After the Siege of Tilburg (After the war in the Netherlands)

In May this year I traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, to visit Sound Central Festival. The festival. organized by expats, provides a platform for youth and young artists where they can express themselves free and safely.
All in all it was a great experience. I met very courageous, inspiring and above all very normal people and I witnessed a special event. About the festival I made a journalistic comic-strip that was published in the opinion and background booklet Vonk of Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant June 8th. As promised I would tell about my impressions and experiences of Kabul. I want to do this in a special way.
Two years ago I worked on a project 'The Siege of Tilburg' (the weblog your visiting right now) where I presented my old hometown Tilburg, in The Netherlands, as a city under siege.

Heuvelstraat, Tilburg

In the blog I reported on the situation and experiences of the people. During the period the Arab Spring broke out, the project was kinda exhausting itself and my focus was more on the start of another project. It came to a standstill and has never really closed. So it also seems to work in the media. That events get into oblivion when the interest becomes exhausted.
I did not necessarily counted on it that my trip to Kabul would give new inspiration for this project. Maybe this blogpost is also not yet the end, but it certainly brought a new point of view.
What follows are my impressions of Kabul translated to the situation as if I would visit Tilburg a few years after the war.

The peace seems to be returned. Yet you feel that there is something in the air that is not good. Note that a week since I left, Tilburg has been rocked by attacks almost every week.
It's not that you're coping with that in mind the whole day. At least, so I experienced. I do was, when outside my guesthouse, constantly alert and observant and stayed with my fixxer. Apparently it's not wise to just walk around on your own and so it is a very important to have a fixxer.

Tilburg is a rapidly developing city. At the last census before the war, the city had about 200,000 inhabitants. The now estimated number is at least 380,000.

Remarkably is the busy traffic. There are no roadrules so it seems. Some traffic cops trying to make the best of it and drivers are constantly on the horn. Not aggressively, but to let another driver know that he would like to pass. The roads are not very good, but they're working on it. Sand of roads being worked on, is often dumped a street further. So that street becomes difficult to access. A 4X4 comes in quite handy. At first I thought that the city was filled with smog during rush hour, but this is the dust that erupts through traffic. When it rains it is ok, but then it is a terrible quagmire.

Hart van Brabantlaan, Tilburg

In terms of wardamage, it doesn't seem to be that bad. There is much new construction. In the Hart van Brabantlaan for example, you see lots of new buildings. In the citycenter, older buildings are being renovated and some still bear bullet holes. It seems that the people in Tilburg don't want to be coping too much with the past, but mainly want to move forward.
The view from the Piusstraat on the Piusplein with it's terraces and cafes is blocked by a high wall. Only through certain corridors you can get to the heart of the citycenter. Larger, important buildings and mostly houses in the center are generally walled and secured.

Piusplein, Tilburg

Police checkpoints, better known as the 'Ring of Steel', you'll find every three or four blocks. Sometimes you're being stopped and you have to show your ID but in most cases you can continue. If you are for the first time in a post-conflict area you may find it weird to see the policemen with loaded HKUMP 45's (Heckler & Koch submachine gun). But you'll get used to it really quick. As do the U.S. Black Hawk helicopters flying overhead evey few hours.

The people here in Tilburg are very friendly, receptive, sincerely interested, grateful and welcoming. In my guesthouse they wanted to know every day what my program was and when I would be back. If I was late and forgot to let know something, they would text-message asking where I was. To visitors they make clear that they simply have everything, like we have, but that the country is developing. It is not that strange that the power fails several times a day, in which case the generator turns on. Warm water is also not a guarantee. "Welcome to Tilburg". The food is delicious by the way!
During a conversation you'll get to be asked the question of our picture of them on the other side of the world. Well that's hard to speak for the whole country and you mainly tell about your own impression. I was literally asked if we see them as undeveloped and desperate people. The people here want to live their lives but also a clear and honest picture of them being showed to the world.

Heuvelstraat, Tilburg

It was unfortunate I had to leave after ten days, while there was much more to see of the country. I would like to collect, record and publish many more stories. Especially the feeling that I was welcome makes me want to go back again soon when I have the opportunity. Through my visit I developed even more fascination for the country. The people I've met are fascinating, brave and the city and the country deserve a chance. These are not ignorant and desperate people. Hopefully special events such as Sound Central Festival can contribute to a positive development of the country.