The Hague

Albert Heijn (Or: Glad I don’t need to ship yellow mustard in)

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Niki

The grocery store of choice near where I will be living is Albert Heijn. Although it’s nowhere near the typical size of an American grocery store (maybe 12 or so aisles) it works for most things. The store itself is on the lower level, with escalators allowing access from street level. When the escalators are functioning of course; one time they were broken for about 5 weeks straight. I considered taking a picture of the negative comments a customer left on the official “We’re sorry” note but didn’t…

Entrance to Albert Heijn via escalators

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Categories: Shopping, The Hague | Tags: | 5 Comments

Stepping back (Or: Images from the Hague)

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Niki

Grote Kerk, Den Haag

A random picture of the plaza surrounding the Grote Kerk (lit: big church). Note the cobblestone paths and the barely visible tram rails behind the gentleman. I’ve been told that tram rails tend to be just the right width to get your bike wheels caught in…

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Categories: The Hague | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Statues (Or: An unlikely coincidence half a world away)

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Niki

I spent a year and a half in the Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. During that time I did a bit of searching on Dutch culture and history — this was before I visited the Netherlands.

One of the things I excitedly learned was that there was a statue of William the Silent in the Hague. I didn’t really understand why his finger pointed to the Binnenhof at one time (or, more accurately, what the Binnenhof was) but I thought it was an interesting bit of trivia.

William of Orange statue at The Hague, Netherlands

But I had seen a similar statue at the College Avenue campus… one that points in a seemingly random direction. Upon further digging I realized that there was a replica of the Hague statue placed at Rutgers University, due to the University being founded by Dutch ministers back in 1766.

William of Orange Statue at Rutgers University (from Wikimedia Commons)

I kept the secret for a month, telling my then-boyfriend that I had a surprise to show to him when he was in the country again. I remember dragging him to the statue, refusing to tell him what I was going to show him, and the look on his face when he realized what it was.

Half a world away, but so close without my realizing.

 

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

Graffiti (Or: Everyone has a story to tell)

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Niki

Within the Hague, there’s a small alleyway called Raamstraat which contains many different types of graffiti. The street serves as a lesser used connector between Spuistraat and Grote Marktstraat (near de Bijenkorf department store). It can be especially useful when trying to get away from the cramped areas of Spuistraat, as it seems less traveled than most areas.

December 2010 - of course, with the iconic bicycle, as if deliberately posed.

The header for this blog is also from Raamstraat. The other place that I found beautiful graffiti was Delft, while waiting for a bus.

Graffiti at the bus station - and more bikes

And just around the corner, I found this:

The girl is from Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" painting

The message reads: Something that disappears is not gone, it only hides. Although the addition of the girl from Vermeer’s painting is unrelated to the quote, here’s a good fictional novel to read about the creation of the painting: The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.

I think one of the first things I will do when I get my feet firmly back on Dutch soil is go back to this little alleyway and take more pictures. There are lots of little hidden gems to be found.

Categories: Delft, The Hague | Tags: | 1 Comment

Spuistraat (Or: Quaint Claustrophobia)

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Niki

The most striking thing about the street Spuistraat is how many phone stores there are crammed into a tiny little space. T-Mobile, Vodafone, BelCompany, the Phone House, and more. There’s even a Burger King at the very end.

When I visited this past summer (2011) they were in the middle of renovating the street. While they were doing the work overnight to prevent inconvenience, during the day the streets were covered with cardboard and other materials to prevent shoppers from walking on the streets themselves. A bit odd to walk on.

Spuistraat in Den Haag (December 2010) - at a relatively quiet time

Random things I learned:

1. Most shops close at 6PM, except on Thursdays when they stay open until 9PM.

2. At first I was confused because Spuistraat had an H&M. And then I was told H&M is a European company which made its way into American malls.

3. The streets get rather claustrophobic with the crowds of people walking through them.

4. Don’t wear red and step into Kruidvat. Otherwise someone will assume you work there and start speaking to you. In Dutch. (It was my first day alone, so it was a bit nerve wracking.)

Categories: Shopping, The Hague | 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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