bergen Guide Service, we got chatting about how social ills, which can tarnish a land, city, town or village, are so clearly linked to feelings of prosperity and security. This is directly linked to the availability of work to residents, both traditional and newcomer, in order to finance the betterment of their lives. In Bergen and its environs the unemployment rate is just 4% and I struggle to understand why it is that high even, given the amount of employment options available; the tremendous offshore petroleum industry, as well as all the support businesses possible around entertainment and hospitality back on land. Culturally, this is a very old city and has always (between the series of devastating fires over hundreds of years) been of importance to Norway, Scandinavia and the world. It even functioned as the country’s capital during the 13th century. Fish, lots of fish, and trade (in the past it was part of the historically significant and successful Hanseatic League) have meant that Bergen has known wealth for a very long time. UNESCO is aware of the importance of the old city and has preserved one of the most impressive, historical quayside areas anywhere. The beautiful, timber buildings, which once housed the influential and moneyed Low-German traders, still stand, askew but

Even if it was the end of June and officially summer in the northern hemisphere, it is not as though I was expecting scorching weather upon my arrival in this historic city. Bergen is well to the north, 60° 23’ 22” to be precise, and as such really only has cool summers with rare, freakishly hot days during the few months of warmer sunshine. Given its microclimate, hemmed in by the sea on one side and a substantial and beautiful mountain rage on the other, what it does have is an ability to form a precipitative atmosphere pretty quickly. On average, Bergen has 2.5 times more moisture coming down over it per year than Amsterdam.

culture

‘The unemployment rate is just 4% and I struggle to understand why it is that high even’

I have visited many restored and reconditioned dwellings and workplaces but I can honestly say that this particular museum – with its detailed and interesting back story, creaking yet solid aged wood, smoothened by use over such a long time – was the most atmospheric I had been to that did not rely on modern AV prompts. It is just so warm, even if you know that the folk walking these boards all those years ago were usually so cold. Although Bergen, within the influence of the Gulf Stream, does not have as ferociously icy winters as those further north or inland, you still get the sense that work here would have been arduous and life shortening back in the day, especially with so much of the city being constructed from wood, which made and proved fire and heating to be such a danger. As I write this, I already feel like taking the tour again. With a population of just under 270,000, Bergen is no Amsterdam. The city and nightlife culture is very

different, given the regulations around alcohol as a social fuel. Even with state-imposed obstacles to the kind of ‘lubricated’ social relaxation taken for granted in most other countries, there is a decent number of bars and restaurants to keep any balanced visitor going without too much difficulty. The typical visitor profile today could be said to have changed: with some 350 massive cruise ships arriving at Bergen each season, locals tend to avoid the lower-old city and market area for fear of being swamped by tourists and the price trapping that follows this group around almost everywhere. Bergen is a walking city, so walk around and you will no doubt come across some surprising little gems. To get to Bergen from Amsterdam, I flew with KLM, taking just over 90 minutes before I was scuttling out of the little airport to board a 30-minute shuttle coach to the city. It’s an easy journey to make, a lovely city to visit and just beyond it lay natural wonders. In the following issue of The Sentinel we will venture outdoors to explore why Norwegians, in general, and not just Bergenners are so utterly attached to their nature. Partners on this leg of the trip: fjordnorway.com scandichotels.com visitbergen.com

solidly, and now house the cutest craft and more prestigious traditional shops, offering products to tourists. This is the perspective you get from the outside but it was only afterwards that I was able to understand why my guide, Nanneke Larsen, glowed when she mentioned that we would also be entering the on-site museum (Bryggens Museum). Here we would take a look at how wealthy merchants once lived and worked in this harbour-front complex, while being buried by the regular flow of dried cod for transhipment to markets near and far.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fish, lots of fish, and trade have meant that Bergen has known wealth for a very long timeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Take a look at how wealthy merchants once lived and worked in this harbour-front complexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bergen is a walking city, so walk around and you will no doubt come across some surprising little gemsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

interview

A quartercentury of Mulligan’s By Denson Pierre

Back in June I had the opportunity to chat with Miriam Feuth, owner and hostess of Mulligan’s Irish bar, about its quietly approaching, landmark, 25th-anniversary weekend of re-unity, fun and traditional Irish music. It is worth pointing out that this bar is an authentic oasis for music lovers and those partial to the charms of the people and atmosphere of the Emerald Isle. Amsterdam has seen the ‘Irish themed bar’ concept, which powered up in the 1990s, prosper, explode and fade, reduced to something of an irrelevance within the outgoing habits of younger locals and international residents of all ages. Mulligan’s is and always has been different, thus avoiding the ‘plastic’ label and its current malaise. Throughout its 25 year history, the bar has always remained true to itself and its own peculiar vibe, built on comfortable, welcoming, well-stocked bar with frequent live acoustic and semi-acoustic music sessions. This has given it a special place in the fabric of Amsterdam, where the opportunity to see people play instruments and use their voices at a professional level without the attendant, crazy costs

makes Mulligan’s a city monument; and not simply because of the amazing historical building in which it is situated. Q. So, Mulligan’s is 25 and still standing. MF. Well, longest still standing. I think that makes us the longest continuously running Irish bar in the Netherlands and most likely all of the Benelux. We opened in the summer of 1988. There were other Irish bars then, such as The Dubliner in De Pijp and The Shillelaigh in The Hague. I actually worked in The Dubliner previously, so it was our intention to have a music bar of our own. Q. What have been the high and low points over the years? MF. Maybe we should start with the very lowest point, losing our licence in 1992 (noise pollution rules breach). The high point would have to be re-opening one year later, after the costly sound-proofing operation that needed to be done. We also switched the position of the bar around (really long-term regulars may remember this change). Q. And now you own this property? MF. This is still Amsterdam, it is still ‘old money’;

interview

long-standing families and big businesses own all these desirable, frontline, monumental properties. This is a lease we have with AB-InBev who let the property on behalf of private owners. Q. How has that worked out for you? Well, we’ve had the usual Amsterdam problems, including rent increases, over the past 10-15 years. These have always been linked to matters concerning the upgrading of the property and have led to at least three court cases. So far, we have survived all those cases and hope to continue moving forward positively with the landlord. Q. What then is your secret formula for making it through this recession, when so many other bars in Amsterdam are hurting at least and many failing? MF. We have never attempted or wanted to be trendy. We are riding through this recession thanks to the support of our loyal customers, some of whom have been with us all 25 years. We have also been blessed with truly durable staff and some, like Sean, have been here 20 years already! The core of our regulars also seems to be those Irish folk from the international community who are themselves ‘long stayers’ in Amsterdam.

Q. This makes you a bit of a community centre then? MF. Traditionally so. From the late 1980’s until the mid-1990s, it was all about the droves of Irish builders. Then they headed further east into Europe or back to Ireland. They were replaced by waves of bankers and then there were the IT waves. Someone always fills the space... Q. When does the big celebration start and what should we expect? It all happens over the weekend of 28 August – 1 September and it’s going to be a big reunion! Bigger, of course, than the celebrations we had for the 5, 10 and 15 year anniversaries. There will be dozens of (former) musicians and old customers. Many will be travelling here to celebrate the bar’s history, together with the many who have stayed around all of this time. It is going to be a kind of ‘lifetime’ party too. I started this project in my late twenties, so... Just make sure you and your readers check our website: mulligans.nl to find the listings of the amazing groups of musicians who will be performing and celebrating over that weekend. Feel welcome, very welcome. Come along and enjoy the craic!

interview

Feel welcome, very welcome. Come along and enjoy the craic!

culture

‘The close historical relationship between the region of Świętokrzyskie, its witches and their rumoured witchcraft’

Poland: The Witches’ Storm

culture

By Denson Pierre

Today, the Land of the Świętokrzyskie Legends Group forms part of the offering at the Huta Szklana medieval settlement attraction and education facility. The group performs a truly exciting ‘witches welcome’ as they introduce you to the inhabitants and trade folk populating their recreated village. It goes without saying that this is great for the kids but, truth be told, it is all so well done that it would make a fine half-day outing option for whole families, especially when accompanied by the delightful eats and refreshments available from the Regional Inn (also located on the large compound). I am still left wondering, though, if my own immersion in the entire idea of magic and mysticism, while travelling such an imposing, natural environment on the previous evening, allowed me a more dramatic experience of the weather than those around me. With the programmed activities of the day completed, our group of nine was speeding on to our place of evening refreshment and rest in a luxury 18-seater bus. Our destination was the new and retro-hip, Alpine lodgestyle Świętokrzyskie Manor House Hotel.

At the point when the roadside signs indicated that we were 61 kilometres from Kielce, the sky was not just 80% obscured by clouds but a huge, angry-looking system loomed directly ahead of us. Suddenly, as we were travelling at good speed, we were inside it. It started with large raindrops and considerable darkness, and then... BANG! Just some 50 metres away, a telegraph pole transformer exploded as it was struck by lightning and the combination of sonic boom produced by the transformer and the electrified air displacement shook the bus. All hell broke loose as we entered the belly of a violent thunderstorm. The wind rose and gusted so much that it rocked the bus as we moved along at drastically reduced speed, given that visibility was down to only a few metres with headlights on, due to the intensity of the rain driven by storm winds. If there had been time to think about it, I suppose at the most intense moments the driver could have switched off the windscreen wipers, as the raindrops smashing into the windscreen in palm-sized splashes were instantaneously blown off the vehicle by the fierce wind. Constant lightning flashes and rolling thunder were terrifying enough but, as a group, we realised we should really try to get off the road and seek some very secure shelter, as this system may have been bigger than it appeared from its leading edge view. Now, however, not only were large amounts of water crossing the road and raising aquaplaning concerns but mature trees were being uprooted and/or blown over along the way, meaning that we had to stop abruptly and drive around at least three. Life and limb-threatening conditions and nowhere to stop and shelter...

We must have spent at least 20 minutes in the worst part of this ferocious cauldron and, even if the weather remained electric and damp for the remaining 15 kilometres of the day’s journey, once on the other side I I remember looking out across the plains at the sky, as a had to wonder if this was the true witches’ welcome. waltz began between clear blue sky and huge, ominous, Dinner that night was a feast but I, for one, celebrated dark-grey cloud formations. The day had been the emerging unscathed from this form of Polish power.

From the very first day of this press trip a majority interest had been expressed in the close historical relationship between the region of Świętokrzyskie, its witches and their rumoured witchcraft. During our trip we would be toured through the detail and story of the herbalists and pagan healers, who were eventually condemned and purged by the church in Łysa Góra. Legend has it that the unique glacial boulder field, so obviously noticeable in the woodland here, once bordered the meeting and living space of the coven.

hottest I had experienced in some time, maybe ever, and I’d been to the tropics earlier in the same year. Stevenson screen reports indicated an air temperature of 32˚C but it was easily 40˚C when fully exposed. Something had to give.

culture

‘A waltz began between clear blue sky and huge, ominous, dark-grey cloud formations’

culture

‘The sky was not just 80% obscured by clouds but a huge, angry-looking system loomed’

culture

‘Dinner that night was a feast’

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Ĺ&#x161;wiÄ&#x2122;tokrzyskie - share the Magic

go to the website: swietokrzyskie.travel

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lifestyles

Antwerp: a culmination of fashion past, present and future By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

Antwerp’s reputation in the world of fashion has been resonating across the planet for decades, built on its famous institution for teaching fashion and grooming talent: the Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. This is renowned within the universe of fashion as being one the best places worldwide to learn and develop your skills as a budding designer. It has produced a long succession of highly interesting, artistic, successful, authentic and unique designers who have put their stamp on the international fashion scene in recent decades. Take, for example, the ‘Antwerp Six’ of Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, Marina Yee and Dirk Bikkembergs; or world-renowned and iconic designer, Martin Margiela, who completed his education at the fashion department just a year before the famous six.

Every year, the highlight of the academic fashion year is SHOW, a humongous catwalk show (with no fewer than 1,000 visitors), during which students show their collections in a whirlwind of creative fashion forwardness, combined with diligent, loving craftsmanship and unique conceptual and artistic thinking. This year, The Sentinel was honoured to be invited to the prestigious event, which never ceases to amaze. And who knows which famous designer of the future we might get to see. Happy Birthday Dear Academy This year, Antwerp is being rocked by the extended celebrations of Happy Birthday Dear Academy; an event that celebrates an astonishing 350 years of The Royal Academy for Fine Arts with a simultaneous 50th anniversary of the Fashion Department. It all comes to a head in September (8 September 2013—16 February 2014) with a jubilee exhibition in MoMu, Antwerp’s excellent fashion museum. The exhibition will highlight various aspects of Antwerp fashion education during the first fifty years of its existence: the department’s specific curriculum and its education and evaluation methods, the

healthlifestyles & well-being

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lifestyles

ÂŠ HBDA

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‘It has produced a long succession of highly interesting, artistic, successful, authentic and unique designers’

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importance of graphic design in fashion, the various generations of students and their careers, the friendship and emergence of the ‘Antwerp Six’ and Martin Margiela, and the graduation projects of some of the most noteworthy alumni. The exhibition paints a picture of the programme as an artistic cocoon. Students are encouraged to achieve their utmost potential and expand their skills, as well as developing an artistic signature on which they can build their future career. It illustrates how diverse the careers of the Academy’s alumni are and how this programme has left a mark on the international fashion world. Something definitely not to miss, even if you are only slightly interested in fashion! Websites Happy birthday dear academy: hbda.be Antwerp fashion department: antwerp-fashion.be Momu Fashion museum: momu.be

FASHION IN ANTWERP

To make it easier for those interested in an in-depth knowledge of the history of fashion and everything that Antwerp has to offer in this area, Antwerp Tourism & Conventions has launched FASHION IN ANTWERP: a website, mobile application and two city maps on fashion in Antwerp. The website seeks to inspire fashion lovers and inform them of what the city has to offer in terms of fashion and shopping. The fashion app offers five themed routes and one route guiding users through key fashion hotspots. The tour of the city has a clear goal: to give users specialist knowledge and allow them to discover facts about fashion in Antwerp they never could have discovered before. FASHION IN ANTWERP provides a great insight into the rich history of Antwerp fashion and an abundance of valuable shopping tips. It could easily turn out to be your new best friend while visiting fabulous Antwerp.

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‘The highlight of the academic fashion year is SHOW, a humongous catwalk show’

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Photographs ÂŠ Modeafdeling

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‘An astonishing 350 years of The Royal Academy for Fine Arts’

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‘The exhibition paints a picture of the programme as an artistic cocoon.’

Photograph © Academie

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SO 2013 110

By Denson Pierre

On June 27, PANL (Dutch Photographersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association), held their prize presentation to their annual selection at Pakhuis De Zwijger, Amsterdam. The winners were Jouk Oosterhof (3 rd), Mike Harris (2 nd), Carla Kogelman (1 st), and the design concept and production was by No Office Studios. The Sentinel offers a peek inside. Later this year the winning series will be exhibited in combination with the presentation of the So Awards annual: So Winners exhibition 26 t/m 29 september ADCN - clubhouse Westergasfabriek terrein AMSTERDAM

For more information: www.so2013.nl

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: K C A B G N I BR amsterdam city life

By Denson Pierre

ANTWERP!

It is high time that I made a special case for Antwerp becoming the default destination for Amsterdammers who cherish the distance their euros can take them and who have an eye for jewels. I had come across to Antwerp from Bruges to meet the guide from Antwerp Tourism, with specialist knowledge about the city’s Jewish community and, more importantly, the diamond trade in which Antwerp still leads the world, in terms of wholesale handling of the rough stuff (more than 80% of the world’s supply passes through there) and the availability of the very best polishers anywhere.

Soon after Min Rombouts, my guide, started walking me around this deceptively large district, solely dedicated to everything from financing to mining to the retail of these stones, I realised that I could not grasp the concepts of pricing and politics regarding this substance, which was formed in the Pre-Cambrian eon, thousands of millions of years ago. We visited the workshop/studio of some famous polishers and I enjoyed the tour purely as a tourist. Seeing the craftsman work one of those precious stones is seeing an artist at work in his studio. Even if a diamond can be sourced for as little as €100, it does not attract my interest enough to consider a purchase. That said, I can truly say that a guided tour here would be fascinating to anyone with an interest in wearing or collecting diamonds. More importantly, it lays to rest the myth that Amsterdam, not Antwerp, is in fact the city of diamonds. Historically, the groups involved were forced to flee to Amsterdam to be tolerated and shielded while carrying out their craft and business but Antwerp is the most important address for all matters concerning diamonds. Not every package of Amsterdam marketing is truthful... Not only is Antwerp a more solid and grounded city than Amsterdam in certain appealing ways but I think

As a beer-drinking couple who can easily take a combined average of 20 A-class beers a week, this would mean 200 beers, or so, over 10 weeks. Using two beers that could be considered excellent, one standard and the other exceptional, both readily available in both cities, we see how the sums add up. In a couple of cheaper priced A-class cafés in Amsterdam you can get yourself a glass of De Koninck for €3.40. In a similar establishment in Antwerp you would pay €1.70. That is some difference (a saving of €1.70 per glass). For a glass or bottle of the current favourite A-class beer throughout tasting rooms across the lowlands (Tripel Karmeliet) you will pay, at least €4.00 in Amsterdam. In Antwerp, in my own favourite, totally central watering cosy (Pater’s Vaetje) this beer flows from the tap at €2.70 a glass. Again, a saving per glass of at least €1.30. By mixing the purchases 50:50 you have 100 De Konincks, saving you €170, and 100 Karmeliets, saving €130. Amazing isn’t it? Someone once said everything was about mathematics and taking it easy in Amsterdam, boycotting the stupid pricing for a couple of months, can give you a budget of at least €300, not counting snacks and eats. So, can Amsterdam bring back Antwerp and make sure we can more easily enjoy our hard earned cents here too? There are differences in tax regimes between the two countries but no one could justify such a difference in pricing for the same products within the Dutch-language region. It just makes doing Antwerp a couple of times a month seem like more value for money than going out in the capital of the Netherlands. I know I will exercise good sense and do it as often as possible. It will be the present of a living diamond concept to self and partner.

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We were able to sit in warm sunshine on the cool marble around the statues outside central station and saw numerous Jewish folk pass by in traditional dress. A few of these were Hasidic men and I was informed that it is they who control an increasingly questioned and overly substantial amount of the entire business surrounding diamonds. Given that India is such a big supplier and the Jains are pretty eager about the glittery stuff, they are now the fastest growing, visible group within the trade, already handling more than two-thirds of the wholesale business in Antwerp.

my wife and I have worked out that it is possible to take a fun break to Antwerp and have it all financed by the savings made by avoiding Amsterdam-based hospitality businesses for just ten weeks. I will tell you how and hope you, too, will bring back Antwerp more often. So, for €63, or so, two of you can take the partially high-speed return rail connection to Antwerp. Staying at the reasonably priced Theater Hotel (http://www. vhv-hotels.be/hotel/4) positions you in the old theatre district with some very appealing cafés and eateries nearby. This works out to around €195, including breakfast, for two nights, which brings us to a total of €258 on essentials. And here is the bit where you pay for the lubricating, fine, Belgian, beer beauties and make the entire ten week exercise worth it, vis-à-vis restricting your behaviour in Amsterdam, where overcharging has become some sort of sick fashion.

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Star Beer

star beer guide

The Sentinel Star beer guide By Denson Pierre

DE KONINCK TRIPLE D’ANVERS (8.0% A.B.V.)

‘Liquid tradition masquerading as velvet’ 119

Having spent quite some time in Antwerp, it De Koninck Triple D’Anvers is brewed by is easy to acknowledge one of the city’s De Koninck Brewery, Antwerp, Belgium. authentically local bests. This triple carries all of the trademark, well-documented and extremely popular taste characteristics of the world famous ‘bolleke’. Within its high alcohol content you will discover that great taste and smoothness can go hand in hand, even at these heights. Liquid tradition masquerading as velvet.

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ENDE RECOMM

We find the best, most fun, most typical, exciting, or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you; an easy way to feel like a local.

To be seen and tasted

Fun, Drinking & Music

Cafe de Toog 1890’s grandeur fashioned into Amsterdam-West, grand, brown cafe-restaurant-cool. Classy drinks and meals. Nicolaas Beetsstraat 142 hs Amsterdam www.cafedetoog.com

Parck Great fun, beautiful people and simply the best bar food in town! Overtoom 428 Amsterdam www.cafeparck.nl

Mulligans Irish Music Bar Amsterdam’s best address for live Irish music: Five (5) nights a week! Check our agenda for upcoming sessions. Amstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdam www.mulligans.nl

To Be Seen and Tasted

Connoisseurs Delight

To Be Seen and Tasted

Cafe restaurant Edel Cafe restaurant Edel is the perfect place for lunch, dinner or to simply enjoy a drink. Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam. Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam www.edelamsterdam.nl

Incanto A restaurant with a classic Italian kitchen. Venetian chef Simone Ambrosin is known for his pure and simple style of cooking with great feeling for nuance. Amstel 2 Amsterdam www.restaurant-incanto.nl

Café Kostverloren Café Kostverloren is a contemporary cafe offering the cosiness of a saloon, an open kitchen and the intimacy of a living room. The large terras is great for sunny days. 2e Kostverlorenkade 70 Amsterdam www.cafekostverloren.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

Connoisseurs Delight

Neighbourhood cosy

Café Oporto Café Oporto is a traditional Amsterdam ‘brown cafe’. Welcoming tourists and regular customers alike, they offer televised sports, wifi and a wide range of reasonably priced beers and spirits. Zoutsteeg 1 1012 LX Amsterdam www.cafeoporto.net

Planet Rose The first Caribbean restaurant in the Netherlands, specialised in Jamaican cuisine. The menu features a daily changing selection! Nicolaas Beetsstraat 47 Amsterdam www.planetrose.info

Zest Zest is fine food, warm atmosphere and classy drinks with regular semi-acoustic (live) music and DJs (Thursday to Sunday). Amsterdam’s newest and freshest! Bilderdijkstraat 188 Amsterdam www.facebook.com/clubzest.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

Connoisseurs Delight

Fun, drinking and music

Bax A cosy and friendly local café with a focus on special or interesting beers and good quality food. Open 7 days a week with a professional kitchen offering a lunch and dinner service. Ten Katestraat 119 Amsterdam www.cafebax.nl

Café Rose Red You will not see and sample a better selection of the very best of European beer elsewhere. Cordoeaniersstraat 16 Brugge www.caferosered.com

Gollem Gollem’s Proeflokaal, Gollem and Gollem II represent the best addresses serving the fullest range of top Belgian, Dutch and international beers in Amsterdam. Overtoom 160-161 www.cafegollem.nl

DED

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spotted

Where is this in Amsterdam?

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Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com

room2c

Room 2c film F/X (1986)

By dpmotions

Nowadays, with almost every new, non-art house movie experiencing overkill in the use of hyper-real choreography and high definition CGI, it is nice to remember how special effects were applied in previous generations. Here, a special effects engineer gets involved in one staging too many and becomes a real target. He has to use all his technical skills to expose the truth using clever illusions. 123

Apocalypse Now (1979) Everyday madness meets wartrauma-induced delusions of divinity, as US Army Captain L. Willard (Martin Sheen) goes up a Vietnamese-Cambodian war-era river on a mission to discontinue the bizarre and bloody cult formed by renegade, decorated US Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando). All manner of captivations are possible, starting with a soundtrack heavily featuring The Doors, which never made a better fit than here, adorning Francis Ford Coppolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing cinematography and vision of hell on earth.

By dpmotions

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trends

The future of everything ‘Something that will change all that we know’

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

I am not talking about creation, but about 3D printing. The first time I saw a 3D printer in real life was about seven years ago. It was the talk of the town and something very special back then but I have to say that the resulting piece of semi-transparent, light-blue plastic, shaped like a game figurine, left me utterly underwhelmed. Yes, it was wondrous that just through the input of some immensely complicated, mathematical formulae, this machine’s laser was able to produce the exact shape intended but, apart from its novelty factor, what exactly would you do with it as a private person? Create your own line of action hero figures (mind you, they would need hand painting or

something to spruce them up a bit to be really interesting figurines, which means you have to be the type of person who likes painting little plastic puppets, which probably means the biggest potential target group would be people who like sitting in cellars or attics at large tables playing war games or miniature railways)? Nowadays, there isn’t a day that goes by without me reading something about the great possibilities and lifeworld-universe-changing opportunities of 3D-printing. Last week the BBC website reported that there is now a 3D printing machine that can print food. I was flabbergasted; you mean like in Buck Rodgers or Star Trek? You just type in the name or make some hand gesture or speak out loud and the exact thing you are craving for comes out in a jiffy? Just some electric sparks and fizzing sounds? Brilliant! Say goodbye to world hunger! Eeehm, some grilled artichokes and a pumpkin risotto please! Upon reading further, however, reality isn’t all that glamorous. The 3D-printing of food they are busy with, these days, is something they are developing for the purpose of feeding astronauts on long-duration space journeys; like for a mission to Mars or a long stay in a galactic space station. It is basically a machine, which puts out different shapes made of food puree, or food paste, which just consists of dry food powders mixed with water. Hmmm… the future?

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Every now and then, humanity is startled by a new discovery or technology that professes to be world-changing, or at least the future of the world, or at the very least, the world as we know it. In the past, we had inventions such as electricity, space travel, the car, the wheel, aircraft, fire, the computer, the washing machine, the internet, the iPhone and so on. Now there is a new revolutionary and potentially everything-changing evolution going on as we speak; something that will change all that we know, something that can (apparently) create anything, something sounding more and more like a mini-god.

perspectives

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Amsterdam: a love story ‘I tend to romanticise Amsterdam’

‘Unconsciously sense the coming apocalypse’

By E.R. Muntrem

My friend Annemiek (the one who called boating in the canals “useless joy”) says I tend to romanticise Amsterdam. My guardian angel Michael (his story follows in a few months) says the same thing. Both natives, they insist that I skim over the city’s troubles and flaws, and that I should lose my childlike glee about the lack of guns, a still extant middle class, cycling, the cafés, etc. Fine… The Dutch are, at least in The Vondelpark, the worst joggers in the world. First of all, almost everyone jogs at exactly the same speed: the young girl, her boyfriend, a fat old man and one in good shape. Everyone moves at grandmotherly pace. You might not catch up from behind (unless you actually ran) but any moderate sprint would break the sound barrier. And everyone lopes, the motion of someone learning to throw a javelin before anything sharp is put in their hand, at a kind of “let’s see what

happens with this” trot. Plus, the standard sweat suit outfit matches too well, more like pyjamas than workout clothes. This is not how one should jog. Jogging is work. You put in your kilometres, you sweat, you finish near your home with your hands on your hips, panting and tired, steam coming off your body. It is what you do in addition to what you do when you go to the gym. At least as Americans do it. About forty years ago Americans began to jog in large numbers for two reasons. One of these reasons you can Google, the other I am inventing. Frank Shorter winning the 1972 Olympic Marathon is the first reason for setting off the American jogging craze. The second made up reason – and here you need to prepare for a rather sizeable transition in this piece – is that joggers could unconsciously sense the coming apocalypse. Nowadays, seeing the apocalypse on America’s horizon, or rather expressed by American Culture, is easy enough. The typical driver in America is overweight, on

perspectives

‘Just imagine, as one example, Manhattan with Amsterdam’s frequency of cycling’

the phone and drives a car the size of a truck. Fat, dangerous and entitled is no way to go through life (to paraphrase a favourite fictional educator). My more optimistic countrymen might take solace in the growing popularity of organic food and the Prius but these hardly make up for an epidemic of diabetes, steady increase in the weight of American cars and accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Iron Man or Triathlon and perhaps emanating from the Marathon itself; a race commemorating a guy who ran a long way to announce the Greeks had won a big battle. Of late, the Boston Marathon was turned into a killing field by a couple of deranged boys. Sick, but also another loss for America in its fight to survive the culture it spreads.

And that’s just the daily experience; the micro-view of “this can’t last”. The macro-view one gets from ‘the news’ is worse, as you may know. The poor are labelled “the moocher-class” by people who get paid to say hateful, untrue things, the rich are protected against playground chalk (Google ‘Bank of America’ and ‘chalk’), women are under attack and our last best chance president turns out to love drones and listening in to everything you say.

It is hard to know how to prevent the apocalypse of modern life but bikes seem to do a better job than scooters (or cars). Extended to cafés and canals, this has been my argument over the previous few issues of The Sentinel. Whatever it glosses over in general, romanticises about Amsterdam specifically and globalises as a matter of course, just imagine, as one example, Manhattan with Amsterdam’s frequency of cycling. Why aren’t India and China chasing down the joy imbedded in that image rather than the big engines they crave?

Joggers in the 1970s and 1980s were people getting fit, Why not run as a loper, lost in your own backyard, not and so they may still be. But jogging also had, and still has, a kind of militaristic flavour, something survivalist a citizen of the next world order, trained to fight, waiting to flee? about it, a sensibility easy to see in the extremes of an

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‘The typical driver in America is overweight, on the phone and drives a car the size of a truck’

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Day segments and rates: PR: 08:00-12:30hrs / AG: 13:30-16:30hrs / UE: 17:30-21:30hrs All sessions are priced at u 25 per single adult. Group size upper limit = 8. Accompanied children under the age of five are gratis and school aged children pay 25%. Family package rates are negotiable.

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health & well-being

– ‘When worn as jewellery, gems are usually embedded in silver, gold, copper or some other type of metal’ –

Silver lining 130

By Evelina Kvartunaite

Over the course of this series we have looked at various stones, precious or otherwise, and their properties; their effects on our physical and spiritual being. But it is also important to mention that, when worn as jewellery, gems are usually embedded in silver, gold, copper or some other type of metal. This can also influence the properties of the stone, magnifying or reducing its power.

prosperity and wealth. This precious metal is usually associated with the sun and its energy in combination with sun stone, for example, only increases and magnifies the stone’s powers. A long time ago, silver was even more expensive than gold. It is a relatively soft metal and is usually mixed with others to form an alloy. Silver tarnishes when exposed to air (a thin layer of silver oxide forms on the surface). In jewellery, it is commonly used in combination with a wide variety of gemstones. Similarly to gold, it increases their power, but in more subtle and peaceful way. Silver adornments are used to conjure patience and perseverance.

Let’s quickly run through a couple of popular metals. Although style and attractiveness are important when choosing jewellery, personal preferences and intuitive choice can sometimes outweigh advice when selecting the right stone. Let’s start with the very sought after gold, which is always very popular and is a symbol of

– ‘A long time ago, silver was even more expensive than gold’

–

health & well-being

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technology

‘Stalking your friends on Facebook, it also plays a tremendous role in our day-to-day activities’

User Interface 132

The Internet of Things – a crash course ‘Minuscule identifying devices could be transformative to daily life’

By Andrei Barburas

We use it every day, either through a relatively large screen (computer) or a smaller, portable screen (smart phone), but the internet is so much more. While the internet, as we know it, is useful for checking e-mail, making appointments and stalking your friends on Facebook, it also plays a tremendous role in our day-to-day activities. Even when it is unnoticeable, it’s still there; tracking your order from your favourite online store or targeting you with advertising and marketing campaigns based on your Albert Heijn bonus card.

prerequisite for the Internet of Things. If all objects and people in daily life were equipped with identifiers, they could be managed and inventoried by computers. Tagging of things may be achieved through such technologies as near field communication, barcodes, QR codes and digital watermarking.

Equipping all objects in the world with minuscule identifying devices could be transformative to daily life. Your new passport has it, new ID, OV chipcard (Public Transport Card in the Netherlands), even newer version of tyres have them. Director of the RFID Technology Auto-ID European Centre at the University of Cambridge, Helen Duce, has a bold vision of a new RFID-connected world: “We have a clear vision: to create a world where every object – from jumbo jets to sewing needles – is linked to the So what is the definition of the ‘Internet of Things’? The internet.” term was proposed by Kevin Ashton in 1999 and refers According to ABI Research, more than 30 billion devices to uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual will be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things (or representations in an internet-like structure. RadioInternet of Everything) by 2020. This is one of the reasons frequency identification (RFID) is often seen as a

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‘Create a world where every object – from jumbo jets to sewing needles – is linked to the internet.”’

why, in the past few years, there has been a bigger push towards IPv6, which basically assigns a unique identifier to each device connected to the internet. The European Commission held a public consultation on the Internet of Things between April and July 2012, during which 600 people, associations and various academic and civil groups, as well industry players, responded to the consultation. The Commission sought views on a policy approach to foster a dynamic development of Internet of Things in the digital single market, while ensuring the appropriate protection and trust of EU citizens. Even though the topic is relatively obscure, in reality, it is changing your life more directly than you might imagine. I would strongly recommend the following reads and watching Jesse Schell’s presentation at DICE2010, in which he discusses ‘gamification’, the inclusion of games in our personal and business life, including different commercial products that are connected to the Internet of Things.

Links: Conclusions of the Internet of Things public consultation Internet of Things EU Jesse Schell @DICE2010 (part 1) Jesse Schell @DICE2010 (part 2) Jesse Schell @DICE2010 (part 3)

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CZECH REPUBLIC STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT!