War Memorial - Detail
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Gedenk die tot der dood getrouw,
in 't zicht van tirannieke machten,
het vege lijf ten offer brachten,
opdat de geest verwinnen zou.

Remember those faithful unto death,
In sight of tyrannical powers,
Their mortal bodies sacrificed,
That the spirit would overcome.

War Memorial
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Gedenk die tot der dood getrouw,
in 't zicht van tirannieke machten,
het vege lijf ten offer brachten,
opdat de geest verwinnen zou.

Remember those faithful unto death,
In sight of tyrannical powers,
Their mortal bodies sacrificed,
That the spirit would overcome.

http://www.bossche-encyclopedie.nl/Overig/Beelden/Verzetsmonument.htm (Dutch)

No Trains
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

A building pit next to the rail tracks just south of 's-Hertogenbosch collapsed killing a builder. This caused the power in the power lines to be switched off, resulting in no trains from 9 am till noon.

At 3 p.m. most trains were running again.

IMG_6825
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

A hot-air balloon floats over a parkside street in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Binnendieze
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Sailing the river binnendieze literally underneath the town.
The arches are either roads or houses.

Chocolate letter
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

So, What do the Dutch eat when they want to be festive?

During Sinterklaas, when they celebrate Saint Nicholas Day, they have a tradition to gift each other a letter made of chocolate. This is usually the first letter of the recipient's first name.

Sinterklaas is a good holy man, bishop of Myra and all, a true philanthropist. He gives presents to children who are good and a spanking to do we were not. The latter are also put into a hessian sack and taken back to Spain.

Helping the saint is his troop of friendly helpers: Black Petes.
There used to be only one, but I believe this changed in 1945 when the Canadian army was in Amsterdam. Or something. Whatever, you know.

Rumor has it that in the past Black Pete was the saints slave, then servant and now friend. Or whatever, you know.

A while ago, the Black Petes started to diversify from generic helpers to specialist helpers like Music Pete, Direction Finding Pete and Whatever Pete. This was mostly caused by children's television programs, who figured that a cast with no personality is dull.

The children's show are very popular. Leading up to the Saint's arrival in the country (about a month before his actually day. Shops like it due to the fact that kids expect gifts from that day onwards) a couple of shows have a soap story about some problem preventing Nicolas arriving in the country. The fact that all these shows have different casts and have a different storyline makes no difference to kids. Mostly because they are only in it for the gifts, you know.

Anyway, if you buy this box of chocolate for someone whose first name starts with the letter P, Let's say Paul, you can cut out the face and use it as a mask to be Black Pete yourself!

Which is quite fitting as most Black Petes look even less like actual black people than this mask does. Except in Surinam where the Black Petes are black people painted white, since saint Nicolas is black. Obviously.

O, and it's not a racial thing. It's cute, and such, and whatever. The only people complaining are a fringe group of people who are always complainers. A groups commonly known as chronic whiners.
If you are insulted by this, go do some research and compare discrimination levels between the Dutch and any other western country. Really, I know of now one who even thinks Black Petes are black people, except for the ones who are, I guess.

Some people now want to introduce different colored petes. Like Yellow Pete, Pink Pete, Blue Pete and more of such rubbish. These people mostly are stared at and get directions to the nearest mental hospital. That last may only be in the head, you know, or whatever.

Anyway.
The chocolate is very tasty.
I wish it was the 5th of December now, so I could open the box and eat it. Which is not gong to happen, of course. I mean my name doesn't start with a P, you know. Nor do I like dark (or Puur as we call it) chocolate.

And this here is the milk chocolate version. Cut along the line and be sinterklaas!

Off Into The Distance
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Airborne Cemetery + Rainbow
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

chAirborne
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Today I walked from Oosterbeek to Arnhem following the route some Airborne troops might have gone, and encountered these chairs.

Station 's-Hertogenbosch 1896-1944
Originally uploaded by jan 1968

What a loss this was.

Some distances from my home to certain locations:

Tower of London: 375km / 233mi
Eiffel Tower: 383km / 238mi
Brandenburger Tor: 557km / 346mi
Coloseum: 1219km / 758mi
Gilbraltar: 1931km / 1201mi
Acropolis: 2096km / 1303mi

Nearest border: 32km / 20mi
Furthest border: 213km / 133mi

Closest sea beach: 86km / 53mi

Furthest edge of my MIB region: 7000km / 4353mi

My desk at work: 46km / 29mi

FLGS: 3km / 2mi

Furthest immediate family member: 30km / 18mi
Furthest family member: 54km / 34mi

Furthest I've been from home: 9026km / 5613mi

MVI_6043
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Heineken
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

I know. Small boy drinking Heineken. It's bad.
But we didn't have Duvel.

Kermis 2009
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Part of the annual city funfair 2009.
This contraption is build around the statue of Hieronymus Bosch.

Sherpa
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

Offered with no comment. Although with a snigger.

Do not be alarmed!
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

This is just a drill!

I just know, after today being the best Sunday so far this month, that this month will be the best August this year!

Stuff bought today:
- Koder På Snor by Valravn
- Seraphim by Irfan
- Mead (young) by Mead and More
- Mead (old) by Mead and More
- Unleaded patrol by Total.

I haven't been posting here since like forever.
Mostly due to facebook, I reckon.

How've I been doing?
Mostly depressed, I guess.
Company doctor isn't very helpful: asking someone, you is complaining about depression symptoms, to call back, is just not smart.

The depression once again results in total apathy and a lesser sense of time, or rather of date.
One of the ways to break out of the apathy is to do things, even if you don't feel like doing them.

I guess you can imagine that I've not been ding things. Mostly because I didn't feel like doing them.

I reaaaaaalllly don't want to go to CastleFest tomorrow.

And I reeeeallly want to go see Valravn in concert tomorrow.
Who are performing at CastleFest. Tomorrow.

I think I should start making holiday plans.

Any suggestions?

Arkham Horror w Innsmouth Horror expansion.

Wings of War w a bat-load of miniatures.

Formula D! w either Sebring/Chicago or Hockenheim/Valencia.

The Star Are Right

Cannibal Pygmies in the Jungle of Doom

Black Death

Roborally

EuroRails.

Descent

Notre Dame

Small World

Battlestar Galactica

Viareggio Railway Station
Originally uploaded by JHG Hendriks

This is my most viewed picture yesterday.
Unfortunately I can image why that is.

Therefor I wish it wasn't viewed do much :-(