Chronicles Continued

Saw these scissors in the kitchen draw of a friend this summer. Wow, thought I, how clever scissors in the absence of a shredder, these are the tool to have to cut up and dispose of sensitive papers.

So I purchased these and brought them with me here. My first day back, was in a sort of variety store and saw the exact same design, for even less money. And then discovered the true purpose:

You all knew that? Why doesn’t someone tell me?!

This Fall season. I really laughed at both. Have to share again!

5th of December is a major event here. It is when the Old Greek bishop of a place now in Turkey, sails into Holland’s waters to bring gifts to all children. In the Dutch story, the bishop was living in Spain and had as helpers, Moorish children. He boards a ship, with his helpers, his white horse, gifts for all children, fully decked out in red robes with ermine trim, a tall miter on his head and a gold ‘shepherd’s staff’ in his hand and sails north. The event continues uninterrupted to this day In every town with a port; the above described menagerie arrives by boat. Children, parents, anyone remotely interested, gathers at the quay to greet the old man on his horse. This gaggle disembarks and parade through the town. Sweets of a specific nature are strewn, gawking children are approached by the Moorish helpers [they used to be threatened to be taken back to Spain, in a burlap bag if they were found to have misbehaved but apparently not any more]. A good time is had by all; a lovely story. Except for the fact that for decades, the ‘Moorish children’ were represented by blonde, white skinned Dutch persons with wigs, blackface and red lips. This representation went unnoticed until one day it was noticed. Now in addition to the above greeters, there are protesters at the quay and much comment on every available social media and print media platform. Yesterday, again I happened to have a discussion with a 40’s something mom. Every mom that I meet at that age, tells the same story: “IT isn’t about race or racism, the helpers faces are black because they have soot on them from going down the chimney. Indeed this whole band of merry folk does, just like Santa, squeeze down the chimney pipe.[Talk about suspension of belief if you have seen a Dutch stove pipe!] But yesterday having listened once to often to the excuse, asked: “Then do explain how the faces are already black when they disembark the ship; they have yet to encounter a chimney?” No answer.

Wikipedia: Sinterklaas has a good rendition of how they have tried to rewrite and sanitize the story.

Who ever thought this packaging was appropriate. This is from a “Wegman’s” sort of grocery store. First the display of all the sorts of licorice available and then the particularly offending one.

Tourists are being ripped off at Amsterdam’s famous flower market, with just 1% of bulbs sold at the floating bazaar ever producing a blossom, investigators have said.

An inquiry commissioned by the Dutch capital’s municipality and tulip growers also found often only one flower resembled the pictures on the packaging, and that there were fewer bulbs than advertised.

“The probe showed that there is chronic deception of consumers,” at the sale of tulip bulbs at the flower market, the Royal General Bulb Growers’ Association (KAVB) said.

“Millions of tourists and daytrippers are being duped,” the KAVB chairman, Rene le Clercq, added.

The Amsterdam flower market is one of the city’s most famous landmarks and dates from about 1862, when flower sellers sailed their barges up the Amstel River and moored them in the “Singel” to sell their goods.Advertisement

Its fame inspired the song Tulips from Amsterdam, best known for a 1958 version by the British entertainer Max Bygraves.

Today the market comprises of a number of fixed barges with little greenhouses on top. Vendors not only sell tulip bulbs but also narcissus, snowdrops, carnations, violets, peonies and orchids.

Investigators found a similar problem on the so-called flower bulb boulevard in Lisse, a bulb-field town south of Amsterdam where the famous Keukenhof gardens are also situated.

Of the bulbs bought from the rows of stalls along a main road in Lisse, only 2% ever bloomed, the KAVB said.

Since first imported from the Ottoman empire 400 years ago, tulips have become a national symbol and the bulb industry a main player in the Dutch economy, Le Clercq said.

“But the deception about the tulip bulbs is a problem that has been existing for the past 20 years,” he added.

The victims are often tourists, the KAVB director, André Hoogendijk, said. “A tourist who buys a bad bulb is not likely to come back,” he told AT5 news channel.

Vendors at the market told AT5 that complaints were known. “There are indeed stalls here that sell rubbish. That is to everyone’s disadvantage, because it portrays the whole flower market in a bad light,” one said.

Amsterdam and the KAVB have referred the matter to the Dutch consumer watchdog.

from The Guardian 15 October

The theory is that the water in the air makes the light fall unlike light fall in other places. This is a good example.

This is the dry section of potatoes, where you can read on the outside of the bag, the kind of potato, the uses for the potato, whether it cooks fast or slow, whether it crumbles or stays in one piece. No simple story here.

This is the refrigerated section of the super market selling potatoes ready to cook. And you thought there was only a choice between baking and ? There are styles, types and uses.

When not being worn as a brooch, this was stuck in its own little vase to keep it constantly on show.

This ‘tool kit’ was in the possession of the lady-in-waiting 24/7. Worn either as a necklace on a chain or attached at the waist in a style similar to a watch fob. All the little tools are made of gold.