Tag Archives: culture
Dutch Music : Andre Hazes Posted by sarah on Apr 27, 2010
No blog about Dutch language and culture would truly be complete if we didn’t at least mention Andre Hazes. Whether you love him or hate him, he’s here to stay and has won a very particular spot in the hearts of the Dutch. Andre Hazes was a folk singer who sang a particularly emotional and…
Dutch Food: What is hutspot? Posted by noortje on Apr 23, 2010
I personally hate the winter: the cold, the countless layers of clothing, the cold, the pale and kranky people, the snow which prevents you from riding your bike normally and again, the cold! But I have to admit there is one good thing about the winter and it’s called hutspot. Hutspot is made out of…
Dutch Poetry: De Blauwbilgorgel, door Cees Buddingh Posted by sarah on Apr 22, 2010
Poems are a great way to learn new vocabulary and see the Dutch language used in new and interesting ways. This particular poem is an experiment in rhythm, sound and tone but uses nonsense words to do it. It’s a bit like Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” but in Dutch. But it’s not all complete nonsense, so…
Dutch Politics and Government: What is het poldermodel? Posted by noortje on Apr 19, 2010
Let’s discuss it. Let’s discuss it some more. And some more. And now let’s discuss the results. Maybe I exaggerate a little, but this is what we call ‘het poldermodel’, the economic political way of ruling based on discussion. After World War Two The Netherlands were taking in by the consultation system, in which the…
Dutch Political Parties Part Two Posted by sarah on Mar 29, 2010
In my last blog I left off with telling you a bit about five of the major political parties in the Netherlands. As you could see, this is an interesting time for the Netherlands in terms of politics, with many party leaders coming and going. In this blog I’m going to continue on with this…
Annie M.G. Schmidt and the Adults Posted by noortje on Mar 26, 2010
We covered Annie M.G. Schmidt’s work for kids and teenagers, which leaves one group missing: what did Annie M.G. Schmidt write for adults? Although I kept this topic until last, Schmidt actually started out with writing for the adults. In 1938 she got herself out there by writing two poems that were both published in…
Dutch Political Parties Part One Posted by sarah on Mar 24, 2010
We all know politics can be a dangerous topic, therefore, I am simply going to give you all an overview of some of the major national political parties in the Netherlands, and I’ll try to keep my own political opinions mostly out of it. But! I thoroughly encourage you all to have a lively debate…