The Holland Times November 2020 by The Holland Times

E!! FRE per spa new ats and xp ic for e plomat i d y the unit m m co

WWW.CAESAR-DENHAAG.NL

CONTROLLED CIRCULATION | POSTBUS 2203 | 1500 GE ZAANDAM

NOVEMBER 2020

Education for everyone

Percentage of female top executives has increased

Being Human in Fotomuseum The Hague

Why rent when you can buy?

welocate your move, our commitment

What we offer We provide everything you need to buy your dream home in the Netherlands, a complete package which includes a real-estate agent, notary, appraisal and construction report, all at an exceptional fixed price.

Why Welocate?

Request your free advice now

THT 8 _CS.indd 1

A complete home-buying package

Local & specialised agents

Single point of contact

Full coverage in the Netherlands

Fixed prices

No upfront fees

info@welocate.com

welocate.com/ht

+31(0)20 7608282

14-10-20 21:39

wom e nswear coll ections by Br un ell o Cucin elli

Pauw Dr i es van Note n

Sofi e Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hoore

Gol de n Goose

Odeeh

Mar ni

Wan dl e r

Vin ce.

an d m any m ore

a m s t e r da m

t h e h ag u e

Beeth ove nstra at 68 - 82

van Bae rl estra at 48 - 72

Gel de rl an dpl e in 8

Noorde in de 17 - 42

Fin d out m ore about th e coll ecti on an d our sh ops at www.pauw.com

THT 8 _CS.indd 2

thehollandtimes-paper.indd 1

14-10-20 10:54

05-10-2020 14:27

Contents Where can I find the Holland Times? The Holland Times is widely distributed for free, in the regions of Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Hoofddorp, Schiphol, Leiden, Delft, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Wassenaar and Enschede. You can find The Holland Times at embassies and consulates, international organizations, internationally oriented companies, hospitals, medical clinics, sports clubs, international schools, housing companies, financial services and banks, expatriate centers, restaurants, libraries, kindergartens, language schools, social clubs, movie houses and expat-oriented stores. Would you like to receive The Holland Times in your organization or become one of our distribution points? Please contact c.spraakman@argomedia.nl

NOVEMBER 2020 | 3

5 Dutch Government urged to take extra measures regarding COVID-19 7 Percentage of female top executives has increased

Companies struggling with drug crimes in the Port of Rotterdam

9 Students are fed up with online higher education

Increasing loneliness among young people

11 Patients spend less time in hospitals during second wave of infections

Cigarette manufacturers in the Netherlands have been fined

13 A good neighbour is better than a distant friend

KLM staff outraged by pilots’ perks

15 Columns 17 Mr.Chad, the digital teaching assistant 19 Interview with an expat 21 Dutch tour guides offer novel socially distanced tours 23 Frans Hals – All his militia pieces 25 Endless passion for art: the Kröller-Müller Museum

Alone with Vermeer | Mauritshuis

27 Henk Helmantel – Master Painter | Drents Museum

William Wegman | Fotomuseum The Hague

29 Tips & reviews 31 For one American football player, time is running out

COLOPHON The Holland Times is an independent, English language newspaper with Dutch news, published by Argo Special Media B.V. Total circulation: 80,000 copies Argo Special Media B.V. Postbus 2203 1500 GE Zaandam Contributors Saskia Roselaar, Marla Thomson, John Mahnen, Raphael Perachi, Phoebe Dodds, Benjamin Roberts, Stephen Swai, Femke van Iperen, James Luxford, Seringe Touray, Cathy Leung, Bárbara Luque Alanís, Juan Alvarez, Louis Gore Langton, Louisa Hamilton & Nanda Jagusiak Monteiro Editor Roselaar Tekstadvies Visit our website for news updates: www.hollandtimes.nl For all editorial information and suggestions, please contact us at: c.spraakman@argomedia.nl Advertising and Inquiries Bert Versteeg 020-506 39 26 06-33 74 34 63 bert@hollandtimes.nl Please send all advertising content to: traffic@argomedia.nl Distribution PostNL

Quality living in Amsterdam

The editors try to ensure the accuracy of all information contained within. However, mistakes and ommissions are possible. No rights may therefore be derived from material published. Would you like to receive The Holland Times in your organization or become one of our distribution points? Please contact c.spraakman@argomedia.nl Controlled circulation: international institutions, the diplomatic corps, and epicentres of the Netherlands’ international and expat community. The opinions of external authors in the Holland Times are published under personal title and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editors of the Holland Times. All photos: Depositphotos Photo cover right: Cursive Display, 2013, Pigment Print©William Wegman. Courtesy of the artist +31 20 305 97 97 www.broersma.nl

BROERSMA_Expats_194x129mm.indd 2 THT 8 _CS.indd 3

18-02-2020 12:15 14-10-20 21:30

Learning today. Changing tomorrow. Amity International School Amsterdam is a new international school in the Amsterdam region. Only 15 minutes away from Schiphol and the city centre of Amsterdam, the school is located in a unique monumental building and is surrounded by green spaces. The ideal place for our students to develop themselves. Amityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students learn within a real-world, inquiry-based curriculum which fosters their individuality, creativity and independance.

Let your child grow with us

admissions@amityamsterdam.nl +31 (0) 20 345 44 81 www.amityschool.nl Amsterdamseweg 204, 1182 HL Amstelveen THT 8 _CS.indd 4

14-10-20 10:54

NOVEMBER 2020 | 5

NATIONAL

Dutch Government urged to take extra measures regarding COVID-19 so that more cases are identified. At the same time, Timen explains, treatment for hospital patients has improved. Still, with all this new knowledge and preparations, the danger of a second wave is deeply worrying. De Jong explained that he gives Amsterdam and Rotterdam a 7 to 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the pandemic’s seriousness. “Something must be done. The question will be whether and to what extent you can continue to limit measures regionally.”

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is accurate at the time of writing (14 October 2020). Given the rapidly deteriorating situation regarding the advance of corona infections since mid-August, the Dutch government urged its citizens to take action to prevent a new full lockdown. Consequently, on 13th October, the cabinet implemented extra measures to reduce the reproduction number (R-rate) as quickly as possible. A list of stricter measures was proposed and the new restrictions have applied since Wednesday 14 October at 22:00 hours. Will this be enough to get the virus under control? The Dutch second wave Today, the Netherlands is among the three countries in the European Union with the highest percentage of coronavirus infections, alongside Spain and France. The number of cases continues to rise in all regions and among all age groups. According to the daily reports by Municipal Public Health Services (GGDs), in the week running 29 September - 6 October, a total of 27,485 people tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers presented by the national health authority RIVM show that the highest number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 are in the age category 18 to 24 years. Based on these figures, GGD director Sjaak de Gouw is certain that the country is in the pandemic’s dreaded second wave. As he says: “Within six weeks we will be in the same situation as in March and April.” The situation is so critical that many hospitals have scaled down their provision of regular healthcare in anticipation of a larger influx of corona patients. Menno de Jong, head of the department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention at Amsterdam UMC, agrees that the pressure on the healthcare sector will indeed increase. De Jong cannot rule out that regular healthcare will be mostly cancelled in the near future. “We are worried. Daily records show a scenario where no turning point is in sight yet.” A sense of false security The fact that young people are the most often infected age group has evoked a false sense of security, thinks Aura Timen, head

THT 8 _CS.indd 5

of the National Coordination Center for Infectious Disease Control at RIVM, and member of the Outbreak Management Team. In general, younger people experience relatively fewer symptoms and are less likely to be hospitalized; thus, it was thought at first that the pressure on the medical system would remain low. However, the real problem is the transmission of the virus from the younger to the older generations. De Jong says: “The younger age group, which has not complied with the measures in recent months, must again comply with the basic rules. This can prevent a new lockdown. If the infection pressure increases further, it will become impossible for the elderly always to protect themselves against the virus.” Losing control “Since mid-August, we have been in a worrying upward trend. The number of infections is multiplying rapidly,” said Timen. “We have some control, but not the desired degree of control. Drivethrough test locations (teststraten) are currently under enormous pressure, while thousands of Dutch people per day cannot get a test,” Sjaak de Gouw continues. Another issue that De Gouw highlights is that the number of infections is still not exactly known because of insufficient testing. “Polls show that only 30 to 40 percent of people showing symptoms can be tested. More than half of the pyramid is, therefore, not visible.” Furthermore, it’s challenging to contain the current outbreak due to people’s constant mobility across the country. As De Jong states: “The Netherlands is a small country with a lot of mobility, so it’s only expected that the virus will spread further. Isolating single cities does not seem feasible to me at the moment, so we may not be able to avoid a new national lockdown.”

New measures During a press conference on Tuesday 13 October, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge announced a partial lockdown, which means new measures that decrease social traffic without affecting crucial sectors too much. For the time being, the following measures apply: Education - Nothing changes, because education is too important. Travel and working - Only essential travel is allowed. People in so-called vital professions are allowed to continue traveling, including pupils and students who study or go to school. - Working from home is the norm, if possible. Employers are urged to enforce this more strictly; they will be held accountable for violations, and, in the worst case, a location can be closed for two weeks. Horeca - Cafes, restaurants and bars will remain closed, including their terraces and coffee shops. Still, they can offer deliveries and pick-up. - Coffee shop pick-ups must close at 20:00. - Hotels can stay open and serve food to their hotel guests. Supermarkets - Stores are no longer allowed to sell alcohol after 20:00. Meetings - A maximum of thirty people may gather in indoor locations. No more than forty people are allowed to attend outdoor meetings. However, religious gatherings, protests, and board matters, such as the Tweede Kamer (House of

Representatives) are exempted from this limit. - There can be no more than three guests in a household per day. - Regarding sports, there can be no audience, both for professional events and amateur events. Gyms and individual sports can remain open, but for group sports, no more than four people can meet and with a safe distance between them. - Events are cancelled, including funfairs, festivals and private BBQs. Travel - For those who want to travel abroad, not go to countries classified as code orange or red. - If you go on holiday, stay in your holiday home as much as possible, wear masks, and stay safe. Face masks - In order to have a rule on facemasks, a legal basis is necessary. Once this is arranged, it will become obligatory to wear facemasks in indoor public spaces. - In the meantime the government urgently advises wearing a face mask in public indoor spaces. Shops may require customers to wear a face mask as a condition for shopping. Facing the consequences Rutte is aware that for many companies in the hospitality industry and elsewhere, the new measures mean an economic blow. “We know this has economic consequences, but an uncontrolled flare-up of the virus has even bigger consequences.” These guidelines for a partial lockdown will be in place for four weeks. At the time this measures were unveiled, De Jonge said it could take up to two weeks to determine whether these measures are enough. If they do not work as planned, he doesn’t rule out a full lockdown. Still, the Minister remains positive: “We managed to get the virus under control during the first wave. We can do it again. We know it’s not always easy, but we know we can do it.” Only time will tell if this long-term ‘road map’ from the government will help to create more perspective for the future on the fight against coronavirus in the Netherlands. Written by Bárbara Luque Alanís

Learning from the first wave The three experts agree that the Netherlands has learned from the first wave of the virus. For example, in this next wave, the healthcare sector is less likely to be overwhelmed, and nursing homes are better equipped to operate in the current situation. However, experts are aware that both waves cannot be exactly compared. For instance, De Gouw explained that this time around, far more people, with a wide variety of symptoms, are tested,

14-10-20 17:23

ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO DISCOVER THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL

ALLOW US TO PROVIDE THE PATHWAY

EERDE INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL NETHERLANDS

curriculum:

• Day school, ﬂexible and full boarding options • Internationally accredited Primary and Secondary education • Unique and stimulating learning environment • Highly qualiﬁed educational staff accreditations:

ofﬁcial partner of:

www.eerde.nl • admission@eerdeibs.nl THT 8 _CS.indd 6

14-10-20 10:54

NOVEMBER 2020 | 7

NATIONAL

Percentage of female top executives has increased

The Female Board Index for 2019 has been published and it shows some progress in the Netherlands. The share of female directors and supervisory directors at the top of the Dutch business community has increased, the report shows. The share of women on boards of directors of listed companies went from 9 to over 12 percent, and among supervisory directors the share grew from 27 to 30 percent. ‘The increase is relatively strong,’ says the author of the report, professor of Corporate Governance at Tilburg University Mijntje Lückerath-Rovers. ‘It’s been looking better for the last two years, but in the eleven years before that, the number of women on the boards of directors remained the same or even decreased.’

Quota working It is probably no accident that the numbers are looking less embarrassing now — affirmative action has been put in place to address the issue. Some four years ago, the dip in the Female Board Index caused upset in the Netherlands, says Floor Rink, professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of Groningen. ‘From an international point of view, we were clearly behind,’ she says. Following discussions, a quota was set for female top executives. In December 2019, Parliament approved the rule that at least 30 percent of supervisory boards must consist of women. Having a quota ‘immediately gives you more diversity, which can be the push a company needs,’ says Rink. ‘Gradually, companies are starting to find it more common and a culture shift is underway. That is what is going on now and what you want a quota to do.’

Further statistics Still, there is a lot of work to do, as the following statistics show. - So far in 2020, one in four newly appointed directors was female, as was the case in 2019. - Three quarters of new board positions went to men. - 54 of 94 listed companies meet the quota. - Seventy listed companies have no woman on the board of directors. In the past year, a male director was hired at seventeen of these companies.

Naming and shaming According to Lückerath, it is now increasingly an exception if a company does not have a woman at board level. ‘It is gradually becoming something to be ashamed of,’ she says. Lückerath also cites the positive effects of peer pressure, namely the Instagram account @Directiekamers, run by media critic Madeleijn van den Nieuwenhuizen. The social media account has over 17,000 followers; through it, Van den Nieuwenhuizen shares the make-up of large companies’ boards with a couple of simple slides. ‘I think it has the effect of making the company structure visible, so that applicants and consumers can assess companies,’ says Lückerath. ‘Especially for the new generation, if you don’t show that you are diverse and inclusive, they don’t want to work for you.’

Top female executives So what do female board members themselves have to say about this upward trend? At asr, an insurance company based in Utrecht, in shared first place on the Female Board Index, Ingrid de Swart, member of the board of directors since December 2019, says: ‘Do not underestimate the importance of good role models. I was named Top Woman of the Year in 2017. At the time I was still working for another employer and after the announcement we saw 25 percent more female applicants. A woman at the top attracts more women. While my mother had to stop working when she became pregnant, my own daughter sees a mother who holds a board position. She sees and feels no limitation in ambition.’ And Désirée Theyse, CFO at DPA Professionals (60th place on the Female Board Index), simply says: ‘I was not hired because I was a woman. They focused on my abilities and skills. And that’s the way it should be.’ Written by Cathy Leung

Companies struggling with drug crimes in the Port of Rotterdam

The drug mafia has penetrated the Rotterdam port. Criminals hide drugs in shipping containers, then break in to retrieve the drugs once the container has arrived in Rotterdam. Transhipment companies are reeling from the aftermath of the damage. These problems were first reported in a newsletter by the management of the Hutchison Ports ECT to its the staff. Other transhipment companies are in fact dealing with the same problem. How big is the problem? There are hundreds of trucks per hour picking up and setting down containers on the 65-hectare site. In total, 2,500 people are employed in the largest terminal in the Port of Rotterdam. This poses a challenge when it comes to checking all the containers. Incidents are piling up: twelve intruders in a week is nothing new. Containers are often found open, with leftovers from criminals who camped inside long enough to move drugs from one container to another. Companies paying high costs Companies do not usually share information on security costs. Customarily, companies faced with such a dilemma have been known to move only when the safety of their personnel was at stake, especially if the cause of insecurity was a social problem. Therefore, “we just don’t know how big the problem is,” says Bas Janssen, director of port entrepreneur organization Deltalinqs.

Agro Merchants, a company specialized in the transport of fruit, has become a sought-after hub for criminals to get cocaine ashore. “It got completely out of hand. We gradually had to do more work on repairing the damage than on our normal work,” declared the director of Agro Merchants, Piet Hein Horstmeier. Increased surveillance and damage repairs cost the company € 350.000, a lot of

THT 8 _CS.indd 7

money for a fairly small business.

Work disruption and insufficient protection Employees are not happy with what is going on. Work normally has to stop for hours to give the police time to investigate. These delays lead to containers being processed late. If these delays happen too often, shipping companies will choose a different terminal, because their cargo is not shipped on time. And when the investigation does not lead to a police arrests, the environment is still unsafe for employees. Trust between employees has eroded, because intruders cannot operate without receiving information from inside the port organization. Employees are eyeing each other as possible suspects for criminal activity. Most of them believe that criminals will do everything possible to avoid getting caught.

Koninklijke Roeiers Vereniging Eendracht (KRVE), the oldest company in the port, known as ‘the rowers’, is the eyes and ears of the harbour, providing intel on what is happening on the waters. However, its employees are scared to report suspicious activities to the authorities. Attorneys for the suspects sometimes demand the identities of the witnesses be revealed, with the especial aim of creating fear, driving witnesses to retract their statements. “If you, as a simple dockworker with a family and a mortgage, know that you will be known by name to these criminals, you will think twice before you report,” said Erik de Neef, CEO of KRVE. A van waiting near the schoolyard of a witness’s children for days was a very effective method to scare off witnesses. “Intimidation works. For that reason, about 99% of observations are not reported,” he added. How to move forward? Companies are working more closely with government agencies to solve the problem. Project Integere Haven (Honest Port) has increased the awareness regarding port security. “You can now see this movement everywhere, including at large terminals and therefore also container transhipment companies. Companies that do not want to participate are starting to lag behind,” added Janssen. Recently, 250 extra surveillance cameras have been installed throughout the port. The business community is moving as well, with the first fully automatic terminals already put into use. Apart from technology and the legal extension of powers, the Customs Office is calling on companies active in the port to put into place stronger internal control mechanisms. Written by Stephen Swai

14-10-20 17:04

EXPAT MORTGAGES & INSURANCES [Citeer hier uw bron.]

FOR OVER 30 YEARS WE ARE HELPING EXPATS IN THE NETHERLANDS TO FIND THE BEST MORTGAGE SOLUTION BY PROVIDING A FULL SERVICE MORTGAGE ADVICE AND MEDIATION WE ARE INDEPENDENT, TRANSPARANT, TALK CLEAR AND CUSTOMIZED BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HOME IN THE NETHERLANDS TRY OUR FREE CONSULTATION AND WE INFORM YOU WHAT YOUR POSSIBILITIES ARE. WEBSITE EMAIL PHONE WHATSAPP

WWW.VFG-GROEP.NL INFO@VFG-GROEP.NL ++31 (0) 20 305 1 305 ++31 (0) 21 960 841

AMSTELVEENSEWEG 150-H 1075 XM AMSTERDAM

AFM register 12039805

Chamber of Commerce 51488604

ARCHITECTURE

FURNITURE

Karen Gordon helps international job applicants navigate the job market in the Netherlands and provides HR and recruitment expertise.

UPHOLSTERY

Frederikstraat 565 2514 LR Den Haag

THT 8 _CS.indd 8

• Highlighting your experience and strengths to make your CV, cover letter and/or job application stand out from the rest • Refining your interviewing & communication skills with an experienced native English speaker to gain an edge in a very competitive market

www.kgtconsulting.nl

mas interieur the ultimate way of modern living T 070 345 09 03 winkel@masinterieur.nl www.masinterieur.nl

• Identifying where to look for your ideal job and local networks to tap into

Contact karen@kgtconsulting.nl to schedule a free intake call to discuss your needs.

DECORATION

visit us at:

Karen’s result-driven process includes:

accredited by the Dutch Central Interior Design Industry Association

For all your legal issues at work and assistance with your application at the IND for residency and working permits. Van den Heuvel has worked for years for the IND and therefore has personal immigration procedure knowledge.

Contact E info@vandenheuveljuristen.nl T +31 (0)70 2210 420 www.vandenheuveljuristen.nl

14-10-20 17:05

NOVEMBER 2020 | 9

NATIONAL

Students are fed up with online higher education Higher education students around the country are fed up with the lack of in-classroom education they are being able to take due to corona virus restrictions. A national protest took place on 2 October in Amsterdam. At the beginning of the academic year, students around the country are at risk of ending up in isolation, and many are starting to lose motivation. Student unions are warning that the overall quality of education has also declining, and there are concerns about the mental health of students who study at home. In addition, they say there has been a lack of response from the cabinet and educational institutions. The demonstration on the Amsterdam Museumplein consisted of about 100 students, although many carried placards saying their presence was representative of larger groups. The protest was organised by the action group #ikwilnaarschool (I want to go to school), the National Student Union (LSVb) and the Amsterdam student unions ASVA and SRVU. It provided a voice against the high percentage of online lectures and the decline in quality of education due to corona restrictions.

great work, students are missing a structure behind their overall course programs.

Concerns Although frustration was expressed by students around the country, first-year students in particular have shown concerns about a lack of traditional classroom lectures. Many of them are wondering whether the tuition fee they have paid is worth it. According to Lyle Muns, chair of the LSVb, there have also been a lot of complaints from parents. Furthermore, these are fears about of inequality of opportunities, as Muns explains: “Not every student has their own room, or a good laptop and wi-fi connection.” Students are particularly missing eye-to-eye contact with a teacher, which is key when assignments are set and discussed. And although individual teachers are doing

The bigger picture Students are also concerned with what they consider a lack of a long-term strategy. Instead of the current focus on the short term, they argue, a scenario in which the virus will play a large role for years to come should be taken into account when planning lectures and rosters. They argue universities should be looking for a variety of ways to include traditional classroom education amidst the new regulations. According to some Dutch media, universities are working hard in the background on different types of future scenarios, but this is not visible to the students.

City theatres and football stadiums To help things move forward and allow students to come together at a safe distance, unions are pressing for more educational institutions to rent space in suitable locations, like the University of Twente has done with the Grolsch Veste football stadium. “Before the summer, we spoke with Minister of Education Van Engelshoven and Prime Minister Rutte about the option of renting external locations such as theatres and community centres to make physical lectures possible. There was a positive response. But now we don’t see enough of that happening,” said Muns. However, the Association of Universities (VSNU) assured De Volkskrant newspaper that universities are doing everything they can to make actual classroom education a possibility. “Believe me, they are working very hard,” said VSNU spokesperson Bart Pierik, adding: “But the situation is incredibly complex, especially for the roster schedulers.”

Perspective Despite the recent tightening of national corona restrictions, Muns said: “I think that what we are asking for does not pose a risk of additional infections. It is better to have students come together in a controlled manner. If you don’t, they will still get together elsewhere.” He argues: “If you want to impose more restrictions on young people and students, you also have to offer them perspective.” According to Muns, there have been no clear guidelines on how things can actually be done, but only announcements on things that are forbidden. This is a disheartening situation and means that the corona restrictions are fast losing the support of students. Meanwhile, VSNU spokesperson Pierik called the current state of affairs in higher education ‘a tragedy created by the situation,’ and said: “Students don’t get what they deserve, universities have to bend themselves backward and lecturers are overworked to make things happen. Everyone has to run faster, but no one really gets what they hoped for.” Written by Femke van Iperen

Increasing loneliness among young people due to working from home and online education increase during the corona crisis.

When working from home and online education first arrived as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people felt the change of pace felt was a novelty with several benefits. In the middle of a global emergency, being able to work and study from home through digital technology made things convenient in terms of time, transportation, accessibility and safety. It felt new and comfortable, and it was the logical response to a crisis of public health. A few months later, however, many felt that working from home and online education have become a problem that weighs down their emotional health, especially because

THT 8 _CS.indd 9

it creates feelings of loneliness. As it turns out, young people are particularly vulnerable to loneliness in corona times. A report on corona behaviour by i&o Research points to that conclusion. The study showed that, by May, 55% of young Dutch people between 18 and 24 felt lonely because of the crisis, compared to 49% in March. For the group 25- to 34-year-olds, 48% experienced loneliness in May, up from 29% in March, an increase of almost 20%. This data is significant, especially when the levels of loneliness for the rest of the population remain below 30%, with a smaller

Being able to maintain social relations digitally does not compensate for the lack of social contact in the physical world, like school, work and recreation. An international phenomenon, loneliness among young people during the pandemic is related to the biological function of socialization in young people. As Gregory Lewis, researcher of the neurobiology of social interaction at Indiana University in the US, points out: “Young brains need social connection to feel secure about their identity and place in the world.” Similarly, Hans Alderliesten, of the Movisie knowledge institute for social studies, states that young people can be particularly affected, because they are in a stage of life in which they need to develop socially: “They need to go out, travel and create new relationships. They are very much engaged in self-development, but that is difficult now. Many spaces where they have their social life, like school and work, are closed.” This may explain why many young people are going back to the office, even though it is not required or even advised against. As reported by The Volkskrant, by September the number of people using public transport has been gradually increasing, and many of them are young people who miss their coworkers or the social experience of the workplace. According to the Dutch Travel Panel (NVP) of DAT.Mobility, com-

muting transit has increased: in September, 70% of workers were commuting to work, compared to 50% at the start of the lockdown. This could become relevant since the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has shown that 10% of all Covid infections can be traced back to the workplace, which makes it the third source of infection after households and family gatherings. While much of the attention during the pandemic has been directed towards vulnerable populations like the elderly, mental health in young people during the corona crisis remains a less attended, albeit important, subject of consideration. In times when additional isolation measures might be announced in the short or medium term, as suggested by the Dutch government late September, research suggest that loneliness in young people needs to be taken into account in the current circumstances. While isolation and loneliness are not the same, as the Red Cross points out, “unwanted and prolonged isolation can have a troubling knock-on effect on our attitude towards others. Eventually, it can make us distrust and disengage even when we get the chance to interact”. Therefore, finding and maintaining ways to socially connect remains important for however long the corona crisis will last, especially for younger people. Written by Juan Alvarez

14-10-20 17:05

EARLY YEARS SCHOOL

INFANT SCHOOL

JUNIOR SCHOOL

SENIOR SCHOOL

The first steps define the journey. The British School of Amsterdam is the only school in the city to offer the full British Curriculum - leading to qualifications respected around the world. Furthermore, we also focus on character development and social skills - vital for all our children's futures.

In April 2021 we move into our wonderful new premises on the Havenstraat.

www.britishschool.amsterdam +31 20 67 97 840 PLACES AVAILABLE IN NURSERY AND INFANT SCHOOL

THT 8 _CS.indd 10

14-10-20 17:06

NOVEMBER 2020 | 11

NATIONAL

Corona: patients spend less time in hospitals during second wave of infections People who test positive for the coronavirus in the second wave appear to have less serious symptoms compared to the people treated during the first wave of infections, AD newspaper reports based on an inventory published by the Dutch Association of Internists (NIV) containing data from 180 patients in nine hospitals in the Netherlands.

The length of stays in hospitals has decreased by a third and the percentage of patients who have to go to intensive care (IC) has dropped by half. The results of the inventory are in line with the recent findings from the Dutch Association for Intensive Care. The total length of the IC stay for corona patients has dropped drastically: in March and April, patients spent on average 22 days in IC, now this has dropped to an average of 8 days. NIV director Samara de Jong-Jaber says that the data confirms the prevailing feeling within hospitals around the country. “There’s a difference between the first and second wave. But this is a first official observation, which for further research is necessary.” Specialists say the reduction in length of hospital stay is happening partly because more elderly people were ill in the first wave, while the second wave so far has mostly hit younger people, who are less likely to get sick and develop serious symptoms from the virus. “That plays a role, but it cannot be attributed to the population alone,” says De Jong. She suspects corona patients leave hospital earlier because treatment methods have been improved in recent months, to great

advantage for the people infected in the second wave. “In the beginning everyone was searching for answers, so new insights not only play a role in the effectiveness of treatment, but it’s also important for capacity planning in hospitals.”

Pressure on the health system remains Even with the faster discharge from hospital, this does not mean that the corona virus is not causing problems. According to the NIV, regular hospital wards are currently filling up faster than the ICs, because corona patients now have less serious symptoms. As a result, the Dutch health system remains under pressure, says internist Robin Peeters. “The burden on hospitals remains high because the pressure is shifted to a different place in the hospital than during the first wave.” In fact, many hospitals have already scaled down regular care for other diseases.

Diseases and Tuberculosis (NVALT) sees many former corona patients with breathing problems and fatigue in the outpatient clinic. “We’re surprised by the high number of former corona patients who come to us with complaints,” said Leon van den Toorn, chairman of the pulmonologists’ association. This group of patients wasn’t initially admitted to hospital, but is now referred by general practitioners because their symptoms persist.

Their acute complaints seem to pass at first, but then persist or even get worse. “We see that almost all these patients complain about persistent breathing difficulties and

poor capacity for physical exercise – they get out of breath very quickly. However, there are only minor abnormalities visible in their lung scans,” said Van den Toorn. “It’s not clear how this is possible and more research is necessary.” For these patients, the continued availability of hospital care is extremely important; one more reason to ensure that regular hospital care is able to continue during the second wave of corona infections.

Written by Raphael Perachi Vieira

Peeters emphasizes that measures must be taken to guarantee sufficient capacity in the nursing wards for both corona patients and regular care. “This requires, among other things, adjusted planning and fast recruitment of personnel in the event of a possible capacity problem on the IC,” the NIV concludes. Breathing problems Furthermore, even those who do not end up in hospital at all are feeling the effects of corona virus. In July, pulmonologists concluded that corona patients who had not been hospitalized at all seem to experience more long-lasting problems than those admitted to hospitals. The Dutch Association of Physicians for Pulmonary

Cigarette manufacturers in the Netherlands have been fined Cigarette manufacturers in the Netherlands have been fined over 80 million euros for illegal conduct: the national Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) found evidence they had been sharing ‘sensitive competitive information’ about the future prices of their competitors in order to gain advantages in pricing strategies. Four manufacturers were caught by the ACM; British American Tobacco (BAT) received the highest fine – more than 31 million euros. Philip Morris Netherlands was second with over 27.5 million euros. JT International Company Netherlands and Van Nelle Tabak Netherlands were fined 13 million euros and over 10 million euros respectively. Brands of cigarettes produced by these manufacturers include Camel, Gouloise, Marlboro and Lucky Strike. An investigation into company emails, among other sources, discovered that between 2008 and 2011 staff at these companies were colluding with wholesalers in order to gain information that would give them an advantage in setting prices. This is forbidden in the Netherlands in order to ensure fair competition on the market. The manufacturing companies knew that this was illegal, said the ACM. Unlike other consumer products, cigarette prices are labelled directly on the packages rather than being set by retailers. In order to control competition, the ACM claims manufacturers devised schemes whereby wholesalers or retailers would reveal the new prices that their competitors would set. Emails were sent out stating a future price, in the knowledge that the information would be leaked to rival companies who would then react to the information, offering an opportunity to adjust and match their prices before distribution. The fines were issues in March this year, but the ACM has only recently been allowed to release this information, as three of the guilty manufacturers opposed publication of the fines. Philip Morris Netherlands denies the charges, saying it has always acted in accordance with all laws and regulations. Written by Louis Gore-Langton

THT 8 _CS.indd 11

14-10-20 17:06

Did you know that HSV also has a Preschool class?

Admissions for school year 2020-2021 For more information: www.threelittleships.nl infotls@hsvdenhaag.nl

#ASHexperience

#thejourneymatters

MYP1T-E4R REGIS NOW

BACKERSHAGENLAAN 5, 2243 AB WASSENAAR, WWW.INTERNATIONALSCHOOLWASSENAAR.NL

Nestled in a picturesque setting in the heart of leafy Wassenaar, within touching distance of The Hague and Leiden, the International School Wassenaar provides high quality international education in a warm, safe and supportive learning environment.

THT 8 _CS.indd 12

More than a School. An Experience.

ash.nl 14-10-20 17:06

NOVEMBER 2020 | 13

NATIONAL

A good neighbour is better than a distant friend

The old Dutch proverb says: ‘Beter een goede buur dan een verre vriend” [it’s better to have good neighbour than a distant friend]. In the past, in times of trouble neighbours were the first to help out. But in the last twenty years, especially since the rise of social media, we now have friends all over the world, but don’t even know who is living next door or downstairs from us. One of the reasons for this is that we spend much less time at home (and a lot of that time staring at our cellphones). Now, since the lockdown, we work at home, we go to school at home, we exercise at home, and in the past summer, we also vacationed at home.

Sure, working from home has some great perks. Employees, in general, are more productive and there is less commuting, so we have reduced CO2 emissions. But while this might be great for employers and the environment, for others – our neighbours – it is not. This year, complaints about neighbours causing too much noise and quarrels between neighbours shot up to 20,000 a month (in the same period last year it was only 13,000 a month).

and the recommendation for employees to work from home, the major source of noise pollution and disputes between neighbours is screaming and crying children, vacuum cleaners, couples fighting, loud music and DIY, such as drilling, sawing and other construction activities. It might sound petty, but if someone is in a conference call or trying to concentrate, any kind of sympathy that might have been fostered for a neighbour quickly evaporates.

Before the lockdown, most of the complaints were about noise coming from restaurants, cafes and bars. Now, since the lockdown

During the summer, a new factor was added to the noise pollution matrix, namely neighbours vacationing at home. Normally, during the summer vacation period, most people don’t have issues with their neighbours because they are away on vacation, and most likely their neighbours are too. But this year changed all that. In early January, 73% of the people who planned to go on holiday this year intended to travel abroad. By early June, only half still wanted to go abroad and the rest preferred to either vacation in the country or simply stay at home. The last group has been a significant source of noise pollution, especially children screaming and playing outside in the daytime, and balcony and garden parties hosted at night. According to a recent study from the Dutch Bureau for Statistics (CBS), after the lockdown many employees will continue to work from home, so that neighbour noise pollution will not disappear. The police recommends to not let irritations

escalate and encourages everyone to become more proactive in discussing with their neighbours when they make noise. It’s perfectly reasonable to make agreements to be quiet at certain times of the day, and to allocate your neighbours time for their noisy activities. It is a give and take situation, but neighbours will have to be able to live in peace and harmony with each other. However, if things get out of hand, the Dutch Centre for Crime Prevention and Safety (CCV) recommends contacting a mediator, paid for by the municipality, who will help neighbours come to a peaceful resolution. With the end of Covid-19 nowhere in sight, working, schooling, exercising and vacationing from home are the new modus vivendi. Neighbours will have to become more considerate of each other, and agree time restrictions for drilling, sawing, playing music and relaxing in the garden. While on the one hand the lockdown has distanced people from their direct colleagues and fellow pupils, on the other, it has brought neighbours closer together. It is a new ‘old’ relationship which we need to reestablish. And after all, having a good neighbour is not a bad idea. If your house catches on fire, all those social media friends on the other side of the world are not really much help.

Written by Benjamin Roberts

KLM staff outraged by pilots’ perks Plagued by the worse financial crisis since its foundation in 1919 due to Covid-19, KLM is suffering losses amounting to tens of millions of euros as travelers stay away. To safeguard the oldest airline in the world from bankruptcy, the government offered KLM a lifeline to the tune of 1 billion euros, in addition to credit guarantees of up to 2.4 billion euros, confirmed Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra. In exchange for this aid, the Minister demanded a restructuring plan (including pay cuts) by the airline. This resulted in outrage as pilots, as opposed to other staff, were compensated for their pay cuts with perks, creating a feeling of unequal treatment. The calls for equal treatment among KLM staffers came when an internal document by the VNV pilots’ union, which is involved in the required restructuring plan, shows that up to 3000 pilots would be compensated with significant privileges by the airline in exchange for their pay cuts, while other members of staff, including cabin and ground crew, would not benefit from the same privileges. According to the Financieele Dagblad (FD) newspaper, Michiel Wallaard, director of the federation of trade unions CNV, is demanding complete transparency by KLM. He believes that the airline should justify why its pilots deserve extra privileges for the contribution they make to the

THT 8 _CS.indd 13

company, while the rest of its employees do not benefit. The 3000 KLM pilots, represented by the VNV, negotiated a 20% pay cut in exchange for a variety of non-cash offers that will remain valid for the next five years, including huge discounts on airline ticket prices, automatic upgrades to business class, and additional priorities on certain flights. The agreements that KLM made with its trade unions, representing its tens of thousands of staff members, is yet to be assessed and approved by the Minister. These expensive perks fueled the outrage of trade union federations like CNV and FNV, which feel that the tens of thousands of the KLM workers they represent are treated unfairly by being excluded from these offerings. In justifying the pilots’ perks, chairman of the VNV pilots’ union Willem Schmid stated that “their wages did not cause the crisis.” The VNV argued that it had looked for perks that can demonstrate proper appreciation for the efforts and contribution of KLM’s pilots.

understands very well that there is some tension between pilots and other workers, and thinks that the Minister, having made 3.4 billion euros in support funds available, should do more to address the concerns of all employees. The agreement with the pilots was the final part of the airline’s internal restructuring and budget cut deliberations, and the internal VNV document was finalized and submitted at the last minute. The document shows that are no proposed layoffs for pilots, although due to a surplus of pilots on aircraft types B737, A330 and B747, some of their pilots can make use of a voluntary redundancy scheme, as well as have the

opportunity to fly for other airlines for one or two years, with a guarantee to be able to return to KLM. In response to the dissatisfaction, a KLM spokesperson states that the agreements meet the government’s condition that the strongest shoulders bear the heaviest burdens. The agreements are different between and within the various professional groups within KLM, “but they are in balance,” the spokesperson concludes.

Written by Seringe S.T. Touray

MP Henk Nijboer of the Labour Party (PvdA) believes Minister Hoekstra should provide clarity regarding the negotiations and agreements made between KLM and its staff, as a result of the widespread dissatisfaction. Nijboer

14-10-20 17:24

A community learning for world citizenship International School Utrecht is an IB World School, offering a complete and connected International Baccalaureate programme for students from 4-18 from diverse international backgrounds.

www.isutrecht.nl

We are a close-knit and welcoming community of students, staff and parents. We all approach life from a different culture and background and with the languages we know. We find each other in our common goal: to create a stimulating learning environment in which everyone feels at home.

Aﬀordable quality International Education in the East of the Netherlands and close to the German border

International School Twente oﬀers Early Years, Primary, Lower Secondary IGCSE and IBDP

At Nord Anglia International School Rotterdam, we work together with the world’s #1 university, MIT, to create an interdisciplinary approach to learning science and technology that will inspire your child through hands-on activities and challenges.

To ﬁnd out more information, visit our website:

www.istwente.org email: admissions@istwente.org or call us directly at

(+31) 053 206 80 35

Holland_NAISR_129x194.indd 1 THT 8 _CS.indd 14

09/07/2020 12:05 14-10-20 17:25

NOVEMBER 2020 | 15

COLUMNS

Why every entrepreneur needs a personal brand The vast majority of startups fail, so as an entrepreneur, it’s not necessarily a great idea to solely be known for your business. You might run a software startup now, but later down the line, you might want to move into education tech or health tech. At this point, your personal brand comes into play, helping people know what to expect, and serving as an external qualifier. People who work in companies have personal brands too, but it’s more likely to be tied up in their company: if someone knows you used to work at Google or UBER, for example, that immediately qualifies you as someone who probably knows what they’re talking about. Entrepreneurs usually have to work a little harder to build their personal brand from the group up. Your personal brand helps set you apart from everyone else, which is critical in saturated industries. Depending on what you do, it can position you as an expert, and help you secure brand partnership deals that will benefit your business. If you’ve got an exciting or interesting backstory, this can also help you attract media coverage. There’s also the element of trust: we’re more likely to want to work with people we know, even if it’s only through mutual connections. Whether your company offers an Instagram scheduling tool or a money-saving app, chances are there are tons of other options on the market. Why should someone choose to buy from you? Your personal brand as a founder can help you out. We choose to support companies that share our values - 2020 is the year of putting your money where your mouth is. Some choose to

support women- or black-owned businesses, while others only shop at companies who give away a portion of their profit to charitable causes. As a founder, aligning yourself with the causes you believe in can help encourage people to buy from you, rather than from the competition. If you’re looking to start working on your own personal brand, follow these easy steps to get you started. 1. Decide your goals Any good strategy begins with getting clear on your goals and KPIs (key performance indicators). What are you trying to achieve by building your personal brand? Do you want to get booked as a speaker? Do you want more brand awareness? Decide what you actually want to get out of having a strong personal brand, and pick some benchmarks or indicators that will help you determine if you’re achieving your goals. 2. Nail the basics Personal branding involves consistency, and projecting an air of professionalism. It’s not the time to cut back: invest in getting some great headshots done that show off your personality. They don’t have to be ultra corporate and dull if that isn’t authentic to you: consider relaxed shots of you at home in casual clothes if you decide that’s how you’d like to be seen. Identify your unique selling point (USP) and come up with a snazzy elevator pitch. No more stumbling when you’re at a dinner party and get asked, “so, what do you do?” - be ready with a one-liner that explains what you do, and why you’re unique.

3. Get visible It’s time to start showing up on social media. Amongst marketing for your company, include photos of yourself, and communicate your personality to your followers. Start talking on camera, sharing behind the scenes of your day, or things you’ve learned during your career to date - anything that helps people get to know you. 4. Network Don’t just keep it offline. There are plenty of ways to build your personal brand offline, too, and a combination of approaches is the best way to move forward. Consider reaching out to industry networks. Show up as the person you want to be. Make connections on Instagram and LinkedIn - and then try to meet those people for coffee in real life (or for now, via Zoom). Look for ways to expand your personal brand, like appearing on podcasts and attending industry events. The options are endless, but most important of all, have fun with it. Written by Phoebe Dodds Founder of BURO155 Freelance writer

Rewind to when I first arrived in the Netherlands “I can’t imagine a scenario where driving a car would be a better option than using public transportation.”

I came to the Netherlands in April of 2019. This, of course, was before the pandemic, and riding public transportation was a very different experience. It was an easy-going part of daily life here in Europe and it was even fun – at least for those of us who don’t commute to work via OV (openbaar vervoer). So, before I left the United States, when I was deciding what I did and didn’t need for my future life in the Netherlands, knowing the awesome OV network here in Europe, I decided I didn’t need a car. And since I didn’t need a car and I would have a residence permit and passport as official identification, I wouldn’t need a driver’s license either. When I first arrived, an American friend asked me if I was going to switch over my American driver’s license for a Dutch one (rijbewijs). I remember proudly answering him that no, I was not going to get a driver’s license; public transport was going to be my primary mode of transportation. I even went on to pat my own back by saying I was also considering the environment. He told me that I should do it anyway, because it was easy and if I ever needed it then I’d have it. I remember what I said to him …

THT 8 _CS.indd 15

Fast forward to February 2020. Ten months after I arrived in the Netherlands the coronavirus pandemic hit the world and suddenly there was a scenario that made driving a car a better option than using the OV. Now, a driver’s license was needed. Truth be told, I never really looked into what was needed for an American expat to obtain a Dutch driver’s license, but since I’ve started researching it in the last few months, I realize why my friend was urging me get one right away. He was right. I could have just simply swapped out my US license for a Dutch one. There was a form or two to fill out and a small fee (I think) and voilà, a Dutch driver’s license … if you do it within the first six months of arriving in the Netherlands. I didn’t even need to count it out; I knew that I had passed the six-month threshold for this simple path to a Dutch driver’s license. Thinking back to the conversation with my friend just ten months prior, I wanted to scold myself for not listening to him. Now I’m on the hard path to obtaining a Dutch rijbewijs. Fun! I’ll jump to the moral of the story: don’t do what I did. If you’re new to the Netherlands (or anywhere, for that matter) and have a valid driver’s license from your home country, check out what it takes to get a local driver’s license. Make this one of

the first things you do, even if you think you won’t need or want one because – take it from me – you just never know. My experience is as an American and I’m sure that each country has its own agreement with the Dutch government, so please check out the particulars for your home country. So, getting a Dutch driver’s license the hard way. I’m having to get my license just like an 18-year old Dutch person gets theirs. In a nutshell, there are two tests: the theory test (multiple choice test on traffic rules) and the practical test (driving with a tester). Most people take driving lessons, which can cost upwards of €2,000, but even without lessons the test and license cost around €250 (forgive me if my numbers are off a bit, but regardless it’s pricey compared to the US). Currently I’m studying for the theory exam, for which the English study book is 255 pages. The theory exam is rumored (on the internet) to have a fail rate of 40%, so it’s not just a simple quiz! I’m hoping I don’t need to take driving lessons since I learned to drive in Germany, but I still need to take the test. This is going to be fun! [insert sarcasm]

Written by Marla Thomson Marla Thomson is a freelance writer and expat living in the Bollenstreek, Zuid-Holland

14-10-20 17:07

Study in the Netherlands at Leiden University 7 faculties spread across Leiden and The Hague 200+ English-taught programmes 443 years of tradition and innovation Top 100 research-focused university 16 Nobel Prize winners 120 nationalities universiteitleiden.nl/en Discover the world at Leiden University

A European School located in the international heart of the Netherlands

DUTCH, ENGLISH & CHINESE COURSES

The European School The Hague offers complete Early Years, Primary and Secondary multilingual education leading to the European Baccalaureate

All levels and ages

a The H

gue

DUTCH & ENGLISH TRAINING

TAKES YOU FURTHER!

www.kickstartschool.nl

THT 8 _CS.indd 16

ESH Primary Houtrustweg 2, 2566 HA Den Haag ESH Secondary Oostduinlaan 50, 2596 JP Den Haag www.eshthehague.nl

14-10-20 14:53

NOVEMBER 2020 | 17

EDUCATION

Digital teaching assistant in the fight against learning disadvantages Because of Covid-19, students have been receiving distance education for months and the final exams for 2020 were canceled. Despite the efforts of teachers, the Education Council indicates in a letter of advice that it is likely that students have fallen behind due to the corona crisis. In these turbulent times, many schools have started to use Groningen start-up Mr. Chadd to help children reduce the gaps in their learning. Mr. Chadd has been supporting high school and MBO students on demand via its own chat platform since 2015. Students can ask a question at any time, whenever they have a question about their school work or study. The qualified subject experts who provide the explanation are immediately available every day of the week and can be deployed both at home and during classes. However, in the corona crisis demand soared, so that the company was unable

to meet demand from schools. For this reason, its partners at the BoostUp Foundation have made a scale-up investment of € 900,000. ‘With this investment we can support even more schools and reduce the learning gap that has arisen between students,’ said Kim van der Esch, educationalist and co-owner of Mr. Chadd. Thanks to Boost-Up’s guidance and investment, Mr. Chadd has the resources to invest in additional education experts to guide schools in improving student performance. They also advise schools on the organization of distance learning; although schools have reopened their doors, distance education remains necessary for the time being. For more information about the services of Mr. Chadd, visit mrchadd.nl

OUR STUDENTS ARE THE FUTURE CITIZENS OF TOMORROW CREATIVE, ATHLETIC, SUPPORTIVE AND OPEN TO THE WORLD

SHARING LANGUAGES AND CULTURE, EDUCATING THE CITIZENS OF TOMORROW

Middle School in Amsterdam, 6ème: year 2019-2020 5ème: year 2020-2021 Registration for the 2020-2021 school year is open

THT 8 _CS.indd 17

Rustenburgerstraat 246 1073 GK Amsterdam +31(0)20 644 65 07

14-10-20 17:26

Inspiring learning for a sustainable future

What makes our school unique? • • • • • •

IB World school Tight-knit, friendly community Culturally diverse

Good accessibility

WWW.INTERNATIONALSCHOOLDELFT.COM

GAIN FROM 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE!

New chapter fresh focus www.isrlo.nl

>Offering IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes to international families

Learn Dutch in small groups (online or classical) from professional and passionate teachers

www.directdutch.com

>Encouraging students to become creative, critical and reflective learners >Exploring global challenges in a culturally diverse environment

圀圀圀⸀䐀唀吀䌀䠀䌀伀唀刀匀䔀匀䄀䴀匀吀䔀刀䐀䄀䴀⸀一䰀

䰀䔀䄀刀一䐀唀吀䌀䠀

>Broad and balanced IB curriculum prepares for Universities worldwide

䤀一匀䴀䄀䰀䰀䜀刀伀唀倀匀伀䘀䴀䄀堀⸀ 㐀匀吀唀䐀䔀一吀匀

Open Day

Saturdaythe 21 city January 2017 >Adjoins of Leiden and is closelylinked 10:00-13:00 to both The Hague and Amsterdam

Apply: isrlo.openapply.com

䈀䄀䌀䬀吀伀匀䌀䠀伀伀䰀

International Education with a Dutch Touch

THT 8 _CS.indd 18

14-10-20 17:09

NOVEMBER 2020 | 19

INTERVIEW

Interview with an expat the sense that they don’t give up if something is difficult. They look at it like a challenge and will work on finding a solution to solve it, even finding a way to fix it themselves.

Arnhem. It’s a really good place for shopping and the nightlife is good – the nightclubs have good music and they close at 5am! Well, before corona they stayed open late.

What I don’t like is that Dutch people can be direct. Now that I’ve lived here for some time, I’m getting used to it. I am even finding it good that they are direct, but in the beginning I wasn’t used to it so I didn’t like it.

What famous Dutch place should you really go and see? I would say Maastricht. It’s a very traditional place and one of the oldest and most authentic towns in the Netherlands, with parks, canals and traditional houses. It’s not like Amsterdam where you have attractions like the red light district, coffeeshops and lots of tourists. Maastricht is right on the GermanBelgian border and the capital of Limburg province. There’s a lot to see and do there, including a network of caves where remains of Neanderthals have been found.

Do you have a favourite restaurant in your city? I don’t really like restaurants because I can be particular with what I like to eat. I don’t like garlic, raw onions and other ingredients that are usually found in restaurant food. I also like to cook a lot. Sometimes, if I want to go out to eat, we go to a restaurant in Gronau, Germany, because we live very close to the border. It’s called Villa Langenburg and is actually Dutch-owned!

Name Nimo Wairimu Mwangi Where do you come from and where do you live in the Netherlands? I come from Mombasa, Kenya. It’s on the coast, so 26 degrees is considered a cold day! I moved to Overijssel in 2015. What’s your job/business? At the moment I am a stay at home mama, but I also make YouTube videos. I make vlogs and videos giving tips that help new people moving to the Netherlands, because when I first moved here I learned a lot about the culture, new language, and doing things like getting a driver’s license. I thought if I made a YouTube channel of what I learned and know, it could help someone learn from my personal experiences. You can find my channel by searching on YouTube for “Nimo Wairimu Mwangi”. What was your first time in the Netherlands? That was 2015 when I moved here. I moved here “cold turkey” to live with my partner, who is now my husband. I had never been to the Netherlands or even to Europe. What is the nicest thing about the Netherlands? It’s very clean here and the infrastructure is good, especially the roads. In Kenya it’s dusty because of the climate and roads can have a lot of potholes. Also you can access other countries very easily from here – you just cross the border. That’s great because I love to travel. What’s the worst thing about the Netherlands? The cold! I don’t like winter. In 2016 or 2017 there was a lot of snow. I remember I had to travel by train that winter but trains were delayed because of the snow. I think that lasted two days, but for a Kenyan that was a lot of snow! Do you have Dutch friends? Yes, I do have a few Dutch friends. I’ve met some nice Dutch people, also through my husband. I also have lots of Kenyan friends that I met here in NL. What do you like about Dutch people? What don’t you like? I like that Dutch people are hard-working, in

THT 8 _CS.indd 19

Where do you prefer to relax? I like to go to Ommen. It’s a very beautiful little town with restaurants along the canals. “Terrasje pakken”, which is sitting outside on the terrace at some restaurant in Ommen in the summer, is really calming for me. What’s your favourite Dutch store? Action! I really like Action, but when I want buy just something small I usually come back with a lot of other stuff!

Best kept secret in your city? Bolletje, the bakers of breakfast biscuits and other baked goods you see in the grocery stores, is based out of Almelo, close to my home. They, of course, have a store where you can buy their products and have a cup of coffee. But there is also a museum that has century-old mixers, ovens and other baking machines. It’s like walking back in time! Interview by Marla Thomson

What do you like to do in the weekend? I like to make YouTube videos and edit them, but since having a baby it’s hard to find the time and energy. I also like to visit friends, make some food, listen to music, dance and have a good time. Who is your favourite Dutch person? My husband is of course number 1, followed by The Dutch music group De Toppers. When they have a concert, the whole of the Netherlands lights up with lots of coloured clothes and costumes. I like Gerard Joling very much, he’s one of De Toppers but also a TV presenter. His programs are always filled with fun and laughter. What would you recommend a visitor to do and see in your city in the Netherlands? I would recommend visiting Twente and trying the local beer, Grolsch. Also Ommen is really beautiful. There are a lot of canals there, beautiful scenery and of course windmills. It’s a typical Dutch place. Also Giethoorn is nearby. It’s considered the “Small Venice of the Netherlands” because there are no cars, only canals there. What is your favourite Dutch food? And what Dutch food do you dislike? There’s a kind of pancake called “boerenpannenkoek”, which means “farmer’s pancake” that’s made with paprika and you can put other ingredients in it like salami, eggs, spinach and of course cheese. I don’t like frikandel! I haven’t tried the raw herring yet, but I don’t think I’d like it because of the raw onions.

Winter landscape in Holland

The Toppers

Do you celebrate Dutch holidays? What is your favourite? Yes, King’s Day is my favorite. Also the arrival of Sinterklaas and Christmas is nice, too. Before I didn’t really care too much about those, but now that I have a child I am excited about those holidays. Where do you like to go out? To go shopping or to party, I like to go to

14-10-20 17:09

mj K

k e

p i q c af h q G uF w H I T b C p m i M N s c i P w tg w D

Z a

k L a s lo k aa ned e r L a n d s

L e

L e e r s c ho o L

e f v t n

y z

th u eo

e r Xp a

o V Y u N r B g g i m n P C n V z u so k .

S am e n , er e n

Learn Dutch and live like a local

"Speaking the language helps with everything"

Eindhoven is like a global village. People come together from all corners of the world and work together

The added value of a Dutch language course

on smart solutions that make a difference. Speaking English will help you get around but speaking Dutch

Sometimes they have travelled there for love, sometimes a job is the reason. More and more internationals

will allow you to blend in like a local. At STE Languages our well-trained natives will make you feel at home

are finding their way to Eindhoven and not only to work but also to live and to build a life, and that means

and know exactly what you need to make big improvements in your progress. By attending our small group

getting to know a new language. How do you deal with that? Two internationals talk about their experiences.

courses we can help you take those first steps! Interested in joining?

"The Dutch prefer to speak Dutch"

Why STE Languages?

"Speaking the language is important for integration. That applies to everyone. Even if it is not necessary for your work, it is still a good idea to learn Dutch. Speaking the language helps with everything from shopping to boot camps. The Dutch are friendly and easy to communicate with but I notice that they prefer to speak

 Feel confident in speaking Dutch

Dutch. So keep practicing the language. Do your homework, read a book or watch a Dutch television program. Search for something that interests you, then you can keep it up more easily. "

Stop worrying and start enjoying

 Small groups

Julianna Feron, Hungary

Learn from each other in a supportive atmosphere.

“It feels a bit like home"

 Personal approach

"For me, STE is more than just a language school and the trainers are more than just teachers. They help you

Tailor-made training based on your personal needs

with everything, even if it is not directly related to the curriculum. Furthermore, you have a lot of contact with

 Skilled trainers

students of different levels. That has a stimulating effect because you can directly see your own development and that of others. This is where my life in the Netherlands started and I am grateful for that. It feels a bit

Qualified trainers that love to work with world citizens

like home. "

 Learn when it suits you

Rodolfo Castañon Juarez, Mexico

Before work, during lunch break, after work or even on Saturday and during summer

Visit www.ste.nl, mail to info@ste.nl or just give us a call: +31 (0)40 - 245 28 60

ZUID-AMERIKA ZUID-AMERIKA MALEISIE

ZUID-AMERIKA MALEISIE

INDONESIA

MALEISIE

INDONESIA JAPAN

Howdo_magazine_2019_03_v2.indd 52-53

JAPAN

21-05-19 08:38 ENGELAND

ENGELAND SAUDI ARABIA

JAPAN

SAUDI ARABIA

ENGELAND

JAPAN

NETHERLANDS NETHERLANDS

NETHERLANDS

Elckerlyc International School AFRIKA

FRANCE

EGYPT

FRANCE

CHINA

INDIA

CHINA

ITALY

MOROCCO

ITALY

MOROCCO

ITALY

MOROCCO

AFRIKA AFRIKA

EGYPT

FRANCE

Specialised psychological and psychiatric help for international guests INDIA

INDIA

CHINA

Feeling under pressure or depressed? Established in 1993, for over 25 years Elckerlyc International School has welcomed students from all over the world into its community. Our focus is to help our students develop into valuable members of a global society. Whilst in the setting of a village school, we are located within close proximity to Leiden, Schiphol, The Hague and Amsterdam.

• Member of DIPS (Dutch International Primary Schools) • In the same building as a Dutch Montessori school • International Primary Curriculum (IPC) • Qualified and experienced staff (all native English speakers) • Small class sizes • Emphasis on respect and responsibility • Affordable high quality education

For further details please visit our website: www.elckerlyc-international.nl

THT 8 _CS.indd 20

Suffering from anxiety? Struggling with substance abuse or addiction? These are just some of the many mental health challenges you can face as an expatriate living in Holland, far from home. PsyQ International Mental Health Services are here to support you. During currently COVID-19 times, we continue to provide state of the art and discreet solutions to your mental health challenges, online as well as face-to-face. Mental health care begins with people, which is why our most unique resource is our staff of caring and deeply committed indivi-duals. We have an international, multilingual team and consider ourselves to be a truly international mental health centre. All our staff are personally familiar with the expatriate experience and are officially registered professionals. The Hague Jan van Nassaustraat 125, 2596 BS Den Haag +31 (0)6 52568382 +31 (0)88 357 3478 www.expatriates.psyq.nl

14-10-20 10:57

NOVEMBER 2020 | 21

ART & CULTURE

Dutch tour guides offer novel socially distanced tours

Like the rest of the world, the Dutch travel industry was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With almost no tourists around, businesses in Amsterdam’s popular red-light district have reported a 90% loss in revenue, and the situation is similar across the country. In the hopes of saving these businesses, the Dutch tourism board NBTC is encouraging locals to travel domestically rather than abroad, along with the Netherlands’ 75,000 expats.

Castles, canals and good folk in Utrecht Walk alongside canals and castles in one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands Main attractions: Huis Oudaen, Utrecht University and some of the 330 lantern sculptures around the town Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 60 minutes Where: Utrecht

This aligns with NBTC’s Perspective 2030 tourism plan, which aims at making “all of the Netherlands attractive”. Locals are more likely to look beyond the country’s tourist hubs, which may help with Perspective 2030’s goal of putting “more cities and regions on the map as attractive destinations.” Would-be Dutch travellers are now looking towards individual and socially distanced activities across the Netherlands to occupy their holiday time and innovative tour guides like Mr Local himself, Willem Versteegh , might just have the answer: audio tours.

An Amsterdam introduction: from fishing hamlet to trading centre Explore the origins of Amsterdam, from fishing village to trading powerhouse Main attractions: Amsterdam Central Station, Our Lord in the Attic Museum, Old Church Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 60 minutes Where: Amsterdam

Audio tours offer a self-guided and zero interaction method of travel. Tour-goers use their own smartphones and headphones, and the tour does the rest as the narration guides them through the most iconic and overlooked places in the city or town they’re exploring. And with audio tour companies like VoiceMap , travellers would be supporting the local tour operators who created the tours and the small businesses that they visit en route. While VoiceMap has four neighbourhood specific tours in Amsterdam as well as an introduction to the city, it also has a number of tours in neighbouring towns like historical walks around The Hague and Utrecht . They also have a stroll through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Canadian War Cemetery in Holten and a tour in Hattem. “Hattem is a picture-perfect, pocket-sized slice of the Netherlands, and easy to get to“ says two-time VoiceMap tour creator Annette Welkamp . While the future of travel remains uncertain, what is clear is that there is an opportunity for sustainable tourism to grow and flourish with the help of technology. A New York Times article on the future of travel predicts that tourism will restart locally, with locals wanting to explore their own backyards before returning to overseas travel. Large group experiences have already started transforming into smaller, private offerings in order to accommodate cautious travellers, and this might be a lasting change that, in the Netherlands, could be a change for the better. Vondelpark & Old West Neighbourhood Tour summary Explore Amsterdam’s Vondelpark and the diverse Old West Neighbourhood Main attractions: the Vondelpark, Vondel Church, Ten Kate Market and De Hallen Amsterdam Type of tour: walking Language: English and Dutch Length: 60 minutes Where: Amsterdam

THT 8 _CS.indd 21

Windmills, bakeries and possibly ghosts in Hattem Be charmed by Hattem’s history, good food and quaint Dutch atmosphere Main attractions: Molen De Fortuin, the Anton Pieck Museum and Nederlands Bakkerij Museum Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 45 minutes Where: Hattem Red Light District Take a peek behind the curtain of Amsterdam’s Red Light District Main attractions: Dam Square, Old Church and New Market Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 35 minutes Where: Amsterdam

Main attractions: Albert Cuyp Market and the Monument Samuel Sarphati Monument Type of tour walking Language: English Length: 30 minutes Where: Amsterdam Amsterdam West Specialty Coffee Spots Cycle through Amsterdam and get your java fix from some notable coffee spots Main attractions: Ten Kate Market Type of tour: cycling Language: English Length: 20 minutes Where: Amsterdam About VoiceMap VoiceMap is a location-aware audio tour app for Android and iOS that gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace. The app uses your location to play audio automatically, at exactly the right time and place. You can start the tours whenever you’re ready and pause whenever you like. When you start moving again, playback will too. It also gives you turn-by-turn directions, making it much easier to put your phone away and immerse yourself in your surroundings, not the screen. We’ve helped passionate locals, journalists, novelists and podcasters create more than 600 tours in over 200 cities across the world. For more information on VoiceMap please call +44 20 8638 8644 or email hello@voicemap.me Nanda Jagusiak Monteiro

The Commonwealth War Graves Canadian War Cemetery Discover the stories of WWII Canadian soldiers on this short cemetery walk Main attractions: Holten Canadian Cemetery Information Center, Stone of Remembrance, and the Cross of Sacrifice Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 30 minutes Where: Holten Exploring the Historical Centre of The Hague Hit the bricks on this journey through the historical heart of The Hague Main attractions: Binnenhof, Mauritshuis and Escher in The Palace museum Type of tour: walking Language: English Length: 30 minutes Where: The Hague A Tasty Stroll Around The Cool Spots of the Pijp Meander through Amsterdam’s quaint and cool Pijp area to find local hangouts

15-10-20 08:26

✓ Free intake ✓ Tailor-made lessons ✓ Online or at school ✓ Weekdays ✓ Evenings ✓ Weekends Learn Dutch at Taalthuis face-to-face or online! Dutch for Expats - Beginners basic self-study - Group courses at all levels online and face-toface - Incompany courses face-to-face or online Go to our website www.taalthuis.nl for more information and to register You can contact us by email: info@taalthuis.nl or by phone: 023-3050305

www.taalthuis.nl

LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR CHOICE IN DEEP RELAXATION www.heartoflanguage.nl info@heartoflanguage.nl 06 45 31 47 50

Third Time’s A Charm: Specialty coffee cupping from El Salvador and Guatemala Thrives despite COVID-19 Ever since COVID-19 arrived in the Netherlands and made headway, everyone suffered its consequences not only from the illness caused by the virus, but also from suspensions of highly anticipated events. In fact, the Bilateral Chamber of Commerce El Salvador-Holland and the Latin American Trade Agency, in their quest to introduce spectacular Central American coffees, had invited premium roasters in the Netherlands to a coffee cupping for March 20, where they could appreciate and evaluate those beans for their purchase. Then COVID-19 came and the cupping was reprogrammed for the 4th of September. An yet again, right when everything was prepared for that date, the chief cupper that was subcontracted for the technical organization of the event canceled the cupping. Given all the challenges that the organizers had faced for making this event a reality and more than half a year of patiently waiting and preparing, finally holding it this past October 2 in Amsterdam, on the third attempt. It was like a dream come true for Sonia Meijer, President of the Bilateral Chamber of Commerce El Salvador-Holland, and Paul Dufour, Director of the Latin American Trade Agency.

THT 8 _CS.indd 22

And they had every reason to feel that way. Representatives of interested coffee firms that attended this event, which was coordinated technically by cupper Ed Krijgsman, showed much satisfaction about the broad range of beans presented, as they had 27 options to choose from and offer according to the diverging tastes of their clients. El Salvador and Guatemala represent origins of some of the most highly appreciated coffees in the world, due to their exquisite and complex flavors. To produce these exclusive beans, natural elements such as the climate and soil composition are perfectly intermingled with cultural practices as the crop grows and is harvested in the farm, after which it is finally processed. These elements, encapsulated in the concept of terroir, together with the numerous varieties that are cultivated with love and devotion by farmers that work day after day in El Salvador and Guatemala, give rise to literally thousands of possible flavor profiles that amaze any enthusiast.

replete with distinct micro-climates, and with diverse processing methods such as washed, natural and honey ‒ seduced the participants, each with its own unique appeal.

or her own favorite coffee that will in turn captivate coffee lovers in the Netherlands as they savor it from their cup.

In the end, some beans, like the spectacular natural Geisha offered by the cupper and representative of several Central American coffees José Yamagiwa, attracted everybody’s attention with its strikingly complex high intensity fruity notes. But in the end, every participant had his

COVID-19 forced this event to finally be held at the third attempt. But these exceptional Salvadoran and Guatemalan coffees needed only one chance to convince the pros of their outstanding worth ‒ and they did so on a very high note.

The 27 samples displayed at this cupping, including varieties such as the bourbon, icatu, pacamara, caturra, catimor and pacas, embodied the rich diversity of this crop from the Central American countries. These beans ‒ grown in different regions of these countries that are small but

14-10-20 17:10

NOVEMBER 2020 | 23

ART & CULTURE

FRANS HALS ALL HIS MILITIA PIECES

Militia Company of District XI under the Command of Captain Reynier Reael, Known as ‘The Meagre Company’, Frans Hals, Pieter Codde, 1637. Loan from Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

As of 19 September 2020, all of Frans Hals’ militia pieces will be on display in a temporary exhibition at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. Thanks to a special loan from the RijksMuseum, ‘The Meagre Company’, Hals’ only civic guard group portrait that is not part of the Frans Hals Museum collection, is coming to Haarlem. The civic guard of the Amsterdam urban district XI, known as ‘The Meagre Company,’ led by Captain Reynier Reael. On loan from the RijksMuseum, Amsterdam Frans Hals (1582/83–1666) painted no fewer than six militia pieces: portraits of groups of armed civilians who, in the seventeenth-century, maintained order as a neighbourhood watch and, if necessary, defended the city against attackers. The first portrait of this type dates from 1616 and the last one from 1639. Not many other seventeenth-century Dutch painters are known to have had such a large production. Hals’ loose brush technique and his unique, lively compositions make these paintings a feast for the eye. Frans Hals can therefore safely be called Master of the militia piece.

Look differently … see more The arrival of ‘The Meagre Company’ at the Frans Hals Museum provides a unique opportunity to see all six of Frans Hals’ militia pieces at one location and study and compare them using all knowledge and research techniques available. How do the various militia paintings reflect Hals’s development as a painter? Who are the persons depicted and what kind of people were they? Why did Hals, being a Haarlem resident, receive the exceptional assignment for this Amsterdam militia piece and what was the real reason that he did not finish the work? The Frans Hals Museum helps you to look differently and therefore see more.

Frans Hals – All his Militia Pieces is part of the exhibition entitled Haarlem Heroes. Other Masters and will be on display at the Frans Hals Museum’s Hof until mid-2022. www.franshalsmuseum.nl

Special assignment In 1633 Hals received a special assignment from Amsterdam. The officers of the new urban district 11, Captain Reynier Reael and Lieutenant Cornelis Michielsz Blaeuw, commissioned him to make a group portrait of the members of their company. At the time it was highly unusual to award such an assignment to a painter outside one’s own city. Pieter Codde Three years later, the work was still not finished. The officers urged Hals to finish the work, even offered him extra money, but Hals said he did not want to come to Amsterdam. The guard then decided to have the work finished by a painter from within their own ranks: Pieter Codde. Codde had never made a militia piece before. He usually painted very delicately and in a small format. For The Meagre Company he tried to imitate Hals’ loose style as closely as possible. He did this so well that to this very day it is not entirely clear which parts were painted by Codde.

THT 8 _CS.indd 23

Frans Hals Museum, Caroline Coehorst, 2020.

14-10-20 21:28

AVAILABILITY IN ALL GROU PS

Bringing out your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inner magic through excellent international primary education in small classes close to Amsterdam/Schiphol/ Haarlem... come and see us! www.optimist-international-school.nl 0123-OIS19 - Advertentie Holland Times (264x194mm)_defv1.indd 1

THT 8 _CS.indd 24

13-09-19 08:39

14-10-20 10:59

NOVEMBER 2020 | 25

ART & CULTURE

The legacy of one woman with an endless passion for the arts in the Kröller-Müller Museum I am standing in front of Vincent’s van Gogh’s Evening Landscape with Rising Moon. I can see clearly the thick brush strokes of the famous yellow haystacks and the artist’s use of blue paint for the sky. I walk to another part of the gallery and stop to admire a Cezanne landscape; just next to a Renoir, a Picasso and a Mondrian. But this is not the Tate in London, the MoMa in New York or even the Louvre in Paris: I am at the Kröller-Müller Museum in the middle of the woodlands in Otterlo, less than one hour’s drive from Amsterdam. You can be forgiven for not knowing the Kröller-Müller Museum; it isn’t an art gallery that immediately comes to mind, but it has one of the finest art collections, which any gallery would be proud to own. The Kröller-Müller houses the second-largest collection of Van Gogh in the world, with almost 90 paintings and more than 180 drawings, including Terrace of a Café by Night and a series of portrait studies of farmworkers, leading to The Potato Eaters, the most ambitious painting of Van Gogh’s Dutch period.

can be seen further ahead. It is as I have been immersed in the art, in this unique and exquisite place. I leave the museum and drive through the National Park, which extends over 5,500 hectares of woodland, heathland, meadows and sand dunes. Our vehicle is one of the only ones on the road, since most people prefer to leave their cars at the entrance gates and cycle on one of the free-to-use white bicycles along the 40 kilometers of paths in this beautiful part of the Netherlands. For more information: www.krollermuller.nl Written by Louisa Hamilton

Georges Seurat’s Le Chahut is proudly displayed in this light and airy space, as is The Tempest by Bart van der Leck. This remarkable collection of great masters started from one woman’s passion for art: Helene Kröller-Müller. Helene Müller, born in 1869 in Horst, Germany, as the third child of Emilie Neese and the wealthy industrialist Wilhelm Müller, married Dutchman Anton Kröller in 1888, who had come to work at her father’s company some years before. The couple settle in Rotterdam, where Anton is in charge of the local branch of Müller & Co. When Helene’s father dies suddenly in 1889, Anton becomes director of the entire company, at the age of just 27. Under Anton’s leadership, Wm. H. Müller & Co. grows into a highly profitable, international company in ore and shipping. With the acquired assets, Helene was able to start her art collection, which she gradually built up from 1907. She began buying art by new, up and coming artists – Seurat, Picasso, Braque, Gris, Cezanne, Signac, Van Gogh – and loved the way art was moving from realism to idealism. She collected almost 11,500 works of art: one of the largest private collections of the twentieth century. It was Helene’s dream to have her own ‘museum house’, a place where she could share her passion for modern art with the public. The museum was built, not in a town of or city, but in the heart of the countryside in the middle of the National Park De Hoge Veluwe. The art isn’t just hanging on the white walls of the gallery at Kröller-Müller, it is scattered across 25 hectares of garden, where works are snuck in between soaring pine trees, evergreens and rhododendron bushes. I wander along the winding paths and a large granite wall-like structure comes into view, Echo of the Veluwe. New Zeeland artist Chris Booth used boulders, which he cut and wedged into place, to create this wave-like sculpture. Next I note a large white fibreglass structure with heavy black lines, Jardin d’émail by Jean Dubuffet, which I clamber onto to become part of the art piece. There are other more conventional pieces, including Auguste Rodin’s Femme accroupie, which just seems to be placed haphazardly along the path, and a Henry Moore sits on hill looking down onto the lake where a floating sculpture comes into view. Pieces by Barbara Hepworth and Richard Serra

Georges Seurat Le Chahut

Alone with Vermeer ‘The most beautiful painting in the world’ The renowned French novelist Marcel Proust visited the Mauritshuis in 1902 and was deeply impressed by Vermeer’s masterpiece. Many years later he wrote in a letter: ‘From the moment that I saw View of Delft in the museum in The Hague, I knew that I had seen the most beautiful painting in the world’. This exhibition consists solely of the View of Delft. During a pre-booked slot, visitors will have the opportunity – either alone or in a very small group – to experience in silence the effect that this very special artwork has on them. An ideal viewing experience is being created to support this: subtle design, perfect lighting and no external sounds or distractions. Alone with Vermeer. For many this display offers the opportunity to (re)discover their favourite painting, with which they sometimes already have a strong bond, in a unique environment. 26 September 2020 t/m 3 January 2021 www.mauritshuis.nl

THT 8 _CS.indd 25

14-10-20 17:11

LOOKING FOR A HEALTH CHECK?

Health Check € 395 Hormones Check € 223 Weight - Stress - or Health Control Programs starting at € 125 per month

Talk to us 020 210 1230 www.hollandhealthclinic.com

THT 8 _CS.indd 26

The future of preventative health care

14-10-20 10:59

NOVEMBER 2020 | 27

ART & CULTURE

Henk Helmantel – Master Painter Drents Museum

Henk Helmantel, The most Dutch Still life, 2019, oil on panel, 122 x 185 cm. Henk Helmantel Private collection. Photo: Art Revisited, Tolbert

This autumn, fans of Henk Helmantel’s work will be able to revel in an exhibition that the Drents Museum is devoting to this leading artist. Henk Helmantel - Master Painter will focus on the artistry and craftsmanship of this painter from Drenthe’s neighbouring province Groningen from 3 October 2020 to 7 March 2021. Helmantel is nationally and internationally renowned for his masterfully painted still lifes and church interiors. Some 60 paintings by Helmantel will be on view in the Drents Museum’s large exhibition hall. Director Harry Tupan: ‘Because of the coronavirus pandemic we recently rescheduled our Frida Kahlo exhibition to the autumn of 2021. In the short time left to us, we had to come up with a new programme to fill the resulting empty slot in the period October 2020 to March 2021. The plan to organise a Henk Helmantel exhibition was already in place. His work has a strong connection with our holdings of contemporary figurative art. The Helmantel exhibition we mounted in 2004 was a great success and a sequel was on the cards. This exhibition is an opportunity to show not only known but also recent paintings by Helmantel and thus acquaint a new generation with his work.’

Known at home and abroad Henk Helmantel (Westeremden, 1945) trained at the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen from 1961 to 1965. He belongs to the group of ‘Northern Figurative Painters’ and is regarded as one of the leading artists of the Contemporary Realism movement. His paintings are appreciated in the Netherlands and far beyond its borders. At home, Helmantel’s work has been exhibited in the Singer Laren, the Rembrandthuis and Museum More, among other venues. Abroad, his paintings have been shown in the United States, Germany, England, Italy and France, Indonesia and most recently in Taiwan. Helmantel lives and works in Westeremden. His exhibition space ‘De Weem’ in the northern Groningen village of Weerdorp attracts thousands of visitors every year.

deeper level with them thanks to various look-andsee tips and by listening to music from Helmantel’s studio with your own smartphone and headphones. You can also respond more actively and make your own drawing amidst these works of art. For families there is a free family route along all the works with look, do, think and play assignments. To ensure availability, please order your tickets online. We are only allowed to welcome a limited amount of visitors. By ordering your ticket online, you are ensured of entrance at a moment chosen by yourself. Purchase your tickets at www.drentsmuseum.nl/en

Special combination Helmantel’s work has a strong bond with the Drents Museum’s collection of contemporary figurative art. Following the successful show devoted to the artist in 2004, the Drents Museum is once again organising a major Helmantel exhibition, this time with a selection of the best of his oeuvre, ranging from early to recent paintings, some of which have never been exhibited before. The special combination of his paintings with the objects – medieval wood sculptures, antique Chinese pottery and Roman glass – from Helmantel’s personal collection depicted in them affords visitors greater insight into his artistry. The exhibition also features the short documentary Henk Helmantel - Driven by beauty, produced in collaboration with the Harms Rolde Collection. The exhibition was designed by Studio Berry Slok, Amsterdam. Experience Helmantel Helmantel’s world is about inspiration and craftsmanship, light and dark, the rendering of texture, and stillness and spirituality. The experience of Helmantel’s work is particularly valuable in these times of standing still, distance and contemplation. Henk Helmantel - Master Painter devotes special attention to the experience of Helmantel’s work. As a visitor you can view the paintings in peace, sometimes even sitting down. You can engage on a

Henk Helmantel, View of the South Wall of the Church in Oldenzijl, 2019, oil on panel. Henk Helmantel Private collection Photo: Art Revisited, Tolbert

William Wegman BEING HUMAN Many artists have a muse. Movie directors perfect their craft working repeatedly with their favourite actors, while choreographers create some of their best works for a specific dancer. In some cases, the muse is a silent partner, the object of an artist’s intense and obsessive gaze; in others the work emerges from a partnership so close that it is unclear which is the artist and which is the muse. For the American artist William Wegman (b. 1943), his muses have been generations of the Weimaraner breed. The inspiration came in 1970 when his first dog, Man Ray—named after Wegman’s favourite artist—sat himself in front of the camera. Instead of sending his faithful companion to his bed, Wegman seized the moment, and

THT 8 _CS.indd 27

the rest is history. Wegman was already a well-known artist, but it is his numerous, human-like portraits of his ever-expanding cast of Weimaraners that have brought him worldwide fame. In partnership with renowned guest curator William A. Ewing and the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Fotomuseum Den Haag presents a major survey of no fewer than four decades of Wegman’s wide-ranging collaboration with Man Ray, Fay Wray, Candy and their descendants. www.fotomuseumdenhaag.nl/en

14-10-20 17:12

Book a timed ticket in advance at drentsmuseum.nl/en

now on view!

Henk Helmantel Master Painter main sponsors

sponsor

subsidy-provider

patrons

sponsor exhibition

main sponsor exhibition

Museum Het Schip Amsterdam stands out in its beautiful architecture. From the canal houses to the modern high-rise, the variation is quite unique. The nineteenth century ring around the city center was build as a revolutionary expansion of the city. This expansion was needed because of the many agricultural workers that moved to the city in a search for work in the brand new modern factories. Proper housing was not available, which caused poignant situations. Complete families rented one room apartments in attics and basements without any facilities. Epidemics as cholera and tuberculosis broke out, which forced the government to accept the Housing law in 1901. The design of a better housing situation was handed over to young, upcoming architects. They expressed the importance of a better world and the rise of the worker in

THT 8 _CS.indd 28

their architecture and city plans. The renewed movement was proudly named The Amsterdam School. Museum Het Schip is located in one of the highlights of this extraordinary movement. The so called workers palace stands out in its creative shapes, beautiful details and spectacular brickwork. The permanent collection of the museum tells the story of the architecture and artwork by showing all sorts of objects and period rooms. During your visit the original interior of our post office and our museum apartment are open. The Amsterdam School is a part of an international movement of inspired architects who contributed to a better world, just as Gaudi and Bruno Taut did. The museum is open from Tuesday till Sunday, 11.00 17.00. Visiting the interiors with an English-speaking

guide is possible daily at 15.00. Private tours are available on request: the extended tours ‘Treasures of social housing’ and ‘Michel de Klerk’ provide a closer look on the spectacular details of De Klerks oeuvre, and the history of social housing throughout the area. Visitors centre De Dageraad (in the south of Amsterdam) provides several (private) tours in Plan South with a specific focus on the architecture of the Amsterdam School and/or social housing history. Discover the trendy Baarsjes area with one of our guides, and learn about the renewed city plans the architects of the Amsterdam School realized there. More information: hetschip.nl

14-10-20 17:12

NOVEMBER 2020 | 29

TIPS & REVIEWS movie |

movie |

Blackbird

De Beentjes van Sint-Hildegard

A family comes together to confront the past and an uncertain future in Roger Michell’s (director of Notting Hill) sentimental but well-acted drama. Susan Sarandon plays Lily, a mother suffering from terminal illness, who invites her daughters (Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska) to spend a final weekend with her before she plans to end her life via assisted suicide. However, rather than being a wholesome family get-together, Lily’s fractured relationship with her children bubbles to the surface. The film begins as a gentle and mildly witty family drama, where the daughters begin the process of saying goodbye to their mother through walks, stories and some recreational drugs. It’s a glossy and polished story where Hollywood stars assemble in a Hollywood setting. This pleasant tone is jolted into melodrama in the final half hour, as old feuds suddenly come to light in an unnatural way, by characters who haven’t developed enough to make these conflicts intriguing. The result is that the finale feels rushed and unsatisfying. Despite this lack of depth, the talented cast is worth spending time with. Sarandon, who has played the role of a dying mother before in the 90s drama Stepmom, brings her usual grace and serenity to the screen, while making clear the anguish of a person in Lily’s situation. Winslet and Wasikowska are equally excellent as siblings who could not be more different, dealing with old wounds in relation to their parents and each other. Rainn Wilson and Sam Neill are solid performers as the husbands of Winslet and Sarandon respectfully, but it’s the women in the cast that make the most sense of the wandering plot. Blackbird is, ultimately, a rather average family drama that uses the hefty subject of death in order to overpower audiences, who may otherwise question the film’s structure. Nonetheless, the actors elevate this final goodbye to an intriguing, if flawed experience. James Luxford

Fifty-something Gedda is a university professor, specializing in life expectancies between men and women. Her research has revealed that women live seven years longer than men, especially men that are widowers or single. In general, single men tend to become socially isolated, which contributes to their early death. In her own 35 years of marriage to the retired neurologist Jan (played by Herman Finkers), Gedda has taken her research to heart. Gedda does everything to ensure Jan lives a long life. Subtly played by Johanna ter Steege, Gedda tells him what to wear, eat and say to others. In short: Gedda is a control freak and Jan feels trapped. Gedda’s behavior is nothing new. Her mother was exactly the same with her father, before he died. As a last wish to honour his deceased father-in-law, Jan wants to visit the monastery of Saint Hildegard of Bingen in Germany, but already knows Gedda will not allow him. Instead, he comes up with a plan to get away from her. One morning, he switches on the espresso machine without putting a cup underneath, suddenly doesn’t recognize people anymore and cuts down the garden hedge, instead of trimming it. His absent-minded behavior alarms Gedda, who takes him to a neurologist. The diagnosis is Alzheimer’s Disease. Jan is admitted to a care home, run by an old colleague and friend. To allow him to adjust, Gedda is asked not to visit him for a couple of weeks. Free at last! But that is only the beginning of Jan’s adventurous journey to Bingen, where he sets his father-in-law, himself and ultimately his children free from a continuous cycle of toxic marital behavior. Set in the rural area of Twente, in the east of the Netherlands, the actors in this subtle and well-cast film speak Twents, one of only three recognized dialects in the Netherlands, besides Fries and Limburgs. If it gets nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film, it would be the first in Twents. Benjamin B. Roberts

Filmhuis Den Haag opens first boutique cinema in The Hague As of this week, The Hague has a boutique cinema. Theatre 6, on the first floor of Filmhuis Den Haag, has opened its door. In a cosy living room setting you can watch the most beautiful films, drinks at hand. The cinema has a different experience than a normal cinema room, being furnished with comfortable velvet lounge chairs and benches. Poufs, pillows, rugs and tables complete the living room feeling. In total there are nineteen ‘corona proof’ seats, films from the regular program are shown and the ticket price is the same as a normal ticket. Of course, state-of-the-art projection ensures an enjoyable experience. Room 6 could be created without any renovations in Filmhuis Den Haag. The extra cinema room has been set up in the restaurant, which has closed its doors temporarily due to the corona virus. Director Géke Roelink explains: ‘We currently only have a capacity of 18% in our rooms, observing the 1.5-meter rules. An extra room is a very welcome addition. Before the corona crisis, the Filmhuis received about 325,000 visitors a year, but this is not possible this year.’ About Filmhuis The Hague At the Filmhuis, located on the Spui, you will find special films from more than 50 countries. The Filmhuis also shows programs in Dakota (in Escamp district) and Omniversum. Visit one of the festivals or specials organized together with local partners. In this way the Filmhuis created significance for the city and all its inhabitants. Every year, 20,000 students visit the Filmhuis for education about films and images. In addition, the Filmhuis is the initiator of the film hub Beeldung, to ensure that film education is spread across Zuid-Holland.

THT 8 _CS.indd 29

14-10-20 21:42

WANT TO FEEL GOOD? Come exercise, relax and and enjoy at Caesar Fitness + Spa Resort in the centre of The Hague. We offer maximum comfort by combining everything under one roof. Whether you are young or old, a beginner of advanced, at Caesar Fitness + Spa Resort everyone has the possibility to work on their fitness and health. So time to get in shape in this luxurious and safe environment. Thanks to the high-tech air treatment system you only breathe in fresh and clean outdoor air which is definitely a pleasant idea, especially in these time! Would you like to become a member? Or spend a day exercising or relaxing? Look for more information on our website.

MAURITSKADE 10 | DEN HAAG | T 070 820 99 10 | WWW.CAESAR-DENHAAG.NL

German High School Diploma “International Abitur” opens the door to universities worldwide. Excellent multilingual education for children & youth aged 3 to 18.

www.disdh.nl

info@disdh.nl

The German Library Literature House, The Hague

STANZA BOOKSHOP We are an international bookshop established in The Hague offering English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian books for adults, young adults and children. Additionally, we have a selection of International Law books in English, Spanish and French.

New pathways through the corona crisis The “Literaturhaus Deutsche Bibliothek Den Haag” was founded in 1953 as the German Library. With its 7,000 print and digital media items, it’s the focal point for German-language literature in and around The Hague. By means of our author readings, moderated talks, open discussions and film evenings, we offer a range of formats with literature as the main theme. Our principal aim is to make German-language literature accessible to a wide audience.

We host literary events such as storytelling, writing & poetry workshops, and services for book launch. Opening times Mon: closed. Tuesday-Saturday from 10.30 until 17.00. During November and December we open twice per month on Sundays (please check the dates and opening hours through our social media)

The corona crisis has also impacted the Literature House, so to counter these impacts we have steadily expanded our virtual offerings. One example is our digital Language Café sessions, enabling participants to brush up or improve their spoken German in telephone and video conferences. To keep in touch with the friends of the Literature House, we launched a themed newsletter called “Eine Stunde Literatur.” It was initially e-mailed twice a week, with topical articles about literature, art, culture and music. As it was so well received the series has now been continued and is available to anyone interested. In recent months our new YouTube channel “Literaturhaus Lichtspielen” has livestreamed celebrities such as Andreas Hoppe, former star of the TV detective series “Tatort,” and the journalist Kerstin Schweighöfer. And in the “Thrilling Times” series, three authors have read excerpts from their detective novels. We still have to take the coronavirus seriously and stay careful. That’s why we in the Literature House are planning to expand our digital offerings even further; cultural organizations such as ours can only have a future if they tackle the new challenges with openness, motivation and creativity. We’re fortunate in having an energetic team to rely on, but we’re still looking for new people to join them. If you’re interested, please contact us. info@deutsche-bibliothek.nl www.deutschebib.de THT 8 _CS.indd 30

T +31 70 354 94 54

Noordeinde 98, 2514 GM, The Hague. T. 0031 (0) 702144117, www.stanzabookshop.com, Instagram: Stanza_Bookshop, Facebook/Twitter: @StanzaBookshop

Literaturhaus Deutsche Bibliothek Den Haag seit 1953

Mehr als Bücher – vor Ort und online! Austauschen I Lesen I Treffen

14-10-20 17:13

NOVEMBER 2020 | 31

SPORT

For one American football player, time is running out blood plasma donation, there may be a call for a marrow donation. American football players know all too well that often great achievement comes through personal sacrifice and they look to inspire each other and their friends and family to join their ‘Crusade’. The Crusaders have a simple message: “Every day we are bombarded by pleas for our money or our time – two things that are sometimes in short supply; but by registering as a stem cell donor, you have the incredible opportunity to give the gift of life. Be that match and give that gift. Time is running out for Marlon and countless others like him throughout the world.”

Marlon Etnel has experience beating the odds. Some twenty years ago, Marlon was a member of the Amsterdam Crusaders amateur American Football club and working in the back office of the NFL Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals franchise. Based on his performance in an informal parking lot game with other Admirals staff, he caught the eye of a coach and was invited to try out for the professional team. Against all odds, was invited to join the Admirals as a “National Player” and played a season with pros in the Amsterdam ArenA. Following his year with the Admirals, he played a season in Germany for the Munich Cowboys before finishing up with the Crusaders. Marlon would then trade in his football cleats for dancing shoes and spent a number of years as an accomplished salsa dancer.

Amsterdam Crusaders have set off on a ‘last drive’ to spread the word and call upon everyone they can reach to do what they can to help. American Football is a good fit for this challenge. For starters, donors need to be in decent shape and relatively young. In Marlon’s case – a suitable donor will have African roots which are in short supply but the American football community is a great platform to reach young people of color. Longtime Crusader Coach Winston Ronde has called for the bar to be raised when it comes to the number of registered donors. Secondly, American Footballers are known for two things: big mouths and even bigger hearts. Even those who are not candidate donors can help spread the word. Lastly, while the normal procedure is no more invasive than a

Registration is relatively easy. In the Netherlands, the responsible organisation is Matchis, headquartered in Leiden. Donor candidates do need to be reasonably fit and the optimal age is between 18-35. For that age band, registration is free of charge. Candidates aged 36-55 can register but will need to pay a fee. Once registered, the donor candidate will be sent a sample collection kit by post. The procedure is amazingly simple and completely painless. One simply swabs the inside of the cheek, pops the swab into a plastic envelope and mails the kit back to the lab. Once analyzed, the donor’s cell details are entered into a database and when a match is found, the donor will be contacted for a potential donation. Donors who have been selected have recounted their journey as miracles and great triumphs. Needles to say, the recipients who have been cured feel the same way! More information about stem cell registration can be found on the Matchis website: www.matchis.nl. Potential donors outside the Netherlands can turn to www. swabtheworld.com, a Canadian website offering links to many local stem cell donor registries throughout the world. The procedures are fairly similar globally and goal is the same: by getting more and more people registered as donors, the odds for Marlon and so many others in the same situation will get a lot better! Be the match, register today if you are eligible and spread the word! Written by John Mahnen

Twenty years later and the odds are not in Marlon’s favor. In American football terms, he is facing fourth and ten, down a touchdown with time running out in the last quarter. Marlon has a rare form of lymphatic cancer and without a stem cell donor, his time will run out. His cancer is resistant to chemotherapy and the pills he takes to slow its advance are already nearing the end of their usefulness. It is said that American football is a game of inches, but on Marlon’s playing field it is even smaller than that. The microscopic genetic make-up of cells is the key to victory in this battle against the odds. A perfect match from a stem cell donor could save Marlon but to date, no match has been found. Stem cells donors are still too few and far between. Marlon’s old club, the

THT 8 _CS.indd 31

14-10-20 17:27

Imagineâ&#x20AC;Ś Living in a luxurious five-star apartment at Gelderlandplein in Amsterdam. Enjoying the outdoors on your spacious terrace with a fantastic view of the city. In addition, you have access to personal assistant services and the exclusive f itness center.

If you would like to receive further information or take a tour, you are welcome to contact:

+31 (0)88 37 47 000 info@sothebysrealty.nl

+31 (0)20 305 26 62 info@ramonmossel.nl

www.letoileamsterdam.nl

THT 8 _CS.indd 32

14-10-20 12:20