The WesterKerk is where my parents were married. The tower is adorned with the crown of Maximillian I of Austria (Archduke of Austria, German King, Holy Roman Emperor 1493-1519, the Habsburg family) and since 1498 Amsterdam was permitted to show the crown. Bicycles outnumber the population, but not the only means to get around, electric scooters are popular as well.
Not all of us are born on this earth where the natural resources provide us opportunities. We have the technology to help others exploit their natural resources, in a sustainable way. Whether it means drilling wells or building desalination plants. Once the worlds’ poor are able to have the same opportunities, in their own countries, many many problems could be resolved.
A wonder we Canadians take for granted. The never ending flow of water that gives life to our surroundings , provides us with hydro-electric power, and gives those who visit a beauty like very few places in the world. It fuels the economy of two nations directly expanding it’s reach deep into the states and provinces covering thousands of kilometers.
What we take for granted others can only dream of. Enough said.
While taking a walk to clear the mind there are always thoughts.
Police work has many aspects to the job. Skills involved such as power of obsevation, acute reaction times, above average driving skills, able to work as a team, physical fitness and luck.
As human beings our minds can be our greatest asset; but also our greatest liability. It controls all aspects of our life, which means it can control our mood. We share this planet with many beings and interaction is inevitable. It’s those unexpected moments where a total stranger can determine the out come of your mood for the entire day.
In life we make choices. They are being made in real time, which means we are deciding under conditions of the moment. Conditions a person factors in while undergoing the process of deciding. These conditions are external as well as internal. Things such as friends who support you with an opinion, your financial situation, family dynamics, environmental circumstances. Internal would include your emotional state of mind, whether you feel under pressure (eg. time constraints). In short there are many, many things your mind will take into account. What prepares you is your past experiences, training and more. You do the best that you can do at that point, and you do have to make that decision.
When looking back you have now accumulated a wealth of lifes’ experiences and may think of that decision made so long ago. Your answer may be different, now that you have experienced the consequences thereof. You will never really know those of the alternative decision. You have become the product of your decisions whether the end product is good or bad will depend on how you accepted the schooling of life. Ideally the result is someone you and others can live with. Someone with pride, respect for others, caring, honest and humble.
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Located in Amsterdam, part of the old city built in 1887; Architect Adrianus Bleijs. Neo Baroque/ Renaissance. Roman Catholic, in 2021 it received the relic of St. Nicholas from Egmond Abbey. It is said to be a fragment of the Saints’ rib. This bone has been in the custody of the Abbey since 1087.
On the harbour side of Amsterdam the sailing ships would come in laden with goods/ spices from far away lands/ colonies such as Indonesia the Americas. the goods would be unloaded onto smaller ships transported to the pakhuisen or to other parts of europe.
Scheierstoren ( Weeping tower) in this picture, with cone roof, called so they say is where the woman would wave fairwell to their husbands who manned the ships leaving port, not to see them for months, even years. Once part of the medieval wall which circled the city in the 15th century ( 1481 ). In truth, the name was given to this building because it was built with sharp angles.
This scene shows the driving force of Amsterdam and the results thereof. Religion; Hard work, enginuity and Sacrifice (acquiring of ships and goods and the movement thereof ); Storage of goods ( the houses of the merchants, living quarters on the lower levels, storage on the upper floors); Business sense ( accumulation of wealth and power ).
Henry Hudson set sail to North America on the ship De Halve Maen ( half moon ) in 1609.
GUSTAV YKEMA'S ARTWORK 