Connecting Worlds
Connect International serves the international community in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. Supported by an international staff and Board of Directors, we provide quality relocation services and practical information to help familiarize international residents with all aspects of living, working or studying in the Northern Netherlands, as well as organizing events and activities to make connections.
Services: ● Immigration services ● Home search & set-up ● Social events, activities & clubs ● Career services ● Business events ● Books & guides ● Knowledge database
Join Us! You can register to become a Connect International member via our website. For a small yearly fee, you receive the Connections e-magazine newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox, you have access to the Connect International community through organized events, you can ask us any questions you may have and much more.
Welcome New Members! Connect International would like to welcome the following new members: Steve Mason Vera Alexander Fransiska Lestari Candi Cane Canncel Christina Frye
Attention Writers! Enjoy Writing? The Connections Newsletter is seeking volunteer writers who enjoy writing on a theme, informative articles, or opinions they want to share. Interested? Contact us at publications@connect-int.org
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Connecting Worlds
UNDER ONE ROOF
Everything you need to make yourself at home in the Netherlands Contact: Connect International office: Gedempte Zuiderdiep 98, Groningen Postbus 16, 9700 AA Groningen Telephone: 050 7440087 Email: info@connect-int.org Website: www.connect-int.org
Connect International has a full membership
Publication Team: Publisher: Stephanie Fermor-Poortman Assistant Editor: Margaret Metsala Contributers to this issue: Stephanie Fermor-Poortman, Jennifer Bauch, Tomas Poortman, Alexandra van den Doel, Karen Prowse
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August Calendar
August 2015
School Holiday Dates Primary Education & Secondary Education Schools Basisonderwijs & Voortgezet onderwijs North Netherlands
4 July 2015 - 16 August 2015
Week 28 - 33
Mid-Netherlands
11 July 2015 - 23 August 2015
Week 29 - 34
South Netherlands
18 July 2015 - 30 August 2015
Week 30 - 35
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September Calendar
September 2015
Looking for a new home 2 easy going cat brothers (5 years old), loving; ng; all medical papers in order; love outdoors, too; to be given away due to moving: Jude (reddish) and Penny-lane (grey tiger). family with kids and garden would be super. Please phone Dagmar: 0041-79-1763447, or mail: dagmarreichardt@hotmail.com 5
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Aug & Sept Events
Upcoming Events in Groningen, Friesland & Drenthe International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 7 August 2015 at 10:30 hrs @ La Place, V&D in Groningen
International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 4 September 2015 at 10:30 hrs @ La Place, V&D in Groningen
Culinary Connect Thursday 20 August 2015 @ Adeline's house
Culinary Connect (evening) Friday 4 September 2015 at 20:00 hrs @ Adeline's house
International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 21 August 2015 at 10:30 hrs @ La Place, V&D in Groningen
Slagharen - Adults only Friday 11 September 2015
Summer Barbecue Saturday 29 August 2015 at 17:00 hrs @ Member's house in Haren
International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 18 September 2015 at 10:30 hrs @ La Place, V&D in Groningen
Proeven In Groningen 2015 On the 5th and 6th of September 2015, the culinary event of the Northern Netherlands, Proeven in Groningen, will celebrate its seven year anniversary! Proeven in Groningen is a proven successful culinary event that offers visitors the chance to sample dishes from top restaurants. Pre-order tokens online to avoid queuing at the event. Tokens cost 1,50 each. 6
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Saturday 5 September 2015 12:00pm - 09:00pm Sunday 6 September 2015 12:00pm - 07:00pm Connect International
Places to go Things to see
Stranger Things Have Happened At a Stranger Things show, you never know what to expect. Neither do they. Stranger Things Have Happened is an English-speaking improv comedy group from the Netherlands that performs both national and international shows. For more than six years, Stranger Things has been one of the leading improv groups in the country, playing hundreds of comedy shows ranging from small clubs to big theatres. Improv comedy involves scenes that are made up on the spot by the actors, usually inspired by suggestions taken from the audience. The actors work with these suggestions, and think up their scenes on the spot. As a result, every show is unpredictable for both the audience and the performance, but above all entertaining, unique and fresh! Stranger Things hosts free Improv Comedy Jams at O’Ceallaigh Irish Pub in Groningen – kicking off next season in late August – and a monthly improv comedy show at Simplon in Groningen. 7
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Tickets for the monthly shows can be bought online or through the Strangers on a Monday-night improv jam. Aside from these regular shows, Stranger Things is often employed by companies, clubs and other organisations to perform custom-made shows. But wait, there’s more! Always wanted to do some improv yourself? Search no further: Stranger Things also hosts improvisation workshops. They have accompanied hundreds of people from all ages and nationalities in both workshops and full-blown courses at the Usva in Groningen. Interested in hiring Stranger Things? Visit www.strangerthings.nl or send an email to contact@strangerthings.nl. Connect International
Places to go Things to see
Ameland, A Dutch Seaside Holiday by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman
Last October my husband and I went to Ameland, one of the Dutch 'Waddeneilanden', for three days during the Autumn holiday. We had a wonderful time and with Autumn coming up in a few months time, perhaps this article will serve as an inspiration to you as well!
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We took the morning ferry from Holwerd to Ameland. It was nice to stand on the deck and watch as Ameland slowly appeared on the horizon. As we got off the ferry we walked down the pier to pick up our rental bikes, which we had booked in advance online. From there it was about ten minutes of cycling to our hotel in Nes, Hotel Ameland, where we dropped off our suitcases (the bike place also offered a baggage drop off service). We headed straight out from the hotel on a five minute cycle to the beach. I
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was surprised the beach was so quiet; one of the perks of going during the autumn school holidays I guess! We had a nice walk along the sand, and dipping our toes into the sea, although it was a bit too cold for a full dip. We returned to our bicycles and decided to cycle around Nes to do a bit of exploring for the supermarket etc. and then we went back to the hotel to plan out the afternoon over lunch.
nice places to eat, earlier that day. Our choice had fallen on Neighbours (the literal translation of the place name 'Buren' to English). The food was delicious and the overall feel of the place was just really nice. Afterwards we had a final cycle toward the Waddenzee because it was near low tide, to poke around 'het wad' (the bit where there's water on high tide but not on low) looking for shells and crabs.
That afternoon we cycled around the right half of the island, following the cycle / walking paths along the dunes and around to the south side of the island, along the Waddenzee. As dinner time neared we made our way to Buren, as we had already looked for
On the second day of our vacation we decided to cycle the other half of the island. We again cycled along the dunes to the north of the island, pausing half way to go to the beach and fly our kites (we had some awesome winds for it). We then continued on,
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Places to go Things to see heading towards the lighthouse near Hollum. As we arrived at the lighthouse we discovered it was not actually open for visitors at the time, which was a bit of a shame. Our way back was planned past the remaining two villages on Ameland, Hollum and Ballum. We were back in Nes at around 1 pm and had lunch at De Herberg. We then went back to the hotel to freshen up a bit and we set off in the direction of Hollum again, where we had dinner at Cantina Dolores. The food was amazing, so good we wish we could go back the following night, but we were leaving the next day. The cycle back was in the dark so we stuck to the main road with lighting – it was a good thing we had made that same trip earlier that day! Our last morning we spent taking it easy by walking along the beach for a bit again and then making our way to the ferry, as the weather was not going to be great the rest of the day. All in all we did about 150 km of cycling during our three day visit, with only a bit of bad weather on the second day, just before noon. If you're less into cycling however, there's plenty of other things to do on Ameland as well! Have a look at www.vvvameland.nl. And if going out 10
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off season, check opening times for any restaurants or things you would like to visit. Do you want to visit Ameland yourself? We booked our trip through Travelbird: www.travelbird.nl. They have great deals, with several destinations on Ameland! Our hotel cost just 120 euros for two for two nights. We booked our bikes in advance to get a discount, we used www.fietsverhuurkiewiet.nl, and they cost 30 euros total for three days you can also add child seats, or be adventurous and book a tandem. Depending on how you book your stay in Ameland or if you only visit for a day, you need to book a ferry ticket yourself at http://www.wpd.nl/. It was â‚Ź12,20 per person when we booked, and that's a return ticket.
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Places to go Things to see
Groningen Walking Tour by Rachel Heller
Groningen is the perfect place for an off-the-beaten-track weekend escape. Home to a world-class university, its young population makes it dynamic and hip, yet its small size keeps it friendly and relaxed. This walking tour could last from two hours, if you just stroll, to all day, if you take your time and stop to see everything.
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Start your walk at the train station (A on the map below), but don’t hurry away yet. Go into the main hall and admire the renovated original ceiling from 1896. Do you prefer hip and modern? Cross the street to take in the small-scale but nevertheless cutting-edge Groninger Museum (B), www.groningermuseum.nl/en. The post-modern building itself, designed by Alessandro Mendini, Philippe Starck
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and Michele de Lucchi, among others, is surprising, and worth a look both inside and out. The permanent collection and temporary shows are varied and often groundbreaking. Follow your dose of the post-modern with a stroll toward the center of town along the Folkingestraat, a street that combines a bit of everything. This was once the Jewish quarter of the city, and you’ll pass the historic synagogue (C) on the right, now used as both a place of worship and an exhibition space. Look down the streets to the left and right just past the synagogue to glimpse Groningen’s very own red light district. Further along, the Folkingestraat brims with some of the best shopping in town: no chain stores here! Small boutiques selling everything from antiques and art to musical instruments and kitsch can keep you busy for hours. Watch out for bicycles: it can get pretty crazy on this street! If you’d like, take a side street over to 13
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Aduardergasthuis (D) on Munnekeholm, an almshouse dating from 1604. If the door’s open, go ahead and peek inside. A dozen or so of these historic almshouses scattered around the center of town continue to provide housing, though they’re no longer for the poor. Each tiny house faces on an inner, shared garden, a peaceful haven for the residents. Rest your tired feet in one of the many cafés; the Huis de Beurs, on the corner of the Folkingestraat and the Vismarkt (E), is a traditional “brown café”: there are no carpets on the tables anymore, but the atmosphere remains. Order a coffee or a Jenever, a locally-distilled liquor, and settle in for some great people-watching. Next, stroll past the A-Kerk (A-Church) (F) and along Brugstraat to the Maritime Museum (G), the oldest building in town, where you can learn all about the inland and sea trade that passed through Groningen when it was Connect International
Places to go Things to see a member of the Hanseatic League. Do you want typical Dutch charm? Take a right at the canal onto Hoge der A (H). This stretch of canal rivals any Amsterdam view, with its antique ships—now mostly used as houseboats—and old warehouses converted to homes. Now double back to wander among the stalls on the Vismarkt (I), where, on Saturdays, locals do their weekly shopping for fresh produce and other provisions. Don’t miss Hollandse nieuwe: raw brined herring. To look like a local, pick it up by the tail, throw your head back and eat it by hanging it over your mouth, biting off pieces from head to tail.
information office is currently housed on the Grote Markt in that odd little temporary building with the stairs on it: also a good place for people-watching. After all this eating, climb the Martinitoren (K) to work off some calories. From this 600-year-old bell tower you can get a wider view of the small but complete city. As the Groningers say: “There’s nothing above Groningen!” Rachel Heller lives in Groningen and writes about travel, expat life and other topics at http://rachelheller.org.
The market extends to the Grote Markt (J), just next door to the Vismarkt. Here, though, the wares include clothing, bags, shoes, and just about everything else. You can buy stroopwafels in a supermarket, but on the Grote Markt you can taste the wonderfully sweet, freshly-made original. The visitor’s
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Life Experience
Interview with Expat Carol by Susan Tredenick
As Carol is located in Utrecht we caught up for a chat over the phone, where she was happy to talk to me about the first months of trying to settle in a new country.
How long have you lived overseas? We, toddler Michael and I, have been here nearly four months, my husband has been here for six months as he
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needed to relocate earlier for work commitments. What was your initial reason for coming to Europe? My husband is attached to a management program for a World-wide organisation that relocates people to gain experience in all different aspects of management and international business. He was offered the opportunity to join the trainee program some time ago and we both jumped at the chance to travel and live overseas.
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Life Experience
Can you tell us a bit about your life before coming here and now? Adam and I were married quite young and it was always the plan to travel and work overseas before we had children. We both studied at University and I had a wonderful job back home, great friends and my parents lived in the same city. We weren’t expecting the traineeship for Adam to come along so quickly, and we certainly weren’t expecting Michael to be born this early. Although it was a difficult decision we decided to go ahead with the move as Michael was still young and schooling and friends were not an issue yet for him. My parents were very upset, as well as Adam’s, but still supportive of our move. We live in an apartment in Utrecht which has a fantastic view over the city. This is also different for us as I don’t have a backyard now where Michael can play. I have to make an effort sometimes to go to the local park for him to be able to have a swing and play with other kids. What have been some of your biggest challenges? There are a few issues that I struggle with daily, one is the guilt I feel about leaving my parents when they had very little time with Michael, although I will add they are getting ready for their first trip to visit us this December. Trying to 17
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work out “how things are done” here in the Netherlands is also difficult. Just the daily task of shopping, trying to find different products in the supermarket can turn a quick shopping trip into a nightmare. The different taste of food is also surprising; peanut butter just doesn’t taste the same. Then there is of course the tasks of finding a good GP, how the health system works etc, but Adam’s work has been helpful with these situations. It also is tiring having to tell everyone that tries to speak to me that I don’t understand Dutch; not being able to communicate is very frustrating. What tips would you give to a newcomer? Well, still being very much a newcomer myself, I have decided just to go easy with this whole international move. Be prepared for things not to work out the way you planned – it’s ok. I am lucky that Adam’s company has a few expats that work with them so I have met some of the other partners. I am trying to be open minded about meeting new people and putting myself out there. I have joined a parent’s group which has been a godsend. When I feel more settled I will try and learn Dutch but sometimes it just feels like a huge mountain to climb. Connect International
Information Center
Dentists & Dental care in the Netherlands
by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman
In the Netherlands, dentistry is privatised with over 5000 practises throughout the Netherlands. Dental work is not covered under basic insurance (with the exception of children under 18) but most insurers do offer 'add-ons' for your insurance package to cover dental work, although usually up to a maximum amount per year.
Finding a dentist Traditionally, dentists (or tandarts in Dutch) will run their own practise or sometimes 2 or 3 dentists will work together. While there are many practises around, finding one that is not full can be difficult, especially if you are looking for a dentist who is fluent in English. To find dentists local to you visit www.tandarts.nl or check the yellow pages (gouden gids) and look under 'tandartsen'. You can also go online to the Independer website (www.independer.nl/tandarts/) to find a dentist near your home. Dental care costs As I mentioned, dental cover is not covered by most basic insurance packages, but dental care for children under 18 years of age is covered and specialist dental care, such as surgery is covered by basic insurance. If you have health insurance through your employer, check with them what dental coverage is included.
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Information Center You can opt to take out additional insurance to cover dental bills. This usually covers up to 75% of the dental bill, and usually has a maximum coverage per year, ranging from 200 euros to 1000 euros, so be sure to take out enough coverage for the state of your teeth. Unlike health insurance, if you wish to increase your dental coverage in the future you will need proof from your dentist that there is no expectant work in the coming months, else insurers do not have to approve the increase in coverage. Since 2014 dental treatment costs have been set by the government and are the same for all dental surgeries. You can see the current rates on www.tandarts.nl. Visiting your dentist To make an appointment you can call the dentist. If it is for a check up appointment you can expect to get get an appointment within a few weeks, but if you have pain and need treatment sooner, tell the assistant to get an earlier appointment. It is also good to note that some dental 19
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insurances require you to have a control appointment every 6 months, else your insurance may be invalid. Dental treatment Dentists perform most routine procedures themselves. Anesthesia is usually only given upon request, and dental cleaning is not part of the basic treatment. A hygienist (mondhygienist), normally a separate entity from the dentist, may do dental cleaning or other minor dental procedures. You should always check your insurance policy before starting non-routine treatment, such as crowns or orthodontic treatment. Having trouble finding a dentist? Contact International Welcome Center North and see how they may be able to help. Visit the website: www.iwcn.nl Connect International
Your Stories
Finland - Land of the Midnight Sun by Margaret Metsala
The primary reason to visit Finland was to renew family ties. I do not speak Finnish but, since my last visit in 1972, the younger generation grew up with more English than the generation before. We could communicate and it was wonderful! We met in a group, shook the family skeletons, solved mysteries, and shared stories while reviewing the family tree dating back to 1726. We found new mysteries too.
My destination was northern Finland in the area around Oulu. Oulu, like Groningen, ranks among one of the happiest cities in Europe. I took the Public Express bus to Bremen, flew Ryanair to Tampere, stayed overnight and took a morning train to Kokkola first. The countryside around my family's birthplace is rich in dairy farms, forest and lakes. It is flat and low, often peaty, and with few hills. The landscape is dominated by tall straight pines with bark having a reddish glow that appears to be from a sunset, adding to the surreal aspect of visiting Finland in summer: when we are up so high in the world it does not get dark. On our way to Kaustinen around midnight, my cousin Mirja stopped the car when three moose stepped onto the highway, a mother with two calves. They looked at us and I was able to snap an unfocused picture before they disappeared into the forest. There are also bears in the area. In Finland, many roadsides were lined with lupines. The country houses we drove by were surrounded by lilacs.
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Your Stories
The Finns in Canada grew lilacs too, perhaps as a memory of home. The Finnish neighbourhood in Thunder Bay was filled with the intoxicating smell of lilacs in June. Finland has an amazing number of blueberries and much of the forest floor was blanketed in them as far as I could see. Besides small farms, birch groves, pines, bogs full of cotton grass and flowers, lilacs and blueberry plants formed the essence of this part of Finland in June. Finnish people's homes almost invariably contain a sauna, no matter where they are in the world, which is not always easy thanks to local by-laws and sceptical insurance companies worried about fire claims. The preferred sauna is in a separate building near a cabin by the lake where family and friends socialize and enjoy their leisure. It will be heated with wood and have a 21
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water tank to heat lake water for washing up. A city sauna will be electric and have a shower. Finland has some public saunas which happily provide a Finnish sauna experience so you can go even if you don't know someone with private sauna, and there is a much rarer smoke sauna for the public in Kuopio. My cousin's family has an outdoor sauna beside a lake and a smoke sauna, a rustic dark haven from the stresses of the outside world. The smoke sauna takes longer to prepare so we opted for the wood-fired one. Though the lake water was still cold in June, it felt comfortable after the sauna. After one last dip in the lake we relaxed in the cabin with a small fire in a soapstone fireplace to take away the chill. After a light supper at the cabin we went home, driving through the forest, Connect International
Your Stories along the quiet highway, and up the long driveway to my cousin's house at the top of a rise, surrounded by fields. It was an older Finnish house that smells like wood and is made of wood, ceiling to floor. A typical house has no basement and has generously sized front and back porches.
On Finnish summer nights, a blanketing mist might cover the fields as daylight dims slightly and the sun barely dips below the horizon. The night remains bright and it's not easy to guess the time. For midnight sun, I took the train north to the Arctic Circle which is near Rovaniemi.
cards and gifts at all times of year and send them to your loved ones in time for Christmas! The Village has attractive shops and dining and an adventure park is nearby. The Lapland-made gifts available included jewelry of silver and gold, caribou bone, leather slippers, colourful hats and mittens, and Lapland mugs made of wood. In Rovaniemi, a highly regarded museum, Arktikum, has a spectacular view of the sky from inside, perhaps to take advantage of the chance to view northern lights in winter. Their temporary exhibit was We Were Friends, a story about Finnish and German friendship as they lived and worked together in Rovaniemi during World War 2. I mused on how the alliance touched our own family stories: my father was in the Canadian
The Rovaniemi city bus goes to the Arctic Circle at Santa Claus Village because that is where Santa Claus lives and he gets many visitors. The post office there will collect 22
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Your Stories army during World War 2 but the army, aware he was Finnish, wouldn't leave him alone about it and kept asking if he was a spy. The questions finally stopped after he answered, "If I was, do you think I'd tell you?"
Swedish meatballs with potato and salad, and their easy ticket system includes a paperless option for your phone or iPod. You can book the train in Finnish, Swedish, English or Russian.
After seeing the museum exhibits I walked to the train station for the trip to Ylivieska. Here I must sing the praise of Finnish trains - reserved seating, plug-in's for devices, Wifi that really works, a restaurant car serving snacks, drinks and REAL MEALS like a plate of
Finland is magical in midsummer and in winter has many nights of northern lights. If you want to stay in a glass igloo to enjoy the northern lights from the warmth and comfort of your bed, you can do it in Finland. Maybe a winter visit is next!
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