Interview by OHM about the Sarnamihuis.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Indus III
You can say many things about Victorian England, but when it comes to their naval history they have kept excellent records. Thus I was able to track down a picture of the ship that took my great grandfather to Surinam: I
ndus III.
The ship's original name was the HMS Bellerophon. One should keep in mind though that four ships of the Royal Navy had been named HMS Bellerophon after the hero Bellerophon in Greek Mythology. The most famous HMS Bellerophon was the one that particpated in the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) and taking none other than Napoleon Bonaparte to his second exile Island of Saint Helena following the battle of Waterloo.
That HMS Bellerophon was NOT the one my great grandfather travelled on. His was a Victorian central battery ironclad battleship of the Royal Navy built in 1865 (a hundred years prior to my birth in the Netherlands). At the time, she was a major step forward in design technology as compared to previous classes in terms of engine power, armament, armour, hull design and seaworthiness.
She was commissioned at Chatham, and served in the Channel Fleet until 1871. She was flagship on the North America station until 1881. She was re-commissioned as port guardship at Pembroke until 1903. Bellerophon was converted into a stokers' training ship in 1904, and re-named HMS Indus III which eventually brought my great grandfather Ramran Ali to Surinam in 1908. When sold in 1922 she had completed 56 years service.
© Copyright Bellerophon Alumni 2010.
You can say many things about Victorian England, but when it comes to their naval history they have kept excellent records. Thus I was able to track down a picture of the ship that took my great grandfather to Surinam: I
ndus III.The ship's original name was the HMS Bellerophon. One should keep in mind though that four ships of the Royal Navy had been named HMS Bellerophon after the hero Bellerophon in Greek Mythology. The most famous HMS Bellerophon was the one that particpated in the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) and taking none other than Napoleon Bonaparte to his second exile Island of Saint Helena following the battle of Waterloo.
That HMS Bellerophon was NOT the one my great grandfather travelled on. His was a Victorian central battery ironclad battleship of the Royal Navy built in 1865 (a hundred years prior to my birth in the Netherlands). At the time, she was a major step forward in design technology as compared to previous classes in terms of engine power, armament, armour, hull design and seaworthiness.
She was commissioned at Chatham, and served in the Channel Fleet until 1871. She was flagship on the North America station until 1881. She was re-commissioned as port guardship at Pembroke until 1903. Bellerophon was converted into a stokers' training ship in 1904, and re-named HMS Indus III which eventually brought my great grandfather Ramran Ali to Surinam in 1908. When sold in 1922 she had completed 56 years service.
Photo
© Copyright Bellerophon Alumni 2010.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sarnami HouseFrom 1873 - ten years after the abolishment of slavery - until 1916 some 34,000 Indian contract labourers came to Surinam to take over the work on the plantations. This is how my ancestors ended up in Surinam. My great grandfather boarded the Indus III in October 1908 and arrived in his new motherland on 5 December of that same year.
The Sarnami House has a permanent exhibition which tells the story of these immigrants, backed up by painstaking research and excellent photo material. Anyway, for the next couple of months the Sarnami House will host a great programme related to this Indian diaspora, or more precise, they have invited various well-known writers in diaspora to give lectures on the various diaspora issues and how they have translated this in their own literary works.
The kick-off was last Friday with none other than Dutch-Iranian writer Kader Abdolah. Naema Tahir, Anil Ramdas and Amal Chatterjee will also be honouring the Sarnami House during the next couple of months. For the full programma, check out Sarnamihuis.net.
KIT celebrates its centennial in 2010 And it so happens that I was there. Okay, I'll admit, by coincidence. The Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in Amsterdam is an independent centre of knowledge, consisting of a renown museum and theatre. Mum and I actually went there to visit the permanent exhibition 'Rondom India', which proved an excellent choice. A very skilled display and explanation of Indian history, religion, culture and the way thes
e all come together in various forms of art. Even room for the Indian diaspora.
Do check out the story of Shri Ram in the Ramayana. You might also want to immerse yourself in the Mahabharata and find out about how Arjun and his four brothers married Draupadi.
Photo credits: from Wikipedia but probably put there by the Tropenmuseum.
e all come together in various forms of art. Even room for the Indian diaspora.Do check out the story of Shri Ram in the Ramayana. You might also want to immerse yourself in the Mahabharata and find out about how Arjun and his four brothers married Draupadi.
Photo credits: from Wikipedia but probably put there by the Tropenmuseum.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Devi Dhaam lost ... ?
No! No! No! I was there yesterday. I can testify to the fact t
hat Devi Dhaam still is very much alive. True, not where it used to be, but still a worthy safehaven for Hindu worshippers. The temporary new address is Grubbenhoeve 32, right in the heart of Amsterdam Zuidoost. Below some pictures.
No! No! No! I was there yesterday. I can testify to the fact t
hat Devi Dhaam still is very much alive. True, not where it used to be, but still a worthy safehaven for Hindu worshippers. The temporary new address is Grubbenhoeve 32, right in the heart of Amsterdam Zuidoost. Below some pictures.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
In search of Meer ...
'Meer Taqi Meer is a legendary name in the field of classical Urdu poetry. His soothing poetry has a peculiar tinge of sadness.' Also sprach the Times of India ... Kaash ke dil do to hote isqh me is such an incredible gem from Pankaj Udhas' album Talaash-e-Meer - In search of Meer. For R in TLF.
'Meer Taqi Meer is a legendary name in the field of classical Urdu poetry. His soothing poetry has a peculiar tinge of sadness.' Also sprach the Times of India ... Kaash ke dil do to hote isqh me is such an incredible gem from Pankaj Udhas' album Talaash-e-Meer - In search of Meer. For R in TLF.
| www.songs.pk - Kaash Ke Dil Do Do Hote Ishq .mp3 | ||
 | ||
 | Found at bee mp3 search engine |  |
Monday, April 05, 2010
The Black Lord
It would probably be t
he understatement of the year to say that I liked The Black Lord, while in fact, it knocked my socks off. But what is the book about?
Drum roll, please ...
It would probably be t
he understatement of the year to say that I liked The Black Lord, while in fact, it knocked my socks off. But what is the book about?In a nutshell, we have this penniless Dutch governess who decides to try her luck in Surinam and accepts a teaching post, thinking she is doing her bit for civilisation. Her pupil is not some spoilt white Dutchie, but Walther Blackwell, a rich, free and coloured young man who turns out to be a Creole version of Mister Dandy himself: Oscar Wilde. And not just in terms of intelligent and sharp witted oneliners ...
Slowly, governess Regina, or Reggie, as she is affectionately called by her friends, transforms from a nobody into ... into what? In the meantime, tensions in Europe are rising. The abolitionist movement is gaining strength and in France people are taking to the streets to demand more rights. Slave owners in Surinam feel the growing pressure. Regina, too, has to face unexpected demons in her closet and make some tough decisions.
With The Black Lord, set against the backdrop of slavery in 19th century Surinam, a former Dutch colony in South America, Rihana Jamaludin has written a debut novel that would give Mister Charles Dickens a real run for his money. To begin with, there are these many exciting Dickensian twists and turns. Nothing is what it seems.
These cliffhangers are one thing. The theme of social reform is another. Dickens was known for his fierce criticism of poverty and social hierachy in Victorian society. In fact, in his second novel Oliver Twist (1839), the man shocked his readership with gruesome images of poverty and crime and children being victims rather than culprits. He humanised his characters.
This is exactly what Jamaludin has done in her novel The Black Lord. True, Cynthia Mcleod paved the way, but Jamaludin has taken it to a whole new level, molding and shaping her characters in great detail. They come alive on the page, as do the sights, sounds and smells of Surinam.
Through Jamaludin's characters we become witness to countless seemingly trivial examples of how deeply Surinamese society is immersed with and impacted by slavery. What's more, we get an insight into the delicate and intricate mechanisms of the underlying roots of slavery, namely the prime notion that one single race or one particular culture is actually better than the other.
Given the present political situation in the Netherlands with immigrants increasingly bearing the brunt for everything that is supposedly wrong in this country, it is not difficult to see certain parallels in 19th century Surinam versus 21st century Holland and the prevailing ideas in both societies. There is this cliche saying that history repeats itself and it is only a cliche, because we make it so.
Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we here have the perfect ingredients for a motion picture! The superb plot, the delicate themes, the crafty sentences. What can I say: sheer magic and a mind-blowing experience. Don't I have anything negative to say then? Oh well, if needs be: not enough pages! In my humble opinion, Rihana Jamaludin should be ordered by Dutch law to write at least one novel a year.
Wish to know more? Tune in later today on the site of Radio Stanvaste- Easter Monday 5th April - when Rihana Jamaludin will be interviewed in the programme Beautiful Words. The interview will be aired live through a webcam and viewers/listeners can ask questions via Stanvaste's chat channel.
By the way, wouldn’t it be great if some cash-rich visionair would stand up, draw his wallet and order an English translation of this intriguing novel De Zwarte Lord
More info about the book or where to order:
Kit publishers
Bol.com
Selexyz
Book cover
Courtesy Rihana Jamaludin
Slowly, governess Regina, or Reggie, as she is affectionately called by her friends, transforms from a nobody into ... into what? In the meantime, tensions in Europe are rising. The abolitionist movement is gaining strength and in France people are taking to the streets to demand more rights. Slave owners in Surinam feel the growing pressure. Regina, too, has to face unexpected demons in her closet and make some tough decisions.
With The Black Lord, set against the backdrop of slavery in 19th century Surinam, a former Dutch colony in South America, Rihana Jamaludin has written a debut novel that would give Mister Charles Dickens a real run for his money. To begin with, there are these many exciting Dickensian twists and turns. Nothing is what it seems.
These cliffhangers are one thing. The theme of social reform is another. Dickens was known for his fierce criticism of poverty and social hierachy in Victorian society. In fact, in his second novel Oliver Twist (1839), the man shocked his readership with gruesome images of poverty and crime and children being victims rather than culprits. He humanised his characters.
This is exactly what Jamaludin has done in her novel The Black Lord. True, Cynthia Mcleod paved the way, but Jamaludin has taken it to a whole new level, molding and shaping her characters in great detail. They come alive on the page, as do the sights, sounds and smells of Surinam.
Through Jamaludin's characters we become witness to countless seemingly trivial examples of how deeply Surinamese society is immersed with and impacted by slavery. What's more, we get an insight into the delicate and intricate mechanisms of the underlying roots of slavery, namely the prime notion that one single race or one particular culture is actually better than the other.
Given the present political situation in the Netherlands with immigrants increasingly bearing the brunt for everything that is supposedly wrong in this country, it is not difficult to see certain parallels in 19th century Surinam versus 21st century Holland and the prevailing ideas in both societies. There is this cliche saying that history repeats itself and it is only a cliche, because we make it so.
Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we here have the perfect ingredients for a motion picture! The superb plot, the delicate themes, the crafty sentences. What can I say: sheer magic and a mind-blowing experience. Don't I have anything negative to say then? Oh well, if needs be: not enough pages! In my humble opinion, Rihana Jamaludin should be ordered by Dutch law to write at least one novel a year.
Wish to know more? Tune in later today on the site of Radio Stanvaste- Easter Monday 5th April - when Rihana Jamaludin will be interviewed in the programme Beautiful Words. The interview will be aired live through a webcam and viewers/listeners can ask questions via Stanvaste's chat channel.
By the way, wouldn’t it be great if some cash-rich visionair would stand up, draw his wallet and order an English translation of this intriguing novel De Zwarte Lord
More info about the book or where to order:
Kit publishers
Bol.com
Selexyz
Book cover
Courtesy Rihana Jamaludin
Bondage - enslavement - serfage - confinement
I wish I could remember all their names. My 20,000 ghosts. They all had names. Beautiful African names. We were apes, they were human.Remember those gripping w
ords? Quoted them before. In December 2008 to be exact. They are John Newton’s, a former British slave ship captain. It was this very captain who eventually composed the song ‘Amazing Grace’, thus triggering thousands of people to fight this injustice called slavery, amongst them William Wilberforce a leading British abolitionist who spent his lifetime trying to get slavery abolished.At the time British parliament would not hear of it. After all, why end such an incredibly lucrative trade that had been integral to the West Indies sugar cane plantations filling the bank accounts of British merchants and literally pouring sugar into millions of cups of so-called English tea. Britain eventually abolished slavery in 1807. The US followed suit in 1808. It took the Dutch until 1st July 1863 to do the same, thus ending some 250 years of bondage, confinement, serfage or any other word you may prefer to slavery.
The 21st century
If World War II - only 65 years ago - has left a huge mark on western society, one cannot begin to fathom the impact of 250 years of slavery. In both cases the ideology of some sort of supremacy prevailed, giving food for thought for future generations. The long shadow of war, of slavery.
Ever since the early eighties of the last century various writers of Dutch and Surinamese origin have tackled the topic of slavery. In this respect, one of the most famous writers is Cynthica McLeod who recently had various of her novels translated into English, amongst them the much acclaimed Hoe duur was de suiker? – which has appeared under the English title The Cost of Suger.
With her fascinating novels Mcleod kickstarted a renewed interest in Surinam’s colonial past, this time from the perspective of the Surinamese themselves. And Mcleod ruled until ... Stay tuned.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday night - Sexy Love
And again Romania hits the jackpot. First with David Deejay and now with Residence Deejay ft Frissco.
Not exactly high brow lyrics, but hey who cares. If the beat is good ... Enjoy this Track of the week.
And again Romania hits the jackpot. First with David Deejay and now with Residence Deejay ft Frissco.
Not exactly high brow lyrics, but hey who cares. If the beat is good ... Enjoy this Track of the week.
Sexy Love
Look what you started
Look in my eyes
Rainbow after the rain
And then the blue sky
Follow me after midnight
In the club
Baby I wanna feel
Your sexy love!
Look what you started
Look in my eyes
Rainbow after the rain
And then the blue sky
Follow me after midnight
In the club
Baby I wanna feel
Your sexy love!
Sunday, March 07, 2010
BBC Awards speaking contest 2010
And the winner for th
e semi finals is: Steven van Dalen (left). Congrats. Robin and Yosiane should have been there as well, but that is my subjective opinion of course, all the more given the arguments the jury voiced and their surprising choice accordingly.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the event yesterday in Nieuwegein. Picture one: my boys: Steven and Robin supposedly doing some last minute preparations.
The boys were in heat I, while Yosiane was in heat III - in a different classroom (see pictures 3 and 4).
Picture 5: Steven collecting his first prize in his heat.
Picture 6: Robin posing for a Facebook picture.
More info about the BBC Awards, click on this link.BTW, the semi finals will be held at the James Boswell Institute in Utrecht, part of Utrecht University, on 20 March. Be there to support Steven!!!
Oh and if you think I was the only teacher present ... My fellow English teacher André Janssen was there was well. And to top it all, team manager Dick Barkey decided to come along as well, giving one of the jury members one of his famous stern looks to show his disapproval of some of the results. ;-)
And the winner for th
e semi finals is: Steven van Dalen (left). Congrats. Robin and Yosiane should have been there as well, but that is my subjective opinion of course, all the more given the arguments the jury voiced and their surprising choice accordingly.Anyway, here are some pictures of the event yesterday in Nieuwegein. Picture one: my boys: Steven and Robin supposedly doing some last minute preparations.
The boys were in heat I, while Yosiane was in heat III - in a different classroom (see pictures 3 and 4).
Picture 5: Steven collecting his first prize in his heat.
Picture 6: Robin posing for a Facebook picture.
More info about the BBC Awards, click on this link.BTW, the semi finals will be held at the James Boswell Institute in Utrecht, part of Utrecht University, on 20 March. Be there to support Steven!!!
Oh and if you think I was the only teacher present ... My fellow English teacher André Janssen was there was well. And to top it all, team manager Dick Barkey decided to come along as well, giving one of the jury members one of his famous stern looks to show his disapproval of some of the results. ;-)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ding dong the witch is DEAD ... Subh Holi.
As we speak, Hindus all over the world are igniting bonfires and thus commemorating the death of the witch Holika.
To understand this, let us go back in time. The following story knows quite a few variations, but hey this is India with 1.2 billion people and a religion that is considered to be the oldest in the world. So in a colourful time as Holi one should allow for an equally colourful array of stories regarding the story of witch Holika.
Once upon a time there was the brutal King Hiranyakashyapa. He wanted to be revered as a God himself and establish his own supremacy everywhere. However, his own son, Prahalad refused and continued to pray to Lord Vishnu instead.
Out of frustration and anger, the demon king then decided to kill his son. Despite all his efforts, Prahalad remained safe by the blessings of Lord Vishnu. Finally, the Hiranyakashyapa called in the help of his cruel sister Holika. Legend has it that Holika was blessed with a drape which protected her from burning into fire. As per the plan made by the brother and sister, the demon princess Holika sat with young Prahalad in a huge bowl of fire wearing the drape over her body.
But this time, due to heavy wind the drape came over young Prahalad, saving him from burning and as a result Holika was burnt in fire and thus died on the spot.
This incident thus re-established the faith of people in the ultimate divine power and is thus celebrated as the day of eternal love, devotion, blessings and the victory of Good over Evil.
Holi is also the time of vibrant Love, such as the one between Lord Krishna and Radha.
Picture credits: press agency Reuters
As we speak, Hindus all over the world are igniting bonfires and thus commemorating the death of the witch Holika.
To understand this, let us go back in time. The following story knows quite a few variations, but hey this is India with 1.2 billion people and a religion that is considered to be the oldest in the world. So in a colourful time as Holi one should allow for an equally colourful array of stories regarding the story of witch Holika.
Once upon a time there was the brutal King Hiranyakashyapa. He wanted to be revered as a God himself and establish his own supremacy everywhere. However, his own son, Prahalad refused and continued to pray to Lord Vishnu instead. Out of frustration and anger, the demon king then decided to kill his son. Despite all his efforts, Prahalad remained safe by the blessings of Lord Vishnu. Finally, the Hiranyakashyapa called in the help of his cruel sister Holika. Legend has it that Holika was blessed with a drape which protected her from burning into fire. As per the plan made by the brother and sister, the demon princess Holika sat with young Prahalad in a huge bowl of fire wearing the drape over her body.
But this time, due to heavy wind the drape came over young Prahalad, saving him from burning and as a result Holika was burnt in fire and thus died on the spot.
This incident thus re-established the faith of people in the ultimate divine power and is thus celebrated as the day of eternal love, devotion, blessings and the victory of Good over Evil.
Holi is also the time of vibrant Love, such as the one between Lord Krishna and Radha.
Picture credits: press agency Reuters
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Shiva Art
Oh no ...
... not another career switch... , but hey this is what happens when Pakistani-Indian Shahzad Ali Khan leaves his instruments unattended during the radio programme Oba Live: me having a go at the tabla.And now some real music, not the noise I was supposedly making. The next track is from Rumanian David Deejay. Sexy Thing or Somebody told you how much I love you. Enjoy.
Photography: Shiva art by me,God's photographer.
Tabla photo: Abdellah Dami and his inseparable i-Phone.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Awesome Dance Tracks
If ever I should decide on career switch number ... ;-)
Ameerah: Sound of missing you ... TLF iovj
And do crank up the volume!!! OMG, it is almost 03.00 in the morning and while most sensible Dutch people are probably sleeping like a baby, yours truly is still wide awake. Should be living in Bombay where Sunday 21st February is already well under way.
Anna Grace: Love keeps calling / Let the feelings go
Which religion is true?
An age-old
question leaving a trail of blood throughout the history of mankind.
The question also lies at the heart of the famous German play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Nathan the Wise (1779). Nathan - himself Jewish - tries to bridge the gap between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Then sultan Saladin asks him which religion is true?
I
n answer to this question Nathan tells the story of the magical heirloom ring handed down from God to mankind. Whoever wears the ring has the love of God.
At some point the ring ends up in the hands of a father who has three sons whom he loves equally. So, he promises the ring to each of them. Looking for a way to keep his promise, he has two replicas made, which are indistinguishable from the original, and on his deathbed he gives a ring to each of them.
The brothers quarrel over who owns the real ring. A wise judge admonishes them telling them it is impossible to tell, the original one supposedly having been lost at some point in the past. Yet this is a magical ring and in order to find out which of the sons has the real ring, it is up to them to live in such a way that their ring's powers are proven true.
In other words, the brothers should live a life that is pleasant in the eyes of God and mankind (rather than expecting the ring's miraculous powers to do the trick).
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing did not in
clude Hinduism in Nathan the Wise. Not that it matters, for the ring parabel would still hold its ground. Religion is about God and God has many names and faces.
An age-old
question leaving a trail of blood throughout the history of mankind.The question also lies at the heart of the famous German play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing: Nathan the Wise (1779). Nathan - himself Jewish - tries to bridge the gap between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Then sultan Saladin asks him which religion is true?
I
n answer to this question Nathan tells the story of the magical heirloom ring handed down from God to mankind. Whoever wears the ring has the love of God.At some point the ring ends up in the hands of a father who has three sons whom he loves equally. So, he promises the ring to each of them. Looking for a way to keep his promise, he has two replicas made, which are indistinguishable from the original, and on his deathbed he gives a ring to each of them.
The brothers quarrel over who owns the real ring. A wise judge admonishes them telling them it is impossible to tell, the original one supposedly having been lost at some point in the past. Yet this is a magical ring and in order to find out which of the sons has the real ring, it is up to them to live in such a way that their ring's powers are proven true.
In other words, the brothers should live a life that is pleasant in the eyes of God and mankind (rather than expecting the ring's miraculous powers to do the trick).
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing did not in
clude Hinduism in Nathan the Wise. Not that it matters, for the ring parabel would still hold its ground. Religion is about God and God has many names and faces.Judaism; seven divine names, such as: Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei, Elohim, El Shaddai and Adonai.
Christianity: Emmanual, Alpha, Carpenter, Everlasting Father
Islam; the 99 names of God, e.g. al Aziz, al Malik, al Gaffur, An Nur, Al Rashid.
All those divine names usually represent virtuous qualities. And believe it or not, Hinduism is not that different. Hindus, too, glorify and praise the thousands of qualities of the One God in his thousands of manifestations (avatars). Thus Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, symbolises Love. Lord Rama, another avatar of Vishnu, stands for Virtue. Hanuman is all about Power and the Goddess Saraswati represents Wisdom.The Bhagavad Geeta (Song of the Lord) has many verses that cleary mention the Oneness of God. The same book acknowledges others paths of worship, for instance through images of clay, stone copper, bronze, gold, silver, glass deities.
We bow. We worship. We do this in churches, temples, mosques, synagogues. We read holy scriptures. We rever Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Shiva, Vishnu, Laxmi, Shiva Linga, images of imam Ali, Husain, even the prophet Muhammad. And let us not forget what is inside the Kaaba: an ancient sacred black stone. Ring a bell?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Shivatri, Shivaji, Shiv Bhagwan
Two days ago, it was HIS day, the one who listens to a thousand and one names. For me, simply Shiva. Should have written about this on Friday, but I was desperately trying to get things right for the one who catapulted me into Hindu action in the first place. Who? That is for me to know and for you to wonder. Om Namah Shivah. iovj
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Lebanon: never a dull momentSome of you may know that yours truly chairs the Dutch - Arab Friendship Association (Amsterdam chapter). We organise all kinds of activities, from a cooking workshop to lectures and films on all things related to the Arab world.
A couple of weeks ago, we had a very renown speaker. None other than the lebanese writer and journalist Melhem Riashy, the anchorman of Arab News Network and not linked to any political party in Lebanon.
Riashy is a busy bee, not only is he senior advisor to E
lias Murr, the Lebanese Defense minister, in between he teaches Strategic Communication at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and he has published numerous books.Riashy gave an on stage interview to Dutch journalist Arthur Blok regarding the socio political situation in Lebanon. His presence drew quite an audience, even including the Lebanese Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Fair is foul and foul is fair (Macbeth)Thick fog. Three crooked witches blessed with equally crooked noses fill the auditorium with their eerie voices. And out comes one of the most famous quotes from Will's Macbeth:
First Witch
When shall we three meet again?In thunder, lightning, or in rain?
Third Witch
Why dedicate a post to this famous opening scene? Well, I saw the play last Wednesday at Het Baken, a secondary school in the Dutch city of Almere, where I teach English - or at least try to. The actors? Fourteen, fifteen and sixteen-year-old gifted students in kilts, whose mother tongue is Dutch, while they performed the play in near perfect English! A tremendous feat, I dare say, and one that deserved a much higher turnout. Yet this being Holland, let's blame the weather.Nonetheless, I hope this will herald a new annual tradition at Het Baken: performing a classic like Macbeth in a foreign language.
Below, some pictures I took with my brand new Nikon D5000 (still practising...). The last pic has my esteemed colleague Teresa on it, who not only teaches English, but also directed this play.
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