Here's a problem I wasn't aware of in the Netherlands: public service employees often face aggression and violence when they are out doing their work, and witnesses do nothing to help.

This situation has two clear problems (the aggressors and the bystanders), but a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign aims to confront the bystanders. According to Dabitch at Adland.tv:

This PSA holds a mirror up to the people on the street, showing them onscreen (as people do love to look at themselves), but with a little help of a scene previously filmed against bluescreen background, they find that they are now in a scene where paramedics face violence, and they play the part of the onlookers who don't intervene when the paramedics need help.

Check out the PSA here. What a great idea! I'm interested to see if it helps to change bystander behavior and make the streets safer for public service employees to do their jobs.

The Latin American Film Festival, in its sixth year, is taking place May 6-14 in Utrecht. The festival showcases the work of filmmakers from Latin America and those making films about the region. Included is an overview of some of the best films and documentaries of the past year, as well as an exploration of social and cultural developments. Along with the films and presentations, music, dance and debates help round out the festival.

The festival is located at the Louis Hartlooper Complex,Tolsteegbrug 1. Single tickets are €8.50, but there are discounts and special rates available, including €6 tickets for afternoon showings.Full information is available on the festival's website, in both English and in Dutch, including a downloadable festival program.

It always takes a few days to recover from Queen's Day and this year was no different. Some said things around Amsterdam were a little quieter this year either due to the rain or last year's attempt on the royal family. However around my neighborhood and in the center of Amsterdam all was as lively and as orange as ever. I spliced together a one minute glimpse of Queen's Day 2010 for you, check it out:

Big music festival season will soon be upon us here in the Netherlands, that time of year when huge multi-day outdoor events take place throughout the country. While some names are world-reknowned, often its the smaller festivals that are most memorable.

In just over one week's time the Walk the Line Festival will take place in the Hague. While the title sounds like it must be a giant Johnny Cash festival, its actually just a nice music festival not necessarily obsessed with the Man in Black. Bands include Bonobo, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Blaudzun, and AVI Buffalo, all of which you can preview via the organization's very cool (and noisy!) website.

Tickets are available online, 25€ for one day or 45€ for both days. The dates are 14 and 15 of May and the specific locations are also explained in detail on the website.

From the U.S., but now call a Dutch city home? It's possible that you have cravings once in a while for food products more commonly found on U.S. soil.

Thanks to this blog (A Touch of Dutch) and a recently published entry called "The Updated Great American Food Blog Entry," there is now a comprehensive list of where to find or order American food in the Netherlands. And when I say comprehensive, I mean comprehensive. From Amstelveen to Utrecht to Leiden, she has provided information about the stores and contact info. She even has a section on Belgium.

But as she points out: be aware that these products are insanely expensive compared to their counterparts back at home. She also provides some links to shipping services, in case you decide to handle the import yourself.

In the meantime, here are a few photos I took around town last night. The whole city has gone pink, it seems, from window displays, to the Winkel van Sinkel, to even the Domtoren!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, there's a fantastic light show taking place in Utrecht every night, as part of the Trajectum Lumen project. Last night I managed to get a few shots of some of the lights on display, but this is just a small fraction. I particularly recommend the display at the Drift Canal, which is continuously changing, with images from abstract colors to Pac Man chases. It's hypnotic and hard to step away from it.

Seen here from top to bottom are the Drift Canal, the neon halo at St. Willibrord Church, and Janskerk:

SAIL is a nautical extravaganza. I was there five years ago for SAIL 2005, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the most spectacular events I've ever been at in all my time in the Netherlands. As the website states, the event will boast the following:

* an impressive fleet of Tall Ships from all around the world
* a unique collection of Dutch sailing heritage
* a variety of modern ships
* various impressive naval ships and replicas
* an extensive, accompanying programme on the wharfs
* activities, performances and expositions for young and old
* a unique atmosphere with thousands of boats on the water
* a daily closing ceremony with a breath-taking fireworks show

The ships are really unbelievable, and all sizes and shapes fill the waters near Amsterdam Central Station. They're not just to look at, either - many of the ships can be boarded, and detailed tours are possible.

Check out the website and reserve these dates: August 19-23, 2010.

Tomorrow is Hemelvaart, assention day, a beloved holiday where the Dutch kick back, relax, and weather permitting - go out and enjoy themselves. Many will do the barbecue thing at a friends house or at the park, others will choose to go to a nice restaurant or café. If you happen to be someone looking for a nice big outdoor festival during the day, I have just the thing for you: Hemeltjelief.

Hemeltkelief is a self proclaimed, party for sweet people. So if you fit the criteria, the fun is taking place in Amsterdam North at the NDSM wharf. There will be a long list of music, art, and food for your indulgence. Among the international musical acts are: Mdungu, Les Chevals, Correspondence, Brazzaville, The Stokers, Cool Genius and Dent Tex.
The website includes a long list of children's activities making this festival as fun for kids as it is for adults.

The full festival combi pass costs €20 and a regular ticket costs €13. The combi ticket gets you into the after party that starts at 11pm and will go all night. The festival takes place all day long followed by the afterparty for those who prefer the darkness.

Planning to move to or just visit the Hague? I've come across another great resource for expats: The Hague Online. This site provides news headlines in English but also goes in-depth on a number of important issues, like finance, health, housing, lifestyle and work.

It also provides a comprehensive business directory, from bookstores to interior design to ski centers.

The essentials tab provides information about free workshops, exhibitions, and concerts.

The Hague Online is a great website for any non-Dutch speaker looking to familiarize themselves with the city.

From 29 April until 28 June, the 19th annual International Sand Sculpture Festival is held at Scheveningen Beach in The Hague. This is an event worth seeing: feast your eyes on impossibly high sand sculptures created by international artists, all conforming to the theme of "sport." Why sport? The story goes that the theme is being used to promote the idea of The Hague as a city for professional sports.

Where do sculptors get their materials? An article at denhaag.nl explains:

A sand sculpture is a construction made out of sand and water and is nearly any shape. The secret behind the long-lasting sand sculptures featured in the International Sand Sculpture Festival lies in the sort of sand which is used. The white sand from Scheveningen beach is unsuitable. Beach sand is rounded due to tidal wash and wind, but sculpturing sand is less eroded and has a rougher structure in order to stack it up to a high level. This sand comes from the river Maas and has been transported along with the river from the Alpes (mineral sand). These grains are similar to a dice form and fit into and onto each other.

Pick a sunny day to explore the boulevard and beach pavilions of Scheveningen and admire the sculptures.

April 30th wasn't just the infamous Queen's Day. It was also the opening of the amazing Japanese Garden in Clingendael Park. Until June 13th, you can visit these gardens - open to the public - and enjoy a beautiful stroll anytime between 9am and 8pm. According to the Gemeente Den Haag,

The Japanese Garden was created in the beginning of the 20th century by the former owner of the country estate of Clingendael, Marguérite M. Baroness van Brienen (1871-1939), also called Lady Daisy. Lady Daisy sailed off a number of times by ship to Japan and brought back to the Netherlands a number of lanterns, a water cask, sculptures, the pavilion, the little bridges and several plants.

Did I mention admission is free? The gardens are located at Landgoed Clingendaelm, which can be found between The Hague and Wassenaar. The entrance is on the Wassenaarseweg in The Hague.

It consists of several races around the city's beautiful streets, including a 1.5 kilometer kids run, a 5 kilometer run and a 10 kilometer run (the main event). All races start and finish at the Zandvlietcollege on Bezuidenhoutseweg. For more information, you can email: info@royalten.nl or check out www.royalten.nl (information only available in Dutch).

Sometimes it's easy to get lost in your own little world when your computer is your workspace and you're working all alone. There are times when you want a bit more interaction and perhaps a bit of inspiration. SetupUtrecht has a solution for this problem and they call it Manic Monday. Every Monday through June 28, they are offering a free spot for people working with new media to come and work and maybe get a bit of inspiration or at least a bit more interaction. They provide a spot at the Neude (Neude 4), along with chairs and WiFi, and as they say, "you bring: good humor, passion, laptop (or pencil), and your friends or colleagues." Coffee and tea are available for €1, but you have to provide your own food if you want it. Not a bad deal! The spot is open from 9:30 to 18:00 each Monday, and both Dutch and English are generally spoken.

The internationally reknown German Circus Roncalli, is coming to Amsterdam. Actually they arrived yesterday.

World famous for being the only circus in Europe that travels exclusively by train, Roncalli is also known for having some of the best preserved circus wagons in the world. Often described as a circus-museum, they have made it their priority to preserve old fashioned costumes, decorations, and other circus artifacts.

From May 22 to June 13 Circus Roncalli will be performing on the De Boelelaan/Beethovenstraat (map). Tickets range from €16 to €55 depending on how close you want to sit to the action. Shows take place almost daily and often twice a day, check the website and online ticket sales for more details. (in German or Dutch, English under construction)

The Neude square acts as a central location, but the events take place throughout the city, in small clubs as well as in temporary structures built just for the occasion. There are nightly free music performances at the Neude, along with film, theater, workshops, debates and parties at various locations. Some of the featured artists this year include James Beckett, Roos van Geffen and Dries Verhoeven, along with Alain Platel, Lone Twin Theatre and Amir Reza Koohestani.

The festival runs from 20-29 of May and the full program and times can be found on the festival's official website.

The show is open each day from 10-17:00 in the Griftsteede (the area by the children's playground and the animals). Along with the items for sale, there will also be food, drink and even workshops. Last year's show had some really gorgeous items on offer, so don't miss out. If you're interested in registering for the next show, there's information on the group's Hyves page.

There's so much going on in Utrecht right now, it seems that they just ran out of room for the monthly Cultural Sunday, so they moved it to Monday, 24 May. This month's Cultural SundayMonday event focuses on dance. Professionals and amateurs will be moving and grooving through a variety of styles, from hip hop to world dance.

The heart of the events is at the Domplein, where the Dance of Utrecht will kick off the party at 13:00. Throughout the city, there will be performances, workshops and clinics, with opportunities for spectators to get involved, too. The whole event reaches its grand finale at 17:00 with U Dance at the Domplein, where everyone gets to take part in a choreographed dance. Want to learn the moves and join in on the fun? There's an instructional video available on YouTube. A full schedule of the day's events is available through the official website.

I'm into gardens, gardening, gardenias, garden Salads... any variation on the word really.

So when looking around in North Holland for where there are some little known but interesting gardens one might visit for a day trip from Amsterdam, at the top of my list came Haarlemse Hofjes.

Top of my list came Haarlemse Hofjes: Located throughout the center of town, these little courtyards and hidden gardens were founded by wealthy citizens, some long ago, others more recently. The oldest of all is the Bakkenesserkamer.

Haarlemshuffle.com includes a fine list of these gardens which I highly recommend you look over and make an itinerary to see a bunch of them. They're lovely, near each other, and free to visit!

One of my favorite bloggers has written a unique book called Amsterdam: Made by Hand. From the publisher's website:

Follow stylist Pia Jane Bijkerk's ten "wanders" through Amsterdam to the places where she sources the props, accessories, and objects that she uses in the sets and photographs she creates. You'll find jewelry, clothing, home furnishings, antiques, collectibles, and more, all made by hand. Along the way, discover the real Amsterdam (Pia lives there--on a houseboat!).

This isn't Pia's first foray into the publishing world. Other than her inspiring blog, she recently published another book called Paris: Made by Hand. I own this one and can say it's full of delightful surprises.

The book launch will be in Amsterdam at the American Book Center (Spui 12) on Saturday June 5th at 3pm. Stop by for a signed copy, then get ready to experience a whole new side of Amsterdam. You can also follow Pia on Facebook for more information.

Oliver Laban-Mattei (from France) took the example provided here. It is of an opposition supporter shouting in Tehran.

The exhibition is located at Oudekerksplein 23 in Amsterdam. Opening times are Monday through Saturday from 10:30 until 17:30, and Sundays from 13:00 until 17:30. Admission is €7,50 for adults and €5,50 for those with a student card. Entrance is free for I amsterdam and Museum card holders.

The Festival aan de Werf is winding up its last few days, but if you're looking for something to do later this evening, head to the Domplein at 23:00 for the DJ at the Dom dance party here in Utrecht. DJ DNA, producer of the Urban Dance Squad, will kick of the evening's free music and dance party. You'll also see DJs Pitto and Nuno dos Santos there, with special videos and light shows to entertain. At 1:00, the afterparty heads to Tivoli de Helling (Helling 7, Utrecht) for more performances by DJ Crossfingaz as well as VJs Miss Soviet and LotteZ. Entrance to the afterparty at Tivoli de Helling is €5.

If you're a sucker for comedy shows, but still struggling with your Dutch, there are plenty of outlets available in Amsterdam for your viewing pleasure. Cosmo Polite recently listed a comprehensive overview of all English-language comedy shows. For example, there's the best-known Boom Chicago (in the Leidseplein), the often-mentioned EasyLaughs (at CREA on the University of Amsterdam campus) and the Comedy Café (near the Holland Casino). But she mentions a new one I hadn't heard of before - Toomler.

Toomler is a group of stand-up comedians, sponsored by Comedytrain International. They find the best comedians from the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for performances. If stand-up is more your style, head over to Breitnerstraat 2, next to Hilton Hotel.

The title is a little too much of a pun for my taste, but the concept of the film is one I can appreciate. The film is entitled Great Expatations, and it focuses on expat experiences in Amsterdam.

The event takes place tomorrow at 4:30pm and it is hosted by the Amsterdam Region Business Association (ORAM). The premier of the film is also being used to announce the launch of a new foundation for further connect and integrate the expat community.

Not expected to be a revolutionary film, officials say that it will be used for commercial training and promotional material for the city. Afterward there will be drinks at 6pm, see the website for full details.