A DECISION MADE !!

HERE I COME

Finally the decision is made: I am going to leave the country. First for a couple of months, but with the intention for a longer period. Never burn your bridges behind you and never sell the fur of the bear before you shot it (several Dutch cliché sayings packed in one sentence).

It will not come as a surprise that I have chosen for the US and/or Canada to go to. Not the easiest countries because it is not easy for outsiders to get into the country and to get a job. I have applied for a Green Card and the outcome should be available as of July 1 – it will make things a lot easier if I would get one. Maybe I am lucky for once.

Before I can leave still a lot has to be done and a lot of questions have to be answered. As a help for myself I will try to give an overview of all the different things that have to be dealt with:

MONEY

Money is a big issue with every decision I take: I will not have any income as of 1 July 2009; quite scary but I knew it was coming. For money I made some financial arrangements with my parents, but I do not want to become dependant on them. Independency is an important thing for my self-worth. So I need a job; just one day after I made the decision I was invited for a job interview and on Friday this week already a second interview is taking place. But it is in Holland; I have decided to take it seriously and just see what will happen. I can always say NO.
Points of action:
1. Contacting my bank for advice;
2. Necessary to open my own bank account in US ?;
3. Can I continue internet-banking on my Dutch bank account ?;
4. Is it wise to mandate someone in NL to deal with financial issues in NL ?;

JOB

The main question I am asked by friends and relatives is: what are you going to do in the US and how are you going to make a living ? Although these are logical questions I refuse to answer them: answers will come and I asked these questions to myself all over and over again. I will not let doubts of others ruin my enthusiasm.
Points of action:
1. Doing remaining job interviews in the current application procedure in NL;
2. Make an inventory of voluntary activities in SF: arts, gay activism …?!
3. Doing research on job possibilities in US;
4. Doing research on formalities concerning work permits;

SOCIAL SECURITY

The Netherlands has a fantastic social security system (mainly pension rights) and I should be careful to not unnecessarily throw away valuable rights by moving out of the country. Not very interesting issue, but better be safe than sorry. Luckily I have got a friend who knows a lot about these issues.
Points of action:
1. Contacting my friend what to do;
2. Contacting my pension fund ABP and FNP for advise;

HOUSING

One of the main issues I have to deal with while still in Holland is housing: this means what to do with my apartment in The Hague as well as where to stay in SF. I hate it to stand with my suitcase at the airport and to not know where to go. Someone advised me to look for expats to rent my apartment to while being abroad. This was one of the main incentives to pull me over the line to actually go. It gives me some financial means and I still have a place to stay when I return (if I return … ). But renting out is easier said than done: my mortgage owner has to agree as well as the union of apartment owners (VvE). To find someone who wants to rent my house should be the least of a problem: expats enough and housing agencies advert with “someone for your apartment in 24 hours”. I still have to inform what are the necessary requirements and what is a reasonable rent to ask: 1100 Euros I see as a minimum. And then there is still the question which adjustments and renovations are necessary to make it rentable.
Points of action:
1. Contacting housing agency for possibilities;
2. Making adjustments / renovations in my apartment (floor ?!);
3. Informing bank, VvE, neighbours;
4. What to do with my personal items, car, bike etc. ? – contact my parents;
5. Looking for housing in SF;
6. Looking for tax deductions with Dutch tax authorities;
7. To reorganize my personal belongings and preparing for my move;

EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE

One of the main problems when going to another country is how can you prove that you have the necessary qualifications. Because almost no one in the US can speak Dutch or anything else than English I have to prove that I have a Master Degree in Law and I can speak English. Furthermore as long as it is not possible to legally work, may be I can do a course.
Points of action:
1. Make an inventory of all my wishes for extra knowledge / courses;
2. Look for educational possibilities in US;
3. Let my diplomas be translated in English;
4. Check whether it is essential or desirable to do an English exam;

TRAVEL

It is worthwhile to check travel offers; it is still a lot of money to travel by plane and lucrative offers are available – this may influence the actual date of leaving.
Points of action:
1. Checking offers air carriers;

MOBILITY

There are not many possibilities to organize means of transport in the US from Europe, but maybe there are special offers for foreigners which can only be entered into before you enter the US. Is my Dutch drivers’ license valid in the USA and are there special requirements to buy / rent a car ?
Points of action:
1. Check offers for foreigners on tourist and transportation in US;
2. Phone Dutch AAA for specific requirements concerning USA / Canada;

HEALTH

Health is a big issue; it can become very costly when something happens and it would mean a big and irresponsible risk to travel without proper health insurance. Also do I have to arrange something to be able to take with me the only travel companion I can not go without: the ever reliable anti-depressants (or should I try to cut down on the amount once again ?).

What if something happens overthere and I need a doctor urgently. Can I go to any hospital or does my health insurer only reimburse costs made at specific hospitals and doctors ? Not an easy world we live in.
Points of action:
1. Ask doctor for specific prescription for a longer period;
2. Ask doctor for a declaration that I need my medication (to avoid getting charged with possession of drugs; I have got problems enough);
3. Check health insurance whether it covers medical costs incurred in the US or Canada and which costs;
4. Buy basic medical needs to take with me;

COMMUNICATION

Communication is key when you go abroad. People overhere have to know I am still alive and kicking and that I am not laying in the gutter or have jumped from Golden Gate Bridge. Off course I could go to an internet café to use e-mail, but for me that is too basic. I want to take the time to write on my blog or to consult the internet at a moment convenient for me: whether it is at 1.00 at night or 11.00 in the morning. To get complete internet coverage and full-time access to a computer does not seem realistic. So there has to be a laptop and this is the first step I took already: I bought a laptop – a basic one but with all the features. As a former computer nitwit it took some time to become acquainted with the thing, but I can deal with it now. Except the wifi-function I have tested all the functions and I am very pleased with the thing. This laptop should symbolize a new start !

Last time I was in the US my mobile did not work; probably because it is so expensive to phone by mobile from the US to Europe with a prepaid, that you are not able to say anything before you run out of credit. It is essential to change the prescription. Or maybe I should buy a prescription in the US ?

I took some precautions also to be able to listen to music while on the road. In SF I bought an i-pod and I uploaded (or should it be downloaded ?) loads of music to it. Only the proper ear phones are still missing.
Points of action:
1. Buy proper ear phones for i-pod and laptop;
2. Download all the software I might need on my laptop;
3. What to do with my internet and phone provider in NL while I am away ?
4. Test the wifi-function on my laptop;
5. Change the prescription of my mobile phone or take a prescription in the US?;

ENTRY

Last but certainly not least: what is it all worth if you are not able to enter the country or to leave after a few weeks ? Formalities; nobody’s favorite but I have to admit that I am quite good at it – I know what I have to do and I know my ways in bureaucratic stuff; that is where my legal background comes in. A lot of formalities have to be dealt with long before you can go and may define if you can go or not and your date of departure. I applied for a Green Card a long time ago and it should not be long until I receive a decision; it will make it all a lot easier. They do not know what they are missing when they refuse me entering the country on a more permanent basis.
Points of action:
1. Check the validity of my passport and drivers’ licence;
2. Check formalities at websites American and Canadian Embassies;
3. Check website American State Department for Green Card;

You see. It is possible to take a spontaneous decision to go abroad for a couple of months … Preparing is key and maybe it is partly my perfectionist personality that this list goes on and on. I’ll keep you posted.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SAN FRANCISCO (4 and final)

I started this short series with only one post in mind; than it was getting more and more and now I am on four posts on the same subject. But don't worry; there will not be more. My last reflections on SF:

it is fun to walk in the supermarket and look at products you do not know at home; I had a talk with the guy at the fish department on a fish called mahi-mahi, supposedly living in the Pacific - completely unknown to me; it was marinated with coconut and macadamia-nuts; surprising combination;

On the last day I took a bus to the beaches of San Francisco on the Pacific side; beautiful cliffs and views; felt like you were somewhere far away from the city; did not see a mahi-mahi though;

Had a chat with Lindsay, the manager of the oyster bar I was before. Is she flirting with me? Got some wine on the house (saved me $ 9 a glass!!); sorry that it was on my last day - she could have shown me a bit of town; promised that I would write positively about here; no reason to do otherwise; Lindsay, you are a great person and sorry it did not work out;

Time to say goodbye; at SF International airport it was a mess; they changed the type of airplane at the last minute; 50 people could not join us for the flight to Washington DC and all the people who checked in on the internet had to check in again; I held on tight to my seat;

Stopover at Washington DC - extremely busy airport; was surprised nobody checked my passport - there are so many security measures and the most basic one, the passport, is not checked; strange;

Had a good flight; found in my suitcase a message of the American authorities that my bag was checked; got annoyed; why not ask me ?; I would have liked to be present; what if they put drugs in my suitcase or take something out? I have got no proof - letter to the ambassador I published on the net before;

Returned safely home. Hope to get back soon. I really enjoyed SF and California.

THE UPS & DOWNS OF SAN FRANCISCO (3)

It is already two weeks that I am back from San Francisco and it is time to get along with my little series on the things that struck me on this trip:

There is no city that is more fun in the rain than in sunshine; some get more authentic (London), but most cities simply get dreary. I had plenty of rain and storm in SF - on a rainy Sunday I have to watch myself not to become to melancholic; I have had my experiences;

On such a rainy day it is time to hit the museums or other indoor activities; luckily SF has some which are worth visiting; the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) has a phantastic museum shop (the biggest I have ever seen) and is housed in a sensational building.

I thought the art in the museum was a little disappointing; maybe over the years I have seen too much to compare it with; it was nice to see the famous "LOVE"-painting by Indiana and the "American Flag" by Jasper Johns - they were included in my modern art course I did a few years back;

Fisherman's Wharf is the biggest disappointment of San Francisco; what a tourist trap !; it reminded me of Scheveningen, the beach resort of The Hague; the sea lions are fun, but that's the only thing;

Went to see the Wells Fargo History Museum with the stage coach and all other documents on the discovery of the Wild West; for me fascinating; great idea of a company to start its own museum; maybe an idea for Shell in The Hague ?;

Met a personal trainer in an Italian cafe on Columbus Avenue; had an amusing talk with this Greek / Italian guy; bit too simple but fun, a lively guy and a great body; what else can you do when the rain is pouring down;

Japantown was very interesting; Japan appeals more to me than Chinese; more classy, more Zen; quite an experience to enter a book store with only books in Japanese;

The aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences is a must; go and see it; fantastic !!

The great thing of SF is that every burrough has its own atmosphere and people; whether you go to the Marina, South of Market, Chinatown, The Castro - completely different and a world of itself; great fun;

Haight Ashbury is the hippie area; great alternative shops with stuff nobody needs (and actually nobody with any sense of style would want to buy), but it is authentic and going back in time;

Finally Castro Street; for us gays a very famous name and a very special place, although not as I expected; maybe because it was March it was not crowded and, I could say, almost dated - no "open" atmosphere; this was a bit disappointing, but coming from a country where gays are almost completely assimilated in society, it is great to have a place where we are present and in majority;

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SAN FRANCISCO (2)

San Francisco is a fascinating city; a few days ago I started a short series of postings with things, thoughts and experiences that in my opinion were typical for San Francisco, the USA and also of me. This is the second in that series:


Alcatraz is one of the main sights in SF; very touristic but still fun; take at least half a day and in season you have to book tickets in advance; as a single traveller I could be squeezed in at the last moment;















They have done a lot of effort to make Alcatraz an interesting and exciting place; in fact you are in a rundown and partially burned down jail - but the stories on the head phone make the prison come alive (even tour in Dutch !);

Chinatown is one of the other highlights of SF, especially for people, like me, who have never been to China; huge area and in February not overrun by tourists and, what seems to me, authentic; no signs in English and a lot of people do not even speak English;











In North Beach I walked past an Italian café, Mama's, with a line of 20 people waiting outside to be seated; and it was 10.30 on a Friday morning; I have never seen such a thing and I do not know whether I would be willing to wait that long for a seat in a café; it seems to be normal in the USA to wait for a table;


Walked past Levi's Plaza (head office of Levi Strauss); reminded me that I always want to bring something typical of the city or country back home with me; Levi's are a lot cheaper overhere, but I do not need them and I am on a budget ...


I had late lunch in the Ferry Building, which has been transformed into a food plaza with restaurants and shops; Everything is fresh and specialized in seafood (oysters, muscles, clams); I am a big fan of seafood, so I enjoyed eating there and looking at the people; Had fun with the staff and would be back later on in the week;

As a theatre lover I wanted to visit a theatre performance; the ticket booth at Union Square did not have anything suitable for half price, so I went to the theatre around the corner of the hotel; Zeum Theatre was linked to the Art academy and was a fun little theatre; they were not used to foreigners and I was treated as someone special;

I watched on saturday night The Philistines of Maxim Gorki; strange to see a play in American English (I always had to remind myself that it played in Russia and not in the Wild West), but it was played with flair and with humor; audience was a different side of SF - more the boheme and intellectuals;

One of my most popular pastimes in a foreign city is to roam around bookshops and musicstores; usually I have to come to the conclusion that Dutch bookshops are top of the bill, but SF also did very well; bought some CDs of Billy Holiday and Nina Simone in the final sale of Virgin and some books on writing English (desperately needed !) and the Russian Revolution (typical to buy in SF);

Bizarre people on the streets; in the neighbourhood was a convention on videogames, which thousands and thousands of videogames-nerds attended; some of them were dressed as their heroes, but as a videogames-nitwit for me not recognizable who they personify; fun to watch though;

One of the advantages of the crisis is that the shops are empty and the prices are low; you can shop around and sales people have time for a chat or a laugh; usually in men's clothing stores the male staff is very attractive and fun to flirt with; for me, being 6 foot 6, it is easy to start a conversation ("do you have trousers in my size ?");

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Last week I returned from San Francisco; a very fascinating city. I enjoyed it very much. Cosmopolitan, friendly and modern - characteristics I like in a city. After 10 days in SF I have not seen and experienced the whole of the city but I stayed there for a longer period than the average tourist. It enabled me to enjoy the city in a relaxed way without rushing from one site to the other. Notes on specific experiences, remarkable people, thoughts and experienced typical American characteristics I wrote down in a tiny booklet. Following are some extracts:

Everyone seems to own a laptop and in café's far more people sit alone to work on their laptops as overhere;
I can not get used to the plastic or paper cups in which coffee is served, like in the omni-present Starbucks (I tried to avoid them, but they are so typical for America that I had to at least try once, so I did in Berkeley); enormous cups though;

SF is much more Asian as I expected; I had the opinion that more than half of the inhabitants of SF are Asian-Americans;

The hills are really very steep (Telegraph Hill !) - cycling is no option;

Even in a "walking city" as SF Americans do not seem to walk; outside the city center you see hardly any person walking the pavements;

On several places in town the victims of AIDS are remembered - must have a huge impact on the town and was impressive;

Americans are easy to get in contact with - more than in Europe people start a conversation with complete strangers, which makes it easier for single travelers;

Strange is the price system in shops; you do not pay what is on the price tag - the cashier adds another percentage for taxes: for example instead of $ 9.99 you pay $ 10.68 - impractical;

When I am abroad my home country is almost non-existant. But the first thing I heard on the TV news was a plane crash at Amsterdam-Airport. The airport where I had started my trip that morning; weird;

Art and a healthy lifestyle are more present in SF than in most other cities - everything has to be healthy, organic and environmentally friendly; they just keep on going to the supermarket in their huge SUVs;

I had to get used to the fact that if you eat at a restaurant you get the bill presented the moment you have taken your last bite - do they want you to go ? I am not sure what they expect; as a "stupid" foreigner you can do what you like and that is what I did;

Lot of homeless people on the street; I do not know whether this is the crisis or whether it is normal for an American city; suppose they are not victims of the crisis, but drunks and/or drug addicts; as long as they do not bother me I am fine;

Service in the organic supermarkt round the corner of my hotel was fantastic - everything was fresh and it was possible to fill yourself a box with a lot of hot fresh food (usually Asian) for just $ 6 irrespective of what you take;

Food is in general cheaper in America - wine and other drinks are more expensive - a glass of wine costs you in general $ 8 or $ 9, you should expect otherwise with the Californian vineyards so close by;

In the style department Americans are no front-runners. Although the major designers are present in the shops around town, it does not reflect what you see on the streets. No style or "hoodies" dominate.














Golden Gate bridge is magnificent. I did not expect to get excited by a bridge, but the blue of the water, the green of the hills, the bright red of the bridge, the aesthetic, the sheer magnitude ... Great !











No better views of SF than from a ferry or from Sausalito and Tiburon across the bay.

For the first time in my life I have seen the Pacific !!

Enjoyed hearing and looking at the man with the guitar-playing dog ( a tiny Pekinese). Something was "loose";

Traffic lights for pedestrians indicate how long these lights still are green. Good initiative - should be done overhere as well !

Almost no people were shopping at the big stores - what is happening ? Crisis ?

Another first in a lifetime experience: an escalator with a curve (in Nordstrom); never seen such a thing before;

And so the list of my experiences (big and small) goes on and on. But not for today. Till next time !

BACK

I am back in The Hague. San Francisco was fantastic; on that later. First my frustration on the treatment by the American custom authorities. Do not mess with me - if I feel not treated well I will not keep silent. The letter below I wrote today to the American Ambassador in the Netherlands. I do not think it will make a difference, but OK, if you simply tolerate for sure nothing will change. Tomorrow more on San Francisco.


Mr. James B. Culbertson
Ambassador to the Netherlands
Embassy of the United States of America
Lange Voorhout 102
2514 EJ The Hague


The Hague, 10 March 2009


Ref.: Inspection


Your Excellency,

Last weekend I returned to The Hague after a very enjoyable 10-day stay in San Francisco. Back home I found inside my suitcase a notification of inspection (NOI) signed by an employee of Covenant Aviation Security (CAS), stating that the CAS is required by law to inspect all checked baggage.

As a national of a free country I can not accept the fact that without my consent and without me being present my belongings were searched. If they would have asked me, I was more than willing to open the suitcase and let them see what is inside. Luckily I heard by accident that travellers should leave their suitcases unlocked, otherwise also my suitcase would have been damaged.

The fact that CAS is a private company under contract with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) gives me little confidence that my belongings are in reliable hands. Who is responsible if some of my belongings are missing (I can not prove anything and I am thousands of miles away) and who ensures me that no forbidden substances are put inside my suitcase (for example drugs) ? The fact that I had to leave my suitcase open made me feel very uncomfortable.

Last but not least, I was very surprised that on my trip with United Airlines back to the Netherlands no US authorities checked my passport; nor at San Francisco International Airport, nor at my stop-over Washington Dulles International Airport. What is the use of all the security measures and bureaucracy if basic documents are not checked ?

By the way, I fully understand that security measures are necessary and essential. But the execution of these measures should be done with more respect for the privacy and the belongings of the people visiting your country. This should not be very difficult.

I hope you take these remarks into consideration and forward the complaints to the responsible US authorities. Thank you.

Kind regards.

LET'S GO TO SAN FRANCISCO

Where can I go in this cold time of year ? Let's go to San Francisco ! Golden Gate, Alcatraz, Castro Street, Chinatown. In a spontaneous act I decided to go to San Francisco and not to waste any more time over it. USA is cheap for us in Europe: the dollar is low, the crisis is severe especially in the US and the hotels are empty. I made a wonderful deal by paying only € 670 for 11 days San Francisco: hotel in the center of town and a flight with Lufthansa. For me the deal of the century - I am extremely happy with it. Just to get into the mood for later this month (I am leaving on the 24th) some pictures of San Francisco:

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN´

This is not a blog on gay issues and it will not be a blog on gay issues. But after what happened in California on proposition No.8 last week, I had to write another post on the American elections. Although gay myself I was at first instance not such a strong supporter of same-sex marriages. Not because of religious beliefs or gays should be denied the right to marry, but why do the same as the heteros; we are different and also this should be done different. That gays should be given the same civil rights as any other group in society is for me self-evident; why should it be different ?! It is totally irrelevant whether this is realized by marriage, registered partnership or simply by being able to be who you are. To say it in different words, the video below. Very strong and for everyone to remember. OK; enough USA for a while - let them sort it out themselves; we have got our own problems on this side of the Atlantic.

Keith Olbermann: Gay Marriage Is a Question of Love
http://www.gaytvblog.com/2008/11/keith-olberman.html

WILL IT CHANGE ?

As a part-time student American history it is more than logical that I would write a post on the American elections. Because they are today I have to hurry; there is not much time left.


Finally, finally, the elections have come: and we outside the US can not even vote. We can only hope that the Americans have a clear mind and do not make the same mistake for the third time after 2000 and 2004. The last years were one big inspiration for satire TV and for nothing and no-one else. So change is needed more than ever.


If you have read my other posts on the weblog you will not be surprised that I am not a big fan of McCain. As a non-religious person and a fierce opponent of the death penalty there is no reason whatsoever to vote for a conservative candidate (oh yeah... that is true, I can not vote). Conservatism can never bring change and we need change to be ready for future challenges.


But there is also not much reason to vote for Obama (if I could vote). He is a great motivational speaker, but I actually know more about his grandma and his relatives in Kenya than his views on crucial issues. What change does he want and is this the change I would have wanted ?


I did some research and read that Obama also supports the death penalty, which in my view is a cruel sentence that in no civilized country should be enforced; never. Also the current American legislation on the possession of weapons is not understandable for me. After the bloodshed on the Columbine High School and Virginia Tech one should expect measures to be taken; not in the USA - it is a right of all citizens to carry a weapon and whether kids kill whole school classes or fired employees kill their former boss and colleagues, that is not our problem. They should have bought weapons and have defended themselves ... Also no big changes by Obama here.


Then a third big ethical issue: same-sex marriage. Obama opposes same-sex marriage but says no to initiatives like proposition 8 in California. What is here the big change; it is easy to hide behind state legislation and to not take a stand. At least he is not denying a whole group of citizens their civil rights as McCain does.


Still waiting for the big change ... I suppose we have to find it in the person of Obama, certainly not in his views, although his standpoint on other issues than those mentioned above could be more revolutionary (!?). They will certainly not make him a socialist (or even a social-democrat) or a supporter of terrorism as McCain would like to make us believe.


So in the cradle of capitalism people can choose between two candidates: a conservative and a very conservative candidate. You can choose more brands of peanut butter, not only in the US but even here in the Netherlands.


OK, it is the system, I know, and this system has not changed in the last 200 years and will certainly not change in the next few years. And this voting system might be the best system to get the people back to the voting booth. People can identify with two candidates of flesh and blood. This has the same fascination as Big Brother and the Idols series on TV; once you get to know the people involved you want to know how it all ends and who will win.


But can we put the whole burden of realizing change on the shoulders of one person ? Are we so desperate or is his power that enormous that he can change a whole nation with his motivational talks ? Time for change.


Will Obama fix it ? He might. There is only one who can certainly fix it: YES, HE CAN :