You are cordially invited to celebrate the King’s Birthday Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 21, 2017
For over 130 years, the Dutch have been happily celebrating Queen’s/King’s Day with big parties, lots of orange and parades. The monarch’s birthday is not only a day to celebrate but also one of the few national holidays the country observes. So what can you do at this year’s Koningsdag? This year, King Willem-Alexander turns 50…
Dutch Pandas and KLM Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 13, 2017
Last night was a memorable night for KLM and the Dutch as a whole. Two pandas arrived on an inbound flight from China and will be at the Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen. Wu Wen and Xing Ya will be staying in the Netherlands for the next 15 years after a 16-year campaign on behalf of…
Book Review: The Evenings by Gerard Reve Posted by Karoly Molina on Mar 15, 2017
This month’s pick for Dutch literature was The Evenings by Gerard Reve. This book is one of the most famous Dutch novels and a certain read for high school students. But what is this novel about and is it really all that it is hyped up to be? Reve was born on December 1923 in Amsterdam. He…
Pronouncing the R in Dutch Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Mar 14, 2017
The R is by far the most interesting letter in Dutch pronunciation. It can be pronounced with a tap of the tip of the tongue, a contortion of the middle of the tongue, a gurgle from the throat, or any of a handful of other ways. Sometimes it sounds like a rolled Spanish r, sometimes…
Dutch Elections 2017 Posted by Karoly Molina on Mar 1, 2017
On March 15, 2017, the Dutch will go to the voting polls to elect all 150 members of de Tweede Kamer der Staten-General or the House of Representatives. The verkiezingen or elections are predicted to set the stage for the upcoming elections in the rest of Europe. So how do the elections work? All eligible voters will elect one…
Italian in Dutch Posted by Sten on Feb 27, 2017
I was in Italy last week, and obviously came across a lot of Italian words – and many of them you know and use yourself, too! Think of all the coffee names, such as latte macchiato, cappuccino, espresso, and more. Are there words from Italian that were just adopted in Dutch, so-called leenwoorden? Leenwoorden Muziek Many words in music…
The Environmental Manifesto Posted by Karoly Molina on Feb 23, 2017
Elections are coming up and everyone is talking about it. One of the many issues that is being talked about is the environment. Jan Terlouw, a retired politician from the D66 party, recently met up with leaders of the youth organizations affiliated to the different political parties to discuss what it is they want the…