The International Front

For this week’s class assignment we are suppose to “explore the international landscape of the internet and bloggers from around the world.” So many countries that begin with the letter A……. so I think I’ll explore the blogosphere of ARUBA. I personally have never visited there, but my sister just got back from her honeymoon in Aruba.

Browsing around Global Voices Online, I immediately noticed many posts on topics such as weather, tropical storms, tourism and elections. Arubagirl discusses the recent elections in Aruba and her opinions of newly elected officials and the election process. She is also into photography and has posted some really cool landscape photos on her blog. Global Tastes & Travels is a great resource for authentic Caribbean recipes, culture and spice. If you are looking for a recipe for banana mango tarts then check out this site. Janine Mendes-Franco has blogged about the tropical storms in the Caribbean and includes photos of storm damage along with witness accounts in her blog. Aruba Real Estate Updates (Real Estate Agent’s blog from Aruba) showcases properties for sale and activities that are going on around Aruba. This windsurfer’s blog has a category solely dedicated to Aruba, where his posts discuss topics such as windsurfing, competitions and  surfing conditions in Aruba. Flickr has AWESOME photos of Aruba (almost 200,000 of them), definitely worth checking out too.

Interested in traveling to Aruba or tourism? There are many travel blogs on Aruba and on this site you can scroll through many pages of them and see other traveler’s thoughts, pictures and recommendations.  The Aruba official tourism site (90,000 friends you haven’t met yet) has a forum that let’s people discuss anything Aruba. Topics such as; beaches, weather, airfare, accommodations, shopping, nightlife are just a few but there are many more. You can also view photos in the community gallery.

There’s a lot of good stuff out there on Aruba and good internet presence. There are many good sites that people can find, if they are interested Aruba, planning a trip there or just want to look at some amazing landscape photos. I thought that there would be less but I was pleasantly surprised.

                                                                                 ohhh how I wish I was there right now!!!

Tuxer is a stray cat that shows up here at my shack in Aruba from time to time. He’s a regular visitor on an irregular schedule. He likes to take a nap on my patio, a drink from the water I put out for him, and an occasional snack, too. From the photo below, you can see how he got his name.

His black and white coat is just like a tuxedo. Those white shoes would be a big hit at a wedding celebration near you.

I feature cats in all my novels. For An Island Away, it was Screwball. In Bonk’s Bar, it was Larry. And in Universal Coverage, there is one named Marvin. I haven’t settled on the name for the cat in the new book I’m working on. But it’ll come. Maybe it will be Tuxer.

Bon dia.

Aruba renders a vacation experience as uncommon as the island itself! If your vision of paradise consists of powder-white beaches and incredibly clear azure waters, Aruba is your paradise. This island of unusual landscapes, friendly residents, balmy breezes and tropical rhythms is an idyllic destination for anyone who loves the sun and surf. Its magnificent coast is one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful stretches of beach.

With resorts that start at $44.00 dollars a day to $238.00 a day.

A few of my favorites are:

The Holiday Inn SunSpree Aruba will entice you from the moment you arrive. The porte cochere entrance, with beautiful, lush landscaping, welcomes you to a tropical paradise. A brick paved driveway leads to the open-air lobby with chandeliers, soft island music, elegant wood beam ceilings, and impressive tiled floors. Guests can expect attentive service and fine accommodations. All 600 modern, well-appointed guest rooms feature richly detailed furnishings, and the private balconies and patios afford you views of the beautiful Palm Beach, or tropical landscaping. Laze by the unique swimming pool or nap away the days in the shade of a palm. Four tennis courts, beach volleyball courts, and fully equipped Fitness Center will provide a physical challenge. Aruba is easy to get to, yet light years from anywhere you’ve been. Sunny, moderate days, soft white sand, and the rich island culture make Aruba an ideal place in the sun, and there is no better place to enjoy the jewel of the Dutch Caribbean.

The all-new Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino features 558 newly renovated rooms and suites and the finest amenities and activities on Aruba. Two distinctive lodging options at this Aruba hotel offer both style and a tropical elegance. The Renaissance Marina Hotel is a hip destination for couples and the Renaissance Ocean Suites is perfect for families. Both Aruba resort options have pools or you can enjoy the 40-acres of private beach on Renaissance Island, which features inviting hammocks, a casual restaurant and bar, and many sporting activities. Aruba’s best shopping; dining, casinos, and nightlife are all at the Renaissance Aruba Resort. For groups, the Renaissance Convention Center offers 22,000 sq ft of function space as well as special themed events on Renaissance Island. The Renaissance Aruba Resort is a Caribbean vacation from the ordinary!

Tierra del Sol Resort & Country Club is one of the Caribbean’s most exclusive addresses. Home to Aruba’s only golf resort, a Robert Trent Jr. 18-hole championship course located on the breathtaking northwest shore of the island. Experience the difference vacationing in a spacious, luxuriously appointed condominium or villa home in the beautiful and serene country club community. Luxurious Villas, World-Class Spa & Fitness Center, Robert Trent Jones Jr. Championship Golf, Award Winning Cuisine, and 600 Acres of unspoiled beauty.

Of course, wherever you travel, it is highly recommended that you take out travel insurance before embarking on any vacation. Unfortunately, without insurance, you have little recourse if you have to suddenly cancel your trip due to illness or other unforeseeable circumstances. Realize that resorts like this will expect to be paid no matter what. However, with travel insurance, you can recoup some or all of your costs if travel and vacation plans change. Travel insurance is very affordably priced, so please check out your options.

Aruba Beach Chalets are a great place to stay in Aruba and this photo essay will show you a few of the reasons why. In the first place, this unassuming string of 6 units is in Savaneta, my favorite neighborhood on the island. Savaneta was the original capital of the island way back when. It’s a sleepy place now with 2 fantastic restaurants, a number of local quick snack joints, and Zeerovers, a fisherman’s wharf where you can dance and shoot pool. Back to Aruba Beach Chalets. There are a few off-street parking spots inside the compound just off the frame showing the entrance to Number 1 below:

Number 1 unit is basically twice the size of the Numbers 3-5. It also has a private pool of it’s own, as does Number 6, but we’ll get to that later. Let’s go inside a regular unit, in this case, Number 3:

This is the ground level, where you can see there is a little kitchen space, TV, sitting area, and just off to the right a convenient powder room. Looking out that sliding door at the far end of the photo, you’ll notice a covered porch that fronts the Caribbean.

That’s just a tease. More to follow. First, let’s go upstairs and have a look at the bedrooms. On the island side of the building, you’ll find a two-bed room like this:

That’s a cozy space with a bathroom of it’s own. Showers only, by the way, no tub. (Who needs that anyway?) The other bedroom is a queen bed, and this one has a mosquito netting just in case you want to sleep with the windows open. Check it out:

The reason you may want to leave the windows open, or rather the sliding door, is because this is your view:

Nice, eh? Well, going back downstairs, take a gander at the pool for Number 1 unit:

Very convenient, no? Well, stepping back a few feet, you can see how you could in the pool, a drink in your hand, looking out over the Caribbean Sea where the pelicans are fishing for lunch. Don’t believe me? Here it is.

That’s the view basically looking to the south, southeast. Turning around 180 degrees, you see this:

You can see the row of units, each with it’s own sitting area, the little beach, and how it all fronts the water. Number 6 has its own pool, too, and this unit rents on a longer term basis. Check with the owners through the website: www.aruba-beach-chalets.com. You can click right there and be transported to it, just the website, not the actual place here in Aruba. Sorry.

At any rate, if you’re looking for a place away from it all, give this one a try. I stayed here many times until I bought a shack. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t bought the shack and just rented there. It’s hard to beat.

Bon dia.

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas here in Aruba. These decorations were installed at the Radisson Hotel.

The Arubans go all out for Christmas, not just at the hotels, but their homes as well. There are roads you can drive with one home after another totally lit up with lights and scenes. It’s worth a few hours drive to see them. Of course the hotels do a good job, complete with Santa Claus visits for the kids and special events leading up to the big day. If you find yourself here, you won’t be disappointed… unless you’ve been naughty.

Bon dia.

Here is an example of what not to do:

Toting a propane tank around in your trunk is a bad idea. Not securing it is a second bad idea. Keep the links out of the chain of disaster by using your head. Okay?

Bon dia.

I went for an early morning bike ride. Usually I roll around the northwest part of the island. This time I went south, parking at the entrance to the former Lago Colony then rode east around the edge of the island. Doubling back, I came across the entrance to the old Aruba Golf Club. In the background tower the new windmills. Take a look:

The photo above gives you an idea just how big those windmills are. At the same time, the Aruba Golf Club is looking rather sad. Time marches on is the old cliche.

Bon dia and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new global version of Amazon’s Kindle for Christmas, be aware that there are still quite a few places that the global version will NOT work.  I was disappointed to find that the new version still will not work in my country.

Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.   I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in (below).

It’s also interesting to note the PATTERN of groups of countries where the Kindle doesn’t work–some countries probably lack satellite coverage or delivery systems, while others probably don’t WANT readers to be able to download whatever they want by satellite.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,  Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S.,  Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009) the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan,  Yemen.

Start Bidding for Aruba Vacation Packages.

Aruba is among the most southern of the Lesser Antilles islands(ABC islands) north of Venezuela.Miles of  white sandy beaches,  some quiet and smooth and others with stiff winds and a choppy surf – perfect for surfers and snorkelers as well as first-class resorts, gambling casinos, shopping, and dozens of opportunities for fine dining makes this island a perfect choice of Vacationers.

SkyAuction.com, a fast-growing travel auction marketplace, offers a  “Bid On ” or “Buy Now”  Caribbean vacation deals to Aruba. Bid, Win, & Save on Aruba Vacations! . Register with skyauction.com ,which is absolutely free , and browse through thousands of vacation Packages. They have daily travel auctions and Buy Now offers to world-wide destinations. All the bids starts at $1. Once you win the auction,  skyauctions.com will book your trip for you.

Sky auction is also offering wine to brighten up your lives in between trips! Join a wine club and receive up to $100 in SkyCash to use on SkyAuction!

Visit our website for Aruba Villas

Aruba’s first commercial wind turbine site is on its way to completion. Here at The Bent Page we updated over the summer on the construction phase. Now the Vestas turbines are spinning in the wind. Still some work to be done, but this is a beautiful sight:

Tour buses now take visitors past this area, as do the private guides. It’s worth a look. These units hardly make a sound and yet they produce a handsome amount of electricity.

Bon dia.

Here’s a photo looking over the Caribbean from Eagle Beach, Aruba. Those sailboats are racing along while the tanker sits at anchor.

Mean time, that handsome couple takes their morning stroll. Just one of the things that makes Aruba a fine destination.

Bon dia.

Amazon's Global Kindle Reader

I heard that Amazon now has a global version of Kindle. I was disappointed to find this morning that the new version still will not work in my country.

Since I’ve wanted one for some time, but have been waiting until they got a version that would work in my country, I checked out their website this morning, only to be disappointed again. Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new Global Kindle for a Christmas gift this year, since the new version will only work in SOME countries, I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shares of Aruba Networks Inc. fell Friday after the company reported fiscal first-quarter results above analyst expectations, but it may not have been as much of a beat as Wall Street hoped.

Aruba Networks shares fell 82 cents, or 8.6 percent, to $8.76 in afternoon trading.

Kaydon shares soar on results aided by wind energy (AP)Dollar General shares up in the first day of trading

During one of my days on the island of Aruba, I decided to rent a bicycle and ride around the island to get some photos of things other than the beach I’d been religiously laying on since my arrival.

Lucky for me, I happened upon a fine old gentleman trying his luck at fishing off some of the rocks I was riding by. Even luckier for me, he was more than happy to let me take his photo and sit with him for a bit.

His name is Lecos Croes, and he is part of the most prominent families on the island. His father was a fisherman, and although he doesn’t currently make his living doing the same, he loves to spend his afternoons with a line in his hand, hoping for a bite or two.

Cruising through the Southern Caribbean is a real adventure. There are so many versatile and beautiful places, it is the ideal itinerary for couples or families with teenagers. During the day you can explore many historic places and if you are to spend the night in one of the destinations the activities to choose from are countless. When reserving a cruise it is important to look at the itinerary a bit closer so you know exactly what to expect. The name of a destination it is at times famous but check it out further in order not to disappoint yourself. Lets talk a bit about the rest of the destinations visited in this itinerary.

Dominican Republic: when traveling to the DR you must visit Altos de Chavon which is a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village, a cute little place with a magic atmosphere. Dominica is a nature lover´s paradise, it has beautiful rain forests, waterfalls and coral reefs. Another place is called Emerald Pool; 45 minutes away from the port offers a magnificent swimming experience in the intirior of a rain forest. There is also the Botanical Gardens which are within walking distance from the port.

Barbados: you will be able to enjoy one of the prettiest sugar plantations in the Caribbean. The beaches are very nice and enjoyable.

Aruba: you will be able to find some of the best weather in the Caribbean. The island lies outside the hurricane zone and rain falls very little every year. You must not miss a visit to the Natural Bridge; a 100 foot long coral rock bridge made by crashing waves.

I was talking to my friend Aaron, a travel agent since long ago and he told me that most of the times people think of the Caribbean as one big place and that there is only Mexico and other places to see. He asked me to write about the difference in the 2 places; Western and Southern Caribbean as he felt it was important for people to know that there are many places in the Caribbean which are well worth visiting. Cruising through the Southern Caribbean is a dream come true; lets take a look at some important information and a closer look at the destinations available.

Embarkation points: this is very valuable information as many peoplethink that there is only Florida. The embarkation points are: Barbados; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa, Florida; New Orleans, LA.

Destinations: this is the most important piece of infromation and we are sure you will be delighted. Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, British Virgin Islands: Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke.

Cruise Lines: most of them go all year round but better to check in advance. Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Radisson, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar.

This type of itinerary is recommended for couples or a group of friends looking forward to learn about different cultures and have fun. It is also recommended for families with teen agers as there are many activities to be enjoyed. We shall go into detail about the destinations reached in this itinerary.

Sekilas Sejarah Negeri Belanda

Abad Pertengahan.

Daerah yang sekarang ini disebut Belanda terdiri dari sekelompok daerah pemerintahan para hertog yang otonom (Geire, Brabant) dan wilayah yang diperintah oleh para graf (Holland dan Zeeland) serta daerah keuskupan Ultrech. Di bawah pemerintahan Karel V (1500 – 1558) daerah-daerah itu dipersatukan dengan Belgia dan Luksemburg dan disebut “Tanah-tanah Rendah”, yang waktu itu merupakan bagian dari Kerajaan besar Bourgondia Habsburg (= Spanyol).

Negara Belanda Merdeka pertama didirikan tahun 1568, ketika beberapa daerah Belanda Utara memberontak kepada Phillips II, Raja Spanyol (yakni tuan tanah Bourgondia Habsburg). Perjuangan kemerdekaan ini dipimpin oleh Pangeran Willem Van Orange (1533-1584) yang disebut juga Bapak Tanah Air. Itulah permulaan Perang Kemerdekaan 80 tahun.

Willem Van Orange - Pahlawan Kemerdekaan Belanda

Dalam perdamaian Munster tahun 1648 Republik Persatuan Tujuh Wilayah Belanda diakui sebagai Negara Merdeka. Dalam abad itu juga pedagang-pedagang Belanda mendirikan pos-pos perdagangan di seluruh dunia. Perluasan perdagangan dan pelayaran yang pesat ini disebut Zaman Keemasan.

Perusahaan Dagang yang terkenal adalah

1. Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Kompeni Hindia Timur untuk perdagangan Timur Jauh). Lebih dikenal di Nusantara sebagai VOC, sementara masyarakat Internasional menyebutnya Dutch East India Company.
2. Westindische Compagnie (Kompeni Hinda Barat untuk perdagangan di Afrika dan Amerika dan untuk mengurus Amsterdam Baru yang sekarang menjadi New York).

Hingga terjadinya Revolusi Perancis, Belanda tetaplah sebuah Negara merdeka. Namun tahun 1795 Belanda menjadi satelit negara Perancis Raya. Dan akhirnya, pada tahun 1810 Kaisar Napoleon dari Perancis menjadikan negara Belanda sebagai jajahan Prancis (bertepatan dengan masa Gubernur Jendral Daendels di Hindia Belanda).

Pendudukan Prancis berakhir tahun 1814, Kerajaan Belanda berdiri kembali dengan wilayah meliputi Netherlands sekarang, Belgia dan Luxemburg. Raja yang pertama adalah Willem I – Pangeran Orange dari Nassau – putra Willem V, Walinegeri Belanda yang terakhir. Raja itu akhirnya menjadi hertog besar Luxemburg yang membentuk satu UNI dengan Belanda berdasarkan undang-undang Sali yang berlaku hingga tahun 1890.

Dalam undang-undang dasar Kerajaan tahun 1814 ditentukan bahwa Raja-lah yang memerintah dan bahwa para menteri bertanggungjawab kepada raja. Amandemen undang-undang tahun 1848 – Raja dinyatakan tidak dapat diganggu gugat, para menteri untuk selanjutnya bertanggung-jawab kepada perwakilan rakyat yang dipilih melalui pemilu. Undang-undang dasar baru itu merupakan dasar bagi bentuk pemerintahan kerajaan konstitusional dengan sistem parlementer.

Simbol Kerajaan Belanda

Setelah negeri-negeri Belanda Selatan (atau disebut Belgia) secara definitif merdeka pada tahun 1839, Kerajaan Belanda memperoleh bentuknya yang sekarang.

Sistem pewarisan dengan garis keturunan laki-laki berakhir pada tahun 1890 setelah Raja Willem III mangkat. Penggantinya adalah Ratu Wilhelmina (1880 – 1962) yang diangkat pada usia 10 tahun sebagai Ratu Belanda di bawah perwalian ibunya, Seri Ratu Emma. Tahun 1898 perwalian berakhir.

Selama PD I (1914 – 1918) Negeri Belanda berusaha menjadi tetap netral. Namun pada PD II meski berusaha untuk tetap netral, Jerman tetap merangsek dan menguasai Belanda tahun 1940 – 1945. Pada masa pendudukan Jerman, Ratu Wilhelmina mengungsi ke Inggris dan kembali setelah perang.

Kedudukan Ratu Belanda diserahkan oleh Wihelmina kepada putrinya, Ratu Juliana, pada tahun 1948. Selanjutnya, Sri Ratu Juliana menyerahkan pemerintahan kepada putrinya, Ratu Beatrix pada tanggal 30 April 1980.

Kerajaan Belanda tidak memiliki banyak Negara jajahan. Setelah PD II, Nederlandsch Indie atau Indonesia memerdekakan diri dan diakui oleh Belanda dalam KMB (1949). Suriname dan kepulauan Antillen Belanda di kawasan Karibia tahun 1954 berubah status menjadi Negara Persemakmuran Belanda. Akhirnya, pada 25 Nopember 1975 Suriname menjadi republik yang merdeka. Sementara itu Aruba menadi Negara persemakmuran pada 1 Januari 1986.

***

Sungguh meranalah nasib bangsa Indonesia. Sejak awal abad 17 hingga awal abad  19 negeri ini hanya menjadi sapi perah kumpulan para pengusaha yang disebut VOC.

_____________

Sumber Tulisan : Negeri Belanda Selayang Pandang, Dinas Kementrian Penerangan Luar Negeri’s Gravenhage – 1989 dan beberapa kutipan lain.

***

City number 8 on my top ten list of vacation destinations is Oranjestad, Aruba.  Known for its nightlife, Aruba is a very fascinating island even during the daytime.  Having come to Aruba via cruise ship and only spending one day, our options for travel revolved around tour buses or taxi.  As soon as you leave the cruise terminal, the taxi stand has all of the most popular destinations and how much the taxi fare is, so the drivers can’t gouge tourists.  We took the island tour, seeing an aloe vera facility, the Casabari Rock formation (very cool, it is also one of the highest places on the island and you can see for miles),  and a natural bridge spanning one of Aruba’s river mouths.  After our tour, we still had several hours on the island, we decided to hire a cab and go to Our Lady of Alta Vista chapel.  This picturesque chapel sits near a precipice overlooking the Caribbean Sea.  They hold services outside with pews set up for this purpose.  The most exciting portion of this side trip was the cab ride.  Being fans of “The Amazing Race”, this cabbie made us think we were on the race.  He could have been race driver and we came through unscathed, but we did say an extra prayer while we were at the chapel.

Juneau, Alaska is my seventh favorite destination and it was very difficult to place it this low.  On our honeymoon cruise, my wife and I took an Alaskan cruise.  Being novice travellers at that point, we had no clue about excursions or travel in general.  Once on the ship, the cruise line held a program to explain the various excursions and side trips.  The activity that caught our attention the most was the Mendenhall Glacier Helicopter tour.  We signed up for the tour immediately, even though it was very expensive.  As we were cruising into Juneau, the ship announced that we were sailing through a whale migration route and it was possible that we could see a whale.  So, we got up at 5:00 in the morning and tried to see one. Unfortunately, another ship had preceded us into the area and scared away any whales that might have been there.  When we finally docked in Juneau, we boarded our helicopter for one of the most exciting trips of our lives. We flew over the glacier field and our pilot set us down on a plateau and we got out and walked around on the glacier.  Definitely, one of the major highlights of our honeymoon, and an experience I will never forget.

El vicepresidente de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, Jaime Arrubla, advirtió este viernes que la independencia del poder judicial se ve amenazada dese el poder Ejecutivo al ofender a sus miembros, la denuncia la realizó como respuesta a las críticas del presidente de la República Álvaro Uribe, que ha subido la tensión en las relaciones de los poderes.  Leer más…

Aruba strenger voor buitenlanders

Vlak voor de Arubaanse verkiezingen is het beleid ten opzichte van rentenierende Nederlanders aangescherpt. Mensen die al jaren op Aruba wonen worden ineens geconfronteerd met een maximale verblijfsduur van 180 dagen per kalenderjaar, waardoor sommigen de toegang tot het land geweigerd wordt.

De afgelopen maand werden verschillende Nederlanders tegengehouden door de douane op Aruba. Ze mochten het eiland niet betreden omdat ze de maximale verblijfsduur zouden overschrijden, iets waar tot voor kort nooit op gelet werd. De reden dat dit nu wel gebeurt zou te maken hebben met de invoering van een nieuw computersysteem, waardoor beter bijgehouden kan worden hoelang mensen op het eiland verblijven.

Renteniersvergunning
In het Toelatingsbeleid Vreemdelingen staat dat Europese Nederlanders maximaal 180 dagen aaneengesloten per kalenderjaar op het eiland mogen verblijven. De regel die gehanteerd werd was dat iemand maximaal 180 dagen op Aruba mocht verblijven en na die periode dertig dagen weg ging om vervolgens opnieuw 180 dagen op Aruba te blijven. Dat is sinds kort veranderd door Dimas, de Arubaanse immigratiedienst. Volgens adjunct-directeur Ayesha Staring-Engelbrecht is het inderdaad sinds kort dat de immigratie telt hoeveel dagen iemand op het eiland is geweest. “Niemand zonder vergunning, mag hier langer dan 180 dagen per kalenderjaar verblijven”. Engelbrecht zegt dat ze momenteel contact heeft met een ‘klein aantal’ Nederlanders die in hetzelfde schuitje zitten. Met deze mensen zegt de adjunct-directeur ‘tot een oplossing te zijn gekomen’ waardoor ze toch langer dan 180 dagen op Aruba mogen verblijven. Deze groep moet dan wel in het bezit zijn van een zogenaamde ‘renteniersvergunning’. Voorwaarde voor een dergelijke vergunning is dat de aanvrager minimaal 40 duizend euro op zijn bankrekening heeft staan.

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