Relax

Currently I am quite relaxed. Next week I have to start working again, and I realise that these weeks with limited obligations have calmed me down. I have done the things that I wanted to do (which doesn't include painting the bedroom), and even though I am now looking to a big pile of work I haven't finished yet I am happy. Cristian, thank you for the wonderful days!

People's palace

Too short I have been in Bucharest.

Yesterday morning I joined a tour through the people's palace, Ceaucescu's building which he never saw finished. 700 architects and 20.000 builders worked on this building, which is in terms of surface the second large building of the world. One third of the old city centre of Bucharest was broken down in order to provide sufficient place to build it. Nowadays the government is using the building, and it houses a conferences centre. Together with an American delegation I followed a tour, in which the beautifulness of the building was described. No single word was said what Romanian people think about the building, and which offers they have given for this mass monument on the communist era.

A: American Tourist, B: Bjorn, M: Marcy, T: tourist guide

A: So where are you from?
B: I am from the Netherlands, where are you from?
A: Virginia, USA. So you're traveling Romania?
B: Yes, I'm doing a short tour here, went to Brasov, Sibiu and tonight I unfortunately fly home. What about you?
A: Well, we were going on a Danube tour but apparently there is a flood. So now we're doing this.
B: So where do you go after Romania
A: I don't know, it's a tour, we do different countries in Eastern Europe.
B: So where are you going to next?
A: Marcy, where are we going to next?
M: Well we're doing other countries in Eastern Europe

...

T: So this is a conference room made in German classic style, with the heighest ceiling in the building. The patron in the curtains, which is filled with silk, is the same as the patron on the plates covering the heating. The floors are made of oak wood and in there are different sorts of marmer on the columns.
A: Can to chandelliers come down to be cleaned?
T: No
A: So what did Coucezu use this room for?
T: Ceaucescu never used it, he died before the building was finished.
A: Oh, Ceaucescu, I should say Ceaucescu?

Belarus 2006

Berlin

Yesterday I took some time to discover Berlin. Last Saturday we also did this during Queer Easter, but it was very Queer focussed. Since it was my first time in the German capital I decided to spend one day extra in it, and see some of its sights. I was very tired, so didn't see as much as I could have seen, but saw interesting architecture! Especially enjoyed Potsdamer Platz, close to it there is the new monument in memory of European Jews, which is just so impressive to see!

Deutschland

Yesterday evening I returned from a week Germany. First I spent one week in Werftpuhl, together with almost 100 young socialists and queer activists. It was a beautiful week with hard working and lots of fun. Bettina already wrote it: it's unbelievable how empowering such events are! Making new contacts and building bridges between the work we do. Returning in reality can than be a cold shower... this is how I continued fund raising for IGLYO today... the importance of our work is obviously not experienced by decission makers. So now it is time to become more explicitly part of policies, which is of course much more work and complicated, but maybe even a better way to go on the longer term. So I take a deep breath and continue with my work.

"Balkenende against gay marriage"

During a visit to Djakarta our Minister President visited an Islamic state university. A student asked how he thought about the Dutch gay marriage, on which he answered: "During that period I have voted against the gay marriage, but a majority of the House of representatives supported the legalisation."

Not only Balkenende is indirectly responsible for the infringement of Human Rights whilst making such remarks in his position and in such context, moreover he strongly devaluates his own authority as representative of the Dutch government. It is a State policy that the Netherlands aims to have a 'pioneering function' when it comes to LGBT emancipation.

Most interesting is the fact that he has blamed several Ministers in the past months for not presenting and defending the Parliament's policies, it all just sounds a bit awkward to me now!

Polder living

This is the building in which I live. The old catalogue From polder to city tells: "The cooperative building 'Westereind' in Slotermeer has been developed from concrete completely by J. Rietveld and J.R. Bloemsma. This building with its characteristic blue painted corner-windows was designated for singles."

The city-district in which I live is now discussing whether this building, together with older old buildings in the so called 'garden-cities', will be added to the list of 'city heritage', meaning that the building will be protected in several ways. When I saw the flat for the first time I immediately decided I wanted it, even though it is quite far out of the city-centre. Above all I fell in love with all the light that floods in the appartment on sunny days like today.

Besides its typical post-war building styles this area of Amsterdam is well-known for the high percentage of communists and socialists that to live here after the war. Now it is especially attractive for young poeple, as it offers good quality for a low price.

I miss The Hague

Yesterday I decided that it is official: I miss The Hague! This might sound like a very typical sentiment, and I think that is true. I like the athmosphere in the city, I like its architecture and I like its people. The Hague has a beach which Amsterdam doesn't have, and in The Hague people are just a little bit less stressed than here. Also there are memories left in The Hague, not even of so long ago but sometimes it feels like I left behind a different life in The Hague. One I enjoyed in another way.
So yesterday I decided that one day I will live in The Hague again.

Pizza in bed

Today was an extremely boring day, more or less on purpose. I have barely been outside of bed, well of course I took a shower and I had to open the door for the Pizza-delivery earlier this evening. Sometimes I simply need days like these.... to relax and to catch up missed sleep. It feels like the autumn has started here... again it is raining and the leaves on the trees are growing slower than I hoped.

The good news is that my luggage is back and I have my phone working again. Also there is work in progress... My to-do list is finally getting shorter and that is necessary because the I will be travelling mostly for the rest of the month. I booked my tickets for Queer Easter in Berlin, a break in Romania (can't wait to be there) and for the Youth Forum's Council of Members in Florence.

Yesterday I spent the day with young representatives from LGBT organisations from Latin America. Extremely interesting to hear their point of view. They were very interested in the functioning of IGLYO, and we discussed whether such construction would make sense in their context as well. Personally I think it will, especially now countries in Latin America are seriously discussing the possible establishment of a South American Community of Nations. Unlike the EEC its focus will include a more social perspective which offers chances for social NGO's. Similar to Europe, the differences in South-America are enormous. The Brazilian government actively supports LGBT organisations (mainly in combatting Hiv/Aids), the penal code of Nicuragua however still forbids sexual intercourse between couples of the same sex.


I hope that we will be able to assist the groups in establishing a network similar to IGLYO in South-America. Not only because together we stand stronger in getting access to e.g. the United Nations, but also I believe that young people can make a difference. The access to information that is created by such networks is of vital importance for these organisations, as well is the personal empowerment of young people doing their work in often hostile environments.

Mr. bad luck is sitting on my left shoulder

The past week I first had a board meeting in Rome, and then I went to the Youth Event of the Austrian Presidency in Vienna and Bad Isschl. During the last event the youth of Europe adopted a declaration, in which we called for more and better jobs, recognition of non-formal and informal learning and for a more structured dialogue of youth with European Policy makers. I am happy that social inclusion remains a corner stone in the future of Europe.

On a working level all was good, but for all the rest it was not a rather lucky week for me. First my phone got stolen in Rome, then my flight to Vienna was cancelled and I had a huge delay. Then I was informed that my nomination for an Advise Comission on the Council of Europe would not be accepted due to statutory reasons, then another flight was cancelled and I was put on a flight with 3 hours delay which only arrived in Amsterdam at 1.30 in the night. My luggage however until now did not arrive...and hasn't been tracked neither.

Happily I met a lot of great people during this week, whom made me forget about the bad luck very soon. Now it is high time to go to the fitness... to reduce the negative effect that all the good eating and drinking had on my body.