7. Digital version May issue ‘Music & Festivals’

Music & Festivals

Interview Ambassador

Food Tips

May theme

Page 16

Page 19

The Underground Experience The Hague with us! Absorb the cultural and social essence of this diverse city through the eyes of the international community and locals.

You are The Underground!

The Hague

Issue 7 /May 2012

FRE

COP

E

Y

De Kraaien chirp up Dutch hip hop Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s De Kraaien - The Crows - The Hague’s musical sensation. De Kraaien released their first album in 2011 and are gaining popularity throughout the Netherlands with their unique approach to Dutch hip-hop. MC’s Bernd Ganzebev, Neurbert El Halt and Prins Clit in Paanham wear beaks, feathers and costumes to entertain their audience with active performances.

This summer check out De Kraaien live in The Hague at the Beatstad Festival (Malieveld, 7 July 2012) and Schollenpop (Zuiderstrand, 4 August 2012).

More info? Visit www.dekraaien.nl

Photo by Charlotte Meindersma

p.10 Meet the artisan this month: Dmitry Badiarov’s awardwinning violin-making studio celebrated its 20th anniversary

p.13 Orange Grove Keith powell interviews Orange Grove.

Singer Michael Maidwell and guitarist Jacob Streefkerk meets The Underground.

p.11 Lifestyle Gypsy music lives on.

Tata Mirando gives an insight into the biggest gypsy orchestra in the Netherlands

www.theunderground.nl

Full page â‚Ź550,-

FRE

COP

E

Y

The Underground The Hague

Your ad here?

Advertising rates from E55,sales@theunderground.nl

The Underground

The H ague

May 2012

Chief Editor: Reina van Nieuwkerk-Rácz Editorial Advisor: Jane Dean Senior editor: Josephine Kay Intern: Dorine Schreiner Communication Advisor: Nataly Parson Sales: Wendy Mamott Advertising: sales@theunderground.nl Chief Photography: Charlotte Meindersma Contributors Miki de Best, Nick Tulinen, Monika Lovric Full biographies of all of this monthʼs contributors can be found online: www.theunderground.nl Print: Wegener NieuwsDruk BV

Editorial

The Underground is a FREE independent monthly paper published by Simone Branson Harper Info@theunderground.nl Phone: + 31 (0) 6- 815 050 49

Distribution: PS Publiciteitservice © Disclaimer Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for omissions and errors .

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved.

The Hague

3

Letter from the Editor Festival season is just around the corner and The Hague is exceptional when it comes to the number and array of events taking place. And believe me – there are a lot! In the coming months The Hague has an extended musical agenda for all tastes and genres.

Digging into The Hague’s musical past revealed a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performing and even living, if briefly, in The Hague and discovered the musical connection of a gypsy family to the city we call home.

We welcome a new columnist, Marco Raaphorst, a true hagenaar who will be keeping us posted on his views of The Hague.

The Hague’s Animal Shelter is under threat of closure and The Underground team has decided to support the initiative to keep it open and hopes you will too.

Enjoy the music!

Reina van Nieuwkerk-Rácz Chief Editor - editor@theunderground.nl

Follow us on Facebook : TheUndergroundTH & follow us on Twitter: @UndergroundTH

Don’t

We are keen to hear your views, suggestions and feedback: info@theunderground.nl

miss o ur upc oming J u n e: Sch July & issues evenin Augus : gen t: Sum mer in the Ci ty

Looking for an internship? Get in touch!

Where to find us?

Employee Kinga at Kelly’s Expat Shopping

Distributor of the month Kellyʼs Expat Shopping www.kellys-expat-shopping.eu

We are very happy to be one of The Underground distributors. All customers in both our shops are given a copy and the reactions have been great from the first time reader to the regulars who pop in to pick up their copy.

We used to have a ʻmessage boardʼ in the shop for small businesses to advertise for free, but now we advise people to contact The Underground because of their affordable prices and their defined target market.

ACCESS Alexandre Le Salon kapper AmbassadorsChoice Chacalli American School of the Hague American Womans Club American Church Appeltje eitje Australian Embassy B.I.E. International Bagel Alley Wassenaar Bagel & Beans Bank of Friendship Bel Air Hotel Berlage brasserie Big Ben Kids Bilberberg Europa Hotel Boemerang Kindermode Boterwaag BRISDET SPIEGELER LAYERS British Embassy BROOD BSN Cafe Broeders Cafe de Bieb Cafe de Bok Carlton Ambassador Hotel Carlton Beach Cheesecake Company City Hall Atrium Court Garden Hotel

Crowne Plaza De Markiezen van Wassenaar De Bakkerswinkel De Opkikker De Paljas Den Engel Domestic Outsourcing Dr. Anton Philipszaal/Lucent Danstheater Dudok Duitse bieb Embassies English Church EPO ESTEC . Noordwijk Excelsior Hotel Expatriate Archive Centre FAB Fine Fresh Food Flavorʼs Franse Bakker Haagse Lente H.U.B. Haagsche Hoge School Haagsche School Vereeniging Haagse Kluis Hands at work Hilton Hotel Hogere Hotelschool Hungry Minds

ICTY Indes des hotel Inst.of Social Studies Insteken Omslaan International School of The Hague Indian Embassy Isabelleʼs Nature Julianaʼs Kaatje aan de Rein Kaldi Kellyʼs Expat Shopping The Hague & Wassenaar Koninklijk Conservatorium Kon. Aca. V. Beeldende Kunst Kurhaus La Buena Vida La Mano Maestra La ville hotel Libary Wassenaar Mercure hotel Murphyʼs law NATO C3 Agency Libary Novotel Nul 70 OʼCaseyʼs Irish Pub OPCW De Paas Pakschuit Paleis Hotel Parkhotel Posthoorn

Quirky Cafe Roem in de Keuken Rijswijkse Schouwburg Scallywags Schlemmer September Shell outpost Sherlock Holmes Sofitel babylon Statenhotel Den Haag StayOkay The British Club The English Theater STET The Fiddler The Hague International Centre Together Abroad Undutchables Toni&Guy Tulip Expats Services Tweeduizendvijf UN Vitale Functies Opleidingen VVV Mondial Walong Warenar Theater Wish 4 Windows Zeldenrust Zwarte Ruiter A suggestion for our distribution list? info@theunderground.nl

4

The Underground The Hague

News & Views HCAK revisited

Get Cheap!

Reina van Nieuwkerk-Rácz explores Holland and discovers it’s worth it!

What did the prostitute bird say to the vicar? ‘Cheap, cheap, cheap!’ I love a corny joke but I love a good bargain more. Possessing a sense of frugal wisdom is said to be part of a Dutchman’s heritage. In fact this genetic benefit has turned me into a bit of a self-confessed penny-pinching expert.

Try it! Compliment a Dutch friend on her shoes and she’ll immediately admit, ‘They were a bargain,’ admire your next-door-neighbour’s new car and he’ll happily share, ‘It wasn’t cheap!’

Imagine my joy when after many years, I returned to my alma mater, the university town of Leiden, to do a spot of weekend shopping. As a student my means of transport had been my trusty bike and now driving through Leiden put me into a bit of a conundrum. I seemed to be continually going round in circles, forever ending up where I had started. Roads once obvious had been turned into one-way streets, forever pointing in the wrong direction. Eventually I had to come clean; I was lost and forced to switch to Matilda’s navigational instructions to coax me through the city’s intricate labyrinth in search of an elusive parking spot.

5 May – 17 June From 5 May, six initiatives in The Hague will join forces to resurrect the former glory of the HCAK (Haags Centrum voor Actuele Kunst Kunst), ), The Hague’s first independent art space for contemporary art.

From 1978 until 1998 the HCAK organized exhibitions by, now famous, artists such as Marlene Dumas, Marcel van Eeden, Marijke van Warmerdam, Anne Veronica Janssen, J.C.J. van der Heyden, Jaroslaw Kozlowski, Joep van Lieshout, Thomas Huber and Ricardo Brey to name a few, was the start of the current, thriving, independent art space community in The Hague.

Eelco van der Lingen from Nest, and Rob Knijn from Heden, have invited the six initiatives to produce a new version of an old HCAK project. 1646, Heden, Gemak, JCA de Kok, Ruimtevaart and Nest will not just be bringing

May 2012

back the HCAK but will also be looking at the differences between an independent art space now and as it was in the past.

Nest will be showing a renewed version of The Ideal Place, one of the last HCAK projects on the theme of Utopia.

‘Maybe Maybe at this moment in time of financial crisis and international political instability and change there is more need for a project on the ideal than when we originally organised it at the height of economic boom.’ ’Philip Peters (former artistic leader of the HCAK)

HCAK Revisited may prove to be a project of the here and now but more a reminder of the past.

Information can be found on the websites of the participating organizations: www.nestruimte.nl www.gemak.org www.1646.nl www.stichting-ruimtevaart.nl www.heden.nl www.jcadekok.com www.hcak.nu

Having paid an extortionate fee for the privilege of parking on the Maliebaan, I looked up at a familiar structure. Far too long ago I had sat behind those very walls, leafing through musty medieval manuscripts wearing white felt gloves attempting to translate ancient stories of old, and had fallen in love with William (… Shakespeare, of course!)

But there was no time for reminiscing; I was on a mission to shop. Crossing the Paterbrug (bridge) I circumvented the Hortus Bontanicus and strolled through the picturesque old town. A healthy ten minutes later there it was, the hallowed Saturday market.

Spread out over both sides of a canal (de Botermarkt on one side and the Nieuwe Rijn on the other) and with 210 stalls to choose from, it is heaven-on-earth. Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh spices, fresh fish and fresh flowers and above all cheap, cheap, cheap!

Festival Classique: More than Classic It’s happening. It’s classic. It’s fun. And it’s for everyone.

Festival Classique is returning to The Hague for the sixth time from 12-17 June. Classical music turns ‘hip’ through performance, dance, food and humour. Concerts for all ages are scheduled at unusual indoor and outdoor locations throughout the city. You can also sign up for workshops in photography, radio, flamenco and cooking. Festival Classique had over 42,000 visitors in 2011. Ticket prices for 2012 are between E8.50 and E69. For more info and tickets visit www.festivalclassique.nl

WIN 2 FREE Tickets for Festival Classique!

Email us why you think YOU should win the tickets... email us at sales@theunderground.nl

The Underground

News & Views

May 2012

The Hague

5

Top 10 Headlines fro m The Hague Online Daily news and views for the international community w w w. t h e h a g u e o n l i n e . c o m

1.The Hague housing market hit hard

The real estate market in The Hague region is facing a major slump in house sales. The first quarter of 2012 recorded an 18.6 percent drop compared to the last quarter of 2011. The region is the worst area affected in the Netherlands, where prices also fell by an average of 6 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Homes in the price range of € 150,000 to € 200,000 are selling the slowest. These are often apartments ideal for first time home buyers. Banks, however, are reluctant to lend money to first time buyers. The upside is those who have a mortgage can purchase a house at a good price.

2. Mountain bike race at Kijkduin

Kijkduin is holding a summer beach race for mountain bikers normally reserved for the winter months.

A joint event with the EK Cross Triathlon Championships was reason enough to make an exception.

Competitors will ride on the sand and also on the steps of Kijkduin. There is room for hundreds of mountain bikes and anyone can enroll. The race will be held on 11 July and the Cross Triathlon Championships on 14 July.

3. HagaZiekenhuis signs deal with Siemens

The HagaZiekenhuis (hospital) in The Hague will have the most modern scanning equipment for the coming 15 years. The hospital made the announcement after signing an agreement with Siemens Healthcare to purchase three hi-tech scanning machines. The deal is valued at € 50 million in which the hospital will use the Siemens equipment for its new diagnostics centres.

Hagaziekenhuis has purchased the latest MRI, CT and PET scanning machines, which will also be used in the new children’s diagnostic wing of the hospital.

4. Ideas sought for The Hague as Cultural Capital

The Hague is striving to be the 2018 Cultural Capi-

tal of Europe. Residents have been asked to actively participate by suggesting ways help the city achieve this goal. This year is decisive, because The Hague’s bid book must be handed in before 31 October. The bid book will contain suggestions as to why The Hague should be Cultural Capital in 2018. Residents can go to www.denhaag-2018.nl for more information and register their suggestions.

5. Greens: Closing coffee shops is shortsighted

The government wants to reduce the number of coffee shops. Groenlinks in The Hague city council said this is shortsighted and has called for relocations rather than closures. ‘The current coffee shop policy creates an enforceable situation and provides a separation between soft and hard drugs,’ say the party.

Speed cameras must still be placed at both ends of the tunnel to catch anyone going faster than the legal limit. The tunnel will be ready for the changes by the end of this year.

8. Dutch beer festival in the Grote Kerk

A two-day Dutch beer festival is set to go ahead from 10-12 May in the Grote Kerk. A mixture of large beer multi-nationals will be alongside smaller brewers such as Jopenbier and Witte Klavervier. Brewers from across the country will be in the church, which will be open to the public from 19:00 until 22:00 on Thursday and 12:00 until 21:00 on Friday. The festival will feature a series of long tables where drinkers can enjoy the different beers, similar to the atmosphere found at German beer festivals.

The entry fees are € 12.50 on Thursday and 15 on Friday.

6. Renovated Madurodam re-opened 9. Paard van Troje to sell shares The Hague’s Madurodam miniature attraction park, which brings together hundreds of Dutch architectural landmarks, has re-opened after a large-scale renovation lasting six months and costing eight billion euros. Madurodam, which this year marks its sixtieth anniversary, says one of the aims of the renovation was to meet the wishes of a new generation of visitors. As a result, they now can engage hands-on with several Dutch monuments. At a model of the Oosterschelde dams in Zeeland, for example, visitors can pump a polder dry or they can load and unload ships in Rotterdam’s harbour.

They will be able to experience the stories behind the monuments through multi-media information screens. The miniature objects have been regrouped in three separate thematic areas, ‘water as friend and enemy’, ‘old city centres’ and ‘the Netherlands as a source of inspiration to the world.’

7. Speed limit to rise in Hubertustunnel

The City will raise the maximum speed limit in the Hubertustunnel at the end of 2012 to 70 kilometres per hour. The Municipal Executive of the Mayor and Alderman following a motion from the City’s PVV party have decided in favour of the increase.

The Paard van Troje in The Hague is planning to sell 250 shares in the concert venue for €100 each. The Paard hopes to raise € 25,000 to renovate its lobby.

Shareholders will have their names inscribed in the building at the Prinsegracht and receive a special membership card offering exclusive benefits. Jeroen van der Wiel believes the shares will sell within three months.

10. Alain Clark and Oleta Adams at Jazzin’ The Hague

National and international artists will be performing at the new jazz festival in The Hague called Jazzin’ The Hague. Alain Clark, Sven Hammond Soul, Oleta Adams, Kraak en Smaak, Rita Reys and Hans Dulfer will be playing at the festival. The artists will be performing on six stages at the World Forum on Friday 1 June and Saturday 2 June. The festival promises to be better organised than the previously named The Hague Jazz, which went bankrupt leaving some service providers and artists unpaid.

Have you got news you would like to share with our international community about The Hague, email us: info@theunderground.nl

The Hague International Centre the first point of contact for new residents and visitors to The Hague.

Fairy Tale Statues

The Hague International Centre Spui 70, Atrium City Hall The Hague, Opening hours – Mon-Fri 09.00-17.00 hours, Contact Tel: +31 (0)70 353 5043, E-mail: internationalcentre@denhaag.nl Website: www.thehague.com

The American artist Tom Otterness’ statues of fairy tales are back on the Boulevard of Scheveningen. Due to renovation works of the Boulevard, the statues were safely stored away for two and half years. The statue De Grote Haringeter (the large herring eater) had to be broken up into pieces.

At first Otterness was against the idea of a renewed Boulevard. However, he eventually helped the architect De Sola Morales with the planning of the statue garden. You can visit the Fairy Tales at Sea exhibition for free. www.beeldenaanzee.nl

6

The Underground The Hague

The Zeeheldenfestival

News & Views Neal McClimon : ADO NEWS DEN HAAG

May 2012

can’t get enough It started 32 years ago as a small ‘neighbourhood party.’

Now, you can expect around 50 performances and children’s activities, music, food, art, theatre, a flea market and hopefully sunshine. Don’t miss the Zeeheldenfestival, taking place from 27 June – 1 July at the Prins Hendrikplein in the Zeeheldenkwartier. About 160 volunteers are setting up the event, which was nearly jeopardized by cutbacks from city funds this year.

Keep an eye out for the lineup and more info (to be updated mid-May): www.zeeheldenfestival.nl

Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta 2012 The Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta an International sailing competition will be held in The Hague in Scheveningen from 25 May till 28 May. This year’s North Sea Regatta will start and end in Scheveningen. You will be able to enjoy excellent food, live music and track the races of international competitors before the coast of Scheveningen. An extra long jetty will be built for the open boats including trailer parking. For these participants a ferry will sail to and from the fairground.

The starting shot for the first ‘offshore’ from Scheveningen to Harwich, will sound on Tuesday 15 May at 19:00 p.m. www.nsr.nl

The ADO ladies team preparing for the end of a great season. © itpphotography.com

ADO Den Haag has been busy behind the scenes of late, already preparing for next season. Basic Fit have extended their sponsorship for an extra two years and Star Balm will, for the next three seasons, have their name on the back of the ADO shirts.

Seeing this financial backing is a great sign of confidence for the club. New players have also been brought in, giving them time to settle in before the new season. The 2012-13 season is already getting off to a better start than this season.

The men’s results throughout April were, to say the least, erratic, but as the season comes to an end, our home town team looks set to avoid any relegation play-offs, barring any massive implosion at the club, and remain in the top division of Dutch football.

The women of ADO have being playing superbly, at the top of the league and also reaching the cup final after beating FC Utrecht ladies away. All very exciting for the ladies side as the possibility of them winning the double is looking good, giving them entry into the European champions league next season.

The men’s team plays at home only once in May: on 6 May they face De Graafschap in the last match of the season, kick-off at 14:30. Club cards not required, just go to ticket office with photo ID to purchase tickets.

ADO ladies play one game on 18 May. This match, the last of the season against FC Twente, looks as though it will be the championship decider and a large crowd is expected to attend. Kick-off 19:30, free entry.

The ADO ladies cup final will be played against VVV Venlo on Sunday 27 May in Den Bosch.

For more information on tickets, club cards, match reports and all ADO news in English, visit www.adoforexpats.com.

People of The Hague without Isaac Exhibitions dedicated to the Dutch painter, Isaac Israels, will be held in five locations throughout The Hague from 2 June till 23 September. The exhibitions will revisit life in the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, as seen through the eyes of Isaac Israels. At the same time, another contemporary art exhibition is planned, also with a strong link to Isaac Israels.

Artists Brigitte Spiegeler and Lisette Huizenga are preparing to exhibit contemporary artwork inspired and based on the work of Isaac Israels. Starting points are recognizable places in The Hague, like Noordeinde, once captured by Israels and now by Spiegeler and Huizenga.

Surviving EURO 2012

By Dorine Schreiner

Ladies, whether you like it or not you can no longer ignore it. From 8 June until 1 July, EURO (European Football Championship) 2012 is taking over.

As the Netherlands is slowly turning orange, local author Martin van Zaanen is not only concerned about the men on the pitch. He is preparing women for the event in his book Hoe Overleef ik het EK? (How can I survive the European Championship? (€9.95) With the game rules, Q&A’s, tips, facts, recipes and quizzes, he explains what you need to know to survive.

Van Zaanen answers burning questions such as: Why does your husband keep calling the innocent referee names? Why is Johan Cruijff always right (even when he’s wrong)? Why is my partner more passionate between the sheets when the Netherlands wins a match?

Written in Dutch, the book is an essential tool to survive the football tournament of the year.

Football, humour, orange and women: Score!

Isaac Israels is particularly known for his ‘capturing an impression’, the grasping of a moment in the ‘fullness of life’ in a sketch. For him, it wasn’t about detailed completion; the topic was what mattered. This contrasted greatly with the French impressionist movement at the time. They believed completion and the effects of light - sun - and colour were of prime importance. Israels belonged to the so-called ’Impressionists of Amsterdam’, of whom Breitner was the most important representative. Isaac’s work clearly shows kinship with Breitner’s, whose atelier was in the same building. Other influential contemporaries were French painters Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas and German-Jewish painter Max Liebermann, who had a lot of contact with the Israels family.

Spiegeler and Huizenga, being present-day artists, consider it a challenge creating new work inspired by the paintings of Isaac Israels.

Brigitte Spiegeler deals with the different kinds of dimensions in an image. Her work shows pictures, but

Brigitte Spiegeler c-print in epoxy, 88 x 88 cm, 2011

there’s a world behind them. The pictures are made with an old photo technique known as the pinhole technique. Next the images are edited with pigment and paint. The moment of creation is captured, while it’s still wet, with a digital camera.

Lisette Huizenga is a digital artist/painter who deals with the development of ‘the painting’. In late 2007 she laid down her pencils and paints and started examining if she could make paintings with digital equipment. She’s inspired by the art of paintings from the Renaissance up until now and is working on new ways for this kind of art.

The opening of the exhibition is 2 June at 16:00 pm in the Tuingalerie at Pulchri Studio at the Lange Voorhout 15. The opening speech will be held by Willemien de Vlieger-Moll, initiator of the five Isaac Israels’ exhibitions and author of the eponymous book Isaac Israels in The Hague.

May 2012

Sounds of The Hague

News & Views

The Underground The Hague

7

On Air

Foreign correspondent and local radio programme producer LilyAnne Stroobach reviews news that puts The Hague in the world (and local ) spotlight just recently

Marco Raaphorst puts his ear to the ground If there’s one city in Holland known for rock music, it’s The Hague. But jazz music comes a close second, making it such a great place to be. I remember the days of the North Sea Jazz, Miles Davis playing and … me playing too.

The Hague swings. And I’ve been swinging along with it since I took my first breath, back in 1968. Think about it, what is the first thing a newborn is aware of? Sound. Eyes still closed but the ears are listening. And a baby uses sound to trigger actions from mum or dad and the world around it.

As long as I can remember I have loved sound – and - music, which to me is the same thing. Although some sounds may be a little more melodic than others. The world around us creates sounds and transforms them so that it seems we are producing them ourselves. To produce words you push air from your mouth into the space around you. Sound is nothing more than air-vibrations. Amazing if you think about it. I think about it a lot.

The Hague has its own unique sounds.

All city shapes sound different. A brick building reflects the airwaves in a different way from trees. And since The Hague has a lot of these different environmental settings, it offers a range of undiscovered sounds.

Take the beach. Scheveningen. I love the way the hot temperature and the sand change the way my ears perceive sounds. Sit on the beach on a calm day and I might hear the intimate conversations of my neighbours sitting a couple of metres away from me. I might hear the waves breaking and children playing. The beach is a wide, open place and offers a great opportunity to lie on the sand and listen to sounds carefully.

You try. Relax, close your eyes and try to identify the sounds you’re hearing. Think about how far away they are from where you are. This way you can image a world around you based on sounds.

Exploring a city by its sounds leaves a lot to be discovered. I promise!

Euthanasia-on-wheels, a trust fund for the victims of war crimes in Africa, an outreach programme for reconciliation in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, consumer problems with Vodafone and the NS and the launch of Vogue Nederland, are all issues that reared their heads in The Hague recently.

The world’s first mobile service euthanasia clinic The Hague once again drew world attention to the thorny issue of euthanasia with the establishment of a mobile euthanasia service in the city last month. The euthanasia-on-wheels option had the anti-euthanasia lobby up in arms, calling the new service, a ‘death squad’, in some media reports.

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia ten years ago. At least two doctors need to agree the patient is experiencing unbearable and interminable suffering and there is no chance of recovery. The patient must also be fully conscious when making the voluntary request for euthanasia in order to meet the legal criteria for the procedure.

On the line to DutchbuzZ, the spokesperson for the Dutch right-to-die organisation (Nederlands Vereniging voor een Vrijwillig Levenseinde) Walburg de Jong, said 3100 people ended their lives by means of euthanasia in the Netherlands last year. At present there is no charge to patients for this service.

Much more than bringing war criminals to justice Visits to the International Criminal Court and the Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague last month, taught me there is a lot more to the work of these worthy establishments than bringing war criminals to justice.

The ICC’s Trust for Victims has helped 80,000 victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in parts of Africa over the past four years. The Executive Director of the fund, Pieter de Baan, told me the fund, which relies on voluntary contributions from donors, has provided victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Uganda, where the court is active, with physical and psychological rehabilitation and material support. Many of the victims are children who have suffered mental and sexual abuse. The fund aims to help these victims rebuild their lives and regain their human dignity.

In quite a different way, the ICTY hopes to smooth the road towards reconciliation in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, by informing people about the court’s work in bringing war criminals to justice and to set the record straight. Through

the ICTY Outreach Programme, the Tribunal is actively making its trials and judgements accessible and understandable to audiences in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

Speaking to DutchbuzZ, the head of the Outreach Programme, Nerma Jelacic, painted a grim picture when it came to reconciliation in this part of the world. She said there had been little progress and ‘certain media and politicians’ continued to propagate ‘mistrust and hatred rather than reconciliation.’

Vodafone and NS consumer rage Vodafone and the NS both let their clients down badly last month, according to DutchbuzZ’s consumer reporter, Innah Wordsworth. Innah, who happens to be a Vodafone user herself, took to the airwaves and gave the telecom provider a good piece of her mind, saying that giving its clients four days of free calls, in no way compensated for the incalculable inconvenience and, in some cases, loss of income due to the communications blackout.

The victim of increasing delays by the NS on her daily commute to Rotterdam, Innah turned her consumer attention to this rail transport service. The NS had to pay a €1,25 million fine for not meeting service targets last year and faces a further €2 million fine if it does not meet the targets this year. What annoys Innah the most, though, is the lack of information when trains fail to arrive. An explanation for the delay in both Dutch and English and an apology for the inconvenience to commuters would go a long way in mending consumer relations with the NS. Glam up On a positive note, fashion blogger, Lucy Bosscher, hailed the first publication of the Dutch version of Vogue Magazine last month as the ultimate accolade for the Dutch fashion industry. Speaking on DutchbuzZ, she said the three factors that had led to this were that the Netherlands had a number of world class design academies, some of the world’s top super models and a host of world renowned photographers.

According to Lucy, the Dutch fashion scene has come of age.

‘It is now time for the Dutch to drop their comfortable, casual clothes and glam up,’ she said, looking me up and down reprovingly.

Lily-Anne Stroobach is the editor of DutchbuzZ, an English radio programme with news, views and interviews broadcast every Tuesday at 19.00 on Den Haag FM 92.0. The podcast of the programme is available on www.dutchbuzz.nl. Lily-Anne works as a foreign correspondent in The Hague.

Minna Sun Kim : Underwater Cartoons ©

8

The Underground

Community

The Hague

May 2012

Help The Hague’s Animal Shelter The oldest animal shelter in the Netherlands is in trouble, but you can help!

Over 2000 cats and dogs a year are saved and cared for by The Hague’s animal shelter. The shelter offers animals a second chance, with specially certified reintegration programmes, trained and qualified staff, and an animal clinic with all the necessary equipment on site.

The proud staff and volunteers all work together, with one main goal: the wellbeing of the animals. They take great pride in their work and do everything in their power to offer abandoned, abused, ill or scared animals a better life.

They’re one of the only shelters in the Netherlands that takes on ‘difficult’ animals, who need a lot of care, training and attention. Animals that wouldn’t get a second chance somewhere else!

With this in my mind, they ask for your help. What can you do to ensure The Hague’s animal shelter can celebrate its 150th birthday?

Go to www.haagsdierencentrum.nl for more information about how you or your company can help.

Follow them on Twitter @HaagsAsiel and on Facebook www.facebook.com/haagsdierencentrum for all the latest news and developments.

1.

Become a donor for just € 20 a year (more if you wish). You will receive the (digital) magazine Animail to stay updated with news of the animals.

2.

Donate goods. Whether for the animals (toys, sweets, blankets), or for the staff (office chairs, desks, computers, office equipment).

History In 1877 six affluent ladies of The Hague set up an animal shelter.

By 1879 the shelter was officially recognised, and animals from The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht could find a (temporary) home at the shelter. In 1910 an animal clinic was opened, and still is to this day, The Hague’s animal shelter is one of the few that offers in-house medical care for all the animals. In 1992 the animal shelter moved to its current residence on the Lozerlaan. A perfect location for the dogs to go on long walks. In 2004 the animal shelter celebrated its 125th birthday, and by 2006 the dog school Quiebus opened their doors. The Hague’s animal shelter also offers a place for your dog or cat to stay when you go on holiday.

There are a variety of ways you can help....

3.

Sponsor the animal shelter with your company. You could sponsor a room in the shelter, advertise on their website or in the Animail.

5.

Become a foster carer. Kittens, old cats or cats recovering from an operation are a lot happier when they’re cared for in a home, before they go back to the shelter.

4. me o c e B

7.

Dona te

er. e t n u a vol

to ce

rtain

proje

ct.

8.

Adopt a cat or d

6.

Make use of the shelter’s kennel while you’re on holiday. Educated staff will look after your pet while you’re away.

og.

The Underground

Trends

May 2012

TIP

Couchsurfing.org has around 4 million couch surfers worldwide, including more than 75,000 from the Netherlands.

9

The festival season is about to kick-off and The Hague is the place to be for the best music. With festivals offering anything from jazz to rock music.

If you do, however, decide to venture off to festivals outside of The Hague, such as Pinkpop, Dance Valley or Mystery Land, you’ll need the necessary festival equipment. The Underground has lined up a top five for this festival season.

Couchsurfing The Hague has it all, from fancy hotels to hostels near the beach. But people often forget about an alternative way of travelling: couch surfing.

Being more than just a free place to crash, it’s considered a culture, a way of life. The Hague has an active couch surfing community. As not everyone has a ‘couch’ to offer, some just regularly meet for drinks and hang out, to exchange travel experiences.

The Hague

For more info or to find activities, visit: www.couchsurfing.org www.hospex.net www.tripping.com www.servas.org www.globalfreeloaders.com www.thehospitalityclub.org

1.A pair of Hunter wellies. This proud British brand should have a place in every festivalgoer’s wardrobe

Magnolia Blooms

by Sareen McLay

She stares angrily at the sky Twisted, gnarled, old and cold.

Her stark bare branches harsh Against a winter landscape.

A slight warmth, she tingles inside.

Slowly her fingers start to unfurl A new season, a new design.

French manicure on her fingertips.

2.Glamping is the expat’s version of the Dutch’s much-loved camping. With all the necessary luxury, amenities and comfort, it’ll feel you’re in a posh hotel instead of a dingy festival terrain

Days of warmth, sharp, painted buds Appear like a witch’s crimson talons.

Clawing their way free from slumber Reaching for the sun, waving hands.

3.A floppy hat. The perfect in between solution for the unpredictable Dutch weather. A shield to the sun if it decides to appear, or a trendy way to stop the rain from ruining your festival-locks

Suddenly perfect blooms burst forth, Soft like sumptuous balls of ice cream.

She dances gently in the breeze wearing her Meringue styled wedding dress for all to see.

We are all she proclaims, let us be, Old and twisted, soft and delightful. Let us Be the old witch and the good fairy too Let us show you, we are all, all women.

WINNER

4.A headlamp. Although you might feel like a quirky-looking miner, a headlamp is the ultimate musthave for late night toiletry stops

Photo Competition-April

‘SmartLittleBag’ by LouLou! Winner: Stefanie Goddijn

5.A Pocahontas headband and round tinted sunglasses. Because it reminds us of Woodstock, the mother of all festivals

The Underground The Hague

History

May 2012

DeBestpix ©

The Last of the Haagse Dandies •

Monika Lovric studies the life of Louis Couperus, writer and critical observer of the Fin-de Siècle society

A

rguably the greatest Dutch novelist, Louis Marie Anne Couperus was born in The Hague on 10 June 1863, the youngest of eleven children born to Catharina G. Reynst and her husband John Ricus Couperus, former Councillor of the Supreme Court, who worked in the former Dutch East Indies.

After spending his formative years in The Hague, nine-year-old Louis and his family moved to Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia), returning six years later to their home in the Nassauplein. Louis was disgruntled at living in a much smaller house with only three servants instead of the thirty employed at their residence in Batavia.

The adolescent Louis began composing poetry and became the talk of the town in 1887 after writing a weekly feuilleton series for Het Vaderland about Eline Vere, a fictitious upper-class lady of The Hague. The series, later published as a book, Eline Vere (1888), gives an honest view of the decadence of upper-class society and homosexuality in The Hague during the Belle Époque era of the late 19th century. The book has been turned into a series available on DVD, in Dutch. He was heavily influenced by Zola and Flaubert, writing across many genres and his work was

much admired by Oscar Wilde. Homoeroticism is a common theme in his work.

The Dandy Couperus?

What made Louis Couperus a typical dandy? He distanced himself from a bourgeoisie lifestyle, and the strict education received from his father, who believed him too feminine, made him reject any kind of acceptable social convention. He sought to provoke society by wearing eccentric transgender outfits, emphasising his androgynous appearance, and using a falsetto voice when speaking in public.

The most essential characteristic of the dandy lifestyle was to be financially independent with sufficient funds to live a lazy and decadent life. In this regard, Louis didn’t fit the profile, as he earned a living by writing for newspapers and publishing books. There are few well-known quotes from this quiet writer, probably the most recognised is on the sculpture of Louis Initially he was dependant on his family and in later Couperus found on the Lange Voorhout (Photo above) years relied on his partners to fund his lifestyle.

The so-called ‘Dandyism of Couperus’ developed more towards the end of his life, when he adopted a bohemian lifestyle. He married Elizabeth Baud, and they travelled extensively throughout Europe with Louis later travelling to Africa and Japan. He hid his real personality behind the cliché of dandyism. www.couperusmuseum.org

‘Als ik er iets ben, ben ik Hagenaar’ – ‘If anything, I am a citizen of The Hague.’

May 2012

Meet the Artisans...

People & Passions

The Underground The Hague

11

Dmitry Badiarov’s award-winning violin-making studio celebrated its 20th anniversary on 3 March 2012. It was established in St.Petersburg, Russia, and active in Brussels and Tokyo. Since 2010 he has been making violins and historical bows in The Hague www.badiarovviolins.com Describe your craft.

Violin-making is pursuing a pre-meditated, acoustical and visual ideal. It is balancing the human-made design, carving, varnishing, and the godmade perfection of the wood. A violin has a story of its own.

Where did you first learn your craft?

I started carving wood at the age of five, and was apprenticed to the luthier Vladimir Oiberman at the age of 11, and to luthier Vladimir Yakimenko in St.Petersburg at 19. In 1997 I participated in a five month course of modern violin-making with Luca Primon at Milan’s school of Violin-making.

Tell us the history of your studio.

My first violin won an award at a violin-making competition. Violins made by the other contestants were ‘copies’ of Stradivari. They looked as if they had been made by a single maker. This uniformity inspired me to seek a path away from the competition. This was the start of my studio.

Who are your clients?

My studio is often visited by fine musicians from around the globe. Some of them own more than one instrument - two, three...up to eight! My most recently made violin assisted a violinist through the final round of an international competition in Belgium.

What are your future dreams?

I would like to write a book! Not a violin-making manual but an entertaining read for musicians, music lovers and kids - about the hidden mysteries of the violin.

Photo’s by Minna Sun Kim ©

WIN Gu�s the statue

and you can win 1 hour horseriding on Scheveningen Beach for 2 people.

Email your answer to sales@theunderground.nl

12

The Underground The Hague

May 2012

Music: by Keith Powell /Contributor Nataly Parson

Music Festivals Summer is festival season in The Hague. Musically speaking, there is a lot to do and see no matter what your taste. Just imagine, you can see the likes of Roy Hargrove, to Zombie Nation, to Anouk gracing our fair city in the span of a few short months. We’ve made a selection of festivals that have caught our attention.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with Music & Cultural events taking place in The Hague Facebook : TheUndergroundTH Twitter: @UndergroundTH

Jazzin’ The Hague

Beatstad

7 July

11 & 12 May

World Forum

Malieveld

Various check website

1 & 2 June Jazzin’ The Hague kicks off the summer festival season in The Hague with a varied mix of jazz, featuring musicians from all over the world at the World Forum. Trumpeter Roy Hargove, the festival’s ‘artist in residence’, will open the festival as special guest of the Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw and perform with his quintet and hip-hop/jazz collective: the RH Factor.

Amsterdam tenor saxophonist Hans Dulfer will perform with his quintet on 1 June. On the following evening, 2 June, he’ll be playing with the Dulfer New Band.

It’s been 25 years since the death of trailblazing bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius. On the initiative of Foundation Prospero, there will be a celebration of his work. It will be mainly culled from his time with the fusion Weather Report, as well as from his solo releases.

The Tiny Little Bigband from Woerden is probably best experienced live for the full effect. While they sound like a straight-ahead vocal jazz combo you slowly start to realise the songs they’re playing are rock standards from the likes of Aerosmith and ZZ Top. The band’s signature song seems to be a wholly swinging version of Sharp Dressed Man. The headliner to finish the festival is soul songstress Macy Gray, but festival goers should also take some time to check out trumpeter Randy Brecker as well. Along with his late brother Michael, Brecker was half of the incredibly influential fusion combo the Brecker Brothers in the 1970’s. He is an in-demand session player, having played on records by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed and Frank Zappa. He is also an accomplished straight jazz soloist and is a rare treat for any music fan to hear.

Tickets for Jazzin’ The Hague can be purchased on their website www.jazzinthehague.nl/tickets.

This year’s version of Beatstad will feature a fairly diverse crop of Dutch and international artists. The name is a nod to the city’s rich musical history, particularly the early to mid 1960’s. The many small local venues that nurtured bands like Golden Earring and The Motions earned The Hague the nickname ‘Beat City’.

This year’s headliner will be Anouk, the massively popular Dutch singer who was born and raised in The Hague.

Having spent the bulk of 2011 supporting her eighth studio album, To Get Her Together, Anouk has announced a hiatus from performing live. Following a few shows in the Netherlands and Belgium this past March, her appearance at Beatstad may be the last time fans will get to see her for a while.

Aside from Anouk and radio-friendly MOR artist VanVelzen, the rest of the line-up slides more towards the hip-hop/dance side of the club (maybe a new interpretation of the festival’s name?) featuring Amsterdam’s novelty hip-hoppers De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and Poland’s Mr. Polska.

Soul singer Alain Clark will be playing songs from his new album, Generation Love Revival, which will be out on 18 May. De Kraaien will be bringing ‘Urban Chaos and Roughrep’ (and hopefully their bird masks) to kick off the day.

Every year a portion of the proceeds goes towards a worthy cause. This year they are supporting AMREF Flying Doctors, an organisation based in Kenya, focused on strengthening health care systems in Africa.

Tickets for Beatstad can be purchased at www.beatstad.nl/tickets.html

Walk the Line

With more than 50 artists spread over seven stages, there is plenty to see when the Walk the Line festival starts up on 11 May. The local alternative music fest has lots to check out, from laid-back folk, high-powered indie pop, electronic and whatever else you may stumble across. Here are some highlights we found.

Greg MacPherson. He writes fairly substantial anthems about working class small towns in Canada. Sure that’s ground trodden many times before by many different musicians in many different countries, but what distinguishes him is the passion and heart with which he performs. His most recent release was last year’s Disintegration Blues.

The Lower Dens. These so-called ‘dark nerds’ from Baltimore, Maryland, cite Vangelis as an influence. Like the Chariots of Fire composer, their music can be quite moody, but with a more psychedelic and airy ambience.

Liz Green. You may remember this self-styled ‘tragi-comic pop artist’ from Manchester from her debut single, the genre-bending Bad Medicine, which appeared in 2008. Her rich story-telling abilities are reflected in the way her music, choice of accompaniment and lyrics intertwine. Search YouTube for the video of Displacement Song, inspired by Holocaust chronicler Primo Levi. Her debut album O, Devotion! was released a few months ago.

Zombie Nation. Zombie Nation, a techno and electro project by German DJ Florian Senfter, promises to take a new twist with this phenomenon. His re-created live show, which will close the festival on 12 May, promises some pretty trippy 3D mapping and live visuals to accompany the music.

Tickets for Walk the line can be purchased at any Free Record Shop around town or on their website: www.walkthelinefestival.nl/ tickets.

May 2012

The Underground

Featured

The Hague

13

The Underground meets •

By Keith Powell

Orange Grove

Orange Grove is a bit of an anomaly in Dutch music. For a reggae band you would think they’d be more at home in their native St.Maarten playing for drunk tourists on the beach than in a country known more for its rain and cold than sun and warmth. But the band understands this and these differences even contributed to how the band came together and how their music is perceived here, particularly by the Dutch music industry.

recalls Maidwell. ‘I think I was missing St. Maarten a bit. [Here] everyone was talking about Bob Marley and I had never really got into it. So I bought the Kaya album and right away I felt that this was what I had been missing.’

Having been involved in a more aggressive musical genre like hip-hop, reggae may require a whole different mindset to play.

In a lot of ways, reggae is the polar opposite of hip-hop or even rock. Where those genres are very aggressive, reggae is more laid back.

‘Back home in the Caribbean, reggae is accepted as a serious genre of music, it’s not just something fun, something to listen to when the sun is shining and you want to have some beers on the beach. But here it’s ‘It’s more of a flow, more like ‘Oh, that’s a cute style of music.’ And more of a feeling than some people have said you guys should play funk, you’re too good for reggae,’ says singer a by-the-rules kind of thing,’ adds Maidwell.

Michael Maidwell.

Core members Maidwell and guitarist Jacob Streefkerk both came to the Netherlands to study business about a decade ago.

While they came with the best intentions, they realised becoming businessmen wasn’t really for them and found they were spending their time making music instead of studying spreadsheets. It was then they found their ‘voices’ as musicians.

‘Reggae has such different moods to it and sometimes you can’t really tell if you’re superficially listening to it, but if you’re listening to some of the angry Bob [Marley] songs, they are just very sweet, for instance, and vice versa,’ says Streefkerk.

‘It’s more of a flow, more of a feeling than a bythe-rules kind of thing,’ adds Maidwell.

Orange Grove is finalising plans for summer shows in support of their new single Some Things Last Forever with shows both here, including a slot at the Pophotspot Festival in June, and in the Caribbean.

‘In my teenage years I was really into hip-hop and dance hall,’

Check out our website for the full EXCLUSIVE interview and live music session.

Media: Mak Wolven /DeeDee Johnson

www.ogband.com

14

The Underground The Hague

Culture

May 2012

courtesy of the Mirando family

Gypsy Music in the Netherlands Lives On •

By Dorine Schreiner

D

on’t say ‘gypsy’, it’s derogatory! However, when speaking of gypsy folk music, eyes light up and people hurry to put on their dancing shoes. The Koninklijke Zigeuner Orkest van Tata Mirando (Royal Gypsy Orchestra of Tata Mirando) is one of the biggest gypsy orchestras in the Netherlands.

Meet Djangela Mirando, a third generation Mirando and member of the Sinti community. His passion for his music goes far.

‘Music is my life. I put all my feelings and love into it,’ he says.

‘It’s like a part of my body, like having arms and legs. I can’t live without it.’

His family history is unique. Djangela’s father, Meissel Weiss Mirando, was the oldest son of Josef Weiss, founder of the Tata Mirando orchestra. Tata, meaning ‘father’ in Romani, was his stage name and Mirando was the name taken from a former Italian circus that had gone bankrupt. The orchestra was made up of nine men and included four violins, a viola, a piano, a contrabass and two guitars. Josef played the contrabass.

After his father took over the orchestra, Djangela played the piano but frequently played his tata’s contrabass. Today Djangela, who lives in Arnhem, leads the Koninklijke Zigeuner Orkest van Tata Mirando.

Gypsy folk music has a strong tradition in Eastern and Central Europe. Many tunes find their origins in Romania and Hungary.

In the late 19th century, Roma and Sinti communities started making their way to the west with their music being wellreceived in Western Europe.

Like any music, there are different styles within a genre. In gypsy music, this varies from the original Sinti music, to the more modern gypsy-jazz. Sinti music’s improvisation, virtuosity and fast pace is a challenge to learn, it is passed from father to son, using instruments such as violins, guitars and the contrabass. ‘It’s Eastern European folk music, but with a Sinti touch.

It’s more beautiful,’ says Djangela. ‘We play with our heart and our soul.’

Josef Weiss, the first Tata Mirando, born into a Sinti-family in Switzerland in 1895, spent his youth travelling in trailers with his brother and musical father, performing across Europe.

After years of living in Germany Josef, by then married with children, moved his family to the Netherlands. During the Second World War all Josef’s brothers were murdered but Josef Weiss, his wife and their 15 children miraculously survived the war. The travelling circus of Toni Boltini had taken the Mirandos in as circus orchestra. Having to play for the German Wehrmacht excluded them from deportation. Years later, the Mirando family travelled to Auschwitz to commemorate and honour their family with their music.

While Europe was recovering from the ravages of war, the Mirando orchestra took to the streets to earn a living. It wasn’t until the early 60’s that the orchestra really kicked off in the Netherlands, being offered temporary contracts at hotels.

It started with a contract at café De Berenbak on the Boulevard in Scheveningen. Soon after, they recorded their first record with Columbia Records, after which more records and CD’s were released. Regular performances throughout the Netherlands followed, including venues such as Seven Club and Den Hout in The Hague.

The Berenbak isn’t the only gig the Mirando’s had in Scheveningen. The prominent Kurhaus Hotel also kept asking the orchestra to return.

‘It was an absolute honour to perform as a musician in the Kurhaus. Just magnificent,’ says the third tata, Djangela, adding they did Sunday matinee performances at the Scheveningen hotel for a few years in the 80’s. ‘Members of the high society fell in love with our music. They loved the romantic vibes of the Sinti’s.’

One of the orchestra’s highlights was performing for Prince Bernhard and, later, more members of the royal family. ‘I feel so proud ... playing for Prince Willem-Alexander. The interest in our music is great.’

For more information and bookings, visit www. tatamirando.nl

‘It was an absolute honour to perform as a musician in the Kurhaus. Just magnificent’

May 2012

The Underground

Featured

The Hague

15

Never Forget The Little Girl in her Red Coat •

Alison Woodward reports on the talk held by Judge Gabriel Bach, senior prosecutor in the Eichmann trials

I

n answer to a question from the audience, ‘Was there a time you found the things you heard too much to continue?’ The answer was a firm, ‘Yes.’ Judge Gabriel Bach is emotional as he recalls the moment, ‘I was listening to the evidence of Dr. Martin Földi describing his family’s arrival at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the selection process at the camp.’ Földi had recalled getting out of the train dazed and weak, a Nazi soldier telling his wife, his 13-year-old son and two-year-old daughter to go right, whereas he was told to go left. Földi had watched helplessly as his son had tried to join the crowd on the left whilst his wife disappeared, submerged by the throng. Then, he had stood anxiously watching his two-year-old daughter in her little red coat until she was just a red speck bobbing up finally moving out of sight. [Földi] had ended his evidence with, ‘‘This is how my family disappeared from my life forever.’’

Bach recalls how he froze up and was unable to continue. ‘All I could think of was of my daughter who, by chance, also owned a red coat she insisted on wearing with a child’s obsessive fondness for things new.’

He added that to this day, whether at the theatre or in a restaurant, he feels his heart beating unbearably fast when he sees a little girl in a red coat.

In March, Bach spoke at the Peace Palace in The Hague to mark the 50th anniversary of the Adolph Eichmann trial. The talk was organised by the Peace Palace Library and the Israeli Embassy. For those not familiar with the trial or the man, Adolph Eichmann was a Nazi war criminal, tried in Israel in May 1960.

During the Second World War, Eichmann was responsible for the mass transportation of mainly Jews to extermination camps in Eastern Europe. After the war, he assumed a false identity in Argentina where he lived with his family until he was captured. The trial attracted global interest and Eichmann, notoriously referred to as the ‘architect of the Holocaust’, seemed calm and unrepentant throughout. Extensive witness testimonies were filmed and televised. Bach said he believed it was particularly important to have evidence from all the victims’ nationalities to show the extent of the crimes, and for the judges to be able to hear the impact of those crimes. The witness testimonies shocked and saddened a worldwide audience and focused international attention on crimes against humanity (the persecution of a people) for the first time. Eichmann’s defense maintained he was ‘only following orders’ and was portrayed as a less than brilliant man, essentially a capable logistician and a ‘benign bureaucrat.’

Eichmann’s capture, trial, conviction and execution are all vulnerable to criticism. Bach, others involved, and the trial itself attracted international attention on the subject of crimes against humanity and the significance of international criminal justice for the pursuit of perpetrators of crime and to give redress to victims – the stated aims of current international criminal justice. Whilst there have been many contributors to the progress of international criminal justice, such as author Hersch Lauterpacht, the Nuremburg Charter, the Rome Statute and the establishment of the International Criminal Court, perhaps the Eichmann trial was the conduit for early general public debate.

vivors. ‘We heard a horrifying synopsis of the personal stories as well as the logistics of the persecution of the Jews.’ Bach ended the talk by saying, ‘Despite my work I remain essentially an optimist, we can learn from the past.’

On being elected to the International Criminal Court in 2003, the chief prosecutor said of the aims of current international criminal justice, ‘I deeply hope that the horrors humanity has suffered during the 20th century will serve us as a painful lesson and that the creation of the International Criminal Court will help us to prevent these atrocities from being repeated in the future.’

Hearing Bach speak gives a very personal and powerful insight into the facts and background of the trial.

He was born in Germany in 1927, Jewish by parentage and lucky to have survived the Second World War. He reflected that his early life was a series of ‘near misses’ or synchronicities. He tells of the quixotic role of fate in his life; two weeks before Kristallnacht, which took place in 1938, his parents had fled Germany to live in the Netherlands. Once in the Netherlands, his parents considered leaving the country as anti-Semitism was increasing. Bach says in the meanwhile, Hitler, had postponed his invasion of the Netherlands no less than seven times due to astrological factors. Bach’s parents finally made the decision to flee the Netherlands and go to Jerusalem by boat. The following day Germany invaded the Netherlands. Bach then joked that perhaps fate had intervened again to ensure Rommel stopped his advance and campaign in the Middle East.

After the Second World War, Bach tried to contact friends from his school in Amsterdam and was told he was the only one who had survived from his class. Describing, briefly, becoming a lawyer and what shaped his work, he said, ‘I did not come to Eichmann by choice,’ rather it was the circumstance of being eminently suitable for the role he played at the trial.

Bach studied law in Israel and London. After practicing as a barrister, Bach returned to Israel and served in the Israeli Army, where he defended, prosecuted and later judged trials before Israel’s military courts. In 1953 he entered service in the State Attorney’s Office.

In 1960 he was appointed to serve as legal counsel to the special bureau of the Israel Police, created to gather evidence for the trial. Thanks to a combination of these qualifications, experiences and language skills, he was appointed to the prosecution team.

For an hour Bach spoke of his experience at the trial, his impressions of Eichmann, preparing the prosecution case, meeting victims and hearing the sad evidence. He told about the shocking details of torture and death, the stories of the victims and those of sur-

Before his commercial success as a film director, Steven Spielberg worked in Israel to record witness testimonies for public record during the Eichmann trial. In 1993 he directed Schindler’s List, the biography of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who helped save the lives of over a thousand Jews by employing them in his factories.

Although primarily filmed in black and white, red is used symbolically when a little girl wearing a red coat is shown amongst the crowds in a Krakow ghetto. Later, the viewer sees bodies piled up on a cart with a small body in a red coat.

16

The Underground The Hague

Interview

May 2012

From Carthage to The Hague •

Roy Lie A Tjam speaks to the Tunisian Ambassador to the Netherlands

In the distinguished city district of Belgish park I meet the Ambassador for the Republic of Tunisia in The Netherlands, Karim Ben Becher. He had received his appointment for his posting to the Netherlands in Carthage, the once great, ancient and commercial Phoenician city-state, which today is a residential suburb of Tunis.

In addition to being Ambassador, Becher is also Tunisia’s permanent representative to the OPCW and ICC here in The Hague. Tunisia’s accession to the ICC in 2011 is a highlight in Ben Becher’s tenure. ‘It’s denotative of the positive direction the new democratic Tunisia is heading towards, where universal human values and human rights are concerned,’ says Ben Becher.

Since presenting his credentials to H.M.Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in August 2011, Karim Ben Becher, a cordial and cheerful man, resides in the Netherlands with his wife. Their two children both study in France.

His Excellency is no novice in the diplomatic world with his career as a diplomat beginning twenty-seven years ago. Holding a PhD in political science from the prestigious University of Sorbonne in Paris, as well as a degree in History from the University of Nice, he has served as Consul to Italy and Counsellor in Spain. He was a Cabinet Minister plenipotentiary and a director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for Africa.

When asked about his thoughts on the city he now calls home, the Francophone says, ‘The Hague is a green and safe city, however it’s not a place for young people looking for excitement or entertainment, they need to be

looking elsewhere! It’s commendable the municipality organises events for newly arrived diplomats to meet with the Mayor.’ He feels this helps to create a close bond with the city. Van Aartsen, a former foreign Minister, is an asset to the city,’ he adds.

Ben Becher enjoys the outdoor activities on offer in The Hague such as biking, whilst appreciating the cultural possibilities, notably visiting the numerous museums.

Any problems with The Hague? ‘If, accessing Thalys from Den Haag HS and the connection to Schiphol could be improved,’ he answers with a smile.

Tunisia’s connection with the Netherlands goes back many centuries. Around 1800 when piracy was rampant, both countries signed a convention to guarantee the safety of Dutch merchant ships and we protected them from pirates, shares the Ambassador.

Today there are opportunities for cooperation in the areas of agriculture and water management. As Ambassador of the new democratic Tunisia, the embassy will be launching various promotional campaigns to showcase his country.

The message of H.E. Ambassador Ben Becher to the Netherlands is ‘Tranquillity’ ‘The new Tunisia is tranquil! It’s as if a deuxieme Independance,a deuxieme Republique has been declared,’ he adds with pride.

The Underground

History

May 2012

The Hague

17

BOOK REVIEW •

Graphic by Mikee Stevens

The Absolutist, John Boyne

by Jorg Rousseeuw

The Great War has ended and Tristan Sadler gets off the train at Norwich station to deliver a package of letters to Marian Bancroft.

Tristan had fought alongside Marian’s brother Will who was shot as a traitor after he had laid down his weapons, bringing dishonour and shame on the Bancroft family.

But are the letters the real reason for Tristan’s visit? Tristan carries a secret, a secret that can change and destroy the lives of both Tristan and Marian Bancroft.

Mozart & �e Hague •

Dorine Schreiner discovers a piece of Mozart history in The Hague

H

e was a prodigy. A wunderkind. With more than 600 musical works to his name, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s legacy as a classical composer will live on forever. A small part of his work and tours during his youth took place right here, in The Hague.

The Absolutist is a beautiful, but also sad, and tragic book about While growing up, Mozart and his sister were taken on sevshame and guilt. eral tours across Europe by their parents, to compose and perform for a number of significant musicians, orchestras and Title: The Absolutist Author: John Boyne royal families.

Pages: 318 Price: E19,95 Born in1756, Mozart was only ninePrice Kindle: E10,95

years-old when his family visited the Netherlands. It was part of the Mozart family grand tour through Western Europe with his father Leopold, mother Anna Maria and sister Nannerl. The tour lasted more than three years.

DENTAL PRACTICE DENTAL CARE 4 YOU Piet Heinplein 50 Zeeheldenkwartier +31 70 346 86 56 www.dentalcare4you.nl

Princess Carolina, highly pregnant at the time, gave birth to a daughter, Wilhelmina Louise just days after the performance by the Mozarts. In Leopold’s letters, he appears to be happy with the way the family was welcomed.

Sadly, there was a turn of events which necessitated the family staying longer in The Hague than anticipated, when the children contracted typhoid. After their slow recovery, Wolfgang and Nannerl gave a concert in late January (1766) at hotel the Oude Doelen in The Hague, followed by two concerts in Amsterdam.

The Mozart children gave a concert at Princess Carolina’s palace on the Korte Voorhout.

The Netherlands wasn’t on the original itinerary. But Leopold could not resist an invitation by Princess Carolina of Nassau-Weilburg, herself a talented musician, for his children to perform for her brother Prince William V of Orange.

On nearing the Netherlands, the family were advised a trekschuit (horse-drawn boat) would be a more practical form of transport for getting to The Hague than the carriage they’d purchased specially for the journey. They continued on rivers and canals from Rotterdam to The Hague, where they arrived on 11 September 1765, stopping in Delft to change boats.

The Mozart children gave a concert at Princess Carolina’s palace on the Korte Voorhout.

Upon their return to The Hague from Amsterdam, the children performed at Prince William V’s inauguration as stadhouder (head of state). On 8 March 1766 the prince celebrated his eighteenth birthday, enabling him to rule without his guardian. Wolfgang not only performed, but also composed music for the event.

During their time in The Hague, the Mozart family stayed at hotel La Ville de Paris, on the corner of the Fluwelen Burgwal and the Korte Houtstraat. They also stayed at a hostel on the Spui. Both buildings were demolished in the 20th century.

Before leaving the Netherlands in April 1766, concerts were performed in Haarlem, Amsterdam and Utrecht. The family travelled and performed in France, Italy and Switzerland before returning home to Salzburg on 29 November 1766.

A plaque on the corner of the Kalvermarkt and Spui, placed in November 1956, commemorates Mozart’s visit to The Hague.

Internships openings We are seeking editorial interns for The Underground for 2012/2013. Applicants should have some journalism experience or writing-intensive course work, and most important, a desire to learn. Get in touch for more information:

info@theunderground.nl

18

The Underground

Food

The Hague

ARIES: March 21 – April 20 Don’t get hooked up with people who have too much to

say about how you do things. It’s none of their business.

Aside from that, if they knew you better they would know enough to give you space to be and do whatever you want. You keep thinking things are good because they look that way; the truth is you’re either bored stiff or feeling a little cramped in this situation. Nothing you do to go along with the program is going to change it – but you’d have a better shot at improving your own relationship to all of this if being true to yourself was the only thing that mattered.

TAURUS: April 21 – May 20 You’re busy doing whatever it takes to keep things going and to keep yourself from going nuts. Some of you are pressured by issues that only lighten up when you’re occupied. In spite of the fact that you’re finding it harder to be there for things that once seemed so much more important than they are to you now, life appears to be chugging right along. If you could give yourself permission to get off on all of this it would be great – but the fact is, it’s extremely difficult to enjoy ourselves when we are bored with things that make us wish we were somewhere else.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

Nobody has the right to interfere with your choices. If they mean well, underneath whatever that means to them, you’ve got to look at the fact that ‘caring about you’ will probably work out better for them than it does for you! The conflict on your end rests in the idea that you have reservations about telling the truth and you don’t want to upset anyone. You also have too much invested in this to make waves. I am not surprised you got yourself into this situation because complication is your middle name – staying in it will require you to make it work for you too.

CANCER: June 21 – July 20 Weighing your options would be easier if you had a crystal ball. At least two choices have you on the ropes trying to make a decision that is split between what you thought you wanted to be, and do, and have, and what’s come up in the meantime. Logic was never your best friend. No matter how you try to add things up, it won’t help you to let it preempt whatever your instincts keep calling you to do. Playing it safe only gets us so far. And whatever we think we’re attached to, shouldn’t keep us from cutting the cord and trusting life to take us wherever we need to be.

LEO: July 21 – August 20 The issues surrounding your health need a more holistic

perspective. It would help you so much to look into all things alternative. I say this because your body is letting you know that the rest of you is in need of a tune up. As much as you’re totally cool with most of what’s come out of the past two or three years, you’ve sustained enough emotional pressure to require some form of therapeutic TLC. For many of you, this could come in the form of art therapy – or just more fresh air and a willingness to ‘air out’ all the stuff that seems to be blocking your peace of mind.

VIRGO: August 21 – September 20 Work has gotten to be one of those things that make

you feel like your shoveling shit against the tide. Even if you love what you’re doing, it isn’t yielding enough to make you feel like it’s worth sticking it out; something has to change. A raise wouldn’t be a bad idea. You’re definitely worth it. If this is just about money maybe it’s time to start shooting higher; and now that the question of altitude has been raised, it could be time to look at your position and realize that you didn’t come here to ‘step and fetch it’; you’ve got your own thing going on.

Go ahead and crank it up!

LIBRA: September 21 – October 20 The choice is yours. You will be happy to know that

whatever you decide to do for yourself will work out beautifully. This doesn’t necessarily mean that as things progress you will be any more certain about them than you are at the moment. Not knowing for sure is driving many of you crazy. The need to stop wondering if and when things are going to look the way you want them to is paramount. It may even be best to function as if you could care less; because in the end, it’s all going to come down to you, and your ability to maintain a clear sense of independence.

SCORPIO: October 21 – November 20 I don’t know how much you’ve learned from all of this;

perhaps you’re beginning to see that it pays to let your heart open to itself, and to whatever it is that brought you here. For better or worse, you’re clear that you get what you give. Depending on the extent to which you have been willing to surrender all of it and trust in the Law of Return, you are either stuck on what life owes you, or wise enough to see that what goes around comes around. It never pays to withhold when it comes to anything. Trust me, in the end everything we give, we give to ourselves.

SAGITTARIUS:November 21-December 20 Something clicked. It looks like you’ve gotten hip to the

fact that you don’t have to be “On” all the time to get things done. Running around like a chicken with your head cut off has been totally counterproductive. Staying centered and trusting the universe to handle what isn’t yours is a big part of the lesson.The realization that you’re more of a Wizard when you let life weave your dreams into being is teaching you about the benefits of stepping out of the way and not needing everything to be the product of some effort to prove that it’s all coming from you.

CAPRICORN: December 21 - January 20 Life continues to show you how good it is. At the same

time, you are as overwhelmed with responsibility as you’ve ever been, and the sense that it’s all up to you never seems to go away. This time you have a new set of variables to contend with and there is enough change to suggest that you’re about to take a different approach to your work situation. Something is calling you to break off from the herd and develop your own way of doing things. It may take awhile but any decision that gives you a greater sense of autonomy and sovereignty will work out just fine.

AQUARIUS: January 21 – February 20 The plot thickens. Other people and their stuff, along

with a situation in which everything is on the line, all of this has turned your life into a sideshow. For someone whose ultimate aim has always been to detach from situations like this, you’re finding it harder than usual not to get involved. It’s wise of you to remain on the sidelines and stay as neutral as you can. At the same time there may come a point when standing back will be the last thing you need to do. So stay alert to where others are really coming from and be aware that everyone has an agenda.

PISCES: February 21 – March 20 You can’t be too sure about what others are capable

of. Don’t put anything past them. I know that sounds a little paranoid and suspicious but you’ve got issues with someone who is very good at pretending to be something that they’re not. You’re also prone to loving people too much. Those of you who can relate to this would be wise to turn up the discernment switch and look at what it gets you to be too spaced out to see the truth. For those of you to which none of this applies maybe it’s a sign that it’s time to stop reading your horoscope and get back to work!

Food topic: by Lee Ferguson & Inga Maas

Food for thoughts

Horoscopes May 2012

May 2012

Recipe of the Month Goats Curd Lemon Cheesecake with Sweet Almonds Biscuit Base and Fresh Strawberries America’s culinary queen of the 20th century, M.F.K. Fisher said in her book, ‘With Bold Knife and Fork’: ‘A good recipe, for modern convenience, should consist of three parts: name, ingredients, method. The first will perforce give some sort of description, for instance, one does not simply say ‘Cake or ‘Bread but ‘Golden Sponge Cake’, ‘Greek Honey Bread‘. The ingredients should be listed in one column or two, rather than in a running sentence, according to the order of their use, and with the exact amount of each ingredient given before its name. The method should in most cases tell the temperature of the oven first, if one is needed, and in a real kitchen guide should indicate in the simplest possible prose what equipment will be used; a saucepan rather than a double boiler, a shallow skillet, a large deep bowl. In the same way a true manual, written to instruct every kind of reader from a brownie to a June bride to an experienced but occasionally mechanic like myself.’

It was while reading through Fisher’s, With Bold Knife and Fork, that I found inspiration for this cheesecake recipe.

Ingredients: Base 150 grams of flour 75 grams of butter + 100 grams melted butter 75 grams of unrefined sugar 100 grams of Flaked Almonds Filling • 2 litres of goat milk • 1/2 litre of goat yoghurt • 250 grams of sour cream • 200 grams of sugar • 4 egg yolks • 3 whole eggs • 2 large lemons Method: Pre-heat oven 165°C/320°F Using your finger tips mix together the butter, flour and sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the almonds. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the mixture across the tray. Roast in the oven until golden in colour. Take out and leave to cool. Blend the mixture and add the melted butter.

For the filling: Add the goat’s milk to the saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil. At this point turn down the heat and add the yoghurt. Stir gently with a wooden spoon. The curd will slowly begin to separate from the whey. Once you notice a significant separation pass the liquid through the sieve and drain. Place the drained curd inside the cheesecloth and tie up the ends with the piece of string.

Give the cloth a twist to squeeze out as much liquid as you can then leave to hang over the sink while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until pale and smooth. Add the sour cream, the juice and zest of the lemon and finally add the goats curd and mix briskly until mixture is smooth.

Take a square of baking paper and line the base of a 10 inch springform cake tin. Take your blended almond biscuit mixture and create the base for your cheesecake.

Make sure that the base is covered well. Slowly pour all of your cheesecake mix over the almond biscuit base.

Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. Leave to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tips: Keep a small amount of sweet toasted almonds aside for garnish Don’t be too concerned if the cooked cake still has a slight wobble to it in the centre. This should set when cool and leave you with a nice creamy consistency.

The Underground

Food

May 2012

The Hague

Cucina Italiana restaurant • catering

Regentesselaan 24a 2562 CS Den Haag | 070 363 46 06 info@dabraccini.nl | www.dabraccini.nl Open woensdag t/m zondag

The Aztec people were the first to serve chocolate as a drink. They mixed it with hot chili pepper to give it a kick. This version contains chili flakes, known to stimulate your metabolism.

Ingredients: • • • • • • • •

1 to 2 espresso shots, or 1 cup of extra strong brewed coffee 200 ml milk (any style - use soy or almond milk for a lactose free version) Crushed ice to taste 1 tbsp. of chocolate syrup 1 tbsp. of dark chocolate chips Chili flakes Fresh whipped cream Chocolate syrup for garnish

Method: Fill your blender with the crushed ice first. Now add the milk, espresso, chocolate syrup, chocolate chips and chili flakes. Blend well for about 45 seconds. Pour the Frappuccino into a tall glass and top with lots of the fresh whipped cream. Now drizzle some chocolate syrup over the whipped cream and enjoy ice cold!

‘Non-alcoholic’ beverage of the month

Iced Dark Chocolate Frappuccino with Hot Chili Flakes

Super Food Strawberries While the strawberry is available to us all year round, May to August is the official season for this much loved super fruit. High in antioxidants and low in sugar the strawberry makes for the perfect summer snack. With many fruits containing mostly sugars which increase blood sugar levels, strawberries contain less than 50 calories per 144 grams giving you all the nutrients you need with minimal sugar intake.

Strawberries are said to slow down age-related loss of memory, help prevent cancer, reduce blood pressure and even help to whiten your teeth!

Strawberry facts • • • • •

27,000 kg of strawberries are sold at Wimbledon each year.

144 grams of strawberries provides 140% of vitamin C needs.

There are around 200 seeds per strawberry.

The strawberry plant is a member of the rose family.

The strawberry is the only fruit to have its seeds on the outside.

The curds used in this recipe create quite a different cheesecake, one that might not be to everyone’s taste.

Using 500 grams of cream cheese in place of the curds creates a cheesecake that is a little closer to the traditional Philadelphia cheesecake.

Visitekaart.indd 1

05-10-11 17:01

Buy & Why Paradou Viognier 2011 – ‘This is a super soft, yet very tasty French wine that is multifunctional for both dinners and parties.

And when the sun breaks through it is simply heaven.’ Diedrerik Bruning’s from Grape District recommends his wine of the month.

Food tip – Dressed crab Reichsrat von Buhl Spätburgunder QbA dry 2009 – The Reichsrat von Buhl estate produces only one red wine variety – Spatburgunder, Germany’s Pinot Noir.

This young red wine is marked with concentrated aromas of blueberries and has a long sophisticated finish. Recommended by Marius wines. Food tip – Grilled lamb with rosemary and thyme.

Cooking tip of the month Choosing to eat a healthier diet often results in a fridge packed with fruits and vegetables. What is the best way to store your fresh healthy produce so that you can get the best out of them? Here is our guide on how to store fresh fruits and vegetables.

(Visit the website to download a pdf. printable version.)

What We Are Reading Roast Chicken and Other Stories ….

By Simon Hopkinson Simon Hopkinson is a British food writer, critic and former chef. He is considered to be one of the best cookery writers working today. In 2005, Roast Chicken and Other Stories was voted the most useful cookery book of all time.

l Choice A Seasona ss Watercre

pery . The pep per food derived from the s su r ce n a is ish it nti-c vegetable horserad ss is an a Watercre is rich green leafyd that also gives s. Research sug f th oun stem flavour o urtiin (the comp cress leaves and nasturtiin inhibits gluconastste) found in the product of gluco s ta es. u p ngent that the hydrolysir-creating enzym m the gests cance body. Fro for your beneficial minss e n d o o f althy g to a long list o to make your full of he K is packedof vitamin C and xidants that work ss re rc te -o s ti n Wa n o a ti a d tr n hy. sa cen high con tamins, flavonoid ody fit and healt b oked erals, vi a little sm elet withch snack.. m o n a rcress to hy brun Add wateckerel for a healt ma

Where best to store your fresh fruits Fridge: and vegetables ?

Fruits - apricots, pears, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, figs, grapes, raspberries, strawberries Vegetables – Artichokes, asparagus, green beans, beetroot, chicory, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers (for up to 3 days), spring onions, fresh herbs (except basil), leafy vegetables, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, radishes, spinach, sprouts and shoots, summer squashes Ripen at room temperature before storing in the fridge: Avocados, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums Room temperature: Fruits – apples, bananas, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, mangoes, oranges, papayas, pineapple, pomegranates, watermelons Vegetables – Cucumbers, onions, aubergine, garlic, ginger, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter squashes

Food Tips Beach Clubs 1. Brunotti

On the north side of the harbour, Brunotti is the place to be for surfers. The dinner menu at Brunotti offers a selection of dishes ranging from organic salmon with dill sauce to spicy beef fajita’s.

Strandweg 2 2586 JP Scheveningen www.brunottibeachhouse.com

2. Sol Beach –

Sol Beach Sol beach club is located at the heart of the Beach. The menu at Sol Beach is a mediterraan inspired menu with occasional Asian flavours thrown into the mix. They also offer a selection of bbq platters for you to cook yourself.

Strandweg 20-21-22, Scheveningen www.solbeach.nl

3. Whoosah

Whoosah is located on the north end of the beach on the Zwarte Pad. Mochi at Woosah has created a Japanese/European fusion menu offering dishes such as Tempura shrimps with shaved bonito and okonomiyaki sauce and Udon noodles with chicken Teriyaki.

Zwarte Pad 66 Scheveningen www.whoosah.nl

20

The Underground

Spotted

The Hague

May 2012

Spotted.... YOU are The Underground! eporter t r d n u o dergr ner (left) a n U e h T Schrei XXL in het e n i r o D ation Expat Paard

Wendy Mamott at the Pillow Fight -Grote Markt

nd at u o r g r Unde omsonlaan o e h T Th rr ed Spott l & Beansbook by Ba Bage ed on face ler kess -post

Winners ADO Tickets Guess the Statue April issue

The Big Shave at Quirky’s Photo’s takenn by Charlotte Meindersma

Par ataly

son wi

N

ange th Or

Grove

Join us on Facebook : TheUndergroundTH Twitter: @UndergroundTH

Events

May 2012

The Underground The Hague

21

May 2012 events@theunderground.nl Place: Prinsestraat 42 Costs: € 12,50

Music The Clash of the Cover Bands Famous band competition in search of the best and most popular cover band in The Benelux.

Date: 4 May Time: 20.00 Place: Musicon, Soestdijksekade 345 Costs: € 5 Eric Vloeimans Duo with Florian Weber Most acclaimed musician of his generation, Eric Vloeimans performs in Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel.

Date: 7 May Time: 20.15 Place: Gevers Deynootplein 30 Costs: € 16 Mr.Boogie Woogie Dutch Boogie Woogie pianist and singer voted Europe’s ‘Best Blues Pianist’ performs at Societeit Engels.

Date: 13 May Time: 16.00 Place: Koningin. Emmakade 4-5 B Costs: € 7,50 Gaby Moreno A soulful stripped-down debut from a Guatemalan singer/songwriter in Korzo.

Vincent van Gogh, a life in paintings Frank Groothof in his interpretation of Holland’s most famous painter (performed in English), in Theater aan het Spui.

Date: 14 May Time: 20.00 Place: Spui 187 Costs: € 10 De Sunshine Show Esther Scheldwacht in a one-woman show in Theater aan het Spui.

Date: 30 May Time: 20.30 Place: Spui 187 Costs: € 17 Move to Move Two world premieres of choreographers Paul Lightfoot and Sol León in Lucent Danstheater.

Date: 31 May Time: 20.15 Place: Spuiplein 150 Costs: € 39

Festivals Walk the Line National and international alternative music in a two-day festival.

Date: 11 – 12 May Time: 20.00 Place: Grote Markt 25 Price: € 25.00

Best of Solo’s@The Sea Dance and acting Solo’s performed around Strandpaviljoen The Grebe.

Date: 10-11-16-17-22-23-30-31 May Time: 18.30 Place: Zuiderstrand 6 Costs: € 37,50

Lovers and Other Strangers Cocoondance Company performs at the Korzo.

Date: 6 May Time: 15.00

Museums & Art Death and Dying Exhibition every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Louis Couperus, relating to death and dying around 1900.

Date: Until 27 May 2012 Time: 12.00 -17.00 Place: Javastraat 17 Cost: €3,00 Decorative and Fine Art Group Exhibition 2012 Vernissage: Artists of diverse nationalities: Simona Barbu, Liz, Remco den Boer, and Lisa Corso.

Date: 21 – 28 April 2012 Place: Star Galerie – Borneostraat 116, 2585 TW, The Hague

Pop Hot Spot Artists like MOKE, Chef’s Special, Bertolf, Jah6 and many more perform at the Grote Markt.

Date: until 3 June Time: more information on the website www.pophotspot.nl/ Place: Grote Markt Costs: free entrance

Theatre & Dance

Julia Franck The acclaimed German author will read from her new book Rücken an Rücken.

Date: 10 May Time: 20:00 Place: Witte de Withstraat 31 Cost: € 5.00 / € 2.00 for members

Tong Tong Fair Mix of culture, food and trade fair, in an archipelago of tents.

Date: until 28 May Time: 12.00 Place: different locations, check website tongtongfair.nl/ Costs: € 10

Young Talent Exhibition of work by students from Willem de Kooning at Museum Meermanno Date: Until 29 April 2012 Time: 12.00 -17.00 Place: Prinsessegracht 30 Cost: €8,00 for adults / €4 for children under 12 Pieter Hugo Selected Works of Pieter Hugo’s This Must be the Place exhibiting at the Museum of Photography Date: Until 20 May 2012 Time: 12.00-18.00 Place: Stadhouderslaan 43 Cost: €6,00 Night at the Museum The collection of The Maurithuis and Alexander Calder in this exclusive night at the Gemeentemuseum.

Date: 11 May 2012 Time: 18.30-21.30 Place: Stadhouderslaan 41

Sports & Leisure Walking Tour of The Hague Walking tour including the major embassies and international organizations of The Hague with a guide from The Hague Guild.

Date: 19 May Time: 10.30 Place: Dagelijkse Groenmarkt 13 Costs: € 4.00

Literature

Nightlife Salsa Evening Salsa evening in De Boterwaag with DJ Franklin.

Date: 2 May Time: 21.30 Place: Grote Markt 8a Costs: free Tango-Café Dance the tango under the leadership of a live orchestra in Syndicaat.

Date: 2 May Time: 21.00 Place: Nieuwe Molstraat 10 Costs: € 2.00 Rasta Nation Monthly reggae and dancehall – party in Café de Vinger.

Date: 19 May Time: 21.00 Place: Bagijnestraat 25 80’s 90’s with Rog, Sjaak and Ivan From ‘Paradise City’ to ‘Rainbow in the Sky’, Rog, Sjaak and Ivan bring their favorite 80’s and 90’s music hits.

Date: 26 May Time: 21.00 Place: Grote Markt 25 Costs: € 3.00

Carefree Relocation Relocation assistance with a personal touch!!

We offer tailor-made services to meet your needs.

For further information please contact:

Caroline Burgers

mob:+31(0)6-521 30 628 www.carefree-relocation.com

22

The Underground

Classifieds

The Hague

May 2012

JEWELRY MAKING COURSE: Learn to design and make your own beautiful jewelry using gorgeous beads and stones.

The course is one morning per week for 4 weeks and starts Monday 11th June, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm in Wassenaar. This is a fun way to learn a lifetime craft. www. pebble-gems.com or call 06 53262022 for more information.

Cl�sifieds Beauty & Health Psychotherapy Fernando Criado Gestalt (Boswijk) ‘Therapy via the emotions’ Charge according to income gestaltherapyfernandocriado.webklik.nl Phone: 015-3641425 Creating Waves ‘Mind your Stress’ In the ‘Mind your Stress’ program you will learn to:increase your emotional balance . recognise your stress triggers . neutralize the effects of your stress reactions . increase your energy & vitality . transform your stress ‘on the spot’ anywhere, anytime . improve your mental clarity . make more supportive choices for yourself.

Starts 23.03.2012.

More info: maryjane@creatingwaves.nu www.creatingwaves.nu Essential Beauty Manicure.Pedicure (American Style) Eye Lash Tint. Eye Brow Tint. Brazilian Bikini Wax. US certified Beauty Specialist.

Kerkstraat 7. 2242 HA Wassenaar.

Phone: 06 27361603 or email: josanne018@hotmail.com

Cleaner Need help with your household chores?

Professional, reliable cleaning lady offering her services. Cleaning, washing, ironing. Mobile: 0649708343 Email: cleaning.kate@hotmail.com

Courses

Workshop Art and Etiquette for children ages 9/12 at the Christus Triomfator Church, Juliana v. Stolberglaan 154, The Hague, starting Saturday morning, April 21,28,May 5,12,19,26 time 10.00 -12 00. Great programme, children will learn about art and decorum in a playful manner!

Great preparation for high school!

Manners are appreciated.

Call for more information, Park Avenue Art Studio, 06 52190872 or visit www. vandersluis.com to view full program Fresco techniques or oil painting, private classes, pls call for more information Park Avenue Art Studio, 06 52190872 or visit www.vandersluis.com Private art classes for children, at the studio or at the convenience of your home.

Please call for more information Park Avenue Art Studio at 06 52190872 or visit www.vandersluis.com

Home Improvement Graham Montage Painting & decorating. Small joinery jobs in The Hague Area.

Mobile: 06 45 482 26 Email: graham7484@hotmail.com Handyman Services English speaking maintenance specialist.

Carpentry –painting –kitchen/bathroom – minor plumbing. For a free estimate call Ronald 06 55913888 Wish 4 Windows UPVC Windows & Doors Wish 4 Windows is a small family business situated in The Hague. We offer a personal approach and excellent customer service. Our records confirm that 95% of our business is received through recommendations and repeat customers.

This shows we must be doing something right! To read what others say about Wish 4 Windows, please see our recommendations. Wish 4 Windows the glazing company you can trust! www.wish4windows.com

House for sale

Design Lisa Di Campli offers specialized glass panel design and creation that blends the wishes of the client and the architecture.

Many works include kiln-fired glass painting, slumping, fusing. www.dicampliglas.com.

Driving Lessons Driving lessons given in English or German in the area of the Hague and surrounding towns.

Ron Keislair, for information telephone 06 44 302 594 or www.ronkeislair.nl I read about english driving lessons in the classified section of The Underground. It won’t be long before I am driving!

Holiday Home

Cees Laseurlaan 1005. spacious living/ diningroom/2 bedrooms/ Located in Clingendeal/ near Wassenaar/close to shops /public transport 5 min. walk. Also rental possible E1495,- p.m Price: € 169.000 k.k.

Phone: +31 (0) 6 5495749 Spacious 5 bedroom house with 2 bathrooms, front and back garden located on the waterfront .The house is located by “the Schollebos”, with picnic areas, nature paths, and restaurant, a children’s farm, horse riding schools, golf course, bird sanctuary, swimming pools, & schools in the area. There are three main shopping areas the largest being Rotterdam Alexandrium. Great access to motorways. www.funda.nl/koop/capelleaan-den-ijssel/straat-waaierdans 33, 2907AK Price €224,00 ono. Tel: 06 51 80 23 08

Your Classified here?

Please include the category, your name, phone number and contact details. Classified max.170 characters €10,-.

Portrait drawing and painting courses

by Maurice Heerdin. In 1982 Maurice Heerdink graduated from the Royal Art Academy in The Hague. He has been teaching for 15 years.

For more information: Tel: 070 3465138 email: mauriceheerdink@ziggo.nl www.heerdinkportretten.nl

Simply Skin

FRANCE La Marteille Located near Pompadour/Dordogne in France. A lovely get away in the country for 2-4 people/2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms/ veranda/fully furnished/garden/wood burner/ etc Per week € 595,Bookings: www.micazu.nl/ vakantiehuis/ la-marteille-10437

Simpy Skin.... is simply skin - high quality bath & body product made by hand on our shop premises in Weesp.

Not sure which of our products to try first? Then why not try our Total Pamper Sample Pack - €10 worth of sample products for free (we only ask that you pay for postage).

This offer is only available to our webshop customers

w w w. s i m p l y s k i n . e u

Submit your classified by email; sales@theunderground.nl

Essential Beauty Natural Solution for your Health and Beauty Manicure. Pedicure (American Style) Hand & Foot Massage Eye Lash & Brow tint Al kinds of Waxing and Brazilian Bikini Wax --US Certified Beauty Specialist-Kerkstraat 7 . 2242 HA . Wassenaar josanne018@hotmail.com or Phone Josie 06 273 616 03 (Attending course from July 26-September 15)

Housing for rent

Classifieds trains going in all directions. 170m2, €1850 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com

For rent in Statenkwartier, Van Slingelandtstraat. A large furnished 2 bedroom apartment with garden. The Frederik Henderiklaan around the corner. Near Europol, OPCW, ICTY, etc. Good public transport . 70m2, €995 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com

For rent lovely 2 room apartment in Statenkwartier, Van Boetzelaerlaan.

Close to a popular shopping street the Frederik Hendriklaan, the harbour, beach and sea. This area is known for its safety. 2 room apartment, large terrace.

100m2, €1.250 p/m excl. For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com

For rent beautiful 1 bedroom apartment located on the Statenlaan near the shops, restaurants, cafes, and the Museum “Museon.” Public transport (tram 11, 17) to city centre and station in front.

Unfurnished with spacious living.115m2, €995 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com For rent spacious house in Statenkwartier, van Beuningenstraat. Well decorated corner apartment with sunny terrace.

Near the popular shopping area, Frederik Hendriklaan. An unfurnished, renovated apartment with 2 large bedrooms. 115m2, €1200 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com For rent furnished apartment in Scheveningen, Haringkade. Near the beach with beachclubs, boulevard with shops. Close to ‘Westbroekpark’ and dunes. Nice apartment with 2 rooms ensuite and a little terrace.70m2, € 1075 excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com For rent unfurnished apartment with 4 rooms in The Hague centre, Nieuwe Haven. Middle of the shopping centre, cinemas, China town, restaurants, etc.

2 stations within walking distance and

For rent classic 2 bedroom apartment at Zoutmanstraat with terrace and green outside view. Located in the centre of The Hague near the Peace Palace ,Noordeinde Palace. 72m2, €1250 p/m excl. For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com

For rent spacious 2 bedroom apartment at Badhuisweg, is located near the beach of Scheveningen, Madurodam and surrounded by woods and parks.

Really worth viewing. 105m2, €2000 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com For rent a light fully furnished 3 bedroom apartment Segbroek area, Segbroeklaan. Nearby the International school and shops in the Fahrenheitstraat. This area is also lovely to cycle or walk through parks and dunes. 80m2, €1250 p/m excl.

For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com For rent Kanaalweg 73 Den Haag - €3,200 p/m (excl), available mid July 2012. Stylish ‘herenhuis’ walking distance from the French school (Lycée Français) and the German school, Westbroekpark, Scheveningen, public transport (tram 1&9; bus 21) and international organisations such as OPCW, UN, ICTY, Europol and Shell, and situated at the quiet end of Kanaalweg. This house consists of 10 rooms, divided over 280+m² with beautiful original features. Toilet on each of the main four floors, with three bathrooms. Garden and 2 rear terraces - all facing directly south.

All stairs and landings newly carpeted in 2012. All windows double glazed. This is truly a perfect family house that can also easily accommodate a live-in nanny with private floor.

The Hague

To view please contact: +31(0)70 326 27 26

Looking for Deborah Group in Groothandelsgebouw Rotterdam seeks flexible co-renter for all-in modern 2 room furnished office w/ balcony/view/WiFi/fax-printer etc: info@deborahgroup.nl

For rent modern furnished 1 bedroom apartment in Statenkwartier, Willem de Zwijgerlaan close to international org. like, Europol, OPCW, ICTY, etc. Good public transport to city centre, station and beach. 80m2, € 1100 m2: 80 For info call 070 7630408 or mail: thehouseofexpats@gmail.com

The Underground

A student looking for a room to rent in The Hague area. From middle/end of May. Please call 0649708343 or email me at vaida.statke@gmail.com.

Music Lessons Drums & Percussion Lessons Aldo Aranda. Master Degree graduate from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium and The Hague, Netherlands.

Fluency and experience in all kinds of percussion instruments and all kinds of music styles such as, Classical, Jazz, Contemporary, African, Latin American, Rock & Pop. All ages and levels are welcome. Languages: English, Spanish & Dutch (70%). Free Trial Lesson!! www.aldoaranda.weebly.com www.sindicatosonico.be Email: aldoarandacruz@gmail.com Mobile: 06 18 43 79 89

@

24/7

€

+-

Your own caretaker for all your maintenance.

A membership for EUR 180,=, with 24/7 standby service and annual HV-maintenance.

Waisting no more time on finding good craftman.

We got them! www.uwhuismeester.info T: 070 737 03 10

@

24/7

€

+-

Harp and Music lessons with Sarah Nichols, a graduate from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in harp and pedagogy. All ages and levels are welcome. Lessons can be in English, French or Spanish.

Free trial lesson!! www.sarahnicholsharp.weebly.com Email: nicholsharp@gmail.com Mobile: 06 41 48 32 19

Services Martijn’s Bicycle Service!

Bicycle Repair everywhere!!! Give me a call at 06 33 91 75 10 and I will fix your bike wherever you are!! Or email to MBS@telfort.nl Suurmond Tax Consultants Experts for Expats.

J.C. Suurmond & zn. Tax consultants is a Dutch tax consulting agency with an international perspective. No matter what tax situation you encounter as an expat, we know how to handle it in your best interest. Consult our independent professional team by phoning +31 (0)174 244725 or e-mail taxadvice@jcsuurmond.nl. www.jcsuurmond.nl.

Legal Advice for small and creative businesses. Charlotte is an affordable lawyer who specializes in Intellectual Property Law and Contract Law. Need legal advice for your business?

Contact Charlotte at www.charlotteslaw.nl. The first coffee is on her!

Cleaning Shop ‘La Sartoria’ Dry Cleaner Clothing Repairs & Alterations Piet Heinstraat 55 2518 CC The Hague Phone: 070-3455263 Good service and a good price! sales@theunderground.nl

12 week beginners, intermediate, advanced, NT2 level II 2 week intensive beginners and intermediate courses

Laan van Nieuw Oost Indië 2593 BS Den Haag Tel: 070 3654677

www.directdutch.com

E S T. 19 85

May 2012

275

23