Archive for 'Culture'
Using Online Newspapers to Improve Your Dutch Posted by heather on Nov 8, 2011
Have you been looking for a way to improve your Dutch? Maybe you were looking for a way to increase your vocabulary, or to improve your comprehension skills or you just wanted some real-world examples of Dutch in use. Well, perhaps online newspapers/news sites are something for you. Not only do online newspapers/new sites provide…
’80s Rap for the “Holiday” Season Posted by Elena on Nov 5, 2011
I know I’m on a roll with these nostalgic posts, helping you imagine Holland as it was in the ’80s and early ’90s, but, hey, autumn is the time to be thinking about the past. Today I want to introduce you, or re-introduce you, as the case may be, to the 1987 hit “Holiday,” by…
Sing Along with Sinterklaas Posted by heather on Nov 3, 2011
There is just over a week to go before Sinterklaas will arrive in the Netherlands much to the delight of children across the country. This year Sinterklaas will officially arrive on November 12th in the city of Dordrecht. His arrival will even be broadcast live on Dutch national television, so no need to fear if…
November in the Netherlands Posted by heather on Nov 1, 2011
Can you believe that another month is upon us and that before we know it, 2012 will be knocking at our door? I know I can’t. Fall and winter are actually my favourite times of the year. I love the cold, the scented candles, the festive atmosphere and of course the food. The Netherlands during…
Ik Hou van Holland – I Love Holland Posted by heather on Oct 27, 2011
Ik hou van Holland (I love Holland) – whenever I hear or see that phrase it makes me think of the Dutch game show with the same name. The show, hosted by Linda de Mol, is on the tv channel RTL4 and tests “famous” Dutch people on their knowledge of the Netherlands. Two teams, lead…
Dat ik altijd huiswerk heb Posted by Elena on Oct 25, 2011
I continue to think that music is a good way of starting to understand a language. It takes work, but parsing the lines to a simple song can be a fun way to get into some new, perhaps offbeat, vocabulary. Sometimes songs are a good window into nonsense words, or idiomatic facets of language that…
Meneer Kaktus: Do you get it?? Posted by Elena on Oct 13, 2011
When I was younger, and my family moved from the Netherlands to the US, my Dutch grandmother often sent me VHS tapes of my favorite Dutch television shows so that I could watch them in New York. Those of you who were children in the Netherlands between 1986 and 1993 will remember Meneer Kaktus, a…