PDF - Connect International

Saint Martin’s Day
November
Events
Page 4 & 5
Invitation to Europe
Page 7
From humanitarian
aid worker to
romance novelist
Page 8
Where to take your
kids in the winter
Page 10 & 11
Connect
Christmas Party!
Page 12
It’s November again! In most parts of the Netherlands this means
that very soon Saint Martin’s Day will be celebrated. To be exact, on
November 11th. For those of you who haven’t heard about it,
before you read on: add candy to your shopping list. Now.
Or mandarijntjes, if you want to be cruel. Why?
Saint Martin’s Day, for most Dutch kids, is all about candy.
But first: what are they
celebrating?
The nameday of Saint
Martin. Saint Martin, as
the most well-known
story goes, was a Roman
soldier who, on a cold
winter night, passed an
old man, who was cold
and hungry. Martin
wanted to help, but
couldn’t give the old
man his mantle, because
it wasn’t his: half of it was
paid by himself, but the
other half was paid by the army. So Martin had an idea: I shall cut my
mantle in half. So he took off his mantle, cut it in half with his sword, and
offered his own half of the mantle to the old man, along with some coins.
In some stories the old man turns out to be Jesus in disguise, in other
stories he is just an old man. Either way, it was a really nice and selfless
thing to do, and therefore was one of several things about Martin that in
the end contributed to him being declared a saint.
Read further on page 3.
Connect International serves the international
community in the provinces Groningen, Friesland,
Drenthe and Noord Holland.
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2 / Connections #44
Saint Martin’s Day (continued from page 1)
Now that you know the history, let’s get back to
the here and now.
In the week or two before the day, the kids are
working very hard at school to create this year’s
lantern – they rarely survive more than one year,
more about that in a moment – usually made from
many colours of cardboard and kite paper stuck
together with glue. And then there are the days of
anticipation which, coincidentally, also are the
days both parents and children anxiously follow
the weather forecast…
Sing? Yes, sing. There is a great variety of Saint
Martin’s Day songs. Some are traditional and
serious while others are funny, almost satirical.
They all have one thing in common however:
they’re short. Because the shorter the song, the
faster you can get your candy and move on to the
next house!
One of the more common songs goes as follows:
Elf november is de dag
dat mijn lichtje
dat mijn lichtje
Elf november is de dag
dat mijn lichtje branden mag
And the English translation would be:
The 11th of November is the day
that my little light
that my little light
The 11th of November is the day
that my little light shine may
… because on the evening of Saint Martin’s Day
the kids are on a mission: candy. Nothing can stop
them, short from the worst of weathers – which is
a good thing; if you thought the Dutch summer
was bad, Dutch autumn will have you weep. In a
Halloween-esque fashion the kids go around the
neighbourhood with their lanterns – and raincoats
– to sing for candy.
And when they’ve visited about a hundred houses,
maybe two hundred, the kids return home. They
take off their raincoats; their lanterns, probably
soaked by rain, end up in the bin; any
mandarijntjes are put in the fruit basket… and,
finally, they can eat their well-earned candy!
Hip hip hurray for Saint Martin’s Day!
Tomas Poortman
October Workshop from Studio17 Review
Last month, Zahra from Studio17 gave her first ever jewellery making
workshop in Groningen. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon at the Connect
office and everything was arranged to make wired cocktail rings!
There was plenty of wire and everyone brought in beautiful
beads to work with. We started off making the ring bases and
then we chose beads to weave onto them. There was a good
mix of people in the group; some very new to the
Netherlands and some who have been here quite a while!
It was also a perfect mother-daughter activity for the
weekend: the girls really enjoyed making rings and everyone
went home with stunning cocktail rings.
3 / Connections #44
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Special Events in November
11 November -
12 November -
Crafts Club, Groningen
Dutch Customs & Culture Workshop, Groningen
Interested in crafts? Join us for a morning of
sewing and chatting.
New to the Netherlands? Interested in finding out
more about Dutch customs & culture? Come and
join us at Connect International for a workshop!
19:30 - 21:30 at Connect Office in Groningen.
Free for members, 5 euros for non-members
16 November -
20 November -
National Entry of Sinterklaas, Groningen
Don’t miss out on the national entry of Sinterklaas
in Groningen on Saturday 16 November.
According to Dutch tradition Sinterklaas (or Saint
Nicholas) along with his helpers Zwarte Pieten
arrive in the Netherlands on their steamboat from
Spain.
Their spectacular entry and parade through
Groningen’s city streets will be broadcasted live on
Dutch national television! What better way to start
celebrating the Holiday Season that is
approaching! Meet up with us to join this
wonderful celebration!
This event marks the official start of the
“Sinterklaas Season” during which Sinterklaas and
Zwarte Pieten visit various places across the
country including homes and schools to check if
the children have been good! This is completed on
December 5th "Sinterklaas Eve" when Sinterklaas
gifts are exchanged.
If you would like to read more about Sinterklaas,
please download Issue 37 of the Connections
Magazine through this link:
www.connect-int.org/connections-magazine
5 / Connections #44
Book Club, CNH
This month Connect Noord
Holland book club is
reading “The Happiness
Project” by Gretchen Ruben.
They will be meeting up 20
November at 20:00 at
Anne’s home in Sint Pancras.
Christmas Gift Basket Giveaway
This year to celebrate Christmas, Connect
International is teaming up with companies across the
Netherlands to put together a Christmas gift basket
full of lovely prizes!
To enter into the giveaway simply visit
the Connect International Facebook
page and visit the “Giveaway” tab.
Sponsors
Enter online at: https://www.facebook.com/ConnectInternational/app_228910107186452
The giveaway is open to everyone, and will run until 8th December 2013. We will contact the winner after
this date so they can claim their prize before Christmas. The prize can be collected from the Connect
International Office in Groningen city centre, or delivered within the Groningen city area.
6 / Connections #44
Invitation to Europe @ Your Feet
A ‘tasting’ for young and old of all the possible ingredients that the European
Union has to offer. This is an excellent opportunity to prepare for your
studies, your internship, your new home/workplace or your holiday abroad.
When:
Where:
Thursday, November 21, 13:30 to 23:00
Central Library | Ground Floor | Free entrance
Programme
13.30 ‘Trekhaak gezocht’ (Tow Bar Needed) presents: You need others to keep you going.
A school performance for primary and secondary education.
‘Tow Bar Needed’ is a project connecting European cultures.
In 2010, travelling theatre maker Tjerk Ridder, accompanied by his guitar, his dachshund Dachs and journalist
Peter Bijl, set out from Utrecht to Istanbul (Turkey) - hitchhiking with a caravan - but without a car. Their motto:
"You need others to keep you going."
During this trip, they hitchhiked for almost three months, travelled 3.700 kilometres and visited eight different
European countries. Through this experimental way of travelling and the improvising and personal character
of this journey, they came in touch with very many different people.
This inspiring performance of ‘Tow Bar Needed’ shows how people can help each other in reaching their
destination and realizing their dreams and ambitions.
17.00 City Debate Europe Now
Led by John Geijp (economics editor Dagblad van het Noorden),
the City Debate will link to the ‘Let's Gro’ festival and debate
about the future of Groningen. www.letsgro.nl
18:00 Meet & Greet the Expats
People from European countries introduce themselves and tell
how fun, special and beautiful their country is. There will be
snacks and drinks, provided by the hosts.
20:00 Europass Pubquiz
Prize: Weekend in Brussels for 2 persons
Throughout the day there will be information stands about Europe.
EUROPE @ YOUR FEET is organized by Europass and Europe Direct Groningen in collaboration with
Connect International and Forum Dwarsdiep.
Daphne de Bruijn l Projectcoördinator Bibliotheek Groningen
7 / Connections #44
From humanitarian aid worker to romance novelist
Like most jobs, mine comes with a heavy dose of stress. For nearly
ten years, I’ve been a writer and editor for humanitarian aid
organizations, human rights charities and philanthropic
foundations.
It’s a job that has immeasurable benefits, including opportunities to
travel and to meet real-life heroes who sacrifice everything to help their
communities survive the unthinkable.
But it also comes with heartbreak. It’s impossible to write about the
world’s most devastating disasters without being affected, without
getting choked up over the never-ending stream of photos featuring
haunted-eyed children and weeping parents.
Four years ago, I realized I needed a creative outlet to help me balance
the world’s pain with its joys. One lunch break, as I wandered through a
library in search of quiet, I happened upon a romance novel I’d loved as
a teenager. I reread it in one night, and it reminded me of the happiness
life offers.
I needed more of that, so I sat down and began to write.
Six months later, I was the proud owner of the world’s worst
manuscript. In that time, I’d joined an online writing group that
critiqued each other’s work. I’d launched a blog to talk about romance
and writing. I’d joined Twitter to connect with other writers and
romance readers. My husband, my friends and these strangers all
encouraged me to finish what I’d started—not just a draft but a
polished, publishable novel.
It took another two years—and countless rewrites and rejection
letters—but I finally did it. I’d revised my novel to the point that I felt
confident pitching it to an editor at a writing conference in Los Angeles.
As soon as I told her that the hero was a rugby player, her eyes lit up.
“Send me the draft right away,” she said.
I did, and a couple of months later she told me she loved it and wanted
a series about my fictional rugby team.
My debut novel, Knowing the Score, came out in August and received
so many positive reviews that I wanted to kiss everyone who read it.
There were a handful of not-so-positive reviews, too, but that bothers me a lot less than I’d expected.
I’m thrilled to say that I have a Christmas novella coming out in December, and the second book in my
London Legends rugby series will be out on April 14!
Kat Latham
About Kat Latham
Kat Latham writes sexy contemporary romance. She’s a California girl who
moved to Europe the day after graduating from UCLA, ditching her tank tops
for raincoats. She taught English in Prague and worked as an editor in
London before she and her husband moved to the Netherlands. Kat’s other
career involves writing and editing for charities, and she’s traveled to Kenya,
Ethiopia and India to meet heroic people helping their communities survive
disasters. Find out more at www.katlatham.com, or follow her on Facebook
(facebook.com/KatLathamRomance) or Twitter (twitter.com/KatrinaLatham)
8 / Connections #44
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Where to take your kids in the winter
Now that those dark, cold, rainy days are (nearly) upon us and venturing outside with the children
is not always an option – at least not for a sustained period of time – where DO you take them?
A new version of the Kids’ Guide to the Northern Netherlands will be out in January (available from
Connect (5 euros for global members and 7.50 for all others), with lots of ideas over our area, but I
am just going to high-light a few from my own experience (4 children now in the age range 3-9)
here.
Indoor Play
Museums
Monkeytown, Groningen: suitable for the little
ones, you get a good overview of the whole area,
many expats go and the café is reasonable.
http://www.monkeytown.eu/groningen
Kinderwereld Speelgoedmuseum
(toy museum), Roden: A good variety of different
toys to look at and some to play with. Upstairs
there is crafting and an attic with trains. Don’t
forget to check the outdoor stuff too!
http://museumkinderwereld.nl/
Apekooi, Kardinge, Groningen: suitable for a
variety of ages (up to about 8, I guess). Bigger, and
you can’t survey the whole area at one time, but
more interest for the over 3s. Note: they often host
multiple parties, so it can get busy.
http://www.apekooi.nl/
Ballorig, Assen: Feels bigger, good separate area
for the little ones, older children enjoy it too.
http://www.ballorig.nl/assen
Expeditie Yucatán, Dierenpark Emmen,
Emmen: Beautiful wooden construction with
sandy area and water. Children up to 12 can enjoy
this. Can seem pricey for a one-off visit, but look
into getting an annual pass, especially if you want
to combine it with going to the zoo as well. Note:
children must wear clothes – bathing suits are not
permitted.
http://www.dierenparkemmen.nl/dierenpark-em
men/expeditie-yucatan
Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Leeuwarden: This
museum is a fairly standard natural history
museum, which will interest many children, but it
often also has activities for kids, especially in the
holidays and there is a special dragon adventure
they can go on in the attic (this is in Dutch though).
http://www.natuurmuseumfryslan.nl/
Hunebedmuseum, Borger: Skip the film, but
wander around inside and out, lots to see for the
children. http://www.hunebedcentrum.eu/en/
Swimming Pools
Kardinge, Groningen: has family mornings on
Sundays. Reasonably priced tickets and access to
all the pools (outdoor, wave, baby and regular) as
well as the slide. Kardinge also has skating in the
winter. There is a separate rink for beginners with
aids and instructors. Skates can be hired there.
http://www.kardinge.nl/
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Nienoord, Leek: big pool, smaller pool with good
shallow end, slide (outdoor pool only open in
summer). Note that the nearby playground is
closed in wintertime.
http://www.landgoednienoord.nl/zwemkasteelni
enoord.nl
Aquazoo, Leeuwarden. The main attraction of
this zoo is outside, with the huge play field, the
concrete maze, the boating lake and the wooded
walk past the animals. Don’t go if it is pouring
down, but on a dry crisp winter’s day it can be
beautiful. http://www.frieslandzoo.nl/
De Bonte Wever, Assen: Wave pool and “wild
water creek”. This facility also has bowling and
skating. http://www.debontewever.nl
Other
Speelstad Oranje, Oranje: This is basically an
indoor fairground. What is good about it is that it
has a good variety of rides and things to play on
that are suitable for a wide variety of ages up to
about 12. There are two or three rides that seem to
always have long queues, but there is virtually no
queuing elsewhere. You can easily spend the day
there, but to save costs, take your own
sandwiches!
http://www.speelstadoranje.nl/beleving/speelsta
d/1/speelstad-oranje
We will be doing another feature on where to take
your kids when the weather is better in the spring.
If you have any tips for inclusion in the article,
please let me know via: [email protected].
Alexandra van den Doel
11 / Connections #44