B in the Netherlands
@bnetherlands.bsky.social
A writer and photographer from Oregon who lives in the Netherlands. Posts range from serious news to micro-sized movie reviews and random photos of Dutch stuff. Someday I'll fix the cowboy banner. Someday...
The Christmas season is officially underway in Leiden. The winter market is open, the ice rink is packed, and a group of girls were skipping through the center earlier while singing, uhhh... [checks notes] The Human League's "Don't You Want Me."
#Christmas #Kerst #Leiden #Netherlands
#Christmas #Kerst #Leiden #Netherlands
December 12, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The Christmas season is officially underway in Leiden. The winter market is open, the ice rink is packed, and a group of girls were skipping through the center earlier while singing, uhhh... [checks notes] The Human League's "Don't You Want Me."
#Christmas #Kerst #Leiden #Netherlands
#Christmas #Kerst #Leiden #Netherlands
Also: guess the kids ‘round here have been trying to get tix for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.
They could always do what my friends and I did with R rated movies back in the day, but…
They could always do what my friends and I did with R rated movies back in the day, but…
December 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Also: guess the kids ‘round here have been trying to get tix for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.
They could always do what my friends and I did with R rated movies back in the day, but…
They could always do what my friends and I did with R rated movies back in the day, but…
Nice to see the very weird Batman Returns becoming a Christmas cult classic. It screened in Leiden last night with a pretty packed crowd for the December edition of Lidotheek.
And “Batpug” was included in the intermission segment.
#Batman #Leiden #Christmas #Kerst
And “Batpug” was included in the intermission segment.
#Batman #Leiden #Christmas #Kerst
December 11, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Nice to see the very weird Batman Returns becoming a Christmas cult classic. It screened in Leiden last night with a pretty packed crowd for the December edition of Lidotheek.
And “Batpug” was included in the intermission segment.
#Batman #Leiden #Christmas #Kerst
And “Batpug” was included in the intermission segment.
#Batman #Leiden #Christmas #Kerst
December 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
My favorite part was when a big bearded dude took the stage, wanted to crowd surf, threw his arms out like he was being crucified, and fell face first into those up front.
Could have ended in him going to the hospital but they managed to catch him.
Again, interesting evening.
#BRMC #Amsterdam
Could have ended in him going to the hospital but they managed to catch him.
Again, interesting evening.
#BRMC #Amsterdam
December 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
My favorite part was when a big bearded dude took the stage, wanted to crowd surf, threw his arms out like he was being crucified, and fell face first into those up front.
Could have ended in him going to the hospital but they managed to catch him.
Again, interesting evening.
#BRMC #Amsterdam
Could have ended in him going to the hospital but they managed to catch him.
Again, interesting evening.
#BRMC #Amsterdam
Interesting night at Paradiso. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were there to play tracks off their moodiest album. Crowd was there to rock. Hecklers and chatter weighed down the first half until the band broke out the loud stuff.
Amidst the moshers up front were two girls merrily spinning in circles.
Amidst the moshers up front were two girls merrily spinning in circles.
December 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Interesting night at Paradiso. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were there to play tracks off their moodiest album. Crowd was there to rock. Hecklers and chatter weighed down the first half until the band broke out the loud stuff.
Amidst the moshers up front were two girls merrily spinning in circles.
Amidst the moshers up front were two girls merrily spinning in circles.
December 8, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Major holiday scandal unfolding in Leiden tonight!!!
Santa Claus has been spotted at the opening ceremony of the annual Leiden ice rink AND a brass band was observed playing “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
On Pakjesavond no less.
Sint ain’t gonna like this!
#Sint #Sinterklaas #scandal
Santa Claus has been spotted at the opening ceremony of the annual Leiden ice rink AND a brass band was observed playing “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
On Pakjesavond no less.
Sint ain’t gonna like this!
#Sint #Sinterklaas #scandal
December 5, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Major holiday scandal unfolding in Leiden tonight!!!
Santa Claus has been spotted at the opening ceremony of the annual Leiden ice rink AND a brass band was observed playing “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
On Pakjesavond no less.
Sint ain’t gonna like this!
#Sint #Sinterklaas #scandal
Santa Claus has been spotted at the opening ceremony of the annual Leiden ice rink AND a brass band was observed playing “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
On Pakjesavond no less.
Sint ain’t gonna like this!
#Sint #Sinterklaas #scandal
I don’t think we’ve had a “proper fog” so far this season. I’ll take what I can get.
I assure you it was foggier in Leiden this morning than this photo suggests.
#Leiden #mist #fog #weer #weatherphoto
I assure you it was foggier in Leiden this morning than this photo suggests.
#Leiden #mist #fog #weer #weatherphoto
December 5, 2025 at 8:15 AM
I don’t think we’ve had a “proper fog” so far this season. I’ll take what I can get.
I assure you it was foggier in Leiden this morning than this photo suggests.
#Leiden #mist #fog #weer #weatherphoto
I assure you it was foggier in Leiden this morning than this photo suggests.
#Leiden #mist #fog #weer #weatherphoto
FYI: this is a delightful *German* kids book, not a Dutch one.
Do I regret the error?
Sure.
Do I regret the error?
Sure.
December 4, 2025 at 4:31 PM
FYI: this is a delightful *German* kids book, not a Dutch one.
Do I regret the error?
Sure.
Do I regret the error?
Sure.
Another day, another bizarre incident involving international shipments.
I sent a family member in Portland this delightful Dutch kids book for Christmas. It arrived at a postal facility near her house yesterday morning only to be sent to *Albuquerque* a few hours later.
WTF?!!!
#Christmas #USPS
I sent a family member in Portland this delightful Dutch kids book for Christmas. It arrived at a postal facility near her house yesterday morning only to be sent to *Albuquerque* a few hours later.
WTF?!!!
#Christmas #USPS
December 4, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Another day, another bizarre incident involving international shipments.
I sent a family member in Portland this delightful Dutch kids book for Christmas. It arrived at a postal facility near her house yesterday morning only to be sent to *Albuquerque* a few hours later.
WTF?!!!
#Christmas #USPS
I sent a family member in Portland this delightful Dutch kids book for Christmas. It arrived at a postal facility near her house yesterday morning only to be sent to *Albuquerque* a few hours later.
WTF?!!!
#Christmas #USPS
How things have been progressing with Leiden’s annual floating ice rink on the Nieuwe Rijn.
I’m left wondering what would happen if the canal itself froze.
I’m left wondering what would happen if the canal itself froze.
December 3, 2025 at 5:34 PM
How things have been progressing with Leiden’s annual floating ice rink on the Nieuwe Rijn.
I’m left wondering what would happen if the canal itself froze.
I’m left wondering what would happen if the canal itself froze.
How absurd have Trump’s tariffs become? My partner’s aunt sends over a silly battery-powered Christmas card every year. It’s only slightly bigger than the average Christmas card.
Getting it over here this year required her to look up the shipping code and pay $22.50 for delivery!
#Trump #tarrifs
Getting it over here this year required her to look up the shipping code and pay $22.50 for delivery!
#Trump #tarrifs
December 3, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Attended the conversation with Signal President Meredith Whittaker last night at Tivoli. Topics covered: ethics in tech, encryption, privacy concerns, racism, and how hard it is to keep an operation like Signal going in today's world.
Must admit I felt like hurling my phone in a canal afterward.
Must admit I felt like hurling my phone in a canal afterward.
December 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Attended the conversation with Signal President Meredith Whittaker last night at Tivoli. Topics covered: ethics in tech, encryption, privacy concerns, racism, and how hard it is to keep an operation like Signal going in today's world.
Must admit I felt like hurling my phone in a canal afterward.
Must admit I felt like hurling my phone in a canal afterward.
Maybe not their intended purpose, but…
December 1, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Maybe not their intended purpose, but…
November 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Or rugby, I suppose. Don’t mess with a princess in a scrum.
(saw this at the winter market yesterday…)
(saw this at the winter market yesterday…)
November 30, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Or rugby, I suppose. Don’t mess with a princess in a scrum.
(saw this at the winter market yesterday…)
(saw this at the winter market yesterday…)
November 29, 2025 at 8:51 AM
November 26, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Not sure what’s going on over at the Hortus, but it looks like a good ol’ fashioned sit in student protest. Lots of chanting and a Palestinian flag is hanging in the corridor over the entrance.
#Leiden
#Leiden
November 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Not sure what’s going on over at the Hortus, but it looks like a good ol’ fashioned sit in student protest. Lots of chanting and a Palestinian flag is hanging in the corridor over the entrance.
#Leiden
#Leiden
Photos of the ongoing clean-up of the diesel that leaked into Leiden’s waterways on Friday night. A few days ago, officials were saying it could take two weeks.
A crew has been working from 8:00 to around 20:00 since Saturday. And that truck? It’s loud and the fumes aren’t pleasant.
#Leiden
A crew has been working from 8:00 to around 20:00 since Saturday. And that truck? It’s loud and the fumes aren’t pleasant.
#Leiden
November 26, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Photos of the ongoing clean-up of the diesel that leaked into Leiden’s waterways on Friday night. A few days ago, officials were saying it could take two weeks.
A crew has been working from 8:00 to around 20:00 since Saturday. And that truck? It’s loud and the fumes aren’t pleasant.
#Leiden
A crew has been working from 8:00 to around 20:00 since Saturday. And that truck? It’s loud and the fumes aren’t pleasant.
#Leiden
On Friday, a leaking generator dumped hundreds of liters of diesel into the waterways of Leiden. A volunteer from De Grachtwacht spotted the spill and a coot got caught in it. The mess will take weeks to clean up. Here's the rundown from the foundation:
degrachtwacht.nl/nieuws/deken...
#Leiden
degrachtwacht.nl/nieuws/deken...
#Leiden
November 24, 2025 at 12:15 PM
On Friday, a leaking generator dumped hundreds of liters of diesel into the waterways of Leiden. A volunteer from De Grachtwacht spotted the spill and a coot got caught in it. The mess will take weeks to clean up. Here's the rundown from the foundation:
degrachtwacht.nl/nieuws/deken...
#Leiden
degrachtwacht.nl/nieuws/deken...
#Leiden
The Buienradar begs to differ…
November 23, 2025 at 8:58 AM
The Buienradar begs to differ…
Roughly a month late with this, but here’s a screenshot from a longer version of The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t, a holiday special I loved as a kid.
Anything seem a bit off about this shot?
Pretty sure that’s a random street in the Jordaan.
#Amsterdam #nicetry #Halloween #Netherlands
Anything seem a bit off about this shot?
Pretty sure that’s a random street in the Jordaan.
#Amsterdam #nicetry #Halloween #Netherlands
November 23, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Roughly a month late with this, but here’s a screenshot from a longer version of The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t, a holiday special I loved as a kid.
Anything seem a bit off about this shot?
Pretty sure that’s a random street in the Jordaan.
#Amsterdam #nicetry #Halloween #Netherlands
Anything seem a bit off about this shot?
Pretty sure that’s a random street in the Jordaan.
#Amsterdam #nicetry #Halloween #Netherlands