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Archive for February, 2010

De Olympische Spelen : The Olympic Games Posted by on Feb 28, 2010

The winter Olympics are very important in the Netherlands because it is THE place for the Dutch to show off their favorite olympic sport: speed skating!  As Noortje showed us in a previous post about the Elfstedentocht (link to post on Elfstedentocht) in the Netherlands, the Dutch love skating.  Speed skating is something the Dutch…

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Enkhuizen and Hoorn Posted by on Feb 25, 2010

A few weeks ago I managed to get out of Amsterdam, which I try to make a regular habit of.  For this trip, I decided to head north, since the last few trips I have taken have landed me in the south.  One of the great things about the Netherlands is just how easy it…

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Sinterklaas, Santa Claus… Same, same, but different? Posted by on Feb 23, 2010

If you are a bit familiar with the Dutch culture, you probably heard about Sinterklaas, an old man with a white beard who gives presents to good kids on the night of December fifth. And if you did hear of him, you might also wonder what the difference is between him and Santa Claus, because…

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Geert Mak : A Short History about Amsterdam Posted by on Feb 21, 2010

Geert Mak is a Dutch author and historian who writes mostly about the history of the Netherlands, though has also written quite extensively on European history.  One of the reasons I really like Geert Mak as an author is that his use of language is superb.  His writing is thoughtful and also thought provoking. …

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Fietsen : Cycling in the Netherlands Posted by on Feb 19, 2010

In the Netherlands, cycling is not just something fun to do on the weekends, but it is a way of life. For the Dutch, cycling is like breathing: you just do it. But what you may not know is that in the urban centers, cycling can become a real mess if you aren’t sure of…

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Why are the Dutch so tall? Posted by on Feb 17, 2010

As a Dutch woman traveling over the world, one thing always stands out: my height. Although I am not extremely tall in Holland (1.75m), in every other country I am always the giant between the midgets. About 150 years ago the Dutch were one of the smallest people in the world, but now the average…

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Hoe Laat is Het? : What Time is it in Dutch? Posted by on Feb 15, 2010

Telling time in Dutch can be very confusing. I’ll try to keep this straightforward and hope that it helps. At some point a light bulb went off for me and I magically “got it” but it took a bit of practice to get there. Hoe laat is het? -What time is it? Weet je hoe…

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