A fieldtrip to the museum

Dear Bloggers,

It is springbreak and rain is pooring and the wind is picking up. We have decided to do something indoors unfortunately we did not have one nice day at all. The sun has been out but not longer than ten minutes.
It is another day that is filled with rain, rain and more rain. And the kids have spring break so it is time for a so-called indoors adventure day. With adventure day we are going to do something special together with a goal that we have fun and do something unusual. For example when I was sailing we went by bus or by train as my wife had to work and was using the car. As money has become more and more an issue and my wife has holiday too.

I calculated what it would cost to go by bus and train for the four of us and I was really schocked as our country wants to stimulate to go by public transport. Well let us calculate this.We live in Friesland, and today is the Nature Museum in Leeuwarden on the program. So we need to travel to Leeuwarden. First of all we need to go by bus and then by train. All bustickets for the four of us would cost € 30,10 and traintickets € 24,60 as our kids are under twelve day get a lot of discount. That makes a total cost of  € 54,70 and this is alot of money. If we go by car and that is what we did it will cost me € 5,40 in fuel and € 2,50 for the parking in the city. And that makes € 7,90 in total, ok I should charge some money for maintenance and tax and so on. So to make it easy it would cost me the double price which would be € 15,80 The difference is far too big € 38,90 is a lot of money if you want to stimulate the public transport. In my opinion every ticket should not cost more then € 5,00 for a day.

A great and really nice museum especially for kids! My youngest daughter got a card through school to help your grandparents through the holidays. If you are bringing a grandfather or grandmother you get as a kid free admission.

And I was advised about this museum by a former colleague who lives on the other side of the country. So there you see it again that sometimes you don't have to travel that far to do fun things, because it shows that the Frisians have many exciting creative ideas to make a very cool museum with some simple tools.

A diary of animals is scattered throughout the museum what constitutes a fun quest. This springbreak the Nature Museum Leeuwarden offers children to make there own fun crafts and a quiz a few times a day. There are many things in the museum you need to search or you take look at one of the viewers is also a fun activity, here you see the birds that are living nearby in the fields.

There was an exhibition about "The Secret Garden" and this is Inspired on the book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Over one hundred years ago it was first released, but the story is still popular to generations of children.
The Secret Garden tells the tale of three children who become friends through a special experience. By refurbishing the secret garden it will change something in themselves.

The story
Mary is rightly pointed to the estate of her rich uncle. Nobody pays attention to her and her uncle let it fail. He struggles with a great sorrow, the death of his wife.
After her death leaves her beloved garden close. The house appears to have a child to attend her nephew Collin, who is sick and weak and always stay inside. Together with her friend Dickon, the brother of the maid, she discovers one days at the entrance to the secret garden. If they open the gate appears to be all overgrown and neglected. She cited the garden is going to be refurbished.

Collin is also involved. They smuggle him out to see the garden with his own eyes. As they remove the weeds and plant seeds it creates a special friendship between the three children. The cooperation and interaction with nature helps them to process their grief.
When the roses bloom and the robin has young ones, there is something in them permanently changed.

The exhibition was created by Othilia Verdurmen.
It is an old friend of the museum and also made the Dragon Ming Li who lives in the attic of the museum.
All landscapes, animals and flowers made of textiles. It is an environment not only pleasing to the eye but for all senses.
The objects may be touched and felt and there is very nice music.
The exhibition is very suggestive, much is left to the imagination of the children.

The children loved the part were you went so to say under water in Friesland, because you end up there by going down the stairs as you get the feeling that you are walking under water. Here you see what a lot of thought has been given to this exhibition even a pair of paws of a cow are injected into the ditch. A swan is busy eating and there are some nice surprises.

But there's much more to do and see, such as flying like a bird and milking a cow there is a lot of thought to these things to fit the skills of children
I really find this fun. When I ask how busy it is today when paying the entrance fee, the lady behind the counter tells me that the whole week has been about a thousand visitors a day and that is a lot I think for a midsized museum.

The tinkering takes place in the courtyard of this old former orphanage that lies under a large modern glass canopy. This link between old and new is a nice architectural masterpiece. Here you can design your own craft to take home. There are, except the entrance ticket, no extra charges at all. There is also the great coffee and tea stand which is selfservice and this is also included. This is a nice incidental.

This whale was found dead at one of the islands above the Netherlands.

So if you live in the neighborhood and you have kids who love nature and crafts I would definitely go and pay a visit!

The Old Sailor,

Help the Red Cross or become a member

Dear Bloggers,

My wife is an active member of the Red Cross division in our neighborhood. http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ Every Tuesdaynight she is going to follow lessons with a diversety of items. They learn for example how to handle injured persons and also how to recognize bonefractures. Furthermore they learn CPR and how to use a walkie talkie as a professional which is needed when a disaster or a big event happens. Unfortunately the Red Cross in the Netherlands is getting short of (young and new) members, and we absolutely need these people for so many occasions. So I used all my sources to find out why I should write about them and I asked myself the following questions.

http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/
What is the Red Cross?
Most countries have a Red Cross Society or the Red Crescent but they have the same kind of background. The Red Cross can therefore (almost) anywhere in the world help people and children. Millions of volunteers who want to help, for example when an earthquake in Haiti struck recently the Red Cross in the Netherlands started to raise funds together with other help organisations, and they were sending people to help them. This is a specialized team that acts when disasters happen. The Red Cross consists largely of volunteers who do not get paid. Without all these volunteers the Red Cross would not exist. In the Netherlands there are about 34,000 volunteers.

http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/
The Red Cross has seven core values about the manner in which the Red Cross work is done. These agreements are called seven principles, I mention those seven lines, in my own words:

Humanity
Impartiality
Neutrality
Independence
Voluntary service
Unity
Universality

A full worked out version you can read on http://www.ifrc.org/what/values/principles/index.asp

The founding of the Red Cross.
In 1859 there was a battle of Solferino in Italy between the French and the Austrian army. After the battle were 40,000 wounded left behind, nobody took care about them. They had no water, food and aid. Henry Dunant was in the neighborhood as a coinkydink. He went to help the wounded and was taking care about them and he succeeded on his own course. He asked the help of Italian women from the villages nearby. They made emergency stations for sick and injured. When Henry was back in Geneva from his journey. Solferino he could not forget about it and wrote a book:''Un souvenir de Solferino''. In this book he proposed three things to avoid. The proposals were:
- In every country should be voluntary aid organizations be established to care for the sick and wounded.
- The wounded on the battlefield should be consider as ordinary people and should be protected.
- An international rule, these proposals will help the law and provide security for the wounded and the people who take care of them .
His book was widely read and many people were agreeing with him. In 1863 came from 16 European countries to a meeting in Geneva. They approved the proposal of Henry to set up associations of voluntary workers. On October 29, 1863 the decision was taken and there was a new organization founded:''''The Red Cross! With the creation of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant's dream was fulfilled.
In the years that followed there was a National Red Cross club. The Red Cross in Belgium in 1864 was the first national association. The Dutch Red Cross was founded in 1867. As we speak about today there are around 170 countries with approx 128 million volunteers.
For all the work Henry Dunant did he got in 1901 the Nobel Peace Prize later he got another four times the Nobel Prize.
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The origin of the symbol.
The Red Cross is not just a symbol. Already in the 18th century was agreed that sick and wounded soldiers should receive protection and assistance If they wear a red cross symbol with a white background. All of this was agreed in Geneva in 1949. The founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant as a Swiss, Henry had chosen for this symbol, it is because when you turn around (the white cross and red background) was a Swiss flag. The sign of the Red Crescent association instead of a Red Cross a red Moon During wars, the symbol used for protection of the sick and wounded, and for those who help them. Many people know the sign of the Red Cross. This sign is very important in wartime. The countries have agreed with each other if someone or something wears the Red Cross symbol that it should not be attacked. Also the sign of the Red Crescent should not be attacked.
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The Netherlands Red Cross.
Even if a disaster occurs in the Netherlands as for example the fireworks disaster in Enschede, the fire in Volendam, there are Red Cross volunteers are ready to help.
There are some special teams if they need to help the staff of an ambulance to treat injuries and ensure that the victims relatives are informed and will be mentally supported or even being picked up if necessary.

This so called Sigma team is being called in cases of bigger accidents.Furthermore there is group that acts in cases of disasters like in Haiti to find people in the aftermath of an earthquake.

Closer to home some volunteers will help disabled people to go on holiday onboard of the Mps Henry Dunant a specialized hospital ship for the ones who otherwise can not travel. For all this they have weekly education and training. At football matches, popconcerts, the Eleven city ice skating tour and so on there are always people of the Red Cross. They are also helping out with big vaccination campaigns as with the Swine flu pandemic.They are always there for us, what ever might happen to us people.
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What does the Red Cross abroad?
The Red Cross helps people who have no food and drinkable water or who are without clothes, people who just experienced a natural disaster, and people who need medication in a war. In every country there are people voluntarily helped to get them medical care and drinking water. If it really is needed the Red Cross also from other countries that provide money, personnel and supplies.
Around Christmas time a Dutch radio station was raising money for mosquito nets against malaria one of the biggest killers in the world. And recently all stations reunited for the earthquake in Haiti.

Four of today's recognised symbols: the red cross, the red crescent, the red lion/ sun and the red crystal.
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The Red Cross and Politics

When the founders of the International Red Cross met for the first time in 1863 in Geneva, they decided to establish an humanitarian movement of strict neutrality. Soon, however, it became clear that politics and ethics could not be separated. Humanitarian aid and (local) political circumstances are aspects of the same society. The present attitude of the generals in Burma, the recent closure of the World Food Program in North Korea or the deception by Nazis’in the concentration camp Theresianstadt are proverbial and notorious examples. Even symbolism did not escape from the religious and political division. The Red Cross and the Red Crescent are the most significant results of this discussion. The Iranian government launched a successful campaign to introduce in 1922 the Red Lion and Red Sun.  The recent discussions, however, concerning the Red David led to an astonishing compromise. On 14 January 2007, the Third Additional Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions entered into force. With it, the additional emblem, the Red Crystal, was formally recognized as emblem. The possibility of using the Red Crystal will make it easier for national societies who do not wish to use the Red Cross or the Red Crescent. Under international law, the Red Crystal offers the same protection as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. The Red Crystal is an attempt to confirm once more neutrality of an global humanitarian organization, surpassing local and regional human political follies and (military) struggles. The universality expressed by the United Nations, International Public Law and the International Court of Justice is symbolized by the Red Crystal, universality as close as it gets.

http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/ http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/

If you got interested in the Red Cross just have a look on these webpages

http://www.rodekruis.nl/

http://friesewouden.rodekruis.nl/

http://www.ifrc.org/



The Old Sailor,

The commercial feast of Valentine.

Dear Bloggers,



Happy Valentine's day daddy, that is what my kids are yelling to me this morning. Yeah right another "happy"day. I slowly wake up out of my half sleep mode, the weather is nice and it is snowing a bit.
Ah Valentine's Day. The first thing that comes to mind is a heart shaped box of cheap chocolates that should be directly applied ones hips. And then there is that sweet little cupid. He's an over weight angel aiming a bow and arrow at you to inspirer you to fall blissfully in love. I mean let's face it. Cupid's arrow is a weapon that literally and metaphorically could be the death of you. But all jokes aside. Do you even know why we actually celebrate Valentine's Day? I didn't think so.

In ancient Rome the date February 14th was a holiday to honor, the Roman Goddess of women and marriage. The next day was celebrated as the pagan Roman Feast of Lupercalia. During this time in Roman history young adults were strictly segregated by sex.

No surprise, it was 269 AD. Eventually they needed to give their hormones a chance to flourish. So it was customary on the eve of the feast of Lupercalia for young men and woman to be partnered for the feast by the men picking the girls names from a jar. Sometimes the pairing lasted for a year and with the young couples falling romantically in love and eventually marring. It was all very sexist in a provocative way. It sounds like a non commercial dating bureau in the ancient days.

Unfortunately this didn't last for long. This euphoric ritual of hormonal teenage partnering would come to an abrupt end during the tyrannical rule of Emperor Claudius II, also known as Claudius the cruel. Emperor Claudius had Rome fighting in many bloody and unpopular battles and was having grave difficulty recruiting soldiers to sustain his military forces. In his warped mind Claudius believed the reason he couldn't get soldiers was due to women. He convinced himself that the men's love of his family, wife or girlfriend prevented them from leaving there side and joining the military. It had nothing to do with the little matter that they didn't want to die a savage death for an Emperor they despised.

Fun loving Emperor Claudius proceeded to cancel all pending and future marriages and engagements in Rome. Claudius then made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians.

The legend says, no doubt a bit is polished up if it is not entirely fictional, has it that Valentine was stricken with the unbearable belief that many young souls would be destined to be sinners. So Valentine, a roman priest, married young lovers against Claudius' decree in secrecy. He was of course apprehended and condemned to death for his deeds. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, in either 269 AD or 270 AD. Nobody really knows what yearly exactly but they know the date was February 14th now known as Valentine's Day.



SO WHAT IS ST. VALENTINE NOW IN OUR PRESENT TIME?

The Netherlands, duh! What you may not know for some unknown reason is that Valentine's day was not very famous during my childhood and still isn't. First signs of this feast was seen in the late fifties, as our country was still very pro American due to the help after the second world war. Although the thought was good it never became very populair. Also the roaring seventies did not bring the turn around. In the late eighties it finally was picked up by the commercial stations.In the nineties the internet was being spread into all living rooms and Holland was having a bit of money to spend. So Valentines day was getting a bit of character and the retail business was happy with their success.Until in 2009 the recession broke out and evryone was sitting on his or her money again, Valentine was scratched of the calendar again. The reputation of the greedy is really showing and the retailers keep on pushing it, especcially in the flower business. But the cheap population of our country compares the prizes with last week. If you are to expensive you can forget it.

Oh the Dutch are wonderful people as long it is for free or they can make profit out of it. They just about have their hands in everything good and pleasurable. The romantic patron saint of lovers who's feast day has become so commercialized it actually makes Christmas seem well, less commercial by comparison. In any event Board and any shopwindow you see the signs, if it didn't see the Euro signs next to it. That is the trouble if your Dutch, romance is beautiful but it has to be affordable.



The Old Sailor,