M.C. Escher Posted by noortje on Jul 6, 2010
It’s almost impossible that you haven’t seen an image of Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972). With his typical art that is challenging for the eye and the brain he gained world wide fame. Maybe you haven’t seem his art in real life, but the chances are you encountered him online, since he has a huge range…
Buying a Bicycle in the Netherlands Posted by sarah on Jul 5, 2010
If you plan on staying in the Netherlands for more than just a short vacation, buying a bicycle is a must. Well, perhaps you can borrow one from a friend if you don’t need it for too long, but most of us eventually had to endure that complicated task of finding the right bicycle at…
Supporting Oranje in the World Cup with Beesies Posted by sarah on Jun 29, 2010
A few weeks ago I found my preferred method of supporting the Dutch national football team. For every 10..15? euros you purchase at the Albert Heijn you get this little thing they call a beesie. A beestje is a tiny creature or a beasty. Albert Heijn came up with these little fuzzy creatures and called…
Dutch Football Songs about Oranje Posted by sarah on Jun 28, 2010
As we all know, it is football season and oranjegekte (a strange disorder characterized by the inability to wear any color other than orange and a compulsive need to hang orange flags from every place possible) has descended on the country. What you might not know, though probably do, is how important singing is. If…
Het Begijnhof Amsterdam Posted by noortje on Jun 24, 2010
The Begijnhof in Amsterdam is the only little courtyard, once home of the begijnen, built in the Midieval times of Amsterdam. You can enter it at the Singel, almost a meter below the rest of the city center. The Begijnhof is one of the oldest canal gardens in Amsterdam. First of all: begijnen were people…
Het Wilhelmus: The Dutch National Anthem Posted by sarah on Jun 23, 2010
Since I covered a little bit about immigration in my last post, now might be a good time to introduce you to the Dutch National Anthem: Het Wilhelmus. You aren’t required to know it for any official purpose, but it wouldn’t hurt to be able to sing along during the World Cup this summer. I…
Immigration to the Netherlands Posted by sarah on Jun 21, 2010
There are many reasons you might want to immigrate to the Netherlands. Whether it’s reuniting with family, starting a family, following a spouse, trying something new, or getting your education, the entire process can be very confusing. If you’re seriously considering moving here, there are resources you will need to check out first and questions…