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Transcript of ACCESS Autumn Magazine
Biking in the Netherlands
i n f o r m a t i o n , a d v i c e a n d s u p p o r t f o r y o u r l i f e i n t h e n e t h e r l a n d s
pick up your own free copy
Autumn 2010
Special features | Culture shock! Brazil vs Holland | Visit Maastricht |Coaching | Dutch Design | Learning languages | Courses | Events | Volunteer profile | Food | News
www.access-nl.org
5 About Access
services & volunteers
7 Letter from Lucy Scott,
new Executive director
8 Community news
10 Cover story – Biking in
the Netherlands
14 Words of Encouragement
17 Help kids excel
18 Dutch design – New Blue
20 De-mystifying coaching
23 Travel – Maastricht
My Pug
and I34
Biking in the Netherlands
Maastricht23
26 Volunteer Profile
29 Bach Ensemble
31 Theatre, Life’s a dramatic comedy
32 It’s all talk
34 My pug and I
37 Culture shock! Brazil vs Holland
40 Food is food – culinary column
44 ACCESS courses Amsterdam
48 ACCESS courses The Hague
52 Events calendar
54 ACCESS Who’s Who
ACCESS - The HagueZeestraat 100, 2nd floor2518 AD The HagueT. 070 - 346 25 [email protected]
ACCESS - AmsterdamPrinses Irenestraat 591077 WV AmsterdamT. 020 - 423 32 [email protected]
Open monday
through friday
10 am - 4 pm
10
PHOtO By MArC VAN WOuDENBErg
Cover and article photos courtesy of ©Shirley Agudo, American photojournalist and author of Bicycle Mania Holland.
| content Autumn 2010
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (“ABN AMRO”) is not licensed to conduct banking business or sell insurance products in the United States under applicable federal and state laws. The offering, sale and/or distribution of this product or service can also be limited to other persons by the laws and regulations of other jurisdictions. Every (future) client is obliged to make inquiries after and comply with such restrictions. Neither this document, nor any copy there of may be sent to or taken into the United States or distributed in the United States or to a US Person.
At ABN AMRO we are aware of the cultural and other differences you will encounter in the Netherlands.That’s why we’ll do everything to ensure that you won’t have to worry about your banking matters. Our International Client Service starts with quick and easy
Internet Banking in English. But we communicate in more than 20 different languages. For advice on more complex financial issues, you can count on the expertise and assistance of a Preferred Banker. Would you like to discover more about our service?
THAT’S WHY WE OFFER FINANCIAL SERVICES ESPECIALLY FOR EXPATS
PLEASE VISIT ABNAMRO.COM/INTERNATIONALCLIENTS
YOU’VE GOT ENOUGH TO DISCOVER
210008624 2231 Adv 215x280.indd 1 26-08-10 17:11
Culture shock:
Brazil vs Holland
37
access | AutuMN | 5access | AutuMN | 5
From humble beginnings, ACCESS has grown to
become a leading source of free, personalised infor-
mation in the English language for the Expatriate
International Community in the Netherlands. Our
offices in The Hague and Amsterdam are staffed by
an enthusiastic team of around 160 volunteers who
have experienced the expat relocation process and
are able to provide comprehensive information,
advice and support, as well as empathising with the
experience of individuals on all aspects of living and
working in the Netherlands, particularly in The
Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam regions, also
known as the Randstad area of Holland.
ACCESS receives over 20,000 enquiries a year and is
widely recognised as the primary source of free infor-
mation in English in the Netherlands. ACCESS is
actively supported by local authorities and govern-
ment ministries, and provides regular feedback to
such bodies on the experiences and expectations of
the International and Expat communities moving to,
relocating or living in the Netherlands.
ACCESS is governed by an Executive Board made up
of representatives from the business community,
community organisations and an Executive Director
responsible for overall management.
Additionally, ACCESS is recognised and supported by
the Mayors of The Hague, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam, by several leading Ambassadors and rep-
AboutEstablished in 1986,
ACCESS is a not-for-profit
organisation committed
to supporting the
International Expatriate
Community in the
Netherlands.
resentatives from the commercial sector, all of whom
make up our Honorary Board. Each office has a
Management Team comprised of volunteers as heads
of departments. Each Management Team is respon-
sible for the general organisation and administration
of its office. ACCESS is supported by both Dutch,
International and Expatriate businesses and organi-
sations through donations and varying levels of
sponsorship, each providing benefits to the sponsors
in return as well as help, advice and support to their
expat and returning local employees.
Volunteering for ACCESS
We have a team of up to 160 volunteers in The Hague
and Amsterdam. We offer volunteer opportunities in
areas including marketing, event management,
advertising, fund raising, IT, finance, database
research, copywriting and much more. The core of
our team is our Help Desk volunteers, this is the
front line of our service – helping and advising expats
over the phone, by email or by personal consultation.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us, you can volunteer
for as few as 6 hours per week and at your conve-
nience. Contact us at The Hague at vrd-dh@access-
nl.org or Amsterdam at [email protected]
Finding ACCESS
In The Hague we’ve recently moved office and have
now settled into Zeestraat 100, which has generously
been provided by the The City of the Hague. You’re
always welcome to come and see us in the Stadhuis
Atrium at The Hague City Hall, along with the Xpat
Desk team, from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5 pm.
In Amsterdam you can now find us in the
ExpatCenter in the World Trade Center on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9-12. We are
also kindly supported by the ExpatCenter
Amsterdam. You’re also always welcome to call in to
our office – we’re based in the Amsterdam
International Community School – 2nd floor –
Prinses Irenestraat 59.www.access-nl.org
Quality day-care for your child, peace of mind for you
International Child Care HouseComme à la Maison
Duinweg 1, 2585 JT Den Haag0031 (0) 70-404 9750
• Special activities: art, gymnastics, music and dancing
• Registered with the GGD. An active Parents' Committee
• Warm, nutritional and balanced meals available daily
• English and Dutch-speaking groups of children aged 0-to-6
• Secure environment, fully equipped for play, sleep and educational needs
• Swimming: unique to day-care, a chance to experience the world of water
www.calmkid.nl
Comme à la Maison is an international childcare center in The Hague. We provide a warm and welcoming home for both Dutch and English-speaking children.
access | AutuMN | 7access | AutuMN | 7
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear ACCESS readers,
ACCESS memory stick
We’ve had quite a lot of change at ACCESS recently including my
appointment as Executive Director. I’m proud to take responsibil-
ity for an organisation that gives advice and help to over 20,000
expats each year, with a dedicated and amazing group of volun-
teers from all four corners of the world. Volunteers who like you
live, or have lived, international lives. And we’re always looking
for new volunteers where you can use your skills and experience
and meet and work with some fantastic people.
After seven years living in Australia and now 2½ years here in The
Hague, although the kids are now settled in at the British School
and my husband is busy at Shell, I can still remember how daunt-
ing living in a new country can be, and how difficult things can
sometimes seem when you are so far away from home. And that’s
why ACCESS is here – to help and offer advice. Please don’t ever
hesitate to contact us – we’re always ready to listen.
If you have any feedback on the magazine, on the services that
ACCESS offers or any ideas I’d love to hear from you.
Warm regards,
Lucie Scott
We’re delighted to announce the
launch of the ACCESS memory stick
– ACCESSING the Netherlands.
The memory stick will give you all the
information you need on first arriving in
the Netherlands and for your ongoing life
in Holland. Memory sticks weigh less than
a bag of crisps – or ‘chips’ and you can just
open the information you need at the click
of a mouse – no more heavy books and
multiple leaflets to plough through. There
will also be some free space on the memory
stick for you to save your own documents.
And there’ll be information included from
some of our partners.
As well as being able to buy the memory
stick at the I’m Not a Tourist Fair in
Amsterdam on October 10th, you’ll also be
able to buy it from our ACCESS on-line
shop at www.access-nl.org/shop/index.htm
With the weather shifting into cooler temperatures, and darker
days, a warm autumn welcome to all of you. As we move into our
25th year we decided we needed a makeover, so as well as the
‘new look’ ACCESS magazine in your hands, you’ll soon be seeing
our new and improved website to be launched later in the year.
Our thanks to Dijkman Publishers in The Hague who created
our new style.
I also have to say a big thank you to the Netherlands Foreign
Investment Agency who have made a generous and welcome
investment in ACCESS as part of their programme to improve hos-
pitality to, and the quality of life for, expatriates and internationals
living in the Netherlands.
or from either of our ACCESS offices as
well as at the Xpat Desk in The City Hall of
The Hague.
Living in a new country can be a tough experience. Day-to-day differences, such as customs and lan-guage, can have more of a personal impact than you might expect. Additionally, ordinary and unexpected life situations may prove more challenging when faced in a different country away from personal support net-works and resources you had at home. At times like these you may benefit from professional support, which ACCESS can provide through a referral to our counsellor network.
The Counselling Services of ACCESS were established in 1986
to meet the needs of the international English speaking com-
munity in the Netherlands. The ACCESS Counselling Network
consists of professionals having practices all over Holland. Our
counsellors are men and women who are psychologists, mental
health counsellors, and social workers from a variety of differ-
ent cultural backgrounds. All counsellors have a minimum
Masters level degree with at least two years supervised work
experience. They offer a variety of expertise in different areas,
including:
•adjustmentdifficulties •childrenandfamilies
•marital/relationshipissues •AIDS/HIV
•anxiety •careerchallenges
•depression •suicide
•sexual/emotional/physicalabuse •eatingdisorders
•lossandbereavement • learningproblems
•substanceabuse •psychologicalevaluations
•cross-culturaladjustment •medicallyrelatedproblems
•sexualityissues
In addition to English, a number of ACCESS counsellors speak
other languages including Dutch, German, Spanish, French
and Italian. All referrals and counselling services are confiden-
tial. Fees are set by the individual counsellors.
Contacting a Counsellor
Every month, two of the ACCESS counsellors are on-call, they
can provide a free referral to a member of the ACCESS
Counselling Network who is best placed to assist you. Please
contact the helpline at your local ACCESS office or for more
immediate attention out of office hours, details of the month’s
on-call counsellors can be found on www.access-nl.org
learning Adults
and
Children
Dutch Language Courses• Beginner to advanced • Dutch for business • In-company courses & private tuition • NT2 exam preparation
For further information call 070 315 4080 www.britishschool.nl/languagecentre
English Language Courses• Beginner to advanced • Business English • In-company courses & private tuition • CELTA teacher training • Cambridge exam preparation
for life
Language
ACCESS Counselling Network
8 | access | AutuMN 8 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 9access | AutuMN | 9
young Writers in print:
Friendship book features competition winners
Community News
You’ll find us at the I’m Not A Tourist Fair run by
Expatica on Sunday, October 10th. The Expat Center
Amsterdam have kindly invited us to share their
stand. Please call in and say hello – you can also
purchase the NEW ACCESS memory stick.
Source: www.expatica.com/iamnotatourist
We were delighted to have our annual ACCESS networking & fund
raising event hosted by the British Embassy in the British
Ambassadors Residence, and extend a big thank you to Paul
Arkwright and his staff. We had over 150 people attend from national
and local government, organisations and businesses that support
ACCESS. Many thanks to all those that attended and generously
donated to the ongoing and valuable work of ACCESS. See page 51
and www.access-nl.org for the list of sponsors and donors.
Community support ACCESS at the I’m Not a tourist Fair
The UNESCO World Heritage Site will
take in the area around Amsterdam’s
three main canals: the Herengracht or
Patricians’ Canal, the Keizersgracht or
Emperor’s Canal, and the Prinsengracht
or Prince’s Canal. The three waterways
run parallel to each other in a crescent
Amsterdam’s Canals Now a uNESCO World Heritage Site
shape, giving the city centre its character-
istic semi-circular shape when viewed
from the air. Many of the canal houses
were built in the Golden Age, a period of
great progress and prosperity in 17th-
century Amsterdam. It comprises a net-
work of canals to the west and south of
the historic old town and medieval
port. According to UNESCO, who
awarded the title of World Heritage Site
to the 17th century canal ring area
inside the Singelgracht, the historic
urban ensemble of the canal district of
Amsterdam was a project for a new
‘port city’ built at the end of the 16th
and beginning of the 17th centuries.
Amsterdam has been working to win
world heritage status for its 17th cen-
tury centere since 2006. Locations on
the list can obtain UNESCO funding for
maintenance or to restore damage. But
more significantly for Amsterdam, the
World Heritage tag is a source of pres-
tige, and boosts the location’s status as
a tourist destination.
Source: UNESCO/NBTC
Community News
The ‘global city by the sea’ comprising
Scheveningen (The Hague beach) will be
further protected with reinforcements in
the form of an attractive new boulevard
designed by Spanish architect Manuel De
Solá-Morales. Not only will the boulevard
appeal to the 20 million visitors attracted
to the coast each year, as part of the
Scheveningen Master Plan the structure
also serves as a dike barrier to keep the
water from reaching beyond the shores to
the city. Construction will continue
through 2013.
Every young writer wants to be published.
So perhaps the best prize of all for the win-
ners of the Young Writers Competition,
organised by the The XPat Journal, The
International Herald Tribune and
DutchNews.nl, is the publication of a book
featuring their work.
In total, nearly 700 young writers from 40
different schools took part in the competi-
tion, launched last September, and submit-
ted stories, poems and plays based around
Scheveningen begins work on new boulevard
the theme of friendship. The book con-
tains the 15 winners and some 40 runners-
up – picked by the judges on the basis of
their imagination, emotion, insight, and
writing skills.
Being expat children, there were a lot of
stories and poems about leaving people or
being left behind themselves. Some were
terribly sad but others full of hope and
optimism. All 700 original entries have
also become part of the Expatriate Archive
Centre’s collection so every story and
poem, not just those in the book, will have
a place in history. The book can be ordered
via www.hollandbooks.nl or purchased from
ACCESS offices or online bookshop.
10 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 11
By OLIVIA VAN DEN BrOEk-NErI
ACCESS VOLuNtEEr
Who hasn’t almost been run over by kami-
kazee tourists poorly navigating on two
wheels? While the phrase ‘go with the flow’
may be apt for the experienced ‘ fietser’
knowing the rules of the road is a good
start. Cycling is so ingrained in the Dutch
culture, that children are given bike traffic
lessons in grade school in order to get their
‘fiets diploma’ proving that they know how
to be safe while cycling and follow the
rules. In fact, the Dutch, undaunted by
wind or weather use their bikes all year
round. They love their bikes so much that
May has been designated national cycling
month, with lots of activities.
www.meimaandfietsmaand.nl
Rules in motion
In Dutch traffic law, bicycles form a sepa-
rate category, and some special regulations
apply, which may be different from those
there’s no better way to see the scenery in the
Netherlands and enjoy nature. Everyone cycles:
adults, children, teenagers, the elderly, students, and
even professionals. Cycling is a way of life, and
popular because a continuous network of cycle
paths are maintained, making it convenient and
easy to get around town. It’s also efficient, energy
saving and environmentally friendly! More than
1.3 million new bikes are sold annually from over
3,200 bike shops. So enjoy cycling, the Dutch way!
Biking in the Netherlands
for motorised traffic. In short, the traffic
law distinguishes between ‘slow traffic’
(bicycles, mopeds) and ‘fast traffic’
(motorcycles and cars). Indeed, driving
while under the influence will net you a
hefty fine if caught ‘drunk driving.’
As pedestrians and other cyclists are obvi-
ously not mind readers, do use hand sig-
nals when preparing to make a left or right
turn. Simply put your arm out in the direc-
tion you want to turn. You also need to stay
on the bike paths; cycling is not allowed on
sidewalks or pedestrian-only areas, and
certainly never on the highway. Cyclists
also share the bike paths with mopeds, so
keep to the right-side of the bike path so
that they can pass you. They are much
faster, so do keep that in mind to avoid a
collision.
Assuming your ears are not filled with ear-
pods and the sounds of music in motion,
make sure you can be heard! Bikes have
bells for a reason! Warn other cyclists as
you approach and need to pass them and
use the bell to warn pedestrians who are
blocking the bike path! And speaking of
blocking, it’s allowed to ride alongside
another cyclist, but cycling with three peo-
ple wide is not permitted. Make sure you
can be seen as well, even with laws stating
that cyclists must have proper lighting and
reflectors on their bicycles, many people
do not abide by the laws. Disregarding the
law is dangerous and can result in a fine.
Wearinglightcoloursand/orareflective
the Netherlands
has over 15,000 km
of bike paths
vest is helpful at night. Bicycle helmets are
not required, though sport cyclists are
wearing them.
Follow the path
The Netherlands is a small country, and flat
as a pancake, which makes cycling a very
practical form of transportation. Bike
paths are distinguished by red tiles or pave-
ment, sometimes with a cyclist symbol on
the pavement. Follow the signs, as bike
paths and bike roads are indicated by a
blue circular sign with a white bicycle sym-
bol. Some roundabouts have cyclist lanes
around them, with signposts directing the
cyclist to a destination. They are also
marked with priority, with roads connect-
ing the cycle ways to the roundabout, so
you don’t keep going round in circles...
others have separate cycle paths around
them. Tunnels are common around motor-
Flat as a pancakePHOtO By BEN DEIMAN
12 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 1312 | access | AutuMN
Biking in the Netherlands
ways to avoid busy road junctions and traf-
fic lights, although for some reason they
often smell like urinals. When crossing riv-
ers, bridges are used, but at times there are
no separate bike paths and cyclists are
forced alongside automobiles. So do be
careful. There are plenty of types of bikes
to choose from. Stadsfietsen (city bikes) and
omafietsen (grandma bikes) generally are
used for every day trips, including going to
schooland/orwork,andrunningerrands
around town, whereas a sportfiets(exercise/
sport bike) is a more convenient bicycle for
longer trips. A special type of ATB (all-ter-
rain-bike) is the mountain bike, but
because of its flat terrain is not often used
in the Netherlands. An electric bike offers
the possibility to get electric support while
cycling. Because it does not require as
much strength, it is especially useful when
it is very windy. In Dutch this is called
“trapondersteuning,” which means that you
have to bike yourself, but the electric motor
will support you. You can choose between
bikes that offer no support, little support,
average support or a lot of support. Prices
range from second-hand bikes for about
E75 to super-deluxe top-of-the line f0r a
few thousand euros.
Whatever fits
The Dutch are big on transporting children
by bicycle, but there are laws and safety
requirements for cycling with children.
Since 1990 it has been law that only chil-
dren younger than eight years old can be
carried on a bicycle, and they must have an
effective seat with support for their hands,
feet and back. Several ways of transporting
your children are: in front of you, at the
back, in a bakfiets, or in a so-called fietskar.
Bakfietsen (cargo bikes) are transport bikes
with three wheels and a large front bucket.
It is common to see parents transporting
children around in bakfietsen because the
box is low to the ground making it is easier
to transport more weight, so you’ll see
them filled with kids, dog, groceries, you
name it, whatever!
SPECIAL OFFER: You can download the complete new ACCESS Bicycling in the Netherlands information booklet, free-of-charge, via the website (see publications). www.access-nl.org
“ the Dutch transport
children, pets and
almost everything
else by bicycle.”
PH
Ot
O B
y B
EN
DE
IMA
N
PH
Ot
O B
y B
EN
DE
IMA
N
access | AutuMN | 13
You will also be amazed to see mums or
dads with a kid on the front handlebars
seat and one on the back of the bike, and
possibly a baby in a kangaroo carrier as
well. The Dutch are quite good at getting
around. Women cycling in spike heels and
tight dresses do so like its a breeze, same
as persons moving people, goods, pets
from A to Z in a variety of balancing
manoeuvres.
Bicycle thefts
Even though the Netherlands is a safe
country, bike theft is a big problem:
Amsterdam is said to be the bike theft capi-
tal of the world. In 2006, some 760,000
bikes were reported stolen, about 5% of
bicycles in the Netherlands. If people on
the street ask you if you are interested in
purchasing a bicycle, know that these are
possibly stolen. To help prevent your bike
from being stolen, park at a guarded bicy-
cle parking lot. Make sure you have a
sturdy lock for your bike, and make sure
you fasten it to something stationary, like a
bike rack, pole, or tree. Do not park your
bike in places that have signs posted say-
ing, ‘Geen fietsen plaatsen.’ (No bike park-
ing.) Otherwise you may find it confiscated
by the police, and you’ll have to pay to get it
back again.
Enjoying cycling
There are plenty of routes where you can
cycle. Landscape-wise some of the most
interesting areas are the coastline, includ-
ing the Wadden Islands, the national parks
“De Hoge Veluwe” and “De Veluwezoom,”
as well as the hills in Limburg. However,
exploring towns and villages can be fun,
and suggested routes are readily available
at tourist and bicycle shops. Riding a bike
in the Netherlands is a good way to inte-
grate into Dutch society, and with these
tips you can be ready to join the Dutch on
the bike path! «
PH
Ot
O B
y S
HIr
LE
y A
gu
DO
Did you
know... Some
85% of the popu lation
has at least one
bicycle.
Resources/links related to cycling in the Netherlands
• www.fietsberaad.org or www.bicyclecouncil.org (center of expertise on bicycle policy in NL, a ‘knowledge institute’ with masses of information)
• www.nsfiets.nl (information about taking your bicycle on the Dutch trains)
• www.vvv.nl (national tourist information office, advice on cycling/walking routes)
• www.anwb.nl/fietsen (national motoring/touring organisation), info on cycling
• www.fietspad.nl (hundreds of biking routes)
• www.fietsersbond.nl (Dutch association and interest group for cyclists in NL
• www.ov-fiets.nl (for fast access, public transport bikes at some 200 user destinations; subscriptions cost €9.50 per year. Returning the bicycle, the key is scanned, and the rental price of €2.85 per 20 hours is automatically deducted)
• www.oudefiets.nl (history of the Dutch bicycle and various models)
• www.fietsen.123.nl (for enthusiasts, with routes, news, agendas, tips)
• www.holland.com, American edition www.holland.com/us (Netherlands Board of Tourism; see ‘Discover Holland/Active/Cycling’)
Tips courtesy of www.bicyclemania.nl
14 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 15access | AutuMN | 1514 | access | AutuMN
Words of encouragementAbcoude. Sarah had been tutoring a child
in the village in English and was looking
for a way to organise English lessons of
some sort there, as well. Sarah has a back-
ground full of volunteering and teaching
experiences. She was born in Singapore,
and brought up in Malawi, Central Africa.
Her father is a teacher and currently the
voluntary directory of Open Arms orphan-
age in Malawi.
When Sarah was 18, she moved to Zanzibar
to teach English in a local school for a year.
She then returned to England and com-
pleted her degree in Sociology and
Anthropology at Hull University. After
graduation, she moved to India where she
taught English at an international school.
“From a young age my parents stressed the
importance of doing things for other peo-
ple regardless of material gain,” Sarah said.
While in India, Sarah met Bastiaan and
moved with him to Amsterdam in 1998.
In 2004, Sarah and Bastiaan became par-
ents and decided to move to Abcoude.
Fun learning English
Art and Sarah established Fun Learning
English Abcoude VOF in March 2009. Art
had his volunteer teaching experience, but
decided to get a TEFL certification to help
give him more insight into how children
learn new languages.
In May 2009, Art and Sarah began giving
official lessons at the school of Art’s sons.
They immediately had a quarter of the
entire school taking the course! In
September, they had an information eve-
ning for the remaining three schools in
Abcoude. The interest was instantaneous.
They had over 230 children wanting les-
sons! Art and Sarah began hiring other
native English speakers to teach the les-
sons, as there were far too many students
for just the two of them.
“The challenge has been to keep the quality
high, and to keep our teachers well
trained,” states Art. The mission of Fun
Learning English is to improve the English
of students from age 4 to 12. The classes
meet before and after the normal school
day in groups of 4 – 8, all children of simi-
lar age and language capability. All of the
Fun Learning English teachers are native
English speakers who are enthusiastic
about working with children. They use
games, songs, reading aloud and even per-
form short plays to interest the children in
a fun way in the English language.
There are a number of advantages that
learning English provides for the children.
Early learning gives the children more self-
confidence, it prepares them for middelbare
school (high school) and it helps them with
learning additional languages later on.
“We take advantage of a child’s innate
desire to communicate. Having fun while
learning English is the key to our busi-
ness,” Art states. “It’s not just about hav-
ing fun during the lessons. We’ve been to
“ Having fun while learning English is the key to our business.”
see a few baseball games with the students,
teachers and parents. We’re organising a
summer camp this year for kids who want
a boost before school starts again. We help
the kids put on plays in English for the
school during the year. Anything we can
think of to help stimulate them to commu-
nicate in English is fair game,” adds Sarah.
Sarah has a special talent in coming up
with an endless variety of lesson themes
and material that are both fun to teach and
fun to learn. Some recent examples of les-
sons that she created are ‘World Cup
Fever’, ‘Making a Pizza’ and ‘Working in a
Toy Store’. Every week there is something
different for the children and the teachers
to enjoy. “It’s not just about fun learning
English, but just as much about fun teach-
ing English. We try to keep our teachers
engaged by organising regular get-togeth-
ers where we share experiences and pro-
vide training on the various lessons that
Sarah comes up with,” says Art.
Art and Sarah are now expanding Fun
Learning English into Amsterdam. Their
goal is to grow it through out the
Netherlands for the next few years, then
on through Europe.
If you’d like to know more about Fun
Learning English, or to become a FLE
teacher visit their website:
www.funlearningenglish.nl. «
Education
It always seems to be
one small, simple
thing that inevitably
causes life to change
in unexpected ways.
For Art Olender, it
was the moment that
he decided to spend
some of his free time
volunteering at his
sons’ school.
During his hectic first years in Amster dam,
Art met Catherine, a Netherlands native.
The two married, moved to Abcoude, and
three boys later, Art concluded that trying
to combine his demanding career with
raising a family was less than ideal.
American-born Art (Miami, Florida) was
educated at Vanderbilt University in
Nashville, Tennessee, and received his
Masters Degree in Computer Science. As
one of the founders of IEX Corporation,
Art moved to Amsterdam in 1997 to open
his company’s first international office.
Back to school
In 2008, he took a parental leave with the
idea that he would look for a job that would
allow him to spend more time with his wife
and children. Initially curious as to what
his sons were up to all day, Art began vol-
unteering at their basisschool (elementary
school). His original assignment was to
read stories in English, one day a week, to a
few 10-year olds who were having trouble
with English. Within a couple of months,
however, it grew into English lessons for
the entire school (4 -12 year olds)!
Art was enjoying taking small groups of kids
and teaching them games, reading stories
and singing songs in English. They even put
on short plays to help them overcome their
fear of speaking English. After volunteering
for nearly a year and seeing how much fun
the kids were having, and how much fun he
was having, Art decided to look into ways to
turn this into his new career.
Almost by coincidence, Art met Sarah
Bevis, an English woman living in
By CANDACE CONNEr-kABELA
ACCESS VOLuNtEEr
access | AutuMN | 17
Education
By MArIE DEWuLF
ACCESS trAINEr & VOLuNtEEr
Relocating to another country can be a fab-
ulously rich experience for some chil-
dren. But for others, it can be more diffi-
cult as they have lost their familiar points
of reference. It is important to keep in
mind that when moving house, a child may
require a great effort to adapt their life-
style, to make new friends, to get used to
another school, culture, language, etc.
Fear of having to be up-rooted again can
create a difficulty in thinking about the
future.
School results do not only depend on a
good education, an efficient memory and
regular support... They also depend on a
child or teenager’s acceptance that they are
responsible for managing their everyday
life and their future goals.
In parallel with the support of quali-
fied school staff, you can also
contribute to your children’s
progress by using coaching
techniques. Coaching uses a
question and
answer method that enables your
child or teenager to become con-
scious of any problems and their
subsequent consequences. The
child can then determine for him-
self what needs to be done
to change the situation. Nothing
is imposed, the child discovers
Help your children
the solution and therefore the child is
motivated to take responsibility and
action to follow the path to the solution.
Here is an extract of the method:
1) What do you think of the situation you are in
now? How is that a problem for you?
Here, the child discussed a difficulty, a particular
situation encountered at school and/or at home.
Often, children unconsciously use the
defence mechanisms they have to avoid
feeling responsible and guilty. They often
trivialise situations “I didn’t do well but it’s
not really a problem because neither did
my friends.” Or victimisation: “it’s not my
fault; it’s the teacher who didn’t explain
well enough or doesn’t like me.” A difficult
situation can also hide fears, awkward-
ness, mental blocks, for instance: “ever
since my best friend’s left, I feel lost.”
“People are laughing at me.” “I don’t even
know how long we’ll be here for.” “I’m
afraid to leave home next year to continue
my studies...”
2) What will be the short and long-term conse-
quences if you don’t solve this problem, now, for
yourself ? What do you risk losing if you don’t
change the way you act and react?
As soon as the child becomes aware of
what is happening now, he can very clearly
seethepositiveand/ornegativeconse-
quences of his actions if he doesn’t change
hisbehaviour/attitude/actions.
3) Give me five solutions that would help resolve
this problem. Which one do you choose to act
upon as of today? When will you start? What do
you expect to achieve?
The answers commit the child to take
action, to make a plan and to look forward
to a positive outcome.
4) Knowing yourself, which are the strategies you
could be tempted to use to sabotage this action?
Blame the teacher, not being able to say no
to a friend, spending too much time online.
5) What signs do you think will indicate to you
that you are on the right path?
Encourages the child to visualise success.
Succeeding
This type of coaching encourages finding
new points of reference and techniques. «
learn, evolve and excel!
For more information
Marie Dewulf, [email protected].
City of The HagueThe Hague Hospitality Centre
email: [email protected] telephone: 070 353 5043, every working day from 9.00 until 17.00 hoursvisitor’s address: City Hall of The Hague, Spui 70 (Atrium)opening hours: Monday through Friday from 9.00 until 17.00 hours
THE HAGUE IS JUST A CLICK AWAY!
WWW.DENHAAG.COM
Your fi rst point of contactfor (new) residents of the city of The Hague
22198_GDH_Xpat_Advertentie_190x135.indd 1 11-11-2009 16:29:32
Academy for Counselling and Coaching
You can gain valuable skills and experience that make a positive difference in your personaland professional sphere. This course provides ample opportunity for useful learning anddevelopment and can be a starting point for setting up your own practice.........
The training for Counselling and Coaching is given in or Your trainer is Els Barkema - Sala, an international professional in counselling and coaching.
.
The Hague Amsterdam - TeleClasses
Expand your personal skills and professional repertoire and Register now for the newEnglish-language Diploma Course in Counselling & Coaching.
Els Barkema-Sala, MPhil, MBACP at071 - 52 82 661 or [email protected]
- (mind: double ll)
Ask for further information
www.counselling.nl
English-language Diploma Course Counselling & Coaching Exciting International classes with people from all over the world
18 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 19
Since the Netherlands is the world’s Number One cycling
country, we have to make our ‘steel horses’ a showpiece. The
cycle-bags from Esschert Design prove functionality can abso-
lutely be very cheerful, super handy and most hip! Visit any
bike shop for an assortment of styles!
ring your
bell!
My favourite bookmark
New blueEverybody knows Delft blue pottery.
It was found as a cheaper alternative to
the valuable Chinese porcelain. Factories
started producing tiles, plates and vases.
Nowadays the souvenir shops are full of
Delft blue windmills, canal houses and
‘wooden’ shoes. But we’ve found more
original items with the centuries old print.
Dutch Design shopping
Since the bicycle bell became compulsory on Dutch bicycles in 1906,
it went through a long development. No longer
enormous, rusty steel things with a sound of sand and dust, but modern, cute plastic ones with a charming Delft blue print giving a happy ring. So ring your bell! Bicycle bell € 5,95 www.hiphollandhip.nl.
Booklovers alert! No more dog-ears or free
bookmarks with ads for your favourite book, but a
beautiful handmade book-mark, made from silver coloured
metal and ceramic. Now you won’t lose your place…
Bookmark € 8,95/6,95 www.delftsblauwesieraden.nl.
trendy bags add a splash
of colour and style!
Multi functional
Ocean treasures
East West Home is best
Flower or flip flops?
Looking for an original Dutch gift that can be sent by mail? This K’Do
Ding (literally: gift thing) is a foldable carton.
The happy recipient may fold it as a box or
bowl, use it as a package wrapping
or thanks to the coating even use it as a vase. A perfect
match accented with red tulips!
K’Do Ding of Coen € 24,95 www.thinkingofholland.com.
Suppose, on the bottom of the South Chinese Sea you find a ship’s wreck from the VOC era. (East India Company). In the wreck are porcelain trea-sures from the 17th century Ming dynasty. The undamaged plates were auctioned off for €7.000,-. So, why not make jewellery out of the broken shards, as Saskya & Co does? All pieces of jewellery are one-of-a-kind and provided with a certificate of authenticity. Bracelet € 249,- www.saskyasouvenirs.nl. Prices as from € 110,- to circa € 300,-.
Who says summer is over? In Holland, September weather can be unexpectedly warm and sunny. So keep the Holland Box ready to go. Fill it up with chicken wings, salmon wraps, home made tuna salad, club sandwiches and off you go to the park or the beach. The box has a fast-lock toggle that fits on the front, or rear carrier, on your bicycle. Holland Box € 49,95 www.fastrider.nl.
What’s the story with the Dutchies and their shoes? In the old days they
used to walk on wooden shoes, now they’ve come out with flip flops in Delft
blue print… Just press them easily out of the tulip flower. In the sizes 34/35,
36/37, 38/39 en 40/41. Slippers € 8,95
www.kadoomdehoek.nl.
Just because it is so traditional… for the Dutch speaking amongst you: also available with Dutch sayings and proverbs. To remind you that all clichés are really true. Bathroom tile € 3,50 www.hollandsouvenirshop.nl.
Chess boring? For chess lovers or Holland fans, to play a game, or to place on the side table as decoration, with this beautiful board, chess becomes fun! The wooden figures come in white and indigo blue. Did you ever beat a white horse with a blue lady?Chess board € 12,95 www.jolandaschultz.de.
Check mate!
PH
Ot
O B
y W
WW
.CA
ME
rO
N-S
tu
DIO
.NL
For Indian summer days
20 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 21access | AutuMN | 2120 | access | AutuMN
Resources: Coaching bodies• International Coach Federation (ICF) www.coachfederation.org
USA based
• Association for Coaching www.associationforcoaching.com UK based
• Nederlandse Order van Beroepscoaches (NOBCO)
www.nobco.nl Netherlands based
• European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC)
www.emccouncil.org
Europe based
Coaching Schools• Coach U
www.coachinc.com Co-active coaching www.thecoaches.com/coach-training
• Results Coaching www.resultscoachingsystems.co.uk
• Coachville www.coachville.com
listening, reflecting back, etc. in order to
help you unlock your inner resources and
keep you moving forward.
It is said a coach does NOT need to have
knowledge of the industry in which they
are coaching and in fact sometimes it is
better if they don’t! However, we now see
that coaches often specialise in an area that
is related to their previous experience. For
example, a former marketing executive
might decide to promote themselves as the
marketing coach. A photographer friend of
mine found a coach specialising in helping
photographers and she loved it because
she felt he really ‘got’ what her issues were.
What types of coaching are there?
Coaching is not yet a regulated profession
and therefore coaching classifications are
inconsistent. In general, you can think of
coaching as having these main categories:
Personal/LifeCoaching–whichfocuses•
on helping individuals in any area of
their personal lives. E.g. life purpose,
relationships,work/lifebalance,confi-
dence and self-esteem, health, stress
management, career choices
Small Business Coaching – which •
focuses on supporting entrepreneurs,
owners or managers of small businesses
Corporate/BusinessCoaching–which•
aims to improve the individual’s perfor-
mance and operational effectiveness in
the business environment
Executive Coaching – which is specifi-•
cally focused at senior management
level and CEOs. A coach is expected to
be comfortable exploring business
related topics at this level.
The coaching profession is now diversify-
ing into specialist areas. For example, you
can find Leadership coaches, Career
coaches, Relationship coaches, Health
coaches, Weight Loss coaches,
Performance coaches, Transformational
Coaches, Youth coaches to name but a few.
New specialities are popping up all the time.
How do I choose a coach?
Before choosing a coach, do your home-
work. Too many people call themselves a
coach without having had any formal
coach training. Therefore you must be dili-
gent in asking for the credentials of your
coach, finding out about their background
and the coaching philosophy or model
which underpins their coaching work. A
qualified coach will have completed a
coach-specific training, will have achieved
a designated number of experience hours
and will have been coached by a mentor
coach. Finally, your coach should be
accountable to the code of ethics and stan-
dards set forth by a reputable coaching
body, e.g. the ICF.
Aside from qualifications, another impor-
tant ingredient in the coaching relation-
ship is the ‘click’ between you both. It is
important that you feel completely com-
fortable with the coach and that you feel
you can trust them implicitly. Interview two
or three coaches before making a decision
and trust your intuition. A coach should
never pressure you to sign up for coaching
and don’t feel obligated to work with him
or her if it doesn’t feel right. You can find a
helpful list of questions to ask a coach
from the ICF website.
Coaching is a wonderful tool to help you
achieve your full potential. Coaches come
in all shapes and sizes, they are passionate
about helping people and, without a doubt,
there is a coach out there who is just
perfect for you. «
About the author:
With a passion for helping people to achieve their true potential, Jacinta Noonan’s career as a coach and trainer is more a divine calling than a job choice. She is the founder and director of www.soulworks.nl for personal coaching, for body image and weight loss coaching www.bigontheinside.com and www.branch-out.eu for corporate coaching. E-mail: [email protected]
By JACINtA NOONAN
De-mystifying Coaching
It is hard to believe that
10 years ago coaching
was relatively unheard
of in Europe. But since
then the growth of the
profession has been
phenomenal. In this
article, I will try to
de-mystify coaching,
explaining what it is
and what it isn’t, and
provide tips on how to
choose a coach.
What is coaching?
First of all, let’s try to
define coaching – if that’s
at all possible. The
International Coach Federation,
(ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with
clients in a thought-provoking and creative
process that inspires them to maximise
their personal and professional potential.”
What does this mean?
Coaching aims to help you to achieve your
goals and aspirations and at the same time
help you to overcome the barriers holding
you back. Coaching is about challenging
comfort zones, changing habits, revising
beliefs and celebrating achievements.
It’s about getting fresh perspectives,
enhancing thinking skills and improving
personal effectiveness. The role of your
coach is to facilitate this process by using
coaching skills, for example powerful
questioning techniques. Together with
your coach you define inspiring goals,
formulate a strategy and create a plan to
help you realise your goals. Your coach will
hold you accountable to the commitments
you make to yourself, thus ensuring you
remain focussed and on track. When work-
ing with a coach, people tend to move
beyond what they would normally achieve
on their own.
Why would I hire a coach?
Coaching can be used in any area of your
life where you feel you are not living up to
your full potential. You might decide to use
a coach if you are at a turning point and
need some clarity on which path to take.
Ormaybeyouwanttocreatemorework/
life balance but find yourself making
excuses instead of changes.
Perhaps you have a passion that
you’ve always wanted to follow
but never dared go for it. You
might be struggling with a new
promotion and need support as
you adjust to the new role. Maybe
the lack of progress with your fit-
ness/weightlossgoalsfinallymotivates
you to get help. Almost any situation can
be improved through coaching.
What coaching is not!
Coaching is not therapy. Coaching does
not try to resolve deeper underlying issues
which are the cause of more serious prob-
lems. Therapy is an appropriate interven-
tion if you are going through a major life
crisis or are extremely distressed by a per-
sonal issue. Therapy will tend to focus on
the past and how that impacts the present.
A coach will not help you explore your past
and deeper psychological issues. This is
the role of therapy. Coaching is present
and future focussed and is action oriented,
taking you from OK to Great! A degree in
psychology, therefore, is not a prerequisite
to being a coach.
Coaching is not mentoring or
training
Mentors and trainers are experts in a par-
ticular field who pass on their knowledge
and expertise to a novice. In coaching, YOU
are considered the expert on you and the
coach is the expert on questioning, active
Health
Coaching can help you
find your passion in
life!
access | AutuMN | 23
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Autumn 2010
Special features | Culture shock! Brazil vs Holland | Visit Maastricht |Coaching | Dutch Design | Learning languages | Courses | Events | Volunteer profi le | Food | News
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Travel
By SHEILA gAzALEH-WEEVErS
Maastricht is the capital of Limburg, the
most southerly province of the Netherlands,
which hugs the borders of Germany and
Belgium. A scenic province which offers
farmland and woods in the north, flat river
and lakes in the centre to hilly, undulating
countryside in the south. It was populated
as early as 750 BC, became a Roman settle-
ment with villas, hot spring baths, and
vineyards. Vulnerable by its situation, it
was often under siege by the Dutch, the
Spanish and the French. Hence the need
for its fortifications.
Following the period of Spanish rule, the
north and south developed differently, the
north becoming a maritime trading region
where Dutch was spoken, and the Catholic
south (Brabant and Limburg), developing
coal-mining and manufacturing, but
speaking French and Flemish. Perhaps
influenced by their neighbours,
Limburgers are known to be hospitable
bon vivants, who appreciate good food and
fine wines.
Maastricht is a vibrant cultural, educational
and political centre with a prosperous but
turbulent past. It has a wealth of history,
art, culture, and matching tradition, and is
known for its countless ancient churches,
elegant historic buildings, and its city walls.
More recently (1991) the agreement to
establish the European Union and a com-
mon currency was historically signed here.
you will be at a loss
to find windmills,
wooden shoes or
tulip fields. If you are
interested in history,
churches, or shopping
this is the city for you.
Maastricht
24 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 25
Travel
Do not miss the two principle museums,
the Derlon Museum in the Derlon Hotel
and the Bonnefanten Museum. Built in
1983 in the oldest part of the city on what
was a garden, the plot of the Derlon Hotel,
it transpired, hid the remains of a Roman
settlement which together with its artifacts
were then cleverly incorporated into the
design of the hotel basement. Across the
river from the old town centre, is the
Bonnefante Museum with its archeological
relics as old as 250,000 BC. It has also
medieval art, sculpture, silver etc. as well
as contemporary art exhibits.
The Fortifications of Maastricht will be of
interest to military buffs. Originally built
by the Romans, those remaining were built
in the 13th century. The VVV has a brochure
to guide you on a walk along them, point-
ing out the Hell Gate, the Plague House,
the Natural History Museum, the Bishops
Mill, St. Martin’s Almshouses and more.
In October, there is a three-hour guided
tour of the Casements (1575-1825), the
underground mining passageways which
were later used as hiding places and for the
movement of troops. (VVV reservations
necessary.)
More of Maastricht
• Crossroads web magazine, edited by Sueli Brodin contains a wealth of information on Maastricht region, news and activities. She is a French/Brazilian/Dutch resident, living here since 1994, who won the Expat of the Year 2010 award. www.crossroadsmag.eu
• The new Expat Guide for the Maastricht Region 2010 ‘Bright site of life’ with 33 pages of essential information. Download your free copy: www.zuidlimburg.nl/upload/div/expat-guide-maastricht-region.pdf
• Find out more about the Maastricht region with culture, housing and much more. www.maastrichtregion.com
• International Women’s Club of South Limburg www.iwc-sl.nl
• The VVV Tourist information www.vvvzuidlimburg.nl VVV Maastricht, Kleine Staat 1 6211 ED, T: 043 325 21 21
• More city information can be found on www.maastricht.eu
Maastricht has a lively international atmo-
sphere, pavement cafes, culture, good food
and great shopping. Different from the rest
of this country, you will be at a loss to find
windmills, wooden shoes or tulip fields.
If you are interested in history, churches, or
shopping this is the city for you. To begin
with the churches, make for the Basilica of
St. Servatius. A Medieval cruciform basil-
ica, which among its many important trea-
sures boasts the remains of the city’s first
bishop and the largest bell in the country.
Close by is St. Janskerk, built in the 14th
century, with a tower you can climb.
The Vrijthof, Maastricht’s large and very
popular square is just behind. Full of
colourful shops and restaurants, it is
where many festivals take place - though
in former times it was where executions
took place.
Walk on past the Dominican Church to the
Markt square and the Town Hall, which is
also open to visitors. North of the Markt is
St Matthias’ Church and close by, the
Dinghuis, Kleine Staat 1. Built in 1470, it
was the seat of the Chief Justice but is now
home to Maastrichts Tourist Office.
Similarly the Caves of Mount St. Peter,
labyrinths of hundreds of years of mining
excavation some 124 miles long, which
have been a place of refuge for centuries.
Emergency provisions from WW1 and
WW11 can still be seen and names, dates
and hometowns are also still visible
scratched into the walls. Not to be missed
are the 37 acres of Linie van du Moulin,
a complex of fortifications (1773-1737 with
dry trenches, bomb-proof shelters and
mine galleries. (One-hour guided tour.)
Events in Maastricht draw tourists from far
and wide. Here the biggest manifestation
of Carnival in the country is held the week
before Lent; the famous International
Antique Fair in March; the St. Servatius
Fair in May; the Burgundian Gastronomic
Festivities in August, and the colourful
Christmas market throughout December,
all on the Vrijtof. The weekly antique and
curio market is held Saturdays 10 am to 4pm.
Staying over is highly recommended and
there are hotels for all purses, from the
usual chains to the Delon mentioned
above. But here you can also find unusual
accommodation in a castle or a covent.
The well restored Kasteel Vaeshartelt is in a
Special Offer:
For complementary information, addresses, and particulars a copy of Here’s Holland can be purchased from ACCESS at the special price of €24.50Also from bookshops, VVV City Tourist Offices and Help Desks, Amazon.com or, [email protected] for €27.50 incl. postage. www.heresholland.com
large park on the edge of town and is both
unique and affordable, while the Kruis-
heren hotel is a restored monastery, com-
plete with church, in the middle of town.
Author Sheila Gazaleh-Weevers has pro-
duced nine editions of Here’s Holland -
the Expats’ comprehensive guidebook
to travelling and living in the Netherlands. «
26 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 27access | AutuMN | 27
Spanish, French and Dutch relations
Anne Nielsen de Bérard is
one of many people who
are completely immersed
in an international lifestyle,
while setting up her own
business and actively taking
part in the British School of
the Netherlands community.
Meeting Anne, we were
curious to find out more.
For example, it is amazing to see my
Japanese niece and nephew trying to
explain things to my Danish mother-in-law
by trying to find words she can relate to
(the reverse is true as well, my children try-
ing to show my Japanese “family” in Tokyo
how much they appreciate being in Japan).
Q: How did you settle here in The Hague?
Very easily, probably the easiest country to
settle in with exception to London!
However, after travelling so much around
the world I have learned a few tricks: get
involved very quickly with all kind of
groups and activities to avoid being alone
and thinking negatively. Then open your-
self up to new ways of doing things, of
thinking; if they do it this way, it might be
for a reason that I do not know or under-
stand yet, but worth trying to respect. Then
a bit of luck, I suppose: my husband
strongly pushed me to recommence my
PHOtO By VALérIE BErNArDINI
wine studies when we were in London.
Today I have my own wine and spirits busi-
ness and this allows me to “carry” my job
around the world whilst enjoying the free-
dom of an independent activity and insur-
ing my children settle smoothly in any new
environment.
Q: How are the children doing?
Our children are attending the British
School, which I guess is another oddity in
our family. Being a total stranger to the
British education system I thought I would
participate in helping the community: now
I end up being the Chair of the PTA (Parent
Teacher Association). Being involved in
such a responsibility without the stress of a
normal job is a fantastic way to work with a
team with their various personalities.
Furthermore, you get to know so many
people that you would have missed other-
wise; all of them rewarding to know: a big
melting pot of ideas, attitudes and thinking.
Q: Where is home now?
That is probably the most challenging
question. Undoubtedly all those experi-
ences contribute to building up an incredi-
ble social network while increasing your
comprehension of the world. We feel at
home very quickly everywhere, especially in
Europe, but you can have that feeling in
various places: I felt at home while I was
taking the metro in Tokyo and I could not
read a word of Japanese, even with the tre-
mendous effort our Japanese teacher put
into teaching us before going there!!)
However, the hardest is to come back to
your native country, whatever country it is,
and feel that nothing has moved nor
changed. This in a sense is true and not
true. While travelling, I have changed and
find it probably more difficult to settle in
an environment I know well.
Worst of all, French natives living in France
sometimes ask me if I would feel more
comfortable switching to English! Many of
my French words are not in daily use any-
more so they do not think I am French! On
an overall basis, the international life style
is a daily challenge but rich enough in
experience not to be missed, and not to
mention we can support so many football
teams!!! «
“ get involved with all kind of groups and activities.”
Volunteer Profile
I remember my small self braving the adult
world by claiming high and loud “I am
American.” Our oldest son did the same
when he was five years old with curly blond
hair claiming aloud: I am Guinean! (His
first country!!)
Q: How did you arrive in the Netherlands?
Obviously that wide opening to the world
at such an early stage in my life had its
down sides: we had no clue where we
belonged. However, what was certain,
above all, was that we were “different”
everywhere we went! We had two uncon-
scious choices to make: either we had to
reject completely that extremely interna-
tional aspect of our lives OR we had to
embrace it, maintain it, and go even fur-
ther into differences. We chose the latter: I
married a Dane and left my home country
for many years, having lived in many
places; Africa, United Kingdom, Denmark
and now the Netherlands for the past four
years. My brother expatriated himself to
Japan, opening the family to a new world
that we hardly knew, with our lovely
Japanese sister-in-law.
Q: That is indeed an international family. How
do you cope with such a variety of cultures within
your own family?
Today, and looking back at our youth, it
has been a wonderful experience of toler-
ance and patience. Always wanting to
know more and discover more. Someone
said that children, who speak various lan-
guages at an early age, do not tend to try to
make their surroundings understand
them, but instinctively try to find how their
surroundings might communicate with
them: which is a totally different approach.
Q: So Anne, where do you come from?
I grew up in a bicultural family: my father
is of mixed Spanish and French back-
ground whereas my mother is entirely
French. My siblings and I grew up sharing
summer between Spain and France.
Already back then we realised that we were
different: In France we were called the
Spanish and in Spain the “Frenchies”: We
were both though! It grew even more inter-
national when our father moved the whole
family to the US, in a small town Jackson
Tennessee, for a few years before reaching
something “slightly” bigger: Detroit.
There our feelings were not clear: we just
wanted to be part of something, to belong
to one culture.
Culinary & wine expertise
The Wine SeriesLearn all about fascinating wines with Anne Nielsen de Bérard’s wine workshops! www.anneswines.com
Amsterdam
Advertising Sales•
Fund Raising•
Marketing•
The Hague
Advertising Sales•
Fund Raising•
Marketing•
Database•
Finance•
ACCESS needs you!
We have some open positions that need to be filled by enthusi-
astic volunteers. Are you interested in using your skills to help
ACCESS become even better? Just contact your ACCESS office of
choice. Would you be interested in editing this magazine? We’re
lookingforanEditor/web-editorforeditingourwebsitewhich
will be re-launched later this year. And of course writers to con-
tribute articles. Photographers are also welcome, and proof
readers. Come join the ACCESS editorial team!
Please contact Lucie Scott at [email protected]
access | AutuMN | 29
The BSN is a leading British international school with four campuses in The Hague area.
We are a thriving and supportive expatriate community made up from over 80 nationalities. We offer a stimulating learning environment and the highest standards of education for children aged 3-18 years.
Contact us today to arrange a visit and see for yourself why the BSN is The International Choice.
TheInternational
Choice
For more
information contact:
Admissions: 070 315 4077www.britishschool.nl
TheirYour child. Their future. Our School.
our focusfuture is
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the Residentie Bach Ensembles
Arts & Entertainment
Do you know Johann Sebastian Bach? Of course you do! What you
probably do not know is that the Residentie Bach Ensembles, con-
sisting of the Residentie Bachkoor, the Residentie Kamerkoor and
the Residentie Bachorkest, perform various compositions by Bach
in some of the most atmospheric churches in The Hague. And
we’ve been doing this already for more than a century.
Every season is built around the celebrations of Christmas and
Easter, where the grand works for Choir and Orchestra are per-
formed. This year in the holiday season we will bring you Bach’s
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you will hear Corelli’s famous
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take place on Friday, December 17, in
the Kloosterkerk on Lange Voorhout, in
The Hague. Our artistic leader Jos
Vermunt will conduct the Residentie
Kamerkoor, the Residentie Bachorkest
and five soloists with international
reputations.
Passions
On the eve of Easter 2011, you are most
welcome to join our performance of
Bach’s St. John Passion. On Maundy
Thursday, April 21, 2011 the Residentie
Bachkoor and the Residentie Bachorkest
will perform this more dramatic passion
in the Grote Kerk in the city centre, with
Jos Vermunt, joined by six soloists of
outstanding quality. Every last Sunday of the month we perform
one of the Bach cantatas during the service in the Kloosterkerk.
We encourage you to join these very impressive events. Entry is
free, but after the service you are welcome to make a voluntary
contribution if you so desire. Check the website www.
kloosterkerk.nl for details.
Modern compositions
Although Bach plays a leading role in our season, both choirs do
other repertoire as well. The Residentie Kamerkoor has a reputa-
tion of giving concerts with modern compositions. You are wel-
come to our concert with American 20th-century choir music on
Friday November 5 in the Paleiskerk in the Paleisstraat, The Hague.
The Residentie Bachkoor tends to do the more oratorio-like com-
positions. Last season we did Britten’s War Requiem in a tribute to
the end of World War II in the Netherlands, 65 years ago.
In October, our season’s opening night is offered with the
Requiem by Duruflé, preceded by works from Bruckner, Brahms
and Cornelius, on Friday October 8 in the Lutherse Kerk, Lutherse
Burgwal, Den Haag. As you can see, the Residentie Bach
Ensembles are prominently present in The Hague’s musical scene.
We strongly support our city as the International City for Peace
andJustice,byregularlyorganisingconcertswithapeaceand/or
justice character, and welcome foreign guests! For more informa-
tion or to order tickets visit our website www.bachensembles.nl. «
PH
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access | AutuMN | 31access | AutuMN | 31
Arts & Entertainment
Theatre has something magical, from the moment you take your seat to the
curtain rising, there is a sense of anticipation….the mood is set, glowing
stage lights, scenic back drops, the actors, costumes, props, and dialogue, all
combine for an experience that just can’t compare to film. So fancy a night at
the theatre, then check out these thespian offerings!
Founded in 1950, In Players International Drama Group
Amsterdam are Amsterdam’s oldest English language theatre
company. The group’s distinguishing feature is its innovative
approach to a broad repertoire, ranging from modern classics,
musicals and Christmas pantomimes and including original plays
written by members of the company. The annual subsidy they
receive from the Amsterdam city council reflects their unique sta-
tus in the Dutch theatre world: www.inplayers.org
Every night of the week, Boom Chicago presents an English-
language comedy show which is invariably hilarious. The actors
are professional comedians, recruited from the United States and
brought out to Amsterdam for a season. The material is mostly
topical and somewhat controversial but also includes an amusing
look at the Amsterdam experience from a foreigner’s perspective.
www.boomchicago.nl Easy Laughs performs most Friday nights at
the Crea Theater on the campus of the University of Amsterdam;
There are two shows each week starting at 8:30pm and 10:30pm.
No two shows are the same, but always funny: www.easylaughs.nl
The AATG, English language theatre in The Hague, have been put-
ting on plays since 1951. For the past few years they have staged
three major theatrical events every year - usually an evening of one-
act plays in the spring, a major production in the autumn and a
pantomime just after Christmas. Interspersed with these are
smaller productions and experimental theatre. In all, we’ve run
the gamut from Will Shakespeare to Willy Russell, and some
works penned by members of the group. www.atag.nl
The English Theatre STET promotes and produces professional
English language theatre in The Hague and beyond. Christmas
can hardly start without the famous performance of Ashley
Ramsden’s Christmas Carol, whilst also new and exciting work as
well as comedy is an integral part of the year long program offered
by STET. STET works closely together with Hague based interna-
tional theatre companies TUSK, Operadans and comedy troupe
The Cyclepaths. Performances take place in regular theatres and at
unusual but fascinating locations, www.theenglishtheatre.nl
TUSK international theatre company provides English language
theatre by internationally trained performers and artists, in coop-
eration with STET. Different backgrounds and training methods
deliver a wide and open-minded approach to our community and
culture. TUSK’s team of actors, directors and artists provides our
audiences with both modern and classic plays.TUSK also stages
translated work of Dutch playwrights. http://tusktheatre.net «
Life’s a dramatic comedy
in English 256 full color pages of dutch history and culture
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32 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 33
Education
By NIkkI yOuNg
It’s all talk
Dating back to the biblical account of the
confusion of languages mentioned in
Genesis during the construction of the
Tower of Babel, humans have had multiple
linguistic challenges in communicating
effectively. With diverse languages all over
the earth, people were limited in their abil-
ity to be understood. A related word in
Hebrew, “balal” means “confusion.”
However, since that scattering of peoples
who did not understand one another’s
speech, language learning continues to
bring the world’s people closer together.
Speaking of …
One out of every five people on earth can
speak English to some level of compe-
tence. English is the first language of about
380 million people and the second lan-
guage to between 150 million to 1 billion
people, ranking number two. Around 30
percent of the British population speaks a
language other than English, though 50%
with another language as a mother tongue.
In the United States, 22 percent of the pop-
ulation speaks a language other than
English, mainly Spanish; which many of
these people have as their first language.
Chinese on the other hand ranks number
one with more than 1.3 billion speakers, if
considered as a single language.
Mandarin, (800 million) Wu (90 million)
and Cantonese (80 million) are the most
common sub-types, and then of course
there are numerous dialects. Hindustani or
Hindi-Urdu counts 541 million native
speakers in India and Pakistan, and 904
million worldwide. With increased busi-
ness investment in the Asian Pacific Rim,
many more people choose to do language
studies in Chinese and Hindustani. The
University of Leiden is the only school in
Holland where a degree programme is
possible in sinology (Chinese studies).
What’s in a word?
that depends on
which language you’re
speaking. With some
6,912 known living
languages worldwide,
there’s plenty to talk
about! And written
language only started
to be used some
5,500 years ago.
Resources
www.berlitz.comwww.lingurama.nlwww.lexicon.nlwww.alliance-francaise.nlwww.babel.nlwww.language-unites.orgwww.bltc.nlwww.icb-leiden.nl/en/opmaat.htmwww.iberlingua.nlwww.directdutch.comwww.britishschool.nlwww.reginacoeli.nl www.vtn-online.nl www.taalthuis.com www.britishschool.nl/languagecentrewww.bltc.nlwww.dutchforexpats.nlwww.stiftungsprachkurse.nlwww.polytaal.nl
India and China, over 500 million, now
exceeds the total number of mother-
tongue English speakers elsewhere in the
world.
In the Netherlands, children in primary
school also begin learning English at an
early age, and in high school (middelbare)
often study four languages, Dutch,
German, French and English.
European cultures
As for French, 180 million people speak it,
and it is the official language of 29 coun-
tries. About 10% of the world’s franco-
phone’s are Canadian. French is one of
Canada’s two official languages. It is also
the language of diplomatic life and inter-
national tribunes as well as the EU patent
office. It is the 2nd EU language after
English. You can learn French almost any-
where in the world, which is convenient if
you are transferred a lot. Alliance Française
has 1,130 institutes in 138 countries. They
are all non-profit local associations, with
native French speaking teachers. They
combine French culture with language
learning and organise special activities for
students.
Spanish is spoken by more than 400 mil-
lion people worldwide. The entire conti-
nent of South America speaks primarily
Spanish, as does just about all of Central
America, Mexico and Latin America, over
15 countries in total, (aside from Brazil,
which speaks Portuguese). By learning
Spanish fluently you can often understand
enough Italian and French to get by in
communicating with people who speak
those romantic languages. Spanish is the
fourth most commonly spoken language
in the world. Italian speakers, some 80
million, are located primarily in Italy, of
course! German counts 110 million native
Polyglots
Monolingual English graduates “face a
bleak economic future” as multilingual
competitors flood into the workforce from
all corners of the globe. According to a
report commissioned by the British
Council, “The competitive advantage of
speaking English is ebbing away,” com-
mented linguistic consultant David
Graddol, the author of the report. “Once
everyone speaks English, advantage can
only be maintained by having something
else, other skills, such as speaking several
languages.” More than half of all primary
school children in China now learn English
and the number of English speakers in
speakers, with 128 million using it as a sec-
ond language. Dutch has some 22 million
speakers worldwide, ranking it about 40th.
So learning ‘Nederlands’ doesn’t put you
in a large group of speakers.
Multiple language skills are essential in
today’s global village for doing business
and for understanding other cultures.
These new polyglots, and the companies
that employ them, have significant com-
petitive advantages over their single lan-
guage rivals, including a vital understand-
ing of different cultures, in a world faced
with rapid globalisation.
Have a look at www.ethnologue.com and their
catalogue of an estimated 8,000 languages,
living and dead, in the Lingual Links
library. «
34 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 35
My Pug and I
Lifestyle
The people of the Netherlands love their dogs, all
1.8 million! Soon after moving here we wel-
comed Pepper, a Mopshond (Chinese Pug)
into our home and we cannot imagine life
without her. Four years later Pepper has
grown into a member of our family who
requires effort and time, but who gives
back greater rewards!
Pepper’s favourite time of the day (aside
from eating and sleeping) is going out on
her daily walks. Discovering the many dog
parks near my home was a pleasant sur-
prise for Pepper and me. The “geen
aanlijnplicht”(no leash required) sign per-
mits me to take Pepper off her leash to visit
and play with other dogs, while it gives me
a chance to chat with other dog owners,
and to practice my Dutch! Of course there
are options for dog parents who do not
have time to take their dogs out for daily
walks. There are many hondenuitlaatservice
(dog-walking services) available.
Not everyone is a dog lover
Pepper respects her neighbours and is
careful around children. She stays away
from children’s playgrounds and private
property. If there is a sign that says “ver-
boden voor honden” (dogs forbidden) or “geen
hondenuitlaaten,” she steers clear. Being a
responsible pet owner, we never leave
home without a pooper-scooper and bags!
The Netherlands is “opruimverplicht” (clean-
ing up after your dog is required) and there
are fines in place for those who do not do
so, plus we do not want to litter the streets.
A dog’s education
Pepper did not become the dog she is today
alone. She attends school, where we have
both learned a lot. When we first registered
for Puppy Class, I did not speak a word of
Dutch. Luckily for me, my Dutch husband
stood patiently on the sidelines and inter-
preted for me, and our instructors were
both patient and supportive with Pepper
and me. This was what kept me going
when otherwise I would have dropped out
of the class. The fact that Pepper is loveable
also helped. Over time I learned Dutch and
was able to follow the class on my own. I
am proud to say that Pepper is the only
bilingual dog in her class – fluent in Dutch
and English!
Even Pepper has to pay taxes
Although a permit for dogs is not required
in the Netherlands, a Hondenbelasting (dog
tax) is charged annually and is calculated
on the number of dogs in each household.
Dogs must also be registered with the
Gemeentelijke Belastingdienst (Municipal Tax
Department).
Pepper also has her very own
EU-dierenpaspoort (European Union Pet
Passport) that she must use when travel-
ling outside of the Netherlands. The pass-
port includes vaccination information, her
microchip number, my name and address,
and a description of her, including her
breed, sex, age, and colour. All that is
missing is her picture!
Going on separate vacations
When we go on vacation to the US, Pepper
stays at a hondenpension (kennel). The first
time we left her was difficult, even though
we knew she would be safe since our veteri-
narian recommended the kennel, and a
friend had also left her dog there. It helped
that the kennel emailed pictures of her to
us while we were away. Several times a day,
she was able to play with other dogs and
we knew how much she liked that. I now
feel secure leaving her, though I will always
miss her when we are apart!
“Hi, I am Pepper’s owner…”
Dog owners can attest to the fact that own-
ers lose their identity and simply come to
be recognised by their dog. But I do not
mind this, and am slowly getting to know
the first names of other dog owners in my
neighbourhood. This is important to do.
Several months ago my husband and I
spotted a lost dog that was not wearing a
collar. We did not want to call the dierenasiel
or dierenopvangcentrum (pound) immediately
so we looked for the owners ourselves. We
went to the main street to see if anyone was
looking for this adorable long-haired
Chihuahua, but to no avail. Hours later as
my husband and I stood in front of our
house with the lost dog, two girls ran up to
us and claimed their dog. My husband told
them, “Put a collar and name tag on him!”
We cringe at the thought of our beloved
Pepper ever being lost. But in case she ever
does get out, I think that most people in
our neighbourhood know her. Maybe it is
because we routinely go on walks or per-
haps the fact that she has a very distinct
high-pitched bark, whatever the reason,
our neighbours seem to know that I am the
American lady with Pepper, de mopshond –
and I wouldn’t have it any other way! «
Hondenbelasting
(dog tax) is charged
annually and is
calculated on the
number of dogs in
each household.
DO’s and DON’Ts with dogs in Holland
• Poop! Anyone walking a dog must be carrying a suitable item with which to “scoop the poop”, failure to clean up after your pet will result in a fine. Use a paper bag, a plastic bag or a special ‘poop scoop’ available at pet shops, vets and municipal offices.
• Beach party - Dogs are allowed on beaches except during the summer months, although some beaches will allow animals on leads in the early morning or late evening. All mess should be cleared up, and the owner is responsible for the dog’s behaviour while it is on the beach. There are signs indicating whether it should be on a lead or not.
• Help! Dieren Ambulance is a nationwide animal ambulance service with regional centers in Rotterdam and The Hague. Call to report injured or lost animals. Dieren Ambulance nation-wide telephone: 0900 0245.
By OLIVIA VAN DEN BrOEk-NErI
ACCESS VOLuNtEEr
access | AutuMN | 37
should embrace the person and give at
least three kisses. So? Just after I had
arrived in the Netherlands I asked a Dutch
Master Nurse if we could greet in Brazilian
way. We did, and then he told me: “This is
not decent.” Shock! Of course, the situa-
tion finishes in a very embarrassed way.
After that, I understand that just shaking
hands is good enough here. A question:
“Why can’t we mix the greetings being
warm and respectful at the same time?”
Just on time
Ah! That was a difficult one. You know,
usually, we are not very punctual in Brazil,
especially if it is a social event. If you want
to socialise, you may count on small or big
delays from families and friends. So on a
Saturday evening I had a family dinner at a
Unusual and curious situations – it is what
you probably have to face when you left
behind your country, and live in a com-
pletely different land. Don’t forget that you
keep carrying the background and the cul-
ture of your previous home. Perhaps if you
find yourself in a similar situation, you may
identify with some of the stories in this
article. In my case, I left Brazil in the end of
the summer 2005 and I have found my new
home in the Netherlands. During this
period, I have to face a behaviour shock,
and sometimes it is funny, but not always.
One good example is the Brazilian greet-
ings: you are supposed to always be very
warm and say a lot of small phrases: “Take
care… – See you soon – Greetings for the
family – And after all this small talk, you
By VALérIA rAMOS
ACCESS VOLuNtEEr
Lifestyle
restaurant by the beach in The Hague and I
was only 10 minutes late. So a family mem-
ber started to shout at me and speak badly
about me, like I had committed a crime.
Shock! I was really concerned! Anyway, I
have learned my lesson: from that
moment, I always try my very best to be
precisely punctual. A question: “Why can’t
we not be punctual, but simultaneously, to
tolerate possible small delays?”
Where does your word count?
A remarkable behaviour shock is how your
word counts differently in these two coun-
tries. Here in Holland if a person says
something, you know that person will do
asshe/hesaid(orpromised).Forexample,
here, sometimes I have an appointment
three or four months ahead and it is no
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Culture shock:
Brazil vs HollandHave you just arrived in the Netherlands? Are you an expat here
for many years? So, you may get in touch with different cultures,
behaviours and habits. this article describes a shock between the
tropical and European culture in daily life. Hopefully you will
identify and enjoy these peculiar situations.
38 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 39
problem. Even if I do not speak or meet the
personinthemeantime,Iknowhe/shewill
be there, at the right date and right time
(punctually, of course). So you can easily
trust people. Even more: you can plan your
life smoothly. In Brazil, it is different. The
relations are more informal… This seems
to allow you to not keep your word.
It is quite common to say something and
afterwards forget about it… For example,
I remember a friend who always forgets to
confirm our meetings and sometimes she
didn’t even come on the right time, date
and place. Perhaps you had counted on
that appointment and it was just waste of
time and energy.
Suggestion to think about: We can defi-
nitely learn something about doing busi-
ness in different cultures!
Direct or indirect
Brazilians and the Dutch have different
way of relating with each other. It is well-
known, that Dutch people are very direct
and to the point in both social and profes-
sional live. You always start the conversa-
tion with the most important idea.
Brazilians do not behave like this, they are
always beating around the bush, talk
around and around, just in the end they say
what the relevant issue is.
I would add that the Dutch like to ask a lot
of questions. The other day I met an
American-Dutch friend at Kralingse Plas,
Rotterdam. After the lunch and some
drinks, we had a walk in the park: it was
one question after the other, non-stop!
In Brazil it is not elegant to do so and it is
not discreet. So just another behaviour
shock! To reflect: Perhaps, the ideal way it
is to be more directly to the point, but with
fewer questions.
Friendly or efficiently?
Even the character of these two cultures are
completely different. Brazilians are always
very warm and behave in a very friendly
way. People are always smiling and try to
understand you and help you…a very help-
ful person. This is one of the strongest
characteristics of this tropical people.
Once when I arrived here five years ago, I
went to buy fruit at the vegetable store and
I said, smiling: “Hello, Good morning!”
They young guy answer back very dryly:
“So what?”
The North European has the tendency to be
less warm and smile very much. On the
other hand, they are efficient, very effi-
cient. And this includes the Dutch as well.
They are not so friendly, but you can count
on it that they are very efficient in most cases.
Question: “Is it possible to be friendly and
efficient simultaneously?”
Services and attention
I must comment on just one more example
of the Dutch way of life. At the sport’s club,
there is just one person who takes care of
everything: the new clients, selling the
drinks, cleaning the place and do not for-
get:she/heisalsoagyminstructorand
helps people. To summarise, the profes-
sional here is multitasking. But, of course,
you may often hear: “One minute please,
I am busy now.”
In Brazil, the “normal rule” is one person,
one task. Following the example of the
sport’s club, the Brazilian gym instructor is
exclusivly for taking care of the clients of
the fitness facility. So actually, in that
“ Brazilians and the Dutch have different ways of relating with each other.”
Dutch Carnaval
Every Spring, Dutch Carnival is cele-brated on the Saturday thru Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday. (seven weeks before Easter). The main Carnival provinces are Limburg and (south) Brabant, near the Belgian bor-der, with Maastricht usually regarded as top Carnival town.
Fetivities include a parade, elaborate costumes, a fake prince plus cortège (“Council of 11”), the boerenbruiloft (farmer’s wedding) and the haring hap-pen (eating herring) on Ash Wednesday. Marching bands (‘Zaate Hermeniekes’ or ‘Drunken Marching Bands’) tradi-tionally perform on the streets.Though less numerous, Carnival towns in the north are no less enthusiastic and their numbers seem to grow each year.
Lifestyle
tropical country, the clients
are the king; you can count
on much more attention
and service.
The unexpected culture
The list of shock behaviour can go on and
on. Probably you’ve picked up the idea in
your daily life: different countries, different
behaviours! I do not believe that one place
is better than another, or superior, or more
positive. The important thing is to under-
stand that you may have different back-
grounds, you may be born and raised in
another way; so, of course, you may face a
culture shock sometimes. Why not? But try
to be tolerant with your new country, your
new home. It is what enriches your life!
So just go out and try to get in touch with
the unexpected… Welcome to Holland! «
Brazil vs Holland
Figures Brazilian women , some of the world’s most beautiful, are proud of their round derrières.Dutch women,are some of the world’s tallest, and pride themselves on having a flat bottom.
Dress Brazilians dress with a flair and judge others on their appearance. Casual dress is more formal than in other countries, so dress well.The Dutch tend to be very casual, and in the north, many dark colours are worn. While following the fashion trends, they tend to under-dressing.
Time-wise In Brazil arrive at least 30 minutes late if the invitation is for dinner. Arrive up to an hour late for a party or large gathering.In Holland, always be promptly on time or five minutes early.
40 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 41
There’s something about stews that bring to mind the warmth of hearth
and home, perhaps an idealised vision of our mother’s table and the hearty
smells that linger in our sensory memory. Draadjesvlees is possibly the
most famous Dutch stew – its very name indicating that the meat has been
cooked for so long that it falls apart (‘draadjesvlees’ means ‘thready
meat’). Don’t be put off by the lengthy cooking time either. This dish
requires minimum preparation and the pot does all the work for you.
Appeltaart
Preparation:
In a small bowl, steep the raisins in the
brandy for at least an hour (or put on high
in the microwave for 2 minutes and allow
to cool). Preheat the oven to 175 degrees
Celsius.
Whisk the eggs, adding
most of it to the flour in a
large mixing bowl (keep a
tbsp of the egg behind to
brush the pie with later).
Add the cubed butter, 175 g
brown sugar, salt and lemon
zest. Knead dough using a
stand mixer with a dough attach-
ment (or by hand) until the dough
comes together into a ball.
Set aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and core the apples, cut
them into bite-sized pieces and mix with
the sultanas, lemon juice, the remaining
brown sugar and spices. Sprinkle the corn-
starch over the apples and mix well.
Grease a large spring-form pie dish and
use3/4ofthedoughtocoverthebottom
If you haven’t already noticed,
almost every café in Holland has a
version of apple pie (appeltaart)
on its menu. Perhaps the ultimate
Dutch comfort food, it’s used
both to celebrate and soothe.
and sides of the
dish. The easiest
way to do this is to
wet your hands
and shape it by
hand, pressing the
dough into the pie
dish into a uniform
thickness.
Add the apple mixture to the pie dish and
press filling down firmly. Use the rest of
the dough to make the lattice topping.
Make longish sausage shapes by rolling
the dough between your palms (you’ll need
about 5 strips). Arrange 3 strips one way
and 2 the other way, pressing softly to fix it
to the sides, and then fold the dough back
in towards the pie. It should not be hang-
ing over the pie dish, otherwise it will stick.
But don’t worry about being too neat, the
pie will rise and hide a multitude of sins.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash and
place in the oven to bake for approximately
one hour. Allow the pie to cool in the tin
and then carefully turn out. Serve with
whipped cream, or vanilla or cinnamon ice
cream. Serves about 12 slices. «
Karin Engelbrecht is the
Guide to Dutch Food on About.com. For American mea-surements, Dutch food trends,
cookbook and restaurant reviews and more recipes, visit http://
dutchfood.about.com
Preparation:
Pat the meat dry with clean kitchen paper
and cut into medium chunks. Heat the but-
ter in a large pot (preferably a cast iron
Once the stew comes to a boil, reduce the
temperature to low, cover the pot with a lid
and allow to simmer for at least 3 to 4
hours. Check every so often and add more
water if required.
The dish is ready when the meat starts to
disintegrate into threads and the liquid has
reduced down to a thick gravy. Remove bay
leaves, cinnamon stick, and whatever
cloves and juniper berries you can find.
Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes, red
cabbage and apples or poached pears and
apple sauce. Serves 4.
one) and brown the meat. Season with salt
and pepper. Add the chopped onions and
cook gently until soft and translucent.
Pour the stock into the pot. Now add the
spices and vinegar and bring to a boil.
Dutch comfort food classics
DraadjesvleesIngredients:
1 kg stewing beef •
50 g butter •
Salt & Pepper•
3 large onions, finely chopped
•
750mlbeef/chickenstock•
1 cinnamon stick•
1 tsp juniper berries•
3 bay leaves•
4 cloves•
2 tbsp vinegar•
Ingredients:
300 g raisins•
2 tbsp brandy (or cognac)•
2 eggs•
500 g self-raising flour •
300 g cubed (ice cold) butter •
175 g brown sugar •
A pinch of salt•
Zestof1/2lemon•
1.85 kg tart apples, such as •
Goudreinet
Juiceof1/2lemon•
75 g brown sugar •
2 tsp ground cinnamon•
1 tsp ‘speculaaskruiden’ spices•
1 tbsp corn starch (maizena)•
A Whole WorldIn One School
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windmillthe
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Session times to suit your child’s needsall day - 09:00 to 14:45
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The Windmill uses a structured curriculum to promote child development
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the windmill toddlers
Do advertise in the ACCESS magazine!Contact our sales department 070 - 346 25 25 or email [email protected] magazine is published quarterly and distrubuted free of charge in the international community. reach 1000’s of expat and international readers! www.access-nl.org
I N S T I T U T E
12 week beginners, intermediate, advanced, NT2 level II
2 week intensive beginners and intermediate courses
Private and in-company courses
www.directdutch.com
Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië 2752593 BS Den HaagTel: 070 3654677
est. 1985
Clinic for Preventive & Curative DentistryTandartspraktijk Kaushik
Castricumplein 1,2547 HZ Den HaagTel: 070-3251241
Aesthetic treatment, Prosthetics, endodontic therapy, periodontal therapy, implants, crown & bridge work etc.
• Services to patients both in the Dutch and the English language• Charges as per the rates fixed by the Dutch government (COTG)• Consultation by prior appointment
Business Hours: Monday–Thursday: 0830-1630 hrs; Friday: 0830-1230 hrs
CafeMomfer De Mol
Cosy Dutch bar/bistro in the oldest street of The HagueWide range of wines and beers,
good food and great value for money!
See you tomorrow!Café Momfer de Mol
Oude Molstraat 19, 2513 BA Den Haag070-4278733
Website under Construction: www.cafemomfer.nl
From ACCESS
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9th Edition - Written by expats for expatsFrom bookshops, VVV's, Amazon.com ordirect from [email protected]
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Simply the best all-in-one guide to travel and life
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Valkenboskade 91 2563 GR Den Haag - NLpos t@thomasconsu l tancy.n l
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F A M I L YL AW
R E A L E S T A T E L AW
C O R P O R A T E L AW
All levelsPrivate tuition,
groups,in-company training
German & Dutchcourses
All teachers arenative speakers
Language Courses German School The Hague(Statenkwartier)
www.stiftungsprachkurse.nlemail:[email protected]
van Bleiswijkstraat 125, 2582 LB Den Haag, Tel.070-354 94 54
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Visser ‘tHooft Lyceum SWLocatie, Vijfmeilaan 1372324VV Leiden
A church family where people can be realwith a passion for God and others
For more information, [email protected] www.ichurchleiden.nl
International Church Leiden
Sundays 11amincluding activities for kids
Life Groups and other activitiesduring the week.
marek maakt grafische ontwerpen
Brouwersgracht 11, 2512 EP Den Haagwww.marekmaakt.nl
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ACCESS courses - AmsterdamACCESS courses - Amsterdam
Date / Time Title Details Location Cost Contact
Childbirth and Baby CoursesTuesdays from 19.00-21.00, sessions run regularly every two months
Childbirth Preparation Course
Very popular six-session course, presented by a Dutch-English speaking, qualified midwife, aimed at expectant mothers in their last few months of pregnancy.
British School of Amsterdam, Anthonie v. Dijckstraat 1, Amsterdam
€ 195 5 ses-sions1 post-natal
Truus Gale, midwifeE: [email protected]
Available on request Childbirth Preparation – Individual sessions
Individual sessions cover your particular inter-ests and worries. Preparation for delivery, breathing and massage/relaxation exercises for the different stages of labour and tips on how the expectant mother can best be supported by her partner during labour; pain relief, including epidurals and attitudes towards pain, post-par-tum period; plus lots of additional information which covers your personal needs.
At attendees place, if required
€ 1352.5 hour session
Truus Gale, MidwifeE: [email protected] course information, please phone 020 470 0321
Breastfeeding Course
Course designed for first-time mums. This workshop offers you the opportunity to explore breast-feeding in more detail. The workshop is fun and interactive. It incorporates a mixture of discussions, information sharing and practical skills.
Amsterdam € 15 person€ 25 couple
Myrte van Lonkhuijsen020 470 0321 E: [email protected]
Orientation for NewcomersAvailable on request ACCESSing
AmsterdamAre you new to Amsterdam and looking for practical information and advice? Here at ACCESS we always aim to look into the needs of the community we are serving.Come to our workshop for: practical advice, insider knowledge, fill in gaps in your knowl-edge of how things work, broaden your under-standing of the Dutch way of living and also meet people in a similar situation
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 30 E: [email protected]
Available on request Buying a House and Mortgages in the Netherlands
Buying a house in a foreign country can be very scary - especially when you don’t understand the language or how it works. This workshop outlines the following 3 main topics: searching for the right house, the mortgage and negotiat-ing & settlement.
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 40 Tania Hudig, freelance consultant E: [email protected]
Personal development and Job Seeking workshopsStarting in September - check www.access-nl.org for updates
Dutch Language Training for Beginners
Very small groups (3/5) guaranteed with per-sonal focus on your progress! Learn and prac-tice your Dutch in daily situations and feel more comfortable in the Netherlands! After complet-ing this course you will have improved your communication in Dutch.
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 2259 ses-sions of 1.5 hours
Caroline van den Bogaard, professional intercultural coach and language trainerE: [email protected]
Date / Time Title Details Location Cost Contact
Starting in September - check www.access-nl.org for updates
Intermediate Dutch Conversation
Very small groups (3/5) guaranteed with per-sonal focus on your progress ! For those who have received previous Dutch training and would like to become more confident and profi-cient in speaking the language. We will be read-ing articles and discuss current events and practice Dutch conversation skills. The classes will be entirely in Dutch.
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 2259 ses-sions of 1.5 hours
Caroline van den Bogaard, professional intercultural coach and language trainerE: [email protected]
Starting in September - check www.access-nl.org for updates
Dutch@work Course - “Nederlands als werktaal”
Kleine group gegarandeerd (3/5). Training voor gevorderden, die zich goed willen voorbereiden op de Nederlandse arbeidsmarkt. Leer jezelf presenteren in het Nederlands.
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 1804 ses-sions of 2 hours
Caroline van den Bogaard, professional intercultural coach and language trainerContact: [email protected]
Personal consultation on request
Personal and Career Coaching
Through coaching you will get insight in the impact of intercultural differences on various areas of your life such as your career and your well-being. You will explore and reflect on per-sonal and cultural values, examine your goals, directions and priorities and make the best choices for yourself.
ACCESS Amsterdam Office, Prinses Irenestraat 59, 1077 WV Amsterdam
€ 751 hour session
Caroline van den Bogaard, professional intercultural coach and language trainerContact: [email protected]
Check www.johndesilvaphotography.com for updates and prices
Camera Basics and Photographic Principles
This workshop is targeted at beginning and intermediate photography enthusiasts con-ducted by professional photographer John De Silva. This is a 2 1/2 hour workshop followed by a 90 minute field trip to Vondelpark / centrum, putting into practice what was learned.
Amsterdam see website
John De Silva, professional photographerE: [email protected]
Look at www.access-nl.org for updateswww.anneswines.com
Wine Course This 12-session series have been designed to provide information and knowledge while hav-ing fun tasting wines and meeting new people.
Amsterdam see website
Anne de BérardE: [email protected]
Caring for yourselfLook at www.presentmind.nl/en/ for updates
Mindfulness training
Mindfulness is an effective way to deal with everyday issues such as stress, anxiety, fatigue. It helps increase concentration and focus, and enhances both energy levels and quality of sleep. The positive effects of mindfulness are supported by academic studies worldwide.Join the 8 week workshop based on Kabat-Zinn programme, run by qualified trainer.
Amsterdam, Prinsengracht
€ 550includes workbook and CD’s
Lot HeijkeE: [email protected]
Look at www.access-nl.org for updates
Sivananda Hatha yoga - Yoga for all
“Yoga is a life of self-discipline. Yoga balances, harmonises, purifies and strengthens the body, mind and soul. It shows the way to perfect health, perfect mind control and perfect peace with one’s own self, the world, nature and God.” - Swami Vishnu-Devananda. Each lesson includes breathing exercises, sun salutations, classical yoga postures and a long final relax-ation. Open for all levels.
Amsterdam € 704 ses-sions€ 1006 ses-sions
Burcin Ozyurek, yoga instructor E: [email protected]
PLEASE rEgIStEr FOr COurSES ON-LINE At WWW.ACCESS-NL.Org, Or tELEPHONE ACCESS AMStErDAM, 020 - 423 32 17
Living and working with more cultures beside your own and feeling good about it, is a personal development. It is a wonderful experience but sometimes a (cultural) shock.
Zw-art-s Coaching and Counseling has developed a special program for
Personal Cultural IntegrationPersonal Cultural Integration is a practical basedprogram for everybody who deals with more cultures beside their own. The program is tailored for individuals, families, groups and organisations. The program also runs as a workshop.
For more information, call;T. +31 (0)6 50 650 122E. [email protected]
ABF International Sports Club Located in Wassenaar, we offer soccer, baseball and basketball programs to people of all ages and nationalities.
Come on out to the clubhouse and be part of the ABF community!
www.ABFSport.nl
+31 (0)71-516.8000
Webster University Leiden offers you the chance to earn both an American and a Dutch accredited
Bachelors in either Psychology or Sociology. One study, two degrees.
Dutch, American and truly international - with this program in Applied Behavioral and Social Sciences
students from the Netherlands and other EU countries receive an education that is absolutely unique.
Contact Webster University today for more information and call +31 (0)71-516 8000 or look
at www.webster.nl.
Dual Degree in Psychology and
Sociology
psuch-acces 190x 1351.indd 2 08-07-2010 11:58:19
Clinic for Preventive & Curative DentistryTandartspraktijk Kaushik
Castricumplein 1,2547 HZ Den HaagTel: 070-3251241
Aesthetic treatment, Prosthetics, endodontic therapy, periodontal therapy, implants, crown & bridge work etc.
• Services to patients both in the Dutch and the English language• Charges as per the rates fixed by the Dutch government (COTG)• Consultation by prior appointment
Business Hours: Monday–Thursday: 0830-1630 hrs; Friday: 0830-1230 hrs
CafeMomfer De Mol
Cosy Dutch bar/bistro in the oldest street of The HagueWide range of wines and beers,
good food and great value for money!
See you tomorrow!Café Momfer de Mol
Oude Molstraat 19, 2513 BA Den Haag070-4278733
Website under Construction: www.cafemomfer.nl
48 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 49
ACCESS courses - the HagueACCESS courses - the Hague
Date / Time Title Details Location Cost Contact
Childbirth and Baby Courses30 September 10:00 -11.30 25 November19:30 – 21.00
Breastfeeding Course
Qualified lactation consultant offering one 2-hour information session on breastfeeding for pregnant women.
Nootdorp € 30 Sharron van der Linden-Woodley061 972 4750, E: [email protected]
22 September – 27 October (Dec due dates)3 November – 8 December (Jan/Feb due dates)18:45 - 21:00, 6 evenings
Childbirth Preparation Course
Six 2-hour sessions preparing for childbirth in the Netherlands, led by our very experi-enced trainers.
Bronovo Hospital € 180 Lee Tolman and Nester Moyo061 972 4750, E: [email protected]
14 September – 9 November30 November – 25 January 8 Tuesday evenings 18:15 – 19:30
Prenatal Yoga Complete preparation for labour through breathing and relaxation techniques, yoga postures.
Bronovo Hospital € 135 Joke van Roosendaal-Kuijper070 326 2638, E: [email protected]
8 Tuesday evenings20:45 – 22:00Register anytime six weeks after birth
Postnatal Yoga Relaxation techniques, muscles strengthening of pelvic floor, pelvis, stomach through Pilates method, energy building through Hatha Yoga.
Bronovo Hospital € 80 Joke van Roosendaal-Kuijper070 326 2638, E: [email protected]
Friday mornings Postnatal Yoga Getting your waist back, regaining strength for abdomen and pelvic floor muscles, back care and relax and recharge for new mums.
Den Haag € 75 for six 1-hour sessions
Wendy Koopman061 972 4750, E: [email protected]
On demand Prenatal Exercise Course led by qualified physiotherapist for women in their 3rd trimester who want to get fit in preparation for the birth of their baby.
Oegstgeest € 120 for 2 sessions
Vera Atlas061 972 4750, E: [email protected]
Orientation for NewcomersDates in September, October and Novembersee website for details09:15 – 12:15
“At Home Abroad” - Dutch for Starters - Language Course
Dutch for Starters is an intensive language course for people who want to make a running start with learning Dutch. Twelve 3-hour ses-sions in four weeks, in groups of four to six people.
A location near Valkenbosplein, The Hague
€ 600 + € 92 for course book & CD-Rom
Henny van Santen065 719 4646, E: [email protected]
Personal Development and Job Seeking in Holland1 June, 21 September, 23 November 09:30-12:30
Job Hunting in the Netherlands
Discover your own way to job seeking success through the course of discussions and feedback with other job seekers. Aimed at individuals wishing to enter the Dutch employment mar-ket; explore your approach, improve your CV and application techniques. Includes a personal follow-up consultation with the trainer.
Women’s Business Initiative, Laan Copes van Cattenburch 86, The Hague
€ 107 Teresa Moynihan062 665 4708 or go to www.access-nl.orgIndividual coaching sessions also available on demand
21 September, 8 October, 12 November9:30 – 12:30
Understanding Yourself: Using Your Values as a Personal Compass
This 3-hour interactive workshop is about clari-fying what is important to you as a person, a professional or a parent. It will help you identify your values, your needs and your limits.
The Hague € 88 Marie Dewulf062 440 1355, E: [email protected]
Date / Time Title Details Location Cost Contact
Wednesdays 8, 15, 23, 29 September6, 13, 20, 27 October3, 10 November19:00 – 22:00
First Aid Diploma Course
Do you know what to do at the scene of an acci-dent, or a sport’s injury or if someone chokes or breaks a leg? What if your child falls or burns himself/herself? How do you bridge the gap till the ambulance arrives? Learn life-saving skills for yourself, your family and all the people around you. (30 hours tuition in 10 sessions inclusive C.P.R. with A.E.D.)
Het Klokhuis, Celebestraat 4, Den Haag
€ 375 all inclusive
Liz Jordan, First Aid and C.P.R./A.E.D. InstructorVital Signs Training – 070 346 9786 / 061 883 5293, E: [email protected]
Saturday 23 October10:00 - 16:00
C.P.R. with Automatic External Defibrillator
Do you know that most cardiac arrests happen unexpectedly at home or at work or during sport? On average, 300 a week in Holland. If you can do Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.) and use an A.E.D., you can save a life. The first six minutes are vital. (A.E.D.) (6 hours tuition)
Het Klokhuis, Celebestraat 4, Den Haag
€ 150 all inclusive
Liz Jordan, First Aid and C.P.R./A.E.D. InstructorVital Signs Training – 070 346 9786 / 061 883 5293, E: [email protected]
Culinary & Wine expertiseSeptember thru November dates, six-week course. See website for details 19:00 – 21:00
The Wine Series 6 part workshops on wine tasting
Enjoy the secrets of tasting wines and discover-ing where they come from by using your senses. Learn about food and wine matching, various types of wines, easy to use in your daily life.
The Hague Cost: € 55 to € 70 (tapas included)
Annes Wines. 062 631 7807, E: [email protected]
Orientation for Newcomers29 September6, 13 October3,10,17, 24 November1, 8, 15 December10:30 – 11:45 or 17:30 – 18:45
Have a better Sleep for a better Day!
Learn how to improve your sleep, how to relax, how to fall asleep or fall back to sleep, how to reduce your insomnia by protecting yourself from stress, using relaxation and techniques of Sophrology.
Women’s Business Initiative, Laan Copes van Cattenburch 86, Den Haag
€ 180 for 10 sessions
Mireille Barreau, Sophrologist063 003 0888, E: [email protected]
Parent Education Seminars27 September 19:30 - 22:00
Communicating for Compliance & Co-operation
How to Talk: Why nagging, threatening, and lecturing probably aren’t getting you very far with your kids. Learn the kinds of instructions, explanations, and consequences that work best.
van Hogenhoucklaan 89, Den Haag
€35 Katherine Fortier (Child Psychologist) andSoul Robertson, 064 185 7773, www.passionateparenting.nl
4 October 19:30 – 22:00
Strategies for Gifted Children
How to identify a gifted child? How should we stimulate them? How do we get the teachers and schools involved? What about social skills? How could this “gift” affect the family? An enriched yet balanced life can be achieved
van Hogenhoucklaan 89, Den Haag
€35 Renata Hamsikova (Gifted Children Coach) andSoul Robertson, 064 185 7773, www.passionateparenting.nl,
15 November19:30 – 22:00
Marshmallows & Delayed Gratification
Self-discipline is an excellent predictor of a child’s success. Since it takes years of practice to develop patience & perseverance, the sooner parents teach children to avoid immediate grat-ification the better. Change your child’s life.
van Hogenhoucklaan 89, Den Haag
€35 Katherine Fortier (Child Psychologist) andSoul Robertson 064 185 7773, www.passionateparenting.nl
PLEASE rEgIStEr FOr COurSES ON-LINE At WWW.ACCESS-NL.Org, Or tELEPHONE ACCESS tHE HAguE, 070 - 346 25 25
ACCESS SponsorsThank you for your continued and generous support
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The British School in The Netherlands
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Direct DutchDutchnews.nlExpatriate Archive CentreFilmhuis Den HaagGemeentemuseum Den HaagHoutkram De, te LeiderdorpJo ParfittKelly’s Expat ShoppingKickstart SchoolKon. SchouwbergLanguage Institute Taal TaalLaura AshleyLekkers Uit HongarijeMeza MediterraneeMichel’s Boulangerie & PatisserieMoynihan HR ConsultingMuseonMy StoreSimons JuweliersSteigenberger Kurhaus HotelThe English Theatre STETThomas GreenTwentyfive DesignVan NieropWFIAWinnubst Parfumerie
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Your Personal Web & Graphic Designer in The Netherlandswww.simonebranson.com
• Graphic Design• Webdesign• Visual Identity• Advertising• Magazines• Card Design
Advertentie90_135_2.indd 1 8/25/10 5:36 PM
ART & ANTIQUE FAIR THE HAGUEWith 20 Art-& Antique-dealers showing their Collections.
27th and 28th of NovemberCarlton Ambassador HotelSophialaan 2, The HagueAdmission €3,50 - Parking free
ART & ANTIQUE FAIR WASSENAARWith 15 Art-& Antique-dealers showing their Collections.17th till 19th of December 2010
Van Ommerenpark Residencev. Ommerenpark 200, WassenaarFree admission and parking
Info: CANfairs - www.canfairs.nl
Phone: 0172-588402 / 06-54778513
52 | access | AutuMN access | AutuMN | 53
What’s onWhat’s on
Specials events - Autumn 2010POSt A COMMuNIty EVENt IN tHIS MAgAzINE? CONtACt ACCESS PuBLICAtIONS At [email protected], PLEASE tItLE yOur MAIL AS ‘WHAt’S ON’.
21 Septmeber
Prinsjesdag
On Prinsjesdag Queen Beatrix rides her Golden Carriage from Palace Noordeinde in The Hague (her residential home) to the Knights Hall. The streets are lined with crowds and she reads her budget speech to the Upper and the Lower Chamber
Info: www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/
28 October to 15 November
The Hague, Holland Dance Festival
12th Edition of this largest biennial dance festival in the Netherlands. This year the festival boasts over sixty performances, more than one hundred work-shops, and a dance parade with over 1200 amateur dancers. This years festival celebrates the 50th anni-versary of the Nederlands Dans Theater. The festival is opened by the Nederlands Dans Theater I en II at the Lucent Danstheater.
www.hollanddancefestival.com
24-25 September (annual)
Todaysart FestivalPerformances, concerts, exhibi-tions and films by more than 200 artists from 25 countries
Covering artistic disciplines from fashion to contem-porary dance, the annual Todaysart Festival is held across 20 indoor and outdoor venues in The Hague.
Info: http://todaysart.nl/
17 to 20 November
Crossing Border Festival
A huge literature, music and visual arts event, Holland’s Crossing Border Festival presents an inspired mix of writers, musicians and performers. More than 80 acts appear at the Royal Theatre, across a variety of stages. Royal Theatre
Info: www.crossingborder.nl
8 to 17 October
Shoot me Film Festival The Hague
Open on the first Sunday of every month. For further details tel: 070 323 1568. Location: Heliotrope Avenue 15v
Info: http://www.shoot-me.nl/
25 & 26 September
Scheveningen Kite Festival
On Saturday 25 and Sunday, September 26 shaft is the largest international event in the Netherlands pilot site, the MASCOT Kite Festival Scheveningen. Dan ziet Scheveningen ze weer vliegen: vliegers in alle soorten en maten. Scheveningen will see them again fly kites in all shapes and sizes.
Info: http://vliegerfeestscheveningen.nl
26 November
Holland South Event:
The Resident Orchestra goes on tour
A concert prior to the Orchestra’s tour of Vienna, Bratislava, Maribor, Zagreb and Villach. The orchestra is conducted by Neeme Järvi, with Dagmar Pecková, mezzosoprano. Tickets €10 - €36 available online. Concert starts at 20:15. Venue: Dr Anton Philipszaal, Spuiplein 150.
Info: www.ldt.nl
22 October
Holland South Event:
Piano Penomenon Aldo Ciccolini
The Residence Orchestra conducted by Lawrence Foster, with Aldo Ciccolini, piano. Programme: Franck - Le Chasseur Maudit, Saint-Saëns - Piano Concert Nr. 4, Fauré - Suite ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’, Debussy - La mer. Booking online. Concert starts at 20:15. Venue: Dr Anton Philipszaal, Spuiplein 150.
Info: www.ldt.nl
20 to 29 October
The Cinekid Festival, Amsterdam
“The Cinekid Festival is an annual film, television and new-media festival for children in Amsterdam. Every year more than 50,000 children and (international) guests visit one or more of the five hundred media productions that Cinekid has to offer them: film, doc-umentaries, short films, cartoons, television produc-tions, cross-media productions, interactive installa-tions and workshops. Alongside the main festival in Amsterdam, a satellite programme also featuring the Cinekid films is organised in more than thirty other towns throughout the Netherlands.
Cinekid for Professionals takes place during the Cinekid Festival, providing an opportunity for more than 200 media professionals to meet in order to dis-cuss new developments in the field of children’s media, exchange experiences and promote the produc-tion of children’s films, children’s television and cross-media productions. At CinekidStudio.nl children can make their own media productions. At this special children’s domain children produce their own short films, news broadcasts, video clips or short cartoons.”
Info: www.cinekid.nl
30 September to 3 October
National Tattoo
“Military music from an international line-up of marching bands. Among those appearing are the drum corps Top Secret from Switzerland, the Scots College Pipes and Drums and the OzScot Dancers from Australia and the Englishmen of the Royal Military Band. Ahoy, Rotterdam”
Info: www.ahoy.nl
17 to 28 November
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the largest event of its kind in the world. The festival will arrive in Amsterdam on 17 November to begin a ten-day programme packed to bursting point. IDFA’s rising popularity guarantees that 2010 will once again see hoards of film-hungry visitors race to the capital to catch one (or more) of the staggering 300 creative documentaries on offer.
Info: www.idfa.nl
Aug 28, 2010 to Jan 9, 2011
The Temporary Stedelijk
“While the new wing of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam continues, the restoration of the original building is almost complete and it will open tempo-rarily to the public with a series of exhibitions in August.The highlight is Taking Place for which specially selected works by contemporary artists will be dis-played in various spaces within the old building. It will include pieces from the museum’s collection of 19th and 20th century art, ranging from paintings and sculpture to industrial and graphic design.Stedelijk Museum”
Info: www.stedelijk.nl
4 to 13 December
Holiday on Ice at RAI, Amsterdam
The traditional skating troupe tell the story of ancient spirits from Stonehenge to Native American tales and Asian mysticism.
Info: www.holidayonice.nl
17 December
Holland South Event:
Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker”
One of Tchaikovsky’s most popular works since it fea-tured in Walt Disney’s ‘Fantasia’. Performed by the Residence Orchestra conducted by Andrew Grams, with The Hague Sailors’ Choir. Tickets €10 - €36 avail-able online. Concert starts at 20:15. Venue: Dr Anton Philipszaal, Spuiplein 150.
Info: www.ldt.nl
15 October
Holland South Event:
Morlot conducts Mendelssohn and Schumann
The young French conductor Ludovic Morlot, previously with the New York Philharmonic, conducts The Hague Philharmonic, with American star violinist Jennifer Koh. Programme: Debussy / Escher, Six epigraphes antiques, Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto, Schumann, Symphony No. 2Tickets €10 - €36 available on line. Concert starts at 20:15. Venue: Dr Anton Philipszaal, Spuiplein 150
Info: www.ldt.nl
54 | access | AutuMN
the Who’s Who
The HagueAmerican Book Center, Lange Poten 23Bronovo Hospital, Bronovolaan 5Carlton Ambassador Hotel, Sophialaan 2Central Public Library/CentraleOpenbare Bibliotheek, Spui 68Chamber of Commerce/Kamer van Koophandel, Koningskade 30Cheesecake Company, Torenstraat 32GEM, Stadhouderslaan 43International Health Centre,Prins Willemstraat 41Kelly’s Expat Shopping, Piet Heinstraat 105Mercure Hotel, Spui 180MUSEON, Stadhouderslaan 37Novotel Hotel, Hofweg 5-7Nuffic, Kortenaerkade 11Paagman bookshop,Frederik Hendriklaan 217Sherlock Holmes Bar, Sumatrastraat 314Thomas Green Shop, Frederik Hendriklaan 71De Vulpen bookshop,Frederik Hendriklaan 173-179
AmsterdamABC Treehouse, Voetboogstraat 11American Book Center, Spui 12Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce/Kamer van Koophandel, De Ruyterkade 5City Hall/StadhuisVoorlichtingsloket, Amstel 1Amsterdam Public Library/OpenbareBibliotheek Oosterdokskade 143Bagels and Beans, Spaarndammerstraat149a and Parnassuweg 218Dienst Persoonsgegevens,Stadhouderskade 85ExpatCenter WTC, F-tower,2nd Flr. Strawinskylaan 39Town Council/Gemeente Amstelveen,Laan Nieuwer-Amstel 1Htel, Laan van de Helende Meesters 421Hilton Hotel, Apollalaan 138Horlings, Josef Israelkade 46Waterstones, Kalverstraat 152
The Wider Randstad RegionDelftDOK Library Delft, t.a.v. R. van Gorp Vesteplein 100TU Delft Library, Prometheusplein 1LeidenNorth End English Pub, Noordeinde 55Public Library/OpenbareBibliotheek, Nieuwstraat 4RotterdamCity Hall Library/GemeenteBibliotheek, Hoogstraat 110Chamber of Commerce/KamerVan Koophandel, Blaak 40Expat Desk Rotterdam, BeurspleinVoorschotenPublic Library/OpenbareBibliotheek, Wijngaardenlaan 4WassenaarWassenaar Health Center, Hofcampweg 65Public Library/OpenbareBibliotheek, Berkheistraat 55
The HagueManagement Team Manager, The HagueAnne MacDonald AdvertisingWiggert Sackman Community EducationChristine Fischer Computer ServicesJohn Pellet Counselling ServicesAlina Avarvarei Event ManagementRoy Lie A Tjam FinancePatricia AxelradInformation ResearchWang Ju Tsai The Help DeskRichard Goddard Volunteer ResourcesRosemary Farrell
AmsterdamManagement Team Director, AmsterdamAnna Lysenko Community EducationCandace Conner-Kabela Computer ServicesAndy Nicastro Information ResearchJennifer Walsh Public RelationsLiz Tjostolvsen MarketingRadhika Goyal The Help DeskGillian Brooks Volunteer ResourcesHelen Bilbe
Stichting ACCESS Executive DirectorLucie Scott Executive BoardChairmanKiri Kikis, Kikis Investments Vice ChairmanGary Hays, Fonterra (Europe) SecretaryImanda Wapenaar, Director, WFIA MembersCharles van Beuningen, van Beuningen advocaten Connie Moser, Real Estate Publishers B.V. Willemijn van Oppen-Stuyt, Educaide Jessie Rodell, American School of The Hague Vacancy: Treasurer
ACCESS Magazine
AutuMN 2010
Vol. 23 No. 3
Publisher
Stichting ACCESS
Editorial content
Advertising info:
Tel: 070 346 2525
Subscriptions:
Design & LayoutMarek MoggréJeannette Dijkman
ProductionDijkman Publishers
ImagesShirley Agudo Valerie Bernardini Alice de GrootMarianne Lourens
ContributorsKarin EngelbrechtSheilah Gazaleh-WeeversCandace Connor-KabelaAnne Nielsen de BérardOlivia van den Broek-NeriValéria RamosMarie DewulfJacinta NoonanConnie MoserLucie ScottNikki Young
you will also find that the ACCESS Magazine is available through the Human resources Departments of many international companies, organizations, NgO’s etc.
If you would like your employer to also have copies available contact 070 - 346 25 25.the ACCESS Magazine is unique: written, edited, published and distributed by expats for expats.
ACCESS magazine is distributed free of charge. Below is a list of locations to pick up your copy.
Copyright©ACCESS 2010All rights reserved. No part of the ACCESS magazine may be used in any form without explicit permission in writing from the Publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure that the infor-mation in this publication was correct at the time of going to press. However, ACCESS and its writers cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information included.
developer: SAleS:
Tel. +31 70 - 355 84 00
SAleS:
Tel. +31 70 - 375 75 75www.houtrust.info
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