Koninginnedag 2010 - The Queen's Birthday!!

                 Photo Credits - Skoatterwald

Koninginnedag (Dutch for Queen's Day) is a national holiday in the Netherlands and is celebrated on the 30th April every year. It is actually the birthday of Queen Juliana, the mother of the present Queen Beatrix. And guess what happens if 30th April is a Sunday? Then Koninginnedag is celebrated on Saturday!!

Think of Queen's day and the color Orange comes to your mind. Being the color of the House of Oranje-Nassau that is the Dutch Royal Family, it is there to be seen everywhere. People are dressed in orange, with orange banners in their hands, orange hats, orange shoes - you name it! 

The major attractions on the Queen's Day are the vrijmarkt (Dutch for free markets) in every city, where people come out on the streets to sell their stuff. It is an exciting day for these "entrepreneurs" as well as for the bargain hunters. There are music shows, live bands and small eateries serving delicious snacks. All in all, its a day to observe and enjoy the Dutch culture!!

I am looking forward to tomorrow - to having a good time with family and friends, and to take some good clicks. I will be uploading a photo tour of the Queen's Day 2010 soon after that.

Lastly here's wishing all of you a Happy Queen's Day !!

Here's information on Queen's day events in :

• Amsterdam
• The Hague
• Rotterdam
• Utrecht

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Kinderdijk – Historical Dutch windmills

How about witnessing a panoramic view of 19 historical windmills(windmolen) at one place? Built in the seventeenth century, Kinderdijk is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Holland – a must visit spot for anyone interested in original old Dutch windmills. 

Check out my entire post at Europe A LA Carte Kinderdijk - Historical Dutch Windmills!

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (74)

Learning the local language : To learn and memorize the names of everyday items, it is a good idea to stick small papers (sticky notes) on the items, indicating its name in the new language.  Do this on all kitchen items and once you are done learning those, try the same on the items in the living room and so on. 

[Photo Credit -  JOID]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (73)

Learning the local language: Read small comics or cartoons in the new language. Do not hesitate to make a mistake and keep noting down new words that you encounter in your mini language dictionary.This will ensure you are learning the language while having fun and empathizing with the characters in the cartoon!

[Photo Credits : Wynia]

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Roma Pass- A Great Way to See Rome!

Planning a trip to Rome this summer? Thinking of checking out an inexpensive way to witness the beautiful culturally vibrant city. If yes, check out my latest article on the EALC blog about Roma Pass.

An excerpt :

"Roma Pass is an all encompassing tourist card sponsored by the Rome City Council and the Ministry for the Arts and Cultural activities, in collaboration with ATAC, the public transport company.  It offers exciting opportunities to check out the cultural and archaeological heritage of Rome in a cost effective manner. "

Photo Credits - Roma Pass

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The Vibrant Culture of Rajasthan, India - A Local’s View!

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As those who are following this blog might already be knowing, I am a Regional Contributor at PocketCultures - the world in your pocket. Here is my latest article for the site - Rajasthan - A Local's View.  Having spent some good 20 years of my life in Rajasthan, I have a special affinity for this vibrant state of India and have attempted to give an insider's view on the various cultures, customs and people of Rajasthan. An excerpt - 

"Rajasthan, India: the name evokes colorful images of delicious traditional cuisine, the Thar desert, camels, royals, music gharanas, Panihari style of singing, folk culture and above all - “Padharo Mhare Des” - the legendary Rajasthani folk song inviting guests to come and experience Rajasthan!

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (72)

Learning the local language : Identify your own learning pattern, go with the flow while enjoying the entire learning process. Try out visually, learning with pictures and images to understand better. Learn in study groups and practice as much as you can.

[Photo Credit - retinafunk]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (71)

Learning the local language : Do not be too harsh on yourself. Set small goals and set time limits such that you do not have to exert yourself too much. Once you reach a goal or complete a substantial portion, reward yourself for it. Do something that you love to do, indulge in your passions. This will rejuvenate you and give you the motivation to strive harder.

[Photo Credit - elbphoto]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (70)

Learning the local language : The most common reason why people stop learning a new language mid way is the lack of the right attitude. An immensely positive attitude coupled with a strong interest in learning the language fuel the desire to march ahead at every step. Feel good about what you are learning, keep the motivation levels high and avoid learning when you are stressed out.

[Photo Credit - Bluekdesign]

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Friday Fiesta - Week 12!!

If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world you'll find,
Success begins with a fellow's will,
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can."
~ Arnold Palmer

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Some of the Things I Enjoy!!

There are somethings that brighten up my day, providing me strength and giving me immense satisfaction!! As they say - " Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!!"

• A hug from your loved one.
• Chatting with family.
• Catching up with childhood friends.
• A child's innocent laugh.
• A piece of writing that gets done as expected.
• An act of kindness.
• A smile from a stranger.
• A cup of coffee with a good book.
• A morning walk.
• A sumptuous meal - some favorite dishes.
• A nice stretch.
• A nice head massage.
• Soothing music.
• Spending some time with the child in you.
• Snoozing the alarm for 10 more mins.
• Receiving a greeting card from friend you didn't expect.
• Laughing your lungs out on some stupid joke.
• Trying a new recipe to perfection.
• Exploring a new place.

Whats your take? What are the things that make your day??

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (69)

Learning the local language : Download podcasts and videos in the language you are learning,on your mobile phone/ iPod/ MP3 player. This gives an excellent opportunity to keep listening to the audio as you are traveling. You can also do it while cooking, painting, cleaning and so on and soon the sound of the new language will be music to your ears .

[Photo Credit - Colleen]

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What not to do in Brussels, Belgium!

Dear Readers, it gives me immense pleasure to share with all you that I will be writing a travel article every week for Europe A La Carte - a travel website. This will surely help me share my travel experiences besides helping me hone my travel writing skills. Thanks Karen!!

Check out my introduction on the site here and my first article at What not to do in Brussels 

About Europe A La Carte : It  is a UK based travel content website which informs, inspires and entertains readers who love travel in Europe. It was created by Karen Bryan in July 2002 and has been growing since contributing in the field of travel!

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (68)

Learning the local language : Create your own dictionary of words in the new language. Start with the basic words that you have learnt and keep adding to it as you learn new words. Go back to the dictionary once in a week or so, to revise the words you have added that week. The writing, reading and revising cycle offers a better chance to grasp the words completely.

[Photo Credit - allyrose18]

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The Dutch Way - My article featured in Lonely Planet!

Yipeeee, yes I am happy to say this (and I am sorry that I can not just hide my emotions and be a little more modest) that my article The Dutch Way got featured on the home page of Lonely Planet - the world's largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world - in the last week of March! Check out one of the snapshots above and check the article on the Lonely Planet website titled What are the Dutch really like!

Thanks to Lucy from Pocket Cultures for her support!

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (67)

Learning the local language :  Stop thinking in your native language and then translating the sentence in the language that you are learning. This is the most futile way of learning the language. The day you start thinking in the new language. you will notice the progress.

[Photo Credit - Caveman]

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Friday Fiesta - Week 11!!

Readers may be divided into four classes:  Sponges, who absorb all that they read and return it in nearly the same state, only a little dirtied.  Sand-glasses, who retain nothing and are content to get through a book for the sake of getting through the time.  Strain-bags, who retain merely the dregs of what they read.  Mogul diamonds, equally rare and valuable, who profit by what they read, and enable others to profit by it also.  ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (66)

Learning the local language: Grasp the essentials of grammar. Merely knowing enough words of the new language will not do, it is the grammar that is equally if not more important. But do not cram up the entire grammar book, rather understand and repeat. Construct small sentences of your own and see where you make mistakes. Get the sentence structure in place, once that's done dive deeper into the nuances.

[Photo Credit - schnaars]

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Discontinuing Daily Expat Tips

Dear Readers, I will be discontinuing the daily feature of my blog - Expat Tip of the Day once they reach 74 in number. I enjoyed sharing an expat tip a day with all of you and this helped me learn a lot in the process too. We have got quite a nice and a varied collection of expat tips on this blog now, as I would like to believe:) They will always be a wonderful resource on my blog, free for all, and am glad these tips have helped in increasing the blog's readership and reach too. You can read all of them in the menu bar on the top that says "Expat Tips".

But now, its time to try out something new on this blog. What it will be, I am not quite sure at the moment but I will keep you updated on that. The remaining posts will continue as before. Thank you all for your support.

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (65)

Learning the local language : Get the sounds correct. Try to listen intently to how the locals pronounce a particular word and imitate them. You might not get the sound correct initially but keep trying. But before that, master the sound of the alphabets!

[Photo Credit : david]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (64)

Learning the local language : Increase your vocabulary. This is one of the most efficient ways to get a grip on the language you are learning. Always keep a small dictionary with you and keep looking up meanings of words that you do not know.
[Photo Credit - wwworks]

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Typically Dutch - Clogs, Wooden Shoes from Holland!

Certain things come to the mind as soon as one spells out the word Holland! Some of these include tulips, windmills, cheese, clogs and bikes. I will be posting more about them on my blog in the days to come.

Starting this series, its the time for the clogs. As I come to know more and more about the Dutch culture, it amazes me to see the love for clogs - the wooden shoes that are so famous in Holland. Its actually one of the most gifted souvenir from Holland. Check out some of the pics from my personal collection.

Even though people hardly wear these clogs now, the association still remains. This can be traced back to the traditional creation myths of ancient Germanic Tribes who originally occupied modern Holland.

Because of this, the Dutch are also known as "Cloggies". The traditional all-wooden Dutch klompen (clogs) have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the CE mark and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and/or concentrated acids. 

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (63)

Enjoy the weather and the seasons in the new country. For example - European countries typically offer all the four seasons in contrast to many of the countries from the Asian continent. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore more about the different weather conditions and the seasonal variations. 

[Photo Credit - Joiseyshowaa]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (62)

Living in a new country provides the opportunity to encourage and appreciate hidden talents and qualities of family members. Help them bloom and support them at every step, the country is as new for them as it is for you.  Also, in a new country, having a family adds to the comfort factor hugely and makes you feel at home anywhere. 

[Photo Credit- Peter Kaminski]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (61)

Expat life is full of uncertainties and sometimes takes a toll on the body and mind. This is the time to reward your own self with small surprises. Indulge in something you love or had wanted to do since a longtime. Take time out for yourself, your hobbies and you will feel rejuvenated!

[Photo Credit - Mike Pedroncelli]

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (60)

Be adventurous sometimes, try to take a new route to known places. This gives you a great chance to stumble upon new restaurants, shops and cafes. Explore the city where you live and you will be surprised at finding little gems that you did not know existed and are never mentioned in the guidebooks. 

[Photo Credit - Orangesplaash]

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Friday Fiesta - Week 10!!

 “The time is always right to do what is right.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr

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Dutch Royals on the You Tube

With the launch of their own YouTube channel, the Dutch royal family are now on the internet. The films will be posted by the RVD, the office responsible for the royals' official PR.

For the time being, the channel is only home to official material. The most popular film on the first day was the opening of the Keukenhof gardens, which shows Princess Máxima visiting the flower show together with Russia's first lady Svetlana Medvedev.

In addition to reports on the working visits of Queen Beatrix, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Máxima, viewers can also enjoy films of royal weddings, the opening of parliament and the Queen's Christmas speeches. Historical footage has also been published online, such as a carriage tour made by the present queen's grandmother Queen Wilhelmina.

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Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the day (59)

Save money and invest it wisely. This is easier said than done specially while leading an expatriate lifestyle that offers a lot many occasions to splurge. This can be done by maintaining a little discipline and making small savings to start with. As the saying goes "A penny saved is a penny earned, but a penny invested is an income earned."

[Photo Credit - Esparta]

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