Dutch Happiness and Part-Time Working: Is It Linked?

Most Dutch Women choose to work
part-time
Photo: Kurhan

According to the CBS, nearly 75% of Dutch women in the work place work part-time. It's the highest part-time rate in the EU, despite the fact that the Netherlands has the second highest rate of women workers in the EU: 71.5% of Dutch women work.

It's not a new topic. But it remains a fascinating one. The Dutch government began trying to encourage women to take on full time employment with tax incentives in the 1990s. They didn't work. In fact, the tax breaks did exactly the opposite and encouraged women to work even fewer hours.

As a comparison: The New York Times states that 23% of women in the United States work part time. That is a staggering difference. What accounts for this part time working trend?

One theory back in 2009 was that men were holding women back - shorter hours and less pay for women being the result. The UN commissioned a study, only to find that only 4% of women part-time workers actually wanted to work full-time or longer hours. Dutch women are actually happy to work part-time. They don't want additional responsibility in the workplace. They don't want to work longer hours.

So is it that Dutch women are lazy? Would they rather be at home watching Oprah than sitting in the work place? Is a daily visit to the gym more important than an increased income?

No, it's about personal freedom. About being able to make choices about how life is lived. Dutch mothers are not prepared to give up their family time and leave full-time child-rearing to expensive creches or the grandparents. Those without children choose to 'enjoy life' instead of working full-time. The Dutch want a good work-life balance. The Dutch are family oriented and value their leisure time (as anyone living here will validate - sunny evenings and weekends mean that the locals are out in force with their bikes enjoying themselves - not in an office to please the boss).

Women, and their partners, are contented with this Dutch culture of part-time working. And the result? Happy women! In fact, the Dutch generally score high in happiness rankings (in the top ten). Looks like somebody is doing something right somewhere in the Netherlands. Don't you think?

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: Sarah Johnson and Teaching with a Twist

When her husband got a job with Nike in Hilversum, the Netherlands, Sarah Johnson left her teaching job in the UK to join him just across the North Sea.

For all intents and purposes, Sarah found that a move abroad brought with it the loss of her career. However, Sarah was eventually able to use her core skill set to blow new life into her career abroad. She explains,

"I was a teacher of Modern Languages (French and German) at a secondary school in the UK and now I teach Dutch to adults."

Instead of working in a school, Sarah works privately from her own home. She tells why she chose this route,

"I would never wish to teach in a Dutch school.  Discipline is seen very differently and I therefore never tried to get a job in a school."

To redirect her career, Sarah used her existing teaching skills and concentrated on a niche group; namely foreigners living in her local area in the Netherlands who wanted to learn Dutch. She explains how the idea came about,

Sarah Johnson's expat career took
an unexpected turn
at toddler swimming
Photo: Jeremy Doorten

"It was purely down to a friend asking me - 8 years ago now.  She heard me speaking to some dutch mums whilst we were at toddler swimming and asked me.  I laughed, but then reflected on it and put out feelers to see if anyone would be interested.  My Dutch was fluent, in that I could hold a conversation about anything, but certainly not to the level I can speak nowadays - although I'm still not faultless.  My first student was Spanish, oddly enough, and then my British circle of students started."

What Sarah has pursued is quite unusual. Language teaching abroad typically focusses on teaching your native language to locals, but Sarah has turned that idea on its head to support non-natives to learn the local, foreign language.

There is, as often is the case, a but. Sarah's career abroad has not been straight forward. There has been soul searching and she followed a downward slope before she picked herself up and got back on track.

"When we first moved to the Netherlands I went into customer services briefly until having our first child.  After that, I lost my way and didn’t know how to get back on track. When I hit my all-time low, I decided to write a book about how I was feeling.  Through many twists and turns of fortune, and through taking opportunities when they presented themselves, I found myself teaching Dutch to non-natives," she says.

Sarah started with one student and built up her client base gradually until she was teaching eight lessons a week. And then she took it a step further,

"In August 2009 I formed my company “Building Blocks Multilingual” which is becoming increasingly successful.   Instead of teaching hourly lessons on a weekly basis I am now offering intensive courses, which are proving to be popular.  My aim is to get the language system – Blank Canvas – that I have devised and developed myself, which makes learning languages more straight forward, into schools across the globe.

Sarah Johnson shows that thinking outside the box and making the most of a creative mind and opportunities really can pay off.

Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson is a language teacher and the creator of Building Blocks Multilingual. 
You can contact her on 035 623 2746 or on her mobile 06 25 52 30 85 or send her an email at johnsons1 at mac dot com

She blogs her novel under the writer's name of Summer Knight. In her own words, Sarah explains,

"It details the difficulties I encountered in a different country, having lost my career to all intents and purposes.  I try to post a chapter every week: 

http://metamorph2010.wordpress.com/"

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

Expat Challenges by Kate Berger

Kate Berger, an expat expert
specialising in helping expat kids

For the Expats@Home February newsletter, I asked expat expert, Kate Berger, to share a little about some of the challenges that face expats. She interviewed some local expats from different countries and shared them with us. The result was interesting with issues ranging from how to make friends to ensuring that your retirement plan can sustain you in later life.

Kate Berger offers emotional health services for expatriate children and adolescents in the Amsterdam area through her practice, The Expat Kids Club. Individual and group sessions are offered, and target issues including anxiety, family & peer conficts, and socio/emotional adjustment to non-native lifestyles & cultures. For more information visit http://www.expatkidsclub.com/index.html

If you want to read the article in it's entirety visit the archive. If you want to sign up for future editions of my newsletter visit my website page.

A Little Help in the Delivery Room for Expats: Doulas

Having a baby in a foreign country can be quite daunting and if your mum and your best friend live back in your country of origin then having your nearest and dearest around you at such an emotional time can be very hard to plan. However, hiring a doula can help - for many many reasons. A doula is someone who provides support (non-medical) during pregnancy, labour and the birth. For the birth of my second baby, I had a doula on hand and I would recommend it to anyone!!

If you want to know more, read an article I wrote for I Am Expat about my experience with a doula.

Ten Things You Don't Know about The Netherlands and the Dutch Until You Move Here (Part 1)

Photo: Suresh

The typical Dutch stereotype consists of cheese eating, clog wearing tall people talking a dialect of German with a backdrop of windmills sailing round on the flatlands. However, there is much more to this small country and the people who live in it than the rest of the world thinks. Here's the first part of a series on things you don't necessarily know about the Dutch and their country until you move here.


1. Coffee is an Obsession
There is a fair bit of cheese here and the Dutch do miss their Edam and Gouda cheese when they leave the shores of the Netherlands but what comes as more of a surprise when you come to live here is the national obsession with coffee. The Dutch drink a lot of coffee. I mean an awful lot of coffee. How's this for coffee drinking? After the Scandinavian countries, the Dutch are the world's biggest consumers of coffee. The average consumption is about 150 litres of the stuff per year - three cups a day.

Photo: John Nyberg

It's drunk for every occasion and is usually accompanied by a sweet treat if you are visiting.

2. Part-Timers Rule
Despite the government trying every way they can think off (aside from compulsory work laws) to incentivise women to work full-time, it has failed miserably. The Dutch have the most part-time workers in the whole of the EU. To quote the European Commissions statistics group (Eurostat),

"All regions in the Netherlands record a remarkably low average (ed: of working hours) compared with other regions. The highest value in the Netherlands was found in Flevoland with an average of 31.6 hours per week, which is still 2.4 hours less than in Martinique (France), the region with the lowest value of all regions in the EU, not counting the Netherlands. This supports the conclusion that the Netherlands is a special case regarding the average time spent at work."

And the best thing is that Dutch women are extremely happy with their working lives and the home-work balance. They simply have better things to do. Read the article on Slate for more explanation.

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.

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

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?

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?

Guest Post: Pregnant in Greece by Anneke Kamerling

This is the last in a guest blog series written by Anneke Kamerling about her expat life in Greece. If you want to find out more about Anneke and her collection of anecdotes, take a look at Typical Greek.

It's not stomach flu after all....

Suddenly I know for sure. I'm pregnant. At first, as I was quite sick, I thought it was the stomach flu, but after visiting the toilet I just felt hungry again. I do not feel ill. So I go to the astonished pharmacist in Pythagorion for a pregnancy test and sure enough, the swab turns blue. I better not say anything yet, I think. My mind focused on guiding those taxing and very bumpy Jeep safaris and walking tours every week. Just continue for now, I decide.

After three months of secrecy, I inform the homefront in the Netherlands and Norway and also tell everyone at the office about my pregnancy. I receive plenty of congratulations and well-intended advice, too - such as; I should not sit with my legs crossed, because then my child can't breathe.

When I walk into the office later, two colleagues are waiting for me. They stand solemly behind chairs with two embroidered cushions and ask me to take a seat. Well, I want to, because I've just returned from the walking tour and feel more or less exhausted. I plop down on the first chair. Alepou nestles at my feet. "Ena agori (a boy)", they cry out enthusiastically. "What boy?" I ask. "You get a boy, a son", is the answer and once again I am warmly congratulated by all. I must get up and under the pillow where I sat, a knife is hidden. Had I known, I would have been a bit more careful. A pair of scissors is removed from under the other pillow. If I had sat there, I would have a daughter, obviously.

Photo: Feikje Meeuwsen

I've lived in Greece since I was 19 years old. From student life with its macaroni dishes, I went straight into the Greek kitchen. When I by exception want to cook something Dutch, I call my mom to guide me. But my taste is changing at the moment. Usually I love all different Greek dishes with loads of garlic, but now I cannot stand garlic anymore. Unfortunately since I am pregnant I can smell a lot better and the garlic smell is prevalent everywhere. I feel sicker and sicker. I crave a steak with spinach and potatoes! Or, yes, garden beans! Behind my house garden beans are grown and I can reap as many as I want. No sooner said than done. I pick some beans, call my mother in Holland and enjoy a typical Dutch meal. Voula my colleague raises her hands to heaven when I tell her about my delicious meal. "Garden beans?" NOT good, I understand. Myth has it, they cause a miscarriage. Now I am instructed to lie on my back on the floor with my legs on a chair. Since that is pretty comfortable, I do as I'm told. Voula rushes across the street and comes back with a blue stone on a long chain, which she puts around my neck. With every movement the stone gently touches my belly and this way my baby is well protected against the evil eye.

Unfortunately I seem to summon the evil eye on my baby myself time after time. I walk with Alepou near my house, when he suddenly is attacked by a cat. I'm so stupid to interfere and then the cat hangs with claws and teeth in my leg. It appears to be a nursing mother, because now the little ones emerge from the high grass. Exceptionally I kick like my life is depending on it and finally the cat let's go. Hissing, she disappears with her offspring back into the grass. I realize I need a tetanus shot and I go to the Dutch doctor, who does the control of my pregnancy. I ask her about the beans story. "Oh no", she says. "Beans are high in folate and that is good for you! But that steak should be cooked well done, that's best." I'm feeling reassured. I also have to have an ultrasound made at the hospital in Samos town. This is standard in Greece. I emphasize that I do not want to know which gender the baby will be and the gynaecologist almost lets the cat out of the bag. He is used to announcing the big news and I can tell he thinks I am a strange case.

I can cope better and better with my nausea. I drive across the whole island until I get home in Limnionas, run to the toilet, empty my stomach and then plunder the fridge. I hold information meetings, where I must visit the toilet during breaks, rinse my mouth and answer the questions from my guests. Breakfast consists of three sessions: A peanut butter sandwich, the toilet and another peanut butter sandwich. My stomach begins to get rounder.

When I rub my stomach at the office and sigh that I just have to have some watermelon, Voula jumps up in panic and spits at me, "ftou, ftou. You do not want your child to have a wine stain birthmark on his belly in the shape and the size of a watermelon, do you? Are you crazy?" she lectures me. "A bunch of grapes, then?" I ask teasingly and rub my sweaty neck. "No, no, stop!" is her response. Could she really believe in those myths? I wonder.

Just back from their delivery rounds...

A few months before childbirth, I leave for the Netherlands, loaded down with lots of gold, blue eyes and sachets filled with garlic and herbs against the devil's influence on my future son. And yes, it's a boy! But what do I see on his neck? A small wine stain birthmark, consisting of tiny red balls. "Oh, that will disappear soon enough", says the paediatrician. "It is a stork bite."

Stork bite, grapes, I do not know. And I don't care. My son is healthy and he is named after Dionysus!

A Dutch Decade: Q&A with Jo Parfitt

As part of the Dutch Decade week I threw the floor open to you to ask any question you liked about expat life or life in the Netherlands.....

Jo Parfitt, expat author, entrepreneur, speaker, teacher, mentor, coach and general writing guru, asked,

Jo Parfitt

"They say that after about 2 years abroad there is no going back, that you are now permanently changed and that from now on, wherever you live the grass will be greener. Do you now feel that, happily and completely this is your home, or do you have "grass is greener" moments? Please tell me about the state of your integration".

My Answer: I am not sure about the validity of after 2 years there is no going back; after ten years I think that is most definitely the case. For the first few years I lived in the Netherlands, whenever I travelled back to England I had the feeling that I was going home. In later years that reversed and as soon as we board the ferry or train back to Holland it feels like I am heading home.

I still miss my friends and family back in England and that will never change, but when we go back there I feel like a visitor and not a native. And that is not strange after a decade away.

That is not to say I don’t have my ‘grass is greener’ moments – some things in the Netherlands irk me and there are occasions you will hear me say, “You wouldn’t have this problem in England.” But of course, no matter where you live there are things you don’t like and at the end of the day England and the Netherlands are not poles apart like some cultures are.

I feel well assimilated into Dutch society - I am married to a Dutchman so I have had to  but I remain English and will never be a true local. So in a way, living overseas for ten years means that you live in the no man’s land between being an expat and being a local.

Photo: Myles Davidson

I speak Dutch to a reasonable standard (at least nobody tries to speak English to me anymore when I am out and about), I understand a good deal about Dutch culture and what makes the Dutch tick. I have a birthday calendar in my downstairs toilet, my potato masher is well used in the winter and I get enthusiastic about the national football team; I do my best to integrate. However, there are some things, no matter how long I live here for, that I will not adopt or accept as the norm: birthday circles and bad customer service.

Does your host country feel like your home now or do you still have a feeling of coming home when you travel back to your country of origin?

New Guest Post Series - Typical Greek

Anneke Kamerling

Next week a series of four blog postings will start about expat life in Greece, as told by Anneke Kamerling. Anneke is a Dutch writer (as well as an interior designer and visual artist) from Ermelo who lived for 10 years in Greece. Having written a number of travel guides for het-boekje.nl, she has now compiled a booklet from anecdotes about her life abroad in this beautiful country. She tells about everything from being pregnant in Greece and shopping for chicken to unblocking toilets and riding motorcycles. She has kindly allowed me to publish four of her tales but if you want to read more visit het-boekje.nl.

Tales from the Expat Harem - Book Review

A Must Read Expat Book

I believe that a book that transports you to another place is the most rewarding you can read. A book that allows you to experience a different culture or unknown feeling from the comfort of your easy chair, bed or garden, or even the less comfortable perch in the smallest room in the house, is one to rave about.

Reading "Tales from the Expat Harem" will make you feel like you have experienced a little of life in Turkey. It is nearly three hundred pages of expat women telling their tales about life in a country that bridges east and west, that even within its own borders joins the modern and the traditional.

Let me ask you this. How would you react if the community you loved living in insisted you sacrificed a sheep because you found the perfect house to live in? Hard to imagine for many, but Pat Yale tells us how she reconciled a Turkish custom with her own personal beliefs.

Then there's Amanda Coffin who shares her story of dealing with unwanted advances by Turkish men in the East of the country; a similar tale here in Holland would most likely end in a restraining order, but calm and mindful, Amanda tackles the problem directly herself.

Family tensions, princess weddings, cross country road trips, archaeological digs, religion, belly dancing, food, parties and shopping: "Tales from the Expat Harem" has it all.

Photo: Sinan Acar 

"Tales from the Expat Harem" is a cultural adventure that takes readers on a journey of emotions through the voices of 29 women who have lived through experiences in Turkey, women who moved there for love, adventure, work, religion or to study. Together they share the colours of a village wedding, the sounds of a bazaar, the taboos of gender interaction, the culture of a religion, the tradition of evil eye charms, the richness of the Turkish landscapes and the intimacies of Turkish bath houses.

Abandoning stereotypes. Learning a language. Embracing a culture. Accepting a tradition. Adapting to new customs. These are the keys for foreign women in modern Turkey. These are the keys to being an expat just about anywhere.

This is expat lit that captures the imagination of readers, that educates, shares and enlightens. If you really want to know what expat life is about, read "Tales from the Expat Harem".

For more info about the "Tales from the Expat Harem" book and contributors visithttp://www.expatharem.com/tales-from-the-expat-harem/contents-contributors/

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.

Guest Post Series: My City of Light by Nicole

I've experienced many highlights and lowlights living in Eindhoven as an expat for the last three years. For starters, there are a lot of lights in Eindhoven, being the city of light and all. Some are low — the urban landscapers are keen on ground lighting — and some of them are high, especially during GLOW and the Lichtjesroute, two annual festivals in Eindhoven celebrating light.

Bad jokes aside, it's difficult to pick out the highlight and lowlight from my expat life when it's not over for another year. Passing the Staatsexamen was a highlight, especially given I am far from fluent, have an appalling accent, and speak more English than Dutch during the day. I appreciate living and working in a multilingual, multicultural environment: when I tire of Dutch and Guus Meeuwis and stamppot, I have native Portuguese speakers, German music experts, and Chinese home chefs within easy reach to help with providing some variety.

A lowlight has been the feelings of not so much isolation, but disconnectedness. Not speaking Dutch when I arrived meant that I could only watch English-language films at the cinema and couldn't follow the local news. Trying to follow Australian news from afar didn't work too well at the daily customary lunches with colleagues. My colleagues practise their English by watching American sitcoms, which leaves me standing alone in the corner of British comedy. When I do read a Dutch book or watch a Dutch TV show or film and then try to discuss it with my Dutch colleagues, the response usually is, "I wouldn't know about it, I don't read/watch Dutch books/TV/films".

The real highlights though have been the little things: discovering sausage rolls exist, drinking/eating Belgian hot chocolate sticks, accessing speedy and reliable Internet. There's an amazing sense of achievement in buying a light bulb at the supermarket and going home to find it's the right one. Maybe I will, just a little bit, miss this city of light.

Nicole writes about her adventures as a researcher in Eindhoven at the expat numbat and ever so occasionally at Eindhoven News, a new English-language news portal for expats in Eindhoven. Her interests include languages, all sorts of culture, travelling and running.

Photo: the Lichttoren in Eindhoven during winter.