Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with netherlands

Vegetarian seeks tasty food in Western Europe

embrangled — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:57:04 -0800

What tasty foods should an adventurous vegetarian eat in the UK and Western Europe? I eat eggs and dairy, but not meat and only rarely fish. I'm not overly uptight about trace animal products or stock. I'll be travelling through England, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. These countries aren't generally known as hotbeds of vegetarianism, but I'd still like to try as many interesting local foods as I can.

A meat-eating friend has been joking that I'll starve - I'm more optimistic, so help me prove him wrong. I'm not worried about what I'll eat, but I'd like to expand my culinary horizons beyond "That one vegan cafe in the hippy district". Which quintessential European meals and snacks just happen to be meat-free?

Help me, uh, go Dutch!

embrangled — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:22:16 -0800

I'm half Dutch, but I've never been to The Netherlands. On my first trip there, where should I go, and what should I do, to get a better understanding of contemporary Dutch culture and language? Second-generation-immigrant-filter: So, I grew up eating hagelslag and hutspot, but my knowledge of Dutch culture is limited; cobbled together from the stories of ageing relatives who left in the 1950s, and the clogs-and-windmills kitsch one sees in postcards. I can comprehend basic Dutch conversations, but I struggle to speak back unless strings of the conversation calls for strings of profanity or words for food.

If I visit the Netherlands in November, where should I go and what should I do to remedy some of this, and get a better understanding of what it's like to be Dutch today? How can I meet other young people, practise speaking Dutch, encounter Dutch multiculturalism, enjoy dry Dutch humour, and generally come away feeling a bit more Dutch than when I arrived?

Previously, but not quite the same: 1, 2, 3.

Maximizing chances for Master's program admissions in the Netherlands...

jpziller — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:46:10 -0800

How can I maximize my chances of being admitted to a Dutch university Master's program based on my professional merits? I am a 29 year old Dutch national, born in Canada. I went to University at (in my estimation) too young an age, and didn't finish the first time. After some years working, I returned to University, completing a 3-year Bachelor's degree in Computer Science.

Not considering my future education, I didn't "apply myself" as maybe I should have, and while I have a B.Sc, my transcripts show my performance as significantly less than stellar.

Prior to the degree, I worked for three years in the industry on some notable projects, and held positions with some real responsibility. Since completing the B.Sc, I have worked for over two years in the software industry, and I am proud of what I've achieved.

I'm now considering applying to some universities in the Netherlands for a Master's program in Computer Science. I know I have the ability to complete such a program, the only thing I'm unsure of is how I might go about *getting in* given the above.

Questions ::
1 - Given my poor B.Sc performance, should I even bother applying?
2 - How is work experience evaluated by Dutch schools for programs like this?
3 - What can I do to maximize my chances of acceptance, given all of the above?

I am in contact with the school already, but wanted some perspectives from outside their admissions department.

Help! I have to move to Haarlem, Netherlands from the UK in 4 weeks.

gonzo_ID — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:02:47 -0800

Sudden move from the UK to Haarlem, Nederlands in 5 weeks. I have a couple of questions... (more inside) Hello. Mrs Gonzo_ID has jot a job in Amsterdam and so the family need to move over ASAP. We've decided on Haarlem as it should be cheaper than Amsterdam. I have some questions:

1. Can anybody Recommend a good housing rental agency for expats in Haarlem?

2. We have a kid (<12m) and so where do I start looking for Nursery / Nanny / Au Pair? Any recommendations?

2. Anybody been to Haarlem and can give recommendations for Dutch language classes, tai chi classes, rowing club, gym ikea, etc...

3. I'm a freelance designer and so will have to adjust to Dutch clients. Whats my status according to UK National Insurance and Dutch tax? Where do I initially search to find out about expat tax, running business in Holland, banking, etc... sorry it is vague but I'm not sure where to begin.

4. General advice on how an english person can survive in the Netherlands. I'm going to learn Dutch, buy a bicycle, and wet weather gear to walk the dog. Is there anything REALLY OBVIOUS that I am missing.

Many thanks. Apologies if it is a bit vague, but we only found out yesterday and so we're right in the beginning stages.

Ideas for a challenging google-based rescue mission

vizsla — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:21:20 -0800

You're on an island in the middle of nowhere. You need to locate a used motorbike in a faraway country (Netherlands) where you don't speak the language for a next to nothing price. All you have is the internet. How do you proceed? A friend of mine was awoken in the middle of the night to find her 17 year old son crying in the bathroom. He had set his sights on a used motorbike he found advertised for 100 Euros. He took too long getting the necessary paperwork together and the owner had sold it before he could pick it up. He was devastated. In his mind, this was like the start of a new future for him. I offered to help set his mind on the right path again. Recently lost his father.

Ik heb... financialaidie?

zvs — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:43:21 -0800

NetherlandsFilter: As a Dutch citizen, am I eligible for financial aid for school in the United States? I'm a US-Dutch dual citizen, and I'm starting grad school in the US soon. I was applying for FAFSA when I realized there's probably an equivalent program in Holland.

But I can barely read Dutch, let alone Google effectively in it. Has anyone successfully done this?

What's worth seeing at Open Monumentendag?

Gortuk — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:59:42 -0800

Is there anything worth going out of my way to see at Open Monumentendag in the Netherlands? So it turns out I'm going to be in Amsterdam the weekend of September 12-13th, which coincides with Open Monumentendag:
European Heritage Days in the Netherlands. It looks like the Doors Open events here in Canada, where you get to tour cool buildings that are usually not open to the public.

It seems like a great opportunity to see something unique, but not knowing the country very well, nor being able to read or speak Dutch, I'm not sure what is worth going to. Any Dutch folks see anything on this list that is unmissable? (Linking to the list of Amsterdam locations, but if there's anything a short train ride out of the city I'd be open to that too).

How do I know if a Masters is right for me?

tumples — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:44:00 -0800

A year away from graduating my BA in history, what next? Is a Masters the right course for me? I am starting my third and final year (UK) of my BA in history and I have no idea what I will be doing this time next year.

I have been looking into Masters degrees as the start of my search as this seems like the next logical step after my undergraduate degree, especially given the figures on graduate unemployment and the fact that I still haven't found a direction for post university life. I am really enjoying being in education and would happily stay on, but I don't know if these reasons are the right ones.

If given a choice of Masters programs I would look at doing something political or in international relations, but I don't know how much I should be considering future employment or other important serious life decisions in my choice. I would also love to study abroad if possible, the Netherlands and Canada look like they would be incredible for a curious but monolingual Brit. But again, this decision would be based on wanting to 'experience and learn the world, expand my horizons' sort of thought, not for any more serious or well thought out reasons.

I feel lost in a sea of life decisions with no idea of what direction I want to take. Is it a wise choice to study a Masters (possibly abroad) for no larger reasons than wanting stay in education, give me a few more months to grow up and think of a plan and to possibly see some of the world at the same time?

Any personal anecdotes or relating to feeling completely overwhelmed by the future is also really welcome :)

NTSC XBox 360 in Europe?

ninotchka — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:30:25 -0800

Using an American (NTSC) Xbox in Europe (land-o-PALS)? I have a 2008 XBox 360 Elite (120GB), bought in the US, NTSC. I'd like to bring it (and my NTSC games) with me to Europe to hook up to the television (which has already been provided) in my new apartment. My landlord was unable to answer me as to whether the TV was able to accept both PALS and NTSC, or only the former.
What I'm bringing: the XBox, the games, all of the cords that came with it (the AV cable, the HDMI cable, etc), a 1000-Watt step-up/step-down transformer (so as to, I hope, safely sidestep any power issues), and the other little peripherals.
Assuming, worst-case, that the TV is not HDMI and, for whatever reason, is PALS-only, do I have the basic physical bits necessary to eke even a mediocre picture and hookup out of the whole thing? Or should I buy some NTSC-to-PALS conversion kit before I leave? Any other problems with this scenario?
Any advice from anyone who's lived in Europe and made a U.S. video game system/XBox 360 work would be tremendous. I'm not disheartened by an imperfect picture, but if I'm missing a whole component I'm eager to know. Thanks, all!

How can I be certain my iPhone doesn't send or receive data except phone, text and Wi-Fi?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:01:38 -0800

How can I make sure my iPhone 3G doesn't transfer *any* internet data while retaining phone, texting and Wi-Fi capability? I'm getting an unlimited (3G) data plan next month but until then I'm stuck with my current plan which only supports GPRS data-wise, at a hefty per-MB rate.

Right now I have SBSettings (jailbreak) installed, which allows you to disable 3G and EDGE manually. I did that; will that be enough?

GPRS is 2G I believe so I 'm a little confused about the terminology maybe. I would like to just use the Wi-Fi at home until I get my unlimited data plan, and make calls and send SMS of course.

I'm in the Netherlands if it matters.

Thanks in advance, guys!

Help me get from Santiago to Serbia.

acidic — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:03:06 -0800

What's the cheapest or best way to get from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia? Optional: a detour through the Netherlands. I'm backpacking through Spain this summer and ending up in Santiago de Compostela or thereabouts. From there I have the option to go to the Netherlands for a month and then Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia etc for a little less than a month, then flying out of Prague, or going straight to central/eastern Europe and spending a bit more time there. Wherever I go I'll be WWOOFing for part of the time but also camping and couchsurfing in larger cities. I'm interested in:
- The best way to get out of Santiago, and
- Thoughts on spending a month in the Netherlands-- how expensive is it? For a young female traveling solo how does it compare to central/eastern Europe? Would it be worth it to skip the Netherlands and spend almost 2 months in Croatia/Serbia/Slovenia and other surrounding countries? Eventually I need to end up in Prague, although I don't plan to spend much time there at all.

Any additional advice regarding any of my destinations would be appreciated as well, of course! Previous threads about Dubrovnik and Ljubljana are what convinced me to head to that part of the world in the first place.

Tourist fun in northwestern Germany

transporter accident amy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:54:06 -0800

Family members who will be visiting me in Amsterdam in April have requested that we spend a day in Germany. What cool stuff can we do in northwestern Germany, fairly close to the Dutch border? I'd like to keep the train trip under three hours each way (and I would love to keep the tickets under €50 per person, round trip). They don't want to travel by air or stay overnight.

* Level of touristyness can be high or low.
* Museums are fine, although history is preferred to art.
* Old buildings/castles/churches are a big plus.
* Natural beauty is a plus.
* Everyone is able-bodied, but highly physical activities like hiking or horseback riding are probably out.
* They're non-drinkers, so no beer gardens/wineries.
* We're totally limited to public transportation.

(I thought of Cologne, but it's kind of at the upper end of my travel time and cost desires.)

How do I get a design job in the Netherlands?

gonzo_ID — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:07:48 -0800

Hello. First Post. Be Gentle. I recently went back to university to learn 'a trade' after many years of employment and will be completing my product design degree ready for the job market in June. Now I really want to work for a product / industrial / creative design agency out in the Netherlands. I reckon my portfolio is pretty good and I've been getting excellent marks over the last 3 years of this course. I've also spent time in project management which is an added relevant skill. Basically, I reckon the creative / talent bit should be covered.

Trouble is, I have absolutely no networking links with anybody that could help me get a job in Holland. I know very little Dutch, but have been told that the International Language of Design(TM) is English so that should be okay. And I'm signed up to a learn Dutch podcast just in case.

What can I do about this? Where can I go to network with people that could help me (online and offline)? Has anybody done similar and can give advice?

Sorry its a bit vague...

thnx.

Breaking the law - euro style

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:43 -0800

I am a US citizen considering staying longer than 90 days (the length of a Schengen tourist visa) in the Netherlands. What will the consequences be? I will only be staying 5 weeks longer than 90 days, and when I asked IND (the Netherlands immigration office) they told me that in all likelihood I would never get caught. Has anyone else done this successfully (or, more importantly, unsuccessfully)? I have a short layover in London - could there be trouble from the UK (non-Schengen) officials, even if I make it out of the Netherlands with no problems?

Where can I buy boxes in the Netherlands?

MentokTheMindToker — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:50:54 -0800

I'm having great difficulty finding a supplier of boxes and packing materials in the Netherlands that doesn't require buying in bulk I have two colocated servers (Dell PowerEdge 2950) sitting in a datacenter in Amsterdam that I need to ship back to Australia. The datacenter got rid of the original boxes so I have to supply my own. My first option was to get the shipper (FedEx) to pack them for me, but the dimensions of their large 25kg boxes aren't big enough. Second option is to find a local packing supply company and order a few boxes to send to the datacenter and they will pack the servers for me. I stumbled across a couple of sites like this one which have everything I need, except that they require purchases of 20+ boxes at a time. Does anyone know a .nl packing and supply company that would be able to help me out? All I need is a couple of boxes suitable for shipping 2u servers and some foam and/or bubblewrap.

Screw Chevy Chase

Christ, what an asshole — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:03:51 -0800

I'm looking for underrated, obscure European vacation stops. A couple friends and I are going to Europe for a month (Nov/Dec), and we plan on doing the whole Eurorail/hostel thing across several countries. 1/3rd of the destination stops are for my choosing, and while I know they'll be making the saturated, obvious choices like Rome, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, etc., I'd like to spice things up with places that don't automatically spring to mind but offer the same level (if not more) of awe. Ideally, cities that aren't automatic tourist stops where most everyone speaks English and there's a McDonald's on every corner (but also not so far out of the way from mid-Europe like some hole-in-the-wall, Eastern-European Caspian city).

What sort of places have you visited that you would recommend?

Dutch, English, both...

kalapierson — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:23:38 -0800

Walking down the street one day in Amsterdam, you encounter an art-thing (sculpture/installation) that's broadcasting audio. The audio includes spoken poems. Would you expect these poems to be in Dutch? Would you feel alienated if they were in English, or if some were in English and some in Dutch? (And if there were a paper handout available for people who cared, with the texts in both languages, would that affect your opinion?)

Next summer I'll be making three temporary installations like this -- one each in Vienna, Munich and Amsterdam. I've visited each of these cities and I know that many people in each city (especially younger generations) speak beautiful English. But for the Vienna and Munich installations, I know I want the spoken language in the audio to be German.

For the Amsterdam installation, I don't have a clear sense of whether English would be fine or alienating. My main concerns: I want the installation to feel inviting to people of all ages, and I'm focused more on permanent inhabitants of each city than on any tourists who happen to be around. "Permanent inhabitants" does include expats from other countries, which I know are a larger percentage of Amsterdam than of Munich or Vienna. I know my audience on mefi skews young and obviously skews non-Dutch, but I'm sure there are people here who have better, deeper knowledge of the Netherlands than I do.

what to take to Twente? and what to do once there?

mirileh — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:41:47 -0800

little brother is going off to Twente, Netherlands for a year. What is there to do there (besides study)? Any tips on living there? What should he bring (=me stuff in his bag ;-))?

How does one pronounce Oranje?

TheWhiteSkull — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:52:10 -0800

How can I support the Dutch? Now that France has been (shamefully) eliminated from Euro 2008, I'm firmly in the Orange camp. They're looking better than anything else out there, they seem to have remembered how to play total football since the World Cup, and RvP looks particularly sharp. My problem is that I speak no Dutch. How do I cheer for the Netherlands? Other than wearing orange, what else can I do?

Need help charging my mobile phone

korres — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 21:23:34 -0800

I have a Motorola V188 mobile phone from the U.S. I'm in the Netherlands with no charger, and I really need to charge the phone ASAP. How? I was thinking about trying to find a place to buy a new battery, instead of trying to find a way to charge the current one. But I don't know if that's a good idea (or if finding the right battery is harder than I imagine).

My service provider is T-Mobile, if that helps at all.

Medical care for travelers in the Netherlands?

rivenwanderer — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:59:33 -0800

My friend is going on a 2-week vacation in the Netherlands starting tomorrow night. Her brother did something to his knee a couple of days ago and they're worried that it'll need more medical attention later. What's medical care like for tourists in the Netherlands? To my knowledge, they haven't gotten any kind of travelers' insurance for the trip. They have relatives (cousins, uncles, etc) in Amsterdam and will have some money with them, but not loads and loads of cash to spare. They have BCBS health insurance in the US.

American seeking work in the Netherlands

korres — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:07:39 -0800

I'm an American living in the U.S. and searching for a job in the Netherlands (with the intention of moving there permanently). My chances for success are slim, I know. What can I do to improve them? There are basically two ways for a non-EU citizen to legally work in the Netherlands: an employer can sponsor you (after proving that no EU citizen can do the job), or your Dutch partner can sponsor you.*

I have the best Dutch boyfriend in the history of Dutch boyfriends, but he doesn't qualify to sponsor me. So I'm searching for a job the work-permit-less way: wading through listings at NL job search Web sites and applying directly to companies with specific openings (with my fingers crossed).**

However, as the rejection e-mails are flooding my inbox, I'm wondering if there's something I can do differently with my resume to convince potential employers that I'm worth the time, effort, and money involved in hiring a non-EU citizen. I feel like I've done the basics -- my resume is typo-free, every bullet point starts with a verb, and I tweak the keywords to match the job posting when I can -- but I have no idea if it's ever going to help me make the international leap.

Some background on me, if it helps: I have a bachelor degree in Management Information Systems and a bachelor degree in English. I started my career in 2003 as a programmer using proprietary tools. In 2004, I transferred into corporate communications, so I have about four years' experience doing a combination of technical writing, editing, and marketing copywriting. I'd prefer to stay in the world of corporate communications (although at this point I'd be thrilled to land an IT job; I just don't think I could compete with someone with more experience). I'm totally open to companies outside the software industry. Oh, and I don't speak Dutch. I'm studying, but the reality is that it'll be a few years before I'm fluent, and I don't think it'll ever happen without more immersion.

International recruiters/hiring managers: What makes you choose one candidate over another? Extra skills beyond what was listed in the job posting? Professional organization memberships? Certifications?

Folks who have successfully landed jobs in countries other than your native land: What was the key to your success? Was there a point in your job search where you changed tactics?

Dutch employers: Want to hire me? I'm really great!

Bonus question: How does one stay positive during a difficult job search? I'm starting to lose hope and it's really affecting my emotional and physical health.

* There's also the highly skilled migrants program, which enables registered employers to bring in employees without work permits; but the job seeker has to find a job with a registered employer first, so I don't see how it affects one's job search.

** Most employment agencies (including Undutchables and Dambusters) can't help, because they won't consider applicants who don't already have work permits.

Accomodations in London, Belgium & The Netherlands

dhammond — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:49:14 -0800

I'm going to London, Belgium and the Netherlands from May 10th-24th, and I'm looking for great places to stay. My tentative itinerary:

London (5 nights - 5/10-5/15)
Brussels (1 night - 5/15-5/16)
Bruges (2 nights - 5/16-5/18)
The Netherlands (6 nights - mostly Amsterdam, but other cities as well - 5/18-24)

I'm traveling alone, and I'm interested in hearing from those who are quite enthusiastic about a certain place and want to tell me how great it is.

My basic requirements:

-- Located in or very to close to the city center, preferably away from tourist areas as much as possible.

-- Decent value. Less than $200 a night in most places, though I will go up on that in London or if it's a really spectacular place and gives a nice bang for my (floudering) buck.

-- No hostels.

--Big bonus points for buildings with nice, old-timey architecture.

For the Netherlands, I'll be spending a good deal of time in Amsterdam, but I would also be interested in hearing about other towns and cities that might be worth an overnight stay or long day trip.

As a point of reference, I stayed at the Strand Palace in London last year and, though I found it a bit shabby, it was a steal at under $200 in an incredibly central but not too touristy area. I don't mind staying there again, but would love to try something different if you can recommend something.

Thanks, y'all!

Where to go for five months and a final breath of freedom?

Dasein — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:26:33 -0800

I'm thinking about going on an exchange program, and am not sure how I should rank my choices. Should I spend January to June in Brisbane, Australia or Amsterdam? I'm in my second year of law school, and applying this week for an exchange program for next year. I would be gone from January-June, 2009.

If I were able to do the exchange in the fall term, I would choose Amsterdam; the choice is more complicated because the weather would be so much better in Australia than Holland at that time of year. And while I love Amsterdam, I've never been to Australia and would love to visit that part of the world. But I think it's undeniable that Brisbane is not the centre of culture that Amsterdam is, and I do love the vibe of Europe.

What are the pros and cons of going to Brisbane in their summer over Amsterdam in their winter? In both places, the terms don't start until February, so I could spend a month bumming around between Christmas and the start of classes.

Help me move to the Netherlands!

fogster — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:27:19 -0800

I think I want to move to the Netherlands. Help! I'm an American, due to graduate from college this year.

I've recently become very interested in moving to the Netherlands, for various reasons. This would be a 'long-term goal,' not something I plan to do the day I graduate from college in May.

I've been outside the country for two weeks (to Africa), and the only foreign language I speak is a little Spanish from high school. So I have a bit of work to do, obviously.

There's a lot of information, but it's hard to get much useful information. I'm going to ask some specific questions, but what I'm really looking for is references to websites that give useful information to people like me, as opposed to tourists or existing Netherlands residents.

- Immigration: Is it straight-forward?
- Economy: I'm due to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Management. I'm an avid fan of the high-tech world as well. What are the job prospects? Should I expect a standard of living similar to what I have here in the US?
- Language: Obviously, Dutch. I don't want to be the "ugly American" that doesn't learn it, but is English widely spoken?
- Foreigners: Will I be ostracized for being an American expat?
- Sanity: Can anyone here speak from experience on whether I'm a nut for wanting to move to the Netherlands?