Foto’s

Recently I noticed a new coronavirus measure that appeared in The Hague: clear walking paths near the Chinatown gate, which is found between Bijenkorf and Superdry.

On this side of the walkway the signs tell you to walk on the right and that cyclists need to get off their bike. Perhaps the one-way walkways are because of the construction around the gate taking up a lot of the space?

It’s an interesting idea, but I feel like this situation has shown me just how much the human race can ignore rules: I watched a couple walk on the left side, not a care in the world. As I emerged on the other side, I met someone who was walking in the wrong direction as well, taking the path I just exited. Some days I feel like a lot of measures are just for political show. But okay. It is what it is.

So that you can understand what I mean by “Chinatown gate”, here is a photo from early 2017:

Ironically, it also had construction around it on that day, although a lot less than what you would see currently.

Did you know that gates like this are entirely an American invention? They were invented in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. Check out the episode “It’s Chinatown” on the 99% Invisible podcast to learn more.

While it is still minimal, there is a growing sense of unrest in The Netherlands regarding the lockdown – that the economy is suffering because of it, that people’s freedoms are being taken away. This is apt because 4 May is the day where the Dutch remember the victims of WWII and 5 May is the day where the Dutch celebrate the freedom they have.

While our lockdown is labeled as an “intelligent lockdown” where you are asked to stay inside as much as you can and work from home as much as you can, it is nothing like the lockdowns seen in France, Italy or Spain where you were only let outside for emergency reasons with what basically amounts to a permission slip from the teacher. Those countries are just beginning to relax the harsh lockdowns.

Today someone had left anti-lockdown messages (article in Dutch) outside the Lewyeg shopping center and the entrance to the Zuiderpark. There was also anti-lockdown demonstrations in The Hague and Utrecht.

Oh, and the country also has issues with persons burning down cell towers as some believe there is a link between 5G and the coronavirus (article in Dutch). Of course sometimes they burn down cell towers that are not 5G and are instead used for the national emergency number 112. Hmmm.

A few days back I snapped a photo. It shows a quote on the side of the tram viaduct leading into Centraal Station:

Een leven zonder boeken is onleefbaar – Erasmus / A life without books is unlivable – Erasmus

So true, so true. The National Library is around the corner, hence the quote.

Today marks the 8th week of working from home. Dare I say that it is becoming a bit… normal? It will be a bit difficult returning to work, both in terms of figuring out the social distancing rules at work (I suspect a lot more people will be taking the stairs) and in figuring out the public transportation situation (I suspect I’ll be walking more).

But my main concern is getting outside enough – it’s obviously getting a bit busier in the streets so it requires a bit more creative timing. Early in the morning or later in the evening. I’m exaggerating a bit, but not completely. On the other hand, it does mean I get to learn even more about The Hague. Time to get an encyclopedic knowledge of little known streets that still provide enough distance to pass each other when someone does walk your way.