The weather in Amsterdam today reminds me of a monsoon morning in Malaysia, where I spent a few years as a child. We tend to remember things in frames which have become coloured and romanticised by time. Of course that monsoon morning could in fact have been night, and the bedside light-bulbs would have drawn the occasional flying ant or praying mantis, turning its head eerily to gaze in my direction.

Having just pubished the article 'Third culture club' in honour of back-to-school week in the Netherlands, I realise that my upbringing -- born in Malta and moving to Russia, England, Malaysia and Singapore before landing in Scotland, all by the age of nine – has bestowed on me some characteristics of this club. "They are the most interesting people because their rich inner lives belie their often bland… and sometimes wary, presentation of themselves to others...," goes the article. Hmmm, this could ring true although Im not so sure about "the prolonged adolescence" part that comes later.

My two daughters are now around the same age that I was in Malaysia; eight and nine years. Their experience so far has been different. Both were born in Amsterdam and both only remember the house we live in now – although we moved when the eldest was around two years old.

Only one swimming pool
Their ideas of ‘abroad’ are quite different from mine as they associate travel with holidays, and far-off countries with what they see on the TV and in newspapers. They are convinced that if they go to India, they will be kidnapped and put up for adoption, and that -- according to my youngest daughter, “China only has one swimming pool”. She saw a Reuters’picture of a crowded swimming pool in China in The Malta Times on our flight back from Malta on 28th July. On the same day, that picture dropped through our letterbox in Amsterdam, splashed across the front cover of Het Parool, reinforcing the impression.

My daughter has also joined the rest of the world in frowning on China at the moment. She doesn’t know much about its human rights record but believes that cats and dogs have a rough time in this far-off land.

Souvenir of Malta
I have yet to confirm that a small fluffy cat ornament which she bought on the Maltese island of Gozo was covered with real cat fur. Having bought the 3-euro souvenir of Malta for a little friend of hers back home, my daughter found a ‘made in China’ sticker on the back. Later on, a potter in a Gozo craft shop warned her against buying these ‘Maltese’ cats as they were clearly supporting the trade in cat fur from China. True, the fur looks real – it feels like rabbit or cat  – but I told my distraught little girl that we would check this out before jumping to conclusions.

I’m having the fur analysed, and, should we find that this is indeed cat fur, we’ll take some action to try to stop the export of such goods to Malta – or anywhere else in Europe. I am aware that China isn't the only country operating such a fur trade but each small contribution in support of animal rights helps.

[Since writing this article I had the fur tested in the UK and find that it is rabbit fur. The organisation 'Respect for animals' campaigning against cruelty to animals which tested the fur for free, told me that the rabbits are kept in distressing conditions and are certainly not killed humanely. The same organisation drew my attention to the new EU ruling which means that the import, export and sale of cat and dog fur in the EU will be banned as of 31 December 2008.]

Your contributions

Meanwhile, for parents in Amsterdam, the kids are back at school and routines are returning to normal. You may be experiencing, like me, a sense of relief as you catch up on sleep lost over the holiday and get your life back on course. Or maybe, there is a sense of regret that another year will pass before you have such extended time off again.

For me, its back to Expatica where, this month, we'll be focusing on adding to and updating articles on our education channel -- including the archives.

 If you would like us to address any particular topic around education, family and children, then please send an email to feedback@expatica.com with your suggestion(s). 

August 2008

 Natasha Gunn
Editor Expatica Netherlands.