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NOVEMBER 2014 | 3

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS NATIONAL P4-7 Maastricht: big lights, big city p5

November is always an exciting time to be an expat. This year’s visitors to Expatica’s annual I AM NOT A TOURIST Fair (p4) got a two-for-one deal, as the organization joined its Expat Fair with the Job Fair. As always, the Beurs van Berlage was abuzz with casual conversation and business networking. If you missed it this time around, be sure to mark it in your calendar next year!

Ashley Cowles, Editor-in-Chief

EDUCATION SPECIAL P9 DIPLOMATIC P11 Kenyan & Kazakh ambassadors

Our feature for this month is quite the interesting story.

Recycling has been around for decades, of course, but several companies and individuals around the world are taking it to a whole different level (p 14-15).

FEATURE P14-15 Alternative recycling methods

We’re also taking another look at the Amsterdam Six-Day, where an unfortunate event overshadowed the traditional crowd-pleaser - cyclist Cees Stam was taken to the hospital after a fall. At the time this newspaper went to the presses, his condition was still critical (p 23).

TECHNOLOGY P17 The Hague Tech ARTS & CULTURE P19 Amsterdam Museum Night 2014

Last, but not least, we’re once again including an education special: no less than 5 pages chock-full of interesting content for students of every level and age. To quote Socrates: “I am much older than I look, but never too old to learn.”

REVIEWS P21 Food, movie, book and music ratings

Have something to say to the editor? Email: editorial@thehollandtimes.nl

All images: Creative Commons Licence Cover images: Jean-Pierre Geusens Expatica OATSHOES Stichting Museumnacht

SPORTS P23 Amsterdam Six-Day recap

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18-03-2013 10:11:39 30-10-14 14:36

NATIONAL

4 | NOVEMBER 2014

SR2014 in Haarlem

HAARLEM | The closing ceremony for 3FM Serious Request 2014 in Haarlem will take place on Houtplein, the city announced recently.

During 3FM Serious Request, stages will also be set up at two other squares: on Hortusplein in the shopping area, and on Nieuwe Groenmarkt. This is supposed to divert crowds from Grote Markt, where the Glass House (Glazen Huis) will be set up. The closing ceremony, on December 24, is scheduled to take place between 4-10 PM. This year, annual 3FM promotion Serious Request will champion girls and women who fall victim to sexual violence during wars and other conflicts.

“Expatica’s I AM NOT A TOURIST”

‘No NSB Museum plans’

UTRECHT | Utrechters living on or nearby Maliebaan received an upsetting letter announcing the founding of a National-Socialist Movement (Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging, NSB) museum in the neighborhood. The letter, which was distributed door to door, asks people for former NSB paraphernalia and letters and journals by NSB members. According to the letter, the museum would open in the party’s former headquarters on Maliebaan, which currently houses a daycare center. A spokesperson for the daycare center recently confirmed that there are no plans for a museum. The center has notified the police, who are currently investigating the case.

Oranjes to pay taxes

THE HAGUE | Under pressure from the parliament, Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, has reluctantly instructed ministers to draw up plans to tax King Willem-Alexander and his family.

The Dutch royals are the most expensive monarchy in the world, and spending on their lavish palaces and holiday homes has angered the public in a country which has implemented painful eurozone austerity measures. MPs have been particularly angered by a 8 million euro bill to renovated a “pied a terre” for Princess Beatrix in The Hague and spending 400,000 euro on a temporary office for the King in the grounds of his personal home.

Sustainable cremations

THE HAGUE | Belgium and the Netherlands could soon become among the few countries in the world to allow ‘bio cremations’. The process, also known as chemical hydrolysis, is seen as an environmentally-friendly alternative for the disposal of dead bodies, but is currently only legal in parts of the United States and Canada. It involves the human body being turned into a liquid rather than ashes, using a hot alkaline water-based solution under pressurized conditions. The practice is currently illegal in Belgium, but the Flemish funeral sector is pressing for a legal framework to allow bio cremations, while the Dutch parliament is looking at the possibility of doing the same.

Photo: EXPATICA

On November 2nd, EXPATICA organized the 11th edition of its “I am not a tourist” expat fair the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. EMMA LUIMES has the details.

EXPATICA’s annual Expat Fair helps those new to the Netherlands with a range of services like housing, employment, banking, tax and schooling.

The day also includes entertainment programs, performances and workshops to help internationals adjust to their new life in the Netherlands. Danielle de Groot from EXPATICA said in advance that the fair is gaining a lot of interest from visitors: “We always have several thousand visitors. Last year, we had over 3,500 visitors, and looking at the signup so far, I’m expecting that we’ll go over that number this year”.

“This year’s combination of the Expat Fair and the International Job Fair will be a big bonus,” says De Groot.

The Expat Fair is free to attend, but visitors must pay a small registration fee to get into the International Job Fair. De Groot says the registration fee will make it easier for visitors to connect with potential employers. “If you register for the Job Fair, you will be able to upload your profile and CV, and when you come in, you’ll get a badge with a bar code that is linked to your profile. Exhibitors will be able to scan the barcode and create their own database”. De Groot says that this system helps employers connect with

the visitors they speak with at the Fair.

“At the last International Job Fair, this helped several people find a job.”

De Groot says that the number of expats coming to the Netherlands has not decreased dramatically since the recession. “It depends on how you define expats. Nowadays, we call them “internationals”. Fewer professional expats are being sent here by their employers on a true expat contract, so in that sense, we do see a decrease.

But on the other hand, we see an increase in international mobility, labor mobility: people just come here by themselves to set up their lives here”.

De Groot says that those thinking of relocating don’t need to worry about a scarcity of jobs in post-recession Holland. “The Dutch government has defined a number of industries that will face a shortage of workers in the future, and it will actively try and get more people to take on jobs in those industries,” says De Groot. The Dutch government recently confirmed that the healthcare and social welfare sectors will need roughly 40,000 extra staff over the next 15 to 20 years. The government said that this high number of staff will be needed to maintain the same level of care to the aging

Dutch population. Mayor of Eindhoven Rob van Gijzel said recently that the region has been facing a shortage of skilled workers. “If the current demand-supply gap is not met soon, about 3,000 to 5,000 skilled job vacancies per year will go unfulfilled in the Eindhoven region alone”. De Groot says that especially the healthcare and social welfare, water and high-tech industries are in need of skilled workers.

According to EXPATICA, just over half of their visitor profile from 2013 held a Master’s degree and were either employed or looking for work in the marketing, financial, high- tech, hospitality and tourism, media and publishing, life sciences and health, and creative industries. Visitors to this year’s Expat Fair represented more than 120 countries, and the top five native languages are English, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Hindi, and Italian.

Visitors to the Fair came from a variety of backgrounds. Some had already settled in the Netherlands and were looking at advancing their career, while other visitors had newly arrived with a work permit or were living somewhere else in the EU and ready to move to the Netherlands. EXPATICA offered visitors the opportu-

nity to attend a variety of workshops, on subjects like how to adapt your CV to the Dutch labor market, all you need to know about Dutch work permits, working mothers, how to translate your expat experience into skills for your career, how to prepare for a job interview in the Netherlands, how to use social media to further your career, and everything you need to know about Dutch employment and dismissal law.

De Groot believes the Netherlands is a great place for expats to live and work. “All in all, we’re mostly an openminded country, the Dutch speak English and the infrastructure is good”.

There are downsides too, and obviously there are complaints – like the weather or the Dutch direct sense of humor – but none of the big stuff.”

“The Expat Fair will be about information and fun, just a good day out”, says De Groot. “We will also have a presentation about the Dutch culture”.

Getting used to the Dutch direct sense of humor is one of the things expats need to learn about Dutch culture, says De Groot. “I think that our bite is not as bad as our bark. We have this direct sense of humor, but we really don’t mean it that bad.”

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NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2014 | 5

Henk Krol returns to politics

Amnesty rules changed

THE HAGUE | Just 6,000 of the 27,000 people who made use of a 2007 amnesty for asylum seekers have taken the Dutch nationality, according to refugee organization Vluchtelingenwerk. The ruling, which applied to people whose cases had taken more than six years to process, also states they have the right to a Dutch passport after a five year residency permit. However, since 2012, people who want to take Dutch nationality have to hand over a birth certificate and ID from their country of origin to do so, and many refugees don’t have such documents. The organization says people are now worried they could be sent back after all should the law change again.

Refusing patients is legal

THE HAGUE | Health insurance companies are not breaking European law by restricting patient choice to doctors with whom they have a contract, according to the Council of State, the Netherlands’ highest legal body. Citizens can choose from a wide variety of insurance policies and do not have to accept one which limits this choice, the Council of State is quoted as saying in the Volkskrant. The Council had been asked to look into the issue by the senate, which is currently examining legislation which will stop the automatic right to freedom of choice in healthcare.

Rijks renovation done

Photo: Guido van Nispen

What price politics and politicians? The rise and fall (and rise) of Henk Krol would seem to be more than typical of the vagaries of the genre. JOHN DONNELLY investigates.

Henk Krol started his career in 1969 as a radio journalist with the VPRO (Liberal Protestant Radio Network).

In 1977, he became the Parliamentary press spokesman for the liberal VVD (Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy). An openly gay man, Krol started the Gay Krant (Gay Newspaper) as a joke in 1979. Unexpectedly, it became a success, a considerable source of income, and eventually the cause the end of his (original) political aspirations.

He was the first Dutch journalist to air the problem of AIDS, and was the co-author of two books about homosexuality: ‘Rick’s Report; how do I tell my parents,’ and ‘Coming Out.’ During the debate about gay marriage in the Netherlands, Krol ran the public relations campaign which was instrumental in swaying public opinion and ensuring it became enshrined in Dutch law.

In March of 1999, Krol married his partner Reon Nettenbreijers and in December of the same year, the Gay Krant celebrated its 20th anniversary.

In recognition of this anniversary, the then Minister of Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (Education, Culture and Science), Ronald Plasterk of the

Dutch Labour Party PvdA (Partij van de Arbeid), arranged for Krol to be made a Knight in the Order of Oranje Nassau for his services to the homosexual community in the Netherlands.

Krol knew Jan Nagel, a Party manager for the PvdA in Parliament, from his time as press spokesman for the VVD. Nagel set up several political movements, the last of whichwas OokU, Onafhankelijk Ouderen en Kinderen Unie (Independent Seniors and Children’s Union) in 2009. This party eventually morphed into the 50Plus party we recognise today.

OokU can also be translated as ‘You Too.’ The 50Plus Party was formally inaugurated in November 2011, with the stated aim to promote the interests of those over the age of 50.

In the meantime, Krol had set up his sex imperium, consisting of several sex telephone chat lines, the Gay Krant, and a travel agency targeting gays, bisexuals and transsexuals. It would appear that Krol saw the advantage of targeting the older generation, and as a marketing animal, he joined forces with Nagel starting his political career.

His first sortie into the political arena was as 50Plus member of the

Provincial Council for Brabant from March of 2011 until September of 2012, when he and Norbert Klein were elected as 50Plus members of Parliament. Krol remained a Member of Parliament until October of 2013.

At that time, Krol’s Gay Krant was in financial difficulties and was threatened with bankruptcy. When Krol’s business affairs came under scrutiny, it transpired that pension premiums for Gay Krant staff had not been paid from 2004 till 2007, nor during 2009.

At the same time, the Gay Krant, which was intended as a forum where young homosexuals could contact one another and exchange views, did not have the 60,000 sales claimed by Krol but a mere 4,000. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry had provided the Gay Krant with a subsidy of 350,000 euro, which was channelled to one of Krol’s loss-making online sex shops.

The Ministry is still trying to recover 200,000 euro of this from the Gay Krant, which Krol now insists he no longer has any responsibility for, as he had transferred the shares to the non-profit Gay Krant Foundation.

As a result of these disclosures, Krol was forced to accept that, as he

had previously profiled himself as a defender of pensions and pensioners, he was no longer a credible representative.

He resigned as Member of Parliament in October of 2013. His replacement was Martine Baay-Timmerman.

In March of the following year, Krol was included as the last candidate on the 50Plus list for the European Parliamentary election, for which he was not elected.

In May, Martine Baay was expelled from the Party and, feeling that she still had the support of the electorate, continued as Member of Parliament in a one-man Party, 50Plus/ Baay-Timmerman. In September, Baay-Timmerman was diagnosed with a serious illness and temporarily resigned her Parliamentary seat. This was filled by Krol, who – following Parliamentary procedure – is still the next-in-line according to the rules of proportional representation.

Henk Krol is currently the Partyleader of the 50Plus/Baay-Timmerman Party and also, since March of 2014, a 50Plus municipal councillor for the city of Eindhoven. It would seem we have definitely not seen the last of him yet.

AMSTERDAM | The many years long renovation of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is finally done. The Philips Wing adjacent to the main building has also been renovated and will be open to the public from November 1. The thousands of “friends” of the Rijks are the first allowed to take a peek at the new exhibition wing, which has 13 rooms and a big restaurant.

During the 10 year renovation of the main building of the Rijksmuseum, visitors were able to view the top pieces in the Philips Wing. After the reopening on April 13 last year, the Philips wing was closed and also renovated

More funds against ebola

BRUSSELS | Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced after the EU summit in Brussels that the Netherlands will make a further 5 million euro available for the fight against Ebola. The Netherlands has already pledged a contribution of 30 million euro. The extra 5 million is for supplies. According to Rutte it will be used for things like mobile hospitals, laboratories, protective clothing and ambulances. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the European Union has designated a special coordinator for the Ebola Crisis. Herman van Rompuy, president of the European Council, said this morning that the EU will increase its financial support to the affected countries to 1 billion euro.

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NATIONAL

6 | NOVEMBER 2014

New sea lock in A’dam

AMSTERDAM | The Amsterdam municipality wants to participate in the construction of a new sea lock at IJmuiden. The lock, which must be set in 2019, will cost nearly 890 million euro, the NLTimes reports. Alderman Kajsa Ollongren of Economic Affairs announced today that the city of Amsterdam wants to contribute a maximum of 105 million euro. The province of North Holland contributes 56 million euro. Most of the construction costs will be borne by the State. According to Ollongren, the new lock between the North Sea and the North Sea Canal is necessary because the current lock is almost too small.

Tension rises for book publishers

Nine years for chlorine murder

ALMERE | The Public Prosecutor has asked for a nine year prison sentence for the 30-year-old man who strangled his partner and then drank chlorine to commit suicide. The man from Almere claims it was self-defense, but the Public Prosecutor does not believe it. The Public Prosecutor does however consider the man to have diminished responsibility.

Officers found the two men, who had been in a relationship for several months, in their home in March. Family members who came to visit raised the alarm when no one opened the door. The victim was already dead. The suspect was taken to hospital, where he was arrested a few days later.

Dug out

TWIJZEL | The families of the victims of

the dugout collapse in Twijzel want the responsible municipality and football club to be prosecuted. On Wednesday the Public Prosecutor announced that no one will be prosecuted. Laywyer Liebeth Poortman-de Boer, who is assisting the families, finds the decision incomprehensible. The lawyer launched an Article 12 procedure at the court to force prosecution. A dugout collapsed during the annual softball tournament in Twijzel on May 21. 10-year-old Yrsa de Bruin died and five other children were injured. An investigation showed that the dugout was damaged by a fallen branch long before the tournament.

MS damage made visible

THE HAGUE | Research by epidemiologist

Lisanne Balk shows that the extent of brain damage in MS patients can be seen on their eye scans, NL Times reports. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) damages the nerve cells. This damage causes irreversible disability in patients and the mapping of this process is therefore very important. The more damage there is to the nerve cells in MS patients, the more symptoms they have, such as loss of strength and fatigue.

With the help of a new technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT), a 3D scan can be made of the optic nerve and other nerve cells in the retina.

Photo: Dan Foy

Photo: Cristian Eslava

Brick-and-mortar book stores everywhere are already feeling the effects of online competitors like Bol.com.

Now it seems Amazon is also joining the fray. ELIZABETH JOSS looks into the matter.

Rumor has it that online retail giant Amazon.com, founded by American technology entrepreneur, Jeff Bezos, is due to launch in the Netherlands.

This is the second time that Amazon has attempted to penetrate the Dutch market. Amazon’s recent discussions with publishers have once again incited comments from industry folk, many of whom disagree with the company’s e-book pricing methods.

It is evident that the arrival of Amazon.nl presents a double-edged sword for Dutch publishers. On the one hand, the Netherlands as a country has joined in relatively late, as far as e-books are concerned. In order for publishers to stimulate sales, in the hopes of combatting a 15% market decline in the print domain, they need to look beyond traditional media and sales channels and towards ebooks and online sales as the future.

The need to recognize the declining print market and embrace a digital future has never been more relevant than it is today.

On the other hand, publishers are in two minds about the conditions set

by Amazon. High purchase discounts are the market leader’s demands, and many refuse to take these conditions lightly. However, if they hold back, they could encounter issues such as lack of innovation and competitive edge. Martin Voight, Commercial Di-

rector of the book publishing company Nieuw Amsterdam, argues that Amazon’s terms are definitely unacceptable, since the company wants to force a high purchase discount from publishers.

He urges publishers to be alert but to also not rush things until they are aware of the bigger picture.

In the Netherlands, it is against the law to sell print books for below their cover price. This poses a problem for Amazon, since the company often sells print books at large discounts to attract customers to the site. On the other hand, e-books are not under a fixed price law in the country. This makes the market for e-books particularly attractive to Amazon since there is no limit to what they can charge.

In fact, the Netherlands is a good market overall for online retailers working with publishers, since e-book sales have dramatically increased since 2011. According to Mathijs Suidman, Business Unit Manager at CB Media, there is a continuous growth in the choice of available e-book titles, the number of publishers publishing e-books, and the number of actual e-book sales online. In 2013 alone, around 2 million e-books and 39 million print books were sold in the Netherlands. According to Centraal Boekhuis, the largest

Dutch book distributor, there are currently 167 retailers selling e-books online in the Netherlands (opposed to 137 in the first quarter of 2014), and one in four books sold online in the Netherlands is an e-book. The sale of e-books online has also increased from 22% to 26% in the second quarter of this year. At the end of the second quarter, 33,344 titles were also available as e-books in comparison to 29,496 in the previous quarter, demonstrating an increase of 13%.

Furthermore, in March of 2014, the Netherlands knew 1.1 million e-reader and 5 million tablet users.

There are now 1.2 million e-reader and 7.4 million tablet users in the country. Hence, the purchase and use of e-readers are by no means in decline.

It is an exciting but also very challenging time for traditional publishers wishing to enter the growing digital terrain, and it is definitely not too late to enter the market. Amazon does present an opportunity for publishers wishing to bring their products to market, but not without careful consideration on the part of the publisher and negotiation to uphold industry standards. No concrete date is set for the launch of Amazon.nl nor have any publishers come forward to voice their relationship with the retail giant (with the exception of Xander, the

first Dutch publisher to sign a deal with the company). However, it was reported that two years ago, Amazon did conduct discussions with Centraal Boekhuis, as well as with online retailer Bol.com in the hopes of launching the site. Recent reports state that the company has once again held discussions with various publishers this year, although what has been discussed remains unknown.

It is evident that uncertainty lies ahead for many local book retailers with brick-and-mortar establishments, for those with local online e-book stores, and for the book publishing industry as a whole. Amazon. nl would potentially present new opportunities and a wider reach of publisher products, but under what terms? How ingrained are local online retailers such as Bol.com in the minds of locals, and can they withstand the impending competition fueled by this global online retailer?

Are customers themselves excited at the prospect of increased variety and competitive prices, or will they be brand-loyal to existing online retailers? Only time will tell, but it is no doubt imperative for publishers to have an assertive, innovative, and resilient strategy in order to be successful and to potentially overcome a myriad of pressing industry challenges.

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NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2014 | 7

Maastricht. Bright Lights, Big City…

Haaksbergen case ongoing

HAAKSBERGEN | It will still be some time before we have the results of the investigations into the accident with the monster truck in Haaksbergen. At the end of September a monster truck crashed into the audience during a stunt. A 5-year-old boy, a 50-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman died as a result. Both the Investigation Board for Safety (OVV) and the Public prosecutor are investigating how the accident in Haaksbergen happened. According to the municipality of Haaksbergen, the Investigation board aims to have its report ready in March 2015, before the start of the new event season.

Third fireworks arrest

ENSCHEDE | A 22-year-old man was

arrested in Enschede recently, after border officials discovered he had 600 kilos of fireworks in his van, DutchNews reports.

The man was pulled over by military border police during spot checks. On searching his vehicle, they discovered 15 boxes marked ‘danger class’. Other fireworks were found during a search of his home, news agency ANP said. The seizure is the third reported so far in the run up to this year’s New Year celebrations. Earlier, 90 kilos of fireworks were discovered in the storage space of a flat in The Hague, and 600 kilos were found in another van.

photo by Jean-Pierre Geusens

NL back on UN Council

Maastricht is considered one of the most historical places in The Netherlands but there are some fresh and innovative projects at work inside its medieval city walls! Tracey Taylor speaks with Centrum Management Maastricht to find out more from this forward-thinking company…

Centrum Management Maastricht (CMM) may well be a comparatively small organization but over the past number of years, it has been steadily developing itself as a key player in the heart of the city.

This young company has a mission and is dedicated in its efforts to sustain and [further] promote Maastricht as a dynamic international city and, as a city of culture. Although CMM appreciates the traditional and historical aspects of Maastricht, they have a very keen eye firmly fixed on tomorrow and it is that innovative mindset, and ability to anticipate, that helps toward their success.

Working together with an established and extensive network of stakeholders, local businesses and city representatives, CMM is fundamentally a platform that serves to unite this collective group with the common goal to “Realize Together” and build a solid foundation for the future of Maastricht.

CMM helps to generate and spearhead various development projects and cultural initiatives with the aim of showing Maastricht as an appealing option for the expat community, foreign students and tourists plus, to be seen as a location offering attractive capital venture opportunities to investors, entrepreneurs and (international) companies. Next to that, CMM help offer scope for enterprise,

attractive living and working conditions, and ample study, cultural and recreational opportunities.

Geographically speaking, Maastricht is conveniently located in relation to the rest of Europe and already possesses a strong [international] character that has helped the city to develop, but there is always work to be done to ensure it continues to remains viable for the years to come.

When Ms. Jelle Ummels (CMM Project Manager) took some time out of her busy schedule for me, I asked if she could share a little more about CMM and its primary goals: “No past, no present. No present, no future. It’s as simple as that. The goal of our company is to continuously strive to improve on our current position. Our vision is a “living thing” and we always want to further enhance our services to the city”. CMM have proven that they are a resourceful bunch and even with successes already under their belt, they are always looking for the next big idea.

When I asked how CMM approaches this, Ms. Ummels went on to explain: “The development and further improvement of the business arena and the generation of employment prospects are concrete examples of the success of CMM and our collaborators up to now. However, it does not stop there… We want to keep growing on a daily basis and to better

ourselves”. Aside from the economic aspects in their role as facilitator and partner, CMM have also begun themed initiatives for the region such as “Hospitable Maastricht”, “Lazy Sunday Concerts” and “Maastricht Mode”.

These initiatives aspire to make Maastricht welcoming and engaging for its visitors (and locals alike) and to put it on the map as a style and fashion city in its own right. Next to that, CMM are champions for “Château Maestricht” (a gastronomy event running in October and November) and “Magisch Maastricht” (the sparkly splendor of this Christmas fairground will be unveiled on the 29th of November).

Furthermore – in the context of international development – CMM are keen for Maastricht to be seen as a vibrant student city and they recognize the valuable importance of a close collaboration with undergraduates and universities. Of course building the future of Maastricht presents its own challenges and it can prove tricky to manage all the long-term goals however, CMM endeavour to maintain a balance between visible operational enterprises and the development of the cultural identity of the city. I asked Mr. Paul ten Haaf (Director of CMM) about his personal hopes for the future of his organization: “Co-operation and the pooling of resources is a motto for Centrum

Management Maastricht. I believe that taking action can certainly produce results but it is only together, when we join forces, that we can work concretely towards professionalism, better quality, durability and a more comprehensive result.”

It goes without saying that Maastricht is in itself seriously beautiful with its old-worldly feel, charming cobbled streets, stunning architecture and vast array of high-end stores and eateries but these days, beauty and charm alone are simply not enough…

Like it or not, cities (now more than ever) have to make an effort to attract investment and to do what they can to encourage people to want to come and explore their streets and – let’s face it – spend money in their shops, restaurants and at local amenities.

CMM are fully aware of the qualities Maastricht has to offer, but getting that message out there still requires a helping hand and the work that CMM are doing (in close collaboration with their stakeholders) certainly contributes toward cultivating a very bright, culturally rich and economically stable future for the capital of South Limburg.

GENEVA | In the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), the Netherlands was elected in the Human Rights Council for the period 2015 to 2017. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders applauds the Dutch membership: “This underlines the importance the Netherlands attaches to human rights throughout the world.

This offers us the opportunity to actively engage in, for example, freedom of expression, protection of women’s rights, rights of sexual minorities, human rights defenders and the right to a fair trial.” The Human Rights Council in Geneva, which has 47 members, is the UN body that focuses on compliance with human rights treaties. The council has been working since 2006.

Ambulances too late

AMSTERDAM | The Inspectorate Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) announced today that they will be doing an investigation into the working conditions at Ambulance Amsterdam. Police officers are also noticing the effects of the problems in Ambulance Amsterdam. Officers who call an ambulance for an emergency situation are often told that no ambulance is available, or that there will be a delay in its arrival. Ambulance employees have complained several times about the high workload, a shortage of ambulances and outdated equipment. The employees almost never have time to thoroughly clean the vehicles. According to police officers, response times of more than half an hour are no exception, especially at night and on weekends

Centrummanagement Maastricht Ruiterij 3A 6221 EW Maastricht http://www.cmmaastricht.nl/

More, extended, enjoyment of better sleep comfort starts with the choice of supplier.

Dreamzzz takes the time for you, uses its know-how to advise you with attention for your needs.

In our branches in Rijswijk and Voorburg, you can even try out our waterbeds. In The Hague, Jensen and Tempur are among the brands we sell. All our stores supply Pullman. A more relaxed night’s sleep starts with Dreamzzz.

Dreamzzz The Hague Theresiastraat 55, 2593 AA Den Haag T. +31 (0)70 335 68 30 Dreamzzz Rijswijk Hendrik Ravesteijnplein 76 2282 GX Rijswijk, +31 (0)70 390 60 60 Dreamzzz Voorburg Koningin Julianalaan 134 2274 JN Voorburg, T. +31 (0)70 300 08 03

www.dreamzzz.nl 20-02-13 13:41

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HEALTH

Information for expats Information meetings for expats Do you want to know more about information meetings for expats?

Contact: Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro Bronovo Expat Coordinator E: NJagusiak@bronovo.nl

Overseas Patients Administration Do you have any questions about the Dutch health care system, Bronovo Hospital, your insurance or the handling of your invoice?

Contact: Deborah Warmenhoven-Walmsley Overseas Patients Administration Assistant Patient Administration Office T: +31 (0)70 312 41 80 or (070) 312 41 80 (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) E: DWarmenhoven@bronovo.nl Accident & Emergency department

Loving care from then

with all the prospects of now

Emergency services are available seven days a week and 24 hours a day at Bronovo Hospital. The Accident & Emergency department is always open for everyone.

The A&E department (SEH) is available on (070) 312 44 45 or via the central Bronovo number (070) 312 41 41. Every A&E patient must produce proof of identity and a health insurance card.

Contact Bronovo Hospital Bronovolaan 5 2597 AX The Hague +31 (0)70 312 41 41 or (070) 312 41 41 www.bronovo.nl

BRONOVO HOSPITALITY www.bronovo.nl

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

BRONOVO HOSPITAL Bronovolaan 5, 2597 AX Den Haag WASSENAAR HEALTH CENTRE Hofcampweg 65, 2241 KE Wassenaar BRONOVO SATELLITE OUTPATIENT CLINIC President Kennedylaan 15, 2517 JK Den Haag

EXPAT SERVICE DESK On workdays from 8.00 – 16.30 hours: E mail: expat@bronovo.nl Anneke van Kooten +31 (0)70 312 40 16

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H

14 10:34

Education Special The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

for instance in the 4th year of the pre-university stream

has made an announcement that it will soon be possi-

(VWO), to take their final exams 2 years early.

ble for secondary school pupils who perform extremely

To stimulate talent, provide challenge and reward excel-

well in certain subjects to take their final exams earlier

lence, schools want greater flexibility in shaping their pu-

than is currently allowed. The time they save will enable

pils’ education and training. This includes making it pos-

them to take on challenges such as new subjects or en-

sible for pupils to take exams in certain subjects ahead

richment activities.

of their class. As a spin-off, pupils would have time to

Pupils may take their final exams in the year before the

study new subjects or pursue enrichment activities. They

one in which they are due to complete the course. Upon

would also be better equipped to take exams in more

the recommendation of Mr. Sander Dekker, the State

than one combination of specialised subjects.

Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, the regula-

The new measure is part of the Top Talent Action Plan for

tions are to be further alleviated to allow top achievers,

2014-2018 presented to the parliament earlier this year.

Virtuosi October 5 marked the opening of Virtuosi School of Music’s new 300m2 studio space in the Mooov village for Music, Dance & Sport, at Binchkhorstlaan 135, The Hague. Established in Queensland, Australia, in 2005, Virtuosi NL was established in 2008. This new chapter, along with our continuing partnership with local International Schools, enables us to open the door to quality music education for all.

Virtuosi offers specialist education programs across

all ages, styles and instruments. To mark this new phase, Virtuosi offers The Holland Times readers a free-trial lesson to on an instrument of their choosing, valid until December 13. New facilities include a fully equipped Rock Band studio, as well as new beginner classes for adults and children, for groups of 4-6 people.

So, if you wish to scratch that musical itch in a fun and friendly environment, get your friends together

How to be sure about your childʼs direction in life?

International Education and Career Guidance.

Psychometric testing and interest inventory.

Learning and study style techniques.

and come along… have a bite to eat downstairs in the ‘Lunchboxx’, go for a Dance class, hit the massage table in the paramedical wing, and come along for a Ukelele, Hammond Organ, or other lesson before trying the in-house brew – ‘Binkse Belofte’! Mooov is a revitalization project of the former Dutch Airforce HQ, powered by Motus.

- STEP ONE • Professionals in supporting students becoming aware of future opportunities • Experts in analysing learning and study styles

Personal interviews.

• Builders of motivation and confidence

Step One - International Specialists in Education & Career Guidance www.step1.co.uk Laan Copes van Cattenburch 85, 2585 EW The Hague t: 070 - 2167439 e: info@stepone4u.nl

Career Guidance programs for Dutch and International Students Step One, in association with Cambridge Occupational Analysts, is making use of a highly validated psychometric assessment, InterQuest. This program clearly identifies students’ academic strengths and personal interests and increases awareness of a range of different university approaches and various career paths.

InterQuest has been developed in 1999. Students can complete the 7 ability and aptitude tests such as Verbal, Numerical, Abstract and Spatial Reasoning, on line. Afterwards they are asked to complete an extended interest questionnaire. In addition they can undertake an analysis of their learning and study styles to help them studying more effectively.

The InterQuest reports are printed in the UK. They contain information about many career fields that are matching the students’ interests and combine these with the students’ test results. In a personal interview all the results will be explained and together with our consultant we will discuss the students’ next steps. It will be possible for the student to make a follow up appointment.

Laan Copes van Cattenburch 85 – 2585 EW The Hague – The Netherlands - Tel:+ 31 (0)631576479 – www.step1.ac – info@stepone4u.nl

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29-10-14 22:12

Learning is the Heart of The International School of The Hague We provide International Education for children from 4 to 18 years old. The IPC curriculum is offered in our Primary School and the IB Middle Year Programme and IB Diploma Programme are taught in our Secondary School. Both our Primary and Secondary School are located in the same modern building, close to the beach.

For more information please contact us: ish.admissions@ishthehague.nl or visit our website: www.ishthehague.nl

inspiring

innovative

internationally minded

Stichting Haagsche Schoolvereeniging

HSV International School

www.hsvdenhaag.nl

Tel: +31 (0)703184965

Email: id-admissions@hsvdenhaag.nl

NASSAULAAN

VAN NIJENRODESTRAAT

KONINGIN SOPHIESTRAAT

LIGHTHOUSE

Dutch and International Primary Education Dutch and International Special Needs Education

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International School Utrecht provides a high quality and accessible international learning environment to students from diverse international backgrounds.

ISUtrecht is a candidate International Baccalaureate World School, currently teaching the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP). From 2016 the school will offer the Diploma Programme (DP).

www.isutrecht.nl

IS Utrecht

AICS

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International School Utrecht (ISUtrecht) opened its doors in August of 2012, kicking off with just over 50 students. Shortly after, it became clear that the number of students was growing at a much higher rate than originally predicted. Last September, the school opened its doors to 165 students and 25 teaching and support staff members from all over the world.

In the spring of 2015, ISUtrecht will be moving to a new location at Van Bijnkershoeklaan 8, in the Utrecht Transwijk neighborhood. A modular semi-permanent accommodation will be built on the grounds of the old Anne Frank School. The new building will address the educational needs of the growing international community, as well as give the school the opportunity to establish itself further within the city over the next couple of years. Within this timeframe, ISUtrecht aspires to secure a long-term permanent location.

Primary and Secondary ISUtrecht has chosen to teach the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), designed for children aged 4-11. The school is striving to become a fully authorized International Baccalaureate World School, teaching all three programmes: the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme. ISUtrecht is currently a candidate school.

The aim of teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes is to develop internationally minded people who will actively choose to be world citizens, believing that individuals can make a difference. The school’s vision is “learning for world citizenship”.

The secondary department offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), and from 2016 onwards, will also offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP).

22-09-14 11:48

The AICS is a community-based international school for students aged 4-19. We are a school where learning is at the heart of everything we do. The language of instruction is English. We are subsidised by the Dutch government, and this enables us to offer a lowcost alternative while maintaining the high quality of the education we provide. We offer the International Primary Curriculum, the IB Middle Years Programme, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. We are located in a quiet residential area which is a few minutes’ walk from all major transport facilities, next to the World Trade Center (WTC). Our students receive Dutch language and culture lessons.

Non-native speakers receive extra English lessons. We are associated with a day-care center on the premises which also offers after-school care.

virtuosi.nl – admin@virtuosi.nl - 070 383 4060 - 2nd Floor (Mooov) Binckhorstlaan 135 Den Haag

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29-10-14 22:12

Internationally Curious Great teachers spark a curiosity and love of learning that can last a lifetime. The British School in The Netherlands nurtures every child’s natural desire to investigate, question and inquire - developing skills that will help them to thrive anywhere in the world.

www.britishschool.nl

Internationally British

The British School in The Netherlands Development Curiosity, Encouraging Innovation Enriching the learning experience and developing a curious mind goes hand in hand with the ethos and culture of The British School in The Netherlands (BSN).

The school and its teaching staff are continuously sharing knowledge and ideas to come up with new, innovative and interesting methods of delivering the curriculum.

Taking a key area and focussing creative learning on this for an entire week is one of the methods that is working well in BSN Junior Schools. Between the BSN’s three Junior Schools so far this term there has been ‘Magical Maths

Week’ during which children concentrated on their arithmetic with the help of a Maths Magician; Writing Week with ‘The Journey Man’ which focussed on innovative ways of developing creative writing skills and, most recently, ‘STEM’ (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Week.

By approaching teaching in this way, lessons are tailored to enable and inspire children to focus, learn and develop their skills and understanding of a specific curriculum subject. The positive results are clearly evident and can be observed by anyone visiting the schools during these periods, where the sound and buzz of children enjoying their learning is almost tangible.

Educating For The Future Respect

Responsibility

Integrity

Empathy

Communication

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

University preparatory program for students aged 3-18

AP® Technologically Aware From an Early Age

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www.ash.nl / admissions@ash.nl

29-10-14 22:13

Begin your future by digging into the past

Archaeology is the study of past human societies through materials left behind. Learn about ancient cultures, research methods and earth sciences while getting hands-on, practical experience through fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Start your journey to an exciting future in archaeology by contacting us or applying today.

A brand new international, English-taught Bachelor in Archaeology will start on 1 September 2015. Dig in with us!  bachelors.leiden.edu/archaeology

Discover the world at Leiden University

Leiden Archaeology

Leiden University

New: Archaeology Bachelor programme in English in Leiden From September 2015 onwards, the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University will offer a Bachelor programme in English: a challenging programme in which you are trained to reconstruct the past through the studying of archaeological material. Enthusiastic staff and students form a dynamic and international research community, with a strong link between research and education. Practical courses and excavations are an essential part of the programme, and in many courses, you will be actually participating in current research by our teaching staff. Archaeology in Leiden has a strong international focus, and the faculty’s broad network includes researchers and institutions abroad. Some of our specializations are leading in the world, such as Human Origins, Archaeology of Mesoamerica, and the Caribbean.

Well over one hundred BA International Studies (BAIS) students are currently studying abroad, but many others have chosen a different way of filling the half-year discretionary space that all students get in their third year. An internship has been proven to be a good step in finding work after graduation. Also, BAIS students are popular additions to the staff in many businesses and organisations – they are all fluent in English and at least one other foreign language; they are all conversant with the spheres on history, culture, politics and economics; and they all have detailed expertise in a geographical region. If any employers out there are interested, drop a line to Dr. Sarita Koendjbiharie, s.r.koendjbiharie@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Amsterdam

Career prospects The combination of practical knowledge and academic skills makes you of interest to many employers.

Many archaeologists work as consultants, researchers, or as employees of commercial archaeology agencies, performing surveys and excavations. Apart from excavations, tasks like informing the public, policy preparation and implementation are part of the job. If you have focused more on aspects of heritage management, a position at a national or international heritage authority, a museum, or a government is a good option. Another option is to continue with our Master programme and aim for an academic career.

Study Archaeology in Leiden!

Info: bachelors.leiden.edu/archaeology

To be a community where learning is at the heart of everything we do.

International Community School

We are a Primary and Secondary school offering international education in English. We cater for students aged 4-19 and offer a highly reputable school programme called the International Baccalaureate (IB). Our school strongly believes in high quality and accessible education and we are able to offer our programmes at a highly competitive rate. We are located in Amsterdam and -as a community school- make good use of its educational opportunities.

• The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) for children aged 4 - 10 years • The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for children aged 16 - 19 years Prinses Irenestraat 59 1077 WV Amsterdam T: 020 - 57 71 240 E: info@aics.espritscholen.nl

• The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) for children aged 11 - 15 years • Dutch language lessons

In the English-taught bachelor’s programme in International Studies you will study the history, culture, politics and economy of a world region, and you will learn one of the region’s languages. You will be able to put world events in perspective by comparing regions in their worldwide context. Want to know more?

www.bachelors.leiden.edu/is

fully accredited by

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Bachelor International Studies

Discover the world at Leiden University

29-10-14 22:13

FEATURE

14 | NOVEMBER 2014

FUN AND FEASIBLE ECOLOGY

Photo: Landfill Harmonic

Sustainability and environmental awareness are hotter than ever. KAREN D.R. DE CORRALES takes a closer look at some alternative waste handling methods.

The worldwide pursuit of environmental awareness has become a kaleidoscope of efforts that takes many shapes, identified with terms like ecology, sustainability, recycling and Cradle to Cradle. The recent Energy Fair held in The Hague on October 5 – organized by Sustainable The Hague (Duurzaam Den Haag) by order of the Municipality of The Hague – was a perfect showcase for a variety of such environmental efforts. It presented products and processes in the areas of biological materials and foods, conducting a sustainable lifestyle, sustainable energy applications, and of course creative systems of waste disposal, otherwise known as recycling.

While most of us are now familiar with practices like the collection of organic material, paper, plastic and glass for reuse, there is also much being done that many people are unaware of. Experts in this field know that biodegradable does not necessarily mean biocompatible; stuff should not only break down, but fare well in the environment it is put into. This differs with factors such as region, climate and temperature.

Waste as art

Not new, of course. But not to be left out in an article putting waste in the spotlight. While the world counts many ‘Waste as Art’ strivings, including the annual exhibition literally bearing this title in Australia, this article focuses on some artists that have taken the concept to another level. German Ha Schult’s wellpublicized army of Trash People has been roaming the globe since 1996, from Cologne to Washington D.C. to the Great Wall of China; human-sized depictions in crushed soda cans, computer parts, and more. Chinese Wang Zhiyuan created tornados of all sorts of plastic containers towering over 10 meters high – silent criticism of the

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 14

plastic litter in his hometown Beijing.

Special credit must go to New York-based artist Vik Muniz, originally from Sao Paolo. He succeeded in transforming the lives of a group of people, as he puts it “using the same material that they deal with every day.” The award-winning documentary Waste Land follows him in his triumphant collaboration with the ‘catadores’, pickers of recyclables, on the world’s biggest waste site outside Rio de Janeiro: Jardim Gamacho.

Large collections of the garbage that surrounds these people were assembled into images of some of them on a large warehouse floor, captured on photo from above, exhibited and sold at auction. Proceeds in the amount of some $250,000 and prize money from various awards were returned to the catadores.

Waste as food and flora

The day may come in which you may plant the paper you are holding to later on harvest carrots from it. While we may not be there yet, several companies have ventured beyond the biodegradable into the regrowable. According to Eden’s Paper, the technology to create plantable seed paper has been around since the 1960s. Having signaled the tremendous waste in 2012 in the UK alone (enough to wrap around the world nine times), this UK-based company decided to specialize in seeded wrapping paper. In the embossing process applied in the creation of this plantafter-you-unwrap paper, even the ink is vegetable-based and no glue is used – the seeds are sandwiched between seven layers of tissue paper that begins to break down when it hits the soil. All you need to do is figure out the preference for flowers, herbs, or vegetables. Fruit options are currently still being developed.

Eden’s Paper is not alone in connecting consumers’ growing green

awareness with the possibility of reapplying paper in this greenest of ways. Niko Niko (the Netherlands) is just one of the companies selling seed cards and confetti. Botanical PaperWorks (Canada) offers almost any paper product you can think of, including bookmarks, paper sheets, coasters, tags and even business cards.

Since the big wholesalers have gotten the scent, you can also purchase seed paper at Walmart in the US and on Amazon. Google ‘seed paper’, and out pop a variety of providers and even tutorials to make your own!

Still unique seems to be the initiative of OAT Shoes. Dutch founderowner Christiaan Maats came up with the concept in 2008, following his Industrial Design studies in Delft and a research project in Sydney, Australia. The 100% biodegradable ‘Shoes that Bloom’ contain natural materials (hemp, bio-cotton and cork) and certain biodegradable plastics that decompose in a matter of months, courtesy of the microbes in the soil you put them in. The seed sheet in the shoes’ tongues should sprout wildflowers within days! OAT’s mission is about the integration of nature and industry, symbolized in the OAT logo: unite (O), create (Δ) and inspire (+). Maats: “With OAT, I wanted to reunite people with the cycles of nature: in everything that ends lie the seeds of new beginnings. Whether those are flowers, a new product or even a new idea.” A few collections on, also having launched OATies – baby shoes that grow a tree of life – OAT has begun putting out luxury shopping bags that turn into sunflowers and intends to continue development of products and concepts.

greatest ecological polluters; the construction industry. The Mobile Factory (De Mobiele Fabriek) transforms debris into Q-bricks that look like and stack up like Lego blocks, ensuring quicker, cheaper, stronger and more environmentally friendly construction than when using new, raw materials. Founder-director Gerard Steijn devised the copyright-protected system inspired by his travels to disaster areas in Eastern Europe. The Mobile Factory ¬– transportable in two cargo containers by land, sea or air – pro-

vides an efficient way out whether buildings have been left in ruin by calamity or by design: it can be set up in a very short period of time and operated by unskilled local workers, churning out the Dutch qualityrequirements-meeting Q-bricks. Daily production: 10-50 earthquake-proof accommodations per day!

Another sustainable building block is the wooden pallet. Among several pallet constructions found online, the Pallet House is an awardwinning product of I-Beam Design,

Waste as building blocks

Imagine turning rubble into construction materials on location and minimizing the need for waste removal.

Another Dutch solution to one of the

Photo: Leonel Ponce

30-10-14 14:49

FEATURE an architecture and design firm based in New York. It presents a long-term shelter solution for people finding themselves in destitute situations.

Designed in 1999 to help relieve the post-Kosovo war refugee situation, the project was also inspired by the notion that a year’s supply worth of recycled American pallets could suffice to house millions of refugees. A construction plan can be purchased on the I-Beam Design website for $75.00. The result: easy assembly of 100 pallets by 4-5 pairs of hands in less than a week, using only hand tools! Best of all: the emergency structure can be transformed into a more permanent residence using more stable local materials such as earth, mud, stone, plaster, and concrete.

Plastic solutions

Many people will be familiar with the images of birds’ corpses riddled with ingested plastic, and the view of oceans and beaches covered in plastic litter. This certainly was not lost on young, Dutch teenager Boyan Slat.

Supported by a team that grew to approximately 100, Slat – 17 at the time, and still in high school – embarked on a feasibility study in 2012, spoke at a TEDxDelft event that same year and made the news earlier this year, when he presented the plan to rid the oceans of plastic in New York and concluded that it was doable. While The Ocean Cleanup is not strictly a recycling alternative, Slat and his team should of course be commended for seeking to close the gap between sustainable waste removal and disposal.

Now in its pilot phase, having raised over 2 million dollars through crowdfunding, The Ocean Cleanup’s progress may be followed on its website.

Launched in February of this year: the Vortex Project, another initiative relating to cleaning up our waters.

Overseen by pop superstar Pharrell Williams and co-partnered by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA, Bionic Yarn, and Parley for the Oceans, the project seeks to actively recycle ocean plastics into wearable, durable denim. Since “everyone has a pair of jeans in their closet”, the new denim is currently being marketed as RAW for the Oceans, by G-Star. The RAW for the Oceans and Bionic Yarn websites feature process-describing diagrams, of course emphasizing the same problem as signaled by young Slat; the absurd scale of the pollution of our oceans, its effect on sea life and all related repercussions, such as potentially finding its way into our food.

NOVEMBER 2014 | 15

/ recycling (metal) expert Ruud Verberne and orthopedic surgeon Jan Gabriëls, about the desirability of recycling implanted metal remains.

With now over 15 years of experience, OrthoMetals is the global leader in orthopedic implant recycling, in charge of the collection and recycling of metals discarded as waste in the past, for more than 450 crematoria worldwide.

When co-founder Gabriëls passed away in 2012, his sons took over , equipped with fresh MBA degrees.

Since Verberne’s son and daughter also followed in their father’s footsteps, OrthoMetals is a true family business.

Based in Meppel, the Dutch metal recycler overcame several challenges to be able to branch out across the globe. These included religious considerations, particularly in France, Portugal and Italy, where burial is more customary than cremation. In the UK, where the British crematoria system is divided into a great number of districts, logistics took some time to sort out. Key in the process for the collaborating partners is the respect that OrthoMetals guarantees remains are handled with. This is apparent even from the fact that the destination of the recycled metal is not explicitly revealed on the website.

OrthoMetals works only with trusted end users who do not resell the metal provided. With net proceeds going to charity and crematoria being allowed to choose their charity themselves, OrthoMetals represents another laudable Dutch movement in which recycling has come full circle.

Musical solutions

To end on a harmonic note: in at least one corner of the world, music is made from trash. In Catuera, Paraguay, magic was born of need in a slum built very nearly on another large Latin American garbage dump.

In the movie teaser for the Landfill Harmonic documentary, scheduled to come out this year, teenagers of the Recycled Orchestra (los Reciclados de Catuera) willingly explain and demonstrate the use of their instruments, made of discarded oil cans, wood, old kitchen utensils, bottle caps, coins, and whatever else can be found. The sound produced by the ‘cello’ handled

by Juan Manuel Chavez – otherwise known as Bebi, 19 – is surprisingly nearer the real thing than expected, as is the sound of the recycled violins, flutes, and other string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

In a place where an original musical instrument is worth more than the ocMetal solutions cupants’ dwellings, there was really OrthoMetals was born from a con- not much choice when more children versation between logistics manager wanted to be involved in Director Fa-

Photo: Orthometals

vio Chávez’ initiative to keep them from playing on the landfill – and there were not sufficient instruments to accommodate them. Enter Nicolás Gómez, also known as Cola, the inventive garbage picker who began experimenting with the creation of instruments from garbage.

The movie project was initiated in 2009 by Alejandra Amarilla (Founder & Executive Producer) and filmmaker

Juliana Penaranda-Loftus. It involves an international crew and is sponsored among others by the Creative Vision Foundation. The movie, the orchestra, and related educational and other efforts can still be supported in several ways. For more information, see their website: Landfillharmonicmovie.com. The instruments produced from the project bring joy to manufacturers, parents, and young

musicians alike. Ada Maribel Rios Bordados, 13, said: “When I listen to the sound of a violin, I feel butterflies in my stomach.” A somewhat ambiguous experience, hearing Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik performed with recycled instruments. Although another triumph of the human spirit may be celebrated, the existence of an orchestra based on trash should be more food for thought.

Photo: OATSHOES

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 15

30-10-14 14:50

DIPLOMATIC

16 | NOVEMBER 2014

22 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BETWEEN KAZAKHSTAN AND THE NETHERLANDS On the occasion of the celebration of the Independence Day on December 16, Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Mrs. Mainura Murzamadiyeva Kazakhstan is a leading producer of many mineral commodities, including uranium, ferrochrome, titanium sponge, cadmium, magnesium, rhenium, copper, bauxite, gallium and zinc. It is the leading country in the world for uranium production volumes, with 35% of global production, and it has the world’s second biggest uranium reserves after Australia. Kazakhstan is famous for its agriculture.

Grain, potatoes, vegetables, melons and livestock are the most important agricultural commodities.

From left to right: Mrs. Mainura Murzamadiyeva (Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Netherlands), Mr. Hans Driesser (Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands to the Republic of Kazakhstan), Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

1. When your President H.E. Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the Netherlands during the Nuclear Summit in March, he also met our Foreign Minister Mr. Frans Timmermans to discuss cooperation. Was this a successful meeting?

Using this opportunity, I want to highlight and congratulate the organizers with the very successful organization of the Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague. I believe that the Summit, which was conducted on the highest level, has become one of the most significant steps in strengthening and maintaining global nuclear security.

During the meeting, a wide range of issues of the bilateral cooperation was discussed. The parties focused their attention on nuclear disarmament and nuclear security, as well as expansion of cooperation in trade and economy, investment, science and the energy sector. Also, the President of Kazakhstan stressed that our country was an active participant of the third Nuclear Security Summit and a responsible member of the global community, being a state which had closed the world’s largest Semipalatinsk test site and renounced nuclear arsenal. The President of Kazakhstan

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 16

informed about Kazakhstan’s offer on creation of a low enriched nuclear fuel bank, which would supply secure uranium for power plants.

At the end of the meeting, the Head of State was presented with a new Dutch postage stamp with the image of the President of Kazakhstan and a new kind of tulip named “President Nazarbayev”. Also, an initiative of the Rotterdam city’s mayor’s office to open a new “Astana” square was declared during the meeting.

2. How is the bilateral relationship between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands?

We highly appreciate the friendly and trusting nature of the KazakhstanNetherlands relations. Considering your country as one of the key political and economic partners in Europe, Kazakhstan is truly committed to further expansion of bilateral political and economic ties with the Netherlands. Kazakhstan and the Netherlands share their stance on key international problems, including global security, international cooperation, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and counterterrorism. The trade turnover between our countries

is growing constantly; according to the latest figures, it was 5.6 billion dollars for the first half of 2014. The Head of State stressed the significance of cooperation in agriculture and innovations and invited Dutch companies to take active part in the international exhibition “EXPO2017”, which will be held in Astana.

3. Which are the import and export products between the two countries?

Trade structure of the goods imported from Netherlands is various. It includes machines, engines, pumps, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, live trees and plants, ships, boats, medical, technical equipment, plastics, iron and steel products, chemical goods and electronic equipment. Kazakhstan is one of the main exporters of oil, chemicals and machinery to the Netherlands. Nowadays, the Government of Kazakhstan tries to extend the structure of mutual trade turnover.

4. It is well-known that the wealth of Kazakhstan is due for a major part to the oil industry. Are there other important sectors contributing to the national economy?

5. Baikonour, situated in your country, is an important launching and landing site for the spacecrafts sent to the International Space Station. Is our Dutch astronaut André Kuipers, known to your country?

Did his participation to the space flight create a particular relationship between the two countries?

Astronaut Andre Kuipers is well known in Kazakhstan, as he twice took off into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome; as for me, I know him personally. The bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands in this field are developing with a positive dynamic. The Memorandum of Understanding between the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Netherlands Space Office, on cooperation in space activities, is currently under preparation for signing.

6. The cycling team “Astana” is very famous in the cycling world. Was cycling always a popular sport in Kazakhstan, or was there another reason for sponsoring this team? In general, are the Kazakh people as sporty as the Dutch are?

Kazakhstan is very proud about the achievements of our great cyclist Mr. Alexander Vinokourov at the 2012 Olympics games. As you may know, our country won 12th place in the gold medal counts at the Summer Olympics Games in London. Cycling has always been popular in Kazakhstan, but not at the same scale as in the Netherlands. The history of Asta-

na Team is inextricably linked to our Honorary Consul Mr. Rini Wagtmans, a famous Dutch cyclist, who has provided help and support in developing the Astana Team from its beginning (2006) until the present time. We hope that our team will achieve new records in different competitions in future.

7. Hospitality is considered a sacred duty in the Kazakh society.

Can you illustrate how this feature finds expression in festivities or meals with as the main dish “besbarmak”?

A distinctive national characteristic of Kazakhstan people is their exceptional hospitality. The host will be quite offended if the guest does not take some refreshments offered to him, or at least a cup of the traditional tea.

Kazakh people like to invite guests.

For honorable guests, we prepare besbarmak our main traditional dish.

The translation of the word Besbarmak is “five fingers”. In the Kazakh cuisine, this dish is mainly made from horse meat.

8. Kazakhstan is not known to us as a tourist destination. Can you recommend some highlights to our readers?

A range of beautiful high, middle and low mountains, such as Tien Shan, Altay, Ulytau, Kazygurt, etcetera, attract tourists from all over the world.

Thus, an easy access to marvelous landscapes for tourists interested in trekking and winter sports is available from Almaty city. Kazakhstan is not only steppes and mountains; it is also a country of rivers and lakes.

Lakes among the steppes are usually like an oasis among empty deserts.

The ethno-memorial complex Map of Kazakhstan - Atameken, located in Astana, is the largest ethnographic park in Kazakhstan and an unique outdoor museum. For those interested, on Wednesday 5 November, a “Voice of Asia” concert of the symphony orchestra, choir and solists of Astana Opera will take place at the Doelen Concert Hall in Rotterdam.

29-10-14 22:32

TECHNOLOGY

NOVEMBER 2014 | 17

The Hague Tech - Smart Cities

Recent event The Hague was a joint attempt by the city council and its local business community to attract more tech companies. JEROEN SPANGENBERG reports back.

On October 15, the The Hague city council – in cooperation with the The Hague business community – organized The Hague Tech: the perfect opportunity for tech companies, government and other parties to build new relationships. During her speech, Ingrid van Engelshoven, a The Hague alderman responsible for education, International Affairs, and the socalled smart economy, stressed that The Hague is a terrific place for companies to be based in. She has a point: it is safe, clean, easily accessible by public transport, and provides good other public services.

Ironically, she and other speakers gave a speech in Dutch. However, at least a dozen of the participants as well as several speakers were actually not Dutch, KPN representative Perry Jackson, included some PowerPoint slides in English, but his story about 4G was in Dutch as well. At that point, the international guests who

weren’t planning to improve their Dutch actually left the room –understandable, considering how frightening the word ‘technology’ sounds when pronounced in Dutch.

Antoine R.J. Wright, one of the keynote speakers, said “smart cities start with smart people”, and “smart communities keep popping up!”

One way to fulfill his call would be to start speaking in English at conferences like these, like Wright himself did. Wright, who is originally from the U.S., didn’t impress his audience by his clothing, but by his outstanding presentation skills.

Wright pointed out that a mother and child spending quality time together by each playing on their own iPhone perhaps isn’t the best way for a community to develop. He also asked the question, “Do you know how much data the lights in this conference room hold about you?” He actually pointed out that people should

realize what it means that data is available about everyone in great detail, and is being accumulated more and more.

Data collection only makes those who collect it smarter; therefore, we should perhaps all collect data, or be able to see the collected data. Otherwise, we can never become the smart citizens Wright is envisioning.

At one booth, Techshino was showcasing their biometric technology. Iris scanning and fingerprint devices to withdraw cash or to log into your computer are becoming reality.

Schiphol airport has been using iris scanning for quite some time, offered to customers who want to skip long security check lines. In his futuristic book “Days of the Oprichnik”’, Vladimir Sorokin writes about protagonist Danilovich Komiaga visiting the airport: “I place my right hand against the glass square. My whole life appears in the pine-scented air: date

of birth, rank, home address, status, chart of habits, physical-mental characteristics, birthmarks, illnesses, psychosomatics, my character core, preferences, prejudices, size of my limbs and organs.’’

Engineering company NDASSIE also had a booth, promoting their solar charging station for mobile phones for Africans who lack access to electricity at home.

The WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency helps companies like these, as well as bigger companies, to find their way to the city of The Hague.

The WestHolland Foreign Investment Agency was one of the organizations who hosted a side-event; their workshop was focused on connecting ICT companies and potential partners. West Holland Foreign Investment Agency invited Viziware, a company that offers interactive advertising solutions as well as interac-

tive city information points. The government can update these info points any moment. The interactive screens offer viewers information on current theater plays or popular walking routes.

Other new technologies discussed at the conference included 3D printing, the Google car, drones, and sensors that can measure the air climate.

Urban Wi-Fi coverage was discussed as a necessary condition for a smart city. New apps like Uber were discussed as well.

Uber provides everybody who owns a car the opportunity to become a taxi driver, and it gives the customer a cheap alternative to finding a taxi. However, some argue that Uber is less safe than using official taxis.

While cab drivers are understandably less happy with this development, smart cities are built by doing things more efficiently.

Google takes over Firebase Google’s ever-expanding presence has just gotten a little bit bigger again, as the online giant bought cloud-hosted database company Firebase. ASHLEY COWLES has the details.

Google announced recently that it is acquiring Firebase, a backend service that helps developers build real-time apps for iOS, Android and the web that can store and sync data instantly.

Wired reports that Google will continue to offer Firebase’s services as part of its Google Cloud Platform line. “If

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 17

you’re a developer who has built an app on top of Firebase, nothing will change for you and you can continue to use Firebase as you normally would,” Firebase co-founder and CEO James Tamplin wrote in a blog post announcing the acquisition.

Firebase, which launched about

three years ago, says that joining Google will allow it to scale its service dramatically. “With Google’s engineering talent, resources and technical infrastructure, we’ll be able to do much more, much faster,” the team writes. In addition, the Firebase team believes that its mission is complementary to Google’s. Thanks to the acquisition, Google’s customers will be able to write apps faster and Firebase’s users will gain access to Google’s infrastructure. Firebase, which launched two years ago, now claims to have 110,000 developers using its service, is part of a growing number of companies that are trying to cut the backend server out of that equation.

Firebase cuts out the middle step by letting applications communicate directly with a database with no need for a bunch of complex code in between the two. All of the code runs in the browser, or on your phone, and the data the application needs is synchronized with the Firebase’s servers.

“We’ve kind of changed the paradigm from one were you think about sending data and storing data as two separate things to a paradigm where it’s just about synchronizing data,” Lee told Wired back in 2012. Firebase competes with mobile-centric data hosting companies like Parse, as well as database hosting services such as Amazon’s DynamoDB and IBM’s Cloudant.

29-10-14 22:16

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ARTS & CULTURE

NOVEMBER 2014 | 19

James Bond Style comes to Rotterdam

“The name’s Bond. James Bond.” Few people on the planet wouldn’t recognize the way the world’s most famous spy introduces himself. A traveling exhibition honoring his 50th anniversary has now come to Rotterdam. ASHLEY COWLES investigates.

Rare costumes, atmospheric sets, gadgets, props, storyboards and original photographs are on show in the exhibition ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ at the Kunsthal Rotterdam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise. ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ presents the craft behind the icon, focusing on the distinctly British luxuriance of the world’s most famous movie brand. The screen hero has not only headlined the most successful franchise in film history, he has made an indelible impact on the worlds of art, music, fashion, technology, travel, automotive design, and lifestyle. Together with numerous film fragments, ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ presents an unequalled

multimedia experience of the world of James Bond. Emily Ansenk, director Kunsthal Rotterdam: “James Bond, the world’s favorite secret agent in film history, comes to Rotterdam.

We are proud to present this unique exhibition in the Kunsthal.”

Discover the design and style of the James Bond franchise over the course of five decades, through a dozen themed rooms and environments, from 1962’s Dr. No to 2012’s Skyfall. Featuring over 500 unforgettable objects: Roger Moore’s white tuxedo from Octopussy (1983) and his Spacesuit from Moonraker (1979); the orange bikini worn by Halle Berry in Die Another Day (2002); Scaramanga’s Golden Gun from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); Jaws’

fearsome teeth which first appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); gadgets from ‘Q branch’ including the attaché case featured in From Russia with Love (1963); and the silver Aston Martin DB5 from GoldenEye (1995) which famously returned to the screen in 2012’s Skyfall.

The exhibition consists of exclusive material from the archives of EON Productions on commission from the Barbican, London by guest curator Bronwyn Cosgrave, Oscar®-winning costume-designer Lindy Hemming, and designer Ab Rogers. The exhibition has been presented previously in London, Toronto, Shanghai and Melbourne and will feature as part of The UK-Russia Year of Culture in Moscow before arriving in Rotterdam. The exhibition is organized by Barbican Centre, London, in partnership with EON Productions.

‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ – 12 October 2014 to 8 February 2015. For more information about the exhibition, please see www.kunsthal. nl or contact their visitor information desk at +31 (0)10-4400301. Opening hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 5 pm.

Rare costumes, atmospheric sets, gadgets, props, storyboards and original photographs are on show in the

exhibition ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ at the Kunsthal Rotterdam on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise. ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ presents the craft behind the icon, focusing on the distinctly British luxuriance of the world’s most famous movie brand. The screen hero has not only headlined the most successful franchise in film history, he has made an indelible impact on the worlds of art, music, fashion, technology, travel, automotive design, and lifestyle. Together with numerous film fragments, ‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ presents an unequalled multimedia experience of the world of James Bond. Emily Ansenk, director Kunsthal Rotterdam: “James Bond, the world’s favorite secret agent in film history, comes to Rotterdam.

We are proud to present this unique exhibition in the Kunsthal.”

Discover the design and style of the James Bond franchise over the course of five decades, through a dozen themed rooms and environments, from 1962’s Dr. No to 2012’s Skyfall. Featuring over 500 unforgettable objects: Roger Moore’s white tuxedo from Octopussy (1983) and his Spacesuit from Moonraker (1979); the orange bikini worn by Halle Berry in Die Another Day (2002); Scara-

manga’s Golden Gun from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); Jaws’ fearsome teeth which first appeared in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); gadgets from ‘Q branch’ including the attaché case featured in From Russia with Love (1963); and the silver Aston Martin DB5 from GoldenEye (1995) which famously returned to the screen in 2012’s Skyfall.

The exhibition consists of exclusive material from the archives of EON Productions on commission from the Barbican, London by guest curator Bronwyn Cosgrave, Oscar®-winning costume-designer Lindy Hemming, and designer Ab Rogers. The exhibition has been presented previously in London, Toronto, Shanghai and Melbourne and will feature as part of The UK-Russia Year of Culture in Moscow before arriving in Rotterdam. The exhibition is organized by Barbican Centre, London, in partnership with EON Productions.

‘Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style’ – 12 October 2014 to 8 February 2015. For more information about the exhibition, please see www.kunsthal. nl or contact their visitor information desk at +31 (0)10-4400301. Opening hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays and public holidays from 11 am to 5 pm.

Saturday Night (Museum) Fever The Amsterdam Museum Night is an annual highlight for old and new fans of all the city’s cultural treasures. MIMIS Chrysomallis takes a closer look.

Photos: n8

The first Saturday of November is quite a special one for museum lovers throughout Amsterdam. On that evening, the city is being transformed into a living web of frantic museum activity as many of its museums remain open until well after midnight, offering a wide range of special happenings next to their standard

collections. This is Museum Night (‘Museumnacht’), an annual event celebrating local culture and history, and a truly unique experience not only for art aficionados and culture vultures, but for all those who are curious to explore the city’s various cultural strongholds in a completely new light.

First organized back in 2000, the idea behind Museum Night has been to draw the interest of younger audiences (people aged around 18-35) and give them the chance to get acquainted with museums in and around their neighborhood. It always takes place on the first Saturday of November, a date that was chosen due to the fact that museums tend to have a low number of visitors around that period.

Over the years, Museum Night has grown to a largely popular event attracting many thousands of visitors and a wide audience consisting of mainly – but not exclusively – Amsterdammers. In 2012, Museum Night attracted a total of 27,500 visitors, while last year, the number of visitors increased to 30,000.

Every year, the participating museums organize a variety of special programs to complement their permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, such as workshops, music concerts, DJs, special tours, film screenings, dance and live performances. Besides, many museums also

make special arrangements for food and drinks. For this year’s 15th edition, around 50 museums participated, with some new additions such as the Amsterdam Pipe Museum, CBK Amsterdam and the “De Dageraad” building in Amsterdam South.

The organization of the Amsterdam Museum Night is owned by N8 | Stichting Museumnacht Amsterdam.

The N8 foundation was founded in 2003, and consists of a small number of employees no older than 27 years.

Over the years, it has also built up an extensive network of various young professionals, each with their own expertise, who are well versed in the city’s cultural goings-on and are active on social media and new platforms of communication.

The main goal of the foundation is to engage young people with museums (and vice versa), both by organizing events and through its online platform (www.n8.nl) by means of videos, podcasts, reviews and news about exhibitions and events taking place in Amsterdam museums. It also keeps a daily blog to keep track of the

city’s various museum activities.

Judging by the continuing success of Museum Night, it seems that the organizers are indeed doing a good job in realizing this noblest of goals: bringing the young public closer to the city’s numerous and often extraordinary museums. After all, it is exactly this fresh and rejuvenating perspective from younger audiences that breathes new life into these otherwise serious and often intimidating establishments. As Scottish novelist Andrew O’Hagan once put it: “A living museum must surely see itself as a locus of argument.

A breathing art institution is not a lockup but a moveable feast.” With an ever-extending range of participating institutions and an exciting annual program covering a broad geographical spectrum, Museum Night has certainly been a driving force behind the transformation of Amsterdam’s museum scene into a movable feast.

More information: http://www.n8.nl/ or http://museumnachtamsterdam.nl

VPRO starts collaboration with Eindhoven Public broadcaster VPRO is looking to start a structural collaboration with designers, inventors and media creators. ASHLEY COWLES has the details.

In 2015, public broadcaster VPRO will be opening its own media lab at the former Philips site in Eindhoven.

VPRO and the city of Eindhoven mean to participate in new media developments.

The location VPRO has in mind is the famous NatLab, home to many successful visual and audio inven-

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 19

tions. Strijp-S, the innovation hub at the former Philips site, is now being given a total makeover. It is the birthplace of high-tech applications and solutions for media, spatial planning, social interaction, and production.

Originally, the Dutch Institute for Sound and Vision (Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid) wanted to

open a museum on Strijp-S, but the plan was abandoned due to insufficient funding.

Mary-Ann Schreurs, alderman for Innovation and Culture, Ton van Gool, project leader VPRO@StrijpS for the city of Eindhoven, Lennart van der Meulen, General Director VPRO, and Geert-Jan Bogaerts, head

of VPRO Digital, recently explained the plans at the VPRO pavilion, which had been moved to Ketelhuisplein in Eindhoven for the Dutch Design Week.

Their joint statement explains that additional funds are needed to realize the project. “The creative and innovative atmosphere at Strijp-S is

very inspiring, and we have decided to start an experiment. The only way the public broadcasting network can keep innovating is by staying in close contact with the smartest and most creative people in the Netherlands,” says project leader Geert-Jan Bogaerts of VPRO@Strijp-S.

30-10-14 14:55

DIPLOMATIC

20 | NOVEMBER 2014

KENYA, A COUNTRY OF STRIKING CONTRASTS AND SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES

On the occasion of 50 years of relationship between Kenya and the Netherlands, Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Mrs. Rose Makena Muchiri.

The Netherlands supports various Kenyan programmes on water management and enhanced environmental management. The Dutch government also funds Dutch organizations that work with local partners in Kenya on projects to reduce poverty and to protect the environment.

Some projects that have been funded by the Dutch Government include the Kenya Wildlife Society, areas of parks and wetlands; the cleaning of Lake Naivasha, Water and Sanitation Project in Kisumu Municipality; Ministry of Agriculture Research at KARI, Ministry of Finance with Micro Credit Finance to small farmers; Ministry of Health: the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

1. You have been the Ambassador in the Netherlands since 2013, what is your experience living in the Netherlands?

Since I arrived in the Netherlands, I have been glad to enjoy the Dutch hospitality. In the course of my work, I have been able to visit various parts of the country and it is always nice to see the contrasts of the big cities with the countryside. Working in The Hague has also presented the opportunity to work in a very international environment with the presence of the international organizations and the various nationalities who work here.

2. The major market for Kenyan flowers is the Netherlands. When did Kenya start with the flowers business and how did this become so successful?

Kenya is the lead exporter of rose cut flowers to the European Union (EU), with a market share of about 38%. Approximately 65% of exported flowers are sold through the Dutch auctions, although direct sales are growing. The main flower production areas are around Lake Naivasha, Mt. Kenya, Nairobi, Thika, Kiambu, Athi River, Kitale, Nakuru, Kericho, Nyada-

rua, Trans Nzoia, Usin Gichu and Eastern Kenya. The main cut flowers grown in Kenya are roses, carnations, alstromeria, Gypsophilla, Lilies Eryngiums, Arabicum, Hypericum, Statice, a range of summer flowers amongst many others.

The industry continues to attract investors due to a solid infrastructure, favorable climate, and global positioning of Kenya, in addition to a productive workforce. It comprises large, medium, and small scale producers who have attained high management standards and have invested heavily on technical skills, production, logistics, and marketing. The growers have vast knowledge complemented by modern technology for precision farming and process in marketing. The farmers utilize high levels of technology; for example, computerized drip irrigation and fertilization systems, computerized greenhouses ventilation systems, net shading, pre-cooling and cold storage facilities, grading and bouqueting, fertilizer recycling systems to prevent wastage, wetlands for waste water treatment, artificial lighting to increase day length, grading/packaging sheds, and refrigerated trucks have been adopted.

5. Most Kenyans are bilingual in English and Swahili. What is the origin of the Swahili language?

Swahili is the most widely spoken language in sub-Saharan Africa.

Swahili is the lingua franca of East Africa, but it’s not a first language for many people. Swahili and English are the official languages in Kenya. Swahili may date back several thousand years, but it developed into the language we have today with the arrival of Arab and Persian traders on the East African coast. Swahili is a word the Arabs used to describe “the coast” and only later did it come to apply to the distinctive East African coastal culture. In Swahili, the correct word to describe the language is Kiswahili, and the people who speak Kiswahili as their mother tongue may call themselves Waswahilis. While Swahili can be considered a mixture of Bantu and Arabic, you’ll notice there are words derived from English, German and Portuguese as well.

3. Which are the other trade products between the two countries?

The Netherlands is one of the top export markets for Kenya. The major exports from Kenya to Netherlands include tea, coffee, cut flowers, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. Imports from the Netherlands include petroleum oils, medicaments, food processing machines, transport equipment, and heating and cooling equipment.

In addition, we have seen an increase in the number of Dutch investors going to Kenya. We would like to invite more investors to invest in the several development projects underway in Kenya. Kenya’s investment climate is conducive and investors will enjoy the strategic location of the country, its highly developed social and physical infrastructure, access to a large pool of highly educated and skilled work force, a fully liberalized econo- 6. Does Kenya have different ethnic my, as well as a well-established and groups or tribes? vocal private sector.

Kenya has a varied mix of people and culture. The different ethnic groups 4. Over the years, many projects or tribes in Kenya may be grouped have been undertaken with the into three linguistic classes: Bantus, Dutch. Can you please mention Cushites, and Nilotes/Paranilotes. some of these projects?

Bantus comprise 65% of the populaThe Netherlands remains an impor- tion; Cushites are 3-4%, and Nilotes/ tant development partner for Kenya. Paranilotes are around 30-31%.Each

www.kenyaembassy.nl

of these classes may be subdivided according to dialect groups. The different ethnic groups also have their own culture, clothing, dance, music, food, customs, and traditions. Their unique cultures have given Kenya its cultural diversity and rich heritage.

7. Is Kenya still popular for its beach resorts?

The Indian Ocean Coastline of Kenya has some beautiful beaches and quality hotels. They are the perfect spots to relax after a Safari (wildlife watching) in the several National Parks we have. Tourists are spoiled for choice with several beaches at the South Coast, Mombasa, North Coast, and the Lamu Archipelago. The snorkeling and diving around the offshore coral formations at some of the beaches are said to be the best in East Africa.

Other activities that can be enjoyed include scuba diving, kite-surfing, and deep sea fishing.

8. Kenya is well-known for its beautiful safari destinations, but also has 6 unique world heritages identified by the UNESCO. Which are they?

Kenya has 6 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. For the cultural, they are Fort Jesus in Mombasa (2011), Lamu Old Town (2001) and The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests (2008). The Natural are Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (2011), Lake Turkana National Parks (1997) and Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest (1997) 9. Are there many Dutch tourists visiting your country?

Kenya is pleased to welcome Dutch tourists every year. We have an estimate of 30,000 Dutch tourists visiting Kenya every year. There are several tour operators who assist to plan different kinds of tours such as adventure, outdoor, safari, beach, sports, and eco-tourism just to name a few.

We, however, would still like to see an increase of the number of Dutch tourists to Kenya.

www.investmentkenya.com

www.vision2030.go.ke

tht_november_2014_RV.indd 20

31-10-14 11:51

REVIEWS

NOVEMBER 2014 | 21

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Cast off on ‘Catch by Simonis’ One glimpse of this sparkling new restaurant and the vision of a ship may quickly come to mind. The interior is highlighted by ultra-high gloss wood normally found on the best of luxury liners.

Once inside, eyes are drawn outside to gorgeous harbor views, especially at night!

Most importantly, it’s the food that sends one onto a sea voyage. With 11 main courses under 24.95 euro, it’s a very affordable journey. Manager Peter de Ruiter, a seafood veteran now at his dream job for two years, explained how the Simonis family uses their supply chain advantage to provide the highest quality seafood at a price others can only dream of.

We began our voyage with a visually stunning array of sushi, including crispy nigiri, but the star was a pan-fried oyster with spinach and a hollandaise sauce!

The first starter, called Japanese catch, consisted of salmon, tuna, and shrimp, and was cleverly served on a block of ice.

My garlic shrimp delighted with its subtle sauce.

One main course was a generous portion of a crispy crust turbot with wok-fried asparagus, sea aster and an herbal beurre blanc sauce – delicious, but it needed a bit more seasoning.

The restaurant’s most popular dish, a grilled filet of brill, was an excellent choice. Served with wild mushrooms, its creamy truffle sauce was nothing short of amazing!

For dessert, their homemade cheesecake, served with an excellent blackberry sorbet, is irresistible. The strawberries Romanov, a creamy concoction with a touch of vodka, is quite popular.

There are over 200 interior and about 100 exterior seats, plus an enclosed smoking/dining area for about 35 persons. Additionally, there is a private dining area at the very top, available for meetings and receptions. An elevator reaches all areas.

Restaurant Catch by Simonis Dr. Lelykade 43, 2583 CL Scheveningen 070-338760 info@catchbysimonis.nl www.catchbysimonis.nl One can follow on Facebook and Twitter.

FOOD

film REVIEW

Borscht and the Universe: Acquired

De Infiltrant (Intruder)

Photo: Il Pacifico

schmaltz (if you gotta ask, you’ll never know), or, if you really want to go to town, goose fat (you can buy it in jars from the fancier stores). When the onions start to soften, add a kilo of fresh chicken livers (the famed Second Avenue Deli in New York City uses half chicken livers, half beef liver, and half calf’s liver, but clearly, things are different on Second Avenue).

When the livers are just pink inside, put everything in a wooden bowl with the hard-boiled eggs and salt and pepper and chop until coarse--Il Pacifico’s new BFF Shlomo is absolutely correct to object to the use of a food processor, which will turn things into a French-style pate, though a dish that comes the Alsace, via medieval Spain, ancient Rome, and Biblical Egypt has to be flexible. So it’s not inappropriate to add sherry vinegar or port, nor are marjoram, thyme, allspice, clove, or tarragon out of place--in Berlin, they add onions and chopped red onion, while in Rome a dash of sweet wine turns it into crostini di fegatini. Serve on challah or crackers or a bagel, with radishes and pickles.

Il Pacifico drinks no distilled or fermented beverages, but some whiskey on the side will helps the rest of humanity consider whether chopped liver may be more than a delicacy, but some Cartesian test of existential value--what am I, you must ask yourself, chopped liver?

Photo: Cineville

Lately, Mom and Pops have taken to asking me what I want from the house when they’re gone.

It’s a deeply disturbing question, perhaps more disturbing to hear than to ask. Anyway, besides my great-grandfather’s Yiddish bible, I can’t really think of anything I want, because I already have my yerusheh: My great-grandmother’s wooden bowl and chopper for making chopped liver. If nostalgia is the ultimate acquired taste, liver runs a close second, but that is as much due to its consistency as to its taste. Nonetheless, it’s something the boys are only now learning to like, like coffee, bitter chocolate, olives, gorgonzola, marmite, and of course Dutch licorice.

When it comes to liver, we lure them in with the onions and chicken fat, and eventually, like St. Augustine says, habit becomes pleasure, and pleasure becomes necessity.

Boil six eggs and let cool. Start browning two large onions in four tablespoons of olive or, if possible, (Il Pacifico)

Intruder is a movie about a Dutch-Moroccan police officer, Sam (Nasrdin Dchar), who gets involved in an undercover operation to unveil a Moroccan crime family.

After a violent fit of anger while on duty, Sam is suspended from the force, ruining his chances at a proper career. But then, a secret police unit approaches him with a chance at redemption: join the undercover operation as their front man, and be reinstated with honor to the force.

The choice, at first, appears to be a simple one, between good and bad, Dutch and Moroccan. Sam is obviously both good and Dutch. But the secret mission will change that; like Johnny Depp’s character in Donnie Brasco, Sam – soon known as Saïd – will be caught in a whirlwind of cultures and identities. Unlike Depp’s character, Dchar’s is already halfway there from the get-go, given his Moroccan blood.

Indeed, this movie is about dual identity, and the

music

book REVIEW

Leonard Cohen: Popular Problems

Hanif Kureishi

cathartic experience for both singer and listener.

Some of the principal themes Cohen has dealt with over the years such as love, religion, and politics are all present and treated with sincerity, humor, as well as profound feeling. In some of the album’s best moments, as in the last verse of Almost Like the Blues, self-reflection, existential agony and sarcasm intermingle: “There is no God in heaven / And there is no Hell below / So says the great professor of all there is to know / But I’ve had the invitation that a sinner can’t refuse / And it’s almost like salvation; it’s almost like the blues.”

Most of the songs feature discreet - at times almost imperceptible - orchestrations, while Cohen’s distinctive singing is surrounded by angelic-sounding choruses and female background vocals that strike a sharp contrast to his deep, hoarse voice. Besides, and not surprisingly, the album’s lyrics are of high literary quality. In fact, the words to some of the songs (e.g. A Street and Nevermind) were previously published as poems before finding their way into the album.

With Popular Problems, Leonard Cohen offers us one more token of his seemingly exhaustless creative urge and spiritual yearning. And judging from You Got Me Singing, the album’s closing track, it appears the Canadian troubadour’s quest isn’t drawing to a close quite yet: “You got me singing / Though the world is gone / You got me thinking / I’d like to carry on.”

Just two years after the release of Leonard Cohen’s highly acclaimed Old Ideas, a new album by legendary Canadian songwriter and poet (who recently celebrated his 80th birthday) is out. Popular Problems is Cohen’s thirteenth studio album and though the total length is just under 36 minutes, the album’s nine tracks more than make up for its short duration. Multiple listening sessions are required to fully grasp all the nuances, shades and subtleties of its music and words.

Cohen has always liked to take his time, as the album’s opening track (Slow) reminds us, setting the tone for what is about to follow. For track after track, Cohen’s mature, relaxed and confident voice takes us through a musical journey of introspection and confession in what ultimately becomes a (MIMIS CHRYSOMALLIS)

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struggle that comes from being born into a mixed culture. And although the film is marketed as a crime thriller, it feels like it has something bigger to say, even bigger than ‘crime doesn’t pay.’ Above all, it’s about cultural heritage, about a man discovering where his heart lies. Where the heart lies is where home is.

Throughout the operation, Sam gets more and more closely involved with the crime family, and is getting to know that part of his life which he has never allowed. A sensuous slow motion sequence of a Moroccan wedding best illustrates the magic of ‘the other,’ and how our main character is slowly seduced by it. Halfway into the story, Sam gets eerily close with his criminal liaisons, the underboss and the boss’ son, forming a bond. From classic gangster cool, to taking pisses out in the open together, beautifully mirrored with a shot of three ducks wobbling through the Belgian landscape.

We do cut back to the thrill and crime as a major plotline now and then. With drive-by shootings, drug house busts, unforgiving beatings to the face, and international criminal gatherings on building rooftops. The character driven scenes then serve as a dramatic turn to amplify those thrill sequences.

It needs this balance, because the calm and introspective character of most other sequences tend to slow the movie down when regarded as a crime thriller. Intruder is a must-see for everyone, good or bad – Dutch or foreign.

(Ike Krijnen)

The Last Word

Multiculturalism seems the dominant strain in British letters these days, but it hasn’t been that way for long--it dates from a single kiss between a white skinhead and a Pakistani teenager looking to escape the oppressive wingspan of his extended family in Hanif Kueishi’s extraordinary film My Beautiful Laundrette (1985). Kureishi’s semi-autobiographical explorations of the confused intimacies of the children of immigrant or minority parents have understandably made him the Philip Roth of PostColonial Britain.

Born in 1954 to a Pakistani immigrant and his English wife and raised middle-class in the rough and tumble South London neighborhood of Bromley, Kureishi felt the keen, essentialist edge of the racist and anti-immigrant politics of the 1970s. He was a literary prodigy in the theater and on the screen, following up My Beautiful Laundrette with another film script, more plays and screenplays, short stories, essays, and half a dozen novels. The first of these, The Buddha of Suburbia (1990), helped set the tone for a new Commonwealth consciousness. Today, Kureishi is a British institution,

with his archives going to the British Library and a Commander of the British Empire ribbon to pin on his tweed blazer.

In The Last Word, his seventh novel, Kureishi visits a setting much beloved of writers since antiquity.

From Homer to Henry James to Philip Roth and David Mitchell, the theme of the apprentice’s visit to the master has been the platform for a most over-determined exploration of the anxiety of influence. The master’s retinue almost inevitably includes an attractive young woman who seems to have been meant for the young writer, but the added frisson here is a clash of cultures when a young, blond novelist named Harry Johnson is hired by his bonkers agent to write a best-selling biography of Mamoon Azam, a notorious and celebrated Indian writer, long a fixture of Britain’s literary establishment but of late unproductive and out of touch and hemorrhaging money, who has been convinced that he needs to make a comeback. What they discover about each other and the future that they make out of their pasts makes for a wonderful novel, one whose characters ability to behave atrociously and pretend that it’s normal seduces the reader into a delicious form of serious literary play. This finely-tuned meditation on the process of turning lives into words, and confronting the complex passions, literary and otherwise, that the process entails, is a keeper.

(Jonathan Gill)

30-10-14 14:57

Lufthansa flights from Rotterdam to Munich

The route that was inaugurated on 1 October between Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Munich, has proved to be convenient and efficient for both business and leisure travelers.

Moreover, Munich is often used as a transit airport with vast number of exclusive Lufthansa amenities.

Altogether, 4,500 square meters of luxurious lounges invite customers to work or relax.

On 1 October Lufthansa started operating double daily flights from Rotterdam The Hague Airport to the Bavarian capital Munich. The flights are being operated by a modern Bombardier Canadair Jet CRJ 900 with up to 90 seats in Business and Economy class.

The airport has been continuously awarded Best European Airport by the prestigious Skytrax Awards.

The state-of-the-art Terminal 2 offers a minimum connecting time of 35 minutes. Due to harmonized flight times of the new Rotterdam The Hague services, passengers will be able to connect to over 70 daily flights to worldwide destinations or make use of a full day for business or leisure in the Munich area.

For business and leisure travelers from the Rotterdam The Hague area, Munich is a much asked for destination.

Seamless flight options include destinations such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Mumbai in Asia as well as Jeddah, New York and Sao Paolo besides various airports in Europe like Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Zurich, Vienna and Berlin.

Return flights from Rotterdam to Munich can now be booked from 99 euro on www.lufthansa.com. The fare includes all taxes and fees. Information and bookings are furthermore available via Lufthansa call centre on 0900 – 1234 777 (0.15 per minute), Lufthansa travel agent partners and Lufthansa sales counters at the airports.

HM

INT ER NAT IONA L M AT C H M A K ER S

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29-10-14 22:18

SPORTS

OCTOBER 2014 | 23

Past, Present And Future Mix At Amsterdam

Keely goes to Hungary

AMSTERDAM | Basketball player Reggie Keely (206 cm, Ohio’13) has penned a deal with Sopron KC in the Hungarian A Division for the 2014/2015 season, Court Side reports. The American joined BC Apollo Amsterdam (The NetherlandsEredivisie) earlier in the season, but didn’t stay long. Before inking with Amsterdam, the power forward was on the books at Oulun NMKY (Finland, First Division), but left that club too; perhaps now he will settle in Hungary. While wearing the colors of Apollo Amsterdam, he played two Eredivisie games and impressed with numbers of 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Guus Hiddink stays on

THE HAGUE | Guus Hiddink is to remain as coach of the Netherlands after talks with the KNVB on Tuesday. The former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss took up the post for a second time in the summer, succeeding Louis van Gaal, who stood down after guiding the Dutch to a thirdplaced finish at the World Cup in Brazil.

Results have not been as expected, with Oranje suffering defeats in two of their opening three Euro 2016 qualifiers, to the Czech Republic and Iceland. The defeat in Reykjavik on October 13 prompted a wave of media criticism, with several newspapers demanding the dismissal of 67-year-old Hiddink and the appointment of Ajax boss Frank de Boer.

Stam injured in six-day

Photo: dancingonthepedals.net

The Netherlands is famous for a few things, and cycling is one of them.

Jason Lardy explains the appeal of the Six-Day. The famous names of Dutch cycling’s past murmured throughout Velodrome Amsterdam on night four of the Amsterdam Six-Day. Names like Stam and Zijlaard - legends on the track. Over the speakers, the names of current Dutch champions echoed around the oval. Terpstra, Ligthart and Stöpler battled to add their names to the roster of Dutch heroes.

Juniors competed for recognition and valuable experience in the pre-event program.

Many consider the Six-Day the soul of track cycling. The Olympics and World Championships bring out the sport’s talent and thrive on the science and money of national federations. But the winter Six-Day season pulls at the heart strings, showing the true personalities of the riders as they battle, exhausted, through six days of intense action.

Fans crowd the stands at a “Six”, putting the riders practically in their laps. The joy and agony of the competitors show plainly on the racers’ faces. With the riders’ homes - the “cabins” - in the infield, fans can meet their heroes and get a glimpse inside the world of cycling. This level of access is unique in cycling and makes the riders real-life role models. Kids stand patiently waiting for autographs and dream of their own futures on the bike.

The Amsterdam Six-Day is a fam-

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ily affair. Legendary motor pacer Joop Zijlaard sits in the stands watching his grandson, Michael, race in the youth races.

He stays to watch his son, Ron, pace the pros in the derny and keirin races. Rene Kos, another experienced pacemaker, “whips” the infield, ensuring that the riders make it to the starting line, arrive on time for interviews, and keeps the expensive bikes safe and secure. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches his sons, Christian and Patrick, ride for Team Tacx in the pro races.

The Six-Day family came together in concern and support for the Stam family Tuesday evening. A horrible accident in the derny race sent veteran pacer, Cees Stam and his rider, Yoeri Havik, to the boards. Stam would eventually be taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Stam is the father of Dutch legend Danny Stam and the grandfather of Havik. Havik’s teammate, Niki Terpstra, trains with him regularly at Velodrome Amsterdam. The Kos brothers are old family friends. The entire infield feels the concerns the Stam family feels.

The Amsterdam Six-Day provides an important vehicle for young Dutch racers to develop into the next generation of world-class stars. For the first three nights of the 2014 event,

the evening began with a 40-minute youth racing program. Teams of juniors under 14 years of age battled for the flowers and applause of their family and friends.

Equally importantly, they fought to learn the sport. The experience these riders gained through their “mini-Six” gives them a leg up over other riders in their age groups. It also gives them a chance to learn from their heroes.

The pros often visit the cabins during the youth race, offering encouragement and advice. It is a priceless education.

The Junior riders, ages 15-18, began their mini-Six on Thursday.

These racers ride for a chance to be seen by the elder statesmen of the Six-Day scene. The Amsterdam SixDay has a long history of grooming future stars. Dennis Rugovać, of the Czech Republic, provides a perfect example. Last year, Rugovać won the Junior race at Velodrome Amsterdam.

This year, the Czech has ridden with teammate Sebastian Wotschke of Germany to 5th place on the leader board. The top 4 spots are held by the top pros. The young pair leads the rest of the field that includes several more-experienced track racers.

Rugovać noted, “I am grateful to the Amsterdam Six-Day. The event has given me a perfect chance to learn and make a name for myself.”

The Amsterdam Six-Day is the

grandfather of the Dutch Sixes.

Founded over 80 years ago, the beloved event is being run for the 22nd time in 2014. The early years of the Amsterdam race were spotty. A year on, a few years off, a few years off and a long break. But in 2001, the race returned for its longest run. The 2014 event marks the 14th edition of the “modern era”.

The event continues to lead the winter circuit with innovative ideas.

This year’s event sees new events the Keirin, for example, run by the six-day pros. Traditionally, the Keirin, is the domain of pure sprinters.

In the hands of the six-day riders, it becomes a showcase for the speedier teams to show their stuff.

Underdogs can show their skill in a way they can’t in the longer races.

Live TV and web-broadcast in put the Amsterdam Six-Day into the homes of both cycling fans and potential fans around the World. This year’s event is the first to be broadcast live all week long.

The Amsterdam Six-Day showcases the past, present and future of Dutch cycling. With three generations of cyclists involved, the event guides Dutch cycling into the future. The organization’s innovations make the sport accessible and enjoyable for a wide audience, helping ensure the legacy of Dutch track racing for years to come.

AMSTERDAM | Six-day derny pacer and former cyclist Cees Stam remains in critical condition after a crash in the Six-Day of Amsterdam. Stam fell while pacing his grandson Yoeri Havik in the derny race in the second night and took down others in the accident. The 68-year-old Dutchman spent the night at the University Hospital in Amsterdam. “Stam has displayed some positive signs overnight, but his condition overall remains critical,” read a race statement today. “The organization remains in close contact with the family.” The organizer cut racing short last night after the accident. It wrote, “A number of other pacers and riders were involved in the incident. All are well, although some have minor injuries.”

Tour route unveiled

PARIS | Next year’s Tour de France will

commence from Utrecht, making it the 21st overseas start in Tour history. This was recently announced by Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme who unveiled next year’s route in Paris. Among the highlights of next year’s Tour, which will run from July 4 to July 26, are the inclusion of cobblestone route for the second successive year and, for the first time in its history, the inclusion of Alpe d’Huez, which will be climbed on the penultimate stage before the final procession in Paris.

Dutch skaters and cyclists unite UTRECHT | New team LottoNL-Jumbo

introduced itself to the public at the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands, today. The cyclists and ice skaters said that they are thrilled about the unique collaboration in Dutch sport. Robert Gesink: “As a team, we really are a good combination.

With two typical Dutch sports, the sponsors will generate a lot of attention and the cyclists and ice-skaters can learn from each other. What I can learn from Sven Kramer? The ice-skaters know everything about specific strength exercises in the run-up to an event, but we are well advanced in nutrition and training.”

30-10-14 15:03

HOW TO BUY A HOUSE IN THE NETHERLANDS? ASK SUSAN. Welcome to ABN AMRO. Expert in expats.

Buying a house may be a smart move for expats. At our International Client Desks we are more than happy to give you personal and tailor-made advice. In English, or in 25 other languages.

Watch Susan’s personal video answer on abnamro.nl/expats. Or schedule a free orientation meeting with one of our consultants. So you can feel at home in the Netherlands! Feel free to contact us anytime, we are here for you 24/7.

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28-07-14 16:44