By Bianca Dias-Halpert Title: Memories of ‘The East’ Author: Fridus Steijlen, KITLV Press ISBN-10: 906718199 4 ISBN-13: 9789067181990 This book offers a window into the past without having to wade through a lot of facts and data. Between 1997-2001, over 700 interviews were conducted of those who had lived through the end of colonialism…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert How can you not love food if you were born above a restaurant ? So it was for Jeff Keasberry. His oma’s restaurant in Amsterdam, which opened in 1954, was called “Djokja” after the name of the town she was from in the former Dutch East Indies. Jeff said that the restaurant…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert After WWII ended in 1945 there was a power vacuum in the Dutch East Indies as the former Japanese captors were disarmed and the Indonesian revolutionists picked up momentum. Because of the lack of manpower in the Dutch military the Allied Forces sent British-Indian troops to stabilize the situation and aide…
[image: Suza with first Yoga instructor 1972] By Bianca Dias-Halpert After talking with Suza I couldn’t help but think of someone being at the right place at the right time. For starters, she lives in Ojai, California one of the most beautiful places in not only natural elements but also lifestyle. With a climate likened…
[Ingrid and Judith with Guitars in Suriname] By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA Diverse is an understatement when it comes to describing Ingrid. An elected official who is a musician, twin, vegetarian, wife and speaks six languages, Ingrid Morroy was a delight to interview as she shared her colorful background. Her Indo mother from the Dutch East…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA The Power of a Grocery Store A new environment, new food, new customs and everything familiar left behind. We usually do not think of a grocery store as being significant in our daily routine. But when you find one that has the ingredients of the country you left behind it’s…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA This is a remarkable family story of altruism, survival and faith based values. From immigrant to international entrepeunuer, meet Roy van Broekhuizen Chairman and CEO of Laga Designs International, Inc. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia he left with his family at the age of 9 to The Netherlands. Four years later the…
[Featured photo: Royal Dutch Marines 1944 Courtesy of Mr. James E. Stewart Jr. of Montford Point Marines National Museum] By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA This story is a hidden gem in the history of Dutch-American military relations surrounding WWII. I had the good fortune of finding this organization and talking with Mr. James E. Stewart…
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, Washington, USA In 2004 my quest for English language literature about the Dutch East Indies came to a screeching halt when I discovered this wonderful book. Disguised A teenage girl’s surival in World War II Japanese prison camps, by Rita la Fontaine de Clercq Zubi published in 2001 is a treasure to…
BDH: Where were you born ? JK: I was born in the beautiful tourist town of Malang, in East Java, the former Dutch East Indies, prior to the Japanese invasion. After struggle for independence, the country became known as Indonesia and the Dutch were expelled. BDH: How did you emigrate ? JK: As a 17-year…