This is a picture of me on the tram. It takes me about 35-40 minutes to go from the stop by my apartment to Voorburg, where the ICC is located. On the way there and back, I pass by a huge variety of people: businessmen/women, backpackers, cheesemakers, pirates, wankers, and the sort. It seems that many of the Dutch ride bikes to work, so I actually fit into the minority of lazy people or people without a bike. Of course, I am the latter. Right? However, the ICC rents out a few bikes on a first come first serve basis. And [View Full Entry]

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If you're going to have any street cred in the Netherlands, there are two things you should know. First, nobody carries firearms. So as long as you can run faster than a knife or know Aikido, you can pretty much strut around like you own the place. In New Orleans, I would have six bullets in my gut and a swift burial in an unmarked grave for even thinking that. So take that NO -- try and get me now. Second, since much of the food is arguably tasteless, if you know where the good restaurants are, you might as well [View Full Entry]

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I've been trying to figure out the respective roles of the prosecutor and defense in an international criminal proceeding. I know, you're probably yawning right now. But, this is some cool stuff. From what I've gathered with a limited exposure to international law is that these roles depend on whether the court follows an adversial or inquisitorial procedure. I clipped the following from an article I discovered on LexisNexis today: A careful examination of trials conducted under the ICTY's adversarial procedure shows that, rather than trying to depict the truth as precisely as possib [View Full Entry]

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There are some very interesting developments occuring at the ICC these days. Some of you may realize that the Court, though having been created some years ago, was scheduled to begin its first trial this past Monday. Although the Court has issued arrest warrants for individuals involved in 4 African situations, only a few are in custody. This week's trial was to be of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is accused of conscripting children under the age of 15 to participate in hostile activities. An interesting [View Full Entry]

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It's a damn good thing Dutch TV sucks, because after a long day at the office, it's nice to have little fiesta on the couch. Instead I have to fill the empty spaces with music or other cerebral activities. However, there are a few gems in the rough. Before I get to that, I would like to add that there is a station that plays almost exclusively US MTV, with a few VH1, but equally crappy shows. Like Room Raiders. Ughh... It somewhat saddens me to think of the average Dutch kid who pops home from school on his bike, rolls [View Full Entry]

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I don't know the significance of the Dutch "Welpie," but this litttle guy is so popular, they give him away at the local supermarket. It doesn't end there. I see his picture posted all over the place, usually accompanied with strange Dutch words I haven't deciphered yet. And get this..... The number one song here in Holland is the official "Welpie" song. People are grabbing it for their ringtones in mad droves. I don't quite feel the "oranje" fever for this little lion, and I'm pretty sure it isn't from some Euro-Disney flick. In fact, I think it is the mascot [View Full Entry]

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We rode our bikes into Rotterdam city centre for a bit of a look around. Not the greatest place ive been too but there were a few nice things to look at . A lot of very strange architecture and weird shaped buildings. Apparently it was bombed very heavily during the war so there wasnt meaning historic buildings. We just relaxed by a park near the river. We then left Rotterdam to go and visit some of Nadines family in Den Haag. We spent the day with Nadines Mums cousin Sharan and her Parents. Den Haag was a really nice place [View Full Entry]

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Well, I couldn't be happier. My first day at the ICC was a breeze. I met my very diverse and interesting group of coworkers, had a killer sandwich, and attended a lecture on child conscription in Africa. First, everyone at the office is friendly, interesting, and probably comes from a different country than everyone else. In fact, there are a few Dutch, and now two Americans.....but other than that, everyone comes from a different country. It makes for a cool group of people to talk to. Security is pretty unbelievable. Of course I am restricted from even talking about it, but [View Full Entry]

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I found this little park in Scheveningen that had a few skateboard bowls with copious amounts of graffiti. Damn. Forgot to bring my board so I could give the kids a lesson in why a 30-year-old should not ride a skateboard unless his name is Tony Hawk. At the bottom is a photo of a kid on a zipline in the same park. Do they have these in the US? It would take one kid barreling into another and the subsequent lawsuit for these to disappear forever in the states. [View Full Entry]

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Having discovered a pizza joint called New York Pizza down the street, I thought I might compare the tastes of the Netherlands with my old staple -- Papa Johns. I ordered the "Double Tasty," which is basically a pizza with your choice of two different specialty toppings on each half. On the left side, you'll see Pesto Pomodoro -- a nice little pesto, garlic, and cheese number. On the right, however, I experimented with an East Side Shoarma (shwarma), which included schwarma, a strong yellow curry and assorted spices. I definitely liked it, but my stomach effin hates me right now. [View Full Entry]

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