2002-10-22 - 9:48 p.m.

Original Date: October 8, 2002

Yesterday the Queen's husband died. Not being able to read Dutch I didn't make the connection at first; however, I could see newspaper headlines and noticed the country's flags were at half-staff. Fortunately the Dutch are so much like Americans (as much as they'd hate to admit it) that I could instantly guess it was somebody in the govt. What I didn't know was how the royalty works here. In fact, the concept of royalty confuses me, but I can't complain. My own country seems as if it is run by people with little connection to the rest of the US. Many of the Dutch Goths have asked me if I support President Bush. I don't. I think his position (international) is wrong and without backing. What remains to be seen is how people here react to the death of somebody who may be a figurehead. Last night as I returned from the Rijksmuseum I noticed a small group of people at what I believed is Amsterdam's old royal palace. They were placing flowers and candles, but I thought it interesting to note that the families visiting the palace were not solely ethnically Dutch. It is my guess that these people have a stronger attachment to the symbolism of royalty, but also that they appreciate the freedoms of their "new" country.

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