The Holland Times April 2021

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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.

5 Now that the election is over ...

7 30 percent of part-time self-employed people want to work more hours

House prices see the fastest rise in twenty years in February

9 A record number of entrepreneurs closed their doors in 2020 Health gap between rich and poor visible in corona mortality rate 11 No easement of lockdown until most people over 60 are vaccinated

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.

China imposes sanctions on Dutch MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma

Would you like to receive The Holland Times in your organization or become one of our distribution points?

21 Interview with an expat 23 Slavery in the Rijksmuseum

Please contact c.spraakman@argomedia.nl

27 Fries Museum & Drents Museum

13 More residents moving away from citycentres in the Netherlands Oh rats!

15 Columns 17 Coronablues and how to handle it

ABN Amro still struggling with money laundering prevention

19 Westfield shopping mall in Leidschendam now open

25 ‘Youthcake’ in the Kunsthal 29 Reviews & tips 31 The global game - the foreign influence on Dutch football

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 Marla Thomson, Raphael Perachi Vieira, Phoebe Dodds, Priyanka Sharma, John Mahnen, Seringe S.T. Touray, Benjamin Roberts, Stephen Swai, Barbara Luque Alanis, Juan Alvarez, Geetanjali Gupta, James Luxford, Beatriz Negreiros & Nicole Kerr 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

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FRENCH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Design & Layout Caroline Spraakman All Rights reserved by the publisher and/ or the author(s).

2003 The Amsterdam Times 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.

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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

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APRIL-MAY 2021 | 5

NATIONAL

Now that the election is over Democracy (FvD) party - another controversial rightwing party - winning 8 seats; and finally the GreenLeft (GL) party, which is - as its name suggests - the leftist environmentalist party in the Netherlands.

What are the current options to create a coalition with at least 76 seats? Even before the election, it was fairly certain that the Mark Rutte and the VVD would win and that his previous coalition partners, CDA and D66, would secure enough votes to be leading parties and therefore part of the coalition. What was a surprise was that the D66 became the second-largest party in the Netherlands, and that other parties who could realistically join a VVD-led coalition did not do very well. In 2017, the Christian Union (CU) was the fourth party in the coalition, but this time around it’s not likely that this party will join the coalition.

The liberal position of the D66 on euthanasia and abortion issues has long been a sticky point for the Christianfundamentalist CU, even though they worked together in the previous coalition, so it’s likely out of the running to make up the missing 5 seats.

Rutte has already ruled out working with the rightwing PVV and FvD, but interestingly enough is open to working with a much smaller right-wing party, the new JA21 - another right-wing party that split from the Forum for Democracy after a scandal involving racist messages between party members in 2020.

From 15-17 March 2021, Dutch citizens cast their votes for the person and party they wanted to see in the Dutch house of representatives: de Tweede Kamer. After several days of counting votes, with Amsterdam’s votes being the last to come in, the results were in. It was not surprising that the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) won the most votes, making current prime minister Mark Rutte the prime minister for the next four years.

It may have not been a surprise that the VVD won, but the votes for the other parties came as a surprise. What happens after the election - the formation of a coalition government - is turning out to be a little tricky. What do we mean by the ‘formation of a government’? Let’s take a step back ...

Dutch politics 101: As we’ve reported before, the Netherlands is a parliamentary representative democracy, which means that the seats are distributed based on the percentage of votes that each party receives. There are 150 seats in the Tweede Kamer and, much like the US and the UK, the governing parties need to have a majority in order to pass legislation. Since no party ever reaches and absolute 50% majority, the winning party must create a coalition within the Tweede Kamer to reach that >50% threshold of 76 seats. To create that coalition, negotiations take place between the parties where each compromise (or not, in some cases) to form a majority. Part of the negotiations are the appointments of the ministers and secretaries to the cabinet, with each of the governing parties benig assigned some posts.

This is where we are now. Now that the VVD has won the election and Mark Rutte will be serving as prime minister for the next four years, the next task is to create the coalition group in the Tweede Kamer and the appointment of the ministers and secretaries. Bringing different parties - and therefore different political platforms - together is tricky just at face value, but the current negotiations have been made trickier by scandals, as well as the results of the elections.

The scouting team assigned by Rutte to help create the coalition has a lot of parties to choose from. The 2021 Dutch national election saw a record number of parties registering to compete in the elections, with 89 having signed up. Most parties did not meet the requirements or financial investment needed to actually participate, but still a record number of 37 parties did. I’m an American, so I didn’t vote, but I hear the ballots were enormous! (Not only is the system of voting different, but who is listed on the ballots and where is another unique part of the Dutch system of elections and is definitely worthy of a more advanced, detailed article.) Of the 37 who participated, 17 parties won enough votes to be awarded at least one seat in the Tweede Kamer.

17 parties in the Tweede Kamer! For Americans, think about 17 parties being represented in the US House of Representatives, where there are currently 435 seats represented by only two parties. Anyway, back to the Dutch elections …

But who of the remaining parties could possibly join the current parties (VVD, D66 and CDA) to reach the 76 seats needed? With the CU ruled because of the difference in ideologies with D66, the next-largest parties that have enough seats are far-left or far-right parties - none of which are ideal for a centralist coalition. Despite the vast spectrum of political ideologies, there are no real ‘center’ parties left who could join the coalition.

Let’s look first at the right. The PVV and its leader, Geert Wilders, have long had a contentious relationship with the VVD and Mark Rutte. Wilders was actually a member of the VVD until he went his separate ways in 2004 over Turkey’s possible entry to the EU and the issues of Islam and Muslim immigration – on which the PVV has since

developed a far-right perspective, which remains the bedrock of the PVV’s political platform. Since then, the VVD and PVV have been vocal about their refusal to work together in any kind of formation, especially a coalition government. Their ideologies confirm this too.

The FvD and its more-infamous-than-famous leader, Thierry Baudet, are too far-right and controversial to have any common ground to be a part of a centrist coalition.

This leaves JA21, a new party by former FvD members.

Though not supported by his scouting team, Mark Rutte remains open to speak with the FvD about joining the coalition. If this were to happen, it’s anyone’s guess as to what that could do to future legislation: would the more liberal VVD help bring the more right-leaning JA21 to the center? Or worse, vice versa? Regardless, the party’s stand on environmental, EU and migration policies is at odds with that of D66.

Then there’s the left. Several leftist parties could become part of the coalition, but they may be too left-leaning to join the centrist parties. First, there’s the SP, founded back in the early 70s as the communist party of the Netherlands.

However, the party’s leader, Lilian Marijnissen, has said it’s extremely unlikely that her party would join the coalition, as it has little in common with the more rightwing VVD and CDA. The PvdA, traditionally representing the workers of the nation, has all but ruled out joining the coalition – not on ideological grounds, but because it has not done well in recent elections and feels it would be against the wishes of the votes to join the government.

But GreenLeft leader Jesse Klaver has said that he is open to discussion and would not hesitate to bring more progressiveness to the ruling majority.

In 2017 it took until October of the same year to come to a coalition government, the longest any formation has taken.

The 2021 election outcome seems to make the formation even more tricky than it was the last time around. While the VVD and the D66 gained seats - signaling a shift to the left - so did the right-wing parties. Is this a sign of polarization in the Netherlands? This is not certain and might not be clear for years to come, but what is certain is that Rutte and his scouting team have their work cut out for them in creating a coalition in the next weeks and months.

In any case, at the time of writing the negotiations had stalled completely due to an unfortunate leak by Sigrid Kaag, D66 leader and part of the scouting team. When leaving the Tweede Kamer buildings, some of her notes were visible, which made unfavorable comments about Pieter Omtzigt, a CDA MP who was fundamental in uncovering the child benefits scandal that brought down Rutte’s previous government. Rutte stated he had not said anything about Omtzigt in his discussions with Kaag, but it later turned out that he had. As a result, Rutte was branded a liar and held to account by the Tweede Kamer. Who knows, we may need new elections before a government is even formed…

Stay tuned!

Written by Marla Thomson

First the election. With 21.9% of the votes, the liberalleaning VVD became the biggest party with 34 seats in the Tweede Kamer. The controversial right-wing party Party for Freedom (PVV) came in second place in 2017 but slipped to third place in 2021 with 10.8% of the votes. 2017’s third place winner, the center-left Democrats 66 (D66) surprised everyone with moving up to second place with 15.0% of the votes, or 24 seats. Coming in fourth place, as they did in 2017, is the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 9.5% of the votes, or 15 seats.

Rounding out the major parties’ results are the leftist Socialist Party (SP) and Labour Party (PvdA) each winning 9 seats in the Tweede Kamer; the Forum for

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APRIL-MAY 2021 | 7

NATIONAL

30 percent of part-time self-employed people want to work more hours According Het Parool, ‘self-employed people receive fewer assignments … One in three self-employed persons now works less than 20 hours a week’. Especially people working in creative, linguistic, technical, and administrative professions need more work assignments and thus more hours. People who were previously self-employed in the entertainment industry now have fewer contact hours and income opportunities.

The Netherlands is home to one and a half million self-employed people, or zzp’ers (zelfstandige zonder personeel, i.e. a selfemployed person who works alone). A survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) found that more than 30 percent of those who are self-employed want to increase their working hours.

In the second to fourth quarter of 2020, an average of 32 percent of those selfemployed working less than 20 hours per week wanted to work more hours. In the

same quarters in 2019, this was only 25 percent. For part-timers who worked 20 to 35 hours, these figures were 20 percent for 2020 and 17 percent for 2019.

Considering the recent economic disruptions due to the global pandemic, it is clear that this group of people is one of the most vulnerable. Last year, approximately 895,000 self-employed people worked full time, a decrease of 44,000 compared to the same period in the previous year.

The self-employed have experienced widespread income losses during the crisis.

This has caused financial distress, doubled by uncertainty over future business projects, within the midst of the pandemic.

The various government support schemes were inadequate to address the worries of this group. Most importantly, the government only supplemented the income of self-employed people up to the level of the standard unemployment benefit, about 1500 euros per month; and those whose partners are still in work, get nothing at all. For example, a self-employed person who previously earned 8000 euros a month, and whose partner makes 3000, now receives nothing. Obviously, for selfemployed people with mortgages, this is a disastrous reduction in income. It’s also not fair in comparison with people who are in employment, since they still receive 85% of their wage through the NOW scheme.

CBS spokesman Peter Hein van Mulligen

stated that ‘salaried employees may also have less work, but self-employed people notice this immediately and much more intensely’, as the latter need to provide a service to receive an income. Even in normal times, self-employed individuals have less entitlement to social services as compared to other workers and they are at risk of receiving little to no unemployment benefits. Therefore, their livelihoods depend on the income they actively bring into their household.

With fewer hours of work and more constraints on jobseeking during the pandemic, it is clear this issue needs to be addressed with immediate effect. Last year, a committee on the regulation of work, the Borstlap Committee, advised the cabinet to give more security to flexible workers and less to employees with permanent contracts. According to the committee, there is a vast difference in rights enjoyed by individuals who are employees, as compared with flex workers and freelancers. The labour laws and taxation systems must be changed to reduce these differences. The Borstlap Committee stated that if these unjust differences are not addressed, the long-term prosperity for the self-employed will be negatively affected, especially considering the economic effects of the global pandemic.

Written by Nicole Kerr

House prices see the fastest rise in twenty years in February As home owners, we have always been keen watchers of the house price movements in the Netherlands. More so being expats with a short-term horizon.

When the corona crisis hit, dwindling tourism, faltering businesses and falling jobs numbers looked like impending doom for the housing market. We too braced for stagnation or, worse, a drop in house prices. All of a sudden we started fearing a replay of the scenes of global financial crisis of 2008, when we lived in California, and where home prices got slashed by 3040%. Announcements of foreclosure and short-sell popped up everywhere.

As months dragged on under the pandemic, counter-intuitive for common man and economy pundits alike, house prices not just held their ground: the house price index actually continued zigzagging ever upward.

Incredibly, the biggest year-on-year rise was recorded for the month of February 2021, when owner-occupied home prices increased by the highest margin in the last twenty years – then, like now, in the middle of health crisis. According to the figures published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Land Registry (Kadaster), the sentiment regarding the housing market has not been dampened by the general gloom. Far from it: the madness in the housing market has only increased. After a minor blip in 2019, the year 2020 already saw a big upswing and 2021 only promisesfurther acceleration.

In January, prices of existing owneroccupied homes rose by 9.3% compared to January of last year, followed by 10.4% in February.

Many reasons are cited for the increase

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in demand for houses, which in turn is reflected in the price hike. The suspension of transfer tax for firsttime home buyers aged under 35 has encouraged people to move from rented to owned accommodation. Coupled with very low mortgage interest rates, this has made a purchase very rewarding at this time. In January, more than 24,500 homes were sold after the suspension of the tax for starters from 1 January. This record number was 40% more than in January 2020. In February, the number of home sales was 16,871, over 9% more than a year earlier. People wanting to upgrade to bigger houses are finding the low mortgage interest rates favourable to make the switch. In addition, the lockdown has resulted in lesser spending for entertainment and holidays, leaving more investible surplus.

The rising house prices are an indicator of the severe housing shortage that has been going on for over a decade. In the global financial crisis of 2008, many construction projects came to a grinding halt. This development was worsened by the underestimation of population growth - by natural increaseor immigration, as well as the nitrogen crisis of 2020 which slowed down the granting of new building permits, and the shortage of construction workers due to the low number of graduates in this field. As a result, the number of new housing developments has always lagged behind the housing requirements in this small country.

This historic rise in house prices during a severe global calamity has only underlined the criticality of striking the right balance between demand and supply. With the population of the Netherlands projected to rise to 18.8 million by 2030, the need to build 845,000 houses by then is sacrosanct in order to tame the runaway housing prices. Right now, the exorbitant prices are forcing many to rent rather than own their dream home.

Written by Geetanjali Gupta

While the increase in house prices is good news for around 4.4 million home owners in the Netherlands, it is also true that never before have owner-occupied homes been so expensive as now. And the prices are only rising. This is now turning into a serious barrier for most first-time buyers, preventing them from entering the housing ladder at all. In addition, there are concerns that inner cities will remain affordable only for people with high incomes. As per the CBS figures, which match a study by NVM, the Dutch estate agents’ association, since 2013 the value of homes has increased by more than 50 percent. Even so, according to NVM, about six in ten buyers now offer more than the asking price. With the scales tipped heavily towards demand against supply, the Netherlands has continued to be a seller’s market.

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07-04-21 11:15

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 9

NATIONAL

A record number of entrepreneurs closed their doors in 2020 A recent report from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) revealed a record number of businesses closed its doors for good in 2020, especially in the catering industry.

The corona year registered 140,000 entrepreneurs giving up their business, a 20 percent rise compared to 2019. This is the highest increase since 2007, according to Het Parool newspaper.

AD Nieuws website reports that 470 restaurants closed their doors, about 10 percent more than a year earlier.

Additionally, 450 cafeterias, lunchrooms, snack bars, catering businesses, ice cream parlors and other food outlets did the same. The rise took off especially in the third and fourth quarters of 2020. This may have to do with the partial lockdown that the government announced in midOctober.

to 250 people employed. “The decision to quit is easier for a business with sole proprietorship than for a company with 5000 employees,” says Marjolijn Jaarsma, a researcher at CBS, to AD Nieuws.

More business quitting than filing for bankruptcy The decision to stop operations can help the business. By doing so, a small entrepreneur can prevent a more serious financial struggle. By closing on time,

before debts hit, a bankruptcy can be prevented. To explain in more detail the difference between both types of business in the Netherlands: the Dutch government defines a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) as a structure without legal personality. As sole trader, the owner alone is responsible and liable for the company, its finances, and its debts. On the other hand, a private limited company is a business structure with legal personality.

This means that the business is liable for

any debts, rather than the owner as an individual.

By the end of last year, the number of business closures in Amsterdam appeared to have risen sharply, while the number of bankruptcies remains historically low, partly because of this scenario. CBS reported that 2,703 companies went bankrupt last year, 16 percent less than in 2019. “Of course, those 2,703 companies don’t include the 140,000 companies that stopped. The number 2,703 also doesn’t include sole proprietorships. If you include sole proprietorships, 3,178 have gone bankrupt. Still 16 percent less than in 2019,” says Jaarsma to Het Parool.

Despite the sharp increase in the number of business closures, CBS has a positive note. In 2020 approximately 280,000 companies started, compared to the 140,000 that stopped. “More companies started last year than stopped,” says Jaarsma to AD Nieuws. A good note in the hopes of better days.

Not only the catering industry suffered, but also advertising companies, communication agencies and web shops.

According to figures from CSB, almost 89 percent of the businesses that ceased operations are one-man companies. About one out of ten companies that closed its doors had between two to ten employees on its payroll. Less than 1 percent had 10

Written by Raphael Perachi Vieira

Health gap between rich and poor visible in corona mortality rate A recent report by the national statistical office, Statistics Netherlands (CBS), showed that, for the 10.000 Covid-19 deaths that occurred during the first wave of 2020, the 20% population group with the lowest income were twice as likely to die from the virus than the 20% with the highest income. CBS further reported that this death rate disparity between the two income groups also applies for other causes of death, unrelated to corona, in the Netherlands.

Worldwide, the corona crisis has brought to light the depth of the gap between the rich and the poor, and it has amplified it further in terms of both health as well as access to wealth and the capacity to recover from the crisis in economic terms. As a January global report from Oxfam International claims: “the virus has exposed, fed off and increased existing inequalities of wealth, gender and race.” This panorama is also visible in the Netherlands, where, in the spring of 2020, double the number of corona deaths occur in the lowest income groups than in their richest counterparts, with as much as almost three times more deaths in the younger ages (under 70), low-income groups, according to the CBS report.

The data published by the CBS also accounts for the relation between migration backgrounds and Covid mortality rates. There is little difference between all the Dutch regions in terms of corona deaths and income groups; the disparity is consistent in the whole country. However, death rates for people of non-western migration backgrounds,

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explanations and conclusions, given the fact that there could be many variables at play, and that populations with non-western migration backgrounds are not one single homogeneous ethnic group, but several populations with their own diverse traits and therefore there may be many different possible explanations for health variables.

Maria van den Muijsenbergh, professor of Health Inequalities at Radboud University Nijmegen, suggested in De Volkskrant that, besides variables of income and lifestyle, there could be a certain degree of inability in the healthcare system to connect with patients from different cultures.

which were overall slightly higher than of residents of Dutch descent, were even more visible in urban areas, especially the three biggest cities Amsterdam, Den Haag and Rotterdam. And within those groups, there was an apparent prominence in specific migration backgrounds, such as those of Turkish and Surinamese descent, as opposed to residents of Moroccan or Antillean background; for them, the risk was roughly the same or lower than for populations with Dutch backgrounds.

The CBS report explains the links between low-income groups and higher mortality

rates as unsurprising, given the fact that this phenomenon was noted already before the Covid-19 pandemic. For the corona crisis, the higher death rate may be explained by a sum of differentiating factors in lowerincome groups, including lifestyle (more smoking, less exercise, unhealthier diets and higher obesity rates), smaller housing and the fact that people with a low income are more often employed in sectors where it is not possible to work from home or to properly adhere to the corona measures at work.

Still, the CBS report emphasizes that is not yet possible to formulate unambiguous

In any case, and regardless of the possible causes, the report paints an accurate picture of the existing link between health problems, death rates and income levels in the country. Beyond mortality, the CBS warns that health costs go further than death for a high number of patients, and this could potentially lead to “greater socioeconomic inequality among those who have not died from Covid-19”. While the CBS report only includes the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, further research is still needed to analyze the following waves, for which the Netherlands was better prepared. At the same time, more research is needed to evaluate potential future health problems linked to income disparities, especially since the global income gap is becoming ever wider than before the pandemic.

Written by Juan Álvarez Umbarila

08-04-21 09:12

Summer Camps Holland Summer Camps Holland has been organising fun summer camps in the Netherlands and the Ardennes for 14 years. There are three locations, in Friesland, Gelderland and the Ardennes.

The main location of Summer Camps Holland is in Gelderland, where we organise all kinds of summer camps, such as animal camps, adventure camps, fun camps and sports camps.

At the location in Friesland, you can attend the coolest sailing camps at sailing school Neptunus, and in the Ardennes we organise climbing and adventure camps, with challenging activities for a whole week!

Speaking English during camp?

Summer Camps Holland is a Dutch organisation, but, as the name suggests, Summer Camps Holland has an international outlook. The main language of the camps is Dutch, but every week we will be joined by children from other countries, or children who live in the Netherlands but do not speak Dutch yet. English-speaking crew members will be available all week, who will translate if necessary. Activities, sailing instructions or evening games will be explained in Dutch first, and then in English. Aside from the crew members, most Dutch children are also surprisingly good at English. At the start of the camp, they will have to get used to it, but after a while it will come naturally, and they will even have fun with it! So do you have a child who speaks English, and are you looking for a fun activity for the summer holidays? Take a look at our website!

of 16-18 years old. Each camp lasts one week, from Sunday to Saturday, and there are camps available in week 29 to week 35.

International camp At the location in Gelderland, we also organise a special International Camp. During this camp, the main language is English; all crew members speak English. The International Camp brings together children from all over the world for an unforgettable summer camp. They will get to know different customs and cultures, and they will make international friends for life.

Children from Germany, Russia, Ghana, China, the Netherlands and England could be going on summer camp together, how wonderful is that?

They will experience all kinds of fun activities together, such as swimming in a subtropical pool, archery tag, an orienteering event, climbing at a climbing tower, building a raft and even a visit to Moviepark Germany!

Would your child like an unforgettable summer camp? Take a look: www.summercamps.nl/en

Kid camps and youth camps Summer Camps Holland organises kid camps for the age groups 8-10 and 10-12, and youth groups for ages 12-14 and 14-16. In the Ardennes, we also offer a summer camp for adolescents

Children learn through play, and parents and professional childcare together, play an important role in this!

See the world from a child’s point of view When play is controlled by adults, children resign themselves to the rules and concerns of adults and lose out on some of the benefits that play offers them, especially in developing creativity, leadership and group skills. But when adults observe children at play or play with them in a child-driven game, they have a unique opportunity to see the world from their child’s point of view, as the child navigates through a world perfectly suited to his or her needs.

Big Ben Kids’ pedagogical coach Denise Castano Rosario: ‘Children learn through playing, exploring and experiencing. They increase their development skills through the world around them. Children learn from playing when they are involved/ focused, this can be reached when a child is interested in what he is doing. Free play, initiated by the child, is therefore important. At Big Ben Kids we allow children to play freely to explore the world from their own interests and also offer a variety of activities to fulfil the needs of the children based on age level. We balance organized development focused activities with the possibility for children to discover the world through free play.’

Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. Play also provides an ideal opportunity for parents and childcare practitioners to fully engage with children.

Why is play so important for children?

Playing allows children to create and explore a world they can control, to overcome their fears and at the same time to practise adult roles. As they make their world their own, play helps children develop new competences that lead to increased self-confidence and the resilience they need to face future challenges.

Big Ben Kids offers day care, after-school care and holiday and summer camps to support children in recognizing and developing their talents and future possibilities. Parents are actively involved, informed and supported in their international community. Would you like to become a member of the Big Ben Kids community?

Then go to www.bigbenkids.com

At Big Ben Kids, children learn to work in groups, share, negotiate, resolve conflicts and learn skills to stand up for themselves. When children are in control of how they play, they exercise their decision-making skills, proceed at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately, they can devote themselves fully to the passions they want to pursue.

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08-04-21 10:34

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 11

NATIONAL

No easement of lockdown until most people over 60 are vaccinated Prime Minister Mark Rutte, at his press conference on 23 March, stated that the high number of new corona virus cases and the number of hospital admissions leave no room for relaxation of the current corona measures. The Cabinet also announced an extension to the lockdown at least until 20 April, or until most people over 60 are vaccinated.

The current measures, including a 10 pm curfew, not being allowed more than one visitor at a time, and the cafes and restaurants remaining closed, are likely to last for the entire month of April. “Once most of the over-60s are vaccinated, we can really start to open up again,” the PM stated.

According to the government, the plan is for most people over 60 to have their first vaccination by early May, meaning that relaxations lie ahead. Nevertheless, with the recent decision to stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine, the initially proposed schedules are somewhat uncertain at the moment.

Bracing for a fourth wave The fear remains that if the corona measures are ended too soon, e.g. in late April, it could lead to a fourth wave in June. Currently, the Netherlands is experiencing its third wave, which is projected to reach a maximum of 1500 ICU patients in hospitals at a single time.

These projections take into account the

different variants of the virus, among them the British variety, which has considerably increased the R-rate in the country.

RIVM leader Jaap van Dissel thinks that the summer’s new wave can be prevented only if the current measures remain in place until 1 June at the earliest, as he presented the RIVM’s models regarding the epidemic to Parliament on 24 March.

No recommendation for easement of lockdown Relaxing too quickly could ruin summer with a new wave, meaning that the number of patients with corona virus in the hospital could rise to more than 3,000 by mid-June, more than twice as much as the hospitals can handle. Figures show that relaxing the measures too quickly would mean that the infection rate will not decrease from its current high level. And because of this, the lockdown has to be relaxed with extreme care and consideration.

Volkskrant: almost 2,000 infections per 200,000inhabitants in January to less than 200 in March. The number of deaths per day is also on a continuous decline since January.

Despite this good news, the infection rate continues to be dangerous for people in their 40s through 60s, with an increasing number of people of these ages in hospitals.

Therefore, Van Dissel emphasizes the importance of sticking to the measures: “The situation is bleak now,” he said, “and we prefer that we can postpone the next wave until more vaccinations have been given.”

Are fast tests the way out?

Fast tests are now available in pharmacies and are in high demand, but Van DIssel is sceptical about their usefulness: “In

general, they don’t solve everything.”

Although these tests can be helpful, they aren’t exactly a good control measure. Van Dissel explained that the problem is mainly the high number of false negatives that these tests declare.

When a person sees a negative result, they immediately feel free to abandon the strict measures, even if they may in fact be positive after all. “If you then let go of the measures, you naturally have a greater chance of passing on the virus,” says Van Dissel. These actions would not help in keeping the virus under control.

All in all, it seems we have no choice but to wait a few months longer, but hopefully we will be able to enjoy a great summer.

Written by Bárbara Luque Alanís

Await vaccinations for over-60s According to the RIVM’s calculations, if the lockdown restrictions remain in place until 1 June, by that time most people over 60 will be vaccinated. This means a new wave would not hit with such force. We can already see proof of this statement in hospital numbers, where the share of people over 80 has almost halved due to vaccination. Another good sign is the number of infections in nursing homes, which has fallen rapidly, according to De

China imposes sanctions on Dutch MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma Dutch MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma is no longer allowed to travel to China after the country decided to impose sanctions due to the MP’s initiative that led to the passing of a non-binding motion that said the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China amounted to genocide. Although the motion was passed by a majority, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party voted against the resolution.

Sjoerdsma is a MP for the centre-left party D66, who has long been outspoken against human rights violations. He has joined the list of five members of the European Parliament, two MPs from Belgium and Lithuania, two academics and four organisations that have received sanctions from China. Due to this sanction, those affected and their families will not be able

to enter into China, Hong Kong and Macao.

They are also not allowed to conduct business with China or Chinese nationals.

The human rights accusations against China are fuelled by the hundreds of camps that are used to ‘re-educate’ Uyghurs.

Although China has called them training camps, Uyghurs are forcibly moved there and required to perform hard labour in cotton fields and spinning mills. China sees the small Islamic ethnic group as ‘apostates’ and a possible threat to the state.

Activists and UN rights experts say at least one million Uyghurs are being detained in camps in the remote western region of Xinjiang. The activists and some Western politicians accuse China of using torture and forcible sterilisations. Taken together, the treatment of the Uyghurs by China may qualify as genocide, according to many critics.

After the announcement, Sjoerdsma declared that he “will not be silent” as long as the genocide against Uyghurs continues.

“China is very well known to act like this.

This proves that the country is sensitive to outside pressure.” Sjoerdsma hopes that many of his European colleagues would now speak out against human rights violations.

It seems his call has been heard. Although the Netherlands was the first country in Europe to accuse China of genocide, on 23 February Canada passed a resolution

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labelling China’s treatment of the Uyghurs as genocide.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok has talked to the Chinese ambassador after the sanctions were announced. “It is unacceptable that democratically elected representatives, people who represent our country in The Hague, Brussels or anywhere in the world, are affected by these kinds of sanctions,” said the outgoing Minister. EU Foreign Coordinator Josep Borrell and European Parliament President David Sassoli also called the Chinese retaliation “unacceptable”. “It will have consequences,” tweeted Sassoli.

Minister Blok also pointed out the difference between the Chinese who are on the EU sanction list, and the list that includes Sjoerdsma. “These (Chinese) are people who are involved in human rights violations, and they have been carefully researched.”

Still, they are not forbidden to enter the EU. In a response, the Chinese Embassy in The Hague said any suggestion of genocide in Xinjiang was an “outright lie” and the Dutch parliament had “deliberately slandered China and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs”. In a statement published on its website, the Chinese Embassy said that, contrary to the accusation of Sjoerdsma, the Uyghur population in Xinjiang has been growing in recent years and enjoys a higher standard of living and

a longer life expectancy. In retaliation against ‘false accusations’, China’s Foreign Ministry said that the country was taking countermeasures by targeting individuals in the EU who are out to harm Chinese interests. This sentiment was echoed by China’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, who also accused Western powers of using the Uyghur issue to meddle in the country’s internal affairs.

Sjoerdsma has proposed lobbying the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics away from Beijing. He also called for a parliamentary inquiry into Chinese influence in the Netherlands, particularly focusing on industrial espionage and infiltration in the educational system. This was not the first time Sjoerdsma has been on a sanction list. Last year, he was not welcome in Russia because he had been critical of the country for years, partly because of its attitude towards the downing of flight MH17. Minister Blok in this case also called upon the Russian ambassador to discuss the lifting of the sanctions, but this was unsuccessful.

The European sanctions against China are the first since the arms embargo imposed in 1989 after the bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing.

Written by Stephen Swai

07-04-21 17:43

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ash.nl 07-04-21 16:30

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 13

NATIONAL

Boom in the number of residents moving away from city centers in the Netherlands The latest survey by the Land Registry (Kadaster) shows that the large cities in the Netherlands are experiencing an exodus.

In recent months, 38% of Amsterdammers who moved bought a home outside the city.

The high house prices are the main reason for leaving the city, as shown by an analysis of housing market figures between March 2020 and February 2021.

“Prices are very high. Some people cannot afford them anymore; there is a limit. As a result, more and more rich people come to Amsterdam and people with less money to spend move to Almere, for example. This trend has been going on for years,” says Land Registry housing market expert Paul de Vries to Het Parool newspaper.

Additionally, only half of the home buyers from the four major Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht) moved within their own municipality last year. In Amsterdam the number was 52 percent, compared to 70 percent in 2015. The average distance of a move increased from an average of 37 kilometers in 2015, to 44 in 2020. That’s the largest increase in six years.

The housing market has flourished in the past twelve months as never before: a record number of people moved and house prices soared to a record high. A total of 243,946 homes changed owners, according to Het Parool. That’s 12 percent more than last year and more than the

record in 2017. This is mainly due to the low mortgage interest rate and the new tax measures aimed to support first-time buyers.

NVM, the national association of real estate agents, attributes the dip in Amsterdam to the already high price level and the corona crisis. Last year, the capital attracted fewer foreigners, who are an attractive target group for investors in rental properties.

Working from home is possible anywhere According to the Land Registry, the rise in the number of people leaving the city might also be explained by the “work from home” policy. This measure made the travel distance to work less important when choosing a place to live. In an interview for Het Parool, Sandra Smits (37) says corona has accelerated her family’s move out of the city. Sandra has been working from home for almost a year and her employer has said that working from home will also be possible in the future. “When I heard that, my husband and made concrete plans for buying a house, with a garden, further outside of Amsterdam,” says Smits. At first she looked in the region, but prices have also risen sharply there. “We decided to increase our search radius to 120 kilometers from Amsterdam.”

for the people to live the city. It suggests that outside the capital, your house will be better, more spacious, and cheaper too.

More for less. Places with a garden and a larger number of rooms are the most popular. Less importance is attached to living within the Amsterdam ring road.

Jan Willem Duyvendak, professor of sociology at the University of Amsterdam, has researched the “feeling of home” and says this has changed with corona. “Home has been given a different function, it’s the place where we live ánd work. Many people realize that it’s not ideal to be at home all the time,” states the professor to De Volkskrant. Especially when your house is small, as most Amsterdam homes are, you will feel the need for more space, leading to a home search outside the city.

Cinemas and cafes are closed and cities have become hotbeds for viruses. It makes sense that city dwellers consider moving to a place with more space and greenery.

“The city’s appeal is temporarily less and the reasons for leaving Amsterdam are felt more strongly, such as the crowds, unaffordability and lack of space. But I do wonder if these people will not regret it. At a certain point the city is no longer a hotspot and cafes will open again. Will we continue to work from home after this pandemic?” asks Duyvendak. Let’s wait and see.

Written by Raphael Perachi Vieira

Outdoor space versus city life De Volkskrant newspaper reports the need for more outdoor space as another reason

Oh rats!

While Homo sapiens is battling corona, the Rattus rattus is suffering an epidemic of its own. It’s not the first time in history that humans and rats simultaneously impacted each other’s lives. In the fourteenth century, the Black Death, a pandemic that killed more than one-third of Europe’s population, was spread across the continent by rats. It was not necessarily the rats that dispersed the bubonic plague, but rather their fleas, who were carrying the virus. Once a ship sailed into a harbor and was unloaded, not long afterwards, the rats on board (including their pesty fleas), swam ashore. The fleas quickly found new hosts, and before too long, the poor who lived in cramped housing with poor sanitation, and slept on mattresses made of straw, became infested with fleas.

Today’s current corona epidemic might not be spreading the globe via rodents, but rat populations are simultaneously growing with the spread of the corona virus.

Amsterdam’s posh district Rivierenbuurt is witnessing its own plague of rats.

The neighbourhood, which was built in the 1920s and 1930s, was part of an ambitious urban renewal project to safeguard city residents from epidemics with better hygiene for Amsterdam’s poor and middle classes, who were often victims of epidemics such as cholera in the nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, prestigious Dutch architects such as Hendrik Berlage, Willem de Klerk and Piet Kramer designed the neighbourhood in the art deco style known as the

THT3_2021 _CS.indd 13

Amsterdamsche School. They aimed to improve public health by providing housing with better air quality and by creating more green areas filled with trees, bushes and lawns, which would stop the spread of diseases. Once the project was finished, the neighbourhood turned out so beautiful that it became popular not just among working-class families, but also among the middle class and wealthier groups.

But now the green neighbourhood has become a popular residential area for rats.

The ‘plague of rats’, as the city district is calling it, has erupted after sewage pipes, swarming with rats, were dug up and replaced. But it’s not only the sewer system that is causing an increase in rat numbers in the district. With corona lockdown measures in place and more people working from home, residents are purchasing more goods online, which require more packaging, and consequently creating more trash. Municipal waste services are not equipped to keep up with the pile of rubbish, which means that trash containers are spilling over – an ideal environment for rats. While the rats are feeding from the overflowing garbage containers, many of the rodents make their homes and nests in the bushes in the picturesque green areas of Amsterdam’s Rivierenbuurt. To stop the plague of rats, the municipality is posting warning signs in the green areas, prohibiting locals from feeding the pigeons and ducks, whose food is also consumed by rats, and fining them a hefty 70 euros if caught.

Even worse, the rat epidemic is not only plaguing Amsterdam’s chic neighbourhood.

Since the corona lockdown started a year ago, human behaviour around the world has drastically changed, as well as that of rats, who have always lived in close vicinity to humans.

In US cities, which in the past saw lots of tourists, rats have become hungry and are coming out of hiding. Where they in the past had fed from restaurant rubbish bins or trash dumped on the street by tourists, now that restaurants are closed and tourists are gone, rats are forced to look for new feeding areas and times. While in the past rats came out at night, now they are coming out in the daytime and are no longer scared of humans.

To be on the safe side, improve your home hygiene by placing your household trash in the proper container, as well as securing the lids of trash containers.

Seal any cracks under doors and other openings to the outside, where a rat might squeeze in. If that doesn’t work, you can always opt to keep them as a pet. They are highly intelligent, very clean (contrary to popular belief), social, affectionate and low maintenance. What more could you ask for in a pet?

Written by Benjamin Roberts

07-04-21 14:50

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07-04-21 11:00

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 15

COLUMN

A year in… how to improve your work from home life It’s been over a year since we entered our first lockdown here in The Netherlands, and most of us are still working from home. In 2020, business publications were abuzz with rumours of major startups giving up on office life, and encouraging staff to work from home forever (looking at you, Twitter!). All too happy to give up expensive office buildings, it seemed like working from home was destined to be the future, for everyone from lawyers to software developers.

Now, however, with Zoom fatigue on the rise, firms are starting to rethink their strategies. Companies like Google, known for setting the new status quo for the startup world, plan to encourage staff to work from the office at least 50% of the time. The youngest segment of employees, millennials and Gen Z, are particularly keen to return to the social setting of the office. While for some, the lack of commute is a welcome change, many report feelings of isolation, burnout and overload. These groups are least likely to have home offices, and usually live with housemates, meaning that working from home comes with additional challenges.

It sounds like fun, until it’s our only option.

“I’ve enjoyed working from home, but look forward to returning to the office where inperson interaction leads to more innovation and creativity,” says Hussein Abul-Enein, who works in tech policy. He’s not alone in this view: studies show that a change of scene can boost creativity for one-off projects, which isn’t compatible with the current stay-at-home guidelines. And when it comes to the mundane but necessary tasks like work admin, we’re at least 10% less productive outside of the office thanks to all of the distractions (think: postmen, stray cats, stray children). Storm Gibbons, a government advisor, agrees with Abul-Enein. “On balance, I prefer working in the office,” he says. “It was nice to

avoid a long commute at the start of lockdown, but at this point, I’d like the chance to sit on the train and get in the zone before the start of the working day.”

It’s not just people who usually work in an office who are suffering. Molly Fitz is a mental health and psychology writer, and enjoys working from cafes and libraries around Amsterdam. “I feel more creative and can concentrate better when I’ve got external stimuli,” says Fitz. “I’m looking forward to sitting in a buzzing cafe, drinking a nice coffee while I work.”

Like it or not, we’re stuck working from home, at least for the near future. So what can we do to make the experience a little more pleasant?

If you’re on a start-up budget and don’t want to spend money on sprucing up your work-fromhome space, here are some free adjustments you can make.

Create your own work-corner If, like most of us, you don’t have the luxury of a designated home office, you can still create some separation by choosing a ‘work-corner’. Move a desk or small table into the corner of the room, and create a set-up that’s at least slightly enticing.

Try adding a wall calendar, some post-its, and anything else that signifies ‘work’ to your brain.

Gradually, you’ll train your mind to recognise this corner as your work space. The benefits of this are twofold: when you’re in your work-corner, your brain will understand that you’re in work mode, and you’ll be more productive. Similarly, when you finish work, tidy up your corner and retreat into the rest of your living space, your brain will understand that this is time for relaxation.

Use music to signify the end of work If you’re struggling with work-life balance, this one’s for you. Train your brain to recognise the

evening by playing the same song every day when you finish work. It only takes a few days to feel the effect — pick an uplifting song, play it every day when you finish work, and soon, the opening bars will convince your brain it’s time to chill. You can get the same effect with scent, although it takes slightly longer with work. At the end of the work day, spray the same perfume or room spray, or light the same scented candle.

Put your breaks in your work calendar It sounds simple, but when we’re in the flow, it’s hard to remember to take a break. When you’re in the office, your colleagues all get up around midday to grab some lunch, but at home, you don’t have the same cues. Add a midmorning coffee break and a lunch break into your work calendar — and make sure you stick to it. Get up, walk around, and even better, get some fresh air in the park. Your brain will thank you.

Written by Phoebe Dodds Founder of BURO155

Finding an Apartment - Take 2 As I’m writing this, I am celebrating my twoyear anniversary of arriving in Europe - I spent the first week in Germany before heading north to NL. Before moving here I always read about how difficult it was to find an apartment here in the Netherlands. Knowing this, I started a few months before my departure with a serious plan to find an apartment in my new home. I made a list of all the online newspapers, websites where I could place an ad, plus I contacted real estate agencies, joined social media groups … I did it all!

But surprise, surprise! The first response I received turned out to be the apartment that I got! So for me, it wasn’t that difficult. Thank goodness!

Fast forward two years and I started looking for another apartment. The fortunate part is that I am now in the Netherlands, so I had that going for me. Still, when I decided to look for a new place, I remembered the echoes of how difficult it was going to be. Though it was actually pretty easy to find an apartment the first time around, I did not think my initial apartment-finding luck was going to carry over this time around.

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So this time around, I set out with the same plan: place ads, answer ads, contact real estate agencies … but honestly, that was all I had to do.

Again, the first place I contacted was the place I wound up getting! I met with the landlord today and set all the particulars in order. I have the notice to my current landlord ready and right after I finish this column, I’ll be sending it to them (it’s a mother and son landlord-team).

While I’m sure a lot of luck and aligned stars have to do with my finding apartments, I do believe that it’s the synergy of doing a lot of things at the same time that is the key. I also had a thought process of ‘the right things are going to happen at the right time’ and a vision of there being an apartment out there that’s perfect for me. I truly believe it’s the combination of all of this that helped me twice to find an apartment here in the Netherlands, where everyone laments about how challenging it is.

My advice to those who might be looking for an apartment or who might be hesitant because you too heard the stories of how difficult it is first, don’t be deterred by the rumours and stories you hear. Be excited about it. Be happy about the vision of you in your new apartment.

The way you think and ‘see’ how this awesome new home will be is like the grease in the gears of the whole process.

But thinking and dreaming about it will only get you so far. You have to actually do something to make it all come together. There are so many resources and outlets to get the word out.

Almost every major city has an expat center that can help you either find available apartments or real estate agencies who specialize in expat rentals - so definitely contact them to help out.

Then there are the regular rental agencies. They may not specialize in expat rentals, but they are a tremendous resource that should not be overlooked.

Outside of the agencies, local papers are a fantastic resource. I found weekly papers create a better response and are cheaper than the dailies. I not only looked in the papers but also placed ads myself saying that I am an American freelancer with two dogs looking for 1-2 rooms and named my budget. I was surprised that I got responses!

To find a new apartment here - or anywhere just get the word out there. Tell all your friends and do the things I suggest. But above all, don’t pay much attention to the negative stories. They are only true if you make them out to be. Happy home hunting!

Written by Marla Thomson Marla Thomson is a freelance writer

07-04-21 11:01

Early Years as ISH At ISH we pride ourselves on putting the child at the centre of the educational journey. Nowhere is this more exemplified in our school than at the beginning of their journey at ISH, in our Early Years section, with our four, five and six-year-old children.

Our Early Years educators are leaders in the field of Early Years education in International schools, which at ISH, is rooted in children learning in a supportive play-based environment, in accordance with the philosophy of Maria Montessori.

“Play is the work of the child” Maria Montessori.

We believe that a nurturing environment of play, where children are recognized as individuals, helps them develop a positive outlook on life. It lets them show us their needs, interests, feelings and

THT3_2021 _CS.indd 16

ideas. This is what allows us to make the learning relevant to each individual child, and tailor their learning journey to them.

Putting the individual in a central position also allows us to celebrate and value the diversity of both students and staff.

In conjunction and complimentary to learning through play, is the importance of movement and physical activity. This is why, through our Early Years classrooms, children have continuous access to a safe outdoor space and specialised Early Years gym, as well as regular sessions in the woods and green space on our campus. They are able to be outside as much as they like or need. Amongst others, here students can make connections between their learning and their experience of the world so far.

Our free-flow setting and small class sizes facilitate Co-play, where our skilled, professional and thoughtful staff play alongside a child and follow the child’s interests. This means that the child is making the decisions, guided and supported by staff who can incorporate teaching in the moments that arise.

The foundation we provide allows children to grow in confidence to be strong, capable and resilient people. This is how we believe the youngest children learn best.

The International School of The Hague www.ishthehague.nl

08-04-21 08:48

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 17

NATIONAL

Coronablues and how to handle it The earth has made its circle around the sun, yet it feels like we are at a standstill. We were in lockdown then; we are in lockdown now. The situation is made considerably worse by the fact that the coronavirus has managed to mutate several times since last year and is now infecting us with different versions of itself. The Netherlands is riding its third wave of infections, and now we not only have a lockdown but also a curfew to contend with.

Many of us were able to keep our chin up and our spirits fairly high through most of last year, even when we had to miss King’s day celebrations, the Sinterklaas parades, the Christmas markets, and even the onlyonce-a-year allowed fireworks on New Year’s Eve. But now, as we close the first quarter of this new year in a never-ending status quo, we are all starting to feel the coronablues.

Being able to work from the comfort of our home in our pajamas with our loved ones in the next or even the same room may have felt like a blessing at the beginning, but now it’s starting to affect our productivity.

We are cranky and edgy and want to escape the people we claim to love.

Exhaustive preparations and an arsenal of masks, tissues and hand sanitizer are required for the smallest and simplest of outings. Shopping is not therapeutic but another stressor and anxiety and loneliness have become our constant companions. So,

what do we do? What can we do?

1. Step into a routine - Say what you will but we humans are creatures of habit; our daily rhythms help us make some semblance of things. So that is the first thing we can do; what we always did before the corona pandemic threw us for a loop. Set an alarm, wake up on time, take a shower and get dressed, even if you don’t have to go anywhere.

Have breakfast and be ready to start your work-day at its usual time. Have a timely lunch and coffee breaks and stop working on time. This will at least give you some sense of normalcy.

need a special place to enjoy the company of our special ones. A picnic in the park or a walk through one of the many forests can be equally relaxing and uplifting, especially now that Spring is on its way.

5. Stick to it – Try as much as you can to stick to your daily routine and plans. It will be tough without having to answer to a boss or having an office to show up at, but you have to keep at it.

6. Go easy on yourself – Your plans will fail, there will be days when you’ll barely make a dent in your to-do lists, a sick

child or a runny nose will keep you down, and sometimes it will feel like things are spinning out of control. Go easy on yourself. You are only human and as such inclined to mistakes and failures. Have your mini-breakdown, then pick yourself up and make a new plan, an easier one… a simpler one.

And most of all: remember to take it one day at a time and work towards one goal at a time. Though it doesn’t seem like it, this too shall pass and both the proverbial and literal sun will shine.

Written by Priyanka Sharma

2. Work with planners and lists – Make a monthly plan, broken into smaller weekly plans. Make to-do-lists for the next day at the end of your working day or before going to bed and then chip at it one thing at a time.

3. Set personal goals – All work and no play will turn us into sad sacks of potatoes.

If the coronavirus doesn’t get us, then obesity and heart problems developed over this long-forced hibernation will surely do us in. Add some exercise to your routine. A twenty-minute brisk walk around the block will do wonders for your physical and mental health.

Celebrate the little things – No, we 4. cannot plan a vacation or a trip to the zoo or theme park, but we don’t necessarily

ABN Amro still struggling with money laundering prevention In the midst of the crackdown on money laundering, ABN Amro faces intense scrutiny and investigation over failure to combat risks of financial fraud, money laundering and other dubious financial practices by some of its clients. According to reports, the bank is still struggling with money laundering prevention, despite seeing the dire consequences faced by counterpart ING, which was fined up to 775 million euros in settlement fees in 2018 for serious negligence in combating money laundering. A court in The Hague also ruled that former ING CEO Ralph Hamers should be prosecuted for failing to supervise money laundering activities involving the bank’s clients.

The Public Prosecution Service (Open-

baar Ministerie; OM), the body of public prosecutors in the Dutch criminal justice system, opened its investigation into the bank back in 2019, suspecting that ABN Amro made insufficient checks on transactions by its clients, and thus fell short in its obligations to combat money laundering.

However, prosecutors from the OM have since added more serious charges, alleging that the bank may have known that illegal money flows, which had criminal sources, were occurring under its watch but did little about it. Suspects include former bank board members and former ABN Amro CEO Gerrit Zalm, all of whom currently face prosecution, according to business and financial newspaper FD. The overall focus of the investigation into ABN Amro is on the period between 2013 and 2018,

during which Gerrit Zalm led the bank.

If found guilty of these serious charges, the accused could face up to two years in prison, or a fine of up to 87,000 euros. However, in order to successfully prosecute them, the prosecutors must first be able to demonstrate that they must have reasonably suspected that money flows originated from criminal sources, as stipulated in the Dutch Criminal Code.

Originally, the investigation by the Public Prosecution Service focused on the question whether or not ABN Amro had violated the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act (Wwft), which was passed in 2017. This law contains provisions regarding customer screening, the identification and verification of customers, and the reporting of unusual transactions, with the overall objective of maintaining integrity in the financial system and prevent financial crimes.

Recently, ABN Amro allegedly either failed to report numerous unusual payments from its five million private customers, or failed to report such transactions on time.

It was also leaked that the judicial authorities linked ABN Amro to the payment of bribes by Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Based on sources from insiders, Odebrecht is said to have paid more than 100 million euros in bribes to South American politicians and civil servants via Dutch companies with ABN Amro accounts, according to De Telegraaf newspa-

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per. Another high-profile case that came up in the ABN Amro investigation is the FloraHolland scam, where an employee of the Royal FloraHolland company was arrested for suspected embezzlement of 4.3 million euros over a nine-month period – money which was funneled through an ABN Amro account. The common characteristic of the abovementioned criminal cases involving dubious financial transactions is that they were noticed and reported by other parties, like tax authorities, but not by ABN Amro.

These allegations have been made despite the fact that the bank had allocated some 114 million euros to get its anti-money laundering checks in order, following earlier scrutiny and warnings by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the Central Bank of the Netherlands.

Prosecutors are said to be close to a settlement with ABN Amro over the allegations of failing to report and/or investigate suspicious financial activity by its clients, according to FD, which cited sources close to the investigation. Even though ABN Amro has not yet agreed to a settlement, analysts expect the investigation to lead to a large payout, with a fine to the tune of hundreds of millions of euros. ABN Amro has previously stated that, while it would not comment on any details of the investigation, it is cooperating with the investigation.

Written by Seringe S.T. Touray

07-04-21 15:14

Jewelers with a heart of Gold Light and spacious with a warm, expressive orange wall and beautiful display cases.

After 36 years, Albert ten Cate is moving from Loosduinen to the Statenkwartier, with a completely new Boutique 2.0.

In the middle of the corona pandemic, Albert ten Cate Jeweler Diamantair opened its doors at 15 Aert van der Goesstraat in the Statenkwartier in The Hague. A neighbourhood he and his partner Axel have been dreaming of for some time, says Albert.

“This neighborhood has a very pleasant atmosphere, a street of 200 meters with only crafts shops, where skill is of enormous importance and where our new business fits very well. Homely and light, with a wide-ranging collection for everyone; from watch strap to tiara.”

Correct light frequency

When I enter, Albert and hi partner Axel, both 50+ as they say – an age that shows craftsmanship, experience and knowledge of the trade – are working with matching face masks at the round wooden table at the back of the boutique. One threads a pearl necklace, the other examines the details of an antique jewel with diamonds. Both still regularly attend courses at the L’ÉCOLE Van Cleef & Arpels.

We walk around the store and Albert tells me about his vision for the interior.

“I wanted the store to be light, spacious, warm and sustainable. LED light is everywhere with the latest technology. For the interior, we have opted for nine separate showcases, no fixed display windows or walls full of goods that get lost. Now I can alternate and flexibly move the collections or present them more to the front or in plain view.” A specialist has thought very carefully about the light. The lighting in the showcases is such that the jewelry really stands out and the clients are not blinded by the light. The lamps above the wooden sales tables and also the grain in the light floor are more emphasized by the specific light frequency, which accentuates the wood more. The light sources in the store should not blind your vision , that was the starting point. The showcases have a height of 130 centimeters, so you can view the jewelry and watches from all sides. Our old wood-carved sales tables and chairs come from Ubud, Indonesia, and the chairs have been reupholstered in a striking three-dimensional denim fabric with images of gems, a fabric that Axel found at a fabric manufacturer in Berlin. An upholsterer from Loosduinen has beautifully reupholstered them with the “old half-timbered” method, as it should be.

Albert worked for three months with only Dutch firms. The building has been completely renovated as he envisioned it. From a squat with seven dilapidated small rooms and a flooded garden with a bamboo forest at the back, it has been turned

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into a light, open space with a wide passage in the middle. The distinctive wooden furniture and porcelain lamp bases, which he made in 1994 thinking “someday I will need them”, create a stunning atmosphere.

Sparkling flight brooch

Albert’s great-grandparents had a diamond factory in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 20th century.

Many generations before that, family members had already worked in the trade as diamond traders or polishers. Most of them, Jews of German and Polish descent, were deported to Sobibor and Auschwitz in World War II. Their diamonds and other valuables were confiscated by the occupying forces. The diamond factory did not survive the war either.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Albert’s grandfather, Alexander Sluizer, designed a brooch set with the finest diamonds, a so-called flight brooch.

Escape jewelry was made with the purest, top quality stones, so you always had some form of liquidity with you if you had to leave home and hearth suddenly. Albert still has the brooch and wears it on special occasions. He shows how much the brooch continues to sparkle and twinkle, even in the dark.

Wide range

The jewelry in the display cases covers a wide range.

From Ti Sento Milano, Sif Jacobs and Rebel & Rose to rare and unique items with emeralds and, how could it be otherwise, diamonds. It’s clear that pearls have a special place in Albert’s heart. As for watches, he presents the Swiss brand Perrelet, the inventor of the automatic watch - Albert’s store is the only one in the Netherlands that sells it. Also on trend are the Jaguar Hybrid and Candino, and in particular the automatic watches of these brande. Albert has a soft spot for Switzerland, partly because he received his training in Switzerland at the Bucherer firm, after attending the Schoonhoven academy for jewelry and watches.

Albert also lovingly creates a new future for old jewelry that is no longer worn. He transformed an art deco bracelet with a large green tourmaline from the roaring twenties into a special pendant for our times.

“Always stay positive. Crisis or not, a customer comes in looking for something beautiful and wants to be helped with cheer.”

The solitaire is back

When asked how things are going in the industry, Albert says: “It is a pity that jewelry no longer has the “value” of the past. Back then it was the custom to give a beautiful piece of jewelry for every special occasion. Fortunately, it is back again: the solitaire as a proposal ring. It is now a difficult time for many entrepreneurs, but my motto as a jeweler is that you should always make a visit a special occasion.

Stay positive; the customer who comes in wants to see a happy face, because they come in for something special or something beautiful.”

Albert ten Cate, open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-6pm, Monday and last Sunday of the month 1pm-6pm.

Aert van der Goesstraat 15 2582 AH, Den Haag +31 (0)70 39 10 337 alberttencate@planet.nl www.alberttencate.com www.residentieringdenhaag.com Please check opening times, as they may vary due to corona.

Photos: Ed Geels Photography

08-04-21 09:52

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 19

SHOPPING

Finally open: A look inside the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands Westfield Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam finally opened its doors on 18 March. After twelve years and 630 million in investments, owner UnibailRodamco-Westfield (URW) celebrated a festive, if small-scale, opening ceremony. Due to the corona measures, there is no major opening party, non-essential shops are only open by appointment and various catering and entertainment areas of the center are still closed, but the opening could no longer be delayed. “With this, Westfield gives entrepreneurs room to start selling safely under the current circumstances and in accordance with the applicable guidelines,” says URW. Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is intended as a world of experiences, with catering, a cinema, an arcade hall and a large number of shops. The old Leidsenhage shopping center was converted and expanded considerably over the course of ten years. Westfield Mall of the Netherlands has a floor space of 117,000 square meters with room for 280 stores. Part of the ‘lifestyle destination’ already opened in 2018, but now the entire center is open. Many retailers have already been established in the center, such as Hema, The Sting, Costes, Peek & Cloppenburg, H&M, Monki, Scotch & Soda, Coef, Dstrezzed, A Fish Named Fred, Zara, Stradivarius, Bershka, Pull & Bear, 10Days, America Today, Guts & Gusto, G-Star RAW, Guess, Triumph, Van Uffelen, Yaya, MSCH Copenhagen, MS Mode, Skechers and Jeans Center.

The concept of the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is based on ‘the idea of one movement, one design, one identity’, according to URW. The location was designed by MVSA Architects and the façade was inspired by a ‘voile, a silk scarf, which is draped smoothly over the building like a second skin’.

“We are extremely proud to support our retailers in these difficult times by opening our doors. A grand opening with all our 280 hotspots is unfortunately not possible, but we hope for a second chance later in the year,” says Bart van Twillert, Country Manager Netherlands.

The planned festivities surrounding the opening will be postponed to a later time, when the restaurants, cinema and other leisure facilities will be able to open. Due to the current corona measures, the Mall of the Netherlands is only accessible for shopping by appointment and click & collect. The essential shops and food market Fresh! are open as normal.

“We imagined the opening day to be very different. But our first priority now is for the entrepreneurs to start making sales,” said Bart van Twillert. “A big opening party will follow later this year. We have to hold on for a while, but as soon as the measures are further relaxed, consumers and entrepreneurs can fully enjoy the experience that Westfield Mall of the Netherlands will offer.”

Loungewear for Living After working for a high-end fashion brand for several years, Kelly Gehring saw that it was time for a brand, that focuses entirely on clothes for lounging.

Lounging is important for a woman who wants to take time for herself.

For her own loungewear label Kelly Claire Studios (KCST), she now creates now loungewear that is not only comfortable, but also looks good, lasts long and is made from sustainable materials.

She designed the first KCST collection with different lounge scenarios in mind. For example, catching a long-haul flight-, (The Cashmere Set), a hungover Sunday (The Super Soft Set), or grabbing a coffee/walking the dog (The Downtown Set).

The main thought was that living in your chill-wear doesn’t need to mean that avoiding people you know at the supermarket.

The KCST accessories are the cherry on the chill cake. The Blanket Scarf is beyond cozy and super versatile and made of double-sided jacquard cashmere with the KCST emblem knit in reverse. Wear it as a scarf while out and about, drape it over your couch or use it to warm up at home or in the office. Last but certainly not least, The Beanie is warm and super cozy.

KCST has recently launced its second collection of super comfortable loungewear in beautiful colours.

You can order online and there is a KCST pop-up store in the new Westfield Mall. www.kcst.co

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07-04-21 22:21

De Ananas represents contemporary living in style on the edge of the bustling city of Leiden. Style exuded by everything, from the architecture to the luxurious finish and materials. The same luxury pervades the apartments, including our type C 3 and 4-room apartments.

A bright lounge with plenty of large windows and an open kitchen, 2 luxurious bathrooms, 3 bedrooms and a generous balcony ensure you will have ample space to enjoy. The apartments situated on the upper floors offer superb views of the city, the ‘green heart’ of the Netherlands or the coastline.

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City view from the 15th floor

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Living in style in Leiden

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07-04-21 16:11

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 21

INTERVIEW

Interview with an expat Where do you prefer to relax in your city?

I’m fantasying about the time before lockdown… I like to walk to the city center along Griftpark, stop by the Bakkerswinkel for coffee and pastries and end the day at Tilt – a small neighborhood bar that’s at a three-way intersection. It’s a nice place to sit outside, drink Belgian beers and people watch.

Old city Sabina Sadigly

What’s your favourite Dutch store?

I really like Giensch, a fun clothing store in Utrecht.

What do you like to do in the weekend?

Generally, if the weather’s nice, a good bike ride, walking or sitting outside at a café.

Otherwise, going to a movie, staying in and reading or seeing a concert.

Name: Amy Where do you come from and where do you live in the Netherlands?

I grew up outside Chicago, and was living in Austin, Texas, before we moved here. I’ve been living in Utrecht for the past 6 years.

What’s your job/business?

I am a Continuous Improvement Analyst at Jacobs Douwe Egberts.

What was your first time in the Netherlands?

April 2012. I already knew we would be moving here and I wanted to visit with my mom, so that she knew that I wasn’t moving to the moon.

What is the nicest thing about the Netherlands?

Outside of the fact that it’s a tolerant, (mostly) stable and fair society with a strong social safety net for those who need it? The bike paths are great! I love riding through the countryside, visiting various villages without having to share the road with cars.

What’s the worst thing about the Netherlands?

The weather. One of my friends warned me when I got here that the grey would get to me, and it does.

Who is your favourite Dutch person?

My wife :) I really like Thomas Erdbrink, a journalist who did Onze man in Teheran on VPRO. He also works for the New York Times.

He has an engaging, friendly style and his show allowed me to see into a culture I know very little about.

What famous Dutch place should you really go and see?

Why only one, and why does it have to be famous? My favorite not-famous place is Texel – you can take a ferry for 5 euros round trip, rent bikes for less than 10 euros, ride through the nature reserves and end up at the beach.

I do think everyone should see the Anne Frank Huis. The Kröller-Müller is my favorite museum in the Netherlands. It’s a bonus that it’s in De Hoge Veluwe, a beautiful national park.

Best-kept secret in your city?

It’s not a secret, but walking along the Singel, away from the city center. It’s not as busy, the streets are quieter and I can pay attention to the charming, largely residential buildings. It’s even better if it’s dark outside and drizzling. I like to pretend it is 200+ years ago. If you ignore the cars along the street, it almost seems possible.

Interview by Marla Thomson

What would you recommend a visitor to do and see in your city in the Netherlands?

Climb the Dom tower for a beautiful view of Utrecht. Go to one of the restaurants on the canals on the Oudegracht. In the past, these restaurants were warehouses where boats could easily unload their goods. These former warehouses have been converted to cozy and cavernous restaurants.

What is your favourite Dutch food? And what Dutch food do you dislike?

Besides poffertjes? Rundvlees en stoofperen.

I hate witlof. It’s something you either love or hate, and I hate it.

Do you celebrate Dutch holidays? What is your favourite?

Koningsdag!

Where do you like to go out?

God, I miss being able to go out! I love the Ledig Erf neighbourhood. There are fun shops and cafes, and the Louis Hardlooper, an oldschool art house where someone gives an introduction to every film.

Do you have Dutch friends?

Absolutely! It does help to be married to a Dutch person, but I’ve made some Dutch friends on my own as well. It’s tempting to stay in an “expat bubble” since as expats we’re all in the same boat, but I’ve tried to resist that temptation. Having Dutch friends is a very important step in being settled here - it’s the difference between living “in” The Netherlands vs “on” it.

What do you like about Dutch people?

What don’t you like?

Dutch people are very pragmatic and direct.

While I don’t always love the directness, it’s better than ignoring problems, so it’s a net benefit. But yeah, the directness did take some getting used to.

Do you have a favourite restaurant in your city?

I really like Blauw, an Indonesian restaurant.

We love going there for the rijsttafel, if we have friends in town or something to celebrate.

The Dom in Utrecht

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07-04-21 11:01

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07-04-21 21:26

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 23

ART & CULTURE

Slavery in Rijksmuseum Rijksmuseum, the national museum of arts and history of the Netherlands, will stage its first ever major exhibition dedicated to the subject of slavery this spring. Slavery is inextricably bound up with Dutch history. It is the first time stories of slave trade across the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans are told together in one exhibition in the Netherlands.

Slavery will open as soon as the lockdown measures in the Netherlands allow. As slavery is such an integral part of Dutch history, the Rijksmuseum would like to offer as many visitors to experience the exhibition as possible. We are extending the exhibition until the summer.

The Slavery exhibition presents ten true stories.

Ten personal stories about enslaved people and slave owners, people who resisted, and people who were brought to the Netherlands in slavery.

What were their lives like? What was their attitude to the system of slavery? Were they able to make their own decisions?

The exhibition will include objects from national and international museums, archives and private collections like the Nationaal Museum voor Wereldculturen, British Museum, National Gallery of Denmark, Iziko Museums of South Africa, St Eustatius Historical Foundation, National Archeological Antropological Memory Management (NAAM) in Curaçao, the National Archives of South Africa, Indonesia and the Netherlands and private collections in Sint Eustatius, Suriname, the Netherlands.

Valika Smeulders, head of History Rijksmuseum: “By focusing on ten true personal stories, ‘Slavery’ gives an insight into how individuals dealt with legalized injustice.”

Taco Dibbits, General Director Rijksmuseum: “The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of art and history. Slavery is an integral part of our history.

By delving into it, we can form a more complete picture of our history and a better understanding of today’s society.”

Ten true stories During the 250-year colonial period, people were made into property and objects to be recorded in accounts. The exhibition highlights the lives of ten people who lived at the time. They each tell their own story: about living in slavery or taking advantage of it, about resistance and – ultimately – freedom. They include enslaved people and slaveholders, as well as individuals who broke the shackles of slavery, an African servant in the Netherlands, and an Amsterdam sugar industrialist.

of the system in the Netherlands during the period are also highlighted. As a whole it offers a geographically broad and at the same time specifically Dutch view which has never been seen before in a national museum.

Rijksmuseum & Slavery From the opening of the exhibition, the relationship with slavery will also be specifically highlighted in other parts of the Rijksmuseum.

For a year, around 70 objects in the collection will be given a second label explaining a previously hidden relationship with slavery. www.rijksmuseum.nl

An audio tour leads visitors through these widely differing lives. Among the narrators are Joy Delima, Remy Bonjasky and Anastacia Larmonie, who each have a connection with one of the ten people through their own background. The exhibition includes objects, paintings and unique archival documents, and visitors will hear oral sources, poems and music. To tell a more complete story, there will be exhibits that have never been shown in the Rijksmuseum before, such as objects that were cherished by people in slavery, and tools that were used on plantations.

Once visitors have seen the exhibition, artists David Bade and Tirzo Martha from Instituto Buena Bista in Curaçao invites visitors to process their impressions in new, own artworks, entitled Look at me now.

The Dutch colonial period on four continents The exhibition spans the Dutch colonial period from the 17th to the 19th century. It features the trans-Atlantic slavery in Suriname, Brazil and the Caribbean, and the part played by the Dutch West India Company (WIC); and Dutch colonial slavery in South Africa and Asia, where the Dutch East India Company (VOC) operated. The effects Anonymous: Enslaved Men Digging Trenches, c. 1850, Rijksmuseum, purchased with the support of the Johan Huizinga Fonds/Rijksmuseum Fonds

Jacob Coeman: Pieter Cnoll, Cornelia van Nijenrode, their Daughters and Two Enslaved Servants, 1665, Rijksmuseum

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07-04-21 22:21

Dolly Family cargo bike Easy test drive, personal service and maintenance at home.

Dolly Bakfiets has been keeping young families moving for 10 years with its unique service at home, from test drive to maintenance. Since 2011, Dolly has worked on perfecting the electric cargo bike, with top quality, service and sustainability at the forefront. Its personal service plan consists of free test drives, delivery, repair service and maintenance. All in your own home, anywhere in the Netherlands.

Dolly has created one complete version of its bike, with all options included. In addition, all Dollies are built in the Netherlands, using locally produced parts as much as possible. The unique plastic family box is almost indestructible, durable and very light, and available in a wide range of colors. The strong powder-coated paintwork is done in the Bollenstreek, the solid wheels are hand-spoked in Utrecht, the boxes are cast in Brabant and the entire assembly of the bicycle takes place in Limburg and Utrecht, in high-tech cargo bike assembly workshops. These employ people with a distance to the labour market, building the Dolly with precision, love and passion. Everything to reach the goal of making the finest cargo bike that can be used instead of the car.

Book your test drive at www.dolly-bakfiets.nl or e-mail Dolly at info@dolly-bakfiets.nl

Icons of Rijswijk | Teddy Scholten Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest and national star In 1959 Teddy Scholten was unexpectedly asked to participate in the National Song Contest. Teddy Scholten was a well-known artist through her performances on the radio and in the theater. To everyone’s surprise, she won brilliantly with the song Een Beetje (A bit) and thus became the Dutch delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest. Many witnessed how Teddy Scholten triumphed again in Cannes. A frenzied crowd awaited her on her return to Holland at Schiphol Airport. The Netherlands had its first star.

Teddy Scholten (1926-2010) was already on stage as a child, together with her parents who were enthusiastic amateur actors. Her husband Henk Scholten introduced her to the professional entertainment world. They settled in Rijswijk.

From 1955 Teddy and Henk played in the immensely popular Snip and Snap Revues. The Eurovision Song Contest was just a small job that came along, but the triumph in Cannes changed everything. In 1960 they stopped performing and moved into television studios. Their first program was Zaterdagavond Akkoorden (Saturday Night Chords) and kept viewers glued to the TV for years.

She was looked at with admiration. She was a star who was constantly in the spotlight, but also a wife and mother at the same time.

In 1965 Teddy stops singing but continues her television career as a presenter of various programs. She also provides commentary for several editions of the National and Eurovision Song Contest. She has also been ambassador of the Netherlands Red Cross for twelve years.

Teddy Scholten passed away in 2010. For more than sixty years she lived in Rijswijk, where she was a well-known figure. Every year, when the Eurovision Song Contest is approaching again, the success of Teddy Scholten is invariably reminded Due to the corona-pandemic the museum is closed until further notice.

The exhibition however can be visited – in a weatherproof version- in the forecourt of the museum, seven days a week and free of charge.

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May 1 to June 13, 2021 Monday-Sunday 11.00-17.00 Museum Rijswijk Herenstraat 67 2282 BR Rijswijk museumrijswijk.nl +31 70 3903717

08-04-21 09:59

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 25

ART & CULTURE

‘Youthquake’ in the Kunsthal Rotterdam Kunsthal Rotterdam will be kicking off the new year with the multimedia exhibition ‘Youthquake. The Desire for Eternal Youth’. The exhibition reveals the strong influence youthfulness has on our image culture, at the hand of garments, photographs and videos. The fashion world provides excellent possibilities for being ageless – or at least for appearing to be ageless. And the desire to remain forever young is a theme that is also disseminated widely through marketing strategies and the (social) media.

Fashion in particular can offer us excellent possibilities for being– or at least for appearing to be – ageless. Fashion designers, celebrities, and ageing style icons are playing with that theme for their looks. A spectacular exhibition design by the multidisciplinary fashion house MAISON the FAUX shows how being young has become the norm in our visual culture and lifestyle.

Adult children and youthful seniors ‘Youthquake’ is about adult children and youthful seniors. The mythical fountain of eternal youth serves as the prologue for the exhibition. Historic ‘mini-me’ attire is followed by flapper dresses and miniskirts from the rebellious youth cultures of the 1920s and 1960s. Video and photography visualise contemporary marketing strategies that are inspired by the principle that ‘youth sells’.

Young people are a source of inspiration for a visual culture that is dominated by an unattainable body image: extremely thin, beautiful, and young. Finally, a hopeful and critical counterbalance to the 21st century’s flood of youthful images is provided by some senior birds of paradise, including the 99-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel who said: “I would like to be remembered as the world’s oldest living teenager.”

Mini-me Special children’s wear did not exist before 1900. Children simply wore the same type of clothing as adults. The upper classes used these miniature grown-ups to display their wealth. But even today, parents are showing off their success through their children’s outfits, and on the red carpet superstars like Beyoncé pose next to adorable copies of themselves. In the exhibition the ‘mini-me’ phenomenon is demonstrated by examples of richly embellished lace and silk children’s dresses from the 19th century, as well as garments from contemporary baby and children’s wear collections by Dior and Gucci.

Forever young Numerous pieces from the Fashion Museum in Hasselt (Belgium) illustrate that fashion reflects the spirit of the times. In the 1920s, upcoming movements for emancipation and social equality, and an increasing amount of leisure time heralded the age of the garçonnes, or flappers: women who wore loose-fitting, sequined dresses and sported boyish hairstyles. People of the younger generation were rebelling against their parents by means of their own style of clothing, music and vernacular. In the 1960s, young people were again opposing the dominant values of the older generations. With the advent of mass media, a strong youth culture was able to emerge. In 1965, the editor in chief of the renowned fashion magazine Vogue US described this development as an actual youthquake. In the exhibition, minidresses by Mary Quant and jumpsuits with psychedelic prints take the visitors on a journey back in time.

Jimmy Paul Elmo©Marc de Groot

Age does(n’t) matter The 1990s were an age of super models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. Teenagers were dominating campaigns and the runway. The exhibition shows how in advertising the models in front of the camera were constantly getting younger and skinnier. Over the following decade, this new, idealised image began to shift, and cracks started to appear in this rigid form of representation. These days, brands who refuse to manufacture XL-sized garments, for instance, can expect a tidal wave of criticism. The exhibition shows work by photographers like Ari Seth Cohen from New York, and Harmen Meinsma from Rotterdam who are putting older models, and their advanced style, in the spotlights. Also featured are examples of the Granny Look that is currently widely embraced by a younger generation, as well as work by fashion designers like Walter van Beirendonck and Bas Kosters who are using the world of children as a source of inspiration for their collections.

Ageing well The impact of age is different for every individual. Julika Rudelius’ 2006 film ‘Forever’ shows Americans in their sixties who are having cosmetic surgery as part of a never-ending pursuit of physical youth. And the photographic series

by Juno Calypso zooms in on what people are willing to do to look younger: from wearing corrective underwear to getting face masks and fillers. In the exhibition’s finale, visitors will meet the eternal teenager Iris Apfel. This 99-yearold, world-famous style icon thinks, lives and dresses like a young person while her unique style simultaneously offers a positive counterbalance to the adoration of youth. www.kunsthal.nl Luìs Monteiro, Iris Apfel

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07-04-21 15:13

The American College of Thermology What is thermography?

Thermography is a totally non-invasive health screening procedure that is pain-free, radiation-free, compression-free and touch-free.

Thermography uses a special medically-calibrated, FDA-registered infrared camera with highly accurate heat sensors to detect differentials in temperature in the body. Your body temperature is displayed graphically on a screen.

Normally, our body temperature is symmetrical. However, abnormalities, injuries, pains and abnormal pathology changes the temperature of the surrounding tissue. These differences are clearly visible through thermography.

Thermography can help by: • Aiding in the early detection of disease and pathology • Evaluating significant soft-tissue injury or sensory-nerve irritation • Identifying abnormal areas for further diagnostic testing • Determining the root cause of pain • Defining a previously diagnosed injury or condition • Follow-up progress of healing and rehabilitation Thermography can detect diseases before they arise. For example: • Thermography Breast Screening gives you a full picture of your breast health. It can detect the subtle physiologic changes that accompany pathology, whether it is fibrocystic disease, an

infection, vascular disease or a malignancy. In this way, you can detect abnormalities early and take the necessary steps to halt or reverse the progress of disease • Artery conditions, such as stroke potential or inflammation • Vein conditions, for example deep vein thrombosis • Gut health, liver, pancreas, kidney, colon and gallbladder issues, diaphragm restriction • Pre-diabetic screening • Dental/periodontal issues, which can be found even before your dentist detects them • Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic immune deficiencies • Inflammatory pain • Carpal tunnel syndrome • Arthritis • Sports injuries …and much more!

Let’s look at the facts • Only 25% of all cases of breast cancer occur in women with a family history.

• Clinical exams, mammography and thermography used together can detect 95% of early-stage cancers.

• Most people only discover that they are suffering from a breast-related disease once symptoms begin to manifest.

• Thermography can accurately and precisely identify the smallest of abnormalities in your breast tissue (as well as spot risk factors for cancer), making it an excellent early detection tool.

Welcome in the House of Beauty

Tour of Beauty Your Beauty - Our Devotion Hooistraat 7 2514 BM Den Haag T: 070-362.31.63 E: info@tourofbeauty.nl www.tourofbeauty.nl

Special offer valid in April and May Book now an appointment for a breast examination, including SO CHECK. This allows us, in the follow-up appointment, to identify the missing link to give your breast health a massive boost.

1. First thermography appointment (45 minutes) 2. Including SO CHECK measuring levels for 21 minerals, 7 vitamins, toxic metal load and oxidative stress. For a follow-up of the SO Check, please book an additional orthomolecular appointment.

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Can thermography diagnose cancer?

Absolutely not. Only a biopsy can diagnose cancer.

Find a clinic near you: www.thermologyonline.org

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Our new home on Havenstraat for pupils from 3-18 is now open.

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07-04-21 21:29

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 27

ART & CULTURE

Haute Bordure in the Fries Museum In the Fries Museum you will discover that embroidery is of all times and for everyone; young and old, man and woman! Nearly 150 garments and accessories prove that embroidery is more than decoration; it shows who you are.

In the exhibition Haute Bordure you can marvel at four centuries of handmade embroidery in Dutch fashion. From a spectacular catsuit by Jan Taminiau - stitched from head to toe with sequins - to gold-threaded shoes from 1620, and from rustling roaring twenties dresses to 18th century men’s cardigans with meticulously embroidered details. A must-visit for fashion lovers and textile fans.

Visitors discover the richness associated with embroidery, with luxurious materials such as gold thread, silk and pearls, as well as the craftsmanship and the hundreds of hours sometimes needed to decorate a garment. Embroidery can be worn to express group affiliation or to stand out from the crowd. Moreover, fine white embroidery is worn at important moments in life such as births, baptisms and marriages. But above all, embroidery plays an important role in the latest fashions, with which women and men have been making a statement for centuries.

See and be seen Embroidery in fashion has a long tradition and was once reserved for the church and the elite.

Labour-intensive craftsmanship and the use of luxurious materials made embroidery a precious status symbol. Increasing prosperity in the 17thcentury also allowed citizens to show off richly decorated accessories. Professional embroiderers applied themselves to complex designs and developed an enormous variety of stitches and techniques. Their creations found their way into the Dutch fashion scene and men and women of all ages distinguished themselves with unique clothing, as is still the case today. For example, the exhibition features a spectacular evening dress by Claes Iversen, studded with Plexiglas, metal and Swarovski crystals; and a catsuit by Jan Taminiau, sewn with sequins from head to toe. Customising outfits is also popular in streetwear and on social

media, in reaction to the uniformity of massproduced clothing.

Get to work yourself In addition to the exhibition, the Fries Museum has organised an extensive programme of related activities. Everyone, from beginner to expert, can contribute a stitch or two to the interactive embroidery installation by artist Floor Nijdeken in the foyer of the museum. In addition, a number of embroidery master classes will be organised in cooperation with Crafts Council Netherlands that are aimed at lovers of textiles, fashion and crafts with some embroidery experience. Additional activities will be announced on the museum’s website in the near future.

Mix of historical and modern More than 100 historical and contemporary pieces will be displayed in six rooms. The museum’s unique collection will be enriched with many historical and contemporary pieces from Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (Amsterdam), Royal Archives and Royal Collections (The Hague), Amsterdam Museum (Amsterdam), Centraal Museum (Utrecht), Groninger Museum (Groningen), Kunstmuseum Den Haag (The Hague), Zeeuws Museum (Middelburg), Zuiderzee Museum (Enkhuizen), Museum Rotterdam (Rotterdam) and various contemporary designers.

Paul Toornend designed the exhibition; the graphic design is by Michaël Snitker. www.friesmuseum.nl

Karim Adduchi, Mosaic dress, 2019.

Photography: Petrovsky & Ramone.

Dressing gown, around 1880, collection Fries Museum.

Van Gogh Heritage Locations in Drenthe Vincent himself would say: “Superb”.

The Drents Museum, Drents Archief and Het Drentse Landschap are launching the renewed website www.vangoghindrenthe.com.

On this bilingual site (Dutch / English) you will find all information about the period that Vincent van Gogh stayed in Drenthe in the autumn of 1883. In particular, you will find information about the fifteen locations in Drenthe that Van Gogh visited, that played a role in his work and/or that inspired him. The website is based upon the publicationVan Gogh Heritage Locations in Drenthe, which the three Drenthe organizations presented in September 2020.

The publication is the result of scientific inventory research that experts have jointly carried out during one and a half years into traces that Van Gogh left during his stay in Drenthe, made possible thanks to financial support from the province of Drenthe. The publication can be downloaded from the website in both Dutch and English.

More information: www.vangoghindrenthe.com

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07-04-21 14:34

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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.

We host literary events such as storytelling, writing & poetry workshops, and services for book launch.

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During November and December we open twice per month on Sundays (please check the dates and opening hours through our social media)

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07-04-21 15:42

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 29

TIPS & REVIEWS book |

movie |

“Humankind A Hopeful History”| Rutger Bregman

The Father | Florian Zeller

If Rutger Bregman were a normal historian, he would have perhaps contented himself with the praise for his 2016 international bestseller, ‘Utopia For Realists: How We Can Build The Ideal World’. But, alas, the ‘Dutch wunderkind’, as The Guardian called him, is not. In 2019, he struck back with ‘Humankind: A Hopeful History’ - a book which proves to be as, if not more, revolutionary than his previous hit.

The topic of dementia was once taboo for cinema, with the often-slow decline of the illness difficult to encapsulate, and perhaps too distressing to explore. However, many independent films of the last few years have broached the subject – Michael Haneke’s wonderful Amour, Oscar winner Still Alice, and the forthcoming Supernova to name a few. The Father, the directorial debut of playwright Florian Zeller, takes on the subject more boldly than ever before.

Bregman, who was recently chosen as Utrecht University’s Alumnus Of The Year, has built his success on arguing for the seemingly impossible.

Notably, he supports a universal basic income (which led him to speak at Ted Talks) and taxing the rich (which got him to leave notorious conservative host Tucker Carlson positively flustered). However, in his latest work, he broadens his scope and aims for something bigger than economics. This time, it is humanity that is at stake; and Bregman argues that humans are actually quite kind.

This theory might not seem that radical, but Bregman does a great job in showing how much of our perceptions of humanity of people rest on the Hobbesian principle that, if it were not for the firm grip of authority, we would be doomed to evilness. In ‘Humankind’, Bregman demystifies this idea, pulling from so-called examples of our ‘true nature’ - from ‘Lord Of The Flies’ to infamous social experiments - and poking holes in their logic. Then, to replace each exposed narrative, he offers a new one: stories of compassion and kindness, which prove we may not be so bad after all.

It is nothing short of fascinating that Bregman’s new book came out just months before COVID-19 changed our lives forever. And, even if in recent months we have frequently been exposed to human selfishness, we have also confirmed how caring we can be - from neighbors shopping for one another to teachers trying their hardest to educate through a screen. ‘Humankind’ might propose a revision of the past, but it can also serve as a lesson for the future. Despite the occasional blind spot, it is an enthralling, and, above all else, hopeful read - when we perhaps need it most.

Beatriz Negreiros

Anthony Hopkins stars as Anthony, a retired man whose advancing years have led his daughter (Olivia Colman) to hire a live-in carer. His protests against the move are ignored. However, when familiar faces begin to shift and look like strangers, Anthony begins to feel very insecure in his own home.

The film is, in essence, a visual representation of dementia. Characters are played by different actors, the timeline shifts and distorts. This method creates a sense of unease in the viewer, seeing the world from Anthony’s position. It’s a horror film, not because it is trying to scare you, but that the subject is horrific. We’re witnessing a man’s mind betray him, and the effect is powerful.

Key to this is Hopkins’ performance, which feels like a building slowly falling apart. The Oscar winner captures the bravado and fear around those suffering from the illness, determined to keep their independence while frightened of what’s happening to them. Having spent much of the last decade in commercial cinema, it’s a reminder of why the late Sir Richard Attenborough described Hopkins as the best actor of his generation.

We see both his perspective, and the frustrated view of Colman’s character, Anne, who tries to care for him in the shadow of deep resentment over a past loss. It’s a symphony of barely restrained emotion from The Crown star. Impressive character actors like Rufus Sewell, Mark Gatiss and Olivia Williams turns up sporadically in different parts and all make an impact.

However, it’s Hopkins who drives at the heart of this primal fear – the loss of control.

Wonderful and terrifying, The Father will strike a chord with anyone who has gone through the experiences explored in the story. Many films have represented dementia in a loose and palatable way, but Zeller throws out the pleasantries and makes things uncomfortably real. A work of cinema that will stay with you for a long time.

James Luxford

SUPPORT YOUR LOCALS #supportyourlocals.nl

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08-04-21 09:20

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The future of preventative health care

07-04-21 11:02

APRIL-MAY 2021 | 31

SPORT

The global game – the foreign influence on Dutch football

When foreigners in the Netherlands unpack their things and take up residence, they often bring with them a piece of their own home countries which is not necessarily nestled in their suitcases or moving boxes. Expats, immigrants and otherwise visitors in this country who are fans of football generally bring their favorite team within their hearts and minds. Certainly, no one is making the case for disavowing first loves, but for those of you who are tempted by the thought of second love in your second country, you’ll find that the Dutch football competition is seasoned by influences from around the world. You may very well find fellow countrymen playing football here – some 50 countries are represented on the rosters of the 18 clubs in the top Dutch professional league: the Eredivisie.

In the current season, some 45% of the 490 contracted players are nationals of a country other than the Netherlands. From Albania to the United States (countries beginning with letters V-Z are currently unrepresented), footballers from around the world are having an influence on the Dutch competition.

The Eredivisie became fully professional in 1954 and three years later, the South African Steve Mokone became the first foreigner to play professional footy in the low countries when he signed with Heracles Almelo. Over the years, players and trainers from every corner of the earth have come to this country, some for brief periods, others for a lifetime, to ply their trade on the pitches of Dutch professional soccer clubs. The contribution of these football imports is, like just about any other competition in this truly global game, significant. Each team in the Eredivisie has a host of foreign players under

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contract, but to look at true influence it is interesting to use statistics that look at the actual number of foreigners deployed on the pitch. Under this filter, Arnhem’s Vitesse would take the chocolates as the club with the highest degree of foreign influence. Add to that fact that both the head coach and technical director of the club are German and the prize clearly heads to the club in Gelderland, whose recent success may be testamony to the theory that globalization of the ‘Beautiful Game’ tends to be beneficial.

Vitesse is by no means the only club to draw on the neighbors to the East. In addition to Arnhem’s Thomas Letsch, both PSV Eindhoven and Heracles Almelo feature German head coaches. PSV’s Roger Schmidt may be the most visible of the lot, having garnered attention for open battles with referees and one of his own star players, but the coach of Red Bull Salzburg fame is still looking as a good bet to bring his side home in a second place finish.

Holders Ajax Amsterdam are looking to cruise to a defense of their league title and that is no small part due to the skills of the working visa players in their employ.

Perhaps their best-known import and by most measures the best of breed at this moment is the Serbian left winger, Dusan Tadić. Tadić came to Ajax from Southampton, in 2018 having already made his mark in both Twente and Groningen.

‘Circular’ players such as Tadić who come to this country and circulate in and out as well as through the Eredivisie are not all that uncommon. Some of the best examples are the Scandinavians Jari

Litmanen and Lasse Schöne. Litmanen, from Finland, had stops in Amsterdam on both the dawn as well as the twilight of his successful footballing career, first playing for Ajax in 1992 before departing for Barcelona and Liverpool – returning in 2002 before heading back to finish out his playing tenure in Scandinavia. For the Dane Lasse Schöne, the circle may be complete with his return to Heerenveen from Italy’s Genoa. Schöne had success at Ajax after his first foray with Heerenveen’s Blue and White Army. If he has returned to the Netherlands for good, his Dutch wife would most certainly approve.

Perhaps no better example of a circular career for a foreign national in the Eredivisie is Željko Petrović.

The Montenegrin first came to the Netherlands in 1992 to play for FC Den Bosch. Having also played for Eindhoven’s PSV and RKC Waalwijk, Petrović began a career in coaching, first as an assistant at Rotterdam’s Feyenoord. After nearly two decades both in the Netherlands and abroad, he was asked to return to Feyenoord to take up a spot on the bench next to the ‘Little General’ Dick Advocaat.

When Willem II found themselves ebbing further and further toward the depths of relegation, the Tilburg side called on Petrović to replace Adrie Koster. Under their new trainer, the ‘Tricolores’ have pulled themselves up and enter the final phase of the season just abovea the cut.

Time will tell but for now it seems that Willem II have demonstrated that foreign influence on the Dutch competition can be a very positive one indeed!

from larger ones come to the Netherlands to hone their skills and log valuable playing time. In the latter category would be both Maduka Okoye from Rotterdam’s Sparta and Georgios Giakoumakis from VVVVenlo. Okoye, a Nigerian keeper who was languishing at Fortuna Dusseldorf, has had himself a breakout year and is on the radar of a number of potential destinations, not the least of which is a team whose goals need tending in Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff ArenA. Giakoumakis, who himself had become a fixture on the bench of AEK Athens and was toiling in the obscurity of Poland’s PKO Ekstraklasa, was brought into Venlo by VVV’s Technical Director, Stan Valckx. Valckx had a hunch about the Greek striker and was he ever right.

‘Giako’ will end up the league’s top scorer by a fair distance. For the cellar dwellers, his influence will be felt greatly on the Venlo balance sheet – a welcome plus after a very lean year.

Written by John Mahnen

The Dutch Eredivisie is often the steppingstone for even greener pastures.

Both promising players from smaller competitions as well as overlooked players

07-04-21 22:22

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07-04-21 20:55