Love Parade - by Patrick

After reading a news article about the Love Parade disaster, Patrick answers the question: "Do you think the 'Love Parade' should be banned? Why or why not?"

I think the 'Love Parade' should not be banned because it is a big piece of German culture and a festival where so many people have fun and party. But I think the organisation of this festival must be better and you need enough space for this big mass of visitors. In my opinion it cannot be realized that over one million people have to go through a tunnel to a place where only 800,000 people fit in, so the organizers are to be blamed for this emergency.

On Holland - by Manuela (39)

When I think of Holland I have a smile on my face. :-) I think of a lot of nice things. First of all, I think of Amsterdam, one of my favorite cities. I love its multicultural and open-minded people, its narrow waterways, the famous Bulldog Coffee Shop, the Hard Rock Cafe, the busy Leidseplein ...
Thinking of Holland makes me think back to the time of my youth, when I used to hitch-hike to A'dam with my friend. Makes me remember that special feeling that creeps up on you, when you officially and publicly buy weed, choosing from a menu - which is totally out of the question here in Germany, or any place else for that matter. You keep looking over your shoulder, expecting to get caught any time ...
I think of the sea, of flowers, ... and of tomatoes with absolutely no taste whatsoever.
I also think of the Dutch language whose intonation I like a lot, it sounds kind of funny and very positive.
What else comes to mind is that a lot of Dutch people are buying old houses here in our village. I wonder why that is?
I think of the Oranje football team and feel a little sorry for them for not winning the Soccer World Cup this year.
Another memory that comes up are the wooden clogs I so badly wanted to have as a child. When my brother went on a holiday to Holland and brought me back a pair, I put them on immediately and was so disappointed, because they were so hard and uncomfortable to wear. My feet hurt!