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Feeling the language Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 15, 2009
Like every other language, in Dutch you can say the same thing in many different ways. None is necessarily wrong (unless you break all grammar and spelling rules of course) but one or a few are always better. With this topic, I’m hoping to encourage you to think outside the box. Think past all the…
To have forgotten times two. Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 10, 2009
You might think to yourself… What a strange title! To have forgotten times two? What could/ should you expect of a topic with that kind of title? Well, this morning I remembered a fall out I once had with a former colleague of mine. To explain, I will tell you something about the work I…
Pregnancy and child birth Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 5, 2009
I just realized there’s a topic I would really like to discuss. I’ve seen countless movies and TV shows in which a pregnant woman goes into labor, is driven to a hospital at break neck speed (think ‘Nine months’) and delivers the baby in just an hour later or so. And the delivering mother of…
Sinterklaas IIII Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 25, 2008
For now, this will be the last post about Sinterklaas. If anyone has more questions about him and the Zwarte Pieten, please do no hesitate to ask. Now, finally, the link between Sinterklaas and Santa Claus. A little history: December 1931. Suddenly he was there and there was no way to avoid him. He was…
Sinterklaas II Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 18, 2008
For those who want to have a glimpse at the famous Jan Steen picture mentioned in the previous post… here’s a link to the website of the Dutch Museum showing the picture. http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_assets/SK-A-385?page=3〈=nl&context_space=&context_id= Traditionally, the eve before the celebration, is called ‘Pakjesavond’ (the fifth of December) and could be translated as: The eve of gifts…
Sinterklaas I Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 15, 2008
I almost forgot a very Dutch tradition… It’s been very busy here so I completely forgot about it until after the ‘event’ was over… Of course I’m talking about the Dutch children’s hero: Sinterklaas. Every year on the 5th of November, Sinterklaas comes to the Netherlands from Spain with a large steam boat, his trusted…
Sinterklaas III Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 13, 2008
Ok, only two more topics about Sinterklaas… the last one (next time) will be about Sinterklaas vs Santa Claus… Last time I told you about the adventures of the Zwarte Pieten in the Dutch tv-show: ‘De Club van Sinterklaas’. Today I’d like to delve a bit deeper in the controversial history of the Zwarte Pieten…