 When
I tell friends I spent four months this past spring and summer studying
in the Netherlands, all it produces is a blank look, a shrug, and an
ambiguous hand gesture which means: “Is that somewhere near Germany?”
But dropping the name of “Amsterdam” warrants a completely different reaction.
A sample conversation: “Hey, where did you go this spring? John said
that you said that you were studying abroad. Where?” “In the
Netherlands.” “Oh ok.” A shrug and crinkled eyebrows. “What language
do they speak there?” Ah, Amsterdam’s the capital,” I say. Eyes widen,
lips purse into a drawn out “Oh” of recognition, followed by a slight conspiratorial
smile. I already know what the next question is going to be. Amsterdam
has become infamous for its tolerance. During summer break its hostels
brim with herds of backpackers attracted by the lure of legal pot and the
lore of the red light district. Though the sixteenth-century stone townhouses
and the canals they line are unique to Holland, it’s the “coffee houses,”
tattoo parlors, and gaudy sex shops - which occupy those buildings’ bottom
floors - that draw tourists. - Tolerance
in the Netherlands ~ More Business Cunning Than Peace And Love |
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 Where
to Look (for real estate) in Amsterdam - An
expat moving to Amsterdam will find a city rich in history. The capital
of the Netherlands is one of the top tourist destinations on the planet
with over 5 million visitors each year. The city is named after the Amstel
dam, which can still be found in the city center. The canals of the old
city which flare out in five concentric rows, has lent the city the name
of ‘Venice of the North.’ The Netherlands has one of the highest population
densities in the world, and Amsterdam is one of the most densely populated
areas in the country. An expat moving to Amsterdam should be prepared to
live in a house or apartment that may be smaller than they are used to.
The architectural character of the city has developed around trying to
solve these problems. The canal was originally constructed to serve as
water highways, keeping all parts of the inner city accessible. While still
used for transport, the canals make for exquisite tours, and memorable
walks along the banks. The city has something for everyone whether it is
the extensive museums, scenic walks, or vibrant nightlife. |
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 Netherlands
Castle Dweller ~ Becoming More a Part of the World
- Everyone has a story from his or her life that illustrates the complex
beauty of the world we live in. I’ve often thought that one of most appealing
and enduring aspects of travel, particularly travel though a foreign country,
is the way it fills you out as an individual, gives you a broader range
of knowledge and experience on which to build a sense of self and place.
The stories I’ve heard from friends who have traveled and lived far from
home all reflect this broadened perspective, this heightened sense of who
they are which they achieved by forgetting themselves for a while. In paying
attention to what other people make of life, these friends of mine augmented
and altered their views on life here at home in the United States. |
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 Wandering
the European Canals & Rivers - Everyday
is an adventure on the canals, actually every bend in the canal is a new
adventure since I know not what lies ahead until I complete the bend. Oh,
I have charts that show me what to expect, but not until I turn the wheel
and push the boat through the bend does the chart information come alive
...and suddendly I may find something that wasn't on the chart...like the
bow of a large commercial barge coming toward me making it's way into the
bend... and now it's exciting! ...trying to manuever so I may pass in the
narrow canal without picking up some paint off the barge or putting the
bottom into the mud along the bank. Of course, there are not many days
that you have a close encounter with a large barge, but they do happen,
and it gets your blood pumping and you really know you're alive! |
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 Living
in Europe There's No Place I'd Rather be -
For many Americans the best fringe benefit of a relocation to Europe is
the opportunity for accessible travel through a continent with incredible
cultural diversity. Of course, there are the destinations that anyone on
a two-to-three year residency will have on their "must see" list, but few
people will return to the US without some village, region, resort or city
occupying a special place in their recollections of traveling through Europe.
Those who stay a little longer often have the chance to range a bit farther
and perhaps to form a long-term bond with a particular place. Clare Sievers
asked six prominent US citizens resident in Europe to share their thoughts
on a favorite holiday destination. |
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 Barge
Shopping In Europe - The second-most frequently
asked question after “Why did you do this?” is “How did you do this?”
After thirty years in the computer software industry, we needed to try
something different. When we took a barge piloting course with Roger
Van Dyken in France, my husband Paul and I had come back with the dream
of owning a barge and living in Europe at least half of the year.
The timing was right for us personally. Paul’s two children were
both in their thirties and on their own. We no longer had aging parents
or relatives to take care of and we were still young enough and healthy
enough to handle the physical aspects of a large boat. Methodically
we wrote up spreadsheets and tested the validity of our financial premise:
if we sold our house, our two cars and most of our furniture, and took
along a few paying passengers on the barge, we could buy a barge and make
ends meet until we reached an official retirement age. |
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 Coke
– It's The Real Thing: Flying Cocaine From Curaçao To The Netherlands
- After a nine hour flight from Curaçao to Amsterdam, we had finished
securing B767-200 TF-ATY, and were preparing to leave the aircraft and
make haste to our layover hotel. As I stepped out of the flight deck, I
noticed a number of Dutch customs officers looking very much like Israeli
commandos standing by the 1L (left forward) entry door. The “commandos”
were waiting for the last passengers to deplane, so that they could initiate
a routine search of the aircraft. Their mascot, a drug sniffing dog, seemed
particularly eager to begin his duties and find a “treat." A few minutes
after the last passenger had gone; the dog had skilfully located a “treat”
in the back of an economy class seat pocket. The dog treat turned out to
be one kilo of unprocessed cocaine, also known as cocaine hydrochloride
(HCL. |
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 Architects
Of The Floating World - Forget the little
Dutch boy who held back the deluge by putting his finger in the dike: architects
in the Netherlands are busy designing new houses that float serenely on
the flood... You can hear the jokes already: too much hydroponic skunk,
a crate or three of Grolsch, and then a sudden architectural epiphany:
"Shtop! What are we doing? Let's build the chilled out houses that can
go with the flow instead up uptight dikes and defences!" Inevitable,
no doubt. But the Dutch architects who have invented new buildings designed
to accept rather than resist the rising torrent may well have come up with
the perfect housing solution for a globally-warmed world. |
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For Us - We welcome article & eBook proposals - We
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From America Magazine Our Expat Magazine - is
filled with information about living oveseas, much of it written by expats
who have moved overseas. Our magazine provides real information on
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- Barges in Europe - We also have articles in our article section on living
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