The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 6 #4 by Consultancy Market Media

vol. 6 #4 – 25 December 2012

The Sentinel Amsterdam

Integrity, heart, humour

feature

technology

INDIA – NO NEWS TIGERS AND IS GOOD PALACES NEWs

in this issue

perspectives - p.20

travel - p. 26

India: tigers and palaces

Wintry wonders

A russian bears a chinese panda

‘Visits to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, as well as Ranthambore National Park’

‘We usually experience a grey, rainy mess around Christmas time’

‘I departed Moscow for Hong Kong’

technology - p. 78

sport - p. 82

sport - p. 88

No news is good news

White out

The Gold Room

‘A bid to counter the majority of lacklustre stories’

‘Time for me to click into my skis again’

feature - p.04

more city gems - p. 38

art - p. 51

café/bar review - p. 60

Silent nights

Iron wolves

Batavia 1920

star beer guide - p. 66

amsterdam city life - p. 69

spotted - p. 72

Grimbergen blonde

Bring back

Where is this in Amsterdam?

film review - p. 73

trends - p. 74

health & well-being - p. 76

Room 2C

All caked out

Shine

The Sentinel Amsterdam

E-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com Website: www.thesentinel.eu Contributors: Maureen Bancroft, Tatiana Igumensheva, Sam van Dam, David King, Simon Owusu, Dirkje Bakker-Pierre, Evelina Kvartunaite and Ananda Welij

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.

feature

– ‘My childhood was enriched by Indian culture, religions and food’ –

By Maureen Bancroft

My recent trip to India was both a journey of discovery and renewal to a place that has been in my imagination ever since childhood. I was born and grew up on the island of Trinidad, West Indies, in a place named Delhi Road, Fyzabad. The name was given to this small town by Indians (Faizabad: Uttar Pradesh) who were transported there by the British as indentured slaves. They were sent out to work on sugar cane plantations, following the abolition of African slavery, and mainly settled in central and southern Trinidad. My childhood was enriched by Indian culture, religions and food. Anglo-Indian friends who have since visited Trinidad commented on how Indian traditions and cultures have survived, making this small island in the Caribbean a vibrant mix of both India and Africa.

India: Tigers and Palaces

feature

– ‘Nothing can prepare the novice visitor for the array of humans, (rich, poor, destitute) animals, traffic, noise, colours and smells’ –

India has, therefore, always been on my list of places to visit, so it seemed like a good start to my post-retirement travels. An advert in one of the daily British newspapers for a trip to Delhi, called India’s Tigers and Palaces, caught my imagination. The trip included visits to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, as well as Ranthambore National Park to see tigers. I was keen to travel with a guided tour company as both my husband and I were first-timers. We arrived at Delhi airport and were greeted by our Indian guide at the start of eleven wonderful days.

over the streets and alleys would give Health and Safety experts from the West nightmares, but this also added to the mix and seemed to be a link between the old and antiquated and the new.

Nothing can prepare the novice visitor for the array of humans, (rich, poor, destitute) animals, traffic, noise, colours and smells. Delhi is an international metropolis and one of the oldest existing cities in the world. It is said to consist of seven successive cities with the British-built New Delhi making it eight. New Delhi was built to be the capital of the British Empire’s most prized possession: India. It is an impressive city with tree-lined boulevards along the Rajpath, stretching from India Gate, a war memorial reminiscent of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, to the Presidential Palace. The tallest monument, Quitb Minar is an architectural marvel of ancient India. It is one of the tallest minarets in the world. Our visit to old Delhi also included a visit to the Jama Masjid mosque which can accommodate 20,000 worshippers at a time. The highlight of the day was a ride on a rickshaw through the narrow alleys, observing the vendors with their wonderful array of leafy vegetables, fresh fruit, and colourful spices. The bundles of live electric wires that hang precariously

The following day we left Agra to visit the ancient sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri. We travelled there by

– ‘A link between the old and antiquated and the new’ –

On our second day we set off by Indian Railway to the city of Agra. Travelling by Indian rail is cheap and reliable but agility and concentration is essential, as the drivers will only wait at the platform for about 50 seconds! We arrived in Agra, also known as Akbarabad, the former capital of the Mughal Empire (1526 -1658), and visited the magnificent Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. These three sites have all been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. Unfortunately, our visit to the much-anticipated Taj Mahal was a little disappointing due to smog. Pollution is a problem and is made worse by the practice of farmers burning fields after the harvest. Divali celebrations were also in the air and spent firecrackers added to it all. The monument itself was built as a token of undying love by Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved queen Mumtaz and is considered the jewel of Islamic art, as well as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It would have been amazing to see it bathed in sunlight at sunrise and sunset, when the marble takes on different hues because of its translucence. It is truly a magnificent building. Agra fort is very impressive and is sometimes referred to as the ‘walled city’ due to its size. There are a number of impressive buildings to explore.

feature

–

‘The jewel of Islamic art, as well as one of the Seven Wonders of the World ‘ –

air-conditioned coach. Indian roads and Indian driving is not for the faint hearted. Cows, bicycles, tractors and pedestrians pass on any side they can and the rule of the road seems to be simply get from here to there by the shortest route. Each individual driver seems to have their own interpretation of how to negotiate dual carriageways and roundabouts. Sacred cows and all other animals have right of way, and the loudest horn takes precedence. Our next stop was Fatehpur Sikri, an ancient sandstone city built by Mogul Emperor Akbar in the 16th century as India’s political capital. It was abandoned only 15 years after construction, when the capital was relocated back to Agra, leaving Fatehpur Sikri preserved as a medieval fortress of red sandstone. The intricate architecture, including Islamic, Hindu and Christian symbols, is breathtaking.

by Maharaja Sawai Singh II in 1727. Its buildings are striking and sites include the magnificent Amber Fort, the Palace of the Winds and a fascinating observatory consisting of 14 geometric structures designed to record astronomical measurements. Our final day was spent in the historic city of Patan Mahal, which was founded in the 12th century. It occupies a strategic, defensive position, nestled in a valley surrounded by three hills. We stayed at the impressive Patan Mahal Palace, which represents traditional Rajasthani architecture. The Palace is situated on a hillside with terrific views. We were transferred by camels through the village, accompanied by a local brass band. All the local children were amused at the site of British holiday makers indulging in a bit of nostalgia, maybe regretting the days of Empire a little. I particularly enjoyed seeing the children playing cricket, which also reminded me of the British legacy. The villagers are very poor but there is hope that with the growth of the Indian economy, the quality of their lives will improve. A walk through the village was interesting as we stumbled across small industries, such as pottery and jewellery making.

Our next rail journey was to Sawai Madhopur lodge. This accommodation had the wow factor, since it had previously belonged to a Maharaja. The lodge was the perfect setting for the most exciting two days of our trip: the visit to Ranthambore National Park. I didn’t believe that I would actually see tigers, as animals in the wild can be unpredictable. I was humbled and amazed when we first spotted a female tiger with her two cubs! This majestic and beautiful beast has starred in television documentaries and it was a privilege to see her in her natural habitat. The park covers 159 hectares and is home to more than 300 species of birds, as well as monkeys and deer.

We were entertained on our final night with traditional dancing and wonderful food. Sadly, our tour had come to an end and all that now remain are dreams and the desire to return soon. The vibrant colours of the women in their saris, delicious food, walking through a village, tiger spotting and amazing palaces will forever live on in my memory.

On the eighth day we travelled to Jaipur or ‘the pink city’. It is the capital of Rajasthan and was founded

– ‘Sacred cows and all other animals have right of way, and the loudest horn takes precedence‘ –

feature

– ‘There is hope that with the growth of the Indian economy, the quality of their lives will improve’ –

feature

classifieds

perspectives

– ‘The sturdy, weather-defying people we are’

Wintry Wonders

perspectives

– ‘Negotiate your steel horse through piles of ice and snow covering every surface’

By Sam van Dam

In recent years Amsterdam has been blessed or cursed, depending on your point of view, by regular snowfall in the winter to spring period. It still feels like a bit of a novelty, given that we usually experience a grey, rainy mess around Christmas time, instead of a white blanket. With snow becoming a regular but still novel visitor to our beloved city and country, our reactions to it cover the full range of emotions: from childlike joy that makes us look up into the sky with our tongue sticking out to catch some of the little fluffy flakes, followed by a frantic run to the attic to find those old ice-skates among all the rubble; to angry fistshaking at the heavens, followed by a desperate, soul-crushing “Noooooo!!!”, usually from those who own a car and have to start their day with some hand-numbing ice removal from the frozen windows of their vehicles, not to mention the inevitable traffic jams.

perspectives

– ‘An iced-over surface is the natural enemy of anything moving across it’

perspectives travel

Once you’re all bundled up and ready for the ride, there is of course the small issue of the streets being completely covered in icy sludge; the kind that has created wrinkles of despair and fear across the foreheads of generations of Dutch men and women. An iced-over surface is the natural enemy of anything moving across it, and especially those with only two wheels, which have a natural tendency to fall over when not held in check by the trained thighs of a road warrior. It is highly advisable to ride slowly and carefully, keeping an eye on the road ahead of you for frozen patches. These can usually be easily identified by the number of falling bodies and crashing bikes of those who seem to think that gravity is suspended once the fluffy stuff starts drifting down from the

clouds. Going by the sheer number of mangled locals hauled off to hospital emergency rooms each January, it often seems like we forget everything we’ve learned in previous winters, or we simply enjoy kissing the cold asphalt while the bike chain wraps itself around our cold stiffened necks... No other explanation makes sense! The safest advice is to stay inside until the worst is over but, since most of us need to go out and make a living, or at least visit the shops to stock up on hot chocolate and whipped cream for those long, dark evenings by the fireplace, hibernation is sadly not an option. Luckily, the periods of time when we have to deal with ice and snow are usually short lived and there is always the alternative of the public transport system, for those who don’t dare to confront the frozen world wheel-on. And of course there is one thing that unites all of us in a feverish winter dream and makes us forget all the downsides of the cold season: the thought that we might be able to ice-skate on the canals, rivers and waterways of our lovely little country! There is a magic word that we only dare to whisper, for fear that once it’s spoken out loud, the temperature will rise instantly, so I’m going to write it in tiny letters only: Elfstedentocht (Eleven city tour). This ice-skating race of over 200 kilometres, through the beautiful frozen Frisian landscape is the pinnacle of winter wonderland fun for the entire family. We were last able to enjoy this mysterious and elusive pleasure in 1997, so wish us luck and hopefully this season we can live the dream again. May the winter gods be with us!

Being the sturdy, weather-defying people we are, it does not bother us much to hop on our bikes and face the white landscape. But there are a few things to consider before throwing yourself into a winter storm, trying to negotiate your steel horse through piles of ice and snow covering every surface. Make sure to dress properly – it’s best to wear several layers of clothing, which allows the air trapped in between to warm up and keep you comfortable. The outer layer should really be waterproof, as snow can become rain in an instant here and you don’t want to be stuck in a woollen jacket that will freeze solid and cover you with an icy crust when the wind turns in your direction. A nice thick hat and gloves are mandatory, the head being the area of your body from which most heat exits and you don’t want to let that happen. Keep it under wraps to ensure proper brain activity and intact ears, even if you’re caught out in one of those mini-blizzards that can just pop up out of nowhere!

perspectives

– ‘Write it in tiny letters only: Elfstedentocht (Eleven city tour)’

travel

A Russian bears a Chinese panda 27

By Tatiana Igumensheva

Moscow

Once a year I take a foreign holiday and every time I want it to be something special. In order to experience the gorgeous Chinese culture and to faint at the sight of enormous skyscrapers, in November 2012 I departed Moscow for Hong Kong. I wanted my trip to include cultural aspects, be affordable and bring something new into my life. Looking back, I am happy to say that my holiday completely satisfied all these criteria.

travel

– ‘A casino, which is often the only purpose for visiting Macau, especially for people from mainland China and Hong Kong’

–

Macau

Having landed in Honk Kong, I took a ferry to Macau, which is not as large as its nickname, the ‘Asian Las Vegas’, suggests. It took me just a day to complete my sightseeing and another to buy souvenirs. The only place I omitted from my explorations was a casino, which is often the only purpose for visiting Macau, especially for people from mainland China and Hong Kong. Temples, natas (exquisite tarts), Portuguese architecture from the 19th century alongside huge skyscrapers; this is the Macau I will remember. It is very clean and most museums and temples do not charge for admission. I enjoyed the Mandarin’s House most of all – a great example of home and everyday life habits. Jesuit temples are gorgeous, as well as the fortress with its lighthouse and, of course, Macau’s most famous landmark: the ruins of St. Paul’s cathedral. Macau is a former Portuguese colony and, if this one is anything to go by, this is something the Portuguese were great at. The old city centre has the atmosphere of a small, tranquil town – very safe and friendly – which is exactly what it is; both Macau and Hong Kong are probably the two safest places in the world. The only thing that was a constant worry was the fact that Macau (and Hong Kong) has no open spaces at all. The roads just keep going up and down, up and down…

Good cardio exercise, though. I went through it for two days in Macau and then continued my hiking in Hong Kong. Hong Kong

Signs of British colonialism in Hong Kong are noticeable by their absence. It was all destroyed in order to make use of every square metre. An absence of land has made Hong Kong a temple to skyscrapers and the Chinese appear to have mastered this art perfectly. The first place to see is surely The Peak, however. Even if you are hysterically afraid of heights, you simply must go there. This is one view you will never forget. Visit it at least twice – in the afternoon and in the evening – and you will see two different cities below. Then take a walk through the central area. The way the buildings almost literally scrape the sky excites me every time I look up – it‘s amazing! By the way, despite being such a technological nation, the local Chinese care about the environment in all aspects of their lives. They are fond of trees, even in a small city-centre park, so they can take a little rest on their way to work and they really seem to care about nature. There are huge penalties for littering, smoking in prohibited areas and great attention to recycling. Hong Kong is a city that cares – that’s my first impression.

travel

– ‘An absence of land has made Hong Kong a temple to skyscrapers’ –

Another thought I had about all of this progress around me is that, being such a progressive society, the local Chinese never stopped to become fundamentally religious. There are many temples and statues; so many religions live together in this peaceful place. That was a completely new lifestyle experience for me: skyscrapers happily standing alongside all sorts of religious buildings. Maybe that’s what freedom of faith is all about? If you manage to get there, try to visit all the places described in the tourist guidebooks. They are really worth seeing! Hong Kong residents spend their weekends visiting these places themselves: Ocean Park, Big Buddha, Mid-levels, the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong Park, the Botanical and Zoological Gardens… I enjoyed all of them greatly! However, what struck me the most was the people. Forever smiling, kind and always helpful. Talking to them was a pleasure. And some of them cook such delicious dishes that I was ready to eat the plate! By the way, do not forget that Hong Kong is the capital of international cuisine – so try everything! Except for Borsch (some restaurants offer it) with which I still believe it is better to get acquainted in Russia or Ukraine. All sorts of noodles, rice and dumplings are

available here. I tried Vietnamese, Indian and Hong Kong cuisine and I cannot say which I like more… So, Hong Kong is a wonderful opportunity to try everything. One last bit of advice: if you can afford it, take a hotel room with harbour view, which will pay you back with interest. My harbour-view hotel room suited me perfectly. When I was tired of walking, I went to my room, had a glass of wine, watched the lights shimmering on the other side of harbour and was completely happy. I am just reaching the end of my holiday, taking a rest in my room and feeling really jealous of anyone about to visit Hong Kong for the first time. You are going to enjoy so many exciting emotions…

travel

– ‘The local Chinese care about the environment in all aspects of their lives’ –

travel

– ‘Hong Kong is a city that cares’

–

travel

– ‘Hong Kong is the capital of international cuisine – so try everything!’ –

classifieds

city gems

Silent nights

By Denson Pierre

Winter nights are well suited to staying indoors in the warmth, especially after dark. Not everyone is a lowland bear, however, and most of us need thoughtful stimulation to keep smiling through cold nights spent away from living quarters. Luckily for Amsterdammers who pay attention, from time to time extremely interesting and creative happenings are staged at a price anyone can afford. The idea is simple: tour the lights of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Amsterdam at night, spending a couple of hours on a sturdy, comfortable and warm (enclosed) historical craft. The city falls silent as soon as you leave the pier and the transformation is complete when the city becomes simply unrecognisable, with its flat lines interrupted by a few high-rising buildings shimmering back at you. Some things in Amsterdam remain refreshingly surprising even to its well-cured darlings. Not much beats having couple glasses of wine while splashing across the IJsselmeer and struggling to figure out which section of the city you are gazing upon through the silence of an icy night. Watch out for repeats: www.lichtophetij.nl

city gems

art

Iron Wolves 48

By Denson Pierre

The Sentinel took up the enthusiastic See: www.ltart.nl invitation from the people of the annually occurring Dutch-Lithuanian art event, on December 1. The Dutch aspect of the event day and night, together with the displayed art was not particularly significant in this case however, given that it was one of the more complete cultural, cuisine, musical and heartily drinking events that the recent European Union arrivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative set could conjure with the help of their foreign desk and local culture funds. A well produced and expansive programme could be sampled and lightning insight garnered into the culture and artistic impressions of a pearl of Baltic civilisation. Vilnius met Amsterdam. It just may be time for this e-zine to delve even deeper into Lithuania.

art

classifieds

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 © Layla Aerts

Mechelen Mechelen

cafe/bar review

‘Classic bar art embraces you as you enter’

Café/Bar Review Batavia 1920

cafe/bar review

‘A perfect meeting point for friends from any cardinal direction’

By Denson Pierre

Televised sport

It is always handy to know of a wholesome café/bar that ticks all the boxes, even if it happens to be located at the busiest point of the old city (obliquely opposite Central Station). Over the course of the different seasons, I managed to assess this fine establishment, which serves as another reminder of what good, honest bars are all about. There is still quality available in Amsterdam.

Prices

Ambiance Thoughtful, solid furniture, easy lighting and classic bar art embraces you as you enter. With a chess club, professional dart board, regular parties and borrels, the vibe ranges daily from mellow to vibrant. Rating 5

Staff/regulars On my most recent visit I had the pleasure of Elizabeth and Jamie leading the service, but staff members are always experienced, service is quick and drinks are delivered with fresh smiles, whoever happens to be working. The regulars are plentiful and the bar emanates the energy of a good, professional, ‘Irish’ bar, attracting an eclectic international mix to this super-central location. It is a perfect meeting point for friends from any cardinal direction with the national transportation hub being literally just across the road. Rating 5

Ample flat screens and channels. Rating 4

In general, the prices are standard Central Amsterdam levels, which is sadly typical of grand cafés in this postcode area. What works in Batavia’s favour is that it has an above-average selection of ‘Belgian beauties’ (beer) on offer. Given the advised dosage, having two or three should not leave you broke or broken. The kitchen also has quite a strong reputation for above-average pub fare. The Sunday roast dinner is especially popular and keeps folk who like that sort of thing coming back as often as they can afford it. Rating 3

Music Genuinely diverse popular and world music from a crisp-sounding digital sound system, and staff members seem to have cool taste in music. Rating 5

Smoking area provision There is a large smoking room on the lower level. Simple and ingenious air-conditioning allows you to spend your full upstairs session there without the sense of being fumigated. If you were not told about the smoking area below you would not know there was one. Rating 5

Total rating: 27/30 (Ratings from 1-5, where 1 = Very poor and 5 = Excellent)

Batavia 1920 Prins Hendrikkade 85, 1012 AE Amsterdam

cafe/bar review

‘It has an aboveaverage selection of ‘Belgian beauties’’

cafe/bar review

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Staff members seem to have cool taste in musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

classifieds

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

classifieds

star beer guide

The Sentinel Star beer guide By Denson Pierre

Grimbergen blonde

(6.7 % A.B.V.)

‘Find the better bars serving it at the right price in the New Year’ 67

Clever marketing and an effective pricing campaign has led to this A-class, standardbearing blonde becoming one of the most easily found ‘real’ beers in Amsterdam cafés and bars. With its distinctive charisma and fresh, fruity taste, it sits just on the edge in terms of strength and only the brave and seasoned can be found using it as a session beer. Prices across Amsterdam for the same Trappist-glass measure can range dramatically from € 2.50 to € 4.25 per glass, so there is fun to be had trying to find the better bars serving it at the right price in the New Year. Your search will be rewarded by this cool classic. Grimbergen Blonde is brewed by AlkenMaes, Alken, Belgium.

classifieds

amsterdam city life

: K C A B G BRIN STYLED BEER GLASSES

By Denson Pierre

A substantial amount of the culture on mainland Europe revolves around platinumstandard beer of various descriptions and flavours being easily available. Amsterdam is not lacking in cafés, bars, off licences, supermarkets and online outlets stocking truly great beers, available either immediately or within 24 hours. With the growing popularity of high-yeast and high alcohol by volume brands, how these drinks are served is a cause for concern, however. Led by the Belgians and French, the art of designing a glass that reflects the individual quality of the liquid experience within is among these products’ most outstanding features, after their flavour and power to intoxicate. Any beer of decent repute has its own glass in which it is intended to be served. This always takes the form and size of a sensible measure, to ensure a taste experience at the correct temperature and allow people to enjoy the evoked sensations before finding themselves suddenly and blindingly drunk. What we now often find in tourist-pressed Amsterdam are these ‘real beers’ being offered and served to ignorant punters in pint (or half-litre) measures, leading to people becoming drunk at speed and destroying the overall aesthetic of ‘beering it’ with style.

The Sentinel says bring back the serving of high-alcohol-content drinks in appropriate measures and, if possible, in the glasses especially designed for the purpose. This would be desirable for all manner of reasons, not least health and safety. Barkeepers can be educators, too, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to persuade tourists (usually German, British and Irish), who represent the majority of volume drinkers in the city’s more desirable watering holes. It is foolish, greedy and uncouth to consume high-alcohol beverages in such volumes and not expect to end up senselessly drunk and, ultimately, spoil the whole experience. Volume drinkers should simply be directed to the ‘piss water’ beers, of which there are many, to satiate their needs and leave the quality beer tours for when they have educated themselves in the culture and manner of consumption that ensures maximum pleasure and, above all, style.

recommended

Het Compagnie Theater, Amsterdam 12/12/2012

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.

g 9 3812 SZ Amersfoort

recommended

35 75To- Be Fax 033 - 454 35 79Connoisseurs Delight Seen and Tasted filmproef@eurogifts.nl te: www.eurogifts.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

ORDERNUMMER: 6 ARTIKELNUMMER: 6

Opera Prima Patisserie Bistro Traiteur The best place in town for lunch, exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering, both private and corporate!

Mulligans Irish Music Bar Amsterdam’s best address for live Irish music: Five (5) nights a week! Check our agenda for upcoming sessions.

St. Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdam www.tisfris.nl

Kinkerstraat 228 Amsterdam www.operaprima.nl

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.

Café Kostverloren Café Kostverloren is a contemporary cafe offering the cosiness of a saloon, an open kitchen and the intimacy of a living room. During summer there is a large, sunny terrace and during winter, an open ﬁreplace!

Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam www.edelamsterdam.nl

Incanto Incanto is a restaurant with a classic Italian kitchen. Venetian chef Simone Ambrosin is known for his pure and simple style of cooking with feeling for nuance. The wine list contains over 150 Italian wines. Amstel 2 Amsterdam www.restaurant-incanto.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, wireless internet connection and a wide range of reasonably priced beers and spirits.

Planet Rose Planet Rose is the ﬁrst Caribbean restaurant in the Netherlands, which specializes in Jamaican cuisine. The menu features a daily changing selection of Jamaican/ Caribbean dishes and they ensure that you enjoy the whole experience while dining with them!

Vibes Vibes is a relaxing cafe/cocktail bar / art gallery with a large selection of coffees, herbal teas, homemade cakes and an amazing card of cocktails, made with fresh fruit, by a professional cocktail bartender. Enjoy our Italian kitchen in a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

Zoutsteeg 1 1012 LX Amsterdam www.cafeoporto.net/home

Nicolaas Beetsstraat 47 Amsterdam www.planetrose.info

Jan Pieter Heijestraat 137 Amsterdam www.wix.com/vibes137/vibes

2e Kostverlorenkade 70 Amsterdam www.cafekostverloren.nl

Cafe Tisfris Cafe Tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks, funky pillars and terrace. Tisfris offers a friendly service and is a great pit stop for “yummy” refreshments.

spotted

Where is this in Amsterdam?

Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com

room2c

Room 2c film It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

By David King

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) Could you walk 2,400 kilometres, while being pursued, with little more than a longing to return to your homeland and mother to keep you and your dependant companions going? Would you do this twice? This utterly moving film highlights the true-life Australian apartheid practices of the twentieth century and the trauma it caused to native Australians. The barren landscapes provide the perfect backdrop for compelling cinematography and its dryness will be irrigated by your tears.

This is the one that will make you pause! James Stewart, one of my top ten actors of all time, plays a businessman fighting to keep his life and family together while everything is crashing down around him. In steps an ‘angel’ to try and convince him that life is not as bad as it seems and that other people would be a lot worse off without him. Probably the highest rated film I’ve ever reviewed and one of the most Christmas-delicious I know.

By dpmotions

trends

All Caked Out ‘Facebook, in particular, is responsible for exacerbating unspoken competitiveness’

Trends in the food industry are moving faster than lightning and are harder and harder to keep up with. When you are all geared up to create your own artsy cupcakes, all of a sudden cupcakes are out and macaroons are the flavour of the day. Sweat dripping and cheeks burning with stress levels going through the roof, women all around the country have been toiling night and day to create just the right pimped-up cakes (completely covered in layers of pink and red marzipan, tiny silver sugar balls and rose petals made from feather-light sugar), which look like they come from one of the newly popped-up cupcake shops. Facebook, in particular, is responsible for exacerbating unspoken competitiveness, due to images being posted of better looking and prettier cakes, just after you posted your own, in comparison, pretty sad creations, forcing you back into the kitchen to try again. One day it’s cutting out names from layers of chocolate, the next it’s squirting curls and swirls of rainbow colours or grating organic carrots for the rather awkward ‘healthy’ version, the carrot cupcake.

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

Shops have adjusted their aisles to make way for endless shelves of specialised products in all ranges of sweetness and multicoloured cuteness, shapes, tools, mixtures and machines. It is a whole world of custom products, which just keeps growing and changing, and you need to keep up with it all or risk being hopelessly left behind. There are pink-coloured cook books, workshops, websites, self-help groups and neglected, overweight children crying for something non-sweet, for once. But then, after all your attempts and when you finally think you have achieved perfection, before you know it, you make a complete fool of yourself by serving the wrong type of sweet and colourful titbits, because a new trend has already arrived. That really makes you feel like a macaroon!

health & well-being

– ‘Dreaming of more sun, more light and more inspiration’ –

Shine 76

By Evelina Kvartunaite

Winter solstice is an exciting time of year, when we all start dreaming of more sun, more light and more inspiration. Continuing the gemstone theme, I would like to draw your attention to the very lovely and sparkling sunstone, also known as heliolite. It is the official gemstone of the US state of Oregon, which is a prime source for this beautiful gem. The name heliolite is derived from the Greek ‘helios’ and ‘lithos’, which mean ‘sun’ and ‘stone’. It was first discovered in Viking burial mounds but, despite its long history, is not found in abundance. Sunstone is metallic in appearance and comes in red, orange or green colours. However, cleaner red sunstone is very rare and commands proper gemstone prices. The stone is a composite of oligoclase feldspar, which also contains hematite or goethite. The presence of hematite or goethite gives the stone its ability to reflect light, hence the name sunstone. Sunstone is said to be an inspiration stone, able to bestow freedom, independence and happiness. It also said to reduce fear, alleviate stress and bring good luck in any game of chance. This sparkly stone has a further use in healing and is believed to endow its wearers with enhanced self-healing powers. Other properties

include stimulating the vegetative, autonomic nervous system and enhancing the harmonious functioning of all the body’s organs. It is also quite helpful in cases of exhaustion due to lack of sleep. The gemstone is used to treat chronic sore throats and relieves pain caused by stomach ulcers. It has proved successful in alleviating Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) and is also known for relieving cartilage problems, rheumatism and general aches and pains. Sunstone helps in dealing with depression and frees its wearers from feelings of discrimination and failure, as well as from perceptions of an ‘evil world’. Sunstone increases a person’s sense of self-esteem and self-worth. Sunstone is particularly beneficial when used in sunshine or sunlight. It brings abundance to a person’s life and transforms negative energy into positive energy. If you have any other helpful tips you would like to share, please let me know at: evelina.kvartunaite@ consultancymarketmedia.com

health & well-being

– ‘Bestow freedom, independence and happiness’ –

– ‘It has proved successful in alleviating Seasonal Affective Disorder’ –

technology

TechBit: Sio-Bytes

No news is good news 78

‘Quite evident all over the internet and is destroying good journalism’ By Simon Owusu

One of my previous articles described how online technology publications are subverting reality by not correctly echoing the sentiments of the consuming public. Part of the cause of this is that, usually in a bid to counter the majority of lacklustre stories floating around, they subvert reality to make it more interesting. How many non-geeks really care about the advantages of modelling parallelism on serial programs with the Intel® Advisor XE? It’s certainly not a typically newsworthy story. As a result, an annoying phenomenon has slowly been building momentum. This is now quite evident all over the internet and is destroying good journalism. The phenomenon is called Link-baiting. Our trustworthy source of internet knowledge describes Link-bait(ing) as: anything “interesting enough to catch people’s attention” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_bait). Link-baiting is synonymous with the sensational cover stories used on the front of magazines to entice people walking past to pick up the magazines and delve into them. As with most things from the print

world, this ‘trickery’ has moved online. With today’s short attention spans, the potential to draw users to a website and retain them is a crucial skill, which is rewarded by the revenue that can be generated based on how long a user stays on a website. Link-baiting should have been foreseen, since it is inevitable. Every click on a website is a revenue-generating moment, in terms of advertising. The amount of adverts to which you can expose an online user, as they click to and through your website, is the currency used to determine whether an advertising agency spends its budget on one publication over another. Real journalism and insightful opinions once drove online traffic for web publications, but link-baiting is now seriously derailing this approach. Most of the time, the story behind the sensational link does not live up to expectations. A typical example of this can be found in the online edition of the Watford Observer, on Tuesday 31 July 2012. The link-bait read, “Cameron Diaz vows to kick drug habit with help of stepdad”. However, following the link, or falling for the bait, led to the underwhelming story “Drug user Cameron Diaz of Broomfield Rise, Abbots Langley, has sworn to clean up his act with the help of his stepfather”. Although the story was factually correct, the intention of the publication was to trick the

technology

‘Frequently news stories are not properly checked for credibility’ online user into clicking on it, due to the coincidental name-sharing of the Abbots Langley Cameron Diaz with the famous American actress. Every link clicked demonstrates the potential for advertisers to reach larger audiences and generate revenue for the online publications. From the same school as link-baiting comes the phenomenon of ‘first past the post’ journalism within the advertising-driven online publication world. In this type of journalism, emphasis is placed on being first to publish, or break, a news story. Online publications that are first to break a news story attract a high amount of traffic (which translates into large revenues generated by advertising), since they are the only source of that particular information for a short space of time. Online users have no choice but to visit that particular site if they wish to read the scoop. The downside of this is that, in a bid to be first to reap the advertising revenues, frequently news stories are not properly checked for credibility. On Monday 26 November 2012, nearly every online technology publication published the story of Google purchasing ICOA Wireless, a Wi-Fi hot-spot

provider in America, to the tune of US$ 400 million. The initial story broke on the PRWEB website and the majority of online publications regurgitated the story with no additional insights, such as the implications of such a deal, which real journalism would call for. None of them bothered to check the sources or the credibility of the story. Millions of revenue-generating clicks later, the more seasoned online publications, such as CNN, AllThings D and CNET, broke the bigger story that the press release was fake and that both Google and ICOA Wireless had denied the story. In a rush to break the story the first rule of journalism was contravened, ‘Always check your sources’. Given the transient nature of any false news stories posted on the internet, these days, the story quickly disappeared from most of the offending publications and, today, you will be hard pressed to find any mention of this slip-up. The Sentinel, we like to think, always brings you the truth, albeit typed on an iPad Mini, so don’t count on us to follow such faulty phenomena and trends.

‘‘Always check your sources’’

classifieds

sport

white out

Bubbles of Excitement By Ananda van Welij

Just another girl from a country without mountains, addicted to snow.

You know that feeling of bubbly excitement you get when you are getting ready to go and do something you’ve been anticipating for a long, long time? It might be finally nailing that presentation to finish up university, cooking a great dinner for friends or excitement about meeting up with someone. Getting my bags out from the basement after they had been collecting dust for the past eight months prompted those feelings to rush through my veins once again. Even though I don’t mind being home, going to the beach and rehabbing my knee and visiting friends in different countries over the summer, all this has taken place in the city and I’ve been missing the mountains terribly. As I’m getting my bags out, it makes me realise that it really is almost time for me to click into my skis again and breathe in the fresh mountain air! After packing, it was finally time to get on my flight to Denver, Colorado, on Monday morning. While all

‘Go and do something you’ve been anticipating for a long, long time’ these people in business suits are rushing to check in their business cases, I’m manoeuvring my 1.9-metre ski bag between them. Strange looks and questions don’t surprise me anymore. The looks, whispers and questions I’ve had while on trains from one place to the next, or on the tram after going to the beach on my way to the indoor slope this summer... On the one hand, they made me feel like I was some strange creature from another planet, but on the other, they got me extra stoked up about what I’m doing. As I write this, it’s a week after I checked in my bags and I’m sitting in my favourite coffee shop, Cuppa Joe’s, in Breckenridge, Colorado. Over the past five days I’ve been getting up every morning at around 6.30 am and getting out at around 8.00am. Anyone who knows me will probably raise an eyebrow at this. When I’m working at home on my photos and stories for the White Freeski Magazine, where I’m editor-inchief, or on freelance assignments, my daily rhythm is completely the opposite. But I guess that’s the nice thing about jetlag. It’s hard to describe the feeling of finally getting back

sport

‘Extra stoked up about what ‘To me, it’s a special sort of I’m doing’ magic’ onto my skis after being out for eight months, due to a torn MCL. Cruising down the hill, feeling and hearing the snow crunch under my feet... It might sound strange to you but, to me, it’s a special sort of magic. I guess it has something to do with the dopamine your body makes while having a great rush of excitement. Although I’m pretty tired right now and taking a day off from skiing, just walking outside and knowing that I can go up the hill any moment I like makes me feel better. Being so excited to be back on the snow after an injury also has a downside. It comes in the form of having to hold myself back. Since my injury, I haven’t been jumping or doing any crazy tricks. It’s hard seeing all my friends jump and having fun in the park, knowing I really shouldn’t do any of that stuff yet. My mind is screaming “You can do that too!” But I’m scared of a repeat injury, brought on by pushing myself too hard, too fast. I have to force myself to sit down, talk to my friends and listen to their stories of having fun, while being genuinely happy for them. To enjoy the sun instead of freaking myself out, eat some good food, have a good laugh and think of all the fun trips I

have ahead of me this winter. Looking forward again, instead of being bummed, I try to focus on the bright side, like I did while I was stuck at home, rehabbing and walking on crutches. Trying to be inspired by what I see around me and what others do and have, instead of being frustrated by it. It makes me wonder about just working and meeting up with friends at home. I know I have a privileged life, as I’m sitting here, but isn’t this something we all experience in our daily lives? It can be hard to sit down, let go of the frustration, sadness and problems and look forward. It’s not always possible to do it overnight but I think that just trying makes you feel better and, in the end, it allows you to bubble with excitement again; no matter if it’s for a day of skiing or for finishing that project. My new mission for this season is to stay positive and draw inspiration from the people and things around me. I’ll let you know how I’m doing in three weeks’ time.

sport

classifieds

Get advice on housing, rental contracts and apartments in Amsterdam

www.wswonen.nl/english

we are looking for: - Account Manager Market Media - (Internship) International Marketing Executive www.consultancymarketmedia.com

classifieds

sport

The Gold Room 88

By Denson Pierre

We have reached the point of the season when the outstanding manager of the first half has his team profiled and receives a pat on the back. An overall lead at Xmas more often than not means that the team has peaked during the first half of the season, before going on to show signs of weakness. This season, unusually, we have a manager who has led strongly from the very early weeks but who still has a full supply of substitutes in reserve. This bodes ill for the other managers as, even though he has been professionally hunted down to the point that his lead is now meagre (or even gone by the time this is published), Steven Fockema still holds all the aces, given that his reserves remain intact while the chasers’ have been used up to varying degrees. Daft3Punks GK: Tim Krul (Newcastle United) 2.5m – Out injured from the beginning of September until the end of November. No proper form assessment possible so far this season and his team are in apparent gradual creep towards the relegation zone. Rating 8.25 DEF: Jose Enrique (Liverpool) 3.5m – At a work-inprogress team. Now playing regularly as a midfielder and showing positive form. Rating 8.5 DEF: Daniel Agger (Liverpool) 4m – Still more bluster and posing than glory. Rating 8.25

DEF: Winston Reid (West Ham) 1m – Doing New Zealand proud in the Premier League, at his price. West Ham may not secure a greater number of clean sheets in the second half of the season however. Rating 8.0 DEF: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur) 4.5m – Handsome, driving, Belgian vanilla. One of the stars of the season, thus far. Rating 9.0 MID: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur) 5.5m – The most impressive individual player in the current Premier League. Rating 9.15 MID: Michu (Swansea City) 2m – Incredible value at his price. A natural goal-scorer extraordinaire, who also gets around and shows versatility. Rating 9.0 MID: Yaya Toure (Manchester City) 4.5m – Nowhere close to his form of the previous season, even if that can change in the second half of this one. Rating 8.50 FWD: Fabio Borini (Liverpool) 3m – Tipped here to eventually do well but long-term injury befell him just at the time he was settling into his new team and system. Rating 8.0 FWD: Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 4.5m – Has been nudging levels above average of late. Rating 8.50 FWD: Papiss Cisse (Newcastle United) 5m – Another player showing an astonishing fall from the excellence of the final third of the previous season. Newcastle United appear to need re-styling, quickly. Rating 8.25 Overall rating: 93.40 (max. 100) The New Year will only bring fireworks given the keen match-up between FFG-CL managers.

sport

classifieds

CZECH REPUBLIC STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT!