Finished

Finshed

The mess of my other hobby

It is the usual mess again in my apartment when I return from my daily selling sessions at the Anne Frank House, still having that distinct feeling deep inside my Farang Phii that I carry that poor Jewish girl's fate with me every time I leave that Numero uno toursit hotspot here in my beloved mokum, cycling home through the old Amsterdam neighborhood called the Jordaan where nearly every inhabitant seems to know me sitting outside and enjoying the continueing good weather asking about my little one-man street business when I cycle by, my old and battered Mandala suitcase strapped to the back of my Raleigh Velo , "how many Indian Games today, Hans?" often ringing in my ears...

Back to my house in the Amsterdam Westerpark where the mess of my other hobby is awaiting me, stained brushes and jars of acrylics, half finished artwork blocking my way, empty German beer cans and half full bottles of Mooi Kaap red wine, spray cans and unwashed dishes in my shower room...

Shit, I need to clean this mess before my imminent departure for Bangkok in just under three weeks...how will I explain this madhouse mess to Miss Andoo when she, hopefully, returns with me to the Dutch capital...

A new self portrait

The infamous and feared by many foreign tourists to my beloved Amsterdam long queue at the tourist hotspot Numero Uno, the Anne Frank House on the Prinsengracht, getting shorter every day, I can finally turn to other hobbies, freaking around with my jars of paint, my old and stained brushes having waited for what seems like ages but like an old mistress never complaining...

Maybe I should start with a self portrait...

15 years of Petting Zoo in Amsterdam Westerpark

15 years the petting zoo in Westerpark where I do my weekly Karma building has been in existence, much to the enjoyment of the neighborhood's children but also to many parents gratefull for a place where they can relax from the difficult task of parenthood while their precious offspring runs around having fun with other people,s loom of the hips...

Big part yesterday with well over 3000 visitors, hard work for us the volunteers and managers but when it is all over, our time have come for a well deserved beer and Vino Tinto...

Charles The Menage

Amsterdam, 22 Aug. 2013.

I am in my own little kingdom again, packing production, making Indian Games by the sackfull but not really paying much heed to the world around me, customers coming over with these days not so doomed Euros in the tourist hand, no way I wanna stop the Indian Games production train by Gratis demos that cost treasured time and energy, a game made is a game sold after all in these high season days, long queue of foreigner tourists every day waiting to see that poor Jewish girl's hiding place during the Nasi's reign of terror nearly seventy years ago...

Hi Hao, or maybe HELLO in some Chinese dialect, needless to say it is Charles, the rich daddy's spoiled brat living around the corner onn the Keizersgracht, living it up on daddy's money, buying friendship and "respect" with the neighborhood's population of eternal losers, alcoholics and druggies from the Amsterdam city centre whose main interest in life is their cherished cheap Appie Heyn lukewarm beer, tabaco and crack which all comes cheap here in good old Mokum and is supplied free of charge by the local taxpayer's dough, read the social welfare department here who even puts these street crappers in social projects rewarding them with even more taxpayer's dough and Cervezitas Gratuitas...hard to believe but then this is Holland where the Dutch Cuddle Culture is legendary...

No Bonus for my hard voluntary work at the petting zoo two days a week, nobody paying for my dentist bills or my street licence here at the Numero Uno tourist hotspot in  the Dutch capital, no city council project helping me out with bills and supermarket needs though rumour has it there is even a subsidy for Mulimas who wanna learn how to fold head scarves, no kidding here...

And then, on top of all this is this rich man´s spoiled brat who likes to buy respect and attention with the city´s most dirty and lost, disturbing my hard work and metal peace, bragging about his latest trip to Tokio - paid by Dad´s money, remember - and his knowledge of Asian tongues like Chinese and Japanese...

Yeah, I can really do without Charles The Menace today..

Two happy customers from Beijing, China

Two more happy customers from Beijing, China today at the Anne Frank House where you can find me on any sunny day in spring and summer making and selling my highly popular Indian Games...feel free to come over and have a chat if you happen to be strolling around with no real purpose...after all, apart from customers from all over the place, neighbors, friends and people from this world famous Achterhuis, even the police on bicycles, the undercover anti-pickpocket police team - aren't these guys big!!! - visit me, yeah, the place is quite the party at times.