Veteran Day July 25th.

Vorige week vierden we  Veteranendag. We zagen militairen van allerlei rangen, kleuren, die overal op de wereld dienst hebben gedaan. Er waren soldaten die in de Tweede Wereldoorlog hadden gevochten.
Het was soms ontroerend om de oude krijgers te zien marcheren. De jonge soldaten die nog niet zo'n ervaring hadden meegemaakt, maar wel klaar waren hun land te verdedigen, maakten op mij erg veel indruk, omdat sommige van hen jong zouden sterven of gevangen genomen zouden worden.

Tussen al deze troepen miste ik de soldaten die ik als kind gezien had en die als gevangenen van het Japanse leger op ons erf in Malang hun eten moesten koken.
De Japanse bezetting was nog maar pas begonnen in maart 1942. Japanse militairen hadden de school tegenover ons huis ingenomen.
Op een dag kwam er een soldaat vragen of zijn gevangenen hun eten mochten klaar maken op ons erf. Het waren Molukse soldaten.


Ze zaten op hun hurken te kipassen( te wapperen)om het vuur brandend te houden.( Een kipas is een bamboe waaier.)
Een jonge Molukse jongen zei, terwijl hij mijn moeder niet aankeek:"Mevrouw, Nederland zal toch herrijzen!".Gelukkig verstond de Japanse soldaat die naast hem stond, geen woord Nederlands
Wat moeder terug zei, weet ik niet meer, maar ze keek de jongen ontroerd aan.

Kijk, die jongen en alle andere nog in leven zijnde Molukse ex-militairen van het KNIL(Koninklijk Nederlands-Indische Leger) had er gisteren bij moeten zijn. Zij waren de trouwste soldaten van dit leger. Dit werd niet beloond, want toen ze in de vijftiger jaren in Nederland kwamen, werden ze allemaal ontslagen. Ze hadden alles in Ambon en de andere eilanden achtergelaten. Ze zijn heel slecht behandeld door de Nederlandse regering. Dus nodig deze mannen volgend jaar vooral uit.


Last week we celebrated Veteran Day.
We saw soldiers of all ranks and colours, who had served all over the world. There were soldiers who had fought in World-war II. It was touching to see the old warriors marching on. I was impressed by the young soldiers who had not yet witnessed these  experiences, but were ready to defend their country, while some of them were going to die young or would become prisoners of war.

Among all those troops I missed the soldiers who I had seen when I was a child and who, being prisoners of the Japanese army, had to cook their meals in our yard in Malang...

The Japanese occupation had only just begun in March 1942.

The Japanese military had taken the school opposite our house in their possession.

One day a soldier came to ask if his prisoners were allowed to prepare their meals in our yard.

They were Moluccan soldiers.

They were squatting and fanning to keep the fire burning with a kipas(a bamboo fan).

A young Moluccan man said, while he didn't look at my mum:"Madam, The Netherlands will rise again!"Fortunately the Japanese soldier standing next to him, could not understand Dutch. I don't remember what mum said to him but she looked at him with emotion.

Well, that boy and the other soldiers of the KNIL( Royal Dutch Indian Army) who are still alive, should have been there at Veteran Day. They were the most faithful soldiers of this army..

They were not rewarded,for when they arrived in the Netherlands in the fifties, they were all dismissed from Her Majesty's Service. They had left everything in Ambon and the other islands.

They were treated badly . So next time invite these men too, by all means.

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar.

Ubi Caritas and Polling-day

Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas, Deus ibi est!

Polling-day! I returned an hour ago from the polling-station

to vote for one of the 26 parties we could choose from for new M.P's.

The election campaign was harsh and full of promises, none of the politicians can prove. I didn't vote for one of the three

Christian parties, because they are rather small and have some 

ideas, I cannot support.

This week we had some unpleasant encounters with the Turkish government, which caused a lot of hatred. This is not the way we should treat each other and build a strong and happy Europe. And hatred is the worst adviser.

I agree with my government that we  cannot allow foreigners to use our country as a platform to fight their political problems.

We are not a province of any other European country. We are an independent state with our own constitution and a king as head of state. We abhor dictators.

I believe that where love and "caritas" rule, God is present.

Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas ibi Deus est.

Our World Tuesday., ABC Wednesday, S for Soestdijk Palace

 

We do not know how old the palace is.We do know that it was bought by Cornelis de Graeff mayor of Amsterdam in 1638.  Mary Stuart  married stadtholder Willem III of Orange. She was a daughter of the English King James II. She and Willem III became the ruling couple William III and Mary II, who died in 1694 and William died in 1702. They had no children.

They were the first members of the House of Orange to live at Soestdijk Palace. The princes of Orange were stadtholders till Napoleon was defeated. His brother had been proclaimed king of the Netherlands in 1806. So our first king was a Bonaparte, a Frenchman.

As soon as William of Orange, who had spent his exile in England, returned to the Netherlands after the defeat of Napoleon,  the Dutch wanted him to become king of the Netherlands and Belgium, which became independent later.

 The kingdom of the Netherlands is now 200 years old and has known seven ruling monarchs: first three kings, then three queens and now a king again.

Queen Juliana, grandmother of our king, had lived in Soestdijk until she died. Her children had lived in this palace until they got married. Queen Beatrix, mother of our king, abdicated in 2013 in favour of her son Willem Alexander, who lives in a palace in the Hague.

We don't know what is going to happen with this beautiful palace.

 

 Diningroom

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with S.

ABC Wednesday, N for Nieuw Amsterdam

My sincere apologies for the  bad quality of the photos.

After our time as  p.o.w.'s in Japanese concentrationcamps, we were liberated by the British. Two months after the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki we could escape a new danger. The Indonesian freedom fighters wanted to put us back in the camps, and kill us if possible. Fortunately we could sail to Singapore on British ships. There we waited for a ship to take us homeward, to the Netherlands.

On the fifth of December 1945 we went on board of the S.S.Nieuw Amsterdam , which was one of the five biggest ships of the world at that time. Four thousand Dutch men, women and children came on board. We also had a lot of British soldiers of the 14th regiment, who were longing to be reunited with their loved ones after their captivity in concentrationcamps.  On 8th December we left the harbour of Singapore.

The ship was overcrowded, but we were used to that. There was, however an unexpected epidemic, of the measles, of which many children died, something my mum, sisters and I nor any of our fellow cabin passengers knew until now. It was so tragic because our mothers had done everything they could to keep their children alive in the camps, and here almost back home, some of them died.

I was twelve in December 1945, my sisters were 8 and 6.

I enjoyed this voyage immensely. I could walk wherever I wanted. I watched the sea. Sometines I saw dolphins or "Flying" fish. Once I saw beautifully coloured jellyfish, also known as the Portuguese man-of-war.

During this voyage we had a stop in Adabaya, where we got on a train that took us to Ataka, where we got our winter outfit. We were treated to coffee, tea, limonade and all kind of cakes. For the children there was a play ground and each child got a present. It was for us a great happening.

When we returned it was dark. We saw in the distance the enormous, illuminated Nieuw Amsterdam, lying in all her majesty, our ship!

The train that took us in the desert, where we got our winter clothes.

Bon voyage, pleasant journey!

Slowly we steamed through  the Suez Canal. I watched a camel rider on the shore, who kept pace with us!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 1938-built Nieuw Amsterdam. For other ships with the same name, see New Amsterdam .

S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam
Career (Netherlands)
Name:	Nieuw Amsterdam
Namesake:	New Amsterdam (New York)
Operator:	Holland America Line
Builder:	N.V. Rotterdam Drydock Company, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Laid down:	January 5, 1936
Launched:	April 10, 1937
Christened:	April 10, 1937
Maiden voyage:	May 10, 1938
Fate:	Scrapped in 1974
General characteristics
Tonnage:	36,287 gross tons (36,667 tons after 1947 refit)
Length:	758 feet (231.5 m)
Beam:	88 feet (26.9 m)
Installed power:	Single reduction geared turbines; 34,000 shp
Propulsion:	Twin screws
Speed:	20.5 knots (38.0 km/h)
Capacity:	1,220: 556 First Class, 455 Second Class, 209 Third Class

The Nieuw Amsterdam was a Dutch ocean liner built in Rotterdam for the Holland America Line. This Nieuw Amsterdam, the second of four Holland America ships with that name, is considered by many to have been Holland America's finest ship

S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam

Name:

Nieuw Amsterdam

Namesake:

New Amsterdam (New York)

Operator:

Holland America Line

Builder:

N.V. Rotterdam Drydock Company, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Laid down:

January 5, 1936

Launched:

April 10, 1937

Christened:

April 10, 1937

Maiden voyage:

May 10, 1938

Fate:

Scrapped in 1974

Tonnage:

36,287 gross tons (36,667 tons after 1947 refit)

Length:

758 feet (231.5 m)

Beam:

88 feet (26.9 m)

Installed power:

Single reduction geared turbines; 34,000 shp

Propulsion:

Twin screws

Speed:

20.5 knots (38.0 km/h)

Capacity:

1,220: 556 First Class, 455 Second Class, 209 Third Class

When we arrived in Southampton we had to leave our ship, which had been our home for 23 days. It was NewYear's day 1946. We had to board a British boat : the Almanzora. An old vessel and extremely cold! On 3rd January we arrived in Amsterdam, where Princess Juliana welcomed us. She was shocked by the silent group of women, who bowed for her like we had to do for the Japanese soldiers.

My mum , sisters and I went by train to Rotterdam, where my father was reunited with us after four years. He had been at sea during the war.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with N.

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

Our World Tuesday, ABC Wednesday, N for the Netherlands

 Often people ask me: What's the difference between Holland and the Netherlands?

 My answer: Well the Netherlands are divided into 12 provinces, and only  two of them are called Holland. You see them on the map. They are Noord(North) -Holland and Zuid(South)-Holland.

Talking about Holland, people seem to think that we have only windmills, wooden shoes, tulips, national costumes and ..... Hansje Brinkers, the little boy who put his finger in the dike and who never existed. Nowadays coffeeshops, where you cannot buy coffee but  marijuana, take the place of wooden shoes and tulips in the minds of many visitors.

 I'd like to tell what the history of my country really is. We are like Great Britain a seafaring nation. Of course,  for we have water on two sides. The Dutch are shaped by sea, wind and many foreign influences, as we have many neighbours.Our language is also shaped by the French, German and English languages. Besides Dutch we also have the Friesian language, spoken in Friesland, one  of the northern provinces.

The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU), and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.

 Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our new logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar.


With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and to Roger our new captain. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with N

Sky Watch, Commemoration of the Dead

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them".

The National Monument is a 1956 World War II monument on Dam Square in Amsterdam. A ceremony is held at the monument every year on 4 May to commemorate the casualties of World War II and subsequent armed conflicts.

A semicircular wall surrounds the back side of the monument. The wall contains eleven urns with soil from World War II execution grounds and war cemeteries in each of the Dutch provinces. Three years later, a twelfth urn was added with soil from the Dutch East Indies, present-day Indonesia.

Sky Watch is hosted each week by the Sky Watch team of Sandy,and Sylvia. And this week as every week, we remember Klaus and know that he joins us in spirit! .
It's always a pleasure to participate, and see all the other skies around the world. If you want to see other skies please click on the logo in the side bar.

that's My World, ABC Wednesday N for Napoleon and the Netherlands

Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a military and political leader of France and Emperor of the French as Napoleon I, whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.From 1806, Emperor Napoleon ruled almost the whole of Europe as an “enlightened despot”.

The Dutch Republic had already fallen to French troops in 1795 with the aid of Dutch patriots. Until 1806, the Batavian Republic, as the Netherlands was then known, remained officially independent of France but in reality little took place without the approval of the French. In 1806, Napoleon appointed his brother Louis as King of Holland, and the Netherlands became a kingdom. This laid the foundations for the later monarchy. In 1810 Napoleon deposed his brother and the Netherlands was absorbed into the French Empire. Three years later Napoleon was defeated and banished to Elba; the Netherlands regained its independence and became a monarchy.

That's my World is hosted by Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World


With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with N.

that's My World, ABC Wednesday, L for Leiden

The photos are not mine but by courtesy of Wikipedia.


It's a pity that have only been at a few places in Leiden. I visited several times a museum and I studied English for some years, but I know that Leiden is a very beautiful city.The city of Leiden has a long history: university town since 1575, Leiden houses Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Centre. It is twinned with Oxford, the location of England's oldest university.Many members of our royal family studied here, including our Queen Beatrix, who studied law.

In 1572, the city sided with the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule and played an important role in the Eighty Years' War, which ended in 1648 and as a result of this war the Netherlands became an independent republic under the leadership of the Prince of Orange.

Besieged from May until October 1574 by the Spanish, Leiden was relieved by the cutting of the dikes, thus enabling ships to carry provisions to the inhabitants of the flooded town.

As a reward for the heroic defence of the previous year, the University of Leiden was founded by William I of Orange in 1575. Yearly on 3 October, the end of the siege is still celebrated in Leiden. Tradition tells that the citizens were offered the choice between a university and a certain exemption from taxes and chose the university.

The siege is notable also for being the first instance in Europe of the issuance of paper money, with paper taken from prayer books being stamped using coin dies when silver ran out.
That's my World is hosted by Klaus,Sandy,Ivar,Wren,Fishing Guy & Louise - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World



With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with L.

Townhall, Leiden

that's My World, ABC Wednesday,J for St.JANSKERK

Sint Janskerk.The Sint Janskerk in Gouda, the Netherlands, is a large Gothic church, known especially for its stained glass windows, for which it has been placed on the UNESCO list of Dutch monuments.

For a virtual tour of the church click Here

The church is dedicated to John the Baptist, the patron saint of Gouda, and was built during the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1552 a large part of the church burned, including the archives. Most information of the early period is taken from the diaries of Ignatius Walvis. Around 1350 a tower was built (only the lower part remains). In 1485 the foundation was built for the present-day choir. This expansion made the church the longest in the Netherlands, with a length of 123 meters.
The stained glass windows were made and installed primarily by the brothers Dirk and Wouter Crabeth I, in the years 1555-1571, and after a short stop for the Protestant Reformation, until 1603. During the Reformation the church was spared, because the city fathers sided with the reigning king Philip II of Spain, rather than William the Silent, representing the Orange rebels. Later, after the orangists conquered the northern half of Holland, Gouda reverted to Orange in 1572. It was only during this period that the church was in danger, and three weeks later an angry mob stormed the church and plundered the contents, but fortunately left the windows intact. The church was closed, but many wealthy regents of the city attempted to have it reopened. In 1573 the Gouda council prohibited the practise of Roman Catholic religion and in the summer of that year it was opened for the Protestant Dutch Reformed faith. You know that nowadays Protestants and Roman Catholics live in peace with each other and even attend each other's services from time to time.

That's my World is hosted by Klaus,Sandy,Ivar,Wren,Fishing Guy & Louise - a Team of experienced bloggers, whom we thank for this wonderful meme. You can see more of the world of other bloggers by clicking on the logo in the side bar or on that's My World



With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with J.

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