Orangesplaash: September 2010

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Which is the most hospitable city of the Netherlands?

Looking for the latest news and the recent happenings in the Netherlands and in the expat world? Read on :

Most Hospitable Dutch City 2010 - Which city do you think is the most hospitable in the Netherlands? Is it Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague or Utrecht? Well, none of them. The five nominations for this year's "Most Hospitable Dutch City" award are - Breda, Haarlem, Den Bosch, Maastricht and Nijmegen. The research was conducted by Van Spronsen & Partners in cooperation with the Dutch tourist bureau in the Netherlands and the winner will be announced in Haarlem, the Most Hospitable City of 2009, on 14th October. Which out of the above 5 do you think has the most chances to win? Which city do you wish to see win?

I am not a Tourist Fair 2010 - Relocating to a new country is a daunting experience, as many of us will vouch for but in today's time fortunately there are organisations out there ready to help. And if all such organisations come together under one roof, would you give it a miss - Visit Expatica's annual one day "I am not a Tourist" Fair on the 10th of October, in Amsterdam. The fair aims to provide practical and expert information on how to make a smooth transition into the Netherlands and help you become an integral part of Dutch work life and society. Topics include housing, employment, banking, tax and schooling, all running alongside an entertaining programme of performances and informative workshops. You can order free tickets to the event on the Expatica Website.

Learning Dutch on Twitter : Talking of Dutch life and integration, if you are learning Dutch and are looking for more online ways to enhance your Dutch language skills, check out Twitter. The Say it in Dutch Language School has started a Twutch course ( a Twitter course for beginners). The course started on 22nd September and consists of tweets that explain one Dutch phrase every day. The tweets aim to explain the Dutch phrase with its English translation, and provide additional grammar/idioms concerning the phrase. If You can follow the course from beginning on twitter with the hashtag #Twutch or follow @SayitinDutch on Twitter.

[Photo Credit - Peter Koves]

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Daily Dynamics - Expat Tip of the Day

Expat Tip of the Day - This was a daily feature, started on Orangesplaash in February, 2010 wherein I put forward thoughts and tips from my personal experiences of living life as an expat in the Netherlands; as well as from what I have learnt from my interactions with other expats and locals. These tips got very popular amongst my readers, expats -old and new, thereby making me extend the daily tips feature to more than three months.

Here are the tips I shared with my readers on this blog, all in one place :

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What is your favorite Dutch word?

I have been learning Dutch for quite some time now and this has prompted me to share Dutch learning resources on my blog here from time to time.

Yesterday, I just happened to open my very first Dutch course notebook and there it was written in bold letters - my favorite Dutch word is gezellig - this was sometime last year when I had just started learning the language and when I think now, gezellig is still my favorite Dutch word.

Gezellig in Dutch stands for a feeling that can be best described as cosy, comfortable, friendly and happy. There is no direct English translation of this word but it roughly stands for warmth and cosiness. It was one of the first words that I learnt after coming to the Netherlands and therefore holds a special place, more so for its wonderful implication.

Thinking of this, I went ahead and asked my connections on both twitter and facebook as to what their favorite Dutch word was and why? Here are the replies:

Eber : "It's not so much a word as a phrase that, at the beginning, I thought it was one word: tdoethetniettoe (het doet het niet toe)."

penitch : "godverdomme, because it is handy and when I say it, the Dutch understand that I'm in a foul mood."

darrenporter : "welterusten is one of my favorite words - always give me a good warm feeling saying it to someone or having it said to me."

Locusta : " Paraplu - It makes rainy days sound like fun."

raimybird: "Gouda because it's my favorite cheese and so fun to say in Dutch."

Want to share your favorite Dutch word? The comment section is all yours.

[Photo Credit - jillyspoon]

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Monday, September 27, 2010

My Travel Adventures - India, Europe and Africa

I love traveling and meeting new people. And living in Europe has provided us a fantastic opportunity to travel the world and experience different cultures. Each of our travel has reinforced our belief in the philosophy of "Learn, unlearn and Relearn" - to do away with all the prejudices and discover the world with a fresh pair of eyes.

Here are some of our travel experiences - there is lot more to come!

Belgium :

Czech Republic :

Best views of Prague, Czech Republic

Egypt :

India

Top 5 secret travel tips for Rajasthan, India

Italy :

Roma Pass- A Great Way to See Rome

Switzerland :

Jungfrau, Switzerland Trip- A Photo Tour

The Netherlands :

Travel Photo of the week :

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Friday, September 24, 2010

Cycling in the Netherlands - the Cycling Paradise [Photo Tour]

Anyone who has been to the Netherlands will vouch for its cycling culture. Cycling in the Netherlands is not just a hobby but is very much the way of life here. You can see cycles everywhere and anywhere.

Having lived here for sometime now, the Dutch love for bikes has sufficiently aroused my interest in cycling - the other reasons being that it it is both healthy and environment friendly. Do you know that the first thing we bought after moving to the Netherlands was a bike!

This affection has prompted me to do a photo essay highlighting the varied facets of the most important means of transportation in these low lands - the bicycle.

[Photo Credit - roland]

Cycling is ingrained in the Dutch mindset from the very beginning. The kids learn riding a bike when they are very young - around 4-5 years and this skill stays with them all through their life.

[Photo Credit - Fietsberaad]

They go to school, race around, play and socialize - all on the bike. I have even heard that children need to pass an 'exam' for cycling when they turn 9 - so much for the Dutch passion for bikes.

[Photo Credit - Fietsberaad]

Perhaps the main reason for this bicycle craze in the Netherlands is because the country has dedicated infrastructure for the same. The Netherlands has thousands of kilometers of bike paths (fietspaden) all through the country - an absolute marvel.

[Photo Credit - roland]

There are cycling tunnels, round-abouts and even traffic signals solely for the use of the cyclists. It is due to this unique infrastructure combined with the flat surface of the country that makes the Netherlands a cycling paradise.

[Photo Credit - Neuwieser]

Dedicated bicycle parking garages are found in almost all major cities. There is a three tier bicycle parking garage next to the Amsterdam railway station providing enough space for thousands of cycles to park. Utrecht railway station (there being a university) also offers one of the biggest parking spaces for bikes in the Netherlands.

[Photo Credit - Fietsberaad]

Come rain, storm or snow, the Dutch spirit is not dampened at all and they bike around as always - in complete irrelevance to the weather and the surroundings. I find it difficult though to continue my endeavor in the rain or the snow.

[Photo Credit - Leonid Mamchenkov]

What do you feel about the cycling culture in the Netherlands? Does your own country have some such craze? If you are from the Netherlands, do you enjoy cycling out here? Do share your views in the comment section below.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Travel Like a Pirate contest on NileGuide

Are you game to enter a fun contest hosted by NileGuide called Travel Like a Pirate? The winner of the contest, and a friend will be flown to the exotic isle of Aruba by Jet Blue, and will be entitled to a 4 night stay at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort.

While there, enjoy all the pirate-y activities planned for you like a private sailing tour on a pirate ship, dinner at a pirate-themed restaurant etc.

The deadline for entry is October 19, 2010 and the contest is open to U.S. residents only. You can enter the contest here.

Wish you all the best. And if you win, you got to bring me back a really, really good souvenir!

[Photo Credit - wirralwater]

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Awards and Recognition - Thank you so much!

Last week, I received an email from Andrew Dunkle, the senior editor at GoOverseas.com. The email stated that the editorial staff at GO! Overseas has selected Orangesplaash as one of the top travel related blogs in the Netherlands for the high quality content it is contributing to the global online community . In recognition of this effort, Orangesplaash has been included in a select list of websites representing the Netherlands.

As mentioned on their website - "As a leader in the global travel community, GO! Overseas takes our commitment to screen quality and relevant blogs for our readers seriously... GO! top blogs help our readers cut through the noise of the internet and head directly to quality and useful content."

I was delighted to read the email and would like to thank Andrew and the team at GoOverseas.com for this recognition. It is humbling and at the same time, gives the strength and inspiration to carry on. I am glad that Orangesplaash is succeeding in its efforts to provide quality information on expat and travel related issues. In turn, I am learning so much more from the community around me.

A big Thank You also to all my readers and subscribers for making Orangesplaash what it is today.

Talking about recognition, one of the most popular and most read blogger in the Netherlands' Expat circle, Isabella from A Touch of Dutch blog, featured Orangesplaash as her Favorite Expat blog. I am honored and here is a huge thanks to Isabella!

And lastly, I leave you all with a bit of reading. Fellow expat blogger and writer Amanda van Mulligen completed her Dutch Decade (a decade of living in the Netherlands) last week and to mark the event, she has had an interesting Q&A sequence on her blog. Last Sunday, the blog featured my question on learning the Dutch language. Read more about it here.

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Lifestyle Management Service for a Fulfilling Expat Experience

Relocating to a new country is a stimulating experience but the process offers a lot of challenges at the same time. A new job, new people, a new culture and a new way of life present a new set of problems that can make life in the new country all the more difficult. But what if you were provided with lifestyle management services specially customized for expats, to help make a smooth transition? Say, a service that walks with you, guiding you at every stage of your expat life - be it documentation, housing, taxes, insurance, government registrations and so on.

Last month I happened to get in touch with the dynamic Lexia Emerenciana, the founder of XllentGuidance. I was intrigued by the services that the company provided and after getting to know more about the company, it seems a wonderful offering for expats in the Netherlands.

Photo Credit : lumaxart

Based in Amsterdam, XllentGuidance offers a wide array of services to expats, for effortless relocation and integration, besides providing business and personal services. The company focuses on making the expats feel safe and self assured within 6 months. The expat services are divided into three broad categories:

Neighborhood Introduction : A unique service of its kind, neighborhood introduction as the name says, facilitates a first hand experience of the surroundings in which the expat lives. The team from XllentGuidance gets in touch with the newly arrived and takes him/her on a tour of the neighborhood introducing shopping stores, post office, nearby parks etc. The expat is then presented with an introduction package that contains information on subjects as diverse as the public transport in the city, expat networks, Dutch language learning classes, and waste collection process. Thus, every effort is made to ensure that the expat feels at home quickly and his/her productivity at work is optimum as a result.

Aftercare Servicedesk : The service desk aims to answer questions pertaining to taxes, insurance, house hunting and internet banking for expats, and even translates the utility mails and letters. Thus it acts as a reliable source for all practical questions concerning the new environment. What more, the service desk is open for the working expats, after office hours.

Meetings and events : The importance of a social network for expats cannot be over emphasized. Getting to know people (other expats and locals alike), understanding and sharing their perspective acts as a huge morale booster and helps one integrate better and faster. This is precisely what XllentGuidance proposes through its events and get -togethers - uniting people from diverse nationalities with one another and with the locals.

In case you wish to know more about the complete Expat Services package, visit the XllentGuidance website.

Note : This is a sponsored post. All information comes from XllentGuidance. The views in the post are mine.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Festivals in Netherlands in September!

September marks the beginning of Autumn in the Netherlands. The month also presents a fantastic time to sample and indulge in the unique festivals that this country has to offer. Below is a countdown on the three most famous festivals about to roll out in the next couple of days -

The Netherlands offers a lot many opportunities for expats to connect with one another as well as to connect with the locals and understand the Dutch culture. Expat events are organised all through the year and there are a number of websites that cater to the needs of the expats.

This September witnesses one such occasion to 'Feel at Home in The Hague'. This is the fifth annual International Community Fair organised by TheHagueOnLine - discover the international and cultural side of The Hague while mingling with locals and expats alike.

A diverse range of service providers and organisations will be showcasing their services for the expat community in the fair, making it one of the most important international events of the year in the Netherlands. While there, check out the wonderful offering for expats living in and around The Hague in the form of the HaGuest Card. The fair will be held in the Atrium of the City Hall on Sunday, Sep 19.

After exploring the many facets of the fair, do not forget to visit the famous Scheveningen Beach in The Hague - the clear sea and the sandy beach offer a great way to spend the evening in this beautiful city.

Moving on to the next festival, the KLIK! Animation Festival starts in Amsterdam from today (Sep 15 - Sep 19). Well into its fourth year, the festival will feature short and full length animation movies, workshops and special screenings, turning Amsterdam into the animated capital of Europe. There is something for everyone, so mark your agenda and gear up for a 5-day animated ride.

The end of September provides you an opportunity to come face to face with the Dutch cinema and experience its magic in the Netherlands Film Festival.

"The festival showcases feature films, documentaries and TV films released in the previous year. The films then compete with one another for the coveted Golden Calf award (the grand prize of the film festival, awarded in 16 categories). Foreign films featuring the local Dutch talent form a part of the festival too."

Read more about the festival in my latest post for Europe a la Carte here.

[Photo Credit - faith goble]

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Orangesplaash Newsletter is out!

Finally we have it here on Orangesplaash. Three cheers!!

Today, Orangesplaash witnesses the launch of its very first newsletter. The newsletter is a monthly affair, and will be published on the second week of every month. It will be sent out only to our subscribers.

The newsletter includes:

A round up of the latest articles on Orangesplaash.
Expat and travel news.
Upcoming expat and travel related events and workshops.
Useful list of expat resources.
Free stuff and other insider information.

The newsletter is absolutely FREE!!

What more, it will be delivered right into your inbox.

Subscribe here to get this newsletter for free :

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