It's all one big plot!

Luckily the new cardinal of Poland resigned after two days. He has been a spy for the communist government and lied about it to the Pope. If, with these credentials, he would have been installed officially, then the Church would have been damaged severely. One wonders: why didn’t the Holy Father gather more information in advance for such a top position, knowing about the Polish situation? This, added to his speech in which he quoted a muslim-critical text from the Middle Ages, lets us worry about his speeches and decisions in the future. I read comments that he likes to work alone and is inclined not ask many advices. And, of course, after the resignation, adherers to bishop Wielgus got the opportunity to explain their griefs. Unfortunately, their arguments came down to the same kind of allegiances that you hear from so many protesting groups: “it is all one big plot”. Other examples of plot-planned events were: the “11th of September”, the foundation of Israel, the historical truth about the Holocaust, the expansion of the EU, etc. The plotters are always: the Jews, the Freemasons, the Capitalist, the Communist, the Americans, the Roman-Catholics, the Fundamentalist Muslims. (Scratch those not applicable to the case).
I find it remarkable how frequently these plot-theories pop up, often linking groups together that have little or nothing in common. They ignore completely facts and proofs and as such they are dangerous because they darken any discussion or negotiation. I think it stems from many peoples’ need to see the world as groups of “victims”, “perpetrators” and “helpers”, and not being able to take concrete facts and logical reasoning into consideration: it’s simply fear, and fear is a bad consultant. Of course people who think that way see themselves as victims or helpers (of other victims). They turn into “perpetrators” as soon as they find a leader against the perpetrators, just to deal with them definitively. Even then they don’t find themselves perpetrators, but helpers to remove the danger of an attack by the real perpetrators or plotters.
So I read (I hope it’s only partially true) that it’s a wide-spread belief in Egypt that the “11th of September” had been planned by Israel and America, just to have a reason to attack the Islamic world. In their minds there is no place for brother-Muslims who could do such a thing, despite facts and proofs (“all made up”).
I’m glad that bishop Wielgus withdrew his application and I hope the Pope will be more cautious in finding a successor for cardinal Glemp.

Ill

My son Menno (9 years old) returned home from a couple of days’ staying at a conference centre of the School of Practical Philosophy (Of course this site refers to one of the American departments, but she went to the Dutch dept.). My wife Janine is a member of that school, both as a tutor and as a student. The conferences are always during the times that people have holidays but now she had decided not to go because she wanted to be with me. But Menno could go, because couples are allowed to bring their children with them and one of the members had offered that Menno would go with her. And he came back ill, infected by another visitor who infected more visitors of the conference. A couple of days later I fell ill: diarrhoea, fever, feeling sick etc. Now I’m recovering again but I still don’t eat more than one sandwich a day. And drink litres of tea. I need to phone my sister who has become grandmother, why didn’t she tell me about it? I learnt it from a birth card sent to us by the happy father. Anyway, grumble, grumble, I will not bother you anymore with the complaints of a self-pitying not-feeling-well man. See you later.

Father's furniture

<- me (left) and my father (right), Winter 1946-1947. The planes on my clothing were inspired by the food dropping flights during the Winter two years earlier (this also in a response to Caroline's comments).

During thirteen years we had a table and four chairs made by my father-in-law who used tob e a carpenter and built many beautiful pieces of furniture in his life. When we got it, I adjusted it a little bit because the table top was worn. It was beautiful Mahoney wood but covered with a thick layer of dark lack, which I removed and replaced by wax. OK thus far. Then one day, two months ago, my ex-wife called me and asked if I was interested in the old desk that I got from my father, who repaired and renewed old furniture, but not as a profession but as a hobby. At our divorce I had left it with her, but now she would move to a smaller house and couldn’t place it. After I cleaned and waxed the desk again (I’m now typing this message behind it) and put it in our living room, it was a terrible contrast with the table and four chairs from my father-in-law. So we went looking for a new table, also in oak, which would give room for 8 people when we would have guests; up to then, we always had to “put up” by getting an extra table from upstairs. After a few weeks looking for it on www.marktplaats.nl we found what we were looking for, at a quarter of the price for this kind of tables. Now it’s in our room. We already had some other furniture as well from this site, because I prefer used furniture above new (I feel like a hunter sometimes). And what happened when we recently paid a New Year visit to my parents-in-law? My father-in-law just gave us the price of the new table, not knowing that he was paying for it! You have to know, that he is a rich man nowadays. In the fifties he built his own house in a small village near Rotterdam. A couple of years ago, he found it too big for only he and his wife, and sold it to a far richer man at the current market price, which was more than twenty times the price he had built it for. He also feels that he is growing old and every New Year he gives a small amount of money to his children. Of course we didn’t really need the money for the table, but refusing it would be a serious offence against his intentions. The new table also promises some nice working hours for me because, you gess it already, it is covered with a thick layer of boat lack asking to be removed and replaced with something more decent for such a piece of craftsmanship. The table symbolizes the bond my late father has with him in my eyes. Even when you are in your sixties, your father or father-in-law keeps following you with little household helps: a nice desk, a table, etc., just as you do with your children. Goethe once wrote (in his Westöstliche Divan):

Do good things because you love goodness,
Transfer it to your children,
In case you don’t succeed,
It will benefit your grandchildren.

But also, in the same chapter:

Do good things because you love goodness,
Whatever you do, doesn’t remain yours,
Even when you keep it in your possession,
Your children will not keep it.

Sounds like a riddle: how to combine the two advices, which both seem to be equally true? This is what I love so much in Goethe.

Do it yourself

People reading my comments about some modern art and architecture trends would say: if you know it that well, then try to make something by yourself! Well, I am proud to show one of my products, not pretending that I'm an artist. The problem is that I used to paint and draw more often in the past, as well as playing the guitar, but that work, reading, blogging, dog, family and other social business absorb too much energy and time. Do you recognize that? I'm convinced that this is a story for a simple excuse. This week I shall take charcoal, brush and paint to produce something artistic! Please do the same as I do, in your area of talent, music, poetry (I also write poems but unfortunately only in Dutch) ot whatever, and make room in your diaries.

I don't have any comments on this painting. It tries to tell something, but the message can be different for anybody.

How to buy a house in Holland

My brother-in-law opens his front door. An unknown gentleman stands before him.
-Good afternoon sir, I heard you want to buy the house next door!
- Yes, I am considering it. What can I do for you?
- Well, you will buy it from me, I’m sure you gonna do that!

My brother-in-law, let’s call him Hans, didn’t know the man, so he asked:

- Well, I subscribed to an auction where the house will be sold. But when you bid a higher price than I will, and you will be the new owner, why should I buy it from you, then? I can also move to a bigger house. Just wait and see what the auction will bring.

Hahaha, when you don’t buy it from me, then I will take care of some nice neighbors for you to whom I will sell it.

Hans understood that the man didn’t want to live in the house next door but that he was only interested in profit. The house was now owned by the mortgage-bank because the neighbor couldn’t afford his mortgage terms anymore, he was in big trouble and lived elsewhere in miserable circumstances. In such situations a mortgage bank always wants to sell a house a.s.a.p., at a lower price than the market value. A difference between mortgage debt and auction price is charged to the previous owner who can run in lifelong debts because of this. Hans despised people who strive for profit from other people’s misery. So he said to the man: I think we have nothing to discuss, goodbye, maybe see you at the auction.

After the man had left Hans was worried. A couple of years ago he had bought his little house at the dyke of a small river as his first house after he had married his wife. Now the house next door, which was under the same roof as his own, became available and he saw it as an opportunity to enlarge his house, which was really very small. After he discussed the new development with his wife they concluded that they wouldn’t have enough credits to start a bidding competition with the man he spoke to at the door, and afterwards pay him a still larger amount to prevent moving to another house or have neighbours who would spoil their living conditions. But he had an advantage: he knew somebody well experienced with the matter and asked him for advice. From him he heard about the auction rules and about the practices of the guild of the house-auction runners.

Banks in the Netherlands try to attract people to house auctions by giving a small percentage of the selling price of an offered house to everybody who does a bidding at an auction. This fact causes the existence of bidding clubs. As a pastime, or even to gain a living, some people form clubs that go from auction to auction to do a bidding, just to receive the bank premiums. Of course they run the risk that they “keep stuck on their bidding” and are obliged to buy a house. That’s why they form clubs: if a club member is obliged to buy a house against his will, then together they have enough credits to buy, and they will re-sell the house a.s.a.p. at the price they bought it for or higher. If they do well, then after a while they can use the saved premiums to cover this risk. They don’t bother that most of the houses sold this way are from poor people not able to afford their house anymore,. Why should they? It’s all within the limits of law. Hans learnt that the man at his front door was such a member of a bidding club who tried to assure that his new property would be sold, supposed he or another club member would be obliged to buy it at the auction. What to do? Go to the auction and bid against them? He would cut in own flesh: the prices would raise too high, and he saw the sarcastic smile of the club member already in his mind. His expert friend suggested that he would go to the auction with his mobilephone. The auction rules were that a maximum bidding had been done, then the bidder would get the house, provided that no higher bidding would be done fifteen minutes before the auction would end. The friend told him to go out of the small village he lived (when he would be noticed in the neighborhood of the auction place this would raise the price, because everybody knew he was interested in the house) and hide somewhere within fifteen minutes driving distance. He had to make sure that his car couldn’t be seen. As soon as the maximum bidding had been established, he would notify him by his gms. Then he had to drive immediately full speed to the auction place and do a higher bidding exactly 15 minutes after the maximum bidding up to then.

So it went and Hans got the house. He told not without irony about the facial
expression of the man at the front door.

Management according to St. Benedict

Here again a column I once wrote for my school-journal:


Who never peeled potatoes in his life? At least I did, and I recognised very well the situation he told about: peeling potatoes. He, that is Wil Derkse, who held a guest presentation about management and hospitality according to the rules of St. Benedict. What has a saint to do with management? You get your answer later, let me first finish my potato story. Mr. Derkse told us about potato peeling as a professor in Science, Society, and Contemplation. last Thursday 10 February in the auditorium of CHN. He said: one can peel potatoes in two ways: watching and focused on what you are doing, or with your mind busy with something else. In both cases you can finish your job, but with different amounts of energy and different results. I didn’t need further explanation. Thinking of something else, your potatoes will not be peeled, but rather carved and cut into. The joy of preparing food will be totally absent, and several times you are annoyed that a potato is cut into too deeply, or you cut your thumb. Watching what you do, enjoying the feeling of peeling, gives far better results and costs less energy.

Prof. Derkse made it clear how the core of management is hospitality, and how the core of hospitality is “listening and responding”. He did so not by giving an analysis, not by presenting a new model or revolutionary idea, but by relying on tradition. He showed that innovation is nothing else than “after progress, finding the old way forward”. It always comes down to the traditional core; methods, models and means can be new, but the core remains the same. It is the spirit of your goal. It is not something intangible or invisible, or something you can only attain by hovering above the earth. No, the potatoes peeling and so many other activities show that it is very down-to-earth. It has to do with respect for what you are doing, for what you want to achieve. Prof. Derkse calls it: “Feet in the mud, eyes towards the stars”. About the manager he says: the top executive manager must be the most obedient among his employees. He explained, far better than can be done in this short article, how managers and other workers must consider themselves modestly as beginners, no matter how experienced they are. Like the Benedict abbots (there are still 1,400 monasteries with 35,000 monks in this Order around the world) they have to consider three vows: 1. don’t run away from your responsibility, keep in mind that “this the place where you are needed and where you’ll flourish”; 2. always practice “conversatio morum”, which is: constantly improve your habits and ethics (example: when you want to relax, you can better listen to good music instead of zapping through the TV – Derkse calls this “from trash to treasure”); and 3. always be obedient and never grumble. By the way, our Retail Management School has as their motto: “Primus Omnium Servus”, which is the same as this third vow. It means: “The first one is everybody’s servant”.
These vows fit extremely well into the concept of hospitality. Hospitality is at the basis of the Order of St. Benedict. Every monastery is obliged to have guest facilities, and to host constantly a number of guests. Prof. Derkse explained that these monasteries are open for those who want to share a couple of days with the monks. The monks stress “receiving” the guest, not simply “tolerating” them, and they have a number of brethren especially charged with taking care of the guests. A special chapter in their rules prescribe how hospitality should be performed.

A case of how Prof. Derkse’s words can be put into practice by the hospitality industry, was given by Mrs. Yvonne Nieuwenhuijzen of the Italian hospitality chain “Bianconi Ospitalità”. The Bianconi family own a property in the town where St. Benedict was born, Norcia, and try to do their business in St. Benedict’s spirit as much as possible. Their management philosophy is simple, but effective: Observe, Inspire, Create and Move. Any further explanation would spoil the powerful meaning of these concepts. They try to use a holistic approach, which means a balance and connectedness between life and work, practice and spirit, everything in a harmonious rhythm.
This entrepreneurial vision is transferred to their guest services. Mrs. Nieuwenhuijzen emphasised meetings and training courses that can be held in Norcia, in which of course getting in touch with the Benedict philosophy is an important element. This Benedict philosophy can also be identified in the region’s culture (Umbria), which is for a great deal formed by the environment’s nature. Their aim is getting from a haze to a clear view, and grow like nature grows, not by overhaul but gradually and adjusting.

A visit to a museum

The day before yesterday we Janine and I visited an exhibition with a big number of paintings by the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865 - 1935). It took me rather great effort to fix his name in my memory, I never heard about him. Please go to Google and search him at the pictures site.

He painted in the style of his time, and I like his landscapes and portraits most. A pity that he spent so much time illustrating a Nordic myth, in which he often fell back to a picture-making style, but his contemporary Finnish audience must have loved it. I will certainly go back to it again, the exhibition is in the Groninger Museum and I can recommend everybody to pay a visit. For me it was a discovery, why don't we have painters like this anymore but only people who do things with incomprehensible videos and "conceptual art"-projects. I think art is dead, analogous to Nietzsche's famous "God is dead".