A Dutch Life

It was amazingly bad, not a single redeeming feature, how did this ever happen.

Enough said.

This weekend was the biggest weekend of the year for the best sport on the planet, Australian Rules Football (AFL or Aussie Rules). Grand Final Weekend. After 26 weeks of football it all comes down to one weekend, and two teams, this year the Geelong Cats and the Port Adelaide Power face off in front of over 110,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It ended up being a record breaking win for the Cats (even making the BBC), their first grand final victory in 44 years, smashing Port by a record 119 points. That is a massive victory at any time of the year let alone a game meant to be between the best and second best in the competition.

I remember watching the Cats play in 4 grand finals and loose every one of them, so I’m actually really pleased to see them come through, congrats.

Now, about the game. I talk to quite a few people over here about the sport. Holland, like England, is Soccer (or football) mad, and so people often ask if I like it and ever played it. It’s one sport I haven’t played, though I would probably like it, particularly being a goalie. When I mention I played Aussie Rules I always get a “What is that?”. Let me tell you, there a very few questions as difficult as explaining to a Dutchman exactly what Australian Rules Football is. People inevitably think you are talking about Rugby, then when you explain it’s not, they move on to American Grid Iron. Then you say its not, they just stand there looking puzzled. A couple of times I have tried, “Well, its a little like the Gaelic Football they play in Ireland”, after which I’m faced with two problems. Explaining Aussie Rules AND Gaelic Football.

Perhaps the best way to describe it is with some of the years highlights, check this out!

In a future post I’m might take some time to rant about how and why soccer is so terrible by comparison, I’ve really tried to get into it, even if only to get my monies worth from newspapers by being able to read the sports pages, but after a few years I gave up. Yawn!

P.S. Note carefully, after an AFL player gets hit, he gets up as quickly as he can smiling. Contrast that to the laws of physics defying soccer players who roll around on the ground in agony for minutes if someone even accidentally step on their shoelace!

This guy, who previously read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica for a book called “Know-it-all”, decided that this time round he would spend a year following every rule in the Bible. It turns out that the number of rules goes well beyond the Ten Commandments, with A.J. Jacobs documenting over 700 distinct rules and prohibitions.

Biblical Living: Following Every Rule for One Year – Newsweek Beliefs – MSNBC.com

There are a couple of things I find interesting in this little experiment:

1) That it’s incredible just how many of the books “Rules” have been discarded (fortunately!) over the centuries. Many of the rules would have been considered absolutely essential to a sin-free Christian life even just 100 years ago. This of course is where people will say “interpretation” comes in, but actually, I think it goes much further than just interpretation. To my mind, morality is a basic human instinct. We aren’t moral because of any book, but instead it’s our ability to mature beyond many of these 700 rules that makes us moral. I’m looking forward to seeing how many more of these ancient rules we can move beyond, for example the denial and demonisation of homosexuality and opposition (or worse) to the use of condoms in Africa, over the next hundred years.

2)  My brother actually highlighted this aspect, can “Rituals be sacred”? Like James I agree that they can. Over dinner last night, Petra and I spent a little more time talking through it. Rituals play a huge part in culture. Whether it’s celebrating those I’m familiar with, like birthdays, Christmas (which pre-dates Christianity), Easter or those I have become familiar with like Sinterklaas, San Fermín, or those my brother has adopted via martial arts. When I meet people from other countries there is no conversation I enjoy more than to ask them about unique rituals they perform on a regular basis within their culture. For an example, remind me to tell you about this Dutch Sinterklaas celebration, talk about weird!

So, in this sense rituals can indeed be sacred, I thoroughly enjoy them, and I hope they stay part of the worlds various cultures forever. However, with that said, I have a little trouble with the word sacred. To me it means that it cannot be challenged, that it cannot be questioned. Our minds should always be open, and as we as a society progress, then we should not be afraid to adapt such rituals to ensure they continue to reflect our modern values. Sadly many rituals that continue today, more sadly many inspired by religion, are way past their use-by date.

I think this takes the whole “includes integrated MP3 player” trend to a whole new level. Translated using Live Translator, this cool little device includes “With plus ion mode deep cleansing” for face care. But that is not all, it also comes with “0 ion mode massage treatment”.

They must have been reading my mind!

http://www.windowslivetranslator.com/BV.aspx?MKT=en-GB&lp=ja_en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.netyokocho.jp%2Fcupid%2Fgoods%2FN-0013

Using the cool new Microsoft Live Translation service.

Damn!

I just finished reading an article about how the US Navy is spending $600,000 dollars to redesign one of their building in California that from the air looks like a Swastika (mostly because it is a swastika).

Now, I’m the last person to buy into silly conspiracy theories, but you really do just have to wonder how such a design was ever approved.

I mean sure, it might be a pretty handy way to layout the buildings, it most offer significant ergonomic advantages, numerous window offices, but surely when someone, in the defence forces, looked at the floor plans, they recognized what is likely one of, if not the, most powerful and offensive symbols of the 20th century!

You would have hoped that upon noticing it they would say something like “Look, there are a lot of shapes in the world, how about we try a Dodecahedron“.

I quite like the tune, but I love what they have mashed together with this old religious footage!

I went to Egypt with Scotty over two years ago now, was a really amazing holiday. The country is stunning, both historically and culturally speaking, and we mixed 5 star luxury hotels with 2nd class train journeys, the Cairo museum with illegal belly dancing clubs and expensive restaurants will stall food. Along the way we took a number of very short videos, and like my other ones, it has been hidden away on my hard disk ever since.

Anyway, I’m publishing it on my blog mainly so that Jodie can finally see the effort that Scott went to to purchase her belly dancing outfit, but also for the memories..

If you have 3 minutes spare its worth taking a look at this online photo album, it contains photos of the daily lives of the men and women who ran Auschwitz. It really is incredible to contrast the smiles on their faces as they participate in a group sing-a-long with the immense suffering which is taking place in their camp.

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20070919_ALBUM_FEATURE/index.html

I sadly missed my brothers 21st birthday, but I did make a little photo video for him, not sure enough people saw it, and its just been sitting on my hard disk taking up space.

James, enjoy!