More and more Dutchies are turning their traditional fiets to an electric one.
2023 set a new record for e-bike sales in the Netherlands! No less than 57% of the 855,000 newly sold bicycles were electric. However, they accounted for almost 80% of profit made on bike sales.
More than half of the newly sold bikes had the same sort of electric features back in 2021, but this tendency is about to rise even more, RTL Nieuws reports.
The Dutchies are at the forefront
Over the past 10 years, the popularity of E-bikes has been researched by Gfk, commissioned by RAI Vereniging and BOVAG.
According to them, you’re most likely to find an e-bike in the Netherlands compared to other European countries. However, they are also becoming increasingly popular in other European countries as well.
The popularity of e-bikes is causing an increase in the average selling price of bicycles.
The average cost of a new bicycle among Dutch people last year was € 1,772, up nearly 9% from the previous year. The increased number is also due to the generally increased cost.
Are you thinking of switching to an E-bike, or are you good with your good old fiets? Tell us in the comments!
As a train passenger, sometimes things go wrong — but you never expect it to happen to the driver! Turns out things can go wrong for them too. Specifically, the direction of the train.
That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday evening when an NS train took a wrong turn from Woerden to Gouda, causing passengers to be considerably confused (and delayed), reports RTL Nieuws.
An unfamiliar view
The train in question departed as usual from Utrecht towards Gouda. However, near Woerden, it was sent in the wrong direction towards Bodegraven, making passengers look out the window and go ‘hé?’
Klaas-Willem de Jong was one of the passengers on the poor confused train, who noticed that something was wrong. “I thought: hey, the highway stays on our left. That only happens if you drive towards Bodegraven instead of Gouda,” he tells RTL Nieuws.
Time to back it up
Thankfully, the trip didn’t end in disaster, just a delay (so maybe a disaster for anyone with a tub of ice cream in their bag).
When the error was noticed by the train crew, the train was sent backwards towards Woerden, where passengers could get off and continue their journey.
This resulted in a delay of at least three-quarters of an hour, whoops! 😬
Nog nooit meegemaakt @NS_online , maar de trein is bij Woerden verkeerd 'afgeslagen', niet nr Gouda, maar naar Bodegraven. We staan nu stil in het land, niet ver van Waarder en Nieuwerbrug.
Translation: Never experienced this before @NS_online, but the train ‘turned off’ wrongly at Woerden, not to Gouda, but to Bodegraven. We are now standing still in the country, not far from Waarder and Nieuwerbrug.
What caused the confusion?
According to ProRail spokesperson, Martijn de Graaf, it was a series of unfortunate events that led to the incident.
According to de Graaf, it’s still not completely clear how the error occurred. However, shortly before the incident, there was another incident involving animals on the trail.
“There was a delay in the area due to a hit deer. Due to a combination of circumstances, it became very busy around Utrecht Central Station, which made it very busy for our traffic control. A train was sent in the wrong direction in that crowd,” he reported to RTL Nieuws.
Another ProRail spokesperson apologises to travellers on behalf of the NS, “the fact is, of course, that this should not have happened. It is annoying for travellers; it causes nuisance and delays.”
Klaas-Willem went on to state that he’s “never experienced anything like it”, but is he spooked at all? Nee. He says he“won’t hesitate for a moment the next time he steps on a train.” 😃
Were you one of the passengers on this train? Tell us in the comments below!
The Dutch Outbreak Management Team (OMT) has spoken: testing and isolating for COVID-19 should be a thing of the past.
While the government has yet to make an official decision, the OMT advice claims that the coronavirus is just a part of life now — like the flu.
Enter: the endemic stage
It’s been almost three years since the World Health Organization, officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.
Now, according to the OMT, the Netherlands is in the so-called endemic phase of COVID-19. This means that the virus and its multiple subvariants are mostly contained.
While the virus still circulates, it has reached a steady state where it doesn’t cause large, unpredictable outbreaks anymore.
So, according to them, it’s time for the Netherlands to ditch the archaic rituals of testing and isolation.
COVID-19 test? Don’t know her
The latest advice from the OMT is that both test streets and self-tests are no longer necessary.
However, the GGDmust be prepared to scale up on test streets again, should it ever become necessary. That would happen, for example, if a new variant emerged and spread rapidly. 🦠
Isolation no more
As of now, the government advises that those who test positive for coronavirus should to go into isolation for five days.
But the days of playing the COVID-19 card to get out of social commitments (or work? 😉) may soon be over: As far as the OMT is concerned, isolation should not be necessary anymore.
As the NOS writes, coronavirus may then become subject to the generic advice that applies to other respiratory infections. These include the good ol’ washing of hands, sneezing into the elbow and staying home when sick.
Will the government take the advice?
It’s important to note that this is the OMT’s opinion, not the Dutch government’s.
While the government has yet to make an official decision on the measures and rules around COVID-19, it is expected that they will adopt the advice of the OMT.
What do you think about the end of isolation and testing? Tell us in the comments!
Doei disposable bags, and hallosustainable future! Supermarket chains Lidl, Jumbo, Plus and Aldi will stop using plastic and paper bags for fruits and veggies.
Instead, they will sell reusable bags that customers can wash at home.
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?
The initiative to stop using disposable bags comes as a joint effort of the supermarkets to reduce plastic waste.
Under the Plastic Pact NL, a collaborative association between the government and companies, the parties are working to move towards a circular economy for plastic products. ♻️
With this measure, the supermarkets expect to save about 126 million plastic bags and 10 million paper bags per year! Wat super. 🥳
I bought these to help reduce plastic waste when I buy veg at the supermarket pic.twitter.com/TGy2BO6tKF
— David Freeman 🇮🇹🚴🏻 (@davidfreeman119) May 2, 2018
We want more!
Besides Plus, Lidl, Aldi, and Jumbo, Albert Heijn had previously eliminated plastic fruit and vegetable bags from its stores in 2022.
While this is a big step in the right direction, Minister of the Environment Viviane Heijnen, and Carlijn Röell, director of Plastic Pact NL, want to see more supermarkets join in.
“Consumers need to get used to it as soon as possible,” Röell told RTL Nieuws, “that’s why it’s important that as many supermarket chains as possible participate.”
The ball is in your court, Dirk. 👀⚽️
What do you think about this sustainable initiative? Tell us in the comments.
Fans were in for a shock last Monday when The New York Times (a prestigious American-based newspaper) ran a long-read feature on their favourite sport. 🤩
The sport in question? None other than korfball!
What is korfball?
Taking its name from the Dutch word for basket (korf), this is a mixed-gender sport played between two teams of eight players each.
Invented in 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen, a Dutch schoolteacher, the game’s objective is to manage to get a ball through a netless basket that’s mounted three and a half metres off the ground.
Although korfball (or korfbal in Dutch) bears a few similarities to basketball, it’s thought that the game owes its origins to the Swedish sport of ringboll.
Korfball: bridging the gender divide in popular sports
A key point in The New York Times’ article was the unique way in which korfball approached gender dynamics in sport.
Unlike many other sports that were originally designed to be played by members of one gender, korfball is one of the handful of sports that were invented with mixed-gender teammates in mind.
The New York Times lauds this progressive aspect of the game, noting that it helps offset physical characteristics (such as height) that may otherwise leave the playing field unequal.
As gender in sports has become a relatively hot topic in recent years, it’s interesting to see if games like korfball will see an uptick in their popularity.
What do you think of The New York Times reporting on korfball’s progressiveness? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
The Mauritishuis didn’t want the original display area to get chilly. 🥶
Therefore, they made a call to artists from near and far to create a new piece inspired by the famous Vermeer painting.
Before long, curators had to sift through 3,482 art pieces made from photographs, sculptures, and even work composed of vegetables before they landed upon an AI model of the piece to hang in a row with four others.
This decision has been scrutinised under the watchful eyes of many art critics, who aren’t happy that the hard labour of artists is being mocked by a bot.
How was it made?
Julian Van Dieken created AI-generated images of the girl using the artificial intelligence programme Midjourney. He went on to fine-tune her beauty digitally with Photoshop.
Midjourney works with a simple text input. This means Van Dieken might’ve typed in: Create a portrait of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring — with a bit of glow and shine. ✨
Then, the system creates a computer-generated image faster than a Dutchie can say leuk!
Artificial intelligence or artificial ignorance?
Objections from the art world are also moving quickly as artists campaign against AI entering their space.
One artist, Eva Toorenent, advocates against the ‘unethical technology’ used to create these artworks, with the organisation EGAIR.
“While Midjourney makes a lot of money with its software, the artists and creators whose work is involuntarily included in this dataset see nothing in return,” Toorenent tells de Volkskrant.
“Without the work of human artists, this program could not generate works at all. The higher the quality of art in the dataset, the higher the quality of the AI art.”
Whilst artificial intelligence may be useful for some professions, Toorenent believes that within the art profession, AI should be a no-go.
What do you think of the AI Vermeer painting? Tell us in the comments below!
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, more than eight million Ukrainians fled their country. Today, around 90,000 of them are registered in the Netherlands.
A year after the outbreak of Putin’s war, the NOS has conducted an investigation into the future plans of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands. Out of the respondents, a third would like to stay.
Note: For this investigation, the NOS surveyed 247 Ukrainian refugees. The results are not representative of the entire Ukrainian refugee population in the Netherlands. They merely offer an insight into the struggles that those affected face.
Divided over future plans
The opinions of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands are neatly divided. While a third of them claim they would like to stay here, a bit more than a third want to return to their home country. A final third is unsure.
Those not wanting to return to Ukraine are generally from hard-hit cities, such as Kharkiv, or have children attending a Dutch primary school.
Many Ukrainian refugees don’t have a home in Ukraine anymore. Image: Freepik
For those that are unsure of whether they want to stay in the Netherlands, several factors play a role.
Their concerns include the lack of safety in Ukraine, the slim possibilities for work in the Netherlands, and the expensive housing market.
Navigating the job market
Due to unfulfilled language requirements, or unrecognized degrees and diplomas, most Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands work in temporary employment — many of them in the service industry.
According to Statistics Netherlands, 58% of Ukrainians in the Netherlands work less than 25 hours a week — 13% work full time.
Often, this is not a voluntary decision, as becomes clear in the NOS report. Anna Synenko (38), who was a pharmaceutical researcher in Ukraine, now works three to four days a week for a catering company.
She told the reporters that, although she has 15 years of work experience in her field, it’s simply not possible for her to get a job in medicine in the Netherlands.
Minister of Social Affairs, Van Gennip acknowledges that many Ukrainians run into the language problem: “They often speak a little English, but not Dutch, and you need that as a basis for a lot of jobs.”
Impossible to rent in the free sector
Many highly educated Ukrainian refugees, like Synenko, claim they do not make enough money to rent a home in the free sector.
Irina Sureieva, who currently works at a bakery and in a supermarket, says it’s impossible for her and her husband to earn enough for their own home.
“Most Ukrainians earn no more than minimum wage, because they have no work experience in the Netherlands. So it is impossible to rent a private home because, in the private sector, your income must be three to four times higher than the rent,” she told the NOS.
Unfortunately, Ukrainians around the world are facing similar situations in their host countries.
What do you think about the situation of Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments.
If March is just around the corner, spring is too — right? Well, not this year: due to high altitude disturbances above the North Pole, experts from the Royal Dutch Weather Institute (KNMI) expect a frosty month. 🥶
But hey, as NU.nl reports, at least the frost will be accompanied by lots of sunshine!
Polar air coming our way
Okay, strap in for a quick meteorology crash course.
The frosty weather that we’re headed towards is a “sudden stratospheric warming”, according to Michiel van Weele from the KNMI. What does that mean? Good question.
It’s a natural phenomenon during which thin air above the North Pole warms up rapidly. While this occurs at high latitudes, it affects the lower parts of the atmosphere — where we are located.
This sudden warming causes cold air to push further south (to the Netherlands, for example), instead of being locked above the polar region. 🌬️
Booo, no ice skating
Whether we will get real winter weather or just some frosty nights is unclear. It depends on how long the high-pressure area stays in place.
But before you get your hopes up: Van Weele doesn’t think we’ll see any more ice skating opportunities this year.
Daffodils and crocuses
While we prepare for cold nights (and high energy bills), we can at least look forward to seeing more of the sun as well. Hoera!
While early spring flowers like daffodils and crocuses are already blooming, the sun will be a welcomed regular visitor in March. ☀️
How will you prepare for the incoming March weather? Tell us in the comments!
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing war have sent shock waves throughout the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
The conflict continues and leaves many Ukrainians without a home, job, stable food supplies, and medical aid after a year.
The Netherlands might be pressed into the most Western corner of Europe, but there are still ways we can assist the Ukrainian people. Here’s how you can help Ukraine from the Netherlands. 💙💛 👇🏻
Disclaimer: The first version of this article was published in March 2022. The war is constantly changing and so are the ways we can provide aid to Ukraine.
We try to keep this article updated, but please tell us in the comments if you have new inputs, NGOs or campaigns you think we should include and support.
Donate
There is a widespread humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict. While it’s not possible for most of us to travel to Ukraine and offer humanitarian assistance, you can donate to organisations that do.
Here is a list of ongoing campaigns that can use your donations to fund medical aid, emergency shelter, and food supplies for people directly affected by the war.
Giro 555 is a collective effort of aid and humanitarian organisations in the Netherlands to collect money for the people in Ukraine. Over €160 million have been donated as of March 2023.
Stichting Vluchteling 999 is a Dutch refugee aid organisation that has opened an account called Giro 999 to collect donations for displaced persons and refugees.
The UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) has also opened channels to help refugees of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
FreePressUnlimited has set up a donation campaign to support journalists and free press in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
Donating just the smallest amount can help. There are also options to contribute on a monthly or yearly basis for long-term assistance.
Help Ukrainians in the Netherlands
By now, almost 90,000 Ukrainian refugees have been registered in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch government website. The conflict is no longer far away, but we have the opportunity to help those that have come all the way from Ukraine to the Netherlands.
Volunteer
Dutch aid organisations are looking for volunteers to help Ukrainians in the Netherlands on a rolling basis. Helping hands are especially needed in refugee shelters, administration or the organisation and distribution of donations.
These are the websites of some Dutch organisations that regularly update their openings for volunteers:
Leger des Heils: the Dutch branch of The Salvation Army needs help especially in refugee shelters and in support of families hosting Ukrainian refugees. (Job openings posted in Dutch.)
NLvoorelkaar: this organisation coordinates volunteer opportunities across the Netherlands and they have set up a forum for all volunteer and aid requests.
VluchtelingenWerk Nederland: this aid organisation is present in every single Dutch refugee shelter and you can register as a volunteer in your area. (In Dutch.)
Fast Lane Ukraine: this volunteer-run organisation based in Amsterdam organises and supports trips with urgently needed supplies to the Polish-Ukrainian border. See their vacancies for volunteer positions.
Housing
The Dutch government jointly with the various municipalities has prepared temporary and long-term housing to host refugees coming in from Ukraine. This is currently the main way Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands are provided with shelter.
However, if you want to open your home to Ukrainians there are ways to do so. The Netherlands Red Cross together with other Dutch charity organisations has set up RefugeeHomeNL, which seeks to place Ukrainians with Dutch families.
You can connect through Takecarebnb with registered refugees that are looking to stay in a family home as opposed to a refugee shelter. The agreement lasts for a maximum period of three months.
Note: Housing Ukrainian refugees is a big responsibility. There is a risk of Ukrainians falling through the cracks of the Dutch governmental care systems when living with Dutch host families, reports NU.nl.
This option should, therefore, only be considered if you have the means, time and capacity to help Ukrainians build up a life in the Netherlands.
Employment
Since April 1, Ukrainian refugees are allowed to work in the Netherlands without an official work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning;twv). The Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) estimated in May that 4,300 Ukrainians found work with Dutch employers.
A Ukrainian refugee wishing to work in the Netherlands will need:
A Dutch citizen number (Burgerservicenummer; BSN),
Register the Ukrainian employee with the UWV, at least two days before the official start date of employment.
Drop-off points for clothes, medication and other goods
Another way you can help is by dropping off goods such as blankets, sanitary products or canned foods at collection points in the Netherlands. From there, volunteers and employees will make sure the collected donations will reach Ukrainians in need.
Important: Before buying loads of goods and heading to any of these drop-off points, inform yourself what exactly is needed! For example, at the moment, medication and medical equipment are urgently needed. It is no longer advised to drop off clothes or liquids.
Check here for updates on what is required or call your closest drop-off point in advance.
There are also small, non-profit organisations in the Netherlands that continue to use their social media presence to collect donations and raise awareness. Here are the Instagram accounts of some of them.
@help_ukraine_nl continues to run a drop-off point and collect donations in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
@zeilenvanvrijheid collects money to buy and drive ambulances as well as medical equipment to Ukraine. Thus far, 70 ambulances have been purchased in total.
@u.aid.foundation provides targeted humanitarian aid to, for example, citizens of the Ukrainian city Bucha. Their newest project is looking to collect produce to support Ukrainian orphans.
@uaid.nl collect donations and run a drop-off point in Castricum, Noord-Holland. Their website gives a good overview of what is needed most.
Did we miss any charities, campaigns or non-profits you would like us to mention? Tell us in the comments how you are planning to help Ukraine. 👇🏻
“My son surfed competitions and we always had to go to Portugal and France,” says Jeroen den Otter, one of the project initiators. “He couldn’t practice here in the Netherlands, because we don’t have such good waves here.”
But soon, this will be an issue of the past. 🏄♂️
Up to 1.5m high
Europe’s first-ever indoor wave pool is 70 metres long and 20 metres wide. Once fully functional, it will produce 120 waves per hour — of a height of about 1.5m. 🤩
It will be filled with that lekker dune water from The Hague, to give you that real ocean vibe (but all indoors, of course)!
Let’s go catch a wave (soon)
The construction of the indoor wave pool started in December of last year, and is progressing rapidly. “It’s about 60% done,” Den Otter tells RTL Nieuws — but some more funding is needed.
Within just a few months, there will be big waves crashing over this construction. Image: SurfPoel
With all of the necessary machines in place and ready to go, the team of founders hopes to get water into the pit by March.
Surf’s up! We don’t know about you, but we’re super excited to hit those waves. 🌊
Will you visit The Hague’s wave pool? Tell us in the comments!
