My nephew

I don't know what overcame me. I stood behind my brother and my sister-in-law, who were bent over the crib, laughing and tickling my little nephew. There were soft little giggles, and on his face was the clear expression of innocence and joy. I started to tear...

I looked away and blinked the soft, gentle shedding of tears away. Is there anything more important than family? Is there anything more beautiful than a couple playing with and talking to their newborn child?

 I was touched. All the years of uncertainty in my family, all the years of facing illness and death, at last a sign of the beauty and irresistible energy of birth and life.  All the travelling I did, all the little gifts I bought, all the hoping and expectations, and this was the reward... To see my brother and his family happy and safe, basking in the warm, gentle surroundings of a comfortable home, a loving cat, and love. What else does anyone need in life, what else does anyone ever want that is not already in this very scene that made me tear?

"Grandma doesn't want to come see you..." my brother said, teasing. I know deep down how much he would have wanted mum to be with us on this special day. On my nephew's first (Dutch) Christmas, on the day when miracles come true, on the day children are surprised with great gifts. Mum could only share our joy, and look at that empty chair next to me in pictures, and imagine herself sitting there...

"Grandma doesn't love you..." brother said, jestering. But in truth, and my brother knows it too, mum loves her grandson more than anyone can describe it.  He is the reason why she learned to use Skype and Facebook, because she wants to see and hear her godson grow and grow every single day. Mum may not have had the chance to travel to see my nephew in person, but her love is expressed in her smile and laughter whenever she hears him gurgle and giggle, whenever she sees him exercising his arms and feet in his crib. Her love is expressed in the way she buys him towels, clothes and goodies and sends them by express air packages. And is not setting up a special bank account for her grandson so that one day, even  when she is no longer around, he can go to university without having to worry too much costs, not another way of showing him how much she loves him?

My brother picked up my nephew, and sister-in-law played with his little arms and feet. I smiled at them with moist eyes.

How lucky I am to be an uncle...

How fortunate I am to share in the joys and wonders this little boy has brought to my family...

Connecting with the past

It was a very last minute meeting, nothing calculated, nothing planned. The thought of writing to him just came to my mind the night before, and I wasn't really expecting a response, especially to a sudden proposal to meet. But respond he did, and we met. On Sinterklaas (St Nicholas Day), the day, of all days, on which the wishes and dreams of children are supposed to be fulfilled. Pure coincidence, perhaps.

It's been about four years since we last met. And I proposed to meet at the same place where we first met on a date, outside the public library. At the agreed time, as I walked toward the building, I saw him lean against the wall lost in his book.

Quietly I called his name, and he looked up. I smiled.

Beforehand I had contemplated a bit on how to greet him. What is the most appropriate way to greet someone you met on two dates four years ago and then disappeared from your life until four years later you suddenly receive a mail from  telling you for such a long time you have been on his mind? Do you do the traditional three kisses on the cheeks? I don't know why that seemed like a bizarre choice. Do I give him a handshake? It would have felt too formal, like a business meeting. And I think we are beyond that. So I gave him a hug. A big hug, and said in his ear it's been so long already. Nothing could go or be wrong  with a hug. At least in my mind...

It was a little awkward at first, knowing what to say, getting used to one another again after all this time. For me, the initial awkwardness came from, I guess,  trying to figure out who this person is and how he figures in my life. Reading his email, in which be confessed to thinking about me even after all this time, made me feel flattered, but at the same time scared. And a few weeks ago, I discovered that he began a blog, in which he wrote some entries about me, and how I touch(ed) and inspire(d) him.

It's not (I don't think) that he's been lying awake at night and hopelessly dreaming of what could have been between us had I not moved away months after we met. It's just that all these years, I didn't have a clue that our two dates left such a deep impression on him, and I felt responsible. Did I consciously go out with him and then let things just fade away because he wasn't interesting? No, it wasn't that. I simply had too much going on in my life, simply had too much to deal with, at the time we met that he, and whatever could have been between us, was pushed to the background.

He says he's grateful I was his first date. Not that we had anything intimate or physical, but at the very least just meeting me and getting to know (what little of) me sort of set the bar for the kind of person he'd like to find and be with. And for me... Who was he for me? I've been trying to figure that out since he wrote to me. It's not that I don't have any feelings toward him. There's something there, just how deep or how strong I'm not sure. Hard as it sounds, I really just don't remember how I felt back then.

The few hours we sat down and caught up on the missing days of our lives over the past few years went by so quickly. We spoke about changes in our lives, what we've been up to. And very quickly, it began to feel as if I was meeting an old friend and having a heart to heart talk. We spoke about relationships, exs, plans and hopes. And despite the hiatus of some four years, it felt like I was getting to know a good friend.

At one point, I  steered the conversation to our first dates. Was it appropriate? I don't know. But at least for me, it felt like it was a topic we needed to touch upon to get rid of any lingering feelings and awkwardness.

 As he and I spoke about our feelings and what our first meetings meant to one another, the bits and pieces began to be put together. And he grew on me again. There before me was a guy, smart, good-looking, well-spoken and reflective, with whom I know I could have something. But alas, fate and life did not grant us the time or opportunity.

What that would develop into, how long that would have lasted,  I don't know. But there was, and in ways, there still is, potential. It felt disappointing to realise that, for I know two days from now I'll be gone, and who knows when I'll see him again (though I did repeatedly invite him to visit me, and he too invited me to visit him in the city he'll be moving to...). Two days from now, whatever feelings that have been rekindled, even if they are faint and uncertain, will most likely fade again as he and I go back to separate our lives.

 It was disappointing because the  distance and barriers between us are just too great (besides, he probably does not feel the same way I feel...). But our meeting also  gave me a sense of hope. Hope, especially after all the complications with my ex and being left to feel abandoned and lingering in the background as he pursues a new relationship, that I can feel again, that I can meet someone and feel like I can move on. If my ex can apparently move on so quickly, then why can't I? Why do I feel like I owe my ex anything, when he is already out there pursuing (or at least trying to pursue) his own happiness? I can do the same, I want to do the same.

Meeting this guy from four years ago reassured me that I deserve something beautiful. I deserve to be with someone who can be with me fully, and not make me feel o need to compete for and win his love and attention. I do not need to always feel like the victim or feel worthless because my ex left me to go after someone else. I am master over my own happiness and the life I choose I lead.

We parted company, and he was a bit quiet, I was a bit quiet. How will this all end, I found myself asking. What was going on in his mind, I do not know, perhaps will never know.

 Again, I gave him a hug, a tight and long one, the way I know how. He went his way, I went mine. For a moment, I stood and watched him cycle away. He probably had no idea...

Quietly, as his figure grew smaller and smaller, I wished him well, wished him happiness and peace. And the distance between us began to grow and grow again.

Gay crimes on the rise

Interesting news on crimes against gays back in the Netherlands.

In the past two years I have reported on an increasing intolerance towards gays or those suspected of being gay. Some of these crimes take place even in the pink-districts of cities like the self-proclaimed Gay Capital of the World, Amsterdam. This is not helped by the Christian-right government, which at one point (wrongly!) said it was safe to deport gay Iranian asylum seekers back to their own country.

In the past two days, two reports have "come out" that try to pinipoint the cause of gay-related crimes, but arrive at contrary conlcusions.

The first is a research conducted by the University of Amsterdam (called "If only they will keep off of me, "Als ze maar van me afblijven"), focusing on the city of Amsterdam. Basically, the report concludes that the overwhelming majority of crimes against gays are committed by 'allochtones', or people from an ethnic minority background, and of this minority, the Morrocans are a majority. This more or less confirms what's generally the perception of the average Dutchperson, especailly since its often regurgitated by (rightwing)politicians and the media: that crimes against gays are committed by minorities (in the Netherlands, Moroccans tend to be the scapegoats, for this and everything else that's wrong with the country).

The report concluded that perpetrators are 36% whites, and 64% people of colour (36% Morrocans). Contrary to popular belief that ethnic minorities go gay-bashing because of cultural or religious motivations, the report concluded that more often than not gaybashers feel a conflict/threat to their “masculinity”, and a “good” way to express “manhood” is to beat up a gay. Part of the reason for the increase in crimes towards gays, according to the researchers, is poor education in school about issues such as homosexuality and coming out. Most surprising of all, gays are forced to “adapt” their behaviour and lifestyles in violence against homosexuals because they are afraid of being subject to violence.

Part of this report is worth quoting at length (translation mine):

"

“2001 was the highpoint for homo(sexual)-emancipation: with the opening of marriage for couples of the same sex, [with] an imam who, due to his anti-gay pronouncements, will be referred to the police by almost all politicians, and an openly homosexual politician (Pim Fortuyn) who gained many votes, also among groups with anti-homosexual perspectives. No wonder the generally shared opinion was that homo(sexual) emancipation was complete. Unfortunately, it appeared that legal [equalisation] did not imply social equalisation, and the hetero-normativity did not disappear with the introduction of homosexual marriage.

Many gays and lesbians say that they have the feeling that it is becoming unsafe for them […] All sorts of institutions play a role in the marginalisaiton of homosexuality. To be clear, from politics and the media there are many calls of support for homo(sexual)-emancipation. The condemnation of discrimination of and violence towards gays and lesbians is loud and clear. Those pronouncements sometimes have a highly rhetorical calibre as well. Instiuteions do not always do what they promise. […]

It is clear that there has in recent times much attention for tolerance of homosexuals. […] these are important gestures, but they appear not to reach the perpetrators of anti-homo(sexual) violence. Hetero-norms and gender-dogmas are so deeply ingrained that such initiatives are inadequate to effectively tackle the source of anti-homo(sexual) violence."

The second report was releashed by the Dutch Ministry of Internal and Royal Affairs, and was compiled based on police records of gay-related crimes throughout the country. The government report on violence towards gays in the first half of 2008 (released on 17 November), attributes a shocking 86% of perpetrators are “autochtone” (or native white people), compared to 14% non-whites. A third of violence towards gays is verbal/written (internet), while 28% is physical, and around a quarter is in the form of threats or intimidation. An overwhelming 89% of victims are males, 3% females and 1% transsexuals (the remaining just people who happen to be at the wrong place). Interestingly, most of the perpetrators commit violence acts against gays in groups (46%) and 39% are men working alone. Only in big cities, like Amsterdam, are the gay-related crimes committeed by a higher proportion of ethnic minority groups.

Welcome home

The Saint-Laurent flowed alongside the plane, like a gilded path reflecting in the afternoon sun. The land lay lazily outstretched, having a week later put on the Autumn attire of what I now understand is colourful coat of an Indian Summer. There was not a cloud in the sky, and dusk light reflected off of the land , adding a golden tint to the beauty below. Montreal lay before us, as the plane silently and smoothly decended.

My second time going to Canada, and like the first, I was filled with excitement. It was well-deserved, because after 4 months of waiting, I finally have a letter from the Canadian authorities saying that I am permitted to study here, even though I have been attending classes for the past four weeks already!

So I proceeded to the passport control, and a friendly face welcomed me and referred me to the Immigration Office. There, I was led into an office while they processed my papers. The officers too were friendly, and asked me only a few questions about my status in a not at all intimidating way, and even started to joke that with a study permit I am free to enter and leave Canada as I wish, provided I do not kill anyone or do anything criminal abroad. "Good luck with your studies, and have fun here," the officers wished me, and showed me the way to collect my lugguage. Within a matter of only 5 minutes I was transformed from being a mere visitor to a legal status to stay. Finally, and hopefully, the final act of settling down in Canada is complete.

I exited the terminal building, and thought back at what I had just experienced on the way home. Here I was, in a totally foreign country where I have only lived for a short four weeks, but somehow leaving the plane and entering Canada felt like homecoming. I was welcome, genuinely welcomed by kind people and words, and made to feel like I am already a part of a society renowned for its multiculturalism and acceptance of people of all origins.

I thought back, ten hours ago, back in Europe, where my passport was scrutinised not once, but twice at the airport. The man in front of me flashed his passport as if he were doing a magic trick, and he passed through the passport control without any problems. Of course. He was white.

I hate to play the race and selfpity card, but when it was my turn, the passport officer interrogated me like I was a criminal (or worse), asking me how I obtained my citizenship, where I live, what I was going to do in Canada. She held my passport against the light, flipped through it again and again as if looking for some incriminating evidence of my visit to some impoverished primitive country. She examined the passport again through the light, scanned it again and typed in a number of words in a scene that reminded me of the worst excesses of the Israeli border police. And believe me, it is not pleasant. I replied the questions bluntly and coldly, showing how I did not appreciate this tone of voice. She handed back my passport, and dryly said "Just asking".

Inside, I was reminded once again the reason why I do not belong in the Netherlands, and never will. And this after having lived almost 15 years of my life there as an honest (I even have a certificate from the Minister of Justice to prove this!), tax-paying citizen, who wishes nothing more than to get educated and perhaps someday contribute to society at large. These wishes are now no more than distant memories from a time I told myself I could belong.

A country (or perhaps even the continent of Europe) that does not fully accept part of its citizenry and has reason to doubt and suspect people because of their skin colour or race is at war with itself. A self-destructive war, a war of contradictions, with severe consequences for a large minority of people born and bred in the Netherlands, but yet are made to feel foreign and alienatede at every moment of their lives.

One day, the ghost of hypocrisy and ignorance will haunt the Netherlands and the very principles of tolerance and equality that the Dutch love to preach about. Or perhaps that day has already come. The blacklisting of the Netherlands by Human Rights Watch recently as an anti-immigration and intolerant country is very well deserved.

But I have left the Netherlands, like the Netherlands has left me long ago.

Back in Canada, I opened the door to my apartment, and for a rare moment in my life, I felt I was home. And welcome.

The f-word

I don't like using it, in fact I don't think I ever use it.

But (still) resting in bed today, I heard the word numerous times on the radio. Yes, that word is not taboo here in this liberal low-lying country, and is not bleeped out. The reason why it was repeated so many times is because a man was just acquited for saying 'fuck you' to a police officer. The public prosecutor had demanded fine of €300, and insulting a public officer carries a maximum jail sentence of 16 months, but even though the judge thought the word "is not nice" ("is niet aardig"), it is not an insult.

Maybe I'll start using it more.

meeting with a minister

(lady with the mike...)

I’m not the biggest fan of the minister for integration and immigration, Rita Verdonk. Under her watch, children asylum seekers have been put in jail, people who’ve been living, some even born, in this country (illegally) for years have been forcibly deported, and at one point she was even on the verge of deporting homosexual Iranians back to their country. Her favourite motto seems to be ‘rules are rules’.

But then as the minister for integration, she has somewhat been more vocal on homosexual affairs than the rest of the cabinet ministers of this centre-right coalition government. Her VVD party (Party for Freedom and Democracy) places Article 1 of the Constitution on non-discrimination on whatever grounds above all else, and this includes sexual orientation.

So with the elections in ten days, she was invited by the biggest ho(mo)le(sbian)bi(sexual)-interest group COC for a ‘meeting with the gay voters’ in Amsterdam. Especially since the discussion was centred around ‘Homosexuality and ethnic minorities’. This I just couldn’t miss.

So I ordered a drink and sat around in the gay lounge/bar. The place was crowded with reporters and journalists and other prominent parliamentarians and ‘the common gay voter’. I was pretty nervous actually, as I always am in ‘strange’ places with strangers. Besides, I really rarely go to gay places, and everyone else seemed to be so much older and were all mingling and chatting in groups or couples. Sat around, fidgeted with my drink, read and re-read the brochures and election pamphlets, and tries to look interested, all the while hoping the show would start soon…

Finally after half an hour the minister showed up…fashionably late. She looked pretty much the same as on TV, though being just a metre away from her made it all the more exciting. A bright, long red scarf wrapped around her neck, dark blazer over a white blouse. As she walked toward the podium, she stopped and chatted to people. Most were friendly and shook hands with her, exchanging chit chat. Though one or two were not so impressed.

“Whoever pays a visit brings a gift”, she began. And she started off almost immediately with a pledge of seven hundred thousand Euros to COC and the National Bureau against Racial Discrimination (Landelijk Bureau ter bestrijding van Rassendiscriminatie). A grand gesture, which sent the audience wild and applauding.

Her ‘masterplan’ is to make homosexuality accepted and discussable in society as a whole, and in particular within ethnic minority groups where a lot of intolerance and misunderstanding exists. As Verdonk said, though 90% of Dutch people accept homosexuality, in reality and practice the situation is much more different. Some 30% of Dutch natives still have a problem having a homosexual friend, whereas this within the Turkish and Morrocan communities stands at a staggering 80% (according to a recent survey in Rotterdam).

This man came on stage and told of his torments when a group of ethnic minority teens set his house on fire. Hate crimes are on the rise, but existing legislation don’t specifically refer to homophobia as one of the causes. So this money will try to combat all that. Applause. Applause.

At one moment this old lady went on stage and gave an impassioned speech about the plight of homosexual seniors. About how lonely they are, about how retirement homes don’t cater for their needs, and how they are the lost and forgotten generation because of the taboos in the past.

Much of the pledged funds will target schools, where a lot of young people still have much problems coming out, and recent reports have revealed that even teachers are going back into the closet. In much rehearsed jargons she reiterated the importance of equality and non-discrimination as the key foundation of ‘virtues and values’ of this country, and that there can be no compromise of these principles. Ethnic groups should be engaged and (made to) accept homosexuality as a norm, just as heterosexuality is accepted. Being gay cannot be a “taboo”, everyone should be able to live freely and openly as they choose to. Surprising, Verdonk says, that some 30% of people still don’t dare to come out at th work place. Why should it matter who you sleep with if you do your job well? The crowd cheered and applauded some more.

I felt at times I was at a party convention, and that this 'meeting with gay voters' was no more than part of a election campaign. Deep down I wondered how much of that money will really improve anything. With my usual sense of cynism, I left after the debate finished.

Gay leader

While voters in seven US states voted to define marriage as strictly an union between a man and a woman, the next leader of one of the biggest parties in the Dutch parliament may very well be a homosexual.

The incumbent Prime Minister Balkenende said in an interview that there would be no problem for his Christian Democratic Party to be led by the next favourite party-member Joop Wijn. The current minister for Economic Affairs is openly gay, and given the fact that his party may be the biggest party in the upcoming elections, and therefore be leader of the coalition government, there may be a chance that the Netherlands will get a gay prime minister in the future.

Once again I'm confused, perhaps baffled... why is it that the supposed champion of equality and human rights is still in the grips of religious conservatism and unable to separate state from religion, while on the other side of the Atlantic having a gay prime minister is a non-issue?

Just shows there's really more that divides Europe and the USA than just the ocean.

Policy toward homosexuals

In the run up to the parliamentary elections, PvdA (Labour Party) leader Wouter Bos expressed his views in an interview on the need to put homosexuals on the political agenda. As the most likely contender to the position of prime minister, he criticised the incumbent Christian Democrat Jan-Peter Balkenende for his lack of ‘moral leadership’ toward homosexuals. During a trip to Indonesia, the prime minister proudly announced that he had personally voted against the ‘gay marriage’ legislation, whereas he is the very person who has been preaching the importance of ‘virtues and values’, and the need for tolerance and respect for one another.

Wouter Bos:

“The reason why we now have a separate paragraph in our election campaign about homo(sexual) emancipation has to do with the fact that the equality between homo(sexuals) and hetero(sexuals) is no longer self-evident for everyone in the Netherlands. At some schools teachers are going back into the closet, young gays are being bullied and in some neighbourhoods gays are harassed or even threatened. […] Netherlands can be proud that we have as the first country in the world ‘opened’ civil marriage for homo(sexual) couples as well. That really is equal treatment. […] Our example has inspired homosexuals and lesbians in the whole world and (given them) hope. [The Labour Party] will always stand for an undivided and tolerant Netherlands. A country in which everyone gets the same chances, man or woman, young or old, born here or coming from elsewhere, homosexual or heterosexual. And where all those people, with all their differences and all their characteristics, live together on the basis of respect and equality.”

The current Minister for Immigration and Integration, Rita Verdonk, also gave an interview on the issue. Her Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) has always insited that Article 1 of the Constitution on non-discrimination is above all other articles, including the freedom of religion. Thus civil servants should not be able to reject performing same-sex marriage registrations. She has also been much criticised in recent months for wanting to deport homosexual Iranian asylum seekers back to their country, where she argued it was safe to be. She focused on the issue of homosexuality in ethnic minorities:

“Homo(sexuals) and hetero(sexuals) have the same rights and deserve mutual respect. Period. That within some groups there is difficulty with homosexuality is also a fact. But exactly because of that it is important to take away the predjudices and continue to talk to one another. It seems to be really terrible if your parents do not accept you as who you are. And it appears in families with Muslims, Christians and Hindus.”

However, she argues that the government is not omnipotent when it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality:

“There can be no misunderstanding about the basic rules of our society. Men and women are just like homo(sexuals) and hetero(sexuals), ‘autochtones’ and ‘allochtones’ equal. […] the government [is not] the big problem solver. You cannot as government declare the acceptance of homosexuality per decree, however much I would like that. It must also come from society itself. Taking your own responsibility and talking to one another is important.”

Dissing drugs~

The Netherlands is perhaps the only country in the world where cannabis (weed/dope/marihuana/hasj) is ‘legal’.

And this has led to some problems, especially with neighbouring countries, and increasing problems of teenage addictions and criminality. To address the problem and appeal to young people to kick the habit, the (ex) minister of Justice, came up with a solution: a rap to ‘dis’ drugs. Since his name is Donner, the rap is called: “The Don”.

In dit land van 16 miljoen mensen.
Heeft iedereen zo zijn eigen wensen.
Waar iedereen wil proberen,
Maar waar je niemand mag beleren.

[In this country of 16 million people

Everyone has his own wishes

Where everyone wants to try,

But where you can’t make anyone learn.]

In dit land van 16 miljoen wijzen,
Vraag ik: wat willen we bewijzen?
De joint, het stickie, maakte ons beroemd,
Maar de nadelen worden niet genoemd.

[In this country of 16 million wise people,

I ask: what do we want to prove?
The joint, the stickie, make us famed,

But the disadvantages are not named.]

Refrein:
Hier spreekt Donner van justi-tie
Ik doe het samen met poli-tie.
Schuif die dope maar aan de kant
Want een addict Nederland
Zijn zaken die ik liever niet-zie

[Refrain:

Donner of Justice speaking here

I do it together with the police.

Move that dope to the side

Because an addicted Netherlands

Are things I’d rather not see.]

Van een blowtje word je duf,
Dus steel de show nou niet zo suf.
Ga die drugs niet badineren,
Wees bereid om iets te leren!

[From a puff you become dull

So don’t dumbly steal the show now.

Don’t go joking around with drugs,

Be prepared to learn something!]

Reguleren is te duur,
Gaan we van zoet toch weer naar zuur
Met criminelen op de loer,
Lijkt dat me niet de juiste tour.

[To regulate is too expensive,

We’re going from sweet to sour.

With criminals on the rise,

That to me is not the right tour.]

Nog meer stekkies onder licht
Dus die achterdeur blijft dicht!
Lijkt het beleid soms wat verward,
Nou in deze ben ik hard...

[Even more plants under the light

So the backdoor remains shut!

Policy appears to be confused sometimes,

Well, in this I’m tough…]

Refrein:
Hier spreekt Donner van justi-tie
Ik doe het samen met poli-tie.
Schuif die dope maar aan de kant
Want een addict Nederland
Zijn zaken die ik liever niet-zie

[Refrain:

Donner of Justice speaking here

I do it together with the police.

Move that dope to the side

Because an addicted Netherlands

Are things I’d rather not see.]

Je ziet die rotzooi overal bloeien
Eigen teelt loopt uit hand
En de bajes blijft maar groeien
Dankzij deze hennep plant

[You see that mess blooms everywhere,

Own plantation out of hand.

And the prisons continue to grow,

Thanks to this hennep plant.]

Slechts een paar worden rijk,
De rest ziet zo bleek als een ...
Dus die zolders moeten leeg,
’t zou niet goed zijn als ik zweeg

[Only a few become rich,

The rest look as pale as a…

So the basements must be emptied,

It wouldn’t be good if I keep quiet.]

Alt. refrein
Hier spreekt Donner van Justitie,
Ik doe het samen met politie.
Ja, de drugs gaan van de straat,
Er komt actie na gepraat.
Blowers, neem daarvan notitie!

[Alt. refrain:
Donner of Justice speaking here

I do it together with the police.

Yes, the drugs are going off the street,

There is action after the talking.

Blowers, take thereof notice!]

Here's the news report about minister‘Donner dissing drugs’.

Technically speaking it’s still illegal to possess or use the cannabis, but the government has since the 1990s enforced this official ‘policy of tolerance’ (gedoogbeleid), whereby law enforcement officers and courts are told to look the other way when it comes to so called soft drugs like cannabis. So the rule is more or less recognised that you can grow 5 cannabis plants ‘for personal use’ at home or have 5grams on you at any given time without breaking any laws. The reason being that the use of cannabis is classified as a public health issue, rather than a criminal matter, provided it’s for your personal use.

'Coffeeshops' all over the country sell soft drugs openly. Anyone over 18 is able to go in and buy what they want, as long as it's not over 5grams. This creates a ridiculous situation whereby it is well known that these coffeeshops hold more than 5 grams of cannabis, and that they must get their supply from somewhere with more than 5 cannabis plants, but police don't really ask questions. So, it's OK for them to store cannabis in quantities to sell in the shops, but if people are caught delivering stocks to the shops, they'll be breaking the law!

With this 'open' policy of tolerance toward soft drugs, use in the Netherlands is actually much less than neighbouring countries. I can tell you, especailly for young people, if you ban something there are more incentives to try and experiment. It's not the drug itself that gives a 'kick', but also knowing that you're breaking the law at the same as well. Most of my friends occasionally use it, but really, nobody gets addicted that easily.

The problem with this 'turn-the-blind-eye' policy is that many people are drawn to the lucrative business of cultivating hennep plants in their own homes, often by 'syphoning' off electricity from the power grid because of the large amounts of light that is needed day and night to make hennep grow well. So recently there's really been a lot of talk about having legalised plantations that are regulated and licensed by the government.

Here's a useful website for those interesting in knowing more about the Dutch policy towards soft drugs