All part of the adventure...

Every now and then a story appears here in Amsterdam that makes me wonder "could that ever happen at home?" You know the type I mean - things that just make you wonder what sort of country you are living in. That said, I see the few stories that get picked up by the international media about Australia - the sort of stories that make it on to BBC World, or in to the Dutch press, and people must wonder what sort of place Australia is. I guess we all ask ourselves that same question at times.

(And that reminds me of how little coverage Australia gets in this part of the world - but that is another story.)

Anyway, this train of thought was prompted by a story that appeared in Dutch News on Friday. It reported that a hairdresser in Amsterdam has been arrested for stabbing a customer with his scissors in a row over a pair of glasses. An unfortunate story, but it was the second half that caught my attention - the same hairdresser stabbed and killed another customer seven years ago but did not face legal charges. I wonder if the authorities see a pattern of behaviour forming here?!

Disappointingly, the article did not mention this charming blokes name or business address. Not that I am the really argumentative type, but I can just see one of those 'lost in translation moments' going horribly wrong. I know this, because right now I have one of those haircuts that is not quite what I intended. I thought I explained it clearly, and the nice young Dutch hairdresser enthusiastically went about it. It was just at the end it became clear we had different expectations! Oh well, all part of the adventure...

Shane

(ps And that is where there is no photo with this story...)