Skywatch Friday and some prose

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Every SWF-picture published here is shot with my trusty Google Pixel 4a smartphone and unedited, unless stated otherwise.

 

For more Skywatch Friday photo's from around the globe, please check http://skyley.blogspot.com/ 

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A friend of mine is a tour guide. And I was fortunate enough to receive a text message from her: "Hey, a client just cancelled but is okay with not getting a refund so there's an open seat. Would you like it?" Of course I did! And so I enjoyed seeing my hometown of Amsterdam from the water on a gorgeous day, early October:

Just look at those pretty clouds!

The maritime museum. Not so long ago a training facility for the Dutch navy and now a museum about the Dutch maritime history. Just recently they changed some words on signs. Instead of 'The Netherlands became rich through innovative business dealings', they now no longer hide the fact that 'doing business in a clever way' was basically 'slavery'. Below you see a replica of one of the trade ships from the VOC (Dutch East India Company), world's first multinational. And inventors of the stock market: 

My friend did well. And being French, her 'niche' is giving guided tours for French speaking tourists. I knew the French I'm learning might come in handy one day, doing a bit of French chit chat with my fellow passengers. 

It's no New York of course. But that city is build on rocks. Amsterdam is build on a swamp. So it's not easy to build high rise. Instead, the city is leaning on thousands of wooden poles that have been driven into the soil.

The silhouette of Saint Nicholas (basterdised to 'Santa Claus') church. Patron Saint of the city of Amsterdam, children and sexworkers (for older people: the now common name for prostitutes):

NEMO science museum. Very cool! If you ever get a chance, check it out. In Summer they have a beach on the roof and a friend of mine works there, performing fun physics tests for school classes. Again: very cool!

Still working is 'the Skinny Bridge', a rather old draw bridge, not far from the exact spot of dry land that Amsterdam got its name from: Aemstelredamme. Or: 'Dam in the Amstel River'. 

The city now officially celebrates its 750th year of existence. Meaning 750 years ago the citizens of Amsterdam were 'allowed' to pay government taxes for the first time. But of course has been around for a few hundred years more. 

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This weeks poem is one of the over 50 pieces I wrote on stage, while performing in Snow White, the Musical in Belgium last Summer:

Eternal Bliss (a #poem)

After she left

he felt it was right

even if

she'd never come back

even if

it was just in his head

that the minutes

they'd spend together

felt like a decade

of eternal bliss

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Who are the chosen people?

Writer Naomi Wolf wrote something very interesting on who the chosen people actually are, who chose them and to do what.

Was Jesus the Chosen One? The Buddha? Muhammad? Neo perhaps?

Are the Jews the Chosen People? Z!onists seem to think so. But are they actually Jews? If so... what of their (not so secret) bond with the actual nazis? Who also considered themselves to be 'the chosen people'.

Why do z!ionists disobey the ancient Jewish laws and even deny Judaism is a religion?

Who or what do you think is meant by 'The Chosen'?

Do 'the chosen' have their own land? And what if other people live there?

It really shouldn't matter where and when someone's ancestors were born. Giving someone more or less human rights based on their ancestry or their chosen religion, skin colour, etc. should be something from the past by now.

Why can't it be simple? 

Anyone who considers themselves to be Jewish, Palestinian or Ukrainian is one. Same goes for 'man', 'woman' or whatever. If someone has a problem with how you like to be called, it's théir problem.

Is someone more or 'real' 'English' if not only the person self was born in England but also that person's grandparents? As opposed to someone who just received an English passport?

Maybe people could finally realise we are all descendants from the same group of ancestors, dating back some 100,000 years in what now is known as the continent of Africa. Either way, it's very interesting to read about all the different viewpoints. And mostly it's a little more than that.  

Basically speculation based on thin evidence and hear say. Not to mention the hundreds or even thousands of years old stories that some consider 'fact', while often whole bits are lost in translation and over time. Guess it's why it's called 'believing' and not 'knowing'. 

Several peoples have called themselves 'the chosen' but none of those can provide evidence to base that claim on. 

Maybe people should give it a rest and put as much effort in living peacefully together as putting effort in denying the claims of others.

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Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

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In Facebook zijn niet alle plaatjes te zien (of te horen) en links in mijn artikelen niet aan te klikken. Klik daarom op de oorspronkelijke link. http://terrebel.blogspot.nl/ Veel leesplezier! O ja, fans kunnen mijn Fan pagina leuk vinden. https://www.facebook.com/TerrebelAuthortainer
Over links gesproken: ja, dat ben ik maar voor verdieping staat er ook een aantal in mijn stukjes. Heb daar wat moeite voor genomen dus stel het op prijs als u de moeite neemt er op te klikken om de betreffende artikelen, onderzoeken en filmpjes te bekijken.

Heeft u na het lezen van dit blogstuk iets geleerd, wat gelachen of heeft het u aan het denken gezet, overweegt u dan een donatie voor de tijd en moeite die ik er in steek.

Meer lezen? Mijn verhalenbundels