Connecting Worlds
Connect International serves the international community in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. Supported by an international staff and Board of Directors, we provide quality relocation services and practical information to help familiarize international residents with all aspects of living, working or studying in the Northern Netherlands, as well as organizing events and activities to make connections.
Services:
Join Us!
● Immigration services
● “Buddy” -system
You can register to become a Connect International member via our website. For a small yearly fee, you receive the Connections e-magazine newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox, you have access to the Connect International community through organized events, you can ask us any questions you may have and much more.
● Free access to books & guides
Visit: www.connect-int.org
● Home search & set-up ● Career services ● Social events, activities & clubs ● Business events ● Personal support & assistance
● Knowledge database
Welcome New Members! Connect International would like to welcome the following new members: Erley Ferlipe Lizarazo Forero, Andreas Franzke, Pavel Trikov, Betul Dolay, Nimarta Bawa, Karmen Vukasovic, Stipe Pandzic, Arturs Meijers, Jacobus Brink and Mariia Stolyga
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Important Dates
IMPORTANT DATES Spring School Vacation Times Primary Education & Secondary Education Schools Basisonderwijs & Voortgezet onderwijs North Netherlands
30 April 2016 - 8 May 2016
Week 18
Mid-Netherlands
30 April 2016 - 8 May 2016
Week 18
South Netherlands
30 April 2016 - 8 May 2016
Week 18
Some schools do run different vacation times, so be sure to double check with your school for exact dates.
Other Dates Labour Day (Dag van de Arbeid)
1 May 2016
Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking)
4 May 2016
Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag)
5 May 2016
Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag)
5 May 2016
Mother's Day (Moederdag)
8 May 2016
Lazybones Day (Luilak)
14 May 2016
Pentecost (1e Pinksterdag)
15 May 2016
Pentecost Monday (2e Pinksterdag)
16 May 2016
Connect International Office: Gedempte Zuiderdiep 98, Groningen Postbus 16, 9700 AA Groningen Telephone: 050 7440087 Email: info@connect-int.org Website: www.connect-int.org
Editorial Editor: Stephanie Fermor Assistant Editor: Margaret Metsala Writers: Stephanie Fermor, Alexandra van den Doel, Karen Prowse Send all letters and submissions to: publications@connect-int.org
Editorial and advertising in Connections is based on material, written and verbal, provided by contributors and advertisers. No responsibility is taken for errors or omissions and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All material in Connections is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission by the publisher.
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What’s on May 2016
CONNECT EVENTS All Connect Events this month Dutch Conversation Fun Wednesday 4 May, 15:00 hrs IWCN Office (Groningen)
Pub Night Friday 20 May, 18:00 hrs O’Malley’s Irish Pub (Groningen)
Book Club Monday 9 May, 20:00 hrs
GOLF: you have to play to understand Saturday 21 May, 15:00 hrs NNG&CC (Glimmen)
Writer’s Circle Tuesday 10 May, 19:00 hrs Dutch Conversation Fun Wednesday 11 May, 15:00 hrs IWCN Office (Groningen) Culinary Connect: Korean cuisine Thursday 12 May, 13:00 hrs Adeline’s house (Winsum) International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 13 May, 10:30 hrs Doppio Cafe (Groningen) Dutch Conversation Fun Wednesday 18 May, 15:00 hrs IWCN Office (Groningen)
Dutch Conversation Fun Wednesday 25 May, 15:00 hrs IWCN Office (Groningen) Cheese & Wine tasting Wednesday 25 May, 19:30 hrs De Kaaskop (Groningen) International Coffee Morning Groningen Friday 27 May, 10:30 hrs Doppio Cafe (Groningen) Henna workshop Saturday 28 May, 13:00 hrs Crafts Club: Beading workshop Sunday 29 May, 14:00 hrs Het Concerthuis (Groningen)
International Coffee Morning Assen Friday 20 May, 11:00 hrs
Connect Classifieds Looking for a baby sitter? Eva is 15 years old and speaks fluent English and Arabic. She’s a sensible, responsible girl. If you need a night off from the kids, please contact Eva via email, evatabbakh5@gmail.com 3
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Upcoming Event
28 May - Henna Workshop Learn the art of Henna Henna or Mehndi is a traditional art to create beautiful designs and decorate body parts, especially hands and feet. This wonderful art form symbolizes purity and celebration in many cultures around the world. Nowadays, henna art is more commonly used for temporary henna tattoos.
Connect International and Elysian Henna invite you to join the Henna workshop for beginners. Produce dark and long lasting stains using 100% natural skin-friendly henna. Henna is an organic natural product. During the workshop, you will learn how to prepare henna paste and henna cones, will be introduced to henna designs and glitter henna and, of course, will get a henna painting that will last up to 2 weeks. Website: www.elysianhenna.nl Sign up at : www.connect-int.org/events-activities
5 June - Treasure Hunt Treasure Hunt: Discover the secrets of Groningen No matter how long you live in Groningen or how often you visit it, we bet you do not know the city as well as you might think you do. Start your summer off with a Treasure Hunt, an interactive city game allowing you to learn more about the city of Groningen, as well as the Dutch culture, in an unpredictable and adventurous way. Expect to spend the day having fun with fellow internationals searching for clues, completing simple fun assignments, competing against other teams and working towards winning a prize. At the end of the day all teams will come
together for a drink to relax, exchange experiences and enjoy the award ceremony. Sign up at: www.connect-int.org/events-activities
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What’s on May 2016
OTHER EVENTS Events in Groningen, Friesland & Drenthe Voorjaarsmarkt Bourtange Spring Market in Bourtange 30 April - 1 May, Bourtange www.bourtange.nl/evenementen/4906 Stranger Things English Comedy Show (free) 2 May, O'Ceallaigh's Groningen Plus additional dates, check website www.strangerthings.nl/shows/
Stranger Things English Comedy Show 6 May, The Silo, Groningen Plus additional dates, check website www.strangerthings.nl/shows/ Hemels Festival Music festival 7 May, Leeuwarden www.hemelsfestival.nl Meikermis May Carnival 12 - 22 May, Groningen, Binnenstad Big Taste Festival Food Truck Festival 13 - 16 May, Leeuwarden www.bigtastefestival.nl
Waddensafari May 4 - 15 May, Lauwersoog www.zeehondencreche.nl/bezoek/wadden safari Bevrijdingsfestival Liberation Festival 5 May, Groningen, Stadspark citytrip.groningen.nl/bevrijdingsdag
The Spy and the Butcher Music festival 28 May, Emmen www.thespyandthebutcher.nl Holy Stitch! Hobby and handmade market 28 - 29 May, Leeuwarden www.holystitch.nl
Children's Festival 5 May, Prinsentuin http://goo.gl/Vmw3XO Big Taste Festival Food Truck Festival 5 - 8 May, Groningen www.bigtastefestival.nl
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Open House Hooghoudt Distillery open day 29 May, Groningen www.hooghoudt.nl/bezoek-ons/open-huis
Places to go, Things to see
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Selection of Zoos and animal parks in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe
There is nothing better than a day trip to gaze at animals live with the kids! During the summer holidays , a visit to the zoo (‘dierenpark’) is a popular excursion. But where to start? Here are some of the top rated zoos in the northern provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen (formerly Noorder Dierenpark Emmen) http://www.wildlands.nl/ It is by far the most famous zoo in Drenthe (possibly the Netherlands too), and this spring, Emmen zoo reopened its doors with an all new park full of adventure and animals. With three main areas to visit, jungle, safari and arctic, there is a wide variety of animals to see. Tickets: (book online for a discount) Adult - €30 Kids - €27,50 (under 2’s are free)
Aqua Zoo Friesland http://www.aquazoofriesland.nl/en/ Penguins, seals, polar bears, sea lions and more, they also have free walk areas where you can get up close with some of the animals. If you saved any of the Jumbo ‘dagjes uit’ vouchers, you can use these for money off the entrance fee. Tickets: (book online for a discount) Adults & Kids - €16 (under 3’s are free)
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Places to go, Things to see
DOEZOO Leens, Insect zoo http://doezoo.nl/
Zeehonden Crèche http://www.zeehondencreche.nl/
Insect zoo is packed with creepy crawlies; they don’t have just bugs, but also monkeys, spiders, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs and snakes. A large part of the zoo is indoors, making it a fun day out, come rain or shine.
The seal centre rescues, rehabilitates and releases seals back into the wild. Look behind the scenes at how staff and volunteers care for the seals, and be there between 15:00 and 16:00 for feeding! They also run Wadden Sea tours where you can see the seals in the wild.
Tickets: Adults & Kids - €6,50 (under 2’s are free)
Tickets: Adults - €7,50 Kids - €5 (under 4’s are free)
In addition to animal parks, there are many small animal petting zoos (‘kinderboerderijen’) in parks, small villages etc, with animals such as goats, chickens, etc.
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Dutch Culture
CHILDREN’S SWIMMING Dutch Children’s Swimming Programme
Children’s swimming in the Netherlands is a BIG DEAL. It is a big deal for anxious parents shelling out fees and schlepping to (twice-) weekly lessons. A big deal for the kids (for many their first “exams” and for some big rewards in the form of presents for passing) and a big deal commercially.
to have in general, but it also provides them with a cultural skill. There are many activities for children on the water where at least Diploma A (more of that later) is required. Swimming pools require those without diplomas to wear arm bands (not popular with the bigger kids as you can imagine) and many kids’ parties are held at swimming pools. Also, it does allow for a more relaxed vacation if the kids can swim.
Diplomas Necessity and Culture With so much water about in the Netherlands, many people see it as a necessity that children learn to swim, and until a few years ago, it was part of the curriculum in elementary schools. Now, due to budget cuts, parents are paying themselves to have lessons outside of school. Of course, it is a good (safety) skill
The big test is Diploma A. Children who pass this test and acquire the coveted piece of paper can go to swimming pools and not have to wear arm bands, and as a parent, you can be confident that they will be able to manage on their own (supervision is, of course, always required!) in a regular swimming pool. To obtain this diploma, children need to be able to show the basic strokes (breast and
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Dutch Culture
back stroke and breast and back-crawl), be able to float, swim a length in shorts, T-shirt and shoes and swim under water through a gap in a tarpaulin. Also note that Diploma A can be celebrated in a big way, often with grandparents attending, and gifts, cake, etc., and the children take their certificate into school for “show and tell”. Most parents, however, also like their children to obtain Diploma B. This consolidates the strokes learnt, requires a longer swim underwater, a dive and wearing long sleeved T-shirt , long trousers and shoes. Once obtained, you can be confident your child is a competent all-round swimmer. Diploma C is a little more of everything (including a rain coat over the clothes), a little harder work and a completion of the standard ABC diploma series. In addition, “Zwemvaardigheid” (=swimming competency) diplomas can be obtained at different levels (I, II, III), or for 9
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different skills, e.g., snorkelling.
How to pay Some swimming pools/schools offer a fixed fee for AB or ABC. Some offer a discount for, say, 20 lessons at a time. Some you pay by term. Check out what works best for your family and finances. Some schools let you catch-up on missed lessons; some you pay whether you turn up or not. Note that if you are on low income/income support, help may be available from your local “gemeente” to fund a certain number of lessons. There are strict criteria though, including the age of the child.
What age to do it at Some people advocate “the younger the better”, starting with parent and baby swimming when the littl’uns are 6-8 weeks old. Others say that children don’t have the
Dutch Culture
motor, listening and processing skills necessary until they are 5 or 6 years old. All advocate starting way before secondary school. Generally, people seem to start somewhere between 4 and 7 years old.
Which method to choose There are various methods available: • In a pool that starts off really shallow. The children do not wear floats. As the lessons and the child progress, the pool becomes deeper and deeper (either by moving the floor or by moving to a deeper area of the pool). Advantages: the children learn to rely on their own bodies and not on floats. Disadvantages: it takes quite a while for the children to actually feel they are really swimming.
pools/schools/lessons that specialise in children with special needs (physical/psychological/emotional). Most places will allow you to at least watch a lesson before you decide what sits most comfortably with you and/or what you think will be best for your child. At some places, you can also pay for or get a free “proefles”, so the child can just join in for one lesson and “taste” to see if it will suit.
Whichever method or pool you choose, it will be up to you and your child to put in the attendance and the hard work, as well as having a lot of fun with it. Don’t forget to take them swimming once in a while so they don’t lose those hard-earned skills!
Written by Alexandra van den Doel
• In a pool where the child cannot stand, either with a series of floats that are reduced as the child progresses or with a flotation suit with in-built floats that are removed as the child progresses. Advantages: the children are “swimming” straight away, giving a sense of achievement. Disadvantages: the children are reliant on floats and these can be uncomfortable/get in the way of the strokes/the child. • Then there is the choice of large pool vs small pool; teacher in the water or on the side; parents allowed to attend/watch always or only once a term; large groups vs small groups vs private lessons; twice half an hour a week vs one lesson of one hour per week. Also there are Connections #70
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Food for Thought
WHISKED AWAY BAKERY Sweet treats for special diets
Whisked Away Bakery is run by Jody. She produces a range of delicious baked goods for those that are looking for healthier alternatives or need to take into consideration allergies or intolerances. In an attempt to address some chronic health issues, Jody changed her diet. When eating gluten-free, dairy-free & sugar-free, there were noticeable health benefits and retraction of some symptoms. She also found, when talking to the population with similar health stories, there are a lot of people experiencing the same thing. With some, it’s an intolerance or allergy to
Better-for-you-but-still-damn-tasty Chocolate Chip Cookies Photography by Grotografie
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Triple Chocolate Gluten Free Brownies Photography by Grotografie
gluten; with others, it’s dairy. Others even found benefits eating vegan. The common thread in speaking with the community was a feeling of frustration and missing their guilty pleasures. There had to be ways to have their favourite treat but without the ingredient that might upset them the most. Jody uses her experience and knowledge in creating her range of alternative baked goods. Her speciality is her gluten-free brownies, which come in three varieties: triple chocolate, coffee infused and mint. While they are gluten-free, you wouldn’t know it! They have a rich chocolate taste and make a special treat for the weekend or celebration.
Food for Thought
Jody also makes gluten-free / dairy-free cookies and reduced sugar / gluten-free banana bars. And for those who don’t have any dietary requirements but like something tasty, she also sells her homemade blondies and banana bread. Jody is working on developing new products that will be introduced to the range later this year. And she is always happy to work with clients in customising existing products or in creating something special for them. It isn’t just dietary needs that Jody cares about but also producing quality products. Where possible she uses local and/or organic ingredients and only uses Fairtrade chocolate in her recipes.
Banana Bread Photography by Grotografie
If you are interested in sampling some of her delicious baking, you can order online via her website or send her an email. Jody bakes her goods to order to ensure they are as fresh as can be and ships to the whole of the Netherlands (and EU on request). For more information, or to place an order, visit the Whisked Away Bakery website, www.whiskedawaybakery.nl, or keep up to date via social media Facebook www.facebook.com/whiskedawaynl/ Twitter www.twitter.com/WhiskedAwayBkry
Written by Stephanie Fermor
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Information Center
DECISIO REPORT Internationals in the North-Netherlands
The IWCN, together with other Expat Centers and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, commissioned a report concerning trends involving internationals living in the Netherlands. The aim was to determine how many internationals were economically active or studying in the Netherlands in this period, and to discover the most relevant trends with regards to their social-demographics (i.e., nationalities, ages, genders, purpose of stay, business sectors, family situation, housing, salary brackets, municipalities, etc.)
The company Decisio gathered data for the years 2009-2013 from the Belastingdienst, Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this survey. The survey included knowledge migrants and labor migrants who were employed by companies in the Netherlands, international students enrolled in universities and colleges, and international freelancers or consultants. The Decisio team did not include international workers who are still paid from their foreign companies but work in the Netherlands, nor did they include PhD scholarship workers who are paid from their EU University. The 84-page report (in Dutch) is full of interesting information and includes national statistics as well as statistics per region. For the Northern Netherlands, the regions included the provinces of Frysl창n, Groningen and Drenthe and the gemeenten Groningen, Assen, Eemsmond, Emmen, Heerenveen, Leeuwarden, Smallingerland, Hoogezand-Sappemeer and Ten Boer. Some of the highlights for the Northern Netherlands are indicated on the accompanying InfoGraphic. The complete report can be obtained from the IWCN.
Written by Karen Prowse
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Information Center
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