--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "wayback71" <wayback71@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > It's one of the most multicultural environments -- > > and *gracefully* multicultural environments -- I've > > ever been privileged to live in. New York was multi- > > cultural, but it could never in a million years be > > accused of being graceful about it. Toronto was > > better. Paris was much better, but there were still > > major undercurrents of culture clash. I really don't > > see much of that here. The predominant meme from the > > side of the Dutch government for new residents is > > "We're here to help you fit in. Let us." They offer > > free classes on Dutch life and history and language, > > and sponsor any number of events in which newly- > > arrived immigrants are encouraged to interact with > > and get to know long-time Dutch residents. And on > > the whole it seems to work. > > Well, kind of work? Isn't there great concern about financing > the services for immigrants as well as the effect fundamentalist > Islam is having on the native culture there (as per Ayan Hirsi > Ali's books)?
Yes, but I honestly get the impression that this issue (which I tend to see as a non-issue, and so do most of the Thinking Dutch I've gotten to know) is driven by haters. People who are unhappy tend to look for someone they can blame for being unhappy. (Duh. Look at the long- term grudges on FFL.) Same here. There are a few Dutch who'd like to affix blame on the Islamic immigrants; there are more than a few immigrants and many Dutch who would affix the blame more on Dutch people with a stick up their butts. I fall into the latter camp. > Thanks for the peek into Dutch culture. Being a small nation > helps to create a sense of shared values and community. Absolutely. > THe USA is more like 5 countries, I think. Each has its > mindset. You average it all together and get trouble, dumbing > down, and lots of arguing. The "dumbing down" thang is why you'll probably enjoy "Idiocracy." > It becomes difficult to get anything done since taking the > Big Picture view requires more than a few seconds of thought. And requires a commitment longer than "Trying to get re-elected in the next election." > A totally different subject: I just read a fantastic book > you might enjoy: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, English > author. If I had to do so, I would say it is the BEST > novel I have ever read. In fact, a portion of it takes > place near Bruges in the 1930's. I am off to get his > others. He's a young genius. Noted, and many thanks. As you might have gathered from former posts, I am a big fan of the film "In Bruges," and a lesser (but still big) fan of the city itself. I stopped off there on my drive up to Amster- dam this summer so that I could film my own version of "In Bruges," starring my two dogs as Ray and Ken. Suffice it to say that the concept played out much better than the reality. If Hitchcock was correct in describing human actors as cattle, trying to work with dog actors is worse. The concept was that I would film my two dogs walking around Bruges and then take the footage back home and dub in Ray and Ken's real dialog from the movie over the footage. Didn't quite work out as planned. But so few things do. And doesn't that make it all more interesting? > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > An interesting juxtaposition. On the one hand, Bill O'Reilly > > > > and Fox News trying to portray Amsterdam as a seething pit > > > > of crime, drug use, and corruption. On the other hand, reality. > > > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x8bc_ZyORbM > > > > > > > > What's most fascinating in this clip is how the spewers of > > > > fantasy (Fox News) react to actual facts. Suffice it to say > > > > that they don't react gracefully. :-) > > > > > > > > Amsterdam is one of the cleanest, safest, and most *balanced* > > > > cities I've ever been in. As some American tourist points > > > > out in the "rebuttal footage" of this clip, it's rare to > > > > even *see* a cop. There is no need for constant, visible > > > > police presence. > > > > > > > > But as a personal message to those who prefer to believe > > > > O'Reilly's and Fox News' fantasies about Amsterdam rather > > > > than the facts, I say "Go for it." Hunker down in your > > > > media-fueled fear bunkers and Stay The Fuck At Home. We > > > > don't want you, even as tourists. :-) :-) :-) > > > > > > > > > >
