15 KL 897 may 21

15 Kl 897 Amsterdam- Beijing. This is my seventh trip to B within 200 days and maybe the first time I am satisfied with the dutch or franco dutch company KLM. I generally dont like the service, the horselikes stewardesses: often the bad kind of dutch women: no fun, easily hurt, no humor, shitbags. So I prefer China Southern but though Vera tried and Monique tried: there
was no carrier available. The simple reason is, that I only one day before may 20 decided to
leave for China. I wont complain, though I must tell you I dont like the fact that the semidrunk
Ceo from KLM and the ever sleeping governement of the Netherlands sold the KLM to Air France. They are still drunk there in Paris, from the champaign. Cause they got the very good KLM at a bargain. Personally I dont like the degree of freedom of appointed managers, so easy
seduced to enrich themselves and I dilsike generally the shareholderconcept, that seduces people for the quick grab. I prefer " owners" in the real sense of the word.
This time the stewards didnt bother me with their diners and breakfasts and free drinks. Without trying to convince me to eat that very not nice peace of lamb and highly sterilized
broccoli, drown in a yellow cake of stale cheese, they obediently brought me my water.
"Water please."
"Just water?"
"Yes, just water."
"Ok, water."
"Thank you, yes, water."

Life is simple. I asked for a nice green salad, but there wasnt any. And then a miracle. The head
purser came in.
"I heard you want a salad."
"Yes."
"But there isnt any."
"I am aware of it, Your colleague made it clear to me. Pity."
"Yes, a pity, we cant solve this problem."
"No."
" But may I suggest a different solution?'
Oh my God I thought , the man is going to sell after all the industrialized standard food. But no was wrong. The man explained that he disliked the planefood too and he prepared always
his own green salad. " I will share my salad with you."
Nice. Nice. Yes, I said . I must say he had a fine tast. Salad ofcourse and some prapika's and slices of tomats and no dressing, He was a small guy, with a brown face of the kind marathonrunners show. Elegant. But that was not the only reason I liked him.
And then that encounter with the chino-english stewardess.
" Hello you again! Where are your friends?" My God I thougth this nice person remembers me.
I did too. 162 cm . Slender but not on the pretty pretty side. Gentle round mainland China
face.
"The third time we will meet I take you out dor dinner."
"My pleasure,"she said.

14 In the air to Beijing may 21

14 I take the habitual caf'e along the conveyor belt. The walking machine seems to be powered by a human voice:" Mind your steps. Mind your steps." The only reason why I hear the
alto is because , when sitting behind a natural salad. I missed her. Its a good sign. I remenber sitting here a couple of flights to China ago, so mad and tired and longing for the acrobat that i soon had to cut loose, that I could not hear anything else but that woman: Mind your steps.
But times have changed and I changed with them. I enjoy a forbidden cigar, feeling strong
within my boundaries. And of course I relish the memory of the first time I sat here: with Ton, Michiel, John Zang, Henk Mees. October 17 th 2006. Michiel , ceo Yourzine was paving the way Yourzine
is a internetmarketing tool, leading in Holland, part of Lectric, the leading internetfirm. They started 11 months ago and now have their YourzineChina operational with 20 people: software
specialists and commercial types. Ceo of YourzineChina is mr Hardy. A friend, a gentleman.
In the process of building our SchoutenChina we owe Hardy and Michiel a lot. And of course also
Jan Hein. Very much. In the pioneerstage of YourzineChina he phoned me from BEIJINH aiport: "Pa, drop everyting and come over. Here is life."That was march 2007. It took more than 7 months
before I persuaded myself to go. But that was oktober 17 2006.
Waiting for my journey to the gate f9 that will lead me to the KL897 I decided to spoil
myself and changed places. I jumped in a feauteuil of The Casinobar, an appetizer of Holland Casino. From the widebody screen CNN is burning. After a 200 persons killed at different
places of war- always with some American support- the smart so called independent CNN
gives the real important news. In the bay of San Francisco there develops a major contingency. Daphne and her babydaughther lost their way. Two whales. But they are swiming now in the righth direction, to the sea , away from the US Coast. There is that voice over: This a happy experience, we all know humpbacks are an endangered species! Then back to Gaza and
Bagdad and the other nice places for an updated bodycount. And Hoppa! there is that smile
again on the cool and seemingly undersexed face of the anchorwoman. Because life is not that
bad and we get immediate proof: a bunch of one armed and one legged children all african
and dancing in their american outfits a sweet litlle dance. There is a board behind them. "The
power of love." Silly americans, silly everybody. The untamed power of love is as poisonous
and killing like an irritated snake. My god I thing, what will happen to me, us, when
the US start loving Holland?

13 the Yellow Danger may 21 2007 to the air

13 The transfer to Schiphol really was like an oyster. Lying in the back of MB limousine I felt the
soft leather pressing my limbs, cool and gentle, like the aroma of lavendel. 14oo hs. hazy. The only living beings hitting me: the ever expanding yellow flowers that are in the process of invading Holland. Yes, a war is going on in the Netherlands. It really amazes me that CNN does not cover this item. Ik know of course of that famous movie THE BIRDS, based on a shor short story of Daphne du Maurier. How the nice birds surrounding us transform in serial killers. And sure I am aware of the growing multitude of movies about small germs, viruses, are menacing the future of mankind. So I consider the complete negligence of the Yellow Menace a gross error. At first I didnt discern the danger myself. But after the first awareness I couldnt avoid it
anymore. Wherever I looked I saw them: the Yellow Flowers. They amassed along the streets
in the polder, gatecrashing into the nice and neat dutch gardens. They jumped over ditches and
invaded the imaculate grasslands yellowing the green and soon overpowering that colour that rightly is called grassgreen. Wherever you look, you will discover the small yellow pioneers waiting for their chance and yes after a couple of days a lot of friends proved to join them.
So I asked my self: who are they. First I bought a book on wild west european flowers. I studied the reader Digest book, but couldnt find it. Even after i carefully determinated one of those sweet ennemies...long stem...a parapluie of little flowers together forming the total. Then I
started to ask persons to give me an advice: More than 12 one morning, but they couldnt give
a name even if those flowers started hindering them to enter the carport. While driving to Zaltstad, the capital of my life I stopped my car regularly to question people who had a polderlike appearance: a man with a black dog tied to a rope, the lady dumping catalogues in the
village postboxes. Even a policeman. They laughed, they smiled, but they said no. At home
I asked Marga, who is helping us out.
" I know,' she said,' we call this "herk" ?"
" What does herk mean?"
"weeds!"
" My God Marga, there are 1000 kinds of weed!"
" Oh sorry."
At the end of my patience I phoned Bokke N, formerly a community leader and responsible for
maintaining the roads and the grounds around them.
" Its Koolzaad!"
Koolzaad. Anne also new, but now with two witnesses I accpeted the namenow: koolzaad.
Yes, Bokke said, in my days as a community manager I decided to sow them: they look so beautiful in the landscape. I agree but i did not tell him he probably is the auctor of a real big
crisis in The netherlands.
Though fresh and energizing and of the real prime yellow, these nice koolzaadflowers
are taking over Holland. There is a huge conflict within the Government. In a recent crisis
meeting at the Palace, the minster of defence, defended his move to bring into the air severlal squadrons of helicopters and F 16's to destroy the yellow danger. he was supported by the
Agricultural ministry. The Minister of Economical Affairs wants to save the flowers, because they form the basis for bio diesel but is opposed by the Ecological department. the people
there believe that real nature now has come to earth. Drunk a lot of champagne.
But nothing happened and the talks are going on. So the koolzaad survives and brightens my mind while I am driving at te the airport, because the layers and layers of these flowers with
their imperial colours are the only ones in that clayish landscape that move me and freshen my mind. I am off to China for the seventh time. And I feel like it.

12 to China may 21 2007

Waiting for the taxi. Outside my window a platoon young ducks plowing the lake. Its hazy. 20 degrees C. I estanlished this fact on my way to the chemist. I bought some suncream, because
Beijing according to CNN lives in the heat: 30 or more degrees. Beijing the place I am travelling to. Plane leaves at 17.30. My 6th or seventh trip. I am fully booked with businessdates and also
will travel to Shanghai for two days. This morning eating my daily very naturel salad at the\pub Heineke I had a good chat with TM, president of the board. SNG is on the move and I am. I got
a couple of sweet calls from my sons and other sweet people wishing me a good flight. The water
I am swimming in is warm. The fish is strong and curious. The taxi arrives, so Ill continue later.

11 Argentinia may 15 2007

I renamed my Blog. of course. Nothing else can make me happy. I am the own auctor. Argentina is the name of this state of self control. Though also the name of a country, I never visited.
Does this Argentina exist and what is her geography? Not easy to answer. Happiness is a passing mood. Furthermore a word that garantuees unhappiness, a shit word as well. So the journey continues.
The last days I am living in my head, more than in the earlier days. Thats because of a large part of my work: the final correction of my novel . Strenuous labor, but I will finish it this weekend. Give the manuscript to Anne, Willem, Carry and Monique to read. Forget it for a month.
I got a strange email from a man who recognizes himself in the person of Carnival, the dutchman who plays a role in the story of Li Xiao.
Some excerpts. "dear sir, I read that story.and I wonder: do you know me? My wife says: Carnival could be you. I agree. Carnival could be me. It should be noted however I disagree where you describe me as small and fat and a lost duck without wings.'
This man, I cant give his name, invited me for lunch to sort things out. I accepted. But this invitation will be consumed after I'm back from Chine. I leave soon for Beijing.
Our firm now definitely is legally founded. Good work.

10 may 12 2007

The first of June we will celebrate the official pre-opening of our China-Office. I will be present. Fullheartedly. The design of the courses is in full swing. Marketing Programs are in the make. And of course our back-office will be well organized for June 1. A good performance of Dong Yan, senior manager and Sanboa and many others. Among them Gonnie, manager of SnrSchoutenGlobal, Tineke-programmanager, Frank our financial man. And of course of Tonio who will the coming years lead the China endeaviour.
Weather is dutch. I like it. Grey one would say. But gray is a gray word. There are so many shades. But the blosoms are gone. I heard from sources undisclosed the Acrobat left Beijing. She runs her own business now, helping some mainland companies to export to the West. She seemed to have read the story of the fluteplayer. Maybe you remember I borrowed her nickname from that tale. Sources undisclosed revealed that she got a terrible temper after reading the story of that poor girl, destroying half of her interior and demanding I remove the piece. One friend demanded that I destroy the whole blog. He feared the destruction of my image. But other reactions are favourable. Some people ask for a photograph. Dont hurry.
Last thursday I again went to the chemist. The place where I walked from without paying.
I bougth some personal items. The woman behind the counter I already had identified as the owners wife. A huge person, fully dressed up. She reminded me of the sweet persons behind the parfumcounters all over the world. But something strange must have happened in her life. She had a certain age, but age never is important. No, but it looked like she experienced some mishaps in her life. Like she was the victim of several unsuccesful beauty operations. I mean: many curves but seemingly just a bit misplaced. She didnt look happy. She smiled at me, but the movement of her lips didnt reach her heart.
"Here, she said, 23.45 euro."
At the same time I saw her fingers and especially her nails. Huge ones. At least one inch long.
Burgundy red and full of silver specks. Like you sometimes see at bowling balls.
With the biggest of those knives she pointed at me. And I did what I should do. Immediately I grabbed in my trousers to search for money. And I paid. So you see habit change is possible. This is an issue in China. But I garantee: if even Jan Schouten can change its habits, everybody in China can. read our SchoutenChina site.

9. China- may 2 2007

This morning overlooking the Lake, head eastwards, towards the sun. The water seemed motionless. Suddenly however I was withness to the birth of a small wave, whitecapped, that
slowly started to plow the surface. It looked like a huge fish. Like that whale I once observed outside Bequia. I remember we killed the diesel and sat silently in the cockpit. Until the giant disappeared. So on my chair observing the progess of that wave I killed time. Out of that capsule i really couldnt estimate how long I sat there.
Yesterday was top. I printed my novel, transported it home, 500 pages. Tomorrow i start reading it loud to myself and probably find some tiny approvements. The end of 4 years continous work, 3000 hours. I hope not in vain. I wrote it for myself, me being the first reader.
I lost at least 8 mediumsized pots of Peanutbutter last week. I had that nice conversation with Tineke Kanters, the program manager of Schouten China and of Schouten Global. I enjoyed working for her on the program.
The last 150 days we solved a lot of problems. From november 1 2006 we decided to go for Chinese Company on communication,leadership training and organization development. We are offering servicesd for companies, but also open courses for people who pay themselves. In order to do so we had to rely on our own creativity as we had to redesign the courses we publish in Holland to new forms, methods and content, fit for the chinese market. There are no chinese communicationskills trainers, so we start in june with the Train the Trainer program.
But june 1 2007 we will start in Beijing wth a formal opening.
For our program look at SchoutenChina.com.cn

I was heavily involved in designing together with Tineke a 1 day course for graduates, to help them to enhance the chance of acquiring a job. Fun. Quality.Useful: every year 3.5 million Chinese pass their examination. Only one third get a jon within 6 months.