Category Archives: Politics and Social Comment

Presidential Politics: Who Holds the Real Power?

Posted on November 7, 2012 by wordgeyser

The circus is over, the votes are in and everyone in the USA, and governments around the world – who appreciate the impact of the election on global politics – will know where they stand for the next four years. … Continue reading →

Hurricane Sandy: Facing the Aftermath

Posted on November 2, 2012 by wordgeyser

In the past days the world has looked towards New York and the northeastern seaboard of the USA and watched with awe as mother nature flexed her muscles and reminded us there is no place on earth where she cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Politics and Social Comment, USA | Tagged aftermath of hurricane Sandy, aftermath of natural disasters, emergency responses to hurricane sandy, hurricane Katrina, hurricane preparedness. life after a storm, insurances companies and storm damage, lessons learned from katrina, mental health and natural diasters, new york response to hurricane sandy, red cross and disasters, Times Picayune, US politic | 4 Comments

PVC: The Journey Continues

Posted on April 26, 2012 by wordgeyser

This week finds me back in Houston in time for Lizzy’s surgery to relieve Pelvic Vascular Congestion. (I chronicled her journey to here a couple of posts back). I have to admit this trip was not as hopeful as my … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment, Women and Female Related | Tagged dealing with sick family members, interventional radiologists, keeping faith, kindness of strangers, options for pelvic vascular congestion, ovarian vein reflux, Pelvic pain, Pelvic vascular Congestion, pelvic vascular surgery, women's health | 15 Comments

PVC: Raising Awareness of a Chronic Female Condition

Posted on April 16, 2012 by wordgeyser

I have no wish to publically discuss my family’s health, yet a family member, let’s call her Lizzy, has been dealing with a little known health issue we had no idea existed, which impacts the lives of countless woman worldwide. … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment, Women and Female Related | Tagged awareness of PVC, chronic pelvic pain and PVC, Dealing with illness as an expat, dealing with medical conditions from overseas, Expats and health issues, Female medical conditions, Pelvic pain, Pelvic vascular Congestion, PVC and vascular embolization, Vascular Embolization, Vascular Intervention Radiologists, young women and PVC | 7 Comments

The Dutch 30% Tax Rule and International Teachers

Posted on December 12, 2011 by wordgeyser

I’ve written about the Dutch 30% tax ruling before, a topic foremost in most expats’ minds during the annual tax period. This year the topic gained the status of national debate when the junior tax minister, Frans Weekers, considered introducing an income … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Politics and Social Comment, The Netherlands | Tagged american school of the hague, dutch 30% tax rule, dutch 30% tax rule and teachers, international schools, international schools in the netherlands, international teachers, international teachers and dutch tax, Netherlands | 1 Comment

Lest We Forget: All War Crimes Should Be Punished

Posted on October 4, 2011 by wordgeyser

Twenty years ago war erupted in the former Yugoslavia. It was shocking, terrifying and reminded us the atrocities of World War II weren’t relegated to history as we’d hoped. The war in the former Yugoslavia brought it home that neighbour … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Inspiration and Reflection, Politics and Social Comment, The Netherlands, Women and Female Related | Tagged genocide and war crimes, Global Politics and Comment, international court of justice, International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, mladic, Ratko Mladić, Reina van Nieuwkerk -Racz, Remembering the Women of Bosnia, UN Security Security council Resolution 827, United Nations, war crimes against women, war crimes in yugoslavia | 1 Comment

Cultural Insensitivity 9/11: When Journalists should not have an Opinion

Posted on September 5, 2011 by wordgeyser

Monday morning, getting started on the week. Catching up on emails and media coverage getting a feel for what’s happening in the world. I subscribe to blogs sent automatically by email. It’s a professional interest if you will, seeing what fellow … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Inspiration and Reflection, Politics and Social Comment, USA | Tagged 9/11 people who jumped, david James Smith, people who jumped from the twin towers, suicides and 9/11, Sunday Times, when journalists go too far, www.adventuresinexpatland.com | 3 Comments

Britain the Best Country in the World Mr. Cameron? Not this week.

Posted on August 10, 2011 by wordgeyser

I’ve tried for the past few days not to comment on the rioting in Britain. Although the Scots and Welsh, quite rightly, will be pointing out the rioting is technically in England, not Britain. The television footage as shown by … Continue reading →

Posted in England and Things English, Politics and Social Comment | Tagged britain greatest country in the world, britain no longer great, britain the greatest nation in the world?, british politics, david cameron, disaffected youth in britain, london riots, nick clegg, social problems in britain, underclass in britain | 9 Comments

Forced Marriage and campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera

Posted on August 7, 2011 by wordgeyser

I recently wrote a post on forced and arranged marriages in the UK and the new Freedom Charity launched this year by Aneeta Prem, backed by heavyweights in the political and celebrity arenas. During our weekend perusal of the international … Continue reading →

Posted in England and Things English, Politics and Social Comment, Women and Female Related | Tagged Aneeta Prem, domestic abuse, Forced marriage, forced marriages in the UK, Freedom Charity, honour killings, honour killings and forced marriages in the UK, Jasvinder Sanghera, shame by jasvinder sanghera, shame travels by jasvinder sanghera | 8 Comments

Dutch Navy 1: Somali Pirates 0

Posted on July 27, 2011 by wordgeyser

It’s been brought to my attention today that Somalian pirates are in the news again. In the Netherlands. “Five Somalis are appearing in court in Rotterdam today charged with piracy. They are accused of attempting to capture a South African yacht … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, Politics and Social Comment, The Netherlands | Tagged dutch, dutch and politics, dutch participation in international politicsal, dutch royal navy, dutch tolerance, HNLMS Amsterdam, living with the Dutch, Piracy, Piracy in Somalia, Somalia | 1 Comment

Forced and Arranged Marriages: Do You Really Understand the Difference?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by wordgeyser

My attention was recently drawn to a new charity established in the UK, through a book I was asked to look at and possibly review. I’ve read the book, checked the charity and feel a need to spread the word. … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Social Comment, Women and Female Related | Tagged Aneeta Prem, Arranged marriage, Forced marriage, Freedom Charity, freedomcharity.org, stooping forced marriages, UN Women | 8 Comments

So where do you go from here Mr. Camping?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by wordgeyser

Well, what a relief. Although I do wonder if the Rapture really did happen and we’ve all been left behind, including prophet Harold Camping who is now saying “oops, I miscalculated and meant October 21”. That he may be on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Social Comment, USA | Tagged Bible, date of next rapture, Family Radio, Harold Camping, Rapture, Religion, the rapture | 5 Comments

Alternative Vote: Politics of Apathy by Committee

Posted on May 5, 2011 by wordgeyser

Before I get started I want to make clear from the outset that this is not going to be a for or against rant for one side or the other of the political debate. I have been relegated to the bench by … Continue reading →

Posted in England and Things English, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment | Tagged alternative vote in UK, american political system, british political and electoral system, dirrering political systems of the western world, expats and overseas voting, living in different voting systems, living under a coalition government, political systems in Europe, politics in the UK, referendem on the alternative vote in britain | 6 Comments

Death of Osama Bin Laden: Closing The Loop, A Day the Nation Will Remember

Posted on May 2, 2011 by wordgeyser

Finally, nearly ten years after the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, on 9/11 2001, Osama Bin Laden is dead. While we know this will not end the operations of Al Qaeda, may make them more determined to continue in … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Social Comment, USA | Tagged Abbottabad, Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, military operation in Abbottabad, Osama Bin Laden dead, reaction to the death of Bin Laden, remembering september 11 attacks, September 11 attacks, war on terror, White House | 1 Comment

A New Era: Dignity and Deference at the Royal Wedding

Posted on April 30, 2011 by wordgeyser

I’m exhausted. Weddings do that to me, Royal ones especially. It’s not the romance or love story or even the dress – it’s the splendor, pageantry and formality of the occasion in a time when deference, good manners and behaving well … Continue reading →

Posted in England and Things English, Politics and Social Comment | Tagged behaving well, dignity, good manners, importance of the british monarchy in the life of the nation, monarchy of Britain, national ceremonies, Royal wedding, royal wedding in westminster abbey, Westminster Abbey, why the royal wedding is important to the nation, william and kate behaving well | 4 Comments

And Death Came Third: Facing Your Fears

Posted on April 12, 2011 by wordgeyser

I was chatting with someone recently and they mentioned a book whose title has played on my mind ever since. Called And Death Came Third, it was the title which initially caught my interest. I haven’t read the book (yet) but the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Expat Related Book Reviews, Personal challenges, Politics and Social Comment | Tagged being scared of things, facing fears, facing our fears, fear of public speaking, how can we learn to face our fears, killing snakes, launching a ship, personal challenges, publicspeaking, what are the worst fears?, what are we afraid of most? | 4 Comments

Disaster and Tragedy: The Emotional Cost

Posted on March 15, 2011 by wordgeyser

In 2001 I spent days watching footage from Japan. Then last week Hurricane Sandy. What struck me with both was my utter numbness. It seems inhuman and inhumane to admit this in the face of such horror and suffering on … Continue reading →