The Summer 2008 Issue contains a.o. the following articles:

COLUMN

Funny You Should Mention Health

By Shirley Agudo

Health care is not an innately funny issue, unless you’re an expat, that is – transplanted from your home country and away from the health care system that you’re familiar with. In that case, you’d better have a good sense of humor. In this article, Shirley Agudo provides us with three humorous cases in point. Submitting yourself to medical care in the Netherlands is not for the bashful!

ECONOMY

The Impact of Expats

By Diane Lemieux

The Dutch system of consensus-building allows room for the expression of opinions in the public domain in a way that is unique to the Netherlands. For instance, the xenophobic discourses of the past few years have created the impression that the nation had experienced a radical shift away from its traditional reputation of tolerance. It seemed to many that foreigners, including expatriates, were no longer welcome in the Netherlands.

However, as the debate over immigration, integration and tolerance raged in the media, policies were shifting towards improving conditions with the aim of attracting workers from abroad. In other words, ‘expats’ – in the widest sense of the definition – are currently the flavour of the day.

LEGAL

The Dutch Health Care Act

By P.G.Y. van den Berg

Also you – as an expat – can become ill, which could cost you a lot of money. Which is why it is important for you to arrange adequate medical expenses insurance. But this is not always as simple as it is for a ‘regular’ Dutch employee. Due to your international situation, you may not be insured in the Netherlands, while you nonetheless incur medical expenses here, or else you may be insured in the Netherlands, while you incur medical expenses in your home country. In order to be able to arrange adequate insurance, you need to be familiar with the Dutch Health Insurance Act. Pieter van den Berg goes into this law in this article, and in particular into a number of specific situations that you, as an expat, may find yourself in.

LEISURE

A Day Trip Down the Vecht

By Shirley Agudo

This is the fifth in our series of ‘travel tips,’ with excerpts from the new edition of Here’s Holland, by Sheila Gazaleh-Weevers, with Shirley Agudo and Connie Moser. For more information about this guide to travel and life in Holland, see www.heresholland.com .

If you’re looking for the perfect destination for a day trip where you can while away the hours around water and verdant countryside, consider the area nestled between Amsterdam and Utrecht, straddling the Vecht River and bordering the Loosdrecht lakes (Loosdrechtse Plassen). Whether you travel by car, boat, bike or partially on foot, try to choose a sunny day when you can spend some time dockside in one of the beautiful villages lining the Vecht – villages that have historically been home to wealthy merchants and landowners who chose the lush countryside to escape the noise of Amsterdam. You’ll see many of their stately mansions along the way, including a real castle or two that you can visit...

HEALTH

Medical Care: The Care is Excellent, the System; Well… Different

Elsewhere in this XPat Journal, it is noted that international comparisons show that medical care in the Netherlands is among the best in the world. It is good to know that, but how does the Dutch system really work? In this article, you will find an overview of your journey through the Dutch medical world, the GP, medication, specialist care, hospitalization, dentists, and having a baby – followed by an extensive list of references and resources.

Health Care in Holland; Bronovo as an Example

By Diane Lemieux

The services provided by the Dutch medical system, from huisarts (GP) to hospital services, are a source of culture shock to many foreign residents in the Netherlands.
The Dutch health care system is essentially based on egalitarian mores. Everyone in the Netherlands, regardless of financial circumstances or any other cultural, social or personal differences, all have a legal right to exactly the same quality and level of services. It is, in fact, illegal to allow people to pay for better or quicker services.
This cultural pattern of communication makes it difficult for many members of the international community to obtain the medical services they want or think they require. In many other cultures, people do not expect to enter into a discussion or even debate with their doctor. It is precisely for these short-term residents and for the ‘new arrivals’ in the international community in The Hague that Bronovo Hospital is taking measures aimed at helping them navigate their way through the system. The hospital now has an English-language website and specially designated English-speaking staff members. The paediatric outpatient clinic, where children from expat families can be seen daily, is another example of their special services.

English-language website of Bronovo Hospital: www.bronovo.nl/Bronovo/en-GB/bronovo/about_bronovo
Living in The Hague portal with lots of English-language information on health care: www.denhaag.com/default.asp?id=461&ep=255

EXPAT LIVING

What to Do With Your Mother-In-Law

Help! They are here again! Do you recognise this feeling? Every year your in-laws come round, and every year you secretly find yourself in the same predicament. What am I going to do with them? What am I to cook for them? And most importantly; where can I put them? Because, let’s be honest, nobody enjoys having their mother-in-law watching over their shoulder while they cook, commenting on how this is ‘not how they did in my time’. And nobody enjoys meeting their father-in-law in the hallway in the morning wearing their robe. Not to fear this year, as the perfect solution is here for you.

This year the Eden Babylon Hotel The Hague offers you a special deal for your in-laws, friends or any other guests that may come your way this summer. Let them do the pampering and make it an unforgettable stay for your guests and of course for you as well!

www.edenhotelgroup.com

EVENT

Expatriation as Opportunity 

Wikipedia defines an expatriate as an individual who temporarily or permanently resides in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing or legal residence. The word comes from the Latin ex (out of) and patria (country, fatherland). It is not an exclusive term, rather one which can embrace many experiences. In its third year, the ‘Feel at home in The Hague – The International Community Fair 2008’ is therefore broadening its scope, inviting recently arrived, returning and longer-term international residents of The Hague, to come to the Atrium of City Hall on Sunday, September 21, to discover all there is to do in their free time.
The groups represented at the Fair are drawn from both the local and internationally-oriented communities within The Hague area. There are local neighbourhood associations wishing to meet, welcome and engage their neighbours; professional and network groups of all nationalities, whose common language may be English, Spanish or French; theatre and cultural organisations that stage productions for which Dutch is not a requirement; schools; teaching and training institutes; volunteer opportunities; and churches of several denominations. The list is varied, but what they share is a desire to welcome you, to share their interests and ultimately make you more comfortable in your new home. For those who are returning or have lived here longer, there is the opportunity to capture the experience of where you are coming from, be it an expatriate experience as a Dutchman overseas, or to be able to speak your own language and find a bit of your culture while living away from the home you grew up in.
For the true expatriate, here for a short time, the Fair can, in one day, introduce you to all there is available, to help you decide what you want to become involved with and how. For the longer-term international, the varied group of participants at the Fair each year always offers something new to discover and the opportunity to play co-host to new arrivals. Finally, for the returning expatriate, the Fair offers perhaps a glimpse into a part of your city you did not know, and a chance to meet people from countries you have lived in and the chance to continue to experience a little bit of expatriate living.
For information and details about who will be at the Fair, what the activities are, ticket prices and much more, visit www.FeelathomeinTheHague.com. Sunday, September 21, 2008.
 

EXPAT LIVING

Htel, Holland’s Number One Spot to Feel at Home Abroad

An extended stay abroad not only means meeting new people, but also adapting to a completely new life. To be able to have a new home where everything is well organised, is vital in the midst of all this turbulence.

For years, expats in the Netherlands were in need of a reasonably priced alternative to impersonal hotel rooms – without necessarily wanting to sacrifice the comfort of hotel facilities. In 2003, Htel Serviced Apartments responded to this market demand with the launch of Htel Business Suites. In 2007, Htel expanded its offerings with the luxury Htel Executive Apartments, making Htel Holland’s market leader in fully-furnished corporate housing. Htel Business Suites as well as Htel Executive Apartments both ensure an exceptionally luxurious and comfortable stay in a secure and personal environment.
Htel Business Suites is centrally located in Amstelveen (just twenty minutes from Amsterdam city centre) and rents out 255 luxury suites to expats who need a home with all the required conveniences. The thirteen-storey building is located in a quiet and green residential area, yet is ideally close to the business districts and city centres of Amsterdam and Amstelveen.
For those in search of superior living accommodations when abroad, Htel Executive Apartments offer 60 top-of-the-bill executive apartments, some as large as 150 square metres. The fourteen-story building is located in the heart of Amsterdam’s new WTC/Zuidas business district.
www.htel.nl.

INTERVIEW

Financial Services for Expats and Impats

By Diane Lemieux

The ABN AMRO is one of the world’s leading international banks. In the Netherlands, their international outlook has led to the creation of a special division, housed in both Amsterdam and The Hague, which is dedicated to serving the particular needs of the international community.
The 25 employees of The Hague’s International Client Services department are housed in the bank’s regional headquarters on the Kneuterdijk up the street from the Parliament buildings. The members of the banks team have, for various reasons, an affinity with the bank’s international clientele. Many of them are non-Dutch nationals, while others have lived abroad and learned foreign languages.
The ABN AMRO caters to both Dutch citizens moving abroad (expats) as well as members of the international community who move here to the Netherlands (impats) and offers: financial advice in English; extensive English-language information about their products and services; a Welcome Box for all new expat clients; Free Internet banking in English, including options for online investment; as well as dedicated experts with experience in and expertise on issues relevant to expat clients.

For more information, see www.abnamro.nl/en/index

INTERVIEW

From the Point of View of… Tzu Chen Chen

“There are two types of artists: those who create, such as Picasso, Dalí, and Dubuffet. They create a whole other world, a whole new artistic language. And then there are those, such as Van Gogh, who use colors, strokes and composition to depict what they see. It is rare to find someone who has created their own world. Take Van Gogh again. He’s done beautiful work, but there are a lot of other artists who have done exceptional work, who don’t get as much recognition as he does. I can’t help but wonder; if he hadn’t cut off his ear, would people care as much?”
Tzu Chen Chen

For more information on Tzu Chen Chen, visit her website www.tzuchenchen.com.

LEISURE

Jumping into Summer

By Suzanne Schreve

In the first eight seconds you reach 200 km/h speed in freefall, but when you perch on the ledge of the open plane door at 12,000 ft, this knowledge becomes a mere spec of reality. In the first three seconds your body freezes in time and every thought becomes a life-time story. You fall into a schizophrenic moment, simply because your bodily functions spin into overdrive. Heavy gusts of wind push your breath back into your lungs, while the brain sends out warning signals that rush through your veins propelling each cell into a rollercoaster ride. In the fourth second you have two choices; complete madness in the panic room of your mind, or freeing the mind from itself. And once you have made the one logical decision, you come outside and play, watching the world spin past you through one-way glass. Complete magic and a 100% adrenalin. This is skydiving.

This is followed by Kasteel Engelenburg (Engelenburg Castle), a thirty-minute drive south from Teuge, where relaxation and degustation awaits us. Kasteel Engelenburg is a 250-acre country estate with a hotel, restaurant and nine-hole golf course. If you want to spend your weekend in English-style luxury and allow your taste buds to delve into smooth sensations, this is one of the best destinations in the Netherlands. A white pebble path leads us up the main building, the restaurant, in front of which an English-style square garden sits between the two side buildings, both used for hotel guests. The grass has that perfectly mown Wimbledon quality and the surrounding trees in different greens and reds radiate a luscious country feel.
www.paracentrumteuge.nl
www.engelenburg.com

SPORTS

Discover New Horizons With Sailtime Holland

Whether you are an expat who used to be a keen boat owner, someone who currently owns a yacht and spends more time languishing in the marina than on the water, or a complete novice to sailing, you may need to seriously consider affordable sailing.
The SailTime monthly Membership fee – usually less than the marina fees alone – covers all maintenance, insurance, servicing and berthing fees for the boat. The yachts are available all year round with the exception of a two-week maintenance period in the winter when they are taken out of the water. Each boat is shared by a maximum of seven members and one owner-member. Members schedule their time onboard through SailTime’s unique on-line SailTime Scheduler™ and management system. They can reserve their sail time instantly and can book their allocation up to 12 months in advance. With total flexibility and control over their sailing times, members can even swap times with other members on-line or invite their friends to join them when making a booking, via an integrated e-mail system.
Each day is divided into two sail times, 10:30 A.M.-6 P.M. and 6-10:30 P.M., providing a day sail or an evening/night sail. Allocated times can be combined to a maximum of seven full days, or 14 sail times. For novices, SailTime offers a training programme to help you achieve the required standard to become a member.
If in 2008 you sign up for Membership with SailTime NL, the premier sailing membership company based in the Netherlands, then, if you are an XPat Journal reader, you will receive € 500 off the initiation and training fee.

ECONOMY

Ambitious Plans for Holland’s Capital of Hip

By Diane Lemieux

Rotterdam is the only city in the Netherlands, in fact in much of Europe, whose population is actually getting younger. For this reason we were chosen to be European Capital of Youth next year, 2009. It’s a new idea in Europe and it underlines Rotterdam’s role as a creative centre and trend-setter. As proof of Rotterdam’s reputation as young and hip, many advertising agencies do market research in the city to get a view of what young people think and where the trends are heading.
The city’s aim is also to maintain Rotterdam’s inner city as a place where people live and work; to make it a liveable city. There are plans for residential buildings, restaurants and after-hour cultural and social opportunities for a city that is active 24 hours a day.
Says its Alderman for Economy, Mark Harbers: “Rotterdam already is an international city. There are more than 174 nationalities living here. The summer festivals are a good example of that. Each one highlights a different population group in the city, from our ultra-modern youth to the vibrant multicultural community, and from poets and musicians to the latest DJs. This is a chance for Rotterdam to share with the world the diversity that makes it a great city.”

Summer Festivals in Rotterdam
Saturday, June 7 to Friday June 13: The 39th Poetry International Festival
Rotterdam hosts the internationally acclaimed poetry festival in the Schouwburg. This year the theme is city and country in recognition of the fact that in 2008, for the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population will live in urban areas. The program includes lectures, interviews and debates related to the theme.

Friday, July 11, to Sunday July 13: 33rd Edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is the biggest jazz festival in the world with its 15 stages in simultaneous use and around 180 acts involving 1,500 musicians. North Sea Jazz is known all across the world because of the many musical genres it has to offer – from traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, bop and free jazz, to fusion, avant-garde jazz and electronic jazz. And it doesn’t stop at jazz; blues, gospel, funk, soul, hip hop, R&B, world beat and Latin enthusiasts have a great time as well. The Festival attracts between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors each year (approximately 23,000 people a day), from around the world.

Friday, July 25 and Saturday July 26: Summer Carnival
The Summer Carnival in Rotterdam is the most colourful and tropical party of the Netherlands, celebrating the city’s multicultural population. The Carnival is a huge event, based in the Antillean culture, with around 900,000 visitors. The Summer Carnival transforms Rotterdam’s centre into the biggest stage in the Netherlands.
Sunday 20 July: The Election of the Queen of the Carnival
25 July 2008: Battle of Drums
26 July 2008: Street Parade

Saturday, August 9: 11th edition of the Fit For Free Dance Parade
The Dance Parade celebrates Rotterdam’s youth culture. This year’s theme is Catwalk, whereby the city centre will be turned into one long catwalk. The parade starts at 2 P.M. with a warming-up session on the Eendrachtsplein. No less than 40 wagons will take part in the parade, ending with a spectacular finish at the Boompjes at 9 P.M. Rumour has it that planes will drop kilos of confetti on the dancers.

 

LEISURE

Corpus - A Body for Everybody

By Connie Moser

Forget about boring lectures or complex biology books, now there is a new experience to help us learn about the human body and how it works. Ever wonder how hair grows, or what happens when you sneeze? What does your stomach do with the cheese you just ate? And what about the intricate multi-tasking workings of the brain? At Corpus Experience − which was just opened by Queen Beatrix on March 14, 2008 − taking an exciting journey through the body will allow you to learn the answers to these and many other intriguing questions.
The Corpus building is almost as impressive as the exhibitions inside; made up of a 35 meter-high transparent building (115 ft) with a gigantic human body protruding from its side. Located in Oegstgeest, the eye-catching structure along the A44 highway between Amsterdam and The Hague has already become a local landmark.
Corpus offers an interactive guide to the human body, combining an amusement park with a health education museum. All the museum’s walls and halls are modeled with fiberglass to resemble the inside of a giant human body, giving visitors the sensation of being shrunk down to a tiny scale, while traversing a mixture of giant replicas of body parts.
www.corpusexperience.nl

COOKING

‘Healthy’ Deep-Frying

By Pierre Wind

The Dutch restaurant business has been in the grips of a ‘health campaign’ for years now. A clever idea, but not always approached in the right way. As part of the campaign, the restaurant industry is being told to use liquid deep-frying oil instead of solid. The fatty acids in ‘solid deep-frying fats’ increase the chances of coronary and vascular disease, as they can raise your cholesterol level.

Inspectors will be taking samples of deep-frying fats at restaurants, with the aim of simultaneously promoting liquid fats. If you are using the right fats, then you can be rewarded with a poster saying “Yes, we deep-fry responsibly”. Of course, it is a good idea to start deep-frying in ‘liquid’ fat, but we don’t need a campaign for that. A short and clear note from the Inspectorate for Health Protection, making the use of liquid fats obligatory, would be a lot more efficient, and cheaper.

So, for years now, the fat industry has been selling the wrong thing. For which we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. If the ‘fat industry’ were honest, then they would remove all solid fats from the shelves altogether – but they’re not that honest. They don’t put their action where their mouth is.

Recipe no. 1 Caesar salad for one
I’m not much of a salad person myself. Nonetheless, there are moments that a little lettuce can make me happy. Such as today. Around 1 P.M., I started to feel hungry. I didn’t have much time to eat, so a quick bite was the only solution. After washing my hands, I went straight for the refrigerator. My hands are big, and grasped approximately 60 gr of Romaine lettuce. I added modest dollop of whipping cream, as well as pepper, salt, lemon juice and icing sugar to taste. I mixed this well, using my hands. And then I washed my live utensils again. From the refrigerator, I removed a boiled egg, approximately 50 gr of cooked chicken (from the day before) and freshly grated parmesan cheese. I distributed this over the lettuce, and added tortilla chips and bread on the side. And, voilà, a delicious lunch had been prepared.

Recipe no. 2 Hamburger for 2
In a meat grinder, put 150 gr of chicken breast, some ham, 2 cloves of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, the branches off of 3 sprigs of coriander, the leaves off of 6 sprigs of dill, pepper and salt to taste and grind till smooth. But not too long, or else the meat will become tough.
Place four round slices of ham on a cutting board (the corners that came off if they were initially round, are what can go into the meat grinder with the chicken). Place the ground chicken mix on top of these. Place slices of ham on top of these again. Then gently press down on the burgers, so that they become smooth and evenly distributed. Also at the edges. Put a little olive oil in a pan. Let this heat up well. Then place the hamburgers in the pan. Press down on the burgers with the flat side of a spatula. When the bottoms are nice and golden brown, flip them over and turn down the flame. Fry three eggs on this same surface. Or, if the hamburgers aren’t ready yet, use a different pan. Don’t forget the olive oil. When the eggs are almost done and the burgers are done, place four slices of onion and four half Roma tomatoes in the pan/tray. Fry until golden. Add pepper and salt to the egg, tomato and onion to taste. Do you want a cheeseburger? Then put half a slice of cheese on top of the burger now. Slice a bun in half, and then slice the top of the bun diagonally. Place the chicken burger on the bottom half. Place a fried onion and tomato on top. If you want, put something green on top. Place the fried egg on top of the diagonal half and place these against the burger, at a jaunty angle.

Recipe no. 3 Chocolate-Coated Strawberries for One
A ridiculously easy dessert. In the microwave (or au bain marie), melt 50 gr of chocolate in a bowl that is not too big. Make sure that there is no water or other fluid in the bowl. Stir regularly. Avoid metal in the microwave. Not that you needed reminding, but still.
Place non-grease baking paper on a platter. Leave the leaves attached to the strawberries. Grab the leaves of a strawberry between two fingers and run two-thirds of the strawberry through the chocolate. Let it drip for a moment over the bowl and then place it on the non-grease paper. Prepare three strawberries per person. In principle, the strawberries do not have to cool, because the chocolate will harden, but if you are in a rush, then placing them in the refrigerator will speed up the process. Place two scoops of ice cream in the middle of a plate. Decorate with three cookies. Place the three chocolate-coated strawberries around the ice cream. In for more adventure? Grate a little bit of fresh black pepper over the strawberries, before running them through the chocolate.

LEISURE

North Sea Jazz Festival
Three Nights to Remember

Three nights of musical heaven. Does the thought appeal to you? Three nights of mingling and mixing with people of a like mind, who have come to the North Sea Jazz Festival to enjoy a fantastic selection of music, ranging from New Orleans Jazz to gospel, to hip hop, to fusion, to vocal jazz, to soul… anything that has an irresistible beat.

This year’s line-up includes such whopping names as Alicia Keys, Angie Stone, Branford Marsalis, Bootsy Collins, Buddy Guy, Gnarls Barkley, Paul Simon, Youssou N’Dour, Chaka Khan – we’re just counting the days! Other names that you will find on the program are jazz legends such as Phil Woods, vibraphonists Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Ron Carter and pianist Hank Jones, who will be turning 90 on the opening night, and Charlie Haden, Abdullah Ibrahim, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd, as well as Dutch legends including tenor saxophonist Ferdinand Povel and Willem Breuker,and promising new jazz groups such as the Nasheet Waits’ Equality, the Adam Rogers Group and the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet.
Bobby McFerrin to be Artist in Residence, meaning that he will be performing on all three nights. He will kick off the festival on Friday with the NDR Big Band, on Saturday he will be performing with virtuoso bass player Richard Bona, and his Sunday performance will be a surprise.
www.northseajazz.com

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