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Man who raped and assaulted students in Leiden gets four years in prison

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A 21-year-old man who was convicted for the assault and rape of three young women in Leiden last year has been sentenced to four years in prison. 

The man was sentenced last Friday. He is responsible for a string of attacks against young women in the student city of Leiden through October, November and December of 2019.

All three victims were attacked while walking home from parties at night. The first victim was assaulted, and the second and third victims were raped.

The attacks left many students feeling unsettled and unsafe and a petition for change was launched.

Calculating

The man was described by the court as “calculating” in his approach to attacking women.

“He has chosen victims who walked alone on the street late at night and were visibly under the influence of alcohol, which made them particularly vulnerable. The suspect has thus caused great unrest and feelings of fear in Leiden, especially among young women who felt unsafe because of the news of nightly rapes and assaults,” the court claimed, nu.nl reports.

Police were able to use camera footage to track the assaulter’s movements.

The sentence

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has decided that along with a four year prison sentence, he will be subject to a number of restrictions.

Once he is out of prison, he will no longer be allowed to enter the city of Leiden and has been asked not to contact any of the victims. He must also undergo treatment.

How do you feel about this prison sentence? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Bill Oxford/Unsplash.

The Netherlands is a top-three tax haven for multinationals and the super-rich

The Netherlands is one of the world’s biggest tax havens, third only to the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom. 

The findings come from a new report from the Tax Justice Network. The study found that tax havens are forcing the global economy to miss out on $427 billion USD (€359 billion) every year.

The Netherlands is directly responsible for around $36.5 billion USD (€30.6 billion) of this. To put that into perspective, that money could hire almost 2.9 million nurses worldwide, estimates Tax Justice Network.

The “axis of tax avoidance”

Of this, $245 billion USD (€206 billion) is lost from multinational corporations shifting profit to tax havens — like the Netherlands — allowing them to sidestep their tax obligations on profit made in countries where they actually do their business.

The remaining loss is from wealthy individuals hiding income and assets offshore.

The Netherlands, the UK, Luxembourg, and Switzerland together make up the “axis of tax avoidance,” says the report. The axis is responsible for almost half of all avoided corporate profit tax.

The Dutch also take a hit

Despite companies and individuals flocking to take advantage of Dutch tax structures, the country is also losing out to other countries.

According to the report, the Netherlands is losing out on around $10.6 billion USD (€8.9 billion) each year. With this money, the Netherlands could pay the salary of nearly 161,000 nurses.

Do you think the Netherlands needs to shape up their tax laws? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Pixabay/Pexels

Weather report: mild till midweek, leading up to a frosty Friday

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Keep your sunglasses handy, the sun will be shining throughout the Netherlands today. The mild weather is expected to take us through Thursday, with frost setting in on Friday.

Starting off with a bit of fog early this morning, the rest of the day is expected to be mostly sunny with intermittent clouds, which will be heavier in the Limburg area, according to Buienrader.

Temperatures will be mild, ranging from 9 – 11 degrees in the afternoon, with weak to moderate winds.

Into the evening, clouds and mist will roll in from the south, cooling down the east of the country to as low as 2 degrees.

A dreary dinsdag

Grey and hazy skies are expected for tomorrow, with a touch of drizzle in some regions. The sun will say hello periodically throughout the day but temperatures are not expected to exceed 11 degrees.

Cold weather ahead

For the remainder of the week, we’ll be able to stay mostly dry. The temperatures will drop by the end of the week, with a high of only 6 degrees anticipated for Friday. Watch your step out there, some light frost should be gracing the sidewalks.

Are you looking forward to the incoming cold weather? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image: Bart van Geffen/Unsplash

Christmas “will be difficult” as coronavirus cases jump, Rutte warns

Prime Minister Mark Rutte is urging the public to comply with the current restrictions if they want more freedom of movement by Christmas. 

This weekend saw coronavirus infections begin to rise once again in the Netherlands. Cases breached the 6,000 mark once again on Saturday. This comes less than a week after strict restrictions were relaxed.

While the government had hoped that numbers would be low enough to ease up on restrictions by December, Rutte warns that “with these figures, that will be difficult,” RTL Nieuws reports.

In the coming days

While the Prime Minister acknowledges that the current numbers are “not how you want it” at this time, the government will see how the next few days go before making any further decisions.

“It is not yet possible to determine exactly how bad it is. We will keep an eye on that in the coming days.”

Maybe Christmas and New Years

The question of what Christmas and New Years will look like for the Netherlands this year still remains. Rutte urges that people remain strong and comply with the restrictions.

He still holds out hope that numbers may be low enough for people to celebrate the holidays. “Maybe something can be done again in December, and then something again at Christmas and New Years.”

However, in order for this to happen, coronavirus numbers will have to start dropping again.

How do you feel about the latest increase? Do you believe Christmas and New Years will go ahead? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! 

Feature Image: freestocks.org/Pexels

Integration in the Netherlands: what is the participation statement workshop?

Have you heard of the participation statement workshop before? Here’s all you need to know about what the integration workshop is, what you’ll learn at it and if it is worth your while.

Integration is a big issue in the increasingly multicultural Dutch society. Currently, there are three million people with a non-Dutch background living in the Netherlands, comprising around 18 percent of the total population.

Foreigners who have a non-western background account for 10 percent of the whole number of inhabitants. With pressing issues surrounding the joys and pitfalls of integration, the Dutch government wants to make sure you get what their version of this tricky concept means.

Integration can mean different things for different people. For some it’s all about speaking the local language and knowing how to navigate the social intricacies, for others it is to successfully decode the tax and healthcare systems.

For the Dutch government, all those things are important when it comes to foreigners settling in. However, they are not enough to secure full integration. Therefore, since late 2017 it is mandatory for immigrants who must take part in the civic integration process to follow a workshop about “what is important in the Netherlands”.

The participation workshop

These workshops are called participatieverklaring, or participation statement workshops. The name comes from the statement you must sign at the end of it, stating that you have understood and will respect the values of Dutch society, while actively contributing to it. The integration-inducing program is prepared and offered by the municipality and must be completed within the first year of your arrival in the country.

When the notification letter from city hall arrived at my home, if I’m being completely honest, I must say I rolled my eyes hard. Not only was I lost in the Dutch language and job market maze, now I must also take the time to learn what is pretty obvious to me already: the Dutch do fraternité, égalité and liberté perhaps even better than the French themselves.

Values, coffee and reminders

Nevertheless, at the risk of losing my residency permit and paying a €340 fine, I cycled towards the first of three nights of integration workshops. After two and a half hours in a very multicultural classroom, for my surprise, I realised I had just had a great time.

Not only did I enjoy meeting people who were on the same boat as me, but I also saw purpose and value at what was being discussed. I could see how engaging debates about values and how they play out in society could help some of us to integrate better.

Important reminders regarding rights and obligations, what types of governmental aid one can apply for, as well as residence permit limitations were also discussed. These are vital things that we tend to forget after so many months have passed in between the visa application process and the first year of our arrival.

Other topics included where to practice sports around town and how and why to volunteer. The message to contribute and participate as a way to integrate was clear and consistent throughout the whole process.

The gift of books

The last of the three encounters happened at the library. An employee happily explained to us all the many services the Bibliotheek offers and how to access them. Even though I’m a self-proclaimed bookworm, five months in and I had yet to set foot in the local library.

I was too enamoured with the book store/café combo, and shamefully enlarging my carbon footprint with late-night book online shopping. Now, I’m a proud member taking full advantage of the language corner.

Head on approach

For those who have decided to make the Netherlands their new home, the Dutch love for bureaucracy is well known. So is their solution-oriented approach to the many challenges that arise within society, institutions and the environment.

The participation workshop is a great example of this “head-on approach for problems” and an active effort to put everyone on the same page. It is far from everything needed to secure a smooth integration process, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

Have you experienced a “participation workshop”? How did you find it? Let us know in the comments below!

Feature Image: Mikael Kristenson/Unsplash
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in February 2020 and was fully updated in December 2020 for your reading pleasure. 

City of knowledge! Why Leiden might just be the smartest city of the Netherlands

Is Leiden the smartest city in the Netherlands? Known for its beautiful and picturesque canals, Dutch houses and the home of DutchReview, it’s also a city that puts the university at the heart of the community and sports an amazing range of different museums.

Besides being pretty, Leiden also has plenty of brainpower going on, here’s what makes it one of the smartest cities in the Netherlands:

It’s home to Leiden University — the oldest uni in the Netherlands

Leiden actually has the oldest university in the whole of the Netherlands, as it was founded in 1575 (wow!). The university is one of Europe’s leading international research universities.

As a result of this and the university being around so long, the university has taught a lot of students over the years and it currently has 29,542 students and 6,700 members of staff.

The university is made up of seven faculties; Archaeology, Governance and Global Affairs, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Science and Social and Behavioural Sciences). The campuses are all over Leiden and a few of them are also present in the Hague.

The student community makes up a large part of Leiden and is actually known for its student associations, making Leiden University the heart of the community, something you should know if you’re considering moving to Leiden.

So, what makes the university so good? Well, the university not only creates future brainiacs, but it has an impact on policy, economy and science. It’s made Leiden a very desirable place to live in a business sense.

Take, for example, the expertise centre of the university called LURIS. LURIS helps students and researchers create alliances with other people and companies, helping them with funding and also with startups. The university also collaborates with businesses in the Leiden Bio Science Park (we’ll explain what that is later) and the museums. Basically, we couldn’t picture a Leiden without the Uni.

Also check out the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Leiden

If Leiden University wasn’t enough, there’s also the highly esteemed University of Applied Sciences (UAS) Leiden (aka the “Hoge School van Leiden”). They have loads of bachelors in Dutch and the UAS offers several programmes in English: check out their minors for exchange students. This one is actually located at the Leiden Bio Science Park, which you also need to know about.

It’s home to the Leiden Bio Science Park

Leiden is the home of the Leiden Bio Science Park, which is the largest life-science cluster in the whole of the Netherlands. It also holds the largest number of bioscience start-ups in the Netherlands, with over 106 medical life science companies residing there. The park mainly focuses on the use of biotechnology in relation to biopharmaceuticals.

Not only is it home to incredible research institutes, but the companies are made up of over 12 nationalities. A true multicultural hub in Leiden.

The faculty is hugeee. Image: Biccie/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0.

Each year the Leiden Bio Science Park gets bigger and better, and it’s going to be buzzing as well in the future since the city of Leiden plans to develop a whopping 1000 new homes in the area. In case you would love to both work and live in the park, here are their vacancies.

Furthermore, with the EMA now in Amsterdam you can expect plenty of more activity for the Leiden Bio Science Park as well.

Want to know more about the Leiden Bio Science Park? Check their brochure with plenty of more info!

It was like home to Einstein

Albert Einstein first visited Leiden back in 1911 with his wife, when he was around 30 years old. He originally visited as a number of students had invited him to the city and he was a guest lecturer. When he arrived he was very fond of Leiden, saying that it was “that delightful piece of land on this barren planet.”

After his first visit, he then visited Leiden often, as he was friends with other Dutch physicists. Leiden was actually the home of his closest friend Paul Ehrenfest (professor at Leiden University) and father-figure Hendrik Lorentz.

Einstein at the home of Leiden physics professor Paul Ehrenfest, June 1920 (Image: Wikipedia/Public Domain)

When he came to Leiden, he would often discuss his theories with his friends. In 1916, he came to Leiden again to stay with Ehrenfest, during the midst of WWI. He discussed the General Theory of Relativity to Leiden’s astronomer and mathematician William de Sitter during his time there.

For the next 20 years, he came to Leiden often to meet with friends and lecture at the university. To honour his work, “Magnetwoche/Magnet week” was organised in 1921.

Einstein was present at Queen Wilhemina’s ceremony for an honorary doctorate in the Pieterskerk. He was wearing a blue silk outfit that came from the academy in Madrid. It stood out so much that to this day, other professors dress similarly when their doctorates are awarded in Leiden. 
Einstein mural in Leiden. Image: Vysotsky/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

It’s home to some amazing museums

Call Leiden a mini-Amsterdam if you will, but I can guarantee that Leiden will have some museums that you would even rate higher than the capital itself.

Leiden is home to some pretty amazing museums — The Museum of Antiquities, the National Museum of Ethnology, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, the Lakenhal Museum and of course the big and famous Naturalis. I could go on. Each one provides something a bit different and just adds that cultural and educational aspect to Leiden. Here are just 3 great museums in Leiden:

Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden)

The National Museum of Antiquities sits alongside the Rapenburg canal, the most well-known and arguably one of the most scenic canal streets in Leiden. This 200-year-old museum is definitely underrated, as it is filled with so many impressive historic artefacts.

It is home to a 2000-year-old temple, a collection of mummies and old Egyptian jewellery, not to mention the hundreds of other artefacts they have there.

This is actually shot at the museum, how impressive! Image: DutchReview/Supplied.

National Museum of Ethnology (Volkenkunde)

The National Museum of Ethnology is a museum in Leiden decided to humans. Throughout the museum, they have a variety of interesting objects than all tell a human story. It’s basically a way of bringing together anything that is culturally diverse (there are themes of usual human behaviour such as celebrating, moaning and praying), and putting it all together to showcase how we are both different, and the same.

The Volkenkunde offers a unique exhibition. Image: Erick VanB/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (Rijksmuseum Boerhaave)

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave is a museum dedicated to the Dutch history of science. It delves into the work of different researchers, their inventions and how it has influenced our society and world as a whole. Their collection showcases 5 centuries of scientific innovation. It’s both fascinating and important.

Leiden is home to tons of tech and science companies

Besides the University and the Leiden Bio Science Park there are also tons of other smart companies in Leiden. There’s the maritime company Heerema, the leading hosting company of TransIP and Astellas in its signature building located at Leiden Bio Science Park.

An interesting building for sure. Image: Bic/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

If you’re looking for office space and network opportunities, you might want to check out hubs such as the buzzing Area 071.

That’s it? Well, one last addition — DutchReview is also located in Leiden! Yeah, we venture out tons of times to other cities, but this cute smart canal-filled town has us hooked!

There’s also a thriving start-up scene with at the heart of it the PLNT building & community, it’s also where we have our office!

PLNT is Leiden’s centre for innovation and entrepreneurship and hosts a variety of innovative and young startup companies. So in case you’re reading this and you need some office-space and help with your tech-start-up: this is the place.

 

I also have the feeling that this isn’t the last time we’re talking about the scientific side of Leiden as it will be the European City of Science in 2022!

Have you visited Leiden? Studied in Leiden? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Editor’s Note: this article was originally published September 2018, and was fully updated in December 2020 for your reading pleasure.

Feature Image: Martijn van der Nat (check out our photoreport of Leiden that we did together!)

Bad breath? Five things to know before going to a dentist in Amsterdam

Before seeing a dentist in Amsterdam because your friends ‘suggested’ this move, here are five things to know when bad breath is your problem and before you go seeking dental care in Amsterdam.

Just arrived in Amsterdam? Going to all kinds of get-togethers, shindigs and got a new job? Nothing can be more bothering for your confidence than bad breath issues (and you know, it can also really mess up any conversation literally). So before you seek out a dentist in Amsterdam, here are 5 things to know or try.

#1 Don’t eat all that herring with ‘uitjes’ (and various other Dutch treats)

Number one is a no-brainer, but oh so important, because although we at DutchReview love our little national fishie a lot – nothing will make you smell more than a raw herring with onions.

dental care in amsterdam
Dateless Dutch men

Think about it, it’s raw greasy fish and chopped onions – you’re totally going to reek after eating that one. Other typical Dutch products that can mess with your breath (and are also to be avoided before going to some dentist in Amsterdam) are:

Black licorice – this ‘drop’ might be delicious for some, it can also mess with your breath (especially salmiak) and make your teeth black for a moment. Especially when you just eat something all day long (like a bag of ‘dropjes) it can seriously mess with your mouth health because you don’t give ‘it’ any rest all day long.

Jenever – a hardcore clear spirit which kind of smells like a cleaning product, but does the total opposite to your breath.

Want some jenever to go with your herring and onions?

Leverworst – it’s got that typical smell, and that ain’t good

‘Broodje Kaas and koffie’ – The Dutch drink tons of coffee and eat loads of cheese sandwiches. This often tried combination  (50% of your real Dutch co-workers I reckon) isn’t the way to go for that much wanted fresh breath.

And not typical Dutch, but also really tasty, garlic! The oils from stinky foods like onions and garlic can be detected on the breath up to 3 days after consumption. So best to eat that kind of food in moderation as well.

No worries, as far as I know stroopwafels, hagelslag and bitterballen are in the clear. 

Is there anything you can eat to improve your breath? Well, yeah there is – eating some fresh parsley is what your grandmother would preach. And by chewing sugarless gum you can increase saliva flow, which in turn reduces plaque acid, strengthens your teeth and reduces tooth decay. 

#2 DIY mouth hygiene: toothpicking, mouthwash, flossing and tongue scraping

So you would expect a dentist in Amsterdam to advise you to floss mostly right? Well, kind of – but the advice I got was actually toothpicking – yes with one of those little wooden sticks. But do make sure to get the proper ones at the drugstore, the plastic ones or those much-loved cocktail picks aren’t the best for picking your teeth.

Works for foodhogging purposes – not for your breath

Flossing also works for cleaning your teeth, but it’s still better to do tooth picking, it removes more of that stuff that shouldn’t be here and massages your gums, which in turn is better for the overall health of your gums (and breath!). If you’re traveling and can’t find the right toothpicks then you can always resort to flossing.

And then there’s mouthwash – which looks like it could help with your bad breath but really has some negative side-effects, mainly because the alcohol-based mouthwash actually upsets the bacterial balance in your mouth. It’s best to use nature’s mouthwash brand, good old water! By drinking loads of water it will stimulate your saliva to regulate the bacteria in your mouth (awesome nature!).  So all in all mouthwash wouldn’t be the way to go.

When visiting Tandarts Jordaan, the dentist also told me that new studies say that enjoying 7 moments of eating and drinking could also help your mouth hygiene, so that might be something to aim for. And don’t forget to drink a glass of water after a meal, that will help too!

Last but not least, If all DIY fails, checking in at a decent dental hygienist can really help!

#3 Dental care in Amsterdam: don’t do all that drugs and drinking on Sunday before going to work on Monday

Have you gotten the idea that your breath has gotten worse since you came to Amsterdam? Well Sherlock, it might be that hanging around in a coffeeshop isn’t the best way to catch a fresh breath.

“How was your trip to Amsterdam honey?”

Furthermore, going to a rave or hanging in a ‘café’ drinking Heineken (‘plakje leverworst’ on the side) also aren’t helping. So don’t be that new international guy/girl/person that starts on Monday but has a terrible hang-over and equally terrible breath from their ‘tour through Amsterdam’ of the weekend – and no dentist in Amsterdam is going to solve that image-problem for you.

Also a pretty obvious one, but smoking can also cause bad breath, so it’s always a good one to stop with that bad habit.

#4 Bad gums are probably the root (HAHAHA) of your problem

Alright enough with the jokes, bad breath can be a serious condition (the sciencey name for it is halitosis) and the cause for it can also lie in the condition of your gums (instead of overdosing on herring and smokes). Gum disease or infection and the bad breath symptoms that come with it is something that creeps up on you. You don’t notice it because it’s developing slowly, but your friends and co-workers will know and this will cause extremely awkward situations where someone will have a chronic case of bad breath and nobody is willing to point this out. Think about it, we all knew at least. Think about it, we all knew at least one of these people at a workplace – or maybe it was just that one guy doing the ‘broodje kaas met koffie’ routine all day.

 yes seinfeld true kramer correct GIF

Anyways, besides brushing and toothpicking – what also helps is cleaning your tongue. An often forgotten routine when it comes to dental care, but that little weird pointy thingy on the other end of your toothbrush can do wonders for the quality of your breath in the long run.

 

dentist in Amsterdam
Yup! It’s clean!

Tried everything and still need some dental care in Amsterdam? Well…

# 5 If you need to go to a dentist in Amsterdam, look up Tandarts Jordaan!

Tongue completely cleaned and still need to go and visit a dentist in Amsterdam because of that bad breath? Well, might as well go for the best one around (since prices are the same). Tandarts Jordaan, in yes you guessed it – the Jordaan neighborhood – comes highly recommended.

This dentist in Amsterdam combines a state-of-the-art dental practice with great opening hours and special attention for you expat folk. They’ve also got a mouth hygienist in their practice, handy for you chronic bad-breathers, and they’ve got special attention and skills when it comes to halitosis and gum diseases.

And not that it matters that much if you’re seeking dental care in Amsterdam, but it looks the part as well:

 

? #tandarts #praktijk #jordaan

Een bericht gedeeld door TandartsJordaan (@tandartsjordaan) op

 

Tandarts Jordaan

Address: Westerstraat 176 

Website | Instagram | Facebook

 

  • We’ve worked together on this article with Tandarts Jordaan, because although we’re experts in bad breath puns we trust them a tad bit more when it comes to oral knowledge

Lekker weertje, he? 7 Dutch words you need to know for rain (seriously)

Mooie dag!” Lotte said, stretching in front of a window bathed with sunshine. She ate her breakfast of brood met hagelslag, and hopped effortlessly on her bike. By the time she arrived at work, she was drenched.

Niets zo veranderlijk als het weer,” she said, followed by a particularly unladylike word we’re not allowed to publish.

“Nothing changes as fast as the weather,” Lotte had sworn. That’s right Lotte, the Dutch climate is famous for changing quickly, often showing off all four seasons in one day!

But don’t worry — with this guide learning these words will be as easy as riding your bike with the wind in your back — in fact, that’s something they like to say! Met de wind in de rug!

Words to put away for a rainy day

If you haven’t ridden your bike while the sky unleashes gallons of water directly down your back collar it’s hard to believe you’ve ever lived here. While the Netherlands is not statistically the wettest place on Earth, it’s a worthy setting of a teen vampire novel filled with angst — and a great conversation starter.

But did you know the Dutch distinguish between every type of rain?

Here’s seven of the most popular Dutch words for rain — now you’ll have no excuse but to use them all correctly!

Miezeren

Sounding a lot like “miserable” (which is really quite accurate), miezeren is a light rain, making you feel sad because it’s wet, but not stay-inside-with-a-hot-chocolate-while-you-read-a-good-book-wet.

Motregen

Moth-rain. Why? Regen = rain, mot = moth. This is a light rain that tickles you like a moth’s wings. (WTF Dutch?)

Buien

Remember that time you thought the rain had stopped so you hopped on your bike, but then in a cruel twist of the universe (that was perhaps intentional?), it started again solely for the duration of your bike ride, and then stopped again when you were safely inside? Meet buien.

Plensen

Previously mentioned, you can remember this one by the big raindrops that splash on top of your head making the sound “PLENS, PLENS, PLENS.” If this kind of rain appears you can even say “het regent pijpenstelen”, literally: it’s raining smoking pipes.

Hozen

When the rain is hozen you better get go-zen because it is raining hard.

Stortbuien

You’ve met buien, now meet stort-buien — it is translatable to BIG SHOWERS. Like if a giant took a shower above you and the rest of the water was DUMPED ON YOUR HEAD.

Stormen

Straight out of a horror movie, those grey clouds that hover menacingly in the distance can spell impending doom for your bike ride home. Watch out for wind when crossing canals, and pray your bike isn’t an easy target for lightning. But it’s okay, just remember no matter how hard the rain is je ben niet van suiker (you’re not made out of sugar!)

Our top tip: the proper Dutch etiquette before heading outdoors is to check the rain app Buienalarm — perhaps the most useful app in the Netherlands, and will help you from melting in case you ARE made out of sugar.

Dutch sayings about the weather in the Netherlands
(The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow)

But, of course, the Dutch weather is famous for going hollen of stilstaan — from one extreme to the other. On the rare occasion the sun does shine, make your coworkers smile with a sneaky “lekker weertje, he,” (“good weather, right?”)

Or, for nights when the wind is softly rocking the canal houses to sleep (seriously, some look pretty unsteady), “Hoor de wind waait door de bomen” (“hear the wind blowing through the trees.”)

And finally, you know the Netherlands is coming into warmer weather when you see girls wearing skirts — the Dutch even have a name for it: rokjesdag, literally, “skirt day.” There’s no official date, but when the bare legs are out you know spring has arrived!

Well, people don’t move to the Netherlands for sunshine. Read more to find out why the Dutch are so happy (regardless of the Netherlands weather.)

What’s your favourite Dutch expression for the weather? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: Tim Goedhart/Unsplash

Rooster roundup as Feyenoord Stadium waves goodbye to its feathered friends

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It’s been 20 years since French football club Les Bleus took the European football championship in Rotterdam. French supporters were so elated with the victory they released roosters (their mascot) into the stadium. The 150-some offspring of these cocky creatures are still strutting around the stadium and business park today — but they won’t be for long.

As roosters don’t live up to 20 years, nor do they lay eggs, it can be inferred that hens were introduced to these handsome birds some time ago. But now, just as quickly as they were released will they be swept away, reports Rijnmond.

At the request of some local business owners, company Fauna Management is coming to round up all the birds and take them to a new home, Akka’s Goose Paradise in Dalen (Drenthe).

They walk strangely…

“The danger is that they will be run over by a car, by a truck,” Monique Molenar of Peitsman tells Rijnmond. “Apart from that, some of them have health problems that you can see.”

Hans Becht of Groen Rubber agrees: “There are a little strange chickens walking among them. I think: that family has been very close to each other. Bald necks, they walk strangely …”

“They don’t belong to anyone, they just don’t belong here,” says Molenar. “They deserve more than this.”

Obviously, for those that can understand a bit of Dutch, the video report on it is golden too!

 

Beloved by some

But not everyone is ready to say goodbye to their feather friends. “They just belong. When they cuckoo it’s just nice to hear,” says garage owner Hamza Karaman. “Now and then I grab a fresh egg. I know where they are. I don’t know what people have against chickens.”

“Until now, I haven’t seen a chicken do anything dangerous,” says Muhittin Tokmak.

While the business owners may be divided, Fauna Management is set on catching every last one of them. “100 percent, no doubt about it. Until the last, we catch them all.”

What do you think of this curious case of roosters in Feyenoord Stadium? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: DMCA/pxfuel 

Letters containing harmful white powder keep showing up around the Netherlands

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Letters containing a harmful powder have been arriving in mail slots throughout the Netherlands this past week. Police report that they are still determining whether each of these 19 letters may be linked to one sender.

The powder in the letters causes recipients mild respiratory problems and burning eyes.

The letters have been delivered to 12 addresses in Amsterdam, and to additional locations in Amersfoort, Arnhem, Best, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Roermond, and Zeist.

The recipients are all businesses, ranging from hotels, hospitals, law firms, and media companies.

Examination

Specialists from the Netherlands Forensic Insitute are examining the letters to determine what exactly the powder is.

The criminal investigation department is investigating the origin and motive behind the letters. The photo shared by police shows one of the letters, which is believed to be from a fictitious sender.

A police spokesperson told RTL that they cannot yet confirm that the letters have all been sent by the same person. “We do not know whether there is a connection between the earlier letters that have been delivered.”

Amsterdam locations

Amsterdam police have confirmed that two letters were found in the city yesterday. The first at an unspecified location on Prinsengracht. The second was found at a location on Van Baerlestraat.

No one was injured in either case. The police will continue to investigate.They warn that if you receive a suspicious letter, do not open it, but call 112 right away.

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Feature Image: Police