What Not to Miss in Delfshaven Posted by heather on Mar 17, 2011
Sitting just outside the city centre of Rotterdam, Delfshaven was founded in the 14th century as the port of Delft. Delfshaven was part of the municipality of Delft until 1811, when it became a separate municipality until 1886. At this point it became a part of the municipality of Rotterdam. The Dutch East India Company…
Spelling in Dutch – Part Two Posted by heather on Mar 15, 2011
Last week I wrote about spelling in Dutch with short vowels. We also looked at the difference between open and closed syllables and how to divide syllables in Dutch. Today we will look at spelling with long vowels and the relationship between f and v, and s and z. Spelling with Long Vowels 1. Long…
Paulien Cornelisse: Taal is zeg maar echt haar ding Posted by Elena on Mar 13, 2011
My office book club, which has only met once, at Trafalgar Café in Eindhoven, where we discussed our shared literary experiences over schnietzel and beers, recently read a book that has been quite popular among Dutch readers since it came out in 2009: Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding, by Paulien Cornelisse. Cornelisse is a…
Happy Birthday Rotterdam Museum Night! Posted by heather on Mar 10, 2011
On March 5th was the tenth edition of the annual Rotterdam Museum Night. Forty-five galleries and museums threw open their doors from 8pm until 2am, many with special activities designed just for the night. Tickets went on sale at the beginning of February but these were no ordinary tickets. For €13.50 you got a pin-on…
Spelling in Dutch – Part One Posted by heather on Mar 8, 2011
Whether you were a spelling bee champion or a spelling bee drop-out, Dutch has some spelling rules of its own for you to contend with. I will cover the main spelling rules in two posts. Getting Friendly with Closed and Open Syllables If you have been wondering why some Dutch words gain or lose letters…
Carnaval: 24-hour party people Posted by Elena on Mar 6, 2011
I will continue to “rep” Limburg this week and treat you all to a little taste of the Carnaval festivities that tear up Maastricht (and the surrounding area) every year for the few days before Lent. And when I say tear up, I do not joke. People from all over the Netherlands come to the…
Dutch Commercials – Part Two Posted by heather on Mar 3, 2011
In last week’s post I shared with you three unusual/interesting/creative/funny commercials that currently air or have aired in the Netherlands. Today I will continue with the second part of the list and share with you a further three commercials. 3. Delta Lloyd Groep Delta Lloyd is another Dutch insurance group with operations in the Netherlands…