Paintings : The 3 Candles (story)

I would like to share these 3 paintings that I have bought today. It will be a part of the Star Galerie in the near future. For all the people who doesn't know me, I love candles!!!. I even have a certificate of Candle Making!!! :) I can always create and make my own candles if time permits me.

The Story of my Candles

If it were only the story of a candle I think I wouldn’t even tell it; for what is a simple candle that we should make much of its story, even if it is a unique candle? As I look at these paintings I see the story of Life. It is the story of all Life, and it is worth telling, so I ask you to consider my thoughts through this story.

In my eyes the candles and thorns around it are made from a symbolic of all Life. As we go through life and our personal experiences of happiness and sorrow, we are molded into a new person. Each painting is representative of many experiences. The flame that sits on top, a point of light, is symbolic of the new person we are molded into. Understanding is born through these moments of happiness and sorrow. These experiences help us to realise a greater Truth that gives us peace. The flame sits in a flat field that represents the serenity, peace and calmness that comes through the realization of that greater Truth.

As Candle is burned there is interplay between the flame (the new person) and the thorns around (sorrow experiences). It is, between you and your life experiences.

So, as I see it, the Candle is not only about ambiance and meditation but is also a celebration of the serenity that comes as we learn of the Life that is much larger than our personal, finite experiences of happiness and sorrow. Serenity is the power at the heart of Life.

No need to fuss and fume, since Life is good and loss is gain. Keep a smile in your heart.

The Final Decision - Building Inspection!

Wednesday, 2 September 2009, back to the Borneostraat, The Hague. This time a “Bouwtechnische inspectie ” is present together with us. This is the day to have a final decision if we are going to take the property as it is or not.

But then we already fell in love with the neighborhood, so it will be more formality for our upcoming visit. Afterwards we will sign “voorlopig koopcontract”.

The Quest of Searching a Property in The Hague

Where to Live in The Hague?

The Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands with a population of 475,580 and an ever-growing business sector. It has become the second biggest Dutch office market, is the seat of government and home to the royal family and scores of embassies and diplomats.

Why Archipel?

Archipel is city living at its finest. The beautiful, renovated old houses and apartments create an area full of character and with a genteel quality. It is close to parks, museums and the town centre. Available housing ranges from 2-3 floor dwellings to smaller apartments. Prices are comparable to Amsterdam and there are similar problems with parking.

The Statenkwartier has a similar feel to Archipel and similar architecture; quiet, spacious old houses from around 1900 with large carved ceilings and the feel of stately homes. Duinoord has smaller homes and row houses that are made of quality materials and hold their value well, making this charming, somewhat bohemian district a great area for investment.

The borders where the Statenkwartier, Duinoord, and Archipel meet surround the Peace Palace and is a favourite for international businessmen, diplomats, and their families, and expatriates who enjoy high-quality urban living. Villas, apartments and old urban mansions are nestled in between the embassies to offer an extremely luxurious environment with prices to match.







Above photos are shops along Borneostraat!

The saga of the Star Galerie!

Borneostraat 116, The Hague - Archipel district, is a beautiful stately district with mainly nineteenth century (19th) houses. The soon to open Star Galerie is situated at the corner first floor of Malakkastraat, where the street of Vredeskapel is built on 1880.

It is parallel to the Madoerastraat / Bankastraat with various stores, restaurants and lunchrooms and public transportation. The first floor is very suitable for business/store.

For those arriving in the Archipel from the direction of Scheveningen, the Bankastraat forms a majestic entry into the neighbourhood. It takes its name from the island of Bangka, north-east of South Sumatra, which marks the transition between the South China Sea and the Java Sea. In other words, it serves as a kind of gateway to Indonesia. The island became famous when Sukarno was interned there in 1948, during Indonesia's struggle for independence from Dutch colonial rule.

The (literal) high point of the Bankastraat (spelled without the 'g') used to be the Beau Séjour hotel, built in 1882. To avoid spoiling the view towards the city centre, the back of the hotel was taken as the building line for the houses further up. They were among the most expensive in The Hague and were always the preserve of a wealthy élite. In 1910, their rental value was as much as 1000 guilders a year....

Some people think that the Archipel used to be an all-Dutch neighbourhood and that expats are a new phenomenon, but in fact the Bankastraat has always been extremely international. In 1895, only 16% of the population was Hague-born - a smaller proportion than those from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). A big difference was that three-quarters of the families in the neighbourhood then had live-in staff. Most of the working population were in class 1 occupations: a category that included senior civil servants, bankers, lawyers, company directors, missionaries and - strangely enough - magnetisers (the forerunners of today's alternative therapists and medical practitioners).

These days, the Bankstraat is the heart of the Archipel: the place to go for a sociable drink or a quiet dinner, or to do your shopping on a Saturday, in the certain knowledge that you'll bump into a host of local friends and acquaintances while you're at it.

'A playboy and a drunkard'

In the 1920s, one of the distinguished gentlemen residents of the "upper" Bankastraat used to receive regular visits from a close friend: Prince Hendrik, consort of Queen Wilhelmina and grandfather of the present queen. Prince Hendrik is described in Wikipedia as 'a playboy and a drunkard'. Apparently, the house in the Bankastraat was one of the places to which he used to escape for a good time behind closed doors. According to local legend, another part of the Bankastraat was also the scene of numerous escapades on the part of this royal boozer. Look carefully at the side wall of Café Banka and you may still be able to make out the shape of a door which allowed him to slip away unseen when threatened with discovery during one of his drinking sessions.

The Making of the Star Galerie

Star Galerie will be a place for all types of Artists e.g. musicians, painters, artists, artisans, etc, to showcase their own creation and craftmanship. It will be a galerie that will constantly evolve each month into different types of products & expositions.

The place will be under renovation starting from November 2009 and the official opening of Star Galerie is on January 2010.

I am very proud to have this very unique property as an owner in the Archipel district of The Hague, The Netherlands, and I felt it is destined to be for us. According to the real estate broker, the house is already in the market more than 2 years ago. It was pulled out from the real estate market more than 5 months ago and put it back into the market more than 7 weeks ago. We have found out the house as early as 2 weeks ago from the date they have posted back in the property market again.

More infos to be expected as weeks and months goes by.