EN

GLISH

ED

ITIO

Napril 2014

42MAGAZINE OF

THE HAGUE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

FRIENDSHIPHow to deal with

study stress

Testing Dutch

stereotypes

2 LINK • 42

Passion

‘I even add a personal twist to the clothes I buy’

Law student Heja Alsindee once stepped into a shop in London and instantly fell head over heels for its vintage clothing. Since then, this second-year student has often been stitching away on her sewing machine to make her own retro pieces. story Esha Gowricharn • image Quintin van der Blonk

‘I’m mad about the fashions of the thirties, forties and fifties because

they’re so classy, but flirty and sexy at the same time. Unfortunately,

I wear such a small size that it’s difficult to find outfits that fit me.

That’s why I decided to make vintage dresses myself. It’s not only a

lot cheaper but what I make is also more unique. I really like wear-

ing pieces of clothing that nobody else has. I even add a personal

twist to the clothes I buy. My inspiration often comes from fashion

blogs specialised in vintage fashion. But I really had to start from

scratch: when I started making my own things, I didn’t even know

how to use a sewing machine. I learned everything from watch-

ing do-it-yourself videos on YouTube. By now, I’ve made a number

of dresses and skirts for myself, and I often make things for my

younger cousins. I want to take a course in the summer so that I can

expand on my sewing techniques.’ •

42 • LINK 3

EditorialContent

Link is published and produced by the Communication & Marketing department at The Hague University.

Editors room Ovaal 0.82/Poseidon 6 • Address Postbus 13336, 2501 EH Den Haag e: link@hhs.nl f: 070 445 7554 i: http://link-en.hhs.nl • Editors Dieuwke de Boer (070 445 8851), Esha Gowricharn (070 445 7281, intern), René Rector (070 445 8813, editor-in-chief), Martine Seijffert (070 445 8814), Youri van Vliet (070 445 8796) Student Editors Mariska van Andel, Yvonne Bal, Anjani Bhairosingh, Ilse van Beest, Esther Bliek, Martin Cok, Patty Elbersen, Kerttu Henriksson, Tim de Jong, Stefan van Klink, Iris Krijger, Danielle Peterson, Darren Power, Astrid Prins, Yvonne Rijff Translators Dave van Ginhoven, Attached Language Services • Comic Margreet de Heer Images Mieke Barendse, Quintin van der Blonk, Thirjeet Gurwara, Bas Kijzers, Lex Linsen, Barbara Mulderink Design Mustafa Özbek, Josean de Pie • Print OBT bv, Den Haag Advertisement Bureau Nassau, Achterom 100c, Hoorn Postbus 4130, 1620 HC Hoorn e: info@bureaunassau.nl t: 020 – 623 0905 f: 020 – 639 0846 i: www.bureaunassau.nl ISSN 2210-7983 Copyright It is not allowed to copy articles or images without permission of the editors. Link is published monthly in Dutch and three times a year in English. The next issue in English will be released after the summer break. The first Dutch issue on May 1.

ABOUT LINK

6 IT problems The promise was improvement. Then why are the IT services still causing problems?

8 Friendship survey What is friendship actually worth to THUAS students? See the results of our survey and peak at the portraits of international friendships.

17 Funny habbits of the Dutch Tall blondes riding bikes, eating fried croquettes and smoking cannabis. An article about classic stereotypes and what Dutch people think of them.

12 Leonard Geluk, the new Chairman of the Executive Board

14 How to cope with fear of failure

20 Watching the watchmen 24/7

Columns

4 In Pictures: Spring arrives

5 Column by Jos Walenkamp

11 Legal Briefs

22 Gems: where (not) to go to in The Hague and a reader campaign

24 Melting Pot: a Kenyan funeral dish

Obama cares

I suppose you’ve probably never seen it if you don’t speak

Dutch, but there is a popular reality show on TV called Vakan-tieliefdes (Vacation Romances), about Dutch girls who fall in

love while on holiday abroad. Usually, a girl will visit her new

beau’s home country in order for them to find out if those first

butterflies are still fluttering. Whether it’s making friends or

making love, borders don’t seem to be a big deal. But what puz-

zles me is how it works when the honeybees don’t share a com-

mon language, which is usually the case. Without a proper way

to make yourself understood, getting somewhere in developing

your relationship becomes difficult, I would think.

That leads me to another phenomenon I’ve observed over the

years: the fact that expat students don’t speak proper Dutch,

even after four years here. I assume (incorrectly, perhaps) that

my brain dysfunction (after a day’s work my conversations with

internationals quickly devolve into ‘Denglish’) is not unique,

and since 1 + 1 = 2, this could provide us with an explanation

for why expats and cloggies don’t seem to mix as well as they

could.

If THUAS is really serious about internationalising its programs,

promoting Dutch language programmes for the international

community seems wise – though there is no mention of (obliga-

tory) Dutch lessons for foreign students in the internationaliza-

tion policy plan. After all, it’s really nice to hear a Hungarian

expat try to offer you a beer in Dutch, even if it doesn’t come out

completely right. It shows that he is prepared to make an effort

to speak the other language, even when it features challenging

‘g’ and ‘ui’ sounds and some other tongue-twisting oddities.

I saw a guy recently who clearly cared about showing people

that, ‘I speak your language.’ He happened to be an American

President who, while visiting our country, took the time to men-

tion that the atmosphere was ‘gezellig’. Sure, he was prompted

and had a horrible accent, but many cloggies thought the same

thing I did: ‘Now we’re talking, Mr Obama.’

René Rector

Editor-in-chief of Link

r.rector@hhs.nl

4 LINK • 42

In pictures

Spring photo menagerie

Our theme for this month – to take a spring photo

of yourself and ‘nature’ – clearly showed the

association of spring and (new-born) animals.

There were exceptions though, such as the

entry by Daisy Furth, student in Social Work

and Social Services, whose photo shows her and

her boyfriend washed up on a beach in Cape

Verde [1]. Then to the animals; one of which is

Communications Officer Monique van Kasteren’s

photo of her cat, Mies, trying in vain to get a

suntan [2]. Then we have Industrial Engineering

& Management student Bas Verbraeken’s rabbit

Joris, coming home exhausted after a spring hop

[3]. Process and Food Technology student Pamela

Benson took this photo [4] on the first official day

of spring. And on with more animals … ‘This

is the ultimate spring picture,’ writes Facility

Management staff member, Natalia van Gilst

[6]. Just as peaceful is Floris the cat, belonging

to Law student Ellen den Hollander [7]. Prep-

school student Huangweizi Yao took a number of

photos in Bruges, including the picture of these

swans [8]. The busy bee was photographed by

Social Educational Care student Lisette van Kan,

who associates spring with the slowly emerging

colours and flowers [9]. Master in International

Communication Management student Julieta

Meneses [5], attaches great significance to Dutch

flowers: even back home in Mexico, she used to

have photos of the Dutch landscape hanging on

her wall. We may not know if the photo is of her

in the Keukenhof or elsewhere, but you cannot

miss her enthusiasm: ‘It has been a dream come

true to walk around the tulips and flowers in The

Netherlands!’ And this is why she is the winner of

the 50 euro gift voucher.•

[1]

[5]

[7]

[5]

[10]

[2]

[8]

42 • LINK 5

Jos

Friendship

Home students and international students often become friends. That is good.

Friendship makes it easier to understand the world through the eyes of the

other, makes your life here much more attractive, hel ps you to find your way in

a foreign society, gives you a close look at another culture and will provide you

with a wealth of free tips.

Without having investigated this thoroughly, I have the impression that friend-

ships between international and Dutch students flourish better in the informal

setting of the pub than in the classroom, where working groups are often

purposely composed of students of different cultures. This is meant to help

integration and intercultural learning, a valuable aspect of studying abroad.

However, working groups are serious business: they have to produce results

that must be graded and must render credit points. Some students go for

those results straight away. Others feel the need to create good relationships

between the members of the working group first and they feel slighted by

the direct approach. Some students are more reserved, more timid and less

confident than home students and they are not as used to speaking their mind,

publicly and forcefully, as home students. They may not feel comfortable and it

does not help when their less forthcoming attitude is interpreted by others as

laziness or lack of interest.

Sometimes quarrels erupt, but more often, frustrations are bottled up. That is a

pity. When groups suffer, or are angry or frustrated, nothing gets resolved in si-

lence. Rifts deepen and little is learned. The reason you are in an international

classroom is to learn. Subject matter, yes; other ways of teaching and learning,

yes, but your most important lesson is how to behave in ways that are agree-

able to people from another background and to communicate effectively over

the boundaries of language, gender, race, nationality and culture. And, as any

married person can tell you, being silent does not help.

So get out there, give your frustrations a voice, listen to the preoccupations

of the others, try to analyse and understand what is happening, check your

assumptions with the others, communicate, communicate, communicate. And

have a drink together.

Jos Walenkamp

Lector International Cooperation

[3]

[9]

[4]

[6]

Win 50 eurosEvery issue, Link organizes a photography contest.

There is only one person that cannot be missing from your photos for the last Dutch issue of the academic year

– yourself! Take an authentic, spontaneous selfie.

You can include other people too – preferably not Ellen DeGeneres – and send the photo to link@hhs.nl before 2 June. State your name, study programme or position

and why/when/where you took the photo in the e-mail. The winner will receive a 50 euro gift voucher.

6 LINK • 42

‘It’s bursting at the seams and moaning and groaning’

Things are not perfect with the IT at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. One time the WiFi does not work, another time the printers break down. And this while the promise was for improvement. story René Rector • image Margreet de Heer

Biting the bullet

T he IT Department has had problems for years

and it seems that these are getting worse.

This year alone there have already been

twelve problems that were significant enough

to issue a communiqué from the respective

department. ‘How can this be? Is anything

actually being done?’ One of the staff

members that wants answers is Marcel

Sem Kok, lecturer at the Academy of Social

Professions. The level of dissatisfaction in

his teaching team around IT escalated to the

extent that the team compiled a modest blacklist

of problems and sent it to the Academy man-

agement. It is a misery list: user-unfriendly

programmes, missing e-mails, and at the top of

Marcel’s personal list is the way the computers

used for the smart board have been placed.

They are positioned in such a way that you

have to stand with your back to the class.

Marcel is not the only one that has prob-

lems with technical hitches. Ole Carl Häu-

sler, student and vice-chair of the General

Council, has a number of comments too. Last

year, in a meeting with the Executive Board, he dem-

onstrated that wifi access sometimes starts working

if you switch your smartphone to your other hand.

‘Sometimes you simply have no connection while you

are standing in front of a wifi access point with your

mobile phone. This is frustrating. But what irritates

me more nowadays is that so many computers in the

computer areas do not work. It is difficult to report

problems and when you do, it can take weeks before

they are repaired.’ Monique van Kasteren, electronic

communications staff member at the Communica-

tions &

Marketing

Department,

was sitting around

for half a day because her

computer – and also those of her col-

leagues – were so slow. ‘It is better than it used to be

and the problem was solved eventually – but when

you report a problem, the issue ping pongs between

the different IT divisions.’ During the last meeting

of the General Council and the Executive Board on 9

April 2014, the question was raised what is actually

being done about the situation now.

The answer to the question ‘How can this be?’ is in

part clear. We are all making increasingly more use

42 • LINK 7

of IT services. Online lectures, use of twitter during

class, Blackboard and so on – the IT applications are

endless. When listing the ‘inconveniences’, the va-

riety of the problems stands out: from badly placed

computers to network interruptions to over-full

computer classrooms. ‘Everything falls under the

label IT, so when something goes wrong, it gives the

impression that IT is on its last legs,’ says Häusler,

putting the issue into perspective. ‘TU Delft has a

button on the personal student homepage to report

problems. This should not be too difficult to intro-

duce here.’ Kok too tries to put things into perspec-

tive. ‘You face problems

so often that you cannot

forget them. You are

constantly reminded of

them.’

How hard can it be? So at least part of the IT failures

stem from perception, and although

things go wrong, the IT Service Desk is often compli-

mented by students and staff members for its help.

That said, there really are problems. In December

2012, Link interviewed Marianne van de Werke,

Director of the IT Department, and Pieter Gremmen,

project leader of the multi-year programme ‘Get-

ting the ICT basic services in order’. They explained

that the main building was built in a pre-wifi era.

When wifi was later introduced, THUAS did become

wireless to a certain extent. However, nobody could

have anticipated the massive increase of wifi use

of smartphones and laptops a couple of years later.

Furthermore, the whole IT infrastructure was getting

old by then. It was in this context that improvements

were promised.

The question ‘how can this be?’ leads back to them.

‘The system moans and groans,’ admits Gremmen.

Van de Werke emphasises that heavy investments

have been made over the past year to improve the

wifi network. ‘Then you read a reaction to a message

on Link Online that says “How hard can it be?” Well,

very hard!’ she says. ‘The main building is a real

challenge for wireless technology, and this is made

worse because everyone enters the building through

the same door. Twenty thousand people register at

the same wifi routers that are unable to cope with the

capacity. And then all these people move every hour

and expect that their wifi works all the time. We have

even had experts from China and Finland come to

deal with the problems.’

Glimmer of lightThe result is that the wifi now has

the best coverage possible. A

round among critical IT users

confirms this. ‘Yes, the WiFi

is much better now,’ says Van

Kasteren, ‘but it means that

more people will use it, and this

will cause new problems.’ This

assumption proves to be right.

‘The network is constantly over-

burdened. It’s bursting at the seams,’

admits Gremmen. And wifi is only one of a

number of hurdles. The wifi routers are connected

to the network with a wire, and this is outdated. The

network ultimately connects to the servers. The com-

puter capacity here has grown organically and is now

a maze of emergency solutions.

The IT Department has taken the decision to start at

the front end of the problems by tackling the wireless

system. Van de Werke explains that: ‘At least people

will benefit quickly. We could have started with the

servers, but you would then only notice the difference

if everything is finished. The improved wifi does put

a burden on the network and the servers, and people

experience this in the number of disruptions.’

Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of light at the end

of the IT tunnel. The fixed network is earmarked for

improvement this autumn, with the Executive Board

having approved the plan to move the computers in

the central server area elsewhere. Gremmen esti-

mates that the move will be finished in the course of

next year. ‘Up till then, we have to bite the bullet.’ •

Whichchannels do you

use to keep your friends up to date?

Face-to- face

Facebook

Other

86%

What’sapp75%

15%Phone Calls15%

3%

f

f

8 LINK • 42

Survey

Just one click is all it takes to make a new friend. At least, that’s how easy it is on Facebook, but what is that friendship actually worth? We surveyed our students and what did we learn? That most people can still count their real friends on one hand. story Laura Muis and Darren Power • images Bas Kijzers and Loek Weijts

Friends favor face-to-face over Facebook

T he numbers don’t lie. Here in the Netherlands,

we spend up to 14 hours a week on social

media, according to research by Multiscope.

Let’s be honest: we all know that the smart phone is

pretty addictive. At the same time, it’s increasingly

important to have a social life. Besides your studies,

you’ve got your part-time job, your sports club and

maybe a student organisation to keep up with, but

you also need some time to chill. There are simply too

many choices to make, especially for students. That’s

what Marli Huijer, leader of the Philosophy and Pro-

fessional Practice research group says in her book Dis-

cipline, which she discussed with Link recently. But

how do contemporary students feel about friendship

as part of their busy lives?

Link surveyed 275 students. We started by asking for

definitions of friendship. When do you start calling

someone your friend? There were several answers,

but the majority (72 per cent) defined it as ‘being

able to share things you would not share with just

anyone.’ Feeling comfortable around someone was

also important, according to sixty per cent of the

respondents, as was the feeling that someone would

‘walk through fire with me,’ which 51 per cent selec-

ted. One respondent summarised it all, saying: ‘A

friend is someone who accepts you, including your

less attractive qualities.’

Only three people thought of Facebook friendship

as a condition for real relationships and it would

seem that we are all pretty picky about who our real

friends are. Seventy per cent of THUAS students

say they have between one and six friends that

they regularly hang out with. Around sixty per cent

meets up every week and thirty per cent hangs out

several times a week. The vast majority (86 per cent)

thinks that the best way to keep in contact with their

friends is face-to-face.

THUAS-students do all sorts of things with their

friends: sports/exercise (twelve per cent), shopping

(26 per cent), or even cooking together (23 per cent).

The top three shared activities are listed on page

10. However, it is interesting to note that, with the

exception of cultural activities, studying was the least

popular thing to do with friends. Face-to-face contact

is frequent, but Facebook-Facebook contact still plays

a big role, given how many messages are posted, sent

42 • LINK 9

‘Distance is a great test of friendship’

Mante Stasiulyte (age 20), Second year of European StudiesNationality: LithuanianNumber of real friends: 7-9Number of Facebook friends: 500

Starting school two years ago, it took me a long time to make new friends because I was still holding on to the friendships I had back home. That distance strengthened one or two relationships, but it also ended a few too; distance is a great test. When I first meet new people, it sounds a bit nega-tive, but I tend to see the worst in them right away. The ironic thing is that my best friends here now were people I disliked at first. I also consciously try to meet people from different nationalities because I see so many people hanging out with their own nationality, and I wonder if they’re missing out on some really different perspectives.

The main thing my best friends share with me here is the feeling of being a foreigner, which I think most international students can relate to, and also a wacky, self-deprecating sense of humour. I feel like: if friends can’t make fun of each other, how can we help each other with more serious problems? Sometimes, friendship is just about laughing together and forgetting the serious stuff. Friends don’t need to show their appreciation with big actions. It’s all the small daily things that add up to a nice contribution to someone’s life.

and read there. What’sapp is also hugely popular and

almost everyone uses it (see infographic on page 8).

Some THUAS students said they don’t have any

friends. The main reason they gave is that they ‘don’t

see a need for it.’ Four out of the seven students in this

category said they aren’t looking for friendship. A few

said that they have never had friends, while the rest

said they were disappointed by friends in the past.

All over the worldIn some cases international students gave different

answers about their friendships than their Dutch

classmates. One thing that jumps out is the fact that

international students have more frequent contact

with their friends: ten per cent says to have contact

on a daily basis, which is more than the six per cent

of the Dutch students.

Another difference is that the vast majority (96

per cent) of international students have friends at

THUAS, while almost a third of the Dutch students

say they don’t have any friends at school. This isn’t

unusual, given that school often functions as a ‘home

base’ for international students, who enter a new life

in a new country when they start school here.

‘I have friends all over the world that I still speak to weekly’

Krissi Silianova (age 19) Frist year of Safety and Security ManagementNationality: Bulgarian (raised in Greece)

Number of real friends: 1-3

Number of Facebook friends: 1100

It’s been easy for me to make friends in the past, but definitely a bit awkward, because I’ve had to take the step of approaching others. There’s a vul-nerability in initiating a friendship. Many of my ol-der friendships aren’t just superficial; I have friends all over the world that I still speak to weekly. I think our social media tools are like a double-edged sword: they easily connect me to a friend in Africa or Greece, but they’re also a huge distraction in my daily life. Facebook is essential to keeping up with things, but by doing so, I feel like we sacrifice real contact with people.

I take trust between friends pretty seriously, and usually follow my gut feeling when meeting new people at school. While I can’t befriend everyone in my classes, I think it’s a shame to spend so much time together and not get to know each other more personally, so I do make an effort. I have two really close girlfriends here, but I also like to be friends with guys just as much as girls. Guys often view situations differently, and it’s interesting to hear their opinions.

10 LINK • 42

It takes a few months for international students to

adjust and they get lonely sometimes. Looking back

on her first year, a European Studies student tells

Link that: ‘It hit me around Christmas, when I started

really missing my friends and my family.’ On the

friendship survey, almost ninety per cent of the inter-

nationals said they had established new friendships

in Holland within six months with new friends from

all over the world. This includes locals – although

people with a Dutch nationality form a minority in

international cliques. However, no matter how good

these new relationships may be, internationals state

that most of their ‘real friends’ are back home. Tao

Wang (see sidebar) sums it up: ‘I really have great

friends here, but if I have to call someone in the mid-

dle of the night for my problems, I’ll turn to my friends

in China.’ •

What do you like to do with your friends?

35%

Hit the bars41%48% Get a coffee

or tea

Relax

‘The language barrier is hard to overcome’

Tao Wang (age 24)First year of the Master in International Communication ManagementNationality: ChineseNumber of real friends: 4-6 Number of Facebook friends: 50

II didn’t go out of my way to make friends when I moved to The Hague, but I did notice that it was hard. I think nationality has a lot to do with the act of making friends. For example, the friends I have met are most-ly Chinese, and we met through classes at the university, or through a popular Chinese website called GoGoDutch. In general, I think Chinese students tend to be a bit shyer as well, which makes other differences, like the language barrier, harder to overcome. It’s not impossible to make Dutch friends, but I think people on both sides need to be really looking for a new friendship.

With the friends that I have made, different things help maintain the friendship. For example, one of my friends is a classmate who shares my passion for photography, and we have that as a great common activity. Another friend likes Karaoke, which I’m not so interested in, but I find myself up on stage once a month because she enjoys it so much.

My best friend still lives in China, and the bond we have is still so strong. Years ago, when she broke up with her boyfriend, she went through a phase of calling me almost every night and just crying. I

let her get it all out, and just reminded her that she has me to lean on. Looking back, it’s really the simplest but most important part of friendship, just being there for someone when they need you.

42 • LINK 11

Legal briefs

Late registration = frustration

Student P. received a letter at the beginning of the school year that he is no longer enrolled, because he did not register in time. His academy claims he had more than enough time to get his affairs in order. story Linda ten Veen

The factsP. failed to register for the 2013-2014 academic year before the final deadline

on 30 September, meaning that he would not be able to continue his studies.

However, P., who was hoping to graduate this year, claimed he was not prop-

erly informed that he would have to register online and requested that (tem-

porary) measures be taken to allow him to return to school. He was, however,

informed about the digital registration process in a letter he received in June

and his study programme sent five reminders.

The arguments P. claims that he was unaware that anything was wrong with his registration

and was not informed about changes to the procedure, despite the fact that

the school could have reached him by mail or by phone. He also says it had not

been made clear to him that important messages like this would only be sent

digitally. As such, he feels that an exception should be made.

The counterargumentsThe Exam Board can’t make an exception because it would be against the law.

The study programme claims that P. received five reminders (digitally) and

claims that P. was well aware of how the school communicates about regis-

tration. At one point, he had received a letter informing him that registration

could only be dealt with digitally from that point on.

The verdictBecause P. was informed about the registration procedures for 2013-2014, the

commission that considered his appeal decided there was no reason to make

an exception or to move the final registration deadline. Student P. has admitted

that his failure to register was his own responsibility and that he had received

the letter explaining the digital registration procedure, which he did not read

closely enough. His appeal was therefore rejected.

Do you have a bone to pick with the Exam Board? You don’t have to take it lying down. For the rules and procedures, visit the Legal Protection Desk or check out this page on the student portal: studentportal.hhs.nl/student-facilities/student-counselling-advice/legal-protection-desk.

12 LINK • 42

G eluk is replacing Rob Brons, who left THUAS

in February, but not before taking the time

to have a few conversations to fill Geluk in

on what to expect. ‘I wanted to absorb, as much as

possible, what is going on in the hearts and minds of

the organisation, and that naturally involves a chat

with your predecessor,’ he says.

What else did you do for preparation?‘In February and march, I started wrapping up my

work at ROC Midden Nederland, the school where I

was running the board, I wanted to get right to work

in April. The last period of the school year, just be-

fore summer vacation is the right moment, because

there’s still time to help steer the course of the next

school year.

Where will that course take you?THU is a well-known school. It’s thorough, solid

and outward thinking, and the world around us

knows who we are. Of course, the school has made

clear choices about its profile, which is evident in

its thematic priority areas and its research groups,

for example. It fits naturally into the region and that

creates a strong base from which to operate. My first

impression is that it goes without saying that the or-

ganisations and businesses in the area look at us as a

knowledge partner. That said, our ties with the region

could be stronger. That’s the role that the Scientific

Council for Government Policy recommended for Uni-

versities of Applied Sciences in its widely discussed

report ‘Towards a Learning Economy.’ Education –

‘The Hague is the most challenging place’

‘It’s not the first time I’ve sat in this chair, but I still have to get used to it,’ said Leonard Geluk, days before taking over as Chairman of the Executive Board of The Hague University of Applied Sciences on 1 April, during an interview in his new and not yet familiar office. story René Rector • images Quintin van der Blonk

Geluk

42 • LINK 13

with an emphasis on Applied Sciences – and the small

and medium-sized businesses must, through effective

cooperation, become the motor that will power our

economic growth. I agree with that. That’s the hori-

zon we’re heading for.

So, if there is a specific problem that businesses or regional government authorities don’t have the knowledge to solve, THUAS should be the first door they knock on. Is that happening?We can’t afford to think small. We’re here for our stu-

dents and for the companies and organisations in our

area. Our focus has to be clear. Based on the policy

plans I’ve seen, the agreements we’ve made about re-

sults with the Education Ministry, the annual reports

and the conversations I’ve had so far, I get the sense

that not everyone could tell you what, exactly, is on

the horizon for THUAS. We have to make choices.

What, in general, should these choices represent?It is not only up to me to decide that, but because I

haven’t see any explicit statement about our values

yet, I’m very curious about it. On the one hand, we

believe that there should be a place for everyone here,

but on the other, none of us wants to compromise on

quality. I agree with the second part, because, if you

look at the world around us, quality is what it needs

most. I think we have to guarantee that quality, and not

because someone in Parliament says so or because it

is said that ‘Universities of Applied Science are under

fire,’ but because we are preparing people to contrib-

ute to society and that has to be our starting point.

In practice, that creates a major dilemma. There are

no obstacles at the front door, but a high quality stan-

dard at the exit. That’s asking a lot of our teachers.

One thing that surprises me is that we have agreed

on the expectation that a student should invest 1,600

hours in their studies each year to earn a diploma,

but we still accept the fact

that students who put in a

lot less time and effort can

still get their diploma. This is

something you see through-

out higher education, by the

way. I think we should look for

study success solutions inside

this contradiction. Education

should challenge students and

the standards have to be high.

I think that if you make the

effort, you should succeed, but

if you don’t, I won’t have any

problem seeing you go.

That’s an approach that’s characteristic of your career. As alderman for Education in Rotterdam, you tried to keep everyone on board, but only as long as they were willing to put in the work themselves. I think that perseverance is

very important. That’s why

I’m excited about working at

this school. There are plenty

of opportunities of Amsterdam or Utrecht – to say

nothing of the rest of the country, but Rotterdam and

The Hague, which are both beautiful cities, have their

own sorts of challenges. Educated people often move

away and things are more difficult. These types of

social problems are evident in higher education and

that means that THUAS can make a difference, espe-

cially here in The Hague. If this school was located

somewhere else, I wouldn’t have been interested in

the job. The Hague was a conscious choice.

That sounds more complicated than taking a leader-ship position in a region where things are easierThat’s true. Together with Rotterdam, The Hague is

the most challenging city. At the end of my career as

an alderman, I said ‘I want to be a good leader.’ I want

to manage organisations that are socially relevant and

I believe The Hague University can be the engine that

powers this city forward.•

Curriculum Vitae

Leonard Geluk (43) was born in Dordrecht. He developed an early interest in politics and became a member of the CDA (Christian Democrats) at sixteen. He studied law and graduated from Erasmus University in Rotterdam in 1994. That same year he ran as lead candidate for the CDA in the Rotterdam district of Delfshaven and won a seat in the local council. Since then, he worked in various capacities until he became the alderman for Education and Youth in Rotterdam in 2004. Here’s an interesting detail: while serving as alderman, Geluk sent a letter to local parents warning them not to send their kids to an underperforming high school called the Ibn Ghaldoun College – something that was forbidden by a judge before Geluk won an appeal against the decision. In 2009, Geluk became Chairman of the Executive Board of ROC Midden Nederland, a vocational education organisation in Utrecht. He is leaving that post behind to take over at The Hague University. He lives in Rotterdam with his wife and three children.

14 LINK • 42

Study stress

42 • LINK 15

Do you get a little nervous before an important exam? Doesn’t everybody? For some, it’s no more than a healthy motivator, but for others, it’s something different. For some students, everything has to be more than perfect and nothing is ever good enough. That’s a fear of failure. story Astrid Prins • images Barbara Mulderink

When failure is NOT AN OPTION

Y ou studied hard, planned effectively and you’re

ready for anything, but still you’re scared that

it won’t work out, or – even worse – that your

mind will go blank in the middle of a test and you can’t

answer a single question. That is a genuine fear of

failure. According to a study that was conducted at ten

universities and five universities of applied sciences,

four out of ten students in the Netherlands claim to

suffer from extreme stress during their studies. At The

Hague University of Applied Sciences, that number is

as high as six out of ten. Students at THUAS apparently

experience more study stress than their peers around

the country. In 51 per cent of these cases (and more

often with women than men) this high stress level

results in a fear of failure. But what is that, exactly?

Fight or FlightIt starts with stress, which puts pressure on the

processes in the brain. When a person experiences

anxiety, special stress hormones are released into

the bloodstream that prepare the body to either fight

or flee the scene and run away. This ‘fight or flight’

response is a basic human instinct that elevates

the heart rate and raises blood pressure, which can

cause the body to sweat, among other things. This

can create problems when a stressful situation lasts

‘I was obsessed with school’Sanne* never failed anything at school, because she wouldn’t allow it, but she paid a high price: classmates didn’t understand her and she suffered physical symptoms.

‘I’ve had a fear of failure for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t so bad back in primary school. It wasn’t until my first year of Pre-vocational High School (vmbo) that it became a problem. I did well in school and got good grades, so you might think I had nothing to be afraid of, but I only wanted nines and tens and I just couldn’t keep it together mentally. I didn’t allow myself any mistakes and I let my whole world revolve around school. Everything I did had to be perfect. Eventually, I couldn’t eat in the morning and I started crying during almost

every class. My classmates didn’t under-stand and some even thought I was being abused at home, while that was absolutely not the case.

On the night before an exam I could barely sleep and I woke up hours before the alarm with a stomachache from the nerves. My mentor saw the sign that something was wrong and got me into a training for people with fear of failure, where I learned how to deal with it. After that, things got better, but the fear is still with me, especially when I enter a new environment.

As a result, the switch to studying at a Uni-versity of Applied Sciences forced me to fight my fears all over again. I became obsessed

with school. I got my first-year diploma in one year without any re-sits and kept going, but in the summer after the second year I broke down. I got a lot of support from my Educational Career Supervisor and my pa-rents and I sought help from a mental coach outside of school who helped me to visualise things better. Now, things are going well, but the fear will always be a part of me.’

Sanne studies at the Academy of European Studies & Communication Management

* The names in this story have been changed at the students’ request to respect the stu-dents’ privacy.

16 LINK • 42

‘Am I going keep doing this till I’m 80 or am I going to get help?’

Because of insecurity and extreme perfec-tionism, nothing Daniel* did was ever good enough in his eyes. Eventually, this exhaus-ted him mentally and physically.

‘I’ve always been a perfectionist and insecure. During my exams in high school I started noticing that something was wrong. I had a lot of negative thoughts, like ‘what if I’m the only one who doesn’t pass?’ or ‘what do I do if I have to re-do this?’ I was afraid of disappoin-ting myself and the people around me.

After my final exams, I couldn’t get out of bed. I was completely wiped out. My back hurt so much from all that non-stop studying that I could hardly walk. Ultima-

tely, I had to go to a physical therapist and I needed a lot of bed rest.

When I started my current programme, I ran into the same problem. In the first few weeks, all I wanted to do was study, no matter where I was. I would re-read everything in the train on the way to school and even when I was cooking I’d have a book in my hand. I was constantly fixated on school. At night, I couldn’t sleep because I felt like I wasn’t going to make it and be-cause of this feeling, I often waited until the last possible minute to do my assignments.

My mother works in healthcare and she recognised the classic fear of failure

symptoms in me. I once went through two days with only one hour of sleep and couldn’t talk about anything but school. When I found myself exhausted after the first exam round, I decided to address this. I thought to myself: ‘Am I going to keep doing this until I’m eighty or am I going to get help?’ After a talk with my supervisor and the school counsellor (decaan) I went to see the school psychologist. I’ve only been working on it for a short while, but I already feel calmer and have more confi-dence in myself.’

Daniel studies at the Academy of Public Management, Safety and Law.

a long time, because the blood carries more oxygen

to the body instead of the brain. Normally, the effect

wears off quickly, but for people who suffer from fear

of failure, the fight or flight reaction is stronger and

lasts longer. You remain alert for longer periods and

the tension doesn’t stop, which can wear you out,

emotionally and physically.

KaraokeFear of failure manifests itself in three different ways.

Fear of cognitive failure refers to concerns about

brainpower and schoolwork. ‘It’s about performance

on exams or assignments,’ says Marieke Lambeek, a

school psychologist at THUAS. Fear of social failure

refers to the environment and public places. ‘Asking

a question in class can be a major obstacle for these

students,’ says Lambeek, ‘but so can a nice evening

singing karaoke in the pub.’ There is also a type of fear

of failure with regard to motor skills and movement.

‘For example,’ says Lambeek, ‘a person’s muscles can

feel stiff or numb during an important sporting event.’

Clear your headLambeek deals with a lot of students suffering

from fear of failure, though she notes that ‘to be

honest, I rarely see cases that are purely about

that one thing. It’s usually a mix of different

situations that create stress and can lead to

fear of failure.’

Lambeek lays out some tips for dealing with

these fears: ‘Make sure you plan your time

effectively and make time to rest. Arrange it so that

by time it’s the night before the exam, you don’t

need to study anymore. You should also make time

to eat right and exercise. If you exercise, you can

clear your head and you’ll have less energy to waste on

worry. And don’t forget the importance of relaxation.

Try some relaxation exercises – you can find a lot of

information online – and make sure you talk about your

fears with your classmates, teachers, your supervisor

or the school counsellor (decaan), so that they know

what’s going on. If you can’t beat it on your own,

make an appointment with the school psychologist at

studentpsycholoog@hhs.nl.’•

42 • LINK 17

Culture shock

The weird and funny habits of THE DUTCH Everyone knows the common stereotypes about

the Dutch, but is there really any truth to it? Kerttu Henriksson, Law student and Link contributor, investigated how the foreigners living in the Netherlands think about the culture, and what Dutch people think of these ideas. story Kerttu Henriksson • images Bas Kijzers/Shutterstock

18 LINK • 42

The oddities of

a country are

in the eyes of

the beholder.

When you live

in a foreign

country, you’ll

notice that

things work a

little differently

than at home.

Once you get used

to the most common

Dutch behaviour, their

boldness and tendency to

sip coffee all day long, it’s time

to look for an explanation for the

more complicated oddities.

An organized lifestyle with no flexibilityThe African saying, ‘The Europeans have the clock,

but we have time,’ must have been invented with the

Dutch colonists in mind. The Dutch live for their agen-

das. Hewan Teshom (31) from Ethiopia, who studies

Nursing, says: ‘In the Netherlands, you always have to

make an appointment beforehand instead of sponta-

neously visiting a friend, and you can never be late for

your appointment. The mentality of the Dutch is very

organized; there is no time for flexibility. But when

are you supposed to have the free time to enjoy life, if

everything is planned?’ Ursin Kelly (28), a student of

Dutch law from Aruba, recognizes the same: ‘People

always seem busier here. I believe it is because of the

business-minded mentality. Here, laziness is not ap-

preciated, and I don’t think it is a bad thing.’

Do the Dutch themselves think that they are organi-

zed? ‘In general, I think it’s true. Although, I am an ex-

ception; I don’t even have a calendar,’ says Twan van

Marrewijck (22), a Dutch student of Small Business

Management. However, he needs to leave after five

minutes. ‘I have an appointment and I can’t

be late. I know, this punctuality

is very Dutch,’ he says.

LiberalityFor some foreigners, the Dutch

culture seems very liberal. Besides the

common idea that all of the Dutch smoke

cannabis and enjoy the Red

light-district, which might be

a little exaggerated, this liberality can

be seen in different habits of the Dutch.

‘I went to spend a day at a spa with my boyfriend.

I am from Norway, so I am used to saunas, and our

culture is seen as quite liberal. However, I was

shocked once I noticed that in the Dutch sauna and

pool we had to take our swimsuits off! Everyone was

naked! This would never be the case in Norway,’ says

second-year International Law student Trude Kristen-

sen (21). ‘After the first shock of being uncomfortably

naked in front of everyone, I got used to it and the

experience was relaxing in the end.’

So, what do the Dutch think about public nudity? ‘The

first time I went to a public sauna, I was shocked by

the nudity,’ says Mike Tiney (25), a Dutch student of

Commercial Economics. ‘However, you do get used

to it, and now I like going to the sauna every month

or so. Why should it be awkward? We are all just

people, right? There are people of all ages and types.

One time, a 40-year old woman who was sitting in the

same hut tub started up a conversation with me. First

I found it weird, but luckily it turned out to be just an

innocent chat.’

During the summer, you can notice another sample of

the Dutch liberality; topless sunbathing is quite com-

mon on Dutch beaches. However, if you want to leave

your bathing suit at home, you’ll have to go to a nudist

beach. You can, for example, find one near Schevenin-

gen in The Hague.

Splitting the bill: ‘Going Dutch’When it comes to generosity, the Dutch lack a flatte-

ring image. According to the common generalisation,

the Dutch are careful – sometimes even greedy – with

their money. For example, foreign girls should not be

surprised when, after the first date with a Dutch guy,

42 • LINK 19

he asks to split the bill equally. This habit is recog-

nized universally; the saying ‘going Dutch’ is used

when each person pays their own portion. ‘To me, this

is rude,’ says Lauma (20), a second-year International

Law student

from Latvia.

‘At home, the

guy would

automatically

pay if they

were the one inviting you out. To me, it doesn’t show

good manners if a guy demands to split the bill on the

first date. Later, we can both pay.’

This culture of only taking care of yourself can also be

observed in other situations. ‘The Dutch will never

share their food,’ says Adil Yousfi (23) a Dutch student

of Nursing. ‘If someone happens to give you his ma-

yonnaise, he must be your best friend.’ Dutch friends

Michael (24) and Mike (25), who study Commercial

Economics, recognize this. ‘If I am having dinner

and he calls me and asks if he can come over, I will

finish my dinner first,’ says Michael, while Mike says,

‘I know to respect that and I will wait until he has

finished.’ However, Mike says that, ‘the culture is dif-

ferent in my family in Curaçao. Over there, we always

cook extra and invite everyone to eat.’

When it comes to splitting the bill, neither of the

friends would let the girl pay. ‘Making the girl pay is

not being a gentleman. I just took

my ex-girlfriend out for sushi,

and paid the 100 euro

bill.

I was the

one who

invited

her, so

I can

expect to

pay,’ says

Mike.

Ruud Parlevliet (20), a Dutch student of Human

Resource Management, tries to explain the habit of

splitting the bill. ‘I don’t think I am cheap. The first

dates I can pay for, but I find it normal to split the bill

later in the relationship,’ he says. ‘You have to give a

good impression, be the nice guy.’ When asked why

doesn’t he want to keep being the nice guy and

continue paying for the girl later, he laughs. ‘Well,

I guess I am a little cheap, after all.’ However, he

offers an explanation: ‘I think most women

want equality in the relationship and

wouldn’t feel comfortable having

everything paid for them all the

time.’

Buying two beers instead of one

Verena Michae-

ler (22), a second-year

International Law student

from Italy, has noticed that the

Dutch often carry two beers in

their hands while they are out

with their friends on the Grote

Markt or in a club, partying.

‘It seems convenient, but I

wonder about the reason for

this habit,’ she says. Rachelle

Sarkis (20), a Dutch, first-year

student of International Law,

offers an explanation: ‘The

cups for drinks are always very

small. If you only buy one,

you’re done with your beer

after two sips. It’s handy to

buy two. Then you don’t have

to go back right away to get

more drinks.’ Nicolle Guerovich

(23), a second-year

student of International

Law who is also Dutch,

adds: ‘We also have a habit

with my friends of buying

rounds in turns. But then

you need more than two

beers in your hand!’ •

20 LINK • 42

Security

Thousands of students pass by it every day: Security’s operations control centre. There, in the aquarium at the main entrance to the main campus is where the THUAS security officers keep watch over the buildings of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. ‘You have to know what you’re doing to work here.’ story Youri van Vliet • images Bas Kijzers

‘H ere they come,’ says Roy Kalloe (age 35).

It’s 8:30 in the morning, and the ‘water

zebra’ that was still empty shortly before

is now teeming with people. ‘A train must have just

pulled in at Hollands Spoor,’ concludes Roy. Some of

the arrivals enter and then turn left straight towards

the control centre’s reception desk to collect a key

or beeper. Before they can even ask for it, Roy has

already picked out the right key. ‘You get to know a lot

of people here,’ he says with a smile.

Roy and Baris Lirau (age 36) are the two-man team

on duty in the control centre − the security officers’

nerve centre − during the morning shift. Flickering

on six screens are images of various rooms, class-

rooms and corridors at the various campuses. Their

supervisor, Jeroen Frieser, is also there. ‘You name

it, and we’ve seen it,’ says Jeroen, the security

coordinator for Profi-Sec, the company that supplies

THUAS with its security services. ‘We caught some-

one red-handed the other day. A student was trying

to pay with counterfeit vouchers. He’d already

done that before so when we caught sight of him,

we followed him with our cameras. Just as he was

handing over the voucher, we arrested him on the

spot and turned him in to the police. For us, these

kinds of things really make our day.’

Meanwhile, Baris returns from a round of opening

up computer classrooms. ‘Anything going on?’ asks

Roy. ‘Not really,’ replies Baris. ‘Ali, the cleaner in

the library, says that his eyes are bothering him.

WATCHINGthe watchmen

42 • LINK 21

I told him he should drop by if it gets worse.’ The

telephone’s emergency line rings. Roy answers it

briskly: ‘Emergency services... No, this is the emer-

gency number,’ he says and hangs up quickly. ‘That

was one of our colleagues. He should know better.

The emergency number [Ed. 8000] has to be kept

open at all times in case something happens.’

Profi-Sec has been in charge of the security services

at THUAS since 2013. Around twelve men and

women operate in three shifts, 24 hours a day, five

days a week, to keep an eye on the building. THUAS

is completely deserted during the weekends but

some security officers are still on call; if an alarm

goes off, that officer has to be on the scene within

thirty minutes. ‘If you’re on call, a weekend in Gro-

ningen isn’t in the cards,’ jokes Jeroen. A student in

a wheelchair reports in at the desk. Baris jumps to it

and picks out the key to the wheelchair lift that will

get her to the foyer. ‘Talking about service...,’ says

Baris with a wink. Shortly before that, he has men-

tioned that Profi-Sec is expected to give hospitality

a ‘high priority’. ‘But we see that as only natural,’

Jeroen adds. ‘That means that we sometimes open

a door for a staff member or replace the batter-

ies in locks, but our key responsibility is ensuring

security.’ When it comes to this, Jeroen gives a

whole series of examples of things that the security

services are involved in: opening the doors in the

morning and closing them in the evening, patrol-

ling the area several times during the day to make

sure that you’re ‘visible’, checking the emergency

phones in the lift and the toilet for the disabled to

make sure that they still work, checking the fire

extinguishers and replacing them if necessary,

providing first aid if anyone becomes unwell... and

if you’re one of those smokers who lights up inside

the no-smoking lines, it’s a security officer who will

remind you not to.

A few hours later, Richard Janssen (age 30) and

Murat Aksu (age 24) are working the evening shift

and Yücel Nehir (age 32) is preparing to take over

the night shift. It’s almost closing time, and the

security team is making its last round to check that

all the lights are out and all the doors and windows

are closed. ‘The worst thing I ever experienced was

a couple having sex,’ Richard lets slip as he patrols

the Slinger. ‘“Get your pants back on and head on

home to mum,” I shouted.’

Richard’s forehead is sweating as he strides from

room to room. ‘Yeah, you better enjoy walking if you

do this work. I’ve sometimes taken a pedometer

along − on an average day, you can easily walk half

a marathon.’ Then the lights go out. It’s 23:00 and

THUAS is being locked up for the night. A slightly

irritated staff member stops by the desk: ‘Don’t we

get a sign anymore that the school is closing?’ The

security officers can look back on an uneventful

day. ‘Despite the thousands of students and staff

members, nothing much happens around here,’

concludes Yücel. ‘Security guys in the trams now

need to carry handcuffs around, but we don’t have

to. People get a little disorderly once in a while, or

students like to sneak a puff of marijuana some-

times, but the majority simply don’t want to mess

up their future.’ •

22 LINK • 42

You’ve probably almost forgotten all about him, but Julian

Assange has already spent two years in the Ecuadorian

Embassy in London. In April 2010, this internet

activist and founder of the whistleblower

website WikiLeaks, amassed worldwide

recognition with his video Collateral Damage:

a film that showed an incident with an

American helicopter, in which twelve people

and some journalists were killed.

The Australian was still making the news in the months to come

with his revelations about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and

the publication of countless official diplomatic reports. But then his

problems started. Two Swedish women accused the Australian of

rape. Ultimately, the higher court’s verdict was not in his favour:

Assange was supposed to be extradited to Sweden. But nine days

before that could happen, he fled to the Ecuadorian Embassy in

London where he has been to this very day.

‘The Fifth Estate’ roughly follows Assange’s progress from

unknown activist to what he became later: the whistleblower

followed by half the world’s population. If you would like to win

one of the five copies of this DVD, answer the following question:

when was WikiLeaks launched? Send in your answer before

9 May to link@hhs.nl.

The return of Elle Bandita

After being at odds with herself for a year, Elle Bandita is back with a new band and album. Her life motto is: ‘Rules are there to be broken, just like noses.’ This can clearly be seen from her underarm hair, lack of a bra and rough rock music in this album, which she has named after herself.

To pay for the album, the 28-year-old musician appeared on a number of television shows these past few months. This included her appear-ance in the programme Op zoek naar God (Looking for God), where, incidentally, she met her beloved Christina Curry. She then took part in partner-swapping in the programme Jouw vrouw mijn vrouw (Your Wife My Wife). She invested her earnings from the shows into her album. The result is impressive. Her third album is way more dynamic and melodious than the first two.

The album opens with Paganize, a solid rock tune that comes out particularly well when performed live. The rhythms and Elle’s use of voice are reminiscent of Guano Apes, which has an equally tough front woman. The rest of the album maintains this rugged sound with lots of guitar solos and tight drums. Yet Elle also reveals her softer side.

In Black Hole, Elle shows more vulnerability than ever before. It starts with a serene waltz that

gradually becomes more intense as the song progresses. She puts lots of emotion into her singing, giving the song a range of depths and feel – one moment it feels sweet and charming, a second later much darker. This intense feel can also be heard in The wicked get what the wicked want, a mellower tune in which the tension builds up relent-lessly with low background sounds, cryptic singing and a little guitar support. Simple, but effective.

With her latest album, Elle Bandita shows that she’s a born mu-sician and should not attempt any other career. Hopefully, she is now also aware that music is her calling and won’t stray from this path any time soon. • IvB

GemsREADER CAMPAIGN

lllllElle BanditaAlbum: Elle BanditaGenre: Rock

Winone of the 5 The Fifth Estate

DVDs

Welcome to O’Casey’s Irish Pub

Noordeinde 140 The Haque Holland • www.ocaseys.nl

O’Casey’s is the biggest international bar of The Hague Come in and enjoy a pint of

tm and

some of our traditional Irish food. We offer daily entertainment on 2 floors and in Sarah’s Garden

wich used to be part of our Queen’s Royal Gardens

Come in and enjoy a pint of some of our traditional Irish food. We offer daily

MY THE HAGUE

42 • LINK 23

Pearl Liu may live in Leiden but The Hague is where this second-year student in International Communication Management often spends time undertaking recreational activities or getting together with friends. story Claire Schouten

image Quintin van der Blonk

The Railway Man tells the story of Eric Lomax, a British officer who was tortured by the Japanese army during World War II. All of this takes place under the watchful eye of an inter-preter, Takashi Nahase. When Eric discovers that this man is still alive, he decides to take revenge .

Although the film is graced by Oscar winners Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, it is Jeremy Irvine, who plays the young Eric Lomax, who deserves all the credit for his convincing acting

skills he demonstrates during the ex-plicit torture scenes. It is unfortunate, however, that the film portrays all the Japanese as impassive screaming men. The film could have had more depth if it had also given an idea of ‘the enemy’s perspective’. • IvB

CULTURE > Museum de Gevangenpoort (Buitenhof 33)

I’m a big fan of Western culture. Since I’m Chinese,

it’s a lot different to what I’m used to. To get a real

feel for a country’s culture and history, I’ve found

visits to museums especially worthwhile. The

most interesting museum I’ve visited so far is the

Gevangenpoort, or Prison Gate Museum.

SHOPPING > Amazing Oriental (Grote Marktstraat 113)

Sometimes, I really miss the food from home.

That’s why I often cook Chinese myself since

this is the closest I can get to what I’m used to

eating. And the best Chinese supermarket in The

Hague, I think, is the Amazing Oriental. I can find

everything I need there, and they also carry lots

and lots of fresh products.

SCHOOL > THUASIt might sound funny, but school is one of my

hotspots. I recently realised that this, after all, is

the place where I’m learning so much. It’s where

I’ve been able to improve my skills like making

presentations and writing essays. It’s also the

place where I’ve met my friends. So as you can

see, THUAS has become a big part of my life.

RELAXATION > The beach at ScheveningenI’ve been to several beaches, but Scheveningen

is my favourite. It’s the best beach to visit in the

summer because you can do so many things there.

During the warm months of the year, you can enjoy

the sun and also go shopping and eat great food. For

me, these three things make the perfect day off!

FOOD > Kee Lun Place (Wagenstraat 95)

As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the few

restaurants where you can eat real Chinese

food at a reasonable price. The food is authentic

Chinese and always delicious. I don’t eat out

often, but when I do, this is still the place where I

often wind up after all.

Sticky Rice doesn’t stick to the memory

‘Extremely good food for extremely little money.’ That’s the concept for the relatively new Asian restaurant: Sticky Rice. For now, how-ever, this concept is still a theory.

Sticky Rice (with rice fields on the wall) offers four cuisines: from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. That sounded promising, and, since our group was pretty big, we tried out as many as possible. Something else you should know: Sticky Rice doesn’t serve its food in courses. Everything you order is prepared at the same time. Before you know it, your table is overflowing with egg rolls, lempers (chicken-filled sticky rice), Malaysian soup, saté ajam, and main dishes from Bangkok (cashew chicken, broccoli and shrimps in green curry), Singapore (curry-flavoured noodles and shrimps) and the Indonesian classic known as istimewa (beef, chicken, spicy beans and an egg).

Opinions later were divided. My table companions were very pleased with the Bangkok menu and the soup.

The main dish from Indonesia was rather disappointing, the one from Singapore obviously hadn’t spent enough time in the microwave, and the miscellaneous snacks didn’t really tingle our taste buds. Because the main dishes weren’t all that large, we had to order a few extra snacks on the side. This, plus the relatively expensive drinks, meant that we were easily spending around fifteen to twenty euros per person. Sticky Rice, if you want to see us back again, you’ll have to make your food just a little tastier. • YvV

lllllSticky Rice − from Bang-kok to BaliAnna van Buerenplein 48 Babylon (next to Den Haag Centraal railway station)

War drama lapses into stereotypes

lllllThe Railway ManGenre: DramaIn cinemas on May 1

24 LINK • 42

Melting PotA Kenyan dish to die for

Don’t wait until the next funeral you attend in Kenya to enjoy this mildly spicy, yet wholly tasty rice dish that’s a snap to make in one pot. International and European Law student Josephine Gom-mans (22) shares this easy recipe. story Danielle Peterson •

image Mieke Barendse

What is this dish?Pilau is a rice dish made with

spices, tomato, onion, and meat.

It’s officially a funeral dish, but

anyone from Kenya who can cook

knows how to make it. I had it

for the first time at a funeral in

Mombasa, but it’s so good that

when my family moved to Canada

when I was twelve, my brothers

and I would always ask my mom

to make it. She didn’t want to

make it all the time – it is a funeral

dish after all – so I learned how to

make it myself. It’s easy to find all

the necessary spices here in The

Hague, in African grocery stores.

What are funerals like in Kenya?We do traditional mourning, not

crying, because we do it all day

and you get too tired after just

an hour of crying. People die in

the city but they get buried in the

village where they are from, and

most of the time the whole village

will show up for the funeral.

Feeding people is very important

in African hospitality culture, so

when you have a funeral in a vil-

lage, thousands of people might

need to be fed.

Why is pilau so special at a funeral?Meat is expensive and a privilege

and not something that most

people in Africa eat everyday.

This is a meat dish that can be

made for a lot of people by upping

the amount of rice cooked with

the meat. People expect it at a fu-

neral; if your family doesn’t serve

it, mourners won’t talk about

the life you led, they’ll talk about

how pilau wasn’t served at your

funeral! •

Would you like to invite Link into your kitchen and give us a taste of your home country? Send an e-mail to link@hhs.nl.

RECIPE ON LINK ONLINEFor the recipe and a short video

on how to make pilau, go to http://link-en.hhs.nl