Archive for November, 2015
COP 21 – Dutch Focus on Non-State Actors #EarthToParis Posted by Sten on Nov 30, 2015
Today, the twenty-first United Nations Conference of Parties (COP21) kicked off. It is an annual conference on combating climate change, involving all parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), signed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The goal of the Convention That UNFCCC does not contain any binding clauses…
The Best Commercial EVER Posted by Sten on Nov 27, 2015
Wat is de beste reclame ooit? (What is the best commercial ever?) This question was posed at the 50th anniversary of the Ster Gouden Loeki this year. Normally, the best commercial of the year is chosen. Since last Wednesday, it was the 50th anniversary of Ster, the best commercial of all time was to be elected. The election process An…
Taking the Dutch Language Exam Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 26, 2015
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the requirements for integration for those of us who have migrated to the Netherlands as well as about the difficulties in meeting this requirement. For those of us who are inburgeringsverplicht, one of the ways we can fulfill this requirement is by taking the Staatexamen Nederlands als Tweede Taal NT2. This…
Lockdown in Brussels and Security in the Netherlands Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Nov 24, 2015
After last week’s attacks in Beirut and Paris, Brussels is on lockdown. Brussels is the capital of Belgium, the European Union, and NATO, and is only a two hour train ride from Rotterdam, bringing this international conflict close to home in het nederlandse taalgebied in the Netherlands and Flanders. Many of the Dutch words used to describe security situations and…
“Een nieuw jasje” for speed skating! Posted by Sten on Nov 16, 2015
Thialf blijft Thialf. Voor de rest wordt alles nieuw. With this slogan, the re-make of the most famous schaatsbaan (speed skating rink) of the Netherlands has begun. Before we go more into this slogan more deeply, you probably want to know what Thialf is! The old Thialf Thialf is an speed skating rink in Heerenveen in Friesland. It was opened by…
Tragedy in Paris Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 15, 2015
Friday became to be one of the saddest and most tragic in modern history. As I arrived in Mexico City after a long flight to visit family, I was greeted with terrible news: Paris was under attack. When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke. How could Paris, such a beautiful and…
Was Yesterday the First Monday of the Month? Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 11, 2015
Everyone who has lived in the Netherlands has heard the loeien of the sirenes the first Monday of the month at exactly 12pm. I remember the first couple of times I heard it, I was very confused. With time, it has becoming part of the noises in the Netherlands, just like bike bells and tram bells. If you hear…