Connecting Worlds
Connect International Serving 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: Peijia Jiang, Yan Zhou, Anna Salzano, Todd Weir, Alan Geroid Cunningham, Georgia Demaria, Goncalo Dos Santos Clemente, Leen Janssen, Natacha Monge Domes Do Couto, Maria Pihl, Can Wang, Congying Xia, Lingyun Yu, Lu Yuan, Lei Wang, Birte Gesteveld, Anna Neustaeter, Elliot James Sharpe, Andrew Irving, Marc Esteve Del Valle, Silvia Costa, Caroline Roth, Mariann Ollar, Nazim Hussain, Alexander Bak Dinitzen, Amalia Marin Escobar, Zhijun Zeng, Eike Schwindt, Nicole Pirozzi, Nikolai Sharangovich, Alexey Zolotov, Lisa van den Bosch, Mehrad Jazani, Burcu Inanc van der Meulen, Jason Zurawsky, Khosbayar Lkhagvadorj, Ariuntuya Tuvdendorj, Alexei Maridashvili, Guzel Kireeva, W.P. Matysiak, Giovanni Nifosi, Angela Fraschini, Modhurita Mitra, Grazyna Drzazga. 1
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What’s on: November 2016
CONNECT EVENTS During November 2016 “Practical matters in your daily NL Life” workshop Monday 7 November, 19:00 hrs Het Concerthuis (Groningen) Book Club Tuesday 8 November, 20:00 hrs Astrid's house International Coffee Morning Friday 11 November, 10:30 hrs Doppio Cafe (Groningen)
International Coffee Morning Friday 25 November, 10:30 hrs Doppio Cafe (Groningen) Pub Night Friday 25 November, 18:00 hrs The Cabin (Groningen) Writer’s Circle TBA NEW! Painting/Drawing Club TBA
Crafts Club: Beading workshop Sunday 13 November, 14:00 hrs Het Concerthuis (Groningen)
Europe Daylight Savings
30 October
All Saint's Day
1 November
Guy Fawkes Day, UK
5 November
US Daylight Savings
6 November
U.S. General Election Day
8 November
Saint Martins Day (Sint Maarten)
11 November
Sinterklaas Arrives, Maassluis
12 November
Thanksgiving, USA
24 November
Connect International Office: Gedempte Zuiderdiep 98, 9711 HL Groningen Telephone: 050 7440087
Editorial Editor: Stephanie Fermor Assistant Editor: Margaret Metsala Writers: Stephanie Fermor, Rachel Heller (http://rachelheller.org)
Editorial and advertising in Connections is based
Send all letters and submissions to: publications@connect-int.org
publisher. All material in Connections is subject to
Email: info@connect-int.org Website: www.connect-int.org
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 copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission by the publisher.
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What’s on: November 2016
EVENTS IN THE NORTH Events in Groningen, Friesland & Drenthe Stranger Things, English improv show Thursday 3 November , Groningen (plus more dates throughout the month) www.strangerthings.nl/shows/ Zeldzaam Mooi Markt Sunday 6 November, Groningen Vismarkt Groningen Annual hobby & craft market www.zeldzaammooievents.com Election Night at the Groningen Forum Tuesday 8 November, 21:00 hrs www.goo.gl/ZoDgVN Inspiratiefestival Let’s Gro Wednesday 9 - 12 November, Groningen Festival about the future of Groningen www.letsgro.nl/en/
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Noordelijk Film Festival Wednesday 9 - 13 November, Leeuwarden www.noordelijkfilmfestival.nl/english/ Sinterklaas Arrives in Leeuwarden Saturday 12 November, Leeuwarden www.sinterklaasleeuwarden.nl Holy Stitch! Hobby Craft Market Saturday 12 November, Leeuwarden Handmade crafts market in the old prison in Leeuwarden www.holystitch.nl Sinterklaas Arrives in Groningen Saturday 19 November, Groningen www.sinterklaas.groningen.nl
Information Center
IWCN: WELCOME GUIDE Your handbook to the North of the Netherlands
In October, the IWCN released its first edition of its Welcome Guide to the North. A 155 page handbook full of useful information for the newly arrived internationals living in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe. The Welcome Guide is a pocket-sized handbook covering many topics that arise for newcomers to the Netherlands. From official procedures when you first arrive in the Netherlands, to finding somewhere to live, organising utilities, health insurance, banking and much more.
All international residents of the three Northern provinces, whether EU/EEA or non-EU/EEA, are welcome to use the information services and join in on the social activities and events of the International Welcome Center North. You can visit the the IWCN office (open five days a week, from 10-17:00 hrs) to collect your free welcome guide. Or visit their website for more information. Address: Gedempte Zuiderdiep 98, 9711 HL Groningen Website: www.iwcn.nl
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Life Experience
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING IN NL And the month after birth
Back in May I gave birth to my lovely baby girl. She is my first child, so everything was very new. It was also my first intensive use of the Dutch health system. Many of the things I expected (from my knowledge of the UK system) were there, but also plenty of new things and even some things I expected weren’t there. Midwife or doctor? I think one of the main differences is that, unless you have medical reasons, you will have all your check-ups with a midwife (verloskundige). You will rarely, if at all, see a doctoreven at the delivery. But that might not be such a bad thing! During my pregnancy I had all my check-ups at the gynaecologist (due to medical reasons), but also continued to see the midwife as part of a Centering Pregnancy learning group (https://goo.gl/f0jL3Q). By the end of my pregnancy I
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had a much better, trusting relationship with my midwife than my doctor, mostly because I always saw a different doctor on each hospital visit.
Preparation I knew a bit about babies, having helped my sister with her two. But the idea of having my own little bundle of joy to look after was a bit daunting! Luckily there are a number of groups and courses you can take part in before baby arrives to help prepare. There is yoga, fitness groups for pregnant women, information courses and more. I signed up for an information course (as that was what I was looking for), and it
Life Experience
helped me prepare myself for the delivery and what to expect during the pregnancy and the couple of months after. You can ask your midwife for courses near you. And check with your health provider if they will cover the cost of the course.
No pain I couldn’t bring myself to be truly Dutch when it came to pain management during the birth. While a large number of Dutch women decide to give birth without anything for the pain, if you do want pain medication you should make it clear before you actually go into labour. If you want pain medication then you are transferred from the care of a midwife to that of a gynaecologist, and you won’t have the option of a home birth. The main difference I found with the pain
medication options was that ‘Gas and Air’ was not available. It was either nothing or an epidural or morphine pump. I used the morphine pump as the epidural failed to work for me. Some hospitals also have other options, and if you do a pregnancy course, they will often go over exercises to help relax and reduce the pain during labour. Speaking with your Midwife about what your expectations are is very important, and if you will be giving birth in a hospital, attend an information evening or request an appointment where they go over your options. And whatever you decide, note it in your birth plan.
Back home but not alone I stayed in the hospital for a grand total of 24 hours before I was allowed to go home. Before we left the hospital we called our
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Life Experience
Kraamzorg to let them know, and agreed that someone would be around at the house a few hours later, so we had a bit of time to settle in first. I think the Kraamzorg has to be the best part of the maternity experience here in the Netherlands. For at least a few days after the birth you have someone who comes to the home, checks you are doing well and recovering, checks baby is doing well, and helps in getting used to the new role of ‘Mom’. They are also there to help as you get acquainted to breast feeding and, if you already have children, can help send them off to school and pick up.
Not just about physical care After pregnancy, emotions and hormones are running high, and sleep and rest will be running low. Getting used to the new role of ‘Mom’ was exhausting for me mentally. Even before the birth I had started to experience a lot of anxiety about doing everything perfectly, and all the things that ‘could go wrong’. Here I found the care of my midwife amazing, without me saying anything she asked how things were going and if I would like a private appointment to talk. Thanks to her prompt, I followed that up with an appointment with my doctor and was referred quickly for mindfulness training. After the birth my anxiety grew worse. My doctor came by the house to check how things were going and was amazingly supportive. She listened to how I was feeling and referred me for extra support to help me with my postnatal anxiety. Written by Stephanie Fermor 7
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If you are thinking about starting a family while living here in the Netherlands, or are pregnant, Connect International has an information booklet that covers many of the aspects of pregnancy, birth and raising children. The booklet is freely available to download for Connect International members, or can be purchased for a small fee for non members. http://www.connect-int.org/books-guides/
Taste of Dutch
POTATO- BROCCOLI SCHOTEL Dutch cuisine in simple cooking
The Dutch love a hearty schotel almost as much as they love stamppot. It is one of their staple winter dishes and a visit down the chilled isle of the supermarket will show a few different options. But they are super easy to make yourself and adapt to your personal tastes. The following recipe is one I bring out each winter, it is hearty and warm and fills you up, plus it is super easy to make and healthy. This recipe serves two as a main meal, or 4 as a side dish. Ingredients Preheat your oven to 190 ยบC (or 180 ยบC for fan ovens). Cut up your broccoli and carrots into small pieces and place in a pan of boiling water, cooking for 6 minutes and drain the water off. In the meanwhile, prepare your kerriesaus by mixing the powder mix and milk in a saucepan, add some salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for a few minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken up. In your large ovenproof dish add half of the broccoli-carrots, then a layer of half of the ready cooked potato slices, then the rest of the broccoli-carrots, and the rest of the potato slices. Pour the kerriesaus over the dish, and scatter the bacon chunks over the top. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until
300g Broccoli (broccoli) 300g Carrots (wortels) 1 powder mix of kerriesaus, approx. 35g 250ml Milk (halfvol melk) 450g Ready potato slices (aardappelschijfjes) 150g Bacon chunks (bacon reepjes) Plus: Large ovenproof dish the top is golden brown. Enjoy with some fresh rustic bread and garlic butter, or as a side dish.
Written by Stephanie Fermor
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Places to go, Things to see
WINTERWELVAART GRONINGEN’S CHRISTMAS MARKET
The Christmas markets in Germany are famous for their craft stalls, gluwein and generally Christmassy atmosphere. I’ve gone to several in past years; the one in Oldenburg is only about an hour away from my home here in Groningen. Though they’re much less well-known, Dutch cities, including Groningen, also run Christmas markets. WinterWelVaart Groningen’s is called WinterWelVaart (www.winterwelvaart.nl), and it adds a unique twist on the usual Christmas market. Instead of holding the market on the central plaza as you’d expect, WinterWelVaart takes place along the most picturesque canals in Groningen: the Lage der A, the Hoge der A and the Kleine der A.
This is a beautiful part of town: historic buildings front the canals, undamaged in the wartime bombing that left its mark on other parts of the city center. Many are former warehouses, identifiable by the vertical line of large doors and the mechanism on the gable that used to be used to lift cargo into and out of the building. (Actually, in many buildings they’re still used, but now that the buildings have been converted into apartments, they’re used to lift furniture in and out instead of struggling with the typically narrow, steep stairways.) Some are rather grand former homes of the wealthier merchants, many of which are now used for offices or divided into apartments. For WinterWelVaart, the usual Christmas market stalls line the canals on both sides, though the proportion of crafts to food and drink stalls is different than in Germany. The German markets have far more food and drink on offer, perhaps as many as 40 or 50 percent of the stalls, I’d guess. Here I don’t think it’s more than about 20 percent.
What makes WinterWelVaart special
WinterWelVaart last year, at dusk, complete with historic ships in a historic neighborhood of Groningen.
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The twist, though—what makes this market different and special—is that the canal itself is lined with moored historical ships. Most of these were built
Places to go, Things to see
originally to sail the canals as cargo ships, but have been converted to other uses since then. For WinterWelVaart visitors, the ships are available to board and explore. Many, for the duration of the fair—only three days—become venues for all sorts of activities: musical performances, art exhibits, and story telling, to name the most common. Never mind exploring all the craft stalls; it would be easy to spend hours hopping from one ship to the next, enjoying the coziness and the entertainment.
Market stalls along the Hoge der A at WinterWelVaart
Ships? In Groningen? You might be wondering, if you have ever spotted Groningen on a map of the Netherlands, why a maritime theme was chosen for the Christmas market here. It’s not on a coast, after all. It was, however, one of the Hanseatic League cities and later a very important center of trade in peat, the dominant fuel in the 16th and 17th century. Transporting cargo all over the Netherlands was done primarily by canal until the mid-20th century, and it’s still common to see long, low cargo ships passing on Holland’s canals serving domestic shipping needs. The truth is, though, that most of the ships at WinterWelVaart are not as old as the peat trade: most stem from the early 20th century. The event is organized in part by the local maritime museum as an easy introduction to Groningen’s maritime history.
The meaning of WinterWelVaart WinterWelVaart is a great word for this event. Welvaart means “prosperity,” so it can be translated as “Winter Prosperity.” To take the name apart further, the word vaart can mean “canal,” and it can mean “speed.” So another translation could be something like “winter good speed,” meaning “traveling well” or “good journey”. That fits nicely with the nautical theme: it’s about a good journey through winter, starting with this market for Christmas. WinterWelVaart is taking place in Groningen on December 16, 17 and 18 this year. It’s prettiest after dark, which is from about 16:30. You can also visit the WinterWelVaart in Appingedam on December 10, or in Winschoten on December 28. Written by Rachel Heller. Rachel Heller lives in Groningen and writes about travel, expat life and other topics at http://rachelheller.org.
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