Travel Tips

In the Arnhem "Diaconesse"-hospital I saw the light at the 13th of January 1968, about two weeks too late (but hey ... who wants to be celebrating their birthday somewhere near Christmas or New Year). After a few days my mother and I returned home to Presikhaaf, where I started my life. Of course I can't remember anything about these years, but ... here's a bit about what was going on in my life.

My father had a hairdressers shop in the (then) brand new shopping centre Presikhaaf with surrounding it a new suburb of Arnhem. There we had an appartment in a complex just outside the shopping mall. For Dutch standards then it was quite spacious and I got my own room.

Most children are (still) born at home. The Netherlands take a very special place in the world in this, as almost everywhere else births are done in hospitals of birth clinics. The basic idea behind this is: births are a natural process and hopsital places for where things go wrong in health. Besides this, home is the best place to feel ... euh ... well ... at home and this comfort and familiar environment has a positive effect on labour.

With some special equipment and trained nurses, it can be done easily and ... I must say that it should have a very special feeling to be born in your own home environment. A house or appartment, where your life starts, is a whole lot more personal then a hospital or birth clinic. Anyway ... every people their own habits and habits change. The amount of births at home have dropped in the Netherlands in recent decaded, due to complications (average age of first child is rising) and our multicultural society (preference to have labour in hospital).

Well, there are more typical traditions in the Netherlands with births. Such as the sending of birth cards to friends and family. In it my full name, the names of the parents, my birthdate and place, weight and length at birth as well as information about the godparents. Often a word of thanks to God or some little poem is presented as well. For me that ment:
Pride parents F.W. Daniels and M.D. Daniels-Philips are happily and thankfully notifying everyone that their son Paul (to be named Paul Johan Emmanuel at baptising) is born on the 13th of January 1968"

Well and then there are "beschuit met muisjes" for everyone. This tradition is quite funny and again unique for the Netherlands. "Beschuit" is actually a kind of round toasted bread (the English word biscuit comes straight from this Dutch word!). On it a layer of butter and some kind of sugar-aniis corns sprayed on top of it. Pink for if it's a girl, blue when it's a boy. With it a cup of tea is served and turning it down can be taken as offensive, so ... ENJOY ! (hahaha)

Soon after being born one is baptisted. That is ... this used to be a tradition a few decades ago. Now-a-days this is a disappearing tradition as most Dutch do not belong strictly to a certain religion but are more interested in believes in a spiritual (and thus personal) way. For me in February I was baptised and proudly being bounded through godparenthood with my "peter" (godfather) uncle Martin and "meter" (godmother) aunt Anny. Up to today I have very warm relations with them. My parents were Roman Catholic and therefor it was ment to be that I too became one ... maybe sadly, maybe not ... I turned to be an average Dutchman in this by creating my own believe from all the world religions into my personal one.

My father was born in Bladel, a village near the Belgian border in the province of North-Brabant (see also my page about Bladel for more information). His ancestors all lived here and my roots here can be traced back to the 17th century.
My mother was from Zuid-Limburg and lived there with her parents in the village "Heythuyzen" (also, for more info, see my webpage on VT). With these Southern provinces, they also gave me some Southern spirit. Carnaval, love for Bourgondian lifestyle and being open. However, growing up in Arnhem, a town in the middle of the Netherlands and across the rivers, took care of whole different intrests and personality as well. Arnhem however grew out to be my beloved basecamp on my explorations throughout this magnificent world.