’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…
How to Pronounce Diphthongs and Vowel Combinations in Dutch Posted by heather on Oct 26, 2011
If you want to make yourself understood in a foreign language or really sound like a native speaker, then spending some time practising pronunciation is going to be a key factor for you. In Dutch many of the sounds are quite similar to their English counterparts, although not all, and it is in the diphthongs…
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…
Water Taxi: Fun Transport in Rotterdam Posted by heather on Oct 23, 2011
This weekend I had my first opportunity to ride on the water taxi in Rotterdam. I had seen these blue boats with yellow roofs buzzing across the water plenty of times but had never ridden on one myself. It was fantastic! Not only was it loads of fun but it was really convenient as well. …