{"id":12097,"date":"2009-09-30T15:15:50","date_gmt":"2009-09-30T15:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress72\/?page_id=3633"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:37","slug":"columns-gail-em-volume-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2009\/09\/30\/columns-gail-em-volume-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Columns Gail EM Volume 12"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"text-default\">\n  <h2 class=\"typo3-heading-2\">Other Columns Gail<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#hiddengarden\">EM 17: Hidden garden<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#suprise\">EM 16: Surprise!<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#dump\">EM 15: Credit D.U.M.P.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Edgework\">EM 14: Edgework<\/a><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#150597\">\n<p> \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t \t<\/p><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Closed\">EM 13: Closed by Credit<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Obama\">EM 12: Obama Girl 2<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Filmfest\">EM 11: Filmfest<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Tree\">EM 10: To Tree or Not to Tree? That is the Question\u2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#yearends\">EM 9: A year ends, a new year begins<\/a><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#year\"> <\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Partners\">EM 8: Partners in\u2026what?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#ObamaGirl\">EM 7: Obama Girl<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#AlGore\">EM 6: To Rotterdam with love, from Al Gore<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Poison\">EM 5: Serving Up Poison<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Einstein\">EM 4: How would Einstein deal with bullies?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Building\">EM 3: Building Resilience<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"43920#Value\">EM 2: The Value of Doing Nothing<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"typo3-heading-2\">Cave man<\/h2>\n<p> 14-05-09\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  La Gomera is an island paradise off the coast of Africa, more remote than the tourist hotspot of Tenerife with clubs and complete English breakfast. We stayed at the eco-resort Finca Argayall.<\/p>\n<p>  During siesta, there are only birds, waves, and the far away noise of the afternoon ferry.  Underneath a rubber tree beside the pool, you see a volcanic cliff coastline, electric blue sea, pale sky, black rock beach and so much sun that you forget about the grey clouds of Rotterdam. Most visitors think seriously about how to stay longer. One way is to live in the caves. We heard about this at the ice cream shop. An old man with a big white beard, bronzed skin and a red string bikini walked into the cafe wearing a snorkeling mask. He was hard to miss, and a child thought he was a crazy sort of Santa Claus. It turns out he was Danish, living in a cave beyond the Finca.<\/p>\n<p>  There is something irresistable about caves. Dark, primal, adventurous. We decided that we had to see what that old man was up to. A few days later, we set out with our kids on the rocky walk towards the \u2018Pigs Bay\u2019, an almost untouched beach in a small jagged cove. Indeed there were caves. But no old hippie. Instead we met a young rasta couple who had lived in a cave for 3 days.  They didn\u2019t say much but looked like they were having a nice holiday. I took a look at an empty cave \u2013 tidy with rocks piled high to keep out the sand, bongo drum on a cotton mat, some jars with rice and salt, a few cave paintings and a cactus in a pot. It looked a bit like a yoga studio. When I looked to the view, it took my breath away.<\/p>\n<p>  Later I talked to Ian from London. He\u2019d been here for 7 months. I asked him about the caves.  Turns out he\u2019d lived in one for four months: \u201cGreat way to get grounded. Makes life simple again when you\u2019re far away from the bankers, just the waves and the lizards for company.\u201d  We also heard more about the near-naked Dane.  \u201cHe comes in often.  He\u2019s a hippie with a visa card and a pension! He\u2019s in Tony\u2019s music video in that song about living in a cave \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>  Later we saw him cycling through town, off to a party in the sunset, bare chest and rainbow shorts. Eccentric yes, but crazy \u2013 no.<\/p>\n<p>  Dr. Gail Whiteman, director, Sustainability and Climate Research Centre<\/p>\n<p>  <i>To see music video:<a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tonyreece.llun.net\/\">www.tonyreece.llun.net <\/a>and Eco-resort: <a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.fincaargayall.com\/\">www.fincaargayall.com<\/a><\/i>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/30324894_1d4b4a4014_m_03.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"typo3-heading-2\">Earth Day<\/h2>\n<p>  28-04-2009<\/p>\n<p>It is intimidating to share an elevator with a 1,5 metre-wide white balloon filled with CO2.  You just never know if or when it will burst.  But that\u2019s what I did on Earth Day.  <\/p>\n<p>22 April is Earth Day.  In the Netherlands, this is not yet commonly known.  But in 174 countries around the world, it is a day to celebrate the Earth\u2019s natural environment.  It is a day that Obama, Gore, and lots of other big names make announcements and start new eco-petitions.<\/p>\n<p>What did we do at Erasmus University?  We blew up 101 white balloons with CO2, and gave the largest balloon to Mayor Aboutaleb on his first official visit to the Woudestein Campus.  The co2 extraction tool was designed by Patrick Kruithof and made from recycled material: an old windsurfing sail and a vacuum hose attached to a student\u2019s Peugeot.  <\/p>\n<p>The event was organized by RSM Masters students to raise awareness that climate change is a top priority for business education.  Each balloon had a string attached with a small note containing a \u201cgreen\u201d fact.  Students handed these out to people leaving the T-building.  Each balloon held 4.63 g of CO2.  <\/p>\n<p>The Mayor, Rector Magnificus, RSM Dean and members of the CvB and RSM Management Team joined our \u201cgrand finale\u201d \u2013 where the Mayor helped to blow up the very big white balloon which held 555g of CO2.  Students calculated that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>EUR\u2019s annual emissions are equivalent to 3,750,755,940 small balloons of CO2.<\/li>\n<li>RSM\u2019s = 876,673,866 balloons.<\/li>\n<li>Rotterdam city\u2019s = 6,479,481,641,468 balloons <\/li>\n<li>Shell = 160,475,161, 987,041 balloons!!!  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(I don\u2019t even know how to count that high).  <\/p>\n<p>Students followed the Mayor to his next appointment, up the escalator in the T-building carrying the big white balloon.  It stayed on the 3rd floor until end of day, and then we wondered, what now?  Should we leave it there alone, waiting to be burst?  <\/p>\n<p>No: that would send the wrong eco-signal.  I said, \u201cLet\u2019s take it to the 7th floor.  That\u2019s a safe home \u2019til we figure out what to do with CO2.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>But the balloon was too big to fit through the elevator doors.  I entered first, and then my students had to push and push and push while I held open the elevator.  It occurred to me that if the balloon burst, I would be suffocated by CO2.  Maybe this really was a crazy teaching moment.  <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.dagvandeaarde.nl\/\">http:\/\/www.dagvandeaarde.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/ballon_co2_2_05.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Edgework\" title=\"Edgework\"><\/a>Edgework \n<\/h1>\n<p>  26-02-09<\/p>\n<p>Do you like taking risks? Do like skydiving or travelling to adventure-some places? Did investment banking appeal to you for the same reason? That is, before the crash?<\/p>\n<p>The sociology of risk taking tells us that taking risks is a normal part of modern life. Research also suggests that some of us voluntarily take risks, that we crave situations where we can experience life in all its vivid uncertainty. Edgework is particularly intoxicating in the boundaries between chaos and order. It allows us to test our courage and skill in an otherwise dull world.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Lyng (2005) conceptualizes this type of \u201crisk as a form of boundary negotiation \u2013 the exploration of \u2018edges\u2019.\u201d This is what the crazed US journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, called \u2018edgework\u2019. Risk takers can find their edge in their personal life, at work, in extreme sports or criminal behavior. Despite different choices and motivations, edgework in any context seems to give people a powerful adrenalin rush and it is the \u201cintensely seductive character of the experience itself\u201d that makes it so addictive.<\/p>\n<p>What are the sociological reasons for this behavior? People engage in edgework as a means of escape or resistance to everyday life and restrictive social controls. Some people also engage in risk-taking edgework because it is consistent with the institutional practices of certain kinds of work or culture. \u201cEdgework is increasingly what institutions expect of people.\u201d And this leads me back to the current financial crisis. Academic Charles W. Smith argued (before the crash) that \u201cfinancial market traders may \u2026be \u2026 a whole new breed of edgeworkers, striving to profit from their ability to navigate in turbulent global currents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite being humbled only months ago, edgework continues in the financial sector. For instance, we can see how firms like the Royal Bank of Scotland (now majority owned by the British taxpayer), seriously push the envelope by attempting to pay one billion pounds in bonuses despite its financial collapse. Old habits die hard, and exploring the edges of what you can get away with is to be expected if you are driven by the adrenalin of risky behavior in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>It makes sociological sense to consider how the addictiveness of edgework created a strong culture that legitimized and encouraged this type of behavior, a culture that is resistance to change. In fact, the current turbulence reinforces the need for edgework and provides ample opportunity for new game playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>RBS was only brought back from the edge by public outcry and the new oversight authority of a government watchdog which said no. But saying no to certain behaviors won\u2019t transform an edgework culture into a more prudent workplace. We need to address the sociological processes behind this behavior. We also need to recognize that some individuals like the adrenalin of edgework. Perhaps we can \u2018encourage\u2019 them to job-change, to find a new calling in extreme sports or a thrill-seeking social life. The financial sector needs to be left to the less edgy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/bungee_1d579d_07.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Closed\" title=\"Closed by Credit\"><\/a>Closed by Credit<\/h1>\n<p>  10-02-09<\/p>\n<p>Last week in Rotterdam, a small organic store (biologische winkel) closed its doors for good. The shop, Marjolein Natuurlijk, was an interesting mix of healthy food, cosmetics, vitamins, and green household items. It had great selection, but not a great location: there was little walk-by traffic on Westblaak. So business was steady but not sufficient.<\/p>\n<p> Marjolein was the type of small shop owner who projected a positive and progressive entrepreneurial spirit. Biologische products are better for you. But these products are also more expensive, and luxuries can be quickly cut when money is short. In the current economic crisis, bravery and optimism simply can\u2019t counter balance insufficient revenue. Marjolein tried to get more credit, but the banks said no. And that was that. Closed by credit. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> It was the end of a dream for her. For me, it was also a symbol of the inequality of the times. Last week in the US, it was reported that Wall Street had paid out more than 18 billion dollars in executive bonuses last year. President Obama called such behaviour in the wake of huge government bail-outs: \u201cthe height of irresponsibility. It is shameful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/RTEmagicC_30341068_12915c57e1.jpg.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"295\" height=\"221\"><\/p>\n<p>In a televised BBC debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jacob A. Frenkel, the Vice Chairman of the Board of AIG (which received more than 100 billion dollar in bail-outs from the US government) irritably brushed aside the allegation that people at the top had to be held accountable. When BBC reporter Nik Gowing asked disbelievingly, \u201cSo there\u2019s no personal responsibility?\u201d Frenkel answered, \u201cAt least as far as I\u2019m concerned, there isn\u2019t.\u201d Laura Tyson, former Dean at London Business School and now a professor of Business at Berkeley University, tried to bridge the gap by arguing that it was a systemic failure, not a conspiracy. It didn\u2019t make sense to look for villains. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Of course, the financial collapse was not a conspiracy. But clearly, self-regulation in the financial markets really means no regulation. And no regulation means that there is a lot of unnecessary risk in the system. But certain people benefited by leveraging that risk and they\u2019re not the same ones who seem to be paying for that risk now. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Accepting that the old system failed paves the way for a serious overhaul of the financial markets. This is a good thing. But it doesn\u2019t preclude some degree of individual responsibility. The system was created by individual and collective action. While people may not have intended to put the world economy at risk, we know that they did. And some are more responsible than others for this recklessness. Interestingly, Tyson said that business schools had focused too much on teaching the magic of quantitative models of financial returns and had forgotten to teach the wisdom to look beyond greed.<\/p>\n<p> Of course this won\u2019t help little shops like Marjolein\u2019s. They don\u2019t get big bail-outs like AIG. Yet unlike AIG, they are held personally responsible for their business mistakes. So last Thursday we went to Marjolein\u2019s closing sale, gave her flowers as a thank you, and said goodbye. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> And it\u2019s not easy to increase diversity in the workplace. We can see that at our own university in the Netherlands.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  While Ms. Magazine semi-humorously positions Obama as a super-feminist, he alone cannot change the world.\u00a0 He has to inspire others to work with him, including those of us from other countries.\u00a0 And his approach to diversity can us inspire us.\u00a0 If you have a message for President Obama, go to this link and tell him what you think. Whether you\u2019re a man or a woman, don\u2019t be afraid to admit you\u2019re a feminist.\u00a0 You\u2019re in good company.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<h1><a name=\"Filmfest\" title=\"Filmfest\"><\/a>Filmfest<\/h1>\n<p>15-01-09<\/p>\n<p>The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) opens just about now.\u00a0 It is one of my favorite activities in Rotterdam \u2013 hip, creative, shocking, fun, non-scientific.\u00a0 Sure, I could be working, but sometimes I prefer to do nothing (I have written about this before).\u00a0 And this seems to be a cyclical fact of life for many of us.\u00a0 Each year, during the period of late January to early February, many professionals in Rotterdam are away from the office, away from the computer, sitting inside dark cinemas, watching, learning, feeling, thinking.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>  Should the Vice-Dean (my boss) be worried about me?\u00a0 Won\u2019t this hurt my productivity?\u00a0 Maybe, but sometimes scientific work has to stop in order to become something better. And a great way to paradigm shift is to enter the art world and see as many creative cross-cultural films as possible.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>  The 38th International Film Festival Rotterdam opens on 21 January with world premiere of The Hungry Ghosts, a film by US director and actor Michael Imperioli (he was Christopher in the Sopranos).\u00a0 A few years ago it was Brokeback Mountain.\u00a0 But the best part of filmfest is not the mainstream films, but the unusual ones.\u00a0 These are the things that can really make an impact.<\/p>\n<p>  Can you imagine sitting through 6 hour film with no sound, only a collage of images from home movies from the 1970s?\u00a0 Or sitting through a 90 minute movie that has no images, only a blank screen and various changing sound-scapes?\u00a0 Well that\u2019s the beauty of the IFFR \u2013 you can discover things that you would never find on the regular run of the Pathe.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>  And not to be missed is the surprise film \u2013 a film that is, well, a surprise on the last Friday night.\u00a0 Last year it was Lars and The Real Girl (fabulously shot very near the small town in Canada where my sister lives), and the year before it was a 3 or 4 hour David Lynch film \u201cInland Empire\u201d with Laura Dern (I confess to only making it almost through two hours).<\/p>\n<p>  And what does it all mean?\u00a0 What do any of these films mean?\u00a0 Well I don\u2019t think that really matters much.\u00a0 It\u2019s the absence of specific meaning, of any attempt at cohesive interpretation that makes the film festival such an extraordinary test of strength for an academic. As Susan Sontag said, \u201cInterpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art.\u201d\u00a0 Educated people always try to make sense of it all.\u00a0 And if we stop and just watch as many beautiful crazy provocative films as possible, we might just learn to enjoy a different kind of ride to knowledge, happiness, and so on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/EM_11_IFFR_2c24c3_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Tree\" title=\"To tree or not to tree?\"><\/a>EM 10: To Tree or Not to Tree? That is the Question\u2026<\/h1>\n<p>18-12-09<\/p>\n<p>As Sinterklaas draws to a close, my sites are already focused on the next big holiday event \u2013 Christmas.\u00a0 With exams done, grades marked, and conference papers submitted, we all need a little Xmas bling.\u00a0 And what better way to show our holiday spirit than by honoring our sacred Christmas traditions.<\/p>\n<p>This year, a vigorous debate is going on within our offices about whether it is more environmentally friendly to have a real Christmas tree or a reusable plastic tree on every floor of the T-building.\u00a0 Maybe we can try to find organic trees with real roots and then replant them, or maybe even go tree-free this season.\u00a0 It might sound trite but it\u2019s a big building and each year we use up a lot of trees, and then toss them into the garbage (ok maybe someone recycles them, but who really knows?).<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, plastic trees mean that we don\u2019t need to kill any trees, and we can just keep recycling the same old green.\u00a0 They also have the added bonus of not needing water and not shedding needles.\u00a0 Problem is that the plastic isn\u2019t so great.\u00a0 A handy eco-website tells me that \u201cartificial trees are far worse for the environment than cutting a real live tree down. Fake trees are made from mainly non-renewable plastics; some containing PVC. The toxins and other nasty chemicals needed to create artificial trees make them a bad green decision. Additionally, real trees can be mulched or used for heat where as artificial trees cannot be recycled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maybe we can learn from New York City \u2013 \u201cMulchFest provides New Yorkers an opportunity to bring their Christmas trees to designated sites where they are ground into wood chips. The chips can then be placed in tree pits and gardens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The T-building could also choose to side-step the tree issue and focus instead on lights and decorations.\u00a0 To be truly eco-virtuous, we should probably use LED lights or solar-powered ones. There are also eco-friendly Christmas decorations \u2013 recycled CD snowmen and recycled circuit board stars. Perhaps we could even ask our students to make Xmas decorations from old exams.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, we opted for a real tree with roots at home.\u00a0 We did have two or three home-made decorations but in hindsight this was not enough!\u00a0 Anyway, we named our tree Simon and after the holidays, we packed him up and took him to our garden house.\u00a0 He seemed pretty happy there for most of the year, and my kids liked seeing him and remembering that he used to be our Christmas tree.\u00a0 Our intention was to dig him up and bring him home again, but this autumn all the needles fell out and soon he was a goner.\u00a0 Still, we felt we had done what we could, although I forgot to try a tree-hug.\u00a0 (My students may be surprised at this).<\/p>\n<p>While I did not share this strategy with my eco-colleagues at work, it does remind me of the true spirit of Christmas: Lighten up and do your best.\u00a0 Have a wonderful holiday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/EM_9_kerstboom_2db9cf_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"yearends\" title=\"EM 9: A year ends, a new year begins \"><\/a>EM 9: A year ends, a new year begins \n<\/h1>\n<p>  2008 has gone by quickly.\u00a0 As I look back, it\u2019s been a great year for many reasons despite the financial crash.\u00a0 While it\u2019s impossible to reflect on 2008 and not think of the bonfire of the bankers, I don\u2019t think this gloomy event is the penultimate moment of the year.\u00a0 But as Shakespeare said, \u201cDarkness has its uses.\u201d\u00a0 Certainly, the financial collapse helped us recognize that our lifestyle cannot be taken endlessly for granted.\u00a0 It also taught us (once again) that greed is not good.<\/p>\n<p>  There were also lots of good things that happened, and I offer only a few.\u00a0 Globally, the world rejoiced at the US election and Obama\u2019s message of hope; Beijing hosted an amazing Olympics.\u00a0 Scientifically, there were many breakthroughs including the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, and yesterday, astronomers found the largest-ever black hole in the milky way.\u00a0 On the personal front, I spent the summer doing nothing, and I still have much ado about that.\u00a0 At the university level, the EUR switched to green energy, and continued to teach, research and be merry.<\/p>\n<p>  So what\u2019s up for 2009?\u00a0 This is a big year in many ways.\u00a0 2009 marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin (12 February, 1809).\u00a0 Look forward to Darwin Day celebrations that express \u201cgratitude for the enormous benefits that scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity, has contributed to the advancement of humanity.\u201d\u00a0 This is something to keep in mind later in December because 2009 is also the year of the Copenhagen Climate Summit, where the world will meet to decide what we will do post-Kyoto.\u00a0 Maybe we can apply our human curiosity and ingenuity to advance a low carbon world. It\u2019s a wish worth making.<\/p>\n<p>  Yes, the New Year is often a time for resolutions.\u00a0 I don\u2019t use resolutions to try to improve myself \u2013 although my family and colleagues may wish I did.\u00a0 I use resolutions to try to refocus my efforts on doing more things that I think are fun, or interesting or soul-inviting.\u00a0 I try to think back and remember what I liked to do spontaneously as a kid, and then try to do more of it.\u00a0 I asked some colleagues at RSM if they had any resolutions.<\/p>\n<p>  While some clearly did not do this, or preferred to keep it quiet, I did get a few responses ranging from losing more weight, or getting more fit, to the realization that they were already perfect J.\u00a0 One of my colleagues told me that she and her family write a list each year about what they want to achieve and then seal these in envelopes, opening them the following new year\u2019s eve.<\/p>\n<p>  My personal favorite was this one: <i>\u201cI do them [resolutions] throughout the year so I\u2019m very hard on myself!\u00a0 For example, today I managed to be nicer than I usually am, basically because someone was nice to me first.\u00a0 What happened was a little boy warned me that it was very slippery out on the road and I was on my bicycle.\u00a0 I met him on a bridge and I would have probably fallen flat on my face if he didn\u2019t tell me to be careful\u2026When I arrived close to the university, there\u2019s also a very slippery part and someone had already fallen and had a nose bleed.\u00a0 Someone else had already stopped and was helping them.\u00a0 And that is when I did something I don\u2019t usually do.\u00a0 I also stopped and inquired if everything was ok.\u00a0 Normally, I try to avoid any kind of social interaction if it\u2019s not forced upon me.\u00a0 Resolutions are good in the sense that you try to do something rather than avoiding.\u201d <\/i><\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>  I liked this story because it seemed to sum up one of Aesop\u2019s classic tales: One good turn deserves another.\u00a0 Wise words for a new year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/EM_10_vuurwerk_2cebff_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Partners\" title=\"EM 8: Partners in\u2026what? \"><\/a>EM 8: Partners in\u2026what? \n<\/h1>\n<p>  If you google the phrase \u201ccorporate partnerships\u201d, you\u2019ll find over a million hits.\u00a0 Corporations are partners with just about anyone these days \u2013 HIV\/AIDS patients in Africa, actor Matt Damon, homeless people in Bristol, schools, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and probably Joe the Plumber.<\/p>\n<p> \u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/RTEmagicC_EM__8_Aid_patient_Africa_01.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\"><\/p>\n<p> So what exactly is a \u2018partner\u2019? Merriam-Webster online tells us that a \u2018partner\u2019 is \u201cone that shares,\u201d \u201ctwo persons who dance together\u201d, or \u201ctwo or more persons who play together in a game against an opposing side.\u201d\u00a0 A partnership in business is \u201ca relationship resembling a legal partnership and usually involving close cooperation between parties having specified and joint rights and responsibilities.\u201d\u00a0 Partnership can also be a fancy way to say \u2018sugar-daddy.\u2019\u00a0 But Jeffrey Sachs, a renowned economist from Harvard and now Director of the Earth Institute, says it is more than that: \u201cWe want real engagement. It is not about the money per se: it is about the partnership. The value of these corporate partnerships is the expertise and global reach and management skills that can come from this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> The rhetoric on the street (and on corporate websites) is that global crises are turning companies into a kind of superhero partner. For instance, \u201cThe United Nations is eager to increase its partnerships with the private sector, particularly given the escalating number and scale of disasters as a result of climate change,\u201d said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, \u201cWe need to bring together all public and private capacities \u2013 global, national, regional, and local \u2013 to respond to the needs of growing numbers of vulnerable people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> But are companies really interested in helping vulnerable people?\u00a0 Are they, like Superman or The Incredibles, driven by an intrinsic desire to make the world a better place?<\/p>\n<p> Dr. Noreena Hertz (author of \u2018The Silent Takeover\u2019 and \u2018The Debt Threat) is currently a Visiting Professor at RSM.\u00a0 She recently tackled this question at the 2nd annual Max Havelaar lecture on campus.\u00a0 A recognized expert on globalization, Hertz said that corporate partnerships may add value to international development efforts, but they would never alone be \u201csufficient.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, great care had to be taken so that Super-Hero Firms don\u2019t re-focus development efforts on <i>only<\/i> those areas which are potentially profitable.\u00a0 Hertz warned, \u201cI can\u2019t imagine a corporate partnership on soil erosion in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Then again, the World Wildlife Fund reports that it <i>already<\/i> has a partnership with Coca-Cola to reduce soil erosion on the Yangtze River in China.\u00a0 Superhero altruism?\u00a0 Perhaps, but this is also an example of managing the bottom line and a super responsible reputation \u2013 Coke has faced criticism for using too much water in its bottling plants in the Yangtze basin.\u00a0 In the meantime, the soil still erodes in Africa.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<h1><a name=\"ObamaGirl\" title=\"ObamaGirl\"><\/a>EM 7: Obama Girl \n<\/h1>\n<p>As I write this column, there are 5 days to go.\u00a0 As you read it, the winner has already been announced.\u00a0 The US election has taken up a lot of my attention over the last few months, and I\u2019m not even American.\u00a0 But like many foreigners, it\u2019s obvious to me that US politics are both entertaining and internationally relevant.\u00a0 What happens in the US affects the world.<\/p>\n<p> Yesterday I was given a pink Obama T-shirt from a colleague on a recent visit to Washington. While it\u2019s not the same kind of shirt worn by <i>Obama-Girl<\/i> herself (see youtube), it certainly is a collector\u2019s item.\u00a0 Barack Obama is one of the rare examples of world leaders who can gather support across wide divides.\u00a0 Not only will Obama get votes from Democrats and many Independents, but he now has support from key Republicans.\u00a0 There is even an official website of the <i>Republicans-for-Obama<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p> With 5 days to go, it looks like McCain will have to work hard to win even in his home state of Arizona.\u00a0 Without the benefit of foresight, it\u2019s hard to know if Obama will really be able to challenge Republican control over states that Bush won easily in the last election.\u00a0 But we can hope.<\/p>\n<p> In the meantime, the name calling escalates as the end comes in sight.\u00a0 Yesterday, McCain called Obama \u201cComunismo,\u201d linking him to Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.\u00a0 Earlier, Sarah Palin said he was \u201cpalling around with terrorists.\u201d\u00a0 But with endorsements from former Secretary of State Colin Powell (Republican) and financier Warren Buffet (the richest man in the world), it\u2019s hard to see him as either a terrorist or communist.<\/p>\n<p> Of course, name-calling can be funny. Sarah Palin showed that she could laugh at herself as \u201cCaribou Barbie\u201d during the comedy show SCTV.\u00a0 But are attack ads a good political strategy?\u00a0 Past research shows that they work in the US.\u00a0 But experience during this campaign shows that name-calling can\u2019t make up for poor economic performance and dissatisfaction with the state of the nation.\u00a0 And this is where Obama wins on public opinion at home and abroad.\u00a0 European polls suggest that many of us name him as our favorite candidate, as does the Russian press.<\/p>\n<p> A race is never over until it\u2019s over.\u00a0 Until then, I will be wearing my pink T-Shirt, with the thought, yes we can!<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/Sarah_Palin_e2df8e_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"AlGore\" title=\"AlGore\"><\/a>EM 6: To Rotterdam with love, from Al Gore\u00a0 \n<\/h1>\n<p>  400 is just a number but it\u2019s a pretty hefty price to pay to hear one man speak.\u00a0 But for Mr. Al Gore, the only number that matters is either 350 or 700, or both.\u00a0 In his keynote speech on 14 October at the Aalsmeer Event Centre, Gore had a lot to say about climate and credit. And to Rotterdam, he sent a punchy postcard from the edge.<\/p>\n<p>In front of a well-heeled mostly business crowd, Gore said to be wary of the faulty logic that lay underneath both the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the impeding \u201csub-prime carbon crisis.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cOnly a long term perspective reveals the true nature of the reality we face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>$700 billion to Americans doesn\u2019t just represent the initial bail-out request for the financial crisis.\u00a0 Gore explained that \u201cit has two other meanings for Americans.\u00a0 It is the cost of the Iraq war and the annual cost that the US pays for foreign oil.\u201d\u00a0 700 is a big number resting on very shaky ground.<\/p>\n<p>350 is another number that is having a hard time.\u00a0 NGOs tell us that \u201c350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet.\u201d\u00a0 350 parts per million is the estimated cap by which we should limit the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t, Dr. James Hansen of NASA says that we will cause Irreversible damage to planet earth.\u00a0 Last year, the world emitted 387 ppm.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But Mr. Gore said solutions exist.\u00a0 And that\u2019s where the postcard to Rotterdam took centre stage.\u00a0 Admittedly, Gore may have stumbled over the city\u2019s name (calling it <i>\u201cRottenburg\u201d<\/i> in his opening), but he was clearly in touch with key events shaping the future of our city.<\/p>\n<p>He made up for his faux-pas, when he told us the tale of \u2018what\u2019s wrong with Kansas?\u2019 Based on a popular US book, Gore told the story of how the state of Kansas first accepted and then eventually rejected new coal power plants because the governor finally realized that the technology to make it clean was not yet ready on the scale that was needed.\u00a0 Gore said \u201cit is an illusion that clean coal is something that exists, that it is ok to burn coal because it will soon be clean\u2026\u201d and blasted \u201c\u2026the irresponsibility of building new coal generators with the pretense that we are very close to having the technology to capture carbon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He warned it was again an example of faulty, short-term logic.\u00a0 Many in the audience saw the parable for Rotterdam, which is committed to a 50% reduction in co2 emissions and, at the same time, has agreed to the construction of major new coal plants.\u00a0 And Gore hammered the point home.\u00a0 He challenged Rotterdam specifically, and Dutch society in general, to a major shift in our energy infrastructure.\u00a0 He said to commit to 100% clean energy within 10 years, and to say no to \u2018not-yet-clean\u2019 coal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over 1000 students received an afternoon training session on how to use his slide show from The Inconvenient Truth.\u00a0 For more information on Gore\u2019s <a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.wecansolveit.org\">new campaign<\/a> of a similar <a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.urgenda.nl\">Dutch campaig<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/Al_Gore_e27bf8_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Poison\" title=\"Poison\"><\/a>EM 5: Serving Up Poison \n<\/h1>\n<p> In fairy tales from around the world, we learn early that drinking or eating poison is probably not a good idea.\u00a0 Think of Snow White \u2013 a wicked queen gave her a poisoned apple and she fell asleep for a long, long time until the dwarfs and a handsome prince helped her out.\u00a0 In Vietnam, there are similar tales where a master saves his servant from drinking poison.<\/p>\n<p> Despite cultural differences, the moral to these stories is common: watch what you eat or drink, especially if evil people are jealous of you, and if you do make a mistake, then trust in your loved ones to help you out.<\/p>\n<p> But in reality, it\u2019s not clear if \u2018good\u2019 will triumph over \u2018evil.\u2019\u00a0 And it\u2019s not at all clear that the motivations of people to serve up poison really have anything to do us personally.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> Here are three recent examples: In China, a very popular brand of milk, Sanlu, has been accused of adding melamine \u2013 a toxic substance used to make plastic \u2013 to artificially increase protein levels in milk.\u00a0 While this increased Sanlu\u2019s sales, Chinese babies by the thousands have had kidney problems and some have died.\u00a0 It is not isolated to one company.\u00a0 The scandal has spread to over 20 companies in China and also many multinationals like Cadbury chocolate, Unilever, Nestle, Heinz and Tesco (the UK supermarket chain) recalling products.\u00a0 The head of China\u2019s quality control board resigned, the head of Sanlu will face criminal charges, along with several farmers.<\/p>\n<p> Japanese consumers have more than just imported milk from China to worry about.\u00a0 A toxic rice scandal has also rocked the country last month, when Mikasa Foods admitted that it sold 400 tonnes of inedible rice (which should be used for fertilizer and glue) to hundreds of companies who make rice-based alcohol like sake and shochu.\u00a0 The toxic rice also ended up in rice crackers and as food for more than 100 hospitals, old folks\u2019 homes and schools. Asahi Breweries (the biggest in Japan) recalled rice products to the tune of $14 billion dollars.\u00a0 The head of one company that purchased the toxic rice committed suicide, and thousands of Japanese officials are under investigation.<\/p>\n<p> And to break through the myth that this is an Asian-problem, let me offer a story from Canada.\u00a0 In August, Canadian deli meats, commonly used in sandwiches, were contaminated with the listeria monocytogenes bacteria.\u00a0 17 people died, and the Canadian procedures for food quality and safety were found to be defective.\u00a0 The Ministry of Agriculture recently faced calls for his resignation after he tastelessly joked this month about \u201cdeath by cold cuts.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> But it\u2019s no joking matter.\u00a0 How can we trust the global supply chain to stop serving up poison?\u00a0 Corporations aren\u2019t doing this because they\u2019re jealous of our Snow-White good looks.\u00a0 They\u2019re serving it up because it makes more profit, and is hard to track.\u00a0 The moral to this story is that consumers have to demand more from companies and government agencies.\u00a0 Make this point clear on World Food Day (16 October).\u00a0 <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/poisoned_milk_d4fb1a_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Einstein\" title=\"How would Einstein deal with bullies? \"><\/a>EM 4: How would Einstein deal with bullies? \n<\/h1>\n<p>  \u201cAny intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.\u201d Like most of Einstein\u2019s advice, this is easier said than done.<\/p>\n<p>  As a social scientist, I confess at the outset that I enjoy complexity. The world appeals to me most as a non-linear system: the richness of even the simplest social encounter can be worthy of a play by Samuel Beckett. At the same time, Einstein (as always) presents sage advice. When we make things bigger than they are, we let power take centre stage.<\/p>\n<p>  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/RTEmagicC_Einstein.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\"><\/p>\n<p>  Some things seem simple: if the energy in the room is not good, either work to change it, or leave for an entirely new room. Of course, this presupposes individual agency \u2013 that you can leave the room (or lecture hall or office), and that another option is open to you. Of course there are structural factors that constrain our behaviour. But our belief in complex social relations also constrains this choice. We stay, even though we don\u2019t like it, because we think that we have to fit in or face some form of social punishment.<\/p>\n<p>  This gives bullies power. Research indicates that one in three people personally experience workplace bullying at some point in their life. In the US, studies suggest that the number may be even higher: Fifty percent of people are direct targets or have witnessed this behaviour with others. That means that right now, in this university and in other organizations across the globe, people are wrestling with this very issue.<\/p>\n<p>  Workplace bullies employ \u201ca combination of tactics in which numerous types of hostile communication and behavior are used\u201d. Workplace bullies have often been victims themselves, usually as children. This behavior is learned and may be the only way they think they can get what they want.<\/p>\n<p>  Regardless of what they do or why they do it, bullying behavior negatively affects the bottom line \u2013 companies and other organizations can lose millions in terms of lost productivity. It also makes us unhappy.<\/p>\n<p>  So what to do when faced with such situations? Again Einstein provides a clue.\u00a0 While genetics may determine genius, we all have access to courage. Admittedly, workplace bullies can seem invincible because they work within the rules. But if we take a step back and simplify things, we may find the gem of Einstein\u2019s genius.<\/p>\n<p>  Just say no. No I will not be treated this way. No I will not watch others be treated this way. Don\u2019t be another intelligent fool: Stop the interaction.<\/p>\n<h1><a name=\"Building\" title=\"Building \"><\/a>EM 3: Building Resilience \n<\/h1>\n<p> After a long summer of doing nothing, I jumped at the chance to fly to London and do something new.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  Now, I love London.\u00a0 Even when it rains, I love London.\u00a0 But what I love even more is a chance to meet with some of the world\u2019s brightest people as they discuss how to move the world to a more resilient place.<\/p>\n<p>  Resilience is an interesting idea.\u00a0 To be resilient is the ability to withstand shocks and rebuild when necessary.\u00a0 We admire resilient people because they have demonstrated the ability to bounce back from adversity.\u00a0 They have faced the unexpected and risen to the occasion.\u00a0 Resilience isn\u2019t built by avoiding risks, but by successfully rebounding from crises.<\/p>\n<p>  Crises often seem scary.\u00a0 But world renowned ecologist C.S. Holling encourages us to see it differently: \u201cDuring such times, uncertainty is high, control is weakened and confused, and unpredictability is great. But space is also created for reorganization and innovation. It is therefore also a time when \u2026individual people have the greatest chance of influencing events.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>  Resilience can also be used to describe a society.\u00a0 A resilient society is one that effectively deals with the credit crunch, Hurricane Gustav, political upheavals in Georgia or Zimbabwe, and especially climate change.\u00a0\u00a0 While most of us may prefer security, status, and comfort, science and experience have shown that the world is unpredictable.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  How can education contribute to resilience?\u00a0 That was the focus of the London meetings.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>  In the coming years we need to teach people new and more resilient management skills.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>  Resilience is not something we are born with.\u00a0 It\u2019s a trait we learn to develop over time.\u00a0 It takes courage and humility to embrace the unknown.\u00a0 Resilience emerges when we recognize that the only thing certain is uncertainty.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  A university based upon the principles of resilience is one that builds students\u2019 capacity for learning and adaptation, embraces self-organization and diversity.\u00a0 Such a place has no place for boredom or ego.\u00a0 Indeed, resilience is lost when an institution is closed or inflexible, when it encourages the unsustainable use of resources, or has a never-ending focus on efficiency.\u00a0 Self-organization means that students, faculty and staff all have the responsibility and space to create novel learning environments.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  And perhaps most importantly, a resilient person (or planet) must have \u2018slack\u2019 time to learn from mistakes and to experiment.\u00a0 Letting go of our need for control lets us discover new ways to adapt and transform turbulent times.\u00a0 The flip side of crisis is opportunity.\u00a0 The challenge for faculty like me is to learn how to teach this kind of excitement.<\/p>\n<p>  More information on the <a class=\"gco-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.resalliance.org\">Resilience Alliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/regen_in_London_aba72d_20.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"Value\" title=\"The Value of Doing Nothing \"><\/a>EM 2: The Value of Doing Nothing \n<\/h1>\n<p>  Sometimes professors are like students.\u00a0 They like to do nothing.\u00a0 No assignments.\u00a0 No work.\u00a0 No pressure. It\u2019s a beautiful feeling \u2013 doing nothing much in particular.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I confess that I had forgotten all about doing nothing.\u00a0 That is, until my holiday when we went to a Canadian cottage near Algonquin Park, a famous outdoor wilderness area 4 hours north of Toronto. Unlike the cultural busyness of big cities, the Canadian north offers a lot of \u201cnothing\u201d.\u00a0 No film festivals, no theatre openings, no clubs, no internet, no TV.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/RTEmagicC_Algonquin_Park.jpg.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"351\" height=\"212\"><\/p>\n<p>To be fair, cottage country isn\u2019t really filled with nothing.\u00a0 You can get satellite TV and internet if you really want it (although I recommend against it).\u00a0 It just isn\u2019t filled with the usual distractions or work obligations that permeate my life.\u00a0 Instead, Canadian cottage areas are filled with deep lakes, deep woods, moose, bear, wolf howls, sunsets and mosquitoes.\u00a0 Daily life is filled with long periods of time relaxing in the natural environment, and just living.<\/p>\n<p>Spending a few weeks or a month doing nothing has a lot going for it.\u00a0 It lets a person leave everyday demands behind.\u00a0 That\u2019s certainly what I found.\u00a0 Doing nothing gave me the time to catch my breath and forget about research, conferences, teaching, email, and answering my mobile phone.\u00a0 I just switched it all off.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And then I remembered how much I enjoy solo canoeing, BBQing, and night swimming, let me sit back and enjoy seeing my 6 year son learn to kayak or my 4 year old catch frogs.\u00a0 Doing nothing gave me the time to catch up on sunshine, hiking, water sports, yoga, laughing, feeding the ducks and drinking wine with friends and family.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>The best part about doing nothing is that it lets you have the time to do lots of everything else.\u00a0 For me, this was close to bliss.<\/p>\n<p>Now that the school term is about to begin, my new-found art of doing nothing will probably have to be revised.\u00a0 But I remain convinced of its benefits.\u00a0 So the tricky part will be learning how to keep a little bit of nothing within my hectic work life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This summer I learned a lot from nothing.\u00a0 And that seems to be the mark of a good summer holiday.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"typo3-heading-2\">Obama Girl 2<\/h2>\n<h1><a name=\"Obama\" title=\"Obama\"><\/a>Obama Girl 2\n<\/h1>\n<p>  29-01-09<\/p>\n<p>The Obama inauguration was a beautiful moment in time.\u00a0 I watched it together with American, Dutch and international friends, in an elegant flat in a diversely cultural part of Rotterdam.\u00a0 We brought our young kids to the party and our youngest son had talked all day to his teacher and friends that he was going to Obama\u2019s party.\u00a0 He kept asking me, \u2018Where is Obama?\u2019, and then I realized he was confused because Obama only showed up on TV.\u00a0 When you\u2019re 4 years old, going to a party for Obama means you\u2019re going to his house for cake.\u00a0 It was hard to explain to him that we aren\u2019t that glamorous.<\/p>\n<p>I admit to being an Obama fan, and I suppose some of that has rubbed off on my sons.\u00a0 I even ordered a commemorative poster.\u00a0 For me, this is doubly weird because I never order anything commemorative, and I usually don\u2019t proclaim myself as a \u2018fan\u2019.\u00a0 But Obama is the type of person who inspires crazy optimism.\u00a0 And this is not just any poster.\u00a0 I ordered the controversial Ms. Magazine cover shot of Obama in a superman pose, taking off his shirt to reveal him wearing a T-shirt saying, \u201cThis is what a feminist looks like.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The poster provoked commentary because for some feminists, the cover shot of Ms. Magazine should always be a woman.\u00a0 With this sort of narrow logic, a cover shot of Hilary, or Michelle, or even Sarah Palin, is more inspiring.\u00a0 I disagree.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Obama is a self-proclaimed feminist.\u00a0 Of course, as soon as anyone says they\u2019re the F-word, there are immediate critiques of this position.\u00a0 Maybe Hilary Clinton would have appointed more women than Obama has \u2014 but the feminist agenda is not a sacred oath only possessed by the female gender.\u00a0 Feminism is a practical ideal about working towards equality and freedom from discrimination.\u00a0 We need women and men to change the world.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Journalists and political analysts like to talk about the first 100 days.\u00a0 In the first 100 days a leader is suppose to make his or her mark.\u00a0 The Obama\/Biden team ran on \u201cthe strongest platform for women\u2019s rights of any major party in American history.\u201d They\u2019re expected to start making their mark on women\u2019s rights within the first week.\u00a0 Clinton is already confirmed as Secretary of State. We\u2019ll have to see what else they do it.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s not easy to increase diversity in the workplace.\u00a0 We can see that at our own university in the Netherlands.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>While Ms. Magazine semi-humorously positions Obama as a super-feminist, he alone cannot change the world.\u00a0 He has to inspire others to work with him, including those of us from other countries.\u00a0 And his approach to diversity can us inspire us.\u00a0 If you have a message for President Obama, go to this link and tell him what you think. Whether you\u2019re a man or a woman, don\u2019t be afraid to admit you\u2019re a feminist.\u00a0 You\u2019re in good company.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/obama_girl_2_e00db4_b1eaa3_02.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"dump\" title=\"dump\"><\/a>Credit D.U.M.P. <\/h1>\n<p>  13-03-09<\/p>\n<p>  Buying Eastpak backpacks at D.U.M.P. in Rotterdam Centrum doesn\u2019t seem like an obvious academic moment. But I assure you that an academic can find theory anywhere. Recently, during the voorjaarsvakantie, I spent some time shopping for my kids, who needed new binders, backpacks, and costumes for the school play.<\/p>\n<p>  D.U.M.P., like many shops in the centrum, had a large sale, 50 percent discount, on all items. Since my kids go through rugzakken quickly (ripped, filled with mud, spilt with milk; lost), I thought I would go for a better quality pack that would be able to withstand more dirt and more washing. The Eastpak brand is expensive and attractive \u2013 a hip khaki orange Junior-sized pak costs 60 euro. They look great but the price seems high for a 7 year old. But with 50 percent korting, I mind less if they lose them.<\/p>\n<p>  I bought one and then later went back for another (my 4 year old likes to have the same as his brother). The girl at the cash register had long black and purple hair, various nose and face piercings, and was very friendly. \u201cIt\u2019s such a great price,\u201d I said with enthusiasm.  She agreed, \u201cJa, it\u2019s a great brand.\u201d Out of vague curiosity, I asked her why everything was on sale. \u201cFailliet,\u201d she said. I looked confused. \u201cAlles moet weg. We\u2019re\u2026 how do you say it in English?\u201d She paused and then found the word, \u201cBankrupt.\u201d I looked surprised. \u201cAre all your stores going out of business then?\u201d  \u201cYes,\u201d she said, \u201cThe one in Amsterdam, den Hague, and Rotterdam.\u201d  \u201cThat\u2019s a shame,\u201d I said, suddenly not so happy at my bargain shopping.<\/p>\n<p>  \u201cIt\u2019s this credit thing,\u201d she continued, \u201call the stores are closing and we\u2019re all fired\u2026 <i>And<\/i> <i>where<\/i> <i>am I going to get another job?\u201d<\/i>Neither of us knew the answer to that.  She looked panicked for a moment and then laughed it off. I wished her good luck.  As I left, I realized I was a member of the recession-proof tribe, a sizeable group of those who still had jobs (and savings) and were actively taking advantage of lower retail costs.<\/p>\n<p>  Spending a little because you still have it is not a bad thing. If we all stopped spending that would only make things worse. But it is sobering to experience the widening gulf between those that can buy, and those that can sell only until the credit dump finishes them off.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/DUMP_voor_column_web_14.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"suprise\" title=\"suprise\"><\/a>Surprise!\u00a0<\/h1>\n<p> 25-03-09<\/p>\n<p>  We all like (good) surprises. In the last two weeks, I have been surprised by many small things: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An unexpected invitation to guest lecture at a design university in Germany (pleasant but puzzling: why design?) <\/li>\n<li>A free massage in the T-building (very pleasant)<\/li>\n<li>A mouse in my house (I screamed \u2014 how clich\u00e9!) <\/li>\n<li>Students finally stopped coming to my office to ask for extra marks for BAB 22 (wonderful)<\/li>\n<li>A Masters student submitted a draft thesis after I had not heard from her in nearly a year (pleasant)<\/li>\n<li>My offshore investments have started to increase (excellent news!)<\/li>\n<li>The possibility of meeting the new mayor of Rotterdam (exciting but stressful)<\/li>\n<li>An invitation to Beijing (anxious \u2013 how can I find the time?)<\/li>\n<li>The fact that my older sister finally joined Facebook (unbelievable!)<\/li>\n<li>The fact that my younger sister might visit Rotterdam before she flies off to the Sudan (happy and anxious)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Some weeks, my list of surprises is shorter and more serious \u2013 surprises can bring unexpected bad news like market crashes, layoffs, political intrigue, or bad medical news. For companies, surprise is also a standard fact of business life. But since we all know that surprises happen, I wonder why we don\u2019t offer our students a course on Surprise? Karl E. Weick, at the University of Michigan, thinks this would be a good idea. Managing surprises well is a characteristic of resilient organizations \u2013 those that can\u2019t, may fail.  <\/p>\n<p> The problem is that most of us, including business executives, look for things that confirm our expectations about the world. We try to make behaviour routine and predictable \u2013 if we know the way the market runs, then we can maximize our return. The problem is, the world is much more uncertain. And that means we have to learn how to manage uncertainty and surprise. Can we learn to do this better? Weick and Sutcliffe give this advice: \u201cYou\u2019ll probably know when something unexpected happens because you\u2019ll feel surprised, puzzled, or anxious\u2026 Trust those feelings. They are a solid clue that your model of the world is in error. This is one of those rare moments when you can significantly improve your understanding. If you wait too long, normalizing will take over, and you\u2019ll probably be convinced that there is nothing to learn.\u201d Start by paying more attention to daily life \u2013 what surprises us and why? How do we react to surprises? What does that tell us about our mental models of the world? You may be surprised by what you find. I am.<\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/surprise_10.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h1><a name=\"hiddengarden\" title=\"hiddengarden\"><\/a>Hidden Garden\n<\/h1>\n<p>Lying down under a tree is not a normal kind of lecture. It\u2019s more likely to be the best part of skipping a lecture.  <\/p>\n<p>Yet in my Masters course <i>Companies in Ecologies<\/i>, Patrick Kruithof (from the Moment Company) did exactly that: He asked thirty business students to lie down under a tree at the nearby Arboretum Trompenburg. They were instructed to be silent and to breathe in, count to one, breathe out, count to two, and continue in this way. Students did this exercise for eleven minutes and then looked at their surroundings and made notes, photos and a drawing. After a half hour, we met for a \u201cde-brief\u201d on sustainability, trees, and experiential learning.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably someone asked: \u201cWhy would we do this in a business course? What\u2019s the meaning of this exercise?\u201d (Ok. I asked that question. I wanted to see what students would think of this experimental Monday). Someone suggested that it made us look at natural resources \u2013 in this case trees \u2013 in a different way.  Another answered, \u201cBecause we never do this kind of thing in a business school.\u201d Interesting, but is that a valid reason?<\/p>\n<p>Einstein once said, \u201c\u201cNo problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.\u201d Certainly sustainability and the climate crisis need innovative ideas. If we want to teach students how to deal with these issues, we have to take Einstein at face value. For Erasmus University, the trick is to change levels of consciousness within an educational setting.  <\/p>\n<p>Over the last four years, I\u2019ve organized this course in a beautiful outdoor location \u2014 the Arboretum Trompenburg, a hidden garden just five minutes walk from the university. We go there to discuss real-world business cases: e.g, on the reasons why Starbucks coffee wastes water, etc. This is combined with external speakers and visits to corporate offices.<\/p>\n<p>Conceptually, these lectures could be taught easily within our regular classrooms. But I want students to think outside the box, and for me, that means outside the normal classroom. <\/p>\n<p>Surprisingly, almost none of my students knew of the Arboretum in advance despite its close proximity. Yet each year they unanimously agree that our unusual \u2018classroom\u2019 adds a lot to their educational experience \u2013 it energizes and changes the way students look at sustainability problems.  <\/p>\n<p>Arguably, an outdoor classroom will help you get a better suntan. But the Arboretum can also have a lasting impact on our minds. <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/arboretum118_341822_07.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"typo3-heading-2\">A Bird\u2019s Life<\/h2>\n<p>04-06-09<\/p>\n<p> An old saying tells us that we don\u2019t know what we have until it\u2019s gone.\u00a0 And if you work on the west side of the T-building (or eat lunch in the 4th floor cantina), you may have noticed that there were birds nesting on our green roof.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> \u00a0<\/p>\n<p> It\u2019s taken some time for the roof to really become green.\u00a0 It started slowly but now is filled with grass, moss, even purple and yellow flowers.\u00a0 Green roofs can reduce heat loss and energy consumption.\u00a0 But surprisingly they also attract wildlife.\u00a0 Over the last month, RSM faculty, staff and students have given me numerous reports of a nesting \u2018Scholekster\u2019 family (Oystercatcher in English).\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> \u201cThese birds are being very innovative.\u00a0 Why are they on the roof?\u00a0 They\u2019re seabirds!\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of time watching them, or thinking about them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cThey\u2019ve really adapted to the environment that is available to them, like the city foxes in London.\u00a0 The rocky moss roof becomes the beach for them and the insects become the crustaceans\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cOf course I\u2019m busy working, but I think there were four chicks.\u00a0 We could see them hopping about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cWhen the chicks hatched, we handed out beschuit met muisjes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cWe told them [on another floor] that they\u2019re our birds because we watch them the most!\u201d<\/p>\n<p> \u201cThey are so loud\u2026you are reminded of them constantly!\u00a0 But it\u2019s nice to be confronted with nature in such an urban environment.\u201d <\/p>\n<p> \u201cI went on holiday for two weeks and I\u2019d been watching them everyday up until then.\u00a0 It was the first thing I did when I got back, to look out my window, and they weren\u2019t there!\u00a0 It was a huge disappointment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> To those of you that aren\u2019t busy watching these RSM birds, you might think there is nothing really special here, and maybe this is just a time-waster.\u00a0 The Oystercatchers are common in Europe, and we\u2019re a business school, not a zoo.\u00a0 We\u2019re not even a unique location: The University of Bergen has a nesting pair since 2005, complete with live webcam coverage (see http:\/\/tjeld.uib.no\/about.php )\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p> But they are \u2018our birds\u2019.\u00a0 Environmental psychologists call this \u2018attachment\u2019 \u2013 the process by which people become attached to nature.\u00a0 And clearly this happens even in a business school.\u00a0 Today when a colleague and I walked outside the cantina looking for signs of life, we felt sad.\u00a0 We could not find the birds, just the bees buzzing about.\u00a0 Who knows what happens in a bird\u2019s life \u2013 maybe they were eaten by predators or fell.\u00a0 But it is nice to know they could come back.\u00a0 Now all we need is a webcam\u2026 <\/p>\n<div class=\"typo3-img-div\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/uploads\/pics\/scholekster_02.jpg\" border=\"0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t<div data-name=\"acf\/posts\" class=\"alignfull py-6 md:py-8 lg:py-10 bg-white\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"container-fixed\">\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"space-y-6 md:space-y-8\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"text-xl md:text-2xl\">Latest news<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"post-grid\" class=\"grid items-stretch grid-cols-1 gap-2 md:gap-4 lg:gap-8 text-zoom-lg:grid-cols-1\n\t\t\n\t\tlg:grid-cols-3\n\t\t\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post\" class=\"block-theme-mocha hidden lg:flex h-full relative flex bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\tflex-col @xl:flex-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative image:w-full image:aspect-video image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-500x282.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 500w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-832x468.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 832w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/30\/benita-draagt-regenlaarzen-voor-de-sier\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tBenita wears rain boots for show\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-30\">30 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tDress code\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-mocha lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-460x460.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-460x460.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 460w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-115x115.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 115w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Benita-Bocoum-dresscode-Daan-Stam-6-scaled-230x230.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777538387 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/30\/benita-draagt-regenlaarzen-voor-de-sier\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tBenita wears rain boots for show\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-30\">30 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul 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image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-1280x720.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-1280x720.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-875x492.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-1600x900.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-300x169.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-1536x864.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-2048x1152.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 2048w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-500x282.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 500w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-832x468.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 832w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"@xl:hidden absolute -bottom-9 @md:-bottom-12 right-0 bg-brown text-white aspect-square size-9 block-theme-violet:bg-purple grid place-content-center @md:size-12 svg:size-4 @md:svg:size-6 @xl:svg:size-6\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"18\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M17.25 9.99998C17.2506 10.2546 17.1853 10.5051 17.0605 10.727C16.9356 10.949 16.7555 11.1348 16.5375 11.2665L3.03 19.5297C2.80227 19.6691 2.54144 19.7452 2.27445 19.7502C2.00746 19.7551 1.74399 19.6887 1.51125 19.5578C1.28073 19.4289 1.0887 19.2409 0.954904 19.0132C0.821111 18.7855 0.750385 18.5263 0.75 18.2622V1.73779C0.750385 1.47368 0.821111 1.21445 0.954904 0.986734C1.0887 0.759022 1.28073 0.571057 1.51125 0.442167C1.74399 0.311244 2.00746 0.244825 2.27445 0.249769C2.54144 0.254713 2.80227 0.330842 3.03 0.470292L16.5375 8.73342C16.7555 8.86511 16.9356 9.05097 17.0605 9.27291C17.1853 9.49485 17.2506 9.74533 17.25 9.99998Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 pr-11 @md:pr-12 @xl:pr-12\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/29\/how-to-become-a-rotterdammert-defne-learns-slang-phrases-tebbie-nou-op-je-muil\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tHow to become a Rotterdammert: Defne learns slang phrases: &#8216;Tebbie nou op je muil?&#8217;\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-29\">29 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tEM TV\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Article type: Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"hidden @xl:grid absolute top-0 right-0 bg-brown text-white aspect-square block-theme-violet:bg-purple place-content-center size-12 svg:size-6\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"18\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M17.25 9.99998C17.2506 10.2546 17.1853 10.5051 17.0605 10.727C16.9356 10.949 16.7555 11.1348 16.5375 11.2665L3.03 19.5297C2.80227 19.6691 2.54144 19.7452 2.27445 19.7502C2.00746 19.7551 1.74399 19.6887 1.51125 19.5578C1.28073 19.4289 1.0887 19.2409 0.954904 19.0132C0.821111 18.7855 0.750385 18.5263 0.75 18.2622V1.73779C0.750385 1.47368 0.821111 1.21445 0.954904 0.986734C1.0887 0.759022 1.28073 0.571057 1.51125 0.442167C1.74399 0.311244 2.00746 0.244825 2.27445 0.249769C2.54144 0.254713 2.80227 0.330842 3.03 0.470292L16.5375 8.73342C16.7555 8.86511 16.9356 9.05097 17.0605 9.27291C17.1853 9.49485 17.2506 9.74533 17.25 9.99998Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-mocha lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-460x460.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-460x460.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 460w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-115x115.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 115w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/20260325_HowToBeARotterdammert_afl2-230x230.png?image-crop-positioner-ts=1777469691 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 pr-11 @md:pr-12 @lg:pr-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/29\/how-to-become-a-rotterdammert-defne-learns-slang-phrases-tebbie-nou-op-je-muil\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tHow to become a Rotterdammert: Defne learns slang phrases: &#8216;Tebbie nou op je muil?&#8217;\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-29\">29 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tEM TV\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Article type: Video<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"absolute top-0 right-0 bg-brown text-white aspect-square size-9 block-theme-violet:bg-purple grid place-content-center @md:size-12 @lg:size-12 svg:size-4 @md:svg:size-6 @lg:svg:size-6\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"18\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M17.25 9.99998C17.2506 10.2546 17.1853 10.5051 17.0605 10.727C16.9356 10.949 16.7555 11.1348 16.5375 11.2665L3.03 19.5297C2.80227 19.6691 2.54144 19.7452 2.27445 19.7502C2.00746 19.7551 1.74399 19.6887 1.51125 19.5578C1.28073 19.4289 1.0887 19.2409 0.954904 19.0132C0.821111 18.7855 0.750385 18.5263 0.75 18.2622V1.73779C0.750385 1.47368 0.821111 1.21445 0.954904 0.986734C1.0887 0.759022 1.28073 0.571057 1.51125 0.442167C1.74399 0.311244 2.00746 0.244825 2.27445 0.249769C2.54144 0.254713 2.80227 0.330842 3.03 0.470292L16.5375 8.73342C16.7555 8.86511 16.9356 9.05097 17.0605 9.27291C17.1853 9.49485 17.2506 9.74533 17.25 9.99998Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<li class=\"@container\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post\" class=\"block-theme-violet hidden lg:flex h-full relative flex bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\tflex-col @xl:flex-row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"relative image:w-full image:aspect-video image:object-cover shrink-0 w-full @xl:w-1\/2\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817\" class=\"attachment-video_xl size-video_xl\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-1280x720.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-500x282.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 500w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-832x468.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 832w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 p-4 @md:p-8 @xl:p-8 \">\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @sm:text-xl @md:text-2xl @xl:text-2xl\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/29\/wachten-op-de-warmte\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current underline-offset-2 decoration-2 hocus:underline @md:decoration-3 @xl:decoration-4 inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tWaiting for the warmth\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-29\">29 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tColumn\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<div data-component=\"teaser-post-small\" class=\"block-theme-violet lg:hidden relative flex h-full bg-sand-300\n\tblock-theme-violet:bg-white block-theme-violet:text-purple block-theme-mocha:bg-sand-500 block-theme-mocha:text-brown\n\tblock-theme-sand:bg-sand-300 block-theme-sand:text-neutral-900\n\tblock-theme-violet:outline-purple-100 block-theme-violet:outline-1 block-theme-violet:outline-t-0\n\ttheme-mocha:bg-white! theme-violet:bg-white! theme-sand:bg-white!\n\tflex-row gap-4 @md:gap-8 p-4 @md:p-6\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image:w-full image:aspect-square image:object-cover shrink-0 size-17.5 @sm:size-21.25 @md:size-30 @lg:size-40\">\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"460\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817\" class=\"attachment-square_lg size-square_lg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 2560w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-875x583.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 875w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-1600x1067.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 1600w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-300x200.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 300w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-1280x854.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 1280w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-1536x1024.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 1536w, https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/Laila-Kozarki_foto2_columnist_jan2026_Geisje-van-der-Linden-2048x1366.jpg?image-crop-positioner-ts=1769522817 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 460px) 100vw, 460px\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"flex flex-col gap-2 md:gap-4 \">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"text-md @lg:text-lg\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/04\/29\/wachten-op-de-warmte\/\" class=\"absolute-link text-current hocus:underline inline-block\">\n\t\t\t\tWaiting for the warmth\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"flex flex-wrap gap-4 items-center\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Gepubliceerd op:<\/span>\n\t\t\t<time class=\"text-sm font-soehne text-neutral-900\" datetime=\"2026-04-29\">29 April 2026<\/time>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<ul data-component=\"list-badges\" class=\"flex items-center gap-2 flex-wrap\" aria-label=\"Geplaatst in categorie\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-component=\"badge\" class=\"block-theme-violet:bg-purple font-soehne font-bold text-sm bg-brown-600 block-theme-violet:bg-purple text-white py-[2px] px-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\tColumn\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text-right text-brown-600\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n\n<a\n\tdata-variant=\"outline\"\n\tdata-size=\"default\"\n\tclass=\"group inline-flex justify-center items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer text-md font-soehne underline-offset-2 decoration-2 px-4 min-h-[3.75rem] border-2 border-current bg-transparent text-current font-bold hocus:underline w-full lg:w-auto\"\n\n\t\n\t\t\thref=\"\"\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<span data-button-text class=\"\">\n\t\t\tAll articles\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\" flex items-center justify-center w-[1em] h-[1em] icon  \" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"20\" height=\"17\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 17\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M18.25 7.5C18.8023 7.5 19.25 7.94772 19.25 8.5C19.25 9.05228 18.8023 9.5 18.25 9.5H1.75C1.19772 9.5 0.75 9.05228 0.75 8.5C0.75 7.94772 1.19772 7.5 1.75 7.5H18.25Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<path d=\"M10.793 1.04295C11.1835 0.65243 11.8165 0.65243 12.207 1.04295L18.957 7.79295C19.3476 8.18348 19.3476 8.81649 18.957 9.20702L12.207 15.957C11.8165 16.3475 11.1835 16.3475 10.793 15.957C10.4024 15.5665 10.4024 14.9335 10.793 14.543L16.8359 8.49999L10.793 2.45702C10.4024 2.06649 10.4024 1.43348 10.793 1.04295Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Other Columns Gail EM 17: Hidden garden EM 16: Surprise! EM 15: Credit D.U.M.P. EM 14: Edgework EM 13: Closed by Credit EM 12: Obama Girl 2 EM 11: Filmfest EM 10: To Tree or Not to Tree? That is the Question\u2026 EM 9: A year ends, a new year begins EM 8: Partners in\u2026what? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_trash_the_other_posts":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"em_content_type":[24778],"class_list":["post-12097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus","em_content_type-nieuws"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Columns Gail EM Volume 12<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2009\/09\/30\/columns-gail-em-volume-12\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Columns Gail EM Volume 12\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Other Columns Gail EM 17: Hidden garden EM 16: Surprise! EM 15: Credit D.U.M.P. EM 14: Edgework EM 13: Closed by Credit EM 12: Obama Girl 2 EM 11: Filmfest EM 10: To Tree or Not to Tree? That is the Question\u2026 EM 9: A year ends, a new year begins EM 8: Partners in\u2026what? 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