Learning Dutch - a Tip or Two

Gerrie Soede of Poldertaal

For my last Expats@Home newsletter I interviewed Gerrie Soede, a Dutch language tutor in The Hague, to get her viewpoint on the best way to learn a foreign language and of course she gave me some tips for those learning Dutch in particular.

The good news is that, given the right circumstances (and a bit of talent), you could be fluent in Dutch in three years. The bad news is that for some people fluency is something that will never be achieved. However, don't let that be a deterrent if you don't have a natural flair for languages. Gerrie says,

"Don’t give up trying and remember that communication is always more important than perfection. Learning the local language is important to feel at home and expand opportunities."

I asked her what the most difficult thing about learning Dutch is. Here's her response,

"That depends on your level. At each higher level you’ll meet other difficult things. The articles and verbs at level A1; structure of the sentences at level A2 and B1, combination of words later on."

In terms of good resources to learn Dutch? Gerrie is clear that you each student should have an idea about their own learning preferences and what works for them. She explains,

"You need to choose resources that meet your learning style and your goals. And that’s different for any individual. However, I like Code and De Delftse Methode for the first levels of learning Dutch."

To round up, here are some tips from Gerrie to help those of us in a constant state of Dutch language learning:

• Invest not only in reading but pay attention to listening 
• Dare to make mistakes 
• Invest in learning words and do not think that grammar is the most important
• Stop the locals talking English to you by telling them you don’t speak English..... no, seriously -  explain you want to practice
• Stop translating as fast as possible
• Meet native speakers as soon as possible

Most of all, Gerrie explains that it is vital to consider the fact that you are communicating as more important that getting it right all the time. Accept that you’re probably not perfect and you'll feel much more relaxed about learning Dutch.

Queen's Day 2011 in The Hague

Today, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Last year I spent Queen's Day in my kraambed with my two day old baby. This year we hit The Hague with a one year old in tow.....

A Street Market in The Hague
Photo: L van Mulligen

Binnenhof with Spatters of Orange

The Passage in The Hague Centre Decorated for Queen's Day
Photo: L van Mulligen

The Wheels Decked Out in Honour of Queen's Day

A Spot of Orange Dipping in the
Binnenhof Fountain

Dutch Flag, complete with Orange Wimpel flying outside the Mauritshuis

The Fair on Queen's Day

Hope you all had a good one too.

All photos are copyright of The Writing Well and may not be reproduced without permission.

The Louwman Museum - The Dutch National Car Museum

The Louwman Museum in The Hague (c) L van Mulligen

Situated in The Hague in a purpose built building, the Louwman museum showcases what was the oldest private collection of cars in the world. The museum opened last year and we kept driving past it from the time it turned in to a building site through to the erection of an impressive looking building. However, until January we hadn't ventured in. My son's 4th birthday presented the perfect opportunity to change that.

The collection was started in 1932 with the acquisition of a twenty year old Dodge. It's now very much older and just one of the 200 plus pieces to marvel at inside the museum. What is quite amazing about the exhibition here is the sheer variety of vehicles that has been collected over the years, from horse drawn fire engines to a Cadillac owned by Elvis Presley and from a tandem from 1897 to a Toyota Prius Hybrid made in 1998. It's a stunning collection of vehicles - and that out of the mouth of a non-car fanatic.

It's not just the cars that are a sight to behold, the building is also impressive. Michael Graves, an American architect, designed the building to mix with the beautiful surroundings and there is a sense of Dutch traditionalism and modernism at the same time.

The high ceilings and ample space for the exhibitions give a luxurious feeling as you wander around and lighting is used optimally to reflect the era of the cars of show. The lay out of the exhibitions, and the design of the corridors, ensure that each new section of the museum stays a surprise until the last possible moment.

To top it off, the last section of the museum, which incorporates a restaurant and bar, will surely raise a smile.

To find out more visit the Louwman museum website which as far as I can work out is only in Dutch - but never fear because all information about the cars in the museum itself is in Dutch and English.

Expat Christmas Gift Ideas (3): Expat Shops

Continuing the series about tips for Christmas gifts for expats...... Expat shops are a great port of call for present shopping for your expat and local friends and family alike.

How about making up a basket of British products for your in-laws? Or putting together a hamper of flavours from the US for your American expat friend? Christmas can be a great opportunity to introduce your local friends to the tastes of your home country - like a beer selection from home or a pudding for the Christmas meal or something special for breakfast on Boxing Day. Or just to make sure they experience the delights of crumpets at least once in their life.

Lots of expats have food parcels sent to them all year long so making up an extra special package at Christmas time will certainly go down well and your local expat shop will be able to help you.

If you are British, and want to introduce your local family and friends to something new.... try mince pies. Not only do they get to experience a new taste - but you get to have a whole conversation about minced beef as a dessert...... which of course is not what mince pies are (although to be fair in some countries ask for a mince pie and you will get a ground beef pie). The British traditionally eat mince pies in the festive period around Christmas and the New Year - and in the lead up to Christmas the shops are full of them. British expat shops are no exception.

Mince pies are sweet pastries full of mincemeat. Nothing related to a cow but instead dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas and apples with spices. They are delicious. Particularly with brandy butter or single cream. And more importantly, they are a favourite of Father Christmas, who appreciates children leaving him a mince pie along with a glass of sherry on Christmas eve.

If you have never had a mince pie, like the idea of sharing a British tradition with your friends and family here in the Netherlands, or just want to stock up on your usual treat at Christmas, then hold on to your hats....... For those of you living within a commute of The Hague there is a very special offer for readers of this blog at Kelly's Expat Shop.... A FREE BOX OF KIPLING MINCE PIES when you spend 15 euro on shopping at Kelly's. Just quote A Letter from the Netherlands blog at the till. That simple!

Kelly is actually Dutch (read a previous article of mine if you want more on the interesting tale about a Dutchie running an expat shop) but provides the expat community of The Hague and surrounding areas with goodies from Britain, America, South Africa, Australia and more. Open seven days a week, Kelly's is located at Piet Heinstraat 105 but also offers online shopping for delivery in the surrounding area. Incidentally you can also get your Christmas turkey from Kelly's. What are you waiting for?

Rutte, Verhagen and Wilders - New Dutch Politics

The Dutch governments of recent years remind me of a smashed vase that has been glued back together; it serves its purpose in the short term but you know eventually it will leak and you'll replace it.

Coming from what has been traditionally a two party political system, the norm of an unstable Dutch multi-party coalition during the last few years automatically feels alien to me. The current coalition in the UK is also alien to me, but does at least seem stable and took no time at all for it to be formed.

However, here we are four months after the general election and we have just got a new government. Furthermore, Mark Rutte's efforts at forming a government instil me (and much of the Dutch population) with little confidence about the government's longevity. There has been months of discussion, debate and disagreement. He has tried every coalition possibility available and the final result is disappointing to many. Oh, and the CDA is already split before the new government really gets going......

What do you think about the latest political landscape in the Netherlands? Should Geert Wilders have an important role in the decision making of the Dutch government? Was this the right way to go? What will it mean for the Netherlands?

Expat Entrepreneur Inspiration

One of the wonderful things about expat life is the network of people you build along your journey. Every now and then, (actually quite often I find) there is someone that crosses your path that is worth shouting about.

Last August, I was inspired to write about a few of the amazing women I have come into contact with over the years I have been living an expat life (and you can read A World of Inspiration: A Patchwork Quilt on Velvet Escape). I have yet again been inspired to write about another expat; an expat entrepreneur who not only takes her own photography business seriously but her social responsibility too.

Natalie's Award from the WBII
Photo: Natalie Carstens

In fact, the Dutch based Women's Business Initiative International (WBII) has just awarded British expat Natalie Carstens with the Social Innovation Award for her exceptional contribution to the social projects she involves herself with. I decided to talk to her about the projects she works on, and about expat life.

Natalie photographed by her
husband, Heiko Carstens

Natalie came to the Netherlands just over six years ago whilst completing her Masters degree. Her career looked much different back in the UK she explains:

"I was a full time student. For my Bachelors degree in Information Engineering and Technology Management I spent a one-year internship with the UK Ministry of Defence. As a result of my internship I received sponsorship for a Masters degree in Information Security and Computer Crime."

Whilst the Netherlands is Natalie's first experience of expat life, she has certainly not been afraid of change. I asked her how she came to make such a dramatic career switch from IT to photography and she happily recalls:

"I discovered IMAGES International Photography Club and joined straightaway. I loved photography and thought it would be a great way to meet people outside of work. It wasn’t long before I joined the Committee and I spent three and a half enjoyable years filling the roles of Website Editor, Publicity Officer and Chairman. Quite unexpectedly I discovered something I loved with my heart and soul."

It was not an easy decision to leave secure employment and start up for herself, but convinced that she should follow her passion she set up Tigs Creations in 2008 and hasn't looked back.

She says, "Now I work full time as a children and family portrait photographer, specialising in pregnancy and newborn portraiture."

But she also involves herself in much more, namely two social projects that are closely linked to her photography: The Littlest Heroes and Zoocrew.eu. I asked Natalie to tell a little about these projects, and how she came to be a part of them:

The Littlest Heroes Project. Photo by Natalie Carstens

"The Littlest Heroes Project is non-profit organisation made up of a network of professional photographers worldwide that have come together to help give back and capture miracles through the beauty of photography. The project provides our littlest heroes (children who suffer from any type of serious illness of life altering disability) and their family with a complimentary photo session and selection of photos. This is an amazing gift for these families that are dealing with hectic schedules as their child battles disease and sickness. When I first came across the website I could not hold back the tears. The stories and images of these brave children (including the story of the founder of the project) really tugged at my heartstrings and I knew instantly I wanted to be a part of this very special project."

She goes on to tell about zoocrew.eu:

Photo: Natalie Carstens

"The idea behind zoocrew.eu came from four photographer friends with a shared passion for wildlife. We were regularly visiting zoos together and day trips turned into weekends away to visit zoos that were further away. Each zoo visit sparked a discussion about the variety and health of the animals, the quality of the enclosures etc. and during one of our discussions we realised the importance of promoting the conservation projects and breeding programmes that are funded and supported by the various zoos. After some brainstorming the idea for the zoocrew.eu project became more and more a reality and my husband and I launched the website in January 2008."

One of the photos from the romantic portrait session offered for Helping Hearts. Photo by Natalie Carstens

Natalie was also moved to help the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. She offered a romantic portrait session on-location as a prize to one of her blog readers who donated to the Dutch National Giro555, as part of the Helping Hearts for Haiti initiative.

For Natalie, involvement in social projects is a natural activity:

"I’ve never really questioned ‘why’; it’s more something that I do on impulse. If I feel passionate about something I like to find a way I can help."

She explains that taking social responsibility is not only good on a personal level and for those less fortunate, but can also be good for your own business,

"Supporting a social project enriches businesses and opens doors. Some projects may also present new business opportunities as well as the chance to grow your network further."

Her advice for others who would like to get involved in a social project? Simply...

"Choose a social project that tugs at your heart and go ahead and support it!"

What are you waiting for?

*This was first published in April 2010 in the Expats@Home series of newsletters. If you want to receive future copies of my newsletter you can sign up in the right hand column on this blog or read more on my website http://www.thewritingwell.eu/Newsletter.html.*

Breastfeeding in the Netherlands

Photo: Marek Bernat

80% of mothers start out breastfeeding their babies in the Netherlands and this number decreases to 20% by six months. In a recent survey carried out by the Voedingscentrum in conjunction with UNICEF Nederland, 56% said they gave breastfeeding outside of the home. The rest said that a lack of facilities and the fact that breastfeeding is very personal prevented them from feeding by breast when they are out.

To add to this 45% of those surveyed do not see breastfeeding in public as normal but a majority does accept breastfeeding in general.

I certainly echo the sentiments of those mothers who feel that the facilities to breastfeed outside of the home (and by this it is meant somewhere inside where it is warm, quiet and clean) are few and far between. My latest outing is a good example. On Sunday we went to the Efteling and my 5 month old started getting cranky around 11am - our call to find somewhere to feed him and quick. My husband asked for assistance at one of the food stalls.

"Is there anywhere my wife can go inside to breastfeed our baby?" He asked.

"Breastfeed? What do you mean?" the woman behind the foot stall answered. Perplexed but determined he continued, only to be told that a nearby restaurant had an 'indoors'. So we searched further and eventually found the first aid centre where I was allowed to pull up a chair and feed my son. No signs, no info - just a bit of intuitive searching on my husband's part.

The lack of facilities and acceptance outside the home makes the early months with a breastfed baby hard as they need feeding every 2 to 3 hours. Mothers in the UK feel no differently to those in the Netherlands.

The Voedingscentrum is encouraging local councils to put breastfeeding on the agenda and make places available to mothers (look for signs saying "Voeden kan hier") but there is some way to go to make the country a breastfeeding haven.

The most recent campaign by the Voedingcentrum can be seen in The Hague on the Plein by way of 14 life-size photos taken by Olaf Posselt related to breastfeeding. The photo exhibitions runs until the 10th October.

Is breastfeeding accepted as the norm in your home and/or country? What are your thoughts on the topic?

Veterans Day in the Netherlands: 26 June

The annual day of honour to the military personnel of the Netherlands takes place on Saturday 26 June for the sixth year. The event takes a look at Dutch military through the years, as well as highlighting the current peace missions around the world involving the Dutch.

The main event takes place in The Hague with Prince Willem Alexander leading a parade of 3,500 military personnel and veterans through the city. There will be a fly over (good to see from the Malieveld) and a stage hosting musical acts throughout the afternoon. The police also give demonstrations there, and every type of military vehicle is available for a good look over.

I have attended this event twice now and it is definitely worth a trip out to experience the atmosphere of the day, particularly if you have a little boy or two in your family!

You can find out more, including the route parade and timing and location of events on the website http://www.veteranendag.nl/n/6/Home.html

Chester's Kitchen - A Taste of Real British Food

A few weeks ago I visited Chester's Kitchen after I read about the tempting offerings of "A taste of real British fare" located in The Hague. Situated at Prins Hendrikstraat 54, it offers a range of real British food in the day and best of all, in the early evening on a Friday and Saturday, the place magically turns into a fish and chip shop.

Whilst the shop itself looked a little sparse (I gather they are building up), it offers lots of goodies just like you would find in your local chippy back in England: cod, haddock and barramundi (all battered in a light beer batter), proper sized chips, battered sausages, pies and pasties and all the traditional accompaniments such as mushy peas and curry sauce. Everything is fried in beef dripping (traditionally used in British fish and chip shops but as it is makes food unsuitable for vegetarians many shops back home switched to vegetable fat - however, the taste is different). Anyway, the bottom line is that it tastes good at Chester's Kitchen! Really good!

The origins of fish and chip shops in Britain stems back to either 1860 or 1863 when the first shop opened in London, or the North of England (both locations claiming to be the first chippy in England).

It proved to be cheap fare for the working population of the country, was particularly popular during the First World War, and one of the few foods not rationed during the Second World War.

Fish and chips is traditionally eaten on Fridays because of the Roman Catholic abstinence from meat on Fridays - hence Friday became known as fish day. I can remember that whenever I stayed with my grandparents as a child we always ate fish and chips on a friday - invariably from the local chippy. In fact, going even further back, my granddad even owned a fish and chip shop!

In years gone by, fish and chips were always wrapped in newspaper, invoking fond childhood memories of strolling along Blackpool promenade with fish and chips in hand, battling the elements whilst "oohing and ahhing" at the Christmas lights. These days newspaper is no longer allowed (rumours of ink poisoning being what they are) and your feast from the chippy is wrapped in plain white paper.

Contrary to what you may think, there is less fat in a British fish and chip meal than in other popular take away meals. This is due to the meaty size of the chips, which means they retain less fat - proper British chips dwarf an anorexic looking french fry and tastes so much better.

Add your traditional splash (or bottle as some like it) of malt vinegar and a generous salt portion and you have British food at its best. If you have never had the pleasure - treat yourself at Chester's Kitchen or a fish and chip shop near you. Eet smakelijk!!!

Visit http://www.chesterskitchen.nl for more info on opening times and menu.

Photo (c) Carl Ratcliffe

Making Christmas just like Christmas

Making Christmas overseas feel like it does back home takes some planning and forward thinking - and most likely a visit to your local expat shop. This weekend I headed to my local expat shop in The Hague and picked up the essentials for a traditional "British" Christmas which I will be hosting for the in-laws: crackers (the 'pulling' variety and not the 'biscuits for cheese' variety), Christmas pudding, mince pies, a big turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. I amount to your average Brit shopping in Kelly's Expat Shop.

Kelly Kelly, the owner of the shop, told me that the British tend to buy baking products, kid's stocking fillers, mince pies, mincemeat, cakes and turkeys. Americans are also buying turkeys in their droves, along with stuffing and pumpkin pie mix. Other nationalities tend to follow the purchasing habits of the Brits, having either once lived there or just become addicted to mince pies.....

Kelly herself is Dutch but is married to an Englishman (if you want to read more about Kelly and the origins of her expat shop read my article on Hague Online) so I was curious to know what they have for a Christmas meal,

"We have a traditional Christmas dinner: turkey, stuffing, Christmas pudding, mince pies, we buy everything out of our shop for our Christmas dinner," Kelly replied.

Top sellers In Kelly's shop are unsurprisingly all the things that you are hard pushed to find in the Dutch supermarkets - mince pies, Christmas puddings, Christmas crackers and mincemeat for those making their homemade mince pies. All the things that make the Christmas meal a traditional one for me!

If you are looking for a turkey this Christmas time then you can place pre-orders with Kelly and also check the stock levels on her website at http://www.kellys-expat-shopping.eu. You can also keep posted with special offers over the festive period by signing up to Kelly's newsletter or checking out the website.

Kelly explained, "We do have some special offers in the shop at the moment (and online): Mcvities biscuit tin 7.95 euros, Jacobs biscuit tubs 900gr at 6.95 euros and Duchy mini xmas pudding over 1/2 price off, at 2.75 euros."

And if you have never had the pleasure of mince pies with brandy butter, maybe this year is the year to start a tradition.... you can't beat them. The box of mince pies I bought have been sat glaring at me now for 24 hours and I wonder if they will actually see Christmas......

Positive Thoughts About the Netherlands: Small but Diverse

The Netherlands may be small, but it is perfectly formed (albeit a little on the wet side, seeing that it is predominantly set on reclaimed land). The little country is remarkably diverse for its size. For a start, despite a small population relatively speaking there are two official languages: Dutch and Frisian.

There are also packed, crowded cities and peaceful, sparsely populated villages, miles of coast line, nature areas, islands and just about every possible attraction you can think of; all packed into a land area of 33,883 sq km.

If you want amusement parks the Netherlands has an abundance; Efteling, Duinrell and Walibi World to name a few. If you want to visit a zoo or animal park, the choice is endless; Artis, Blijdorp, Ouwehands Dierenpark, Dolfinarium, Vogelpark Avifauna or Apenheul. And if we start looking at Museums, the list is literally endless! Some of the top ones to check out in the Randstad are the Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as well as the Ann Frank house of course, and the Gemeentemuseum, Panorama Mesdag or Museon in The Hague. Further afield the Zuiderzeemuseum and Zaanse Schans are most definitely worth a visit.

There is so much contrast, diversity, tradition, history, fun, adventure and architecture in the Netherlands - and it is all reachable in the blink of any eye. It may be small, but it is a well-formed package!

Positive Thoughts About The Netherlands - Location, Location, Location

One of the things that I love about living in the Netherlands, instead of living on a large island, is the fact that it is such a short drive to other countries, a hop, skip and a jump from other cultures and new experiences. Within an hour's drive I can be in Germany or Belgium, and motoring a little further brings me into France or Luxembourg.

We have made some great trips over the years I have been living here; weekends enjoying the peace of the Ardennes, the bustle of Brussels and the beauty of Bruges; a few days in Paris; a Christmas at Euro Disney, a day trip to Movie World and the magical atmosphere and Glühwein of the Christmas markets in Aachen and Dusseldorf. We also celebrated an unexpectedly snowy birthday in Monschau in the German Eifel. Wonderful experiences almost on our doorstep and all wildly different to the landscape and culture of the Netherlands.

Before I am yet again accused of sliding into a post of negative comments about the Netherlands, escaping the Dutch and their homeland is not my primary reason for experiencing this closeness and accessibility of other countries as a positive thing.... although for those near the borders it does mean you have somewhere decent to go grocery shopping. Oops.

Growing up in a country where it took us five hours to get to my grandparents (okay, three if my dad was driving the whole way), the Netherlands is a nice change; it seems to me that everything is close at hand- even different countries. Of course, the UK has Wales and Scotland that can be reached by car, but both are still a long drive from the south of England (and I confess I have never actually been to Scotland). For the Americans living here, I can imagine the feeling that everything is very close must be stronger still.

I also love the fact that whilst other cultures are within easy reach to the south and east, there are also miles (or kilometers I should say) of coastline to visit, with some truly unique regions to experience. Hopping to the Dutch islands (see my post about Texel) made me feel like I really was taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life in the Randstad, even within the confines of a day trip. Whilst I was in Texel I had to keep reminding myself that I was still on Dutch soil; it seemed like we had gone 'abroad'.

And then of course there are the big cities, which provide a cultural feast for hungry visitors - Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague and the little places dotted around them such as Delft and Gouda. This side of the Netherlands is also a contrast to the East and North where culture and language differences show their face.

The Netherlands may be small, but we all know it's not size that matters - for me this little Dutch nation really is a gateway to amazing travel and cultural experiences.

Scheveningen - Drugs and Crocodiles

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the mystery appearance of a dead crocodile washed up on Scheveningen beach; last weekend visitors found packages of cocaine on the beach. Police believe that the unusual packages were once attached to the underside of a boat, a common and crafty way of smuggling drugs into the country under the noses of customs officers.

Similar packages also appeared in Wassenaar, Katwijk and Kijkduin.

If you go down to the beach today, you're sure to have a surprise.... What on earth will show up next week on Scheveningen beach?

Kelly's Expat Shop in The Hague

Not so long ago I caught up with Kelly Kelly, a Dutch woman running her own expat shop in The Hague. She provides the expat community in the area with British and American products, including newspapers and magazines.... and all the seasonal goods you could hope for.

Kelly is celebrating her first year in business this month.


Read the full article on The Hague Online: A Little Piece of Home Abroad

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!

Expats in the Hot Seat Featured on The Hague On Line

The weekly interview series that has been running on A Letter From the Netherlands for the last few weeks is also being featured on The Hague On Line website.

The Hague On Line website has recently had a face lift so if you haven't checked by for a while now is a great time to revisit the site. It is a good source for news, features and events that are all relevant to expats in the field of education, housing, health, finance, lifestyle, work and children.

If you are an expat living in the Netherlands and would like to feature in this series please contact me by email: info@thewritingwell.eu

TV West to Launch Expat TV Programme in the Netherlands

In 4 days TV West (regional TV channel) launches the first TV programme specifically for the expatriate population called West International.

The anchor man, Paul Brown, considers the show to be a 'TV Magazine', designed to be of interest to the international community in Zuid-Holland, as well as further afield.

For the full story check out Expatica's article.

Prinsjesdag or Princes Day - 16th September 2008

Every third Tuesday of September is Prinsjesdag in the Netherlands; the official opening of the new parliamentary year. It is a traditional, national and symbolic day.

The Queen addresses both Houses of Parliament in The Hague and sets out the principal government policies for the coming year. Thereafter the Finance Minister announces the annual national budget and a parliamentary discussion ensues. This usually entails the opposition declaring that the government is doing a poor job, and the government confirming what a grand job they are doing running the country.

Traditionally, the head of the monarchy sets off from Noordeinde Palace in The Hague at one o'clock in the Gouden Koets (Golden Carriage) to the Houses of Parliament (Binnenhof) to deliver her Speech from the Throne. After the speech is delivered she returns to Noordeinde, and the Queen usually salutes the crowd from the palace balcony.

It is pomp and ceremony at its best and a lot of fun, especially if you are a hat spotter. Think à la races at Ascot in England! It is about the only occasion in the political calendar when the Dutch female politicians wear hats, and it is a time to see who is wearing what. The results range from impressive to outright bizarre, and everything in between.

Of course the day brings with it confirmation of budgetary measures that will effect almost all in the country and debate is already rife. To date, information obtained by RTL news suggests that some pensioners will be no better off in 2009, despite reassurances from Minister Bos that no groups would be adversely effected by the coming budget. Leaked figures show that economic growth is slowing (no surprises there), inflation is rising (again, no shock to anyone with half an ear to the ground) and unemployment is expected to rise slightly.

The main news, however, is that most people living in the Netherlands will have their buying power improve, even if it is just a notional increase. The rest... well that is all a secret and we will have to wait until Tuesday for the details! Watch this space.

ACCESS for All

Last week I got involved with the editorial team of ACCESS magazine. During my eight years in the Netherlands I have heard a lot about ACCESS but have had very little contact with the organisation. As a result of sending in an article I had written, I have suddenly become an ACCESS volunteer and have been doing some proof reading of articles for the autumn edition of the magazine. I hope to do some writing too for the next editions of the publication, and whilst attending a meeting last week I was asked if I could help out with some copy writing in the future. All this was started with one click of the enter button on my laptop!

All in all, ACCESS is providing me with a great opportunity to gain experience in other areas of the writing and publishing world, as well as a chance to network with other expatriates and writers.

ACCESS are looking for volunteers with all sorts of skills and backgrounds, both in the Amsterdam and The Hague offices. If you are interested in helping out then get in contact with the ACCESS team.

Both offices also offer courses and workshops designed for expats living in the Netherlands;

• Dutch language courses
• Orientation for newcomers in the Netherlands
• Childbirth and baby courses
• Personal development
• Job seeking help
• Health & safety
• Caring for yourself
• Legal and tax

Check out the ACCESS website and quarterly magazines for more information.