Mundane Tasks Part II - Let's Go to the Movies!

So you wanna go see a movie in the Netherlands, huh? I don't know how it is in other countries, but a trip to the movies here in the Netherlands is just a wee bit different than what I was used to in the east coast of the United States. Here's what you can expect if you head to the cinema in the Netherlands.For most theaters, it's best to reserve tickets ahead of time. Reserved tickets should be

An Inburgering Rant

How long can a girl go without writing about inburgering? Apparently too long! Though I had a bit of a sabbatical from classes (some may refer to it as milking my messed-up foot after falling back in the towards the end of March, I like to call it my sabbatical) don't be fooled. There is soooooo much going on in my inburgering world. Where shall I begin...Thanks to my inability to walk down the

Monday at Noon

Monday at noon in the Netherlands... If you've ever been in the Netherlands on Monday at noon, you know where this is going (for those of you who haven't and, therefore don't, prepare to be enlightened). Because if you've ever been in the Netherlands at noon, you'll have heard this:And you'll probably have thought "Oh my God, the sky is falling!" No worries - it's just the Netherlands testing

10 Things to Have in Your Purse in The Netherlands

"Always be prepared" - that's the Boy Scout motto.It should also be the expat's motto. You never know what you're going to need and when you're going to need it - especially in The Netherlands where the bureaucracy is indecisive at best and unpredictable is an understatement when describing the weather.To help you better prepare for life in The Netherlands, here's a list of 10 things I have

Expat Meme: Part 2

She's done it again! Isabella over at A Touch of Dutch has done another expat Meme. Since I did her last one, I couldn't possibly miss this opportunity now, could I? So, here goes. Feel free to do the Meme as well and let me as well as Isabella know as we love to read them and it's always helpful for other expats to hear about the experiences of others.→ What activities or routines do you

Culture Shock on Expat Exchange

Even with the NaBloPoMo madness, I somehow found time to do a report on Culture Shock in The Netherlands for Expat Exchange. This is a new series by Expat Exchange, offering expats in various countries the opportunity to share their experiences with culture shock.I've written for Expat Exchange before (Vogue: Fashion in Holland, Weighty Issues: The Dutch Edition, Expat Relationship Advice: The

Holland vs The Netherlands?

I had heard of the debate. I had even been warned about it by other bloggers. But only recently did it rear it's head. The other day, a reader left a comment saying that, while they enjoyed the blog, they had issue with the blog title. "My country is called The Netherlands," they said. "Holland doesn't exist." This certainly peaked my curiosity as I have heard many a Dutchperson refer to this

Learn Dutch Through Music: Part I

One of the best ways I have found to learn Dutch is through listening to Dutch music. Particularly if it's something catchy, you can find yourself singing along without even realizing it. You pick up the words, find out what they mean and see how they're supposed to be used grammatically. There are so many wonderful Dutch artists, it's not hard to find a great song to learn.To improve my Dutch,

Happy Mother's Day!

Ok, so I'm a day late (or two or more or less... or even early depending on which time zone you live in), but that's no reason not to drag out the celebration of mothers. So I would like to wish you all a very happy Mother's Day. I hope all the mothers out there had a wonderful day surrounded by loved ones.Here in the Netherlands, the second Sunday in May is Moederdag, or Mother's Day. Like the

The Next Step: May-June 2010

Yet another of my The Next Step: Dates in the Diary of Tiffany Jansen columns for the IWCU's bimonthly publication, The Contact. It's a continuation of my last edition, detailing my experiences with the inburgeringscurses for fellow IWCU members. If you've been paying attention, you'll notice that I've changed my profile picture for the column. This also marks my first issue as editor of the

Clogs and Tulips strolls down Exat Alley

Well, it's been a while since I had done an expat interview, so when I saw the notice on Expat Alley looking for expats to fill in their questionnaire, I decided to go ahead and volunteer.About two weeks later, I had confirmation from Tom that my interview was up and, because I'm slow, you're now seeing it a week after that. Better late than never, I suppose.Most of this interview revolves around

Queen's Day 2010

 Last year right after Queen's Day I lost my camera. In January, it was recovered again and I was able to post all the photos I had taken during Queen's Day the previous year. Well, I've done it again. I've lost my camera. Of course, it has all my Queen's Day photos on it plus all my Little Broadway photos and some others. Cross your fingers that it will resurface again (hopefully before January

Back-to-back May Holidays in the Netherlands

May 4th and 5th are two very important days in the Netherlands: Dodenherdenking and Bevrijdingsdag.DodenherdenkingThis is Memorial Day in the Netherlands. At 8pm every May 4th, two minutes of silence are observed for those who gave their lives for this country since the outbreak of World War II. Each year sees various ceremonies going on all over the country to commemorate those lost.Everything