...

Last weekend we drove to Rotterdam with my friend Erik for an Icelandic cultural festival. Sigur Ros' documentary Heima was being shown as part of the festival- I think this was its premiere in the Netherlands. I know that it won't be in the United States or Canada for another week or so. It's an incredible film and I cried like a baby for a good 45 minutes while watching it. I can't remember the last time that I cried, let alone having cried because of a film. A Canadian filmmaker followed them around Iceland during the summer of 2006 after they had come back from touring around the world. In Iceland they played a series of unannounced shows, some small, some large, but all solely by word of mouth. One of the places that they played was in an abandoned fish factory in a cylindrical shaped dimly lit concrete room. There is little commentary from the band members, but what they do say is of course really humble and honest. They speak briefly about the environmental problems Iceland currently faces, including drilling for alumnium. In one shot they show the side of a rock cliff on which environmental activists have painted "Alcoa". Erik's friend was sitting next to me and he almost jumped out of his seat when he saw this. "I painted that! Me and two other people!" I asked him if he'd known that it would be in the film and he did not. After the film I spoke with him and Erik about the time they've both spent in Iceland. They've been visiting for years and usually stay for months at a time. Erik said that I may come on the next trip which will probably be in late January.

After the film a few bands played, all of which were playing in the Netherlands for the first time. Gosia and I were eating sandwiches while sitting on the floor in front of the stage during the performance of Ghostigital. The man singing said "Love is in the air! Love is in the air! I can smell love in the air!" He looked at us and then said "Oh, it's just her sandwich." He then asked me if I could smell love in the air and paused for a few seconds for my response. With a big ol' mouth full of sandwich, I tilted my head back and sniffed the air. I nodded in agreement that I too could smell that love was in the air.

Mum played. Their sound was of course completely surreal. The harmonizing voices of the singers combined with a cello, piano, and prerecorded beats made for a really eclectic sound. And the young man in the glittery gold cape who was prancing around on the stage from instrument to instrument combined with the girlish giggles of the two singers in between songs added an air of childish play to it. It was great. I sat on the stage for most of their performance but was only able to take this single picture because my batteries died.

On Sunday I cooked for the first time for the co op dinner. We made an onion soup with a tofu/walnut/sweet potato salad. Tonight I made pierogies for the first time and they've turned out surprisingly well. They will be my contribution for a potluck style Eastern European dinner later this evening. I will be the only non-Eastern European attending.

a continuation of the debate

from Erin
to T.Roselaar
date Nov 23, 2007 8:27 AM
subject black peter
mailed-by gmail.com

Regarding the short debate in class today about Black Peter, I just wanted to note that it seems the only response against seeing Black Peter as racist is that "children like it" or that "you're over analyzing this" neither of which are actually arguments but rather denial of the fact that this tradition is a perpetuation of the blackface or "darky" image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

Furthermore, I was really surprised when one student commented that I "should not be critical of this because it's a part of Dutch tradition and history."

I've found the following article about Black Peter very illuminating, if you wish to post on blackboard:

http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/question/jan05/

specifically this description:

'the contrast between the Saint Nicholas and Black Peter stands in a long tradition of dichotomised representation in which Europeans portrayed themselves and Africans as essentially different: Europeans as rational responsible, civilised, mature and as masters. Africans as irrational, wild, childish and as slave'. Saint Nicholas is being portrayed as everything Black Peter is not. The Saint is an old white, wise, and articulated man. Peter is a young, black, simple, cheeky (classically followed by a reprimand from the Saint), boy.

and this explanation:

While there were always people, black and white, who individually protested against the celebration, the protest got organised in1995 by a group of second and third generation migrants. Contrary to their parents or grandparents they are born in the Netherlands, not limited by the idea that they are "guests", having to conform to the symbols of a "host" which they find insulting. They are part of a generation of people that demands a place in Dutch society much more forcefully. Because of their input the discussion became a national one in 1996 in the sense that it was being discussed on television, in newspapers and schools.

The critics of Black Pete were repeatedly confronted with the argument that 'they' did not have the right to critique 'Dutch tradition' because they weren't 'Dutch'. The discussion was being polarised as if the different opinions were divided along 'racial' lines. The argument is as follows: as an 'allochtoon', a 'migrant', one has to accept the Dutch 'traditions'. Just as a 'Dutch' person would have to accept local traditions when they lived in 'another' country. The logic here is that it's not their country and culture that the youngsters are criticizing.

By ascribing second-rate citizenship to the critics who aren't considered "Dutch", the authority of the speaker is undermined. On the other hand when it appears that the critic is white, he or she is often being marginalized as being "political correct", which is used as a contemptuous term. The letters in the newspapers and on the internet were in general very emotional, reflecting a fear that 'Dutch' culture is being 'threatened' by 'foreigners' The main arguments were:

* The holiday is a celebration for children and children aren't racist.
* It's a matter of 'tradition' (that certainly can't be changed by 'Foreigners').
* The critics are the ones who make it racist.


The refusal to listen to counter-arguments and reply those with substantial criticism (in stead of ridiculing or marginalizing them) reflects an insensibility for the opinion of a minority. The portrayed image of the Netherlands as being "the most tolerant nation in the world" makes a critical self-reflection also very difficult: every accusation of racism is beforehand answered with denial.

One could say that the real problem in the Netherlands is not Black Peter, but for example the fact that the unemploymancy rate among colored people is ten times higher than whites. Of course the real problem is not Black Peter in itself. The debate about Black Peter and the white Saint however, is a discussion about citizenship, identity, and racism. And because this discussion does not take place behind closed doors between politicians and intellectuals only, but in schools, between colleques, family-members and friends, it offers us a chance to challenge old conceptions of self and other at many different levels. However, this annual debate is not sufficient to change things, but it can lead to more activism, a critical outlook and recognition of those situations where the same strategies of marginalization are being used. The Black servant and his White master can not be isolated from the social context, Dutch society, in which they exist.

racist chocolate on an empty stomach

A few weeks ago I began noticing disturbing Christmas decorations in many of the shops around town. Instead of statues and posters of Santa Claus and his elves, I began to see more and more images of Santa Claus surrounded by what looked to be smiling black faced slaves bent on their knees - or rather, "Santa's little helpers."

After asking a few Dutch people what this was all about, they simply said that it was a tradition of some kind and that it has a connection to the slave trade but that now "It's not racist. Really." Really? I've found the following things on the interweb which help to explain this bizarre tradition:

The character Zwarte Piet or "Black Peter" first appeared as the helper of Santa Claus in a Dutch book written in 1845. The story goes that the slave in the story represented the devil who lost in the triumph of good vs evil and so was condemned to be Santa Claus' helper for all of eternity.

According to wikipedia, Saint Nicholas' helper was not too bright, in line with the old colonial traditions. Often portrayed as a mischievous or even mean character, parents used to tell their children that if they have been good, Zwarte Piet will bring them gifts and sweets; but if they have been bad, Piet will scoop them up, stuff them in his huge dufflebag and spirit them away to Spain.

Pretty unbelievable. In stores you can buy candy, toys, and dolls with black faces and exaggeratingly large lips and wide grins. The other day I was in a bakery and bought these little chocolates specifically to take a picture of them. I ate one and offered the other to Shuai. It was not especially delicious - I ate it on an empty stomach and chocolate on an empty stomach never sits well. Or perhaps it was the guilt associated with consuming such an evil treat.

I don't know if there's an explanation for why St Nicholas is also depicted as black in these candies.

It's completely fascinating to me that this has become an integral and socially acceptable aspect of the Dutch celebration of Christmas.

but you can't bomb the world into peace

I first met Cynthia a few weeks ago at the weekly co-op dinner. She'd had a few glasses of wine by the time we'd begun talking so she was both very talkative and very blunt. When I told her that I am from the states, she asked me if I'd ever heard of Michael Franti and was shocked when I told her I hadn't. She said that Michael Franti alone has renewed her hope for Americans and that he has shown her that we are in fact still "human beings." (these were her words) Michael Franti is a song writer and activist and his group Spearhead is a reggae group from California. His work has had a huge influence on Cynthia's work as an artist. She's been living in squats throughout the Netherlands for the past ten years. In the Netherlands squatting is legal. If a building hasn't been occupied for more than 12 months, it's legal for people to begin living in it and they are even entitled to water and electricity. Cynthia's most recent squat is here in Tilburg and she has been living there with her partner for the past year and a half. Technically they are squatting in three houses, but they are all connected on the inside. One is their house, one is a gallery space, and one is her studio. Last night Gosia and I had dinner at her place.

She made pumpkin soup for us. It was so delicious. The pumpkins and tomatoes in the soup came from her father's garden. She asked if I could taste his care in the soup. I told her that I could. And really, I could.

This is her studio space. Filled with prosthetic arms and legs, mannequins, dismembered toys, and massive casts for her sculptures.

This is the RV that she found in the woods nearby. She says that once they've fixed it they are going to drive it around eastern Europe.

The rest of the pictures are from her gallery space. Some of her work focuses on sexuality and specifically pregnancy. By peering into this pregnant bride's chest you can see a picture of "what every bride's dream looks like" which is a portrait of a beautiful landscape of trees. Coming out of the bride's left shoulder is a small stork which is being strangled. Birth control.

Apparently, copies of these prints hang in the city hall here in Tilburg.

This is a statue of a man and woman who share the same head. In all of the statues she made of men and women they were sharing the same head.

Cynthia said that this is how "all men see themselves." She admits that she made this at a time in her life when she was feeling very bitter toward men.

This last photo is of a thing that Cynthia made which has inside a soldier pointing a gun at a peace dove. By putting your hand inside the device, you can wind it up so that music starts playing and the man and bird begin moving around each other in circles. Cynthia said that this piece was directly influenced by a song of Michael Franti's in which he sings "you can bomb the world into pieces but you can't bomb the world into peace."