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European Ryder Cup Captain returns to Nedbank Golf Challenge
European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has confirmed his participation in the milestone 40th anniversary edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The former World Number One will tee it up in 'Africa's Major' from November 10 – 13, 2022, returning to Sun City's Gary Player Country Club for the first time since December 2014.
Donald has appeared in the Nedbank Golf Challenge twice since it was included in the DP World Tour schedule in 2013, when the event opened the 2014 season, finishing 19th and following that up with a third place finish 12 months later.
The seven-time DP World Tour winner was named Ryder Cup Captain as Europe bid to win the trophy back from Zach Johnson's United States side in Rome next September.
He joins a field that includes the defending champion and two-time Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood, who lifted the trophy in 2019 – the last time the event took place due to the Covid-19 pandemic – and South African DP World Tour winners Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Dean Burmester and Thriston Lawrence.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge has been a highlight of the South African sporting calendar since its first edition in 1981, with an impressive list of former winners that includes the legendary Seve Ballesteros, South African golfing icon Ernie Els and Major Champions such as Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Trevor Immelman and Danny Willett.
Donald said: "I'm delighted to be able to play the Nedbank Golf Challenge in this landmark year for the event. It's such a unique tournament and I have fond memories of my past visits to Sun City.
"It certainly doesn't seem like eight years since I last teed it up there, and I'm very much looking forward to returning, both as a player and in my capacity as Ryder Cup captain, as the season draws to a close."
The 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge will once again be included on the DP World Tour schedule in partnership with Nedbank and Sun International, this season as the penultimate event before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. The $6,000,000 will also carry an increased number of DP World Tour Ranking Points, with 7,000 points available.
The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit will also receive a place in the 64-player field at Gary Player Country Club.
The last edition of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2019 delivered record attendance figures and sold-out hospitality. Ticketing information for the milestone 40th event will follow in due course.
Kingston triumphs on Legends Tour
James Kingston recorded his second official Legends Tour title, after seeing off the chasing pack to secure the Swiss Seniors Open title at Golf Club Bad Ragaz.
Kingston headed into the final round following on from two blemish free rounds of 68 and 63 to secure the win ahead of former European Ryder Cup player Phillip Price and three-time Legends Tour winner David Shacklady.
Kingston secured his maiden Legends Tour win in November of last year at the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open and also in July of last year at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open Invitational.
"It's a great feeling," Kingston said. "I feel like it was a tough week, I came into the week feeling like I was playing nicely I put myself in a good position in round one it was disappointing that I didn't do any better and obviously yesterday I think that was the round that got me through the hole thing, I played great golf yesterday.
"Today, disappointed with a few mistakes that I made, putting wasn't as great as I would have liked it to be, I felt a little under pressure, conditions weren't easy which didn't make it any easier and I played with two really good sportsmen Phillip (Phillip Price) and Shackers (David Shacklady) it was a great competitive round and we had a great time.
"Obviously delighted to be standing here as the champion."
The 56-year-old has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure he can be in contention on the Legends Tour this year but admits having the sheer determination and belief helped him along the way.
"We work hard all year to try and put ourselves in these positions, and this week I put in the hours I did the work.
"I'm sad my family can't be here to enjoy it with me but it's just one of those things, I worked hard, in the end we pulled through with a bit of determination a bit of grit, but it all worked out fine in the end." – Legends Tour.
Evergreen Horne targets Sunshine Tour title number 10
KLEINMOND, Western Cape – When Keith Horne won his first Sunshine Tour title in May 1998, Ernie Els was world number one, Tiger Woods was second and Davis Love III was in third place. On Sunday at the Arabella Country Estate, the 50-year-old Horne has the opportunity to win in an entirely new generation.
Horne signed for a second round of 68 in the Lombard Insurance Classic on Saturday, showing his intent early in the round when he opened with two straight birdies. His second consecutive 68 of the week lifted him to eight under par overall and into a three-stroke lead in this 54-hole tournament.
His nearest challengers are Rupert Kaminski and Louis Albertse on five under par, and both of whom were two years old when Horne claimed his maiden Sunshine Tour title. Kaminski worked his way into contention with a second round of 69 while Albertse signed for a 73.
One of the longstanding campaigners of South African golf is chasing a significant 10th title on the Sunshine Tour.
Horne has fond memories of Arabella having won a Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament here in 2017.
"I'm feeling good. My results haven't been great of late and I was struggling a bit. But now that the overseas tours have opened up for me again after COVID-19, I've been working hard and it's nice to see it paying off," said Horne, who is relishing playing a golf course where he feels more competitive.
"We've been playing golf courses that are bombers' paradises recently and I can't compete against the youngsters anymore. It's nice to play a stunning course like this that requires thought, where the greens are hard and fast, and where I don't feel like I'm playing catch-up all the time. I can be competitive, and it's inspiring me as well. It's so nice to be back in a position to win again." – Michael Vlismas
Altron Big Easy Tour a major boost for South African pro golf development
The Big Easy Tour, the official development tour of the Sunshine Tour, has announced that leading technology company Altron will be its new title sponsor as part of a substantial investment in the next generation of South African professional golf talent, including more tournaments and greater prize money.
The Altron Big Easy Tour will feature 10 tournaments in a schedule that will run from May to September, and which will also include record prize money for the final two tournaments of the season.
The prize money for each 36-hole tournament will be R150 000, which is an increase of R50 000 per tournament from the 2021 season. But the final two tournaments of the season – The Playoff and The Final to be played over 54 holes – will offer record prize money for the Tour of R250 000 and R300 000 respectively.
Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour, said: "We are delighted to announce this new era for the Altron Big Easy Tour which represents significant growth for our main development tour, and which offers incredible playing opportunities for those golfers wishing to graduate to the Sunshine Tour."
"The Altron Big Easy Tour is the first step that an aspiring South African professional golfer will take on the global pathway that includes the Sunshine Tour and our associations with the Challenge Tour and DP World Tour."
Matthew Klaas, Acting Managing Director of Altron Systems Integration, said: "As Altron we are passionate about our communities and the potential of all our people. We are, therefore, proud to be able to create the opportunity for a rising young South African professional golfer to be able to aspire to a place on the Sunshine Tour and a successful career in the game."
The Playoff will feature the top 50 players on the Altron Big Easy Tour Order of Merit competing for R250 000 in prize money.
The top 30 players on the Order of Merit after The Playoff will qualify for The Final during which they will compete for R300 000 in prize money.
All of the tournaments will be played in Gauteng.
The Big Easy Tour was founded in 2011 with support from Ernie Els and counts current international star Christiaan Bezuidenhout amongst its former Order of Merit winners.
Committed Rohwer on track for Vodacom Origins glory
SUN CITY, North West – Shakespeare wrote it as, "To thine own self be true". Martin Rohwer defines it "being 100% committed to every shot". Now Rohwer, to continue to borrow from the bard, is well placed at the top of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final's leaderboard going into Sunday's final act of this Sunshine Tour event.
With rounds of 66 and 67, Rohwer heads the field on 11 under par and will take a four-shot lead into the last day at the Gary Player Country Club.
Alex Haindl remains a very real threat though as his nearest challenger on seven under par following his round of 70 on Saturday, and having won on this golf course as recently as last year's SunBet Challenge.
But Rohwer does seem to be playing with a confidence in his process that will be hard to beat.
"I'm just staying committed to every shot I hit. I pick my targets and then commit 100% to that. I think that's been the difference. My attitude has been really good. Even though I haven't always been swinging it 100%, I've been 100% committed and focused," said Rohwer.
It was a decision he and his coach came to early in January as they plotted the way forward in 2022.
"We looked at what my process will be each week, and we decided that as long as I am improving each week and I'm ticking all the boxes I want, that's the most important thing. Win or lose."
The process certainly seems to be working as he's played two very different rounds of golf to lead this field.
"In the first round, my short game was really good and then in the second round I hit the ball a lot better from tee to green. This is a great golf course, and it's one where if you can drive the ball well you can take advantage of it."
Now all that remains for Rohwer is to right the final scene of a victory at Sun City on Sunday.
American Longbella loving South Africa as he leads Q School
American Thomas Longbella retained his place at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds of the First Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Tuesday, and seems to be benefitting from practising next to a Masters champion before the start of this event.
Longbella added another round of 67 to climb to 10 under par overall and two strokes clear of South African amateur Christopher Long, who posted a second round of 68. Austria's Bernard Neumayer, South African Dean O'Riley and his amateur countryman Sean Cronje all finished the day on seven under par.
Longbella, who grew up in Wisconsin, says he's loving the Maccauvlei layout which reminds him of the golf courses he played as a youngster. And without even knowing it, he says he believes he shared the driving range with the Maccauvlei master himself, Charl Schwartzel.
"Last Friday I was on the driving range hitting balls and there was just one other guy there, but he was kind of behind me a bit so I didn't really get a good look at him. But I could just hear him absolutely flushing every single shot. Then I went out to play nine holes and my local caddie said to me, 'Do you know who that was? It was Charl Schwartzel'. I had been really focused on my own warm-up so hadn't really paid attention, but my caddie seemed pretty convinced it was Schwartzel," said Longbella.
The American has loved his time in South Africa, and it's certainly showed in his golf as he signed for a bogey-free round on Tuesday.
"It was a good day again today. I hit the ball much better than I did in the first round. I hit a lot of fairways and greens and I kept it in play off the tee. It's been fun. This is the first time I've been across the Atlantic. I've been enjoying the monkeys on the course. I've never seen a wild monkey in my life and now every day I'm seeing these little guys running around. It's been great. Everybody here has been so nice."
The First Stage finishes on Thursday. Only the top 40 professionals and ties will progress to the Final Stage.
American Longbella shares Q School lead with an ace
The journey to secure a place on the Sunshine Tour teed off for many prospective touring professionals this week with the first round of the First Stage of the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School at Maccauvlei Golf Club on Monday.
American Thomas Longbella and South African amateur Sean Cronje led the scoring on day one with rounds of five-under-par 67. Longbella's round included a hole-in-one on the par-three 16th. "I've just bought my playing group some drinks," Longbella said after the round. "I wasn't hitting my nine iron well all day. On the 16th tee my caddie said, 'C'mon, give me a nine iron in the grooves' and I was like, 'Sure, I'd love to do that. I've been trying all day'. And then I absolutely flushed it. It pitched 10-feet past the hole and then trickled back in. It was a good day."
Longbella said his decision to come out to South Africa and enter the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School was based on watching Erik van Rooyen's progress on the PGA Tour.
"Just watching Erik convinced me that the Sunshine Tour is a good place to come and play."
Longbella and Cronje lead by one over the South African trio of Rigardt Albertse, brother of Sunshine Tour professional Louis Albertse, Dylan O'Leary and amateur Christopher Long.
Albertse was delighted with his start. "It went very well. I was very good from the tee, had a few loose iron shots and then was very good with my short game," said the man who is making his second attempt at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School, and who has the benefit of some inside knowledge thanks to his brother.
"Thanks to Louis I have a good idea of what life on the Sunshine Tour is all about. It's a dream of mine to play on the Sunshine Tour."
Long was equally pleased to make such a good start to a week which he sees as playing a vital role in his future aspirations.
"When you look at the likes of Garrick Higgo, Louis Oosthuizen and so many others, they all started here on the Sunshine Tour. This is a great foundation and that's the plan for me."
The Tour's Qualifying School has drawn a field of professionals and amateurs from South Africa as well as England, Germany, the United States, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, Reunion Island, Zimbabwe, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.
Sunshine Tour announces strong growth for 2022 schedule
The Sunshine Tour has announced a bold start to 2022 with a schedule including two new tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, and seven tournaments co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour including a new event in Tanzania.
The opening four months of the New Year will see South Africa's professional golfers competing for almost R80 million in total tournament prizemoney in what is an extremely strong and lucrative start to the Sunshine Tour season.
"A tremendous amount of work together with the ongoing support of our Chairman Mr Johann Rupert, our Executive Director Selwyn Nathan, our Board of Directors, our partners and sponsors has allowed us to announce what we believe is a fabulous Sunshine Tour schedule to start the year with," said Thomas Abt, Commissioner of the Sunshine Tour.
"We are delighted to be able to grow our relationship with the DP World Tour and the Challenge Tour with the offering of even more opportunities for our member professionals to secure a place on an international tour while playing at home. This significantly enhances what has always been our global pathway to success for our professionals.
"We also have several new sponsors on board that have recognised the value professional golf offers. I'd also like to pay tribute to our existing sponsors – Dimension Data, Bain's Whisky, City of Cape Town, the Limpopo Tourism Authority, Vodacom and the Kit Kat Group – many of whom have been with us for a very long time and who continue to give us the means to build on a Sunshine Tour brand that is globally recognised as a place of opportunity and reflective of our slogan that 'GreatnessBeginsHere'."
The Sunshine Tour's 2022 schedule tees off in the final week in January with the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.
February, March and April include the Challenge Tour's Southern African Swing, which has now grown from three tournaments to seven.
The first new event is the Jonsson Workwear Open, which will be played at both Durban Country Club and Mt Edgecombe Country Club.
"Creating opportunities for passionate people to perform at their peak is the common thread that ties the Sunshine Tour to Jonsson Workwear. We are proud to introduce the Jonsson Workwear Open, a flagship event that will support our continuous efforts in building Durban as a city and KwaZulu-Natal as a region of endless possibilities," said Nick Jonsson, Chairman and CEO of Jonsson Workwear.
This is followed by the Mangaung Open at both Bloemfontein Golf Club and Schoeman Park Golf Club.
The SDC Open also joins the Challenge Tour co-sanctioned schedule and will be played at the Zebula Golf Estate & Spa and Elements Private Golf Reserve in Limpopo.
"As an organization passionate about developing others in their personal and professional life, we took up this opportunity as a means of getting a greater awareness around what the SDC Group does to develop and grow the skills and wealth of people in South Africa. We are honoured to be associated with the prestige that comes with the tournament," said Daniel Gibhard, CEO of the Skills Development Corporation (SDC).
The Tour then branches out into Tanzania for the first time for the new Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic at the Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate in Tanzania.
"Tanzania's Tourism is one of the main pillars of our economy. Golf has been identified as a major catalyst for tourism development globally. The launch of the Challenge Tour tournament will go a long way in developing golf tourism to showcase our unparalleled natural attractions," said the Hon. Dr Damas Ndumbaro, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism in Tanzania.
These new Challenge Tour events join the existing Dimension Data Pro-Am (Fancourt), Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open (Royal Cape Golf Club and Rondebosch Golf Club), and the Limpopo Championship (Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate and Koro Creek Bushveld Estate).
March features the two new tournaments co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour, the $1.5 million Pecanwood Classic at the Pecanwood Golf Estate and the $1.5 million Steyn City Championship at Steyn City.
This takes to a total of five the number of tournaments the Sunshine Tour hosts on the DP World Tour, adding to the Joburg Open, South African Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The Kit Kat Group Pro-Am (Irene Country Club), Players Championship (Dainfern Golf Estate) and Tour Championship (Serengeti Estates) round off the new schedule.
And the country's next generation of stars will have the opportunity to play their way onto the Sunshine Tour through either the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School or the Vusi Ngubeni Tournament for transformation golfers.
Sunshine Tour 2022 Schedule
17-20 January – Sunshine Tour Qualifying School First Stage (Maccauvlei GC and Benoni CC)
28-30 January – Vodacom Origins of Golf Final R1 000 000 (Gary Player CC, Sun City)
4-6 February – Kit Kat Group Pro-Am R1 000 000 (Irene CC)
10-13 February – Dimension Data Pro-Am $375 000 (Fancourt)
17-20 February – Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open $250 000 (Royal Cape GC and Rondebosch GC)
24-27 February – Jonsson Workwear Open $250 000 (Durban CC and Mt Edgecombe CC)
3-6 March – Mangaung Open $250 000 (Bloemfontein GC and Schoeman Park GC)
8-9 March – Vusi Ngubeni Qualifying Tournament (Modderfontein GC)
10-13 March – Pecanwood Classic $1 500 000 (Pecanwood Golf and Country Club)
17-20 March – Steyn City Championship $1 500 000 (Steyn City)
24-27 March – SDC Open $250 000 (Zebula Golf Estate & Spa and Elements Private Golf Reserve)
31 March – 3 April – Limpopo Championship $250 000 (Euphoria Golf & Lifestyle Estate and Koro Creek Bushveld Estate)
7-10 April – Mount Kilimanjaro Klassic $275 000 (Kilimanjaro Golf & Wildlife Estate)
21-24 April – The Players Championship R2 000 000 (Dainfern Golf Estate)
28 April – 1 May Tour Championship R1 500 000 (Serengeti Estates)
26-29 April – Sunshine Tour Qualifying School Final Stage R100 000 (Gauteng – Venue TBC)
26-29 April – Vusi Ngubeni Tournament R100 000 (Gauteng – Venue TBC)
Oosthuizen chasing Open glory
Louis Oosthuizen will take a one-shot lead into Sunday's final round of The Open as he seeks to claim the second Major of his career at Royal St George's.
Oosthuizen signed for a third round of 69 to climb to 12 under par, one stroke clear of Collin Morikawa and three ahead of Jordan Spieth.
The South African now has the chance to join an elite club of outright wire-to-wire winners of The Open. Since World War II, only three players have managed to win The Open by leading on their own from start to finish. They were Tom Weiskopf in 1973, Tiger Woods in 2005 and Rory McIlroy in 2014.
The rest of the South African challenge also still looks good, with Dylan Frittelli tied sixth on seven under par, and Justin Harding tied ninth on six under par.
"Finishing second isn't great, so I will play my heart out and see if I can lift the Claret Jug again," said Oosthuizen, who has a Grand Slam of runner-up finishes in the Majors, and who has finished second in the last two Majors this year alone.
"I think all of us are just human to think of lifting the trophy, and that's going to be in your mind. But I think you just need to know it and how to handle it. Once we get on the golf course, it's all golf. You need to believe that you can lift the trophy, as well, and if you think about it beforehand that you might win this championship, I think that's great, and you have to believe you can do it." – Sunshine Tour/European Tour/The Open
Oosthuizen in the hunt at US Open
Louis Oosthuizen moved into a share of the lead alongside clubhouse pacesetter Russell Henley as darkness saw play suspended on day one of the 2021 US Open Championship.
A 90-minute fog delay at the start of the day meant that some players had as many as six holes to complete on Friday morning but that was no problem for home favourite Henley, who carded a 67 from the fourth group of the day to get to four under at Torrey Pines Golf Club.
Oosthuizen then joined him at that mark and was left with a 35-foot putt on his penultimate hole to take the solo lead when the hooter sounded, with a host of European Tour members in the chasing pack.
Francesco Molinari – the 2018 Open Champion – was at three under alongside Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello, with another Spaniard in Jon Rahm two off the lead.
Masters Tournament Champion Hideki Matsuyama, 2017 and 2018 winner of this event Brooks Koepka and Americans Hayden Buckley and Xander Schauffele were also at two under.
Colombian Sebastian Munoz was also two under through 14, with 11 players three shots off the lead in the clubhouse including four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.
Oosthuizen already has a Major to his name at the 2010 Open Championship but has finished second five times in golf's four biggest events, including this one in 2015.
The fifth of those runner up finishes came at last month's US PGA Championship and the South African was enjoying the test of Torrey Pines.
"I just enjoy playing really tough golf courses," he said. "I think somehow I focus a little bit better when I play those courses, knowing that the margin for error is really small.
"Especially around this place, you've got to drive it well, you've got to start it in the fairway, and you're going to have trouble if you're missing fairways around this golf course and I've really been driving it good lately."
The 38-year-old bogeyed the 11th but holed a 20 footer on the 12th and then made a hat-trick of gains from the 16th with two more long putts and a two putt on the par five 18th.
He holed an 11-footer on the fifth to join the lead and was left with another lengthy putt at the par five ninth to come when darkness fell. – European Tour


"Improving the medical management of organophosphorus pesticide poisoning through health services research and training" – Bishan N. Rajapakse, PhD , Australian National University, February 2015.
Organophosphorus (OP) self-poisoning is a major global public health problem resulting in over 200,000 deaths each year with a case fatality of 15-30%. Early medical management consists of effective resuscitation and targeted antidote therapy.
This thesis argued that health services research and rural doctor training could be used to improve the medical management of OP poisoning in a resource limited rural Sri Lankan setting, where the delivery of critical care is limited by a lack of diagnostic tests and resuscitation skills. Research investigating the use of AChE in guiding clinical management, and research that measured the effectiveness of rural resuscitation training, were the two streams of research that were the founding pillars of the thesis. These two elements were linked together through a conceptual framework of knowledge translation, each operating at different points in the continuum of evidence being translated into practice.
An AChE point-of-care test (Test-mate ChE) was demonstrated to provide accurate and reliable results in acute OP poisoning when compared with a reference laboratory. A survey based analysis of clinician's knowledge, attitudes and practices found that most doctors valued the test, but also surprisingly found that doctors who were more experienced with AChE valued the test less. Low proportions valued the test in guidance of acute poisoning management (e.g. to direct oxime therapy and early discharge).
A systematic review highlighted a lack of supporting primary evidence for the use of AChE in relation to oxime use and discharge decisions. Advice on interpretation of AChE and caution about pitfalls in measurement were also lacking. These areas need to be addressed to optimise provision of AChE POC devices.
A train-the-trainer (TTT) model of resuscitation education was effective in improving resuscitation knowledge and skills in rural peripheral hospital doctors, and improvements in most components were sustained for 12 weeks. This demonstrated the effectiveness of using non-specialist doctors to conduct peer-led advanced life support (ALS) training in a low resource peripheral hospital setting, using objective knowledge and skills endpoints according to standardized metrics.
A systematic review of resuscitation of OP poisoning found no texts solely focused on acute initial management. An 'OP specific' ALS guideline was proposed based on consistent literature recommendations highlighting the importance of rapid atropinisation (doubling dose regimen) to be delivered simultaneous with immediate airway, breathing and circulation management. Other antidotes such as oximes should not be in the ALS guidelines.
A participatory action research approach was used to address practical problems through close engagement with health services and local training systems. The experience from both streams of research showed that such strategies were integral to the completion of the studies employed in the low resource rural setting. The thesis demonstrated health services research and training could be used to close the evidence-practice gap, and may have a role in the improvement of the medical management of OP poisoning. Future research should investigate clinical endpoints associated with the use of AChE in guiding OP poisoning management, the development of decision rules offering practical guidance in measurement and interpretation of AChE, the evaluation of OP specific ALS guidelines, and the sustainability rural resuscitation training programs.
ANU Research Fest 2010 – Going beyond the Endpoints!
Last week was the Australian National University's research festival week. The 'Research fest', as it is know to ANU'ers, is like an orientation week for research students (MPhil and PhD candidates) where research and teaching life is celebrated. In addition to seminars on "thesis writing" for new students and "strategies for completion" for more advanced students, the University holds a series of social and creative activities including competitions for a research note, presentation of a thesis, acting in skits or presenting a short film clip.
The creative part of university life is something I was loved in my undergraduate years, but unfortunately in the four years that I have been enrolled at ANU for my PhD, I have never been able to attend this Research festival because of the demands of my fieldwork in Sri Lanka. This year was no exception, but this time it was because I am back in New Zealand writing up my thesis, and I am presently on quite a tight schedule to complete this! However, I did enter two competitions 'on-line' despite the mounting pressures.
For the "Research Note" competition I wrote a Poem synopsis about my research experience that was titled "Going 'beyond' the endpoints!". This is about an aspect of research that I discovered along the way and is something that I feel strongly about (ie. that life is more about the journey than the destination).
They are the reminders of how the road was so very winding.
Which sometimes speaks more than that book up on the shelf.
It won't be like some kind of scientific report!
How this process has helped me feel whole.
With coconut trees that surround, where wild elephants can easily be found.
In villagers who drank pesticides when they felt desperate and insecure.
Either way, they did not do well.
Another study – "training doctors in resuscitation"- was soon to envelope.
Working with different cultures and systems into which I'd soon be weaved.
For perhaps, it may bring about change in the world, in a way that is real.
"Beyond the Endpoints – sights, sounds and emotions of the international journey of research".
I didn't want to let the movie get in the way of my thesis write-up, because I know that whilst film making and photography are a real passion of mine, they are also a huge consumer of time. However, to overcome this challenge I had a plan of waiting until the day before the film clip deadline before I started to put something together, and in the end I managed to come up with an entry! Nevertheless, it was still an incredibly difficult task for sentimental reasons.
All I could think about when creating this film clip was, "there are just so many people to honour and thank for this incredible journey", "where do I begin?".
I also kept thinking to myself "this isn't 'my' project, it belongs to everyone who helped me along the way", and it really is, including the patients we were trying to help. For without the help of everyone involved in this research I would not have been able to have carried it out, and I wouldn't have been able to have learnt as much as I did during those years.
I guess really wanted to write this blog entry in honour of these people. Rather than publish a long list of names of people whom I feel indebted to for helping me get even this far, I thought a better approach is to bring back the poem I wrote not too long ago called "An Ode to my friends" (see below). Please have a read of this Poem, it's a favourite of mine because it seems to achieve the difficult task of expressing the magnitude of appreciation I have towards so many people who have helped and supported me through these incredible years.
I guess there is really one group of people, apart from my family and friends, who I really want to thank at this stage, even before I've finished writing up my thesis, and that is the "SACTRC crew". The South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration (www.sactrc.org) is the research collaboration between the Australian National University and University of Peradeniya (funded by the Wellcome Trust/NHMRC (GR071669), who provided my academic base and was the "lifeline" and the vision behind my work.
Those beautiful people who are like precious gems.
Who keep me together when I want to crack.
Well then – think again!
For when it comes to friends, each and every one counts, I truly believe this!
For we are all at different stages of different journeys.
And the sanctity of 'what is'.
If our acquaintance is more than chatter!
For, after all, there is no beginning and no end.
This is what we must grow!
One love, one world, and together – one mind!
With this, we leave all our troubles behind..
I haven't yet heard the results of the competition from last week, but for me it was not about winning, but rather about 'participating' in something that struck a chord with me, and provided another dimension to this work that has been a huge part of my life over the recent years.
Interestingly, both these competition entries have helped me in the daunting psychological task of 'writing up'. One of the hardest things in writing up the thesis is dealing with the situation of feeling like there is 'too much' information to put into a logical linear format. I found the situation with the competition entries to be similar in that there appeared to be too much emotion, too many memories, and too much experience to be able to string together a concise videographic or poetic story. It was a daunting task… but I did it!
Similarly with regards to my current thesis write-up, it is daunting but I "AM" doing it, which feels good.
To me these competition entries were an example of the beauty and power that exists when 'the arts' are in support of 'the sciences', and where one of these two disciplines can help carry out the tasks of the other.
As always I would love to hear you feedback on the poems or the film clip. Regarding the film clip, I have been very selective and I do not think there is any footage that would breach confidentiality, or cause any embarrassment to anyone – even the elephants and monkeys who have been captured, (but please let me know if there are any concerns, and I will take note and action). Also, I want to make it clear (for the purposes of my own research integrity) that I have not included any of the study data from the actual studies that I conducted.
On the contrary, what I tried to do was present an overview of the four years that I had in Sri Lanka, and I think many of my Sri Lankan friends and colleagues will enjoy seeing this, even though by no means is this a comprehensive account. Hopefully, will be much more to come after I have finished this write up.
Anyway, I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Finally I have included a few photos of Sri Lanka below. I literally took thousands of photos in Sri Lanka during the past 4 years, and I plan to present these in some way of form after completing my PhD. However, for the moment I just to put together about 60 photos from the first half of the journey (most of these pics are of the early SACTRC days, a lot of them social pics, in honour of these people who made my stay there so nice.) This collection of pictures is by no means comprehensive, as there are so many other pictures that I would like to include, but for the moment perhaps this is something.
This is the motto I am using to get through the write up of my thesis chapters, when I feel like I don't know where to begin because there is just so much i want to write about – and the answer that works for me is is "Sharing 'something' is better than sharing nothing".


text:
What gamers want: Researchers develop tool to predict player behavior
by North Carolina State University
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new method that can accurately predict the behavior of players in online role-playing games. The tool could be used by the game industry to develop new game content, or to help steer players to the parts of a game they will enjoy most.
"We are able to predict what a player in a game will do based on his or her previous behavior, with up to 80 percent accuracy," says Brent Harrison, a Ph.D. student at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. The research team developed the data-driven predictive method by analyzing the behavior of 14,000 players in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft.
"In a game like World of Warcraft, which is constantly developing new content, this could help guide content design decisions," Harrison says.
"A good game stands on its own," says Dr. David L. Roberts, an assistant professor of computer science at NC State and co-author of the paper. "If you want to improve it, you have to make sure players will like any changes you make. This research can help researchers get it right, because if you have a good idea of what players like, you can make informed decisions about the kind of storylines and mechanics those players would like in the future."
"This work could obviously be used for World of Warcraft or other MMORPGs," says Roberts, "but it also applies to any setting where users are making a series of decisions. That could be other gaming formats, or even online retailing."
Harrison adds that the new methodology could also help game designers guide players to existing content that is suited to their gaming style.
"For example," Roberts says, "you could develop a program to steer players to relevant content. Because it is a data-driven modeling approach, it could be done on a grand scale with minimum input from game designers."
The researchers developed the new method by evaluating the task-based "achievement" badges that players in World of Warcraft earn. These achievements are awarded whenever a player accomplishes a specific goal or series of goals.
Specifically, the researchers collected data on 14,000 players and the order in which they earned their achievement badges. The researchers then identified the degree to which each individual achievement was correlated to every other achievement. The researchers used that data to identify groups of achievements – called cliques – that were closely related. Those cliques could then be used to predict future behavior. For example, if a clique consists of seven achievements, and a player has earned four of them, the researchers found that they will probably earn the other three. However, many of the cliques that the researchers identified consist of 80 or more different achievements.
One interesting element of these findings is that the achievements that are highly correlated – or part of the same clique – do not necessarily have any obvious connection. For example, an achievement dealing with a character's prowess in unarmed combat is highly correlated to the achievement badge associated with world travel – even though there is no clear link between the two badges to the outside observer.
Research questions the educational possibilities of some TV and computer games
More information: The paper, "Using Sequential Observations to Model and Predict Player Behavior," will be presented at the Foundations of Digital Games Conference in Bordeaux, France, June 29-July 1.
Provided by North Carolina State University
Citation: What gamers want: Researchers develop tool to predict player behavior (2011, June 14) retrieved 19 January 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2011-06-gamers-tool-player-behavior.html
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This weekend two major events took place in the world: Storm Desmond battered the northern parts of the UK with floods and power outages, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcomed a baby boy.
Both were trending across social media but for some people (particularly those on the other side of the Atlantic) they saw the storm's hashtag and thought it was the name of Kimye's new arrival.
Although in everyone's defence, Kim and Kanye did pick an unusual name for their eldest child, North, two, so it could have been a possibility.
So happy for Kim and Kanye, new baby Storm Desmond West.
Some people sent their well wishes to the parents and Storm Desmond (Storm? Storm Des?) while others decided that it was their '#EXCLUSIVE'.
I thought I just heard #StormDesmond was the name of Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests new baby. It wouldn't surprise me though.
The pair welcomed their daughter North in 2013 and didn't reveal her name until five days after the birth so expect their son's name in a few days time.


A journalist, playwright and essayist, he is perhaps best known in America for the novels The Master and Brooklyn. His 2012 novel, The Testament of Mary was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize and was adapted as a play, produced on Broadway with Fiona Shaw. His newest novel is Nora Webster. We were joined by fiddler Stephanie Coleman at The Port Washington Public Library.


Mahé Island, largest island of the Seychelles archipelago, Republic of Seychelles, in the western Indian Ocean. The island is 4 miles (6 km) wide and 16 miles (26 km) long.... Seychelles Travel Guide Smartphone App The Official Travel Guide of Seychelles - Available 100% Offline. This guide is your key to the activities, attractions, accommodations and tourism services of the archipelago - your stepping stone to the most beautiful islands on earth.
The best times to visit Silhouette Island for ideal weather are July 9th to September 2nd based on average temperature and humidity from NOAA (the National Read below for more weather and travel … how to get every star in bom bom ballelfield 22/05/2014 · Hi Miki, thank you very much. Actually, silhouette island is fascinating so i wanted to visit it while staying in Mahe island. The only way to visit silhouette is by staying at Hilton Labriz, right?
Located on Silhouette Island, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa offers spacious, fully-equipped villas with a private terrace. My husband and I have chosen this location as … how to get from newark airport to manhattan cruise terminal From Mahé we could just make out the silhouette of our destination (so the name is fitting) and even from there the island looked huge. Although Silhouette is the third-largest of the 115 islands that make up the Seychelles archipelago, it's inhabited by only around 130 residents and one resort, Labriz Resort and Spa. The rest of the island is a nature reserve, untouched and pristine.
Politically, the island is divided into 22 districts (there are 25 in total in the Seychelles). From the air, it's easy to spot the lush granite mountains that form the interior of the island, extending from north to south like a backbone through the landmass.
On Mahe you could go snorkelling in Port Launay, hike in the Morne Seychellois National Park and visit the Botanical Gardens. Head over to Praslin to relax on Anse Lazio , see the giant tortoises on Curieuse and visit the famous Coco de Mer palms of the Vallée de Mai .
From their base at the Praslin jetty, Inter Island Ferry Seychelles operates a regular fast ferry service to and from the idyllic island of La Digue.


text:
Dieselmotorräder sind Motorräder mit Dieselmotor. Im Vergleich zum Ottomotor hat ein Dieselmotor einen unruhigeren Lauf und – bei gleicher Leistung – ein höheres Gewicht. Insbesondere aufgrund dieser beiden Nachteile des Dieselmotors fristet er im Motorradbereich bislang nur ein Nischendasein. Er wird in Einzelstücken, individuellen Umbauten oder Kleinserien eingesetzt.

Lange Zeit hat man sich im Dieselmotorradbau mit eher geringen Leistungssteigerungen auseinandergesetzt. Der indische Ursprung begann bei ca. 4,5 kW (6 PS), die ersten europäischen Prototypen hatten ca. 6 kW (8 PS). Heute haben die Einzylinder 8 kW (11 PS) und die Zweizylinder 15 kW (20 PS).

Private Enthusiasten haben über Jahre den Gedanken weiterverfolgt und teilweise hervorragende Lösungen unter Verwendung von Industrie- und Kleinwagenmotoren gefunden. Von kleinen Einzylinder-Industriedieseln in Oldtimer-Motorradrahmen bis zu modernen Fahrzeugmotoren in modifizierten Serienfahrzeugen oder gar komplett individuell gefertigten Rahmen haben Enthusiasten eine Vielzahl von fahrtauglichen Motorrädern auf die Räder gestellt. Die Leistung reicht hier von 4,5 bis 82 Kilowatt (6 bis 112 Pferdestärken).

Zivile Serien- und Kleinserienmodelle

Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield war der einzige Hersteller, der jahrelang auf Basis des veralteten Konzeptes der Enfield Bullet, bei der Motor- und Getriebegehäuse getrennt sind, ein Dieselmotorrad mit einem Einzylinder-Stationärmotor für die Landwirtschaft angeboten hat: die "Enfield Taurus", die für den modernen Straßenverkehr mit dem nur 5 kW (7 PS) starken Motor jedoch nur bedingt geeignet ist. Die Taurus war ein Motorrad für Indien und unter indischen Verhältnissen. Es gibt mittlerweile keine importierten Taurus mehr.

Sommer Diesel 516

Sommer Motorradtechnik in Geyern bietet ein Dieselmotorrad mit EU-Betriebserlaubnis an. Der Einzylinder-Dieselmotor des Herstellers Hatz wurde in ein Royal-Enfield-Fahrgestell eingebaut. Er leistet 9 kW (12 PS) und erreicht eine Endgeschwindigkeit von 105 km/h, bei einem Verbrauch von ca. 2 bis 2,5 l / 100 km. Seit 2011 wird kein Enfield-Rahmen mehr benutzt, sondern ein Eigenbau, der in Deutschland gefertigt wird.

Vahrenkamp Diesel 516
Ein Dieselmotorrad gebaut von Team Vahrenkamp aus Melle. Es wird weiterhin der klassische Rahmen der Royal Enfield Bullet mit allen seinen Vorteilen verwendet. Als Antriebsmotor wird der bekannte Hatz 1B50 (516 cm³ Hubraum, 12 PS) verwendet. Aufgrund der Verwendung des klassischen Royal Enfield Fahrgestells können Vahrenkamp Diesel Motorräder in sehr vielen, individuellen Varianten hergestellt werden.

Dieselwiesel
Ein weiteres Dieselmotorrad wird in Deutschland von Motorrad Leitner in Nittendorf unter dem Namen Dieselwiesel produziert und vertrieben. Die Nennleistung beträgt 7 kW (10 PS), die Höchstgeschwindigkeit wird mit ca. 110 km/h angegeben. Der Verbrauch soll bei 1,5 bis 2 l/100 km liegen.

E.V.A. Products: Track T-800 CDI

Der niederländische Hersteller E.V.A. Products B.V. produzierte das Motorrad Track T-800 CDI. Das Motorrad hat einen turbogeladenen 3-Zylinder-Motor mit 800 cm³ Hubraum, der normalerweise in einem Smart eingesetzt wird. Im Jahr 2012 wurde die Produktion eingestellt.

Neander 1400 Turbodiesel

Vom Hersteller Neander Motors AG aus Kiel kommt die Neander 1400 Turbodiesel. Der Zweizylinder-Turbodieselmotor hat laut Herstellerangaben einen Hubraum von 1340 cm³ und liefert eine Nennleistung von 82 kW (112 PS) bei 4.200/min. Das maximale Drehmoment wird mit 214 Nm bei 2.600/min angegeben. Der Motor beschleunigt das Motorrad in ca. 4,5 s auf eine Geschwindigkeit von 100 km/h. Das Unternehmen entwickelte hierfür niedrigzylindrige Hochleistungs-Dieselmotoren mit doppelter Kurbelwelle. Das Turbo-Dieselmotorrad ist mit einer Common-Rail-Einspritzung ausgestattet.
Die ehemalige Seite neander-motorcycle.com ist nicht mehr erreichbar.
Zurzeit ist dieses Motorrad nicht erhältlich und lt. Hersteller können zurzeit auch keine Anfragen diesbezüglich beantwortet werden, da der Fokus zurzeit auf Entwicklung eines Außenbordmotors läge.

Shockster Turbo Diesel
Die Shockster Turbo Diesel ist das erste und einzige in Österreich entwickelte und zugelassene Turbo-Dieselmotorrad, das voll alltagstauglich ist. Das Fahrzeug hat einen Hubraum von 1500 cm³, eine Leistung von ca. 59 kW und ein Drehmoment von ca. 150 Nm bei 2500/min.

Thunder Star 1200 TDI
Vom niederländischen Hersteller Star Twin Motors kommt die Thunder Star 1200 TDI. In der Thunder Star arbeitet ein Motor aus einem VW Lupo 1.2l TDI.

Sonstige
Außerdem finden sich weitere Anbieter, die Umbauten auf der Basis von bereits zugelassenen Rahmen anbieten. Der älteste in Europa gefertigte Prototyp für ein Dieselmotorrad, das anschließend in Kleinserie produziert wurde, ist um 1980 von dem Engländer Ernie Dorsett realisiert worden. Aus seiner Matchless-Robin wurden nachher die Enfield-Robins, die in Deutschland von dem inzwischen verstorbenen Gerd Engmann verkauft worden sind.

Militärische Nutzung

Hayes Diversified Technologies

Nach mehreren Jahren der Motorenentwicklung an der Cranfield University wurde die M1030M1 vorgestellt. Sie wird auf der Basis einer modifizierten KLR650 von der Hayes Diversified Technologies produziert. Die Höchstgeschwindigkeit liegt bei etwa 90 mph (145 km/h) und der durchschnittliche Kraftstoffverbrauch bei 96 mpg-USA (2,5 l pro 100 km, 115 mpg-IMP) bei 55 mph (89 km/h). M1030M1-Motorräder haben erfolgreich an der British National Rally und den Bonneville Speed Trials teilgenommen. Das U.S. Marine Corps kaufte 440 Modelle der M1030M1 unter dem Namen M1030M1 JP8/Diesel. Als M1030M1E AVTUR/Diesel Militär-Motorrad wird sie auch an Großbritannien und europäische NATO-Länder verkauft. Eine Version für den zivilen Markt mit dem Namen D650A1 Bulldog, war ursprünglich für März 2006 geplant, aber aufgrund der erhöhten militärischen Nachfrage der M1030M1 hat sich die Produktion der zivilen Bulldog auf unbestimmte Zeit verzögert.

Im Sommer 2010 wurde auf der französischen Rüstungsausstellung Eurosatory mit der 1030M2 ein wichtiges Upgrade der M1030M1 präsentiert. Die Hauptänderung ist ein verbesserter 670-cm³-Vielstoffmotor, der 20 % mehr Leistung produziert. Eine patentierte Technologie namens MAC-C1 ermöglicht dabei dem Motor, nicht nur Standard-Automobil-Benzin- und LKW-Dieselkraftstoff zu verwenden, sondern auch fünf Kerosinarten und sogar schwereren Biodiesel auf Pflanzenölbasis. Die zivile Version dieser Maschine ist voraussichtlich die Altius Scimitar, eine indische Lizenzfertigung.

Verkleidete und unverkleidete Hayes-Diesel-Motorräder gewannen 2011 den zweiten und den vierten Platz bei der Mid-Ohio Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge.

Forschung im Hochschulbereich

In den Jahren 2000 bis 2005 entwickelten Studenten der Hochschule Esslingen einen Motorrad-Prototyp mit einem Smart-Dieselmotor. Das EDIMO (Esslinger Diesel-Motorrad) getaufte Projekt wurde im Jahre 2004 der Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt, hat eine Straßenzulassung und es wurde abschließend an einem Partikelfilter gearbeitet.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

 Sommer-Motorradmanufaktur aus Eppstein/Taunus.
 Edimo. Entwicklungsstand des Edimo-Projektes.
 Website des Herstellers Shockster.

Kraftradbauart

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Get your photo souvenir, so that you can relive this once in a lifetime over and over again.
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You will also have your picture taken by a professional photographer, so that you can keep a memento of your seal encounter forever.
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Here you will enjoy the most amazing collection of underwater life in 10 beautiful chambers.
Over 20 marine life exhibits in this giant aquarium.
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Piranhas, stingray, sharks and seahorses are just some of the creatures you will meet in this spellbinding underwater world.
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Chill at NASIMI BEACH, party at N'DULGE NightClub.


Report filed by Oleg S.
In February 2000, I visited a friend in Amsterdam for a day or two and got caught up in the process of producing a mockumentary based on the city's wealth of miracles. Most of the footage had already been shot, but she still needed to interview some kind of expert on human subjectivity. What she actually had in mind was a psychoanalyst or astrologer, but she soon accepted my offer to pose as a psychogeographer (something she'd never heard of) and vouch with some degree of pseudo-scientific credibility for the importance of the Mirakelkolom.
For this, I was going to need some background information.
On March 15th 1345, Ysbrand Dommer lay seriously ill at home in the Kalverstraat. He was given the Holy Sacrament but couldn't keep the wafer down. His vomit was caught in a bowl and thrown into the fire, but instead of burning, the host hovered untouched above the flames. The maid removed it without getting burned, and a priest swiftly took it to the Oude Kerk. Overnight, the wafer returned to the house of its own accord. This sequence of events repeated itself, and finally, it having been agreed that God wished the miracle to be made public, the host was transferred to the church in a grand procession.
Within two years, a chapel, the Holy Stead, was built on the site, integrating the fireplace. It was consecrated in 1347 and became a centre of pilgrimage. After the Alteration it was used as a storehouse and then, from 1590, by the Netherlands Reformed Church, who renamed it the Nieuwezijds Capel and destroyed the fireplace. In 1908, it was finally demolished, partly due its advanced state of decay, and partly due to the conviction of the Protestant Church Council that this was the only way to erase all trace of the superstitious cult that had taken place there. Fragments were reused in other buildings, and in 1988, a column composed of original segments was erected as a free-standing monument on the Rokin, not far from the original location.
Before the Alteration, a procession was held every year to mark the anniversary of the miracle. In 1881, a certain Joseph Lousbergh discovered a 17th century description of this medieval ceremony and, with his friend Carel Elsenburg, decided to follow the original route as a devotional exercise. Their idea caught on, they formed the Company of the Silent Procession, and before long, the Stille Omgang was drawing Catholics from all over the Netherlands, exerting an attraction that has barely diminished since.
With all of this in mind, I set about preparing for the interview.
Now, in the eyes of a psychogeographer, such a precisely-documented circular route, trodden as part of a public ritual by countless people over so many centuries, might well constitute an invisible feature on the map, a shared reality that manifests itself once a year but is always actively present as common knowledge. Consequently, the column itself, as a key marker along this trajectory, would be similarly endowed with significance.
If further proof were required, the psychogeographer might point to the integration of the Stille Omgang into a Provo happening in September 1965, a date far removed in the calendar from the actual procession, where it was followed by a siege of the mayor's residence (to protest against the breaking up of a peaceful anti-nuclear demonstration), and the disfigurement of a monument to General Johannes van Heutsz (who in 1899, after 30 years of war, massacred his way to a final victory in the Dutch colony of Sumatra).
So much for historical and theoretical background. Next came the ground work.
The Mirakelkolom stands on the western side of Rokin, at the junction with Weijde Kapelsteg. The house next to it (Rokin 72) has De Gouden Bril opticians on the ground floor and a statue on the roof (installed long before the column) depicting a monkey looking down at the pavement through a telescope.
Scanning the immediate vicinity for additional details, I found myself standing in front of the Yellow River Bookstore (Rokin 68). What caught my eye here was not primarily the books and objects covering many aspects of Chinese culture (including Kung-Fu figurines and a volume entitled Shen Nong's Miracle Herbs), but rather a small section of the windowpane itself, at head height near the left-hand edge, that displayed an intricate pattern of impacts and cracks, presumably resulting from an attempt to break in with a hammer.
There was no denying that this pattern resembled a partial map of Amsterdam, complete with Central Station and concentric street layout. Four blows with the hammer had left neatly indented points, and the glass, which must have been near bullet-proof strength, had splintered only slightly, forming a distinct network of lines. I sketched its main features as accurately as possible in my notebook and set off to find a photocopier.
My plan was to enlarge the sketch until it fitted over my own map of the city centre, with one of the impacts matching the Mirakelkolom. Then, I would use the map to locate and visit the other three points. Admittedly, this was going to prove hard to sell to the film team, who would surely complain of the arbitrary nature of my method, but the truth was, I had my own agenda, and I was quite prepared to bend this undertaking to suit it.
As I was hoping, one of the other impacts corresponded plausibly with the Multatuli memorial on the Torensluis over the Singel (unveiled in 1987). During my only other stay in Amsterdam some 10 years previously, this statue had been a recurring feature and key point of orientation during a whole series of meanderings. As such, it constituted the only other landmark on my own personal mind-map of the city.
Although I photographed the stark, limbless figure at the time (hungrily associating the name engraved on the red marble plinth with ratatouille), it was years before I learned the man's true identity and significance, after happening upon a copy of Max Havelaar or The Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (1860) in a secondhand bookshop. It was quite definitely time to pay him another visit.
It was also time to report back to my film director friend. I called her to arrange a meeting at a cafe overlooking the Torensluis and set off along the Kalverstraat, following the path of the Stille Omgang as far as Dam Square (which, it goes without saying, mapped to a third impact), before veering eastwards around the Nieuwe Kerk, over Nieuwezijds Vorburgwal, and through a couple of Steegs to the Singel.
This spot, it transpired, also featured on my friend's mind-map. While researching the possibility of accessing a disused tunnel system connecting houses in the area, she had been told that the shop opposite the café had an entrance in its cellar. By the time we had finished our drinks, the shop was closing, so we hurried over, enquired about the passage, and were shown downstairs to see for ourselves. But that quest would have to continue elsewhere, since there was nothing to see but the usual basement junk and blank walls.
Thus revitalised, we went to pay our parting respects to Eduard Douwes Dekker. One detail we had previously overlooked consisted of a small metal plate fixed to the side of the plinth giving directions to the Multatuli Museum, which we followed without further ado: first right, first left, first right, second right, first left, first left, Korsjepoortsteeg 20.
As well as being housed in the author's birthplace, the museum contains the chaise longue on which he died, complete with parts of the original red velvet upholstery, and the urn that contained his ashes (he was cremated in Germany in 1887, a time when the practice was still illegal in the Netherlands). But of all the details we learned there, the one that struck the loudest chord was Dekker's dismissal from the post of Germany correspondent for a Dutch newspaper after being accused of filing fictitious reports.


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