Written by: Sanne Greijdanus Recently, there have been reports of people that were arrested for trying to smuggle drugs out of the Netherlands by post. One of them is a Singaporean man, allegedly working with a British person, who tried to smuggle meth into Singapore. Another example is the arrest of four Dutch men who…
Care to join for a joint?
Written by Vicky Griva Holland’s reputation for marijuana exceeds the country’s size. There are more than 11 million tourists flooding Amsterdam every year and even though it is a historic city of art and architecture, its coffee shops are the most popular touristic “attractions”. If you doubt it, take a walk in the center of…
The Dutch extreme honesty.
Opinion piece by Rocío Ruiz Méndez. Have you ever heard someone saying a painful truth about you? Maybe your grandmother told you that you were putting on too much weight? Your best friend telling you that your new haircut looks ridiculous? In the Netherlands, the country where I live, I face this sort of situation…
Interview to Jorrit Westerhof: A musician of the international scene.
Interview by Rocío Ruiz Méndez. Jorrit Westerhof is a young Jazz musician who was born and raised in the Netherlands. He studied guitar at the Groningen Conservatory. Over the last few years has been playing in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Serbia, and Romania. He plays in several music bands composed by international members…
Expat fairs attract more foreigners every year
Written by Margherita Burdese A few weeks ago the Dutchnews.nl website published an interesting article for expatriates in the Netherlands. It revolved around the “I am not a tourist” Expat fair that was held in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam on October 2nd, 2016 with around 4.500 participants from all over the world. The…
The Unexpected Journey of Matet Trijselaar
Written by Vicky Griva Taking the decision to leave your country is hard. Predicting how it will go is even harder. Even if everything goes as planned, life will always find a way to surprise you. This is what characterizes Matet Trijselaar’s story, who has been living in the Netherlands for five years now. Born…
Matty Meijer: on her life in Groningen, socializing and multiculturalism
Written by Margherita Burdese This week I have decided to interview Matty Meijer, a 20 year-old Dutch student originally from Castricum, a western town in The Netherlands, who studies Dutch literature and culture at the University of Groningen. With this interview I want to explore the perspective of a Dutch student living in a multicultural…
“Raised as an American, Born a Bulgarian”
Written by: Sanne Greijdanus When it comes to getting to know multiple cultures, the best way is to completely immerse yourself in them by living in different countries. George Rakshiev, a 21-year old computer science student currently living in Groningen, has experienced this firsthand. He was born in Bulgaria and has a Bulgarian family, but…
A New Home.
Short story by Rocío Ruiz Méndez. He was sitting on the floor in front of a pile of clothing and some small personal belongings. He packed them all quickly in an old suitcase. A deep sigh broke the silence of the room. He looked out of the window and then back into the room…
A sense of belonging
Written by Margherita Burdese Ruth left home a few months ago – the same old town near the mountains – and she landed in The Netherlands. The change had been intense: streets, university, faces, language, habits. All was new in the first few weeks. After a while, however, those new things started to feel more…
The Erasmus exchange program in Groningen.
A review by Rocío Ruiz Méndez. Going on an Erasmus exchange is one of the most sought for experiences in all European countries nowadays. If you are planning to take part in one of this exchange programs, there are a few remarks that you should take into consideration. These remarks, though, are different for every…
Dutch Courses at the University of Groningen Language Centre: a helpful service in the heart of the city
Written by Margherita Burdese When moving to The Netherlands, one of the biggest difficulties is the language barrier. In fact, Dutch can be a hard language to learn by yourself. Luckily, there are several facilities that help foreigners learn the language. Today’s post is a review of my experience at the Language Centre of…
Living in the Netherlands 