AMSTERDAM, MORE THAN NINE CENTURIES OF HISTORY

Today, The Grandma has been remembering her last travel to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, that was founded on a day like today in 1275.

Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands. Found within the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the Venice of the North, due to the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Amsterdam was founded at the Amstel, that was dammed to control flooding; the city's name derives from the Amstel dam. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and became the leading centre for finance and trade.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sloten, annexed in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam, is the oldest part of the city, dating to the 9th century.

Amsterdam's main attractions include its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, the Concertgebouw, the Anne Frank House, the Scheepvaartmuseum, the Amsterdam Museum, the Heineken Experience, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, Natura Artis Magistra, Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, NEMO, the red-light district and many cannabis coffee shops. It drew more than 5 million international visitors in 2014.

The city is also well known for its nightlife and festival activity; with several of its nightclubs (Melkweg, Paradiso) among the world's most famous. Primarily known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled façades; well-preserved legacies of the city's 17th-century Golden Age. These characteristics are arguably responsible for attracting millions of Amsterdam's visitors annually. Cycling is key to the city's character, and there are numerous bike paths.

More information: City of Amsterdam

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is considered the oldest modern securities market stock exchange in the world. As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) study group.

The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters in the city, including: the Philips conglomerate, AkzoNobel, Booking.com, TomTom, and ING. Moreover, many of the world's largest companies are based in Amsterdam or have established their European headquarters in the city, such as leading technology companies Uber, Netflix and Tesla.

The Port of Amsterdam is the fifth largest in Europe. The KLM hub and Amsterdam's main airport, Schiphol, is the Netherlands' busiest airport as well as the third busiest in Europe and 11th busiest airport in the world.

The Dutch capital is considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

A few of Amsterdam's notable residents throughout history include: painters Rembrandt and Van Gogh, the diarist Anne Frank, and philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

Due to its geographical location in what used to be wet peatland, the founding of Amsterdam is of a younger age than the founding of other urban centers in the Low Countries. However, in and around the area of what later became Amsterdam, local farmers settled as early as three millennia ago. They lived along the prehistoric IJ river and upstream of its tributary Amstel.

The prehistoric IJ was a shallow and quiet stream in peatland behind beach ridges. This secluded area could grow there into an important local settlement center, especially in the late Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Roman Age.

Neolithic and Roman artefacts have also been found downstream of this area, in the prehistoric Amstel bedding under Amsterdam's Damrak and Rokin, such as shards of Bell Beaker culture pottery (2200-2000 BC) and a granite grinding stone (2700-2750 BC). But the location of these artefacts around the river banks of the Amstel probably point to a presence of a modest semi-permanent or seasonal settlement of the previous mentioned local farmers. A permanent settlement would not have been possible, since the river mouth and the banks of the Amstel in this period in time were too wet for permanent habitation.

The origins of Amsterdam is linked to the development of the peatland called Amestelle, meaning watery area, from Aa(m) river + stelle site at a shoreline, river bank.

Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306. From the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely from trade with the Hanseatic League. In 1345, an alleged Eucharistic miracle in Kalverstraat rendered the city an important place of pilgrimage until the adoption of the Protestant faith.

In the 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain and his successors. The main reasons for the uprising were the imposition of new taxes, the tenth penny, and the religious persecution of Protestants by the newly introduced Inquisition. The revolt escalated into the Eighty Years' War, which ultimately led to Dutch independence.

Strongly pushed by Dutch Revolt leader William the Silent, the Dutch Republic became known for its relative religious tolerance. Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, Huguenots from France, prosperous merchants and printers from Flanders, and economic and religious refugees from the Spanish-controlled parts of the Low Countries found safety in Amsterdam. The influx of Flemish printers and the city's intellectual tolerance made Amsterdam a centre for the European free press.

The 17th century is considered Amsterdam's Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the western world. Ships sailed from Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea, North America, and Africa, as well as present-day Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Brazil, forming the basis of a worldwide trading network.

Amsterdam's merchants had the largest share in both the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company. These companies acquired overseas possessions that later became Dutch colonies.

More information: IAmsterdam

Amsterdam was Europe's most important point for the shipment of goods and was the leading financial centre of the western world.

In 1602, the Amsterdam office of the international trading Dutch East India Company became the world's first stock exchange by trading in its own shares.

The Bank of Amsterdam started operations in 1609, acting as a full-service bank for Dutch merchant bankers and as a reserve bank.

Amsterdam's prosperity declined during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The wars of the Dutch Republic with England and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's significance reached its lowest point, with Holland being absorbed into the French Empire. However, the later establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 marked a turning point.

The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, a railway station, and the Concertgebouw were built; in this same time, the Industrial Revolution reached the city. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine, and the North Sea Canal was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the North Sea. Both projects dramatically improved commerce with the rest of Europe and the world. In 1906, Joseph Conrad gave a brief description of Amsterdam as seen from the seaside, in The Mirror of the Sea.

Shortly before the First World War, the city started to expand again, and new suburbs were built.

Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 and took control of the country. Some Amsterdam citizens sheltered Jews, thereby exposing themselves and their families to a high risk of being imprisoned or sent to concentration camps. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps, of whom some 60,000 lived in Amsterdam.

Perhaps the most famous deportee was the young Jewish girl Anne Frank, who died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

More information: Amsterdam

Many new suburbs, such as Osdorp, Slotervaart, Slotermeer and Geuzenveld, were built in the years after the Second World War.

The required large-scale demolitions began in Amsterdam's former Jewish neighborhood. Smaller streets, such as the Jodenbreestraat and Weesperstraat, were widened and almost all houses and buildings were demolished. At the peak of the demolition, the Nieuwmarktrellen broke out;  the rioters expressed their fury about the demolition caused by the restructuring of the city.

As a result, the demolition was stopped and the highway into the city's centre was never fully built; only the metro was completed. Only a few streets remained widened. The new city hall was built on the almost completely demolished Waterlooplein. Meanwhile, large private organizations, such as Stadsherstel Amsterdam, were founded to restore the entire city centre.

Although the success of this struggle is visible today, efforts for further restoration are still ongoing. The entire city centre has reattained its former splendour and, as a whole, is now a protected area. Many of its buildings have become monuments, and in July 2010 the Grachtengordel (the three concentric canals: Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 21st century, the Amsterdam city centre has attracted large numbers of tourists: between 2012 and 2015, the annual number of visitors rose from 10 to 17 million. Real estate prices have surged, and local shops are making way for tourist-oriented ones, making the centre unaffordable for the city's inhabitants. These developments have evoked comparisons with Venice, a city thought to be overwhelmed by the tourist influx.

Amsterdam experienced an influx of religions and cultures after the Second World War. With 180 different nationalities, Amsterdam is home to one of the widest varieties of nationalities of any city in the world. The proportion of the population of immigrant origin in the city proper is about 50% and 88% of the population are Dutch citizens.

Amsterdam has been one of the municipalities in the Netherlands which provided immigrants with extensive and free Dutch-language courses, which have benefited many immigrants.

More information: Things to Do in Amsterdam

 Amsterdam lives and breathes creativity.
One moment you walk into a building from the 17th century,
and the next you find yourself in a hub of creative start-up companies.

Marcel Wanders

AMSTERDAM (NL), THE DUTCH VENICE OF THE NORTH

Today, The Grandma has received wonderful news of one of her closest friends, Tina Picotes, who is spending some days in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands that was founded on a day like today in 1275.

Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands with a population of 872,680 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area.

Found within the province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially referred to as the Venice of the North, due to the large number of canals which form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Amsterdam was founded at the Amstel, that was dammed to control flooding; the city's name derives from the Amstel dam.

Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, and became the leading centre for finance and trade.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sloten, annexed in 1921 by the municipality of Amsterdam, is the oldest part of the city, dating to the 9th century.

Amsterdam's main attractions include its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, the Concertgebouw, the Anne Frank House, the Scheepvaartmuseum, the Amsterdam Museum, the Heineken Experience, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, Natura Artis Magistra, Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, NEMO, the red-light district and many cannabis coffee shops. It drew more than 5 million international visitors in 2014.

The city is also well known for its nightlife and festival activity; with several of its nightclubs (Melkweg, Paradiso) among the world's most famous. Primarily known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled façades; well-preserved legacies of the city's 17th-century Golden Age. These characteristics are arguably responsible for attracting millions of Amsterdam's visitors annually. Cycling is key to the city's character, and there are numerous bike paths.

More information: City of Amsterdam

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is considered the oldest modern securities market stock exchange in the world. As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) study group.

The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters in the city, including: the Philips conglomerate, AkzoNobel, Booking.com, TomTom, and ING. Moreover, many of the world's largest companies are based in Amsterdam or have established their European headquarters in the city, such as leading technology companies Uber, Netflix and Tesla.

The Port of Amsterdam is the fifth largest in Europe. The KLM hub and Amsterdam's main airport, Schiphol, is the Netherlands' busiest airport as well as the third busiest in Europe and 11th busiest airport in the world.

The Dutch capital is considered one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

A few of Amsterdam's notable residents throughout history include: painters Rembrandt and Van Gogh, the diarist Anne Frank, and philosopher Baruch Spinoza.

Due to its geographical location in what used to be wet peatland, the founding of Amsterdam is of a younger age than the founding of other urban centers in the Low Countries. However, in and around the area of what later became Amsterdam, local farmers settled as early as three millennia ago. They lived along the prehistoric IJ river and upstream of its tributary Amstel.

The prehistoric IJ was a shallow and quiet stream in peatland behind beach ridges. This secluded area could grow there into an important local settlement center, especially in the late Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Roman Age.

Neolithic and Roman artefacts have also been found downstream of this area, in the prehistoric Amstel bedding under Amsterdam's Damrak and Rokin, such as shards of Bell Beaker culture pottery (2200-2000 BC) and a granite grinding stone (2700-2750 BC). But the location of these artefacts around the river banks of the Amstel probably point to a presence of a modest semi-permanent or seasonal settlement of the previous mentioned local farmers. A permanent settlement would not have been possible, since the river mouth and the banks of the Amstel in this period in time were too wet for permanent habitation.

The origins of Amsterdam is linked to the development of the peatland called Amestelle, meaning watery area, from Aa(m) river + stelle site at a shoreline, river bank.

Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306. From the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely from trade with the Hanseatic League. In 1345, an alleged Eucharistic miracle in Kalverstraat rendered the city an important place of pilgrimage until the adoption of the Protestant faith.

In the 16th century, the Dutch rebelled against Philip II of Spain and his successors. The main reasons for the uprising were the imposition of new taxes, the tenth penny, and the religious persecution of Protestants by the newly introduced Inquisition. The revolt escalated into the Eighty Years' War, which ultimately led to Dutch independence.

Strongly pushed by Dutch Revolt leader William the Silent, the Dutch Republic became known for its relative religious tolerance. Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, Huguenots from France, prosperous merchants and printers from Flanders, and economic and religious refugees from the Spanish-controlled parts of the Low Countries found safety in Amsterdam. The influx of Flemish printers and the city's intellectual tolerance made Amsterdam a centre for the European free press.

The 17th century is considered Amsterdam's Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the western world. Ships sailed from Amsterdam to the Baltic Sea, North America, and Africa, as well as present-day Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Brazil, forming the basis of a worldwide trading network.

Amsterdam's merchants had the largest share in both the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company. These companies acquired overseas possessions that later became Dutch colonies.

More information: IAmsterdam

Amsterdam was Europe's most important point for the shipment of goods and was the leading financial centre of the western world.

In 1602, the Amsterdam office of the international trading Dutch East India Company became the world's first stock exchange by trading in its own shares.

The Bank of Amsterdam started operations in 1609, acting as a full-service bank for Dutch merchant bankers and as a reserve bank.

Amsterdam's prosperity declined during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The wars of the Dutch Republic with England and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic Wars, Amsterdam's significance reached its lowest point, with Holland being absorbed into the French Empire. However, the later establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 marked a turning point.

The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, a railway station, and the Concertgebouw were built; in this same time, the Industrial Revolution reached the city. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine, and the North Sea Canal was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the North Sea. Both projects dramatically improved commerce with the rest of Europe and the world. In 1906, Joseph Conrad gave a brief description of Amsterdam as seen from the seaside, in The Mirror of the Sea.

Shortly before the First World War, the city started to expand again, and new suburbs were built.

Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940 and took control of the country. Some Amsterdam citizens sheltered Jews, thereby exposing themselves and their families to a high risk of being imprisoned or sent to concentration camps. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps, of whom some 60,000 lived in Amsterdam.

Perhaps the most famous deportee was the young Jewish girl Anne Frank, who died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

More information: Amsterdam

Many new suburbs, such as Osdorp, Slotervaart, Slotermeer and Geuzenveld, were built in the years after the Second World War.

The required large-scale demolitions began in Amsterdam's former Jewish neighborhood. Smaller streets, such as the Jodenbreestraat and Weesperstraat, were widened and almost all houses and buildings were demolished. At the peak of the demolition, the Nieuwmarktrellen broke out;  the rioters expressed their fury about the demolition caused by the restructuring of the city.

As a result, the demolition was stopped and the highway into the city's centre was never fully built; only the metro was completed. Only a few streets remained widened. The new city hall was built on the almost completely demolished Waterlooplein. Meanwhile, large private organizations, such as Stadsherstel Amsterdam, were founded to restore the entire city centre.

Although the success of this struggle is visible today, efforts for further restoration are still ongoing. The entire city centre has reattained its former splendour and, as a whole, is now a protected area. Many of its buildings have become monuments, and in July 2010 the Grachtengordel (the three concentric canals: Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the 21st century, the Amsterdam city centre has attracted large numbers of tourists: between 2012 and 2015, the annual number of visitors rose from 10 to 17 million. Real estate prices have surged, and local shops are making way for tourist-oriented ones, making the centre unaffordable for the city's inhabitants. These developments have evoked comparisons with Venice, a city thought to be overwhelmed by the tourist influx.

Amsterdam experienced an influx of religions and cultures after the Second World War. With 180 different nationalities, Amsterdam is home to one of the widest varieties of nationalities of any city in the world. The proportion of the population of immigrant origin in the city proper is about 50% and 88% of the population are Dutch citizens.

Amsterdam has been one of the municipalities in the Netherlands which provided immigrants with extensive and free Dutch-language courses, which have benefited many immigrants.

More information: Things to Do in Amsterdam

Amsterdam lives and breathes creativity.
One moment you walk into a building from the 17th century,
and the next you find yourself in a hub of creative start-up companies.

Marcel Wanders

DUNCAN LAURENCE & 'ARCADE', THE NETHERLANDS WIN

Duncan Laurence in Eurovision, 2019

Today, The Grandma has been talking with The Watsons about Duncan de Moor, the Dutch singer who won the last Eurovision Song Contest representing her country in 2019 singing Arcade.

This is the last day of The Grandma with The Watsons. They have been aisled during lots of weeks and now it is time to go out, with all the precautions and respect for others, and continue with their lives.

It is not a goodbye, it is only a break to give The Watsons the possibility of enjoying their relatives and friends again before continuing again with this Purchasing & Sales Course.

Duncan de Moor (born 11 April 1994), professionally known as Duncan Laurence, is a Dutch singer-songwriter.

He began his music career in 2014 and became a semi-finalist in the fifth season of The Voice of Holland.

Laurence represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song Arcade and went on to win the competition, giving the Netherlands its first Eurovision win since 1975.

Born in Spijkenisse, Laurence grew up in Hellevoetsluis. He has been writing his own songs since he was 13 years old, as an escape from being bullied. He started his musical career at the Rock Academy in Tilburg, playing in a number of school bands, including his own, The Slick and Suited.

Formed in 2013, the band went on to perform at Eurosonic Noorderslag. In an Instagram post in February 2020, he revealed he had oxygen deprivation at birth, and thus had a motor disorder affect his right hand.

More information: Duncan Laurence Official Site

Laurence participated in the fifth season of The Voice of Holland, choosing Ilse DeLange as his coach. He advanced to the Cross Battles/Semi Finals before being eliminated.

In March 2016, he decided to stop as lead singer of The Slick. Laurence graduated from the Rock Academy in 2017. He, with Jihad Rahmouni, wrote the song Closer on K-pop duo TVXQ's 2018 album New Chapter #1: The Chance of Love.

In January 2019, Laurence was internally selected to represent The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. He was nominated by Ilse DeLange, with whom Laurence still had contact after The Voice. His song Arcade was first revealed in March 2019.

Duncan Laurence won Eurovision in 2019

On 18 May 2019, Duncan Laurence won the event in Tel Aviv, Israel with 498 points from 41 international juries and the public vote. The juries gave him 237 points, while the public vote gave him 261 points. He finished 26 points ahead of Italy and 128 points ahead of Russia, the two runners-up.

He is the fifth Dutch entrant to ever win the competition, and the first since Teach-In won the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song Ding-a-dong. Laurence will tour The Netherlands and Europe in late 2019 with one concert also scheduled for Amsterdam in March 2020.

On 10 June 2019, he performed at the 50th anniversary Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, the first Dutch Eurovision winner to perform at the event. He replaced Swedish duo First Aid Kit on the bill, who dropped out due to health reasons.

On 23 October 2019, Laurence released his second single Love Don't Hate It. It was also announced that he signed a deal with Capitol Records.

In 2020, the artists' entrance at Rotterdam Ahoy was re-named Door Duncan in his honor.

On 29 April 2020, Laurence announced the release of his first EP, Worlds on Fire, it was released on 13 May 2020 and includes the singles Arcade, Love Don't Hate It and Someone Else.

More information: Twitter

Arcade is an English-language song by Dutch singer Duncan Laurence. It represented The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, which it won. The song was released as a digital download on 7 March 2019. The song was written by Duncan Laurence, Joel Sjöö, Wouter Hardy and Will Knox.

After the complete line-up of songs was announced, Arcade was the odds' favourite to win Eurovision, and had remained so until the contest ended. An acoustic version of the song was released on 19 July 2019.

In February 2020, Arcade won an Edison Award for best pop song of the year. 

In May 2020, Arcade was included on Duncan's debut extended play Worlds on Fire.

Duncan Laurence wrote the song while he attended the Tilburg Rock Academy. He worked on the song for over two years, predominantly while collaborating with Wouter Hardy, a former band member with Kovacs.

Duncan Laurence won Eurovision in 2019

The song is inspired by the heartbreak of a loved one of Duncan's who died. According to him, Arcade is a story about the search for the love of your life, and about the hope to reach something that seems unreachable.

The namesake lyric Smalltown boy in a big arcade refers to his experience, being from a small town, as a Rock Academy freshman entering the summer fair of Tilburg, the largest in The Netherlands. Throughout the song, the fair and its arcade games are used as a metaphor for love, addiction and gambling with relationships.

Arcade is inspired by film soundtracks and consists of 165 tracks. The song opens with four chords played on piano, accompanied by a simple piano riff and overdubbed vocals. The triple metre verses contrast with the 4/4 time signature of the rest of the song, giving it a distinct sound. Heavy emphasis is put on Duncan's vocals. After the soft verses, in which he expresses his sadness and vulnerability, the chorus kicks in with heavy drums, accompanied with a choir of backing vocals, to enhance the lyrics' expressions of anger and frustration.

On 28 January 2019, an allocation draw was held, which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. The Netherlands were placed into the second semi-final, held on 16 May 2019, and were scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.

More information: Instagram

Once all the competing songs for the 2019 contest had been released, the running order for the semi-finals was decided by the show's producers rather than through another draw, so that similar songs were not placed next to each other. The Netherlands performed from starting position 16 and qualified for the final.

The performance of the song in Tel Aviv featured Duncan Laurence sitting behind an electric grand piano, with three backing vocalists supporting him offstage.

DeLange and the creative team decided that Duncan sit behind a piano on stage, because, him being a singer-songwriter, they wanted to portray him on stage as a musician. Surrounding Duncan and his piano, smoke and water effects, reminiscent of the official music video, and lighting effects accompanied the performance. Reactions to the simplistic performance were mixed.

In the Grand Final, Duncan Laurence was drawn to perform in the first half of the show, on spot 12. Arcade received 12 points from six national juries, and twice from national audiences. The Netherlands were closely followed by North Macedonia, Sweden and Italy during the jury vote and the latter during the televoting sequence, but ended up winning the Eurovision Song Contest with 498 points. It was the first Eurovision victory for the country since 1975, when Teach-In won for The Netherlands with Ding-a-dong.

More information: Nolala

I'm afraid of all I am
My mind feels like a foreign land
Silence ringing inside my head
Please, carry me, carry me, carry me home.

Duncan Laurence

CLAUDIA JONES: DEEP ECOLOGICAL DUTCH CONSCIENCE

Claudia Jones in Maastrich, The Netherlands

Claudia Jones. Ecological Activist. The Netherlands.

I'm Claudia Jones. I was born in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Maastricht is the greenest Dutch city and perhaps because of this, I’m an Ecological Activist. I love our planet and all things that it offers us. We must respect and protect it and the benefits of a minority can affect the lives of the majority. We must take conscience of taking care of our planet because we haven’t got another. We must protect natural sources and allow every country to protect them. Earth is a rich planet and all humans can live in good conditions if we respect us and we learn to share, not to invade.

-Good morning, Claudia Jones and thanks to attend us.

-Good morning. It's an honour.

-What is ecology for you?

-It’s respect for the environment, then for our planet. It’s growing paying attention to ideas of sustainability and respect.

-Do you think this green conscience is expanded around the world?

-It depends. Poor countries are more interested in protecting their environment because it’s their source of living but they are suffering terrible pressures from rich countries which only want to take benefits without paying attention to the consequences.

-Why?

-It’s another kind of colonialism. Some decades ago, colonialism consisted in invade some lands and obligate their citizens to adopt your rules and culture  like language, clothes, religion… Now this is not necessary if you control the economy of these lands and their resources.

-Give me the name of a famous ecologist…

-It's impossible to offer only a name because we are a movement with an ideology, we haven’t got leaders and, perhaps because of this, we can keep our ideas alive overcoming political pressures. You can attack a leader, you can imprison him/her, but it will appear another person with the same message. You can jail him/her but it will rise another one. And the new leaders will be more powerful because they don’t only have their message, they will have the force of defending other people who are suffering injustices decided by the power.

-Then, you haven’t got a reference, have you?

-The ecologist movement is a reference in itself but if you’re asking about someone who I appreciate or admire, I must talk about Jean Goodall. She is a British primatologist and anthropologist who is considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees around the planet. She’s also a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

-Is she a reference for you?

-Of course, she is. Goodall's research at Gombe Stream is best known to the scientific community for challenging two long-standing beliefs of the day: that only humans could construct and use tools, and that chimpanzees were vegetarians.

-Jean Goodall remembers me Dian Fossey.

-Yes, it’s impossible to talk about Goodall without talking about Fossey. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups from 1966 until her death in 1985. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by palaeontologist Louis Leakey. During her time in Rwanda, she actively supported conservation efforts, strongly opposed poaching and tourism in wildlife habitats, and made more people acknowledge sapient gorillas. Fossey was brutally murdered in her cabin at a remote camp in Rwanda in December 1985. It has been theorized that her murder was linked to her conservation efforts.

-It must be difficult working in some African countries with these increasing rates of violence.

-I think so but it’s a risk that you must take if you love your work and you love these species that you’re trying to protect.

-Why do you think being an ecologist activist is not well seen in some countries?

-Because the most part of times, the protection of the environment is something opposite to the business and benefits of great economic holdings. In a world where money is in the centre of our lives and it seems that you have more success if you earn more, it’s difficult to do actions designated to protect the environment, which is a common thing, against the interest of this minority. It’s the old battle between the 99% and the 1%.

-How do you feel being a member of The Jones family?

-The Jones are very good people. We're a great family and they respect me and I respect them. We’re sensible people and we know that we can express our ideas without fear because we appreciate different points of views. This fact makes us better people. Respect is the essence of a relationship.

-How is a normal day with The Jones?

-What's normal? If normal means something that the most part of people do, and then we aren't a normal family because we do whatever we desire, whenever we want and wherever we stay.

-How long have you been studying English?

-I studied English since the Primary School. In the Netherlands we have four official languages and we study them in the Primary School: Dutch, English Frisian and Papiamento. There are also three more recognized languages: Limburgish, Dutch Low and Saxon.

-Then, you speak Dutch and English, don't you?

-Yes, I do... and Frisian and Papiamento.

-What can you explain about your life with The Jones?

-As I have explained before, the Jones offer me the possibility of being myself and this is something very important for an artist. You can express your opinions and everybody is going to accept your point of view although they don't share it with you.

-Which is your best memory with the family?

-I have lots of memories although I remember strongly when we decided to travel to the Galápagos Islands. It was a very especial moment for me because I love these islands and visit them again is a great present.

-Imagine that I want to adopt a pet. Recommend me one...

-You can adopt pets which are living in special centres because you’re offering them a new life. But a pet is not a toy and you must be sure you’re responsible enough to take care of it. A pet is not a caprice. It needs some attentions and company.

-Why do you think some people adopt exotic animals?

-Because they’re totally irresponsible. An exotic animal must live in its environment not at home but people are sometimes very selfish and they only think in themselves.

-What do you think about zoos?

-Zoos have changes a lot. They were a kind of animals’ museum but nowadays they are centres which try to help animals, especially those which are under danger of extinction. However, I prefer to change the idea of keeping a zoo by the idea of keeping natural reserves but, of course, this is very expensive and, at last, everything is a matter of money. It’s a pity and a shame.

-Thank you very much, Claudia Jones.

-You're welcome.

Birds falling down the rooftops

out of the sky like raindrops.
No air, no pride.
Birds.
To a place without fear, with no moonlight.
All I need are trees and flowers and some sunlight.

Anouk

JAUME BOND: THE POWER OF THE DREAM

Jaume Bond's self portrait in water colours style

Jaume Bond. Artist. The Netherlands.

I'm Jaume Bond. I was born in Zundert, The Netherlands, the hometown of Vincent Van Gogh, my inspiration and guide. Perhaps for this, I decided to study Arts and I'm an artist, a person who creates art... but what is art? This is one of the most interesting questions without a common answer. 

People call me Jaume, like Jaume I, the most important Catalan king, a figure very important for the European Middle Age. Jaume is a translation of James, because my real name is Bond, James Bond.

-Good morning, Jaume Bond and thanks to attend us.

-Good morning. It's an honour.

-What is art for you?

-Art is something that affects your feelings and your senses. That's all. Then, it depends of every person. The same art work can create different emotions in different people.

-How is your art?

-It depends. Art is something that you can't control because it comes from the deepest soul and creating art isn't a mechanical action. It's a mix of soul and inspiration.

-How is your best work?

-The best work is always arriving because the most interesting about art is the process of creation and every work is better than the previous one because you really enjoy meanwhile you are working in it.

-Which is your favourite artist?

-It's impossible to choose only one but I love Vincent van Gogh. We are Dutch and he is the main reason of my career. I was born and grew up in Zundert and Van Gogh has been an incredible influence for me but I also love the Flemish art. It's mysterious and dark and I like this.

-Well, then... which is your favourite Van Gogh's work?

-The Starry Night. Vincent van Gogh painted it in Saint Rémy in June 1889. It's very important the season because, as you know, light changes and light is very important for a painter, especially for an impressionist one.

-It is a masterpiece, isn't it?

-Of course, it is. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo: this morning I saw the country from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big... We know that Van Gogh was in an asylum victim of a mental breakdown in the winter of 1888 and he added that through the iron-barred window. I can see an enclosed square of wheat ... above which, in the morning, I watch the sun rise in all its glory. He must left out the iron bars to paint this picture.

-Van Gogh has a mental illness, like Salvador Dalí...

-Yes, and like the 35% of the world population... Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night is talking about mortality. The dark spires in the foreground are cypress trees, plants most often associated with cemeteries and death. This connection gives a special significance to this van Gogh quote, Looking at the stars always makes me dream. Why, I ask myself, shouldn't the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? Just as we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star.

-People say that it's difficult to live with an artist. Is it true?

-I don't think so. Living in pair is difficult because it's a question of offering and receiving but it doesn't depend of your work. A relationship depends of respect and tolerance. I'm happily married with Eli Bond and we have a consolidated marriage.

-How's life with an artist, then?

-A normal life. There are many people who are artists but they work in other jobs and they don't explore and explode their art but it doesn't mean that they weren't artists. Remember: Art is something that changes your feelings and your senses and there are a lot of ways to reach it.

-Which is your advice for a newcomer artist?

-Believe in yourself. You should know that you must believe in yourself because this is a complicated world and you sometimes can feel yourself alone. If this moment arrives, you must think that you have got yourself.

-How do you feel being a member of The Bond's family?

-The Bonds are very good people. We're a great family and they respect me and love my art. They accept that I'm an artist and I sometimes need to express myself because I feel an unstoppable desire of creating something.

-How is a normal day with The Bonds?

-What's normal? If normal means something that the most part of people do, and then we aren't a normal family because we do whatever we desire, whenever we want and wherever we stay.

-How long have you been studying English?

-I studied English since the Primary School. In the Netherlands we have four official languages and we study them in the Primary School: Dutch, English Frisian and Papiamento. There are also three more recognized languages: Limburgish, Dutch Low and Saxon.

-Then, you speak Dutch and English, don't you?

-Yes, I do... and Frisian and Papiamento.

-What can you explain about your life with The Bonds?

-The Bonds offer me the possibility of being myself and this is something very important for an artist. You can express your opinions and everybody is going to accept your point of view although they don't share it with you.

-Which is your best memory with the family?

-I have lots of memories although I remember strongly when we stayed in Berlin last Christmas. I painted the Wall because I wanted to express my feelings and leave them there and the police caught me. Thanks to all the family, and especially thanks to Miriam Bond, I could recover my freedom.

-Imagine that I want to buy one of your works. Recommend me one...

-I love all of my works but I want to recommend you four because I have painted them meanwhile I have been with The Bonds. First, Blood. A tribute to a Romanian hero, one of the most terrible fighters who have existed. He used fear against his enemies and terrible punishments. It's a painting with a predominance of red tones. Second, The Prospectors. A tribute to those men who searched gold in the American rivers. Levi Strauss made trousers with the sailcloth for the Californian prospectors with blue material from France. That's the story of the first jeans. It's a painting with a mix of blue and yellow-grey colours. Next, Sharks. A tribute to the whale shark, a very interesting fish because is the largest of sharks and its mouth can have 3,000 teeth by 7,5 centimetres long. It's a painting with blue and grey tones. Finally, San Salvador. On August 3rd 1492 Columbus sailed from Spain for ten weeks to west. When a sailor saw a bird, Columbus knew he had arrived to an island which he named San Salvador and he said that the Earth was round. It's a picture with green, blue and orange colours.

-You're an artist. Can you create a slogan for The Bonds?

-We're the power of the dream because we never give up and we fight the future.

-Thank you very much, Jaume Bond.

-You're welcome.

Feel the flame forever burn

teaching lessons we must learn

to bring us closer to the power of the dream.

As the world gives us its best
to stand apart from all the rest.
It is the power of the dream that brings us here.

Céline Dion

ROCÍO: DUTCH MAGIC

Rocio Addams, the magician

Rocío was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands the country home of other important people like the painters Vincent van Gogh and Rembrandt van Rijn; the footballers Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten; the popular spy Mata Hari or the business man Alfred Henry Heineken, owner and creator of the beer’s empire.

Be born in The Netherlands means enjoying art and freedom. Because of this, it’s not strange that Rocío decided to dedicate her professional life to magic. She likes unknown and mysterious world and she does lots of tricks. She’s funny and spontaneous and she is admired around the planet. She became a star very young but thanks to her good character and her strong personality, fame hasn’t changed her.

Nowadays, she’s sharing her time with The Addams Family and she’s preparing a new show for this season where you will be able to enjoy with all her art and entertainment.

Every disadvantage has its advantage.

 Johan Cruyff