Archive for 'Culture'
VLA is Dutch – all you need to know Posted by Sten on Oct 12, 2015
VLA – what do these three letters mean in the Netherlands? A mysterious secret service? A shortcut for a big city in the Netherlands? Maybe something… astronomical? All NO, NO, NO! I am talking about something delicious here. The Netherlands is famous for its Heineken beer, its cheeses, bikes, marijuana, dykes and flatness. But not for…
TV on the Web: How to Learn Dutch on TV this Fall Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Oct 8, 2015
Dutch language learners often have a harder life than learners of other languages: Dutch isn’t spoken in many countries, and the people who live in those countries usually want to speak English to you anyways. But when it comes to improving your luistervaardigheid (listening skills), you’re in luck with Dutch: there are thousands of hours of…
25 Jaar Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden – The Most Successful Dutch Soap Opera Posted by Sten on Oct 5, 2015
Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden – Good times, Bad times. It is a seminal soap opera on Dutch television, which is based on the Australian “The Restless Years”. The first episode of GTST, as it is also called, was broadcast on October 1, 1990 on TV Channel RTL 4. It was the first soap opera in continental…
50 Years 3FM – Some Dutch radio history Posted by Sten on Oct 3, 2015
This week, Dutch radio channel 3FM turned 50 years old. The public channel is one of the most popular and hip ones on the air, in particular with its by now legendary morning show host Giel Beelen. Its main audience is today’s youth, 15-35 year-olds. A lot of different styles are played, from rock to…
8 Things You Have To Know About The Dutch Verzuiling Posted by Sten on Oct 2, 2015
A significant development in the history of the Netherlands is the so-called verzuiling. It could be translated as pillarization (zuil = pillar). So what does that mean? When did it happen? Who is it about? And, maybe most importantly… Why? 1. It divided society Yes, this is a very bold point, and tells you a bit…
Fashion and Prinsjesdag 2015 Posted by Karoly Molina on Sep 30, 2015
Earlier this month, King Willem-Alexander presented to the government and the Dutch people the changes for the coming year. Important topics such as health insurance costs, military expansions and the refugee crisis were all part of this very important speech. However, Prinsjesdag isn’t only about the king’s speech. One very popular topic related to Prinsjesdag is the…
Netherlands + Hip Hop = Nederhop Posted by Karoly Molina on Sep 10, 2015
I was at a dinner party last Saturday with my husband’s cousins and we were listening to music. Riccardo is a BIG hip hop fan so he quickly put some songs he liked (especially after seeing “Straight Outta Compton” a week ago). People started commenting on hip hop and the most baffling term came up…