Now look here, the road is long and heavy. The cars are made to go fast and comfortable. They are so, and we love it. We go in them everywhere. We go as swift as we can go. We love it. And we pay road tax. To have the road made safe. Not to kill or to get killed. The cars and the roads are not made for that. We have to slow down a bit now and again. When a victim dies from our love of cars, it is a martyr, a saintly dead. A speed bump should be made on the spot where a car, that was not made to kill, and the victim, who was not meant to die, collided. We should slow down for that. Get real. Our cars and roads are not made to kill. Mistake too bad. I vote for a bump at the spot that a life, a precious life was taken, by a car that was not made to kill. To plant a tree alongside the spot, as memorial, with a bump, so that all that pass can reflect a moment on death and the car that he is in. Not made to kill, not meant to die. How sad. Better study the art of dying. Just to be prepared, you never know. And better still, study the art of driving, untill you really know. Those things we should do. With a speedbump well visible, we slow down. For death we must slow down. Always and forever. Respect

Originally the December parties had nothing to do with Jesus, the Christ. It has an older, more primitive feeling of happiness that stems from the fact that winter is over. On the 21st December, that day is the shortest day of the year on the northern part of our planet Earth. The longest night is passing and the 22nd day of December is a little longer and the light returns. Nobody knows if Jesus was born on the 24th; my Bible, the Christian Community Bible, even tells me that Jesus most probably was born a few years before what we call year 0.  It were the religion makers later that conveniently put the magic personality on the most celebrated time of the year, even if they got it wrong by few weeks . No matter at all, it is the time that the light returns, and that is the true reason for the good feelings that originated in the northern part of our planet long before the Christ was created.

Frustrated, in the southern part of our planet, the nights grow longer and the days shorter. Nothing to celebrate there. It was the northern man who brought the December party to the south, Australia, South America , South Africa... So if your origin is from the south, and you don't feel that inner relief and happiness that is deeply ingrained in the northern soul, do not worry, celebrate anyway, as you are here now. On 17 degrees north over the equator, where we are, we have only two hours difference with the longest day,21 June, when the turn takes place, which should be Christmas  for the southern half of the planet. In Holland and England the difference is as high as 12,13 hours between mid- summer and mid winter day. That is where the change is really felt and it explains why we have a northern tree, the pine tree, cut down as a sacrifice.

In the high north no daylight at all reaches the earth in winter; no wonder Santa Claus gets away from the north Pole, it is permanent night there now. A very happy New Year to you all, that you may have Health ,Love and Good Fortune.

No wishing list this year for me. I finally realized that Santa Claus comes every day. In whatever form, or appearance, the good giver is always there. How else did I get through all those years? What did I do for the world, for my fellow men and ladies, for the children? I surely did not do enough, by far. And still, everything was always there for me. Shelter, food, luxuries like telephony, wheels to go, radio, often choice of foods, clothes, and things to do. How very rich am I. Compared to many poor men and women, children in the cold and wounded refugees so very many, displaced by evil thinkers and evil deeds by ruthless men to men. How very poor are those, that suffer so much. Compared to me who has it all, although compared to a middle class suburban dweller I have nothing. My house is so small, I have no TV, I have no bathtub. Not even a swimming pool or a garage to put a car. Modest to the limit, I still have everything, gotten from the world, from other men who made the things I have. The things we must maintain as long as we own them. And I have it all year round, not only for Christmas, not at all from a man in a red coat who comes on a flying sledge with reindeer. What a great strange story; what people do for the kids; it is shockingly serious foolery. Painful for poor people who can't buy things, hurting for those who have no family or those who are displaced. No wishes for me this year, at this particular time, all my wishes have come true already, why ask for more. Wish for contentment with all your heart, I welcome you to it. Then your Christmas will last forever.

To the readers that do not yet know what Chamba Chada means; I will explain, it means: the little boy. Like the boy in the famous story of the new clothes of the emperor. Once upon a time, three men came to the then reigning emperor and told that they were weavers of a most wonderful and magic cloth. This magic cloth was only visible to those that where legitimate children of their parents. Those born out of wedlock would not be able to see it.

The three spoke with such persuasion and conviction that the emperor decided to want some of that cloth made for him. And so the three weavers, who where in truth conmen, asked and got a room to put their loom in, silk and gold threat, and food and drink. Soon the       sound of the loom was heard outside the room and after a week the emperor send his first minister to go and report for him on the progress of the magick cloth. When the first minister was in the weavers room and did not see any cloth, panic came over his mind. Maybe he was not his fathers son, he thought, as the cloth was only visible to legitimate children. So he didn't admit that he could see nothing and praised the weavers on the beautiful result of their labour. To the emperor he reported good progress and within another week the cloth would be ready. The second minister, send to see  the cloth was ready, could not see it either and afraid to lose his job when admitting that maybe he was born out of wedlock did like the first and pretended to see it when the three conmen showed it and pointed out the beautiful (invisble) patterns. Then the measure was taken of the emperor and his ministers who would be dressed in it to take part in a parade to commemorate independence day. Also the emperor pretended to see; what was he to do when his two main advisers saw it clearly? Admitting not to see it would be impossible. Dressed in invisible clothes the three highest authorities went on horseback through the city. All the citizens lined the streets, and nobody dared to say anything. Except the little boy, who pointed his finger to the naked emperor and screamed: Look him, he has no clothes. That boy was Chamba Chada. And I write what I see, not what others pretend to see. I see Israel trying to murder all Palestinians, I see Irish and Ulster English occupants fight each other, hypocritically calling themselves Catholics and protestants, I see the rich nations angering the poor nations so bad that suicide fighters (now called terrorists) hit back. I see them say nothing religious is the problem, while in churches and mosques they are praying to invisible gods in order to get help to destroy their enemies. I see those calling themselves  Christians throwing bombs and creating misery for thousands of civilians that flee their country. The rich nations that have for many years let the Taliban exercise  terror on their own population without lifting a finger now throw (Christian) bombs on (Islamic) targets. I see 60 countries angry at the USA and I cry of frustration. That centuries of so called civilization has not produced a peaceful coexistence of nations in the world. I cry to see the same primitive behavior between people that can put a man on the moon, do a heart transplant, make a classical concert or built ingenious worldwide electronic information networks. These highly developed nations behave like primitive warmongers and destroy, scare, kill and maim others instead of practicing what they preach.

Wealth, sharing, global development, international cooperation, all empty words and hypocritical speeches. So called Christian nations behave in ancient Jewish fashion: an eye for an eye, etc. I cry for all those that suffer through the misconduct of their leaders.

And what does the Department of Culture do to promote, expose, cultivate, stimulate culture? The Culture Club, another name of a group of concerned people; doing what? Folklore, old proven ways of doing things, articles for use in and around the house made in a particular way, different from somewhere else, from another culture. Historical cultural sites, rock carvings in caves, from a people long gone, ruins from buildings long out of use. The monuments of culture, we should have some here on Sint Maarten. But nothing is done to preserve them, we are losing out on culture. At our schools the children learn about foreign cultures, classical music from Europe, arts like dance, ballet, statues from the old Roman times, Greek and Egyptian. What does our department of culture do to bring cultural happenings to the island? Invite dance groups, musicians from other cultures, give performances to the young people who are going to be equals with those of same age groups from other countries instead of lagging behind and only know these cultures from books, Video screens and so. How many people work at the department of Culture and what exactly do they do all day? What do they get paid for, sitting in an airco office with computers and telephone? Will they organize street fairs with artists from all over? Or set up a group to preserve the remains of the old salt factory on Arch road? Or an art festival once a year like on other islands. If carnival is the only cultural expression of Sint Maartens people, what do we need a department of culture for??? Does the department keeps a list of all the artists on the island, all the dancers and musicians and painters, does it help them when these people need assistance for expositions, costumes, performances, rooms to exercise, rehearse and the like? The pan club is OK, steel band music is important for the tourists, however, all kinds of music can welcome a visitor. How much money does the department have available, where does it come from and for what is it intended? How much do the people working(?) at the dep. of Culture earn per month/year? What exactly do they do for the citizens of Sint Maarten? What justifies their salary? Let us have some cultural activity, before the IMF closes it down. Which is inevitable as it produces nothing.

It is on the news that the USA is going to step up its defenses with a missile defense shield that would protect it from incoming flying bombs. How that must be accomplished is still not clear as any airplane, disguised as a commercial liner could be used as a missile. Missiles could be fitted out with airline transponders, so defense systems would not see them as weapons. That be as it may, imagine the USA succeeds in making the defense system work. Then it would be able to terrorize, attack or threaten the rest of the world without retaliation possible. Why is the USA so afraid? What has it done in the world that it fears attacks? Something that never reached the news lines? Things that upset other countries with the old fashioned ideas of revanche? Why not pursue a policy of peace, and prosperity instead of war, weapons of destruction and human suffering? Is the USA really of goodwill? Is it not upsetting much of the world by flaunting its wasteful way of wealth? Why must an Indonesian work 8 times longer than an American in order to buy a shirt? Why must someone in Congo go without electric light as war goes on in that country with guns made in the USA? And why does a dog in the USA eats better than a child in Afghanistan? While the USA wants to play global policeman it does not help to equalize global suffering. Hypocritical behavior on smoking as an example: ban it at home, export cigarettes abroad, does not vouch for Americas good intentions. It does not look like the USA is going to change its ways anytime soon, based upon the cowboy mentality of killing the locals and exploit the conquered land. Enormous amounts of money are needed to make an umbrella against foreign missiles, billions of dollars; we better prepare for less tourists coming in the next ten years. It is time Sint Maarten politicians look into starting up some education for the fabrication and production of articles that can be exported instead of only chambermaids, casino dealers ,taxi drivers and waiters. If the producing strong economy of the USA is taken away by its costly defense program and the tourists cannot afford to come anymore, they will still be able to buy articles made in Sint Maarten and brought to them: Guavaberry booze, beautiful paintings of beaches and palm trees, and other things that at present are not yet made but should be in the idea box of government. Think of music, jewelry manufacturing, special tropical jewelry, Caribbean and creole style things that do not yet exist. Think ahead of the storms to come, because the past can teach us nothing, as nothing will be the same, ever.

It will be a bit strange for many people to read the next lines, to find out things maybe better left unknown. However, to understand why terrorism exists it may be helpful. The mightiest country on earth likes to control that earth and does everything to keep control. South America is close by home so let us go there. From the book : Voel Maar, by Jan Brokken, everyone can learn some terrible truths. I do not have to write this but for my asking to pray with me for all those victims of the teachers of the School of the Americas. In Panama, only 17 years ago the School of the Americas closed its doors for good. It was the American Military Academy . Today access is free, 10 years ago still no one could enter. The building is in the colonial style on the edge of the jungle. There almost all the officers were educated who made Latin America notorious with their revolutions, coupes, juntas, dictators and with their refined interrogation techniques. How to drop ennemies from airplanes with concrete blocks on feet. How to torment, how to torture and to terrorize, and how to rape was thought at the School of the Americas by American GI's who knew what they were about since they had experience from Korea and Vietnam. In the Hall of Fame One can see the portraits of Roberto D’Aubuisson and Hugo Banzer, respectively the leader of the death squads in El Salvador and the leader of the military dictature in Bolivia, from Raoul Cedras, the Haitian coupe leader, and of Manuel Provis Carrasco, the colonel who after the murder on Allende started the biggest concentration camp in Chili, from Galtieri the junta leader who started the Falklands war and of Jorge Vidal the Argentinean mass murder. All these gentlemen look back affectionately at their time in the Panama School of the Americas where they learned the tricks of the trade. The accumulated hate after the immense suffering caused by the pupils of the American teachers may and may not result in revanche and retaliation. I pray that it may not, however, no one should be surprised if it does. The School of the Americas in Panama closed in 1984. I hope no other such school opened elsewhere. Knowing the world a little by now, my hope is most possibly in vain. I heard that US manufactured torture electrical belts and other tools of the trade still are exported to various countries in the world...Pray with me that all this evil, terror and torture may stop, even if it means that the USA will lose a little control.

On Saturday 17 of august, the editor of the Today, and no doubt many with him, wrote that he did not know to what end we still have Royalty, who came to visit in the persons of His Royal Highness Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima. Royalty, many people think, is such an ancient thing, or subject, that it is hardly proper to fit in this day and time. Still, huge crowds of people flock to see the Royal couple, and every commoner in his/her heart feels something special. As nobody seems to know why they still like the idea of royalty, I will tell you.

In republics like France and Turkey, where Royalty and with them most artistrocrats where murdered, because of    misconduct, presidents have been put at the head of the country. Now, in those countries, any person can become  president. No matter if you where born a pauper, a shoemaker or a farmer, anyone  can become president if fate would have it so. That idea lives in the mentality of the population. I am not aware in which station the fast coming and going presidents of the many countries that have done away with monarchies where born, but I remember that  Krutsjev, long ago president of the Soviet Republics, was born a common farmer. However, nobody can become King. King is the very  position one has to be born into. One cannot become King, one has to be born son of a Queen, a true Prince in order to become King. See how Prince Bernard and Prince Claus, although married to Queens never became Kings. It is this impossibility that makes it a mystery that is so attractive to most people. And repugnant to some. Those that do not like Royalty may be jealous, those that envy the uniqueness, the one-of-a-kindness of Royalty. I rather be a subject of a (modern) King, than of a president, who always gets a limited time, [unless he is a dictator], like in Peru, America, the Dominican Republic or in France. A king is still somewhat a fairy tale person, an impossibility for the commoner.
I especially like the fairy tales with pompous weddings, great processions, benevolent actions and happy endings.

As long as I don't have to partake in them.