The Netherlands - 2:

Lifestyle, cinema and paintings

Ishara JAYAWARDANE

If you go to the Netherlands then you have to visit the Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery.

It is absolutely beautiful. The paintings are elegant and magnificent. What is unique about this gallery is the mode of viewing. You are given a device to take into the gallery. The paintings are numbered and the device comes with ear plugs and looks like a tape recorder. When you type the number of the painting into the device a voice recording describes the painting you are looking at; such as its historical background.

Unfortunately taking photographs is strictly prohibited. From the many paintings I saw five are etched in my memory.

They are Suzannah of Babylon, Simeon, Nymph of the Hunt, Birth of Zeus and Adam and Eve in Paradise.

Suzannah of Babylon drawn by Rembrandt depicts the god fearing Suzannah of Babylon covering and hiding her nakedness. Simeon, also drawn by Rembrandt pictures Simeon holding in his arms the baby Jesus.

The Nymph of the Hunt depicts a nymph associated with Diana the goddess of the hunt resting from the hunt; And two young men debating whether to look at her.

The birth of Zeus depicts Zeus in the company of his protectors hidden from his father Cronus who previously swallowed five of his siblings.

Adam and Eve in Paradise is another visually stunning painting. We are treated to a scene that shows us the temptation; with the snake/devil, the forbidden fruit; Adam receiving the fruit from Eve and what the earth once looked like with a variety of animals, all living harmoniously.

With the sun still out even at 8p.m or 9p.m in the evening, one can even choose to visit the Cinema complex at The Hague. It is quite different from the Majestic Cinema, Savoy or the Liberty here in Sri Lanka. There are a number of floors and about ten films showing at any given hour. The tickets are taken at the barrier below the first floor where the crowd waits.

The crowd then charge into the cinema (well 'charge' might be too dramatic a word!).

I felt personally that the crowds there in the Netherlands are more interactive with the film, of course all in good fun.

Shopping in The Hague is another feature of society that I found most pleasant. The main forms of public transport are the bus, the tram and the train. There is a separate pavement for bicycles since cycling is quite popular in the Netherlands.

The management at the shops is very friendly to its clientele. Shop keepers most always smile; say "good morning" or "hello" and are very obliging. For that matter even the bus drivers are very courteous.

Unlike in Sri Lanka, where when you enter a shop you have to leave your bags at the counter, in the Netherlands you can take your stuff inside, no questions asked. You don't have to hand it to the security guard.

One thing that impresses me about the Netherlands is the discipline there. If you are within one zone for less than an hour, travelling to different locations within that zone and in that hour does not cost you a cent, except for the initial fee that you pay when you cross into that particular zone. You are not questioned and your strippen card is not checked. This would mean anyone can get a free ride but that does not happen.

In the Netherlands to a great extent there is social equality and class difference is not so conspicuous.