A New Year's Dip

Aside from blowing things up and spending over 60million euro on fireworks, the Dutch traditionally take to the water at New Year by means of a nieuwjaarsduik. At different events across the country brave souls don their swim gear and charge into a body of freezing water. I went to watch them in Zoetermeer at the Noord Aa.

To say it was all as mad as I had expected is an understatement. Two hundred people stood together on the Noord Aa beach wearing woolly red Unox hats with towels and dressing gowns covering their swimming shorts, bikinis, T-shirts and swimsuits. They all waited in good spirits for a local councillor to give them the go ahead at 13.00 to start their run into the water.

Photo (c) Amanda van Mulligen

As preparation there was a few minutes warm up before everyone shed their dressing gown and towels....

Photo (c) Amanda van Mulligen

 and then they were off....

Photo (c) Amanda van Mulligen

Two hundred Zoetermeerders pelted it down the beach into the water. There were a few minutes of screaming, laughing and splashing before the last dipper was back on shore, dabbing themselves down with towels, blankets and warming their tummies with a hot cup of Unox soup.

Now.. er.. happy new year!! You can see more of the Noord Aa event in the video below.

Passing on Festive Traditions

 On Sunday morning my son woke and decided to treat us to a medley of various Sinterklaas songs; this despite the fact that Pakjesavond and the celebration of Sinterklaas passed a week ago. Obviously spurred on by the theme he hurried downstairs, took one of his shoes from the hall cupboard and placed it in the living room, in the same magical place that had proved profitable just a week or so before. He placed a carrot in his shoe and put some milk in a Tupperware bowl for Sint’s horse. And all this by 9am.

Explaining to my nearly three year old son why putting his shoe out last weekend was redundant was easy.
“Sinterklaas has gone back to Spain, with his horse and all his Zwarte Pieten,” I explained. “He’ll be back next year.”
“The shoe is for the Kerstman,” replies my smart son.
“Oh ok, well Father Christmas doesn’t put presents in shoes. He only comes to the house on Christmas Eve and that is a lot of sleeps away,” I told him.

He looked stumped. And of course why shouldn’t he. Looking deploringly at my husband, I tried to scramble an answer together that explained that Sinterklaas and Father Christmas are different beings (when in fact they are not), that they have different modes of transport (one has a horse and the other reindeer and a sleigh), they come at different times of the year (5 December and 25th December), put presents in different receptacles (one preferring a shoe over the stocking) and they have different types of helpers (Sinterklaas opting for Zwarte Pieten and Father Christmas making use of busy little elves to make toys). I did not even attempt to go into their living arrangements: why one chooses the warmer climate of Spain and the other lives in the rather cold, snowy Lapland. That is a conversation for much later, if he ever asks.

Of course, the one thing he got loud and clear was that Father Christmas also brings presents to good boys and girls across the world. So he placed the carrot back in the vegetable rack, his shoe back in the cupboard and handed me the tub of milk. Then he pointed to his stocking, and I reiterated that on Christmas Eve he could hang it on his bed and Father Christmas would fill it with presents, as long as he is a good boy…….

And that closed the conversation out for now. The discussion we would eventually have with our children about the Dutch Sinterklaas and the British version, that of Father Christmas, was a topic of conversation between me and my husband some time ago, long before our son was even born. To reconcile the two events seemed quite difficult when we talked about it, but it is something that needs to be done in a multi-cultural household.

The Dutch ‘do’ Christmas much more than they used to. The main celebration used to be Sinterklaas on the 5th December but Christmas has become more commercial here and now it is also a time of giving gifts. However, my husband’s childhood memories, and the traditions around Christmas are very different to mine. In England we do not celebrate Sinterklaas. Until ten years ago, I had never heard of it and knew nothing about it. It was all about Christmas for us.

So our first Christmas together was a unique and new experience for my Dutch partner: Christmas stockings, Christmas pudding, brandy butter, presents under the Christmas tree, mince pies, turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce and pulling Christmas crackers before tucking into lunch. This was all new to him, but for me, all traditional.

So now, every year, he directs the Sinterklaas celebration and I organise Christmas. This way we pass on our own holiday traditions to each other, and our children, and share the uniqueness of our culture with each other. Our son of course benefits as he gets two rounds of presents……. the luck of a child with a mother from England and a father from the Netherlands.

This was first published a year ago in my Expats@Home newsletter. If you want to receive future editions of my newsletter sign up at http://www.thewritingwell.eu/Newsletter.html

8 Things the Dutch do Better than the English

Inspired by a brilliant blog post on Smitten by Britain about things that Brits do better than Americans, here are eight things that the Dutch could teach the English a thing or two about.

1. Celebrating Defeat
Never mind that the Dutch lost to the Spaniards in the World Cup 2010 final - the after party was amazing. For one afternoon, everyone actually forgot that the Dutch had not brought the World Cup home. The English on the other hand, particularly the media, would have slaughtered the English team for losing the final. The English revel in defeat - it gives them something to moan about.

2. National Holidays
When the Dutch party on a national scale, the Dutch really party. The Queen's birthday (which isn't actually the Queen's birthday) is all the excuse the Dutch need to celebrate. The country turns orange, is adorned with flags and everyone takes to the streets. The English like to pace themselves, celebrating in this fashion perhaps once every 25 years coinciding with a jubilee of the British Queen. The last knees up was in 1977. The next one is 2012. St. George's day, the national day of England, is still lacking any form of real celebration.

3. Telling It Like It is
The dutch don't hold back when it comes to speaking their mind. If they think it, they say it. Known for their bluntness, the Dutch make the English look like stuttering fools in the department of expressing their thoughts.

Photo: Luca Baroncini

4. Balancing Work and Life
The Dutch have got work life balance down to a fine art. Not that they are slackers. Not at all. It's just that whilst the English are contemplating life over their second cup of coffee at the breakfast table, the Dutch are already at their desks. And have been for hours. It means they can leave the office earlier and spend time with their families in the late afternoon/ early evening. The English have a long hours work culture - the longest work week in Europe in fact. Guess who are happier.....

Photo: Keith Syvinski

5. Greeting Strangers
From doctors' and dentists' waiting rooms to elevators, the Dutch don't hesitate to greet the entire waiting room or lift as they come in - loudly and confidently. The English on the other hand are masters of pretending that no other human being exists within a radius of half a kilometre. They put their heads down and stare at their feet. Should any sound pass their lips it is a bumbling mumble.

6. Flowers
The Dutch do flowers so much better than the English. In fact, the Dutch do flowers better than any other nation. They don't need an excuse or special occasion to adorn their houses with flowers. Dutch men don't need a reason to buy the women in their lives flowers. They are cheap and in abundance. The Dutch have made a tourist industry (as well as an economy) out of flowers.  Many English men however, still think they need a reason to give their partners flowers and usually use them as an apology.....

7. Taking the Work Out of Dinner Parties
When the Dutch host dinner parties they cleverly leave the cooking to their guests by getting the fondue out or 'gourmetting'. The English make hard work of at least a three course meal.

8. Post-Natal Care
Supplying a maternity nurse for the week after childbirth is part of the course in the Netherlands. Every mother is entitled to post-natal care that makes other nations green with jealousy. In England you are sent home from the hospital after a few days and left to discover the essentials of baby care for yourself.

Eight Tips Series: Kitting Your Home Out with Dutch Essentials

In order to get along in Dutch society there are a number of essentials you need in your home. Without them you cannot integrate fully and may even fail the inburgeringscursus. You can read about these essential tools (and others) in more depth in an article I wrote for Expatica.

1. Potato Masher
Without this vital piece of kitchen equipment you can never hope to master Dutch cuisine. It is hard work to use it effectively but practice makes perfect. You need to keep mashing until the object in question looks squashed and dead.

Although it is a potato masher (at least where I come from it is) the name is deceiving. In the Netherlands, it has various uses on top of smashing the life out of a potato: mashing cabbage, mushing carrot, pulverising spinach, squashing onion, squishing endives...... you get the picture.

This kitchen tool allows you to make a perfect stamppot or hutspot - perfect for warming the tummy in winter. Also very handy after dentistry work and a broken jaw.

2. Birthday Calendar
This is an essential for the smallest room in the house, namely the downstairs loo. If you don't have a downstairs loo, then choose the next smallest room. Make sure you include the birthday of anyone likely to visit your house - everyone checks for their name whilst they are making use of your facilities. They really do. If they come out of your downstairs loo looking mad, it's because you forgot to put their birthday in your calendar.

3. Bicycle
It almost goes without saying, but without a bike in the Netherlands you are no one. You simply must have a bike - it really doesn't matter how much you use it but you should have one. Where it is stored differs from household to household. The shed is a popular place. Public hallways in shared accommodations are also popular, preferably so you block safe exit and entrance. Creating an obstacle course for fellow residents is seen as good sport here. You can also leave your bike(s) chained to a lamppost outside your house - it externalises the obstacle course and gives dogs new and varied targets to pee on.

4. Window Foil
Many Dutch homes do not have curtains. They may have blinds or no window fittings at all. This is traditionally so you can see in to the showcase living room. However, over the years many Dutch homeowners have become torn between tradition and dignity. Do they really want you seeing them in their dressing gowns with bed hair every morning? The solution is window foil. Placed strategically over the windows you can't see out so obviously nobody can see in (except very small and very tall people).

5. Sauces
Your fridge door must be full of different sauces to be served with every meal. Every meal, regardless of what it is. Of course, the food you serve will determine exactly which of the sauces you are to serve but there are some staples: knoflooksaus (garlic flavoured sauce), currysaus (spicy ketchup in essence) and chillisaus (chilli sauce). There are other sauces which are variable and optional but for kids you must always serve appelmoes (apple sauce). It is to do with the lack of flavour in Dutch cuisine....... see tip 1.

6. Vases
Flowers are everywhere in the Netherlands. They are also commonly brought by visitors. So if you are a bit of a socialite, then you will need a lot of vases and many free surfaces to put your flowers in and on.

7. Cheese Slicer

I had never owned a cheese slicer (kaasschaaf) in my pre-Netherlands life. Cheese in the UK is soft and comes in square chunks so can easily be cut with a knife or crumbled or grated for sandwiches. I now own two cheese slicers. (I actually had three but whilst some might find that luxurious, I found it to be a little excessive and as it came free with some cheese I chucked it). Anyways.... Dutch cheese is hard and triangular shaped. Trying to cut it with a knife is just asking to lose at least one finger dangerous so cheese slicers are essential.

8. Chairs
Foreigners in the Netherlands all have to step into the circle of death at some point. If you have a Dutchie in your house, you will even have to create that birthday circle for yourself. For this you need as many chairs as you can muster from friends, family and neighbours. But you must also have a good supply in house. The good news is (so I am told) that the birthday circle is dying out and a thing for the older generations.

What's your experience? Do you still end up in birthday circles? Do you host birthday circles?

Do you have Orange Fever?

Holland has been taken over by Orange Fever.

It's infectious, and its symptoms are known to last at least a month. How will you know if it strikes you down?

• You'll be drawn to a television to watch eleven (strictly ten) men dressed in orange running around a field after a ball.
• 
  
• You'll be attracted to crowds of people gathered together in front of big screens, dressed in orange, cheering and drinking beer.

• Every product you buy from your supermarket comes with an additional, free orange product ranging from T-shirts to Beesies.

• You'll adorn your home with orange flags, balloons, streamers and Dutch national flags.

• On those days you are inexplicably drawn to your television screen (see 1st symptom),you will also be inclined to wear orange clothes and paint your face orange with Dutch flags or with a lion's face.

• You will blow a vuvuzela at inappropriate moments or sound a tooter as if to warn that the end is nigh.

• After you have finished watching the orange men running around a field, you will find yourself driving around your neighbourhood beeping your car horn, oblivious to the fact that you are doing it in the wee hours.

• Your Facebook status will read "Hup Holland Hup" and you will tweet about all things Orange.

Watch out, this fever is indiscriminate and doesn't just hit the natives or the royal family - it can strike expats in the Netherlands too and even those living outside of the Dutch borders. There are numerous cases already reported in Germany and France.

There are, as yet, no confirmed fatalities relating to Orange Fever and those in the know say we will see a peak this weekend, before Orange Fever leaves the country for another two years.

HUP HOLLAND HUP!!!

The Dutch National Anthem

As the World cup gets underway, we hear national anthems as if they are going out of fashion. It made me curious about the origins of the Dutch national ditty.

It is called "Het Wilhelmus" and being over 400 years old is the oldest national anthem in the world, though it has only been the official Dutch anthem since 10 May 1932. It is thought to have been written back around 1572 but the writer of the piece remains uncertain. There are two theories, one being Philios van Marnix and the other Dirck Coornhert, but many doubt that either of the men wrote it due to the nature of the language... The origins of the tune is less uncertain and is based on a french song, "Autre chanson de la ville de Chartres assiégée par le prince de Condé".

The song tells the story of Willem van Oranje and his fight against the King of Spain and is written as if Willem himself is singing it.

Het Wilhelmus is made up of fifteen verses and is an acrostic, with the first letter of each verse originally spelling Willem van Nassov (old Dutch for Willem van Nassau).

For those of you who feel the need to stand up and sing the first verse of the Dutch national anthem, here it is:

Wilhelmus van Nassou ben ik, van Duitsen bloed,

den vaderland getrouwe blijf ik tot in den dood.

Een prinsje van Oranje ben ik, vrij onverveerd,

den koning van Hispanie heb ik altijd geëerd.

And here's how to sing it properly.

A Bizarre Shopping Experience

This is a tale I feel I have to share. My husband went to do our weekly shop on Monday evening this week, as we didn't have time to do it at the weekend, and came back rather bemused. He had been the subject of a verbal attack at the till, as he stood minding his own business loading the shopping into crates.

A woman in her fifties started moaning to no one in particular that these type of people should not be allowed into the shop on a Monday evening, and they should do their BIG shop on a Saturday so that people popping into Albert Heijn on their way home from work could do so quickly. My husband did the polite thing and ignored the batty woman. However, she then asked him directly if he could hear her. He let her know in no uncertain terms there is nothing wrong with his hearing. After a mindless discussion about when he should be doing his shopping, he reminded her that they would all actually be finished and home a lot quicker if the mindless discussion had not taken place. Which she conceded was the case and huffed and puffed until it was her turn to leave the shop. The customer behind her then commented that she probably had only been let out for the day.... maybe explaining her hurry?

It is extremely common for the Dutch to visit the supermarket on a daily basis and grab a few bits and pieces (also perhaps a reason why fresh produce rots within 24 hours of taking it home) and do a big shop at the weekend (when the supermarket is at its busiest I hasten to add) but I am certainly not aware of any Dutch law..... anyone?

Happy Halloween

I have been traipsing the local high street for Halloween costumes and decorations, even food suitable for a Halloween party and mostly to no avail. There have been a few dodgy looking hairy spiders and some rubber bats that have seen better days but that is about the extent of it in usual chain stores.

I did find some rather scary looking costumes in Party Point in the old town, but with a two year old at our little Halloweenfeest, it has to be toned down a bit. Blood and guts are out, as are Scream masks and severed limbs. I did find him a little wizard's hat though, which he is delighted with. For the rest, I think there will be a lot of arts and crafts going on in our house in the next few days to get a Halloween feel for Saturday.

Halloween in the Netherlands is bigger than it was ten years ago, but it is certainly not 'celebrated' here like it is in the US. There is criticism about it being too commercial without any significant meaning and a signal of the Americanisation of Dutch society. There is also some stirrings in religious circles but whatever the critics say, popularity is increasing but more along the lines of parties and decorations, rather than children dressing up and knocking on doors for sweets.

Last year we saw a few trick-or-treaters who had made a real effort in our neighbourhood, but it really was only a handful. In some parts of the Netherlands, Sint-Maarten is celebrated later in November in a similar style to an American Halloween and it is a popular celebration in villages in Limburg, Groningen, Noord-Holland, Friesland and Drenthe and this overshadows any Halloween festivities.

However, witnessing the mad rush on Halloween costumes in Party Point at the weekend, lots of people, somewhere, are having parties. If you are joining them, or out trick or treating with your kids, I hope you have a fun and ghoulish night.

I would love to hear what you are planning for Halloween this year, and if it is something you celebrated back home. Or perhaps you get involved in the Sint-Maartenfeest on the 11 November?

Follow Up to "De Uiver" - Dutch Nostalgia

A reader has just left some links on the post I wrote about De Uiver back in July this year. He states,

"The 75th Anniversary of the landing of the Uiver in Albury, New South Wales (Australia) will be celibrated on the 23 - 24th October 2009.

Additional information can be obtained from our local Newspaper website - http://www.bordermail.com.au/ and specific information can be found here http://www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/www/html/1162-the-uiver-story.asp ..."

For those of you interested, check out the links for more great Dutch nostalgia.

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: Home Births

To wrap up the "Positive Thoughts about the Netherlands" series, I have chosen a topic that seems to be a little controversial amongst expats (judging by the comments raised on related articles on sites such as Expatica) but one that nonetheless I see as positive: the right to choose for a home birth.

Nearly a third of women in the Netherlands give birth at home, and even more initially plan to deliver at home (up to 60% according to some studies) but end up in hospital for medical reasons. Whilst this figure is decreasing, and more women in the Netherlands are opting to give birth in hospital, the Dutch home birth rate still stands out in the world; around 2% of women in the UK have a home birth, this is even lower in the US with a home birth rate of around 0.65%.

There has been controversy around the alarming figures following the Euro Peristat data released in 2008, but a comprehensive study into the safety of home births revealed in April this year that there is no more risk with a home birth than a hospital birth, and that the home birth culture in the Netherlands is not responsible for the dismal Dutch figures. What is responsible seems to be a combination of factors, and something that needs further research.

If there are any medical indications, or risk of medical complications as the pregnancy progresses, a midwife will immediately make a hospital referral and rule out a home birth.

There are many reasons for the popularity and availability of home births amongst the Dutch. One is the emphasis here on midwives in the maternity process, who play the key role in a pregnancy and birth with no medical implications. The second reason is that the Dutch advocate natural births; using breathing techniques and relaxation methods instead of drugs. This is certainly one of the most alarming issues for expatriates giving birth in the Netherlands, but attitudes and rights to pain relief have changed in the Dutch maternity system even in the last year or so. You have the right to choose: hospital or home, natural or pain relief.

When I was pregnant in 2006, the home birth issue was one I mulled over for some time. I see-sawed between the idea of being in my own home, in a familiar environment, for the birth, and being in the safety of a hospital should something go wrong. In the end, I stuck with my initial decision to aim for a home birth and everything was ready for this scenario. However, for medical reasons I ended up having no choice but to go to the hospital for the birth of my son. The main thing at the end of the day was that he was delivered safely, but I have no doubt that the experience would have been much more pleasant had it happened at home.

However you see the maternity system in the Netherlands, the fact that there is a solid infrastructure to support home births and the choices of mothers-to-be can only be a positive thing.

If you want to read more about the Dutch maternity system here are some articles I have written on the topic:

• Maternity Matters - What to Expect in the Netherlands
• Don't Blame it on Home Births
• Kraamzorg - Postnatal Care in the Netherlands
  

Useful Links:

• Parenting in Holland


• Childbirth courses in English: Great Expectations


• Babycentre.co.uk Parents in Holland Community


• Dutch Doula site with a section in English


• Delft Mama


• Childbirth and baby courses in English given by ACCESS

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: Gezellig Dining

My first Christmas in the Netherlands was quite a dining experience. It consisted of a family gourmet session, and I was a gourmet virgin.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a gourmet is, put simply, a hotplate and a mini-grill compact enough to take centre stage on the dining table. Diners cook their own meat and vegetables at the table. What could be more perfect: hosting a dinner party you don't have to cook for? Worse case scenario, you are expected to chop raw vegetables such as onions and peppers and prepare a few salads and sauces.

As a host you can spend the entire evening with your guests, instead of slaving and stressing in the kitchen. You have plenty of time to chat and catch up whilst the food is cooking. Gezellig. More importantly, if your guests go down with food poisoning the next day, they only have themselves to blame (unless you served meat passed its best of course....).

The variation on this is the fondue evening. Though of course this is by no means a Dutch invention, it has been embraced fondly, most likely because of its gezelligheid.

A fondue is also hassle-free dining, simple to host: simply head to the cooler at you local supermarket for the cheese fondue, chop up bread and some vegetables and voila - een gezellig avond. A feast of fruit with a chocolate fondue is also a real treat!

Beatlemania in the Netherlands: the one and only visit from the lads from Liverpool

The September -October edition of XM Magazine featured an interesting article looking back on the post-war years in the Netherlands as we enter the last few months of the first decade of the 21st century.

Like in many other countries, the 1960s was a decade of change, rock and roll and people challenging the status quo in the Netherlands. The popularity of The Beatles with the Dutch youth epitomises the clash with the older generation; the tutting of the older folk audible in society. Nevertheless, that was no barrier to The Beatles here.

They reached the top of the Dutch chart 21 times in their career and on 5 June 1964, The Beatles arrived at Schiphol for a two-day visit. It was their only visit to the Netherlands - and the scenes that welcomed them were similar to the 'Beatlemania' that hit them wherever they landed but of course the Dutch have their own particular style.... evident even 4o years ago. Three thousand screaming fans greeted them and among the welcoming parade were girls dressed in traditional Volendam costumes.

That same day the group recorded a 30-minute show for the VARA in Cafe-Restaurant Treslong, Hillegom, hosted by a young Berend Boudewijn who translated questions from the audience. After being mobbed the show was edited to rescue the program - as the band left the stage the music and singing continued....... The show was subsequently screened on Monday 8 June.

The following day the group took a boat trip along the capital's canals and because of the hysteria and volume of the crowd, they arrived two hours late for their concerts in the Blokker Exhibition Hall in Amsterdam. Thousands of fans lined the street, some jumping into the canals to get closer to their idols. These fans were quickly removed by the 'water police'.

Notable was that it was Jimmy Nicol on drums during the Dutch shows, following the collapse of Ringo Starr a few days earlier, suffering with tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

The following day the lads from Liverpool returned to England, before flying off to Hong Kong for the next leg of their tour.



Happy days.. but The Beatles never returned to the Netherlands. I wonder why. Was it the costumes that put them off? The canal invasion? Or the fact that they had to perform in a cattle auction hall?

If you are a Beatles fan and want to see more, check out the Nederlands Fotomuseum collection.

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: Water

The Dutch relationship with water is well-documented and world famous. From dykes, reclaimed land, polders and windmills, to boats, city canals and mud-walking, Dutch lives revolve around water in one way or another.

The love-hate relationship with water began in the 1200s when the natives began reclaiming land from the sea; land that now forms most of the Netherlands. The fact that the country is below sea level is for some astounding, and for others more than a little disconcerting.

However you perceive the precarious situation with the sea and this water-logged country, the fact is without the abundance of water the Netherlands wouldn't quite be the same.

Leiden's attraction is for me 100% linked to the canals that wind around the city streets and the boats that line the waterways. Amsterdam's remarkable character is also attributable to the waterways that run through the city. If you have experienced a Queen's Day in the Dutch capital, watching the parade of colourful party boats stream along the canals in procession, you will know what I mean.

It is not only cities, towns and villages which benefit from the water situation in the Netherlands. There are fascinating museums and attractions too which only exist because of the Dutch struggle with the sea. A perfect example of this is the Deltapark Neeltje Jans, a water theme park in Zeeland built around the storm surge barrier which protects the Netherlands against the forces of the sea. A visit to the north of the country to Ecomare or the Waddeneilanden (Dutch Friesan islands) also makes for a great trip out: try mudwalking or island hopping!

My favourite result of all this water in the Netherlands is the abundance of windmills which line the Dutch horizon. I love watching the turning sails of traditional windmills on the landscape, walking around Kinderdijk and taking boat trips on de Kagerplassen to get a close up of tradition in motion. Then there is ice-skating. The tradition of ice-skating in the Netherlands is an ancient one, and this last winter was particulalry cold. I was delighted to see what I had heard so much about - the Dutch taking to ponds, lakes and canals with their freshly sharpened skates. It was a fascinating sight for a Brit who had never so much as stood upon a frozen body of water before!

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: Flowers

Orange, peach, yellow and red roses, soft and velvety, finished off with splashes of white and a green posy. This is what sits in a vase in my living room. No, not because my husband is feeling guilty about something, and not as an apology for some dastardly act, but just because. He buys flowers on an almost weekly basis because he is Dutch: no other reason. The Dutch and flowers go together like Italians and pasta, or teenage Brits and binge drinking. It's a culture thing.

There is almost permanently a bunch of flowers in our house, either bought by us, or by visitors. Guests bringing flowers with them is about as normal as you can get in the Netherlands, and the fact that there are always flowers in our house is one of the things I love about living here.

I was talking to a British friend once about my weekly gift of flowers. "Oh, he never buys me flowers," she said about her own husband.

In the UK, flowers are more reserved for special occasion purchases than they are in the Netherlands: birthdays, congratulations, weddings. Most houses are not constantly decorated with vases of colourful bouquets. I suspect it is related to the price.

I can go to the florist here and pick up an enormous bunch of flowers for the change in my purse. In the UK I would certainly be diving in to the note section of my purse to buy an equivalent sized bunch.

Sometimes I see the prices of flowers in the florists here and wonder how the flower industry ever makes any money. But of course they do, and furthermore, the Netherlands is at the centre of the European flower trade.

It would be difficult to talk about flowers in the Netherlands and not mention the Keukenhof, the world's largest flower gardens. Situated in Lisse, the Keukenhof becomes the region's star tourist attraction between March and May, flooded with visitors from across the globe. It is a magnificent sight, and manages to amaze visitors year after year. It has now been the home to an annual flower exhibition for sixty years and each year millions of bulbs are planted.

If you are yet to visit the Keukenhof, or are looking to entertain relatives or friends, then it opens again in 2010 on 18 March and stays open until 16 May with the theme "From Russia with Love".

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: The Royals Keep It Real

No one in the Netherlands will forget the television images of Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima enjoying and joining in the festivities on Queen's Day in Apeldoorn. The fact that they were clearly having so much fun in the course of the morning made the tragic events of the afternoon such a stark contrast.

What followed may change the shape of future Queen's Day celebrations, though the Royal family is determined not to let that happen. The debate following the tragic events this year centred on the fact that the Queen and her children put themselves in a potentially vulnerable situation when they wander amongst the crowd and join in the activities when they are out and about.

It is a unique outlook for royals to have - to raise themselves above their titles and dive in and enjoy themselves on the streets with the Dutch people, in a manner I can't picture the British couple, Prince Charles and Camilla, doing.

Compared to the stuffiness of the British Royals that I grew up watching in media, the Dutch Royal family is a breath of fresh air. Compare the British Queen's reaction and public response to Diana's death and the heartfelt, emotional and immediate outpouring from Queen Beatrix on 30 April this year. Beatrix felt the need to address her people, and share her sorrow and feelings. They are sovereigns a world apart; the stiff upper lip of the British versus the openness of the Dutch.

Even though the Dutch Royals come across about as 'normal' as royalty can, they still have their fair share of scandal and soap opera entertainment to keep us all on our toes.

Take Mabel Wisse Smit as an example. The scandal (Mabelgate as it was dubbed by the British press) around her former relationship with mafia boss and drug dealer, Klaas Bruinsma, led to Prince Friso giving up his right to the throne in order to marry Mabel in 2003 after the government refused to give their permission for the marriage.

Then of course we have to look no further than the Crown Princess for more scandal when her parents were conspicuously absent from her wedding to Willem-Alexander in 2002. Her father was the Minister of Agriculture during the reign of the military dictator, Jorge Rafael Videla, responsible for atrocities against the Argentine people. Although the Dutch government found no direct wrong doing on the part of Maxima's father, he offered to stay away from the wedding to keep the peace. It was a hotly debated issue during the lead up to the couple's special day.

My recent attendance at Veteran's Day in The Hague brought me within sight of the Crown Prince, and eyeball to eyeball with the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan-Peter Balkenende as they walked around the Malieveld. I found it astounding to find such figures nonchalantly wandering around (albeit with security) to talk to everyday people, and take in a horse parade.

It makes the Netherlands a little different, and although the country's innocence has been dealt serious blows in the last few years, I hope the Royal Family retains its ability to feel at home amongst the general public.

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: On Yer Bike

My next positive thought about life in The Netherlands is that it must be one of the easiest countries in the world to cycle around. Unlike the British who have made a half-hearted attempt in some places to build cycle paths, the Dutch have really given cycling some thought to make getting out and about on a two-wheeler as easy as.. riding a bike!

The cycle path network in the Netherlands is extensive, stretching from one side of the country to the other in all directions. Cycle paths are well maintained, serviced by bike traffic lights and street lighting for a spot of night time riding (which is how many Dutch get home after a good night out - or in some cases how they end up spending the night in a hedge) and the signposting is excellent. Parking is also widely available for bikes, some paid and manned, other facilities are free to use, but it is better if you are of an optimistic disposition and emotionally unattached to your bike to use the latter.

Quite how the Dutch came to be such prolific cyclists is probably because the country is flat and cycling is free; we know how much the Dutch love "gratis".

And when I say prolific, I mean they ride their bikes on any and every occasion. My dad bought a pair of bikes back last year back in England because there was a special offer on - buy one, get one free - but they never actually made it out of his garage. This would never happen in the Netherlands. Firstly, I can't see an offer of "buy one, get one free" on bikes becoming reality here, and secondly the Dutch don't buy bikes to leave them in their sheds, garages or basements. They ride them.

They ride them to school, to do the groceries, to get to a play date, to visit family, to pick the kids up from nursery school, to walk the dog (beware - this is not for the faint-hearted and injury can occur) or just to get to a friend's place. They also use them for recreation - for sightseeing, exercise, or just because they can.

Bikes in the Netherlands are also used as a kind of shopping trolley-removal truck-car boot-beer carrier, which means everything can be transported on the front, back and side of a two-wheeler.
Two children fit easily on a bike; one in a special baby seat at the front and an older child in their own seat behind the saddle, and for good measure one may also be propped on the bag carrier at the very rear of the bike. None of them wear safety helmets. If you see a child (or adult for that matter) wearing a helmet whilst on a bike, you know they are not Dutch. They are an expat.

Sometimes the bag carrier is used for actually holding bags, usually filled with shopping. Beer crates are also common items to find on a Dutch bike, along with bunches of flowers and DIY items. Hoards of cyclists leave Praxis or Gamma (both popular DIY stores) with a mountain of wood, paint or tools, throw it all on their bike and cycle off to spruce up their home.

Not only do Dutch bikes carry anything and everything, they carry everyone: women who are 9 months pregnant , pensioners, small kids, fathers, mothers, suit wearing business men with briefcase, lovers (on two bikes but hand in hand) and teenagers.

Cycling for us expats however, is not so easy. Most of us were not born attached to a bike. Buying my first ‘Dutch” bike was in itself a lesson in local culture. I had not ridden a bike for more than a decade so trying the bikes out in front of the bike shop provided plenty of "gratis" entertainment for the shop owner. In a very typical Dutch display of bluntness, he made no attempt to hold his laughter at my shaky (and potentially life threatening) pedalling and steering. When my partner explained it had been a long time since my behind had met with a bike saddle, there was an audible gasp. Most Dutch children learn to cycle before they can walk and the aged Dutch pedal their way into the next life.

A couple of useful cycling links:
Cycle routes in the Netherlands
Get confident on a bike at Bike College and check out the expat program
Traffic rules for bikes (in Dutch)

"De Uiver" - Dutch Nostalgia: A Visit to Lelystad Aviodrome

Last weekend we popped over to Lelystad to visit the Aviodrome, which is a theme park or museum centred on Dutch aviation.

On Saturday and Sunday there was a special event: a recreation of the London - Melbourne Fly-In, which occurred back in 1934 to celebrate the centennial of the city of Melbourne.

It was a 19,877 kilomoeter race, sponsored by Sir MacPherson Roberts who wanted to demonstrate that a regular air service between Europe and Australia was viable.

Time magazine described the race as "the greatest air race in aviation history" and KLM's "Uiver" plane was to be made famous by this remarkable event, one of 20 entrants to compete from Australia, U.S., Britain, Denmark, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

All planes had to stop over in Bagdad, Allahabad, Singapore, Darwin and Charleville before finishing in Melbourne, though there were also optional stop offs available to the teams. A total prize of 15,000 pounds was put up for the winners in two classes; the team to make it in the fastest time to Melbourne, and a handicap race where the team making the fewest flying hours to the finish would be counted as the winners. There was one other rule, which stated that a team could not win both categories.

From 6.30a.m. on 20 October 1934, a hopeful competitor took to the skies every 45 seconds from the Royal Air Force Mildenhall Aerodrome in Suffolk, England, starting their long flight to Australia.

The Dutch entry was a Douglas DC-2, the largest of the competing planes and the only one to carry passengers too, in a bid from KLM to prove a regular twice weekly service was feasible. The Captain, Koene-Dirk Parmentier, and First Officer, Johannes Moll, were regulars on the Dutch East Indies route so familiar with a large part of the flight route.

However, this did not mean the journey was without mishap. The Uiver had to make an emergency landing in the last stage of the race between Charleville and Melbourne when bad weather hit and the plane lost its course. Local residents were asked to use their car headlights to illuminate a make-shift runway at a nearby race track - originally designed for horses rather than a DC-2!

The Uiver eventually finished second in both sections of the race, but as a result of the rule limiting a team to winning one category only, the Dutch were awarded the first prize for the handicap race, and second for speed. The plane and crew headed back to Schiphol on 1 November 1934, arriving back on Dutch soil twenty days later to a jubilant crowd.

However, the jubilation was short-lived. On 20 December the plane set off on an extra Christmas post run to Batavia. Wim Beekman was reluctant to take off in bad weather in Cairo, but was told he would be fired if he stayed on the ground. The plane crashed in Rutbah Wells in Iraq and all 7 aboard perished. Scandal ensued, with the investigation never revealing the true cause of the crash though modifications to the model were made as a result.

KLM's most famous plane flew for three months only, but it was enough to take its place in aviation history. Enough so that in 1999, a DC-2 was made in to an Uiver replica for a semi-permanent exhibition at Lelystad; the plane I saw last weekend.

In 2007, after volunteers worked hard on the place, the Uiver was again made sky worthy. However, we were not fortunate enough to see the plane in action due to technical difficulties but we did still witness a slice of Dutch history: a re-enactment of the Uiver landing on Dutch soil, greeted by a happy crowd and the crew reunited with their families after months away from home. It was brilliantly done and a great insight into "De Vliegender Hollander" of the 1930's.

A real experience for an expat in the Netherlands!

Veterans Day 2009 in the Netherlands

Today was the fifth "Nederlandse Veteranendag" in The Hague, an event which has grown rapidly, become national, and been warmly embraced by Dutch society, according to Prince Willem-Alexander in his foreword of the programme handed out to visitors today.

This is the second year we have visited the displays and celebrations hosted on the Malieveld, and witnessed the spectacle of the thousands of military men and women who form a procession through the streets of The Hague. It is a remarkable sight and an interesting glance into life in and history of the Dutch military.

What is striking is the contrast in veterans that parade on such a day - many divisions, many different military groups, and many different age groups. When I think about veterans, I tend naively to think about older soldiers who served in the World Wars. But of course, veterans are also those who have served in the recent conflicts across the world, some of who are barely out of their twenties.

The procession broadcast live on Nederland 1

A personal thrill for me was being an arm's length from Jan-Peter Balkenende, who suddenly appeared besides us in the crowd. More than that, he was happy to shake hands with people around him, and nodded and said hello to me. After I picked my jaw up, I got a few snaps. And if that wasn't enough, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander was also mingling in the crowd watching the Gele Rijders horse show. It struck me that the terrible events on Queens Day has done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the royal family and politicians to mix with the "people" and retain an aspect of Dutch tradition that is so special.

Here are some pictures from Veteran Day 2009 in The Hague that I hope captures the spirit a little:

Prince Willem-Alexander puts his hands over his ears... wait for it... wait for it...

Kerbang!

The Dutch Prime Minister walking through the crowds on the Malieveld

Queen's Day - The Orange Festival

As I write, the centre of The Hague is being sealed off to make the final preparations for the annual Queen's Day celebrations that take place the night before (only in The Hague - everywhere else the party starts tomorrow).

If this is your first Queen's Day in the Netherlands, then you are in for a treat. Or a surprise. Or a shock. Depends on your outlook on life. The main thing is wear orange tomorrow (admittedly not the top colour in most people's wardrobe) - that includes socks, hats and t-shirts. If you don't happen to have an orange hat lying around at home (really? you don't?) then not to worry - you will by the time you get back from your celebrations tomorrow evening.

Celebrating Queen's Day is a strange thing to the non-Dutchies among us. It means selling your junk on a blanket on the street, usually in the rain. For the mega-dedicated this means claiming your pitch at a truly ungodly hour and sitting tight until the rest of the Netherlands wakes up and dutifully traipses by to buy your unwanted crap. Of course, if you are repatriating in the coming months, this may be a good opportunity to get rid of the stuff you don't want shipped back.... but don't expect to retire on the takings... the Dutch are not known for just giving away their money.

Queen's Day may also mean music, beer and dancing if you head over to Amsterdam, or visit The Hague "the night before". Other cities also put on a bit of a performance, and the aim really is to have a good time and a bit of a party to celebrate the Queen's Birthday.

Although, technically speaking, April 30th is not actually the Queen's Birthday. It is the Queen Mother's birthday. Queen Beatrix celebrates her birthday in January.... no, it's not one of those weird English queen things where she has two birthdays, it's just that the weather in January is most definitely not conducive to an outside party. So Beatrix kept Queen's Day as it was when she took the throne and there is a little less chance of it raining on your blanket full of junk.....

Enjoy Queen's Day and whatever you do, wherever you go, whatever you wear - MAKE IT ORANGE!

Batten Down the Hatches - New Year Celebrations in the Netherlands

The rubbish bins have been removed, the slots on the postboxes are barely wide enough to get a letter through and there are suspicious burn marks on all manner of roadside objects. Plus of course, the ritual daily bangs for the past two months.

Yes, it's that time of year again - New Year is approaching.

The Dutch are allowed to set off fireworks legally on one day of the year only. New Year's Eve. Fireworks can be lit between 10am on the 31st December until 2am on New Year's Day.(Organised firework displays with a permit are allowed for the rest of the year).

The fact that it is broad daylight at 10am on any given day in the Netherlands does not deter the fireworks being sent rocketing into the sky the second the clock turns ten. Seems like blowing money up to me, which is at odds with the reputation the Dutch have for being 'careful with their money' (or in plain English stingy).

If you ban something for 364 days of the year, you are of course asking for trouble on the one day it is allowed. And so it is in the Netherlands with fireworks and New Year's Eve. Lock up your cats, hide your dogs, sellotape your letterboxes and put your earplugs in.

In the build up to New Year (i.e. from October onwards) the 'criminal' buyers are already setting off fireworks, usually bought illegally in neighbouring Belgium, and blowing up bins, children's playground equipment and postboxes. Hence, two weeks before the big day, everything is battened down, removed or firework proofed.

For the entire day on the 31st December the noise does not stop. Leaving the house is risking life and limb. Stepping out of the front door with fireworks sailing past your head is certainly one way to see the old year out... and there is always the question of whether you will be in one piece to see the new year in. Life on the edge in the Netherlands.

For the rest of the Dutch population who actually save their fireworks for midnight, and set the skies alight in style, the tradition of fireworks at New Year is a fun and treasured one. It is a great excuse to gather together in the streets and "ooh" and "aah" at the sky. And of course, for the spectators it is all free entertainment; the key to Dutch happiness.

As this is my last post of 2008, I wish a very happy 2009 to all of you.