Tht 09 2014 by Holland Times

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SEPTEMBER 2014

WHO IS FRANS TIMMERMANS? A closer look at the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his unconventional political career so far p4

FORGOTTEN ANTILLEAN WWII VICTIMS GET RECOGNITION p6

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THE RISE OF URBAN FARMING p14-15

WHAT TO WATCH THIS FALL p23

22-08-14 08:59

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SEPTEMBER 2014 | 3

EDITORIAL

CONTENTS

The kids are back in school, umbrellas are a must when leaving the house, and the first ‘pepernoten’ are already being sold in supermarkets. It must be fall! That means the Zelfplukdagen at Landgoed De Olmenhorst are back (p12): a wonderful, familyfriendly event that teaches you all about where your food comes from. Speaking of which, our feature this month (p14-15) deals with the up-and-coming phenomenon of urban farming. Do you have a veggie patch yet? The upcoming Drongo Festival (p 19) ought to be great fun for the whole family as well. If you’re looking for more things to do, check out our monthly reviews section (p 21). Rather stay indoors? We’ll tell you all about what’s going on this month and where to see it (p 23). Ashley Cowles, Editor-in-Chief

On a more serious note, we’re offering a closer look at Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans (p4), who has conquered the hearts and minds of many Dutch people after his emotional speech following the MH17 disaster. On behalf of the entire Holland Times team, I would like to express my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts are with you. Have something to say to the editor? Email: editorial@thehollandtimes.nl

The Holland Times, the Netherlands’ only English language newspaper, is widely distributed in Amsterdam, Eindhoven, The Hague, Maastricht and Rotterdam. Some convenient locations where The Holland Times can be found: AMSTERDAM The American Book Center Waterstone’s Booksellers Tony NY City Bagels Stadhuis A’dam voorlichtingsloket Raadhuis Amstelveen Stadsdeel Amsterdam Oud Zuid NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky

ROTTERDAM Centre for British English Open Universiteit Studiecentrum The American International School Dena Boekenvoordeel Openbaar Vervoer Museum de Doelen Kunsthal Rotterdam Hotel New York THE HAGUE The International Health Center The American Book Center The Hague International Center The Brave Hendrik The American Women’s Club The British School Hogeschool InHolland Webster University

Aerofit The American School of The Hague Tyddewi EINDHOVEN Expat Center Brabant The Grand Cafe Notenboom Business School Relocation Eindhoven Stoit Groep BV MAASTRICHT Gemeente Maastricht NV Industriebank LIOF Maastricht School of Management United World College

ECONOMICS P9 ZZP pension fund on its way DIPLOMATIC P11-13-16 Czech Republic, Indonesia & Viet Nam FEATURE P14-15 The rise of urban farming TECHNOLOGY P17 New work simulator for healthcare ARTS & CULTURE P19 Drongo Festival 2014 REVIEWS P21 Food, movie, book and music ratings

All images: Creative Commons Licence Cover images: www.lago-colony.com Landscape Interventions Steven Depolo Partij van de Arbeid How can I get The Holland Times?

NATIONAL P4-7 Antillean WWII victims remembered p6

SPORTS P23 What to watch this fall

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22-08-14 12:50

NATIONAL

4 | SEPTEMBER 2014

Clean Up Tour a success

NOORDWIJK | Volunteers have cleared

8 tonnes of litter from Dutch beaches in just over two weeks, making this year’s Beach Clean Up Tour more successful than the 2013 edition. Throughout August, volunteers have been cleaning beach sections of about ten kilometers per day. Last year’s results were 6,590 kilos of cleaned-up litter, but that amount was already surpassed halfway through the event. Organizer Stichting De Noordzee says the higher amount is due to more volunteers signing up. They were unable to say whether it was also due to more littering than last year. The Clean Up Tour aims to create awareness for the problems littering causes for marine life.

Who is Frans Timmermans?

Indonesian boat accident

JAKARTA | Twenty foreign tourists, an Indonesian guide and four crew members were on board when a boat sank near Sangeang Api, a volcanic island off Sumbawa, Indonesia. Ten people were rescued initially and another 13, including all the crew, were found alive early on. However, not all had been found when this newspaper went to press. The Indonesian military has joined the search to find the two remaining tourists, a Dutch man and an Italian woman. Speedboats and a helicopter have been deployed, but authorities say rescue efforts are hampered by bad weather and high waves.

Sperm banks lied

DEN BOSCH | Sperm banks have been making serious mistakes with anonymous donations for years, Hans van Hooff of the pregnancy advisory service FIOM told news programme EenVandaag recently. During the 1980s and 1990s, the wrong information about the donor was often given to women, who were promised they could have their children by the same man. The women were ‘messed around’ by the sperm banks, Van Hooff told the programme. The 40,000 children born up until June 2004 in the Netherlands from anonymous donor sperm have no access to information about their biological father, so FIOM developed a databank to allow them to find their father, brother or sister. Matches made via the databank showed that ‘in many instances’, information about the donor was wrong.

MH17 remembered

HILVERSUM | The victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash in Ukraine were remembered in Hilversum on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The memorial service drew thousands of people at the Sint Vitus Church, exactly one month since the crash, NU.nl reports. At the start of the service, 15 candles were lit for the victims that come from Hilversum, and one last candle was lit for the other victims. The service was attended 1,500 people, lay flowers at portraits of the victims. Outside the church, even more people watched the ceremony on large screens. A silent march was organized before the service, with all attendants wearing white.

His passionate UN speech after the MH17 disaster has endeared Minister Frans Timmermans to many Dutch people. ALICE BURKE takes a closer look at his political career. Recent weeks have seen the profile of Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans gain widespread attention internationally, much of it in light of his sensitive handling of the MH17 tragedy in the eyes of the world’s media. Considering much of the attention garnered by those holding a political rank is generally of a critical nature, it has made a refreshing change to see Mr. Timmermans bring about a renewed sense of positivity in politics. A member of the Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA), Mr. Timmermans was born in 1961 in Maastricht, attended elementary school in Belgium and then high school in Italy, moves which presumably provided the basis for his linguistic aptitude; Mr. Timmermans speaks fluent English, German, French, Italian, and Russian. Mr. Timmermans had a solid but relatively low-key start to his career when, he became an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague in 1987. In 1990, he was appointed Second Embassy Secretary at the Dutch embassy in Moscow. After a brief period back in The Hague, Mr. Timmermans became a member of the staff of then European Commissioner Hans van de Broek. He later became advisor and private secretary to the High Commissioner on National Minorities for

the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). From 1998 onwards, he was a member of the House of Representatives for the PvdA, a capacity within which he dealt principally with foreign affairs. In the fourth Balkenende government, Mr. Timmermans was Minister for European Affairs. After the fall of that government, he returned as the PvdA’s spokesperson on foreign policy. In November of 2012, Mr. Timmermans was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Rutte-Asscher government. What makes Timmermans so appealing to Dutch and international media seems to be his honesty and directness in addressing political issues. He has often stressed his view that politics must be addressed to the public in a transparent manner, and often touches on cornerstones of popular culture to get his point across in a clear manner. Mr. Timmermans is an avid Facebook user, often shunning traditional press releases in favor of a direct status update to his 190,000 followers. In recent weeks, he has used the page to highlight his love of Bruce Springsteen, inform people on the outcome of meetings related to the MH17 tragedy, and declare support for International Women’s Day.

In 2013, he gave a speech at the Google Zeitgeist conference in London that referenced one of the most popular fantasy series of recent years, George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, and compared its themes to those of current European politics: “Game of Thrones sort of captures the Zeitgeist more than anything else I’ve seen,” said Mr. Timmermans. “One of the most important catch phrases of the series is ‘winter is coming’. And ‘winter is coming’ in the series means a lot of different things to different people. ‘Winter is coming’ to some means, you know, ‘Hide because hard times are coming, we can’t do anything about it, and the only thing we can do is hide away.’ For others, it means: ‘winter is coming, that’s an opportunity to show how strong we are, because we -- in this case, the Starks in the series -- we are wolves, and wolves are best when they are challenged, and winter is a challenging time and will give us an opportunity to be better.’” Following his TEDxAmsterdam speech in 2009, Mr. Timmermans gave an interview with TED and when asked what the Dutch Parliament could learn from the structure of TED talks, where a speaker presents an idea to a captive audience on a generally inspirational topic, Mr. Timmerman replied: “Politicians who

are able to make their point within 18 minutes, without looking at their notes, or chasing away their public – would really make a difference. Politics does not communicate [to] the way people want to be addressed.” Regardless of whether you view him as a rare specimen – an honest politician – or as a clever user of social media and a gifted reader of public sentiment, the directness of Mr. Timmerman’s words speak to people in ways that political rhetoric often does not. In his now widely shared United Nations address on the MH17 crash, Mr. Timmermans appealed to the humanity of his fellow politicians: “Just for one minute, I want to say that I am not addressing you as representatives of your countries, but as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, just imagine... To my dying day, I will not understand why it took so long for rescue workers to be allowed to do their difficult jobs. For remains to be used in a political game? If someone around this table talks about a political game, this is it: this is the political game, it has been played with human remains, and it is despicable.” With words as strong as that in a time of great human distress, it is easy to see why Mr. Timmermans is being welcomed as a refreshing alternative to a distant political elite.

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NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 5

Volunteering and charity in the Netherlands

Ebola clinic stormed

MONROVIA | Liberian officials fear Ebola

could soon spread through the capital’s largest slum after residents raided a quarantine center for suspected patients and took items including bloody sheets and mattresses, CBS reports. According to Tolbert Nyenswah, Deputy Minister for Health, the recent violence in the West Point slum was led by residents angry that patients were brought to the holding center from other parts of Monrovia. Local witnesses told Agence France Presse that there were armed men among the group that attacked the clinic. Up to 30 patients were staying at the center at the time of the raid, said Nyenswah.

Slaughterhouses unsafe

THE HAGUE | An investigation by Inspectie SZW shows that there is too little attention in making sure that safety is a priority for staff, the NL Times reports. No less than 90 percent of the 217 slaughterhouses and meat-processing companies leave much to be desired in terms of cleaning machines. The inspectors also say that there are too many cases in which workers risk their lives because machines are not safe. At inspected companies, some machines are not turned off properly, causing a risk of bodily injury or risk of getting trapped in the machines.

Train traffic restored

Photo: Elger van der Wel

Volunteering might not just be about helping others, with research showing positive effects for people and companies that participate in volunteer work. JESS THOMPSON reports. Volunteer work has long been a positive force of do-gooders: giving up their time for the benefit of those in need and giving back to their communities. Besides the basic motivation to help others, people are increasingly turning to volunteering for a multitude of additional reasons, such as the chance to develop new skills and gain experience, build confidence, meet new people, extend social networks, and become more aware of societal issues. Among expats, it may also help improve Dutch language skills. According to the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) report Participation in Volunteering and Unpaid Work, the Netherlands is one of the highest performing countries, with over 40% of adults involved in some form of voluntary activities. Those who are overall most satisfied with their lives are likely to participate in volunteer work more often. The relationship between volunteering and well-being may be symbiotic, as studies show volunteers are happier, have greater life-satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life and purpose, better physical health, and are more resistant to depression. Volunteer Central Amsterdam (Vrijwilligerscentrale Amsterdam, VCA) defines volunteering as ‘unpaid work in a non-profit organization’. The vol-

unteer contributes towards a social goal that is important to them; such as feeding the homeless, clothing refugees, rescuing animals, caring for the elderly, supporting LGBTQ youth, or participating in neighborhood arts and culture projects, to name a few. Entering volunteer work in the Netherlands can be a formal process, similar to procuring a regular job. Many volunteer opportunities are listed online with a full job description and requirements. It is common to apply with a CV and motivation letter, which is followed by an interview process. The volunteer must sign a contract defining the job description, working hours, and time frame. Some organizations even have a probationary period to ensure the volunteer’s skills are suitable and all expectations are met. Permission to work in the Netherlands is crucial for volunteering, so visitors and short-term stayers are not eligible unless under special circumstances. Dutch language skills are often preferred by organizations looking for volunteers, which may account for expat volunteer numbers trailing behind that of native-Dutch volunteers. However, VCA also has a section on its website with English vacancies, and offers to work personally with English-speakers to help match them

with a position. VCA also encourages organizations to make their volunteer positions accessible to expats, stating that if the language deficit is surmountable, they may consider advertising the position in English. As 10% of the current Amsterdam population are expats, many being ‘highly-skilled migrants’, it is in their best interest to target as much of the community as possible, including non-Dutch speakers. Drastic government budget reductions have forced non-profit organizations to turn to the business sector for additional financial support, according to MOVISIE, the Netherlands Center for Social Development. Businesses are able to offer skills to organizations, such as professional advice on sales and marketing, labor, and materials. Corporations are becoming increasingly supportive of non-profit organizations, with more and more companies allocating several days a year for their employees to perform volunteer work within their communities. While benefits for non-profit organizations and the community as a result is obvious, MOVISIE claims that this engagement can be equally rewarding for companies and employees by enhancing company pride and discovering new market opportunities. Studies also show that em-

ployees who volunteer are happier, healthier, more productive, and stay with companies for longer. Volunteer work in the Netherlands is going strong, as is evident by the popularity of two-day volunteer event “NLdoet”, a nationwide initiative by the Oranje Fonds. However, the Dutch government reported last year that charitable donations were down on previous years, which they believe to be an effect of the recent economic crisis. In 2011, donations reached €4.3 billion, down from €4.7 billion in previous years and the lowest amount since 2001. The investigation found that churches and religious causes were by far the most donated to by Dutch households, followed by healthcare and international relief. It was also found that 20% of households contributed 80% of the total amount of donations. While not everyone has money to spare for charity, finding an extra hour or two a week to put towards volunteer work is certainly more achievable, even if it means spending a little less time on Tinder, or missing an episode of The Bachelor. As well as contributing to a better and more caring society, the opportunity for personal development and growth is something we could all prosper from.

UTRECHT | At Utrecht Centraal, trains are riding on a normal schedule again after nine days of rail repair work by ProRail. The maintenance work was finished on time, and all trains are back on schedule, NU.nl reports. During the repairs, many train schedules and routes were amended due to the maintenance. “It’s always a bit nerve-wracking after such a job, but it’s going well”, a spokesperson for ProRail tells NU.nl. ProRail has plans to tackle other parts of the “spaghetti tracks” of the rail network near Utrecht, which they hope to have finalized by the end of 2016. This is necessary to easily allow more train traffic to Utrecht in the coming years.

Man returns medal

THE HAGUE | A Dutchman honored by Israel for hiding a Jewish child during World War II has handed back his medal after six of his relatives were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza. Henk Zanoli, who is now 91, wrote to the Israeli embassy in The Hague to say he could no longer hold the honor, according to a report in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper. Zanoli and his mother were awarded the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ honor by Israel in 2011 for helping to shelter a Jewish child. The award is given to non-Jews who risked their lives to protect Jews from the Nazis.

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22-08-14 09:00

NATIONAL

6 | SEPTEMBER 2014

CS suspended for tweet

ROTTERDAM | The civil servant who said terrorist Islamic State (Isis) is a zionist plot will not return to her job and may be sacked all together, justice minister Ivo Opstelten said on Friday. Yasmina Haifi, on detachment at the National Cyber Security Centre, recently sent a tweet saying the Islamic State does not exist and is a Zionist plot to discredit Muslims. She later deleted the tweet saying: ‘Realize the political sensitivity in relation to my work’. She was suspended that same afternoon. Minister Opstelten was shocked by the content of the tweet, he told Dutch media.

Forgotten WWII casualties remembered

Foreign staff popular

AMSTERDAM | Dutch universities get nearly all their extra staff members from abroad, particularly from Germany and China. No less than one-third of all academic staff have a non-Dutch passport. The information comes from as yet unpublished figures from the Dutch university association VSNU, recently reported in the Volkskrant. The figures cover the years 2007 to the end of 2013. In that period, virtually all the growth in university jobs, around 3,000 positions, went to PhD students, researchers, and professors from abroad. The number of Dutch personnel remained stable at 20,000.

Forced to call Mom

NEW YORK | A frustrated mother developed an app to force her teenage children to respond to messages and calls. “It takes away texting, it takes away the gaming, it takes away calling their friends. The child will always be able to call 911,” developer Sharon Standifird explained to CBS. With one tap, a list of only parent-selected contacts comes up. The child can call, get the password and unlock the phone. Standifird says her son responds to her texts and calls more quickly than he used to. “Ignore No More” is available only for Android phones on Google Play.

Public transport safer

AMSTERDAM | Public transport has become safer since the introduction of the OV chip card in 2009, Trouw said recently, based on its own research. According to Trouw, the improvement comes from a fall in the number of passengers who do not pay. Trouw spoke to the directors of the three main public transport providers in the cities, who said most of the aggression comes from confronting these people. Aggressive incidents and threatening behavior in the Amsterdam metro fell from 13% in 2009 to a mere 2.5% in 2013. Throughout the whole of the public transport system in Rotterdam, these incidents decreased from 13.1% to 1.6% and in The Hague from 9.1% to 3%.

Photo: Hielke Oud

Newly published ‘Antilleans in the Second World War’ highlights WWII casualties on the Antilles. KAREN D.R. DE CORRALES talked to the author. The story of ‘Antilleans in the Second World War’ begins on May 4, 2006, the day author Jos Rozenburg – then Head of Operations of the Dutch forces in the Caribbean – was present at the yearly memorial service for the casualties of war on Curaçao. His surprise at the number of casualties featured on the memorial plaque launched him into a quest to unveil the drama behind those 129 names. The role of the Antilles during that memorable world conflict was determined chiefly by the importance of oil for the fuelling of allied aircraft, vehicles and ships. The oil refineries, built on Aruba and Curaçao between 1915 and 1927 to process Venezuelan oil from Lake Maracaibo, understandably came under German attack. However, this attack was more intense than is commonly known. Mr. Rozenburg says: “If the supply from the Antilles had not been safeguarded, the war could have lasted some two years longer”. Although clearly written by a soldier (including elaborate descriptions of defense measures), the book is transparent in its set-up and obviously well-researched. Featuring cliffhangers at the end of each chapter and anecdotes from the war for some extra color; it is an accessible, educational, and enjoyable read, culminating in the German attack on the night of February 16, 1942. Rozenburg thrillingly describes how the U-

boats stalked the islands undetected for three days, like a shark circling its prey. Large-scale damage was avoided, despite the absence of blackout measures and the strategically chosen moonless night, owing to three crucial occurrences. Admiral Raeder, who envisioned a surprise attack on the refineries, was thwarted by his second in command, Hitler-favorite Dönitz, who had the U-boats attack the tankers first, at the last minute. In addition, the main cannon on the U-156 was damaged when first fired, because the crew forgot to remove the cap protecting it from seawater. Finally, ammunition ship Henry Gibbins – loaded with a substantial amount of explosives – did not sail out when scheduled because of a series of circumstances, and so did not cross the path of the departing U-156; an encounter which would have caused massive destruction. The attack mobilized the allied forces into high alert and an effective defense of the islands and the allied oil supply for the rest of the war. However, many tankers, battleships, and cargo ships were lost to continued U-boat attacks. The suspense of the narrative recounting the events on the islands during the Second World War does not, however, detract from the heart of the matter. The account is clearly meant to provide the proper historical framework in which

to view the plight of the Antillean war victims, who are mentioned individually and in detail. The importance and prowess of well-known heroes such as Boy Ecury and George Maduro notwithstanding, this report was written to ensure that other, lesser-known Antillean victims are not forgotten. A look at three of them: On November 18, 1939, barely a month old, Maria Theresia Wensing was among the first victims – along with her mother and three-year-old brother – when the S.S. Simon Bolivar, steaming from Amsterdam to Curaçao, was downed by two mines in the cold North Sea. Thelma Esther Polak from Saba, educated to help people in need, was deported from her workplace as an apprentice nurse at an insane asylum in Apeldoorn on January 22, 1943. She would become one of the Jewish victims at the Sobibor death camp in Poland six weeks later. Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) Cavalry Brigadier Petrus Alfoncius Anastacia, born on Curaçao, was felled far from home by sickness and hardships suffered at the Tsumori labour camp near Osaka, Japan on February 7, 1945. Jos Rozenburg is a remarkably modest and likeable individual. His military career to date is impressive and well-rounded, and his praiseworthy, eight-year-spanning research has uncovered – among other things – 37 additional Antillean war victims.

Asked about his personal motivation to embark on this crusade, he described the attraction to the tropics he first discovered in Indonesia, extending to his appreciation of its friendly people. Later, he found himself feeling the same way in the Antilles, where the Dutch language facilitated communication and his knowledge of the locals grew. This is why he felt compelled to write the as of yet underexposed, laudable story of those who also fought and died in the name of our freedom. Mr. Rozenburg is of the opinion that there is a neglect to be righted here. As such, he has taken steps to have the 37 newly available names included on monuments worldwide. In addition, The National Committee for 4 and 5 May was approached to more befittingly pay homage to the Antillean casualties of war. An English translation is currently being finished by the author himself, which will hopefully become available at the end of 2014. This will also be announced on the website Antillesatwar.com. Finally, he hopes a translation in Papiamento may be realized, so the population on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao – alongside the people of Saba, Sint Maarten and St. Eustatius – may have better access to the proud role their ancestors played during the Second World War.

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NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 7

Bilingual education on the rise

Universities in top 100

THE HAGUE | Dutch universities made a strong impact in a new world ranking list released on Friday, with four universities in the top 100 and 13 universities in the top 500, the NL Times reports. Utrecht University faired the strongest in general education, reaching 57th on the Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the Shanghai Rankings. Leiden University (77th), University of Groningen (82nd), and VU Amsterdam (100th) were the three other highest ranking Dutch institutions. Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachussets topped the world ranking. Over 1200 universities were evaluated for inclusion in the rankings.

Pharmacies unhelpful

AMSTERDAM | Consumer organization Consumentenbond did research that shows pharmacists bill clients for a talk when giving out new medicine, but do not actually engage in this talk, or do so poorly, ANP reports. During the research, ‘mystery patients’ came to collect a new medicine at pharmacies. Of the 39 pharmacists that were visited, only one met all the conditions of the so-called ‘first issue talk’. The consumer organization is also receiving conflicting information from clients and the pharmacist. While many pharmacies say that their clients are very happy with these talks, consumers say otherwise.

Photo: Frank Juarez

ISIS protest planned

An English-language education is not just for children of expats anymore. ASHLEY COWLES explains what the buzz is all about. TTO (TweeTalig Onderwijs) is a form of bilingual education that has found a popular and firm footing in the Netherlands. Based on a Europeanwide education initiative known as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), TTO schools are geared toward European educational standards such as the Common European Framework for Languages. The rules, regulations, and quality of TTO curricula are overseen by The European Platform and the supervising body, “Netwerk TTO”. Both were appointed by the Dutch Ministry of Education (Ministerie OCenW) to coordinate and inspect TTO schools in the Netherlands. This form of bilingual education is reasonably new and most often applied in Dutch high schools. In a TTO school, most subjects will be taught in English, amounting to a total of at least half of the student’s timetable. But the international aspect doesn’t stop there: students at a TTO school are also offered a large choice of international activities, such as exchange programs with schools abroad. There are currently about 130 TTO high schools in the Netherlands, spread throughout the country. Most of them focus on English and Dutch, but there are a few schools near the German border that offer DutchGerman bilingual education. All of this fits into the modern ideal of the

“global citizen”, someone who doesn’t think in national issues, but in possibilities that span the globe. By immersing their children in a mostly English-speaking environment, many Dutch parents hope that English will become a second native language to their children as well. A TTO education spans the complete six years at VWO (pre-university secondary education) level, or five years at HAVO (general secondary education) level. Although the national final examinations are still given in Dutch, as usual, students in their final years continue to be taught in English whenever possible. Bilingual students also have the opportunity to sit the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate English A2 Certificate. This is especially helpful to students whose proficiency in Dutch leaves something to be desired for whatever reason, for example if they came to the Netherlands reasonably late in their teens. Successfully passing this test qualifies the students to enroll at English-speaking universities. Many expats with older children may especially appreciate the existence of TTO high schools, as the international environment will be able to provide teenagers with a sense of continuity amid the confusion of settling into a different country. Younger children, on the other hand, might develop a greater sense of belonging

by attending a Dutch-only elementary school. While English has been a mandatory subject for children in the last two years of elementary school going back to the mid-1980s, not many Dutch elementary schools choose to cater to the international community, or indeed to the desires of Dutch parents wanting to encourage their children to engage with English from an earlier age. At the moment, only twelve elementary schools offer bilingual education as part of a nationwide experiment. When asked about the initiative to include elementary schools, State Secretary of Education Sander Dekker said, “Dutch children will grow up to make their living in a different world – a world where Dutch is not enough, and where it will be increasingly important to also be well-versed in English. Children are able to learn a new language much faster because of their young age, and they can put that to good use when they’re older. Offering education in a different language is also a good way to challenge talented students with an affinity for languages.” Another eight elementary schools will be making the switch to TTO from 2015 onwards. Should the experiment be deemed a success in 2019, even more elementary schools will be able to offer bilingual education.

The twelve elementary schools initially joining in the experiment have been carefully selected; all employ teachers qualified to teach at a bilingual level. This also highlights the obvious bump in the road towards greater English proficiency. More and more schools are switching to TTO, but how many teachers currently working at these schools already speak English at the necessary level? After all, you can’t teach what you don’t know… TTO schools offer English-language education in a wide range of subjects from history, geography, and social sciences to physical education and tutorial time. It could prove quite a challenge to find enough teachers who are not only well-versed in their subject matter, but are also able to teach that subject in a foreign language. Currently, several branches of the Dutch education institute PABO offer teachers-to-be a number of specializations, some of which relate specifically to teaching at TTO or international schools. Demand is anticipated only to rise over the coming years. However, as long as the majority of current elementary and high school teachers aren’t native or near-native English speakers, the question remains open as to whether they will be sufficiently able to successfully instill that level of proficiency in the next generation.

THE HAGUE | Groups in The Hague demonstrating for or against extremism, are taking each other on in the struggle for a new demonstration ground. After The Hague’s Mayor Jozias van Aartsen instated a two-month ban against protests in the previously fertile grounds of the Schilderswijk neighborhood, the battle for the Malieveld is on. On September 20th, various groups announce that they want to protest for “the people and the fatherland”, or against “nationalists and rightist extremists”, De Volkskrant reports. The Mayor’s ban is not stopping any of the groups. The Muslim Defense League (MDL) Holland also wants to protest on the Malieveld.

VVD popular

THE HAGUE | The ruling right-wing Liberal

VVD continues to improve its performance in the latest Maurice de Hond opinion poll and has stretched its lead over the opposition D66, DutchNews reports. The new poll puts the VVD on 28 seats, still well below its 2012 general election total of 41.. The D66 Liberal democrats remain in second place, but go down from 23 to 22. During the European elections in March, D66 had a six-seat lead on the VVD in the De Hond poll. The ruling Labor party (PvdA) is also continuing its recovery and is now on 15 seats, up from a May low of 10.

More, extended, enjoyment of better sleep comfort starts with the choice of supplier. Dreamzzz takes the time for you, uses its know-how to advise you with attention for your needs. In our branches in Rijswijk and Voorburg, you can even try out our waterbeds. In The Hague, Jensen and Tempur are among the brands we sell. All our stores supply Pullman. A more relaxed night’s sleep starts with Dreamzzz.

Dreamzzz The Hague Theresiastraat 55, 2593 AA Den Haag T. +31 (0)70 335 68 30 Dreamzzz Rijswijk Hendrik Ravesteijnplein 76 2282 GX Rijswijk, +31 (0)70 390 60 60 Dreamzzz Voorburg Koningin Julianalaan 134 2274 JN Voorburg, T. +31 (0)70 300 08 03

www.dreamzzz.nl 20-02-13 13:41

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22-08-14 09:01

HEALTH

Photo: Frank van der Burg

New endometriosis centre at Bronovo Hospital

Regain control of your life It is often regarded as something innocent: period pains. These pains are viewed as something a woman just has to learn to live with. The new Endometriosis in Balance centre at Bronovo Hospital in The Hague documents and addresses the deeper causes and the physical and mental impact of endometriosis. From the very first period many women suffer from pain symptoms that increase over the years. In the Netherlands ten per cent of women in their reproductive years are affected by endometriosis, a condition that sometimes leads to more serious symptoms - see text box '400,000 women'. "Symptoms may vary widely. Painful periods with heavy blood loss, bladder problems, diarrhoea, lower back pains, pains during sex, fertility disorders", says gynaecologist Maddy Smeets at Bronovo. "One woman with mild endometriosis may have many symptoms, another may never have any symptoms, even though she has extensive endometriosis. Endometriosis does not always give symptoms.”

Social life Smeets: "We are not satisfied until we have eliminated the endometriosis. Our objective has only been achieved if the patient has regained control over her own life. Hence the name Endometriosis in Balance - balance between body and mind. Endometriosis may have a major impact on your life: sickness absence from work, poorer social life and experiencing pain during sex may cause relationship problems." The patient is therefore given a questionnaire about her quality of life. Smeets: On the basis of the scores we can follow this up with supporting consultations with a psychologist. Women who have endometriosis score on average 4 out of 10, and after treatment or an operation often 6 out of 10. "We aim for 8 out of 10. This is the average score of a Dutch woman."

‘The same quality of life as any average woman Improved diagnostics in the Netherlands’ Smeets and her colleagues want to improve the diagnostics, because at the moment it can take years before the disease is recognised. By using a new approach, whereby many medical disciplines work together, the disease can be diagnosed quicker, making very extensive surgery no longer necessary. Smeets: "After initial discussions with a specialised nurse and an examination by the gynaecologist we make a so-called high end ultrasound image which also shows us the smaller abnormalities."

Do you have any symptoms that may be caused by endometriosis? Ask your family doctor to refer you for an examination at the Endometriosis in Balance centre.

Discussions The initial examination results are discussed by the gynaecologist, radiologist, psychologist, urologist, pelvic floor physiotherapist and surgeon, after which a treatment plan is set up. If an operation is necessary, it is carried out by laparoscopic surgery as much as possible, through small incisions in the abdominal wall instead of a large incision. Unfortunately an operation on its own is not always sufficient to significantly improve the patient's quality of life.

During the period bleeding also occurs in the endometriosis causing various pain symptoms. In the longer term adhesions may occur. In severe cases endometriosis could lead to kidney damage or damage to other organs. The pain symptoms then become chronic. According to a rough estimate endometriosis affects 400,000 women during their reproductive years in the Netherlands.

400,000 women Endometriosis is a disease where the endometrial tissue is found elsewhere in the lower body, for example on the bladder, rectum or ovaries.

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.

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 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 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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14 12:35

economics

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 9

Pension scheme for ZZP’ers starting in 2015

Of all the self-employed professionals in the Netherlands, only a quarter has arranged for retirement provisions. ASHLEY COWLES looks into new developments. As of January 1, 2015, Dutch self-employed professionals (“zelfstandigen zonder personeel” or “zzp’ers”) will be able to save up for their pensions in a collective pension fund, ANP reported recently. This ZZP Pensioenfonds is an initiative by several organizations and associations including Stichting ZZP Nederland, FNV Zelfstandigen, PZO-ZZP, and Zelfstandigen Bouw. The new pension fund initiative enables self-employed professionals to save money for after they retire. The collective nature of the fund means risks are minimal and the return on investments is higher than when they would save up individually. Of particular interest is the fact that the pension scheme allows zzp’ers to pay less or even skip months of paying premiums altogether, for example in the event of a so-called ‘dry spell’. Another perk is that zzp’ers will not have to pay taxes over the amounts they pay into the fund, which makes it different from individual saving. Fi-

nally, this initiative is not mandatory, and each self-employed professional will be able to determine the amount of their monthly premium for themselves (taking into account the legal maximum). With outlines like these, the scheme perfectly matches the sense of freedom self-employed professionals are used to in their daily business already. At the moment, there are nearly 750,000 zzp’ers in the Netherlands, working in industries ranging from construction work to interim management. These zzp’ers don’t build up pensions like payroll employees do, which means they need alternative ways to save up for after their retirement. One way to do this is by purchasing annuity insurance from an insurance company, or by paying into an escrow annuity savings account at their bank. Other entrepreneurs may plan to live off the money they will receive after selling their business. However, this is not an option for ev-

ery entrepreneur, particularly those selling services rather than products. This new initiative for a collective pension scheme may prove to be a valuable addition to existing zzp’er retirement savings options. The pension scheme now agreed on has much of the characteristics of escrow annuity saving, rendement.nl explains. However, the difference between the two is that money paid into the pension fund can also be used for disability benefits and social welfare, without incurring fiscal penalties. Each zzp’er will be able to determine the age of their retirement for themselves, as long as it lies between the ages of 60 and 70. It also allows them to determine for how long they will continue to receive pension benefits: for a period of 10, 15, or 20 years. All zzp’ers who join the collective fund will receive a separate pension account, and will only be eligible to receive benefits based on their own premiums and accumulated interest.

In the event the zzp’er passes away, the money saved through the pension fund will be paid out to the next of kin. The Netherlands has several freelance organizations: groups that exist to connect, support, represent and advocate for independent professionals. These take different organizational forms; associations, unions, and informal action bodies with varying ideological perspectives. One of these is the Platform Zelfstandige Ondernemers (Platform Self-Employed Professionals, PZO-ZZP. The association is organized as an umbrella organization for trade and professional associations and network organizations of freelancers. According to the PZO-ZZP, only a quarter of all Dutch zzp’ers has currently arranged for some form of pension provision. “We are assuming that this fund meets a very real demand, and hope a large number of zzp’ers will join,” their CEO Louise Beduwé told FD. The joined organizations strive to have at least 50,000 participants sign up. Their goal is to provide an even cheaper solution than the already existing BrightNL, which combines members’ investments to create an additional pension provision and which charges an annual 210 euros for membership. Any interested zzp’ers can already register via the website www.startjezzppensioen.nl, which is currently only available in Dutch. The collective pension fund will be managed by pension provider APG, the largest pension investor in the Netherlands. With assets amounting to nearly 359 billion euros, APG is already responsible for investing pension funds for the government and education, as well as for the cleaning, construction, and window-washing industries, Z24 reports. The collective zzp’er organizations and APG have signed a Letter of Intent, and plan to sign the final agreement on the zzp pension scheme in the near future. They are currently working out the finer details of the initiative, which includes a discussion on the foundation’s Board of Directors and the amount of influence participants will have. After all, the idea behind the pension scheme is that it shouldn’t just be for zzp’ers, but by zzp’ers as well. The collective pension scheme is the result of years of lobbying for the adaptation of laws and regulations by the cooperating organizations. The government’s commitments of the Cabinet are clear, and zzp’er organizations will be keeping a close eye on legislation in the days ahead.

Rabobank Libor scandal continues A second former Rabobank employee has recently pleaded guilty on conspiracy in regards to Libor. ASHLEY COWLES looks into the matter.

A former employee of Rabobank became the second of the Dutch bank’s ex-traders to plead guilty in a criminal plot to manipulate a global financial benchmark used to set rates on trillions of dollars in loans, USA Today reports. United Kingdom citizen Paul Robson pleaded guilty to con-

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spiracy in Manhattan federal court, admitting he helped manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate for Japanese yen between May 2006 and January 2011 in a plot to boost trading profits for himself and others. Mr. Robson was the second former Rabobank employee to plead guilty. In June, Takayuki Yagami pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. The case against Mr. Robson comes as U.S. authorities continue to investigate alleged manipulation of benchmark rates. Rabobank agreed in October to pay $1.07 billion to international regulators to settle a Libor probe. Widely known as Libor, the benchmark represents the rates that Lon-

don-based global banks would expect to pay in exchange for loans from each other in a variety of world currencies for different lengths of time. Authorities in the U.S. and around the world have been pursuing a multiyear investigation of evidence that bank traders regularly rigged Libor, which is used to set rates on mortgages, credit cards, many types of loans and some financial derivatives. “The scope of the fraud was massive, but the scheme was simple,” Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Department of Justice’s criminal division tells USA Today. “By illegally influencing the Libor rates, Robson and his co-conspirators rigged the markets to ensure that their trades made money.” Robson admitted guilt

two months after Takayuki Yagami, another former Rabobank trader targeted in the case, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud for his involvement. Rabobank itself was fined nearly 1.1 billion USD by authorities in the U.S. and Europe last year to resolve Libor-related violations, the Wall Street Journal said. Robson entered his guilty plea to an April 2014 indictment in a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff. The judge ordered the former bank trader to post a 500,000 USD personal recognizance bond secured by 90,000 USD in cash in order to return to the United Kingdom. Rakoff also set a June 2017 sentencing date.

Stamp price increase

THE HAGUE | PostNL is looking to raise stamp prices again, in order to compensate the decline in profits, top manager Herna Verhagen told RTL Z after presenting their semi-annual report. PostNL is still waiting for the decision to be reviewed by the Autoriteit Consument en Markt (Consumer and Market Authority, ACM). “We are hoping the decision will allow us to raise the price of stamps again,” says Verhagen. In early 2013, the company already raised stamp prices from 60 to 64 euro cents for regular mail. At this time, the company is unable to say how much more expensive stamps will become.

Photo: Joost J.Bakker

Budget negotiations start

THE HAGUE | Monday sees the launch

of the first budget negotiations after the summer, DutchNews reports. Ministers tell NU.nl that the talks are positive, and it does not look like there will be more stringent budget cuts. Prime Minister Mark Rutte, deputy PM Lodewijk Asscher and Minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem spoke first with VVD faction president Halbe Zijlstra and PvdA faction president Diederik Samsom at the Ministry of Finance. After this, there will be discussions with opposition faction presidents Alexander Pechtold (D66), Arie Slob (CU) and Kees van der Staay (SGP). It is expected that most of these talks will revolve around tax reductions, extra money for Defense and Development Aid.

Dutch export potatoes

THE HAGUE | The Netherlands is respon-

sible for almost one-third of Europe’s total production of French fries and other frozen potato dishes, according to the national statistics office CBS. This means the Netherlands is Europe’s leading seller of frozen potato products, DutchNews reports. The Dutch themselves ate the equivalent of 18 kilos of frozen French fries per person last year, the CBS said. In 2013, the Dutch processed 1.4 billion kilos of potato into frozen products with a value of 1.1 billion euro. Of this, 87% is exported, mainly to Britain, Germany and France. Saudi Arabia and Brazil are fourth and fifth in the list of Dutch potato eaters.

ZZP builders profit

AMSTERDAM | Construction companies don’t see any results of the housing market rising again. Profits over the second quarter of 2014 decreased by 2.4% throughout the entire industry. Larger construction companies seem to be taking the brunt of the damage. When compared to 2008, before the recession, construction profits throughout the industry have fallen by a staggering 59%. However, the smaller companies and zzp’ers are doing somewhat better, as they can profit from the lower taxes on maintenance, repairs and remodeling. It seems that finishing companies like painters, plasterers, and plumbers benefit most

Estro paid bonuses

AMSTERDAM | Bankrupt daycare company Estro paid its executives bonuses just months before the company went bust, the NRC reported recently. Chairman Jean-Pierre Bienfait was given a payout of €41,000 in April over 2013, while financial director Kris Geysels was handed € 33,000. Both men joined the company in November, and Bienfait was given a second bonus of € 25,000 in June. Estro was declared bankrupt on July 5. The NRC reported earlier that private investment group HIG negotiated with itself to buy out part of Estro in a controversial restart. HIG took over most of the Estro daycare centers in a ‘pre-pack deal’, a bankruptcy and restart agreed ahead of formal bankruptcy proceedings, DutchNews reports.

22-08-14 09:02

10 | SEPTEMBER 2014

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.

Specialised psychological and psychiatric help for international guests

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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1234 777 (0.15 per minute), Lufthansa travel agent partners and Lufthansa sales counters at the airports.

These are just some of the many mental health challenges you can face as an expatriate living in Holland, far from home. PsyQ International Mental Health Services are here to support you. We provide state of the art and discreet solutions to your mental health challenges. Mental health care begins with people, which is why our most unique resource is our staff of caring and deeply committed individuals. We have an international, multilingual team and consider ourselves to be a truly international mental health centre. All our staff are personally familiar with the expatriate experience and are officially registered professionals.

Feeling under pressure or depressed? Suffering from anxiety? Feeling isolated and having difficulties adapting? Struggling with substance abuse or addiction? Contact +31 (0) 6 52568382 imhs@psyq.nl www.psyq.nl/expatriates/expats

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20-08-14 22:00

DIPLOMATIC

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 11

THE CZECH REPUBLIC: LAND OF STORIES

ON 27 SEPTEMBER, THE CZECH REPUBLIC WILL CELEBRATE ITS NATIONAL DAY. On this occasion, NANDA JAGUSIAK interviews the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, H.E. Mr. Jaroslav Horak. with a share of 62% of the total Czech exports. The major items of Czech exports in 2013 were computer technology, cars and tires and other parts, TV sets, mobile phones and telecommunication devices and accessories integrated, circuits, and steel constructions. Imports from the Netherlands to the Czech Republic also feature the major commodity group SITC 7, at an amount of almost 50%. The major items of Czech imports from the Netherlands are processors and controllers and accessories, plastics, pharmaceuticals, razors, tractors, meat and other meat products, fruits and vegetables, flowers and bulbs of plants. Any statistics, however, provide only a very rough if not slightly misleading picture, because both economies are based on re-exports. 1.You have been the Ambassador in More important than the total value the Netherlands since August 2010. of exports is its added value, which is How do you experience it to live in different in commodities/companies. the Netherlands? It may surprise you, but this is my 3. On May 1, 2004, the Czech Resecond stay in the Netherlands. I was public became a full member of the serving here as a Deputy Head of European Union. Did your country Mission from 1996 to 2000 and since benefit from this membership? then, I have longed to come back Absolutely. EU membership once as Ambassador. And my dream means a comeback to Europe for us, has come true. I think this fully re- and rejoining the family of demosponds to your question, doesn’t it? cratic states and world of prosperity Pity that my family could not stay that we belonged to before WW II. longer here with me. Since 2012, I Another important dimension of our haven’t been enjoying my stay in this membership is participation in the beautiful country like before. Life in Common Internal Market and the loneliness is not cheerful. chance to benefit from it. Although we are not members of the Eurozone, 2. The Netherlands is one of the our Government is planning to inCzech Republic’s main trading troduce the Euro in the near future, partners. Which are the import and and we have adapted our legal order export products between the two to be able to join all European fiscal countries? mechanisms, and the Fiscal Pact in The Czech exports to and imports particular. In economic figures, our from the Netherlands are dominated GDP has risen from 113,977 million by commodity group SITC 7 – ‘ma- USD in 2004 to 198,312 million USD chinery and transport equipment’ – in 2013. And per capita, the GDP has

risen from 19,507 million USD in Republic in the Netherlands. The 2004 to 27,200 million USD in 2013. key services that the Chamber will provide to its members are, among 4. How is the cultural relationship others: hosting regular business and between the Netherlands and the social events helping their members Czech Republic? to create new partnership, acquiring When speaking about Czech-Dutch new knowledge and developing their cultural relations, we must begin in business, and helping to look for new Naarden, at the grave of one of the business partners. In short, the goal of largest Czech thinkers, philosophers CDCC is to make its members even and writers, the teacher of nations: more successful and support their Jan Amos Comenius (1592 -1670). business growth between the Czech There are plenty of local institutions, Republic and the Netherlands. schools and streets in the Netherlands that are named after him. An 6. Does your country still maintain important personality of Czech origin close relationship with Slovakia, within the area of ballet and choreog- your former partner in the Republic raphy is Jiří Kylián, who was the ar- of Czechoslovakia? tistic director of the Nederlands Dans Yes, it does. Czechs and Slovaks Theater for many years, one of the are still the closest to each other in finest ensembles in the world of its Europe. You simply cannot delete kind. A lot of works of Czech litera- more than 70 years of common coexture have been translated into Dutch istence within one state. Slovakia is (Hrabal, Kundera, Seifert). Czech cin- a very important political and trade ematography is also known in the partner for us. Netherlands, especially the films of It has been a tradition that the the golden era of the 60s and ani- Czech President officially visits Slomated films for children (Little Mole vakia as the first country after his and Pat and Mat - Buurman en Buur- inauguration and vice versa. We can man). Rotterdam is the seat of the say that we have premium mutual Czech center that presents the Czech relations. Our divorce in 1992 passed Republic in the Netherlands in the smoothly and peacefully, without any fields of culture, art and education. hatred and blaming, and we are said www.czechcentres.cz/hague to like each other more than ever. Of course, in terms of sports, there is a 5. On June 5, 2014, The Czech healthy rivalry between us, but that Dutch Chamber of Commerce is normal. (CDCC) was introduced during its official opening ceremony at your 7. Prague, city of a hundred spires, Embassy. What is the goal of the a Unesco monument and said to CDCC, and which main services be one of the most beautiful cities can they provide? in the world. Which are the other The vision of the Czech Dutch highlights of this city? Chamber of Commerce is to become It is really hard to say why Prague a key partner that helps to develop is so beautiful and attractive in one business between Czech and Dutch sentence. It has an indefinite spirit, a companies and to contribute to a certain genius loci you can feel when positive (business) image of the Czech you visit it. Prague is the place where

the past and present meet within a unique constellation of architecture and art. The large area of the historic centre of Prague forms a unique collage of various architectural styles. Prague is considered to be one of the cities everyone should visit, not only for its sights as the Prague Castle, the Old Town, the Lesser Quarter, the Charles Bridge or the Jewish Quarter, but for its cultural events, numerous romantic cafes, restaurants, shopping opportunities, and last but not least, the music clubs. The Czech Tourist Agency Czech Tourism located in Amsterdam is ready to provide you with all the necessary information. www.czechtourism.com/nl/info/ 8. According to the Unesco Cultural Heritage list, twelve of them are situated in the Czech Republic. Which are they? The Unesco Cultural Heritage sites in the Czech republic are the following: Prague (Historical Downtown); Telč (Historical Downtown); Český Krumlov (Historical Downtown); Ždár nad Sázavou (Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora); Kutná Hora (Historical Downtown, Church of St. Barbora, Cathedral of our Lady in Sedlec); Lednice (Valtice Area); Holašovice (Village reservation); Kroměříž (Gardnes and Castle); Litomyšl (Gardens and Castle); Olomouc (Holy Trinity Column); Brno (Tugendhat Villa); and Třebíč (The Jewish Quarter and the Basilica of St. Procopius). For details, visit their website www.unesco-czech.cz/unescopamatky/. You can then realize that the Czech Republic is not only about its capital, but that there are many other beautiful places there that are worth visiting as well.

Warning from the heart of Europe: This city will make your pulse race!

To visit Prague means to take a stroll through history and to breathe in beauty. It is majestic, captivating and romantic. There are cities you remember with photographs. Prague will remain etched in your heart!

www.czechtourism.com

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Prague

22. 7. 2014 15:49:31

22-08-14 09:02

12 | SEPTEMBER 2014

Landgoed de Olmenhorst.

In the midst of the Randstad, between Amsterdam and The Hague, you can find ‘Landgoed De Olmenhorst’: a family-run business of over 150 years old. The fifth generation of the de Clercq family lives and works on this estate, where their first orchard was planted at the end of the 19th century. ‘Landgoed De Olmenhorst’ is an extraordinary organic fruit-growing company. Besides the vast apple and pear orchards, it contains several meeting locations in monumental buildings, as well as outside amongst the fruit trees. The ‘Landgoed winkel’ is situated in what used to be the apple-sorting barn. This estate shop is one of the best organic food stores in the area. It offers an extensive selection of organic food products, as well

as non-food items such as cookbooks, kitchen utensils, home accessories, and children’s toys. Speaking of which, next to the ‘Landgoedwinkel’ and its catering terrace is an outdoor playground with equipment and a large field to play. The de Clercq family offers everybody free entrance for a stroll around the estate and orchard, as long as the fruit trees aren’t touched or damaged, children are watched, and dogs stay on a leash. There are two educational nature exploration trails, and visitors can relax and enjoy coffee with apple pie (‘Olmenhorst appeltaart’), a nice lunch, or a picnic. A special dish of the day is served on Friday nights; as there is limited seating, reservations are recommended.

In addition to the business of the estate itself, there are several shops and ateliers established on the premises. They offer a variety of activities and workshops, including a candlemaking workplace, a silk atelier, and a creative workshop. All three offer ‘do-it-yourself’ workshops for customers. Small craftsmanship businesses are located in several former barns, including a photo studio for professional portraits (made indoors or outside in the orchard) and a restoration workplace with a long tradition of restoring special pieces of furniture.

De Olmenhorst Zelfpluk

The best period of the year on the estate starts in early September: harvesting time! Everybody is invited to enjoy and pick their own apples and

pears at the ‘Olmenhorst Zelfpluk’. During these ‘pick-your-own’ weeks, from September 6th until October 26th, individuals, families, and friends are welcome to go into the orchard with a picking basket or bag. The orchard is open on Wednesday & Friday afternoons (2-5 pm.), and all day on Saturday & Sunday (10 am – 5 pm). During the fall vacation they are open every day (10 am to 5 pm). Entrance is free; you only pay for the organic apples and pears you pick.

be staged every Sunday. The ateliers established on De Olmenhorst are open as well, and will be offering several workshops. For example, you can create your own silk friendship bracelets (www.lebonthi.nl), make hand-dipped candles (www.kaarsenmakerijwillemijn.nl), or draw your own geo-fictional treasure map (www. martijnkessler.nl). You’ll find a number of other interesting activities at the creative atelier (www.linea-verde.nl). For the ‘Olmenhorst Zelfpluk’ activity schedule, see: How does it work? http://www.olmenhorst.nl/activitEvery day, a part of the orchards is eiten/zelfpluk/schema-zelfpluktijdenassigned for ‘do-it-yourself’ picking. extra-activiteiten.html (website pages Mother Nature decides when the are currently only available in Dutch). different kinds of fruits are ripe for picking. She also decides whether School teachers and daycare prothere will be apples, pears, or both viders are welcome to visit the oravailable on a certain day. chard with their classes or groups for a special educational program, includEveryone receives a picking bag ing apple picking. Over the years, the and instructions on how to pick the orchard staff at De Olmenhorst has fruit. The Olmenhorst staff in the or- also provided English-spoken guided chard speak English. Picked fruit will tours for several different internationbe weighed and paid for at the mar- al schools. See for details: http://www. ket stand in the orchard. The price of olmenhorst.nl/activiteiten/schoolthe fruit is €1.95 per kilo - consider- bezoek.html We also offer tailored ably lower than the price of organic business arrangements that combine apples and pears in regular stores apple picking with meetings. (and it includes a priceless experience!). Last but not least, Landgoed De Olmenhorst offers individuals as After the fruit picking, you can ei- well as companies the opportunity ther go straight home, or you’re wel- to adopt an apple tree. That way, you come to attend some of the ‘Olmen- can harvest your own organic apples horst Zelfpluk’ activities at the estate. every year! http://www.olmenhorst. During the event, there is a special nl/de-boomgaard/adoptiebomen.html Apple Atelier where you can press your own apple juice, bake your own www.olmenhorst.nl apple tarte tatin á la minute, or com- Lisserweg 481 pete in the contest: “Who can produce 2265AS Lisserbroek the longest apple peel in one piece?” Family theater performances will

ZAT & Z GEHELE DOAN: G

WOE & VR MIDDAG I:

This flyer will give you a discount of 10 % on the Olmenhorst Pick season, check www.olmenhorst.nl for more information.

6 SEPT. t/m 26 OKT. 2014

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22-08-14 09:03

DIPLOMATIC

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 13

INDONESIA: AMBITIOUS AND FAST RISING

On August 17, Indonesia will be celebrating its Independence Day. On this occasion, Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of Indonesia, H.E. Mrs. Retno L.P. Marsudi.

your country, together with 150 business people from 106 companies, the biggest-ever delegation to Indonesia. Did this result in many agreements, and can you mention the most important ones? The visit of PM Rutte to Jakarta in November of 2013 cemented a new era of bilateral relations. The President of Indonesia and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands launched the Comprehensive Partnership between Indonesia and the Netherlands. This Partnership serves as the new basis for future bilateral relations between the two countries. During the visit, the two leaders also agreed to strengthen the bilateral relations, mainly on Trade and Investment, Water Management, Infrastructure and Logistic, Food Security and Agriculture, and Education. They also pointed out the importance of strengthening cooperation on Tourism, Health, Triangular Cooperation, Defense, Energy, Science, and Technology. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a MoU on Fisheries and Aquaculture Cooperation, as well as the Triangular Cooperation on Development Cooperation.On the business side, 17 agreements have been signed by business people. Some important MoUs, among others: MoU on Sustainable Palm Oil Promotion, MoU on the Formation of Indonesian-Dutch Business Task Force, and Cooperation Agreement on the Development of 100MW of SmallScale Hydropower Plants.

1.You have been Ambassador since January 2012. What are your objectives as Ambassador? The Indonesian Embassy in The Hague is one of the Indonesia’s biggest missions in the world. On top of more than 15 diplomats, the Embassy is also well equipped with technical attachés and a significant number of Local Staff Members. As the Ambassador of Indonesia in The Hague, one of my duties is to strengthen the bilateral relations with the Netherlands, which 3. The Netherlands is a very important covers not only political and economic, trade partner of Indonesia. Which are but socio-cultural relations as well. the main import and export products between the two countries? 2. In November of 2013, Prime MinisThe Netherlands is one of the most ter Mark Rutte paid an official visit to important traditional trade partners for

Indonesia. In 2013, our bilateral trade reached 5.1 billion USD. I do believe that this figure will continuously grow in the future. Indonesia’s main export products to the Netherlands are palm oil and its derivatives, and mining. Dutch exports to Indonesia include industrial goods, such as marine vessels, advanced technology products, fire fighting vehicles, turbojet engines, incubators, and nursery farms (animal husbandry and agriculture). 4. Your Embassy organized many events over the last year, can you please mention a few? This year, the celebration of the Independence Day was organized in a different way. In collaboration with one of the biggest bank in Indonesia (Bank Negara Indonesia), the Embassy of Indonesia presented the beauty and potential of the Indonesian fashion industries. On top of culinary diplomacy, the Embassy of Indonesia continues to promote fashion diplomacy in the Netherlands. The Embassy of Indonesia is very active in promoting a new Indonesia, while taking into consideration the fact that it is a member of G20 with an average economic growth of more than 5.5%, the third-biggest democracy in the world, and the biggest economy in South East Asia. Together with the Indonesian companies, students, and communities, many promotional events are taking place every year. One of the newest promotional activities was the Embassy’s participation in Taste of Amsterdam. During Taste of Amsterdam, Indonesia tried to reach a wider scope of Dutch and international public, especially the younger generation, to love Indonesian food. Our Indonesian Chefs served Indonesian food in very a fancy and interest-

ing presentation, while maintain their authentic taste. This event went very well. Culinary diplomacy is one of our priorities. There are over 1,500 Indonesian Restaurants/Toko/Waroeng across the Netherlands. We are very proud that Indonesian food is very popular in the Netherlands. It is a must to taste Indonesian food while you are in the Netherlands. Just to mention a few other activities, we have had Angklung Concert in Eindhoven; Indonesian Day, the Colors of Diversity in Groningen; Indonesian Day in Best; Seminars about Democracy in The Hague and Leiden, and the Festival Pencak Silat (martial arts) in The Hague. One of the biggest events organized by the Embassy of Indonesia is the Indonesian Festival “Pesta Rakyat” (Community Party), held at the Indonesian School in Wassenaar. This year, we will have it on September 6th, 2014. Everybody is welcome to the Festival, where you can taste various Indonesian traditional foods and enjoy its rich culture. 5. Do you have any idea how ma ny Indonesians are living in the Netherlands? In which sectors are they working? We have about 17,000 Indonesian nationals living in the Netherlands. On top of that, 10 percent of Dutch population has a connection with Indonesia. This number is very significant and is an asset for our bilateral relations with the Netherlands. They work in various professions such as medical doctors, nurses, IT, lecturers, designers, restaurant owners, etc.

an exchange between Dutch and Indonesian universities? We have over 1,500 Indonesian students studying in the Netherlands. Most of them are financed by the Government of Indonesia, and the rest are privately financed. The cooperation between Universities (U to U) is also mushrooming. To mention a few: Groningen University has a close contact with several universities in Indonesia. The Rector of Leiden University has recently visited Indonesia to strengthen cooperation with Universities in Indonesia. Indonesia cooperates with almost all universities in the Netherlands. The Indonesian Government also offers scholarships for Dutch Students. Interested parties can contact our Embassy for details and further information. 7. As a tourist, I know from experience that your country has many highlights. Can you tell our readers which are the most important ones? Indonesia is blessed with abundant natural beauty, with over 17,000 islands. The sun shines every day in Indonesia. Our beaches, mountains, rich cultures, and cuisine are ready to welcome you. At this very moment, the easiest and fastest way to go Indonesia is by plane. Our national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, will be flying non-stop from Amsterdam-Jakarta-Amsterdam starting from May 31st, 2014.

8. If you can describe your country in one sentence, what would you say? As the biggest economy in SEA, with a stable political system, the world’s third largest democracy, and rich cultural diversity, Indonesia is an excellent 6. Are there many Indonesian students partner for the Netherlands and for the studying in the Netherlands? Is there world.

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20-08-14 21:41

FEATURE

14 | SEPTEMBER 2014

Urban Farming: Developing against its roots

Gare Du Nord

It has never been more popular to grow your own vegetables. How did this movement start? SOPHIE RIJNAARDS takes a closer look. “So yeah, I just feel so much closer to my food, with these cute basil pots on my balcony. Last week, we even saw our first cherry tomato plant pop up!” “Oh wow,” her friend squeaks, “God, yes. You’re almost like…” – pause – “…an urban farmer!” And as the skinny blonde woman and her amazed friend talk on, they walk towards the exit of the Albert Heijn–supermarket in Middelburg, their reusable grocery-bags loaded with organic tomatoes, unsweetened almond-milk, and MSC-labeled salmon. When hearing these kinds of conversations in the supermarket, it seems like everybody with a feel for food is urban farming one way or another. But is everyone with edible plants on his balcony an urban farmer? Its rapid rise in popularity in the last few years has led to multiple definitions of urban agriculture and has changed the motives behind the practice. Home-grown tomatoes may have become evidence of the urban self-conscious devotion to health and care for the planet. If we, by now, consider plants on a balcony urban farming, perhaps it’s time to review the basics. Vegetable gardens in and around the city are nothing new: even before the age of the pre-packaged fruit-salads, city dwellers had to eat. Still, the trend called ‘Urban Farming’ presents this phenomenon as something new, sustainable, and hip. It shows that traditional (conventional) practices can count on renewed attention when recycled and presented as being sustainable: the earth is decaying and it’s our fault, so we better do something about it. If growing tomatoes in a garden the size of a stamp can make you a self-proclaimed urban farmer, and thus help you play your part in saving the world, that’s what you’ll do. Although the simple practice of cultivating veggies in an urban environment may be a fundamental aspect of most ‘traditional’ definitions of urban farming, there is more to it. The ‘traditional’, basic descriptions of urban farming all share one basic thought, which is exemplified by the initiators of the Five Borough Farm project in New York City (Authentic

tht_september_2014_RV.indd 14

Urban Agriculture since 2009). They define urban agriculture as “growing fruits, herbs and vegetables, and raising animals in cities.” This process is accompanied by many other complementary activities meant to educate, organize and employ local residents. The additional activities indicate the true purpose of modern urban farming: educating urbanites about what they buy in the supermarket. After all, once you know where food comes from you might also be more hesitant to waste it. This is the intention of first-generation urban farmers everywhere, not only in New York. In Middelburg, where urban agriculture is also catching on, urban farmer Ard van de Kreeke agrees. Together with his wife Esther, he has been cultivating organic crops just outside the city since 2009. His farm, ‘T Hof Welgelegen, is one-of-a-kind in this branch, as it combines the cultivation of crops with haute cuisine diners, a weekly vegetable bag service, and provision of fresh vegetables to the local Food Bank. Ard believes that urban farming could be the solution to an ongoing problem he calls “the degeneration of the consumer”. “When I have high school students visit my farm, they don’t know why they are there: a farmer doesn’t mean much to them as they “only eat fast food”. So, I ask them:‘But, what are your fries made of?’ ‘Potatoes.’ ‘And where does that potato come from?’ ‘..Oh. Right. From a Farm.’” Urban farming could be the answer to the declining public knowledge about food. “Conventional agriculture ‘went wrong’ by removing itself from the consumer: nobody knows anything anymore,” he says. Urban agriculture has potential to reverse this process of alienation and bring the production of food back to the consumer. That’s what van de Kreeke tries to do. “I am an urban farmer: I grow crops close to the city, with urban consumers in mind. So they may realize that food production involves more than factories.” And he is not alone: the educational purpose of urban farming is gaining even more ground in the Randstad. In larger cities in the Netherlands, urban farming reaches across

all layers of the population. One of the successful initiatives is Kook Met Mij Mee (Cook with Me), a cooking school for children in the North of Rotterdam. Hans Kerzevee and Pinar Coskun started this small business in 2010 in order to educate the neighborhood’s youngest residents about a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of plant-based foods. Urban farming fits this picture well; fastfood and sweets don’t grow on trees, thus teaching children about gardening automatically encourages them to eat whole, healthy foods. What started in 2010 has grown into a lot more: Pinar and Hans have introduced weekly kids’ activities in the neighborhood and established two community gardens in which residents can grow and harvest their own crops. Since this year, one of the two gardens functions as the décor of Gare du Nord, a small restaurant in an old train carriage from 1980 Eastern Germany, where Pinar serves vegan daily menus made with local, seasonal, and 100% organic ingredients. In one of the less-well-off neighborhoods of Rotterdam, the urban farming aspect of Gare du Nord made the restaurant more than just a fancy place to eat. Locals can now cheaply enjoy organically grown herbs and small crops they would not be able to afford otherwise. At 20 euros for a daily menu, the prices have been kept modest to make sure local residents can also enjoy the food they’ve grown themselves, and take part in a vivid community life which was not there in 2010. Both Hans and Pinar are convinced of the positive effects of their projects: “We have seen crime rates go down as people get more involved with the ‘greening up’ of their neighborhood. Green space is essential for urban wellbeing.” The examples of ‘t Hof Welgelegen in Middelburg, and Gare du Nord in Rotterdam show that most forms of farming in the city start out small, and maybe even thrive best that way. Ard’s farm in Middelburg is one of the (very) few urban farming initiatives outside the Randstad, and Ard likes to keep his business connected to area, thus smaller than it could be. In Rotterdam, a big city, projects

remain small as well. Community gardens and other projects involving urban farming are inspired by each other, but are not necessarily linked: they do not grow beyond the neighborhood in which they were founded. Keeping urban agriculture as local – and thus as small – as possible seems the key to success: the larger the organization, the less people are able to directly enjoy what they grow and the less they are directly involved. Acceptance and acknowledgement of such small-scale urban agriculture does not necessarily exclude growing tomatoes on your balcony from the concept of urban farming – keeping it simple – but neither does it reveal that urban agriculture can also grow into something more advanced than a cozy gathering of green-thumbed neighbors pottering around in the dirt. While independent farmers like van de Kreeke and urban farmers in Rotterdam and New York are getting more success and attention, high-tech development industries are also trying to grab a share of the successes of urban farming, by preaching a dream-like future of sustainable urban production. To make that dream come true, high-tech urban farming has developed into a branch of the technological industry which takes on a lot more than solely growing vegetables between buildings. New LED technology, especially designed for urban agriculture, allows farmers to grow small crops such as strawber-

ries, bell peppers and lettuce in empty office buildings. This new technology introduces plant production units, which allow crops to grow on top of each other in empty, dark office buildings: LED lights make plants grow efficiently, sustainable, and without much human attention or care. In these cases, urban farming is defined as vertical farming: “cultivation and distribution of crops in an urban environment, on the basis of innovative technology”. Vertical farming allows new agricultural land to be created out of thin air, or rather, up in the air: such ‘Vegetable Skyscrapers’ could feed small neighborhoods and city blocks, and by doing so, reduce transport, distribution, and environmental damage. For those in search of a sustainable future, vertical farming indeed seems the one way to go, but van de Kreeke is skeptical about the universal applicability of high-tech urban agriculture. In his opinion, it is not always necessary. He doesn’t see the point of starting unnecessarily difficult and expensive projects to grow your lettuce on a roof, especially in the Netherlands,. “Why choose the hard way?” he wonders. “If you move one kilometer from the city center of Middelburg, you’re already in the countryside! In a country like the Netherlands, which is described by keywords like ‘flat’, ‘cows’ and ‘wide grasslands in between cities’, technology is not required to maximize food

landscaping interventions

22-08-14 09:04

FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 15

Kook Met Mij Mee

production of urban agriculture.” Rural areas are never too far away, not even in Dutch metropolitan areas like the Randstad. While high-tech urban agriculture could indeed be the future of food production in densely populated metropolises such as New York or Toronto (where urban farmers have gained substantial foothold), Dutch urban agriculture projects are too often initiated only for the fun of growing your veggies on your roof. With the popularity of urban farming on the rise, nothing seems to shout ‘young, hip, and fashionable’ more than an office-building with a public garden on top. The question whether that is truly necessary is of lesser importance. While relatively simple do-it-yourself gardening projects are celebrated for their social and educational features, high-tech urban farming – the development on the other side of the spectrum – transforms an interactive mode of education into one of the many profit-oriented industries, which pick up sustainability on their journey to blow food production up to unnecessary, but cost-effective proportions. This process could be called worrisome at least, as the introduction of new technology in the process of food production is exactly what modern urban farming tries to avoid. In the end, the goal is to create awareness of the simplicity of a close-to-home food system, or at least, to show how simple food systems can

tht_september_2014_RV.indd 15

Gare Du Nord

be. Escalation of the process of ‘technification’ of urban agriculture could reverse all its effects and bring us back to the starting point, where food production is a modern age mystery, only closer to home. Although large technology firms like Philips and AeroFarms (“the commercial leader in urban agriculture”) are not likely to see the problem in such a collective lack of awareness, it would undo all efforts of today’s urban farmers. Overall, we want to understand the origins of our food in a production system characterized by a continuous strife for efficiency and sustainability. These desires don’t necessarily contradict, but will need some supervision to not overrun each other: use of technology is acceptable when necessary, but undesirable if not. As urban farming can make the trip from field to fork shorter, it can also make the production of food more sustainable than any biodegradable, high-tech, LED light solution ever could. Therefore, in the end, it might be best to keep it simple and eat your veggies. dwindling water culture in the Netherlands also has something to do with a lack of interest in swimming? Have the Dutch out-grown Swimming? In 2002, 21 percent of the population made it a point to hit the water at least once a month, compared to 18

per-ent today. Swimming pools are seeing fewer visitors than in years past and the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation (Koninklijke Nederlandse Zwem Bond, KNZB) membership is at a low. And according to the Algemeen Dagblad, just one out of six parents finds it imperative that their children receive all three swim diplomas. But it’s not all gloom and doom. Zwemmen in Nederland reports that 93 percent of citizens think that public swimming pools should be one of the core offerings in every municipality. The report goes on to say that residents place more importance on public pools than they do on public libraries or city parks. According to I&O Research following the municipal elections this year, 77 percent of voters expressed that they will not tolerate further budget cuts where public libraries, community centers, or public swimming pools are concerned. And that’s not forgetting the one in five who do swim at least once a month, claiming that doing so is crucial to good health and reduced risk of injury. Swimming for Survival So perhaps it’s not the end of the swimming culture in the Netherlands. But there’s still the issue of the increase in drowning incidents in this country, particularly when it comes to young children.

Enter Kara Bos, who, through her company, Swim4Survival, teaches self-rescue skills to children from crawlers to age four. An expat from the United States, Bos started her company in 2013 after completing her training in her home country. The idea came to her as she was scrolling through the Amsterdam Mama’s Facebook page. “Someone had posted a video of a toddler falling into a swimming pool, swimming back up to the surface, and turning onto his back,” Bos says. “I was absolutely amazed by it and wanted to find out where my son learn these skills. To my utter disbelief, there was nothing like this available here. For such a water-rich country, I couldn’t believe there wasn’t anyone teaching it.” Drowning is the number one cause of death in the Netherlands for children under the age of four. While the Netherlands does offer baby swimming courses with lots of singing and playing, they fail to teach any real survival skills. Most swimming courses for children take place once a week in a large group. At such a rate and with such wide gaps in between classes, it can take a child a year or more to learn to swim. This means that children are becoming safe in the water far too late. Bos speculates that a greater frequency of lessons would have a dramatic impact on swimming proficien-

cy. It certainly works for her students who learn to swim in as little as four weeks. It was the promise of these survival skills in combination with the intensity of the program that drew Janet Tuinstra to Swim4Survival. Both of her children were too young to begin traditional Dutch swimming classes but she liked the idea of them knowing how to float on their own in case of an accident. “One of the scariest things I read was that kids can drown in just a little bit of water in a frighteningly short period of time,” Tuinstra says. “With two small children, you’re constantly trying to keep an eye on both of them. All it would take is one of them getting out of sight for a moment and accidentally falling into water. I want them to know how to float and be able to cry for help. That might be the very thing that saves their lives.” Bos stresses that these skills also help babies from six months onward to overcome their fear of water, learn to respect water, and have fun in the water as a result of their new-found independence. “At the end of the four weeks, Kara stood at the edge of the pool and threw my children in with their winter clothes on – shoes and all,” Tuinstra recalls. “There was no one else in the water. I’m still surprised that I let her do it. But they knew how to save themselves. And they did.”

22-08-14 09:04

DIPLOMATIC

16 | SEPTEMBER 2014

VIETNAM: A COUNTRY WITH MANY OPPORTUNITIES

On September 2, Vietnam will celebrate its National Day. On this occasion, Nanda Jagusiak interviews the Ambassador of Viet Nam, H.E. Nguyen Van Doan. 1. On September 4th, 2013, you presented your credentials to H.M. King Willem-Alexander. How have you experienced living in the Netherlands since then? Yes, I had the honor to present my credentials to H.M. King WillemAlexander last year; it was a wonderful experience. Twenty years ago, I studied at the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, and I’ve been to many countries, but the Netherlands is my favorite country. Your country is highly developed and the people are very friendly. Viet Nam and the Netherlands share many similarities that make them become natural partners. I believe that we could do much to intensively extend the existing relations between the two countries.

In 1986, we launched a process of political and economic reforms, called Doi Moi, aiming at moving from a centrally planned economy to a socialist-oriented market economy. This new policy encouraged the establishment of private businesses and foreign direct investment (FDI), including foreign-owned enterprises, the removal of domestic trade barriers and the creation of a more open economy and promotion of exportled industries. As a result, we have reduced poverty and achieved high growth rates. For the period from 2011 to 2013, in spite of some difficulties, we managed to maintain micro-economic stability, keep inflation to 6%, and record a growth rate of 5.6%. Export turnover was 132 billion USD (in 2013), and to2. In 2013, the Netherlands and Viet tal FDI reached 250 billion USD. Nam were celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations. Were there 4. The Netherlands is the biggest special activities organized for this European investor in Viet Nam. celebration? Which sectors are the Dutch investViet Nam and the Netherlands ing in? established diplomatic relations in The Netherlands is always among 1973. Over the past 40 years, we have the top European economic partners witnessed a robust development in of Viet Nam. So far, Dutch FDI in the friendship and multifaceted coop- Viet Nam has reached 6.29 billion eration between the two countries. To USD with 192 projects. The Dutch mark this date, we exchanged a num- are investing mainly in infrastrucber of high-ranking visits and pub- ture, food sector, agriculture, energy, lished a book entitled “Viet Nam – shipbuilding, and logistics. Known as Netherlands, 40 years of cooperation the most efficient and profitable are and towards the future”. Last year, the the companies Nedspice, Friesland Netherlands successfully organized Campina, Damen Shipyards, Heineka “Holland Village” in Ho Chi Minh en, Unilever, Shell, and Phillips. City, and in September, we plan to have “Viet Nam Days” in Amsterdam. 5. Which are the import and export products between the two coun3. How is the economical situation tries? in your country at the moment, and The Netherlands is Viet Nam’s what is meant by the Doi Moi re- third biggest European market. In form program? 2013, trade volume between the

tht_september_2014_RV.indd 16

two countries increased to 3.62 billion USD (in 2012, it was at 3.2 billion USD). We export textile and garments, footwear, agro-products (seafood, cashew nuts, coffee, black pepper), electronic components, wood products, and handicraft. We import machines and equipment, chemicals, steel, milk, and other dairy products from the Netherlands. 6. Since 2010, Viet Nam and the Netherlands have been working on a Delta Plan for the Mekong delta. Did this already result in concrete infrastructure works? We signed a strategic partnership arrangement on climate change adaptation and water management in 2010, in which the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP) constitutes an important part. During his recent visit to Viet Nam (June of 2014), Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung co-chaired a summit conference on the MDP. We’ve agreed on the road map and 19 sub-projects within this plan, calling for ODA from our development partners. 7. Are there many ethnic groups and religions in Viet Nam? Are they all living peacefully next to each other? Viet Nam is a multi-ethnic country with 54 ethnic groups, each with its own language, lifestyle, and cultural heritage. Kinh (Viet) is the largest ethnic group, which makes up 86.2% of the population. There are many religions in Viet Nam, such as Buddhism (16.4%), Roman Catholicism (8.2%), Caodaism, Hoa Hao, and Islam. According to our Constitution, all Vietnamese people, believing or non-be-

lieving, have a right to equality and other tourist attractions in Viet Nam, to living peacefully next to each oth- such as Trang An (96 km from Ha er. Their rights are protected by law. Noi), Hoi An (at the central coast of Viet Nam) - both are recognized as 8. The Ha Long Bay is considered world heritage sites by UNESCO; as the eighth World Wonder. Can Nha Trang, capital of the Khanh Hoa you tell me about the Ha Long Bay? province, on the South central coast Which other tourist attractions can of Viet Nam; Da Lat, capital of the you recommend to our readers? Lam Dong province on the central Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf highlands; and Ho Chi Minh city. of Tonkin, in the north-east of Viet Nam, is 165 km from the capital, 9. Are there many tourists visiting Ha Noi. Covering an area of 43,400 your country? ha and including over 1,600 isAccording to the latest informalands, most of which are uninhab- tion from the Ministry of Culture, ited and unaffected by humans, it Sport, and Tourism of Viet Nam, the forms a spectacular landscape. The tourist sector has increased by 20% outstanding value of this beautiful during the first half of 2014 when area gives it a high ranking in the compared with the same period last UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Be- year. Next year we hope to receive sides Ha Long Bay, there are a lot of over 7.5 million foreign tourists.

22-08-14 09:03

TECHNOLOGY

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 17

WORK SIMULATOR SYSTEM HELPS WITH WORK REINTEGRATION

Photo: TEDxHagueAcademy

Most of us are able to go to work every day, and don’t think twice about it. However, that doesn’t apply to everyone. TRACEY TAYLOR discovers more. The Adelante Care Group is an organization based in Southern Limburg that currently employs over 1,000 healthcare professionals at centers in Hoensbroek (Head Office), Valkenburg, Heerlen, Maastricht, SittardGeleen, Roermond, and Venlo. All of these centers work in close collaboration both with each other and with other healthcare facilities – such as regional hospitals – in order to provide help and support to clients from around the country. Adelante is an international center of expertise in the fields of rehabilitation, employment reintegration, audiology, and special education. Clients of Adelante can count on receiving treatment that is based on the latest scientific and clinical insights. At the Adelante Care Group center in Hoensbroek, one of the specialized departments offers specific rehabilita-

tion programs to clients who may be recovering from an accident or an industrial (work-related) injury, or who are recuperating from an illness. The objective is for them to be able to keep their job (even if it is at a diminished capacity) or indeed, to re-enter the work force again after a period of absence. Prompted by the referral of a company doctor and employer, an Assessment Team from this “Adult and Vocational Rehabilitation” department will assume the role of neutral party offering objective advice and helping in the search for the best way to get back on the road to reintegration within the work place. During this process, the Adelante healthcare professional and the client form a close bond – a process which emphasizes possibilities as opposed to limitations. Each step taken is based on the Adelante Care Group motto: “Be the best you can be!”

The ongoing and continuing advancement of science and technology has stimulated a natural evolution within the Adelante Care Group. In early September of 2014, the center in Hoensbroek became the first, and currently the only, healthcare organization to house an ERGOS® II™ Work Simulator System. The ERGOS® I™ had already been in use for 20 years. The ERGOS® II™ Work Simulator System (developed by Simwork Systems in the USA) is fundamentally a computer-controlled work performance assessment tool that uses ground-breaking technology, modern touch-screen components, and various built-in testing protocols to evaluate and measure functional capacities and physical actions associated with a particular job or work performance. It also contains a special database called “DOT” (Dictionary of Occupa-

tional Titles) which holds an overview of 14,000 job descriptions and corresponding physical requirements and other demands. The system development also takes valuable classification knowledge from the “National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health” (NIOSH) and the work study analysis technique “Method Time Measurement” (MTM) into account. The technology of the ERGOS® II™ Work Simulator System is based on job simulation principles, which allow an evaluator or therapist to record standardized observations through a series of tests (e.g. work sampling, job tryout, and psychometric testing) which will compare a client’s capabilities with the established demands of a particular job – be it the physical demands of the job, or the amount of time required to complete a specific task or tasks.

The assessments are supported by ergonomics and engineering measurement science, and methodologies such as functionality, the unity of the human body and general work performance. After a client has undergone an assessment using the ERGOS® II™ Work Simulator System – in combination with the expert examination and analysis of an Adelante therapist/ evaluator – the system determines the client’s capacity to obtain and/ or continue working at a certain job, and provides (non-biased) test results which may include a proposal in terms of a more suitable job - or indeed, a potential or required change for the current job. The key objective is to find a balanced and subsequent (individual) approach/plan for each and every client, so that they feel comfortable and encouraged to take the necessary steps forward with the aim of achieving a better quality of (working) life in a job suitable to their needs and capabilities. Adelante Care group used the previous version of the system with good results, but Dutch legislation remained skeptical regarding this type of system. After all, the person submitted to the test is able to influence the results to a certain extent, especially if they are not too keen on being tested. The system can only measure the situation at the time of the test. It can, therefore, not indicate any long-term limitations, which could improve or deteriorate with time. The therapist or healthcare provider can of course monitor the test and the client, and keep statistics of the progress of previous clients in order to determine the most likely outcome. However, recovery is influenced by many factors including motivation and willpower. The law states that the right to benefits depends on objective measurement of the limitations. The previous version of this type of system has not been sufficiently accurate to make the results legally binding, because time and the client are able to influence the system results. Monitoring the results and repeated tests can minimize these issues. That makes the new ERGOS® II™ Work Simulator System the next step towards objective measurement of the physical capabilities of (partially) disabled people, and towards helping them find appropriate work options.

Apple chargers An EU ruling will force all smartphone manufacturers to use microUSB chargers from 2017 - potentially causing trouble for Apple, the International Business Times reports. MEPs have approved a draft law which states that a common charger should be used for all mobile phones sold in the EU by 2017 and while the legislation still has to be approved by the European Council of Ministers, it has already given its informal consent to the new laws. Member states will be given until 2016 to introduce the rules into their national laws with smartphone and tablet manufacturers given an additional year to comply. This is just the latest attempt by the EU to introduce a common charger standard, and rapporteur Barbara Weiler believes the move will help the environment as well as consumers: “This serves the interests both of consumers and the environment. It will put an end to charger clutter and 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually”

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It means that any smartphone or tablet sold within the EU will all have to use the same type of charger, with microUSB as the model of choice. While microUSB has become a virtual standard across most new smartphones which come on the market these days, there are still some manufacturers holding out - with Apple as the most obvious offender. Apple currently uses two proprietary ports on its iPhone, iPad and iPod devices - the older 30-pin charger and the new lightning charger, which was introduced in 2012 with the iPhone 5. While the iPhone 6 - which Apple is expected to launch later this year - won’t have to change under EU law, the ruling could see Apple take a proactive decision to introduce microUSB as standard ahead of its hand being forced in 2017. If Apple didn’t want to give up using its proprietary ports, it could possibly get around the legislation by including a lightningto-microUSB adaptor in the box with every new iPhone, iPad or iPod.

22-08-14 09:05

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Enjoy, Discover and Learn at the DRONGO festival

crash courses - interactive labs - lectures & debate - childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program - workshops information market - language theatre

Celebrate multilingualism with:

Adriaan van Dis, Kirby van de Merwe, Pieter Muysken, Antonella Sorace, Job Cohen, Mardjan Seighali, Abdelkader Benali, Anuar, Akwasi, Van Dale Gouden Talenknobbel, and others.

OBA, [Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam] Centrale Bibliotheek Oosterdokskade 143, Amsterdam

10:00 to 17:00 hours FREE ENTRANCE DRONGO festival is accessible to non-Dutch speakers. Several programmes are in English and/or have no language barrier, including many of the activities for children

www.drongofestival.nl Drongofestival

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@Drongofest

20-08-14 21:00

ARTS & CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 19

The DRONGO Festival of Multilingualism is back

The DRONGO Festival of Multilingualism is back and it’s better than ever! Now in its third year, this September 27 will herald the arrival of an even bigger and better festival, with a wide variety of talks, workshops and events for all ages. The DRONGO Festival started out three years ago, as a small idea of Maaike Verrips of de Taalstudio in Amsterdam. She had a vision of a festival that celebrated the multilingual nature of Amsterdam, and promoted the benefits of speaking more than one language. It is an unfortunate fact that multilingualism does not always get good press in the Netherlands, and many people deem it a “problem” rather than the resource that it is. This impacts not only multilingual adults, who can be labeled by limitations, but also children, who are often faced with negative attitudes in schools and in the community. In fact, multilingualism is almost always ben-

eficial, linguistically, cognitively and socially, and should be encouraged and nurtured carefully. To promote awareness of these benefits, and of the value of all languages, the idea of the DRONGO Festival was born. The multilingual drongo bird, who can imitate the “language” of other birds, was the inspiration for the name of the festival, and its logo and mascot. In its first edition in September of 2012, DRONGO welcomed over 700 visitors to two floors of the Amsterdam Public Library (OBA). Although it was a small event, the enthusiasm of the participants and visitors inspired the DRONGO team to aim higher for 2013. The second edition in September of 2013 welcomed upwards of 7,000 visitors to events spread over seven floors at the library. Events as diverse as interpreting, speed language lessons, and multilingual singing provided something interesting for every visitor. For the first

time there was a dedicated children’s program, led by the first “A Very Multilingual Caterpillar” readathon, with 11 readers representing 12 languages and a variety of language-based activities in the Multilingual Children’s Lab. So what is new and improved, and what is tried and true at the DRONGO Festival this year? The theme this year is “Languages for your future” (Talen voor je toekomst). This theme is carried through a series of talks and workshops focusing on the brain and career benefits of being bilingual/multilingual. Professor Antonella Sorace (University of Edinburgh) is a renowned researcher and advocate for parents raising bilingual children. She founded “Bilingualism Matters”, an organization dedicated to helping parents understand and stimulate successful bilingualism for their children. She will be giving a talk (in English) on “Investing in Mul-

For the little multilinguals there is an exciting program of workshops in the Children’s Lab and reading and storytelling activities in the Annie G. Schmidt Theater. The headliners this year are Abdelkader Benali, reprising his much-appreciated session on “The most beautiful word” and a bilingual story session with Amsterdam Mamas and Diglot Books. In the lab the children can learn Chinese calligraphy, write a story, participate in multilingual theater activities, learn about children around the world with a multilingual app from One Globe Kids, and do speed language lessons in many languages with students from the European School Bergen. At DRONGO 2013, the “A Very Multilingual Caterpillar” readathon was one of the most popular events for parents and children. To a standing-room only audience, readers gave their version of this iconic children’s classic in their own languages, and children and adults alike were entranced. To make it possible for more people to participate, as readers and as audience, the Caterpillar will be presented twice this year. The morning session will be kicked off by Job Cohen, former Mayor of Amsterdam and present Chair of the Board of the OBA. His Dutch reading will be followed by readings in many other languages, and audience members will be encouraged to participate with their own language if they choose. The seminal reader at the afternoon session will be Abdelkader Benali, reading in Dutch, Berber, and English, and then followed again by readers in other languages. DRONGO is a festival for all who are multilingual and multicultural. It is a place to celebrate our differences and similarities and learn from each other. It is a place to try out your basic Dutch or show off your great Italian, and see if Spanish just might be the language for you. And it is a place where everyone shares in the joy of using languages, the joy (and sometimes pain!) of learning languages, and the joy of sharing our language with others.

tilingualism: Benefits and challenges” in the main theater. The Dutch program includes a talk on “Multilingual School, Multifaceted Students” (Meertalige School, Veelzijdge Leerlingen) and workshops on language learning, multilingual cities, and speech and language therapy for multilingual children. But DRONGO is not all about serious learning; it is also about having fun. Speed language lessons give visitors the opportunity to try languages as diverse as Chinese, Arabic, Dutch Sign Language, Frisian, Papiamentu, or Turkish. You can try your talents in the interpreter’s booth, or participate in a multilingual reading on the open podium. Alongside the day’s program What: The DRONO Festival of Multiis the Information Market, where exlingualism hibitors will show their products and Where: The Amsterdam Public Liservices related to language learning brary (OBA), Oosterdokskade and teaching, and you could buy a 143, Amsterdam new Dutch text book or find a new When: September 27, 2014, Spanish teacher. 10:00-17:00

Short Film Special in Hilversum Local film producer Perry Mulder will be showing several of his shorts during a special movie night in the Euro cinema in Hilversum. ASHLEY COWLES has the details.

Perry Mulder, 29, from Hilversum will be organizing a special movie night at the old JT Cinema on the Hilversum market square. The cinema, which is scheduled to be demolished in the near future, will be showing several short films at this event - all

tht_september_2014_RV.indd 19

of which have been produced by or in cooperation with his company, Perry Mulder Productions. However, the movie night will not end there. After the screening, all guests will be treated to the Hilversum Horror Nights. Perry Mulder Productions is involved

in the Horror Nights organization, and is very excited to show his guests these freaky haunted houses. This unique premiere night is planned for the weekend of September 13 (more information available on www.perrymulderproductions.com) at 6 pm. The event serves as a form of crowdfunding for PMP. Perry Mulder is currently planning another great and challenging project, and would like to use the premiere night’s profits to create a trailer for a movie he is planning to make. The trailer will then be used for a Kickstarter campaign to really make this movie happen. After being screened at the event, the short films will be sent to several film festivals. One of the shorts will also be used in an educational program for a cluster of schools. Its theme is ‘inspirational’, and it can be used to make difficult subjects easier to talk about in school. Perry Mulder Productions is all about “the experience”, which is very important to Perry Mulder. That’s one of the reasons why he decided to host

this premiere. He doesn’t “just” ask people to donate, but really wants to offer them an experience they won’t forget. Perry Mulder: “By organizing an event instead of asking for money, I’m giving people something tangible. I just hope everyone will have the night of their lives!” Besides making movies, PMP is also involved in several events. For example, he helps out during the Horror Nights, and is a presenter for many events. He also organizes promotional activities for things like the Dutch release of popular TV series “Dexter”, as well as the famous Warner Bros. movie “World War Z”. In addition to his production no activities, Perry Mulder has also acted in several movies and short films. One thing is for sure: whenever Perry Mulder is involved, things are bound to get interesting. This premiere event and haunted house night is an experience you won’t want to miss out on. Perry Mulder: “See you there!”

Imagination creation Imagination is is creation

www.perrymulderproductions.com

22-08-14 12:50

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REVIEWS

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 21

FOOD: BORSCHT AND THE UNIVERSE

film REVIEW

Borscht and the Universe: In the Land of Pizza

The Trip to Italy

Photo: stlbites.com Odd, the way our travels take on themes. This year, we’d hardly settled in at Newark airport to wait for Jennifer to pick us up when She Good Woman disappeared and then surprised us with steaming slices of pizza, which ended up providing an organizing principle for this year’s journey through the Home of the Free and the Land of the Brave. When we weren’t fretting and mourning over the events in Gaza, we were contemplating this most elemental of foods. Grandma and Grandpa took us to Pepe’s, which is a Connecticut legend, and rightly so--they serve up huge sheets of the stuff in mere minutes, due to the intense heat of their wood-fired ovens. The only real competitor with the original Pepe’s, in New Haven, is an establishment called Sally’s, which happened to be the favorite of our next hosts, Simon and Kate, who have built a massive

brick oven on their compound in Topsham, Vermont. Their pizzas took much of the day to prepare but only a minute to cook, due to this incredible oven’s ability to take the heat, hold it, and then give it back. Needless to say, the results were divine: all business on the bottom, total party on the top. Getting a permit for such an oven in the Netherlands would no doubt cost too much in money and time even for most enthusiasts, but pizza is perfectly possible to make at home. Start with a pinch of sugar, two teaspoons of powdered yeast, and half a liter of warm water. Mix them together and let it stand for a few minutes, until it starts to foam. Add two teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil and then mix in 200 grams of flour. Knead vigorously for five minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth and no longer sticks to your fingers (otherwise add some extra flour) or falls apart into pieces (otherwise add some extra water). Let it rise for an hour and preheat your oven to 260 degrees. Roll out and stretch the dough and place it on a pizza stone if you have it, though a sturdy pan will do. Add your sauce (beware: use much less sauce then you think is necessary, or you’ll end up with a gloppy mess) and toppings. Margherita, with tomato sauce, fresh basil, and mozzarella is always the best, but anything you have in the fridge inevitably works. You might consider more exotic ingredients, like fontina or ricotta or feta cheese, or figs or dates--and while enjoying the results, why not get started on a theme for next summer? (Il Pacifico)

careers, and families. They add a layer of humor by both indulging in many impersonations of actors and famous film characters. Whereas The Trip centered on the Romantic poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, in The Trip to Italy, Steve and Rob’s literary interests are mostly Byron and Shelley, and occasionally Casanova. As they drive around Italy, the scenery reveals a stunning countryside and coastal area. The hotel rooms are richly decorated and the dishes are absolutely gorgeous. Yet, despite the film being about a culinary trip, the food seems to be subjected to the conversations between Steve and Rob, as there is little attention paid to the exact ingredients of the various dishes and their flavors. Perhaps the film is less about the purpose of the trip and more about the thoughts and ideas of its protagonists. Both actors perform sublimely, and their chemistry is quite entertaining. The dialogues are rather long and hold many references to movies like The Dark Knight Rises, Roman Holida,y or The Godfather, which are indeed very witty and funny to those familiar with the plot and lines of those movies, but to one unfamiliar with it, they can be slightly boring. The film will amuse its audience very highly if they can appreciate details about Shelley and Byron’s life, great impersonations, and anecdotes about a variety of movies. Those who anticipate a sneak peek into the finest restaurants of Italy will probably be slightly disappointed.

Considered to be a follow-up to The Trip by Michael Winterbottom – which took actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as their semi-fictionalized selves around a culinary trip of Northern England – The Trip to Italy takes both Steve and Rob as well as the viewer along on a culinary trip through Italy. They were sent by The Observer to taste the finest Italian food in Piedmont, Liguria, Tuscany, Rome, Campania, and Capri, and to enjoy the luxury of grand hotels in the those cities. While nibbling on pasta and sipping wine, they share long conversations about their lives, (RATNA MARAPIN)

music

book REVIEW

the first stEP

The Selected Letters of Elia Kazan

Who would have thought that all you need to make great music is a guitar (Guido Schotten, the Netherlands), a pandeiro (Bernt Nellen, Germany), an amazing rapper (Donnie Adams, United States) and a great friendship? Frequently accompanied by Shishani Vranckx’ (Namibia) enchanting voice and Mark Nieuwenhuis’ (the Netherlands) melodic trumpet, “The Soul Travelers navigate the musicverse with a transient ensemble sharing an acoustic sound of poetic raps wrapped in fabrics of folk, soul, and fun.” Eight unique songs from five friends who embarked on a magical musical journey during a trip to Namibia about six months ago, creating a band that is here to stay and is quickly ex-

panding its audience and creative activity. One of the best upcoming bands in town, The Soul Travelers offer a unique experience, capturing their audience in the present and hypnotizing with their unique music and lyrics. A medley of sophisticated prose and poetry, with influences spanning Yasiin Bey, Alan Watts, and Joseph Campbell’s ‘the hero’s journey’, the music guides the audience on a journey into the self. “Everywhere I look, I see a little part of me / it’s like I’m part of everything and everything is part of me / sometimes I got this feeling searching on the quest to find my own / something’s pushing me to go / I gotta step inside the glow,” Shishani sings, inviting the audience to join the band in a Soul Traveling, gradually driving the spectators to a Road to Grow and a New Age to arrive at a soul searching, self-daring and personal evolution. Subtly blending different music genres in an attempt to drive the collective energy forward, The Soul Travelers have - as one of the band’s fans pointed out -the opportunity to unite generations, bringing together listeners of diverse ages and cultures, all in one place, in one unique performance, where the only thing the audience is asked to do is just ‘be’ and live in the moment. Stay tuned for shows and performances by checking out the band’s website at http://www.goalmusicgroup.com/thesoultravelers. Don’t miss the opportunity to get a copy of ‘the first stEP’, available exclusively at The Soul Travelers’ shows, and keep traveling… (ATHENA ZAPOUNIDI)

Edited by Albert J. Devlin with Marlene J. Devlin Knopf

Photo: Jack Manning New York Times Was Elia Kazan the most significant figure in the performing arts in America in the twentieth century? Then why have we forgotten about the man who introduced us to Marlon Brando, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Warren Beatty, and Paul Newman, the man who (more than any other director) was responsible for making sure that our lives were changed by Thornton Wilder, Arthur Miller, and Tennessee Williams? It turns out we haven’t forgotten Kazan at all, though for perhaps all the wrong reasons. When Kazan received an honorary Oscar at the 1999 Academy Awards, a controversy erupted over whether to celebrate a man who in 1952 had “named names” before the Congressional Committee investigating communist subversion in the American entertainment world. Perhaps this massive volume of his correspondence will restore some balance to the reputation of this fascinating figure, born in Constantinople in 1909 to a Greek family from Anatolia. Kazan

RESTAURANT REVIEW

grew up in New York and refused to follow his father into the family carpet business. Instead, he headed to the famed Group Theater, which put him onstage in Clifford Odets’s Waiting for Lefty. But it was as a director on Broadway and Hollywood that he gained fame, giving us The Skin of Our Teeth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Gentleman’s Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Death of a Salesman. And then politics got in the way. As these letters make clear, Kazan had never been much of a political radical. At best (or worst) he was a fellow traveler before his brief membership in the Communist Party in the mid-1930s. By the 1940s, he was far too busy making his impact on stage and screen, thank goodness, and he did his best to recover from his embarrassing role in the Red-Baiting that swept across America in the early 1950s. And what a recovery it was: On the Waterfont, East of Eden, Baby Doll, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, and After the Fall. Kazan’s correspondence shows us what a classic immigrant personality he had: hard-working and never satisfied, personally or professionally. He wasn’t a great father or husband, which might have made for some thrilling epistolary moments. Alas, Kazan wasn’t a great writer (his seven novels are largely and justly forgotten), though there are moments of revealing intimacy with Tennessee Williams, and perhaps the best insight into Marilyn Monroe (they were lovers briefly) we are likely to get: “She was like all Charlie Chaplin’s heroes in one.” (JONATHAN GILL)

(ELIZABETH JOSS)

HofTrammm Tram Restaurant, The Hague Experience the all-new HofTrammm restaurant – The Hague’s first culinary tram in operation since May. HofTrammm offers a first-class dining experience through the heart of the city – travelling from Grote Kerk in the centre to the beach at Scheveningen and back again. The tram restaurant, model GTL8-1 number 3035 (the classic red and cream-coloured tram synonymous with The Hague) has been converted into a modern, sleek, black and gold number fully equipped and restored with amenities such as a chef’s kitchen and toilets for restaurant guests. Finishing touches include lit-up glass holders that allow the tram to turn corners without your drink dancing off the table; beautifully embroidered gold and white cotton napkins; a plush seating arrangement ideal for couples or parties of three or four; a ceiling panel with black and white historic photos of trams in The Hague; and other exquisite details. Onboard, guests can expect an outstanding 4-course plated dinner put together by well-known Dutch chef, Pierre Wind. The 4-course arrangement is currently on

tht_september_2014_RV.indd 21

special at €69.50 from now until September. It comprises a starter of Limburg Grottenham with grilled watermelon, mayonnaise, melon gazpacho and a salad of artichokes and green beans. The second course is a marinated fillet with fennel, orange and green onion served with dashi broth and bread. The main course consists uniquely of roast beef with coconut and chocolate together with a stew and side veggies. The final sweet dish is a combination of mousse, a peanut butter and chocolate lollipop and, strawberries. The meal culminates with a glass of HaagseBluf or a bit of Van Kleef liqueur. Wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks are also included in the price. Note that the menu changes according to the season. It is little wonder that the Hoftrammm Restaurant has the catch-phrase, ‘Ticket to Taste.’ This is an unforgettable, intimate dining experience, ideal for a romantic occasion or a celebration with those closest to you. Need I say that this is indeed a fulfilling trip to remember so enjoy the ride!

Photo: Hoff Trammmimes

Hof Trammm Restaurant info@hottrammm.nl http://www.hoftrammm.nl/

22-08-14 12:49

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20-08-14 21:03

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 23

What to watch this fall?

Amsterdam Six-Day

AMSTERDAM | Six evenings of international track cycling together with entertainment and plenty of food and beer are what make a Six-Day a truly unique sporting event. The Six-Day was born in England but rose to stellar heights in preWorld War II America. These days, most of the action on bikes with no brakes takes place in Europe. The Amsterdam Six will take place for the 12th time in the modern era, from October 27th until November 1st in the Amsterdam Velodrome.

Bike Motion Show

UTRECHT | Cycling enthusiasts from

all over the Netherlands will converge on Utrecht’s Jaarbeurs for the annual Bike Motion show. All the big names in performance cycling will be present, along with plenty of demonstrations and even a fashion show featuring the latest in velo-style. The Gerrie Kneteman Classic, to be staged on September 14th, is not only a fitting tribute to one of the greatest riders in Dutch history, but also a unique opportunity for weekend warriors to cycle in the hallowed confines of Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium.

Photo: Zen Whisk

Fall Running

Now that summer is on its way out, regular soccer competitions are starting back up. JOHN MAHNEN knows what’s on. One of the best -kept secrets of the Netherlands is that our cable television offers a true autumn cornucopia of sports. Football Soccer fans here are spoiled rotten by the variety of offerings, whether by national broadcasters, specialist sports channels or pay television. Figuring out where and when to watch can sometimes be a little vexing. Fear not! The Holland Times will set you straight. To begin with, the live action from the Dutch first division or Eredivisie is available on Fox as a surcharged cable offering, which will set you back about 12 euros a month. It is worthwhile to point out that Fox offers an app which will allow you to watch their premium content on your mobile device or tablet for no additional cost. If you just want to be able to follow the water cooler banter at the office on Monday mornings, the highlights as shown on the free-toair NOS Sunday evening programme ‘Studio Sport’ may be enough. Join the rest of the country with dinner in front of the telly for a for a TV dinner with a recap of all the weekend’s action. For the other European competitions, the offerings of Dutch cable television should be able to satisfy nearly all supporters without forcing you to venture off to dark sides of the internet or climbing rooftops to install satellite dishes. Naturally, the

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BBC and ZDF are the places to go for the English Premier League and the Bundesliga highlights and selected matches, but if you want more than MOTD and Sportstudio, you may have to do business with the good folks at UPC, Ziggo, and the like. Fox will be carrying live action from the EPL along with FA and League Cups, as well as Italy’s Serie A and Coppa Italia. Fox,. Sport 1, another premium offering, covers the Bundesliga as well as the top competitions from both Belgium and France. A subscription to Sport 1 will also give you plenty of golf, as well as NBA basketball once that season gets underway in November. For a German fussball fix, Eurosport is also home to the Bundesliga, albeit on their second channel, Eurosport 2. With no less than 5 live games per weekend in glorious HD, you’ll be getting your fair share of ‘Tor’! As you may know, Eurosport, as you may know, offers the possibility to switch to English commentary, providing you know your way around your television’s options menu. For an entirely different footy soccer experience, the Grand Final of the Australian Football League will also be featured on Eurosport 2 during the last weekend of September on Eurosport 2. If your idea of a proper football is more oval-shaped and played on

a gridiron, you’ve got some serious choices to make this season. For the past two years, the devilishly clever marketing execs at the National Football Leagues have made their incredible internet offering, Game Pass, available free of charge to users in the Netherlands. Figuring they have now developed a likely pool of giridiron junkies, they have thrown up a credit- card- operated turnstile at the front gate. Perhaps our first indication of how Commissioner Roger Goodell will grow the league to its target revenue of US$25 Bbillion USD is in the pricing for Game Pass. For the full-blown package, which includes all the games in the competition, you going to have to send the better part of €150 euros to the boys on Park Avenue. If you are only interested in the weekly exploits of your chosen team, the bill will be roughly half of that - still a tidy sum for a Cleveland Browns fan. Having said all of that, it’s still the gold standard of online offerings, and the mobile and tablet apps are fantastic. Aficionados of the college game can turn to the ESPN Player, which offers some twenty live weekly games, as well as an archive for catching the action that takes place when while we should be getting our beauty rest here in Europe. Caveat emptor: the quality of the offering was dodgy last season, but the nerd squad in Bristol,

Connecticut has promised significant improvements for this season. You may want to go month-by-month and forgo the savings of a yearly package just to make sure the tweaks are for real. If you’re a little more holistic in your approach to American Football, the Fox International package may be just what you are looking for. Offered stand-alone or as part of the total sports package, Fox will be showing 5 live games from their US broadcaster each weekend. That, in addition to weekly college football offerings, not to mention the culmination of the Major League Baseball season, may well be worth the money for you. Should you want to take your love of the fall rite just a step further, consider the pilgrimage to London for one of the NFL’s regular season games at Wembley. Based on past success, no less than three matches will take place this fall. Half of the fun is to see all of the fans, clad in their favorite team’s jersey migrate migrating from all corners of the UK and Europe to watch their chosen sport in one of the world’s premier sports venues. Whatever your sports passion is, and whether you do it from an armchair or the stands, enjoy the fall season!

ZAANDAM | The running season kicks off in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark with immensely popular ‘Rock and Run’ on September 14th. The slightly more serious Dam-tot-Damloop will be held on September 20th and 21st this year. While the ten mile Sunday run is already fully booked, this year’s edition will feature an evening session on Saturday, covering four English miles in Zaandam. For the serious runners, the dates to circle on your fall calendar are September 21st and October 19th: the dates of The Hague and Amsterdam marathons, respectively.

Photo: Sportsandsocial

Football Hallelujah!

AMSTERDAM | From September 12th onwards, the Amsterdam Historical Museum will feature a soccer exhibit about heroes, rituals, faith, and superstitions that is sure to please fans young and old. This special, interactive look at extraordinary images and iconic objects (Marco van Basten’s boots amongst them) has been created in collaboration with Switzerland’s Historisches Museum Basel. The exhibit in Amsterdam will form the kick-off to a European tour.

Photo: Gianluca Crema

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18-08-14 28-07-14 16:53 16:43