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I saw a nice thing at the secondhand charity shop Ayoka the other weekend. A mother had brought her daughters in and they were enjoying themselves buying Christmas presents.

I think that's a great idea. Apart from the benefits to the environment and charity, the children could feel like they were buying something substantial while not having to ( Read more... )

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Museum Auntie called this afternoon with some shocking news: a car had sped through a Queen's Day crowd in Apeldoorn, apparently to try and hit the Dutch royal family who were riding in an open-topped bus. The driver missed his target, but five people have died and a dozen or more are injured. There are no indications that anyone apart from the ( Read more... )

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On November 11, I had to go to the Netherlands. It was somewhat odd to suddenly go from WWI documentaries and Wilfred Owen to celebrations of Sint MaartenFollowing that was the official arrival of Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) in the Netherlands on Saturday the 15th. There's a Nationaal Sinterklaas Comité that decides which town has the honour of ( Read more... )

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On the 25th of April, Australia and New Zealand commemorate Anzac Day to remember the army corps' losses in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign and all soldier deaths subsequent to that. ANZAC biscuits have long been associated with this important national day. The story goes that the womenfolk baked them to send to the soldiers, though that might be part ( Read more... )

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