Notes on my life » Suriname

The King has fallen

Rafiek — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:13:16 +0000

The king came to this country, he though “I’ll come, I’ll see and I’ll conquer”. But what happened… He came, he saw and he fell flat on his face. He wanted to be loved by everyone but is you ask people on the street about him, most will say “I’ve had better” or “He disappoints me” or “I’ll never go again”. I’m one of the people that says the last one.
The King came to our little country and was hoping for the success he had in the rest of the world. Sorry King, the way you are now it’s not gonna happen.
The strange thing is in other countries the King is great. He is the ruler by my standers. But he lost it when he came here.

So the King came and he fell on his face. Now who is the one ruling here?? The colonel was the first who came and for a while he was the ruler. After that the clown took over. The clown still has a dominant place here. The sailor came and he took a good place just behind the clown.
When the King announced he was coming, the colonel, the clown and the sailor where afraid to lose there place. But they didn’t.
Now there are a few locals who want to rule. They aren’t that well known as the colonel, clown, sailor and King. Not world wide known that is. Locally they can put up with the best of them. The bunker and The Smiley face. Of course there are a lot of people who do not want to give them the chance because they believe the outsiders are better. They believe this without giving the locals a chance. Not very fair if you ask me.
Personally I belief that the bunker is the ruler. With his uniqueness he won my vote. He is not only unique. He has little to learn from the others, maybe only how to dress . But the bunker has a quality over him none of the others poses.
The Smiley face is a very very good second place. He brings a lot of our local culture to mind. Bu tin such a way he is good enough to compete against the international competition. He too can learn a little bit about dressing.

Here is my personal list of rulers:

The Bunker
The Smiley face
The Clown
The Colonel
The Sailor
The King

If you do not agree with my list……. Go get your taste buds examined.

In the land of burgers the whopper is not always king. We just proofed that.

PS. if you don’t know the two local candidates, come visit this country and I’ll guide you to them.

My friends in film

Rafiek — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:46:57 +0000

In a previous post I promised to put the movie my friends made online. (http://www.rafieksilver.com/2008/05/09/its-my-party-2/)

First I had to rip the dvd then I wanted to upload it to youtube But youtube doesn’t accept films longer then 10 minutes, and this one is 12 minutes. So I had to upload it to my server. It’s over 100 mb so it took a while. About three days, thank god for the resume upload option om my ftp server.

Okey enough talk. Here is the movie. Enjoy :)

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

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Flight of the Phoenix

Rafiek — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:54:55 +0000

On Sunday 4^th of May I took the flight to Suriname. The flight was delayed one hour because of a passenger that was not allowed to board. We did not see the discussion and the flight attendants did not go into details so I have no idea why this passenger was not allowed to board. Not that it really matters to me. I haven’t traveled a lot by plane, but every time I do I have these strange visions of the plane crashing. The landing I fear the most. In my mind I know the chance of something happening is very slim but every time we land I have my fears. This time was not different. But nothing happened. I arrived in Suriname at about 16:30, got out of the airport 45 minutes later. My mother was waiting there for two hours. But we were glad to see each other. Because of traffic it took a whole for us to get home. But it was nice to talk to mother again. Later that night Danny “my brother from another mother and father” came by to visit. I haven’t seen him in three and a half years. I was really glad to see my brother, he and his girlfriend. He told me about some of the things that have changed in the last couple of years. It was a long day after a chat he went home and not long after that I went to my bed. The first night was a little strange; the warmth of the night, a different bed. I woke up 6:30 in the morning. I walked in the house and it was home. I feel home, I am home.

It’s my party

Rafiek — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:48:48 +0000

Last weekend was a crazy weekend. Friday night was my going away party in the café I’ve worked for the last three years. Grand-Diner-Cafe ‘t Boterhuis (warning, Dutch site). It was a great night. For the first time in the three years I traveled from The Hague to Delft, I took the wrong train. This train did not stop in delft but drove on to Rotterdam. So I had to take the train from Rotterdam back to Delft. So I was an hour to late for my own party. Luckily my brother was in time to entertain the guests. There were a lot of friends and family. Some couldn’t stay long but I’m glad I had the chance to see them. At a certain point my brother prepared the projector for a movie they made. Seems that one day while I was at work he invited my friends and they made a movie in my room, on my bed. To the people with the dirty minds; it’s not what you think. They made a little goodbye movie. Maybe I’ll rip it and put in on youtube. To me it was an emotional moment. Seeing my friends talking about me, telling us what they’ll miss about me. Seeing all my friends and family in one room and knowing it will me a long time before I see them again. The party was a real tearjerker. My friends, family and co-workers gave me some gifts I will always treasure. There are a lot of memories I will treasure. The party went on until the early in the morning. After our café closed a few close friends and I went to another café to party on. The sun was already up when I went home.

The next morning I had a major hangover. But I had to return to Delft to pick up all the gifts my friends and family got for me. I had lunch with my brother and talked to my old boss for the last time. He promised to look me up in Suriname. I’m looking forward to giving him and his wife and son a tour of my country.

To all my friends and family and new family in the Netherlands: I love you guys, I’ll never forget you.

Paradise City

Rafiek — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:56:06 +0000

Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green
And the girls are pretty
Take me home (Oh, won’t you please take me home)

Guns N’ Roses best describe my feelings with the chorus of this song. What am I talking about?? I’m going home. Yes after almost three and a half years I’m going back home. The circumstances may not be the best but to be honest I’m glad to go home.

To make a long story short. The IND screwed me over. I’m not going into details here. But everything will be alright. I’m going home. I’m already making preparations to get a job and to continue my study through the internet.

Yes I made a life here for my own, so I will miss all the friends I made here and all the things I was doing. I learned how to be a good waiter and bartender, how to organize festivals etc, how to dance salsa and merengue and I made a lot of friends. I will not say goodbye to my friends. Thanks to the internet the world has become smaller. So to all my friends I say we’ll keep contact.

Here is the song that says it all.

Latin fever

Rafiek — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:45:59 +0000

What is the best way to get interested in a dance style?? Let a beautiful woman dance for you. How do you get interested in learning the dance style?? Let a very very beautiful woman dance for you. How do you get good in it?? Let a very very very beautiful woman teach you.

But how do you really get the fever. Go dancing with at least four beautiful girls. And you have to be good so they will complement you.

Yep that is what happened to me. Of all the Latin dance style I like merenque the most. It is a style most played and danced in Suriname. It seems to be in my blood.

Yesterday night I went to Suriname themed party in Holland Casino, with my brother, his girlfriend and a couple of other friends (who happen to be girls ) The Surinamese band Trafassi (dutch site) was playing. There music is mostly a combination of merenque and kaseko. They are very good in creating that special Surinamese feeling. I had a great time. Listing to the old Surinamese music, dancing till my feet hurt.

Now my feet hurt and I have to work tonight. It is gonna be a hard night at work, But it was worth it.

PS. to my metal friends. I still love hard rock and heavy metal. It is possible to love two are more music genres.

Girl I’m gonna miss you

Rafiek — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:03:12 +0000

Today a friend of mine is going to Suriname. She’ll stay there for about 6 months, maybe longer. This is not vacation, she’ll be there to finish here studies. But she’ll have a lot of fun in the mean time.

In the two and a half years I’ve been in the Netherlands she has become one of my best friends. Although I’m glad for her, I’m gonna miss her.

Mouse I hope you have a wonderful time. See you in six months, or maybe sooner

Beer or no beer

Rafiek — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:07:32 +0000

I’m from Suriname and we only make one brand of beer. Parbo Bier.
Working in a cafe in Holland I was confronted with a lot of other kinds of beer. Grolsch, korenwolf witbier, koninck, leffe, maredsous, grimbergen, etc.

As a bartender you have to know what you are serving so I tasted al off these beers. No not all in one day. Being a bartender we also server something I can never call beer. Malt Non- alcoholic beer. If this was my cafe I would put malt in the same category as cola, cassis etc. Malt is lemonade with the flavor of beer. I know some people will argue with me on this issue, but don’t bother. Malt and supermalt are not beer but lemonade.

Having tasted and served all this beer I do not consider myself an expert, but I know what I like. The beer here in Holland is good but it’s not as good as the beer from Suriname. Parbo bier can be bought here in Holland under another name. Djogo bier. Djogo is the name of a liter bottle Parbo Bier. It’s not easy to find Djogo here in Holland, but if you have it, you will enjoy it.

My personal top 3 beers

Parbo bier
Grolsch
Korenwolf witbier

If you visit Suriname get a tast of the best beer in the world

Heimwee again

Rafiek — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:55:10 +0000

Ik heb het al een keer eerder gehad over heimwee. Sinds die post ben ik nog steeds niet naar suriname gegaan. Het word dus tijd dat ik me mooie landje weer moet opzoeken.
Ik wil weer een keertje naar buiten kunnen lopen zonder jas. Ik wil weer gewoon buiten zitten of in de hangmat liggen en genieten van de rust en het weer.
Je kan misschien denken dat ik alleen het weer mis en zeggen dat dat allemaal ook in de zomer kan, maar dat is niet alles dat ik mis.

In suriname is het over het algemeen relaxer. Als je een kwartier te laat komt op een afspraak is het geen probleem, als het maar geen zakelijke afspraak is. De bussen hebben geen vaste tijden, daar hebben we geen probleem mee. Als een bus hier 3 minuten te laat is beginnen mensen al te klagen.
Men is in suriname ook vriendelijker. Als je voor je trein moet rennen en de conducteur ziet je, doet hij de deur toch voor je neus dicht. “Omdat de trein anders vertraging oploopt” 10 seconde vertraging.
In suriname als ze je zien rennen en er is plaats genoeg in de bus dan wachten ze even tot je bent ingestapt. Heeft de buschauffeur je niet gezien dan zijn het de passagiers die hem zeggen om even te wachten.

Ik zie dat ik van mijn verhaal over heimwee ben over gestapt naar vergelijkingen tussen suriname en nederland. Dus ga ik nu maar terug naar mijn oorspronkelijk onderwerp.

Wat mis ik allemaal in suriname.
De mogelijkheid om op mijn manier te ontstressen en te relaxen: Republiek.

Even uitleggen wat republiek is:
Ongeveer 40 kilometer buiten de stad (Paramaribo) is er een vakantie oord aan de coropina kreek. Dit was vroeger een plantage en je hebt dus nog steeds veel plantage bewoners. Op republiek (in de volksmond Repu) is de mogelijkheid om te kanoen, zwemmen, boswandelingen te maken etc. Het is voor het grootste deel gewoon bos met een prachtige kreek waar donker water door stroomd.

Het eten is ook iets dat ik mis. Hier kan je wel veel ingredienten kopen om je eigen surinaamse maaltijd te maken, maar het smaakt toch anders. In suriname hoef je niet te zoeken naar kouseband, het is in zowat elke winkel te vinden. En geloof het of niet ik mis antruwa en bitawiri (twee hele bittere groenten).

Zitten aan de waterkant met vrienden, kijken over de rivier met een heerlijk koude djogo op de tafel. Je kan dan de hele dag zitten lullen over alles of niets.

Ik hou dit wel voor het laatst maar het is eigenlijk het belangrijkste dat ik mis. Mijn vrienden en kennisen. Ik heb hier wel een aardige vriendenkring gemaakt, maar ik heb geen verleden met ze. Ik mis die gozers met wie ik als tiener lol heb getrapt. Met wie ik stomme dingen heb gedaan waar je nu om kan lachen. Ik mis de het bekvechten over kleine onzinnige onderwerpen.

I miss you guyz.

Als alles volgens plan loopt ben ik deze zomer in suriname. Na die vakantie hoop ik voor de komende 1-2 jaar genezen te zijn van mijn heimwee.

Heimwee

Rafiek — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:06:27 +0000

Yep de titel is correct. Ik heb heimwee. Maar niet zozeer naar Suriname als naar de mensen die daar zijn.

Ik heb hier wel vrienden enzo maar je kan ze niet vergelijken met die gekke mensen in suriname. De mensen die ik hier ken kan je wel makkelijk mee praten, maar er is geen history met ze. Ik kan het niet hebben over “Weet je nog toen we…”

Gelukkig heb ik wat internet contact met me mensen maar zoals iedereen weet. toch mist er dan wat.

De persoon die ik het meest mis is eigenlijk mijn bro Danny. Hij is geen bloed familie, maar hij is zo een goede vriend dat ik hem eerder als me broer beschouw dan als een vriend.