ACCESS Winter 2013

winter 2013 S E R V I N G T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O M M U N I T Y

WWW

.ACCESS-NL.ORG

The Dutch and auto innovation Special features | Antipodean stars shining in Amsterdam |

A trip down Automobile Lane | Getting a Dutch driving license | Get the Van Gogh touch | Gouda by Candlelight | zandvoort racing |

Letter from the Editor

Dear ACCESS readers Taking a lesson from the past can often be a key to stepping forward in the future. In reinventing something, we might sometimes need to go in reverse but invariably we go forward with something that is for the better.

In this issue, we focus on the auto industry in the Netherlands and specifically innovation.

Cars are ubiquitous but how often do you think about what it takes to power them other than the cost in euros? Learn about the automotive past by reading about the Louwman museum, and then step in to the future with our cover story on automotive innovation.

At ACCESS, we not only help people to settle in to the Netherlands but we also help people innovate. Many volunteers have a skillset but through volunteering with ACCESS, they are challenged to learn new skills and take on roles different to those previously done.

This helps to create a more sustainable international community.

It’s not all about cars; a pinch of spice from the Australian and New Zealand’s Food and Community articles is added to accelerate your taste buds to heaven. Don’t miss Gouda

by Candlelight and learn how to cope with homesickness with Mandie Danielski.

Erin Willie informs us of tulips in Amsterdam and an ice hotel in Zwolle. We hope to help you get the most out of your time in the Netherlands, start now by reading ACCESS’s Winter edition.

In closing, we would like to thank Connie Moser for her contribution to the ACCESS e-zine as Editor and wish her all the best for the future.

Festive greetings to all!

Sally Squirrell E-zine Editor ACCESS editor@access-nl.org

About ACCEss is a volunteer not-for-profit organisation that serves the needs and interests of the international community in the netherlands. it is supported by Dutch, inter national and expatriate businesses and organisations through donations and sponsorship.

Executive Board

• Chairman: Gary Hays, TNK-BP • Vice Chairman: Kiri Kikis, Kikis Investments • Treasurer: to be appointed • Secret ary: Imanda Wapenaar, WFIA

Members

What we do

Established in 1986 ACCESS is a unique volunteer-based organisation. Representing an impressive cultural and linguistic variety, its dedicated volunteers work to: • provide guidance, advice, information to help individuals with settling, and/or living and working in the Netherlands • promote friendship, understanding and well-being of the members of the international community in the Netherlands • contribute to community development through skill training schemes and courses • serve as a bridge between local and international communities How you can help

ACCESS can be supported in many ways: • As a Volunteer: check the website for Information Morning dates or contact vrd@access-nl.org • As a Trainer: consult ‘Become a Trainer’ on www.access-nl.org • As an Associate or Partner: details of which can also be found on our website.

• As an Advertiser: on our website or in our e-zine.

Contact adv@access-nl.org • As a Friend: Like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter to show your support. Click on links below.

• Willemijn van Oppen-Stuyt, Educaide • Jessie Rodell • Koosje Ploegmakers, ABN AMRO • Godelijn Boonman, GMW Advocaten

4 | access | wintEr

ACCESS Zeestraat 100 2518 AD The Hague The Hague International Centre City Hall Atrium, Spui 70

0900 2 ACCESS (0900 2 222 377) local rate 20c per minute helpdesk@access-nl.org www.access-nl.org Join ACCESS on

• Letter from the Editor • ACCEss news • Community news • what’s on • Cover story: the Dutch and auto innovation - reinventing the wheel • shopping • A trip down Automobile Lane • Gouda by Candlelight • Australians and new zealanders in the netherlands • Antipodean stars shining in Amsterdam • Coping with homesickness in healthy ways • zandvoort racing • Getting a Dutch driving license • sustainable car ownership • Meet our trainers Publisher Stichting ACCESS - Zeestraat 100, 2nd floor, 2518 AD The Hague, Editorial content editor@access-nl. org, Advertising 070 345 1700, adv@access-nl.org, Editor Sally Squirrell Assistant Editor Mandie Rose Danielski Design & Layout Marek Moggré Contributors Kathy Voyles, Renée VeldmanTentori, Persephone Abbott, Mandie Rose Danielski, Jop Voorhoeve, Erin Willie, Sally Squirrell, Deborah Valentine, Karen T. Slingenberg Cover image Hans Peter van Velthoven Copyright©ACCESS 2013 All rights reserved. No part of the ACCESS e-zine may be used in any form without explicit permission in writing from the Publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at the time of going to press. However, ACCESS and its writers cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information included.

Cover story

Reinventing the wheel pHoto: Jorrit LousBErG

Winter 2013 Vol. 26 No. 4

Food

Antipodean stars shining in Amsterdam pHoto: kAtHy VoyLEs

ACCESS e-zine

winter 2013

travel

Gouda by Candlelight pHoto: nBtC

Contents |

ACCESS partners & Associates

Thank you for your support Platinum ****

Gold ***

Banking, taxation and personal finance ABN AMRO *** J.C.Suurmond & zn. * Ralph’s Tax Service A

Silver **

Bronze *

Government support City of The Hague **** WFIA (West-Holland Foreign Investment Agency) *** City of Delft * City of Leidschendam-Voorburg * 6 | access | wintEr

Media Partners M

Healthcare

your child

Bronovo * Bureau Kraamzorg Extra A International Health Centre The Hague A Petra Foesenek Skin Therapy A

British School in the Netherlands *** American School of The Hague ** International School of The Hague ** American International School of Rotterdam * Big Ben Kids * British School of Amsterdam * German International School of The Hague * HSV The Hague School Association * True Colours childcare * Zo! Kinderopvang & Bso * Crèche Hermelijntje A Passionate Parenting A

the Community Xpat Media (Xpat Journal) *** ICP – International Community Platform ** Candles Flame Computer Training * The Hague Online * Alliance francaise A Expat Events A PrivatePA-NL A AngloINFO SouthHolland M DutchBuzz M Dutch News M The Hungry Mind M IamExpat M Joining.com M Thex patTV M Women’s Business Initiative International M

Associates A

Housing Bizstay The Hague A Learning Dutch BSN Language Centre * Direct Dutch * Kickstart School * Legal matters GMW Advocaten ** Kortman Immigration Lawyers A Lifestyle ASPA A Paard van Troje A STET The English Theatre A partner support Royal Tropical Institute * Unique Multilingual * Zestee Social Media School A

There are many ways in which you can support the work ACCESS does: as a Partner, Associate and Advertiser. Click here to see our Helping ACCESS 2013 Media Pack for opportunities.

ACCESS

News Newest Guide: Partner Support ACCESS is proud to announce a new addition to their Frequently Asked Questions series – the Partner Support Guide. Unlike many of the other FAQ Guides prepared by ACCESS, which are solely based on the questions received at our Helpdesk, this particular Guide is based more importantly on the collective experience, recommendations and suggestions of the thousands of ACCESS volunteers & trainers over the years.

90% of these have been ‘accompanying partners’ themselves and have contributed to the evolution of this support document. Download it for free here. «

Meet the Experts: get answers to your questions Mark your calendars. Monday February 10th 2014 sees the return of this popular event!

ACCESSing the Netherlands: Meet the Experts is, according to past participants: “… valuable.

It provides me the access to get right infor­ mation for the life in the Netherlands,” and “… very valuable, (as it put me in touch) with some specialists. I’ve already solved some issues with their help.” Have your questions answered on topics ranging from Childcare to Healthcare; legal issues to banking ones, and meet many others in a similar situation.

Register here to reserve your space. «

Help is only ONE phone call away From the beginning, way back in 1986, Counsellors were the raison d’etre of ACCESS. There was need for a group of professionals cognisant of, in practice and theory, the challenges of expatriate living. Their skills were, and

remain varied; their languages and expat experience, idem ditto. This has not changed.

Today, 27 years later, every month two of ACCESS’ counsellors are on-call every day to receive calls for help and guide people to the support

they need.

To find the number of each month’s oncall counsellor you can contact our Helpdesk by email or phone, or find it here. « access | winter | 7

photo: NBTC

Community News

Amsterdam – London by train Eurostar has signed an agreement with the Dutch railways to launch direct services between London and Amsterdam from December 2016.

8 | access | winter

Eurostar plans to run two services a day between London and Amsterdam with journey times of around four hours.

These services will run from London via Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam Centraal.

Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar: “With over 3 million passengers travelling by air between London and Amsterdam, this is one of Europe’s most popular routes.

With the arrival of a direct high-speed rail service between the UK and the Netherlands, passengers can look forward to an attractive, convenient alternative to the airlines.” « www.breakingtravelnews.com

Community News

Hilversum joins the Expatcenter Amsterdam As of October 2013, inter­ national residents in Hilversum can benefit from the range of services offered by the Expatcenter Amsterdam.

The cities of Amsterdam and Hilversum have taken a significant step towards extending the regional ­provision of Expatcenter Amsterdam’s services to international companies and in doing so, further strengthening the business climate. Several major Expatcenter Amsterdam ­clients have offices in Hilversum; knowledge migrants living in Hilversum can now register with Expatcenter Amsterdam.

The centre also covers those living in Amstelveen, Haarlemmermeer and Almere. «

City’s Finest:

The Hague Ever wish you could quickly discover the recommended shops in your neigh­ bourhood; discover the treasures and gems right on your doorstep, around the corner; have a way of spreading the news about a shop that ‘hit the spot’?

In 2014 this new initiative, that will also raise funds to support community activities, such as the work of ACCESS, will be launched. City’s Finest will be the online guide to neighbourhood shops throughout the greater The Hague area which internationals, like you, gladly recommend.

For now www.citysfinest.org can be used to make recom­ mendations of such treasures. Be sure to share your favourite corner shops, and encourage the shops to be a part of this initiative. «

access | winter | 9

Community News

Get the Van Gogh Touch

With the swipe of a finger an old layer of varnish can be ­digitally removed from The bedroom to reveal a restored painting, or the top layer of View from Theo’s apartment can be rubbed away to reveal how Van Gogh reused his canvasses.

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum has launched a new app for tablets: the Touch Van Gogh which allows users to explore the secrets behind some of Van Gogh’s best works including The bedroom, View from Theo’s apartment and Daubigny’s garden.

movie: Van Gogh Museum

The app allows users to “discover how a painting looked before restoration, exactly why it was painted, where the paint has become discoloured and how the composition is constructed. Like a detective, users can unravel the mysteries of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings at their own pace, gradually learning more about the life and work of this famous artist,” the museum says.

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Over the next two years, the Van Gogh Museum will regularly add new works to Touch Van Gogh. This Englishlanguage app (iOS 6 and Android) can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play. «

Community News

Dutch designer clears the sky of Beijing The system uses copper coils to create an electrostatic field that attracts smog particles to clean the air. By making a weak electromagnetic field (similar to static electricity that attracts your hair to a balloon), the smog components in

movie: studio roosegaarde

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde has developed an ‘electronic vacuum cleaner’ that can remove smog from urban skies and is working with the mayor of heavily polluted Beijing to use the technology in a new park in the city.

the air are pulled down to the ground where they can be cleaned. According to Roosegaarde, this creates gigantic holes of clean air in the sky, which can be as large as 60 metres. The coils can be buried beneath the grass of a park and release no toxic residues.

Daan Roosegaarde and scientists at the University of Delft have been working to unveil a working prototype of the system, and will spend the next 18 months developing the technology before deploying it in a park in Beijing. « access | winter | 11

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German International School The Hague

Open your child’s world, expand their horizons.

High Quality Multilingual Education from the ages 3 to 18

www.disdh.nl

What’s on Winter 2013

Special events in December WANT TO post a community event in this magazine? contact access MAGAZINE at EDITOR@access-nl.org, SUBJECT: ‘what’s on’.

Now until Spring 2014 December 25-28 The Nutcracker Christmas Titanic: Artifacts Amsterdam Expo Read the tragic story of the ‘Unsinkable Ship’, told through incredibly preserved relics from the original Titanic. www.amsterdamexpo.nl

Fairytale The Hague Start a family tradition this holiday and get your tickets to The Nutcracker. The Hague based dance company (De Dutch Don’t Dance Division) performs along with two upcoming young dancers from the American Ballet Theatre New York who are cast in the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier in the famous Grand Pas de Deux. www.ldt.nl

December 6 January 19

December 9 - January 24 Ice Sculpture exhibit Zwolle

Take a stroll or boat ride along the Amstel river and the city’s canals to enjoy the stunning works of the best light artists from around the world. Don’t miss the Christmas canal parade where dozens of boats adorned with spectacular lights sail through the canals. photo: Janus van den Eijnden

photo: ijsbeelden

Amsterdam Light Festival

Combine 250,000 kilograms of ice and snow with dozens of Dutch and international ice artists and you get the largest and most spectacular ice sculpture festival in Europe. This year the artists chisel out their own interpretations of the Grimm fairytales. If you need a place to sleep, go ahead and book a night in Zwolle’s very own ice hotel, made entirely from snow and ice. Don’t forget your mittens. www.ijsbeelden.org

www.amsterdamlightfestival.com access | winter | 13

What’s on Winter 2013

Special events in January WANT TO post a community event in this magazine? contact access MAGAZINE at EDITOR@access-nl.org, SUBJECT: ‘what’s on’.

January 12

around Holland

PWN Egmond Half Marathon

photo: Alexander Fritze

January 1 New Year’s Dive 60 locations

It’s that time again and in case you chickened out last year, 2014 presents another chance to start ‘fresh’ with this Dutch tradition. After all, if 25,000 Dutchmen can plunge into frigid January waters then so can you. The largest dive is held at the beach of Scheveningen, where well over 10,000 people take part.

www.pwnegmondhalvemarathon.nl

January 16-19

www.unox.nl

LIKE ME International Literature Festival The Hague

January 18

www.holland.com 14 | access | Winter

photo: NBTC

National Tulip Day Experience the official start of tulip season on National Tulip Day. Feast your eyes on a colourful Amsterdam Dam square and pick up a free bunch of tulips.

The best way to stay in shape through the cold winter months is to pick a fitness goal and stick to it. And what better way to do it than to put a Half Marathon on the calendar. Join other dedicated joggers on the route through the coastal village Egmond aan Zee, seven kilometers across the beach and nine kilometers through woods and dunes. So run (don’t walk!) to register now.

Inspiration awaits when Writers Unlimited brings some 100 international authors, poets, journalists and musicians together for performances, talkshows, discussions, interviews, films, music and storytelling. www.writersunlimited.nl

Special events in February WANT TO post a community event in this magazine? contact access MAGAZINE at EDITOR@access-nl.org, SUBJECT: ‘what’s on’.

photo: TertiusXavier Van Oosthuyzen

February 10-16 ABN AMRO World Tennis

Tournament Rotterdam

February 9-12 Art Rotterdam Rotterdam’s international art fair “promises a downright action-packed schedule of art presentations and city-wide ­initiatives. A much welcomed boost of energy for Rotterdam!”

Seventy international galleries display top quality works by designers, architects and artists from around the world.

If you are a huge tennis fan but won’t be making it to Wimbledon this year, take advantage of the indoor World Tennis Tournament right here in Rotterdam. It is the largest tennis event in Holland and one of the ­biggest indoor events in the world. Attracting world-class players, there will be plenty of action on and off the court.

www.abnamrowtt.nl

January 31 - February 3 2014 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Hoogerheide Watch the top cyclocross bike racers fight for the top spot at the biggest event of the year. If you like bike racing, mud and some seriously rowdy fans, this event is a must see. And don’t forget your cowbell, as the Dutch are sure to steal a few top spots on this year’s podium.

www.artrotterdam.com

February 14-15 Delft Blues Festival

www.delftblues.nl

movie: wk veldrijden

More than 50 Dutch and foreign bands will play Chicago, Texas, blues rock and Delta blues at this year’s Indoor music festival throughout the city’s cafes and restaurants, it’s sure to be a blast. www.wkhoogerheide2014.com access | winter | 15

pHoto: HAns pEtEr VAn VELtHoVEn

Cover story

Reinventing the wheel – the Dutch and auto innovation “ Dutch stars coming soon to a road near you”, the headline could read. no, not Carice van Houten or rutger Hauer but fluorescent stars or snowflakes like the ones you had on your ceiling as a kid. From self-driving cars to road snowflakes to solar powered cars, it’s all happening in the world of Dutch auto innovation and sustainability.

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By sALLy sQuirrELL

Engineers, artists and entrepreneurs of the Netherlands constantly innovate. The phrase ‘reinventing the wheel’ is taking on a new definition.

An innovation on an old design takes on a spirit of its own and may jumpstart a new technology or a new craze.

Countries and companies compete to invent the next big thing. Discover how the Dutch have pushed the innovation one step further and continue to do so.

Early history of ‘De auto’

Accidents started to occur due to the excess speed and amount of cars and over 3,000 people (including 450 children) were killed in 1971 alone on the roads. Swift action was necessary and demanded through the ‘Stop de Kindermoord’ campaign. The oil crisis of 1973 also shook the faith in the car and the ‘safety and return to the bicy» cle’ campaign quickly grew. access | wintEr | 17

Cover story | Reinventing the wheel – The Dutch and auto innovation

movie: Witkar09

Road safety developed further through racing’s love of speed with the first speed camera being designed by Dutch racing car driver Maurice Gatsonides.

The development of sustainable energy and transport to slow climate change appears then even more poignant.

Share the cost and reduce the cars,

approach; the journey is shared, the car is shared amongst subscribers, or in a community or with friends.

The idea of car sharing originated in the 1948 Selbstfahrergenossenschaf (Self drive cooperative) of a Zurich housing cooperative. The group pooled money to buy and maintain a car to share, which at the time for most was an unaffordable luxury.

Witkar of Amsterdam, in the late 1960s through to the 1980s, coupled car ­sharing with electric vehicles. Urban planning for a car-free city centre and protection of the environment were key concerns then as they are now.

Approximately 10,049 electric cars were registered in the Netherlands as of June this year and The Hague city council is investing more than €2.5 million in installing 300 extra ­electric charging points by the end of 2014. Amsterdam tops that and also offers a subsidy to business owners to buy electric cars and install electric charging points.

jams and emissions

Car ownership in the Netherlands, estimated in 2010, was 527 cars per 1000 people compared to the United Kingdom (519) and the United States (797). Car sharing is one solution to the traffic jams, and has a three-pronged 18 | access | winter

K.I.T.T.: “You’re the driver, I’m only along for the ride.”

(Knight Rider, 1983)

Turning the usual driving experience around, the first motorway test drive of a car equipped with Dutch Automated

pHoto: Jorrit LousBErG

Vehicle Initiative (DAVI) self-steering technology took place recently on 12 November 2013. TNO, Delft University of Technology and the Netherlands Department of Road Transport are cooperating to develop the technology. Minister Schultz (the first to test drive the technology) commented, “If cars can communicate with one another and accelerate or brake at the same time, you can prevent the jerky movements of traffic on the road and thus produce a smoother flow of traffic”.

Did know you 7 secret ... The Nuna concent weapons were rator the super e s (lens boxes w ffic it allowin ient solar cells h g the c ) energy ar to collect even w stationa hen ry.

Almost all other car manufacturers are developing autonomous vehicles and Google is also looking to get a piece of the action.

Harness the sun

Safety aside, an other major concern worldwide is sustainability. In a country where there is very little sun, the Dutch seek to harness the power of the sun in their designs. A fifth win secured the World Solar Challenge 2013 trophy for the Nuon Solar Team » access | wintEr | 19

Cover story | Reinventing the wheel – The Dutch and auto innovation

movie: TU delft

are said to be increasing in frequency and severity due to global warming.

The development and transport of sustainable energy to slow ­climate change appears then even more poignant.

from the Technical University (TU) Delft in the Nuna 7. The 3,000 kilo­ metres race from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia took place between 06 - 13 October. The aim of the team was to show the world what is possible in the world of high-end technology and ­sustainable energy. The race passed through an area of bushfires, which

For more information, check out some of these sites.

• Auto exhibition www.autorai.nl • Solar energy events www.energievakbeurs.nl • European Mobility Week www.mobilityweek.eu • Electric cars Amsterdam www.iamsterdam.com • Electric cars The Hague www.denhaag.nl • Charging stations information and map www.oplaadpunten.nl 20 | access | winter

Other Dutch university teams are also winning sustainable energy ­competitions. The TU Eindhoven team won the Michelin Cruiser Class of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2013 with Stella proving that a solar powered family car is a future possibility. The DUT Racing team from TU Delft recently broke the ­acceleration world record for electric cars. They went from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.15 seconds.

A driving force at the TU Delft is former astronaut and first Dutchman in space, Wubbo Ockels. He has turned his attention earth bound and as Professor of AeroSpace for Sustainable Engineering and Technology at TU Delft, is involved in the Superbus ­project. Capable of 250 km/hour, the Superbus is an electrically powered vehicle streamlined to reduce energy consumption. He is also involved in the Nuon solar race team as a professor and advisor and is passionate about sustainable energy.

Appealing to people’s pockets is unfortunately inextricably part of sustainability; in persuading people to do things against their nature.

I.e. Turning the lights off when not in use or switching to an electric car. An estimated €35m is to be saved by the Dutch government’s policy of turning the lights off at 21.00 hours on several major roads in the Netherlands. Whilst some may comment that it is too danger-

ous to reduce the lighting on motorways, others dream up designs and an innovative Dutch solution, Smart Highway, may soon be available.

Daan Roosegaarde is a designer who likes to reform things. His company Studio Roosegaarde works in conjunction with Heijmans, a major »

pHotos: stuDio roosEGAArDE

Energy savings

access | wintEr | 21

NEED A CAR FOR NOW AND THEN?

WWW.GREENWHEELS.NL/EXPAT

builder and developer in the Netherlands. The Smart Highway ­photosensitive paint, on the road markings, charges up in sunlight and then glows in the dark for up to 10 hours. Painted snowflakes are designed to appear only when the ­temperatures fall to a certain level to warn of possible slippery roads.

He was inspired by ­jellyfish which glow in the dark and the paint on baby food bottles.

It does not stop there; Roosegaarde and Heijmans are working on designs for priority induction lanes for electric vehicles, (similar technology was used on a cable free tram system in Bordeaux, France), so no longer can we use the excuse of ‘what if the battery runs out?’ for not buying an electric car! They also plan to introduce wind-powered lights and interactive lights, which switch on as cars pass, within the next five years.

Back to the future

With the reality of climate change effects becoming ever more apparent around the world, new innovations continue to drive change. Learn from the past and reinvent the future - let’s ‘reinvent the wheel’ in sustainable energy instead of the world being

Photo: studio roosegaarde

Cover story | Reinventing the wheel – The Dutch and auto innovation

r­ einvented around us. Perhaps we will soon be driving along a snow flake painted motorway throughout Europe in a far ranging electric or solar car.

Join in the ride on the Netherlands’ super highway to sustainable innovation! «

About the author Sally Squirrell is a British architect and writer at Eekhoorn & Squirrell – design and writing studio and the ACCESS e-zine editor. www.eekhoornandsquirrell.com access | winter | 23

Shopping

High-octane shopping shift your shopping into high gear this holiday season with one of these stylish motor-loving gifts for a lucky family member. you don’t have to be a driving fanatic to enjoy any (okay, well some) of these shiny new products.

€ 3 57

€ 60

spare one plus Emergency SOS phone One-button emergency dialling and a geo-locator, what more could you need? Except a knight in a shining car to rescue you. www.spareone.com

Drive style

Limited Edition Collector’s photos Surprise your partner with this cool box of six historic Ferrari photos, capturing some of the most important Gran Turismo car road races. www.store.ferrari.com

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€30

A just-released collection by Horst Friedrich delivers beautiful photographs of Britain’s automotive scene along with their drivers and admirers. www.amazon.co.uk

race track gift voucher Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Ferrari F430, Porsche 911…let your special car fanatic live the dream with a track day or racing course. www.raceplanet.com www.circuit-zandvoort.nl

€ 155

Movies GoLink ipod/ iphone cable Attach this GoLink cable to your handheld Apple device and download the free app to quickly check your vehicle’s maintenance needs. www.gopointtech.com

€ 60

RUSH - Depicts the ruthless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

View Rush trailer here SENNA - Documents the exciting short lived career of Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, three times winner of the F1 world championship.

View Senna trailer here

Leather Racing wallet Caracalla 1947 handmade luxury leather luggage and accessories in Italy. Borrow a little of the racing car driver style.

€40

www.caracalla1947.com access | wintEr | 25

pHotos: r. VAn VLiEt

Education | partner feature

Eco car at isH in the 21st Century, we live in a world that is incredibly fast moving and technologically advanced. the internet has revolutionised the way we interact and go about our daily business.

By DAViD ButCHEr, prinCipAL

26 | access | wintEr

Hence educational institutions have adapted and responded to this new way of life. Type ‘university course’ into any search engine and a huge array of courses in countries such as the Netherlands, the UK and the USA will pop up in the results.

Moreover it is the specificity of the courses that you can follow that is so appealing compared to the choices available in the late 1980s. With new divergent courses, come new educational methods and skills to teach the students of the next two to five years.

Education | Partner feature

Universities are seeking the type of student that gives them the X factor and adds value to the campus cohort.

Clearly a university offer is still based on academic grades but today’s universities seek the next bright star: the potential future alumni that creates the next innovative product or finds the latest scientific breakthrough.

These skills of research, presentation and delivery are at the very core of the IB Diploma Programme and are the backbone of how, at the International School of The Hague, we educate our students. Whilst the academic programme is the bread and butter for the students to succeed, it is the additional extracur­ ricular experiences that offer the students the opportunity to thrive outside the classroom.

As a Principal, new to the school in September 2012, one of the most enjoyable meetings was with a group of students who wanted my approval and support for participation in the Shell Eco Marathon in Rotterdam.

After only two minutes of discussion, I said, “You have me on board – this is brilliant”. The ensuing

months saw a group of entrepreneurial students design, construct, budget, and fund an eco-car for the Shell Eco Marathon in Rotterdam.

The journey gave the students hands-on skills that we cannot replicate in the classroom. They also had the responsibility of completing the project to meet the tight competition deadline. It was close but they did it!

Of course, there were challenging problems to solve; and as the only secondary school contender, the ISH eco-car (ISHie) was pitted against teams from universities and small businesses.

David Butcher Principal of Secondary School The International School of The Hague

Contact:

The skills and experience that these students gained will be invaluable at today’s universities. One of our students will have the edge when applying for Automotive Engineering by stating on their application that he or she was part of a team that built an eco car at school.

Watch this space: ISHie 2 is in design stage and I have no doubt this will be an improved version for the next competition, following in the tracks of the pioneers of ISHie. «

The International School of The Hague Wijndaelerduin 1 2554 BX Den Haag Secondary School +31 (0)70 328 14 50 Primary School +31 (0)70 338 45 67 ish.admissions@ ishthehague.nl www.ishthehague.nl

access | winter | 27

Arts & Entertainment

A trip down Automobile Lane By kArEn t. sLinGEnBErG

Motoring enthusiasts, history buffs, daredevil racers, vintage car junkies and even those with a less than average interest in automobiles will be bowled over by a trip to the Louwman Museum.

Take a motoring trip down memory lane, through the world’s oldest and largest private collection of motors.

P.W. Louwman was the man behind the museum’s collection. He established his Dodge and Chrysler Import company in The Hague and began collecting his motoring jewels in 1934. 230

Did know you motorc ... The first was ma ar ride of 105k m de Benz by in a three whe eler the w The car ife of Mr.Benz . can be the Lou seen in wma museum n .

pHotos: LouwMAn MusEuM

28 | access | wintEr

vintage and classic cars are exhibited in the grandiose brick building designed

by American architect Michael Graves.

The collection

Not surprisingly, the interior is just as spacious as the exterior promises it to be. There is a central atrium showcasing cars, where to use the word ‘flashy’ would be an understatement.

The exhibition route leads you to our second stop - the café-restaurant; which is the equivalent of stepping into a time machine and landing in the middle of an authentic 30s shopping mews. The shop windows and façades are perfectly recreated. Don’t forget to look up, as the cabin of a zeppelin is suspended above the space.

The first of the permanent exhibits is an impressive fossil, the Portuguese ‘Traquitana’ from 1775. There is also an example of a French Sedan Chair, various carriages and steam-driven cars. One car of particular interest is the ‘Panhard & Levassor Phaeton from 1895, with only a rudder-like stick for steering. Not only are there four wheeled cars, but tricycles and quadricyles too. Look out for the horn shaped like a dragon and the 1920s Harley with sidecar.

Take a motoring trip down memory lane, through the world’s oldest and largest private collection of motors.

Motoring icons

The museum houses some great historical gems such as the ‘Humber Pullman’ formerly owned by Sir Winston Churchill, and a rock ‘n’ roll number, the ‘Cadillac Fleetwood’ owned by Elvis and the famous Aston Martin used by James Bond in 1964.

The collection is embellished by vintage motoring artifacts such as posters and paintings.

The Louwman museum pulls out all the stops when it comes to exhibiting fast - and slow vintage cars within a historical context. The VIP quality of the setting complements the collections’ exclusivity for a well and truly classy trip down automobile lane. «

About the author Karen T. Slingenberg writes on literature, culture, food, children, family, travel and daily life. www.thelongandshortofit.eu access | winter | 29

Romance and history:

photo: Vinita Salome

Gouda by Candlelight

30 | access | winter

Travel

Since 1956, Gouda has been opening her doors and lights to visitors for an atmospheric night on the town. Gouda bij Kaarslicht, or “Gouda by Candlelight,” is an annual celebratory evening when the city’s market square is lit entirely by candles.

by Persephone Abbott

This spectacular event is quite popular among tourists and locals so it’s wise to plan on coming earlier in the day to catch a glimpse of the action before the crowds gather. On December 13th, starting at noon, many performances, concerts and organised walks take place in various locations around the city.

Choirs sing Christmas carols and of course visitors are welcome to join in.

c­ andle NV Koninklijke Stearine Kaarsenfabriek Gouda-Apollo factory.

The firm supplied the candles to put in front of the windows of the gothic town hall and other buildings surrounding the market square. You may have noticed that “Gouda” candles are still sold in stores all over the Netherlands; they are still considered quality products and are now made by Bolsius Kaarsen, which bought the Gouda firm. »

Tall order from the North

Thanks to a long-standing friendship between Gouda and its sister city Kongsberg in Norway, Gouda is gifted with a town square centrepiece not to be missed. Kongsberg annually donates a large fir tree to Gouda as part of the ­festivities. The 20-30 metre tall tree will, as usual, be placed in prime position in front of the medieval city hall. The tree was initially lit with fairy lights.

The first Candle Night (or Kaarsjes­ avond) began two years later with the centennial celebration of Gouda’s

Road trip!

Gouda is located on the A12 between Utrecht and either Den Haag or Rotterdam. The more picturesque roads leading to Gouda are: from Rotterdam: Capelle aan den Iyssel - Mordrecht or Krimpen aan de Lek-Schoonhoven from Utrecht: Woerden-Bodegraven or Monfoort - Oudewater

• •

Best parking options Find the car parks in or just outside the city centre: www.centrumparkeren.nl/gouda Download the daily programme and city map here: eng.goudabijkaarslicht.nl access | winter | 31

Internationally Focussed A vibrant international outlook on education, combining structure with creativity, within a curriculum with strong Internationally British foundations.

Internationally British

www.britishschool.nl

Together we care

Bronovo hospitality

www.bronovo.nl

Bronovo offers general hospital services for the residents of The Hague and surrounding areas. Providing personal care is a priority, because at Bronovo our patients are at the heart of everything we do. The hospital has an alliance with the Leiden University Medical Centre. Our team of medical specialists offer a wide range of services, covering almost every specialisation. At Bronovo, over 1,500 employees and 120 specialists work closely together in a multidisciplinary team to provide what we like to think of as health care with added hospitality. That’s why our motto is: ‘Together we care’.

Bronovo hospital Bronovolaan 5, 2597 AX Den Haag Bronovo satellite outpatient CliniC President Kennedylaan 15, 2517 JK Den Haag

eXpat serviCe DesK on workdays from 8.00 – 16.30 hours: e mail: expat@bronovo.nl Anneke van Kooten +31 (0)70 312 40 16

Wassenaar health Centre Rijksstraatweg 324, 2242 AB Wassenaar

Travel | Gouda

by Candlelight

Gouda’s monumental city hall, built from Belgian limestone and begun in 1448, can be circled and admired on foot from the market square. Imagine the market square, more like a circular form, lit up by candles from within the houses and the city hall itself. It creates a spooky atmosphere, certainly when the dark near mid-winter solstice night can be, perhaps, a little chilly and misty. Gregorius Cool, a 16th century sculptor, created the wonderful front porch of the city hall with two incredibly expressive lions holding up the shields associated with the city.

More of Cool’s works can be admired on the portals leading to the garden of Gouda Museum and on the Old Man’s House in the Spieringstraat near the 15th century Jerusalem Chapel, one of the few remaining vestiges of the

photo: Vinita Salome

Imagine the market square, more like a circular form, lit up by candles from within the houses and the city hall itself.

pilgrimage culture once present in the Netherlands and dating from the time of the crusades.

History in colour

One beautiful December night, I cycled into the crooked street leading behind St. John’s church. Before the church entrance, the spectacle of a large camel appeared, dressed in a red velvet cape, and beautifully illuminated by the antique street lamp. Not a usual Gouda occurrence but one that will stay with me. » access | winter | 33

s e r v i n g t h e i n t e r n at i o n a l c o m m u n i t y

ACCESS is a volunteer not-for-profit organisation that serves the needs and interests of the

Understand the way today’s world works

Open dAy

American International School of Rotterdam Thursday 16 January 17.00 - 21.00 | Tuesday 11 February 17.00 - 21.00

www.aisr.nl

Explore Possibilities

international community in the Netherlands.

We help individuals as well as companies hiring international employees.

For information about our Corporate Support possibilities, including an in-house version of ACCESSing the Netherlands, email edirector@access-nl.org or call +31 70 345 1700.

www.access-nl.org

photos: Vinita Salome

Travel | Gouda by Candlelight

The church is actively involved in the candle festivities and has a long-standing custom of lighting up the famed Renaissance stained glass windows.

With almost 2000m2 of stained glass in the church depicting Biblical stories and Dutch history, the collection is a large part of the remaining stained glass to be seen in the Netherlands.

museums on this day. Furthermore, mezzo-soprano Tania Kross, one of the Netherlands’ most prominent ­classical singers, will be singing ­during the musical presentations in the evening on the square. « For a listing of the festival events in English, visit www.goudabijkaarslicht.nl

Art, music and light

If you need a shot of high culture (or a warming walk inside), Gouda Museum has a number of mini “Nightwatches,” or group portraits, of the city’s former civic guard painted in the 17th century.

The most famous portrait in the museum is painted by Ferdinand Bol. Admission is free of charge at all

About the author & photographer Persephone Abbott and Vinita Salome, “The Bee’s Tour,” have ­produced a walking guide of Gouda, “The Bee’s Tour of Gouda, Buzzing Through Vinita’s Lens.” Their second book about expats and multiculturalism in Gouda is due out this year.

Our new book - “A Sample of Gouda” is coming out before the end of the year and is produced by The Bee’s Tour with Vinita. access | winter | 35

Law | partner feature

Jurisdiction over international consumer purchases Dutch consumer case makes national press in Austria.

By LisA-MAriE koMp & CHristiAAn MEnsink

Which court has jurisdiction over consumer disputes abroad? A recent ruling by the Austrian Supreme Court of Justice made the national press in Austria.

GMW Advocaten represented the Dutch consumer involved in the case.

The plaintiff was an Austrian estate agent, who charged the Dutch consumer a commission of â‚Ź200,000 for mediating in the sale of his Austrian country

estate. Our client was not willing to pay this sum, because he had never issued instructions to mediate, nor had he agreed to pay commission.

In this case it had to be decided whether the Austrian court had jurisdiction based on the EEX Regulation, as the case concerned a dispute between parties living in different countries.

The Regulation stipulates that a consumer party may only be summoned before the court of the country where

36 | access | wintEr

he is domiciled, if the business party has directed its activities at that country. Therefore, the issue was whether the Austrian estate agent had directed its activities abroad or whether it is exclusively an Austrian firm without any international activities. In the latter case, the Austrian court has jurisdiction and in the former case, only the Dutch court.

Examples of when the condition has been met are: • advertising (flyers, television etc.) abroad; • targeting other countries through a website (many languages/ foreign domain name).

The estate agency was approached by a party interested in buying the estate. An employee of which telephoned the Austrian estate. As the Dutch owner was not present, the household staff gave the Dutch mobile number of the owner to the estate agency’s employee.

The employee contacted the owner and made a proposal for the purchase of the estate on behalf of the interested party. This telephone call initiated the sale of the estate.

Austria’s highest court considered that “merely making telephone contact in the consumer’s country of residence” suffices to be considered a commercial activity directed at that (foreign) country. With this statement, the Austrian court lowered the threshold for commercial activities in the consumer’s favour.

Thus, simply telephoning a Dutch mobile phone was sufficient to constitute “a commercial measure directed at the Netherlands”.

Consequently, the Austrian court did not have jurisdiction over the case, as the consumer can only be summoned before a Dutch court.

The estate agent will therefore have to commence proceedings in the Netherlands, which we consider to be highly unlikely.

The ruling is also significant for the Netherlands as it concerns the interpretation of a European regulation, which also applies here. «

Lisa-Marie Komp

Christiaan Mensink

Contact: GMW Advocaten led@gmw.nl 070 361 5048 www.legalexpatdesk.nl www.gmw.nl/en Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

See the full version of this article on www.legalexpatdesk.nl Also read Die Presse: “Recht aufseiten der Verbraucher”

access | wintEr | 37

Community

Australians and New Zealanders in the Netherlands

By Renée Veldman-Tentori

The first connections between the Netherlands and Australia were made more than 400 years ago, back in 1606.

A small Dutch ship, the Duyfken, was sent by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on a mission to explore the unchartered waters south of New Guinea. Captain Jansz charted over two hundred miles of the Australian coastline, at first believing it to be New Guinea. Later explorations established contact between the Dutch and Indigenous Australians, and around 1650 the land was named “New Holland”; this title was retained until the early 1800s. However the Dutch didn’t settle long and the British later claimed the continent, renaming it Australia.

New Zealand and the Netherlands have a similar history, with Abel Tasman and his crew being the first Europeans to land there in 1642, but again not settling there and the British doing so later.

38 | access | winter

Initially, the Dutch reception in both Australia and New Zealand was hostile but over the years the countries have become firm friends!

“We [Australian and the Netherlands] have a very solid bilateral relationship at every level”. H.E. Neil Mules, Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands.

“New Zealand and the Netherlands share very similar social attitudes and values and have a substantial history of working together on issues of international importance.” New Zealand Embassy website.

With an influx of immigrants over the years and a variety of visas making it possible for the Dutch to travel to or live in Australia and New Zealand and vice versa, the ties between all three countries have grown deeper.

Today, there is a strong community of Australians and New Zealanders who are living either temporarily or more permanently in the Netherlands. Many have come here for work with large international companies such as Shell and have settled in The Hague, although there are also many “lovepats” or mixed marriages.

Important antipodean events Each year, we come together to honour important Antipodean dates such as:

• Australia Day: 26 January • Waitangi Day: 6 February • ANZAC Day: 25 April • Remembrance Day: 11 November th

th

th

th

Details for these events and other information for Australians and New Zealanders in the Netherlands can be found on the Australian Embassy website and the New Zealand Embassy website.

• www.australiansabroad.com/hollandsite/expatsites.html • www.internations.org/netherlands-expats/australians • outhholland.angloinfo.com • www.dfat.gov.au/geo/netherlands • www.expat-blog.com/en/nationalities/australian/in/europe/ netherlands

Personally, I met my Dutchie when he was backpacking in Australia in 2001.

We have spent the last 12 years living between the two countries and have two Dutch Australian children - one »

I did the Dutch immigration test and my husband did the Australian one – and we both learnt a lot in the process about our OWN countries! access | winter | 39

Teddy Kids is opening a new location in the new ECC building of the American School of the Hague! Starting January 2014 we will be opening a group for children ages 0 - 3 years old.

Are you creative, fun, engaging, responsible, have experience, are a native English speaker and have excellent command of the English Language and looking for a challenge?

*38 weeks a year *Closed during ASH school vacation

*Minimum 4 days a week *Work Times: 7:45-17:30

Send us your CV to ASH@teddykids.nl

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.TEDDYKIDS.NL OR SEND AN EMAIL TO ASH@TEDDYKIDS.NL

We also have 3 more locations in Leiden!

Herenstraat 64 Zeemanlaan 22a and Rijnsburgerweg 35!

Community | Australians and new zealanders in the netherlands

born in each country. I did the Dutch immigration test and my husband did the Australian one – and we both learnt a lot in the process about our OWN countries!

The key contact points for Australians and New Zealanders are the embassies and the Australian and New Zealand Women’s Club (ANZWC). There are also a number of Facebook groups and online communities such as Dutch Australian. If you really need a beer or a meat pie, you could try an Australianthemed bar in Amsterdam and Leiden. »

Through my blog www.dutchaustralian.com and various social clubs, I’ve enjoyed meeting many Dutch people in Australia and Australians and New Zealanders in the Netherlands.

As the Australian Ambassador comments, we do share a similar outlook on life and Did y get along well. I’ve also know ou ... found that many Dutch Day (25 ANZAC A a nation pril) is have a keen interest in al day o r e m Australia and New embran f ce.

Zealand and have either travelled there or would like to!

pHotos: rEnéE VELDMAn-tEntori

MoViE: FriGHttrAin260

Australian TV shows are popular in the Netherlands - despite growing up on the Sunshine Coast, not far from Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, the first time I saw The Crocodile Hunter show was when I moved to the Netherlands! My husband remembers watching Flying Doctors when he was a child and wanting to travel there one day and my children have a Skippy DVD that we purchased here with Dutch subtitles.

access | wintEr | 41

Will you come play with us?

Central Office

Willemstraat

226 Hoge Prins 2584 HX Den Haag tel. 070-3062771

info@hermelijntje.nl

www.hermelijntje.nl

(Flexible)

v

daycare and after school care!

Follow us on Twitter!

@CreHermelijntje

Community | Australians and New Zealanders in the Netherlands

Ambassador to the Netherlands) and Hilary Troup (wife of the New Zealand Ambassador to the Netherlands).

Each year, the club arranges a number of social and cultural events, produces an informative magazine and provides friendship and support.

Dutch Australian

In general though, Australians and New Zealanders integrate well here and no doubt feel quite “at home” in the ­multicultural environment in the Netherlands and particularly in The Hague. At any international ­gathering, you’ll usually find a few Australians and New Zealanders.

ANZWC

The Australian & NZ Women’s Club (ANZWC) has been connecting expats in the Netherlands since 1968!

Currently going through a name change to remove the “Women” from the title to better reflect that both genders ­benefit from its activities, the club is supported by an active committee and patrons H.E. Neil Mules (Australian

This website began as my personal blog but has grown into a thriving community, bringing together Dutch people living in Australia and Australians and New Zealanders living in the Netherlands. The Facebook group has over 600 members and a variety of articles are published regularly on the blog.

Expatica

Expatica has plenty of information for expats from all over the world who live in the Netherlands with specific forums for Australians and New Zealanders. «

About the author Renée Veldman-Tentori is a Dutch Australian social media trainer (www.zestee.com) on a quest for the perfect family business balance. www.professionalparentsnetwork.org access | winter | 43

pHoto: kAtHy VoyLEs

Food

Antipodean stars shining in Amsterdam 4 4 | access | wintEr

By kAtHy VoyLEs

Antipodeans unite and show the netherlands the ‘foodie’ way to go. tempt your stomach by reading on…

Not so long ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s premier wine growing Marlborough, or a decent rich red from Australia’s Barossa Valley in the Netherlands. And we Antipodeans, removed from the hearty vibrant breakfast cultures of Auckland, the joys of lunchtime delis in Melbourne, Sydney and Wellington, often talk wistfully about early morning encounters with Eggs Benedict, fresh fruit stacks, hotcakes with maple syrup, hash browns, flat field mushrooms in balsamic dressing, rostis, flat whites, not to mention the fluffies for the kids! Well, the good news is that we need reminisce no longer, for there is a new wave of Antipodean cooks and entrepreneurs in Amsterdam who bring a little of the South Pacific to the lowlands.

Bakers and Roasters

Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 54 One place that is getting a lot of posi-

tive reviews is a new café called Bakers and Roasters in De Pijp. Started last year by a Kiwi and a Brazilian, on the run from a crazy life-style in London, this little café is humming with internationals and locals, most especially on the weekend where their huevos rancheros is popular with wannabe cowboys. Their Eggs Benedict packs a spinachy punch for those wanting a good hefty brunch and their veggie frittata with a red quinoa salad is just what the doctor ordered.

Small World

Binnen Oranjestraat 14 If you are asking yourself what a “slice” is, we Antipodeans seem to have coined this particular word for something that is not really a large cake, a cookie/biscuit, a muffin or a custard tart. Sweet and sticky, slices are best served with a good strong coffee. Happily the Small World can be relied upon to serve an excellent cuppa alongside a slice! This small establishment is full of edible treasures: excellent sandwiches, pies, carrot cake (comes in huge moist chunks) and soups. It opened in 1999 and the charming Australian owner knows many customers by name. » access | wintEr | 45

Food | Antipodean stars shining in Amsterdam

Van Ostadestaat 117 Wild Moa Pies does exactly what it says on the tin. Monique made her first pie sometime in the 80s in the land of the long white cloud. She makes all the pies at Wild Moa and today her repertoire includes a variety of meat and vegetarian pies. These are a step up from the type of pie that many a Kiwi will fondly remember, displayed in cafés throughout the highways and byways of New Zealand. You will find the classic bacon and egg, lamb, minced beef plus spinach and feta, creamy mushroom, and lentil and aubergine.

De Wandelaar

Jacob Obrechtstraat 13 Lastly, the latest treasure on the block threw open its doors in November, not far from the Museumplein. De Wandelaar was named after a wandering gum ­digger called A. H. Reed who walked his way around New Zealand well into his 80s. De Wandelaar’s owner, Jens Hack, aims to have the best selection of New Zealand wines in Europe, selected from New Zealand’s top vineyards by Kiwi wine importer Jarrod Englefield. Naturally they include the world famous Sauvignon Blancs and

photo: Wild Moa pies

Wild Moa Pies

Monique made her first pie sometime in the 80s in the land of the long white cloud Pinot Noirs along with lesser-known but equally delicious varietals created by artisan producers. The shop hosts events, tastings, cultural and film ­evenings showcasing the best of the best. It aims to be a home away from home, a comfortable spot to share a glass of wine and a slice of good Kiwi hospitality if you can’t quite make the 18,000-kilometre trip to the green isles. «

About the author Kathy describes herself as a food inspirer, alternative cook, slow food activist and edible food gardener. Really she says, it’s just all about food! schoollunchbox.wordpress.com access | winter | 47

Education | Partner feature

photo: BSN

Green Learning

The development and planning for the garden began back in 2012 when BSN Senior School students were invited by Saudi Aramco to submit a set of proposed ideas and suggestions on what they wanted to see included within the garden. A commitment to sustainable development and the environment is something that’s firmly imbedded into the fab48 | access | winter

Recognising the importance of outdoor learning is something that’s particularly valued at The British School in The Netherlands (BSN).

Earlier this year, the school demonstrated its commitment to both outdoor learning and protecting the environment when it opened a brand new ‘Eco Garden’ at the Senior School, with the support of Oil and Gas Company, Saudi Aramco.

ric of Saudi Aramco’s corporate social responsibility policy and with this in mind, the students were tasked with drafting a proposal that reflected both the company’s and school’s commitment to environmental protection, whilst also providing a learning facility that could be utilised by the school for many years to come.

After careful consideration, the student’s proposal was approved and work on the garden began in earnest at the beginning of Spring this year, however the students involvement was by no means finished. Once it had been agreed the development of the garden was to go ahead, the now well established Eco-committee, comprising both students and staff members, held a series of planning meetings with the landscapers to discuss both design and structure.

The eco garden opened in June and has already proved to be a frequently used learning resource for both students and teachers.

Experiences and opportunities for outdoor learning don’t just take place within the Senior School, they’re also built into the curriculum for the BSN’s younger learners.

The great outdoors is very much part of the learning experience at the school, and represents a place where exploring and taking risks run hand in hand with learning about our environment and the ­natural world.

This has also been reflected in the investment the BSN’s three junior schools have recently made in their

Experiences and opportunities for outdoor learning don’t just take place within the Senior School, they’re also built into the curriculum for the BSN’s younger learners. outdoor spaces, with further significant developments due in the coming year. Junior School Vlaskamp has always benefited from a vast amount of outdoor space and in the last few years considerably upgraded its Foundation Stage ­playground. More recently, the play areas for Day Care, Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 at Junior School Leidschenveen have undergone a major renovation and now feature grassy hills, secret pathways through willow structures, stepping stones, sandy areas and water features.

Contact: The British School in The Netherlands 070 315 4077 or visit www.britishschool.nl

Plans are now also now underway to transform the entire outdoor area for children at Junior School Diamanthorst, another major ­project that provides a clear example of how highly the school values both outdoor learning and supporting the environment. « access | winter | 49

Health

How many times have you been asked: “Don’t you miss home? Don’t you get homesick?”

By MAnDiE rosE DAniELski

Well, yes, of course!

All of us experience homesickness at some point during our time as expats or immigrants. Two counsellors from the ACCESS Counselling Services Network (CSN) offer some professional insights into this common phenomenon. Both expats themselves, Katarina Gaborova and Jennifer Glaese provide great explanations and tips for getting through the rough patches.

Home + hurt

Coping with homesickness in healthy ways 50 | access | wintEr

The Dutch word for homesickness is heimwee: heim = home, and wee = hurt.

Homesickness does hurt. Maybe you avoid social activities. Maybe all you can think about is everything you’re missing in your home country.

These behaviours may be symptoms of homesickness. These include sadness, social withdrawal, sleep disruption, nightmares, concentration problems, and sometimes anxiety and nervousness, too. “It’s a continuum scale,”

explains Katarina. “At the lower end, you experience a low mood, some ­negative thoughts, and minor diffi­ culties with functioning normally.

At the high end, however, the symptoms are so strong you can’t function.

It’s okay to feel sad, but not if it’s debilitating.”

It all comes down to feelings of displacement, separation anxiety, and our individual ability to adjust. “You’re more vulnerable when you’re in a new environment,” Jennifer says. “We’re all different. Some people are just more sensitive to changes.”

“ Feelings are fluid...

Homesickness is a feeling that can come and go, even for years.”

Perfectly normal

Nowadays globalisation only increases the number of instances of homesickness. There’s no difference in gender, either; men and women go through it equally. Katarina assures us: “Absolutely everyone experiences it.”

About the Counselling Services Network Katarina Gaborova and Jennifer Glaese are members of the ACCESS CSN. Respectively, they provide client-centred counselling ­services in English for adolescents, students, adults, couples and families dealing with a variety of psychological difficulties like adjustment and integration issues, cross-cultural family issues, depression, anxiety, and more. Their offices are in The Hague.

For details about each counsellor visit the Meet the Counsellors

It may help to familiarise yourself with the typical wave of emotion that expats and immigrants go through: 1) honeymoon period; 2) culture shock; 3) adjustment process; 4) adaptation.

These stages of culture shock demonstrate Jennifer’s point that “feelings are fluid. They come and go. And homesickness is a feeling that can come and go, even for years.”

Troublesome triggers

Everyone has triggers, even when you think you’re finally settled. These feelings and their effects will vary. Keeping track of your homesickness triggers (like a loved one’s birthday, or local customs that irk you) will help you anticipate the negative feelings and develop coping methods that work best for you. » access | winter | 51

The Mobile Life

Are you looking to expand your horizons and meet new people?

A new approach to moving anywhere

Then connecting women is for you!

Come join us to meet an international community of diverse women and to listen to an inspiring speaker at one of our gatherings.

We meet on the first Monday of every month (except August and January) in The Hague.

By Diane Lemieux and Anne Parker

You don’t need to be a member to join our events.

If you’re looking for an official guide to Dutch culture, this is not it. If you’re looking for one man’s completely subjective and utterly biased impression of Dutch culture, this is for you.

For more information visit our website... www.connectingwomen.nl

Paperback • 184 pages ISBN 978 90 5594 800 0 • Price € 14.95 For sale at the major book store and www.hollandbooks.nl WWW.HOLLANDBOOKS.NL

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22-11-13 17:20

English Builder / Timmerman

Peter French & Sons For 1st class jobs

• 30 years of experience in the local region • All round Carpenter/joiner • Specialised in building bathrooms and kitchens, plastering and roofwork • Woodwork and metal workshop for one off furniture items and welding jobs

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Tel: +31(0) 6 53 32 83 63 +31(0) 70 364 73 72 Email: peterfrench@planet.nl Workshop: Westeinde 58, 2512 HE, Den Haag

Health | Coping with homesickness in healthy ways

Changes in habits and thoughts

Both Katarina and Jennifer recommend learning from the triggers and preparing in advance, if you can. Here is some advice to keep homesickness from weighing you down:

• Get engaged in activities you enjoy • Make friends!

• Keep in touch with family and • • • •

friends from home (As long as that feels good, instead of making you feel farther away) Find strength in the international community Assimilate as soon as possible Learn the language and reach out to your local community Reconstruct your thinking toward the positive

• Indulge in some “home” comforts •

now and then Reach out for help. Don’t wait until things get bad.

Share your tips for homesickness on our ACCESS Facebook page.

Did y know ou ...

Counse ACCESS llo call dai rs are on ly from to 20:30 8:30 .

Note: If more than a few of the above mentioned symptoms persist for too long, then it could be more than homesickness and it is advisable to seek professional help. «

About the author Mandie Rose Danielski is a native New Yorker. Her favourite Dutch word is gezellig, which is all about cosy togetherness. www.zeggen.eu access | wintEr | 53

Municipality of The Hague | partner feature

think Volunteer

Volunteering allows you to grow in ways that you may never have imagined, all just because you pick up the phone or write that initial email to find out more. PEP (Participation Emancipation Professionals) can help you to get involved.

p H oto :

p H oto

C H r is t in

: susAn G o u LD

r E Fi s C H E

By susAn GouLD

54 | access | wintEr

Four volunteers shared their stories to convince you of the benefits of volunteering.

Cornelia (50), from Romania, has lived in The Hague for 6 years.

She is married and has one grown-up son. “I regret not volunteering earlier,� she says passionately, as she has found it so rewarding. She has been a volunteer now for three years, assisting a not-for-profit organisation with their administration.

She enjoys

D EL L A V iD rE n pH o to : D

Have you ever thought about volunteering and how it could help you to settle into your new life in the Hague? Volunteering helps you to build a social network as well as a professional network.

supporting people and bringing a smile to their faces. Volunteering has allowed her to regain confidence in herself and her abilities, which is so important especially when living abroad.

Larene (35) is originally from Brazil.

She moved to the Netherlands in February 2012 due to her husband’s new job and started volunteering as a means of making friends and a new social network. She provides training to an international organisation. “I enjoy working as a volunteer,” she says, “as it is a great way of meeting other people as well as giving me the opportunity to develop new skills”.

Neha (28) from Mumbai, India only moved to The Hague in June 2013.

She is so happy with the ‘good feeling’ that volunteering has given her.

She says, “I feel that volunteering has allowed me to blossom with inner satisfaction and been such a rewarding use of my time”.

Men volunteer too

Plenty of men find time to volunteer as well; David (26) from the UK wanted to volunteer because he

“i feel that volunteering has allowed me to blossom with inner satisfaction and been such a rewarding use of my time”. wanted to have something that occupies his time productively and something that would also look good on his CV. He previously worked with homeless people in Scotland but now organises cultural, educational and creative workshops.

Contact:

Loes Weijers Project Associate, Municipality of The Hague 06 30 08 53 71 loes.weijers@ denhaag.nl

Want to know more?

Check out www.thehagueheroes.nl for an overview of all the possibilities or go to the PEP website in English. www.volunteerthehague.nl.

You can also call into the office on Riviervismarkt 2, The Hague for a face-to-face informative chat.

Volunteering can truly offer you a new challenge; an opportunity to start afresh in an area that you have always wanted to get involved in but until now never had the chance to do so. Give PEP a call and start your volunteering experience today! «

PEP 070 302 44 44 info@pepdenhaag.nl Riviervismarkt 5 The Hague

access | wintEr | 55

pHoto: wikiMEDiA.orG

zandvoort Racing not many will think of the netherlands when it comes to racing.

By Jop VoorHoEVE

Of course there was the Dutchman Jos ‘The Boss’ Verstappen who became famous in the Formula 1 circuit some years ago, not for his brilliant racing but for his persistent habit of finishing in the gravel trap! For some years, jokes about Verstappen were extremely popular.

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pHoto: toDAys rACinG

In spite of the lack of recent Dutch racing success, there is still a lot of passion for the sport. The place to experience it, without a doubt, is in Zandvoort, a small coastal town close to Haarlem. The local racing circuit, spectacularly constructed in the dunes, is almost 70 years old and has a rich history of legendary races.

The first race was organised in 1948 and attracted some of the most famous Formula 1 drivers of those days. ‘Bira’, the Prince of Siam, (who later would participate in the Olympics in sailing)

Lifestyle

won the race. Soon the circuit’s unique location in the dunes, as well as its spectacular corners – especially the Tarzan – became world famous.

Formula 1

In 1952, the Zandvoort Circuit became part of the official Formula 1 world tour; epic battles were fought at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands between legends like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark. When the cars became faster, the circuit also became more dangerous. In the grand prix of 1970, British driver Piers Courage died; in 1974, it was the turn of Roger Williamson. 1985 saw the last Grand Prix of Zandvoor where Nicki Lauda triumphed to round off a great career as a racing champion.

Today’s Zandvoort circuit has lost some of its grandeur due to safety regulations, but the place still breathes the past. Zandvoort no longer hosts Formula 1; however, it has regained its international reputation through the Marlboro Masters, a annual competition featuring several of the best drivers of worldwide F3 competitions.

Former winners have become Formula 1 stars, like David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton. Other famous events at

soon the circuit’s unique location in the dunes, as well as its spectacular corners – especially the tarzan – became world famous.

Zandvoort include the German Championship DTM, the A1GP World Cup between national teams, and the ADAC GT Masters. Well worth a visit: the complete calendar can be found at www.circuit-zandvoort.nl On track

Did y o know u . can trai .. You n own rac for your ing l at Zand icense voort.

That’s not all: it is possible to drive on the circuit yourself as well! You can do this in your own car but you can also go for the real stuff: the Racing Experience offers a day programme during which several racing cars can be driven. Drive the notorious Tarzan corner whilst you get tips and tricks from professional trainers. «

About the author Jop Voorhoeve is a financial consultant with a passion for writing and the international community. He writes weekly for dutchreview.com access | wintEr | 57

Education | Partner feature

Quality and Excellence made in Germany The German International School The Hague enjoys a long history in the Netherlands dating back to its foundation in 1863.

Although the school has grown and developed over the past 150 years, the fundamentals have never changed – providing high quality

education to children and teens opening their eyes to opportunities in a world waiting to be discovered.

photo: DIDSH

When one reflects on excellence in the automotive industry, Germany is the country one tends to think of first. High quality, ground breaking technology and modern design are just some of the strengths associated with the likes of Mercedes, BMW or Porsche to name just a few.

The German International School The Hague has grown based on that same German tradition for quality and reliability.

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The German International School The Hague provides its pupils with an excellent education and language skills, which opens the doors to them to study in a multitude of language and countries of their choice.

Naturally, the basic language at the school is German, paving the way for the future engineers and designers of the successful automotive industry. However, the pupils at the German International School The Hague are just as likely to follow their studies in countries such as England, France, Canada or the Netherlands.

One does not necessarily think of the Netherlands first with regards to the automotive industry; one may also not immediately think of a German school as providing an international education. However at the German International School The Hague, over 30 nationalities are represented. 340 children and teenagers from the ages of 3 to 18 hail from countries as diverse as Bolivia, Hungary, Thailand and Italy amongst others. The parents of all these different children have one common interest: providing their children with an excellent education and the best possible opportunities to fulfil their dreams and goals.

As in the automotive industry, safety, reliability and excellence remain the driving force behind

As in the automotive industry, safety, reliability and excellence remain the driving force behind the German International School The Hague.

the German International School The Hague. Pupils are provided with a secure and familiar environment in which to benefit from the high quality of a far-reaching education.

While the Dutch automotive industry is a well kept secret to many, even those living in the Netherlands, so too is The German International School The Hague a hidden treasure among the expat community in The Hague. Proud of its history, the school is pleased to open the successes of the German industry and economy to its international students whilst providing a cosmopo­litan home to its German students. It is this give and take of German tradition together with its vital international influence that makes the school as special as it is.

Join The Hague’s hidden gem and learn more about The German International School The Hague. «

Contact: Deutsche Internationale Schule Den Haag Van Bleiswijkstraat 125 2582 LB The Hague The Netherlands +31 70 354 95 94 www.disdh.nl info@disdh.nl

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Education

Getting a Dutch driving license One year ago it happened, an inevitable and yet so unexpected event.

By Jop Voorhoeve

Of course I knew that it could happen one day, but I had always pushed the knowing away, simply because it would change our lives so drastically that it could hardly be imagined. And now she was standing in front of me, my beloved wife. She had spoken just

one line, but with the impact of a ­thunderclap. I was not sure whether to cry or to laugh. Because I did not react, she repeated her statement once more. “I want a driving license!”.

The world started turning around me, memories of my own dramatic driving license campaign started popping into my mind. The failure of my first driving exam, because the engine went off five times during the so called “slope

photo: www.styleeducation.nl

YOU DON’T GET ANY BONUS POINTS FOR THIS, YOU KNOW!

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“ I don’t want to depend on your driving skills all of the time!” trial”. The failure of my second driving exam, because I missed that wretched red signboard with a white stripe: “do not enter the road from this side”.

Another failure during exam number three, because I almost hit a bicycle by a ­typical Dutch dike on the river Rijn.

Exam number four was failed again, this time because the examiner felt I drove too carefully. And no, he did not care that I did so because I almost hit a bicycle my last time. It led to the ultimate humiliation: I had to do a state exam. Some say that you will always pass a state exam but do not believe such people: I failed my first state exam. It was after the second state exam that I got my driving license; the examiner was ill and replaced by a police officer, who let me pass because “he liked my fast reaction at a crossing when I noticed an oncoming car too late, even though the engine stalled due to my extreme breaking”. That I am still suffering from the financial implications of my traumatic driving license trials goes beyond mentioning.

And now she was standing there, my cute Indian wife, full of confidence; in India getting your driving license costs approximately €30, and people who take more than a week for it are called khonevala, losers. First diplomatically and later somewhat less diplomati-

Tip! For more on driving in NL, read the free ACCESS Guides: Your first three months in the Netherlands and Winter driving guide on www.access-nl.org www.autorijschooltarieven.nl - compare the hourly tariffs, as well as the percentage of candidates per school who have passed the exam.

cally, I tried to convince her that “she did not really need a driving license”, and that “things are just a bit different here”. But she was incorruptible: “I don’t want to depend on your driving skills all of the time!”. That, it had to be admitted, was a valid point.

And so it happened, one morning I walked my wife to a learner driver car that was waiting in our street. I kissed her cheek and wished her all the best.

I waved while they drove away.

Could she not just have said she was pregnant? «

About the author Jop Voorhoeve is a financial consultant with a passion for writing and the international. He writes weekly for DutchReview.com access | winter | 61

Education | Partner feature

Home away from Home

Definition of home: “a place of residence and refuge.” For many of us these days, travel is a normal and wonderful part of our lives; as is the possibility that we will live in more than one country or continent, often moving every few years.

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This is particularly true of the international employees living and working in The Netherlands. In a mobile market, a new job often involves moving to a new country. A key element of the success of an employee is how well the needs of their family are met in their new home and how quickly they can settle in.

With more than 150 families joining or leaving American School of The Hague every year, helping to manage those transitions has become second nature. The school has a very strong and internationally renowned Transitions Programme, “A Safe Harbour”. The programme supports students, parents and staff

arriving and leaving, and ensures that each of these groups are well connected with the rest of the community, often before they arrive in The Netherlands. Teams of parent welcomers and student and staff ambassadors work hard to ensure that everyone is welcomed, can find their way around quickly, and learns from the experiences of those who have been in their shoes not so long ago as newcomers.

Parents are a key resource at international schools. American School of The Hague, known as ASH to many, provides countless opportunities for parents to share their skills within the school and cont­ ribute to the broad education of all of the students, not just their own children. Monday Morning Network gathers parents together for key ­lectures and trips to local places of interest – the network is open to anyone inside or outside the school community who is interested in learning and getting connected.

Similarly, the parents at ASH run an ever increasing range of Adult Education classes covering everything from language lessons to ­photography, cooking or yoga.

“ A merican School of The Hague nurtures and inspires character, commitment, creativity, and learning.”

Learning from cultural diversity and educating students to be internationally minded are core elements of the curriculum at the school; hence a unique and culturally rich learning environment is created. The student population of 1,200 currently represents 74 nationalities aged between 3 and 18.

To underpin the importance of ­cultural diversity, the school celebrates International Day each year with a large opening ceremony of music and dance performances by students from different countries. The entire school dresses in the colours or national costume of their home country and parents and teachers create “country” rooms for students to visit and ­sample the food, culture, music and overall experience of another culture. A truly international learning environment. «

Contact: American School of The Hague Rijksstraatweg 200 2241 BX Wassenaar The Netherlands 070 512 10 60 www.ash.nl admissions@ash.nl

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WWW.HOLLANDBOOKS.NL

An Alternative Dutch Assimilation Course

By Gregory Scott Shapiro Illustrated by Floor de Goede With a foreword by William van Orange

Unique children need unique care

International Child Care opens at American International School of Rotterdam

TTERDAM RO

AL

CHILD CAR E

Don’t worry, be happy

ERNATI INT ON

www.funtazia.nl

FUNTA ZI

A

Due to increasing demand, AISR are proud to announce the opening of our international, multi-lingual child-care center for children under 4 years.

Funtazia International Child Care offers a true home away from home for all children from 0 to 4 years. We are now in search of qualified, experienced and unique professionals to join our team. If you think you could be who we are looking for e-mail us on info@funtazia.nl for further information.

Dutch & English Courses

If you’re looking for an official guide to Dutch culture, this is not it. If you’re looking for one man’s completely subjective and utterly biased impression of Dutch culture, this is for you.

Illustrated paperback – 240 full color pages ISBN 978 90 5594 800 0 – Price € 14.95 Available in the major book store WWW.HOWTOBEANORANGE.NL

XPat Media_HowtobeOrange_95x127.indd 1

22-11-13 17:19

at The BSN Language Centre

Registration & free level testing on Mondays between 12.00 and 19.00

Adult courses

Innovative International Education

All levels from Beginners to Advanced NEW!

Evening courses

In Voorschoten & Mariahoeve

* English conversation Intermediate/Upper Intermediate * Dutch Conversation for Beginners

In-company courses & private lessons By appointment

English Club for children NEW!

“Learning is the Heart of The International School of The Hague” For more information, please contact us at languages@britishschool.nl or call 070 315 4080

E: ish.admissions@ishthehague.nl

I: www.ishthehague.nl

T +31(0)70 328 1450

Lifestyle

Sustainable car ownership Leave it to the Dutch to find a problem and then find a nifty little solution for it. A country of small spaces, lack of parking and congestion plus the national predilection for saving By sALLy sQuirrELL money adds up to a nation of cyclists.

Car sharing with a difference; you share the car not the journey with other members. 1,700 cars are spread out over 100 cities, you can even move house with one of their vans. You pay a monthly fee of â‚Ź5 (NS rail users offers available), all the insurance arrangements, road tax, vehicle maintenance and cleaning are taken care of and then you only pay per use (from 15 minutes minimum). Hassle free driving and parking, like a Greenwheels car in its designated parking space, are just around the corner from you.

Those clever people at Greenwheels have taken hold of technology to allow you to open the car with your mobile

pHoto: GrEEnwHEELs

However, for the times when the weather is just awful or that special trip is going to take two days on a bike, Greenwheels has come up with a sustainable solution.

Did y know ou ...

Greenw Every h replace eels car s 15 car the road s on .

phone. The little red cars with a green swirl that are omnipresent around the Netherlands can be yours to borrow within minutes.

What are you waiting for? Save money and the planet with Greenwheels today. ÂŤ access | wintEr | 65

ACCESS Trainers

Meet our Trainers ACCESS Trainers are an integral part of the ACCESS Community. They provide training opportunities on topics of relevance to the international community ACCESS serves, in English or other languages. Trainers who work with ACCESS are vetted for their relevancy to the international community.

of our courses are those related to preparing for a family, in which you meet others in the same situation (having a family far from family) and gain insight to how things may be a little different to where you are from.

We offer courses in the following categories:

• Childbirth and parenting • Personal development • Job seeking • Health and wellbeing • Creative • Languages and culture Are you interested in being part of the ACCESS trainer network?

The courses offered through ACCESS are aimed at providing opportunities for personal growth; supporting the development of ‘community’; learning something new; preparing for a new direction; cultural adaptation; as well as pregnancy and childbirth.

ACCESS courses cover a variety of topics and they provide you with the opportunity to meet new people, while learning new skills. The most popular 66 | access | winter

Do you have a course, which provides value to the international community?

Contact ced@access-nl.org or click here for more information.

Have a look at all the courses and register online:

access-nl.org/about-access/what-we-do/ courses-workshops.aspx Meet our Trainers online:

access-nl.org/about-access/how-we-do-it/ trainers/meet-our-trainers.aspx

r eg i s t e r f o r c o u r s e s o n l i n e a t w w w . acce s s - n l . o r g , o r c o n t ac t t r a i n e r d i r ec t l y .

Digital photography Megan Alter Professional photographer & photography teacher Amsterdam

Learn to take better photos. Megan believes in learning by doing; her classes not only teach theory, but how to put that theory into practice. Sign up for a class now and take control of your camera so you can express yourself more fully and preserve beautiful memories with your images.

www.meganalter.com/classes

Career coaching Caroline van den Bogaard International career coach Amsterdam & via Skype

www.cctransitions.com

Caroline inspires and motivates international professionals to look for ways to continue their career in a new country, and to make the transition easier through career coaching. She knows the challenges and opportunities that professionals face when transitioning to another country, having lived and worked abroad herself. She is a certified career coach and has a Master’s degree in occupational psychology.

POWERtalk Marlene Burns Coaching in effective communication skills The Hague

www.powertalkeurope.com

Marlene is an accredited trainer for Powertalk International’s Short Course, which she presents with fellow trainer Angela Tait. Both are experienced speakers at both local and international levels. Are you a nervous beginner or just feel the need to improve? This course offers in-depth training at all levels for effective speaking.

Career and life coaching Marie Dewulf International career and life coach

The Netherlands & via Skype

www.coach2moveon.com

Marie is an expatriate, a Life and Career Coach and trainer/ facilitator whose focus is on cross-cultural adaptation, communication skills, and career development/transition. She works with you to discover what your hidden talents are and how these can be identified and released to unlock YOUR potential. It’s about discovering what you can do with a guide by your side. access | winter | 67

ACCESS Trainers | Meet our Trainers

r eg i s t e r f o r c o u r s e s o n l i n e a t w w w . acce s s - n l . o r g , o r c o n t ac t t r a i n e r d i r ec t l y .

Diversity discussions Christine Fischer Multicultural coach & ACCESS Community Education manager The Hague

www.fischersfiresidechats.com

Christine holds an M.A. & a M.Ed. in multicultural counselling psychology from TC, Columbia University, NYC. She created FischersFiresidechat discussions, workshops, and seminars to foster warm, informal, yet informed environments for learning cultural competence. Her programmes cultivate awareness of one’s own cultural worldview, attitudes towards cultural differences, and offer a variety of cross-cultural skills.

Art history Wendy Fossen Freelance Art historian & Art history teacher The Hague

www.casadellarte.nl

Wendy is owner of Casa dell’Arte and works as a freelance art historian. She has been giving art history courses in both Dutch and English for over 7 years now. She also works as a museum guide at the Gemeentemuseum, and as a tour guide in Italy. Wendy holds degrees from the Universities of Leiden and Amsterdam and from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.

Childbirth preparation Truus Gale Experienced midwife and prenatal coach Amsterdam

www.childbirthclassgale.com

Truus has over 20 years experience in Dutch midwifery and related areas. She holds a Dutch equivalent of a BA in Educational Sciences from Amsterdam University and graduated from Amsterdam Midwifery College in 1988. Truus has been an ACCESS trainer since 2005, specialised in prenatal individual or group information sessions for expat couples expecting a baby in the Netherlands.

Workshops in coaching and counselling Jacqueline van Gent Psychologist and trainer in Transactional Analysis The Hague

www.ta-denhaag.nl

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Jacqueline provides internationally accredited workshops for people wanting to enrich their coaching or counselling skills with very effective, ready-to-use tools. Workshops consist of a little bit of theory and lots of practice, and in a learning climate that helps people of all ages, feeling at ease and willing to engage in developing both personally and professionally.

r E G i s t E r F o r C o u r s E s o n L i n E At w w w. A C C E s s - n L . o r G , o r C o n tA C t t r A i n E r D i r E C t Ly.

it and self defence William Rumley-van Gurp Professional personal development trainer The Hague & Rotterdam

www.cftrainingtoday.com

William is a qualified and experienced trainer, able to offer tailor-made courses in a range of IT and Self defense areas.

He has 26 years experience in Self defence and Karate. He has also been teaching people to use Microsoft applications since 1997 when working as an IT Trainer for an international organisation based in The Hague.

Arabic and calligraphy lessons Khaled Khaled Arabic language lecturer Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht

english.arabisch.nu

Khaled has lived in the Netherlands since 1969. He studied Linguistics of Middle Eastern Languages for 8 years at the University of Amsterdam, specialising in the Arabic language and culture. Khaled offers intensive lessons in the Arabic language and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, and can also provide calligraphy lessons.

Breastfeeding Myrte van Lonkhuijsen Experienced lactation consultant, IaBCLC

The Breastfeeding centre in Amsterdam offers specialised individual help with breastfeeding, courses and a breastfeeding shop. Myrte and the centre can assist you in solving problems, and in fitting breastfeeding into your everyday life.

Amsterdam

www.borstvoedingscentrum.nl

Career coaching and Job hunting support Teresa Moynihan Career coaching & Job hunting support The greater Hague area

www.moynihan-hr-consulting.com

Teresa Moynihan is a HR Professional and a Certified and Licensed Career Counsellor with a Postgraduate qualification in Career and Talent Management from Kingston University in London, UK. Teresa’s extensive experience in HR and Recruitment enables her to incorporate this knowledge into coaching situations involving career issues.

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ACCESS trainers | Meet our trainers

r E G i s t E r F o r C o u r s E s o n L i n E At w w w. A C C E s s - n L . o r G , o r C o n tA C t t r A i n E r D i r E C t Ly.

Childbirth preparation Nester Moyo Senior midwifery advisor The Hague

www.access-nl.org

Nester is a Zimbabwean Midwife Educator who has lived in the Netherlands since 2001, and has worked with ACCESS conducting child birth preparation classes since 2002. Nester is well versed in the education and practice of midwifery in the Netherlands, as she has been a visiting lecturer to some of the midwifery universities in the Netherlands.

pre- and postnatal courses Joke van Roosendaal-Kuyper Breathing and relaxation therapist/Yoga instructor The Hague

www.access-nl.org

Joke has been working in the yoga field for 25 years (Pregnancy yoga for 18 years). Through different kinds of schooling (Breathing and Relaxation) she has developed a practical preparation for labour and offers tools to cope with fear and pain. Being fully informed and prepared makes for a less stressful delivery.

individual and group coaching Vanessa Prins-Goodman International coach and trainer the Netherlands

www.goodmancoaching.nl

Vanessa holds an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Brussels, and a diploma in Jungian Analysis. She is a coach and trainer, specialising in transitions, growth, communication and work-life balance. In her work she integrates theoretical aspects with experiential and creative techniques.

Mind your stress Mary Jane Roy Stress and emotional resilience facilitator Amsterdam, The Hague & Rotterdam

www.creatingwaves.nu

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Mary Jane will facilitate your learning of simple, effective techniques to reduce, relieve, and release stress anywhere, anytime. She is available for presentations, trainings, workshops and one-on-one sessions, for individuals as well as companies. Her educational background is as a certified stress counsellor, NLP master practitioner, registered HeartMath provider, and she was a registered nurse in Canada.

r eg i s t e r f o r c o u r s e s o n l i n e a t w w w . acce s s - n l . o r g , o r c o n t ac t t r a i n e r d i r ec t l y .

Helping you feel at home in the Netherlands Caitríona Rush Cross-cultural consultant the Netherlands

www.athomeabroad.nl

Caitríona has spent 18 years living and working in 8 countries around the globe. She provides workshops, trainings and one-on-one sessions to both individuals and businesses. Her goal: to help internationals be happy living in the Netherlands, and to facilitate companies in achieving increased effectiveness and success when doing business with other cultures.

Childbirth preparation Lee Tolman Fysiotherapistacupuncturist The Hague

www.partnersinwellness.nl

Lee has undertaken extensive post-grad courses specialising in childbirth preparation, prenatal and postpartum complaints, menopause and infertility. Lee is currently practicing physiotherapy and acupuncture in a private practice in ­Voorburg and shares facilitation of the ACCESS childbirth preparation courses. She has been a Dutch resident for the past 20 years and a childbirth educator for ACCESS for 15 years.

Childbirth preparation Ria Wiertz Antenatal teacher Rotterdam

www.borstvoedingspijkenisse.nl

Ria is a qualified antenatal teacher with over 15 years experience. Ria trained with the Stichting ter Verbreiding van de Psycho Prophylaxes Method, a Dutch Lamaze variant. She is a lactation consultant, personal coach and is qualified to teach Baby Massage. Ria is in the process of obtaining the official Lamaze Trainer Certificate so she can train others to give this wonderful course.

Are you interested in being part of the ACCESS trainer network?

Do you have a course, which provides value to the international community?

Contact ced@access-nl.org or click here for more information.

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M e r r y

C h r i s t m a s a n d

H a p p y

a

N e w

Y e a r

to all our sponsors, readers and volunteers

Enjoy the festive season!

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New banking products. My multilingual colleagues at our International Client Desk and I are specialised in advising and serving you! At abnamro.nl/expat you’ll find more information and the Mobile Banking app in English.

You’re always welcome!”