Archive for 'Culture'
May is the Month of Dutch Holidays Posted by Karoly Molina on May 16, 2018
For those of us that work in the Netherlands, May is a super fun month! Three of the seven national holidays take place this month and the weather has been quite enjoyable, but which days are considered national holidays? First and foremost, the Netherlands is one of the countries with the least national holidays. For…
Staking! Posted by Sten on Apr 30, 2018
Er rijdt geen streekvervoer! (There is no regional transport!) These were headlines today for the fact that streekbussen (regional/local buses) and regionale treinen (regional/local trains) are not driving today. So reizigers (travelers) have to find a way around that – super vervelend (annoying)! Why does this happen? Staking! The reason why the regiovervoer (regional transport) is halted is because the vakbonden (labor unions) FNV and CNV demand better pay, less…
3 Reasons To Like The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 27, 2018
Yesterday, we looked at three reasons to dislike the Dutch monarchy. It is expensive, not transparent, useless… So pragmatic! What do proponents think? Today, on the verjaardag van de koning (the King’s birthday), we will look at 3 reasons to like the Dutch monarchy! 1. Verbindt mensen! Having a koning (king) makes people feel connected, as he is the…
3 Reasons To Dislike The Dutch Monarchy Posted by Sten on Apr 26, 2018
Tomorrow, Koning Willem-Alexander can blow out 51 kaarsjes (candles)! And the whole country is going to celebrate it along with him. Right? No. There are some people opposed to the king. And just this week, negative voices have raised again. Why? Here are three, non-exhaustive, reasons why having a koningshuis (royal house) may not be such a wonderful idea, according to tegenstanders (opponents)…
Arjen Lubach and Dutch Comedy Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 25, 2018
One of the first times I was able to understand comedy in Dutch, it was with the very popular Dutch show Zondag met Lubach. The combination of interesting topics (usually political), many visual images, repetition of jokes or words and his easy Dutch pronunciation have made his show a breeze to watch. If you haven’t watched it, Zondag…
Peculiarities of Driving in the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 11, 2018
Driving in the Netherlands is certainly an experience. Having driven both in Mexico and the U.S., I never found the signs to be too different. In the Netherlands, I had a completely different experience. Here are 4 driving experiences that have caught my attention. Kijkersfile You are on the snelweg driving at 130 kph (about…
Top 3 Dutch April Fool’s Jokes 2018! Posted by Sten on Apr 2, 2018
1 april, kikker in je bil! (April 1, frog in your butt!) Every year, on April 1, people play pranks on each other – and 2018 is no different! And it is not just your brother, dad or neighbor that jokes with you, but also companies and news sources! In my opinion, the Dutch have a pretty great…