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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Just me, fetus, and I.
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Derek Vandivere@dersk.bsky.social |
48 followers 95 following 707 posts
Ex American Dutch guy living in Amsterdam. Professionally, an enterprise architect for a bank. Recreationally, spends too much time making vegetarian food, playing jazz and classical trombone, and tending to the cats. Posts mainly stuff about Amsterdam.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Just me, fetus, and I.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Listening to Russell Shorto talk about the history of New York and the Netherlands with the Ons Amsterdam podcast, and I swear the rhythm of his speech changed when he said "New York was once New Amsterdam." #Amsterdam
onsamsterdam.nl/podcast
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Do you think there's a magical number of times you can use the word debase that will make him stop mocking you? I suspect there's not.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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At the Illusions exhibit at the Teyler's museum in Haarlem.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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*not meant to imply Rose isn't in a bit of a crap situation qua citizenship, of course
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm saying that I'm surprised that the UK cares about Dutch policy, other than warning Dutch citizens that they risk losing their Dutch nationality if they become Brits and the Netherlands finds out.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Compensated by going to the gym and making some beer.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I don't get how they would know, though - the US only knew I became Dutch because I told them and the NL only knew I'd renounced my US citizenship because I showed them the legal doc to prove it...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Just don't look up Labour's policy on trans people...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Pretty sure that's a UK regulation, not a Dutch one. Although as of about ten years ago, the Netherlands also requires naturalized citizens to renounce their original nationality if possible. I don't think it's an entirely unreasonable policy, to be honest.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Not even nine o'clock and I've fed the sourdough and sanded down the cast iron griddle. Abbie is afraid I'm becoming a trad wife.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I'm drooling over here in Amsterdam
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I'm guessing David Quantick has never had to worry about getting arrested for urinating in a public restroom...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I think what you're missing is that, unlike in the US where it's really an existential level binary choice, it's not necessarily a binary choice in the UK. And when neither of the top two parties wants to accept that you exist... (sorry, will go back to lurking on other folks' elections)
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Back in the 90s when I was a baby consultant, we had a few week-long projects where we'd drive home to shower and change suits and come back to the office for about three days in a row. After the second day, a conference table made a surprisingly comy bed for a nap.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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And, I think, for those who have risen to the top, recognizing that "merit" isn't the quantitative yardstick they claim it is would mean recognizing that luck has had something to do with where they landed (I saw this a lot in the years I spent at Accenture).
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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A side benefit: the cafeteria lady at the Milan office saw me coming, recognized the purple hair, and had a plate of vegetarian pasta served up and waiting for me.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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In a meeting in Milan, and the leader just called out "Marco?!" to check if he was dialled into the Teams meeting. It took all I had not to shout out "Polo!"
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Sorry, ik ben vegetariër
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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"Can't you people just not pee?"
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Playing Dvorak's 9th with a pick-up orchestra organized by the Dutch Philharmonic is not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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No, she really isn't. She's using hyperbole to point out that not voting for Biden because of his Israel policy, given that it's a binary choice, would be pretty dumb.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Grew up with pineapple casserole on holidays in Maryland.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I really dig the tentacles and crab legs, and the motion you've frozen here is just great.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I guess I was thinking more of hate posting on social media or watching those "can you believe this asshole" videos - I find myself getting sucked into that sometimes.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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You really shouldn't throw that word around to a person who has at least four memorials to actual killings performed by actual Nazis within a few minutes walk of his house. That aside, your insults don't mitigate your ignorance. *plonk*
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Ex-US, and apparently know more about how politics work in the US than you.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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"I have no understanding of Presidential politics" - you
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Saw these guys - Bamba Wassoulou Groove - at the Paradiso Tuesday night. Mali blues with a bit of psychedelia, would very much recommend!
open.spotify.com/album/5PATDH...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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That hit of dunk-post dopamine is hard to resist.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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From today's Dutch spelling test (beterspellen.nl): "The cook used a half teaspoon of coriander in the Asian dish."
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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In the Dutch countryside for a walk a few weeks ago, I overheard a few older folks commenting on how dumb the whole toilet debate is.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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It's also odd being married to a black woman and having a copy of an ancestor's will that specifies who inherits which slave...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Don't know your experience, but I've been here since '94, and it feels like although there's been a lot of recognition of the real past in recent years, an awful lot of uglinesss has been creeping out of the cupboards since a few years before Covid. Still don't regret becoming Dutch, though.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Standard financial advice (at least when I started my career in the early 90s) was to have 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses in a pretty liquid form. Just looked up what most Americans actually have in savings - frightening!
www.forbes.com/advisor/bank...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Mostly (that was the other bit I was referring to - it emerged roughly when the first American minstrelry show toured Europe) - there's a few places where the PVV types still insist on blacking up but it's largely disappeared from the cities over the past years.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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On the one hand, our potential minister for asylum seekers is spouting 'great replacement' theory (why do Dutch people only appropriate the shittiest parts of my home culture?). On the other, at least we're not transphobic enough for the UK. Small comfort.
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Jean-Michel Basquiat
@basquiat.bsky.social
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Art is how we decorate space; music is how we decorate time.” - Jean-Michel Basquiat
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Again, I'll simply say that I don't agree that it's weird or that it's necessarily particularly awkward. Obviously a matter of opinion, though - have a good one.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I agree! But only because of your framing. I think it's completely appropriate for a host to *ask*. And if a guest has a real issue (germophobic or real), to accept a no.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Do you not wear socks? But to me, the real point: any modern city is going to be made up of people from many different traditions, taking shoes off indoors is the norm in many of them, and I think it's just part of being a polite guest to do as your hosts ask.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Cleaner than the damn street, anyway.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Not only is the real story behind them good, I always say (I'm an IT architect) that they were product owners who didn't follow architectural standards....
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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That triggers me - I have my first external interview on Zoom in over a decade on Friday. Do I move the human skulls out of view or not?
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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I'll invite Tom over for some Indian food next time he's in Amsterdam...
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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There's nothing at all wrong with asking guests to take their shoes off, and it's totally normal in many cultures.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Highly highly recommend Rutger Bregman's book - I think the English title is Humankind.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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You do you, of course. In my case, I found that antagonism was starting to bleed over into real life...and that's not who I want to be.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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You've been conditioned by the algorithm and cheap hits of dopamine, I think. Arguing is fun, dunking is pointless.
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Derek Vandivere
@dersk.bsky.social
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Block and move on...
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