PDF - Connect International

Connecting
Worlds
Connect International serves the international
community in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland
and Drenthe.
Supported by an international staff and Board of Directors, we provide quality
relocation services and practical information to help familiarize international
residents with all aspects of living, working or studying in the Northern
Netherlands, as well as organizing events and activities to make connections.
Services:
● Immigration services
● Home search & set-up
● Social events, activities & clubs
● Career services
● Business events
● Books & guides
● Knowledge database
Join Us!
You can register to become a
Connect International member via
our website. For a small yearly
fee, you receive the Connections
e-magazine newsletter delivered
directly to your email inbox, you
have access to the Connect
International community through
organized events, you can ask us
any questions you may have and
much more.
Visit: www.connect-int.org
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Welcome New Members!
Connect International would like to
welcome the following new members:
Ruben Gomez Sanchez, Jana Sanchez
Wandelmer, Fulvio Reggiori, Muriel
Mari, Andri Fraenkl, Mario Mauthe,
Benjamin Bewerdsorf, Lise Schlebusch,
Katarzyna Schakel, Yingying Cong,
Andrea
Corrales
Bernal,
Edgar
Buchvalov, Sergei Lodiahin & Mariia
Maksymova
Attention Writers!
Enjoy Writing?
The Connections Newsletter is
seeking volunteer writers who enjoy
writing on a theme,
informative
articles, or opinions they want to
share. Interested? Contact us at
[email protected]
Connect International
Connecting
Worlds
UNDER
ONE ROOF
Everything you need to make
yourself at home in the Netherlands
Contact:
Connect International office:
Gedemete Zuiderdiep 98, Groningen
Postbus 16, 9700 AA Groningen
Telephone: 050 7440087
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.connect-int.org
Connect International has a full membership
Publication Team:
Publisher: Stephanie Fermor-Poortman
Assistant Editor: Margaret Metsala
Contributers to this issue: Stephanie
Fermor-Poortman, Yumiko Connah, Alexandra
van den Doel, Karen Prowse, Margaret Metsala,
Mariateresa Pastore & Robert van Deursen
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Contact [email protected] for more
details.
Connect International
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Connections #58
March
Calendar
March 2015
Mini Market
Free to a good home
Baby clothes, size 50 and 56 (0-3
months), for both boys and girls.
Please contact Alexandra on:
06-29919525.
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Connect International
March
Events
Upcoming Events in Groningen,
Friesland & Drenthe
Writer's Circle
Date: 2 March 2015 @ 19:30 hrs
Parents Coffee Time
Date: 3 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs
Movie Night
Date: 4 March @ 19:00 hrs
Location: Pathe Groningen
International Coffee Morning
Groningen
Date: 6 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrs
Location: La Place, V&D in Groningen
Wall Climbing
Date: 8 March 2015 @ 15:30 hrs
Location: Klimcentrum Bjoeks
Book Club
Date: 12 March 2015 @ 19:30 hrs
Crafts Club
Date: 13 March 2015
Administration and tax 101
Date: 19 March 2015 @ 18:30 hrs
Location: Conference Room,
Poelestraat 30, Groningen
International Coffee Morning
Groningen
Date: 20 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrs
Location: La Place, V&D in Groningen
Flower Arrangement for Easter
Date: 26 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs
Location: Hooghalen
Coffee in Leeuwarden
Date: 27 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrs
Location: V&D, La Place, Nieuwestad
150 in Leeuwarden
Crafts Club - Beading Workshop
Date: 29 March 2015 @ 14:00 hrs
Location: Groningen
Parents Coffee Time
Date: 31 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs
Coffee in Leeuwarden
Date: 13 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrs
Location: V&D, La Place, Nieuwestad
150 in Leeuwarden
April
Parents Coffee Time
Date: 17 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs
Tell us who you are!
Date: 2 April 2015 @ 18:30 hrs
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Writer's Circle
Date: 1 April 2015 @ 19:30 hrs
Connect International
Entrepreneur
Feature
ROKKO Natural Beauty
by Yumiko Connah
What do you do when you want
to feel refreshed? Relaxation
tips include doing hobbies,
exercising and traveling... but
having a massage therapy
should also definitely be on that
list. Massage therapy not only
helps you feel refreshed but it
can also enhance your mood
and promote wellness.
After seven years of working in the
service and hospitality industry, I
became a relaxation therapist and, I
have worked in this area for nine years.
I wanted to become a therapist to cover
all aspects of a client's diverse needs.
That desire led me to train in traditional
Thai and pressure point massage
where I learned how to apply the
correct amount of pressure using
gentle
touches
and
strokes
synchronized
with
the
client’s
breathing. I am also trained in Swedish
massage, considered to be the most
basic and classic of all massage
methods. I have developed a holistic
way of treating my clients, and I
practiced in several cities in Japan,
including Tokyo.
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In 2012, I opened my own salon where
I provided facials, aromatherapy and
maternity treatments. The salon was
exclusively aimed at female clientele
and offered tailor-made, one-to-one
treatments in a cosy and secure
environment. Since the focus of my
treatments was aimed at females, I
became skilled in providing a variety of
treatments to meet the needs of
women of varying ages and those with
different lifestyles.
One example of the treatments I offer
women is a maternity massage. In
Japan, it is not easy for expectant
mothers to find a salon, even though
pregnant women would like to feel
better and to be in a relaxed state of
mind when giving birth. The maternity
treatment I provided became one of the
salon’s most popular treatments. Some
of the maternity clients explained they
Connect International
Entrepreneur
Feature
had been experiencing motherhood
anxiety and often lacked adequate
sleep. Moreover, some clients were
experiencing physical discomforts such
as upper- and lower- back tension,
shoulder ache and lower leg cramps
during sleep. Professionals believe
these symptoms appear due to drastic
changes during the prenatal period. A
60-minute body treatment helped them
feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Massage
therapy does more than relax the body
and mind, however. It loosens tight
muscles, increases blood flow, and
helps flush out toxins. It revitalizes the
body and mind, improves posture, and
facilitates a feeling of well-being. A
mother's wellness is also her baby's. I
was delighted I was able to make them
feel better during such a special time in
their lives. The maternity treatment is
available after the first trimester.
Massage techniques are also used in
aromatherapy massage treatments.
Aromatherapy is a very subtle form of
healing, with the use of essential oils
mixed with a natural plant oil called a
carrier oil. Each essential oil has its own
therapeutic properties and is suitable
for particular purposes when it is used
in massaging. Lavender helps to
soothe stress, sweet orange uplifts your
mood, peppermint helps concentration,
and so on. At Neal's Yard School of
Natural Medicines in Tokyo, I studied all
aspects of clinical and holistic
Aromatherapy, including anatomy and
physiology, to name but a few.
I now have opened a salon in
Groningen. ROKKO Natural Beauty's
aspiration is customers’ pleasure. I
hope you enjoy your treatment and let
your natural beauty shine!
Salon Information
ROKKO Natural Beauty
Therapist / Yumiko Connah
Visserstraat 9, 9712 CR Groningen
(Above kapsalon QNIPP)
Open Monday to Friday 9:00 -17:00
Other days/times possible by appointment.
Treatments by appointment only, female
customers only. Credit cards/PIN Not available
Website: www.spamariposalibre.com
Email : [email protected]
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Connect International
Entrepreneur
Feature
Leef & Beleef
by Alexandra van den Doel
Today I am meeting with Daniël
Joosten, founder and owner of
Leef and Beleef (Live and
Experience).
Daniël
is
a
qualified
psychologist and coach who
predominantly works with ACT
(Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy), more of which will be
explained later.
Once he qualified, Daniël soon realised
that finding a job in an established
practice and being able to work with
people in the way he wanted was not
going to be easy. In addition, he
noticed that none of the established
organisations were able to fill the needs
of people who did not have Dutch as a
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first language. Daniel’s partner is
British and he spends most of his time
speaking English. So an idea was
born. Daniel is now able to cater for
Dutch people but also for those who
are more comfortable expressing
themselves in English. Also, in order to
help him diagnose children in
particular, he has non-verbal versions
of the tests, so that the actual problem
rather than the knowledge of language
is tested.
So who comes to see Daniel and how
can he help them? Basically, (young-)
adults who feel “stuck” come to Daniël.
Perhaps negative thoughts and
emotions about themselves or their
lives are stopping them from moving
on and/or achieving what they want to
achieve.
Perhaps
anxiety,
low
self-esteem, depression or a traumatic
experience is causing problems in
every day life; also, children whose
parents may be seeking information
about the child’s IQ level, dyslexia,
dyscalculia, or ADHD, for example,
and who may or may not require a
diagnosis.
Daniël currently visits
children at the GSV (international
school in Groningen), for example.
Daniël uses ACT (Acceptance and
Connect International
Entrepreneur
Feature
C o m m i t m e n t
Therapy) to help his
patients
move
forward. This therapy
recognises
the
importance
of
language in our daily
life. Language is used
for
communicating
and
expressing
thoughts and feelings
but, unfortunately, we
are hard-wired to pay
more attention to the
negative messages
than
the
positive
ones. This does have evolutionary and
survival advantages, but if we listen to
our negative voice too much we can
become stuck and unable to move on
with our lives. ACT teaches us to
recognize and accept those negative
thoughts and feelings and find a place
for them and move on with them and
despite them. [By the way, for those of
you familiar with CBT (Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy), this is where the
big difference between the two comes
in.
Whereas CBT focusses on
continuously confronting and changing
these negative thoughts, ACT feels that
the energy that is required is better
used to spend on life itself and that
recognizing and putting the negative
thoughts to one side works better.] This
way, you can learn to get as much as
possible out of the positives in life and
increase your satisfaction. If you are
into mindfulness, you may recognize
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some of these aspects and indeed,
ACT does incorporate some of the
same values as mindfulness.
Daniël’s sessions (treatment would
typically be for 6-12 sessions, although
this is, of course heavily dependent on
the person, the severity of the problem
and the work the patient is willing and
able to put in) are not covered by health
insurance, but his charges are
relatively low, so that he remains
affordable for those seeking help.
For further reading on ACT, Daniël
recommends: “ACT made simple” by
Russ Harris.
To learn more about Daniël and his
work, or to make an appointment,
please visit his website in English and
Dutch: www.leefenbeleef.com
Connect International
Upcoming
Workshop
The Nightmare of Dutch Tax
by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman
I began my website design
business back in 2009. For a
few years I built up my business
and learned many of the do's
and don'ts of running your own
company. One thing I used to
muddle my way through was my
yearly
inkomstenbelasting
(income tax returns) and my
quarterly BTW (VAT) returns,
which I never had to do before.
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I am sure many of you will have
experienced as expats, the firestorm
the Dutch tax system can be.
Everything is in Dutch: all the forms,
programmes, paperwork, the helpline,
and they won't/can't give you advice in
English.
Building a stronger businesses
In 2011 I met Robert van Deursen. In
our first meeting we discussed all the
elements of my business, my strengths
and my weaknesses. We identified a
Connect International
Upcoming
Workshop
number of points that I wanted to
improve,
one
of
which
was
understanding my BTW (VAT) returns
and inkomstenbelasting.
Business finance administration
With Robert’s help I set up a
bookkeeping spreadsheet to manage
my business expenses and income
and it automatically generates all the
figures I need when it is time to do my
tax returns. Robert also helped me
understand all the extra expenses that
come with running a business and how
to fill them in on my returns, thus saving
me money.
Time is money
Now, staying on top of my paperwork is
easy. As I make invoices, I add them to
the spreadsheets, and at the end of
each quarter I set aside an hour or two
to fill everything else in and submit my
paperwork. I take great satisfaction in
being able to do it myself, as well as
being able to better track the progress
and growth of my business.
as the market approach, finance and
taxation and the (legal) organization of
a company.
Administration 101 workshop
So if you are an entrepreneur (or are
considering
starting
your
own
business), then you really should
attend the upcoming workshop by
Robert van Deursen: Administration
and tax 101 for small business owners.
The workshop will be on Thursday 19th
of March, from 18:30 till 21:30. During
the workshop, he will show you how
you can manage your busines finances
and tax using some simple Excel files
(available freely to those attending the
workshop).
About Robert van Deursen
Robert van Deursen graduated in 1986
from the University of Amsterdam.
Since 1987, he has worked as a trainer,
coach and consultant for (starting)
entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, but
also abroad - via email and Skype. His
work involves all aspects of setting up
and expanding one’s own business or
profession, such as the entrepreneur
as a person, market research as well
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Connect International
Places to go
Things to see
Music in Groningen
by Karen Prowse & Margaret Metsala
While winter is coming to an
end and the days grow longer,
it’s hard to beat going out to a
club in this optimistic season.
The night sky is clear with a few
visible stars, maybe it's a little
misty, and the streetlights shine
off the damp bricks of the
Kleine Kromme Elboog. You
and your friend are out there
looking for a place to settle in
with a drink and listen to some
live music.
You can find jazz almost any night of
the week in Groningen - Tuesday,
Thursday, doesn’t matter. You can find
a club you love somewhere in the city.
Try these places for a start:
www.stichtingjazzingroningen.nl
The agenda for many Groningen jazz
venues is here.
www.jozg.nl/main.html#agenda
Can’t stay up late? Twice a month on
Sundays, alternating between the
Feithuis and de Sleutel, jazz can be
enjoyed between 16:30 and 18:30.
The schedule for March and April is: 1
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March Feithuis, 15 March De Sleutel, 5
April Feithuis, 19 April De Sleutel.
www.houseofcooking.nl
At House of Cooking, life is never dull
with special dinner and after-dinner
jazz nights and Saturday night
mini-concerts starting at 21:30.
If you can’t get enough of jazz or travel,
you can try the North Sea Jazz Festival
in Rotterdam in July or the annual
Kuala Lumpur International Jazz and
Arts Festival in September.
Closer to home, you can try out
Groningen’s summer jazz bike tour on
29 and 30 August with different themed
tours: keep an eye on www.zjft.nl for
the agenda. Remember to check out
Swingmaster Records at Pelsterstraat
20 for all the jazz you desire to have in
your collection!
If jazz isn’t your scene, there are plenty
of live concerts, special events or
dance opportunities of all types to be
found at various cafes in Groningen.
www.donovans.nl
Café Donovans, Funk, soul, Motown
with live DJ – free entrance.
Connect International
Places to go
Things to see
www.buckshotcafe.nl
Every Sunday afternoon starting at
16:30; they have different bands and
entry is free.
www.cafekoster.nl
Every Sunday afternoon starting at
16:00, a variety of live bands. Check
their website for what is on and what
the entrance fee is (often it is free).
050danst.jouwweb.nl
Monthly dance parties for 40-plusers,
with rock, soul and disco from the 60s
until the present. Starts at 10:00,
entrance 3-5 euros
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www.jazzcafedespieghel.nl
Various evenings / night
featuring live bands.
events
www.cafewolthoorn.nl
Every last Friday of the month –
“Plaatjesdraaien avond” – Albums and
45s night
If you enjoy salsa you can find a list of
venues around Groningen and costs at
salsa.latinnet.nl/salsa/agenda/groni
ngen-stad/
We hope you have a fun time exploring
the cities music scene!
Connect International
Life
Experience
First Impressions
by Mariateresa Pastore
“New year, new life”
Under this motto, my 2015 year
has started. I am Mariateresa
and I come from Caserta, a little
town in the centre-south of Italy.
The reasons that led me to the
Netherlands are different: for
some they are crazy, for others
brave, for me a challenge. I
wanted to try to live and work in
a place where my certainties are
replaced by the need to test
yourself every day, thousands
of miles away from home. I’m a
lawyer, a daughter, a sister, an
aunt, a friend, but here I am also
something new and more. In
Groningen, begins a new
chapter of my life.
As is obvious, differences with Italy are
everywhere. Just boarding a plane (the
one of Transavia) past the Alps, the
tangle of towns, houses, roads,
waterways, and mountain ranges give
space to lakes and ponds, rivers and
streams that cross fields, apparently
drawn with a ruler. Then, surrounded
by these fields, are the towns with their
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canals and geometrical constructions.
I landed late at night with all the
normality of the dark, but not so normal
was the darkness the morning after.
Probably, the lack of light is the thing I
strive more to get used to.
And you don’t have to think that the
weather here is so bad. Ok, it is not my
sunny Italy and maybe global warming
has its share as well, but, until now, I
have not yet seen any big snowfall or
rainstorm or ... icy canals, which I had
hoped for. The sun is always thereyou need to know that you can have
four seasons just in one day; thus
between drizzles, a ray of sunshine can
light up your path.
Certainly, it is a weather climate for
using the bike. As was easily
foreseeable, without a car, I am
completely converted to the ease and
comfort of my “oma fiets” (kindly lent by
my boyfriend, who is clearly “allergic” to
its use). A hat, a waterproof jacket,
gloves and lights are the only rules to
observe in a country where the bike
reigns. No fears to hurdle through its
roads with fietspaden and their own
streetlights, stalls for parking and cars
that give way to you. There is no place
Connect International
Life
Experience
you cannot go with your bike; in this,
Italy is so far away.
Public parks and green spaces... I
am so lucky because at the
moment,
I
live
near
the
Hoornsemeer; a kind of peaceful
and fantastic place that a friend of
mine defined as fairy-like, like the
scenery of The Chronicles of
Narnia; a place where everyone can
go running, have a walk, play with
children or simply enjoy a sunny
afternoon with the family dog or sit
in silence watching the sun set.
Indeed, you can find tidy green
everywhere and it is always
amazing that, however small it may
be, every family has and takes care
of a garden which often contains
one of those typical little wooden
houses for birds never a blade of
grass out of place.
And then, there are serious things:
food. Once more, Italy is far away but,
going by the assumption that with the
right items, it is possible to reproduce
Italian dishes at home, let us discover
new foods. If on one side the
Netherlands does not have a typical
cookery style, on the other, it is
possible to find something special,
such as the stroopwafel, a new
addiction of mine.
Seriously, for me, it is time to go from
office to office to regularize my position
in the Netherlands, to find a job and
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confront the Dutch bureaucracy
(apparently more simple than the
Italian one), and then to learn this new
strange language called Dutch. In fact,
it is true that in the Netherlands both
the younger guy and the older man can
speak English but in order to feel part of
the community or simply understand
what happens around you in your
everyday life, it is important to know the
language of the country you live in.
Timed perfectly to coincide with what
all my expat countrymen describe as
the worst time of the year, it can only
get better. I just have to find out about
all this “better”.
Connect International
Dutch
Culture
Introduction to Dutch
by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman
Learn to speak, write and
understand basic Dutch, with
this
free,
three-week,
introductory foreign language
course organized by the
University of Groningen though
futurelearn.com.
The course starts on March 2nd and is
intended for anyone who wants to learn
Dutch or is planning to visit the
Netherlands (fun for friends or family
who may be planning a visit). The nice
thing about the course is that it starts at
the very beginning, so those taking it do
not need to know a single word of
Dutch beforehand. The course covers
the basics of Dutch, including how to
introduce yourself and getting to know
others, talking about your family,
friends, work and study and will include
short film clips to help and give an
impression of home and working life in
the Netherlands.
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During the course, you will learn Dutch
phrases,
greetings,
vocabulary,
numbers, spelling and grammar. Being
able to understand the language will
make everyday activities, such as
shopping or going out to a restaurant,
much more enjoyable.
By the end of the course, you will be
able to recognize familiar words and
phrases about yourself and your
family. You will be taught to use simple
sentences to describe where you live
and the people you know.
Finally, you will be able to write short
texts such as an email or fill in forms
with personal details. The main focus
will be on receptive skills such as
reading and listening.
How do I sign up?
As I mentioned, the course is free and
you
sign
up
at
www.futurelearn.com/courses/dutch.
The course starts on the 2nd of March,
so don't wait if you are interested!
Connect International
Food for
Thought
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Connect International