Archive by Author
Ke$ha’s Overrated: Ringing in 2011 with Queen, the Eagles, Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, U2, Golden Earring and Boudewijn de Groot Posted by Elena on Jan 9, 2011
Pinpointing how exactly the Dutch like their pop music is not an exact science, except for in the days immediately preceding each Oud en Nieuw. Starting on Christmas day, Radio 2 broadcasts what Dutch voters have designated as the Top 2000 songs of all time. Number one airs as the last minutes of the old…
Koken met Klaas Posted by Elena on Dec 19, 2010
I don’t know what the rest of the world looks like, but here in Maastricht there can be no doubt that it is winter. The snow has been falling faster – quite literally – than they can plow it up, and Dutch rail travelers and road commuters have been experiencing some unnatural delays. Fortunately, at…
Het beste Sint Posted by Elena on Dec 5, 2010
Dear readers and learners of the Dutch language! Tonight is an important night in Nederland. If you hear a knock on your door this evening, you may find a big burlap sack full of presents, molting in the snow. If you’re quick enough, you may catch Zwarte Piet before he disappears: that is to say, you may catch one…
Slaap je niet lekker? Posted by Elena on Nov 14, 2010
I don’t think it is going too far to observe that, in general, the Dutch are a people of strong, often inflexible opinions. The imposition of those opinions on friends, family and casual bystanders is not uncommon. In my experience, a subject that consistently draws expressions from that staunch Dutch well of opinion is sleep. …
Killing the walrus with Fungus Posted by Elena on Oct 25, 2010
In sifting through old emails, I recently rediscovered a traditional Dutch song called “Kaap’ren Varen,” as re-imagined by the 1970’s folk-rock group Fungus. I learn from the internet that they came from Eindhoven, and that they played and wrote songs mostly for werkend en werklose mannen – working and out-of-work men. I can imagine that…
Kip, Patat en Appelmoes Posted by Elena on Oct 10, 2010
It is hard to know whether my childhood desire to sing in front of large audiences of people was born of watching Kinderen voor Kinderen, or whether I liked Kinderen voor Kinderen because of some innate musical inclination. I fantasized about being a part of the beloved Dutch children’s choir, which was started in 1980…
The Naakte American Posted by Elena on Oct 2, 2010
Anton Corbijn is a famous Dutch photographer, and before the release of “The American” this month, he was known for his portraits of rock stars and for 2007’s “Control,” a movie about Ian Curtis of Joy Division. “The American,” starring George Clooney, has introduced a wider audience to Corbijn’s work, particularly in the USA, where…