Workers of the Dutch shippers' organisation EVO do more that just serving the interests of the organisation. Janny' and Jaap Kok's daughter Esther is an example of that, but her colleague Ed Coenen as well. This special pic of the Erasmus bridge - Rotterdam's pride - shows that.

 Janny has been caught  in the act of photographing and presenting by genuine professional photographers.  In De Ridder in Rotterdam for example. It is venue for a monthly talk show of Wim de Boek and his gang  to which Janny has contributed since early 2008. She has featured in what is called Haven Telex.

Left picture: Janny, and talk show hosts Caroline Dijk and Wim de Boek at work! 

This year she was stand-in host at De Ridder, interviewing one of the illustrious guests of the venue

The cultural venue De Ridder offers the stage for Rotterdam poets and the like. among them is 'boxing' poet Joop van den Bos. He wrote and read a poem about the garden suburb Janny and Jaap live. She translated Joop's VREEWIJK in Dutch like this (see below) for the benefit of readers who speak double Dutch ;o), only.

VREEWIJK (Rotterdam's peaceful garden suburb)

Indeed, the Vreewijk migration/of people yet rooted in the countryside/who came to this place/fostering their dreams/not only of prosperity/but also of a future for their loved ones.

And yes, they got a better life/and moved with the times/together in their garden village, which to this day/a lovely place/to live!/Yet, all of the sudden/there is talk about demolition./Hey authorities/We don't rid Rotterdam of Vreewijk? Joop - Wilde Bizon - van den Bos

Mid March Janny could report own personal news. The Port of Rotterdam Authority did her the honour to distinguish her with what is called Sleepanker (Drag Anchor) for contributing favourably and remarkably to the well being of the port (of Rotterdam) for quite some time..

In this picture (right) she is caught in the act of receiving the little plaque from COO André Toet (left) and husband Jaap (right) watching more or less the back of the piece of art. Let's hope that nobody thinks about a Drag Queen, when seeing the picture made by Ben Wind or when describing the honour bestowed on her. The event has been reported at http://www.portofrotterdam.com (sorry in Dutch only) and other mags Janny contributes to.

 The Port of Rotterdam Authority personalized by André Toet and others invited Janny and her guests to a Drag Anchor dinner in the aftermath Janny and friends had a fantastic time. Here she is in an attempt of chanting together with professional entertainer Lee Towers, who is Ambassador of the Port of Rotterdam, and external affairs officer Hans Magito of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

 Janny has been asked again to act as the roving reporter at the Haven conference, held in Feyenoord Stadium 'De Kuip' on 16th April., 2008 Conference organisation Management Productions'  Daniëlle Schönhage was happy to take her on board again. 

Click on the pic on the right of the roving reporter at work to find out more details about the conference. Picture taken by Ben Wind http://www.benwind.com

She did the trick before at the Freight Select Trade Fair & Seminars., at which she found herself acting at a chair. On the left picture in the act of interviewing former transport minister Karla Peijs  in the province of Zeeland (in unintended limelight, pictured by Michel Gonlag)

Those involved in the Harbour Press Club Kyoto have appointed André Kramer of the Kramer Group as Man of the Port 2007.  Mid January 2008 the Kyoto members praised entrepreneur Kramer for his daring investment in the Rotterdam Container Terminal in between terminal operating giants ECT and APM Terminals at Maasvlakte. The picture of the group of Men of the Port and Madam Men of the Port was taken by Frank van Hal of Nieuwsblad Transport/MainportEvents. MainportEvents has a website on its own. Please check it out by clicking on the picture of the festive group of leading port people.

Click on the Kyoto logo to find more about the Man of the Port and the Rotterdam-based press club Janny is part of.

Man of the Port for 2003 Jos Benders stepped down as MD Lyondell Chemie Nederland. Rotterdam's Mayor Ivo Opstelten and quite a few bigwigs from the chemical industry and of the port bid him farewell. Janny kept the Kyoto-flag flying on the reception, knowing that Limburg born and bred Benders will keep on going. His heart will remain beating for the port of Rotterdam. Pieter Struijs - member of the Board of Executives of the Port of Rotterdam Authority - retired as well, only to become very active for the Rotterdam Climate Initiative.

HAL cruise liner s.s. Rotterdam has been towed in the port of Rotterdam to become a hotel, congress and leisure venue. The Rotterdam is still not ready to receive guests. The members of the Harbour Press Club Kyoto set their hopes high to embark the moored vessel. So far, no such luck. They and others have to sit and wait till November 2008, at least. The illustrious Marine Club Rotterdam - MCR, a networking group of martime and port related entrepreneurs - is sure of a meeting room onboard s.s. Rotterdam, but not before January, 2009.

Art can also be found at Belgium Kalmthout at De Markgraaf. Partner Savita Singh of former 'port baron' Jan Rijsdijk appears to be an inspiring artist. Janny bought one of her works: De Prins (the prince). Ever heard of ArtDelight? Rotterdam-based artists Patty Koll and Peter van der Palm are behind what they call 'light creations'. Click on the pic of the "Spinning Wheel" since May, 2006 hanging over the table in Jaap and Janny's home to find out about the makers of that lamp.           But the light artists have been up to more. Peter made the 'light design' of a meeting place at the college and he and Patty were assigned to make this special lamp for retiring CEO Carel van den Driest of Vopak. Unaware of this artistic gesture, Janny and her colleagues appointed the man who has seen this light as Man of the Port, mid January, 2006. Van den Driest certainly does not put his light under the proverbial bushel. Today, he is proud member of the group of Men of the Port, recognized by the harbour press club Kyoto, besides being involved in other activities.

Janny is a modest collector of Rotterdam art from Cor Kraat, Han Kuipers, Rinus Blomsteel and others. The painting she bought from Rinus - the Painting Animal - Blomsteel was still wet when it was handed over. Click on the pic to find more about Blomsteel and his work.   The Sun is artificially shining in the Kok-house. It is a painting of Kim Leeflang made on assignment by Rotterdam-based trade fair organiser Jan de Klerk. It was auctioned for ' a good cause': Rehabilitation Centre Rijndam. Janny bought the work for the optimism it represents. Find out more about Rijndam by clicking on the pic   and about Kim by clicking on her name                      Janny has to admit it: one can overdo it as a participating journalist. She can safely say so after undergoing a series of six eye operations, because of - in the words of writer/playwright John Mortimer - 'my retinas have a tendency to become slightly displaced'. Dr. Robert Kuijpers of Rotterdam-based Erasmus MC (Erasmus University Hospital) and Janny considered the job done after the sixth op end 2003. No such luck! The seventh op was done just before Christmas, 2006 when the so-called cerclage - an encircling buckle applied as supporting device - and plompe had to be removed, as 'the old eye' did not like such strange support. The retina has to make do without support from now on.