The Holland Times - June 2014

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JUNE 2014

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS With turnout percentages falling consistently, it would seem voters don’t really care about the EU p4

NS TO RAISE PRICES FOR PEAK HOUR TRAVEL FROM 2015 p5

A CLOSER LOOK AT DUTCH PRISONS p14-15

AN EXPAT GUIDE TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP p23

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02-06-14 09:31

JUNE 2014 | 3

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

As I’m typing this editorial, thunderstorms are sweeping through the Netherlands. While we have had a sneak peek of summer in recent days, it would seem we will have to wait a little longer for the next beach-worthy day.

Fortunately, this month’s Holland Times takes you to beautiful foreign countries, no matter the weather outside. Take Aruba, for example. Their initiative to be completely energy independent by 2020 is truly admirable (p7).

NATIONAL P4-7 NS to raise peak hour prices p5 ECONOMICS P9 Malicious companies prey on poor EDUCATION SPECIAL P11-13 Expat education in the Netherlands

Ashley Cowles, Editor-in-Chief

Rather stay a bit closer to home? With a reliable network that spans the country, the NS can take you wherever you want to go. Just be sure not to travel during peak hours from 2015 onwards, if you’re on a budget (p5).

After all, you don’t have to cross the border to have a good time. With Pinkpop just behind us (admit it, you were only there to see the Rolling Stones perform, weren’t you?) and a great many more outdoor events just around the corner (p19), Dutch summer offers a variety of fun things to do - even if you choose not to partake in the global madness that is the FIFA World Cup (p 23).

Have something to say to the editor? Email: editorial@thehollandtimes.nl

All images: Creative Commons Licence Cover images: Franklin Heijnen Martien Uiterweerd Shine2010

FEATURE P14-15 A closer look at Dutch prisons TECHNOLOGY P17 Stephen Hawkings lecture at UU ARTS & CULTURE P19 Roots Festival 2014 REVIEWS P21 Food, Film, Book and Music ratings SPORTS P23 An expat guide to the World Cup

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02-06-14 09:31

NATIONAL

4 | JUNE 2014

Dutch beer week a success

THE HAGUE | The third edition of the Dutch Beer Week took place from 15 to 25 May. The hugely popular annual event included various beer-related events organized throughout the country. For example, beer lovers in the Netherlands were able to follow workshops and masterclasses, attend a six-course dinner (each course paired with the perfect beer, of course) or just enjoy some of the multiple tastings organized throughout the country. Over 4,000 people attended the opening of the festival at the Grote Kerk in The Hague. The last two days of the event, called the Dutch Brewery Days, involved no less than 92 Dutch breweries nationwide opening their doors for tasting events.

European elections: does anyone care?

Photo: Dutch Beer Week 2014

Saudi outrage over stickers

RIYADH | The Netherlands will send an envoy to Saudi Arabia in a bid to ease the Gulf kingdom’s anger over the distribution of anti-Islamic messages, the foreign ministry has said recently.

Saudi Arabia has yet to announce any sanctions, but local media said certain measures had already taken effect. The Saudi government was not amused to see far-right politician Geert Wilders distributing stickers bearing slogans derogatory to Islam. The stickers were printed in the colors of the Saudi flag.

Dutch exports to Saudi Arabia are worth about 2 billion euros ($2.7 billion) a year, according to the Dutch statistics office (CBS).

Photo: Eurovision 2014

Eurovision songs are hits

COPENHAGEN | Songs from the 2014

Eurovision Song Contest are topping iTunes charts all over Europe and are even doing very well worldwide.

Winning song of this year’s contest, Conchita Wurst’s ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’ was quick to take the top spot in European charts, either topping the charts or being in the top three in 14 countries (including the Netherlands). Conchita’s song also became a worldwide top 10 song. Just days after the contest, the Dutch entry ‘Calm After the Storm’ by The Common Linnets took third place in the pan-European iTunes chart and 12th place worldwide, and came in as a top three hit in 16 European countries.

Photo: secretlondon123

“This time it’s different” said the European slogan for this year’s elections. But voter indifference suggests otherwise. SOPHIA TAHA asks: does anybody care?

At the beginning of May, the story broke that Prime Minister Mark Rutte had previously threatened to leave the Euro. The incident occurred two years ago, when in objection to proposed reforms he is reported to have threatened to pull the Netherlands out of the E.U. The reforms never happened and neither, according to some sources, did the threat. Rutte does not deny the threat, but said that he did not make actual plans to leave the EU; the story has however resulted in Rutte having to write a letter to Parliament explaining himself.Now, we have to ask whether Rutte, who represents the pro-European stance, is calling into question the Netherlands’ continued membership in the EU, and what impact will that have on position of Eurosceptics like Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party (PVV).

In a a recent interview with EuroNews, Wilders said that the EU “took the sovereignty of the Netherlands away.” He went on to say: ”The European Union costs us a lot of money. The Dutch are – per capita – the highest contributors to the European Union.”

However, the larger question is whether anyone cares about the E.U. Are Eurosceptics and Pro-Europeans alike both suffering from a lack of

public interest? During the last EU elections in 2009, Reuters reported that “few of the EU’s 495 million citizens have much interest in the assembly or much knowledge of what it does, even though it shapes many pan-European laws, endorses the EU executive and budget, and will gain power under the EU’s Lisbon reform treaty.” They went on to say “Euroscepticism is on the rise, with discontent growing over how Brussels is spending Dutch tax money, and Wilders campaigned against Turkey’s bid to join the EU.” So has anything changed since 2009?

With many scandals breaking that have involved members of the European Parliament (MEPs), nothing much seems to have changed in the EU or in the responses of the common voter. It seems MEP expense scandals come to light regularly, cause a scandal and then are forgotten for some time.

Another scandal was the Cash for Amendments scandal which broke three years ago, thanks to the investigative journalism of a British reporter.

One of the guilty MEPs, a Slovenian, was sentenced to two and half years in prison. According to www.euractiv.com, Zoran Thaler will give 15.000 euros to charity and serve his prison

sentence only at weekends. Hardly a tough sentence. Andy Rowell of the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER EU) spoke on the incident, saying “this scandal was an accident waiting to happen. The politicians in Brussels – who are responsible for making the laws – enjoy far too cozy a relationship with industry lobbyists. It is not surprising that the MEPs found it so easy to act on behalf of the fake lobbyists. This scandal could be merely the tip of the iceberg.”

A third large scandal occurred: The signing in scandal – MEPs signed in at the end of the working day and then went home not too long afterwards. Dutch Reporter Tom Staal recorded two MEPs (an Italian and a Czech) signing in and then leaving 5 minutes later. As they get paid just under 300 euros for signing in, this method of signing in at the end of the working day and not doing any work costs the EU a lot of money. Both MEPs assaulted the reporter while he recorded them, and neither would answer why they were leaving so soon after signing in.

In the light of these scandals, the question has to be asked: does the normal European care about what MEPs do. Do they want to be part of

the EU or do they want a more statecentric system? Sadly, many feel that their vote isn’t important or won’t make a difference. They don’t see the point and feel that their vote won’t change anything.

There are parties campaigning for greater and lesser European involvement, arguments are to-ing and froing about the benefits from economic to socio-political reasons, but the sad fact is that with consistently falling numbers of voters each time since 1979, the average eligible voter may not care to have their say. Even in light of continued scandal and waste, people’s outrage at the behaviour of MEPs is simply not translating to the ballot box.

There is little enthusiasm when it comes to discussing European politics; many people we asked, declined to give a comment. Those that did answer weren’t sure who they were going to vote for, and said that they didn’t understand the roles of MEPs. Although they take it as a given that they are part of Europe, they don’t feel as if they can make a difference within it.

The current focus is on whether or not people want to be part of Europe.

However, it seems our politicians are simply asking the wrong question.

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11-05-14 21:08

02-06-14 10:12

NATIONAL

JUNE 2014 | 5

NS to raise prices for peak hour travel

WWII porcelain recovered

AMSTERDAM | Parts of a priceless Meissen dinner service which may have been stolen from a Jewish family by the Nazis have been located in the Het Loo palace, the Rijksmuseum and three other Dutch museums, the Telegraaf reported recently. In total, 15 pieces of crockery thought to be part of the service have been found. The items belonged to the Gutmann family but were auctioned off under pressure from the Nazis in 1934, the Telegraaf reports.

Amsterdam research bureau Artiaz began looking into the sale with the help of old auction room documents.

It has now identified six pieces in Het Loo, which is one of the Dutch Royal Family’s palaces.

Photo: Ross Griff

Home for LGBTQ elderly

Photo: Franklin Heijnen

In a recently published plan for 2015-2025, the NS has announced another increase in price for peak hour travel. RATNA MARAPIN has the details.

Recently, the NS and State Secretary Wilma Maasland concluded an agreement with future plans for the NS for the period 2015-2025. These plans include that the NS will arrange for more trains, and that night trains will have to continue their service longer during weekends. Moreover, when disruptions occur, replacement transport needs to be provided within the hour.

In addition to that, both the NS customer service and the process of transferring to urban and regional transport need to be improved. However, the most striking point in all these plans is the intention to raise the prices of train tickets during peak hours.. This means, prices of single tickets may increase by as much as ten percent.

Plans are to decrease the prices of single tickets during off-peak hours by a minimum of 12 percent. However, before putting these plans into action, the NS must first investigate the consequences of this change. Additionally, consumer organizations are to give their advice on the matter.

The goal of increasing prices is not to steer commuters towards using their cars more often to go to work, but to take the train to work more often during off-peak hours. Thus, the

trains would be less crowded during peak hours, which is what the NS want.

NS spokesman Eric Trinthamer explains that this could be a way to maximize the efficiency of their capacity during off-peak hours. He also explains that the NS will begin by doing research and will follow up on that with action. Trinthamer points out that these measures would result in more room in the compartments, as people who can travel outside of peak hours will do so, thus leaving more room for those who cannot travel outside of peak hours.

Critical responses to this NS plan have been uttered by various sources. For instance, the ANWB believes those who must be on time for their work – for example, medical professionals – will choose to take the car rather than take the train during offpeak hours. The ANWB fears an increase in highway traffic jams. They are uncertain how much more traffic to expect and are awaiting the opinions of consumer organizations.

Traveler’s organization Rover agrees with the ANWB and fears that more people will turn to their cars.

Rover’s chairman Arriën Kruyt understands the NS wishes to stimulate commuters to travel more during off-

peak hours, but he believes that these current plans will have a negative outcome. He claims it would be more prudent to just lower the prices during off-peak hours and not also raise the prices during peak hours.

Additionally, Kruyt thinks the NS is attempting to increase their profits, and states that that goal can also be achieved by only offering lower prices. He says that “large companies regularly lower their prices in order to attract more customers. The trick is to seduce people into travelling by train; therefore, raising the prices seems unwise.”

Generally, it appears that Parliament opposes this plan as well. Betty de Boer – Member Parliament for the VVD – does not approve of this plan, and considers it an extra slap in the face of travelers already stuck in an overcrowded train. Member of Parliament for the PvdA Duco Hoogland also voiced doubts, believing that if the use of cars will increase, then maybe this is not a good idea after all.

Other political parties, such as CDA, D66 and Groenlinks, coincide with their colleagues’ beliefs. Member of Parliament for CDA Sander de Rouwe says, “Let’s not forget that prices during off-peak hours are already cheaper now. Why do people

travel massively during peak hours?

Because they have no choice. This is nothing more than a peak hour fine.”

D66 fears that these plans will lead to commuters paying more money to stand instead of sit during peak hours.

Member of Parliament for D66 Stientje van Veldhoven claims that it is indeed important to find a way to decrease the crowdedness during peak hours. She approves of the plan to lower prices during off-peak hours, but claims that raising prices during peak hours would defeat the objective.

When asked, random travelers at Utrecht Central Station reacted both positively and negatively to this news.

Whereas some people expressed annoyance at this idea because those commuters that need to arrive on time at work will have to continue to travel during peak hours, others could see a silver lining in this plan if it will lead to less crowded trains.

The NS plans to begin testing the effectiveness of the new prices in 2015, all across the Netherlands.

Depending on the results of the test, their plans will either remain permanent or perhaps undergo some changes, with Parliament as the deciding voice in the matter.

AMSTERDAM | In An old folks home especially for the homosexual elderly was recently opened in Amsterdam. There is less and less understanding for them in regular care, says Gay Care Amsterdam director Jan Nieuwenhuis. Amsterdam Healthcare Alderman Eric van der Burg was present at the official launch of the new private homecare organisation.

Professor Tineke Abma of the Free University in Amsterdam simultaneously presented a survey showing that the homosexual elderly have to deal with all sorts of forms of discrimination and exclusion. Gay Care Amsterdam works with specially trained staff who know the homosexual living world.

NL to advance robot tech

HANNOVER | Following the example of Germany and Belgium, the Netherlands is also going to set up a national programme for further robot and automation applications in industry, according to a report presented at the Hannover Messe (Fair). The Smart Industry report is drawn up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, in partnership with research institute TNO and employer organization FME. The study is intended as a first move for a plan of attack to be drawn up this spring, reported Het Financiële Dagblad. The compilers of the report are calling for more research towards having machines ‘speak’ with one another to streamline future development.

Amsterdam Rotterdam Liège The Hague (2014)

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02-06-14 10:12

NATIONAL

6 | JUNE 2014

ER treatment cost surveyed UTRECHT | Tens of thousands of

patients in the Netherlands are treated in hospital emergency departments at sometimes 10 times the cost of the same treatment at their local general practitioner (GP), and end up with larger medical bills as a result. This comes from the first survey of all hospital treatments, by Dutch organization DBC Onderhoud. Closing a wound with sutures at a hospital can cost 405 euros, staunching a nosebleed can be 410 euros, while placing an IUD goes up to 505 euros. Nor will all of these costs necessarily be paid by the patient’s health insurance; if they have a high deductible on their insurance, they may have to pay part or all of the cost.

Male school teachers: a dying breed

Photo: Ken Teegardin

NL ‘smart cities’ in top 20

BARCELONA | The most recent survey

of world cities to discover which were the ‘smartest’ has placed both Amsterdam and Eindhoven in its top 20.

The IESE Cities in Motion Index (ICIM), produced by IESE Business School in Spain, examined 135 cities worldwide, eventually crowning Tokyo as the smartest city, followed by London and New York. Eindhoven was ranked 15, followed by Amsterdam at 16. Other European cities in the top 20 included Zurich, Paris, Geneva, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Eindhoven ranked first in Social Cohesion from among all cities surveyed. According to the report, there is no single model for success.

Photo: Juliana Su

Smoking ban effective

AMSTERDAM | The smoking ban for bars and restaurants put in place in 2010 and tightened further in 2012 is finally having an effect. Preliminary figures from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) released by the Dutch government show that in the first months of 2014, 75 percent of cafés and bars were smoke free. That is an increase of 10 percent from the fall of 2013. In March 2013, State Secretary Martin van Rijn from the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport announced that the smoking ban would be reinstated in July 2014. Speaking about the figures, Van Rijn warned that despite the improvement, there was still a long way to go.

Photo: Lauren Manning

When the average person thinks of a school teacher, chances are they’ll think of a woman. Male teachers are few and far between. A new study looks into their thoughts on being the exception. JOEP DERKSEN reports.

When children first start elementary school, they have usually reached the tender age of 4 years. While most of them are potty- trained, you can’t exactly have a good conversation with them yet. For the next eight years, these kids will go to elementary school to learn how to read and write, get some basic knowledge on history, math and – with a little luck – acquire some social skills as well.

Trade union CNV Education published research last month that addressed the problem of male teachers feeling left out. More than 2.700 teachers (male and female) answered the survey and six out of ten male teachers confirmed that they sometimes feel alone between all their female colleagues.

Their female colleagues would like to see more male teachers as well, research shows. Stephan Kurpershoek is the only male teacher at a small elementary school in Friesland, and he definitely notices, he tells the Telegraaf: “Although I can work very well with my colleagues, I do feel a little like an outcast. I take shorter breaks, because sometimes the conversations are only about diets and pregnancies, for weeks in a row.”

Nowadays, only 15% of teachers are male, and that percentage is

dwindling. Most elementary schools only have two or three male teachers on their staff. This is not a good development for school children. Children also need male teachers as a role model; somebody they can look up to.

Gert Jan Vermin is a teacher at De Noordwijkse School, and he followed his passion to start working in the education system. “I was sick and tired of the stress in the commercial business world and took the opportunity to work with children. I graduated in 2011 after having attended evening classes at the Pabo for two years.”

When asked to reflect on those years of his education, he is quite clear. “The everlasting ‘themed classes’ should be abolished. In those, students are divided into groups and have to endlessly discuss certain subjects and topics.”

Vermin recognizes some of the complaints his male colleagues have. “I soon noticed the difference in teaching style between male and female teachers. For instance, my instructions to the children are shorter and more powerful. It is scientifically proven that boys have a shorter attention span. Also, men are more direct and strict and, even more important, can sometimes do crazy things. One time I jumped on a table during a

course about walking a tightrope, pretending to do exactly that. The children thought it was hilarious and I don’t see a female colleague doing that same thing.”

Vermin does not identify with Kurpershoek’s quotes. “Of course subjects like diets and pregnancies are discussed. But it’s really not true that my female colleagues can’t talk about anything else. And when such a subject is discussed for too long, in my opinion, I make a bold and funny statement. Soon after that, the subject changes. Also, I have the fortunate working circumstance that most of my colleagues are not that prissy.”

Vermin is of the opinion that the abundance of female teachers is a threat to young boys, especially in elementary school. With a lack of male teachers around, they only get female role models. ”This is one of the reasons why I chose to become a teacher.

This development is not good for children, and especially for the boys.”

However, he stresses, it is also good for young girls to be able to look up to a male teacher for several years during this ciritical period of self sevelopment. “That’s why I want to create safe and comfortable surroundings in my class, where children can be themselves and develop

themselves in an authentic and natural way, while exploring all of their talents.”

Does Vermin undertake action to let the children in his class get in touch with so-called ‘typical male stuff’? “Once in a while, I’ll ask the children [aged 8-9, red] whether they have watched soccer on television.

Also, I tend to devote more time talking in depth about subjects like the police, the military or other ‘typically male’ professions.”

Joany Krijt, vice chairman of CNV Education, is of the opinion that the time has come to attract more men to teaching. He stresses that the way forward is by reforming teacher education at the Pabo.

According to Krijt, Pabo classes focus too much on women. All students learn how to do arts and crafts with children, but most men prefer to explore the possibilities of fields like engineering or PE. When asked about a concrete idea for improvement, Krijt recently told the Telegraaf: “Cancel the required daycare internship during the first year of the Pabo. That is one of the main reasons male students leave the Pabo: men usually have more in common with older children than with toddlers.”

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NATIONAL

JUNE 2014 | 7

Aruba focuses on renewable energy

Alcohol consumption down BRUSSELS | A new report shows that

while the region of Europe has the highest average rate of alcohol consumption in the world, the Netherlands is far from the top of European countries. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation’s annual report into alcohol consumption, Dutch people ranked in the bottom of the list with their drinking, consuming an average of 9,9 liters of pure alcohol yearly. The European average is 10,9 liters a year. The Dutch figure is well below the biggest drinkers on the continent: in Lithuania, people consume an average of 15,4 liters of pure alcohol a year, followed closely by Romanians with 14,4 liters per year.

Photo: Pinkbox Photography

Childbirth safety improved

Photo: Andreas Demmelbauer

Aruba aims to be entirely green by 2020. The Caribbean island, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is working hard to become fully independent from fossil fuels. HANNA FILLINGHAM has the details on project ‘Green Aruba’.

The vision of a ‘Green Aruba’, will not only allow for the island to become more sustainable, but will increase its economic and employment opportunities globally. Their future vision is to act as a gateway to America for Europe and the rest of the world, named ‘Green Gateway’.Aruban Prime Minister Mike Eman announced the plan to switch to 100 percent renewable energy by 2020 at the Rio earth summit in 2012. Partnered with global initiative the Carbon War Room, this will make Aruba the world’s first sustainable energy economy.

Dutch research company TNO are on board to helping achieve Aruba 2020 through applied technology research. A TNO office has already been established in Aruba and is developing a ‘Smart Community’ made up of 20 homes that will rely on solely on sustainable energy. This is to educate the region on the matter. A ‘green tech’ research center has also been built. Taking advantage of the constant sun supply and sea on the island, tests are being carried out to research renewable energy technology.

The center will also provide education and training opportunities for Aruban citizens. Professor Dr Wubbo Ockells, Zero mission yacht ecolution believes “if Aruba can make the small step to

become sustainable it will be a giant leap for the rest of the world”.

Aruba is committed to this mission. The island is working hard and everyone from schools to businesses – both local and international are taking part in Green Aruba. Sustainable initiatives have been promoted by the COE (Center of Excellence), such as replacing public lights with energy efficient LED lights and implementing natural gas rather than heavy fuel oil to significantly reduce C02 levels.

Local businesses and restaurants of this former oil producing island have been growing more of their own food to support local famers, rather than staying dependent on import. Aruba has also made its public transportation system fully electric, eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions produced by vehicles. The first bio-fuel flight operated by KLM airlines between Amsterdam and Aruba was completed this month, showing a very positive leap in the possible outcomes Aruba 2020 is producing.

Local and international companies are also working together to construct Aruba’s first solar park.. Solar panels were installed there in March. This solar park hopes to be a leading example for other countries in the region to show what can be achieved.

Green Aruba and KLM airlines have partnered up to challenge individuals to think up a concept to help make the world more sustainable.

This competition will see the winner flying out to a chosen destination to help make their idea reality. This is just one of the ways in which Aruba are promoting their vision to the rest of the world. The Aruban government has been producing a bimonthly magazine called ‘Aruba Dushi Tera’, to keep those in the Netherlands with ties to Aruba up to date with the developments on the island.

By going green, Aruba’s vision is to become a ‘Green Gateway’. Their hope is to function as a regional (Caribbean and Latin American) hub promoting economic and technological exchanges between Europe and the rest of the world. Among the first identified projects are the ‘Solaroad’ and the ‘Rooftops Solar Project’.

Dutch businesses are particularly highlighted as those who will benefit this gateway. Prime Minster Eman said that “It will be a win-win for Dutch business, the Dutch economy and, of course, the Aruban economy.”

An annual event, ‘Europe meets the Americas’, is helping to further promote this gateway vision. Its last event in 2013 had a successful out-

come, as many companies expressed their interest in using Aruba as a hub for the region. “We are already busy with follow-ups, contacting the companies we spoke with,” said Mike Eman. Establishing an office in Aruba would provide a geographically interesting opportunity for smaller companies, allowing them access to countries such as Colombia and Brazil as well as gain ties with this side of the world.

Aruba is well on the way to its mission and seeing health and economical benefits already. Deputy Prime Minister Mike D’emeza said, “instead of energy prices being the top of the political agenda, the debate now is about which is the best renewable energy source Aruba should go for next.”

The costly expenditures on diesel and electricity in the region are making other islands wanting to follow Aruba’s lead. St Lucia plans to switch much of its electricity from diesel to renewables over the next 10 years, using methods such as wind and solar power.

Amory Lovins, chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute believes that “small islands can move fast if they have coherent policies. They can be the future.”

KATWIJK | The chance of a woman in the Netherlands dying during pregnancy or childbirth has decreased by over half since the start of the century, making the Netherlands the fifth-safest country in the world to have a baby.

Where at the end of the 20th century, one woman in 4.400 would die during pregnancy or in childbirth, now that chance has dropped to one in 10.500.

This is according to the State of the World’s Mothers, a report by charity Save the Children, a leading independent organization that works to create lasting change for children in need around the world.

Image: Cary Bass

Heroin smuggled in raisins

TEHRAN | Nearly 1,700 pounds of heroin was smuggled into the Netherlands in May, well hidden in a shipment of Iranian raisins, Dutch police investigators said Monday. That was reported by the New York Times. The heroin, valued at about 23 million U.S. dollars, was seized by the investigators shortly after the raisin shipment had been transported from Rotterdam to Hagestein. Two men were arrested in connection to the discovery. Iran is a major transit point for heroin coming from Afghanistan. In addition to this, Iran also is believed to be the world’s third-largest exporter of raisins, behind Turkey and the United States, respectively.

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02-06-14 09:33

HEALTH

Information for expats Information meetings for expats Do you want to know more about information meetings for expats?

Contact: Nanda Jagusiak-Monteiro Bronovo Expat Coordinator E: NJagusiak@bronovo.nl

Overseas Patients Administration Do you have any questions about the Dutch health care system, Bronovo Hospital, your insurance or the handling of your invoice?

Contact: Deborah Warmenhoven-Walmsley Overseas Patients Administration Assistant Patient Administration Office T: +31 (0)70 312 41 80 or (070) 312 41 80 (Monday, Wednesday & Friday) E: DWarmenhoven@bronovo.nl Accident & Emergency department

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Emergency services are available seven days a week and 24 hours a day at Bronovo Hospital. The Accident & Emergency department is always open for everyone.

The A&E department (SEH) is available on (070) 312 44 45 or via the central Bronovo number (070) 312 41 41. Every A&E patient must produce proof of identity and a health insurance card.

Contact Bronovo Hospital Bronovolaan 5 2597 AX The Hague +31 (0)70 312 41 41 or (070) 312 41 41 www.bronovo.nl

BRONOVO HOSPITALITY www.bronovo.nl

Bronovo offers general hospital services for the residents of The Hague and surrounding areas. Providing personal care is a priority, because at Bronovo our patients are at the heart of everything we do. The hospital has an alliance with the Leiden University Medical Centre. Our team of medical specialists offer a wide range of services, covering almost every specialisation. At Bronovo, over 1,500 employees and 120 specialists work closely together in a multidisciplinary team to provide what we like to think of as health care with added hospitality.

BRONOVO HOSPITAL Bronovolaan 5, 2597 AX Den Haag WASSENAAR HEALTH CENTRE Hofcampweg 65, 2241 KE Wassenaar BRONOVO SATELLITE OUTPATIENT CLINIC President Kennedylaan 15, 2517 JK Den Haag

EXPAT SERVICE DESK On workdays from 8.00 – 16.30 hours: E mail: expat@bronovo.nl Anneke van Kooten +31 (0)70 312 40 16

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26-02-14 10:34 02-06-14 09:33

4 10:34

economics

JUNE 2014 | 9

Poor families fall victim to scam

Mortgages still in danger

THE HAGUE | The Dutch central bank (DNB) is assuming that it will take at least another 10 years before a large portion of the mortgages that are currently ‘under water’ will be out of the danger zone again, the supervisory body writes in its semi-annual Financial Stability Review published recently.

Mortgages are termed ‘under water’ if the mortgage debt is higher than the market value of the home. About 30 percent of Dutch mortgages are currently under water. According to Aerdt Houben of DNB, the under-water mortgages are no acute balance sheet problem for the banks.

Disposable income down

Photo: peter_rentzsch

Malicious financial organizations are looking to trick poor families into taking out a new loan. JOEP DERKSEN looks into the matter.

More than 150 families in the province of Groningen recently experienced firsthand what it feels like to be outsmarted by somebody. They believed the idle promises of Bureau Integraal, owned and led by one man.

Bureau Integraal promised its clients to help them get out of debt. For this ‘assistance’, the families had to pay a fee. They all obliged, hoping this man would rescue them out of their daily misery. But the only thing that criminal did was put the money in his own pockets. Something good did come out of this situation, however.

Groningen residents collected food and supplies for the duped families.

The Groninger Kredietbank (credit bank of Groningen) has also supplied these families with ‘leefgeld’ (emergency allowance) from the ‘Urgent Needs’ foundation . With this assistance, the 150 families managed to be able to pay for their food and drinks.

Not only did the receivers not have to pay back this donation, but the municipal council also made sure that none of the families would be evicted

from their homes because of Bureau Integraal’s wrongdoings. This was a real threat to some of the families, since they were unable to pay basic expenses like rent or utilities. They had paid Bureau Integraal to take care of these payments for them, but the owner-annex-sole employee kept that money for himself, leaving the victims in even more dire circumstances. Bureau Integraal has since been declared bankrupt.

Sadet Karabulut is Member of Parliament for the Socialist Party (SP).

She has been fighting these criminal debt negotiating organizations for years. “Many people in financial difficulties are victims of agencies that want to make a profit from other people’s misery and debts.

The government says the market should regulate itself, but this doesn’t happen. Private debt negotiators should adhere to legal standards.

These standards should be set up by this government,” Karabalut says. Her party also wants to impose a ban on the current situation, which allows

private debt collectors to charge money for their services.

The Groningen fraud case is not just an isolated example; similar cases occur throughout the country. Who hasn’t heard of emails promising the receivers huge sums of money if they can just use the gullible email recipient’s bank account?

The American Office of Fair Trading recently reported on another scam, says financial website www. geldlenen.org. These particular emails don’t offer a reward, but state one can borrow money at a very advantageous interest rate. The offer is almost too good to be true. And indeed, it isn’t. You will never get back the compensation fee you paid to obtain this loan. Of course, the ignorant victim can also forget about receiving one single cent from that ‘loan’.

Because these emails are written in bad English or Dutch, you would think they are easily recognizable.

Yet, still many people fall into the irtrap. They are usually the type of people who are already knee-deep in

debt and accept the offer in complete desperation, even though they sometimes know better. This email is their last hope, perhaps the one that can save them from a lifetime of debts.

Instead, the email offer only pushes them deeper into the debt hole and leaves them empty-handed.

And what effect does a life of debts have on their children? Will they fall into the same debt traps as their parents did? Not necessarily, a survey from the SCP (Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau) shows. No less than 93% of children from a poor family are now living above the poverty line. For most of them, this achievement did not come easily, because they had to make up for a lack of social participation and goods during their childhood. Poor kids also spent less time on playdates. says the SCP. The fact that most children grow out of this situation when they start earning their own income is a positive thing, the SCP says: “There is no inescapable mass poverty culture in the Netherlands.”

Annual Report NL 2013: slow recovery In mid-May, the Dutch government published the Annual Report 2013. This report details the economic and political developments in the Netherlands during the past year. ASHLEY COWLES has the details.

Photo: Lending Memo

It will come as no surprise that 2013 wasn’t entirely positive. Economically, things were rough: the economy shrank significantly and unemployment was on the rise. At the same time, 2013 was also the year economic recovery started, albeit slowly. The increases in export and business in-

tht_June_2014_RV.indd 9

vestments were crucial to that change.

In addition, the Dutch government worked hard to cultivate healthy government finances, which meant the budget deficit remained within the maximum set by EU regulations for the first time in 5 years. This is detailed in the Financieel Jaarverslag

van het Rijk (‘Central Government Annual Financial Report’) 2013.

In this report, Parliament reports on the economic, budgetary and political developments of 2013. Minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem submitted the report and all supporting documents to Parliament on 21 May, 2014. The political debate about those supporting documents took place on 28 May. The economic growth of 2013 turned out lower than was expected when drafting the budget. In the end, the Dutch economy shrunk by 0.8%.

Because of this, Dutch economic development was not as significant as those of other European countries.

Additional budgetary measures prove necessary, and the cabinet received the support of 5 political government parties. This support, as well as the recovering economy, meant earlier gloomy predictions about the budget deficit did not come true. The EMU balance 2013 turned out to be -2.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP),

which is well within the maximum set by European regulations. At 73.5% of the GDP the EMU debt turned out higher than expected. This was partly caused by a lower GDP than initially thought, causing the debt (expressed in the percentage of the GDP to increase.

The recession was most obvious on the job market, the number of unemployed increased further. On average, a number of 656,000 people was unemployed in 2013. During the past year, important steps were taken both nationally and on a European scale in order to beat the recession and increase a stable and strong situation.

For the Netherlands, this means closely cataloging and if possible decreasing financial risks for the government. If the government has a good starting position, it is also able to take any possible hits in the future.

The Annual Financial Report 2013, the departmental annual reports and all supporting documents are available online at www.rijksfinanciën.nl.

AMSTERDAM | Dutch regulators, commentators and the funds themselves all agree that the number of pension funds in the country – which has already fallen from over 1,000 in 1992 to a mere 382 today – is set to contract even further. According to an estimate from the Dutch Central Bank, DNB, which regulates the funds, the number could drop below 300 within a few years. DNB has written to 60 small and medium funds, urging them to consider their “long-term viability”. The regulator added that it “may ask more funds to examine the sustainability of their business models” this year.

Photo: Reuters

Shell cancelling scrips

THE HAGUE | Royal Dutch Shell said it would no longer pay dividends in the form of shares, a move that analysts said could lead to much higher share buybacks by the company.

The company said cancelling the scrip programme from the second quarter of this year and settling all future dividends entirely in cash “will allow for a more efficient share buy-back programme”.

Shell has been issuing Class A shares as scrip dividend for nearly four years.

Cancelling the scrip programme means Shell will be exempt from the withholding tax, meaning it can now start buying back A shares again.

Euronet set to expand

LISBON | Euronext is set to list in France,

the Netherlands and Belgium when the European exchanges operator formally demerges from parent IntercontinentalExchange in coming weeks. The group, which runs equities bourses and derivatives markets, is close to completing its prospectus ahead of a listing expected to take place before the end of the second quarter, according to sources familiar with the situation.

A formal announcement may come as early as next week, sources said. Euronext will list on the market in Lisbon, a fourth European equity market it owns.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Student rent prices rising

HANDA | The Financial Times reports that Japan’s Mizkan Group has extended its reach into the western larder by paying $2.15 billion in cash for Unilever’s North American pasta sauce businesses, Ragú and Bertolli. The sale is the latest in a string of disposals by the Anglo-Dutch company and another step in its shift under Paul Polman, chief executive, to focus more on sales of personal care brands rather than lower-margin food. However, Unilever signalled that, with the sale of Ragú, the clear-out was nearing an end.

02-06-14 09:33

Lufthansa flights from Rotterdam to Munich

The route that was inaugurated on 1 October between Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Munich, has proved to be convenient and efficient for both business and leisure travelers.

Moreover, Munich is often used as a transit airport with vast number of exclusive Lufthansa amenities.

Altogether, 4,500 square meters of luxurious lounges invite customers to work or relax.

On 1 October Lufthansa started operating double daily flights from Rotterdam The Hague Airport to the Bavarian capital Munich. The flights are being operated by a modern Bombardier Canadair Jet CRJ 900 with up to 90 seats in Business and Economy class.

The airport has been continuously awarded Best European Airport by the prestigious Skytrax Awards.

The state-of-the-art Terminal 2 offers a minimum connecting time of 35 minutes. Due to harmonized flight times of the new Rotterdam The Hague services, passengers will be able to connect to over 70 daily flights to worldwide destinations or make use of a full day for business or leisure in the Munich area.

For business and leisure travelers from the Rotterdam The Hague area, Munich is a much asked for destination.

tht_June_2014_RV.indd 10

Seamless flight options include destinations such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Mumbai in Asia as well as Jeddah, New York and Sao Paolo besides various airports in Europe like Istanbul, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tbilisi, Zurich, Vienna and Berlin.

Return flights from Rotterdam to Munich can now be booked from 99 euro on www.lufthansa.com. The fare includes all taxes and fees. Information and bookings are furthermore available via Lufthansa call centre on 0900 – 1234 777 (0.15 per minute), Lufthansa travel agent partners and Lufthansa sales counters at the airports.

02-06-14 09:33

EDUCATION SPECIAL

JUNE 2014 | 11

Learning Dutch as a way to connect When you come to a different country, learning to speak the language can help to make you feel like you belong.

ASHLEY COWLES talks to American expat Melanie Collins about learning to speak Dutch.

Photo: College Degrees 360 What brought you to the Netherlands?

“A relationship brought me to the Netherlands. We met online, in a community of regular commentors on a blog of funny pictures. We’d talk to each other in passing; our time zones were 8 hours in difference. Over the course of a year or so, we chatted a bit. Then, when the blog went downhill, and eventually connected on a deeper level through Facebook.

We decided to become a couple in the spring of 2012, and I made the decision to quit my job and liquidate my belongings and move to the Neth-

erlands in the early fall of 2012. We were married in December of 2012.

We live in a small town south of Breda, close to the Belgium border.

I grew up in a place very much like this: green, fertile, a farming community, so it was like coming home, just with a different language.

How did you go about finding and choosing Dutch courses?

After waiting to get my residence permit, I started looking around on the internet for local language courses.

Unfortunately, there aren’t that many Dutch language courses in Breda, just

a few through hogeschools. Since my wife had a work assignment in Rotterdam at this point, I found a Dutch language course there. I chose an intensive, week-long course because I wanted to get stuck in and learn Dutch now.

What was your experience with the school and course type you chose?

It was a pretty good class, focused on the underlying grammar rules as well as conversational exercises. The one complaint I had was there were only two students in the class (including myself), so there weren’t that many chances to practice speaking and listening skills.

I tried a different school for the next level of intensive Dutch language course, in Amsterdam. This course was much better than the second, in that there were more students with whom to practice, as well as outings out and about in Amsterdam, with games designed to have us speak to locals in Dutch. I found this to be the best course of learning the Dutch language – learning the theory, then practicing the theory with native Dutch speakers.

What do you consider most beneficial about being able to speak Dutch as an expat?

I think the thing I feel is most beneficial about being able to speak Dutch is the ability to communicate on a day-to-day basis with people around me, to hear background conversations and understand, to be able to find a job. If you’re an expat living in the Netherlands, I strongly recommend learning Dutch. Even though most Dutch people speak English, I feel we miss out on really knowing the people around you.”

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Discover the world at Leiden University tht_June_2014_RV.indd 13

02-06-14 09:34

FEATURE

14 | JUNE 2014

A closer look at Dutch prisons

Image: Martien Uiterweerd

With community service and fines becoming increasingly popular sentences, Dutch prisons now have more prison guards than prisoners. ALICE BURK looks into the matter.

The Netherlands is now in a position where it has more prison guards than prisoners, the Algemeen Dagblad reported last month, quoting figures from the Dutch Justice Ministry. At the moment, there are 9,710 people serving time in jail and a total of 9,914 prison officials, ministry figures show. In a 2011 Council of Europe report, the Netherlands had 11,579 prisoners. According to CoE figures, the total prisoner capacity for the Netherlands stands at a maximum of 12,338.

The bulk of this most recent figure is made up of prison guards, but the numbers also include some staff who teach within prisons or those involved in sports and training.

Website Dutchnews.nl reported that the Dutch civil service union Abvakabo had “reacted angrily” to State Secretary Fred Teeven’s (VVD) claims put forward in the report. The union claimed that the situation is not so black and white, and there is in fact a shortage of properly trained prison guards. The union also claimed to have received over 300 complaints about the pressures of working within the prison system.

Fewer inmates It is not the first, and it certainly will not be the last piece of headlinemaking news to emerge about the Dutch prison system in the past several years. Rumors of significant job losses, a reduction in single-cell occupancy numbers, an increase in electronic tagging measures and an over-reliance on fines have swirled repeatedly in news outlets here and abroad.

A report in British newspaper The Guardian included a quote from the Dutch National Agency of Correctional Institutions, stating that “Community service sentences are one the main reasons [for the lower number of inmates].” The Guardian goes on to report that “since 2001, courts have replaced short-term jail sentences with community service. For any jail sentence of less than eight months, a

tht_June_2014_RV.indd 14

four-month community service sentence has to be served instead, for instance in the kitchen of public hospitals.”

A 2013 report by Mark McDaid said that “activities offered to certain prisoners as part of their incarceration will now be limited to 28 hours per week, and over half of all prisoners will be placed in multiple occupancy cells.” This, claimed the report, “allowed the government to close certain prison facilities as it seeks to reduce the total capacity of Dutch prisons by 13.3 percent. The closure of these facilities will affect 3,700 employees within the sector.” Fred Teeven was mentioned as he hopes to “increase the use of electronic tagging, in order to fill the gap left by institutions closing.”

“Prisoners who are electronically detained will be forced to search for and keep a job themselves, and if they are unable to do so, they will be forced to do community service instead. If an electronic detainee does not have a job, then he will only be allowed to leave his residence for a maximum of two hours per day”, Mr McDaid wrote.

Prison services around the country are currently undergoing major changes, including prison closures and mergers. The government also plans to introduce fewer single occupancy cells.

Criminologist Jan van Dijk was quoted in the NRC as saying that the Dutch crime rate has been “falling steadily”. Mr Van Dijk gave the examples of Amsterdam’s extremely popular Zeedijk and Nieuwmarkt areas, which were out of bounds in the 1990s, he said, adding that it was now perfectly safe to wander the streets of these areas.

Earlier reports in April again brought to light the high cost of keeping a prisoner in jail in the Netherlands. The Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics reports, which came online in April, showed that European states are failing to signifi-

Photo: harry_nl

02-06-14 09:34

FEATURE

JUNE 2014 | 15

Photo: Martin Stevens

cantly reduce overcrowding in prisons. From 2011 to 2012, the number of inmates detained in Europe’s prisons fell from 99.5 to 98 inmates for every 100 places available. Despite a reduction of nearly 90,000 individuals in the prison population (a 5% decrease from 1,825,000 in 2011 to 1,737,000 in 2012), overcrowding remained a serious problem in 21 prison administrations across Europe. Serbia, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary and Belgium were listed as countries where the situation was most acute.

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers and other bodies, such as the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), have recommended to member states that they address the problem of overcrowding vigorously and increase the chances of reintegration of offenders. Recalling that deprivation of liberty should be a sanction of last resort, they have called on governments to make the widest possible use of alternatives to custodial sanctions, such as probation, community services, treatment orders or restrictions of the liberty of movement by means of curfew orders or electronic

monitoring. Prisons are overcrowded in 21 of the countries surveyed, with the biggest problems in Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia and Cyprus.

Judged on a Europe-wide basis, there is no overcrowding in Dutch jails, with 98 prisoners for every 100 cells.

In the Netherlands, the occupancy rate was 85.8% in 2012.

Cost per prisoner The Netherlands has some of the most costly prisoners in Europe, at an average cost of €202.65 per day per prisoner. This figure includes government coverage of security, full health care, services and administration costs and rehabilitation. According to the 2011 CoE report, the Dutch Department of Education, Culture and Science pays an additional 47 euro per prisoner per day for the cost of “regular education” within the prisons.

Only four countries have a higher cost per prisoner, according to figures from the European human rights organization, the Council of Europe.

The figures are based on a survey of 47 countries in 2012. Sweden tops the list according to reports, spending

€620 per day per prisoner. In Bulgaria, the figure is €3. The European average was €103 in 2012, those countries with the highest expenses generally being those with smaller prison populations.

News of the apparent lack of criminals in the Netherlands has spread internationally like wildfire, with press outlets such as The Guardian asking what lessons could be learned from falling prison populations in the Netherlands and how other countries are taking of advantage of the conditions here: “Under a temporary agreement struck in 2009 for €30m,” reports The Guardian, “650 Belgian criminals are kept behind bars in the Netherlands.”

It may not come as a huge surprise to those familiar with the Dutch penal system that prisoner numbers are falling. As mentioned above, more of an effort is being made to have more than one prisoner per cell and further use is being made of electronic tagging. There is also the phenomenon of the fine; what many academic studies cite as being the most often used sanction in the Netherlands. A

2002 article by M.M. Boone stated that “originally, fines were only intended for infractions and minor offences. Since the passage of the 1983 Financial Penalties Act, all offences may be sentenced with a fine.”

Prison architecture Prisons in the Netherlands have an interesting history architecturally speaking also, and the country is known for its panopticons; a type of prison building originally designed

by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in 1785. The concept of the design is to allow a single watchman to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) inmates of an institution, without them being able to tell whether they are being watched or not. Although it is physically impossible for the single watchman to observe all cells at once, the fact that the inmates cannot know when they are being watched means that all inmates must act as though they are watched at all times, effectively controlling their own behavior constantly.

Dutch photographer Martien Uiterweerd has published pictures of

the Arnhem panopticon, stating that “worldwide, there are about 25 panopticon-inspired prisons built, [and] in the Netherlands [we have] 3.”

The panopticon in Arnhem is 55 meters in diameter, composed of 4 layers of 50 cells (200 at the most, says Mr Uiterweerd), topped by a dome that is 46 meter (150 feet) at its highest point. Built in 1880-1886 for solitary confinement with an observation tower in the center, the prison was recently renovated in 1995.

The Netherlands has two very similar panopticons in Breda and Haarlem. Along with these well-known buildings are the other prisons in the Netherlands, including the towers of the Bijlmerbajes in Amsterdam, the United Nations’ Detention United in Scheveningen, a facility used by the International Criminal Court in the Hague, and the structures of the National Prison Museum in Veenhuizen; a former housing colony for the poor and homeless brought in from larger cities around the country. Veenhuizen still holds a somewhat of a reputation as the outlaw town of the Netherlands.

Regarding the UN facility in Scheveningen, a 2011 Reuters report stated that “40 or so accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia live in remarkable harmony and comfort awaiting trial or sentencing.” The journalist who penned the report having received permission to do so was greeted with a scene of tennis-playing inmates, and heard rumors that “Ante Gotovina, the Croatian general accused of war crimes against Serb civilians, is the undisputed tennis champion around here.” The facility has a gym, art rooms, tennis and indoor and outdoor basketball courts.I Inmates are given 30 euro credit per month, with which they can call their families and loved ones whilst awaiting trial for war crimes.

But in the world of everyday detention, the seemingly positive news of dropping prisoner numbers will need to be monitored carefully as the months go on. A reduction in singlecell occupancy could lead to crowding issues in an under-the-radar capacity, and an overarching need to cut costs could lead to oversights in an already pressurized system. The Netherlands has a strong track record in this area, but will we hold our nerve when the eyes of the world are on us to continue to responsibly deal with the issue of detention?

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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02-06-14 09:34

TECHNOLOGY

JUNE 2014 | 17

Stephen Hawking at PLANCKS symposium The acclaimed scientist recently spoke at a Utrecht University competition for physics undergraduates. JOHN DONNELLY was there to provide a first-hand account.

Photo: Lwp Kommunikáció

E = mc². Does anyone not know this equation and does anyone not know what it means? Advertisers of breakfast cereals would sell their souls to have its universal recognition. It is the only mathematical equation that Professor Stephen Hawking allowed himself to quote in his book, ‘A Brief History of Time’. After hearing from his publisher that each equation he

included in the book would halve its sales, he very sensibly tried to write it without any. However, Albert Einstein’s seminal mass-to-energy equation could not be avoided. There are no estimates of how many book sales Professor Hawking missed because of this, but it is unlikely to be many.

Stephen Hawking, born in Oxford, England in January, 1942, is probably

the most well-known scientist of our age. Currently he is Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University.

Prior to that, he was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics there, the seat which was previously held by Isaac Newton.

Professor Hawking’s contribution to science and society in general is wide-ranging, from the publication of the most complex scientific papers on physics and cosmology to writing children’s books explaining cosmology in the simplest of terms. Besides these achievements, he has been a proponent for the provision of facilities for the disabled. This last is due to his own disability, a result of the Motor Neuron Disease which has confined him to a wheelchair for most of his adult life.

Hawking is best known for his work on the origin of the universe and the Big Bang Theory. He asserted that prior to the Big Bang, time did not exist. An agnostic, his theories at times conflicted with the concept of an almighty creator. He answered such heretical criticisms by arguing that as the universe has no boundaries, no one, not even God, would be free to influence its beginning. This controversial view did not prevent him from being awarded the Pius XI medal for showing exceptional promise in scientific research in 1975.

Hawking’s theory about black holes caused an argument about the existence of a physical paradox among cosmologists which is still unresolved.

On Friday, 23rd May, 2014, Professor Hawking gave the opening address to the PLANCKS symposium in the Beatrix Theatre in Utrecht to an audience of 1500. The title was, ‘the Universe as a Hologram.’ Casper van Scuppen from A-Eskwadraat, the instigators and organisers of the competition, explained that they sent an email inviting Professor Hawking, thinking, “we’ve got nothing to lose”.

To their surprise, a reply arrived almost by return saying he would be delighted.

The Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kickass Students (PLANCKS) is an international theoretical physics competition for undergraduate students. With an acronym like that, it could only have been contrived by the students of A-Eskwadraat, a study association which caters to students of Mathematics, Computer science, Information science, Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utrecht.

The intention of the competition is to increase international collaboration, social activities and personal development of individual contestants.

By gathering physics students from different parts of the world, a setting to exchange ideas and experiences and to challenge each other is created.

A-Eskwadraat organised this competition with the help of Utrecht University and various sponsors. It attracted entries from 32 teams from 14 countries, with seven teams from Hungary.

The symposium was opened on Friday afternoon with speeches from

Professor Hawking, Nobel prizewinner, Professor Gerard ’t Hoofd of Utrecht University and Professor Immanuel Bloch, Director of the Max Planck Institute. Professor ’t Hoofd spoke on the recently discovered Higgs particle and Professor Bloch on quantum matter at single atom level.

The teams in action varied from the noisy and animated to the silent and concentrated. Surprisingly, there was a distinct lack of use of the whiteboards in the team locations. Female team-members were conspicuous by their almost total absence.

The award ceremony took place on Sunday morning in the auditorium of the University Academic Building in the centre of the city. Several people wore dark glasses; evidence of the party the evening before. The auditorium was the scene of the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, to end the war of the Spanish Succession, which effectively recognised the Netherlands as a state for the first time.

Professor Jaap Dijkhuis, Head of the Physics Department and Chairman for the day, introduced Professor Gerard ’t Hoofd, who presented the prizes. The envelopes were opened and the winners announced much like at the Oscars. Third was Smoluchowski’s Team from the Jagiellonian University in Poland; second was Tena, a home-grown mixed team from Utrecht, Nijmegen and Eindhoven Universities. The winners were another mixed home-grown team: Dutch Physics Olympiad from Utrecht and Nijmegen Universities.

GPS tracking to eliminate bike theft Dutch bicycle maker VANMOOF is incorporating GPS technology into its new line of e-bikes in an effort to end bike theft. Phillip Gangan has the details.Photo: BBC.co.uk

Photo: VANMOOF

Developed in partnership with telecommunications giant Vodafone, the integrated GPS tracking device is one of many innovative solutions featured in the company’s premier electric bicycle, the VANMOOF Electrified.

Branded as the world’s first intelligent bicycle, the e-bike uses cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize the daily commute.

In a quest to build the ultimate urban bicycle, brothers Ties and Taco Carlier founded VANMOOF in 2009.

Their overall goal is to make cycling more appealing to commuters across the globe by creating affordable products that are stylish, functional and simple to use. By stripping the traditional Dutch bike down to its bare essentials, VANMOOF is able to incorporate the latest design innovations to meet the demands of urban cycling. In doing so, the company offers a chic and sensible alternative to

tht_June_2014_RV.indd 17

the cumbersome car.

“What we try to do is to make our products accessible to a mass majority,” says VANMOOF Marketing and Sales Manager Niels Bark. “We just want to grab urban biking and pull it out of its niche. It’s all about indentifying which specifications are most useful to the urban commuter.”

In keeping with this philosophy, the company has launched its own version of the electric bicycle, enabling cyclists to travel distances between 40 and 60 km without breaking a sweat.

Compared with other e-bike manufacturers, VANMOOF aims to break away from the conventional 65-andabove target market, relying on their bike’s speed, contemporary design and advanced technology to appeal to a broader audience.

“We believe that e-bikes are the future,” Bark says, “because it can make things easier and more acces-

sible. You can cover longer distances with less energy and you can actually improve the number of times you can use your bike. We didn’t see much of a challenge in improving the existing technology, but in trying to actually make it fit into our philosophy of going around town by bike.”

At first glance, the VANMOOF Electrified resembles a manually operated bicycle. A small, 250-watt front-wheel motor powers the bike to speeds of up to 30 km per hour, and only engages when the pedals are in motion.

Its lightweight battery is cleverly installed in the bicycle’s aluminum frame, along with the brake lines and high-powered Philips LEDs. Weighing only 19kg, the bike also comes with an integrated dashboard, allowing cyclists to monitor battery life and adjust the motorized power supply while on the go. It even includes a remote control to help locate the bicycle in the evening.

Convinced that bike theft predominantly discourages people from purchasing a proper bicycle, VANMOOF decided to incorporate GPS tracking devices into their new e-bikes. With the use of a smartphone app, bicycle owners can easily locate and recover their stolen property with the help of the local authorities.

“We retrieved the very first e-bike using GPS,” Bark claims. Earlier in the year, Miami resident Adam Richmond received a prototype of the VANMOOF Electrified as part of a recent pilot program. Unfortunately, the bike disappeared the next day. Using the app to track his bicycle, Richmond

informed the West Palm Beach Police Department of its location and hours later, the bike was returned to him unharmed.

“For us, it was the biggest accomplishment and the biggest proof that this technology is actually going to work,” Bark says. “[When your bicycle gets stolen], you only go to the police to file a report, otherwise you cannot claim it on your insurance. The police won’t actually do anything about it, because they can’t. But with GPS, you have a chance to solve the case. It is quite interesting to see how local authorities would act if we provided them with the actual coordinates of where the bike was located.”

Innovations such as these are part and parcel of the company’s identity.

“I think development is at the heart of VANMOOF,” Bark claims. “Only by putting all our resources in research and design can we actually bring something new to the market. We can find solutions to day-to-day problems,

which really make us stand out from mass-produced bikes.”

Currently, VANMOOF is working to develop the connectivity element of its bicycles. Regular service and maintenance reminders, GPS-based bike sharing programs and smart, bicycle-centric traffic lighting systems are among the many ideas that could result from connecting bicycles to the internet.

“You could also think about collecting big data,” Bark says. “If city governments are being provided with GPS tracking information, they can improve the infrastructure where it’s actually needed. Of course, people will have to give their approval that the data can be used. We really believe in that. Actually, it’s looking at the bigger picture and it will improve cycling infrastructure.”

With its award-winning designs and built-in technologies, VANMOOF is paving the way for a new generation of intelligent bicycles.

Photo: VANMOOF

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ARTS & CULTURE

JUNE 2014 | 19

Roots Festival 2014: cultural celebration The Amsterdam Roots Festival is the perfect opportunity to get to know and enjoy new music and culture from around the world. MIMIS CHRYSOMALLIS looks at this year’s line up.

Photo: Amsterdam Roots Festival

For yet another time, the Amsterdam Roots Festival is without doubt one of the big highlights of the city’s festive summer agenda. Standing at the crossroads of many different cultures and styles, Roots Festival will be bringing a wide variety of international artists to Amsterdam, seeking to please both fans of traditional forms as well as those wishing to explore new and more innovative trends in world music.

Throughout its long and rich history, Roots Festival has served as a gateway for Amsterdam crowds to know and get more familiar with exciting new sounds, offering the chance to watch a large number of internationally renowned artists and experience stimulating and innovative partnerships and collaborations.

It all started back in 1983, when the first Africa Roots Festival took place at club Melkweg as a ‘’festival of passionate lovers.’’ Although at the time world music might have been an unknown concept, the fresh and exciting sounds from various African pop, jazz and folk scenes were an immediate sensation. In 1987 the Amsterdam

Roots Meeting brought all this to a wider audience by making use of new locations around the city, thus preparing the ground for the first World Roots Festival, a wonderful melting pot of world and roots music. After changing several locations over the following years, World Roots eventually took a new form in 1998, becoming what is now better known as the Amsterdam Roots Festival.

And that’s how the names of many great artists who were already hugely popular in their home countries and beyond (e.g. Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, Manu Dibangowho) became part of the everyday vocabulary among the circles of local music afficionados.

Ever since, the Amsterdam Roots Festival has grown into one of the most popular festivals in the Netherlands, drawing an increasing number of visitors eager to participate in this unique celebration of musical and cultural diversity.

This year marks a big change as Roots Open Air, the outdoor event which concludes the festival, will be moving from Oosterpark to the Java Island in Amsterdam’s Eastern Dock-

lands area.

On 6 July, Java Island’s Kop van Java will be transformed into the ideal meeting place for all those wishing to dance, try exotic food, and enjoy a variety of spectacles from noon until nighttime, while of course immersing themselves into a one-of-a-kind blend of musical styles ranging from nonWestern pop and Afro-Caribbean to funk, psychedelic and electronic music with a global twist.

A renewed version of the customary Roots Bazaar will also take place at the festival site. A wide selection of colorful tastes and snacks will be on offer, such as churros with chocolate dipping sauce, fresh coconut, and tortillas stuffed with pumpkin or mango salsa. Besides this, visitors will have the opportunity to engage in various activities such as dance and flamenco workshops, check out the different tents and stalls with clothing, handcrafted and other assorted items, or just relax and enjoy that special ambience that always permeates the air at every Roots Festival.

Furthermore, an extensive program including activities such as face

painting, various crafts, as well as dance and percussion workshops will also be available for all kids attending the festival.

Note that, as of last year, entry to Roots Open Air is no longer free of charge. However, tickets come at a relatively low cost considering everything the festival has to offer.

One of the absolute highlights of this year’s edition is expected to be the festival’s closing performance

by Senegalese singer and composer Youssou N’Dour, who will be presenting his latest album while at the same time drawing inspiration from his musical past.

Moreover, this year’s Roots Open Air features Afro-psychedelic funk poet Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band, the Colomobian Bomba Estereo with their ‘psychedelic cumbia’ sound, and Garifuna Collective, who will be presenting the soulful melodies and powerful rhythms of the Garifuna people of Central America.

The festival’s programme also includes, among other acts, the US-Indonesian duo Filastine & Nova, Kali Mutsa from Santiago de Chile, and

Azalai with their exciting mix of funk, jazz and West African roots music.

Meanwhile, the Roots Indoor part of the festival will be taking place during the first three days (3-5 July) at various venues around Amsterdam such as Paradiso, Melkweg, Bimhuis and Tolhuistuin.

The festival’s indoor programme offers a fine set of exceptional acts, including Mamar Kassey from Niger, Colombian salsa/cumbia band Grupo Niche, and Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade.

A high point of the summer’s cultural agenda, Amsterdam Roots Festival is definitely something to look forward to - especially so this time around, with a truly facinating line-up of artists and an exciting new location for its open air component.

For the full programme and more information on Amsterdam Roots Festival, check: www.amsterdamroots.nl.

André Rieu coming to Maastricht The famous violinist’s Summer Evening Concerts in Maastricht are just around the corner.

TRACEY TAYLOR knows all about it.

Photo: Cornel Penescu

Maastricht will shortly be hosting another series of summer evening concerts by the André Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra, and this year will mark the tenth consecutive year of such performances on the famous Vrijthof square (labeled by some as the most romantic square in the Netherlands!), which will once again be transformed into an enormous

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open-air concert hall.

The summer evening concerts will take place over the course of three weekends in July and the event promises yet another unforgettable experience, with something suitable for young and old alike.

The audience will be treated to an extraordinary musical extravaganza and a magnificent spectacle for this

10th anniversary edition with special guest appearances, an impressive light show, stunning solo performances, delightful classical music melodies, captivating waltzes and well-known arias from operas, operettas and stage musicals…

And all of this with the beautifully romantic city of Maastricht providing the dazzling backdrop!

The enchanting spell that is created during these concerts and which descends upon the audience is really something that has to be seen (or rather, experienced) to be believed.

Only then will you truly recognize why the André Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra is one of the most popular stage shows anywhere in the world!

Born in Maastricht in October 1949, André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu began taking violin lessons at the age of 5 and studied the craft under various teachers and at conservatoriums (music schools) in Maastricht (NL) as well as in Liège and Brussels (BE).

The André Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra was formed in 1987. , After half a year of intense rehearsals and preparation, the orchestra performed their first concert on 1 January 1988 in Maastricht. Back then, the André

Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra had just 12 members, but now there are up to 50 (sometimes more) musicians taking to the stage.

André Rieu himself has always called Maastricht his home and it is wonderful to see that, even with all his travels around the world, he still comes back to his roots – to where it all began - and performs sold-out concerts for the audiences that flock to his hometown.

In addition to the live shows, albums and DVDs of the concerts (from various locations around the world) have recently been recorded. A particularly special album was released in 1999, entitled “100 years of Strauss” to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Johann Strauss.

André Rieu himself has also performed for royalty during his illustrious career. In 2009, alongside artists such as Lady Gaga and Michael Bublé, he gave a performance for Queen Elizabeth II (UK) and in 2010, delivered a performance for [former] Queen Beatrix (NL) in the caves of Valkenburg.

And most recently, on 30 April 2013, André gave a Coronation Concert at the Museum Square in Am-

sterdam, to honor the inauguration of King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. Understandably, the concert was a huge success and was broadcast live on national television. But now back to Maastricht…

Tickets are still available for the summer evening concerts, but don’t delay! A word of advice: Be sure to book your tickets either via the official André Rieu website or at the tourist information office (VVV) in Maastricht (which is an authorized seller of tickets for the summer evening concerts on the Vrijthof), to ensure that you get genuine and correctly priced tickets. Both websites are noted at the end of this piece.

We would like to invite you join the crowds of fans – the concerts are insanely popular – and allow yourself to be entertained and swept away by the magic of the André Rieu Johann Strauss Orchestra concert, and to be a part of the exuberant standing ovation that is given after every show.

See you on the Vrijthof in Maastricht!

For more information and dates, visit http://www.andrerieu.nl.

02-06-14 09:35

’TIS PITY SHE’S A WHORE john ford, cheek by jowl Sex, violence and extreme passions in scintillating staging of John Ford’s succès de scandale.

DIE SCHUTZBEFOHLENEN

BESTIAIRE D’AMOUR

elfriede jelinek, nicolas stemann, thalia theater

isabella rossellini

20 PIANOS matthew herbert Avant electronic explorer Herbert brings twenty pianos to life in a virtual music performance.

12 June Bimhuis

THE KITCHEN roysten abel

Austrian Nobel prize winner Jelinek confronts us with an Europe which has never fulfilled its promise as a protector of human rights.

10 – 12 June Westergasfabriek, Transformatorhuis German with Dutch surtitles

NAPOLEON abel gance, het gelders orkest Epic film from 1927 with film score live performed by full orchestra, conducted by Carl Davis.

The Indian director Abel serves up a ritual fusion of sight, sound, smell and taste, in search of the perfect balance.

15 June, 2-10 pm Ziggo Dome, English titles

Exuberant music theatrical ode to the dandies of Kinshasa.

16 – 18 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Language no problem

RIVER OF FUNDAMENT matthew barney, jonathan bepler Sex, death and the American car industry in an epic film by art icon Barney, a radical reinvention of Norman Mailer’s novel.

23 – 25 June (6 hours, 15 minutes) EYE film institute English without surtitles

lemi ponifasio, mau

INTERNATIONAL

18 – 19 June Theater Bellevue English with Dutch surtitles

TARAB CUTS john butcher, mark sanders An exciting encounter of traditional Arab and modern, western music.

26 June Bimhuis

THYESTES

simon stone, belvoir, sydney

Dance with critical reflection on life with surveillance cameras, Google and the NSA. 25 – 26 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam

ORLANDO george frideric handel Bejun Mehta stars in Pierre Audi’s inspired interpretation of Handel’s masterpiece.

Frost succesfully transforms Iain Banks’ chilling cult novel into gripping, forceful music theatre.

AMSTERDAM 1 – 29 JUNE 2014

alain platel, serge kakudji, fabrizio cassol

Baroque spectacle by American multitalents.

ben frost, david pountney

22 – 23 June, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ English with Dutch surtitles

COUP FATAL

THE CRIMSON HOUSE

peter brook, marie-hélène estienne, bouffes du nord

THE WASP FACTORY

19 – 21 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam English with Dutch surtitles

shara worden, andrew ondrejcak, box

THE VALLEY OF ASTONISHMENT

5 – 7 June, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ English with Dutch surtitles

World famous actress with her light, dry wit on the outrageous love life of animals.

YOU US WE ALL

24 – 25 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Language no problem

Fascinating journey through the capricious landscape of the human brain, by acclaimed theatre director.

PERFORMING ARTS

HOLLAND FESTIVAL

15 – 16 June Theater Bellevue English with Dutch surtitles

Mythological horrors in a contemporary play, full of love, sex and destruction.

9 – 13 June Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam Italian with Dutch surtitles

23 – 27 June Theater Bellevue English with Dutch surtitles

FULL PROGRAMME & TICKET SALES WWW.HOLLANDFESTIVAL.NL

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02-06-14 09:35

REVIEWS

JUNE 2014 | 21

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Hotel Des Indes, The Hague Originally, Hotel Des Indes was built in 1858 as a residence for Baron van Brienen. After his death, it was transformed into a hotel and officially opened in 1881 by Prince Frederik of Orange, son of King Willem I. Situated on the picturesque Lange Voorhout, the hotel has been an institution of grandeur all over the years, hosting illustrious guests like emperors, politicians, artists, etcetera. Recently, the hotel welcomed several delegations of the Nuclear Summit Conference.

Hotel Des Indes is already world-famous for its 4-course High Tea served in the most beautiful hotel lounge in The Hague. In the same historic setting, where you can relax and dream away with a drink and a snack, the hotel has started now in the lounge bar with a new concept of brasserie-style service.

The lounge menu offers salads and sandwiches, but also an assortment of starters, main courses and desserts à la carte or as a set 3-course menu for 29.50 euro. The roasted scallops with a delicious beurre-blanc sauce as starter are gorgeous. The fresh codfish “a la plancha” with spinach ravi-

oli is highly recommendable, just like the dorade baked on the skin or the lobster risotto with asparagus. The pineapple pie with ice cream of Sereh is a perfect completion of this easily digestible menu. A varied selection of excellent wines per glass is available to accompany your menu.

Hotel Des Indes also organizes a themed ‘amuses menu’ for 37.50 euro in their fine-dining restaurant, six times a year. Previous themes included a game menu, superfoods, Eurasian cuisine, etc.

In short, whether you are looking for a lunch, a high tea, a dinner, a lounge menu or even just a chat over a cup of tea, Hotel Des Indes offers you a comfortable atmosphere at a historic location where politicians decided on the future of this country and where all kinds of world leaders and celebrities preceded you. So, if one day you are strolling on the characteristic esplanade of the Lange Voorhout, just drop in and explore this icon of glamour.

(TONY JAGUSIAK)

FOOD: BORSCHT AND THE UNIVERSE

film REVIEW

Kindest Cuts

Noah

Lange Voorhout 54-56 2514 EG The Hague Tel. +31-703612345 info@desindes.nl Opening hours: breakfast, lunch or dinner from 7.00 a.m. until midnight high tea from 14.00 -17.00

Written in cooperation with Ari Handel, Aronofsky admittedly goes a bit ’Hollywood’ with this film, making unnecessary tweaks in a great story, already filled with psychological drama. However, it remains an entertaining and well-produced film that is definitely worth seeing, no matter what one’s religious convictions are. A realistic and plausible story, it is masterfully created and stunningly supported by the many breathtaking special effects.

More importantly however, the movie’s incredibly talented cast surpasses the computer-generated graphics, making ’Noah’ a riveting story of strength, courage and faith.

Leading Noah’s children are clever Emma Watson as daughter Ila and Logan Lerman as the confused son, Ham. Jennifer Connelly is magnificent as Noah’s wife, Naameh. Sir Anthony Hopkins delights as Methuselah each time he appears onscreen, while Ray Winstone’s Tubal Cain simply reeks of evil in what could easily be considered one of the best villain performances of the year so far!

In the end though, it’s Russell Crowe’s portrayal of protagonist Noah that is crucial to the film’s success and again, Crowe comes through in truly winning style. What a shame his character loses focus when staggering through a drunken attempted escape late in the film. It appears that someone randomly decided to pull the plug on this lengthy, 139-minute film.

lent suppliers) is very, very expensive, especially if it’s made of high-carbon stainless steel, which like regular steel holds a sharp edge and which like stainless steel is impervious to rust. Then again, She Good Woman will be slicing and dicing with her new five-inch Sabatier (French and German) paring knife for decades to come, at least when I’m not using it to make a family favorite: spiced Persian potatoes with rice.

Photo: Paul Worthington

Put two diced onions in a warm cast iron pan lightly coated with sunflower oil and cover them with several layers of thinly sliced potatoes that have been dusted with salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin. Scattering black sesame seeds on top is a nice touch, and turmeric will add some color. Top the whole thing off with a layer of cooked rice (what else are you going to do with last night’s rice?) and cook over very low heat for an hour-you’re basically browning the underside of the potatoes and steaming the top.

It’s possible to flip the whole thing out of the pan and serve upside down, rather like a potato frittata. It makes an excellent side dish with lamb, beef, or chicken. It’s also hearty enough to serve as a main dish with a salad. But if you serve it in the pan, do not use your wife’s new knife to cut slices-bad for the pan and the knife, and even worse for the marriage.

You know you’re all grown up when you dread opening the mail and stop eating airplane food, and you know the children are no longer children when you no longer need to keep the knives out of their reach. We passed that milestone a while ago, but it was still long overdue, according to these two boys for whom everything used to be a form of sword--not a strange phenomenon, given that knives were the first tools that humans fashioned.

This meditation on knives is the result of my decision to forgo jewelry or flowers for a good knife as a Mother’s Day present. Not very romantic, to be sure--my own mother commented: “Why not get her jewelry and the knife?” One reason was that a good knife (Henckels and Wusthof from Germany come highly recommended, but Japan, France, and Italy have a number of excel- (IL PACIFICO)

Director Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ has received an interesting reception, especially when one compares the reactions of critics to the movie-going public. While the movie critics are generally positive about it, audience reactions are lukewarm, at best. Why is that?

Various religious populations have voiced their disappointment with the way the film departs from the original story as told in the Bible. These departures begin with people’s confusion of what the ark looks like to the inclusion of the ‘villain’ after the flood.

Still, it remains fairly true to the well-known story of an incredibly corrupted world and one family’s quest to save themselves and two of al- (BILL STEVENSON) most every animal from an impending flood.

music

book REVIEW

Kindergarten Festival, Tilburg

The Anatomy Lesson

Photo: Jan Stricker The ability to lose all inhibitions is what familiarized Tilburg’s latest Kindergarten festival to a class full of kids. After getting over the initial hesitance of a new environment, an intense sense of freedom suddenly hits. But this time, the other children in the room are replaced by a park full of ‘relaxed, like-minded individuals who share that same love for good vibes and even better music.

And the nostalgia did not end there. Described as a “creative mastermind”, Joost Van Bellen, one of the Netherlands’ most influential and longestplaying DJ’s took to ‘The Box’ in Leijpark with an innovative set in which he claims himself cannot be categorized. “I always look for adventure, and when something works, ultimately, it is true,” he once said in an interview.

And not even the stop-start downpours of rain could drown the skills he has in making everyone in that tent get lost in the music. Offering a pow-

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erful mix, fuelled by 30 years’ experience in the industry and a little help from the Jupiler, he had everyone mesmerized.

With space-hoppers to water pistols and jumpropes to twister, Kindergarten did more than deliver on channeling its “Never Grow Up” tagline through the Tilburg crowd. A place where walking around in an animal suit, with face-paint from ear to ear, appears a regular routine.

The outdoor carousel-themed stage sustained the childlike atmosphere, along with tents designated to coloring, molding and encouraging creativity. Bright patterned rain boots even became an unexpected addition to the colorful crowd.

Over 30 acts left attendees spoilt for choice with a mix of renowned names in dance music. Eleven hours of nu-disco, (deep) house, techno and electro rang through the park.

And this time Kindergarten went on until dark, closing the night with a collaboration of two great Dutch DJs. Holland born house DJ, Benny Rodrigues and the Netherlands’ Darko Esser granted the ‘T-Garten’ stage with their presence, delivering an inventive b2b set to wow the crowd past bedtime.

For its next edition, Kindergarten goes indoor on 25 October. Paul Woolford, Gerd and Arjuna Schiks are already confirmed to play Tilburg’s 013 venue.

(MOLLY JOHNSON)

Photo: Luciana Christante What is it about Dutch culture that allows outsiders like Simon Schama, Russell Shorto, Tracy Chevalier, and now Nina Siegal--none of whom can speak or even read proper Dutch--to capture the spirit of the Netherlands so richly in print? The answer may lie in the fact that each of these authors is primarily interested in the Golden Age of the seventeenth century, when the pure capitalist spirit represented by the East India and West India companies produced a brief, shining moment of global economic and--at least as far as painting was concerned--esthetic dominance.

This charming and accomplished first novel by Siegal, a well-known presence on the expatriate literary scene in Amsterdam, imagines the story behind Rembrandt’s 1632 masterpiece The Anatomy Lesson. This breakthrough moment marked the transformation of the miller’s son from Leiden into a genius with the greatest hand-eye coordina-

tion of the era – in the Netherlands or anywhere else. In this painting, Rembrandt transforms the standard group portrait into something much more mysterious and significant. The subjects include renowned surgeon Nicolaes Tulp, various members of the Amsterdam Surgeon’s Guild, and the corpse of a petty thief named Adriaen Adriaenz, alias Aris the Kid, whose path to the gallows on Amsterdam’s Dam Square and then the autopsy theater of the Surgeon’s Guild Chamber in the city’s Weighing House is the focus of the novel.

Making appearances behind the scenes are Rembrandt himself, Aris’ lover, famed French philosopher René Descartes, and even a contemporary art restorer working on the painting.

Siegal has arranged each of their voices contrapuntally, so the book becomes a group portrait about the making of a group portrait. Along the way, she touches on anatomy, philosophy, art, and law, all mobilized in an effort to understand the characters’ interest in the precise location of the human soul, and a secret that the painting has kept for centuries. Siegal has done her homework, but this is no dry academic performance. On the contrary, there’s something magical about this book, which manages to capture both the smells and the spirit of seventeenth-century Amsterdam.

This is the book you want to give to that friend looking for a novel that is challenging and smart, yet readable and moving. Better yet, give it to yourself.

(JONATHAN GILL)

02-06-14 09:36

l A dedicated Babies Centre.

l A superb and dedicated staff – qualied as teachers, nurses, and trained in rst aid and emergency responses.

l A dedicated Toddler Centre (Day Care with pre-school). l A dedicated After School Club with pick ups from HSV, local schools, French Lycee, German School, European School, amongst others. l Secure environment rich with toys and learning opportunities. l All programmes are in English. l A wealth of extra-curricular activities – swimming, music lessons, French language, Dutch language, Irish Dancing, Ballet, Judo, Drama and Music.

l An active parents committee which make all the major decisions. l An all inclusive price which includes 2 hot meals a day and nappies. l 500 sq metres of indoor space in a modern ground oor setting, 20m from Albert Heijn XL on Eland Straat.

One tram stop north of the city. l Great garden measuring 120 sq metres.

Zoutman Straat 19-23, Den Haag, 2518 GL

070 363 4070 / 06 2732 5236 www.bigbenkids.com

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02-06-14 09:36

SPORTS

JUNE 2014 | 23

FIFA World Cup 2014: an expat guide

Haarlem Baseball Week

HAARLEM | While the definite plans for Major League Baseball to send two teams to play on Dutch soil remain to be confirmed, the 27th edition of the Haarlem Baseball Week will be held from 11 until 20 July. The Dutch National Team will test their line-up against competition from Taiwan, Japan and the USA. As much a celebration of baseball in the Netherlands as a tournament, this biannual affair at Pim Mulier Stadium is also the perfect place to grab a hot dog, a beer and a seat along one of the baselines for a great day out with friends and family.

Amsterdam Rugby Sevens

AMSTERDAM | On one of the sunniest

May weekends in recent memory, the 43rd edition of the Amsterdam Sevens Rugby was held at the National Rugby Center in Amsterdam. This international event is marked in every rugby fan’s calendar as one of the highlights of the sports year. Over 100 teams from near and far took part in the international tournament. The Dutch Women finished ninth in the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series with a 24-0 win over Ireland to capture the Amsterdam Bowl.

Photo: Shine2010

It’s that time again: the FIFA World Cup 2014! Even if you’re not going to Rio, there are plenty of great places to watch. JOHN MAHNEN has all the details.

In just a matter of days, not only the Netherlands, but most of the world will turn their attention to that quadrennial fiesta of football, the World Cup. It would be hard to imagine a better place for a footy fiesta than the capital of carnival Brazil. That is, of course, if the recent uprisings on the streets have calmed and all the stadia are ready for the supporters, with hectoliters of beer already chilled and ready to pour.

Ready or not Brazil, here come the invading hordes of football fanatics in Orange, Azzuri, Red and White, or even the Red, White and Blue. But for those not making the trip to South America, who could pick a better place to enjoy the action than right here in the Netherlands?

Given the wonders of the cable television network in this land of polyglots, there’s a reasonable chance to follow the action in the mother tongues of the international community. The variety at our shops means one can gorge themselves on whatever unhealthy snacks are meant to go with the greatest of all sporting spectacles – whether it be vinegar crisps, yakitori or tapas.

What better place to mingle with the competition, keeping it friendly but with an eye on winning the office pool? Some of the better matchups for the international community are bound to include the Dutch against the ‘Socceroos’ from Australia. Can you imagine the atmosphere on 18 June at Mr Coco’s in Amsterdam’s Thorbeckeplein for that one? On 22 June, itwill be Duvel vs. Stolichnaya as the Red Devils take on 2016 host Russia. Before all of that, it will be pizza with ale on 15 June, with Gli Azzuri matching up against the Three Lions. Even the Stars and Stripes are looking to make a statement and they’ll feature an old mainstay of Die

Mannschaft when USA coach Jürgen Klinsman brings his boys into Recife to face his countrymen. If Christian Ronaldo and the Portuguese side have their way with both, this could be a do or die for both the Americans and the Germans.

The bookmakers are giving the home side and fellow South American power Argentina the best chances of claiming the cup. After that, it’s Germany, defending champions Spain and, yes, Belgium that are all the rage with the odds makers. The Netherlands, 2010 runners up, don’t even break the top ten in most sports books, even though their coach will take over the reins at the most prestigious club in the world at the finish of this year’s worldwide test of strength.

All this begs the question: where to watch? Assuming you’ve made it out of the office on time, it really comes down to tucking in at home with the full assortment or making your way to the pub for the chance to have bragging rights or take it fully on the chin.

Expect the supermarkets to be stocked to the rafters with a wide assortment of special World Cup treats.

From the boxed goods discounters to the neighborhood butcher and everything in between, there will be bite sized morsels of every shape and size and plenty of good ideas to wash it all down with. However, assuming you can take it as well as you can dish it out, a good neutral venue might be your best bet. By no means exhaustive, here’s three ideas to get you started: CC Music Café, Amsterdam: As the name would imply, this local in de Pijp is by no means a sports bar, but expect the game to be on the screen along with live music, including the innkeeper’s favorite genre– Brazilian!

Mad Mick’s Breakaway Café in

Rotterdam is conveniently located in the city center. With the right mix of pool tables and sports-watching grub, this a good spot to watch the games in the port city.

The Sports Café in Delft is just a stone’s throw (or a Jasper Cillessen clearance) from the Hague. For the full nine yards of a typical American Sports Bar, this is a good bet for spareribs, beer and… let’s call it soccer, just this once.

Naturally, you can always opt for a normal neighborhood café or kroeg. Regardless of who is playing, there will be no shortage of opinions.

Should your team lose, a kopstoot, that kick in the head of young jenever

and beer, will quickly put you on the path of forgiveness – or at least, forgetfulness.

Of course, those expats who were in the Netherlands during the last World Cup in South Africa know what the upside can be. Long after most of the first loves had been sent packing, the ‘adopted’ team took us to the brink of ecstasy. Save for the Spanish community, many partook in slices of leverworst and blocks of cheese dunked in mustard, all washed down by green cans of beer, and held our breath alongside the Orange Legion as the Netherlands made their run to finals glory. Two chances – who could ask for more?

Photo: www.oranjewk2014.nl Photo: The Fleuette-deGuzman

Field hockey more popular

THE HAGUE | Field Hockey is well on its way to be the second largest team sport in the Netherlands. While football remains the overwhelming number one participant sport, hockey is booming and may very well overtake tennis as the second most played sport in this country. The boom, however, is exacting a toll – Amsterdam is confronted with shortages of available pitches and at a half a million euros apiece, it is by no means a simple solution to create more pitches. Currently, some 240,000 are registered with the national federation the KNHB.

Tennis at the Ziggo Dome

AMSTERDAM | Fans will have the unique chance to see elite tennis played in the Ziggo Dome later this year. In what’s sure to be an exciting match, the Netherlands will play Croatia in September for a spot in the top grouping of the Davis Cup. A special gravel court will be constructed so that the multifunctional venue will be able to host the match.

To date, the impressive Amsterdam venue near the ArenA has been almost exclusively the domain for music but after the summer, the beats will make way for the aces, lobs and volleys of this unique fixture. The event will take place from 12 to 14 September.

Photo: Richard van Loon Image: Aphonso M.

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