Grand Est

 I carried with me a certain criticism of France—especially regarding the banlieues, a phenomenon largely absent in countries such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg, or also Germany. 

It was also noted that, after Czechia, France has the most widespread free tekno scene in terms of population. Unlike in neighboring countries, where refusal to shut down a sound system often leads to arrests and confiscations, the “party” there is expected to last through the night.

 Yet France is also a land of extraordinary beauty. The Ossuaire de Douaumont stands unforgettable in its majesty, singular in its gravity, not far from Toul. Not far from Ossuaire de Douaumont is Fort de Vaux. A flowering spring there was amazing. Across the whole Grand Est region, one encounters countless places of interest—monuments, historically charged landscapes, and cities that quietly carry meaning.

At the edge of Grand Est lies Luxembourg, Belgium and also Strasbourg, a city balanced on the border with Germany. From there, a tram crosses effortlessly into the nearby German town of Kehl. Few places in Europe allow one to pass between nations with such ordinary ease.

To me, Strasbourg bears the imprint of Germany through its closeness, yet it remains unmistakably French. For me, it is also place of an interesting meeting. 

 I wanted to write about Strasbourg because the city is beautiful—and genuinely safe. Compared to many others, it is also cleaner. Certain areas, especially around the historic center, resemble the carefully constructed sets of historical films.

Last year, this drew me to Strasbourg on the night of Christmas Eve. The city was empty, wrapped in silence, and revealed itself through a distinctly Christmas atmosphere. These streets are usually well kept, and at night—particularly at Christmas, without people—the nocturnal life in French cities like Strasbourg feels calmer. With its architecture and immaculate streets, the city appeared to me like a stage set, a quiet theater awaiting its actors. In its own way, this may also reflect the distinctly French sensibility for art and culture. 

In France, one is also struck by how close nuclear power plants can be to residential areas. The Grand Est region is no exception. It is here that the important Cattenom nuclear power plant is located, situated just a few kilometers from cities and inhabited areas. The plant is embedded in the landscape along the Moselle River, in close proximity to forests and settlements, which clearly illustrates the French approach to nuclear energy. France has built its nuclear network (the parc nucléaire) since the 1970s as a strategic infrastructure to ensure energy self-sufficiency.

Integration

 Part 1.

 For instance, I cannot avoid Germany when I want to reach the West coast. I enjoy the journey. I try to also change the places where I stop along the way. Sometimes it leads to Dortmund, sometimes Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne, or Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, or Munich. Or sometimes the days in Berlin areas. 

But it’s not just about traveling through Germany. I have the sense that the country has a strong integration system. Germany is often cited as a place where migrant integration works better than in much of Europe.

What is visible in Germany is that the system is set up so that it is worthwhile for people to be part of it, while also preventing the formation of spatially segregated, marginalized areas. People in Germany are also more open, and origin or ethnicity does not play as strong a role in integration into society and the system.

I mean that in Germany there are no clearly separated marginalized areas, unlike in certain parts of France for example. In other words, Germany lacks the visibly segregated, marginalized neighborhoods or marginalization.

In certain parts of France or in the Czech Republic, ghettos itself emerge: in the banlieues or in Czechia, or in Slovakia, people sometimes live outside the system due to limited economic opportunities, housing constraints, identity-based segregation, or structural racism. 

 Part 2.

 Not to leave the Benelux out, I have already written an article about Luxembourg economy, and I would also include the Western coasts. In the Netherlands, the natural coexistence is visible in the local communities. South Holland is very naturally diverse. The presence of “black culture” is also unmistakable. It is part of the character of the Western regions of Europe. In France, communities are also diverse, but there are areas of exclusion.

The West system encourages integration through economic opportunities and accessible social services, while urban planning avoids large, concentrated areas of poverty. People are generally open to migrants, and the emphasis is on participation and functioning within the system rather than background or origin. 

This helps prevent the formation of ghettos and allows migrants to take part in society across multiple neighborhoods.

The Days of Thunder

Insel Schütt

 About eighteen years ago, I used to enjoy reading blogs where bloggers described their experiences and adventures while traveling around Europe. In a way, I still do something similar today. 

My topics are also economic, cultural, and overall environmental experiences.

I also wrote about experiences with train stations. In Czechia, I often see articles about incidents around German train stations. I wrote that this says more about stations elsewhere than about Germany. 

Now I started a journey at one bus station and preferred to leave quickly… 

Someone resembling a homeless person, a drug addict, and apparently a former prisoner was threatening to stab homeless people with a knife—and then to stab me as well.

Maashaven

I told myself that I was already looking forward to Germany, and further on to the Benelux. And it really was like that. Elsewhere, of course, this reality does not exist. There was apparently one immigrant on a bus in Germany under the influence of some opiate like fentanyl, but nowhere was there anything like what I experienced at the beginning of the journey.

Christmas-time Amsterdam was great again. Amsterdam is beautiful in itself thanks to its architecture, and with the ever-present Christmas decorations it has the charm of real Christmas. 

Nieuwe Werk

In my opinion, Amsterdam is one of the most decorated and certainly one of the most beautiful Christmas cities in Europe. I like the whole Benelux at Christmas, as well as cities in Germany.

In the core Dutch city for this music genre, there was some Thunderdome event—it amused me 😄 that during my days in the Netherlands, over Christmas, I was also confronted with this modern Dutch history in the form of gabber—with the typical logo on bomber jackets and other clothing featuring this logo. 

I’m little amazed at how gabbers influenced the world. For example, Dutch Christmas (1999) by Scooter. Or One (remix of Always Hardcore Bodylotion). I’ve already mentioned that in my childhood I listened to happy hardcore along with other “dance” music, without even realizing it was happy hardcore. However, I tend to laugh at gabbers more for their dystopian history. In my view, there’s a certain sense of awkwardness in their utopia of drug use.

Just yesterday, Sunday, there was a sunny day to be had in the South. Amsterdam was typical, with a bit of wet weather. There was frost at the beginning of the journey, and also snow at its end in Germany… It was all kinds of weather during the Christmas trip.

Sidney SN in a book

 Hi, Sidney SN is here with something new. He decided to make a brochure :D

The brochure is about Sidney SN, but it also includes other posts. 

Sidney SN think it turned out well... 

In the Sidney SN brochure, you will find many things related to Sidney SN, his experiences—including those with you—as well as some articles related to drum and bass and electronic music itself. Or a posts about an events. 

The brochure mainly contains a selected set of posts from the Sidney SN blogs. 

To view or download, click on the photo. Enjoy!

Contrasting Reality

 At first glance, the Netherlands feels like a country where fun is a natural part of life—not only leisure, but the economy as well. It’s not just that a large part of the population now works four days a week. A sense of ease permeates the whole system and the atmosphere of the cities. 

A typical Thursday morning in Amsterdam reveals more than any statistics could. Around eight or nine in the morning at Sloterdijk, you’ll meet both young and older people returning from night events—on a Wednesday night. When you travel to Rotterdam, you pass small groups of people returning from a party in Amsterdam. It’s Thursday morning, yet social life is running at full speed.

The same applies to Sunday events, which often finish around 11 p.m. In the Netherlands, festivals or music events generally don’t allow themselves to be heard late into the night on weekends, and it’s also forbidden after midnight. Residents don’t want to be disturbed in their freedoms, and in Amsterdam it’s nothing unusual to see (18+) high school students returning home after midnight from a Sunday event, only to go to school on Monday…? Yet—and this is essential—you hardly see drunk people on the streets, groups doing hard drugs, homeless people, or as much THC and its substitutes either. The atmosphere is lively but civilised. This contrast is fascinating to me.

Entertainment is in fact a significant economic component in the Netherlands. People are more open, relaxed, and seem more content. Cities and the civilisation itself are enjoyable in their architecture—cities like Rotterdam are an experience of their own. It makes you wonder why some places build a reality that relies so heavily on extraction, monotonous industry, uninteresting landscape design, and generally depressive environments. Instead of biotope parks, interesting urban structures, and inspiring surroundings.

Luxembourg is another example. There too, you can see that when a country builds a civilisation that is enjoyable, it brings economic results. They know how to sell things—like the “famous waterfalls,” which are essentially “just a weir on a forest stream”. Yet everyone wants to see them, because they’ve become part of the cultural value.

And then you find yourself in another country, one that seems to revel in depression and maintaining smallness. Where endless political nonsense is solved instead of developing an interesting civilisation. Where more sustainable policies are rejected, even though they work in countries that are visibly richer, more open, and more satisfied. And where people then wonder why young people and adults alike escape into alcohol or substances—maybe this is part of a logical response to an environment that creates not joy, but pressure.

Maybe, among other things, if instead of a depressive reality one built a civilisation that is pleasant, playful, and inspiring, some societal values would change too. And with them, the entire atmosphere of society.

Hectic decision-making

 Sometimes I write something about a trip, but sometimes the plans take an unexpected turn.

I had a dilemma when I had the chance to go. Just a week ago, I hadn’t even thought about traveling. More typically, I was browsing online shops, looking at what I wanted to buy. On Saturday, I told myself that I could actually be away for three or four days. So I planned the trip with stops. A stay. I bought tickets for all the connections and made a booking. On Sunday, I started wondering whether it even made sense for me to do something now that I had already enjoyed two weeks ago. The program would’ve been a bit different. I would have visited more cities in the meantime (Karlsruhe, Eindhoven, also Frankfurt, maybe Regensburg) stayed at a hotel I like, and during the trip, I would’ve gone to a city (Brussels) in a neighboring country.

But on the other hand, I realized that what I actually wanted was to see some of the Christmas atmosphere already. The Christmas season officially starts there at the end of November. Visiting at that time would make more sense. And just going out partying again wouldn’t really excite me now. I already enjoyed that two weeks ago.

In the end, I canceled everything on Monday evening. And then I did something interesting — I used all the money for the trip, stay, and visits on things that came to mind that I wanted. I bought nine items within two hours. And that afternoon, quite spontaneously, I bought another one at a shopping mall. And then another after spending the money I would’ve used for the Saturday plan, all at once.

As October Rolls

 Sometimes I write something about one of my journeys. In a way, I’m always unsure why I write what I write. In the past, before 2010, I knew many bloggers who used to do exactly that.

So, I could write something like: 

 When I was leaving, I forgot my chargers and had to go back. I ended up taking the FlixBus an hour later. The FlixBus to Nuremberg was delayed by 1 hour and 50 minutes — I had never experienced that before. So, I didn’t have any problem catching my next bus. I spent an hour in Nuremberg and then continued to Amsterdam. Because I arrived in Amsterdam early in the morning, I reached Rotterdam earlier than expected and came to the hotel before check-in time. At the reception, they told me it was possible that my booking could have been cancelled, or that the hotel doors might be closed. I didn’t understand what they meant. Maybe I missed at the beginning of the conversation what the receptionist told others — that there might be a strong storm. There was an orange weather warning, but fortunately, it wasn’t nearly as strong as predicted.

I also visited Hospitality in Amsterdam. A few months later, I went to another Hospitality in Tilburg. I wanted to see SOLAH perform for a bit — and also Flava D. As a singer, SOLAH has been the best for me in recent months. But I didn’t really enjoy the event that much. I felt strange there for quite a long time, because of a my previously experiences with different electronic music Dutch events. Upon arrival, there was also a mistake made by Melkweg’s security. They initially scanned my ticket for Hospitality, but the event turned out to be a techno one. If the security thought I might go to a techno event, that wouldn’t have been too surprising — but still. I walked around that part of Melkweg for a while, wondering if that was supposed to be the DnB stage???. Eventually, I asked the staff, and they directed me to another part of Melkweg. I had a great welcome from the security at Hospital event, with a bow to me, however, another security guard noticed that my ticket had already been scanned elsewhere. I insisted for a while, saying they made a mistake by sending me to the techno event first, and that it wasn’t my fault. In the end, I had stamps for two events. There was also a problem with the lockers, but they gave me two tokens for free after I explained what had happened.

I can already feel the Christmas atmosphere in the Netherlands. You can see Christmas trees, ornaments, and lights everywhere. You won’t find that in many other parts of Europe. The west coast really knows how to beautify its surroundings.

And the beautiful culture of modern industrial buildings such as skyscrapers and a majestic bridge, together with traditional architecture, cleanliness, and an interesting park ecology. The purity and fresh wind of the North Sea air. A multicultural environment where people don’t merely tolerate each other but truly coexist. A good, relaxed mood of the people with interesting values. 

On the way back, I planned a transfer in Nuremberg again. I wanted to take some photos there. It was nice. I had a Red Bull, and after a while I noticed that walking felt really good. When I was heading back to the station, I saw that the Flixbus was already arriving. This time it came half an hour early, and I got on the bus right after it arrived. But we still had to wait half an hour until the scheduled departure time. 

Again, as I already said back in August — southern Netherlands can heal. The air itself is different. Fresh from the North Sea, and cleaner, just like the Netherlands is more aesthetically refined. This time I had a respiratory illness for about three weeks — probably from clients in social care, since that place had more staff. However, once again, everything disappeared in the Netherlands. I only noticed it after arriving, when I told myself: now it’s really gone.

In searching of a truths

 I once again asked AI questions about my favorite EU countries and Czechia. 

The AI’s answers didn’t surprise me. 

 Finland  • One of the safest and most stable countries in the world. • High-quality education system, good healthcare. • Beautiful nature (forests, lakes, Arctic Circle, clean air). • Calmer pace of life, lots of space and privacy. • High trust in institutions and low corruption. 

 Netherlands • Cosmopolitan, open, and liberal society. • Excellent infrastructure (bike paths, transport, logistics). • Active cultural and music scene, many expats. • High level of English – easy for foreigners. • Milder climate, no extreme winters. 

 Germany • Strong economy, high wages, large job market. • Good infrastructure, healthcare, education. • Cultural diversity, music and art scene. • Central location in Europe – great accessibility. • Strong protection of labor rights. 

 Luxembourg • One of the highest standards of living and wages in the world. • Stable and safe country. • Multicultural environment, high share of foreigners. • Excellent infrastructure, healthcare, and social system. • All buses, trams, and trains are free throughout Luxembourg, in 2nd class. • English, French, and German – easy to communicate.

 Belgium • Good location (Brussels = center of the EU, close to France, Netherlands, Germany). • Multicultural and open society. • Quality healthcare and education. • Rich history, culture, gastronomy. • Good knowledge of languages (French, Dutch, English). 

  Czechia • Interesting history and partially natural beauty. • Cheaper life (cheap). • Lower wages compared to Western Europe. • Higher level of corruption and less trust in institutions. • English and other languages not as widespread. • Political culture and bureaucracy can be frustrating. • Challenging real estate market. 

AI’s judgment about me: It seems that openness and quality of life matter a lot to you, along with cosmopolitanism and being at the European center. Czechia ends up last – probably because of lower wages, politics, and less openness. You put NL and LUX at the top for quality of life and openness. Germany is above Belgium – because it has a stronger economy and greater stability (even though Belgium has the EU advantage, Germany seems more practical). Finland - is more peace and nature. Czechia is last, because compared to the others, the quality of life is lower. 

 After longer comparison, the ranking is clear:  

1️⃣ Netherlands – cosmopolitan, open, progressive. Great place if you seek freedom and an international environment. Housing sometimes more expensive, but quality of life is top. 

2️⃣ Luxembourg – small country, but the standard of living and safety are among the best in the world. Stable institutions and high wages. 

3️⃣ Germany – strong economy, job opportunities, central location. Bureaucracy and taxes are a downside, but still worth it. 

4️⃣ Belgium – cultural mix, center of Europe. Political complexity and high costs of living reduce the experience a bit. 

5️⃣ Finland – peace, nature, safety. Great for introverts, but long winters and isolation aren’t for everyone. 

6️⃣ Czechia – has its history and forests, but honestly: low wages, weak institutions, politics, mentality. People’s mentality often pretty acts only for their own “benefit,” often dishonestly or selfishly, and that holds back social development and quality of life.

“End of the country is near!”

 The same, in Czechia, I wasn’t surprised by the student elections either. The complete opposite of the older generation. This also, in my view, reflects what I’ve been saying about many high school students, students in Czechia. At school, they have a sense for progressivism and rights, but once they leave school, they are confronted with harsh reality, and are more likely forced to adapt to futility rather than to carry out their convictions. I’d like to be hopeful, that perhaps precisely because of this confrontation with reality in Czechia, this very reality could make them known, just as it did with me. In itself, this shows that things don’t work in Czechia, and someone with a good, interesting vision, ideas can quickly come to ruin or towards burnout syndrome. Yes, the Western world doesn’t understand because this is a different world. 

The result of the elections in the Czech Republic is both sad and seems to be like absurdly comical. People who vote for own ostracism are, in fact, acting against themselves—as if they were voluntarily getting used to a Russian invasion, their own ostracism. On the other side are Germany and Western Europe, ready to defend their lives and lands, even if that means intervening in the Czech Republic. They are like a balloon stretched between two hands—constantly at risk of bursting. In this situation, it will be they themselves who pay the price for their absurdity. They will not matter to either side: one seeks power, while the others will defend themselves. The elections abroad only highlight this—only in Russia did the same party win. In the end, like the silhouette of a popped balloon, only a memory will remain on historical maps; the contents of the balloon will disappear. The Czech president was truthful when he said that he does not want a government that leaves the country at the mercy of Russia. However, someone is leaving it at the mercy of themselves. 

In a way, I don’t understand why so many Czechs lean toward Babiš and similarly, when from the very beginning he has represented something that so many real Czechs condemned in the 1990s — large-scale privatization, for example. And, yeah, also monopolization of power. 

A words of AI analysis: Babiš didn’t move to Czechia out of sentiment — he moved out of strategy. After the fall of communism, both Czechia and Slovakia opened to privatization, but Czechia offered a far larger and richer playground for ambitious businessmen. In the early 1990s, Babiš founded Agrofert in Prague as a subsidiary of the Slovak Petrimex, then quietly turned it into his own empire. When Czechoslovakia split, he stayed where the money and opportunity were — in Czechia. His move wasn’t about national roots; it was about building dominance in a newly forming market economy. 

So it seems strange to me that so many people who claim to stand for the Czech Republic choose politicians whose interests have been different from the very beginning. It’s as if their jingling of keys in ’89 was fake. Because I grew up in the 1990s, in my opinion, during the 1990s Babiš and similarly wouldn’t have gained traction with people, because back then society was heading in a different direction after the fall of communism. To me, this also suggests that something has gone wrong, especially in the past ten years. 

I also said, Sidney SN also drew influence from the vibes of countries like Australia, the Netherlands, … as well as from the very systems of existence themselves. These vibes are what made me known—you know about me because of them. I cannot allow anything that goes against this, nor can I allow anything that undermines the support I received when issues arised due to this policy. A friend in need is a friend indeed. 

But it is also true that I am used to exactly these kinds of situations from the Czech Republic, where you supported me. A similar situation was nothing new or exceptional for me; you simply learned about a specific situation or specific situations in the Czech Republic, which I consider to be a common problem there. From my perspective, it was rather an almost normal state in the Czech Republic. To some extent, this was also one of the reasons why I was surprised that so many people from Western Europe and Germany knew about it. And it also showed me how different society is in other countries. In the Czech Republic, it seems to be the opposite, as if people try to hide precisely these things, and in doing so, they try to neutralize those who actually notice them. But the truth is, no one can to neutralize people like you are. And the fight for hiding the reality is lost. 

AI Living Standard Analysis: 

 With the policies of ANO or parties like Motoristé sobě, it is practically impossible to catch up to the level of Western European economies.

 • The structure of the economy remains focused on short-term and populist goals, rather than on investments, innovation, and education, which are key to Western wealth.

 • Wages and living standards will stagnate – while Western countries have much higher average salaries, in the Czech Republic they remain only a third to a quarter of those in developed nations. 

 • Productivity and technological development are not accelerating, so the competitiveness of the Czech Republic continues to lag behind. 

 • Consequences for citizens: lower quality of life, less social security, and fewer opportunities to invest in education and infrastructure. 

 

💡 In short: with this political model, the Czech Republic remains in an “economic trap” – it will never reach Western European standards, and each election cycle that strengthens populist and short-term parties only deepens this gap.

August Seventh

 After the illnesses I had in June and July…

Nothing started well at all when, on the sixth kilometre of my journey in Czechia, someone was killed in a motorcycle accident — and I was a witness. After giving my testimony, I had to find an alternative route to catch my connection to Germany, as the accident site was closed off.

In Germany, I spent a short while in a city. I was still quite shaken by what I had just witnessed.

Afterwards, the journey through western Germany was pleasant. I really like the area around Dortmund, and I enjoy it every time I pass through. The trip south through the Netherlands went without any problems.

After the illnesses I had in June and July, I finally found myself where I wanted to be. And at the North Sea. The water there felt sweet to me, as if it were regenerating me when it gently washed over me. I love the atmosphere around sunny Oostduinpark. The Hague is also a wonderful city on Europe’s western coast.

After a year, I attended an electronic music event in Amsterdam — even the same festival I went to for the last time last year. I missed Anfisa Letyago there :D, but the community was interesting enough that I felt it was worth returning to see how it is this year.

I am always quite surprised when I see reactions such as someone being a similar nukivalent and similarly related. That also pleases me.

Although nothing began well, I still had days in places where I wanted to be many times with the nice weather — though my health, and sometimes the weather, didn’t always allow it. 

Also, I’m “sick,” my throat hurts or something like that, I even cough from time to time, and I don’t feel like myself. After a day in the Netherlands, everything disappears. One might even speculate that these could be psychosomatic issues related to the environment. This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced it. And I often expect that I will suddenly start feeling better “out of nowhere.” In reality, it’s the overall life rhythm – the Netherlands has a different pace, public space and services, a different culture, which itself reduces everyday stress. There’s something to it. 

Christmas 2024

MEIR, Antwerp

 I just had a Christmas event without an event because the event was the Christmas days itself in Western Europe. 

During a week I visited Christmas Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Luxembourg city and Strasbourg. So I saw all the Western Europe countries during a Christmas days 2024. 

It’s pretty difficult to say the best Christmas city from the Western Europe cities which I visited. I think that a first place could Luxembourg city take. But how I said it’s difficult to say what was the best Christmas city which I visited during Christmas 2024. 

Ville Haute - Luxembourg 

In the Luxembourg city Christmas night Christmas decorations and lights were an heartbreaking. Especially streets around Ville Haute had an incredible vibes of all the Christmas lights. I had pretty beautiful feeling in my body when I saw how Ville Haute look during a Christmas. I visited a mensa friend in Luxembourg during a spring 2019 and the friend explained me everything about Luxembourg - history, culture - and I saw every the very well know places in Luxembourg from Vianden to Breidweiler. And now when I saw Luxembourg city in a Christmas night and I had the feeling for why Luxembourg is a nation which a man need to love. This is a very cultural nation of a luxury heritage. Luxembourg city is very beautiful city of a heritage and a modern world together. Luxembourg city belong among the best cities in Europe, for me. 

And with my person loved Rotterdam, Rotterdam is a different vibes than is Luxembourg city, Rotterdam is more modern city. In Rotterdam were beautiful decorations on Erasmusbrug or also around Rotterdam center. Erasmusbrug, Wilheminakade and Maasshaven is very majestic and iconic place. I think ‘majestic’ is the right word for an incredible atmosphere when a man is on Erasmusbrug and during a night this feeling is maybe more deep and the man see the world of a big majestic buildings around. Maybe if I visited no place as is Ossuaire de Douaumont in France for example, I could feel that Erasmusbrug and view from the big bridge to Wilheminakade that this is a most majestic place in Western Europe; because the builds are pretty high-tech strong modern architecture for an often strong weather itself of North see. I think Rotterdam is builded on a place where is still North see. I think Nieuwe Maas itself is a North see in a corridor and not a common river. And majestic is also because during strong winter weather, a strong wind and winter times on Erasmusbrug seems to be as climbing on a mountain. For everytime I can enjoy the majestic atmosphere of a human world. And now during Christmas I had again the feeling about that Rotterdam is a majestic place. 

Strasbourg - Grande Île

Exist some public stats that Netherlands people says that they more like Rotterdam more than Amsterdam. As a one the best place in Netherlands they see Utrecht. Probably I also like Rotterdam more like Amsterdam. But I don’t say that Amsterdam is not a beautiful city. During a my Christmas trip I saw many beautiful Christmas vibes in Amsterdam. Although in Amsterdam is also many modern high-tech buildings, Amsterdam is a historic city more like Rotterdam, for example. And I enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere on the historic places in Amsterdam. Especially center of Amsterdam lived Christmas atmosphere, many people who wanted to see the atmosphere. Amsterdam is also a city to a love. 

Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam

Antwerp was also with an incredible Christmas atmosphere. I see Antwerp as a most beautiful city in Belgium and Christmas atmosphere this also said. A people in Christmas Antwerp was everywhere and together with a glamor shopping they did a right Western Europe. I could to say that also Antwerp could be on the first place of a Western Europe Christmas cites but I can’t to say this because another Western Europe cities looked similarly beautiful. The shopping during Christmas days in Antwerp is an amazing atmosphere. Especially the shops in Antwerpen center. A people there make a great atmosphere. 

 

In Eindhoven atmosphere a Christmas shopping was also amazing. And also people in the Christmas streets were peaceful. Although seems to be that Eindhoven is not a bigger Christmas place, the atmosphere of a trading in Eindhoven was amazing. 

And Strasbourg. I think that Strasbourg could be also on a first place among the best of Western Europe Christmas city. In Strasbourg is possible everywhere to see a heritage atmosphere and with a Christmas decorations Strasbourg also seems to be an incredible Western Europe city of many beautiful streets. I like the city and I think Strasbourg is a very good France city for a life. A Strasbourg buildings and streets and the heritage is amazing. And also because Strasbourg is near of Germany, a man can feel a piece from Germany in Strasbourg. Strasbourg was also beautiful.

And yeah, no one border control on a Western Europe borders. Only a ID control there was on borders with Czechia and Germany. A ways on roads and with trains were good without a delays everywhere. 

Yet, during this my visits to the Benelux cities over Christmas, my molar started hurting on the very first day. My cheek also became very swollen. I had a few ibuprofens with me, which I took during the first hour. The next morning I went to get more ibuprofen in Rotterdam. At the pharmacy they gave me Flamingo ibuprofen. Unexpectedly, it worked within twenty minutes. The tooth stopped hurting. It was a relief. However, the swelling took several days to heal. 

On the day I bought the ibuprofen, I encountered a person on Erasmus Bridge in the evening, and I kept stopping several more times in the second half of the bridge and turning around, wondering who it could be. I returned from an unfinished journey to Nieuwe Werk because of the rain and I noticed that this person had walked towards me on Erasmus Bridge. It was raining, it was dark, and there were almost no people on the bridge. I thought about turning around and walking after this person to greet this person. However, because of my swollen face, I dismissed the idea. I hesitated when the person walked by, judging by their face and Eastern appearance. A dentist would probably have recognized what problem I had if I had taken off my hood.

Be happy

Sloterpark

 Due to my experiences with techno communities in Czechia since 2001, and due to the rise of the free tekno mainstream around 2003—when free tekno even managed to shut down Creamfields in Czechia—and the way Czech techno people began collaborating with the free tekno scene, I’m happy that my imagination about what a techno community could look like has been realized in the Netherlands. I always believed in the vibe of tech-house, progressive, melodic, and proper techno. I’m happy because what I imagined is now real here. I believed in a community made up of normal people—people with inner wealth and good looks—and in the Netherlands, this is happening. I think the Dutch techno community looks like how I imagined a functioning society could be. I can enjoy these events without fear because of the shared values here. The only thing I fear is saying this out loud. For example, when I mentioned a liquid event in December 2022, something felt off. People aren’t the same everywhere. The world is about people. As the inner spaces look, so do the worlds. In places where techno is shaped by citizens with strong inner values, it feels different. In the Netherlands, even gabba is mainstream. I don’t say anything negative about that because Dutch gabber carries those same values. At 10:45 PM, when I left the Loveland shuttle at Sloterdijk, I could hear tech-house, techno, progressive, and gabber playing all around. At first, I thought the techno was coming from Loveland, but after a few steps, I heard different music. I realized that music was coming from everywhere—sound of ADE’s. Gabber was playing from cars too. It’s true that Dutch open-air events usually end by midnight. So when I got to Sloterdijk, it was the tail end of all the events happening around Amsterdam. At 11:00 PM, a guy on a balcony provocatively a one started playing weird bass like he had a sound system at the balcony. That’s political too. Now it’s ten days later—I’m lying in bed at 1:30 AM and suddenly, a free tekno party starts. When I see this, it’s like those people are shouting, “Look at us! We’re the dumbest in Europe!” Some of them are under 30 and already without teeth—stuff even indigenous communities wouldn’t see. And when the decibel limits are completely ignored, the free tekno just continues. At ADE, nobody wants to go days without washing their body. But at some wannabe events, the common smell says everything. In a way, I’m glad real, civilized societies exist somewhere, and the weirdos stay weird—dirty and desperate, stuck in the world they made for themselves. I don’t believe these people know what a Western society really looks like. They believe their own nonsense, because they’re not educated—not even about the world outside Czechia, which seems to be their final stop in life. This is also the truth about the Czech reality. Every time I return from Germany to Czechia, I feel like the country is outside of reality. It’s a shock—being everywhere in Western Europe and then arriving in a place where the West doesn’t seem to exist at all. I don’t want uncivilized or antisocial behavior—especially not during the day. But I love daylight events. It’s beautiful when everyone can see what the people around them actually look like. When I come back from a daylight or sunset event, I never question the value of day events. That’s what’s great about them—they last longer, I can sleep at night, and in the morning, I feel good. Or I can enjoy the night later, alone, in my own private space. And still wake up happy. It’s like traveling in a night train—when I look around and see people I’m not afraid of.

A good days in Potsdam

 I often hear people talk about support for Sidney SN from UK drum and bass artists, but there’s rarely any mention of C Recordings, for example. C Recordings is one of the best German drum and bass labels. I believe people should open their eyes to C Recordings just as they do to many UK drum and bass labels and UK artists. 

But the truth is, when Soulvent Records started liking my posts on Instagram, it was something I didn’t expect. Or take another example—interest from Shogun Audio. I think Soulvent Records and Shogun Audio are right at the top of the drum and bass scene. What really surprised me was what I began seeing in reality. One example is when the name Sidney SN was applauded in Prague clubs. During 2022 and 2023, I often found it hard to believe that people across Europe actually knew the name Sidney SN. And not just people in drum and bass—but also people from other scenes, like the Netherlands techno scene, the progressive scene, or just the general Western European public. And almost every time, the reaction to me was positive. 

When I realized that people all across Western Europe knew about me, it honestly blew my mind—I never expected that kind of popularity across the region. I often asked myself how it was even possible. I used to think drum and bass artists weren’t popular with the general public. But I found that I am popular with the public itself, like in Germany, for example. And even there, the reactions to me were mostly positive every time. The same happened at meetings in France or the Netherlands events. 

And what I see as really positive is that the situation around me—and the things happening in my life—are probably the reason why so many people across Western Europe know who I am. It’s something that told me a lot of good things about Western European society. 

I have a words to rare experience. And now is the experience also meaningful. It’s summer 2023. I chose not to go to Liquicity Festival—even though I knew many people were expecting Sidney SN to appear there. Or perhaps, precisely because of that. Instead, I decided to visit the Berlin area in Germany. 

There was a drum and bass event at Rechenzentrum in Potsdam, and I felt drawn to it. It seemed like the right choice. The area around Potsdam appears to be very green. When traveling by train from Berlin to Potsdam, the landscape along the way is mostly forest—it seems there’s a long stretch of forest between Berlin city and Potsdam. The weather felt as if it belonged to a place where rainclouds could be held back by a kind of a dam formed by the surrounding forests. Interestingly, the weather was similar to what you might experience during June in the Netherlands. Yet, the event itself wasn’t rainy. In fact, there was even sunshine. 

Kyrist is playing at the Burn Out Festival, and I am in the mood for German jungle or drum and bass. I also looked forward to experiencing Berlin’s vibrant and colorful ‘freedom’ community, including the queer people. And yes—everything I hoped for came true. The German DnB and Berlin’s colorful energy were real. But even more than that, the community was better than I imagined. Not only at the Burn Out Festival in Rechenzentrum, but in Potsdam in general. I came away with new insights about myself. I had experiences that I got a new informations about my person in Germany. The days I spent in Potsdam were deeply meaningful. 

When I say the community at Rechenzentrum was good, I mean it felt honest and fair. People seemed to be genuinely aware of who they were and what they believed—there was no hate, only presence. That atmosphere was more what I expected. A rare moment to visit Potsdam’s Rechenzentrum, which is part of Berlin’s vibrant and colorful community.