I have already broken all of my NY resolutions. Within minutes of posting I began mocking S until Angeline called out laughingly across the room, “Remember those resolutions Susan?”

I’m also fuming about the new “Code of Conduct” introduced by the Integration Minister, Rita Verdonk. It contains an official ban on speaking foreign languages in Holland. The biggest question is how will they enforce it? Will there be language police on the streets that fine you if you speak English? And what about all the multinationals with European headquarters in Amsterdam? Will they all have to pack up and take their business elsewhere? I guess the millions of tourists bringing their millions of tourist dollars should holiday somewhere else? The woman is insane.

I read an interview with the Mayor of Amsterdam, who put in nicely when he said, “The position of Minister for Integration needs to be filled by someone with a cool head and a warm heart. Unfortunately Rita Verdonk has a hot head and a cold heart and has done nothing but exacerbate the growing divide between immigrants and the rest of the Dutch society”.

Bizarrely enough her aim with the ban is to make Dutch people ‘feel safe’.

The increasing severity and absurdness of the proposals coming out of the Government leave me disgusted. Yet the overwhelming support they receive from the Dutch Public is even more disturbing. In 2005 Rita Verdonk was voted Minister of the Year. That was the same year she requested all foreigners be forced to wear armbands in public. Am I the only one screaming Nazi Germany? How can the Dutch be so blind to the parallel? They continue shaking their fingers at the past atrocities of the Germans while proudly marching down the same path.

At least they don’t have an army.

In 2006 I:

* Will feel, think and blog more positively about Holland. After all, the nation won’t change simply because I want it to

* Will be less melodramatic…. unless it’s really necessary

* Will cut down on my daily 6 cups of filthy office coffee

* Will appreciate my friends more

* Will keep up my mad exercise regime of running 6km a day

* Will stop taking every item of clothing out of my wardrobe and throwing it on the floor in disgust during my regular ‘what am I going to wear?!’ meltdowns (and if it does happen I won’t wait two weeks to put everything back in)

* Will stop filling awkward silences

* Will stop wearing cardigans. Vickie is right. They are only flattering for grandma

* Will worry less * Will not turn into bridezilla over the wedding and enjoy every second of it

* Will let go of all my grudges (except with Rita Verdonk of course)

* Will stop muttering “bloody animals” every morning as I push my way onto the train

* Will use my planner for the whole year and not just the first two weeks of January

* Will savor this year, as I’m young, healthy and free of any serious responsibility

Any more suggestions?

Happy New Year! 

The last couple of weeks were hectic but good fun. On Christmas Eve we had Lora, Borderliner, Klaas Spineless, Miranda and Bas over. It’s still weird not spending Christmas with the family but in many ways they are my family over here and we made a nice night out of it. For the second year in a row we watched the NYE fireworks from our roof garden. It was dangerous but spectacular. We danced til 5am and spent yesterday predictably hungover.

Back to work tomorrow. Ho hum.