Filed under: Amsterdam
In a city spoiled for artistic heritage and choice, the current exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum (until January 2010) takes the notion of curatorial scope and excellence to extraordinary heights. This is no doubt helped by the subject matter. But nonetheless, the 6-volume set of Van Gogh’s letters represents a watershed in arts publishing and a rare glimpse into the creative process by one of the truly big guys.
You see, the letters of famous persons generally disappoint. Letters, unless specifically written for the public, are personal in essence. It is one human being in contact with another, sharing things that, often, only the two can fully understand. The letters of great persons are no different. At best, they provide a glimpse into secrets, a chance to hear the unguarded thoughts of public figures.
Should rare moments of intimacy emerge, Morgan Meis (writing in The Smart Set) suggests that the aura of fame is stripped away and the person becomes human again. That is also what makes letters boring. Money problems and petty disagreements are the bread and butter of your common letter. A letter makes the world small again, shows a person enmeshed in the day-to-day affairs that everyone understands. Thus, by way of their potentially shocking intimacy or through their potentially overwhelming banality, letters tend to lack the specific elements that are to be found in the actual work of a great artist. Letters, inevitably, are the flotsam and jetsam through which the scholars pick. They contain little meat for you and me. But this is not always the case …
In reading these letters, as Anita and I did last month, Vincent van Gogh becomes one of us. You see him as a human being negotiating his way through a complicated world. But there is something more, some portion of his greatness contained in these letters. This makes them unusual; an artistic goldmine.
He distills his entire process into the simplest of terms, effectively using his letters as a kind of sketchpad, working through ideas by drawing on paper as he wrote about them. Not really the crazed picture of a deranged man chopping off his ear? Yes, the unraveling of his hold on reality destroyed his ability to do art, not the other way around. Just a year before his death, he writes to his brother Theo:
Work is going quite well — I’m struggling with a canvas begun a few days before my indisposition. A reaper, the study is all yellow, terribly thickly impasted, but the subject was beautiful and simple. I then saw in this reaper — a vague figure struggling like a devil in the full heat of the day to reach the end of his toil — I then saw the image of death in it, in this sense that humanity would be the wheat being reaped. … But in this death nothing sad, it takes place in broad daylight with a sun that floods everything with a light of fine gold. … Ah, I could almost believe that I have a new period of clarity ahead of me.
Image courtesy of http://vangoghletters.org/
For those who can’t make it too Amsterdam, the online version is remarkable in the interaction it provides and the insight it uncovers. See it all at http://vangoghletters.org/
Filed under: Amsterdam
I knew something was not quite right, just that bit unusual, when on walking past Barney’s Uptown late last Monday night, I noticed a large crowd on the footpath, either eager to enter or some smoking reefers. This is extreme. Barney’s Uptown, as the name suggests, is one of the rare upmarket venues catering to the more discerning pot smokers lingering between the various ‘coffee shops’ dotted along Haalemmerstraat. Barney’s designer decor, mood lighting, very attractive female staff and premium prices manage to deter most of the tourist riff raff on their cannabis crawl. And for this reason, Barney’s Uptown is hardly ever full; just relaxed and comfortable. It’s the place grown ups come for their post-ganja chill. Or so I’m told. But this week, things were amiss.
Ahh, the Cannabis Cup had begun. It coincides with Thanksgiving, that peculiarly North American celebration of the harvest ritual. That being the fourth Thursday in November (yeah, go figure how they came up with that day). Just like the first Tuesday in November is for Australians, this uniquely Dutch gig is the Tour de France for pot heads from around the world. Mind you, the Dutch have nothing officially to do with running the event; it’s completely managed out of the States by High Times magazine. For US$199, ’stoners’ can buy a ‘judges’ pass, which effectively entitles them to sample the green stuff from nearly 30 participating ‘coffee shops’ all this week, and somehow pass judgement on what the best weed or resin is.
iStockphoto.com
This is no task for the faint-hearted pot head. This takes stamina, perseverance, sustenance and a certain amount of technical knowledge, similar to that of a judge at a wine show. Consider these abbreviated instructions from the Official Cup Guide:
Before you consume, inspect it carefully. Is it well-cured and well-manicured? Does it have a coating of sugary crystals? Use your loupe [I had to look it up - a magnifying glass] to inspect the trichomes that contain the THC. Are they amber and well-formed?
Then there’s the smell. Those in the know hand grind a small portion and note if the aroma is “spicy or fruity?” Haze strains have a distinctive piney smell, apparently. “Diesel smells like red grapefruit … If the smell is green, the strain hasn’t been cured.” Then there’s the taste. And the high. So you can see, this is no easy task for the judges.
A final note of warning suggests judges return any mouldy cannabis – it’s not safe – and to “drink water, but avoid alcohol, caffeine or other substances that may confuse your cannabis palate”.
The streets all this week have been awash with such folk, ambling and mumbling as they try and find their way from Dampkring to Grey Area, or any one of the other 30 ‘coffee shops’ listed on their Official maps. There are shuttle buses to assist visitors with this, but some invariably get waylaid. Like the 2 American kiddies who accosted me this morning, just after 11am, near Amnesia (a past winner) as I made my way home in between lectures. They were looking for De Tweede Kamer (another past winner). They were near the right canal/street, but many, many blocks and bridges from their destination. I just directed them to Singel, told them to follow their nose (literally) and keep heading south; they were bound to find it.
Cannabis crawl map: #24 is De Tweede Kamer and #20 is Amnesia. Note #7 Russland, right in the middle of the university's UvA campus. Only in Amsterdam.
There is an Expo as part of the week’s festivities. Seminars on growing seeds, hydroponic insights, and the like are featured. With no uni lectures tomorrow (Thursday), guess where I’ll be? All part of the life of a freelance writer, you see! I’m particularly looking forward to Denny Danko’s session at 5pm; he’s the Senior Cultivation Editor of High Times. Another highlight will be the induction into the Counterculture Hall of Fame of Tom Forcade, creator of the industry’s bible, High Times. Previous inductees include Louis Armstrong, Jack Kerouac and Cheech & Chong.
Plus, the major prizes will be awarded. It’s the Big Day Out at night, topped off with a show by, get this, Jefferson Starship, formerly known as Jefferson Airplane. What the … ? These guys pre-date the Rolling Stones. [Warning; pun alert] Seems they’re on a ‘roll’ from ‘head’lining at the recent 40th anniversary Woodstock reunion concert. So rather than pack away the Zimmer frames, they’re live at the Melkweg (Milky Way) Night club. Tickets are sold out; have been for weeks. Sure promises to be a high time at the culmination of the Cannabis Cup. At least I’ll be able to get a seat at Barney’s Uptown now.
“Who me?” I said.
“Yes,” said the small, squat man wearing a thick coat that was way too big for him, as he stepped out from behind a temporary customs barrier in the international arrival hall at St Pancras station, London. He lead me down a corridor and around behind a series of screens before asking me to remove my aging backpack and take a seat on a padded bench with flattened padding. “Where have you come from tonight?”
“Like everyone else; on the Eurostar from Brussels.”
“Can I see your passport?”
I hand it over. After an uncomfortably long silence, only broken by the crisp flicking of pages, he says: “I see you’ve entered the UK through three different ports over the last, let me see, about, six or seven weeks. Once via ferry through Harwich, this one a few weeks ago at Gatwick airport, and now tonight by train. And all these trips look like they originated in Amsterdam. What is the reason for this visit, sir?”
“A seminar.”
“Where at?”
“Regent’s College in Regent’s Park.”
“A seminar on what?”
“Story.”
“Sorry?”
I wanted to say; ‘No need to apologise’, but chickened out and explained that it was a writing seminar by a famous screenwriting coach focussing on the art of story telling. Passport Man didn’t seem convinced.
“Story? What sort of stories?”
“Any story. It’s quite general from what I understand, but it looks at the craft behind telling a good story, whether for stage, page or screen.” That last phrase he seemed to like, and was from the marketing collateral of Robert McKee’s web site, the seminar’s presenter.
“Story?, like The Da Vinci Code?”
“Exactly. Dreadful writing but a half decent story.”
“Do you want to be the next Darren Brown?”
“If you mean Dan Brown; then yes, but hopefully with better writing.”
He continued flicking the passport pages so briskly that I thought he’d rip the paper.
“I’ve read all the Harry Potter novels,” he said.
“You must have liked the story.”
“Yes,” and the page flicking of my passport continued and when he got to the end he would lick a finger and start flicking back through again. Was he looking for something, for he seemed to be?
“And what is your business in Amsterdam?”
“I’m studying.”
“What are you studying?”
“Writing, which is why I’ve come to London for this Story seminar.”
“Where are you staying?” he continued.
“As it says on the arrival card, the Radisson Edwardian on Gloucester Road.”
“How many days is your stay?”
“Five.”
“Then back to Amsterdam?”
“Yes; I’ve got a lecture Monday afternoon.”
It was now well after 10pm. I had finished class at 3pm the same day (an autopsy of Hamlet) and rushed to Centraal to catch the Intercity to Brussels to connect with the last Eurostar for the day. It was just the two of us in this cordoned area of St Pancras station. Little noise was heard, and it was very bright. Passport Man tapped on a keyboard. He frowned often as he looked up with just about every key stroke to squint at the monitor.
“Is there a problem?” I asked.
This forced him to stop typing, answer “No,” then resume typing.
I checked my mobile for any messages. None, except the welcome texts from the local network provider. After another long uncomfortable silence, he closed the passport and handed it back, saying: “Thank you sir. Sorry to hold you up. You may go,” as he pointed to the way out.
“Thank you.” I gathered my pack, pocketed the passport and said: “Just out of interest, why did you pick me?”
“No real reason. It’s mostly random. But we have to patrol arrivees. Just part of the job.”
I then made my way into the bowels of the Underground and waited for a Hammersmith & City or Circle line train to take me to Baker Street and my hotel. While waiting for the train, a bedraggled, sodden beggar began his ritual, shuffling along the platform with outstretched hand. Must be raining. After the first few abusive dismissals he gave up and slouched his way past me to the end of the platform not bothering to bother anyone. After that he doubled back and stood right in front and said: “Spare some change?”
What’s with all this singling out tonight, I thought? I waved him away with a degree of disdain that no man deserved. The train soon pulled up and I tried to squeeze on. Before the doors closed behind me, I alighted, walked over to the beggar, who was still on the platform, and gave him all the coins I had; it amounted to just over a pound.
“Thanks brother,” he said with more sincerity and gratitude than any man should be forced to convey.
“Welcome to London: mind the crap.”
Below is a direct copy of an email trail between Optus (a mobile phone and Internet service provider in Australia) and myself. The first entry (that is, my initial inquiry in mid September after about 3 weeks away) should put you in the picture. There are 7 exchanges from Optus over many, many, many weeks, all from a different person each time. Not a single word has been edited, omitted, added or disguised to protect the identity of the innocent.
It’s worth reading, if you’ve ever been shocked by an outrageous or unexplained balance on an account, be that your credit card, bank statement, phone or utility bill. There may even be a moral to the story … but you’ll have to read each entry and make it all the way to the end to work that out. Fix a drink and sit down; it’s sometimes a long and bumpy ride in the world of corporate customer care. For the record, the disputed amount was just under $1000 (when my regular monthly spend is about $60).
———————–
Dear Optus, we have a problem.
Take a look at my history of usage and you’ll see something unusual for the last bill (# 0438 361 772).
Yes, I am overseas with the iPhone diverting all calls to voicemail. I have never accessed voicemail from overseas.
I have never made a call from it either here in the Netherlands – where I’ll be for most of my time away – and you can see from the statement the limited number of SMSs I’ve sent.
I never access email or use the Internet from the phone.
So I’m wondering what all these Roaming charges are??
Can you please explain. But before that, terminate all services, including whatever this roaming stuff is, but keep the number active. I have switched off the phone permanently, never to be used until I return to Australia in March next year.
But we need to sort this outrageous charge out, as I’m sure you understand.
Thanking you in advance for your prompt explanation.
Regards,
Grant Doyle
Dear GRANT
We have received your billing enquiry, and will get back to you within 5 working days.
As always, thanks for choosing Optus.
Kind regards,
The Optus Billing Team
Dear Grant
My name is Joy and I will be assisting you today with your International Roaming enquiry.
I can see that the charges on your account are not in relation to calls that you have made but rather voicemail, text and GPRS.
If a received call is diverted to VoiceMail because you do not answer or because your phone is busy, you will also be charged the international call rate for the applicable zone to divert the caller back to your VoiceMail box in Australia.
A review of your account shows that the majority of roaming charges are for GPRS data usage when accessing the internet with your iPhone.
These GPRS charges can also be accrued if you have automatic downloads in place such as Push Email.
As requested I have removed the Roaming features from your service and you will no longer be able to access international roaming. If you wish to change this please let us know and we can reactivate the feature. Your number will remain active and your monthly service fee on the $39 iPhone plan will remain unchanged unless you tell us otherwise.
Please note, roaming charges may take up to 3 months to appear on your statement as we rely on the overseas carrier to forward the details to us. This could mean you will still have some charges billed to your account from the period when the roaming was active.
While using International Roaming, your account would be billed according to the fees and charges for the overseas network you are accessing at the time. The rates charged depend on the network you access in each country. Details are available by visiting www.optus.com.au/autoroam.
I can confirm that the account charges are correct, it is not possible for charges to be passed onto your account other than by the use of your SIM card. Our representative has noted on your account 21 June 2009 that you were advised of the charges when activating roaming.
I can see that you have had your iPhone with Optus since August 2008 and your $39 cap plan has been a good choice for your normal usage.
I trust this information is of assistance and provides you with a solution to your International Roaming enquiry.
For further enquiries please reply by email or contact our Customer Care Centre on 133937 or if overseas on + (or the international exit code) 61 2 8082 5678.
Yours sincerely
Joy
Web Servicing Team
Optus
—————————————-
Thank you Joy,
A couple of points:
The phone was set up to automatically divert to voice mail, so as not to incur such fees. I can’t recall ever accessing voicemail in the 5 weeks I’ve been away. There is no need because the updated voicemail message says to contact me via an email, due to my extended absence.
These GPRS fees: I don’t have push email (whatever that is?), or automatic downloads set up, never have. I live online via my laptop due to my full time studies here in the Netherlands, so I have NEVER used the iPhone to do this. So why the charges now? No such charges occurred while I was using the phone in Australia, and as I’ve done nothing to the settings, why does it supposedly happening now?
These are the things I need answers to.
The iPhone was never intended to be used here while I’m in the Netherlands studying anyway. I bought a pre-paid SIM soon after arriving to use with an old Nokia handset I brought with me from Australia, and this works perfectly well for the few local calls and texts needed.
I use the iPhone primarily as a portable music player and travel alarm. That’s it. And you can see this from the statement, given the minimal texts I’ve actually sent from it.
So I hope you can still see my frustration and concern at these excessive charges. As indicated earlier, this account will not be settled with these ‘unknown’ fees.
I have turned the phone off, and never to use again while away. This is a major inconvenience, as you can understand, due to the reliance I have on many of the iPhone’s functions, apart from the actual phone.
So Joy, why and how were these GPRS charges accrued to my account when I did nothing to activate such a service?
Appreciate any other telecommunication insights you can add in resolving this very worrying matter.
Thank you again for your kind and considered response. Until next time …
Kind regards,
Grant Doyle
Dear Grant
My name is Alex and I will be assisting you today with your International Roaming enquiry.
I am sorry to discover that you have some concerns regarding your most recent statement, and I welcome the opportunity to clarify the issues you have raised.
Upon reviewing your account, you have not been charged any voicemail charges on your latest invoice. Please refer to page four of your latest statement, and you can see a $0 value next to your voicemail deposits.
After investigating the GPRS details you have supplied, I can confirm that these charges have been recorded and billed correctly. GPRS charges can only appear on your statements if the phone is turned on.
Please refer to the following settings where the iPhone automatically connects to GPRS, settings can be found at:
Setting > General > Network > Data Roaming > ON/OFF
iPhone Operating System 2.0 – Settings – Email – Fetch New Data – Set Push to OFF
iPhone Operating System 3.0 – Settings – Email – Fetch New Data – Set Push to OFF
For further information, please refer to your iPhone user guide which can be found online at the apple website.
Once again, please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused and l hope this information has been of assistance to you.
For further enquiries please reply by email or contact our Customer Care Centre on 133937 or if overseas on + (or the international exit code) 61 2 9342 5678
Yours sincerely
Alex
Web Servicing Team
Optus
————————————
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the update.
As I understand it, and believe me, I’ve done some research on this in the last week, data roaming can only accrue charges if you actually browse with Safari mobile, try to access Gmail or use other such data services from the iPhone. Yet I’ve not done any of these the entire time away, when the outrageous fees were apparently billed.
This is my confusion and continuing frustration. Maybe you can clarify the situation?
The push mail settings you explain below were already off, have always been off; as I never have, nor will have, any need to automatically fetch data. I performed this manually on occasion in Sydney. So how is it the phone may have gone into Push mode without me altering the settings?
This is my confusion and continuing frustration. Maybe you can clarify the situation?
Thanks in advance. Oh, Alex, one more thing: I seem to recall the account is due for payment in the next few days. I won’t be paying in full, as already mentioned. Certainly these contentious GPRS fees will be deducted.
So how do we avoid the ensuing ‘late payment’ reminders of increasing veracity until we resolve this accounting matter?
Again, thanks in advance for your prompt response.
Grant
Dear Grant
Thank you for your response. My name is Hayley and I am appreciative to be assisting with your account charges enquiry.
As previously advised, the GPRS charges incurred whilst roaming are correct and do need to be paid. I appreciate the concerns you have raised, however Optus are not able to remove these charges.
We are more than happy to assist with a payment plan if you require this, and our friendly Financial Services team can be contacted on 1300 300 418 for assistance.
I am pleased that you are now aware of how these kinds of charges can result when you are travelling, and if there is anything further we can educate you further on, simply respond to this email and we will be glad to clarify for you.
I have been reviewing your last few accounts and would like to let you know that you can keep a closer eye on your usage using the free iPhone usage application. The application is great because it is free to download and use.
With this new and exciting application Post Paid mobile customers are able to;
-view your unbilled usage for eligible iPhone plans
-view your last four bills
-pay your bill via credit card
If this application is of interest to you please visit the Apple website of www.apple.com.au or the App store on your iPhone for more information, or send us a reply and we can assist with any questions you may have.
Yours Sincerely
Hayley
Web Servicing Team
Optus
——————————————–
Hi Haley,
What happened to Alex and Joy, I wonder?
I don’t really see anything new in your response Hayley.
The specific questions I’ve outlined have not been addressed at all.
Can someone look into this, perhaps?
Also, I would like you to reactivate the global roaming on my phone. I think Joy informed me at the outset that she managed this, so I’m guessing you can switch it back on. I want to test something, before taking this conundrum further.
Also, as I asked in the last email, what happens with my overdue account (for non payment of the GPRS charges)? I would expect you put some hold on the letters of demand and any threats before the issue is fully resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. And Haley, we’re not there yet.
Looking forward to meeting more of your team.
Please let me know when the global roaming is back on.
Thanks in advance for your prompt response.
Kind regards,
Dear Grant
My name is Wilson and I will assist you with regarding your concerns surrounding your Optus Mobile account.
I am sorry to hear of your ongoing billing difficulty, and I can appreciate the concerns that you have raised.
Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused in relation to the different respondents to your web enquiries. This is due to Optus responding to your enquiries in a timely manner. I can assure you our Web Servicing Team representatives review all contact notes to ensure your enquiries are addressed appropriately.
If customers wish to dispute any mobile charges on their mobile account, it is in the customer’s interests to pay any invoices in a timely manner. As unpaid accounts can incur Late Payment fees and collections process.
If the dispute outcome has determined mobile charges have been billed incorrectly, the necessary credit adjustments are applied on your mobile account accordingly.
In the event you are unable to make full payment, Optus is more than happy to discuss any payment arrangements with you.
I have extended your current balance of $755.23 which was due on the 7th October up until the 20th October. If you do require more time than this please contact our credit services team on 1300 300 418 to make a payment arrangement. They are available from 8.30am until 7.00pm Monday to Friday, and from 9.00am until 6.00pm Saturday (AEST).
As requested, I have reactivated Optus AutoRoam on your mobile service.
The roaming feature does not incur any additional access fees, and allows you to access networks from a large range of both popular and more unusual destinations.
While overseas you will be charged for outgoing calls and SMS from your service, as well as any incoming calls. You can view details of these costs, as well as the available AutoRoam destinations by visiting www.optus.com.au/autoroam.
These charges will be itemised on your monthly Optus account in Australian Dollars however as we rely on the overseas carrier to forward the details to us they may take up to 3 months to appear on your statement. These calls and messages are not included as a part of the included value of your current rate plan.
When travelling between countries and regions, you may need to complete a manual network selection to ensure your handset maintains a connection with the local mobile network. Normally this option is within the ‘Networks’ or ‘Settings’ area of your phone’s menu, however further information on how to do this can be found in your handset user manual.
As you have been informed of the billing charges surrounding Optus AutoRoam.
I can confirm Alex and Joy have been very helpful in providing assistance with deactivation advice to turn of data settings on the Apple iPhone handset.
After checking our systems, I can confirm the mobile charges have been billed correctly and stand as valid.
I trust this information is of assistance and provides you with a solution to your billing enquiry.
Wilson
Web Servicing Team
Optus
—————————————–
Thanks Wilson,
The one question I asked at the very start of this has not been addressed by you or any of your colleagues in all this correspondence.
What and how does a phone start to pulling and pushing GPRS data without any change in the phone’s settings? This is the issue at stake, it seems.
No such ‘pushing/pulling’ was active while the phone was in use in Australia. I do nothing to the settings, not that I even know how, I switch on the phone in the Netherlands, use it for a handful of texts (and do not change any settings), only to discover on my first bill while away the $700 plus of such charges. Please explain, is all I ask.
And for the record, it’s not a matter of not being able to pay. So the October 20extension is not warranted, but thank you nonetheless.
I am asking that the account be put ‘on hold’ or something until the matter has been resolved. So intimidating threats from you of late payment fees and collection services doesn’t help our reconciliation relationship, don’t you agree?
And just out of interest, hypothetically speaking, what happens to someone’s outstanding (unpaid) balance if they instigate actions with the telco ombudsman? Surely, that account is put on hold, or something similar, while the matter is sorted one way or the other. Surely you wouldn’t be sending late payment penalty notes or threats of collection services until the issue had been adjudged?
Maybe I’m wrong?
So 2 questions in this email. Could the next respondent please address those.
Thanks in advance for your prompt response because I’m sure you want to clear this query from your active list as much as I do.
Grant Doyle
Dear Grant
My name is Alison and I will be assisting you today with your enquiry regarding data roaming charges billed to your service.
I am happy to provide further clarification of these charges and how they vary when you travel overseas.
iPhone handsets have a setting which allows your handset to automatically roam and search for a Wi-Fi network where ever you are located. When in Australia, your national roaming and internet connection is automatically covered under the data allowance for your ‘yes’ $39 iPhone rate plan. Therefore, you may not have noticed that it is continually roaming for a data network.
When you travel overseas, if you do not turn the automatic data roaming setting off, your iPhone will continue to roam and automatically search for and access a Wi-Fi network where ever you are located. As you are overseas, this is no longer a national charge but rather, an international data roaming charge and not covered under the national data allowance provisioned in your plan. Therefore, your iPhone is continually accessing International data roaming and accruing data charges not covered under your standard plan.
When using an iPhone overseas, it is important to leave the setting for Data Roaming on the default which is ‘Off’. To change the International Roaming Data setting you go to Settings > General > Network > Data Roaming Option. You can set this to On or Off as you like.
Underneath this setting, there is a warning message which says ‘Turn Data Roaming off when abroad to avoid substantial roaming charges when using email, web browsing and other data services’. As the iPhone constantly uses data, switching this setting away from the default of ‘Off’ to ‘On’ results in the iPhone working in exactly the same way as it would when using your home carrier, Optus.
With regard to your query concerning your account status and payment in a situation where charges are being investigated or disputed, I can advise that, as per Optus billing terms and conditions, it is your responsibility to ensure that your account status is kept up to date. In the event of an outcome where it is deemed that charges are billed incorrectly, your account will be credit or adjusted accordingly once the dispute is resolved.
We do understand that there are circumstances where charges may not be able to be paid by the due date. In this instance, we recommend you contact our Credit Services team to make a suitable payment arrangement.
They can be contaced on 1300 300 192 and are available from 8.30am until 7.00pm Monday to Friday, and from 9.00am until 2.00pm Saturday (AEST).
Please note that failure to make a suitable payment arrangement, or to pay in full, may impact you on any future credit applications made within Australia. As a credit provider, Optus refers unpaid accounts to mercantile agents for resolution. If necessary, outstanding accounts may be advised to the credit reporting agency, Veda Advantage, for noting.
I trust this information is of assistance and provides you with an answer to your query concerning data roaming charges billed to your service.
For further enquiries please reply by email or contact our Customer Care Centre on 133937 or if overseas on + (or the international exit code) 61 2 8082 5678.
Yours sincerely
Alison
Web Servicing Team
Optus
——————————
Hi Alison,
Sorry I haven’t replied sooner but I’ve been away; first, Paris, and most recently in Bruges, where the chocolate is very good.
You say:
So it’s pay up first and then we’ll sort out the dispute later? This doesn’t seem a very equitable relationship at all. Which has been part of my issue from the outset.
The other issue is this. After having spent many minutes on your help desk phone line prior to departing in order to work out what to do with my account etc during the impending 7-month absence, at no time did the Optus employee advise to switch the default date roaming off, which you seem to belatedly mention below. If someone didn’t know about this, then how are they expected to action the best settings. This seems to me to be a glaring omission in your advice to me prior to departure.
Beyond this though, your explanation doesn’t make sense. If my iPhone in Australia, ‘picks up’ a WiFi network, why is that data charged to me, when I’m ‘piggy backing’ so to speak, off the WiFi provider’s network? That’s nothing to do with me proactively and directly downloading email to the phone (or browsing) over the Optus network, which I fully expect to pay for. And which I have not attempted once since being overseas.
My home has a secure wireless network. The iPhone accesses this because of the password being set up. And I can surf the web on the phone via this network and not incur any charges because it’s piggy backing off our Bigpond wireless network? Right?
The same thing applies at my university library. If I so chose to use my phone there for email or web browsing, it utilises the university’s network, not my Optus account? Right?
So how is the Starbucks cafe in Amsterdam any different if my iPhone ‘picks up’ their free WiFi network for customers? If I did do this, the phone is simply ‘piggybacking’ off the Starbucks provided network; nothing to do with Optus or the partner carrier in the Netherlands.
This is my dilemma. And I don’t think we’re at the bottom of it yet; what do you think?
Regards,
Dear Grant,
My name is Kylee and I will be assisting with your enquiry today.
In regards to the charges you incurred while travelling please be advised that Data Roaming from your iPhone must be turned on by yourself.
As per the terms and conditions of the yes iPhone $39 plan you receive Free access, browsing and downloads in Optus WiFi hotspots. Within the terms and conditions it also states that the plan does not include International Roaming. As International data roaming and accruing data charges are not covered under your plan you have been charged for this access.
In the event that a customer has a billing dispute Optus does recommend that they continue to pay charges not being queried on their account. A protection can then be placed on the account to prevent any Financial Services action on any charges in dispute. Should you wish not to make payment on the charges you are querying you certainly have that option. However on this occasion, Optus is confident that the charges have been billed correctly and your iPhone would have provided you a warning prior to accepting data roaming ability.
Optus appreciates the opportunity to clarify this matter for you.
For further enquiries please reply by email or contact our Customer Care Centre on 1300768453 or if overseas on + (or the international exit code) 61 2 8082 5678.
Yours Sincerely
Kylee
Web Servicing Team
Optus
————
Hi Kylee,
Thank you for the prompt response.
However, I think it a bit presumptuous you suggesting that clarity has been provided with your email.
The confidence displayed in assuming that I was informed of all such data charges and ramifications for the default settings of an iPhone were most definitely not provided in the half hour or so I spent on the phone to the Optus help desk prior to my overseas departure.
I think there is an onus on Optus to fully inform customers of the potential that I seem to have inadvertantly experienced through no active fault of my own. This is not ignorance on my part, nor deception on yours. I believe now that there is a more thorough duty of care expected of Optus, specific to the iPhone, in these very common and general circumstances.
It is for this reason that I wish to put a hold on, or protect, that outstanding amount of my account, pending further inquiry and investigation on my part. The financials:
I paid today all other non-GPRS data fees for the latest account due 06 November. That was $67.19.
This still leaves a total amount outstanding (and in dispute) of $957.43, by my records. It is this amount/component I want to ‘quarantine’ until a resolution is arrived at to the satisfaction of all parties. This you suggest in your email, seems possible.
Kylee (and all your colleagues I’ve met this past month or so), I realise and fully appreciate you have an important job to do, and that you work with templates to achieve strict outcomes. This is to be expected. But you must also appreciate my situation, to display a modicum of empathy, for this customer, which I acknowledge must be a mammoth task, given the vast Optus customer base.
So, in the short-term, please advise what I need to do to put the disputed amount on ‘hold’ or protection, “to prevent,” as you say, “any Financial Services action on any charges in dispute,” despite the confidence you express on behalf of Optus is being absolutely and unequivocally in the right.
Oh, one final thing: As a freelance journalist (you might have guessed from the nature of my writing? but I shouldn’t be so presumptuous), I’m working on a consumer interest story related to this very issue. So in the interests of professional courtesy, I will be quoting many of the responses from yourself and your colleagues in the proposed article. If Optus has an issue with this, could you please direct me to the appropriate media people for further discussion.
Thanking you again in advance for your prompt response to my 2 queries:
- How to protect or put on hold the disputed amount
- Direct me to your media people or general counsel if Optus has issues with me quoting freely from our correspondence in my proposed article.
Kind regards,
Dear Mr Doyle,
Optus Ref N#: 1883228
Thank you for your correspondence, regarding the billing of International Roaming Data charges and Optus Customer Service. Optus welcomes your feedback and the opportunity to address your concerns. Firstly, I would like to apologise on behalf of Optus for any distress or inconvenience that you may have experienced in connection with this matter.
Optus constantly strives to be our customer’s best service experience and it is of concern to us to hear that your expectations were not met by Optus in this instance. Optus Customer Service Representatives are trained to resolve the customer’s query on the first contact where possible and Optus sincerely regrets that your enquiry was not handled in an appropriate manner. I have forwarded your concerns to the Management of Customer Service.
As a Gesture of Goodwill and without admission of liability Optus will waive the current balance of $957.43 on your Optus Account Number 86357776000170. As you have been advised the Data Component and International Roaming features have been removed from your service as such you should not receive any further charges for International Roaming Data. Please note that currently your account reflects a nil balance.
Should you have any further queries or wish to discuss this matter further, please do not hesitate to contact myself on 0280859082 or via return e-mail.
Regards
Paul Newman
——————————-
Paul,
How do you survive going through life with such a famous moniker? Sorry.
Anyway, I am extremely humbled by this outcome. Contrary to some of the earlier responses by your colleages, this was never about the finance or inability to pay, but rather, me seeking a thorough explanation of what happened, and how? All my subsequent inquiries merely sought this clarification.
And if that had occurred promptly, efficiently and transparently, then I most likely would have paid the charges, and learned a very costly lesson.
So I sincerely thank you for this good news. My faith in Optus has been partially restored, but rest assured, though I am only a small-spend customer, I shall be an advocate for your brand.
Good luck and thank you again.
Regards,
Grant Doyle
Two or three times a week, every week, my inbox receives an invitation like those below, usually directly from, or via an affiliate of, the International Student Network (ISN). There is a small industry, it seems, dedicated to connecting the hedonistic opportunities in this city with students away from home. I guess it goes on in most universities? I don’t know how the kiddies have time to study, really I don’t! Take these two most recent invites; they occurred on the same night. You can imagine my dilemma in trying to decide one over the other. Then again, some undergrad colleagues would avoid such existential angst (likely the Philosophy students wearing berets, smoking Gitanes and hiding a copy of Camus in their tattered duffle coat pockets) and attend both. Proost!
STUDENT NIGHT @ DANSEN BIJ JANSEN | E1 BEER | E5 ENTRANCE | OPEN TILL 4AM | GREAT MUSIC
LIKE EVERY MONTH DONDER & BLIKSEM THINKS OF A SMALL THEME, THIS TIME: WINTER DONDERLAND 
LIKE EVERY MONTH DONDER & BLIKSEM PROVIDES STUDENT PRICES:
E1 BEER AND E5 ENTRANCE
WE KEEP IT COOL YOU GET THE BEST!
WITH DJ’s
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U-Nique
—————————————-
After being here for almost 12 weeks now, I’m more than qualified to pass judgment on the Dutch.
For starters, they are no more tolerant than most western societies; their much touted soft drugs policy has oft been held up as a model of civil tolerance. It’s not; it’s pure pragmatism, that’s all. Why waste valuable police/judicial resources and money on an activity (personal cannabis consumption under strict rules) that bears minimal relation to civil unrest or adds to the crime rate. This policy has been in force since the mid 70s and the Netherlands has about the same percentage of pot smokers as do most European countries. For the record, Italy has the highest. The policy is pragmatic, not necessarily evident of a particular Dutch brand of tolerance. The rise of anti-immigration political parties and sentiments here suggests a degree of intolerance in keeping with many similar movements in other liberal democracies (including Australia).
To support this gross generalisation of being a particularly pragmatic people, may I present the Dutch pee pod. See photo below. It is what it is; these portable contraptions are winched onto public footpaths in advance of expected large crowds. They are self contained, in that all waste is collected in internal tanks, though there is no facility to wash hands. Let me tell you they take some getting used to. I first tried my hand, so to speak, at one situated a discreet distance (yet still alongside a public walkway) from a very crowded cafe with a large outdoor seating area. This in broad daylight. But, when you gotta go … No such facility for ladies, though.
A nominee for World's Greatest Invention - the portable pee pod. This one located near popular outdoor book market held every Friday on Spuistraat.
Elsewhere, the Dutch are the tallest people in the world. Why they don’t dominate basketball and netball and volleyball and darts (think about how close they could lean to the board) world cups is beyond me.
Obesity hasn’t spent a night in the Netherlands, yet the local diet, particularly with its emphasis on processed starches and meats, is obviously no more healthy than that of the typical Westerner. The difference is activity; they walk or cycle a decent distance most days. And therein lies the simple and pragmatic answer to the GOC (global obesity crisis): put down those remotes, extricate yourself from the lounge and get moving.
The Dutch are not morning people. Try retail shopping before 11am on Mondays and you’ll be kept waiting. Ditto for the few shops open on Sundays. And don’t bother before 10am on most other days.
To our more sensitive and decorous ways, the locals are a bit gruff. They’re more upfront than most races I’ve come across. There is a brutal efficiency to this, once you get past the bold, in-your-face assertions. A spade is spade is a spade! I think they should package and export it somehow, along with the civilised bruin cafe culture (much better than French or Hungarian equivalents).
They waste water. The Dutch have no concept of conserving H2O. They live on it, under it (most of the country is below sea level), beside it and generally see it in abundance. And it rains so bloody often that the notion of resource scarcity does not enter their mindset. This is not their fault; just an observation. Most bars, cafes and nightclubs have taps running constantly behind the bar where staff manually wash glasses after each individual use. You can hear the constant trickling stream in the quieter moments, which makes me want to wee occasionally: Now, where’s that pee pod?
Filed under: Amsterdam
Locals wear hooded sweaters under their rain jackets or thick woolen coats, while some even add a scarf, which makes them look strangled and constricted, like wearing a neck brace, but I think they are the warmest in the implacable cold and wet windy weather that’s descended with the onset of winter.
The puffer jacket is a difficult fashion item to pull off, unless you’re near the summit of Everest, I guess, not below sea level in Amsterdam. Small children poured into their puffers by very protective parents are funniest of all, as they can’t fully lower their arms by their side because of all the fluffy duck down, and so they walk with arms angled outwards like a scarecrow on the move.
Many cafes have entrance doors split in half at about waist height, like a barn or horse stable might do, with the bottom half closed and the top opened. This intrigued me until recently when some errant customer left the bottom half ajar and I felt the cold wintry air seep around my feet and legs as if an invisible fog of chill had, with great stealth, breached the outer defences. The change in temperature between the top and bottom half of my body was like being immersed in the ocean on one of those early hot days in summer when the water is warm at the surface but icy beneath.
De Vergulde Gaper cafe - it has a 'barn' door but you can't see it in this photo.
Now, you can excuse tourist arrivals their oversight, for they know not what they do, but you can’t excuse seasoned locals who do not close the lower flap on exiting. If you sit long enough in a cafe that has one of these ’stable barn’ doors, a kind of telepathic roster emerges as first one incumbent (usually the closest to the door), then, later, other ‘long-term’ tenants will acknowledge their calling in keeping the cold air at bay. When my ‘turn’ came at Beans & Bagels today, I duly obliged, and felt a warm bond of solidarity with my impromptu security brethren on returning to me seat. After that, I wasn’t intrigued about cafes with barn doors anymore.
Filed under: Amsterdam
Saturday 31st October: 1am
Finished first draft of Othello essay. It’ll do. 1500 words with 500 more needed.
9am
Rode to Cafe Corso, rugby bar and home base for the local Heineken 7s team. Brutish windy weather. Scarf, gloves and beanie needed. Air temp about 11 degrees but wind chill makes it fell more like it’s well into single figures. Cafe located smack bang in the middle of red light district. One of the few venues with Sky Sports that does not broadcast English football 24/7. Wallabies and NZ in dead Tokyo rubber. Once again leave defeated, two double espressos, and croissant two hours later. One working girl, whose window I can see from my cafe seat, has disappeared and returned twice, in course of the game. Perhaps she went out for some caffeine and nicotine?
11am
Left bike locked up outside Moulin Rouge and wandered down Chinatown to international news stand; bought weekend Guardian and banana, but no seats inside Rembrandt corner, instead found rare well-lit window bench at Cafe Danzig, with great view looking back along Amstel River; ordered fresh mint tea with honey. A pram ran over my foot. Read interesting feature about Twitter.
1pm
Wander through flea market at Waterloo Plein. Try on black jacket (25 euros). Decide against buying said black jacket because of unknown stains on left cuff. Entertainment provided by solo trapeze artist, about 60 years old, wearing a lime g-string that would make Borat blush. Whatever!
2pm
Wander down Geldersekade, just past Nieuwmarkt, Cafe Cuba full, but find seat at bar of Cafe Stevens instead. Order glas huis rood wijn. Read Out of Africa essay for class Monday. Take notes. Eat warmed chicken salad. Read more Out of Africa. Order another glass of house red wine. Bar stool crashed into by pram. Note to self: find a seat in future where prams can’t get you.
4pm
Wander back to red light district to collect bike. Same girls still hard at work in the windows. Wind fierce on ride home. Go via library to collect books on reserve. Stop at supermarket for supplies; no brown baguettes (bummer). Buy yoghurt and wine and soup (pea and ham).
6pm
At home, read next section of Out of Africa novel. Spend too long responding to arguments on PolPhil online discussion board: “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two equals four. If that is granted, all else follows.” Of course Orwell (Winston in 1984) is saying that it does not matter if this is true or not; you only have to believe it’s true? Why can’t they see that?
8pm
Dinner is packet of mini Friet (crisp chips shaped like shoestring fries or sticks) and water. Later, met kids from the apartment block at Blauwhooft for their regular Saturday, pre-clubbing warm-up drinks. Have missed the last few sessions so overdue to attend. They are in fancy dress for Halloween. Note to self: do not attend pre-clubbing drinks with kiddies on night of Halloween.
10pm
Kiddies depart for club, I head home. Read more Out of Africa. Can’t put it down now; grows slowly on you, as a fire warms a room. Log off and lights out ’round midnight.
This is copy of my feature article published by Crikey.com on 29th October. Here’s the link - An audience with Radovan Karadzic – for those with access (you can see comments posted by Crikey subscribers). Otherwise, scroll down and read on …
Lead Politics story on Crikey home page - not too bad!
—————————
The women, mostly elderly, with worn faces framed by weary scarves, and wearing layers of long flowing clothes and thick heavy coats, sit around tables in the foyer of the Hotel Novotel World Forum, The Hague, Netherlands. Most carry small handkerchiefs, which are well used from wiping eyes, while some flick through family photos or drink coffee, as delegates to the ‘X Factor’ convention file by.
Occasionally, a short, stocky man with dark complexion and carrying a small camera case, ushers a few of the women outside the hotel, past the snaking queue of media vans with their satellite dishes, and onto the open grassed forecourt in front of the adjacent building housing the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), where the women stand hunched and have microphones thrust in their faces by television reporters from around the globe, and are asked questions – through an interpreter – while they hold up placards with shaking arms or point to the printing on specially made t-shirts for the occasion. One English sentence read: ‘It is our fault that we are Muslim.’
Muslim women from the former Yugoslavia head towards the crowded visitor's entrance amid the baying media.
The key players
The occasion that prompted their pan-European trek was to witness the prosecution’s long-awaited opening address this week in the trial of former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, at the ICTY (more on the tribunal later). He with the wavy, silver bouffant and articulate voice of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and commander of the Bosnian Serb Army in that bloody and brutal war that wracked the former Yugoslavia from 1992-1995.
He is not to be confused with Slobodan Milosevic, President of Serbia, who was also indicted by the ICTY, but died of a heart attack while on trial in 2006. The third ‘public’ face in this warring triumvirate was the always-uniformed Ratko Mladic, military chief of staff for the Bosnian Serb Army. Mladic has also been indicted by the ICTY, but is one of only two fugitives still at large.
Once done with their emotional displays for baying media, the women shuffle the 50 metres or so back across the grassed courtyard and return to their tables and chairs inside the cold, stark interiors of the Hotel Novotel. Some stop on the way and smoke several cigarettes in quick succession, alongside bemused KPMG workers doing the same thing, whose offices adjoin the hotel.
A heavily guarded convey of vehicles slips quickly through a side security entrance: “Too late,” says the Dutch policeman to the camera men and women who’d sprinted from the grassed forecourt down a narrow lane only to see the cars disappear underground. A group of children innocently cycle across the outdoor forecourt, the speed bumps of criss-crossing media and power cables not denting their boisterous progress one bit, and seemingly oblivious to the proceedings; perhaps they’ve seen it all before.
The Hague (Dan Haag in Dutch) after all, has a long history of overseeing international law. It became a seat of government for the counts of Holland in 1586. It hosted the world’s first international peace conference in 1899 and has been producing jurisprudence, so to speak, ever since The Court of Arbitration spawned the United Nation’s International Court of Justice in the aftermath of World War II.
Dutch houses of Parliament, alongside the Hofvijver (lake), The Hague. And a thank you to Mr C Gull who kindly flew into frame at just the right time.
As the time draws nearer for Karadzic’s scheduled 2.15pm appearance in Courtroom 1, the hotel foyer empties as all interested parties, some already with public gallery passes, make their way to the visitor’s entrance, while many without such passes and other spectators gather on the forecourt, hoping to see what, I do not know. Several tourists wandering along Johan de Wittlaan, the main road leading from the nearby Gemeentemuseum, stop and linger to watch as many of the man and women who trekked from the former Yugoslavia gather at the gates, while packs of media people, with boom mikes protruding into the air like wheat sheafs bent in the strong afternoon breeze, squeeze and slide in and around the thronging mob.
And for a second day running, Karadzic does not front the trial, much to the despair of many who’d waited years to see him finally face his accusers in court. He is defending himself, and so claims he needs at least another ten months to prepare, hence his non-appearance. Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon, was not impressed, again, noting in a very subdued but purposeful statement: “There are circumstances where the chamber may proceed in the absence of the accused [so] in light of the accused voluntarily and unequivocally waiving his right to be present … the chamber is of the view that this hearing can proceed in his absence.” And so it did.
When news of Kardzic’s no-show quickly filters to the crowd still gathered around the heavily guarded entrance (via the media watching a live feed in their satellite vans), many of the women become distraught and angry, shouting comments in their native tongue, but their outrage and frustration was palpable and understood by everyone.
“Why can’t the court just go and drag him in to appear; they’re holding him in their own cells?” I heard a man vent in broken English. It seemed a more than reasonable question in the circumstances. Cameras and microphones came even closer to some of the women, now kneeling and holding the steel uprights of the security fence, their heads bowed, the collars of their coats gathered high around their neck, their condemnations (of the court? Karadzic?) muffled with emotion and despair. You wonder what on earth could ease these peoples’ grief. The highest penalty the ICTY can impose is life imprisonment.
So with Judge O-Gon Kwon’s go-ahead , prosecutor Alain Tieger outlines the lengthy charge sheet against Karadzic in a five-hour statement, which includes 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The details relate to Karadzic’s alleged part in, among a long list of atrocities, the siege of Sarajevo during which some 12,000 civilians died, the massacre of up to 8,000 Bosnian men and youths in Srebrenica, and using UN peacekeepers as human shields.
Describing Karadzic as a “hands on leader who maintained direct contact”, Mr Tieger said, he “harnessed the forces of nationalism, hatred and fear to implement his vision of an ethnically separated Bosnia … In the course of conquering the territory that he claimed for the Serbs, his forces killed thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats, imprisoned more in squalid and brutal camps and detention facilities, and forced hundreds of thousands away from their homes”.
Interestingly, Karadzic, while denying all charges, has not entered a formal plea to date. As is the tribunal’s custom, a not-guilty plea was entered for all counts on his behalf. Like Milosevic, he has refused all legal assistance, choosing instead to represent himself. The two days this week were to air the opening address of the prosecution. Karadzic has two days next week to do likewise in his defence. Then the prosecution’s case begins, which is expected to last the best part of a year. This projected period has been trimmed after the court’s judges requested the prosecution reduce the scale of the trial, which presently depends on more than a million pages of testimony, numerous crime scenes and hundreds of witnesses. Karadzic will then be allowed an equal amount of time to mount his defence. Meaning a verdict won’t be due until possibly well into 2012.
Where to from here?
Letters are flying backwards and forwards between the judges and the defendant’s legal advisors this week in attempts to ensure that Karadzic meets the court-appointed schedule in delivering his opening address next week, if not in person, then by a court appointed legal team. Summoning a team at such short notice presents a new set of challenges for the ICTY and its highest profile case to date, not least of which is the prospect of another delay. Other options include allowing the trial to continue until cross-examination begins or imposing an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to represent the interests of the accused in the absence of a lawyer.
As for the survivors and relatives of victims of the Bosnian war who’ve come this far, both geographically and emotionally to The Hague, you wonder how much longer their vigil in the Novotel foyer and outside the adjoining ICTY can last. Hafiza Ibisevic lost her husband, two sons and a brother in Srebrenica. She had a pass to the visitor’s gallery inside Courtroom 1, and watched in vain over two days for Karadzic to appear in the dock. She told NRC Handelsblad: “He continues to torture me … I wanted to get some closure today, but after my husband and children, he has taken that away from me too.”
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) –
fast facts*:
- A United Nations mandated body to prosecute war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991
- First such tribunal for prosecuting war crimes since Nuremberg and Tokyo
- Has its own team of investigators but not its own police force; arrests can only be effected by police or peace forces of signatory countries
- Operates with 1,100 staff and a budget of US$342m (2008/09)
- President – Patrick Lipton Robinson (Jamaica)
Vice-president – Judge O-Gon Kwon (South Korea)
Chief prosecutor –Serge Brammertz (Belguim) - Prisoners are held in a detention centre (formerly a prison) in the nearby seaside resort of Scheveningen
- Tribunal has concluded proceedings against 120 individuals, and has ongoing proceedings against 41 (including Karadzic), two of which are still at large (Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic)
- Longest sentence passed – life, reduced to 40 years on appeal.
*Source and further information at ICTY.
You get the feeling that Bruges has become a caricature of tourist perfection. Its harmonious Gothic architecture, willow-lined walkways, colourful market squares, meandering canals and chocolate-filled shops are almost impossibly quaint. The only litter is the manure from the horses as they draw carriages along the cobble-stone roads and over crenelated bridges. Vehicle traffic is minimal, meaning the most noise you’ll hear in and around the moated historic centre are the camera shutters of the 3.2 million annual visitors spellbound by the medieval majesty of the diorama.
“It’s a fuckin’ fairy tale, dats what it is, ain’t it?” affirms Ralph Fiennes in the movie In Bruges. And he’s right. But for those more accustomed to the grunginess and seediness of your typical urban environment, Bruges comes across as almost too perfect, too surreal, that you wonder if there might be an admission fee to this open-air museum, that at some point you’ll be herded to the exits at closing time.
The 13th century Belfort, on Bruges' Markt Square.
This is to say that Bruges can take a few hours to get used to. After that, you just relax and lap it up. And eat. How can a town of only 117,000 residents support so many chocolate shops? Anita did her best to keep a few in business for another day or two. We ate rabbit stew and buckets of mussels; I drank cherry beer and German Rieslings.
And we stayed in the most extraordinary guest house: Nuit Blanche. It’s owner, David De Graef, is a renowned artist and the most gracious host this side of the Atlantic. Breakfast was six courses, and was served in his studio, surrounded by easels and brushes and canvases and other arty stuff. It was finished off with pocket pancakes – shaped like ravioli parcels – flambed in Grand Marnier. He cooked and served the lot. He can because there are only 2 exquisitely themed double rooms in his ‘house’ (no children allowed).
To be sure, the theme park feel soon peels away to reveal the city’s authentic soul. Then you pass another chocolate shop and even though it’s been many hours since breakfast, you struggle to justify popping inside and sampling another champagne truffle, but the struggle lasts only a short while and you walk out (of the shop and eventually the city) a little bit fuller and a little bit heavier than when you arrived. But that’s OK; it’s the Bruges way.
Here’s the link to the Flickr photo set: In Bruges
