Author Archives: Niki

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About Niki

I run the blog http://www.lifeinthehague.com

Bikes (Or: Controlled chaos on wheels)

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Niki

One thing that struck me was how many fietsen (bikes) there are in the Netherlands. The Dutch boast almost one bike per person. In the Hague, bike paths seem to take precedence over even the roads themselves. Generally the transportation is as follows: roads (for cars, buses, and the occasional tram), bike paths, and pedestrian paths. Bikes also have their own traffic lights at most stops. Interestingly, mopeds also seem to ride on the bike paths, which can make crossing them a bit dangerous at times…

Picturesque Delft canal bordered by homes, and a few bikes to complete the scene

The Netherlands is, as a whole, very flat. I found one “hill” in the Hague — which turned out to be a man-made bridge that was only a few feet high. In the country itself, the highest hill (the Vaalserberg) is just over 1000 feet tall.

A parking lot for bikes in Amsterdam

Categories: Amsterdam, Delft, Transportation | Tags: , | 2 Comments

Libraries (Or: A cool place to learn Dutch)

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Niki

One of the first places I visited in the Netherlands was Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (lit: Public Library Amsterdam), which is a name of all public libraries in Amsterdam. Specifically, I went to Centrale Bibliotheek, or the central library of Amsterdam. With almost 2 million books, it is the largest public library in Europe.

Subject areas in Dutch… with helpful English below!

My first library job was as a children’s services assistant in a small public library. So I did take special interest in the children’s area. Interestingly, I had already showcased Amsterdam Public Library in a library website I made for my Information Technology class, so I was familiar with the library. But it was cool to see it in person. Before I left, I read one picture book: Tien Kleine Heksjes, or, Ten Little Witches. With help of course.

Overlooking the children’s area

Some facts and figures:

over 1,000 seats, 600 of which have PCs

28,000 square meters of space

2,000 bike racks

50 multimedia workplaces

26 automated lending machines

Gaming in the library… Note the Guitar Hero logo, although they are playing a different game.

 

Categories: Amsterdam, Culture | Tags: | Leave a comment

Dutch gourmetten (Or: An exercise in hungry patience)

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Niki

One of the traditional Christmas activities for the Dutch is gourmetten, where a grill is placed in the middle of the table and small pieces of meat, potatoes, and extras such as mushrooms are cooked. The meal is very social in nature — it can take a few hours for enough meat to be cooked so expect to get a lot of talking done!

The top of the grill is shared. Below are individual grilling areas for each person, where the food is placed on a little spatula. You can also share brood (bread) and knofloofkboter (garlic butter – yum!).

A typical dutch gourmetten meal

Within the Netherlands, it is possible to visit grocery stores (for example: Albert Heijn) to purchase special gourmetten sets which include pre-cut meats. Of course, you will pay a few more euros for this convenience…

Categories: Food, Holidays, The Hague | Tags: | 3 Comments

Fireworks (or: Blowing up a small piece of the country)

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Niki

One of the cooler New Year’s Eve (oudejaarsavond, lit: old year’s eve) traditions is setting off fireworks at midnight. When I visited last year in December 2010, the Dutch spent about 65 million euros on fireworks (vuurwerk, singular and plural form). This year it was estimated to about 70 million euros.

part of the set of ground fireworks we purchased

The only way I could describe it in the part of the Hague I was visiting was loud, unexpected noises at every turn, huge flashes, and the need to be very, very careful.

Because there could be unexpected surprises around every turn…

a burning couch on a random street corner

Fun facts: the country’s entire public transportation system shuts down around 8PM that night to avoid issues. Mailbox openings are closed off to prevent “incidents” with lit vuurwerk being placed inside. Christmas trees used to be collected before New Year’s, but now residents are asked to keep their trees inside until after that date, because enterprising souls would take them and burn them on oudejaarsavond.

Categories: Holidays, The Hague, Transportation | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Sand (Or: A moment locked in time

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Niki

During my first trip to Den Haag (The Hague) in the summer of 2010, possibly even on the first day, we came across sand art near Buitenhof (lit: Outer Court, as it is lies outside the Binnenhof, or Inner Court).

Notice the hand beneath the boat...

The sand art was designed by the World Sand Sculpting Academy.

He looks a bit too stern. Perhaps he is the father of the daughter, and does not approve of either of her suitors?

If you would like to see the above sculpture in the middle of being created, check out this Wikimedia Commons photo. The rough texture of the nearest figure is especially noteworthy.

Musician and his cattle

Categories: Culture, The Hague | Tags: | 2 Comments

12 months before the Hague move

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Niki

Having moved from Chicago to New York with only two suitcases to my name, I look forward to the move even further eastward to the Netherlands — the Hague to be exact! The move date will be around Christmas 2012.

tram at a street corner (pssst...turn right for the "bibliotheek" or library!)

This blog will detail life before and after the move, including immersing myself in a culture that seems alien but also shares a lot of Americanized features — there’s even a New York Pizza joint just up the corner from the apartment I will be moving to!

Categories: Moving, The Hague, Transportation | Tags: | 1 Comment

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