The Winter 2006 Issue contains a.o. the following articles:

INTERVIEW

From the Point of View of... Amanda de Glanville
Is there something that Amanda has learned, living abroad so much? “Yes. In the beginning, I made too much of an effort to integrate. I had a feeling that everything I did was wrong, because it was not how they did things here. I wanted to be like everyone else; think like they did, speak like they did; judge like they did. I relegated my criteria of what was normal, or relevant, to second best, so that I could take on the criteria of those around me. This is not healthy, because you deny who you really are, but what makes it even more pointless is that you will not succeed, simply because you are not Dutch. You cannot ever fully become like the locals – in any country. I have learned to accept that I am different and that I am going to make mistakes and that it is not good for me to measure myself only by Dutch standards.” 
Amanda is helping setting up a medical center for expats in The Hague. 
For more information, visit www.internationalhealth.nl

LEGAL AFFAIRS

Medical Insurance Issues
January 1, 2006, saw the introduction of a new health law in the Netherlands. Pursuant to this law, all residents of the Netherlands must take out compulsory medical insurance with a Dutch insurance company. So, what are the new rules and what are their consequences?
Note: The cost of a basic insurance is pretty much the same across the board; doing a little comparative shopping only becomes worthwhile if you are interested in additional coverage. You may change insurance companies every year; visit www.zorgplanet.nl to compare insurance companies and coverage.
Stephanie Dijkstra
 

TRAVEL

In Flanders Fields
This Winter issue takes you to one of the neighbouring countries of the Netherlands, Belgium; more particularly to Flanders, in the North-West of Belgium. A short three-hour drive from the Randstad has you touching your feet down on Flemish soil. In this issue of The XPat Journal we wanted to show you a different side of Belgium, not just the Burgundian lifestyle that is often associated with Belgium based on its wide variety of beer and chocolate – but actually a more serious side of the country. Belgium during the Great War. During the First World War, this part of Europe was home to many soldiers from the Commonwealth and as such it is part of our mutual history, and, at that, a very dark chapter in history – one that should often be read and re-read and one where in Flanders Fields they will never turn the page.
www.inflandersfields.be
Naomi Bolderhey
 

TAX

New Tax Rules in 2007
Traditions are important in our – personal and working – lives. When you read this new edition of The XPat Journal, we will all (or most of us) be looking forward to the special days and traditions of Christmas and New Year.
In Dutch politics, there is the age-old tradition of Prinsjesdag, which takes place on every third Thursday of September. This is the day on which our Queen presents the government’s plans for the new tax year in the Troonrede, or Throne Speech, after making her annual tour through The Hague with the royal family in the Gouden Koets (the Golden Carriage). This even takes place when, as is the case this year, we are on the eve of electing a new government. In this article, Rina Driece goes into a few of the proposed changes and plans for 2007.
www.loyensloeff.com
Rina Driece, e-mail: rina.driece@loyensloeff.com
 

CULTURE

The Dutch and Their Taste
‘Oh, those pretty lace curtains, I just love them,’ said the American woman to her friend. I was sitting behind them in an Amsterdam city bus, and I glanced in the direction in which they were looking. The subject of the lady’s admiration were the lace curtains behind quite a few windows of a modern city block which I knew to be municipal property rented out to what might be termed lower middle class people. I myself am no fan of these frilled textiles with floral patterns.
De gustibus non est disputandum, it’s hard to dispute taste. The Dutch also know this classical dictum, but although they may not argue about it, they certainly have strong feelings on taste and style.
How a Dutchman views the Dutch and their sense of taste...
Jacob Vossestein

HEALTH

Medical Care: From the Common Cold to Hospitalization
Say, you just moved to the Netherlands a month or two ago and you wake up one morning feeling distinctly ill. There is a definite sneeze lingering in the upside of your nose, your throat could double as a sandpaper machine (as could your voice) and your body is hot enough to heat up a cold tub. Now what?
This article is a journey through the Dutch medical care system, aimed at preparing you for what lies ahead and removing any (unwelcome) surprises you might come across. It covers the GP, medication, specialists, hospital protocol (such as the referral notice and the ponsplaatje) insurance issues, having a baby, and more.
A separate article in The XPat Journal offers valuabe references: websites, telephone numbers, addresses and organizations.
Stephanie Dijkstra
 

© Copyright The XPat Journal

Top