Have You Had Some Foot Action?

At 2.30pm on a sunny Tuesday my doorbell rang. I paused the telephone conversation I was having to head to my front door. As I opened the door a flash of blue entered my vision. Two police officers stood in front of my house. My heart missed a beat - the first thought being the worst.... then I noted the smile on the  face before me. Bad news isn't brought with a smile, I thought.

A policeman stood before me, in full police jacket and hat, and a policewoman stood a little behind him, giving the impression of loitering in the street. She smiled over his shoulder.

"Goedemiddag mevrouw," he began. And he went on to tell me that they had seen that my kitchen window was open and had rung the doorbell to see if I was in. Baffled I stated the obvious, "Ja, ik ben thuis....." Then he explained.

It's part of a national campaign to warn residents about the risks of burglary if you fail to secure your windows and doors before you leave the house.

Had I not been home but had left my kitchen window open I would now be the not so proud owner of a white footprint shaped note saying,

"This footprint could have been made by a burglar."

Last week alone in the Haaglanden region, police (and volunteers) left 900 footprints in houses to warn residents to secure their houses in their absence.

For more information and prevention tips see the Haaglanden police website (in Dutch) or the special folder.

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.

Helmet Therapy in the Netherlands

Helmet Therapy - a fairly common sight amongst babies
in the Netherlands
Photo: (C) The Writing Well

Expatica has published my latest article on a topic which will be unfamiliar to most  - but it is a process we stumbled upon last year when the Consultatiebureau referred us through to a physiotherapist because my baby had a strong positional preference.

I found it very hard to find much information on helmet therapy (or redressietherapie) in the Netherlands, particularly in English, so I decided to share our story for other expat parents out there.

It is also to enlighten others who wonder why - babies with specially designed helmets is a common sight on the streets of the Netherlands these days.

You can read the full article on http://www.expatica.com/nl/health_fitness/healthcare/Helmet-therapy-in-the-Netherlands_17323.html

Beating Expat Career Barriers - Ten Top Tips

Photo: Laura Leavell 

To round the expat career series up I would first like to thank the participants who have shared their career stories over the past few weeks. I end the series with a summary of the top ten tips from their stories.

If you are moving or living abroad but want to ensure that your career remains intact in some form or another, here are ten pointers to consider:

1. Think creatively and outside the box. You may need to rethink your career path but with creative thinking you can end up going in a surprising and fun, albeit new, direction. 
2. Assess your current skill set and ask yourself how you can use those skills in your host country, or how you can adapt them to fill a local need. Jo Parfitt's "A Career in Your Suitcase" is a great resource to help with this exercise.
3. Sieze opportunities that come your way - listen to people around you and use your network to identify gaps. Sarah Johnson's career story is a great example of listening to people you meet in the most unlikely of situations.
4. Use the experience you gain as an expat as a basis for your overseas career. Both Nicola McCall and Louise Wiles demonstrate how you can make this happen.
5. Think about retraining or brushing up your skills. There are many long distance learning programs out there to help you.
6. Be realistic about your career options when you move overseas as the barriers can be numerous: recognition of pre-existing qualifications, local language, work permits, local culture, job market, legal requirements. Start your research before you leave home.
7. Make your career portable so that you can take it with you should you relocate.
8. Don't underestimate the support you will need to keep your career on track overseas - check with your partner's employer of they will support any retraining or if there are any local schemes to help you.
9. Build up a network that can point you in the right direction, brainstorm with you and offer you feedback and tips.
10. Stay positive!

The ins and Outs of Expat Careers: Nicola McCall and A Tale of Adaptation

Nicola McCall calls the Netherlands
home for now
Photo: A van Mulligen (c)

British born Nicola McCall currently calls the Netherlands her home. Nicola’s life as an expat has been the consequence of her partner’s career – his employer has relocated the McCall family a number of times over the years.

Like Louise Wiles featured two weeks ago, Nicola is an expat coach. Whilst living abroad, her career and the development of her own career has been inspired and created by her own personal, expat journey. It has been a story of adapting.

Before Nicola moved overseas for the first time she worked in an international retailer’s headquarters as a Senior Human Resources (HR) specialist. She was responsible for employee relations, internal communications and employee engagement. With her move abroad, she formed a plan for her future career and actively pursued it. She explains,

“I intended to return to HR on our repatriation to the UK (which was planned for Summer 2006) so I did a UK University Post Graduate Certificate in Personal and Business Coaching, as this was a skill set being sought by HR functions at that time.”

But as we know, things don’t always work out the way we plan. Nicola found herself having to adapt when the family ended up staying abroad. She says,

“During the training I saw the potential to work with expatriate spouses in similar circumstances to my own and inspired by Jo Parfitt’s Career in Your Suitcase website and books, I decided to start my own expatriate coaching business in March 2006.”

There was a serious financial cost attached to this career shift.

“Retraining and accommodation costs whilst studying were in the region of £4,000. I had some career support allowance from my partner’s employers but the majority of the finance for my career change was personal,” explains Nicola.

She also needed other types of support to effectuate her desired career change,

“I could not have done the training in the UK nor home study without my partner’s support to care for our son. I also had support from my course colleagues, expats for practice and a mentor coach to help me complete my studies.”

However, the fact that Nicola is still living overseas five years later with a successful career of her own is testament to the fact that the personal investment was a worthy one. Her hard work and determination have paid off in the long run.

To all potential expat coaches out there, Nicola has some sound advice,

“There are many coaches coaching internationally so make sure you undertake training that gives you a qualification and accreditation that is internationally recognised. Join a professional association to support your continuing professional development.  Look carefully at what your niche is and don’t be surprised that you may actually attract those outside your niche in the first year!”

She encourages anyone who has an idea for their own business to give it a go. Nicola says,

“If you think you can – you can!”

To make a success of your overseas career, Nicola pinpoints an essential trait to help you keep going in the face of adversity,

“You need persistence. It is common to ask “why am I bothering?” particularly when you are facing the uncertainty of a new location, you are juggling family commitments, learning a new language, studying – in short creating a new life in a new location! But persistence will keep you on track.”

She also stresses the importance of a sound network and contact with peers.

“Asking for help and reciprocating when you can is one of the easiest ways to connect with others in a similar field – I believe it is part and parcel of networking,” she tells.

And finally, in Nicola’s opinion, a successful overseas career needs a dash of something extra,

“You need a sense of humour – it’s essential anywhere, anytime!"

Nicola's Recommended Links
Inspiring Expat Women sites and books:
www.expatwomen.com - information site covering expat women’s lives abroad
www.expatexpert.com  Robin Pascoe (see also her books)
www.joparfitt.com & www.career-in-your-suitcase.com  Jo Parfitt's resources for expat careers

Expat Entrepreneur: How to create and maintain your own portable career anywhere in the world - by Jo Parfitt 

containing a useful chapter on careers as an expat woman

Becoming a Coach/ Expat Coaching

www.expatcoachassociation.com

www.coachfederation.org/research-education/icf-credentials

www.associationforcoaching.com/home/index.htm

Useful article from 2003 the Pathways and Pitfalls of Coaching - 

www.associationforcoaching.com/pub/Path0312.pdf

Career information

http://www.johnleescareers.com/   -  you can register on the home page for access to career tools 

Networking

www.twitter.com

Nicola McCall

Nicola McCall MCIPD is a UK University Post Graduate qualified Coach, specializing in coaching expatriates to find fulfillment during their work and life abroad.  Visit www.livelifenowcoaching.com for more information.

The Ins and Outs of Expat Careers: Louise Wiles and Expat Coaching

Photo: Enrico Corno

Born in the UK, expat coach Louise Wiles now calls Portugal home but this is far from her first stop on the expat express train. She moved to Spain a decade ago and then to Portugal before she repatriated back to the UK for three years. She then lived on Madeira Island for five years before landing last year in her current destination of Lisbon.

All this moving around is a result of her husband's career. But what about her own career? How has she kept it going with all the moving around and what advice does she have for other accompanying partners? I spoke to her to find out and discovered the expat career path is not always a straight one - but planning the journey is essential.

I asked Louise about her career starting point and what effect a move overseas had on her career. Louise explains how she turned a move overseas into a career opportunity,

"My original profession was in sales and then training in Sales and Management. When I first moved to Spain I considered working for the same insurance group, AXA, in Madrid but decided I wanted to do something different. I trained as an English teacher (TEFL) and had my own business for a year. Then I decided it was my opportunity to do what I had always wished I had done and study Psychology." 

Louise saw a move overseas as the chance to retrain
through distance learning
Photo: Shho

Whilst living in Spain, Louise obtained a Psychology degree from the Open University in the UK and followed it with a Masters in Occupational Psychology from the UK based University of Leicester. Both of her degrees were obtained through distance learning.

However, having obtained the qualifications, expat life posed another challenge. Louise explains,

"A big issue was how to get the qualifications recognised here in Portugal. Because I was moving around I never completed my three years practice work in order to become a chartered occupational psychologist."

When Louise left the UK for the second time, she went armed with a plan,

"I chose to complete a certificate in coaching and to build a business from home – portable and related to my experience as an accompanying partner."

Her portable career solution not only works with her mobile lifestyle, but it also helps keep the balance in her home life. Louise says,

"Running my own business also means that I am able to fit it alongside my other commitments as a mother of two young kids with a husband who travels a lot – my business needs to be run from home and flexible enough to work around the demands of two young children (8 and 5)."

Many expats face a similar need to maintain flexible working arrangements - and Louise has created her own solution.

I asked Louise what kind of support she has had to build and maintain her own career abroad. The answer is disappointingly typical for many accompanying spouses. 

"None – from any outside party – just me and support financially from my husband (well our family income!!).  Actually I think I did get financing for a language course and my TEFL course in Madrid from my husband's company during our first relocation – but I've have had no support since," shares Louise.

This lack of support in her own situation is the reason why Louise is developing a programme for accompanying partners which aims to identify and develop a portable solution for their lives abroad.

Louise's number one tip for others who want to pursue their career abroad is simple,

"Do your research before you leave your home country. Make sure your expectations are realistic before you move abroad."

She goes on to say,
"Check whether your home country qualifications are recognised in your destination country and if they are not investigate what you will need to do to convert them – if this is possible. If not, consider how you could build your own business or freelance whilst abroad. Think about how you would set up a business and what the requirements for registering that business abroad would be – you may not even be able to do so in which case consider setting up your business in your home country before leaving. You could also consider working as an associate for someone else."

I asked this creative expat coach which three skills she thinks are essential for the success of an overseas career. She says without hesitation,

"Determination, creativity and passion."

Louise's Recommended Links

The Expat Coach Association

The International Coach Federation

Get Ahead by Going Abroad:
A Woman's Guide to Fast-Track Career Success
by C Perry Yeatman and S Nevadomski Berdan

Career in Your Suitcase by Jo Parfitt - a recommended read by Louise Wiles

Louise Wiles offers specific programmes for accompanying partners who want to create an individual portable approach to their career and lifestyle on relocating abroad.

To find out more about Louise and her services visit her website: http://www.SuccessAbroadCoaching.com or contact her by email

Louise@SuccessAbroadCoaching.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: LWexpatlife

The Ins and Outs of Expat Careers

Photo: Vera Berard

Next Monday a new blog series begins on "A Letter from the Netherlands" about pursuing a career when you live abroad.

Particularly for accompanying partners, and those who move overseas to live with a local, this subject is a thorny one. For some, moving overseas is the perfect opportunity to make a career change and take a risk doing that one thing they always wanted to do. For some an expat life opens up doors. Others find doors slammed hard in their face.

The reasons for being unable to pursue your current career abroad are varied: lack of work permit; qualifications not being recognised; no jobs available in the local arena; cultural differences; legal restrictions; retraining needed; safety reasons; language barriers..... and so it goes on.

But it's certainly not all doom and gloom as our interviewees will reveal. A move overseas is a tremendous career opportunity for those who can think outside the box and put their creative being to work.

Over the coming weeks I will be speaking to a range of expats in different countries about their careers and how a move overseas effected their working lives. They'll share their experiences and give tips and advice and share links and resources that have helped them along their expat career journey.

If you have an expat career story you would like to share, please send a mail to "amanda at thewritingwell dot eu" and I'll let you know how.

On the subject of expat careers, the March edition of the Expats@Home newsletter goes out tomorrow with guest expert Tara Agacayak telling us about creative careers. You can found out more and sign up at http://www.thewritingwell.eu/Newsletter.html.

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.

Guest Post For Clogs and Tulips

Photo: (c) Amanda van Mulligen

If you have any interest in what it's like to have a baby in the Netherlands, then I've just written a guest post for Tiffany's blog, Clogs and Tulips.

"If you trawl expat forums, you are likely to come across some heavy criticism of the Dutch maternity system. And yes, I agree, having a baby in the Netherlands may not be the same as having a baby back in your home country but there are worse things you can do. Here’s what I’ve learnt through two pregnancies and births in the Netherlands."

Read the full post here.

Keeping It Local to Rebuild Shattered Lives

As you may know by now, I love to shout about expats who are doing great things in their host country. If you have missed it, check out my latest article to be published. Ode has run it and the thing I love most about Ode is that they only share positive news. It's an article about British expat Figen Cakir who is using her art and design skills to do her bit to help her community in the Turkish city of Golcuk. Nice news to start 2011 off with.

Rent or Adopt a Christmas Tree

Now that Sinterklaas is on his way back to Spain, those of you with Dutch partners will be allowed to set up your Christmas tree (at least that is how it works in our household - something about it being sacrilegious to put up a tree when the dear St Nicholaas and his Pieten have not yet visited).

Every year we traipse in search of a prize specimen to grace our front room, hoping that the tree we pick will actually last until we have seen the new year in and doesn't lose so many needles that we are still finding them under the sofa at Easter. For this reason we have actually considered an artificial tree until we see the price of the things, and wonder where we will store it in our 'loftless' house. So each year we end up getting a real tree - though still not exactly cheap. I also can't help considering the environmental impact of this tree that sits in our house for a month. One of millions chopped every year......

According to www.milieucentraal.nl, there is little between an artificial tree and a real tree when it comes to is environmental friendliness - they just have different impacts. Of course an artificial tree can never give off the seasonal, festive smell of the pine needles of a real one; an artificial tree does of course mean you are not extracting pine needles out of your feet for six months of the year....

One suggestion on www.milieucentraal.nl is to rent a Christmas tree - this gives the tree a longer life as it can be used three to five times before its life is over. The idea is that you pay a 'statiegeld' (yep, like you do with some bottles) and after Christmas you deliver (or it gets picked up) the tree back for it to be replanted. This is popular with companies.

You can also adopt a tree, returning it every year to the kwekerij where it is replanted and looked after so you can pick it up again the following year. Visit http://www.adopteereenkerstboom.nl/ for more information.

Guest Post: Robin Pascoe looks back on her visits to Holland

Author, inspirational speaker, writer, mother of third culture kids, traveller and once an accompanying spouse. Many words to describe my guest blogger today. Two words sum it up better: Expert expat. I am delighted that Robin Pascoe has written a guest blog for A Letter from the Netherlands - here she takes a look back at her visits to Holland. Over to Robin.......


I decided this past year to stop traveling around the world on speaking tours primarily because I had visions of people saying, is she still doing that? But I overlooked one huge downside to my decision:

I wouldn’t be visiting Holland on a regular basis anymore!

When my husband left diplomatic service for the private sector and we repatriated to Vancouver, Canada, I never figured I would lecture ever again. Until one day, in our first year back and out of the clear blue, I had a fax (yes, that’s how long ago it was) from my original publisher in Singapore: a group in The Hague called “Outpost” was interested in inviting me to Holland to keynote their first Global Conference.

Immediately, I called my best friend who was living in Holland at the time and asked her to investigate just who this Outpost group might be. At the same time, I played a heavy guilt card on my husband (who was travelling more, if that was possible, in his new job) that it was time for me to have a go at getting out of town.

Shell Outpost as everyone knows, became the role model for all the corporate spousal organisations that have followed since. It turned out that a survey had revealed my very first book about being an expat wife was very popular with Shell spouses. Who knew? Not me. I always have claimed I have a life I don’t personally participate in!

Shell kicked off for me over ten years of coming over to Holland from my side of the world to speak to so many groups, I had to really think hard to remember them all.

There was the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in the early days; the American School of the Hague (twice); and the International School of Amsterdam  (also twice). Expatica.com, a great site I contributed articles to on a regular basis, organised a conference or two (I think one was in Rotterdam).

Then there were the women’s clubs: the American Women’s Club of Amsterdam (twice); Global Connection (also twice); Connecting Women in The Hague; the European Professional Women’s Network and of course, Shell Outpost in The Hague (too many times to remember after that initial conference).

The list (and I know I’m forgetting others) doesn’t do justice, though, to how much fun I always had visiting Holland and how much I miss it.

From my very first trip, where I insisted (even knowing I have no sense of direction), “oh, please don’t go to the bother of picking me up at the airport” because I would rather catch a train and go in the opposite direction of The Hague... to my last one, when my non-stop KLM flight back to Vancouver was the only flight on the board at Schipol Airport to be cancelled that day.

Robin travelling in traditional style in Amsterdam 

There was also the time I met over lunch with my Google doppelganger, the British journalist living in Holland also named Robin Pascoe and then wrote a funny piece about ‘meeting myself’ for a Canadian newspaper.

Finally, they say a picture is worth a thousand stories. This one of me sitting in a Dutch bakfiets which was my means of transport to my AWC meeting by my hostess made it to the cover of my re-issued wife book. I was certainly glad my hostess was very fit as I watched the streetcars whiz by me in the opposite direction.

Too many stories (Queen’s Day celebrations one year in Hilversum would be an entire blog posting on its own) and too many memories (most of them involving getting lost!)

One day, I simply must get back, as my good friend and partner-in-expat-writing crime Jo Parfitt is living in The Hague inspiring new authors.

And where does her husband work? Shell, of course.  What goes around definitely comes around!

Author and ExpatExpert Robin Pascoe doesn’t travel anymore so she created an on line global lecture tour at www.youtube.com/robinpascoe

Are you an English Speaking Expat who has Bought a House in Holland?

House Hunters International is looking for English speaking expats who have gone through the house buying process here in the last few years.

House Hunters International is a half-hour program currently airing on the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV). The program is a spin-off of the popular House Hunters and has spent the last several seasons exploring the idiosyncrasies of buying real estate in other countries. HHI is about a personal journey of discovery and the making of life-long dreams.

The series is designed to de-mystify the international home-buying process by going behind the scenes of a house hunt where buyers and their real estate agents tour 3 homes. At its core, House Hunters International is a travel show concentrating on the idiosyncrasies of the locales and what makes them special and different. A great deal of effort will be made to capture rich visuals and to provide sequences where viewers will be exposed to local vistas, traditions, lifestyles and architecture.

If you are interested in being profiled please contact Michelle James at michellejames_at_leopardfilms.com.

"Komt Een Vrouw bij de Dokter" - The Book

As I crept in to bed sniffing and snottering my husband asked,

"Finished your book then?"

Yes I had. I had just turned the final page over of 'Komt een Vrouw bij de Dokter' written by Kluun (aka Raymond van de Klundert). This is Kluun's debut novel written in 2003 and is dramatised from events in his own life.

It's a funny thing to enjoy a book which evokes gut wrenching tears but enjoy it I did. Well, when I say enjoy... I mean I found it hard to put down, I emphasised with the characters and I experienced their pain. That's what a good book should do right - put you into someone else's world?

When I woke the next morning I had puffed up red eyes and I was glad the book was finished. Myrna Goossen (Aperitivo) sums it up perfectly, "Man, man, wat een heftig book."

Komt een vrouw bij de doktor is a book about Stijn and Carmen living in Amsterdam in the prime of their life, both running their own companies, enjoying the night life of the Dutch capital city, surrounded by success and friends. Until they are struck by breast cancer.

This book is their journey through cancer, about how it rips at the heart of their family and confronts her close friends. It is written from the perspective of Stijn, a fun loving, philandering, emotionally challenged husband as he faces up to the reality that his wife is terminally ill. It is a book about preparing for the end, an ode to love and the strength of family. The book is a roller coaster of emotion from anger at the medical establishment, to hope brought by treatment options, desperation as the effects of chemo take hold, to the final realisation that Carmen won't see their young daughter, Luna grow up. It is a heart wrenching read, and all the more because it is based on real events.

Be prepared for humour and tears.

For those whose Dutch is in progress..... the book is available in English with the title "Love Life" by Ray Kluun. It has also been made into a very successful film of the same title starring Carice van Houten, Barry Atsma and Pierre Bokma. You can see the trailer on zie.nl.

A book sequel entitled "Widower" is also available (though I am yet to read it but it is on my reading list for sure).

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?

Being British

Smitten by Britain recently shared three films by British Pathe that were made in the 1970s to educate americans on how to conduct social and business relationships with the British.

The films are truly fabulous - bowler hats, pubs, embarrassing extroversion, titles, punctuality, rainfall, manufacturing and industry, driving, London, business meetings, the BBC, pound sterling and traffic wardens - all the things that make Britain great. Of particular interest to the Dutch is the section on why you don't call everyone English in Britain and how you pronounce those strange looking names like Leicester...... Of interest to everyone is how you should treat a secretary - remember she may be married to the boss!

KNOW THE BRITISH Reel 1

KNOW THE BRITISH Reel 2

KNOW THE BRITISH Reel 3

Lastly, a gem of a tip - watch out for the hidden bulldog in us British... grrrrrr.

Are you an Expat Type Two? Or is it Just me?

Tying into my Dutch Decade theme, I have written a guest blog post for Expat Harem entitled 'Expat Type Two'. When I was thinking about the fact that I have been in the Netherlands now for ten years, have a family here, have no plans to return to England and actually love my life here, I asked myself if I actually considered myself as an expat.

The answer was no. And then I realised that while the official definition of an expat fits me, I have never really felt like I was an expat as such. There are different types of expat. I'm an expat type two, or not an expat at all.....

"When I first moved overseas I was struck that some expats are more equal than others. We all live in countries and cultures other than where we were brought up, or have legal residence. The difference lies in the “temporarily or permanently residing” part of the definition.........." Read more over at Expat Harem.

English Language Theatre in the Netherlands - Open Air Performances

Despite the atrocious weather (it can only get better right?) I wanted to do a quick post about the British open-air theatre company which is back in the Netherlands. I went to a performance a few years back in Voorschoten and it was fabulous.

So if you fancy an English language performance and Romeo and Juliet or James and the Giant Peach appeal, check out Illryia and book your seat (which you take with you). You can even order picnic hampers for the plays in Voorschoten.

Guest Post: "Why Expat Women Make Great Entrepreneurs" by Karen Armstrong Quartarone

Expat women are a special breed… adventurous, resilient, open to new experiences, and just down right sassy. They also happen to make great entrepreneurs. Here’s why…

Expat Women are Risk-Takers

Whether you’re an accompanying spouse or you went to live abroad on your own, as an expat woman you’re a risk-taker. You left the comforts of home and ventured out into the world. You took a leap of faith and stepped out into the unknown. There was risk involved because you didn’t know what was waiting for you as you crossed the border into expat life. Entrepreneurs know that risk-taking is part of the game. They know that in order to build a successful business they have to take calculated risks and accept responsibility for the outcome. They know it’s true: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Expat Women Know the Meaning of Perseverance and Determination

Your first few months in your new country probably weren’t very easy… a new language, a new culture, new sights and sounds. You committed to going abroad and you were determined to make it work. Despite the times you wanted to pack your bags and catch the next flight home, you pressed on. Entrepreneurs are faced with good times and bad, but they don’t give up when the going gets tough. They remember why they started their business and dig deep for the strength to persevere. They know that the brick walls are there to test their determination and they know that “failure” is just a temporary setback that tests their resolve.

Expat Women are Organised and Focused

I don’t care if your home looks like it was hit by a tornado. The fact that you got everything together and made it out of your home country proves that you have at least some sense of organisation. With so many things to arrange prior to your departure and everything else that needed to be done upon your arrival, you had to be organised. And you had to be focused while taking care of it all. Successful entrepreneurs cut through all the clutter and organise their resources. They have a lot to get done, but they focus on the task at hand and see it through to completion.

Expat Women are Adaptable

No matter how well organised you are, your expat journey has likely taken some unexpected twists and turns. You were a bit thrown off by unforeseen events, but you quickly shifted to plan B and rode the curves of the windy expat road. Entrepreneurs don’t enjoy the predictability that most employees do. They have to adapt to changing markets and create new products and services. They shift gears easily as the wants of their clients and customers change.

Expat Women are Growth-Oriented

You wouldn’t have explored new lands if you weren’t open to new ideas and experiences. In leaving your familiar surroundings and venturing into the unknown you had to stretch beyond your comfort zone. These are clear signs that you’re growth-oriented. Successful entrepreneurs are lifelong learners. They continuously seek to expand their awareness and test themselves with challenging projects. They know that in order to grow their business, they have to grow themselves.

Expat Women Seek Out a Support Network

Unless you’re still in the “honeymoon” phase of your expat journey, you’ve probably reached out to other expat women. You enjoy connecting with like-minded women who share your adventurous spirit and can relate to your experience. As an entrepreneur, the road can be a lonely one. Successful entrepreneurs know they can’t go it alone. They seek out a network of kindred spirits who support their success. They brainstorm ideas, give feedback, share wins and victories, and cheer each other on during the uphill times.

There are many other reasons that expat women make great entrepreneurs – these are just a few. If you’re an expat woman entrepreneur, I imagine you can relate to these and come up with a few of your own. If you’re an expat woman who’d like to become an entrepreneur, know that you have what it takes to start your own business – because every entrepreneurial venture starts from within.

Karen Armstrong Quartarone is the founder of Expat Women Entrepreneurs, a worldwide community of entrepreneurial women living abroad who want to thrive in their expat life.

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