vol. 6 #17 – 24 September 2013
The Sentinel Amsterdam
Integrity, heart, humour
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CULTURE PERSPECTIVES LIFESTYLES TRAVEL OPINION REVIEW TECHNOLOGY ART FILM MUSIC TRENDS RECOMMENDED SPORT
feature
lifestyles
Life in essex
fox hunting
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in this issue
perspectives - p.24
city gem- p. 48
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Dam in 60 mins: Diemen
Butcher’s Tears
‘Essex makes it easy for visitors’
‘Bike past Chinatown with its fascinating aromas’
‘As if by drunken magic’
trends - p. 68
technology - p. 76
sport - p.80
The myth of self
User Interface
The Gold Room
‘The wisest thing to post to your followers’
‘New iPhones were launched‘
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feature - p.04
more lifestyles - p. 44
perspectives - p. 56
amsterdam city life - p. 61
Fox hunting
A moan of two-wheeled city
Bring back…!
star beer guide - p. 63
sentinel recommended - p. 65
spotted - p.66
Bring back…!
Where is this in Amsterdam?
film - p. 67
perspectives - p. 70
health & well-being - p. 74
Room2c
In Town
Amber
The Sentinel Amsterdam
E-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com Website: www.thesentinel.eu Contributors: Sam van Dam, David King, E.D. Muntrem, Dirkje BakkerPierre, 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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Life in Essex By Denson Pierre
‘The most exciting city in Europe is, at any time, a maximum of just two hours train ride or drive away’
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‘The wealth of the area is not just commercial’
With so many Londoners having left the big city over the years to settle in the cities, towns and villages of Essex, the county covers a range of accents from the mainly deprived Eastern boroughs of London, blended with the rather plummy accents of the well-heeled residents of this county. For visitors with time on their hands, it is a lovely part of the UK to explore. With green-belt land and many charming towns and villages, it is soothingly relaxing to tour in the knowledge that the most exciting city in Europe is, at any time, a maximum of just two hours train ride or drive away. This proximity to London has produced a huge commuter population among the nicer settlements of the county. There are likely to be more Tottenham Hotspur fans living in Essex than supporters of Colchester United, Chelmsford City and Southend United combined. The wealth of the area is not just commercial. With its proximity to Amsterdam and the rest of the European continent, cultural exchange has always been popular.
Essex makes it easy for visitors who are not sidetracked by the belief that the inanity gobbled up as ‘entertainment’ by so many Brits and foreigners alike (in the form of EastEnders, or the countless reality TV twists) has anything to do with real life this side of London. Essex serves up so much in a convenient and well-connected manner. In just a few days you can tour anything from Britain’s oldest recorded town (Colchester) to the natural joys of the Thames estuary, quaint villages and pubs, and countless options for entertainment of the artsy or popular kind. Do not miss the trick of visiting the hamlet of Flatford (Suffolk) and villages of Dedham and Lawford. If you have more time, I suggest visiting as many as possible of the villages in this region of the county, as they are quietly and traditionally as gorgeous as anything you will find anywhere in the UK. Flatford (1.5 km into Suffolk County) is the crowning glory, should you be culturally bent, given that it is at the heart of ‘Constable Country’. John Constable (1776-1837) is arguably the most famous and valued of all the British painters and this was his patch. The hamlet has a tiny museum and all of the fantastic nature he captured is still on display. I visited and crisscrossed this county on two occasions over the course of two weeks. It could have been two months, however, as, even though the start of the second trip was a mere few days after the first, the weather could not have been more different. The first visit was during the last throes of the brilliant summer of 2013, while the second was greeted by the softness and moisture synonymous with the advent of temperate-maritime autumn. I used both Stansted and Southend international airports and both are ideal gateways to a county I think of as my second home. Getting there from the Netherlands is particularly easy.
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Bordering London to the northeast and stretching to the North Sea, Essex has always formed a natural and popular axis. It is one of the larger counties in the UK and certainly one of the most talked about. Unfortunately, the conversation is not usually about how beautiful and diverse the county is but, rather, how crass it can be. Historically, this perceived degree of uncouthness has been played upon heavily in the British media and also to great commercial and political effect. Today, many an Englishman or woman, from whichever ‘class’ (this is still talked about and acted out in the UK) and from anywhere within the county, is more likely to cite ‘London’ as their home or place of origin during an initial meeting.
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‘Essex serves up so much in a convenient and well-connected manner’
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‘Quietly and traditionally as gorgeous as anything you will find anywhere in the UK’
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‘One thing that touring in heat and humidity is guaranteed to do and that is to make you very thirsty and hungry’
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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.
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
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Mechelen Mechelen
perspectives
Dam in 60 minutes! 24
Diemen
By Sam van Dam
perspectives
‘Waterlooplein, home to the big outdoor flea market’
I spend a moment taking in the spectacle and then bike on along the shop-lined street that leads me to Waterlooplein, home to the big outdoor flea market offering a mind-boggling variety of clothes, art, bikes, souvenirs and many other trinkets and gadgets that entice visitors and locals alike. Once I manage to take my eyes off the enormous variety of things on sale, I steer my bike towards the Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge), one of the prettiest bridges in Amsterdam, where I turn to the left and continue my journey along the River Amstel. The Hermitage and the big wooden dock outside its main entrance look inviting but I leave them behind and only stop every now and then to admire some of the many pretty houseboats that sit in the water like oversized ducks. I glance at the famous ‘Skinny Bridge’ (Magere Brug) and the Amstel Hotel in passing and head in the direction of Amstel Station. Its landmark skyline features high-rise office towers
becoming ever more visible ahead, adding a touch of ‘big city’ to this picturesque panorama. As I reach the cluster of buildings, I swerve through groups of office workers on their lunch break and make a quick left and right, bringing me onto a path by a canal that is dominated by nature. It leads away from the urban sights and into the no man’s land between Amsterdam and the next village. Graffiti adds a splash of colour to the motorway bridge that crosses the canal and the occasional bench invites pedestrians to sit down and enjoy the calmness for a while. I bike on and, after some time, I re-enter the realms of civilisation in the form of a sign announcing Duivendrecht. I pass through the village and shortly afterwards arrive at my destination, Diemen. One of the first things I notice is that the houses look distinctly different to those of central Amsterdam, making me feel as if I’ve travelled far away when, in fact, the towers next to Amstel Station are still visible on the horizon. Everything is smaller here and the streets are named after animals; the locals seem relaxed and carefree as they pedal and walk past me, following their small town routines. A fairground is being constructed outside the town hall and I can imagine how the rides and food stands will attract the Diemeners with their colourful lights and noises once the sun sets. Shoppers enter the mall, with its ring of snack bars and restaurants, which dominates the centre, to do their groceries or enjoy other pleasures of modern consumerism. As I take in the vibe and the scenery, I think about two of the most famous Diemeners: the rappers Lange Frans and Baas B. They scored a national hit with their homage to the Netherlands, ‘Het Land van’, and I wonder how growing up in such a rather secluded part of Holland could result in them producing a song that describes the country, its people and their habits in such an incisive, heart-warming way. The secret to their success could simply be that living away from all the action of the city allows for a clearer perspective on its defining qualities; one of the reasons why I enjoy my trips through this country so much.
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Once again, our trip starts at Central Station, in the heart of Amsterdam, and will take us to Diemen, one of the suburbs that are layered around the centre, slowly growing towards it, extending the range and size of the city. After a last look facing the magnificent train station, I turn to the right and bike past Chinatown with its fascinating aromas and flavours, its multitude of exotic shops, supermarkets and restaurants that peacefully co-exist with the neighbouring, world-famous, Red Light District. On the Nieuwmarkt, the neighbourhood’s central square, groups of fresher students stand in a long line in front of the Waag, the former weighing house, receiving their traditional introduction into the ranks of the intellectual elite of this country by means of games, tours and playful information sessions.
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‘Onto a path by a canal that is dominated by nature’
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perspectives
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‘Rotate 360 degrees to ‘Re-enter the realms of civilisation in allain’ thetake formitof sign’
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‘Locals seem relaxed and carefree as they pedal and walk past’
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classifieds
Świętokrzyskie - share the Magic
go to the website: swietokrzyskie.travel
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lifestyles
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‘Everything Rupert Murdoch touches gravitates towards hyper-profiteering’
x o F t in n u h
lifestyles
‘At a certain point the tendencies of Dutch big business marry too easily with Australian-American capitalistic over-exuberance’
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g n By Denson Pierre
Since everything Rupert Murdoch touches gravitates towards hyper-profiteering, we now find our opportunities for football enjoyment in cafés being trimmed, due to intelligent proprietors preferring not to be fleeced. Despite consistently producing technically brilliant footballers, Dutch top football is nothing more than a slightly boring spectacle when compared to the other highenergy leagues across Europe, producing a gap in the market to be exploited. No sooner had a decline in the quality of the once adequate Sport 1 service set in, than the patter of Fox’s feet could be heard crossing the field, in the guise of Eredivisie Media & Marketing (itself majority owned by Fox). Fox
now owns the rights to show Eredivisie, English Premier League, League Cup, Europa League, Serie A, Coppa Italia and DFB Cup matches. At a certain point the tendencies of Dutch big business marry too easily with Australian-American capitalistic over-exuberance, which clearly offers little consideration to the average person wanting to view the occasional live football match in a socially convenient café, sport club or canteen. It is enough that the domestic package for live football, including European competitions, has doubled in price and, in fact, has also been split (Sport 1 still exists and has kept the rights to the Spanish and German top leagues and Champions League matches) since last season. With all things considered, including the current economy, it is little short of brutally ravenous of Fox Sports NL to set the subscription rate for ‘business’ use
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‘A situation in which it is simply untenable to make the Fox Sports offering available’
lifestyles
‘We deserve at least as much for prices we already considered significant’
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Looking at and listening to Fox Sports’ recent broadcasts shows it up as a very average quality product (who designed those studio sets? How very garishly 1990s). It is no surprise, therefore, that Fox (News Corporation International) tried to take over Sky Amsterdam hospitality, it is fair to say, is still suffering and all its stylish and informed productions in 2011. Due the effects of the recession, even if Amsterdam bucks to good political and ethical pressure in the UK, this the national trend somewhat with more people trying monopolistic move was barred from going ahead. to go out consuming again. It has also alienated many Right now in Amsterdam, the ability to enjoy televised of its more typical clients through the extortionate football (and other sport) at home and while out has pricing of staple beverages and food. Maybe it is the been legally hijacked by Fox Sports and we deserve at initial fault of the multinational brewers and landlords. least as much for prices we already considered Suffice to say that, apart from the grand cafés on the busiest drags, attracting the more fiscally brainless and significant. tourists, any regular-sized or cosy café with a clientele To end the hunt, proprietors should simply switch reasonably interested in televised football now faces a providers (satellite, etc.) and, especially these days in situation in which it is simply untenable to make the Amsterdam, where the socialising language is heavily Fox Sports offering available to its customers (see anglicised anyway, just leave Fox to savage those who price listing in illustration 1). they can. What is for sure is that the Dutch-language commentary on the most popular product in the Fox Proprietors have a simple choice to make. Either they package (English Premier League) is nothing short of continue with this already heavily and systematically woeful and uninspiring. An original language feed from controlled subscription, forcing them to pass yet the UK just makes more sense and heightens the another cost on to the customer, or they must seek an alternative. Fox Sports is in a position to virtually abuse enjoyment of the experience when you get the impression that the commentator teams are actually at its customers simply because its product, which is the grounds and are aware of almost everything going rather inferior when compared with the just as easily on; on the pitch, in the stands and even in the available Sky Sports, is in such demand. Sky comes communities the clubs and supporters hail from. over as expensive but, in fact, it offers a much wider range of football matches and other sports all the time, Fox, no thanks. Cue the blast of the fox hunting horn. making it the wiser investment for a café or bar wanting to offer televised sport as one of its services. of their services at 65% greater than that which proprietors paid just last season for an easily comparable service from Sport 1 and Eredivisie Live.
city gem
‘Some 18 microbreweries have sprung up in and around Amsterdam’
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M CITY GE
city gem
‘Getting to Butcher’s Tears involves an almost unique type of Amsterdam journey’
Butcher’s Tears By Denson Pierre
I don’t usually touch upon trends in this column but I tend to be attracted to beer, good to great beer, and a trend has arisen in connection with this particular city gem. Suddenly, as if by drunken magic, some 18 microbreweries have sprung up in and around Amsterdam. Long gone, it seems, are the days when ‘the windmill’ was a fixed tradition and sole venue for an intense session on slightly rougher, stronger and totally local brews. It is not my job to list the other breweries so, instead, I ventured across town to visit and sample the wares of the Butcher’s Tears brewery (a name that certainly grabs attention but I am not convinced that it is appropriate for a brewery). Just getting to Butcher’s Tears involves an almost unique type of Amsterdam journey. The brewery is situated on the edge of an area of the city that has come to be known as the ‘Golden Triangle’. A great many Amsterdammers who own or mortgage properties in the top 20% price range are to be found in this district
of the city. The moment you turn off the main road into the brewery’s dead-end street, you suddenly find yourself in a 1980s-style scene with slightly rundown auto repair garages and other nondescript, small, industrial spaces lining the way. You get the feeling that nothing other than a squat brewery could be found in such a hole, and then... Even if Butcher’s Tears’ tasting room is located in what is pretty much a converted garage/loading area, it is simple, clean and laid-out expressly for the purpose of tasting beer. On my visit, avant garde, experimental music was playing, which gave a nice balance to the experimental and slightly edgy flavour of their brews, aligned to their notions of not being a designed space but just a ‘whole around beer’. Just ninety seconds from one of the more busy thoroughfares of Amsterdam you find this little escape into an atmospheric trip through the dreams and aspirations of the three-person ownership team. It is nice to have a properly ‘alternative’ offering of beers in Amsterdam, where the rise in the number of microbreweries is matched, if not outstripped, by the growing number of educated beer drinkers emerging. Quality beer has become a new language and Butcher’s Tears is competent enough in its use to deserve the title of city gem.
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Butcher’s Tears Karperweg 45, Amsterdam
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‘It is simple, clean and laid-out expressly for the purpose of tasting beer’
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‘A properly ‘alternative’ offering of beers in Amsterdam’
perspectives
‘I am a cyclist on the roads of Amsterdam’
A moan of two-wheeled city 56
By David King
Like most people, I am a cyclist on the roads cyclists listening to some crap on their of Amsterdam but are we cared for? I would headphones; or those who cycle nine-abreast have to say no! and who you can’t pass unless you have a bell, which is useless anyway because they Why are we constantly stuck at traffic lights do not hear, care or even function beyond and faced with other bullshit? We have police their own space. Does anyone care about nowhere and everywhere when we cross anyone else on the roads? traffic lights. Crossing a red light means that we shovel money into their coffers, while Society has gone to shit. Open your eyes and green lights give us the chance to die at the ears and start listening to the traffic and the hands of some wannabe F1 driver who seems people around you, because we all want to blind and wants to be a Schumacher and cut live and be happy, not stuck behind tossers corners without thought. Where are the or splatted all over these streets we have police when that happens? grown to love. Then there are the deaf, dumb and sightless
This has been a personal rant. If you like it, then think about it.
‘Shovel money into their coffers’
perspectives
‘Deaf, dumb and sightless cyclists’
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‘We all want to live and be happy’
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amsterdam city life
: K C A B ING BR Video shops By Denson Pierre
It is in one of the funnier episodes of that American ‘opposition’ politics, animated comedy series called South Park where Randy invests in reopening a video shop franchise, when everyone else in this fictional Colorado mountain town has moved on to non-material film access. Hilarious consequences ensue but in Amsterdam it is even weirder. I would hazard a guess that 85% of all DVD/video rental shops (excluding public libraries) have disappeared in just the past four years. This has left a city in which almost everyone has a DVD player, or some other device that can play discs, with little choice of a neighbourhood movie shop. These provided so much more than we ever admitted to realising and only miss now that they are gone. Honestly, who has not asked for
an opinion on a film they have had their eye on or had suggestions volunteered while in one of these fun minilibraries once dotted all over the place? Who has not fingered through the artwork and promotional text on the boxes, desperately hoping to make the right choice of home entertainment on a budget for an evening with a new prospect or, even worse, critical friends? Yes, with prices once being unnecessarily high for a one-day rental of a ‘new’ film, touching €4.50 before the inevitable crash, it did seem like proprietors quite enjoyed wrapping themselves up in the unreal profit margin propaganda and then found themselves overtaken by technology and real market forces. With just a few video shops left and situated mostly in either affluent or low-income neighbourhoods, I say bring back a few video shops in more typical areas of town. The focus has shifted and we now know that there are enough people around to use this service, provided the proprietors set more modest pricing and consider it more a social form of business, providing a service to those who like meeting face-to-face for chats about all kinds of films and documentaries. If there was one nearby, I would be using it at least once a week, in addition to whatever media access tools there are at home. Amsterdam is at its best when being a social city.
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Amsterdam is unlike most cities or even towns in as much as it can feel like a village, if you disregard the tourists and the folk newly arrived from the countryside, faking big-city behaviours learned from TV. Like most villages not at war and connected to the internet and banking system, all manner of transactions are possible from the comfort of your own neighbourhood and living space. We have touched on the criminal downloaders twice before in this column and not much more will be said today about their self-righteous notions of fighting or subverting something when, in fact, all they are doing is cheating and stealing.
star beer guide
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Star Beer
star beer guide
The Sentinel Star beer guide By Denson Pierre
Lagunitas IPA
(6.2% A.B.V.)
‘The best American beer I have tasted to date’ 63
Maybe it is because there was a really long Lagunitas IPA is brewed by Lagunitas road to travel for American brewers, as far as Brewing Company, Petaluma, presenting the world with proper and tasteful California, USA. beers, that it has taken this much time for one of them to make it onto this list. The brewers at Lagunitas have applied a smooth Californian flourish in making this almost creamy feeling IPA. What a pleasure it is to savour, as it comes in at the just the right strength to be session-worthy. The best American beer I have tasted to date.
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recommended
Jazzcafé ‘t Geveltje 20/09/13
ENDED 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. Connoisseurs Delight
To be seen and tasted
Butcher’s Tears Brewery and tasting room. From ears to mouth to tails. Karperweg 45 Amsterdam www.butchers-tears.com
Cafe-Restaurant Du Cap A spacious and tasty helping to the Mediterranean vibe within Amsterdam’s new ‘West End’ entertainment district. Kwakersplein 2 Amsterdam www.du-cap.nl
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 Amsterdam www.cafegollem.nl
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To be seen and tasted
spotted
Where is this in Amsterdam?
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Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com
room2c
Room 2c film Highlander (1986)
By dpmotions
One of several cult favourites of the 1980s to have influenced so many other films, video games and certainly a great deal of fantasy TV involving swordplay. Immortal warriors descend upon New York circa 1985 to settle centuries-old differences, which are reprised in flashbacks. By now you should know “There can be only one”. A fair share of music by Queen sets the tone. 67
Manhunter (1986) In this first screen appearance of the Hannibal Lecter character we find an FBI agent coming out of retirement to track down a serial killer, nicknamed ‘The Tooth Fairy’. Engaging and very stylised even without Anthony Hopkins, who stole the spotlight in a remake containing different twists five years later. A great movie in its genre, even if the period music score comes over as uneven and wholly misplaced during certain passages.
By dpmotions
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trends
trends
The myth of Self ‘A world of fantastically ego-enhancing imagery, where you can be as boring or creative as you like’
By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre
A selfie is actually a self-portrait with add-ons that you make with your phone or ipad and post online. Within this craze there are many mini-trends or sub-genres of selfie, some of which pop-up accidentally while others are invented creatively. People put time and effort into a good-quality selfie, but some of the selfie trends occur by coincidence or by mistake, thus forming new trends. There is the ‘animal bearding’ trend, in which selfers create a unique image of themselves with the bottom half of their face covered by something that looks like an animal beard, kind of reminiscent of Puss in Boots. The image has to look as lifelike as possible, so some serious Photoshop work has to be put into this selfcentred art piece. The pose has to be perfected with the eyes fixed in a kind of piercing stare. It started out as
cat bearding, where cat owners would often use an image of their own cat to create the look, and later spread to dogs and other animals. Fail selfies are created by accident. The maker forgets to check what is in the background and things are revealed to their online audience that they would rather have kept private. Especially self portraits made in private/embarrassing situations are not the wisest thing to post to your followers, and there really is a limit to how handy multi-tasking can be. They do provide for good laughs though. Another good example is the elevator selfie, which is nice to try yourself. The challenge is to be alone in the elevator and really take the time to pose. The goal is to find the most interesting looking elevator possible. Architecturally elaborate lifts score high points. There are naked mom selfies who forget that a very bored looking kid is in the background, there are police officer selfies, originality selfies, guys with fries selfies, leaked snap-chat selfies, quiet selfies, perfect angle selfies… And so it goes on and on into a world of fantastically ego-enhancing imagery, where you can be as boring or creative as you like and be part of an online movement before you know it.
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While killing some time online during working hours last week, I stumbled across the phenomenon of selfies. Honestly, I had never heard the term. Had I missed something? Had a huge and widespread craze simply passed me by? The answer is yes, but not for long, of course. Straight away, I dived deeply into the fascinatingly egocentric enigma to become a true selfie expert and get to know all the ins and outs of this online trend.
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In town
‘The police can stop people and search people for hard drugs’
‘Scooters turn lovely people into people defined by how fast they can go’
By E.R. Muntrem
I ran into the police the other night. It made me think, as I often do, about the line of people waiting to enter the Anne Frank house, which is always the longest queue in town… Always. There is a new policy, I guess, that in certain parts of town – the party parts – the police can stop people and search people for hard drugs. Since these parts of town include lots of coffee shops, the police can search someone for cocaine just three metres from where people are smoking marijuana in an altogether sanctioned way. In fact, the person who told me about the new policy was a bud-tender who came outside to see what was happening. The incident involved more than a dozen cops (a few on horses) and a guy on a scooter who was randomly stopped. I have made no secret of my dire (perhaps hyperbolic) concern about the threat scooters pose to Amsterdam; to the charm, quiet and lack of tension commuting by bike generates and all of which scooters undermine.
The false materialism of an engine replaces the true individualism of how you ride. Scooters turn lovely people into people defined by how fast they can go in a race against their fellow citizens, not how well they can weave themselves into their community. Still, you don’t pull a guy over at random, scooter guy or not, unless you he’s got a bomb in his bag. And the truth is that the police looked a little embarrassed to be hassling him. They let him go on his way after a few minutes but it is hard to imagine that this marked the high point of his evening. There may be plenty of good cops In the United States, but the police there are simply not as gentle as they are in Amsterdam. Largely, this is because no backlash against the sixties took place in Amsterdam, as it did in London and New York. In the late 1960s and 1970s cops beat up youths in London and NYC. There were class and social differences between cops and youths, for sure, but mostly Reagan and Thatcher hated the permissiveness of the sixties. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, the cops left the youths and the hippies
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‘No backlash against the sixties took place in Amsterdam, as it did in London and New York’
alone and places like the Vondelpark became a safe camping ground.
‘We get angry at people who make us feel bad about ourselves’
In a strange way, this feels somehow connected with Anne Frank and the fact that you can always find the longest queue in town outside her former home. If we get a large part of our allegiance to, or distrust of, Always. People line up there, I am guessing, not just to our government from leaders on TV, another part see how she and her family lived, pay tribute to this comes from how we experience the police and other young girl and see where this famous episode took authorities and bureaucrats; from our exchanges with place, but also to let themselves off the hook. We make people in uniform or behind a desk. pilgrimage to a tiny room that reminds us how bad things were in the past, rather than spending time In New York, a policy called ‘Stop and Frisk’, under worrying about who makes our computers or what which tens of thousands of people have been stopped happens to guys on scooters who get stopped ‘just and searched for weapons or drugs, is under debate. You because’, as certainly happens in the States more than will not be surprised to learn that those stopped are here. Or so I thought. disproportionately of dark skin. It is the logical extension of asserting power over people; you assert it Anyhow, this Jewish boy recently got several stamps most directly over those with whom you have poor from a series of competent and pleasant city officials, relations, people you imagine to be a threat. This is true the latter a Muslim woman who e-mailed me just to whether you are talking about a troublemaker in a catch a mistake I had made filling out a form, thus classroom or a group of people you once enslaved. But, saving me time and a small hassle. So it is not all stop and frisk. really, it’s an old lesson. We get angry at people who make us feel bad about ourselves; the kid we can’t figure out how to teach, the people whose predicament tells us we are not human.
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www.yourtuliptour.com
For complete and world class tours of Prague Packages include: • Hidden and playful Prague (for families with young children) • Literary Prague • Prague Architecture through the ages • Religion and the city • The old city at night *These are detailed tours designed for visitors who wish to explore with great detail and not suitable for simply sight-seeing tourists.
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.
Contact:
Jaroslav Cernosek +420 602 228 797 Mail: jcernosek@centrum.cz
JC Tours
health & well-being
Amber
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By Evelina Kvartunaite
straighten the powers of life, bringing beauty to the person wearing it. Also, because of its warmth, it is used to treat skin problems and respiratory allergies. Amber is one of the most fragile jewels and needs good care. Jewellery containing amber is charged by the sun so, after cleaning with running water, it’s a good idea to leave it on the windowsill to charge during the day. Amber is mainly combined with silver in jewellery and less so in golden settings.
Some say that amber is the colour of liquid sunshine and I think that’s a great way to put it. Technically, amber is not a gemstone; it is fossilised sap from prehistoric trees that has cured over the course of millions of years. It also comes in several shades, from goldenyellow to milky-white, red-orange and green or black. In the past physicians prescribed amber for headaches, heart problems and arthritis, and it is considered to be a general painkiller. In the Far East amber symbolises courage. Due to the fact that it is very sensitive to the human touch and warms up very quickly, as well as sometimes carrying insects inside, amber is also symbolic of ‘the carrier of life’. Because of its colour, amber is often connected with the sun and is said to
– ‘Amber is not a gemstone; it is fossilised sap from prehistoric trees’ –
health & well-being
– ‘It is very sensitive to the human touch and warms up very quickly’
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– ‘Symbolic of ‘the carrier of life’’ –
technology
‘The iOS7 launch had been announced a few months in advance’
User Interface The iSkittles and the fingerprint release ‘The iPhone 5C is simply an iPhone 5 with a new chassis’ 76
By Andrei Barburas
The wonderful summer we have enjoyed is almost over. The leaves are changing colour and falling to the ground, and the end of another year is approaching; but not before the launch of new iPhones and, soon, Google Nexus devices.
discontinued. In short, the iPhone 5C is simply an iPhone 5 with a new chassis, which allows Apple to retain the high-end aluminium design for its new flagship product.
The cherry on the cake is the 5S with a bunch of currently useless features, like a 64-bit processor, which will make Angry Birds run top notch on your phone with no lagging or missing frames. The 64-bit A7 On 10 September 2013, a couple of new iPhones were processor means that the iPhone just got a whole lot launched. As one of the most anticipated industry more powerful. Theoretically, double the power and events when it comes to new phones, high expectations speed but, in reality, it’s probably a 15-30% speed are built up throughout the year and some fan boys increase. Certain apps written for the 64-bit iPhone (not might go as far as saying that Apple is the trendsetter many at the moment) can make better use of the CPU when it comes to mobile phones. But is it really? The and RAM. High-end games are a prime example. Also, event, held one day before the anniversary of 9/11, one feature that was heavily rumoured in recent weeks brought together the official launches of iOS7, the and proved to be correct is a fingerprint-activated iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. The iOS7 launch had been release mechanism. Currently, it can unlock your announced a few months in advance, heralding several phone and, based on what Apple has said, the feature changes to the mobile user interface of Apple devices. will not be available to app developers just yet. The Being an Android fan, iOS7 have not impressed me too good thing is that, apparently, your fingerprint will not much, so far. The changes provide several updates, be stored on Apple’s servers or your iCloud account, but including the camera app and various other apps, which early memes have already started appearing online (see are quite interesting but not enough to convert me. photo). Besides the ‘sexy’ unlocking mechanism, you also get a choice of three colours for the 5S: black, gold Looking at the hardware of the 5C and 5S, I am quite and silver. The gold version will definitely be a money surprised that Apple decided to move away from the saver for those currently looking for golden cases, as bold and formal, to fruitier combinations. To me, the 5C well as a time saver. is a Skittles fest. You can also get a cover that comes in various colour combinations for a mere $29 making it What’s your take on the new iPhones? Are you getting even fruitier. Specification-wise, not much has changed one? If so, which one? but, following this launch, the original iPhone 5 will be
technology
‘Your fingerprint will not be stored on Apple’s servers or your iCloud account’
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sport
The Gold Room 80
By Denson Pierre
A great deal of the traditional flourish within this game comes from the performance of selected players in Europe’s premier competitions: the Champions League and Europa League. Despite our basis being the highly entertaining English Premier League, managers in the FFG-CL know that, unfortunately, the English players present in this game’s player list are not typically of the best value, if the idea is to do well. This European focus is borne out by the fact that the average number of FFG-CL players selected from teams involved in the European competitions is seven. One manager even employs the daring tactic of having a full side from teams represented in European competitions. These matches can offer extra point-scoring opportunities but, on the flipside, can prove to be a waste of budget on higher-priced players. This is particularly true when, like last season, the English teams are all knocked out of the Champions League before the New Year. Another aspect highlighted by the FFG-CL competition is that it is not only the scurrilous British tabloid press that considers English players, and especially the current under 30 year old generation, simply not good enough to make the first team regularly at any of the clubs involved in the very top competitions. There are but five who satisfy this criterion and have been selected by master managers. Of these, just two seem worthy of mention at this stage.
Theo Walcott (Arsenal): has proved most popular with the (English) managers and surely this is more related to the fact that, as Englishmen, they are bound to hope that his decision making will one day catch up with his great speed of foot when clear past most average defenders. Unfortunately for these managers, I fear that this player stalled in his development some two or three years ago and may never progress further, unless he leaves Arsenal and goes somewhere he is not so clearly adored for his cockiness and handsome features; this is about football. Better defenders just usher him into wider positions, where he is often wasteful, and despite his ability to score a few goals, the frustrations inherent in selecting this player are difficult to justify, objectively. Gary Cahill (Chelsea): is perhaps the real great white hope, not only for Chelsea but also the English national team. This is not just my opinion; it is clear that he has immediately gained the confidence of arguably the most exacting coach (Jose Mourinho) in the modern game. Cahill is all about elegance and timing. He is an attractive player to observe in action (and movie star good looking), as he is technically so good. In fantasy terms he brings even more added value to the equation, as he is a defender who easily strolls forward to score anything from rasping screamers to flashy volleys and precise headers. It is pretty early in the season, though, and all the FFG-CL managers have the patience and understanding to know that the top players will only hit top form sometime in November. Go to the website >
sport
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Get advice on housing, rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam
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