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Best Night Out in Utrecht

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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Best Night Out in Utrecht

The city of Utrecht is the fourth largest in the Netherlands but very few people fully appreciate the full range of night time activities and attractions that can be found there. Let us help you get a better understanding of just what this beautiful city can offer when the sun goes down.

 

Holland Casino Utrecht

What better way to get a feel of a casino’s spirit than visiting its local casino? Holland Casino Utrecht is ideally located and will give you an insight into how the locals act in an environment when the emotions can reach such extreme highs and lows. It is also a superb venue for an entertaining night out with the opportunity to hit some jackpots and take down the house.

To add some spice to proceedings, the Netherlands recently legalized online gambling so it is possible to access an online casino before heading out to get some practice in before hitting the casino floor. A range of classic casino table games and online slots are readily available so you can be truly prepared when hitting Holland Casino for an unforgettable night out.

 

Walk Along Oudegracht Canal

It has often been said that Utrecht is the “Venice of the Netherlands”. The stunningly beautiful canal system allows for romantic walks in the day time and at night. When the stars are out the serenity offered by the waterways are unmatched by any other city in the low lands.

The Oudegracht is the main canal that curves along the main flow of the Rhine. Two-level streets along some of the canals give a unique architecture and layout that will take your breath away. Whether you want to start your evening with a quick walk along these canals or finish it with a quiet stroll to wind down, the mood is what you make it. Peace and calm are a guarantee. You do not even need to be with a partner to appreciate the tranquillity on offer.

 

Trajectum Lumen

Some things you can see better in the light but others you see more clearly in the dark. Trajectum Lumen is a route of light displays in Utrecht that are quite simply mesmerizing. The light display is described as a tribute to Utrecht’s rich history. A past that stretches back to 50 AD when the Romans built a settlement camp at Domplein.

 

Trajectum Lumen displays some of the most articulate light work in the world

Trajectum Lumen is visible 365 days a year and can be seen from sunset until midnight every night. The route passes through the city’s historical centre with visual artwork at its heart. The displays run from the Vredenburg district around the city and displays some light works by a number of nationally and internationally recognized light artists. Ever since the Trajectum Lumen was installed back in 2010 it has given Utrecht a unique appeal and is a must-visit for any tourist stopping by the city.

  

‘t Oude Pothuys

One of the shining lights of Utrecht’s culture is its night life. The interestingly named ‘t Oude Pothuys is a fine example of how exquisite the night time venues around the city can be. The venue’s origins can be traced back to 1981 when brothers Peter and Ruud van der Zuidwind came up with the concept of the now highly-reputed live music joint.

‘t Oude Pothuys is Utrecht night life at its absolute finest

 

If you are searching online for reviews of this place then a certain number of words will repeat themselves in the search engine. “Cosy”, “cool”, and “friendly” as well as a range of superlatives that praise the atmosphere and quality of the food, drink, and musical performances. This venue stops short of being quirky but maintains a sense of individuality in a market that is becoming increasingly sanitized by chains and gimmicks. Locals tout this as a venue they are proud to call their own. However, it welcomes in tourists as if they belong to the community. Rarely do you find such a blend of music, food, drink, and culture that works so effectively. If you miss visiting here then you really have missed out.

 

FC Utrecht @ Stadion Galgenwaard

Professional football club FC Utrecht currently play their football in the Dutch Eredivisie, the top flight of Dutch football, and the club is enjoying a positive period in its history. The club has been established since 1970 and plays its home matches at the 24,426 capacity Stadion Galgenwaard which boasts one of the best atmospheres in Dutch club football. Despite the club not being involved in European football competition there is still plenty of opportunity to sample the electric atmosphere of the Utrecht fans when they are playing in a domestic competition.

The atmosphere at Stadion Galgenwaard for a night game is unrivalled across Europe

 

Throughout the season, FC Utrecht have a number of home matches scheduled at night. It is possible that they could play one of the great Dutch club sides such as Ajax, PSV, or Feyenoord. If you get the chance to experience one of these matches under the floodlights then it will be something you cannot afford to miss. The club has a number of talented prospects on its books this season such as Richairo Zivkovic, Nacer Barazite and Sebastien Haller. Even for tourists that are not fans of football, this is a unique experience to savour.

 

Dutch "officer of justice" under investigation for pedophilia

DutchReview Crew
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Dutch "officer of justice" under investigation for pedophilia

It’s been a pretty bad week for Dutch justice, with two stories reflecting negatively on the institution. The “Volkskrant” reported yesterday that a Dutch officer of justice has been caught paying for sex with a minor. The underage prostitute was 16 and the officer of the court has been taken into custody pending his trial. Today it was reported that around 8.000 fugitives with less than a two month stretch to their name roam the Netherlands freely.

 

So much for that ‘Dutch prisons are totally empty because there is no crime’ myth

 

Before 2003 the Netherlands had a system where we’d only prosecute automatically if the child in question was younger than 12 years old. If not prosecution would only follow a complaint by the child, parents or the Council for Childrens protection. Currently, thank God (though priests may not), these rules are more in line with protecting the kids in question. Apparently it’s not just famous sandwich icons who molest children. Let’s hope the officer of justice sees justice done to him.

The Volkskrant also reports that there are 11.000 fugitives with prison sentences yet to be fulfilled walking around freely. Of these 11.000 fugitives, 8.000 have less than two months of sentences on their name. According to the article about 60% of these fugitives have committed crimes without violence, such as stealing from a store. 13% are involved in drug crimes. The article claims that this is due to the Dutch police’s focus on felony crimes rather than misdemeanors. Still, not a good looking thing.

Though these two events reflect negatively on Dutch justice, statistics show that we are not doing terribly in the crime department. In 2016 our Central Bureau of Statistics found that crime had dropped by 5% compared to the year before. Home invasions dropped by 7%. Though this might also be due to the low chance of actually getting arrested for a crime in the Netherlands, which some claim leads to less people going to the police when they are victims of a crime.

AFC Ajax vs. Schalke ’04 – The Demise and Rise of Dutch Football.

Bobby Salomons
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AFC Ajax vs. Schalke ’04 – The Demise and Rise of Dutch Football.

There’s a sparkle in the air in Amsterdam, tonight its “Sons of the Gods” – as the men are often referred to – will be facing Germany’s Schalke ’04 from Gelsenkirchen in the Europa League’s quarter finals. If the Amsterdammers beat the Germans in the return it would be the first time in twelve years that a Dutch club has managed to pierce through into the half-finals of a major European championship.

As it stands the Amsterdam club holds the advantage and Schalke will have to come up with an incredible feat to outdo them and still make it to the half finals. However, there’s always a chance and both clubs are eager to make it work tonight in the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

 

The Rule and Demise of the Dutch

As a football nation the Dutch were once one of the most unbeatable and feared to face both as a national team as well as individual clubs. Especially Amsterdam’s Ajax but also Rotterdam’s Feyenoord and Eindhoven’s PSV were met with much care and preparation by teams such as FC Barcelona – there was no simple way around them and as national team “Oranje” the Dutch often thundered on the field, leaving a trail of broken egos and wounded hearts on both the European- and World Championships.
But times have changed, drastically, today the Dutch mostly play successfully in their own competition and stumble around the first phases of international competitions – both the clubs and Oranje.

Damn this Blind man

Some of Holland’s major successes are playing the finals of the World Championships in ’74, ’78 and – more recently – the 2010 finals in South Africa against Spain. Unfortunately the men in orange didn’t bring back the cup in any of those encounters. But they did bring back the European Championship trophy in 1988, creating such an enormous celebration in Amsterdam that total chaos erupted, even some of the house boats sank with dozens of fans atop – thankfully it resulted in no fatalities.
Ajax too has a great track record winning the European Cup/Champions League four times, most recently in 1995, the UEFA cup in 1992 and even the UEFA Super Cup in 1974 and 1995.

 

And the fall…

And then, everything went silent. Starting the 21st century, Dutch football gradually began to slip away with lesser successes in Europe, let alone the world. Largely this has been because of the enormous financial growth of other clubs abroad – such Real Madrid, Paris St. Germain and Manchester City who found major investors and saw their leagues as a whole rise financially in a super boom. The Dutch however, stayed behind, operating as always under the premise of “Doe maar normaal dan doe je al gek genoeg” (Just act normal, that’s crazy enough). Unfortunately this caused many Dutch players and coaches to leave their local clubs and play abroad – allowing competing teams to “ buy” Dutch football of which the most obvious demonstration was FC Barcelona bringing in Louis van Gaal as coach in ’97 and essentially purchasing an entire “all-Dutch” team with players Cocu, Zenden, Kluivert, Litmanen and Frank and Ronald de Boer, Everton’s Ronald Koeman served as his assistant.

Today Dutch football itself plays a meager role though their players and coaches are found globally, having sold of the typical Dutch “Totaal Voetbal” (Total Football)-strategy to anyone who could afford. Though it certainly improved soccer as a whole it has left the Dutch itself with much to wish for.

The Road Back

But there is a little hope and tonight one of those hopes will be walking onto the field, though Ajax is certainly as much loved and hated in its own country – it’s the most likely candidate to crack open the lid from the jar that’s been holding in Dutch football for so long.Even though many Dutchmen will secretly wish it was their own team, and not those Amsterdammers who “already have everything”, many of them will still be watching if tonight will be “our” night regardless of where your loyalties may be.

Other clubs, like Feyenoord, have also been doing a fantastic job recovering – with the latter almost facing total financial disaster a few years back, even worrying its arch enemy in Amsterdam that it would lose the club it loves to hate and hates to love. PSV, though currently searching for its perfect profile, has also steadily performed.

Other much smaller clubs, such as Roda JC, have found investors from abroad and are dreaming of a great future – though some of those are pipe dreams as demonstrated harshly for ADO Den Haag who’s Chinese investor Wang Hui of United Vansen proved a disaster for the club and its dreams. But the Dutch, steadfast and stubborn as always, will keep working and pushing and hopefully will rise from their ashes and be on top of the game they love so much. Maybe tonight, maybe, that dream will take another step and if not – there’s always next year.

Enjoy the match.

Tightening the tap – the Dutch relationship with Natural Gas.

Bobby Salomons
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Tightening the tap – the Dutch relationship with Natural Gas.

Starting October 1st, the Dutch Petroleum Corporation (NAM) will be tightening the tap on the country’s natural gas resources by a further 10%, following a trend of bringing down gas extraction efforts from the province of Groningen area, bringing total extraction down to 24 billion cubic meters. Word came from the mouth of Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp, following the advice of watchdog SoDM (State Supervision of Mining), in order to further secure the safety and well being of Groningen and its residents. Which, by all means is very necessary as seismic activity had been plaguing the area and expectations are that these actions will help reduce such. Debates on gas extraction have been heated passed years, going as far as small riots in Groningen with angered citizens confronting authorities and visiting members of cabinet.

The relationship

Holland’s relationship with gas is a long and intense one, on July 22nd of 1959 the small nation stumbled upon one of the world’s largest natural gas bubbles underneath the small town of Slochteren (Groningen), bringing a desperately needed extra penny for a nation that had been tarnished during World War II and saw its colonial gem, the Netherlands-Indies (Indonesia), crumble after international pressure and a brutal colonial war.
The Netherlands jumped on the opportunity and immediately set out to extract the valuable resources for both national use and international trades – experiencing an economic boom that helped catapult the nation into one of the largest economies in the world, a position it still holds today ranking 17th on the World Bank and United Nations-lists of nominal GDP.
It has often been used to take a tongue in cheek jab at Belgium: “Belgium is the Netherlands without its gas bubble”, but there is much truth to it from a historical perspective, as it opened perspective for the Dutch to simply pump up more gas when economically feasible. And so it did, with great effect, but also at a rate that has become unsustainable.

The Outcome

Today the bubble has largely been depleted – there is still enough gas left but much is firmly lodged into the soil and sediments, which makes extraction much more complex and damaging. As a result the province of Groningen, including Groningen City with several hundred of thousand residents, have been feeling the brunt of these extractions. Seismic activity, virtually unknown to the Netherlands, suddenly spiked and hundreds of residential buildings – many historical – were damaged to varying degrees. Some faced minor damage however many farms, often decades or older, were damaged to a point of being irreparable – not only leaving a broken structure but also many broken hearts of the residents who had lived there for countless years or even generations.

After several confrontations and many Dutch celebrities, often with a Groningen-background, began pushing for change the Dutch, as a whole, have finally woken up to the events. It’s fair to say that the general Dutch treatment of Groningen, and the in between years of seismic activity, has been a little ungrateful and poor. But efforts to bring change are now firmly under way.
Thankfully the Dutch haven’t spent all the money of the natural gas extraction on luxuries and have build a sturdy economy of which gas extraction only serves as a welcome bonus. Groningen itself has also been developing, soon housing several data centers for Apple, Microsoft and Google and expanding and pioneering with green energy.

In the future the Netherlands will likely, gradually, say goodbye to a loyal friend from under the grounds of Slochteren but move on to a more sustainable future altogether.

Five things you need to know before going to a dentist in the Netherlands

Abuzer van Leeuwen 🇳🇱
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Five things you need to know before going to a dentist in the Netherlands

It’s one of those things you don’t really think about when you picked Amsterdam as your new hometown right? Visiting a dentist in the Netherlands for that matter might just be a tad big different than you’re old familiar one back home. And will this Dutch dentist speak English? Are they open in the evenings? Do they have fair rates?  No worries there, some dentists in the Netherlands can take real good care of you: Dutch dental care belongs in the top class of the world and nearly all Dutchies visit the dentist once or twice per year. But it never hurts to know a few things before going to a Dutch dentist for the first time.

 

Check your (dental-) insurances

Let’s face it, just like your parents always said, if there’s one thing that’s really important it’s your health money! So if you haven’t opened up a Dutch bank account, now is the time. Dutch dental practices come in all forms and sizes but they do all have in common that you need a supplementary insurances package (‘aanvullend verzekerd’) in order to cover your dental costs. So when you want insurance cover for a dentist in the Netherlands you have to look for this when you pick your health insurance package.

“Just calling to see if this kid got insurance coverage”

Whether this is the way to go for you depends on your personal situation. Often dental insurance packages don’t cover the whole 100% of your dental costs or have a maximum of, say, 275 euro’s. Which may be enough for a regular check-up and some cleaning, but not for that elaborate renovation of your teeth.

 

Dental care prices

Getting an extensive root-canal treatment might just not be the greatest experience in the world. But it definitely does not get any better if you have to worry if you’re paying double the price than you might have gotten at another dentist. Luckily the Dutch government has this nicely sorted out, the ‘Dutch Healthcare Authority’ (NZa) sets the prices for all care in the Netherlands, dental care included, in order to make sure payments by the insurance company moves along smoothly.

“Ooh, that’s a nice low price for an extraction”

And we should all be happy about this, because it makes a dentist in the Netherlands better affordable than in comparable countries. Furthermore, they are obliged to put out a price list so you can decide what it costs exactly (there are small differences) and which one you want to go for. If you’re lucky you can find an extensive English language list like this one by Lassus tandartsen in Amsterdam.

 

What kind of dentist do you want?

Enough about the costs already! Like I said before there are dentists in all shapes and sizes. Small local practices in the rural communities, but also modern clinics in the bigger cities in the Netherlands. What matters is that you pick one that fits your needs and wishes.

A good website is an indication that they’ve got an idea of ‘customer service’. Perhaps you can find something on their approach aka philosophy on it as well, having a forward thinking dentist might help when you’re in for the long haul. Also I personally like it if there are more than one dentists operating in a clinic, I for one don’t like to wait two and a half weeks until my personal and only dentist gets back from their holiday – if he or she has a (few) colleagues that can help me out then yes please!

“Hey, didn’t I see you in Breaking Bad before this”
“-Please hold your mouth sir”

Also check if they’ve got several specializations in-house so that you can get all the service that you need in the same clinic. Just having to go some place else for your dental-hygiene treatment because your small local dental practice doesn’t provide that service is not good for anybody.

Oh, and this should be a non-brainer – but look for a clinic that shines (pun intended) in the English department because you don’t want any linguistic mishaps when it comes to your dental situation. Let’s say you’re an expat and a filling comes loose, your wisdom teeth are coming through or you need a root canal surgery. You’re in insufferable pain, money is the last thing on your mind. If you’ve got parents back home supporting you then contact them and let them know sending money to the Netherlands can be achieved with minimal fees.

 

Can you even get into a dentist in the Netherlands?

Sometimes (small) practices are often already ‘full’ with clients and won’t take on any new ones. And you might also not want to be one of those last persons to make the cut and then have to wait for months to get an appointment for a routine procedure.

And there are, still in this day and age, also plenty of clinics which are only open during office hours. This never ceased to amaze me, especially in a city as Amsterdam where more than 75% have to go to work or school during these hours. Shouldn’t dentists  (but also barbers or shops for that matter) especially be open besides the office hours?

And even more important, what if there’s an emergency of some sort? (the Dutch word is ‘spoed’ in case you are in a ‘noodgeval’) You don’t want to wait a whole weekend with something painful just because that one dentist is on holiday. So check their opening hours, ‘spoed’-procedures and if they’ve got more than 1-2 dentists in their staff.

 

Looking for a dentist in Amsterdam? Check out Lassus Tandartsen

So looking for an English speaking, got-all-the-specialisms, open after office hours clinic? Lassus tandartsen has all of this and they are especially well-suited to the international person. With 2 modern clinics in Amsterdam and over 15 dentists on their staff you know they’ve got your back when you’ve got anything aching.

And no worries that all that service is gonna cost you, because thanks to the Dutch gov. all prices are roughly the same – so you might as well go for the fancy clinic in Amsterdam that speaks perfect English.

 

Besides an Expat-friendly approach Lassus also has a wide variety of specialists on board, so that way you don’t have wait for ages if you need another specialist treatment (and even more important, no communication ****-ups between two dental clinics).

Oh, and it shouldn’t be important, but it looks nice on the inside as well:

dentist in the Netherlands

Here’s how to sign up as a new patient with Lassus tandartsen. Or call their two clinics straight away:

– Keizersgracht 132, 1015 CW Amsterdam
Tel: 020 422 19 12

– Lassusstraat 9, 1075 GV Amsterdam
Tel: 020 47 13 137

 

So how are your experiences with a dentist in the Netherlands? Anything special to watch out for? Feel free to share with us in the comments!

 

 

DutchReview worked with Lassus Tandartsen on bringing you this article

Success for Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign?

Ross McQueen
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Success for Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign?

It may seem unlikely in a city known for its flotilla of lithe and limber cyclists, but Amsterdam in fact has the highest rate of obesity in the Netherlands. In 2014, the proportion of 5-year-olds in Amsterdam who were overweight or obese stood at 13.9%, while in 2012 it was 15.3%.

This was too much for Amsterdam ‘wethouder’ Eric van der Burg of the VVD. In 2013 the local politician, who is responsible for welfare and care, declared war on the city’s obesity problem. He unveiled a sweeping plan which he hoped would result in there being ‘not a single child in Amsterdam who is too fat’ by the year 2033. So how has the Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign done so far?

The lithe figure of Eric van der Burg, with not an ounce of fat on him.

The Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign

The purpose of van der Burg’s plan, which has the full backing of Amsterdam’s local politicians, is to get children to eat more healthily. His strategy has focused on schools, and has been particularly effective on children in the Bijlmer area.

Some of van der Burg’s measures do raise eyebrows. For instance, children are now weighed and measured at school every year, against parents’ initial objections. Children in certain schools are banned from bringing drinks other than water and milk to class. They are shown carrots and radishes, and told they must try them. The city of Amsterdam also now withholds funding from events that are sponsored by McDonalds or Coca Cola.

Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign
Sad! Local McDonalds agrees that unaccompanied children will only be sold apples.

Is the Amsterdam anti-obesity campaign working?

The good news is that van der Burg’s ambitious plan is having a positive effect on obesity rates, with the number of overweight and obese children dropping by 12% between 2012 and 2015. Last month van der Burg welcomed the news, while reiterating that the plan had to continue because thousands of Dutch children are still too fat.

And so the war on obesity will continue, with van der Burg leading the assault. Whether he can meet his ambitious target for 2033 remains to be seen. And if you want to live long enough to find out, you better start eating more carrots and radishes.

The French Election is coming: is it time to panic now?

Marianne Chagnon
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So about this French election – by a Frenchie in the Netherlands

As you may or may not know, we, (in this case the) beloved Frenchies, are voting this Sunday April 23rd for the first round of our Presidential election. Since I know following politics when you are abroad is never the same thing as the reality of life (I myself had to explain things to people that were still following our election) here is what is happening and why I’m almost panicking. Almost.

Also, short disclaimer, but this is not a very objective article. This is my personal opinion and people are allowed to disagree obviously. So here it is from a Frenchie in the Netherlands, what is happening this French election? And how does it relate to the Netherlands?

 

What’s up? A short introduction to the current situation

Because videos speak louder than written words, and if you, just as I do, like John Oliver, here is a great very recent and quite accurate video.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkZir1L7fSY[/embedyt]

 

Long story short, we have two candidates that have an inquiry about them basically for using public money with fake assistant jobs: Marine Le Pen with European money (funny considering she wants to leave the EU), and Fillon for hiring his wife and children. Just so you know, hiring your family in politics might apparently bring you almost 1,000,000€, it is really worth it. Oh, and then blame the people taking advantage of state money to explain why the French economy is not doing well. Well-thought strategy here. And they want to become the head of State. I personally have an issue with that but maybe that’s just me.

A lot of these eleven candidates running for office this French election have stated that they are running against the system. If anyone has an idea of what it means, please let me know. It’s especially funny when you look at the five main candidates who are Le Pen, Macron, Fillon, Mélenchon and Hamon. Four of them basically did their whole careers in politics, as parliamentary assistants, representatives, and even ministers.

Although he was never elected – but was a Minister, Macron, did THE administrative school in France, called ENA, that forms all senior civil servants. And after that he was high ranked in the Rotschild bank. Honestly I do not care what people do for a living as long as it is legal. But why would you say you are against the system when you are clearly a product of it?

Then we have small candidates that, unfortunately for them, have zero chance. Although they did contribute to the TV debates by stating what they thought instead of political talk.

Is it time to panic?

Yes and no. Unless a miracle happens, Marine Le Pen will be in the second round. The main question is therefore who will be against her? And according to polls it will be very tight. And you can’t really trust polls. First of all because well, that’s a rule: polls can say anything and everything and since they never interview everyone then they are not 100% trustworthy. And then you have 35% of French citizens that are still unsure. So votes can really change. And if they are as unsure as I am, they might make their final decision in the voting booth. So basically Sunday at 20h people will watch the TV feeling veeeery anxious. BUT it might also turn out well, who knows?

Everyone, let’s keep calm. It’s just the next five years of the 5th global economic power

I do feel like this election can change a lot of things. If Marine Le Pen is elected, she said that she would hold a referendum to leave the European Union. And if the majority of the French people elected her as President, you can imagine that they will also vote to leave the EU. But she is not the only one, actually Macron is the only one who is fully in favour of the EU. All the others at least want to renegotiate treaties. Although that is a debate for another day, I have zero will to leave the EU. And, let’s face it, if France leaves the EU then the EU is over.

All the candidates also have very different ideas on how to help unemployment and the economy in general: provide more money, tax the rich, stop taxing everyone, taxing the companies, helping the companies fire employees, prevent companies from firing employees, deport foreign people, close the borders, colonize Mars (yes, this is not a joke), and so on and so on. So you have plenty of ideas to choose from, and yet we also have to think about the second round and who we would like to see against Marine Le Pen. Hence why many French citizens might choose a ‘big’ candidate such as Macron or Mélenchon, or even Fillon, to have someone they dislike less than they dislike Marine Le Pen. Yup, strategy voting here.

What about the French here in the Netherlands this French election?

Such a good question! Apparently there are more than 30,000 French expats in the Netherlands. I also have to say that I do not consider myself an expat but a foreign student. Although I technically live here, I still vote in France and am planning on going back to my dear home sweet home at some point. Depending on this election, ahem.

french election
The French people next Sunday. Yes, we are as classy when voting.

You could imagine that the French here would be, if not active, at least very interested in what is happening back in France and would vote. France is almost next door. And after all voting here, even though electronic voting was dropped this year because of cybersecurity concerns, is not that hard. Although you can only vote in Amsterdam or the Hague, the country is not too big so both cities are reachable. However, I recently discovered that the French abroad don’t vote too much. During the last election, the turnout was only 39%. I did not find the turnout for the Netherlands only, but as for the parliamentary election of June 2012, around 73% of the voters didn’t vote in the Benelux district. Yes, when the Netherlands has a turnout of 81%, the French community here doesn’t really vote. And I think this is a shame because voting is not only a right but also a duty. My motto in life, and more specifically in politics, is that I can’t complain about the result if I didn’t vote. So please my dear compatriots, get up and vote this Sunday and on the 7th of May.

Conclusion

Honestly this presidential campaign has been bad. None of the candidates really talked about big issues, such as education or health. Of course, they talked about unemployment, but besides that we mainly talked about terrorism, security, and religion. Yes, religion. Don’t even get me started on how many candidates had anti-Media speeches, which I don’t think is acceptable in a democracy. Plenty of French people are going to vote by strategy rather than conviction. Many citizens also said they wouldn’t vote, but this seems dangerous as well because some potential second rounds are just not desirable. Marine Le Pen might get elected, but it can also be other candidates than her that are just as bad.

Of course, this is my opinion, and I am not pretending that I am objective here. To be honest, if Marine Le Pen is elected, or François Fillon who, to me, is not better considering the huge Penelopegate (have a look at it, honestly it is worth knowing), that will be life. I am not one of those people who will stay in France to demonstrate, because that will be the people’s choice this French election. Although I will demonstrate, and us French people love our demonstrations, if they want to pass laws that I disagree with. Them or any other actually, because I actually disagree with the majority of the political programs. But I do wish that the Trump drama taught us a lesson: please people, vote. Because having a bad President because people didn’t vote is a regret I do not want to have.

Traditional Easter Dutch traffic jams strike again

Bobby Salomons
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An annual tradition in the Netherlands: After a long weekend of eggs, chocolate and celebrations the entire nation comes together in a nationwide gridlock. Odds are you were either in one earlier today or are reading this while looking out over an endless line of Dutch traffic ahead of you.

Today has been no different with a 370 kilometers (229 mi) total worth of traffic jams at 8:30AM, according to the Traffic Information Service (VID), striking especially hard earlier in the morning on the notorious A1 (Amsterdam-Oldenzaal) highway. Also affected is the A12 (Arnhem-Utrecht) with minor delays near Maanderbroek/Veenendaal and the A27 near Apeldoorn is affected by emergency repairs but with minimal delay.

The Netherlands is generally notorious for high traffic density, and ensuing congestions, especially around the Randstad-cities, with some of the most intense traffic points around Utrecht, Amsterdam’s A10 highway with the Coentunnel to Zaanstad in particular and the A13 highway between Rotterdam-The Hague holds the crown as the busiest highway in the nation.

Dutch traffic
Not so scenic living next to the A13

Dutch Traffic Advice

It’s always strongly recommended to avoid aforementioned highways during peak (office) hours as you are almost always certain to hit traffic. Be sure to use your phone or GPS with the latest updated traffic information if you must, it will often be able to guide you around them. But, as a word of advice, look into parallel running roads during peak hours, though top speed is usually slower you will more than often gain on those on the highway because of reduced traffic density. Though train tickets aren’t cheap in the Netherlands, they are a great alternative to the car, especially given the regular traffic delays – in some areas however buses have their own highway lane that they can use without facing other traffic, check your route online in order to find out if this is an alternative for you.

Future Traffic Efforts

In the near future traffic will most likely get worse before it gets better, with the Dutch economy making strides traffic will likely even further intensify, however there is a glimmer of hope – the pragmatic Dutch spirit has made both the local and national governments invest strongly in both road improvement and alternative transportation such as the infamous Noord-Zuidlijn, a subway connecting Amsterdam’s North and South city district which could potentially massively reduce both traffic density and environmental pollution of the A10-highway. Both the subway and other road projects are scheduled for delivery in the coming years.

We hope you had a great Easter Weekend and can shake off your traffic frustrations, God willing tomorrow will be a regular traffic day again. Drive safely.

Your guide to supermarkets in the Netherlands

Bobby Salomons
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8
Your guide to supermarkets in the Netherlands

You can feel it, pumping slowly through your veins, the thick sludge of cholesterol built from an endless stream of kroketten, frikandellen, patat met mayo and bier. It’s slowly killing you, every bite you take, your vision has reduced to shades of grey, you sweat deep-fryer fat and when you let one rip seagulls and pigeons swoop in. Why are you doing this to yourself? Because you’re in the Netherlands and you don’t always know where you should buy your food from because there are too many places. Well, fear not. This is your guide to supermarkets in the Netherlands – the posh, commonplace and budget! We’re going to – de supermarkt! Because I like hummus and bread and cheese.

The Snack Wall. Once you snack, you keep coming back. ©Photocapy/Flickr

The ‘Posh’ (and more pricey) supermarkets

So you’ve got some extra cash laying around from a successful bank robbery and want to spend it on food?

Marqt

Although Marqt only has a few supermarkets, it deserves a special mention as it’s Valhalla for everyone looking to buy biological and vegan foods and everything else that requires sweaters made from Llama-wool.

All the products you will find at this supermarket are high quality and organic with ample of vegan and vegetarian options. If you and herbivores desire to eat it, then I can almost guarantee this place has it!

Marqt is a niche supermarket and charges like one too – I once bought a pack of cookies and the receipt looked like my phone number. On the upside, the service and crowd there is super clean, quiet, helpful and if you’re looking for a hot boyfriend or girlfriend of matching diet, hang around a Marqt!

You can find most Marqt stores in Amsterdam but they have several locations throughout the Randstad-cities.

A customer browsing the Vegan foods section at Marqt.

Foodmarkt

This one’s a bit of a cheat, because it’s a subsidiary of Jumbo. Foodmarkt is mostly comparable to the quality supermarkets seen in the US and Canada – boasting huge halls and having a selection of products that dazzles the mind. Though their selection of biological and vegetarian/vegan isn’t as broad as Marqt, you will still be able to find just about everything at Foodmarkt. The supermarket is successfully designed much to look like an indoor market and offers a very high standard of products as well as most common A-brands you will find in other stores. Foodmarkt does charge a bit more than the regular supermarket but not as much as Markt. Oh, and take it from my experience – their parking lots are huge, especially the one in Amsterdam-Noord, be prepared to circle thirty times and pass equally confused drivers.

Plus

There isn’t an awful lot to say about this supermarket other than that it’s genuinely a quality supermarket. It doesn’t tend to offer any out of the ordinary brands but the store’s produce, bakery and meat are excellent quality (better than most other stores). However, just like its previous two competitors Plus has a minus in pricing but they have really great discounts on a regular basis. So even when on a budget, keep an eye out for Plus’s discounts.

The Commonplace Supermarkets

Albert Heijn

Yes this is actually someone’s name, Albert was a grocer from Zaandam (Amsterdam’s New Jersey) whose company gradually built a massive empire of supermarkets and stores across the Netherlands, Europe and even the Americas.

Today they are far out the biggest supermarket in the nation with nearly 950 stores! They are have many mini-stores at railway stations and shopping streets. AH offers all the important A-brands available as well as their Bonus-deals. This is the store you are most likely to bump into or be directed to if you ask someone for a supermarket.

Source: Maurits90 on Wikipedia

Jumbo

Jumbo is AH’s biggest competitor (the two are at each other’s throat all the time). The advantage to this though is that the supermarket war between the two has prevented the grocery prices from ever raising too high. Though they ‘only’ have 600 stores nationwide, Jumbo is more than capable of competing with AH for pricing and their quality is just about on par too. They have great discounts on a wide selection of products and it is worth looking into and easy to find in any major town.

Dirk

The two are actually the same company but with a slightly different formula. Dirk van den Broek is an A-brand discounter, offering the sharpest possible prices for the same common brands like AH and Jumbo do.

Dekamarkt is a somewhat higher quality regular supermarket, not particularly standing out but of fine quality otherwise with reasonable sales on a regular basis. Dirk is especially present in and around Amsterdam, from where it originates, Deka is present in the whole of the Noord-Holland province.

Spar and COOP

Spar is also well-known outside of the country but doesn’t have a huge presence in the Netherlands meanwhile COOP is one of the fastest growing supermarkets in the nation. Both appear in areas where the bigger competitors don’t already rule. Both stores feature fine selections of A-brands and more than reasonable products of their own. They’re neither cheap nor expensive and are easily found throughout medium-sized towns and cities.

The Budget Supermarkets

If you’re like me, my condolences, but there’s (some) hope. Both of these supermarkets are from Germany but instead of starving Holland through the Hunger Winter, they’re now helping us through it.

Winter in Wartime, a 108 minutes of Dutch cinematic depression about the times before Lidl and Aldi.

Lidl

Lidl is of higher quality store of the two and is praised for their quality produce that can often compete with much more expensive supermarkets. Can you really taste the difference between a 90 cent bread and a €1,30 bread? I can’t, unless I suck on the pennies that make the price difference.

Overall, Lidl offers very reasonable products for excellent prices, you just have to find out for yourself which ones you like (or can tolerate) and which ones to avoid. Their non-food products are great too.

Their overall selections are meagre but they do offer something of everything from biological vegetables to cat-sticks (as in for, not made from), it’s all there. During holidays they often offer delicacies, keep an eye out!

Aldi

Aldi is notorious and it doesn’t get much cheaper unless you steal (which many do). So watch the security at the store, they’re onto you! It has to be said that Aldi offers a number of products that are reasonable, but that really is all it is – reasonable. If you’re on a really low budget and buy strategically then this is a great supermarket to head.

However, Aldi has one huge benefit and that is that their their non-foods are  spectacular. For example, their electronics brand “Medion” often offers spectacular prices for great appliances such as kitchen machinery, computers and hardware and even smartphones. If you’re on a budget, look through Aldi’s ads or the non-food section at the store, you will often find a great alternative for a great price. As much as you can make fun of Aldi’s food quality, nobody can take that away from them.

So, this is the end of this article – are you starting to get hungry yet? If so, eat something BEFORE you go to the store, or you’ll be the proud owner of aisle six for sure. I hope you can now better orientate yourself through the Dutch supermarket landscape, it’s a jungle out there! Buy smart and eat healthy – because you deserve it.

How to Make Friends with Dutch Bikers

Sarah Daggett
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How to Make Friends with Dutch Bikers

The Dutch are world famous for their love of all things biking. But what are some ways you can really get on their good side while engaging in this two-wheeled exercise?

1. Bike in front of them very, very, very slowly

Life is about stopping to smell the roses, and being in the moment; you’re just helping them become a little more zen. The silent Dutch biker behind you is not seething with rage, they’re meditating. That loud breathing you hear coming from them isn’t anger, they are just focusing on their breathing. Namaste.

2. Signal and turn without looking behind you

The first time I ever biked in Groningen I signaled I was turning left in the process of already turning. The woman behind me rang her bell at me so many times I thought she was having a muscle spasm, and yelled many nice, different Dutch words; this was great for my vocabulary practice. I took this to mean she was just excited to see an exotic American in her home country, and I rang my bell back at her while giving her a smile and a wave.

3. Be a tourist

Dutch bikers love you with a passion. The second they see that bright colored rental bike in front of them they are ready to go all Gladiator on your ass, and who doesn’t love that movie?

4. Walk out in front of them

It’s an absolute honor to help a Dutchie find their inner Superman as they fly over the handle bars of their bike. When they face plant on the ground in front of you, just keep walking. Super heroes want to keep their identity a secret; you wouldn’t want to give them away would you?

Fly like the wind Superman!

5. Steal their bike

Seriously, Dutchies love the excuse to go for a nice, leisurely walk. If you take away their bike, they’ll have a nice 5km hike back home and you helped make that happen! Even better if it’s raining outside; who doesn’t love the fresh feeling of drops of water hitting them in the face?

6. Bike the wrong way down the bike lane

It’s a real life version of Grand Theft Auto! Dodge the Dutchies, and pick up a prostitute in the Red Light District while your at it.

 

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7. Braking in front of them without warning

Dutch people consider themselves to be a fairly relaxed bunch and it takes a lot to really drive them crazy. However, every student needs a master. Teach that Dutch biker behind you the art of patience, even better if it’s one of the bike racers with those really tight spandex shorts.

Who doesn’t love a ride through Niagra Falls?

8. Ring your bell at them multiple times

You’re just giving them the biking equivalent to three cheek kisses! Say hello to that guy biking slowly in front of you. Give a nice greeting to that tourist biking towards you in the wrong lane.

Do these 8 things and you will be make so many Dutch friends you won’t know what to do with yourself. Prrringgg Pringgggg.

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