The weather does not look quite so bad as we had expected when we decided not to go to the countryside for a walk. Instead I walk to the city centre, from where I can take a bus or tram back home, when I have walked enough or in case the weather gets worse. I always walk longer than I intend to so I take a tram to go back but on the way there is a slight accident. It is amazing that passengers seldom get information about what has happened or what is being done to solve the problem. After about 15 minutes we are told to get off the tram and take the next one which, of course, is crowded.
In the evening I watch a TV broadcast on the year 1968. It is based on a book about recent European history, written in a popular style. The author of the book is the presenter of the programme, which focuses on Amsterdam, Paris and Berlin. I lived in Amsterdam in 1968 so I am interested in what will be shown in the programme. Obviously the perspective of the author, who was a student in Amsterdam in 1968 is different than mine: I held a job having to do with youth policy. For a sociologist like me it was a fascinating time. Especially the fact that the power of the authorities was questioned, often in a playful manner, was an interesting aspect, not in the last place because the authorities did not know how to deal with this. And it was useful for society to look in a new way at existing power structures. Not much of this was shown in the programme.
I have only little time left to do some work on my private, financial administration. I have to prepare the documents for my tax return. It is quite complicated this year, more so than previous years because I have had quite a few medical (dental) expenses. Some of these are deductible, but others have already been reimbursed by the health care insurance. I don’t get it finished before it is time to go to bed.
DaarAujke, Thanks for your latest week's news. Here in the US we have nothing like the neighborhood nursing program that you describe. I wish we had it because it makes such common sense. . .and would give many elders comfort about getting someone with expertise to look in on them. I was interested in the critique of the process by which the Netherlands entered the war against Iraq. We need a Truth Commission here. . .must of it was driven, I'm convinced, by major oil firms anxious to have control of the Iraqi oil. Thanks for sharing your interesting life.
ReplyDeleteBest, Anna Bahr4