The Dutch solution to doing business.

This post shows how doing nothing is captivating the world. It has always puzzled me that doing nothing can be so productive. I was so pleased to read this article confirming that. How fortunate to have been blessed with those Dutch genes doing niks or in a verb ‘niksen’.

Yes, the Dutch language use verbs made from nouns very effectively.

I quote:

The Hague, where I live, has 11km of gorgeous coastline with rolling dunes and sandy beaches. In summer, I often see locals in Scheveningen or Kijkduin (the city’s most famous beaches) sunbathing, strolling in nature or riding their bikes, then sitting down on one of the many benches available. Sometimes, they’re reading or chatting with their friends, but just as often, they’re engaging in niksen.

Niksen is a Dutch wellness trend that means “doing nothing”. It first caught the attention of the world in 2019 as a way to manage stress or recover from burnout. At the time, many people were complaining about exhaustion and depression caused by overwork and were looking for solutions – which is why concepts such as Japanese ikigai or Danish hygge also entered the English lexicon. As a linguist myself, I loved the idea that you could express the whole concept of doing nothing in one short and easy-to-pronounce word.

In my book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing, I define it as “doing nothing without a purpose” – so not scrolling on Facebook or engaging in meditation. Whereas mindfulness is about being present in the moment, niksen is more about carving out time to just be, letting your mind wander wherever it wants to go. And as we’re slowly recovering after the pandemic, it’s important to rethink the way we work and spend our time.

Linguistically, niksen (doing nothing) is a verb created from “niks“, which means “nothing”.

“It fits with the tendency of the Dutch language to create verbs out of nouns. From from ‘voetbal’ (football) to voetballen (playing football), from ‘internet’ to internetten, from ‘whatsapp‘ to whatsappen etc. I think this is something that happens in Dutch in particular,” said Monique Flecken, a psycholinguist at the University of Amsterdam, who researches how the languages we speak affect the way we see the world. Essentially, it’s much less work to say “niksen” instead of “to do nothing”. “The Dutch are a practical, direct people and their language reflects that,” she said.

In the Netherlands, the word can be used in a variety of ways, both positive and negative. Flecken said: “A parent might say to their kid, “Zit je weer te niksen?” (Are you doing nothing again?). And I would also say ‘lekker niksen’, which translates to ‘delicious doing nothing’, when talking about an evening blissfully free of any tasks or work.”

To Thijs Launspach, a psychologist, TEDx speaker and author of the book Crazy Busy: Staying Sane in a Stressful World, niksen means “doing nothing or occupying yourself with something trivial as a way of enjoying your own time. Not doing nothing entirely but doing as little as possible,” he said, pointing out that this mostly applies to elderly people who have more unstructured free time. Younger generations, on the other hand, are more stressed out than ever – even in the Netherlands, a country traditionally applauded for its work-life balance.

It’s not necessarily bad to be for a moment in a state of stress, where you’re really on and focused. The problem is when this is getting out of hand

There are plenty of reasons for that. “Our lives and our jobs have become increasingly complex. We tend to spend a lot of time with computers. There is a lot of pressure on being the best version of yourself, be it in our jobs, or the expectations of parents [or] from social media. There is a lot of pressure to perform,” Launspach said.

Of course, some stress can be good, as Leiden University psychology professor Bernet Elzinga points out. “It’s not necessarily bad to be for a moment in a state of stress, where you’re really on and focused. The problem is when this is getting out of hand,” she said.But niksen can help with that. “When you do nothing, you connect to your default mode network. And that network is responsible for mind-wandering and reflection,” Elzinga explained.

Paradoxically, niksen can also make us more productive, simply because breaks allow our brains to rest and come back with better focus and sustained attention. This is probably why, while the Dutch don’t work long hours, they tend to be very efficient at work. Working overtime is not encouraged due to the “just be normal, that’s already crazy enough” attitude prevalent in the Netherlands – a nod towards the country’s honest and egalitarian culture.

NIKSEN-FRIENDLY PLACES IN THE NETHERLANDS

– Beaches are excellent places for niksen: In the Hague, head to Kijkduin or Scheveningen. Close to Amsterdam, there is Castricum and Zandvoort.

– Dunes: Near Rotterdam is Voornes Duin, an amazing dune area with hiking and cycling trails as well as many benches to sit down.

– Parks: In Rotterdam, the Kralingse Bos offers great opportunities for niksen.

And it seems to work: the Dutch are a creative nation. Just think of all the famous painters like Rembrandt, Vermeer or Escher, as well as the innovative solutions the Dutch have found to battle the recurring threat of floods, such as huge dams and floating houses.

The Dutch also like to enjoy life, as shown by the word lekker. This means “delicious” but can be used to refer to anything nice and pleasant, like lekker warm (deliciously warm), lekker slapen (sleeping deliciously), and, of course, lekker niksen, or “deliciously doing nothing”. This available architecture of leisure makes it more possible for people to do nothing more easily.

Locals like spending their time in active ways, such as cycling or hiking, allowing time for clearing the mind. And each time the sun comes out, the Dutch flock to cafes and terraces en masse, even in the winter. For me, these are perfect places for doing nothing.

However, Launspach is not a fan of doing nothing as a stress-preventing measure. “I’m a little bit sceptical of the idea that you should create a buffer between you and stress. I don’t know if that’s even possible in the way that we live and work now,” he said.

Elzinga believes that it’s much better to do some sort of physical activity to distract you from your daily worries, preferably in nature. But luckily, in the Netherlands, there is a way to combine all these things – niksen, nature and movement.

While the country is not commonly known for its natural resources , the Dutch appreciate the little natural areas they have. Many dune areas – my favourite thing about The Netherlands – are a part of a large network of hiking and cycling routes crisscrossing the country. Even in large cities such as Rotterdam, The Hague or Amsterdam, you’re never too far away from a trail.

In a cooperation with the Dutch Railway system, Wandelnet – a foundation devoted to creating and maintaining hiking routes – has created NS Wandelingen, a system of hiking routes that are easy to reach by train or other public transport. They range between 7km and 22km in length, making them perfect for a day trip. And given the many benches along the way, it’s even possible to fit in a little niksen break.

This leisure time is possible for the Dutch because the Netherlands is a country with an excellent welfare system, and while people tend to work hard, they also take (and are granted) many days off.

“Having a good social support system, having lower stress level relates to feeling secure and in balance. So, I wouldn’t overestimate the importance of that,” said Elzinga.

And with everything going on in the world – the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine – relieving stress is more important than ever.

Why We Are What We Are is a BBC Travel series examining the characteristics of a country and investigating whether they are true.

Unquote:

The phenomenal spectacle of murmuration

I quote:

"The phenomena when huge flocks of birds in migration form shape-shifting flight patterns is known as Murmuration. A truly amazing wonder to behold. So let's all watch it happen in the video. The phenomena get phenomenal at about 50 seconds into the clip. Here, you see Zarover Birds flying in different formations.  Scientists tried to figure out how they fly like this without colliding with each other and concluded that is only possible when each bird can do about 100 million mathematical calculations in 1 second in order not to hit each other. One of nature's greatest and most fleeting phenomena".










 

Catching the Bone Bus.

Life rarely stops with its surprises. A few weeks ago, I received an official letter from the health department urging me to consider taking this bus. It was deemed a good thing to do for anyone over 75 years of age. It would be free and ‘bulk billed’. Bulk billing is a form of government medical services free of charge. Many doctors offer Bulk billing for those that are eligible. There are a range of medical procedures that are deemed to be necessary in keeping good health. Medical procedures that are done for aesthetic reasons or for beautifying are of course not bulk billed. Generally dental work is also not bulk billed. I wished it was because I am in for a rather expensive few months getting dental work done. I wish there was a dental bus. The last dental bill I received I had to lie down for a while.

my bedroom and hidden feet.

Anyway, taking this bone bus is made more desirable that apart from being free and only available for the over 75 it also states that no clothes will have to be taken off. One requirement is that all passengers must be able to get onto the bus. This means still agile and able to take a few steps upwards. All that was required was a referral from a doctor after which one could book the bus directly by phone or an internet booking. As it was, I just received by e-mail that doctor’s prescriptions and referrals can now be obtained through telehealth directly without visiting a doctor face to face. It is all done by e-mail now. A good move to free up doctors in seeing serious cases of ill-health.

I used to think that health services in Australia were rather slack but a friend of mine told me that if you want to find a really difficult and expensive health system, go to the US. Oddly enough, when Obama tried to get some kind of health system going it was defeated and I wonder if those opposing it were or are the same who defend the guns and weapons. They say it is the price of freedom.

Anyway, my bus arrives in my neighbourhood on the 7th of June at 12.30. I can’t wait. The bone bus does the rounds and picks up those that need a bone density test done. The elderly often has falls and according to the figures of those in hospitals and aged care homes, breaking bones through falls are the most common injury of the elderly. Making for good bones is possible through diets and exercise I suppose.

We shall see. I can’t wait to get on the bus.

A matter of vanity?

Through the years the ravages of time take their toll. Things start leaning over and in extreme instances even cave in. We know by looking at the Parthenon how that happens. This is why in years to come, while queuing up and join those shuffling inescapably to the Pearly Gates we might do well in taking grip of ourselves. There is still enough time to do some personal renovating and while not in the same league as the Parthenon, there are some that take pride in making the best of the years yet to come. I sometimes get a glance of my person while passing a mirror. Most of us try and make the best of what we were born with and in my case the signs of wear and tear are showing up. Mirror doesn’t lie. Was it Oscar Wilde with the picture of Dorian Grey whereby the mirror ages but not the viewer, eternally keeping youth and full set of ivories?

It has been some years since I have visited my dentist and, in a moment of insight and cheerfulness decided to make an appointment. He still recognized me which I appreciated being vain enough in thinking that I hadn’t aged as much as I thought. I think dentist ought to be far more appreciated for what they are doing. Most people, including myself are not naturally drawn to visit a dentist which is unfair. I think going for a friendly trip to the gastroenterologist far more daunting. In both trades I often think how fortunate we are to have dedicated health professionals who don’t shy away.

‘The first thing to do is to take this molar out before we can talk about tooth implants, my friendly dentists offered’. ‘It has to be done by a dental surgeon because of your blood thinning medication and known heart failure’, he added. He referred me to a Dental surgeon specialist who wanted to give me as a matter of course a phone interview first. We got on well and after establishing a few facts of my medical history offered to take my molar out. In fact, the appointment was made the next day. I could already visualize the pliers and drill neatly nestling on a white deodorized little cloth. I was told I would not be allowed to drive home and needed to be accompanied by a driver which I organized quickly. I was getting very enthusiastic by that stage, seeing the beginning of implants and a broad smile in which to greet my friends in the future. Vanity was raising its head again. The Parthenon was getting a makeover!

Photo: Elizabeth Perrey

It was an hour’s drive and after booking in and paying for the job was led to a chair by a friendly and attractive dental assistant. I gave my name and d.o.b faultlessly. I had psyched myself up by making an effort not to clench my hands around the chair’s armrests no matter what I endured or suffering. A kind of test of a man. The two female friends who had driven me there had plans to go shopping as the Dental surgeon was right next to a gigantic shopping Goliath at Narellan. It is an enormous complex which is so big it creates its own climate. A dream for shopping and eating, life itself.

After multiple stabs with the anesthetic needle a soothing calmness came over me and my hands were splayed wide over the armrests. I was ready. The surgeon had about five rooms of patients whom he was treating simultaneously hopping from room to room. After the painkiller had numbed my side of the face, he came back to put on his plastic gown and the assistant again asked my name and d.o.b which I mumbled in a contorted fashion. I could see the pliers coming towards me but not a feeling of discomfort or pain, indeed I felt nothing except for hearing a sound of crunching as if walking on a gravel footpath. My hands did stay broadly splayed!

Within half an hour it was all over. I now have a nice cachet of codeine painkillers and antibiotics to see me through to the next adventure.

I will stay in touch.

Your code generator needs attention.

There is nothing better for the prevention of senility and dementia than keeping the mind and body busy. That’s the present advice that one reads about. Crosswords and walking are mentioned. I previously thought that communicating through internet and iPhone messaging might also be included. But through some experiences lately I am doubting that. Let me explain. When turning 65 one becomes known as a retiree. I certainly did not mind it and looked forward to a continuation of a fairly normal life, tinged with paying the gas bill and the appreciation of nature, adventures and travel.

As the years went by there appeared a world opening up through an electricity driven phenomenon, the internet, which by the use of a computer enabled people to instantly engage with each other, and as an extra, gave people more or less, the world at its feet at the push of a button. It was a marvelous invention and I suppose a follow up of TV, radio and telephone. I started fiddling with internet around 1995 and remember having a huge box groaning on a spare table. It worked intermittently and one had to watch the phone bill not blowing out.

Of course, nothing stays still. Now the internet is capable of doing everything and most people lives are very tied and driven to that way of life. Watch almost everyone in public staring into their iPhones. It consumes their whole life. Who would have thought that now people just look down into this shiny flat metal box almost all the time? What are they hoping to see, a miracle or dream come true? Do they still see the growing grass or the sun, the clouds and feel the rain?

Of course, it sucked me in to some degree but what happened lately is that I am now keen to try and reverse this need to be driven by that strange invention. I manage to pay bills online even though in Australia alone 20 billion $ was scammed in one year! Amazing and still they stare into their gadgets. I tried to connect to a Social Community transport system which have on a daily basis trip to many different venues. Art galleries, beautiful gardens, weekends away on the coast and much more. The criteria are to be over 65 and part of the Government Aged Care facility. The buses and trips are organized and provided but all costs have to be paid for by the retirees. It is an excellent idea for social contacts and to avoid loneliness that often grips elderly people, especially when having lost a partner.

Anyway, I thought of joining it and went on my laptop to try and fulfill all necessary internet requirements and this is where things became a bit tricky. When trying to join up and going through all sorts of connection requirements and proof of this and that the laptop asked me to prove my identity by the use of a coded number which they send me to my iPhone. So, at this stage both laptop and iPhone were in full swing. I noticed before that sometimes a coded number was used, and it really freaks me out because the number only stay ‘life’ for a few seconds. Nothing makes me more enraged than those sorts of hoops one has to conquer and jump over. But when I failed this number code a few times the ‘provider’ installed in my laptop a code generator. Can you believe it? It did give me the coded number, but that generator turns the numbers over as well, far too quickly for me to write it down. I then got a message that my code generator was failing. It is only allowed to provide so many numbers and my request would be frozen for 24 hours.

I had to lay down for hours to get over it and thought how other elderly people cope with that. I went to the House of Bangkok and had a nice mild curried chicken again with iced water.

Fried rice with beef and black bean sauce, please.

Living on your own takes innovative ways of dealing with the eating of sustainable and nourishing food. Waste not want not is part of my Dutch genes which prevents me to be free enough to sometimes ditch food that has been resting in my fridge for some time, often hiding behind or under items shoved in since with some carefree abandon.

Apart from organizing food one is also wise to organize the days in positive slots of being reasonably active. Household duties doing domestics, clearing up, washing clothes and dishes all help the days pass. Off course, cooking and the afterwards consuming of the cooking results all help the days to flow with some Rythm. Even on one’s own, going to sleep has to be with a mind reflecting on the day just spent. Was it satisfactory, serenity is a good mindset and, in most nights, induces sound sleep, at least with me. Of course, I am talking about everyday actions which apart from physical domestics ought to involve actions of the mind as well.

I for the heck of me could not remember the famous English writer who lived in a village not far from where I live. During his short stay he wrote the novel Kangaroo, which is not a bad title seeing Australia is often thought about with kangaroos hopping about. The village where he lived was Thirroul which was a busy coal mining village in the 1920s when this famous writer wrote this book. The writer is D.H.Lawrence. His name suddenly popped up. Memory gets a bit more hesitant when getting older.

The Shanghai in Bowral

But, to get back to the daily food ritual. I have recently re-discovered the delights of eating my main meal during midday. Not only that but consume it in a cafe. It gets even better. The re-discovery is a very traditional Chinese café/restaurant. See above photo. It is called the Shanghai Restaurant. They have a long list of tempting dishes. I used to go there often with my late wife Helvi. I haven’t been there since she passed Oct 2019, I remember it so vividly when recently stepped inside this place again. It brought back happy memories. Beef with black bean sauce was my favourite.

Should the Australian Constitution change to include the Democracy sausage?

Yesterday the Australian State of NEW SOUTH WALES had an election and decided by a majority to change Government. And at least in my seat the post polling included the customary and traditional Democracy sausage. The history of this sausage goes back to the bowels of our history when it was decided to make voting compulsory by punishment. This is sometimes looked upon with horror by other countries who argue that democracy and compulsory voting sits a bit uneasily. In any case, forgetting the pro and con of compulsory voting, the sausage was introduced to sweeten this issue of voting. It is now widely known as Democracy Sausage and has been a feature of Australian culture for decades.

Map of NSW and voting booths with democracy sausages.

However, in this morning news it wrote that not all polling booths provided the after voting Democracy Sausage. Not only was just the right of the Sausage denied, but at other venues the opposite, when this treat was selling at exorbitant prices with one venue asking $ 18.- for a single sausage on a white bun with some onions. That’s why more and more voices are being raised to recognize this Democracy Sausage into our constitution. This would make an end to speculative and uncertain conditions that raise themselves at each time a voting is held. We need to stop this laisse faire attitude.

People might have mixed feelings about it but in the America, they have enshrined the right of gun ownership into their constitution, and we are also letting them build our Nuclear Submarines so a recognition of the humble Democracy Sausage into our Constitution would not be too big a problem. It pales in comparison, Sausages don’t kill, do they?

Of course, it is no denying that adding or alter a constitution is a major task and will need expert constitutional lawyers and language experts. What defines a sausage just for example? Can it be a beef sausage? What about religious sensitivities? Just imagine if pork is allowed to make an entree in the constitution? And then there is the issue of additives. Mustards and sauces. American mustard! Just to define the word ‘American’?

It will be extremely difficult, but I am sure it will need to be achieved.

Australia will be a better country.

Guns before butter?

The latest news has us believe we are under imminent threat of being occupied by China. But, no worries. Australia at the behest of our mates the US is going to spend 380 billion on underwater boats which is supposed to check China in its track. For some time now we have been fed anti-China porridge with plenty of golden syrup. Some time back it was France that was going to supply us with those nuclear submarines, but that idea was scuttled when our previous PM, Scott Morrison leaked a text by the French President Macron much to the annoyance of the French. As has been pointed out before, much needed funds for aged care or public education seems to have been pushed back into the never never.

Some people far better with words than I have written some compelling arguments that should warn us not to follow ad nausea the US in its war mongering habits. Looking at their disastrous wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan resulting in millions of refugees, one would have thought it prudent to avoid following the US in agitating for another war with China.

You might like to read up on some facts instead of being swept up by propaganda.

Red Alert: news media ‘Sleep-Walking’ into US war propaganda

I quote some of those words from the above link by John Menadue.

“A Labor government has puts guns before butter… how extraordinary! Today, Pearls and Irritations has taken the unusual step of devoting our issue line up entirely to articles on the drive to war with China and the disastrous commitment of $368 billion dollars of Australia’s public funding to nuclear submarines.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an extraordinary commitment of $368 billion dollars to purchase nuclear submarines designed for an aggressive war against China under the AUKUS arrangement. The submarines are not designed to defend Australia. They are designed to cooperate with the Americans off the China coast.

In return, Australia will receive submarines on the ‘never never’, some old hand me downs from Uncle Joe.

This follows an unprecedented propaganda drive in Australia’s major media outlets over the past year by American and Austral-American lobbyists to manipulate public opinion. The intent has been to manufacture fear and soften the public up for a commitment of taxpayer funding for massive weapons purchases from US arms industries, followed by an Australian participation in a US led war with China.

This fear of China has been manufactured in Washington to protect its hegemony. The US is not militarily threatened in any shape or form by China, and neither are we. But the US keeps goading China at every opportunity in the hope of China responding.

The US has a record of almost always being at war. It has overthrown countless governments and interfered in numerous countries. It wants us to join it again in yet another disastrous war.

Not since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the 20^th anniversary of which will occur on the 20^th of March 2023, has a US led disinformation campaign been so blatant, so openly misleading, and so successful as we now see.”

I mean, our aged care and hospitals are at breaking point. Schools and education are lagging behind on world standards. People are sleeping in cars and derelict houses.

Pardon me Sir, your Plantar Fasciitis is showing.

One tries and anticipate what might happen in the future fully expecting that certain things will occur connected to ageing. They even say that none of us will survive forever which has proven to be true, still many hope that life will go on its merry way. And if not merry, at least with worthwhile moments of enjoyment which the French call, joie de vivre. So far, I am proof of that and still jump jollily out of bed still alive and fleet footed.

My dear friend Bentley, the Tibetan spaniel will vouch for that when I accompany him for at least two walks daily which my iPhone tallies up at around 6 kilometers daily. In between I sample coffee and lately even let the devil take the hindmost and eat a cheese and bacon croissant.

But then, some three weeks ago I did not jump jauntily out of bed. I had a very bad pain in my left foot and when I touched base on the carpeted floor, I was most surprised. It was at the bottom of my heel which at the age I am at is a difficult area to inspect. It took a mirror on the floor to scrutinize but nothing looked broken or sore. I did not give it much attention and continued on with my breakfast of single banana, an apple and a cuppa tea.

Did the usual domestics of washing previous night’s dishes and a general tidy up. I noticed that it is a great idea to have a kind of discipline to divide the day in certain activities to keep enjoying life without sinking in feeling isolated living by oneself. Of course, if this oneself is amicable and generally friendly disposed then living on one’s own is not all that unsurmountable. Of course, the daily social intercourse at the café and people and dogs at dog parks help enormous as do the internet blogging friends

I went to see the doctor who suggested an Xray and ultrasound of my leg’s arteries. My left foot has always looked a bit different and years ago had injections for the veins. Nothing very dramatic showed up but I heard someone at my coffee group mention that it could be a spur inside the foot. It sounded spooky. I know that a family member had a case of a sore foot that dragged on for a long time. It called for further investigation and it was suggested I had Plantar Fasciitis. It sounded like an exotic dish from a Greek Island. It was not and it is the grim reality.

My life is reduced to rolling my foot over a bottle filled with water backwards and forwards, doing exercises on my toes and heel to strengthen calves and ankles. It is not the most exciting thing to do, and I am limping now.

Can you believe it? Any suggestions on what people do with that sort of strange thing it would be most appreciated.

Why gardening has become so noisy.

It wasn’t long after our arrival in Australia in 1956 that I discovered the important relationship that Australia has with their gardens, especially the lawns. The discovery and implementation of title gave former renters the opportunity to buy their own block of land and build their own house. It took off like wildfire and it infected migrants the same. Own block with own house was the aim of life above much else. It is one reason why protecting this asset became important with fences and borders denoting the exact position of own house and own block.

With that became the need to protect and enhance by having lovely gardens and so it was that the grass lawn was born. An inherited gene from the English. But it also soon became apparent that trees and their shedding of leaves were not in tune with maintaining the perfect lawn. I remember well our neighbour in a very silent, peopleless and quiet suburb spending whole weekends on his knees tending the sacred lawn next to where we were living. The dying leaves from shrubbery would be quickly removed even before they dared to hit his lawn. Trees were forbidden to grow above gutter heights.

In those early days there were brooms and rakes to keep grass tidy but with time all sorts of innovative equipment were designed to keep the lawns tidy and obedient. Of course, with our own blocks of land and own homes the suburbs were born and with that came the stillness and quietness of lives lived in a somewhat isolated fashion but of great comfort were our gardens and lawns, so green and verdant.

As I said though, new equipment was discovered but they came with great fanfare and noise and now in 2023, our autumn has arrived, and an orchestra of noisy leaf blowers is heralding it in no uncertain terms. Not just leaf blowers but petrol driven edgers and leaf mulchers, ride on mowers with sometimes huge but proud owners astride teaching those lawns a lesson.

I am speculating here but is all that noise a reaction to the stillness and forlornness of the suburban way of life. Our houses on own blocks, fenced off, curtains drawn with added protection of tropical wooden blinds or venetians, privacy till we die? The streets so quiet and empty. Where are the people? Is all that noise, blowing leaves and whipper snipping, edging the pathway on the ‘nature’ strip our way of escaping this lonely quietness? It at least gives us the opportunity to meet our neigbours when they are about and tackling the leaves. I often pop out if I hear petrol driven garden noise curious who might be about.

I mean how important is it to keep leaves away and the grass lawn so perfect, or the edges on the concrete walkway so neat?

Perhaps we could spend more time together sharing gossip and coffees.