Hollandse Club Magazine: November/December 2014

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2014

TheMagazine A bi-monthly publication by the Hollandse Club

Visitus us online online @ @ www.hollandseclub.org.sg Visit

Dragon Boating September Fair EVENTS & ACTIVITIES Sinterklaas Arrival New Year’s Eve River Cruise Year End Pool Party FOOD & BEVERAGE Chef’s Specials Holiday Season Promotions Christmas Lunch Buffet

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

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CONTENTS

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5

6

President’s Message

GM’s Message

Facilities Information

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9

Event Report: Event Report: Dragon Boating September Fair

10 12 20 22 24 Calender

Upcoming Events

Ride 4 #Stop Women’s Rights TraffickingSG

Expat Giving Connects

26 27 28 30 31 Welcoming New Members

Member In Focus

Membership News & Bylaws

Hallowe’en in Singapore

Brazil vs.

Japan

32 34 36 38 42 Christmas Around The Globe

Pete Spices Up Singapore

The New Chill-Out Room

F&B Chef’s Specials

F&B Promotions

44 46 48 52 54 Swimming

Squash

Tennis

Club Activity Contact List

Library

22 Camden Park, Singapore 299814 | Tel: 6464 5225 | Fax: 6468 6272 | www.hollandseclub.org.sg Email: info@hollandseclub.org.sg | Court Bookings: reception@hollandseclub.org.sg

The Hollandse Club Magazine is published bi-monthly and distributed free to members of the Club.

For advertising enquiries, please email marcom@hollandseclub.org.sg Views and opinions expressed may not necessarily reflect those of the Club, its committee or editorial staff. © All Rights reserved.

MICA (P) 156/04/2009.

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MAIN COMMITTEE President: Nienke Nauta - Kuipers president@hollandseclub.org.sg

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Vice-President: Willeke Lankamp vicepresident@hollandseclub.org.sg First Secretary: Willemijn van Blommestein firstsecretary@hollandseclub.org.sg Second Secretary: Willemijn van Blommestein secondsecretary@hollandseclub.org.sg Honorary Treasurer: Wietske Helle treasurer@hollandseclub.org.sg Chairperson for Food & Beverage: Tony Moes fnbmember@hollandseclub.org.sg Chairperson for Sports: Patrice Plet sportsmember@hollandseclub.org.sg Commercial Affairs: Henk - Jan Bakker commercial@hollandseclub.org.sg Ordinary Member: Paul Roberts, Linda McGregor, Peter van Buren, Steef Janssen COMMITTEE MEMBERS Kids Committee Chairperson: Evelien Kleijn Members: Maria van Dort, Marjolein Heijen, Evelyne van Overveld, Nathalie Ramirez Sports Committee Chairperson: Patrice Plet Library Committee Convenor: Hian Tan 6468 4004 Members: Cora Smouter, Angela Bowskill, Susanne Westerbeek, Nina Gunasingham, Annabel Klaassens Finance Committee Chairperson: Wietske Helle 8399 5729 Members: Then Wee Lin, Edwin Jager, Anneloes van Haaren, Cecile Sturm, Jan Willem Buist F&B Committee Chairperson: Tony Moes Member: Patrick Tan Magazine Committee Members: Nedda Chaplin, Karien van Ditzhuijzen, Nina Gunasingham, Claire van Deur, Bernhard Wamelink (Photographer) 4 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG

Dear fellow members, First of all, I would like to welcome all new members who have joined our club in recent months. I hope you will all have a lovely time at the Club and I look forward to welcoming you all at the New Members Night on November 13th.

Although we are delighted with all the members joining us in recent months I would like to share my concern about our declining membership numbers. In August this year we reached our lowest membership number in many years: 1513 members as compared to 1622 in August last year. This sudden decline in the number of members, significantly affects our financial results. In order to push our membership numbers back to healthier levels the Club has launched flexible membership options which enable new members to pay the Entrance fee of their membership of choice plus the monthly subscription fee in equal monthly installments.

To generate more interest in our unique family club we are advertising online and in print publications, promoting our club during fairs and events as well as hosting coffee mornings and banqueting events for international schools and expatriate associations.

However, I’m convinced that the best PR for the Club is still by word of mouth so I would like to ask all of you to share your enthusiasm for our club with your friends and bring them along to experience our unique atmosphere, facilities and delicious food. In a few weeks’ time we will send out the annual member’s survey and I do hope you will all take some time to give us your feedback on our Club.

As part of our on-going efforts to create more value for our members we have reviewed some of our guest (non-members) policies. We would like our members to enjoy the Club’s facilities more exclusively and at the same time show our guests the benefits of a Hollandse Club membership. In addition, we have also reviewed some of our current bylaws with regards to domestic helpers and children. All of you should have received an email about these changes but if you have not, please update your email address with our membership department or the reception. If you have any questions with regards to these changes in our bylaws, please contact me. The ladies at the reception will have some hard copies of the revised bylaws on hand and further on in this magazine you will find the most important changes and a Q&A. The past few months, we have also focused on our Corporate Relations. We have updated our various Sponsor packages which start from as low as S$2,500 per year. If you are interested in supporting our club as a Corporate Sponsor, please contact me. Companies like Van Oord and KLM have been generous sponsors for many years, but this year we have also welcomed Randstad, Mammoet, ABN AMRO, DSM and Boskalis on board.

The month of October is almost at its end. During the school holidays the Club organized for the first time a kids sailing camp at Changi Sailing Club. The kids had a blast and it was great to see them being able to sail on their own at the end of the week. November is traditionally the month of Sinterklaas, a very Dutch and Belgian Children’s Festival. Sinterklaas and his Petes will arrive in Singapore on the 22nd of November. More details will follow soon.

As this is the last magazine issue of 2014, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff for another great year at the Club: always a friendly smile and helpful for so many members. A big thank you!

Best regards on behalf of the Main Committee, Nienke Nauta-Kuipers

GM’S MESSAGE

CLUB MANAGEMENT General Manager: Elmer van Loon 6461 1103 gm@hollandseclub.org.sg Banquet Operations Manager: Tan Boon Phang 6461 1137 banqmgr@hollandseclub.org.sg Banquet Executive: Mariah Said 6461 1112 banquet@hollandseclub.org.sg

Dear Members, The last two months of the year are kicking in and it has been a pleasure for me to welcome many new faces to our Club. Although June and July saw a number of familiar faces leaving, August and September the Club became the new home away from home for over 35 new families from different parts of the world. Welcome to the Hollandse Club family!

It is with great pleasure that I look back at some fantastic events during the past few months.

With over 60 participants, the family Dragon Boat race at the end of September was a blast.

The young and the not-so-young raced each other on the Kallang River in traditional Dragon Boats. After all the hard work, a well deserved cold beer and a delicious barbecue where served at the poolside of the Club. Then we had the 4 day swimming event: a charity event where young and old swam laps to raise money for the Ronald McDonald Children’s House.

About 120 participants swam a total of 16,100 laps and raised $2,422 for the charity. Over 20 participants joined the first Friday Night Social Tennis event on 3 October. If you missed it this time, look out for the next Friday Night Social Tennis event. The autumn Optimist Sailing Camp at the Changi Sailing Club was sold out and a big success. We will publish the pictures in the next issue of the magazine.

On the F&B side, the new style ‘Chef’s Special’ photos taken by in-house photographer, Bernard Wamelink, enticed a lot of members to try out the delicious specials of Chef Raymond and his kitchen crew. The Fig & Feta salad was a winner: it was ordered 179 times during the month of September. The mussels, Traditional and Thai style, were also a hit. Further in the magazine you can see the mouth-watering specials for the months of November and December.

For November and December, we have organized some more great events. In November there will be an International Comedy Night, a Family Christmas photo shoot by Tomato Photo and the ever-popular Charity Christmas Fair from the Netherlands Charity Association. For the kids, we are organizing a kite-making workshop and, of course, we welcome “Sinterklaas” to Singapore.

December will bring an International Comedy Night, the Aqua Ducks End-of-Year Pool Party, a Christmas cookies decorating workshop, and for New Year’s Eve celebrations the Club has reserved four private boats again. Make sure you and your family are part of the lucky few to watch the amazing fireworks in the Marina Bay front row from your private boat! Only limited tickets are available!

Furthermore, I heard rumours about a second Optimist Sailing camp and a den building/ hutten bouw camp during the Christmas holiday. Keep an eye out for the posters.

While still a bit early, I take this opportunity to wish all our members a Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Elmer van Loon General Manager

Commercial Manager: Daniel van Dijk 6461 1139 sales@hollandseclub.org.sg Membership Executive: Darma Jahari 6461 1111 membership@hollandseclub.org.sg Marketing & Communications Executive: Tan Yan Ting 6461 1117 marcom@hollandseclub.org.sg Events Executive: Marjon Gijsman 6461 1110 events@hollandseclub.org.sg Sports & Events Executive: Yurni Hikmah 6461 1127 sports.exec@hollandseclub.org.sg Operations Manager: Bibiche Booi 64611136 opsmgr@hollandseclub.org.sg Finance Manager: Vangel Neo 6461 1108 finmgr@hollandseclub.org.sg Accountant: Zoey Lee 6461 1106 a.r@hollandseclub.org.sg Administrative Assistant: Regina Sim 6461 1160 adminasst@hollandseclub.org.sg

PS. Don’t know what to cook or where to eat for Christmas? Your Club has a delicious Christmas take away menu, and Mr Boon and team have prepared fantastic menus for your Christmas party at the Club. Email banquet@hollandseclub.org.sg for more information.

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FACILITY INFORMATION SPORTS & RECREATION Gymnasium Monday - Sunday: 7am - 10pm Club Opening Hours Sunday - Thursday: 7am - 11pm Friday - Saturday: 7am - 1am General Office Hours Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm Tel: 6464 5225 (Reception) Fax: 6468 6272 Lost & Found Items Please contact the Housekeeper at  6461 1114 or Reception at 6464 5225

FOOD & BEVERAGE OUTLETS The Lounge Monday - Sunday: 9am - Closing (Last order 9.45pm) For reservations, please call Reception at 6464 5225 or email rm@hollandseclub.org.sg Serambi Bar Wednesday - Sunday: 6pm - 11pm Terrace Monday - Sunday: 8am - 11pm (Last order 9.45pm) Beverages available until closing Tennis Pavillion Monday - Friday: 8am - 12pm Tuesday & Thursday: 4pm - 6pm Wednesday: 6pm - 11pm Saturday, Sunday & PH: 8am - 12pm

4pm - 6pm For special opening hours for events, please ask reception.

During opening hours a limited menu is served.

Tradewinds Bar Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 11pm Friday - Saturday: 11am - 1.00am Eve of PH & PH: 11am - 1am Pool Bar Monday - Friday: 11am - 7pm Saturday: 8am - 5pm Sunday & PH: 9am - 6pm

Library Tuesday - Saturday Facility information for the library will be different every week.

Multi-Purpose Sports Court Monday - Sunday: 8am - 10pm Please check availability with reception before using.

Squash Courts Monday - Sunday: 7am - 11pm Court Bookings: reception@hollandseclub.org.sg Swimming Pool Monday - Sunday: 8am - 10pm NB: Closure times for competitive swimming: Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday 5pm - 7.30pm (Two lanes will remain open) Last Friday of the month: 5pm - 7pm *At least two lanes will remain open on School Holidays between Monday to Friday.

Tennis Courts Monday - Sunday: 7am - 11pm Booking is required.

For court bookings, email reception@hollandseclub. org.sg Child Minding Service Monday - Friday: 8.30am - 12pm For children aged from 1 to 6 years.

Tel: 6461 1150 Mums & Tots Group Tuesday: 10am - 11.30am Newborn to 4 years at Rotterdam Room The Puppy Club Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 8pm Friday: 12pm - 10pm Saturday & PH: 10am - 10pm Sunday: 10am - 8pm For children aged from 1 to 6 years.

Juniors Room Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 8pm Friday: 12pm - 10pm Saturday & PH: 10am -10pm Sunday: 10am - 8pm For children aged 7 years and above.

The Chillout Room Monday - Friday: 4pm - 10pm Saturday & Sunday: 10am - 10pm For children aged 11 years and above.

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EVENT REPORT

DRAGON BOATING

By Daniel van Dijk

On Saturday, 27th September 2014, a group of 60 adults and children had their first go at Dragon Boating, a very Singaporean Water Sport. Although originated in China and very popular in many South East Asian countries and other parts of the world, Dragon Boating has a very strong tradition in Singapore, which has many Dragon Boat enthusiasts, clubs and its own Annual Dragon Boat Festival. A Dragon Boat typically has a crew of 22 with 20 peddlers in pairs, 1 Drummer or Caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers and 1 Sweep (a steer) standing at the rear of the boat. For the purpose of training the unexperienced smaller boats with 10 peddlers and 1 sweep are sometimes used.

After gathering at the Kallang Water Sports Centre, which is now dwarfed by the New National Stadium, the Hollandse Club Dragon Boaters received thorough instructions and equipment from the coaches from Dragon Boat Innovate before setting off and having a go at this age old watersport. Each boat seating 10 peddlers in pairs had their own Sweep who had many tips and tricks for the enthusiastic participants. Dragon Boating is all about technique, team work and the right rhythm, which is quite easy to learn but takes long to perfect.

Dragon Boating turned out to be a perfect family (club) sport and lots of fun! We will definitely organize another Dragon Boating Event for members next year so watch out for the announcement!

Bregje van Marle, Captain of one of the Dragon Boats shares her experience of the day: Preparation is the key thing... so a few days before the race we order the outfits, to be all set the day for the race! A big group of enthusiastic members meet at the Kallang Water Sports Centre.

Team spirits in full swing, everybody stretching muscles and taking directions given by Jason from DBI (Dragon Boat Innovate). 6 teams are more than ready to face the battle ahead.

Once on the water the teams start eyeing each other. How do the others function as a team? Are their movements more fluid then ours? Can we beat them? Competitive? Just a little bit…

After 2 hours of practice, shooting a Youtube video of a ‘Twirlfie’ with 6 boats (check it out on Dragon Boat Innovate Youtube channel) and getting everyone pumped up: it’s time for the race!

All teams are ready at the start point of the race… softly the water splashes against the boats, paddles are in the right position, muscles tensed… and we’re off!

Full speed ahead all teams give it all they have gotten but there is only 1 winner and guess who? With almost a boat length difference, The Drag Kings and Queens reaches the finish line! Such power and flexibility, a natural born dragon boating team! A special thumbs up for the all kids team, they put up a good fight in the race!

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EVENT REPORT

Charity Christmas Fair thursday 20 November | 10 AM - 5 PM | Hollandse Club, 22 Camden Park Lucky Draw Grand Prize - win a KLM return ticket to Amsterdam!

All NCA proceeds benefit local Singapore charities. Printing courtesy of

www.expatliving.sg

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Sponsored by:

EVENT REPORT

SEPTEMBER FAIR Our second fair of the year provided us with a wide range of great vendors. Products included clothing, beachwear, travel, wine, furniture, bicycles, expat insurance, home dÊcor, charity products and so much more! It was a great day for shopping and a very successful fair for everyone. We can’t wait for the next fair!

Our friends from the NCA will be hosting their Christmas Fair at the Hollandse Club on 20th November, so block that date in your calendar.

We would like to thank all vendors for making this fair a success, and a special thank you to Asian Tigers Mobility who provided the shopping bags!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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November

Comedy Club Asia

Friday, 8:30pm, Main Hall Members: $40 | Non-Members: $45 Get excited for yet another TGIF night filled with belly laughs featuring Earl Okin (UK), Brendon Burns (AUS) and Nick Sun (AUS)!

9

at a

November November

Family Christmas Photoshoot by Tomato Photo

Sunday, 10am - 5pm, Amsterdam Room Members: $234.5 Turn your family’s moments into memories with Hart Tan, Associate Master Photographer.

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November

New Members’ Night

Thursday, 8pm, Outdoor Lounge Join us for a few drinks and meet new friends as we welcome our new members to the family! Bitterballen are on the house!

15

November

Men’s Custom Tailoring @ The Club I

Saturday, 3pm - 6pm, Conference Room Maharadja’s Custom Tailors will be at the Club to take your measurements for shirts, trousers, suits and tuxedos. Exclusive discounts for Hollandse Club members.

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November

Kids’ Kite Making

Sunday, 3pm, Indoor Lounge Members: $12.5 | Non-Members: $20 Set your creative soul alight as you learn how to make your own kite guided by our friends from Passion Kites!

For ages 5 and up.

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November

Charity Christmas Fair

Thursday, 10am - 5pm, Main Hall Free Admission The annual Charity Christmas Fair by the Netherlands Charity Association has earned itself a reputation as the only non-commerical Christmas Fair in Singapore.

Come celebrate the festive season for a good cause!

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November

Sinterklaas Arrival

Saturday, Main Hall It’s that exciting time of the year again where we welcome Sinterklaas to Singapore! Stay tuned for details!

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November

Men’s Custom Tailoring @ The Club II

Saturday, 11am - 2pm, Conference Room Maharadja’s Custom Tailors will be at the Club to take your measurements for shirts, trousers, suits and tuxedos. Exclusive discounts for Hollandse Club members.

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November

Kids’ Sinterklaas Movie

Sunday, 3pm, Main Hall Members: $5 | Non-Members: $7.5 Pull your friends along and get to know more about Sinterklaas through a movie!

glance

UPCOMING EVENTS

December Events Cancellation Policy:

For fee-based events, a request for cancellation (and refund) will be accepted up to 48 hours in advance of the event. The Hollandse Club must make commitments to suppliers at that time and making changes will result in additional labour, costs or penalties. If the cancellation request is received after the deadline, we cannot issue a refund and the event will be charged.

5

December

CALENDER Events not to be missed in the month of November and December! Come and join us for these exciting events. Please do remember to register early to avoid disappointment!

Comedy Club Asia

Friday, 8:30pm, Main Hall Members: $40 | Non-Members: $45 You wouldn’t want to miss the last comedy night of the year, would you? Stay tuned for the comedian line-up!

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14

December

Kids Christmas Movie & Cookie Decorating

December

Nůmama Christmas Concert

Sunday, 7pm, Main Hall Adults: $25 | Kids 5-12 years: $10 | Kids under 5: Free Get into the festive spirit with an evening of magical music inspired by the moon and the stars by Nůmama choir. As Christmas is all about giving, all proceeds will be donated to charity.

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Sunday, 2pm, Indoor Lounge Members: $10 | Non-Members: $15 Sure to be an enjoyable afternoon with Santa Claus on screen and a splash of colourful icing on Christmas cookies!

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December

New Year’s Eve River Cruise

December

Aquaducks End-of-Year Pool Party

Friday, 5:15pm - 7:15pm, The Poolside Members Only It’s time to let your hair down and join us at the poolside for one last round of splashing good fun, before we bid the year goodbye!

Wednesday, 7pm (Buffet) 10:30pm (River Cruise) Adults: $100 | Kids: $70 (Buffet & River Cruise) Adults: $65 | Kids: $55 (River Cruise) Join us for a delicious buffet and have private boats take you on a 2 hour river cruise to watch the fireworks up close and personal! Be sure to sign up quickly as there are limited tickets available!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

THE BIGGEST THING WE MOVE IS TIME

When it comes to lifting, transporting, installing

They are about time. Uptime, turnaround time and

For more information please call Gilbert Tan,

and decommissioning large structures in heavy

time to market.

Commercial Director APAC at +65 6302 9719.

industries, we believe your biggest challenges are

Mammoet brings deadlines forward through

Or send an e-mail to: Gilbert.Tan@Mammoet.com.

not about size.

careful planning, innovative engineering and safe

Discover more on www.mammoet.com

delivery.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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THE CLUB

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THE CLUB

OPEN HOUSE On Saturday September 13th, the Hollandse Club held its annual Open House. During the day we welcomed many families from different parts of the world. Our guests got a taste of our wonderful club and several families decided to sign up on the day, others followed in two weeks after the event. It was our pleasure hosting this annual event and we look forward to seeing these new members at the club very often!

We would like to thank everybody who contributed to the success of the day and not in the least our event sponsors: KLM, Nespresso and Philips for the wonderful prizes for our Lucky Draw!

Mrs Raatgerink receives a Lucky Draw prize from Daniel van Dijk, Commercial Manager.

The Raatgerink family signed up for a Club Membership during our Annual Open House. Congratulations and welcome to the Hollandse Club!

STAFF UPDATE NEW STAFF

Last month we said goodbye to our colleagues Robbie Lyons, Sports Manager, Tony Pang, F&B Manager and Cynthia Seow, Accounts Executive. We wish them all the best!

A warm welcome to Sherman Yap who has joined the Finance Team as Accounts Executive.

As the newly appointed Operations Manager, what major changes and improvements would you like to see at the Hollandse Club?

As the Operations Manager I am overall responsible for the F&B department. My ultimate goal is to create a fun working place for our F&B staff whereby the service level to the members and the quality of the food is up to standard. Furthermore, I am currently revising the existing menu and your valuable feedback is more than welcome!

Share with us the most culture-shocking experience you ever had in Singapore.

I remember one day back in 2007 that I was walking along Orchard Road and all of a sudden my eyes crossed a big advertisement with two gay people walking hand in hand with a big red cross through it. You can imagine I was in shock!

BIBICHE BOOI OPERATIONS MANAGER

Why do you think people should visit the Netherlands if they have never done so?

Holland is a perfect holiday destination because it offers a wide variety of activities. You can visit typical Dutch places like Marken, Volendam and Urk, taste our famous Dutch cheese at a cheese factory or visiting the beautiful flower fields and windmills. But personally I would recommend to make a journey along the Dutch coast because of its beautiful dune regions and wide beaches.

Describe your personality in one word.

This is not a difficult question for me. The first word that comes to mind is perfectionism! I am always setting the highest standards for myself (and others) and never expecting anything less.

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EXTERNAL

RIDE 4 WOMEN’S RIGHTS:

FOUR DUTCH GIRLS, TWO TANDEMS AND 14,000 KILOMETRES

By Karien van Ditzhuijzen Where some people go backpacking for a bit after graduation, these four young Dutch girls are looking for a bigger adventure. In just over a year, they will cycle from Jakarta to Amsterdam. On two tandems. And not only that, they are doing it for a good cause: to raise awareness for women’s rights. A ‘Ride 4 Women’s Rights’.

A few weeks after their departure from Jakarta, Carlijn, Monique, Lidewij and Sophie arrived in Singapore, staying with a friendly Dutch expat couple that took them under their wings. The next day I took them to HOME, the NGO I work for. HOME supports migrant workers in Singapore, and the Dutch girls were invited to join in my Dreams Class, where we dreamed about our prospective futures together with domestic workers staying at the HOME shelter. We found that, although the contestants came from very different countries (the Netherlands, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines and India), their dreams were not that different. We all wanted to start our own companies, build our dream-house and be able to take care of our loved ones.

The following day, the four girls cycled on, over the causeway to Malaysia but luckily there was time for a quick interview. I was curious how they got the idea for this challenging journey. It turned out not to be the first time these women, that have been friends since primary school, travelled together. This time they wanted to do something different.

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“

EXTERNAL

It was on our last trip that we realised that students like us are very self-centred. We took all our opportunities for self-development for granted, without stopping to think how special they are. Because we are all quite sporty, we wanted to add a challenge. To be aware, for 400 days, whilst cycling, of women’s rights, will be an unforgettable exploration. So that is how we started the ‘Ride for Women’s Rights’.

”

The four women will visit various projects from Plan International and Care International during their journey, as well as other local projects that support women’s rights, and share their stories on their website. So far, the group has cycled through Indonesia to Singapore: neighbouring countries but which are worlds apart.

Singapore impressed them as being ‘futuristic, grand, visionary, and full of expats.’ The ladies of R4WR don’t like to judge. Their journey is one of exploration. Yet they have to admit that Singapore is more modern, and much wealthier than Indonesia. The visit to HOME showed them that ‘beneath the veneer of Singapore there is a darker area, where for instance migrants’ rights are not always heard.’

Apart from the Far East they will also cross the Middle East.

All countries that are not as safe as Singapore. Are they never afraid? ‘In the Netherlands we did training on how to handle aggressive situations. This was also a prerequisite for our parents and sponsors. Safety remains very important to us. In Indonesia we often slept at police stations, a golden concept. In every town or village we’d knock on the door at the local police office. After the first week, police offices started to feel like home! Every office we slept at (on our mats) would provide us with a letter of recommendation for the next one. When we arrived at the last one, in Bali, we had 17 letters. Let’s hope this trick will work in other countries, too.’

How does the public react to four cycling Dutch girls? ‘When in the busy Indonesian traffic two red tandems appear, men, women as well as children, laugh their heads off. There is astonishment, but we also get positive reactions, when we tell that we will cycle 14,000 kilometres from Jakarta to Amsterdam to raise awareness about women’s rights. Four girls cycling? Really… from Jakarta to Rembang? Oh no, all the way up to Amsterdam?’ They had not expected all these positive reactions, and the sign, conversations and meetings that came forth made a lasting impression on the four.

After Singapore, Sophie, Carlijn, Monique and Lidewij will cycle through Malaysia, then Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar before entering the Middle East. If you want to follow their adventures, do check their website at www.r4wr.or or find them on Facebook as R4WR.

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THE OTHER SIDE

By Karien van Ditzhuijzen Singapore is an excellent city to live in for expats. Shining lights, clean, safe, with good schools and amazing food. All the comfort you need, topped with an exotic sauce to give it just that hint of Asian flavour, without the dirt, hustle, bustle and hassle of many of its neighbouring countries.

Some foreign residents, in their expat bubble, are not aware of another, much darker side of Singapore. They might have heard of some of the goings-on in Orchard Towers or Singapore’s infamous red light district, Geylang. They might have seen the foreign construction workers toiling on the newest high-rise buildings. Or they have seen domestic workers spending their Sunday morning washing their employers’ cars.

But unless you look closely, it is hard to see the plight of some of these workers; to see what sacrifices they made to get here and what problems the more unfortunate migrants encounter. They are expats in Singapore, too. Yet the advantaged position of expats on Employment Passes, in condos and with kids in international schools, is lifetimes away from that of a low-wage migrant worker with a limited grasp of the English language, who travelled to support a family left behind in their home countries. They will work long hours for a low salary, sleep in squalid dormitories or store rooms, and get fed only just enough to sustain their hard labour.

And that is when all goes well, which it doesn’t always.

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EXTERNAL

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a violation of human rights.

Every year men, women and children are deceived or coerced into leaving their homes and moving to Singapore, only to end up in jobs and working conditions they did not expect.

Leaving is difficult, because of huge debts owed to recruiters.

These men, women and children often face long working hours with inadequate rest, or even physical, psychological or sexual abuse. They may also be verbally abused or threatened by their employers and recruiters.

A few months ago Singaporean MP Mr Christopher De Souza proposed to draft a Private Member’s Bill dedicated to combating human trafficking in Singapore. The aim is to present the Bill in parliament in November 2014.

Singaporean Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) advocating human rights welcome the new Bill, and hope it will be a significant step in combating human trafficking in Singapore. HOME, AWARE, TWC2, Healthserve, UN Women and MARUAH have taken this occasion to raise awareness of human trafficking issues in Singapore, and jointly organised the StopTraffickingSG Campaign.

The StopTraffickingSG campaign urges the government to adopt a victim-centred approach in the drafting of the Bill on Prevention of Human Trafficking. The campaign organisers feel that without this, the Bill will not be sufficiently effective in combating Human Trafficking.

StopTraffickingSG recommends the following to be considered: • Victims have the right to accommodation, food, counselling services, legal aid, medical treatment, compensation and social support while their case is on-going • Victims are not prosecuted for being an undocumented immigrant or for working ‘illegally’ or for any illegal immigration infractions inadvertently committed while being trafficked • Victims have the right to work and a decent income while their case is on-going

Victims’ rights need to be taken into consideration to ensure detection and prosecution of traffickers and trafficking-related crimes. If not, many victims will opt to return to their home countries without making a formal complaint to the authorities, rendering the Bill ineffective.

At the moment, trafficked victims are often reluctant to file complaints and claim justice. Investigations and legal proceedings may take several months or even up to two years before being resolved, during which time the victims are obliged to remain in Singapore. It is not guaranteed they will have the option to work during investigations, and many, being the breadwinners of their families, simply cannot afford to stay to file a complaint.

Sometimes victims are prosecuted themselves for being undocumented immigrants, or for working illegally, often unknowingly and due to the actions of their traffickers. The victim’s fear of the authorities stops them from seeking help.

Inclusion of victims’ rights will also align Singapore’s laws with international standards. A clear framework to protect victims of trafficking in Singapore strengthens relations with our neighbours, who are the main source countries of victims trafficked through and to Singapore.

Guaranteeing the victims’ safety, livelihood and sustenance in the Bill will give victims of human trafficking the incentive to report, identify and testify against perpetrators. This will aid the effective prosecution of employers and recruiters involved in trafficking persons into Singapore, and in turn assist the destruction of trafficking syndicates as well as bring justice to victims and reduce crimes that threaten the security of Singapore.

Visit the campaign website for updates and human trafficking stories: http://stoptraffickingsg.wordpress.com Or find StopTraffickingSG on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stoptraffickingsg Please sign their petition for the comprehensive protection of the rights of trafficked persons in Singapore. Everyone with a valid address in Singapore is eligible to sign, regardless of nationality.

OF SINGAPORE #STOPTRAFFICKINGSG WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 23

EXTERNAL

EXPATGIVING CONNECTS Expatgiving connects expats with volunteer opportunities in Singapore and across the region. We are collaborating with more than 35 non-profit organizations that support different causes. What makes Expatgiving different is the fact that, apart from helping our adopted community by working with local non-profits, we also try to focus on what the expats need and can commit to. There are many reasons why people are willing to volunteer, but being expats ourselves, we know that there are many professionals out there who put aside their careers to ‘follow’ their partners in the expat adventure. Keeping this in mind, we try to promote skilled or leadership volunteer vacancies, that may help ‘fill the gap’ in their CVs.

INTERVIEW WITH IRENE AND SUZAN How did you get involved in Expatgiving? Why did you set it up?

Irene: The idea to start Expatgiving was born while I was volunteering in Singapore. Several non-profits told me about their difficulties in reaching the expat community. I was aware of the fact that there are many men and women – like us – who want to volunteer and use their professional skills to benefit the community. Expatgiving was born as a platform that non-profits can use to tap into the expat world, and where expats can find plenty of volunteer positions in Singapore and across the region.

Suzan: After working for more that 10 years as an HR professional, I wanted to have more freedom to do the things that really matter. Volunteering was one of them. I was already involved with HOME when I discovered Expatgiving. I was immediately very interested in the concept because I think it is the perfect bridge between available volunteer positions and expats that are willing to make use of their skills for a good cause. So I met Irene and we decided to work together.

Can you also give a very brief background on your own expat journey, i.e. how long you’ve been in Singapore, why, what you did before?

Irene: I am originally from Spain and moved to Singapore in March 2013, after living in Sydney, Munich and Madrid. After five years in different areas of Human Resources, mostly in the banking industry, I transitioned to non-profit program management in education and entrepreneurship promotion.

Suzan: At the beginning of this year (2014), I moved from the Netherlands to Singapore with my family. My background is HR and I have been working as an HR professional in different areas, such as learning and development, recruitment and performance management for different (multinational) companies in the Netherlands. I founded my own coaching and training company, “Body4Mind”, reflecting my drive and exploration to help other women balance their body and mind.

24 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG

IRENE IBARRA FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

What exactly is Expatgiving’s proposition, and what and how do you feel you can add to the voluntary sector that doesn’t exist already?

Suzan: We are very keen to support small and/or not such well known local non-profits that have less visibility by sharing their volunteer positions and promoting their events. We also give them advice on how to attract volunteers based on our experience with other organisations. And we are giving expats the opportunity to find out which position and/or organisation fits best.

In those individual orientation sessions we coach and give tips and advice to find a good balance in life.

Can you give some examples of the types of voluntary positions you feature (this could include the charity’s details etc, to give an idea of which ones already use your service).

Irene: We are working with more than 35 non-profits at the moment. For example, H.O.M.E. is looking for a Fundraising Manager, so we post this vacancy on our website and share in our social media to help them spread the word. We also receive many applications for Play Personnel at The Children’s Cancer Foundation, where volunteers provide an avenue for a child to have fun even in a hospital. Aidha offered skilled positions such as Mentors, Student Affairs Manager and IT Manager.

EXTERNAL

Irene: With regards to the organisations, at first we were the ones approaching them one by one, telling them about Expatgiving and explaining the benefits of working together. Lately, however, many organisations that have heard about Expatgiving through word of mouth, are now contacting us to discuss possible collaborations, which is great because it means that we must be doing something right!

We asked a one of our volunteers, Isabel de Laiglesia, a couple of questions. She is volunteering for a social organisation called Save the Children as a Project Manager- Business Mapping

SUZAN GROOTSCHOLTEN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

How did you hear about Expatgiving and did you find their service useful?

Since I came to Singapore, I have been looking for different ways of finding out what volunteer job I could do, and when looking for sources of information I came across the “expat giving” newsletter. I can’t remember exactly how I found out about it, but I definitely know that it has been very interesting and motivating to know about so many different initiatives happening in Singapore.

How do people get involved, how can they get in touch and keep updated on positions? And how does it work for charities as well, how can they use your services?

Irene: People can easily find the available positions on our website and apply directly. If they don’t find what they are looking for, they can sign up as an Expatgiving volunteer and receive a bi-weekly eBulletin with all the updates, as well as our quarterly newsletter.

How easily was it for you to apply for a vacancy through their website?

The application for the vacancy was very easy, actually it seemed too easy for me. Since I was very interested in the project, and the application didn’t ask for any CV or prior experience details, I decided to send an email presenting myself. The help I received from the staff during the process was very helpful and appreciated.

Suzan: We are also very active in social media, so by ‘liking’ us on Facebook, joining our LinkedIn Group or following us on Twitter, they can get instant notifications as soon as a new volunteer opportunity is available. We also use social media to advertise interesting events organised by our collaborators, post blog entries and publish interesting articles about volunteering in general.

Would you recommend Expatgiving to your expat friends and why?

Yes, definitely. I think it’s a very helpful tool in finding out about the large number of opportunities that are out there for skilled people with free time. And the variety of initiatives is so big, that there will always be, sooner or later, something to suit everybody, I’m sure.

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 25

welcome

MEMBERS

EXTENDING A WARM

TO OUR NEW CLUB MEMBERS! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Richard Allen Amanda Jane Allen Colin Bullock Sylvia Bullock Rudy Fang Mona Soo Ferry Christiaan Grijpink Laura Grijpink - Udo Xavier Platteel Joske Platteel Edward Lewis Sosna Kerry Sosna Ben Thomson Katherine Thomson Tsoi Pui Sze Petsy Lam Hok Hin Edward Jack VD Velde Yvette Filipiak

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Danielle van Wees - van Rooij Rob Puts Kim Puts Meuffels Roger Smith Victoria O’Collins Jan Martin Holst Siri Holtermann Holst H.D. Buisman N. Buisman David Cook Laura Cook Bernhard De Pauw Gerlings Alina Manicea Joshua Greedy Hannah Greedy Fernando Gil De Bernabe Mary Ann Abejuro

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Hans Jacobs Roma Jacobs Heike Kriszun Marco Paul Meinen Esther Zielhuis Jeffrey Mcdonald Angela Renee Mcdonald Magz Osborne Nick Osborne Filip Olde Bijvank Els van Poucke Joep Ottervanger Sheila Bouwman Ottervanger Karoline Poulson Toby Poulson Erik Jan Raatgerink Merle Raatgerink

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

M.A. Schoenmaeckers AEC Van Tran Martin Zemp Rutger van Wulfen Noortje van Wulfen - De Leeuw Job van Dijk Brigit van Dijk M. Waterweg-Berden Erik Christiaan Berden Johan Bernard Frederick Wagner Ingrid van Haasterecht Mark van der Hoeven Marte van der Hoeven Christian Daniel Palm Maria Palm Jasper Hamaker Willemijn Dorrepaal

MEMBERS

MEET THE

ARTIST My name is Emilie Houben and I am an art photographer. About 8 years ago, our family of five moved from Holland to Singapore.

As long as I can remember I have been passionate about photography, and the variety of cultures in South East Asia have been a great source of inspiration to my work.

The past few years I have documented areas and objects that are never too far from my front door. With my work I try to put a spotlight on the simple beauty of life. When people look at my artwork, I hope that they can see and feel the joy in the ordinary.

My images have appeared in a variety of different lifestyle media, in private exhibitions as well as professional projects. From November 1st 2014, you will find a selection of my artwork in the Tradewinds Bar. A wider collection can be found on my website www.emilieart. com. I invite you all to have a look and enjoy the ordinary beauty I try to capture with my camera. If you are interested and would like to have more details, please contact me at +65 9146 5930 or send an email to info@emilieart.com

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 27

MEMBERS

MEMBERSHIP NEWS NEW MEMBERS Over the last few months we have been welcoming many new members at the Hollandse Club. Time for an informal get together, time for a New Members Night! Please join us on November 13th from 8pm onwards for a drink at the Outdoor Lounge/Serambi Bar. Bitterballen are on the house!

UPDATING OF CONTACT DETAILS We would like to ask all members to inform the membership department of any (recent) changes in your contact details. The Hollandse Club needs up to date contact details to send you your monthly account statement, the club magazine and the biweekly email newsletter. If there have been any (recent) changes, please send us your current details by email: membership@ hollandseclub.org.sg.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS The Hollandse Club would like to phase out old membership cards. Please see below an example of the current membership card. Members who still carry an old membership card are encouraged to apply for a new card at the reception or membership@hollandseclub.org.sg or 6461 1111.

Parents may allow their children who are 11 years or older to charge their membership account. The Hollandse club encourages members’ children aged 11 or older who are allowed to charge their parents membership account to carry their own membership card. This allows for easier identification and enables our staff to charge the right members account. Please note that parents are responsible for children’s ordering food and drink at the club at all times.

For new or additional Membership Cards, please contact the membership department: membership@hollandseclub.org.sg or 6461 1111.

SPECIAL CARDS FOR HELPERS As mentioned by our President in a recent communication and in this issue of The Magazine, it is now possible to apply for a Card for your Helper when she’s accompanying your children to the Hollandse Club. The Card will bear the family’s membership number and it allows for easier identification and enables our staff to charge the right members account when orders are placed at the F&B outlets. Application Forms will be available at the reception or via: membership@hollandseclub.org.sg.

CAR DECALS Our security staff is performing more stringent vehicle checks at the entrance to the club. As we would like to facilitate easy access for our Members it is important that Members who drive their own car have a Hollandse Club Car Decal placed on the left side of the front window of their car. Please check if you (still) have a (round) Car Decal or need a new one for your new or second car. Please ask the Reception or the Membership Department at membership@hollandseclub.org.sg for a new Car Decal. Please note that we require your membership number and license plate number for proper registration.

CHILD MINDING As of November 1st, the Child Minding Service in the Puppy Room will be free of charge for members only. Guests will still have to pay a fee. Please note that the Child Minding Service is only available from 8:30am until 12 noon.

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MEMBERS

BYLAWS As mentioned in the President’s recent email some of the bylaws with regards to guests, domestic helpers and children have been revised. Please take note of some of the changes: Sports Classes at the Club: - As a basic rule, all Sports classes at the Hollandse Club premises are for members only.

- As the Club wants to offer Members a broad variety of Indoor Sports classes and these classes need a minimum number of participants to start, we do allow our service providers to accept non-members at the beginning of a new term. However the Club has an 80%-20% rule: 80% of the total participants per class need to be a member of the Hollandse Club - Moms & Tots classes will be strictly for members only. Once a month a member can introduce a non-member as guest.

Guests: - All guests need to report to the reception desk when entering the club.

- Members’ relatives or friends not residing in Singapore are allowed to visit the club accompanied or unaccompanied provided the member has duly informed the Management in advance and that they register as guests at the reception.

- Members’ relatives or friends not residing in Singapore can accompany members’ children to the club provided that the member has duly informed the Management in advance and that they register as guests.

Domestic Helpers: - Members can apply for a special card for Domestic Helpers who accompany their children to the club. This card serves for identification and if authorized for ordering food and beverage at the club on member’s account when accompanying member’s children.

- A domestic helper is allowed to bring a sibling of the members’ child who is attending a class or event. It is not allowed for a Domestic Helper to look after children other than the children of the member.

- The Hollandse Club does not have any lifeguards on duty at the swimming pool. Members themselves are responsible for the safety of their children and their Domestic Helper at all times.

Members’ Children: - Children under the age of 11 years will only be allowed to enter or stay on the Club premises if accompanied by a member or Domestic Helper (when attending classes, lessons or events).

- A child 11 years or above is allowed to charge the account of their parents providing he/she has express permission to do so.

He or she’s encouraged to carry his/her own Membership Card when visiting the Club and can be asked by staff to provide information to verify his/her age and or with regards to the parents’ membership account.

- Only a child who is 11 years or older can enter the Chill Out Room. Staff may check with you or your child whether they are old enough to enter.

Q&As Q: Can I bring a friend who is a non-member to join my Sports Class?

A: You can only bring a friend to join your indoor sports class provided there’s a non-members’ slot within the class. If there are already more than 20% non-members attending the class, your friend won’t be able to enroll in that class at that time.

Q: Our friends from overseas are coming over for a holiday and they are a family of 5. Can we bring them in as guests to use the Swimming Pool?

A: Per adult member 3 guests may be introduced to use the sports facilities up to 14 days per year. Guest fees apply. Please check the fees schedule.

Q: My parents are staying with us for 2 months. Can they accompany my children to the club?

A: Member’s parents or friends visiting from abroad can accompany your children to the club providing the member has duly informed the Management and that they register as guests at the reception when they visit the club. Guest fees apply. Guests not residing in Singapore can be introduced to use the sports facilities for up to 14 days per year (days do not have to be consecutive).

Q: Can we send our child with a friend and our Domestic Helper to attend a Swimming Class at the Club?

A: Domestic Helpers are only allowed to accompany the members’ own children to the club.

Q: My friends with their kids are not members and we are meeting at the Club for dinner. Can their children go to the Junior or Puppy Room?

A: The children of your guests may enjoy the Puppy or Junior Room together with your children providing the children of your guests are below 12 years old and have been registered with the staff in the Puppy/Junior Room. A fee per child per (half) hour is applicable when using the Junior or Puppy Room as a Guest.

The Fees will be charged to the member’s account.

Q: My oldest son is 12 and my younger son is 10. Can they both go to the Chill Out Room?

A: Only children who are 11 years and above may enter the Chill Out Room. Children 11 years or younger may not accompany their elder sibling or friends to the Chill-Out Room.

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 29

HALLOWE’EN IN SINGAPORE

By Nina Gunasingham If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, you may have noticed that no sooner was the Lantern Festival over this year than the shops started filling up with scary-looking trinkets and accessories and costumes for Hallowe’en. Not to mention sweets and chocolates.

Nowadays, Hallowe’en is quite a commercialised affair around the globe, with parties and parades and so on, but the origins go back to early Christianity and possibly paganism. All Hallows’ Eve (Hallowe’en) falls on the night before All Hallows’ (or All Saints’) Day when saints, martyrs and the recently departed are remembered. It coincides with Samhain, the end of summer and beginning of winter, celebrated by the Celtic and Gaelic races (of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany) when spirits and Aos si (faeries) could return to this world for the night, and the souls of the dead would revisit their homes.

Candles would be lit, prayers offered and church bells rung for the souls of the dead, and people would go door to door to collect soul cakes in their honour. Offerings of food and drink would be left for the Aos si, and people would go ‘mumming’ or ‘guising’ (i.e. in costume) from house to house, reciting verses, and carrying hollowed out turnips as lanterns. These were probably the origins of modern-day trick-or-treating. But “Turnips?” you say, “What about pumpkins?” Well, pumpkins are native to North America - and a lot easier to carve, which is probably why they’re more popular!

When I was growing up, traditional Hallowe’en costumes were along the lines of ghosts and skeletons, witches, devils and monsters - probably to scare away any spirits intent on causing mischief. Naturally (like kids today), we would automatically expect to be showered with chocolates and other sweets when we were trick-or-treating. So, of course, we were stumped when some adults decided not to play along, and opted for ‘trick’ - until a quick thinking child would come up with something suitably torturous to reward them with!

Already, just about every mall and shop has something Hallowe’en themed. Sweet treats can be found in all grocery stores, and costumes for children and adults crop up everwhere, 30 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG

too (Toys ‘R Us, Spotlight). Hallowe’en in Singapore is becoming a more and more haunted affair as years go by. As well as our own Hollandse Club’s annual event - which is aimed primarily at children, but has something for adults as well - there are lots of spooky happenings for all ages across the whole island, put on by both residents and commercial organisations.

Google turned up a wide and varied sample.

For instance, people in scary costumes from all over Singapore go trick-or-treating in the Woodgrove estate (near the Singapore American School) on the night of 31st October, where the residents decorate their houses in spooky themes (maybe they are showing their true colours?) (parking there is apparently impossible then).

They also accept items for donation to Caring for Cambodia.

If you want to scare yourself silly, Sentosa goes all out to put on a show for Hallowe’en. Universal Studios hold ‘Hallowe’en Horror Nights’ with scare zones, haunted houses and shows on weekends during the whole of October. This year marks the fourth such event. ‘Sentosa Spooktacular’ occurs at Fort Siloso over most October weekends, with Thai horror films, scare zones and haunted trails. SEA Oceanarium has its Ocean Dreams - Spooky Seas event (1st October to 16th November) where children get a map to explore 12 activity stations to discover more about misunderstood ‘scary’ animals. They also inaugurated a spooky sleepover (for ages 6 and up), over two weekends in October as a change to their normal sleepover programme. Who knew Sentosa was so haunted?

But other parts of Singapore get a look in, too. ‘Doors to Hellowe’en’, with frights and fun, haunted houses and carnival rides (not recommended for young children) took place at Downtown East (Pasir Ris) from 29th October to 1st November.

And for those feeling energetic, you could have ‘Run for your Lives’ at West Coast Park - a 5km zombie race for anyone 12 years or older.

With so much going on... I may just stay at home and hide under the covers next year. I hope you enjoyed your Hallowe’en!

MEMBERS

BRAZIL VS. JAPAN AT THE NEW NATIONAL STADIUM

By Nina Gunasingham We’ve just tucked the boys into bed, having come home from the friendly match between the current Asian and South American football giants, Japan and Brazil, at the brand new National Stadium. Although the convertible stadium was literally full to the rafters with a capacity crowd (51,577 according to the figures they posted during the match; almost 1% of the population of Singapore by my reckoning! though we did spot a few Malaysian registered cars filled with yellow shirts on the way in), as usual, Singapore pulled out all the stops with organisation, and getting in and out of the stadium was very quick - it took us no more than about 5 minutes both times. Of course, it helped that my husband pre-ordered a maxicab taxi to take us both ways, and we arrived just before the gates opened, 2 hours before kick-off.

We didn’t carry much with us, especially as you’re not allowed to take food or even water with you; but the Stadium is well stocked with a choice of vendors selling a variety of food and cuisines including an obligatory Tiger beer stall.

The sound system is excellent, though I wish they had turned the volume down a bit; my husband and I, sitting with our two sons between us, couldn’t hear each other properly. The pre-game shows of Japanese and Brazilian drumming and two cheerleading squads were fun and enthusiastically performed at, but it would have been nice if we could have seen them on the screens as they were at the ends of the pitch and our seats were towards the middle. My husband tells me that there is a ‘bowl cooling system’ in the stadium - whatever the cause, we were comfortable, even my husband who usually gets very hot and sticky in Singapore’s climate. It helped that it rained earlier this afternoon and the weather in general wasn’t as hot as it has been.

The seats of the stadium bowl, which were configured for maximum capacity and reached all the way up to where the curved roof met the back walls, were awash with yellow (Brazil’s home colours, and Japan’s away colours) and blue (Japan’s home / Brazil’s away strip), with the odd Barcelona shirt, or the occasional white of Germany or, um, England (well, it’s the only football team’s shirt I own).

And then the teams came out for their warm ups. There had been some concern that the pitch might be too sandy for the teams to risk their best players; but the two little super-fans beside me easily identified their heroes - “There’s Neymar!”, “There’s Oscar!”, “And Honda!” and many other names I’ve only overheard in their usual excited football discussions. Of course, the whole crowd roared whenever a well known player touched the ball, especially Neymar. It must be tough for him to deal with the adulation, but I hope he keeps his humility. He seems like a nice guy.

Now, even someone as unversed in football as I am knows that Brazil v Japan is an uneven match, friendly or not and, sadly, Japan were outclassed. Though both sides showed off some nifty footwork, Brazil displayed more elegant passing shots and even passing to teammates behind them (their players must have eyes in the backs of their heads!)

Whether the ball was in their team’s possession or not, the Brazilians always chased the ball down, even if it was on the other side of the field. They ran harder and faster than the Japanese players - though that might also be because they have a height advantage. My football fan husband pointed out that the Brazilian players always run with the ball close to their feet, too, so it is harder to get the ball away from them.

Even running with the ball from near the halfway line, Neymar outran the Japanese defence twice, with only the goalie between him and the goal. The result was a foregone conclusion; although, uncharacteristically, he did miss two similar chances.

Brazil showed tight team work on the 3rd and 4th goals, with the Japanese also defending hard; but to no avail, with Neymar coming in from the right to put the ball into the back of the net, too.

I felt that the Japanese team might have made more of the few shots that they did have at the goal if they had passed to a teammate in a better position to shoot, and challenged for the ball more, though it was by no means a walkover for Brazil. Extra time given was three minutes at the end. With the on-screen timer frozen at full time, Japan attacked hard, but it was not to be.

Final game score: Japan 0 Neymar 4 Final result: A great spectacle, a thrilled audience (and efficient organization by the Singapore authorities)!

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 31

KIDS & TEENS

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE GLOBE HOW WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN ENGLAND

By Alex Nicholson, 9 and Annabel Nicholson, 7 What do we need to do on Christmas Eve? We have to get a plate and put a carrot or a parsnip for Rudolph.

Rudolph is the lead reindeer of eight reindeers! Then we get a glass of milk and a mince pie for Santa Claus. Santa brings us presents overnight while we are asleep.

What do we do when we wake up?

When we wake up, we go and see our parents sometimes at five in the morning, but our parents puts us back to bed. Once we get up again, we open our presents! They are wrapped around with your favourite thing. For example, I like rugby and football.

That is what I got for my presents. Most of the time you get what you want, but if we are naughty, we don’t get any presents.

What do we do at lunch?

After we opened our presents, we have breakfast as a family. So then we go to one part of our family and have lunch with them.

We have roast potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables, turkey and Christmas pudding.

What is for dinner?

We always have roasted turkey, vegetables, roasted potatoes and cranberry sauce. At night we watch Strictly Come Dancing finals. So far I have got all my predictions correct of who wins.

So now you know about how we celebrate Christmas in England!

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A GERMAN CHRISTMAS

By Adrian Leendertz, 9 Christmas time starts with Advent. Advent is the four weeks before Christmas . We make an Advent wreath with four candles.

Every Sunday we light one more candle. When we light all four candles it is close to Christmas Eve. This is when we have our celebration. First we go to church where we watch a performance played by children. It is about the birth story of Jesus.

After church we go home and sing some Christmas songs while we enter the living room: There is a beautifully decorated tree with presents underneath. We open the presents and afterwards we eat a big dinner. We stay up late, listen to nice music and play with our new presents.

KIDS & TEENS

STUKJE SINT EN KERST

By Rein Spanjaart, 9 You were asking about how we celebrate our dark December month in the Netherlands.

At the beginning of December, we have our typical Sinterklaas party. Sinterklaas is coming with a special boat from Spain to give presents to children. We sing before we go to bed and we put a shoe next to the fireplace with a carrot and if you have one, a wishlist or a drawing in it. On the fifth of December he comes to school and in the evening we celebrate his birthday with lots of candy and presents. We also celebrate Christmas, but we do not have a special “sinterklaas” coming with more presents. We eat with the whole family, we have a Christmas tree with sometimes real candles and we eat a lot of chocolate. Our father always wants to start Christmas with a long walk in the woods. Every year we hope for snow so we can have a snowball fight. This is something we miss in December in Singapore…...

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KIDS & TEENS

PETE

SPICES UP SINGAPORE

By Karien van Ditzhuijzen Pete looks up to the sky. All he can see is stone, steel and glass. Pete feels bad. Sinterklaas will be angry with him. Everything is going wrong. And it is so hot here that he can’t stop sweating. He wipes his face dry with his sleeve.

In Spain it is hot, but not sweaty like here.

Sinterklaas sent Pete to Singapore for a very important job. The other Peters stayed in Spain. Pete misses the big castle all the Peters live in with Sinterklaas. His friends are wrapping gifts. Writing poems. Checking who has been naughty or nice. Soon they will sail to Holland on his steamboat full of gifts and sweets. And millions, no billions, of pepernoten. Pete’s stomach rumbles when he thinks of the small, round biscuits. If only he could have stayed in Spain, too.

But he has to count all the Dutch children in Singapore, so Sinterklaas will know how many presents to bring. And he has to find a baker to bake lots of pepernoten, because on the trip from Spain to Singapore, pepernoten don’t stay fresh and crispy.

Now everything is a hot, sweaty mess. Pete sighs. He has not yet counted a single child.

Normally, counting children is easy. Peters are super climbers. They scramble up the roof, and sweep down the chimney. That’s how they deliver the presents to the children’s shoes. But Singapore is full of towering buildings that have no chimneys. It is much too hot for a fireplace.

Pete really made a mess. He did find a baker.

He told him exactly how to bake pepernoten.

Flour. Butter. Sugar. And spices. A lot of yummy spices. Cinnamon. Cloves. Nutmeg. And pepper. Without pepper, no pepernoten.

‘Can you put in a lot of spices?’ Pete had asked the baker.

‘Can,’ the baker replied. ‘In Singapore we like it spicy. Extra spicy! You want extra spicy?’

‘Yes,’ Pete cheered. ‘Super spicy.’

Pete was very excited when he went to pick up the pepernoten. He took a big handful and threw them through the shop. The baker thought he was crazy.

‘Perfect for throwing,’ Pete approved.

Next, Pete threw a handful into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. Pete’s face went red.

Steam came out of his ears. His mouth was on fire!

‘Water!’ he screamed. ‘Water, please!’

He threw the whole glass in his mouth in one gulp.

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‘What is that?’ he puffed.

‘You wanted super spicy,’ the baker beamed.

‘I put in extra pepper.’

‘But what kind of pepper?’ asked Pete.

‘Chilli pepper, of course. No good? Should I put more?’

‘No!’ cried Pete.

Pete’s face turns red again when he thinks about it. Soon Sinterklaas will arrive with his steamboat. What will the Peters throw at the kids?

Then Pete has an idea. He will climb up one of the highest buildings. If he can see all of Singapore, maybe he will find the children.

Pete walks to the highest building of all. It is a strange building. It has three towers. Very high towers. And on top lies something that looks like Sinterklaas’ steamboat.

Pete starts climbing. Floor, after floor. He counts, fifty-four, fifty-five. Pete has never been this high. His hands start shaking. ‘No,’ he tells himself. ‘Peters are not afraid of heights. Don’t look down.’

So Pete looks up. On the top of the building are palm trees. Restaurants. A swimming pool.

It is actually pretty cool, with a fresh breeze.

Pete climbs to the highest point of the building. He is still looking up. How is he ever going to find children when he can’t look down?

The night comes. Pete looks up at the stars.

Does he see something moving? Is he dreaming? He hears bells jingling. He knows that sound! It is Sinterklaas’ good friend. It is Santa Claus.

Pete jumps up and down. He waves to Santa Claus: ‘Help, over here!’

‘Ho, ho, ho,’ Santa Claus bellows. He pulls up his sleigh next to Pete. ‘I flew so high I thought nobody could see me. What are you doing here?’

Pete tells Santa Claus that there are no chimneys. And that he spiced up the pepernoten.

Santa Claus laughs, holding his big belly with both hands.

‘You’re funny Pete,’ he cries. ‘Don’t worry.

Come with me.’

In Santa Claus’ sleigh they fly over Singapore.

Santa Claus points at the high buildings. ‘They are just a lot of houses stacked on top of each other. And they don’t have chimneys, but they have something else: Air-conditioning. It is a bit tight at first but it is nice and cool.’

Pete smiles. The air-conditioning! Why did he not think of that? Then he sighs again. ‘But what about the pepernoten?’ Santa Claus smiles, too. ‘I will take you to my favourite baker. She makes all my gingerbread.’

The sleigh drops Pete on top of the bakery. He waves goodbye, and slips in the vent of the airconditioning. With a bump he lands in the cool bakery. The baker laughs. ‘Can I help you?’

When Sinterklaas and the steamboat arrive, all the children cheer and sing. The Peters throw pepernoten till everyone’s tummies ache. And no one turns red in the face. Well, there was this one Peter whom our Singapore Pete played a joke on. But that’s another story for another day.

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 35

KIDS & TEENS

OPENING OF THE CHILL-OUT ROOM

By Evelien Kleijn

CHILL OUT ROOM OPENING A HUGE SUCCESS On Friday September 12, the Teenagers Committee opened the Chill Out Room by breaking through a paper wall. The group of 11 teenagers worked hard. They are: Willemijn Stevens, Emma Goossens, Luca Babovic, Sebastiaan Bouckenooge, Tara van Dort, Olivier Kleijn, Kai Mc Gregor, Elias ter Haar, Piseth Blauwendraad, Micha Rijngoud & Laura van Aller. The Hollandse Club members (especially the teenagers) appreciate their hard work!

The project started before the summer break, and during the last few weeks before the opening there was a lot of activity in process. The walls were painted during a weekend and the redecorating was ongoing. Susanne Westerbeek professionally made the curtains and cushion covers.

FIRST FEEDBACK During the opening, about 35 teenagers (plus a lot of curious parents) visited the space and were very enthusiastic. We heard: “Wow, a new PS4!” … “What a cool room” … “Even WiFi is good here” … “Happy with the boxing ball” … “Enough sockets to charge my phone!” and many more.

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ONLY FOR TEENAGERS 11+ YEARS The room is only for teenagers 11 years and older, and is open every day. The key is at the reception: teenagers can ask for the key and bring it back after opening the door. They have the responsibility to take good care of the Chill Out Room, the furniture and equipment. Surveillance cameras are installed, in case of breakage or other incidents.

NON-MEMBER FRIENDS Teenagers are allowed to bring in friends that are non-members, with a maximum of two at a time.

TEENS ACTIVITIES The intention is to organize movie nights and other activities for teenagers throughout the year. On November 1st, a soccer tournament will be organized. If you would like to participate, please email sportsrec@hollandseclub.org.sg or call the Hollandse Club.

Other ideas are a junior quiz night and FIFA 15 competition.

IDEAS? If you have any ideas/suggestions or want to be involved in the Teenagers Committee, please let us know! Call Evelien Kleijn: 97718814 or Maria van Dort: 92313084.

KIDS & TEENS

KIDS COMMITTEE

The Kids Committee bids a fond farewell to Alicia Waters; we will miss her ideas and input. At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Marjolein Heijnen to the team.

The toy selection in the Puppy Club has been refreshed with some new toys, so take the opportunity to drop your kids for an hour or so while you enjoy some quiet time on The Terrace.

A small reminder that we are always on the lookout for toys, books and games in good condition. Donations are welcome and can be left at the Kids Room (Junior & Puppy Room)

Sophie, 8 (CM573)

FORMULA 1 COLORING CONTEST Congratulations to these 3 winners of the Formula 1 Coloring Contest! Prizes can be collected at the reception. Unleash your creativity and take part in our upcoming contests!

Sven Mul, 5 (M633)

Justin Eggen, 10 (E147)

Een thuis voor je moedertaal!

German European School Singapore CPE Registration Number: S72SS0010G Registration Period: 22.06.2011 – 21.06. 2017

Nederlands op de GESS Het volgen van moedertaalonderwijs is een krachtige manier om kinderen het gevoel te geven dat zij een thuis hebben en ergens bij horen. Het is onze ambitie om onze leerlingen te ondersteunen in hun moedertaal. Op onze Europese afdeling, met Engels als instructietaal, bieden wij moedertaalprogramma’s aan in het Nederlands, Duits en Deens. Ook het volgen van Mandarijn, Spaans en Frans behoort tot de mogelijkheden.

Open on No House vem 4 & 1 ber 9

We give our students roots and wings.

GESS Advertisement_Hollandse_Club_November_2014_193x136.indd 1

GESS is een not-for profit, internationale school met een Europees karakter. GESS biedt onderwijsmogelijkheden voor leerlingen van 18 maanden tot en met 18 jaar. Wij zijn een geaccrediteerde IB World School (PYP, MYP, DP).

Het Nederlands taal en cultuurprogramma wordt in samenwerking met LanguageOne aangeboden en is geaccrediteerd door de Nederlandse Onderwijsinspectie.

www.gess.sg 23/9/2014 12:06:26 PM

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

BANQUETING CHRISTMAS SET DINNER 2014 $65 Bruschetta

SOUP (Choose 1)

BANQUETING CHRISTMAS MENU 2014 $68

Cream of mushroom Cream of clam chowder Clear onion soup Clear vegetable soup

Lobster bisque

STARTERS (Choose 2)

Combination of roasted turkey & honey glazed ham With stuffing, brussels sprouts & baby carrots Served with brown gravy & cranberry sauce

Mixed garden green salad Bruschetta with multigrain bread Potato salad with bacon bits Melon with prosciutto ham Mini asparagus & feta cheese quiche Pasta salad Assorted sashimi ($5/pax extra)

OR Char-grilled beef tenderloin with brussels sprouts, Cha baby carrots & potato wedges Served with mushroom sauce Chocolate fudge log cake Coffee or tea For bookings and enquiries, please email banqueting@hollandseclub.org.sg or call 6461 1112

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VEGETABLE CHOICES (Choose 3) Steamed carrots with honey & thyme Brussels sprouts Mashed potato with spinach Roasted potato wedges with rosemary Grilled vegetables with herbs

MAINS (Choose 4)

Roasted honey ham with mustard Roasted whole turkey with stuffing Roasted beef with rosemary Pan-fried salmon fillet with dill sauce Deep fried pork cordon bleu co Beef stew with vegetables Indonesian style fried butter prawns Choice of lasagna (Beef / Vegetarian) SAUCE & DRESSINGS (Choose 4)

DESSERTS (Choose 3)

Cranberry sauce Christmas pudding Cold apple sauce Chocolate mousse French dressing Mince pies Mayonnaise Mini tiramisu Thousand island Assorted mini macaroons maca Honey mustard Fresh fruits platter Brown gravy Black pepper sauce Stroganoff sauce Mushroom sauce

For bookings and enquiries, please email banqueting@hollandseclub.org.sg or call 6461 1112

FOOD & BEVERAGE

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SPORTS & RECREATION

SWIMMING NEWS

By David Verlinde Dear Members, The season has started.

We have started off with great events such as the 4-Day Swimming Event and the Neptune League at our own location, the Hollandse Club.

4-DAY SWIMMING EVENT Thank you all for joining the 4-Day Swimming Event. This year we added 150 laps a day and there were three super-members who took and completed this challenge. Together you swam 16,100 laps (almost 400 more laps than last year). Wow, that’s 402.5km!

Good job!

We raised $2700 for Ronald McDonald House, Singapore. Good job, everyone! Who can do more laps next year?

The 4-Day Swimming Event was a perfect week. We had beautiful weather and a lot of kids (and adults) keen to swim their laps (some extremely enthusiastic swimmers waited nearly 30 minutes for their turn). For the little ones and first-timers, we had 10 laps each day (1000m). For the bigger ones, 25, 50 or 75 laps (2500m / 5000m / 7500m) and for the super-swimmers, 100 or 150 laps a day (10,000m / 15,000m).

WATER POLO We took part in two water polo tournaments on 31 August and 26 October; we played with two teams (U9s and U11s). The fields are a bit smaller and the rules are a little easier: perfect to learn the game.

DUTCH DOLPHINS Thank you all for recording your times during the Club Night.

This is a very important night as we get to see who is number 1 in their age category and can represent the Club in the Neptune League. Besides that, the children can see how much they have improved and beat their PB.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY As December/January is coming soon, some members will leave Singapore or will go for a well-deserved holiday. To cancel the swimming classes, please fill in the cancelation form on time at the Hollandse Club website. Please note that there is a onemonth cancelation notice.

UPCOMING EVENTS Squad: Friday, 31 October 2014 Triton League Round 3 Sunday, 2 November 2014 Neptune League Round 4 at the Hollandse Club Sunday, 23 November 2014 Neptune League Round 5 at the Swiss Club Friday, 21 November 2014 Triton League Round 4 Learn to Swim: The whole month of November for all classes between 2-5pm: Swimming with clothes Sunday, 7 December 2014 ABC Swimming Award 24 December – 5 January 2014 Christmas Break (no classes) Classes will start again on Monday, 5 January.

Have a fantastic month ahead.

Best regards, AquaDucks Team Hollandse Club

SWIM CONVEYNOR Hello adult swimmers, spinners & aqua aerobic-ers!

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sophie and I am the Adults’ Swim Conveynor for the Hollandse Club.

Basically, my role is to liaise between the Club, the water-based outside suppliers and, most importantly, the members so we can continually improve what’s on offer in and around the pool.

Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions, ideas or feedback with regards to any of the water-based activities offered to the adults at the Club. I can be reached at sophs55@ hotmail.com, 97207941 or you will find me either in the pool for adult swim training or by the side of it while my daughter enjoys a lesson!

One of the continued concerns is, of course, water and pool safety and I would value any thoughts or suggestions that I can pass on to Patrice, the Sports Conveynor, who I report to. For 44 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.WNDSECLUB.ORG.SG

some extra swim motivation, I have pulled together a list of swim events happening in and around Singapore over the next few months and into 2015… Hopefully we can put together a Hollandse Club team for a couple of the events.

In the meantime, happy paddling!

Sophie March

SINGAPORE SWIM EVENTS 2015 Sunday, 8 February 2015 Aquathlon (http://www.singaporeaquathlon.com) Sunday, 19 April 2015 Triathlon (http://metasprintseries.com) 23 – 24 May 2015 Bintan Triathlon (http://www.bintantriathlon.com)

SPORTS & RECREATION

4-DAY SWIMMING EVENT 22 – 26 SEPTEMBER 2014 – A FUNDRAISER FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES® SINGAPORE

By Pauline Welten-Pierik

The Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC) Singapore would like to extend a big “thank you” to all the children that participated in the recent 4-Day Swimming Event at the Hollandse Club in September this year. We are very impressed by the result and your spirit! Not only did you swim a total of 16,100 laps (402.5 km!), but together you raised S$2,422 for the Ronald McDonald House™ located at the National University Hospital, Singapore. We are also thrilled to find out that the youngest swimmer was only 2-years-old! Thank you parents for your very enthusiastic and kind support! Congratulations and thumbs-up for each one of the swimmers!

Through this generous donation, we will be able to buy various items such as food, kitchen and bath supplies for our residing families at the Ronald McDonald House™.

Also, we can treat these families who have their critically-ill children hospitalized at the National University Hospital to a warm, full-course lunch or dinner meal.

We would also like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Aquaducks for organizing this fundraiser and naming RMHC Singapore as the charity of choice for this event, and the Hollandse Club for facilitating this event.

We hope you will be thinking of us again next year!

With gratitude and appreciation, Staff and Volunteers of Ronald McDonald House Charities® Singapore

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SPORTS & RECREATION

SQUASH REPORT – ORANGE BOWL CHAMPIONS 2014

By Paul Roberts August saw the return of our players from the summer recuperation period and the looming arrival of the Orange Bowl in which our mighty band of 36 squash players takes on the herculean task of trying to beat the Singapore Cricket Club Squash team, who boast membership numbers of over 200 players. As you can imagine, a David and Goliath battle in the making. Fortunately our band of men did not shy away on this occasion and we managed to cobble together a ragtag team of 20 to do battle.

After our humiliating defeat of 5-15 in 2013, we had a great deal of work to do. Firstly, by naming a new captain in Ross, with his major haul of minor sporting victories in rural New Zealand, we had a leader to inspire us to be the best we could be. The event started at 14.00 and a cold keg of Holland’s finest was set up to motivate our lads into not drawing out the matches. Some say that we may well have bent the rules with a number of our players, in particular Robbie and Ben at #2 and #1 respectively since both men do in fact play 99.9% of their squash at the Cricket Club. However, Ben is a fully-fledged member of the HC and Robbie an employee so justifiable inclusion I say.

The Hollandse Club were quick out of the box and before long we had a very healthy lead of some 6 games to 2. Players up and down the quality spectrum were playing out of their skin to show that we could indeed play with the big boys. Our standard wobble then came into play and the Cricket Club started gaining ground. Alan Naughton faced yet another lady this year and we feared a repeat of last time round where he resorted to an act of violence to win, which ended in his opponent being taken to hospital. No repeat this year, although his opponent did complain that he did not play in the spirit of the game because his shots were completely unpredictable and without rhyme or reason. Bravo, Alan.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

As we edged closer to our goal, with strong wins from Captain Ross and others, there were a few rather enjoyable moments - one that saw our energy bunny James getting beaten by a 55-year-old who only took up the sport in his mid-30s. Robbie played Darryl in the pick of the games if humour was what you were after. Robbie’s insistence on wearing tracksuit bottoms throughout the match (no doubt he forgot his shorts) did little to placate Darryl, as did Robbie’s nonchalant dismissal of everything good Darryl tried to do on court. Watching Ben play gave us mere mortals the chance to see why the good ones make it all look so easy when compared to our charging elephant routine.

It was, however, fitting that our Quebec maestro brought home the bacon, bringing the trophy back to its rightful home. The final score was 13-7, which is something that we are all extremely proud of.

Hot on the heels of our win came the start of the Cosmo League, and after winning the event last year we seemed determined to shoot for the other end of the spectrum this time round. Three weeks into the competition we achieved the accolade of the lowest points score on record, having been butchered by anyone coming our way. The rot did not stop at the Cricket Club, who quickly got their revenge for the Orange Bowl and we were on the ropes. Some inspirational emails were sent out, tempers lost, focus regained and we started again with some shrewd team choices from Captain James. Low and behold, we won the next two matches 5-0 and 4-1. We will keep on fighting in the name of the Hollandse Club and shall do the Club proud by season’s end.

If you have any interest in joining our crew then please come down to the courts on a Saturday afternoon and join in the sweatathon. We are particularly keen on recruiting some more women to our team in an effort to bring some civility to the side. Equally as good would be the younger ones.

We need to get more youngsters involved, so if you have sons or daughters who want to give it a go then please get in contact with any of the below and we would be more than happy to help out.

Committee Members Contact Details: Daniel Gelinas (Quebec National Olympian): 9725 4198 Ross Stokes (Waganui Table Tennis Champion): 9752 6040 Fred Saarloos (Elite Marathon Champion – Holland Paralympic Team): 9615 1144 Paul Roberts (A Champion in His Own Mind): 8428 1792

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SPORTS & RECREATION

TENNIS REPORT UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE HOLLANDSE CLUB

TENNIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS

14 to 16 November 2014: Davis Cup Mixed teams of six players will be competing against each other in a social setting with each team representing a different country (note that the players do not have to be of this nationality).

We will start Friday, 14 November (evening) and continue on Saturday, 15 November (whole day). Sunday, 16 November is a back-up day in case of rain. Form or join a team now!

Due to her upcoming move to the Netherlands this December, Mireille Kodden has stepped down as Convenor of the Tennis Committee. With immediate effect, Henriette Veldman will be the new Convenor. In addition, as of 1 September, Jacobien Vincent and Linda McGregor stepped down as Committee Members. Thank you Mireille, Jacobien and Linda for your time, energy and commitment to the tennis at the Hollandse Club. During the last two months Anneloes van Haaren, Peronne Wendrich, Susan Jansen and Daniëlle van Wees have joined the Tennis Committee. So, the present Tennis Committee consists of:

Friday, 28 and Saturday, 29 November 2014: Junior’s Pepernoten Tournament Friday, 28 November (evening) will be for the 11+ year old tennis players. Saturday, 29 November (whole day) will be the up to (and including) 10-year-olds.

Please note the dates. More information on both events will follow. Watch the announcements at the Club and the Tennis Committee’s newsletter.

Henriette Veldman (Convenor) Mireille Kodden (until December 2014) Marina Aarts Anneloes van Haaren Susan Jansen Daniëlle van Wees Peronne Wendrich

NEW MEMBERS INTERESTED IN PLAYING TENNIS The Hollandse Club Tennis Committee is always happy to welcome new tennis enthusiasts in our midst. So, if you are a new member of the Hollandse Club and interested in playing tennis, please send us an email at tenniscommittee@hollandseclub.org.sg so that we can keep you up to date with the upcoming tennis events.

Savitar Summer Tennis Camp at Hollandse Club

In addition, please note that you are very welcome to join one of the tennis socials at the Hollandse Club. If you cannot make it on any of these times or dates, but would like to play a social game of tennis with other members, please let us know and we will find you a tennis partner.

Tennis courts can be booked through reception at 6464 5225.

Please do not forget to cancel the court booking if you have to reschedule or cancel your tennis appointment. In this way you allow other members to play.

Camp 4: Tues 16th - Thurs 18th December, 2014 (3 days) Camp is from 9am - 12pm

2 DIFFERENT “SUB CAMPS” TO CHOOSE FROM:

THE TENNIS SOCIALS OF THE HOLLANDSE CLUB

HC Mini Tennis

HC Junior Development

Young players will learn key tennis fundamentals using lower compression balls, 1/4 court & mini nets. Emphasis on technique, rallying & fun.

Introducing and enhancing basic fundamentals with emphasis on technique, footwork & rallying.

Age: 4-7 years Level: Beg/Int Red Balls

Age: 7-14 years Level: All Levels Orange, Green, Yellow Balls

All Sub Camps will be divided into groups according to their skill level & age. We can assess on the first day to place in appropriate group.

Price:

3 Day Camp: $225+GST

Note:

• All camp registration will be confirmed 48hrs prior to start date • Once registered, members’ account will be charged prior to camp start date • Special prizes, giveaways, and awards will be given out to all participants on final day of camp

ONLINE REGISTRATION: Please go to www.savitar.sg, click ‘Locations’, ‘Hollandse Club’ For further enquiries on the camp or tennis, please contact Director of Tennis, Scott Johnston at Scott@savitar.sg or H/P 9038 9348

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SPORTS & RECREATION

LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR TENNIS GAME? SIGN UP FOR ONE OF OUR FUN ADULT TENNIS CLASSES! Master Tennis on Wednesday Nights at 8pm Enjoy maximum improvement in your game with a qualified and experienced tennis coach. This course introduces specialty shots and involves more game activities and doubles tactics. Master Tennis is held over 6 weeks with 1.5 hour per week sessions on wednesday nights from 8:00pm to 9:30pm. Suited to players with previous tennis experience Discover Tennis on Thursday Nights at 8pm This program is ideal for those that are new to the game of tennis and want to learn the basic skills. Savitar’s tennis coaches will cover all the fundamentals of tennis including forehand, backhand, volley, serve, overhead, and basic match play. Emphasis will be on enjoyment of the game and students will receive an excellent foundation to improve and develop. Discover Tennis is held over 6 weeks with 1.5 hours per week sessions.

Ladies Clinic on Wednesday Morning at 9am The Ladies Clinic will focus on stroke production, doubles strategy, and games to keep the session fun, but also competitive. This class is a great way to interact with other players and learn how to adapt to different styles of play. Each session lasts 2 hours.

All Classes start in November with groups limited to 6 players, for more information or to enrol please contact scott@savitar.sg JTTL Team Tennis League Congratulations to the Hollandse Club Junior Tennis Teams participating in this seasons KLM Tennis League. The competition is the biggest junior tennis league in Singapore. The team have been playing some great tennis and learning more about their tennis through match play and enjoying the team atmosphere.

The season has a few weeks left at the time of writing we wish them good luck in their future matches.

Hollandse Heroes Under 10 Team Yannick Kodden, Maxwell Lomans, Chloe Lomans, Julia Westerbeek, Sanne van Der Heijden, Imogen Weenink

Hollandse Hotshots Under 12 Team Luca van Breugel, Mathijs Baker, Robien Kokke, Tara van Dort, Kenzo

WITS DOUBLES LEAGUE The Autumn season has just finished its 5th week and at the time of writing, the Hollandse Club have four team competing in the womens doubles competition, a big congratulations to all the players representing the club, currently three of the teams are in 1st Place and 6th place respectively, with just under half of the season remaining the club members and Savitar Coaches wish all players the best for the remaining matches.

A DIVISION: BETA DIVISION: D DIVISION: D DIVISION:

HC DOUBLE DUTCH HC POWERSHOTS HC DUTCH D-DELIGHT MOSTLY ORANGE

IMPORTANT DATES 13 December 2014 Last Day of Junior Tennis Coaching Term 2 16 to 18 December 2014 Junior Tennis Camp 8 January 2015 Beginning of New Coaching Term For more information please contact Scott Johnston, Tennis Director on 9038 9348 or email scott@savitar.sg.

COACHES CORNER This month I would like to give you some advice on probably one of the most important shots in tennis… the return of serve.

With a good return of serve you are able to neutralize your opponents’ service and have a better chance of breaking their serve.

If you opponent has a hard first serve, your first priority is to get the ball back. To do this effectively, use a very short backswing and simply “punch” the ball back. Do not try to change the direction of the serve and, if possible, lean in to land the ball deep in your opponent’s court. If your opponent is coming up to the net after the serve, try landing the ball short to give him/her a difficult volley.

Footwork is also very important. Follow these steps to make you a lot quicker: • Position yourself just behind the baseline.

• As the server tosses, mover slightly forward.

• As the server makes contact, split step, hopping up onto the “balls” of your feet.

• Turn your upper torso quickly and then hit, remember to use a short stubby backswing.

Many big servers do not expect the ball to come back and are often not positioned well for their next shot. On a weak serve, possibly most second serves, take advantage from the start. Position yourself closer so you won’t be caught by the short serve and try hitting the ball either on the rise or at the highest point.

This will give the server less time to get ready and recover after the serve, giving you the upper hand in that point.

Good luck!

Scott Johnston Tennis Director WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 49

SPORTS & RECREATION

FOOTBALL PNG vs. DUTCH RABOBANK It was definitely a well-played game despite the overall score 4-1. Good job, guys! On behalf of all players, the coach and the supporters; I would hereby like to thank the sponsors of this event: Rabobank, United Dutch Breweries and the Hollandse Club. Another thanks goes to David Liem and a handful of hockey players for providing the kit for this match.

Cheers, Arthur Klatte

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SPORTS & RECREATION

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SPORTS & RECREATION

CLUB ACTIVITY CONTACT LIST

CLASS

DAY

TIME

VENUE

POINT OF CONTACT

CONTACT

A Aerobics (Step)

Wednesday

0900 - 1000

Rotterdam

Ann Yang

9815 0239

Wednesday

0830 - 1115

Swimming Pool

Alicia

Aqua Spin

9698 9202

Wednesday 1930 - 2015 Swimming Pool Alicia 9698 9202 Friday 0830 - 1115 Swimming Pool Alicia 9698 9202 B Basketball (7 – 10 years)

Sunday

1000 - 1100

Multi Purpose

Bernard Williams

9437 6252

Tuesday

1930 - 2300

Amsterdam

Franciska Ho

6259 3864

Bridge (Duplicate)

Friday 0900 - 1230 Amsterdam Franciska Ho 9766 0610 C Cardio Sculpt

Mon & Fri

0900 - 1000

Rotterdam

Ann Yang

9815 0239

D Domestic Helper Swimming

Tuesday

1100 - 1200

Swimming Pool Mauro Hernandez

9725 4198

H Hockey (Ladies)

Wednesday

2000 - 2100

CCAB

9237 4415

Cecile Sturm

Merel Schwaanhuyser 9237 4344

Hockey (Men)

Wednesday

2100 - 2200

CCAB

Jeroen van Son

Hockey (Youth)

Tuesday

1900 - 2000

CCAB

Su Yin Timp

8484 9423 9142 9233

Sunday 0900 - 1100 CCAB Wietske Teunissen

9423 6374

J Judo (Children Beginners)

Wednesday

1630 - 1730

Rotterdam

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

Wednesday

1730 - 1830

Rotterdam

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

Friday

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

Judo (7 years & under)

Saturday

1700 - 1800 Youri - 1030 0930

Rotterdam

Rotterdam

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

Judo (10 years & under)

Saturday

1030 - 1130

Rotterdam

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

Judo (10 years & above)

Saturday

1130 - 1230

Rotterdam

Gerard Lim

9750 6305

K Karate

Sunday

1630 - 1730

Rotterdam

Peter Robertson

9681 1927

M Moms & Tots

Tuesday

1000 - 1130

Rotterdam

Sports & Recreation

6461 1151

Judo (Children Intermediate)

P Personal Training By Appointment Gym Ashraf 8180 6610 Youri Kruse 9739 7610

Pilates

Tuesday

1200 - 1300

Rotterdam

Ann Yang

9815 0239

Thursday

2000 - 2100

Rotterdam

Ann Yang

9815 0239

S Squash (Junior Training)

Saturday

1200 - 1400

Squash Court

Yeo Kiang Bee

8147 8059

Squash (Training)

Tuesday

1900 - 2100

Squash Court

Daniel Gelinas

9725 4198

Squash (Social)

Thursday

1900 - 2200

Squash Court

Daniel Gelinas

9725 4198

Saturday Swimming Lessons/Competition Mon – Sat

1400 - 1700 Various

Squash Court Swimming Pool

Daniel Gelinas David Verlinde

9725 4198 9225 7310

T Taekwondo

Tuesday

1700 - 1800

Rotterdam

Raymond Chin

9181 0827

Saturday

1500 - 1600

Rotterdam

Raymond Chin

9181 0827

Tennis (Ladies Social)

Monday

0900 - 1200

Tennis Court

Maja Duyverman

9750 7124

Tennis (Mixed Social)

Wednesday

2000 - 2200

Tennis Court

Annelous van Haaren

9639 8287

Sunday

1600 - 1800

Tennis Court

Annelous van Haaren

9639 8287

Tennis (Ladies Competition)

Friday

0900 - 1200

Tennis Court

Pauline Welton

8168 2084

Tennis (Men’s Social)

Saturday

1400 - 1700

Tennis Court

Patrice Plet

9833 4038

Tennis (Free Family Courts)

Sunday

0900 - 1200

Tennis Court

Reception

6464 5225

Tennis Lessons (Savitar)

Mon – Sat

Various

Tennis Court

Scott Johnston

9038 9348

Tennis Lessons (Mr Wee)

Mon – Sat

Various

Tennis Court

Mr Wee

9673 4851

Swimming Pool

David Verlinde

9225 7310

W Water Polo (8 - 16 years)

Thursday

52 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG

1800 - 1900

SPORTS & RECREATION

Classes: Children Beginners & Children Intermediate Next Term: January – April

Next Term: 13th January – 31st March (Tues) 10th January – 28th March (Sat)

Next Term: January – April

Classes: Ladies & Teens above 13 + Mixed Adults Next Term: January – April

Next Term: January – April

Next Term: January – April

Next Term: 7th January – 25th March (Wed) 9th January – 27th March (Fri)

CLASSES ARE PRO-RATED FROM TIME OF JOINING. Register your interest via Reception. For new courses, you will receive a confirmation email three days before class starts to confirm the course is commencing.

If you have specific questions about the class, please contact the respective instructor listed in the Activities Contacts page.

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 53

LIBRARY

“Untouchable”

“The World According to Bob”

Kate Brian

by James Bowen

A story about the Billings girls, are they untouchable?

“A Street Cat Named Bob”

“Missing You”

by Harlan Coben A thriller about the ties we have to our past... and the lies that bind us together.

“Black Friday”

by Robert Muchamore Cherub series and the battle of the bands “Rock War”.

A moving and uplifting story; an insight into the injustice of life on the streets, slowly healing the scars of each other’s troubled pasts.

by James Bowen A moving and uplifting story; an insight into the injustice of life on the streets, slowly healing the scars of each other’s troubled pasts.

library “Gebed Voor Vermisten”

by Jennifer Clement Een fictieve maar op waarheid gebaseerd verhaal, reis je aan de zijde van een meisje door een gevaarlijk in Mexico.

“Een Dag van Stilte en Lawaai”

by Nihad Siries Een klein meesterwerk over liefde en politiek van een Syrische auteur dat in de internationale pers zeer lovend werd ontvangen.

54 HOLLANDSE CLUB | WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG

“Veroordeeld”

by Karen Slaughter Goed plot, spannend een literaire thriller.

LIBRARY

“Voetbal Vrouwen”

“De waarheid over de zaak Harry Quebert”

by Linda van Rijn

by Joel Dicker

Een Literaire thriller, een gezellige week in een trainingskamp eindigt in een nachtmerrie.

“Under Cover”

by Sandrine Jolie Een literaire thriller over een uitbater van sekslijnen en een meisje dat verdween, dat illegaal werkte.

Spanned boek over wrok jaloezie, ambitie en liefde.

“Dagboek Van Een Muts”

by Rachel Russell Razend populair meisjes boek. Dit deel heet: Nikki weet raad, avonturen van een niet zo snuggere wijsneus.

bookshelf

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 The Hollandse Club Library team wishes all our members a happy, healthy 2015. Happy reading!

“Geachte Heer M”

by Herman Koch Het langverwachte nieuwe boek van Herman Koch, zijn grootste sukses roman over de geruchtmakende verdwijning van Jan Landzaat, geschiedenis leraar.

“Ik Mis Je”

by Harlan Coben De eerste auteur, die alle grote thrillerprijzen op zijn naam schreef.

Dit boek is weer een zenuwslopende thriller van een actueel thema, een weerzinwekkend complot om kwetsbare mensen in de val te lokken.

WWW.HOLLANDSECLUB.ORG.SG | HOLLANDSE CLUB 55

10 minutes from Orchard Be it academic, sporting or artistic at AIS we foster a culture of excellence, innovative learning and a global outlook for all our students.

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Best of the International and Australian Curriculum

The only school in Singapore offering the Australian Curriculum enhanced with IB PYP, IGCSE, IBDP and HSC, for students aged 2 to 18 years old.

Enrolling for January 2015 Book your personal visit today!

Tel: +65 6517 0247 www.ais.com.sg

Academic Excellence

IB Diploma results 12% higher than the world average and NAPLAN results over 20% higher than the Australian national average in Elementary Numeracy and Reading, mean our students graduate to the top universities in Australia, UK, US and around the world.

International Sports Program

Cricket, rugby, basketball and swimming clubs, 12 representative sport teams and 20 international tours across Australia, Asia and Europe every year.

Globally focused, distinctly Australian Contact: +65 6517 0247 | www.ais.com.sg

Global Language Program

Daily Mandarin for 3 to 11 year-olds; Mandarin, Indonesian or French in Secondary and a dedicated mother tongue program for native speakers.

Early Childhood Excellence Starting at 2 Years Old Dedicated maths co-ordinator, daily Mandarin and individualised goal setting in the Preschool inquiry centre.

AIS is part of the Cognita Group of Schools www.cognitaschools.com Australian International School Pte Ltd is registered by the Council for Private Education. CPE Registration Number 199204405H. Period of Registration 6 July 2011 to 5 July 2015