On the road again

We are off to the land of gator farms and the early-bird special! Our cab is coming in about 2 hours and I still have to pack - so this entry will be short.

I'm looking forward to a bit of relaxing on the beach - the last 2 weeks here have been brutal. Our landlord is renovating our building so the place is covered in dry wall dust and paint. There are wires everywhere and nails sticking out of floorboards. Sounds alot like our place back in the T Dot, doesn't it!!!!!

James is taking Zephyr to the babysitters in a few minutes so we will have our teary good-byes at the door.

I can't wait to see Papa, Nanny, Banky, Toneeee, and Thomas. Get the margaritas ready!

It's Pat!

Man appeals for right to genderless life

9 February 2006

AMSTERDAM –– An inhabitant of Enschede has taken a claim to be allowed to spend their life registered as genderless to the highest court (Hoge Raad), after a court in Arnhem supported the city council’s refusal to allow such a categorization.

Enschede Council had previously declared that it was not possible to be written into the population register without an indication of gender: s/he had to be either a man or a woman. A court in Arnhem supported the council’s decision.

The complainant’s lawyer said on Tuesday that the person was born male, but has subsequently undergone an operation to become genderless. His client wishes to remain out of the public eye, and no date

has yet been set for the hearing.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2005]

Stop that bus! Again!

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Staffordshire bull terrier hopped onto the number 6 tram in The Hague and traveled for 20 minutes before passengers saw he was alone and called police to make him get off.

The 7-year-old black and white dog has a penchant for traveling solo on the trundling trams, his owner Ben told a Dutch daily newspaper Wednesday.

"He got so used to traveling by tram, I always have to stop him from jumping in without me," Ben said. "I'll have to put him on the leash more often."

Police spokesman Leo Maat noted that Max, who did not want to get off the tram, had traveled several stops without a ticket.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Stop that bus!

Teen steals bus again

AMSTERDAM — A boy, 15, was caught driving a stolen bus in the Veluwe region on Monday night, a few months after taking another bus and picking up passengers.
He took the latest bus from garage in his home town and was tracked down 20 miles away in Spankeren in the Veluwe. Police were trying to establish whether he transported passengers this time.

At the end of November 2005 he took buses on three occasions over two days. In one incident he drove a stolen bus from Apeldoorn to Dieren, picking up and letting off passengers along the way.

Bus drivers expressed amazement he was able to handle a harmonica bus during one of his joyrides. Even experienced drivers have to train to steer such long buses successfully. Police did not receive complaints about the boy's driving ability.

The youth said he learnt to drive by asking drivers all sorts of questions and watching them closely. Drivers also showed him how to start a bus.

Justice officials now have to decide what to do with him. He spent Monday night in a police cell.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2006]

Stedelijk Museum - Rineke Dijkstra

James and I went on a big date this afternoon to the Stedelijk Museum here in Amsterdam. I visited the museum back in 2001 when it was housed in its original building in the Museumplein strip. As with everything else here in Amsterdam, the museum building is under renovation until 2007 and the regular collection is off display. However, they are presenting some fetching temporary exhibits in their temp space in the old Post office. The building is an ugly cement block government monstrosity flanked by two beautiful examples of architecture: Centraal Station and the NEMO Science Centre.

We went to see the exhibition of work by the Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra. It was incredible! My favourite portraits were the mothers and sons. Three pictures of women and their newborn babies were juxtaposed with three photos of young Portuguese bull fighters. The women in the series were photographed one hour, one day and one week after giving birth. The first woman had on that horrible mesh underwear with the enormous maxi pad that is standard issue at Toronto East General L&D ward. The picture above is one of the bull fighter shots and also graces the exhibition posters. I also enjoyed her video installation called "The Buzzclub/Mystery World". I was actually laughing out loud during it - and I can't remember the last time I did that at a museum!

I also got the chance to see a film by photographer, film and video artist Shirin Neshat. The installation Zarin is about an Iranian prostitute who believes that she is being punished by God for her sinful lifestyle.

A very impressive collection.