On the picture, H.E. Ambassador Carlos Herrera and the Captain of the Tall Ship. The Peruvian Sail Training Ship “B.A.P Unión” (Buque Armada Peruana Unión, in Spanish) arrived Tuesday August 8^th to the Port of Rotterdam. In this occasion, the Captain of the Tall Ship and H.E. Carlos Herrera, Ambassador of Peru to the Netherlands hosted a Press Conference after docking at the port. Two days after Ambassador Herrera and the Commanding Officer Captain (N) Franz Bittrich hosted a very well attended reception on board. Diplomats, Dutch business people and friends of Peru came to “B.A.P Unión” to enjoy the wonderful event. For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following two links: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157687424302616 https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157683987624142 The “B.A.P. Unión”, which was incorporated on 26 January 2016 to the Peruvian naval fleet, is the biggest vessel of its type in Latin America and the second in the world. Built entirely in Peru, in the Navy Industrial Service (SIMA), the B.A.P. Unión is the achievement of a great national aspiration. It is considered part of the Peruvian territory, at sea and abroad, like an itinerant Embassy of Peru.

The Training Voyage of the Tall ship, the second of this kind, began in May this year and will end in November and comprises the following countries: Panama, USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Dominican Republic and Ecuador. It is the first time that the B.A.P. Unión visits Europe. In this journey, the “B.A.P. Unión” won a Sail Ship crew parade in the “A” category of Tall ships in the “Sail Boston 2017” last 19 June in the United States.   Also, it had a remarkable participation at the “Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta”, the biggest international encounter of Tall Ships of Canada which took place in the framework of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. In that occasion obtained the first place in the general ranking and its category. It also was the fastest Sailing ship of the competition, travelling 450 miles in 43 hours. Please find attached a brochure for your perusal and a link to the coverage of the BBC: https://www.facebook.com/BBCLondon/videos/1670453259663031/  

On the picture Peruvian Diplomats credited in the Netherlands;  Mr. Omar Tovar, Vice-Consul,  Mrs Francis Chavez, Third Secretary, Mr Lucas Otero, Second Secretary, Mrs Veronique Micléa, spouse of the Ambassador of Peru, H.E. Ambassador Carlos Andrés Miguel Herrera Rodríguez, Mrs. Susan Ortega Olortegui, spouse of  Javier Pella and Mr Javier Pella, Minister Cousellor. By Roy Lie A Tjam. The 27 July marked the 196th anniversary of the independence of Peru, which was celebrated with a reception held at the residence of H.E. Ambassador Carlos Herrera, and Mrs. Véronique Micléa. Dutch authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, businessmen, academics and representative of the Peruvian Community in the Netherlands, all attended the reception. Guests strolled along the beautiful garden admiring a sculpture by the artist Lika Mutal, which sits prominently sits in the garden. For additional Kim Vermaat’s pictures, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157683598844082

After cordially welcoming the guests, Ambassador Herrera enumerated activities both in Peru and in the Netherlands, since the last National Day to date. Some of the topics he touched upon were the effects of the “Coastal Niño” phenomenon, ..“which struck our country at the beginning of this year. The Netherlands offered its vast experience in water management to help Peru in the efforts of reconstruction. The Special Envoy of the Netherlands for Water Affairs, Mr. Henk Ovink, visited Peru and met our president and high-ranking officials as part of this process.”

“The People of the Netherlands and Peruvians living in this country have also expressed their solidarity. As a result, the account that the Peruvian Consulate in Amsterdam set up for fund raising reached close to sixteen thousand euros which were sent to Peru for helping those ones in need.” “Rotterdam will also be, by the way, and in a few days, the scenario of a new important milestone: the arrival of the Peruvian Navy Training Ship “Unión”. This tall ship is the biggest of its type in Latin America and the second in the world. It is a sort of itinerant Embassy of Peru, being a distinctive symbol of our national and maritime power in the fields of diplomacy, culture, trade, and military, and will arrive in the Netherlands with the purpose of strengthening the ties between both of our countries.” “In other areas of interest, the Netherlands remains as one of the top markets for our exports and keeps growing. Last year we saw an increase in 13% of our exports, reaching almost a thousand million USD$. Being an important buyer of our avocados, mangos, grapes, and cacao, The Netherlands is the second largest business partner worldwide for fruits and vegetables.”

“The Netherlands also scores high as a country of origin for Foreign Direct Investment in Peru, occupying the fourth position, with a focus on four main sectors: Finance, Mining, Industry, and energy.” “At the multilateral level, next year Peru and the Netherlands will be non-permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations, which is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our ties in order to promote global objectives of common interest.” “I close this brief account with one of the favorite topics in this Embassy: Culture, and within this subject, one of the most relevant issues for Peruvians: the gastronomy. In the last twelve months, we had a presentation from Jorge Eduardo Benavides linking gastronomy and literature and two major events including the first Peruvian Gastronomic Festival at the Crown Plaza in The Hague.”

“We are focusing on a program of “training of trainers” which we expect that can lead to a new generation of Dutch chefs able to work accurately with the Peruvian flavors in the local market. As a result, the prestigious hotel school will host a Peruvian Gastronomic Night at the beginning of September, in which the students will create a Peruvian Menu at their premises in The Hague.” “It is also important to mention the increasing number of Peruvian Restaurants in the Netherlands. We have already a Food truck that goes around the Netherlands promoting our gastronomy, and five restaurants distributed in Amsterdam, in Rotterdam and The Hague. We are certain that there are more Peruvian restaurants to come.” The Embassy offered a buffet lunch prepared by Alberto Lara, young chefs who, in a brief period, have contributed to the spread of the traditions and rich flavors of the Peruvian cuisine.                                    

Conservation of the Indonesian Heritage

By Roy Lie A Tjam. Indonesia and batik are inextricably linked. The latter is an integral part of the Indonesian culture. Although just a name, batik evokes deep emotions. Introduced by  Nila Patty and Puji Siragar, the Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Ibnu Wahyutomo bid the guests, among whom were many ambassadors; a warm welcome. Unfortunately, the first scheduled guest speaker (chairperson of the Indonesian Heritage Trust) ended up calling her trip to The Hague off. Dr. Sandra Niessen (Anthropology) however, delivered an introduction to the Indonesian culture. To see awesome Hester Dijkstra’s pictures please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157686858068856 The days’ events, hosted at the Nusantara Auditorium of the embassy and the Grote Kerk on 24 and 25 July in The Hague, included a workshop, a seminar, an expo, and a fashion show. Various batik accessories, trinkets, shirts, caps, bags were put on display throughout these events. The day was made possible by the Embassy of Indonesia’s Education and Culture Department and was supported by the Indonesian Heritage Trust and Rumah Budaya. People of the Indonesian diaspora, the Dutch, and Indonesians living in the Netherlands turned out in their numbers to attend the events.   Two Indonesian luminaries who are well-versed in Indonesian culture, gave in-depth presentations and demonstrations of wastra (commonly known as batik) These are Professor I Wayan Dibia (Bali) and Professor Laretna Adishaki (Yogja). The traditional Indonesian batik is a technique of manual wax dyeing, making use of Indigofera tinctoria. There is still a wrangling over the etymology of the word batik. Some say it refers to( tika) a flower while others have a completely different explanation.   There are two Indonesian textiles: natural indigo batik of Yogjakarta and Kain Bali. The Regency of Gianyar, Mr. Anak Agung Gde Agung Bharata, is a fervent advocate of the Bali culture. In Bali, there is a phenomenon of school children regularly dressing up in traditional grabs. The 17th International Conference of National Trusts is scheduled to take place in Gianyar, Bali, from 11 to 15 September 2017. The experts mentioned above emphasized that batik is one of the Indonesian cultural heritages fully recognized by UNESCO and that the World Craft Council (WCC) has designated Yogja as a world batik city. The experts further recounted the design process, the types, and the history of batik. The parang barmi design is made exclusively for royals. Parang ceploc is a mix of motives and parang kawang. On the island of Bali, textile colors are red, black, and white. Black and white stand for duality and red refers to the red hibiscus, Gianyar’s icon.   A dazzling fashion show at the Grote Kerk in downtown The Hague, concluded the two-day textile event in The Hague. Designers from all over Indonesia such as Mayasari Sekarlaranti, Goet Puspa and Pande Putu Wijana, stole the heart of the audience. The two days of the Indonesian woven fabrics and natural indigo batik promotion will undoubtedly be classified as a 2017 highlight.