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AWC Going Dutch Dec 2018

American Women's Club of The Hague monthly magazine

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<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong><br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2018</strong><br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Artist-in-Residence<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O Cruise<br />

Trekking in Nepal - Part 2<br />

24<br />

35-37<br />

40<br />

The Magazine of the<br />

American Women’s Club<br />

of The Hague<br />

5 Officers and Chairwomen<br />

6 Fall Activities Collage<br />

8 Message from the President<br />

9 <strong>Dec</strong>ember General Meeting<br />

10 Letter from the Editor<br />

12 Membership<br />

13 Newcomers<br />

14 Ongoing Activities<br />

20 One-of-a-Kind Activities<br />

22 Tea with the <strong>AWC</strong>’s<br />

Honorary President<br />

24 Artist-in-Residence<br />

26 Clubhouse Rental<br />

27 <strong>AWC</strong> and the Arts<br />

28 <strong>Dec</strong>ember Calendar<br />

31 Club and Comunity<br />

32 The <strong>Dutch</strong> Daily<br />

34 F<strong>AWC</strong>O Corner<br />

35 F<strong>AWC</strong>O Cruise<br />

38 Handbag Auction<br />

40 High Altitude Trekking -<br />

Part II<br />

46 Restaurant<br />

Recommendations<br />

47 Announcements<br />

52 Classifieds<br />

53 Index of Advertisers<br />

and Ad Rates<br />

54 Proost! Interview<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 3


Editor<br />

Audrey Goodman<br />

<strong>2018</strong>-2019 <strong>AWC</strong> Officers<br />

Committee Chairs<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

Johan van Oldenbarneveltlaan 43<br />

2582 NJ Den Haag<br />

Tel: 070 350 6007<br />

info@awcthehague.org<br />

www.awcthehague.org<br />

<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> Magazine<br />

goingdutchmag@gmail.com<br />

Clubhouse Hours<br />

Tuesday and Thursday<br />

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.<br />

Monday, Wednesday and Friday Closed<br />

Dues (Effective <strong>2018</strong>-2019)<br />

€ 110 per year (€ 66 after January 1)<br />

€ 90 business, professional<br />

€ 55 valid US military ID<br />

€ 35 student<br />

€ 35 Outside the Netherlands (<strong>Going</strong><br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> magazine not included)<br />

Add € 15 new member registration fee<br />

Design and Layout<br />

Teresa Mahoney<br />

Cover Photo<br />

Christmas in Leiden 2017 by Melissa White<br />

Photography<br />

Sabine Crowley, Emily van Eerten, Greetje<br />

Engelsman, F<strong>AWC</strong>O, Amber Gatewood,<br />

Debbie van Hees, Suzanne MacNeil, Tim<br />

MacNeil, Teresa Mahoney, Julie Mowat,<br />

Melissa Rider, Laura Suttles, Melissa White<br />

Proofreaders<br />

Celeste Brown, Jane Gulde, Diane Schaap,<br />

Debbie van Hees<br />

Advertising Manager & Invoicing<br />

Open<br />

Contributors<br />

Liduine Bekman, Jane Choy, Susanne Dundas,<br />

Greetje Engelsman, Roberta Enschede, Dena<br />

Haggerty, Marsha Hagney, Eileen Harloff,<br />

Suzanne MacNeil, Julie Mowat, Michelle<br />

Oliel, Melissa Rider, Holly Savoie, Laura<br />

Suttles, Melissa White<br />

Printer<br />

www.dwcprint.nl<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Bank Account Number<br />

IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757<br />

KvK Den Haag<br />

40409274<br />

Honorary President Diane Hoekstra<br />

President Suzanne MacNeil<br />

awcthehague.president@gmail.com<br />

Vice President Marsha Hagney<br />

awcthehague.firstvp@gmail.com<br />

Treasurer Sheyla Karman<br />

awcthehague.treasurer@gmail.com<br />

Secretary Heather DeWitt<br />

awcthehague.secretary@gmail.com<br />

Club and Community Development<br />

Naya Pessoa<br />

awcthehague.community@gmail.com<br />

Clubhouse Administrator<br />

Jan Essad<br />

awcthehague.clubhousemgr@gmail.com<br />

Communications Audrey Goodman<br />

awcthehague.communications@gmail.com<br />

Member-at-Large<br />

Sunita Menon<br />

Front Office<br />

Liduine Bekman, Siska Datema-Kool,<br />

Dominique Duysens, Amber Gatewood,<br />

Machelle Hollar, Paula Looijmans, Melissa<br />

Rider, Robin Rose, Holly Savoie, Carol<br />

Schapira, Chelsea Wald<br />

Activities: Greetje Engelsman<br />

Arts: Jane Choy<br />

Assistant Treasurer: Teresa Insalaco<br />

Benefit Event: Michelle Voorn & Deana<br />

Kreitler<br />

Board Advisor: Jessie Rodell<br />

Caring Committee: Naomi Keip<br />

Chat, Craft & Cake: Suzanne Dundas<br />

eNews Amber Gatewood<br />

Evening Events: Elizabeth Zeller<br />

Events & Tours: Liduine Bekman<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O: Julie Mowat and Teresa<br />

Mahoney<br />

Front Office Coordinator: Open<br />

General Meeting Programs: Dena<br />

Haggerty<br />

Heart Pillow: Jan de Vries<br />

Historian/Archivist: Open<br />

Holiday Bazaar: Jaimie Keppel-Molenaar<br />

IT Administrator: Julie Otten<br />

Kids’ Club: Lindsey Turnau<br />

Library: Dena Haggerty<br />

Membership: Melissa Rider<br />

Newcomers: Holly Savoie, Greetje<br />

Engelsman<br />

Parliamentarian: Georgia Regnault<br />

Philanthropy: Holly Savoie<br />

Public Relations: Open<br />

Social Media: Ceci Wong and Julie Otten<br />

Tennis: Molly Boed<br />

Volunteer Coordinator: Laurie<br />

Martecchini<br />

Webmaster: Julie Otten<br />

Women with <strong>Dutch</strong> Partners: Open<br />

Deadlines: Submissions are due no later than the last Monday of the month preceding the publication month.<br />

For example, for the March issue, submissions are due before Monday, January 28<br />

Please Note: Articles submitted to <strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> will be published subject to space limitations and editorial approval.<br />

All rights reserved; reprints only by written permission of the Editor. Please email to: goingdutchmag@<br />

gmail.com<br />

Legal Notice: Articles in <strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> express the views and opinions of their authors alone, and not necessarily<br />

those of the <strong>AWC</strong> of The Hague, its Members or this publication.<br />

4 GOING DUTCH<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Mission Statement<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> is an association formed to provide social and educational activities for American<br />

women living in the Netherlands and to promote amicable relations among people of all nations,<br />

as well as acquiring funds for general public interest. Membership in the club is open<br />

to women of all nations who are friendly and welcoming to American culture. The association<br />

does not endeavor to make a profit. The <strong>AWC</strong> is a 100% volunteer organization.<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 5


Out to Lunch Bunch<br />

October General Meeting<br />

Amanda Lane from<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O<br />

Tupperware Party<br />

Fall Activities<br />

Walkie Talkies<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> Products Class


Message from the President<br />

by Suzanne MacNeil<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember General Meeting<br />

It was great to see so many Members at the<br />

Annual General Meeting in November,<br />

one of the most important events of our<br />

Club year. The meeting gave Members the<br />

opportunity to learn about the Club’s financial<br />

health, your Board’s short-term plans<br />

for the Club, and the three-to-five-year plan<br />

that we’re proposing for future Boards.<br />

Without a set of goals, we would flounder.<br />

If you weren’t at the meeting, your Board<br />

presented several new initiatives that will<br />

help grow the Club while staying true to our<br />

mission of providing a warm and welcoming<br />

space for women who are away from their<br />

home country. Along with the social aspect<br />

of the Club, we continue our commitment to<br />

fulfilling philanthropic opportunities in our<br />

host country.<br />

Our <strong>AWC</strong> receives requests for financial<br />

support from numerous organizations<br />

throughout the year and our Members request<br />

donations for various causes each year. Our<br />

primary fundraiser is usually a gala or an<br />

event similar to last year’s Beach BBQ for<br />

Perspektief. With support from our Members,<br />

and the community at large, we’ve raised<br />

significant amounts for local and international<br />

organizations. It is important as a Club that<br />

we can guarantee the charitable donations we<br />

make reflect our Club’s ideals. Consequently,<br />

your Board is implementing guidelines with<br />

respect to donations.<br />

8 GOING DUTCH<br />

<strong>Going</strong> forward, any request for a donation<br />

of €1.000 or more, whether it’s for matching<br />

funds or a donation, and<br />

any organization being<br />

considered for<br />

financial support,<br />

must be vetted<br />

properly.<br />

Your Board<br />

has created<br />

a Beneficiary<br />

Request Form<br />

that must be filled<br />

out before we consider<br />

any financial<br />

request. The<br />

form asks questions<br />

such as an<br />

organization’s<br />

mission, its plan<br />

for distribution<br />

of any financial<br />

gift from our<br />

<strong>AWC</strong>, and how<br />

the organization<br />

will apprise the<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> of how<br />

effectively the<br />

funds helped the organization’s mission.<br />

In order to ensure that an organization<br />

meets our criteria, we are adding a committee<br />

to review each request for donations, regardless<br />

of whether the request is from a Member<br />

or an outside organization. The Philanthropic<br />

Review Committee will be made up of three<br />

to five Club volunteers. They will report directly<br />

to the Club and Community Board<br />

Member, who will inform the Board about<br />

the committee’s decision and whether the<br />

Board should vote on the committee’s recommendation.<br />

The information about a potential<br />

beneficiary will then be brought to the Club’s<br />

Membership for discussion and a vote.<br />

Board oversight of the Club’s funds<br />

is key to our <strong>AWC</strong> remaining financially<br />

healthy. The vetting of potential beneficiaries<br />

means we are acting with transparency<br />

and full accountability for our Members. The<br />

Philanthropic Review Committee means our<br />

Club’s Board and Members will make informed<br />

decisions and choose organizations<br />

that meet our values and whose missions<br />

matter the most to our Members.<br />

Looking ahead, Michelle Voorn and<br />

Deana Kreitler volunteered to co-chair the<br />

Club’s spring fundraiser and have already<br />

met with several Members who’ve also<br />

volunteered to serve on the committee.<br />

Whether it will be a formal gala or >>39<br />

Join us to celebrate the holiday season<br />

with your fellow <strong>AWC</strong> Members. We will<br />

gather to share traditions, sing carols,<br />

enjoy wonderful food, and partake in a fun<br />

gift exchange.<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> will provide drinks and a few finger<br />

foods, but we ask that Members provide<br />

additional snacks and sweets. Please sign up<br />

on GroupSpaces to indicate what dish you<br />

will bring for the potluck. If you wish to<br />

participate in the gift exchange, please bring<br />

one wrapped item costing no more than<br />

€10. Participation in the gift exchange is, of<br />

course, not mandatory.<br />

Holiday cheer is required, and holiday<br />

sweaters are encouraged!<br />

Clubhouse Closed<br />

Thursday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 13<br />

10:00 a.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

Free<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 19 – January 7 for the Holidays<br />

Unique products<br />

for entrepreneurs<br />

Sligro The Hague Forepark is the perfect fit for you as entrepreneur.<br />

We inspire and support you with our products and services, that will<br />

help you with your business. Our people are always there for you<br />

with professional and tailored advice.<br />

sligro.nl<br />

Linge 2, The Hague<br />

1061246<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 9


Letter from the Editor<br />

by Audrey Goodman<br />

My sister is my favorite person. We’ve<br />

been close ever since we were little,<br />

and it has been incredibly difficult<br />

to be apart for so long. Growing up, we were<br />

lucky enough to have parents that took us<br />

on camping trips across the US. We’ve been<br />

looking forward to making our adventures<br />

international, and she was finally able to come<br />

for a two-week visit in early November.<br />

the food was great. We ended our night at<br />

The Oak, with a couple of rounds of drinks.<br />

Our Sunday was devoted to a couple of<br />

traditional Dublin spots. First stop was the<br />

EPIC Irish Emigration Museum, which I<br />

highly recommend. It was very informative<br />

and interactive, providing an overview of the<br />

Irish community’s impacts on various parts<br />

“The best thing about having<br />

a sister was that I always had a<br />

friend.”<br />

-Cali Rae Turner<br />

We spent the first couple of days exploring<br />

The Hague and Amsterdam, before she<br />

set off for a week in Ireland with her friend<br />

Sarah. I later joined them in Dublin for a long<br />

weekend of bar hopping and sightseeing. We<br />

rented an Airbnb apartment in The Liberties<br />

neighborhood, walking distance from many<br />

sights. Our first stop was dinner at The Bank<br />

on College Green, a fantastic restaurant situated<br />

in… you guessed it: an old bank. The<br />

place was packed, the décor was ornate, and<br />

10 GOING DUTCH<br />

of the world. Our next stop was the Guinness<br />

Storehouse, a seven-story brewery tour that<br />

was modern, fascinating and fun. Not only<br />

do you learn about the brewing process, but<br />

you can also learn how to properly pour a<br />

Guinness and taste the various flavors of the<br />

beer. On the top floor, the Gravity Bar, you receive<br />

your complimentary glass of Guinness<br />

surrounded by a 360° view of Dublin. The<br />

visit was well-worth the € 25 ticket.<br />

After checking out of our Airbnb on our<br />

last morning, we hopped the Dart to Howth,<br />

a cozy little seaside village about 45 minutes<br />

outside Dublin. The views were amazing, and<br />

we wished for more time to explore the town.<br />

But we only had two hours, so we opted for a<br />

short walk along the waterfront before lunch<br />

at Wrights Findlater Howth. I couldn’t leave<br />

Ireland without having fish and chips paired<br />

with a Guinness for a delicious end to our<br />

fun adventure.<br />

She plans to come back for another visit<br />

late next year. We’ve already started talking<br />

about visiting Paris, Berlin and Warsaw when<br />

she returns!<br />

Audrey<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 11


Credit: BoardEffect.com<br />

Membership<br />

by Melissa Rider<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> must comply with the General<br />

Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),<br />

which sets new rules for the collection<br />

of personal data of those living in the<br />

EU. The new privacy measures mean you<br />

must give the <strong>AWC</strong> explicit and informed<br />

consent to use your name and likeness in<br />

print material and on social media. If you<br />

have not yet already done so, please sign a<br />

GDPR letter at the Clubhouse, or contact me<br />

(awcthehague.membership@gmail.com) to<br />

have one sent to you. More information about<br />

the <strong>AWC</strong>’s privacy policy can be found on<br />

our website under “Contact Us”. Thank you<br />

for your help to ensure the <strong>AWC</strong> is GDPRcompliant!<br />

Please remember to keep your information<br />

up-to-date. If you recently moved,<br />

send me your new address to the email listed<br />

above.<br />

Birthdays<br />

Due to changes in European privacy laws,<br />

and because <strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> will soon be<br />

posted on our external Facebook page,<br />

we won’t be sharing birthdays in print<br />

any longer. Instead, you’ll see Members’<br />

birthdays in the weekly eNews, which is<br />

sent to your private email account and<br />

is more secure. We value our Members’<br />

privacy. If you have any questions, please<br />

contact Melissa Rider, our Membership<br />

Coordinator, at awcthehague.<br />

membership@gmail.com.<br />

Welcome New Members!<br />

Christy Carter<br />

Zolboo Nemekhbayar<br />

Support Fellow <strong>AWC</strong> Members<br />

Find links to a large variety of businesses<br />

owned by <strong>AWC</strong> Members at<br />

www.awcthehague.org/site/newcomers/<br />

business-links<br />

Newcomers<br />

by Holly Savoie and Greetje Engelsman<br />

Activity for <strong>AWC</strong> Newcomers, but<br />

also interesting for long-term<br />

Members!<br />

Royalty and Democracy in the<br />

Netherlands<br />

On Prinsjesdag (Princes’ Day) we celebrate<br />

the beginning of the parliamentary<br />

year in the Netherlands, and we enjoy<br />

the tour of the King and the Queen in the<br />

Golden Coach in The Hague. But what<br />

do you understand about the relationship<br />

between democracy and royalty (government,<br />

parliament and the queen/king) in the<br />

Netherlands? How does it work and who is<br />

the “boss”?<br />

Join us at the <strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse to understand<br />

more about the differences between the US.<br />

and the Netherlands. Greetje Engelsman<br />

is <strong>Dutch</strong> and has always been interested<br />

in <strong>Dutch</strong> democracy. As a child she was<br />

a royalist, as all children are. Now she is<br />

a democrat and has mixed feelings about<br />

royalty. What are the facts? For more<br />

information, please contact Greetje at<br />

awcthehague.newcomers@gmail.com.<br />

Thursday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 6<br />

2 p.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

FREE<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

Did you know that any woman who speaks English is eligible to join the<br />

American Women’s Club?<br />

Invite your English-speaking friends, wherever they’re from, to join us today!<br />

12 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 13


Credit: Amazon<br />

Ongoing Activities<br />

Book Clubs<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> Book Clubs are open to all readers,<br />

and new Members are especially welcome!<br />

There are no requirements that you must<br />

attend every meeting or lead a discussion.<br />

Snacks are provided by a different Member<br />

each month. There are two Book Clubs<br />

hosted by <strong>AWC</strong> Members: One in the daytime<br />

and one in the evening. Questions? Teresa<br />

Mahoney organizes the daytime group,<br />

and Dena Haggerty handles the evening<br />

meetings. For more information, please<br />

contact them at awcthehague.bookclub@<br />

gmail.com. Happy reading!<br />

Daytime Book Club<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember Selection:<br />

Factfulness: Ten Reasons<br />

We’re Wrong About the<br />

World – and Why Things are<br />

Better Than You Think by<br />

Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling,<br />

and Anna Rosling Rönnlund<br />

When asked simple questions<br />

about global trends,<br />

we systematically get the<br />

answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee<br />

choosing answers at random will consistently<br />

outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates,<br />

and investment bankers. In Factfulness,<br />

Professor of International Health and global<br />

Daytime Book Club Reading List:<br />

Thursday, January 24: The Secret Scripture<br />

(McNulty Family) by Sebastian Barry<br />

Thursday, February 28:<br />

The Milkman by Anna Burns<br />

Thursday, March 28:<br />

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah<br />

Harari<br />

TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together<br />

with his two long-time collaborators, Anna<br />

and Ola, offers a radical new explanation<br />

of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts<br />

that distort our perspective—from our<br />

tendency to divide the world into two camps<br />

(usually some version of us and them) to the<br />

way we consume media (where fear rules)<br />

to how we perceive progress (believing that<br />

most things are getting worse). Our problem<br />

is that we don’t know what we don’t know,<br />

and even our guesses are informed by unconscious<br />

and predictable biases.<br />

Note new day, time and venue for<br />

Christmas party!<br />

Wednesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 12<br />

11 a.m.<br />

Georgia’s house<br />

RSVP: awcthehague.bookclub@gmail.<br />

com<br />

FREE<br />

Daytime Book Club Recap – October<br />

The one thing we could agree on is Donna<br />

Brown makes a fantastic blackberry pie.<br />

What we could not agree on were the merits<br />

of Gaa Gyasi’s highly praised debut novel,<br />

Homegoing. Is it even a novel? Or is it a series<br />

of discreet short stories? Homegoing begins<br />

on the Gold Coast of Western Africa in<br />

the mid-1700s as intertribal warfare and the<br />

slave trade with Europeans thrusts uncertainty<br />

and horror onto the yam-farming people<br />

whose progeny will populate the rest of the<br />

book. It ends in present-day Ghana, in the<br />

ocean below the castle that was the fulcrum<br />

of slave trade for centuries. In between, we<br />

meet, among many others, the conflicted son<br />

of an African beauty “married” to an English<br />

slaver, a gargantuan prisoner contracted out<br />

in inconceivably hard labor to the coal mines<br />

under Alabama, and a church-going choir<br />

member whose light-skinned husband abandons<br />

her and her son to live as a white man<br />

in New York City. Each character is well-defined<br />

but the structure of Homegoing doesn’t<br />

allow for the development of their stories<br />

over time. We just get to know one character<br />

when we are dropped into the story of their<br />

daughter or son. There’s a through-line of<br />

sorta-African-spirituality and the supernatural<br />

that felt contrived and hokey to some of<br />

us, moving to others. Homegoing succeeds as<br />

a work of art but not, as its author hoped, as a<br />

trumpet call to heal black families and solve<br />

the searing legacies of American slavery.<br />

Some strongly recommended Homegoing.<br />

Some of us were hesitant to do so.<br />

Evening Book Club<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember Selection:<br />

A Gentleman in Moscow by<br />

Amor Towles<br />

In 1922, Count Alexander<br />

Rostov is deemed an unrepentant<br />

aristocrat by a<br />

Bolshevik tribunal, and is<br />

sentenced to house arrest in<br />

the Metropol, a grand hotel<br />

across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov,<br />

an indomitable man of erudition and wit,<br />

has never worked a day in his life, and must<br />

now live in an attic room while some of the<br />

most tumultuous decades in Russian history<br />

are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors.<br />

Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances<br />

provide him entry into a much larger world<br />

of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor,<br />

a glittering cast of characters, and one<br />

beautifully rendered scene after another, >> 16<br />

Credit: Amazon<br />

Cancellation Policy<br />

Members may reserve a spot for an <strong>AWC</strong> tour, activity or<br />

event in advance. Payment is required within five business<br />

days of the reservation or before the deadline date (whichever<br />

is sooner) otherwise your name will be moved to a waitlist.<br />

It is the responsibility of the Member to notify the Club at<br />

awcthehague.finance@gmail.com to cancel a reservation<br />

prior to the cancellation deadline. Please note that there will<br />

be NO REFUNDS (no exceptions) after the cancellation deadline.<br />

Members may find a substitute in lieu of cancellation<br />

provided that arrangements are made with the tour, activity<br />

or event organizer. Members shall be held responsible for<br />

their guest reservations in accordance with this policy.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Guest Policy<br />

Guests are welcome<br />

to participate in <strong>AWC</strong><br />

activities and tours on<br />

a limited basis. As a<br />

nonmember, a guest<br />

is limited to attend<br />

two functions per<br />

calendar year and will be<br />

charged an additional<br />

nonmember fee. Only<br />

Members are entitled to<br />

use babysitting services.<br />

14 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 15


Ongoing Activities (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 15<br />

Evening Book Club Reading List:<br />

Wednesday, January 9: The Only Story by<br />

Julian Barnes<br />

February: The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner<br />

March: The Dinner by Herman Koch<br />

April: The Song of Achiles by Madeline Miller<br />

this singular novel casts a spell as it relates<br />

the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding<br />

of what it means to be a man of<br />

purpose.<br />

The location changes every month, so please<br />

contact Dena Haggerty at awcthehague.<br />

bookclub@gmail.com if you are interested in<br />

attending.<br />

Wednesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 12<br />

7:30 p.m.<br />

Location TBA<br />

FREE<br />

Chat, Crafts & Cake<br />

Chat, Crafts and Cake is a weekly<br />

highlight for those who enjoy crafts<br />

and camaraderie. Whether your craft is<br />

knitting, quilting, needlepoint or simply<br />

mending your clothes, or whether you are<br />

a beginner or an expert, you are welcome to<br />

join us. Fish that UFO (Unfinished Object)<br />

out of the drawer and get going on it again.<br />

CCandCer’s are always ready with a helping<br />

hand, a lesson, or some advice. Each week,<br />

a different Member brings a cake - tried and<br />

true, or experimental. Babysitting is not<br />

available and there are lots of sharp objects<br />

about (pins, needles, scissors and wit) so<br />

we cannot accommodate children. Contact<br />

Suzanne Dundas at awcthehague.crafts@<br />

gmail.com for more information<br />

Every Tuesday<br />

10 a.m. – Noon<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

Heart Pillow Project<br />

Members work together to make heartshaped<br />

pillows designed to help support<br />

the arms of recent mastectomy patients.<br />

Each pillow is made with TLC, wrapped,<br />

and comes with a note signed by an <strong>AWC</strong><br />

volunteer. No sewing skills are needed, as<br />

you can cut, stuff, or wrap the heart pillows.<br />

We are proud to provide men and women<br />

with something both practical and comforting,<br />

and we know our work helps because<br />

we often receive thank-you notes and emails<br />

from the patients who have received a heart<br />

pillow. For more information, please contact<br />

Jan de Vries at awctehhague.heartpillow@<br />

gmail.com.<br />

Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 11<br />

Noon – 2 p.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

FREE<br />

Visitors Welcome<br />

Out to Lunch Bunch: <strong>Dec</strong>ember<br />

Every year the Out to Lunch Bunch group<br />

organizes a Christmas Lunch. This year we<br />

will have lunch at restaurant het Gouden<br />

Kalf (the Golden Calf) in Scheveningen.<br />

Chef Niels Schavemaker: “Enjoying the art<br />

of cooking and hospitlity with a view of the<br />

typical boats in the Scheveningen Harbor.<br />

At Het Gouden Kalf, everything revolves<br />

around our fresh and seasonal products,<br />

a warm atmosphere and accompanying<br />

wines.” This will be a special lunch, at<br />

a special moment, at a special spot. Join<br />

us and enjoy the food, wine and company<br />

in the harbor of Scheveningen. Very >> 18<br />

16 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 17


Ongoing Activities (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 17<br />

important: Allergies? Vegetarian? etc.:<br />

Please indicate such when you sign up, or<br />

email Greetje Engelsman at awcthehague.<br />

activities@gmail.com.<br />

Wednesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 19<br />

Noon – 2:30 p.m.<br />

Restaurant het Gouden Kalf<br />

Dr Lelykade 1, Scheveningen<br />

www.hetgoudenkalf.nl<br />

€ 25 for a three-course menu<br />

Registration/Payment Deadline:<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 12<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

Walkie Talkies<br />

Whether you count your steps or just want<br />

to walk with friends, the Monday morning<br />

Walkie Talkies is a fun, healthy and energetic<br />

way to start the week. The group meets in<br />

front of the Clubhouse before heading out<br />

to walk to various destinations in the area,<br />

usually racking up 10,000 steps along the<br />

way. Sign up on GroupSpaces to receive<br />

email updates or contact Emily van Eerten<br />

or Greetje Engelsman at awcthehague.<br />

walkietalkies@gmail.com.<br />

Mondays<br />

9:30 a.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

Free<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

Thirsty Thursday<br />

Join us again for our monthly gathering.<br />

Thirsty Thursday is a casual evening of<br />

companionship and good conversation—a<br />

new favorite for <strong>AWC</strong> Members and prospective<br />

Members. Two soft drinks, wine or<br />

beer, plus snacks.<br />

Thursday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 13<br />

6 – 9 p.m.<br />

De Eeuwige Jacktvelden<br />

Plein 14, Den Haag<br />

€ 15 for two drinks and food<br />

No RSVP needed<br />

Wassenaar Coffee &<br />

Conversation<br />

If you live in or north of Wassenaar, join<br />

your neighbors for coffee and conversation<br />

once-a-month without having to drive to<br />

the clubhouse. One Member will host a<br />

casual coffee at her home at 9:30 on the<br />

first Thursday of every month. Prospective<br />

Members are welcome too. Suzanne<br />

Dundas coordinates these meetings and can<br />

be reached at awcthehague.crafts@gmail.<br />

com. Because the location changes every<br />

month, contact Suzanne if you are interested<br />

in attending or for more information.<br />

Thursday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 6<br />

9:30 a.m.<br />

Location TBA<br />

FREE<br />

18 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 19


Credit: Anat Ratzabi<br />

One-of-a-Kind Activities<br />

by Marsha Hagney<br />

RSVP directly on <strong>AWC</strong> GroupSpaces.com. Direct any questions to<br />

awcthehague.firstvp@gmail.com.<br />

Payment must be made within 5 calendar days of reserving or your name will be moved to<br />

a waitlist. Payment can be made in the Front Office by PIN or by bank transfer to the <strong>AWC</strong><br />

account NL42ABNA0431421757.<br />

Chocolate and Holocaust<br />

Sculpture Tour<br />

Anat Ratzabi is a sculptor and is perhaps<br />

best known for her chocolate sculptures,<br />

including Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl<br />

Earring, and Rembrandt and van Gogh’s<br />

self-portraits. Her work is sold in the<br />

Rijksmuseum and numerous other locations<br />

throughout the country. But, one of<br />

Anat’s greatest works has nothing to do with<br />

chocolate. It is the massive marble sculpture<br />

that sits on Rabbijn Maarsenplein and<br />

honors the Jews who died in the Holocaust.<br />

Join us for a tour of Anat’s chocolate workshop<br />

and then a guided walk to Rabbijn<br />

Maarsenplein where she will explain the<br />

multi-year process of creating the touching<br />

and important monument, and what each<br />

piece means to the <strong>Dutch</strong> Holocaust experience.<br />

Wednesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5<br />

10 a.m. – Noon<br />

(Rain date: Monday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 10,<br />

2 p.m.)<br />

Scheveningseveer 19, Den Haag<br />

€ 15 Members / € 20 Non-Members<br />

Maximum 20<br />

Sign Up on GroupSpaces<br />

Credit: Atelier Camp & Co<br />

Pearl Party<br />

Join us for a Pearl Party! Iris Camp, a certified<br />

goldsmith and diamond setter, invites<br />

you to an evening to immerse yourself in<br />

pearls. Iris will showcase different types of<br />

pearls and then help guests make a freshwater<br />

pearl bracelet to take home. Looking<br />

for a one-of-a-kind holiday gift or just want<br />

to add to your personal jewelry collection?<br />

Be sure to join us for a fun and informative<br />

evening.<br />

Friday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 7<br />

7 – 10 p.m.<br />

Atelier Camp & Co, Vos in Tuinstraat 7<br />

(Denneweg), Den Haag<br />

€ 95 – Includes 7mm pearls, sterling<br />

silver clasp, drinks, and snacks<br />

Maximum 10<br />

If there is a waiting list, a second Pearl<br />

Party will be held Friday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 14<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

UPDATE! One-Day Aachen<br />

Christmas Market & Tour<br />

Join us for our one-day trip by private coach<br />

to Aachen, Germany where we will enjoy<br />

Aachen’s Christmas market (Top five in<br />

Europe!), tour the Aachen Cathedral, visit<br />

the Lindt Chocolate factory outlet, shop, eat<br />

dinner in Aachen, and return home the same<br />

day.<br />

Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 11<br />

Depart Den Haag Centraal at 8 a.m.<br />

Return to Den Haag Centraal at 10:30<br />

p.m.<br />

€ 100 Member / € 110 Non-Members<br />

Price includes transportation, food and<br />

drink on the bus to Aachen and private<br />

cathedral tour with an English-speaking<br />

guide<br />

(Food and shopping at own expense)<br />

Maximum 30<br />

Members who paid for the two-day trip<br />

will receive a refund minus the new price<br />

Registration/Cancellation deadline:<br />

Monday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 3<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

Playball Netherlands is now<br />

taking bookings for 2019!<br />

Want to get your little one involved?<br />

www.playballkids.com to see the fun for ages<br />

2-7 years<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Members, please connect<br />

with us on LinkedIn<br />

https://nl.linkedin.com/in/<br />

awcthehague<br />

Members: eNews Distribution<br />

A weekly electronic newsletter<br />

is sent to all <strong>AWC</strong> Members.<br />

If you have not been receiving your<br />

eNews, please contact Melissa at<br />

awcthehague.membership@gmail.com.<br />

Email kidsplayball@hotmail.com to arrange a<br />

FREE trial class<br />

www.facebook.com/PlayballNetherlands<br />

Or call Maggie on: 0627214347<br />

20 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 21


Tea with the <strong>AWC</strong>’s<br />

Honorary President<br />

22 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 23


Liduine Bekman - Our Very Own<br />

Amazing Artist-in-Residence<br />

by Jan Essad and Sunita Menon<br />

Yes! Artistic talent abounds in our<br />

Club… Just look at our Member and<br />

volunteer, Liduine Bekman. We are<br />

thrilled to present the beauty of the ocean<br />

through Liduine’s extraordinary watercolors<br />

at our Clubhouse over the next few months.<br />

capture the beauty of mother nature’s endless<br />

offerings, have led her to profound success<br />

as a watercolor artist.<br />

In her artist statement, Liduine talks about<br />

growing up in the Netherlands within walking<br />

distance of the sea, and of being inspired as<br />

an adult while living on the Gulf of Mexico<br />

in Texas as well as near the Mediterranean, in<br />

the Bahamas and on the east coast of Florida.<br />

We believe the affirmation must be true: if<br />

you do what you love, success follows. Her<br />

love for the ocean and her fascination for<br />

its many creatures, along with her desire to<br />

24 GOING DUTCH<br />

When we first spoke with Liduine about<br />

showing her art here at the <strong>AWC</strong>, as our first<br />

Artist-in-Residence, we asked for her biography<br />

to write this article. She offered to send us<br />

her artist statement and an abbreviated resume.<br />

When we received it, we were blown away<br />

by all that Liduine has accomplished. All her<br />

accolades, exhibits and awards speak for themselves<br />

and provide a glimpse of how much her<br />

work is admired. Not only was she the recipient<br />

of the coveted National Watercolor Society<br />

First Place, along with countless other awards<br />

across the US, her artwork is part of many<br />

major collections in the US. Among them are<br />

Jean-Jacques Cousteau (Cousteau Foundation),<br />

the City of Houston, hotel chains including<br />

Hilton, Marriott and Wydham and company<br />

collections to include IBM and Exxon.<br />

Liduine has also shown her work in<br />

many solo exhibitions throughout the US,<br />

the Bahamas and Europe. The most prestigious<br />

among them: Pulchri Studios in The<br />

Hague, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the<br />

Netherlands, Brickell Square Gallery in Miami<br />

and the World Trade Center in New Orleans<br />

upon invitation from the <strong>Dutch</strong> government.<br />

After living in the US for over 50 years,<br />

Liduine now lives in the Statenkwartier in The<br />

Hague. We are very grateful and privileged that<br />

Liduine is sharing her talent with all of us by<br />

gracing our Clubhouse walls with her remarkable<br />

watercolors until the end of January. If<br />

you have not had a chance to see her work, be<br />

sure to come by the <strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse during<br />

open hours, pick up a brochure and admire the<br />

beautiful ocean and its wonderful creatures.<br />

If you are interested in purchasing<br />

Liduine’s artwork at the Club, information<br />

and a pricelist are available upon request from<br />

the Front Desk Volunteer. You may also visit<br />

Liduine’s website: liduinebekman.com.<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 25


Why Not Use the Clubhouse for<br />

a Meeting or Event?<br />

by Jan Essad and Sunita Menon<br />

Did you know that the <strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse is available to rent for events and activities,<br />

even if that event or activity is not Club-related? If you are planning a party, a business<br />

meeting or you know someone who is looking for a place for a function, this could<br />

be the perfect space. Here is a little information about renting the Clubhouse.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Member Rentals<br />

There are two types of rentals offered to <strong>AWC</strong> Members:<br />

1. Free rentals are available for events that are not-for-profit or a one-time activity, such<br />

as a birthday party.<br />

2. Paid rentals are offered for events that are for-profit or to promote a business at a<br />

standard fee of € 40 for six hours plus € 20 per hour for additional hours, or € 90 for a<br />

full-day event.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Business Member Rentals<br />

This rental is designed to support our Business Members. The rental fee is based on the<br />

number of <strong>AWC</strong> Members and non-member attendees but will never exceed an amount of<br />

€ 40.<br />

Non-member Rentals<br />

Non-members may rent the Clubhouse for a one-time activity or ongoing events. The rental<br />

fee is € 50 for six hours plus € 20 per hour for additional hours, or € 100 for an all-day rental.<br />

Refundable Deposit<br />

For all types of rental, a refundable deposit is required. Members pay between € 50 and<br />

€150 depending on the event, while non-members pay a € 150 deposit. Based on the condition<br />

of the Clubhouse after the event, it will be determined how much of the deposit will<br />

be refunded.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> and the Arts<br />

by Jane Choy, <strong>AWC</strong> Member and Mauritshuis Docent<br />

Guided Tour of Femmes Fatales –<br />

Strong Women in Fashion<br />

“That little seamstress” is how the renowned<br />

Coco Chanel was once disdainfully<br />

described by her contemporary, Paul Poiret.<br />

He targeted her because she was a woman,<br />

but in fact he saw her has a major competitor.<br />

Times have changed, and more fashion<br />

houses are now run by women than ever<br />

before. A perfect moment, therefore, for an<br />

exhibition that focuses on strong women in<br />

fashion. Femmes Fatales will be the first<br />

exhibition in fashion history to focus exclusively<br />

on female designers. Do they design<br />

differently for women than their male counterparts?<br />

What influence have they had?<br />

What does being a woman mean in terms<br />

of their creations? And what is their vision<br />

for fashion?<br />

The exhibition will include work by Coco<br />

Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli,<br />

Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Sonia<br />

RSVP for all Arts Activities directly on<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> GroupSpaces.com<br />

Direct any questions to jechoy@me.com<br />

Rykiel, Miuccia Prada, Maria Grazia Chiuri<br />

(Dior), as well as <strong>Dutch</strong> greats like Fong<br />

Leng, Sheila de Vries and Iris van Herpen,<br />

and many others. For further information,<br />

contact Jane Choy at jechoy@me.com.<br />

Wednesday, January 23<br />

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.<br />

Gemeente Museum, Den Haag<br />

€ 10 Members / € 15 Non-Members<br />

Museum entrance fee of € 13.50 not<br />

included (Entrance is free with Museum<br />

Card)<br />

Maximum 20 / Minimum 12<br />

Registration/Cancellation Deadline:<br />

January 13. (It is possible to sign up<br />

after this date if there is space.)<br />

Sign up on GroupSpaces<br />

So, if you are looking<br />

for a great place to have<br />

your event, consider<br />

your Clubhouse. Please<br />

be sure to share this<br />

information with friends<br />

and colleagues, as it just<br />

may be the perfect place<br />

for their upcoming event.<br />

For more information,<br />

please contact the <strong>AWC</strong><br />

Clubhouse Managers<br />

Jan Essad and Sunita<br />

Menon at awcthehague.<br />

clubhousemgr@gmail.<br />

com. We’ll see you at the<br />

Clubhouse!<br />

26 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 27


<strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2018</strong><br />

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat<br />

1<br />

2 3<br />

4<br />

5<br />

6<br />

7<br />

8<br />

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m<br />

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Tennis 1 p.m.<br />

Chocolate and Holocaust<br />

Sculpture Tour 10 a.m.<br />

Wassenaar Coffee and<br />

Conversation 9:30 a.m.<br />

Democracy and Royalty in<br />

the Netherlands 2 p.m.<br />

Pearl Party 7 p.m.<br />

9 10<br />

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m<br />

Happy Hanukkah<br />

11<br />

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m.<br />

Heart Pillow Workshop<br />

Noon<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Tennis 1 p.m.<br />

Aachen Christmas Market<br />

& Tour<br />

12<br />

Buddy Check 12<br />

Daytime Book Club<br />

Christmas Party off site<br />

11 a.m.<br />

Evening Book Club off site<br />

7:30 p.m.<br />

13<br />

Coffee 10 a.m.<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember General Meeting/<br />

Potluck Lunch<br />

10:30 a.m.<br />

Thirsty Thursday 6 p.m.<br />

14 15<br />

16 17<br />

18<br />

19<br />

20 21 22<br />

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m<br />

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Tennis 1 p.m.<br />

Out to Lunch Bunch<br />

Christmas Lunch Noon<br />

Clubhouse Closed <strong>Dec</strong>ember 19 – January 7<br />

23 24 25 26 27 28 29<br />

Merry Christmas<br />

Clubhouse Closed <strong>Dec</strong>ember 19 – January 7<br />

30 31<br />

Clubhouse Closed <strong>Dec</strong>ember 19 – January 7<br />

Save the Dates:<br />

January 10: Women With <strong>Dutch</strong> Partners Holiday Party<br />

January 16: Defend Yourself Class<br />

January 17: Winter Kick Off<br />

February 21: Handbag Auction<br />

28 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 29


Club and Community<br />

by Naya Pessoa<br />

Holiday Drives—Sinterklaas<br />

Gifts & Toiletries<br />

The holiday season starts early in the<br />

Netherlands, with children receiving their<br />

gifts on <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5, or Sinterklaasavond,<br />

the traditional day when Sinterklaas (Saint<br />

Nicholas) delivers gifts. While this celebration<br />

can be exciting for both children and<br />

parents, there are some families who are<br />

struggling during this time. The <strong>AWC</strong> has<br />

been running several holiday drives that<br />

aim to alleviate some of that added pressure<br />

during the holidays. Children’s toys and<br />

other items were gathered and beautifully<br />

wrapped by a dedicated team of volunteers<br />

(stay tuned for the January/February edition<br />

for pictures and highlights!). As if our volunteers<br />

don’t do enough, they also aimed to<br />

collect 100 “Blessing Bags” filled with toiletries<br />

that were also shared with families.<br />

The organization receiving the donations is<br />

“The Oasis” branch of the Stek Den Haag<br />

organization, which focuses on neighborhood<br />

and community outreach to marginalized<br />

populations, both <strong>Dutch</strong> and refugees,<br />

living in The Hague.<br />

This year’s holiday drives were organized<br />

by the ever-inspirational Holly Savoie, who<br />

tirelessly dedicates her time and energy, and<br />

we cannot thank you enough!<br />

Wrapping baked goods<br />

for the Holiday Bazaar<br />

Bake Sale. Tune in<br />

next month for the<br />

full Holiday Bazaar<br />

coverage!<br />

30 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 31


Credit: NPR & Marco Borggreve<br />

The <strong>Dutch</strong> Daily<br />

by Eileen Harloff<br />

New Conductor<br />

Historically speaking, it is highly fitting<br />

that the new 26th Music Director of the<br />

New York Philharmonic Orchestra is <strong>Dutch</strong><br />

Conductor Jaap van Zweden. His premier<br />

concert took place in October and received<br />

a standing ovation. Born in Amsterdam in<br />

1960, he began his music career at the age<br />

of five when he started playing the violin.<br />

When he was 16, he won the National Violin<br />

Competition and was granted a 2-year<br />

scholarship to study at the Juliard School<br />

of Music, which is adjacent to the home<br />

of the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln<br />

Center. Once back in the Netherlands, at the<br />

age of 18, he became the youngest leader of<br />

the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.<br />

It was there that he met Guest Conductor<br />

Leonard Bernstein, who encouraged him to<br />

become a conductor, which he subsequently<br />

did. In the following years he has headed<br />

orchestras in many countries around the<br />

world, either on a permanent or a guest basis,<br />

and is considered a “world top” in his<br />

chosen career.<br />

Delft Symphony<br />

NBTC Marketing, whose task is to sell the<br />

Netherlands to the rest of the world, has<br />

chosen “Rembrandt and the Golden Age” as<br />

its theme for 2019, with the aim of attracting<br />

tourists interested in culture. Among the cities<br />

planning special exhibitions and events<br />

are Amsterdam, Middleburg, Dordrecht,<br />

Leiden, The Hague, Haarlem, Hoorn and<br />

Enschede. The city of Delft has chosen to<br />

emphasize its musical side by commissioning<br />

a symphony that would characterize its<br />

unique past, present and future. Its Royal<br />

Wind Orchestra chose the well-known<br />

Belgian composer Kevin Houben, who<br />

some years ago wrote a City Symphony for<br />

the Belgian city of Peer, which had its world<br />

premiere in 2017 by the National Symphony<br />

Orchestra of Belgium. The premiere of the<br />

Delft City Symphony is scheduled for May<br />

2019.<br />

Whistler-Blowers Haven<br />

It’s unique, it’s one of its kind, it’s a place<br />

where people can go for advice and help<br />

who see misdeeds in their workplace or<br />

government department but don’t know<br />

how to report it. And, if they dare to do so,<br />

how to survive the consequences. It’s called<br />

the Huis voor Klokkenluiders (Whistleblowers<br />

House), located in Utrecht, and is<br />

headed by Paul Loven, former member of<br />

the Board of Management of ABN-Amro<br />

bank and pension organization PGGM. The<br />

Huis is an independent organization where<br />

advice, protection, independent investigations,<br />

and even expert psychological help<br />

are available for whistle-blowers. Lobbying<br />

for this organization dates back to 2001, and<br />

to five <strong>Dutch</strong> Cabinet changes. It can now<br />

show that the long fight has been successfully<br />

concluded.<br />

Almere-Lelystad Wins the Prize<br />

Recently the NS (Netherlands Railroad<br />

Company) asked customers to cast a vote<br />

for what they considered to be the country’s<br />

prettiest railroad journey from a list of<br />

possibilities. Some 4,394 votes were cast.<br />

37% chose the railroad line Almere Central<br />

– Lelystad Central, 25% voted for the line<br />

Sittard-Maastricht, and 17% were in favor<br />

Credit: FlexNieuws<br />

Credit: Florint.org Credit: LelystadGeeftLucht.nl<br />

of Haarlem – Zandvoort aan Zee. The NS<br />

has made an audio tour of the winning line,<br />

available through its app, which tells about<br />

highpoints along the route relating to culture,<br />

nature and history.<br />

Flower Auction Results<br />

Over the past year, some 12 billion flowers<br />

and plants were sold at the Auction Center<br />

Royal Holland in Westland, to the tune of<br />

€ 4.7 billion. The category of Cut Flowers<br />

was, as always, the largest group that was<br />

produced, and accounted for € 2.7 billion.<br />

Room Plants fetched €1.6 billion and<br />

Garden Plants garnered around € 400 million.<br />

On the other hand, sales by way of the traditional<br />

auction clock declined as increasingly<br />

more business was done via direct sales.<br />

Last year 43% of the total turnover was<br />

carried out via the auction clock, with the<br />

remainder 56% through direct buying from<br />

grower to client. This is a trend that has been<br />

growing over past years, and has serious implications<br />

for the Auction Center’s future.<br />

Love at Birds Sight<br />

An ill male parrot was brought into a police<br />

station in The Hague and from there<br />

was transferred to The Hague Animal<br />

Ambulance where he was put in an incubator<br />

to recover. Once he was warmed up and<br />

had a drink of water, he seemed quite chipper.<br />

The following day at approximately the<br />

same spot, a female of the species was spied<br />

and rescued. The two were put together in a<br />

cage where it soon became apparent that the<br />

male was urging the female to eat, and from<br />

time to time he would give her a cuddle.<br />

When she would not react to his advances,<br />

he would make encouraging sounds.<br />

Gradually they became good friends and received<br />

the names of Romeo and Julia. Now<br />

the Animal Ambulance finds that they are in<br />

good health and can be adopted—but only if<br />

they can go together.<br />

In Short<br />

• Groningen is the first city in the<br />

Netherlands to forbid smoking on the<br />

streets, except in designated areas. This<br />

applies not only to cigarettes, but to all<br />

kinds of smoking. The ban was initiated<br />

by requests from various city establishments,<br />

i.e. hospitals, stores, etc. Should<br />

someone smoke in a forbidden area, the<br />

police may be called in to enforce the<br />

ban.<br />

• In anticipation of New Year’s celebrations,<br />

the City of The Hague will<br />

be passing out eye glasses to protect<br />

children in all primary and secondary<br />

school classes, as well as in neighborhood<br />

centers and other places where<br />

young people tend to gather. This follows<br />

a decision taken by the City<br />

Council to urge all schools to give extra<br />

attention to the safe use of fireworks.<br />

• An Albert Heijn grocery store in the<br />

town of Sint-Michielsgestel has initiated<br />

a weekly quiet hour for people<br />

who are susceptible to various stimuli,<br />

such as noise and confusion. Customers<br />

who are autistic, overanxious or suffering<br />

from burn-out or brain damage,<br />

can shop on Tuesday mornings from<br />

8 to 9 a.m. They receive a map of the<br />

store and can shop without experiencing<br />

disturbances such as the ringing of<br />

a cash register or the noise of refilling<br />

bins. Posters at the entrance of the shop<br />

inform customers of this “stimulus-free<br />

hour”.<br />

32 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 33


F<strong>AWC</strong>O Corner<br />

by Julie Mowat, <strong>AWC</strong> The Hague F<strong>AWC</strong>O Representative<br />

Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas, a United Nations NGO with<br />

consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council<br />

www.fawco.org.<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O Development Grants<br />

The deadline for F<strong>AWC</strong>O Foundation<br />

Development Grant Awards is January<br />

27. Please check out fawcofoundation.<br />

org for more information on how to apply<br />

on behalf of your favorite charity. F<strong>AWC</strong>O<br />

Foundation awards many educational grants<br />

to members of F<strong>AWC</strong>O’s Member Clubs.<br />

If you are a Member of <strong>AWC</strong> The Hague,<br />

you and your children are eligible to apply.<br />

Most grants are $5,000 each. In addition to<br />

college scholarships, there are a few unique<br />

ones, such as:<br />

• Dual Cultural Award, $5,000, sponsored<br />

in part by the <strong>AWC</strong> Bern and<br />

Donna Erismann in memory of Susanne<br />

Erismann. This award may be used to<br />

attend a semester or year of American<br />

high school or an academic or structured<br />

educational summer program in<br />

the US.<br />

• FAUSA Skills Enhancement Award,<br />

$5,000. This award is for a F<strong>AWC</strong>O or<br />

FAUSA member to acquire new skills<br />

or enhance already existing skills to<br />

become more capable, competent and<br />

confident and will improve performance<br />

in any given field.<br />

See fawcofoundation.org for more info!<br />

Pillow Project Helps Children<br />

Stay in Families<br />

The Pillow Project is our Club’s latest<br />

Development Grant winner, submitted<br />

by <strong>AWC</strong> The Hague Member and Stahili<br />

founder Michelle Oliel. It has made a big<br />

impact!<br />

34 GOING DUTCH<br />

The <strong>2018</strong> Effecting Change for Women<br />

& Children Development Grant in the<br />

Human Rights category, funded by F<strong>AWC</strong>O<br />

Alumnae USA, was awarded to The Pillow<br />

Project to Stop Child Trafficking, a project<br />

of the Stahili Foundation, based in<br />

Murang’a County, Kenya. The project was<br />

nominated by <strong>AWC</strong> The Hague which has<br />

been supporting the organization for four<br />

years. Stahili means “to deserve” in Swahili,<br />

and the Foundation works to help children<br />

living in orphanages in Kenya return home<br />

where they deserve to live. Most children<br />

living in orphanages in Kenya have family<br />

who cannot care for them because of poverty.<br />

Families are often tricked into giving up<br />

their children under the false promise of<br />

food and education, when they are instead<br />

trafficked and exploited for the benefit of orphanage<br />

operators. Stahili works to end this<br />

practice and develop solutions to ensure that<br />

children can return safely to their families<br />

and communities with the support needed<br />

for them to stay together.<br />

The Effecting Change Development Grant<br />

will provide much-needed support in a<br />

crucial area of family-based care, improving<br />

the living conditions of children in the<br />

home, and in particular, the resources available<br />

for sleep and rest. Having a good bed<br />

and consistent, high-quality sleep has a<br />

demonstrated positive impact on children’s<br />

health and education outcomes as well as<br />

family life and are vital for children to flourish,<br />

learn, grow, and develop a secure sense<br />

of their home environment. F<strong>AWC</strong>O’s support<br />

will allow the Pillow Project to provide<br />

beds, sheets, pillows and blankets for 31<br />

children who have been institutionalized<br />

and trafficked, significantly contributing<br />

by Laura Suttles<br />

When I heard about the F<strong>AWC</strong>O<br />

Cruise for a Cause, I knew immediately<br />

I was going. The American<br />

Women’s Club of<br />

Genoa was the sponsor<br />

of this F<strong>AWC</strong>O Target<br />

Project Fundraising<br />

Cruise. The current<br />

Target Project is Hope<br />

Beyond Displacement,<br />

a training program for<br />

refugee women and<br />

girls in Jordan. Ann De<br />

Simoni from Genoa<br />

did an incredible job<br />

of organizing the<br />

cruise and making it<br />

fun for everyone who<br />

participated. I was<br />

joined on the cruise<br />

by several Members<br />

of our club: Georgia<br />

Regnault, Liduine<br />

Bekman, Jan Mills<br />

and Emily van Eerten<br />

and her mother Ginny<br />

Poe.<br />

Before our departure from Venice, we had<br />

the opportunity to pose on the Rialto Bridge<br />

and visit Piazza San Marco. Unfortunately,<br />

our time in Venice was far too short which<br />

means I must return someday! The next day<br />

we visited Bari, Italy and toured the city<br />

on foot. We spent the most time at Castello<br />

Svevo which was built around 1132 by<br />

Norman King Roger II. That evening was<br />

to an essential aspect of their lives—the time<br />

they spend sleeping and resting. Speaking<br />

of F<strong>AWC</strong>O’s support, Stahili’s Country<br />

Director Joseph Wanyoike Kimani stated,<br />

“Entire families rejoice when they see their<br />

children at home. F<strong>AWC</strong>O’s leadership will<br />

ensure that children remain in families.<br />

Families do belong together.”<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O Cruise for a Cause<br />

a welcome cocktail hour with a Chinese<br />

Raffle. It was an awesome opportunity to<br />

meet and greet the other passengers who<br />

were a part of the<br />

Cruise for a Cause.<br />

There were 56<br />

participants in all.<br />

The next day was<br />

a day at sea which<br />

I fully enjoyed in a<br />

deck chair soaking<br />

up the sun. Next up:<br />

Mykonos, where it<br />

rains only 20 days a<br />

year. We managed<br />

to be there on one of<br />

those days. However,<br />

we still enjoyed the<br />

history, scenery and<br />

food. The following<br />

two days were spent<br />

in Crete and Corfu.<br />

I truly enjoyed the<br />

Greek Isles, and the<br />

scenery was stunning.<br />

My favorite stop was<br />

our final day when we<br />

visited Dubrovnik, Croatia. We had the opportunity<br />

to walk the Walls of Dubrovnik,<br />

defensive stone walls built around the old<br />

city. The views were amazing.<br />

My time on this cruise was truly enjoyed. If<br />

you find yourself with the opportunity to go<br />

on a F<strong>AWC</strong>O cruise, I would highly recommend<br />

it!<br />

>> 36<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 35


36 GOING DUTCH<br />

F<strong>AWC</strong>O Cruise Collage


Message from the President (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 8<br />

Once again, <strong>AWC</strong> The Hague will<br />

hold its popular Handbag Auction,<br />

to benefit F<strong>AWC</strong>O’s Hope Beyond<br />

Displacement.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Clubhouse<br />

Thursday, February 21<br />

Starting at 1 p.m.<br />

NEW this year: We’re adding art to the auction!<br />

Come enjoy bites and drinks, while bidding on handbags, art and<br />

accessories.<br />

a more casual event remains to be seen. I<br />

do know that Michelle and Deana have<br />

already started researching venues, possible<br />

beneficiaries, and themes, and I’m certain<br />

whatever they decide, it will be fun and enable<br />

the Club to continue our philanthropic efforts.<br />

Even before Michelle and Deana hopped on<br />

the volunteer train, four Members told me<br />

they want to be on the committee. Thank<br />

you to Ceci Wong, Hilde Volle, Dena<br />

Haggerty, and Anna-Lena Thuren-Vogel.<br />

If you’re interested in joining the team, please<br />

contact Michelle and Deana, our co-chairs, at<br />

awcthehague.benefitevent@gmail.com.<br />

A fairly large segment of our new<br />

Members work full-time and I’ve had several<br />

requests that we offer more evening<br />

events. The requests have been heard and<br />

Elizabeth Zeller, who is the Recruitment<br />

and Marketing Advisor at Leiden University,<br />

has taken on the challenge and is the Evening<br />

Events Chair, with Belgin Gulec-Genc working<br />

with Elizabeth. These events are open to<br />

all Members, and offer more opportunities<br />

for social activities. Please check the <strong>AWC</strong><br />

website’s calendar, eNews, Facebook, and<br />

<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> for weeknight and weekend<br />

evening functions.<br />

Thirsty Thursdays is one of our Club’s<br />

most popular evening activities and some<br />

of the husbands and partners want their own<br />

Thursday evening outing. If your significant<br />

other is interested in a poker night, look for<br />

information in eNews and our Facebook page<br />

about when and where the first poker night<br />

will be held. Seems only fair!<br />

If you volunteered at the Holiday Bazaar<br />

or participated in any way, shape, or form,<br />

THANK YOU! You may have heard about<br />

one of the biggest moments that weekend<br />

when Emily van Eerten, our long-time raffle<br />

chair, called her own name as the winner of<br />

the raffle’s grand prize. Marcel Vermeulen,<br />

a long-time sponsor of our Club, donated an<br />

aquamarine and diamond necklace and the<br />

winning ticket was pulled out of the raffle<br />

box by a six-month old baby sitting on his<br />

mom’s lap watching all the activity. Emily’s<br />

reaction brought many of us to tears while<br />

others gave her a standing ovation. Wear it<br />

in good health, Emily! Please look for a full<br />

rundown of the two-day Holiday Bazaar in<br />

our January/February issue of <strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong>.<br />

Where are you heading for the holidays?<br />

Wherever you go, or if you are planning a<br />

staycation, enjoy. After all, this is the most<br />

wonderful time of the year. Happy holidays<br />

to you, your family, and to all the fabulous<br />

women of the <strong>AWC</strong>. See you next year!<br />

Tot ziens…<br />

Suzanne<br />

<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> is Available Online<br />

Go to www.awcthehague.org to share the current month’s issue with friends and family. You<br />

will also find links to our annual advertisers, whose support makes this magazine possible. If<br />

you visit or contact one of our advertisers, let them know<br />

<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong> sent you!<br />

38 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 39


High Altitude Trekking – Part II<br />

by Melissa White<br />

Heading Down<br />

What goes up must come down, and so our<br />

adventure in Nepal continued after achieving<br />

our goal of trekking to Everest Base Camp<br />

(EBC). Overall, heading down the mountain<br />

was easier, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.<br />

Not only did we still have plenty of uphills<br />

to contend with – every day we encountered<br />

a constant series of up and down referred to<br />

as “Nepali Flat” – but some of the downhills<br />

were crazy steep. Although I’ve never had<br />

knee problems, my right knee became swollen<br />

and sore. There’s no ice where there’s no<br />

refrigeration, but luckily Teresa had brought<br />

along an extra neoprene brace, which helped<br />

greatly to alleviate the pain. Although we<br />

were following the same route that we had<br />

taken up, the scenery looked quite different<br />

from the other direction. More than once we<br />

asked our guide, Ishor, if he was sure that<br />

we had travelled this way before. He just<br />

laughed.<br />

I often joked that we were on a High Altitude<br />

Detox Program of no alcohol and no meat.<br />

In an effort to prevent altitude sickness, we<br />

avoided alcohol – with the exception of a<br />

celebration over a few warm Everest Beers<br />

with Ishor and our porters after our 11th day<br />

40 GOING DUTCH<br />

of trekking. We had also been warned to stay<br />

away from meat due to the lack of refrigeration<br />

on the mountain. That was especially<br />

difficult for Kent, who gave in and had pizza<br />

with tuna several times after being assured<br />

that Ishor always checked the expiration<br />

dates on the cans of tuna first. Carlin is a vegetarian,<br />

so it was easy for her. Teresa and I are<br />

flexitarians who also had no problem sticking<br />

with a purely vegetarian diet. Every night I<br />

ate dal bhat, a traditional Nepali meal of lentil<br />

soup, rice and vegetable curry, and never<br />

grew tired of it. I added one unexpected item<br />

to my detox list along the way: news. After<br />

seeing yet another disconcerting headline on<br />

my BBC app on our third day, I decided that<br />

I was done checking the news until my return.<br />

It turned out that it was easier to give<br />

up than I’d expected: we had access to WiFi<br />

on only 5 of the 15 days. While I was willing<br />

to pay for WiFi at the teahouses, I was much<br />

too cheap to pay the exorbitant fees for 3G<br />

roaming.<br />

On the way up, we had visited Tengboche<br />

Monastery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery<br />

originally built in 1916 and rebuilt in 1934 after<br />

a devastating earthquake. Unfortunately,<br />

photography wasn’t allowed inside; I have<br />

no photos of the amazingly vibrant murals<br />

covering the walls. Our timing wasn’t right<br />

to attend a service, but when we passed back<br />

through on our way down we were lucky<br />

enough to witness a marching band of monks<br />

playing drums, shells and horns with no obvious<br />

melody or harmony. Ishor informed us<br />

that they were marching down to the lodge<br />

we had just left so they could meet with the<br />

chief lama of the region.<br />

We rarely encountered trekkers coming<br />

up towards us, as it turned out that Lukla<br />

Airport had been fogged in for days. The<br />

most intrepid of trekkers could take a bus<br />

from Kathmandu to Jiri and then hike for<br />

eight to ten days to Lukla, although we didn’t<br />

come across a lot of folks that dedicated. It<br />

was a big reminder that, while weather had<br />

completely disrupted many other trekkers’<br />

vacations and had caused the cancellation of<br />

Kent’s planned climb of Island Peak, we had<br />

been extremely lucky. Looks like my chats<br />

with Mother Nature paid off. We were also<br />

very fortunate that we had an extended itinerary.<br />

The traditional trekking itinerary allows<br />

just three days for the return trip from<br />

EBC to Lukla. However, because Kent had<br />

booked a side trip, we had three extra days<br />

to hike down, which allowed us to take our<br />

time rather than rushing down to Lukla only<br />

to be stuck there. This was also advantageous<br />

because I needed extra time: I was still slow<br />

despite the lower altitudes.<br />

With each passing day we got faster and<br />

faster at stuffing our sleeping bags, clothes<br />

and toiletries back into our duffel bags. This<br />

helped to make our mornings more relaxed,<br />

and sometimes we even got to sleep in. We<br />

only had one actual rest day; Ishor recommended<br />

that we stay in Phakding an extra >> 42<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 41


High Altitude Trekking (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 41<br />

night rather than get caught up in the madness<br />

of the closed airport in Lukla. We all<br />

agreed that was an excellent idea.<br />

When most of the beautiful views were obscured<br />

by dense clouds on what we expected<br />

to be our final day of hiking, we were extra<br />

lucky that Ishor spotted a white monkey high<br />

in a tree; he said it was the first time he’d ever<br />

seen one in the region. Another big surprise<br />

came when we went up a hill and discovered<br />

that we had already reached the entrance to<br />

the national park and the official end to our<br />

EBC trek. We had done it! We had hiked the<br />

entire way to EBC and back.<br />

I was much more observant during our walk<br />

through the village of Lukla this time around;<br />

I noticed that it had proper flat paving down<br />

its main “street” and evenly spaced stairs<br />

rather than the usual uneven steps made of<br />

rocks that we found in the other villages. It<br />

was so foggy that we couldn’t even see the<br />

runway when we walked past it.<br />

Escaping the Himalayas<br />

There were no planes flying in or out of<br />

Lukla the day that we arrived, so we turned<br />

our attention to chartering a helicopter to<br />

make our escape. We were joined by another<br />

trekker with Himalayan Wonders:<br />

Sebastian, a 19-year-old from England, who<br />

didn’t want to miss his international flight<br />

either. Unfortunately, helicopters were also<br />

unable to take off or land at the airport, so<br />

we spent the night in Lukla as originally<br />

planned.<br />

The big surprise the next morning was that<br />

we were going to hike yet again. Rather<br />

than sitting out the clouds in Lukla, we were<br />

going to descend another 2,000 feet (600<br />

meters) to 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) in an<br />

attempt to catch a helicopter ride off the<br />

mountain. Ishor scared me with his worry<br />

about my ability to do this trail; he said most<br />

groups can complete it in about one hour, but<br />

that it would take us two. Either way, to cover<br />

that much distance in that short of time meant<br />

the trail must be pretty steep.<br />

Sebastian and his guide joined our group of<br />

five with either me or Ishor setting the pace.<br />

We started on a narrow path hugging the<br />

fence to the airport. Eventually we got to the<br />

end of the fence and could see firsthand how<br />

the runway just ends at a cliff. We then slowly<br />

made our way mostly down, but sometimes<br />

up, in the usual Nepali way. Unlike our<br />

other paths, we weren’t in trekker territory<br />

anymore, but rather a rural area interspersed<br />

with houses. It was actually a lovely trail as<br />

the terrain became more tropical like a rainforest.<br />

As always, the steps were uneven, and<br />

we had to hop from rock to rock to avoid getting<br />

too muddy.<br />

After getting distracted while trying to take<br />

a photo of a waterfall, I managed to lose my<br />

footing. I felt like an idiot for slipping in the<br />

mud, but jumped right back up. Teresa and<br />

Carlin were concerned and asked if I wanted<br />

to rest, but I turned them down. I figured that<br />

if I actually was injured it would be best to<br />

let the adrenaline carry me along; it turns out<br />

that I just had two small cuts and a bruise on<br />

my right hand and a cut behind my right knee.<br />

Frankly, it’s incredible that I only slipped one<br />

time during the 14 days of hiking as I am<br />

quite a klutz (shortly after I returned home,<br />

I tripped while walking to the train station,<br />

ripped my jeans and skinned my bad knee).<br />

Sebastian slipped six times that day, but luckily<br />

wasn’t injured at all. Everyone else managed<br />

to stay upright.<br />

Along the way, Ishor announced that our<br />

helicopter had left Kathmandu. We thought<br />

it would be landing just minutes behind<br />

us, but that’s not quite how it worked out.<br />

Eventually we came across a funny little sign<br />

that said “Surkey Helipad”. We turned down<br />

that narrow path past more houses. Luckily it<br />

widened just enough for us to get out of the<br />

way of a mule train. We walked along some<br />

cornfields and then reached our destination:<br />

a grassy field next to a small teahouse. We<br />

arrived around 10 a.m., two hours after we<br />

had left Lukla Just as Ishor had predicted. >> 44<br />

Travel4U@americantravelcenter.net/www.americantravelcenter.nl/tel. +3261234901<br />

“Our next holiday is<br />

a safari. They do<br />

the whole world!”<br />

“They make booking a<br />

holiday so easy. I just<br />

leave it to them!”<br />

“Every trip is<br />

customized, just for<br />

me! That’s unique!”<br />

42 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 43


High Altitude Trekking (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 43<br />

The skies were white above, but clear down<br />

below. It was quite exciting when the first helicopter<br />

arrived even though we knew that it<br />

was for one of the other two groups waiting.<br />

We were relieved when we arrived to find<br />

only ten other trekkers there before us, as we<br />

were concerned that there might have been<br />

dozens. As soon as the first helicopter left,<br />

another was preparing to land; alas, that one<br />

was also not ours.<br />

pressed that Kent managed<br />

the entire trek without hiking<br />

poles – they were an<br />

essential extension of my<br />

arms at all times. Luckily,<br />

we never needed any technical<br />

gear such as ropes or<br />

harnesses. I was also relieved<br />

that we never had<br />

to do any hand scrambling<br />

like on my training hike to<br />

Scafell Pike in England;<br />

personally, I prefer to hike<br />

with my feet rather than my<br />

hands.<br />

No sooner had the second one left than the<br />

clouds closed in. Our hopes of escape turned<br />

to worry that we might be stuck in that tiny<br />

teahouse overnight (we learned later that<br />

around 80 trekkers had been stuck there two<br />

nights previously and many had slept on<br />

the floor). By then another group had hiked<br />

down from Lukla; one trekker from Chicago<br />

said they’d been stuck in Lukla for five days<br />

and had already rebooked their flights home<br />

for an extra $1,000 each. It had started to<br />

rain, so we hunkered down and ordered<br />

hot drinks. Just as we were contemplating<br />

ordering lunch (either dal bhat or stir-fried<br />

noodles as they’d run out of all other options),<br />

Ishor rushed in to stop us, claiming<br />

that our helicopter was on its way. As we’d<br />

heard that before and it was still raining, we<br />

weren’t too hopeful, but were pleasantly<br />

surprised about ten minutes later when we<br />

heard the familiar whirring sound of the<br />

blades and the helicopter appeared through<br />

the mist.<br />

As soon as the pilot had finished a cup of<br />

coffee, we were told to grab our daypacks<br />

and start running. Our porters were already<br />

loading our duffel bags onboard. Unlike the<br />

previous pilot, whom we witnessed briefing<br />

his passengers before boarding, ours didn’t<br />

bother. We chose Teresa, the smallest, to get<br />

in the front and the rest of us piled into the<br />

back after quick hugs with Ishor. I wasn’t<br />

thrilled that I didn’t have a seatbelt (it was<br />

stuck under the seat), but luckily it didn’t<br />

matter.<br />

Perhaps our pilot was a bit of a cowboy or<br />

just a crazy risk taker, but he took off in<br />

that rain without saying a word. Eventually<br />

he tried putting on his seatbelt and needed<br />

Teresa’s help. Luckily it didn’t rain for the<br />

entire 51-minute journey. Though I wasn’t<br />

by a window, the views were still incredible.<br />

We followed the river for much of the way<br />

and saw lots of waterfalls. It was 40 minutes<br />

before I noticed the first road and cars; all<br />

of the villages and terraced farms we saw<br />

along the way had to be reached on foot or<br />

by animal. Even with the drama, it was a<br />

damn fine way to end an epic journey.<br />

Nitty Gritty<br />

For those of you who like details, it’s impossible<br />

to tell our tale without including some<br />

numbers. When it was all done and over,<br />

we had been on the mountain for 15 days.<br />

We had 14 days of hiking, of which 12 were<br />

moving from village to village and 2 were<br />

acclimatization “rest days” when we still<br />

hiked for about 4 hours each. Eight of those<br />

days were on the journey up to EBC and six<br />

were on our way down. Most days we hiked<br />

for six to eight hours, stopping for about<br />

an hour around noon for a hot lunch. We<br />

only had one actual rest day, which we spent<br />

writing in our journals, reading and playing<br />

cards. We also had one entirely unplanned<br />

hiking day that was not on our original itinerary:<br />

from the airport down to the helipad.<br />

My total distance was approximately 80<br />

miles (130k). Teresa, Carlin and Kent’s<br />

totals were approximately 85 miles (137k)<br />

each since they did the extra sunrise hike<br />

plus one extra leg on one of the acclimatization<br />

hikes. Our lowest point was the helipad<br />

at 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) and the highest<br />

we did together was EBC at<br />

17,600 feet (5,364 meters)<br />

for a net gain of 10,400 feet<br />

(3,164 meters). Of course,<br />

this doesn’t account for the<br />

Nepali Flat factor, which<br />

meant that we were always<br />

going up and down on any<br />

given day. Typical daily elevation<br />

changes were 1,300<br />

– 2,600 feet (400 – 800 meters).<br />

Although there was lots<br />

of snow on the peaks, we<br />

didn’t hike through any<br />

snow or ice. The worst<br />

weather that we encountered<br />

was some hail at EBC<br />

itself. I was incredibly im-<br />

All of our accommodations<br />

had electricity and at least one shared<br />

Western toilet; we slept in double rooms in<br />

sleeping bags on top of beds. We had three<br />

hot meals each day and the food was better<br />

than we expected.<br />

As difficult as the trek was, there was never<br />

a day that I woke up and didn’t want to hike.<br />

I’ve been asked several times if I’d do it again<br />

and my answer is consistently no. However,<br />

that doesn’t mean that I regret going – in fact<br />

the opposite is true: I’m thrilled that I went<br />

on this incredible journey. However, it was a<br />

once-in-a-lifetime adventure, thus there’s no<br />

need to repeat it. There are plenty of other<br />

treks to do in Nepal and beyond. Wonder<br />

what Kent will dream up for us next?<br />

44 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 45


Restaurant Recommendations<br />

by Audrey Goodman<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Member Jessie Rodell came up with the wonderful idea of adding a Restaurant<br />

Recommendations section to the magazine. This is a work in progress, so feedback is<br />

wanted and welcome. I’ve started with a few of my favorite restaurants, but I certainly<br />

hope future issues will contain selections from other Members. Please feel free to email your<br />

comments and recommendations to goingdutchmag@gmail.com.<br />

De Lof der Zotheid<br />

A cozy neighborhood restaurant, with a<br />

good wine list.<br />

Breitnerlaan 84, 2596 HD, Den Haag<br />

070 324 1782<br />

lofderzotheid.nl<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong>, Seafood, European<br />

€€ - €€€<br />

Monday – Sunday,<br />

5 p.m. – Midnight<br />

Made in Sud<br />

Amazing food, wonderful presentation, and<br />

exceptional service.<br />

Molenstraat 9A, 2513 BH, Den Haag<br />

070 365 2278<br />

facebook.com/madeinsuddenhaag<br />

Italian, Mediterranean, European<br />

€€ - €€€<br />

Monday, Wednesday & Thursday,<br />

2 p.m. – 11 p.m.<br />

Friday – Sunday,<br />

12:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.<br />

Ruiseñor<br />

Emotional cuisine. Interested? Check it out!<br />

Denneweg 120, 2514 CL, Den Haag<br />

070 514 7049<br />

ruisenorrestaurant.nl<br />

Mexican, Latin, Seafood<br />

€€ - €€€<br />

Tuesday – Sunday,<br />

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.<br />

46 GOING DUTCH<br />

Announcements<br />

Winter Fair<br />

The Ahoy in Rotterdam will be transformed<br />

into a winter wonderland from <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5<br />

– 9. In a cozy atmosphere, you can get in the<br />

mood for the holidays with booths featuring<br />

home decorations, wellness and leisure.<br />

There will also be fashion shows, workshops<br />

and entertainment.<br />

Wednesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 5 –<br />

Sunday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 9<br />

Ahoyweg 10, Rotterdam<br />

www.winter-fair.nl<br />

Jack and the Beanstalk, a<br />

Pantomime<br />

Distinctively British, a panto is a popular<br />

form of family entertainment incorporating<br />

song, dance, slapstick comedy, cross-dressing,<br />

and audience participation. This holiday<br />

season, the Anglo-American Theatre Group<br />

(AATG) invites you to follow the exploits of<br />

Jack and his mother, Dame Trot, as they try<br />

to find the money to pay the rent before the<br />

nasty Baron throws them out of their house.<br />

Friday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 7 –<br />

Sunday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 9<br />

Theatre aan het Spui<br />

Spui 187, Den Haag<br />

www.aatg.nl<br />

The Arts Society Lecture –<br />

A Golden Touch of Klimt<br />

Being one of the most prominent figures<br />

in Vienna in the late 1800s, Klimt’s paintings<br />

with their glorious themes, bold colors<br />

and gold shocked an unsuspecting populace.<br />

Lecturer Gavin Plumley is a writer<br />

and broadcaster specializing in the art and<br />

culture of Vienna and Central Europe. His<br />

lecture will focus on the many changes in<br />

Klimt’s life which impacted his style and<br />

works. Nonmember fee is € 13.<br />

Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 11 at 8 p.m.<br />

Doors open at 7:15 p.m.<br />

Cultural Centrum Warenar<br />

Kerkstraat 75, Wassenaar<br />

www.theartssocietythehague.org<br />

Lighting of Christmas Trees<br />

Delft: From 4 p.m. on Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember<br />

11, there will be Christmas stalls and musicians<br />

in the main square. The Christmas<br />

tree will be lit at 7 p.m. to give light to the<br />

Dark Days of Delft. You can get warmed up<br />

with hot chocolate, gluhwein (spiced mulled<br />

wine) and erwtensoep (split pea soup).<br />

www.donkeredagenvandelft.nl<br />

The Hague: A traditional ceremony is held<br />

each year in honor of the Swedish Feast of<br />

Lucia during which Lucia, dressed in white<br />

and with candles in her hair, will bring light<br />

into the dark winter night. Join the Swedish<br />

Ambassador and the Mayor of The Hague in<br />

front of the Escher Museum for the lighting<br />

of the Swedish Christmas tree on Thursday,<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.<br />

Gouda: During the impressive illumination<br />

festival Gouda by Candlelight, on Friday,<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 14 at 7 p.m., over 1,500 candles<br />

will be lit in Gouda’s historic city hall, while<br />

thousands more are aglow behind the >> 48<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 47


Announcements (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 47<br />

windows of the picturesque buildings surrounding<br />

Market Square. Street and shop<br />

lighting are switched off, lending a fairytale<br />

quality to this spectacle. Various choirs will<br />

be performing Christmas carols and the audience<br />

is encouraged to sing along. www.<br />

goudabijkaarslicht.nl<br />

Christmas Market for Dogs<br />

Dogs and their owners are invited to a special<br />

market of Christmas toys and snacks<br />

at Happy Critters, a long-time supporter of<br />

<strong>Going</strong> <strong>Dutch</strong>. Renske Natural Petfood will<br />

offer a tasting session for dogs from their<br />

Christmas menu. Ezydog will display their<br />

full range of leashes, collars and harnesses.<br />

There will be warm drinks for the owners,<br />

including gluhwein.<br />

Saturday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 15<br />

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.<br />

Weissenbruchstraat 63, Den Haag<br />

www.happycritters.nl<br />

48 GOING DUTCH<br />

Christmas Concerts<br />

Cecilia International Choir: This<br />

mixed voice group of 70 singers will perform<br />

Christmas Concerts in Voorburg<br />

on <strong>Dec</strong>ember 13 and in The Hague on<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 18. www.cecilia-choir.com<br />

American Protestant Church of The<br />

Hague: The Choir will sing the powerful<br />

Magnificat by John Rutter and some<br />

African American Christmas Spirituals,<br />

supported with solos by students of the<br />

Royal Conservatory of The Hague. There<br />

will also be an opportunity for community<br />

singing. Entry is free, but donations are welcome.<br />

www.apch.nl<br />

Sunday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 16 at 4 p.m.<br />

Doors open at 3:30 p.m.<br />

Esther-de-Boer van Rijklaan 20,<br />

Den Haag<br />

Royal Christmas Fair<br />

This free fair has grown to be one of the<br />

Netherland’s largest Christmas markets. Its<br />

twinkling lights and familiar Christmas carols<br />

are bound to put you in a festive mood.<br />

Enjoy some gluhwein and flammkuchen<br />

while shopping for unique items among<br />

the 100 stalls. Entertainment will include<br />

performances by children’s choirs, theater<br />

groups and storytellers. Santa Claus will<br />

also make daily appearances.<br />

Friday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 14 –<br />

Sunday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 23<br />

Noon – 9 p.m.<br />

Lange Voorhout, Den Haag<br />

www.royalchristmasfair.nl<br />

Duivenvoorde at Christmas<br />

Duivenvoorde Castle in Voorschoten is<br />

decorated both inside and out with beautiful<br />

Christmas trees, a cozy market and<br />

sparkling decorations for the weekend of<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 15 – 16. Take a winter walk over<br />

the noble estate and enjoy delicious, warm<br />

refreshments. Tickets should be pre-booked<br />

for tours of the castle.<br />

www.kasteelduivenvoorde.nl<br />

Dickens Festival<br />

A 19th century English city of Charles<br />

Dickens’ days will live again in full glory<br />

during the Dickens Festival in Deventer the<br />

weekend of <strong>Dec</strong>ember 15 – 16. Some 950<br />

characters will come to life from Dickens’<br />

celebrated books, including Scrooge, Oliver<br />

Twist and David Copperfield, along with<br />

Christmas carolers, orphans, drunkards and<br />

distinguished citizens. The shops will be<br />

open in the city center with markets on the<br />

main square on both days. Over 125,000<br />

visitors are anticipated for this free festival,<br />

so expect to wait approximately one hour at<br />

the entrance.<br />

www.dickensfestijn.nl<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> Christmas Markets<br />

Leiden: From <strong>Dec</strong>ember 14 – 25, Leiden<br />

hosts the only floating Christmas market in<br />

the Netherlands. Entrance is free into the<br />

Winter Wonderland Village on the water of<br />

the Nieuwe Rijn with 86 decorated chalets<br />

filled with winter products, gifts, snacks<br />

and warm drinks. You will also find an iceskating<br />

rink on the canal from <strong>Dec</strong>ember 8<br />

– January 6. www.visitleiden.nl<br />

Dordrecht: From <strong>Dec</strong>ember 14 – 16,<br />

Dordrecht will host the largest Christmas<br />

market in the Netherlands with 200 stalls.<br />

In addition, there will be hot treats, live<br />

entertainment and an ice-skating rink. www.<br />

kerstmarktdordrecht.nl<br />

Valkenburg: Running until <strong>Dec</strong>ember 30,<br />

the Christmas Market in the Velvet Cave<br />

is the Netherlands’ most popular indoor<br />

Christmas event. This unique experience<br />

is a shopper’s delight with fairytale decor,<br />

seasonal music and a large variety of<br />

handmade local and international gifts. www.<br />

kerstmarkt-fluweelengrot.nl<br />

Countrywide: During <strong>Dec</strong>ember you<br />

will find other various Christmas markets<br />

throughout the Netherlands. For listings, go<br />

to www.hollandsemarkten.nl and click on<br />

Kerstmarkten.<br />

A Christmas Carol<br />

Ashley Ramsden, the world-famous storyteller<br />

from Great Britain, returns to perform<br />

this Christmas favorite on <strong>Dec</strong>ember 21 – 23<br />

at the Theatre aan het Spui in The Hague. He<br />

performs all 23 characters single-handed,<br />

which shows his formidable talents as a storyteller<br />

and actor. The program embraces the<br />

original masterpiece, transporting audiences<br />

back to Victorian England and conjuring up<br />

the sinister back alleys, cobblestone streets<br />

and ghostly apparitions that are the story’s<br />

hallmarks. Expect to be mesmerized by a story<br />

that is still relevant today in a world where<br />

there is a gulf in the distribution of wealth,<br />

influence and knowledge.<br />

www.theenglishtheatre.nl<br />

Alice in Wonderland<br />

This Christmas, De <strong>Dutch</strong> Do not Dance<br />

Division will bring to life the famous story by<br />

Lewis Caroll set to music by Tchaikovsky >> 50<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 49


Announcements (cont.)<br />

Continued from page 49<br />

New Year’s Dive<br />

Ice Sculpture Festival<br />

and with sets inspired by the wonderful<br />

world of <strong>Dutch</strong> graphic artist M.C. Escher.<br />

Tuesday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 25 –<br />

Friday, <strong>Dec</strong>ember 28<br />

Zuiderstrandtheater, Den Haag<br />

www.ddddd.nu<br />

CATS<br />

The London West End production of the<br />

musical classic by Andrew Lloyd Webber<br />

will be performed in English for the very<br />

first time in the Netherlands.<br />

Amsterdam: <strong>Dec</strong>ember 20 – January 13,<br />

at the RAI Theatre.<br />

Rotterdam: January 15 – 17, at the Lux<br />

Theatre.<br />

www.catsdemusical.nl<br />

Christmas Circuses<br />

There is no doubt that Christmas Circuses<br />

must be quite popular in the Netherlands as<br />

our region hosts two. Both feature spectacular<br />

acrobatics and hilarious clowns; for those<br />

curious, circuses are no longer allowed per<br />

<strong>Dutch</strong> law to feature wild animals.<br />

Rotterdam: <strong>Dec</strong>ember 22 – 30 at the Ahoy.<br />

www.kerstcircus.nl<br />

The Hague: <strong>Dec</strong>ember 22 – January 6 at<br />

the Malieveld. www.kerstcircusdenhaag.nl<br />

New Year’s Fireworks<br />

New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands is often<br />

celebrated with fireworks and our area has<br />

several large fireworks shows. Most cities<br />

shut down public transportation no later<br />

than 9 p.m., so please plan accordingly.<br />

Scheveningen: A giant bonfire will be<br />

built on the beach in the hopes to once again<br />

be the world’s largest. In addition to lighting<br />

the bonfire in a spectacular fashion at midnight,<br />

there will be fireworks and music.<br />

The Hague Centrum: The Hofvijver is the<br />

setting for a free festival with music starting<br />

at 10 p.m. and fireworks at midnight.<br />

Rotterdam: A lighted boat parade on the<br />

Maas starts at 10:30 p.m. At midnight, the<br />

most spectacular fireworks in the country<br />

will burst from the Erasmus Bridge with the<br />

best view from the Boompjeskade.<br />

www.hetnationalevuurwerk.nl<br />

The Netherlands boasts more than 135 locations<br />

where you can jump into the sea or a<br />

lake on New Year’s Day at noon. The largest<br />

dive is held at Scheveningen Beach, where<br />

10,000 people plunge into the sea each year.<br />

This spectacle is also great to watch from<br />

the sidelines. Which of our <strong>AWC</strong> Members<br />

will brave the cold waters this year? Tickets<br />

can’t be reserved, but must be purchased for<br />

€ 3 starting at 10:30 a.m.<br />

www.unox.nl/evenementen-detail<br />

Amsterdam Light Festival<br />

A unique experience in the darkest months<br />

of the year! Created by international artists<br />

especially for this festival, 30 works of art<br />

were chosen to depict this year’s theme of<br />

The Medium is the Message, which examines<br />

the role light plays as a medium or as a<br />

message. The exhibition can be admired by<br />

boat, bike or foot through January 20.<br />

www.amsterdamlightfestival.com<br />

Held in Zwolle from <strong>Dec</strong>ember 15 through<br />

March 3, this is Europe’s largest ice sculpture<br />

exhibit. The festival features over 100<br />

sculptures of ice and snow up to 20 feet<br />

(6 meters) high made of 606,275 pounds<br />

(275,000 kilos) of both ice and snow created<br />

by 40 of the best ice artists in the world.<br />

The theme this year is World Famous<br />

Stories. To keep the ice sculptures in top<br />

condition, it is 14°F (-10°C) in the large<br />

cooled event hall, so be sure to dress warmly.<br />

Although it is difficult to avoid long<br />

lines into the hall, you can avoid queuing<br />

at the box office by purchasing discounted<br />

tickets online.<br />

Ijsselhallen Zolle, Rieteweg 4, Zwolle<br />

www.ijsbeelden.nl<br />

Save the Date: MLK Dinner<br />

Mark your calendars to bring the whole<br />

family to the annual Dr. Martin Luther<br />

King Tribute and Dinner. Look for further<br />

details in the January issue.<br />

Sunday, January 27<br />

5:30 p.m.<br />

Hotel Den Haag - Wassenaar<br />

Zijdeweg 54, Wassenaar<br />

Grab Your Running Shoes<br />

The Hague’s Biggest Race: If you like to<br />

run, be sure not to miss The Hague’s 44nd<br />

CPC Loop on Sunday, March 10 starting at<br />

the Malieveld. There will be 45,000 runners<br />

including professionals and amateurs<br />

for distances ranging from 1K for kids to a<br />

half marathon. Don’t hesitate to register, as<br />

this event fills up every year.<br />

www.cpcloopdenhaag.nl<br />

50 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 51


Classifieds<br />

Bijoux-dor Gold &<br />

Silversmith<br />

Professionally trained gold<br />

and silversmith specializing<br />

in handmade and custom<br />

jewelry, and repairs. <strong>AWC</strong><br />

members are eligible for a<br />

10% discount on custom work.<br />

Visit my atelier at Noordeinde<br />

47, 1st floor, The Hague<br />

or call 0687598566 for an<br />

appointment or send an email<br />

to meriemoukil@hotmail.com.<br />

www.meriem-dor.com<br />

Items for Sale<br />

Exercise Bike—As New—<br />

Great Gift (Rossler R320hp<br />

speedbike 16kg) Cost new<br />

€259, now €95.<br />

Two solid old bikes 50.- each<br />

2 comfortable Foldaway Beds<br />

€45 each<br />

Litton US microwave oven<br />

€45. (Can be freestanding or<br />

built in.)<br />

Contact <strong>AWC</strong> Member Sheila<br />

010 4229511 in Rotterdam or<br />

sgazaleh@gmail.com<br />

Coffee & Taxes<br />

We file your:<br />

• <strong>Dutch</strong> income taxes<br />

• VAT tax<br />

• Migration forms<br />

• Benefits/ Toeslagen<br />

Plus<br />

financial/ governmental consultancy<br />

Contact me at:<br />

marielschouwink@gmail.com<br />

0625684010<br />

Transformational New<br />

Neuro Therapy<br />

available from Anel Smit, an<br />

experienced, professional<br />

Counsellor and International<br />

Coach for children, adults and<br />

seniors in <strong>Dutch</strong>, English and<br />

Afrikaans.<br />

www.anelsmit.com<br />

Multi-Level Neuro Processing <br />

Functional Therapy <br />

Creative Art Development<br />

0642463605<br />

www.icr-coachregister.com<br />

Expat Families in Transit &<br />

Work Life Balance<br />

Ingrid offers Child & Teens<br />

Counseling, Life Work<br />

Coaching, Accountability<br />

Coaching and Workshops<br />

& Training. Experienced<br />

Bilingual Psychosocial<br />

Therapist/Counselor &<br />

Coach. Certified NFG<br />

member. Check for Coverage<br />

Health Care Insurance.<br />

Contact 0640216544. FREE<br />

30 MIN CONSULTATION.<br />

imasselinkandreas@gmail.<br />

com<br />

www.ingridmasselinkandreas.<br />

com<br />

Index of Advertisers<br />

ACCESS<br />

page 30<br />

American Travel<br />

Center<br />

page 43<br />

Aveda Lifestyle<br />

Salon<br />

Inside Cover<br />

Beacon Financial<br />

Education<br />

Back Cover<br />

Frans Burgers<br />

Tapijt<br />

page 15<br />

Support Fellow <strong>AWC</strong> Members<br />

Find links to a large variety of businesses<br />

owned by <strong>AWC</strong> Members at www.<br />

awcthehague.org/site/newcomers/<br />

business-links<br />

Petros Eyewear<br />

page 11<br />

FRITSTAXI<br />

Ocean Dry<br />

Airport Service<br />

Cleaning<br />

Inside Back Cover<br />

page 19<br />

Happy Critters<br />

Playball Kids<br />

page 25<br />

page 21<br />

Marcel<br />

Sligro<br />

Vermeulen<br />

Jewelry<br />

page 11<br />

page 9<br />

VERHEY VAN<br />

WIJK brilmode<br />

page 17<br />

Wassalon<br />

Weissenbruch<br />

page 30<br />

Your Cleaning<br />

Service<br />

page 30<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> is not responsible for accidents<br />

or injuries occurring at Club activities or<br />

on Club property. Sports and exercise<br />

instructors must carry their own liability<br />

insurance.<br />

Member Privacy<br />

Event information, suggestions or comments for eNews?<br />

Please send all eNews information to awcthehague.enews@gmail.com no later than end of day<br />

each Friday for the following week’s eNews.<br />

Please be reminded that the <strong>AWC</strong> Membership List is for <strong>AWC</strong> Member reference only and use of this<br />

information in any communication other than <strong>AWC</strong> official business is strictly prohibited. Members may<br />

not share the list with anyone other than another <strong>AWC</strong> Member in good standing and never to any<br />

third party.<br />

The <strong>AWC</strong> takes care to protect Member information and adherence to this policy is critical to maintain<br />

Member privacy. Members are asked to report suspected misuse of the list to any <strong>AWC</strong> Board Member.<br />

52 GOING DUTCH<br />

Rates<br />

Classified Mini-Ads:<br />

Deadline: In general, the 1st of the month prior to the<br />

month in which your ad will appear, although subject to<br />

change due to holiday schedule.<br />

<strong>AWC</strong> Member Rates:<br />

For 45 Words<br />

Non-Member Rates:<br />

For 45 Words<br />

For 25 Additional Words<br />

Per Issue € 15 € 8<br />

Eight Issues € 110 € 55<br />

For 25 Additional Words<br />

Per Issue € 10 € 5<br />

Eight Issues € 70 € 30<br />

How to Submit Your Ad:<br />

Email your ad to: goingdutchads@gmail.com<br />

Payment Information:<br />

Please indicate the name of your ad on your payment so that<br />

we are able to match up your payment with your ad.<br />

By Bank Transfer:<br />

ABN-AMRO<br />

43.14.21.757<br />

IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757<br />

Display Ads:<br />

For full, half, third or quarter page commercial display ads,<br />

email our magazine staff at goingdutchads@gmail.com<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 53


Proost! Questionnaire<br />

Answers by Debbie van Hees-Cascio<br />

Why are you living in the Netherlands?<br />

I married a <strong>Dutch</strong>man 33 years ago!<br />

Give us a quick wrap-up of your family<br />

Husband: Ad; Daughters: Anneke (25) and<br />

Emma (23)<br />

What or who is the greatest love of your<br />

life?<br />

My wonderful husband, of course!<br />

What do you enjoy most about the <strong>AWC</strong>?<br />

Back when: Working in the library in the<br />

old Clubhouse and making life-long friends.<br />

These days I’m not as engaged as I could<br />

be…something to work on.<br />

What do you consider the most overrated<br />

virtue of being an expat?<br />

Hard to say as I ceased being an expat in<br />

1990 when I resigned from the US. Foreign<br />

Service to stay and raise a family. I’m a<br />

citizen of the world now…and quite enjoy it.<br />

What is the quality you most like in a friend?<br />

Loyalty<br />

What is your greatest travel extravagance?<br />

Paying for an extra bag to bring back clothes<br />

that fit from the US. I am a petite person<br />

living in the Land of the Giants.<br />

Which travel experience made you the<br />

happiest?<br />

Our family trip to Marrakech five years ago.<br />

What is your favorite travel purchase?<br />

Noise cancelling headphones<br />

Which locations haven’t been ticked off<br />

your bucket list?<br />

Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Alaska…<br />

there are many.<br />

Where would you most like to live?<br />

Six months in The Hague and six months at<br />

our home in Vermont<br />

Who are your favorite writers?<br />

Paul Theroux and Pat Conroy<br />

Which talent would you most like to have?<br />

To play the piano<br />

What’s your hobby?<br />

Does screen addiction count as a hobby? If<br />

not, tennis and reading.<br />

Who are your heroes in real life?<br />

My mother, who I miss every day, and lately<br />

President Obama, who I also miss every day.<br />

What is your motto?<br />

Let’s get the hell out so we can get the hell<br />

home (from my dad but still in use!).<br />

What constitutes a “perfect” day for you?<br />

The wonderful summer and fall days we<br />

had this year for working in the garden and<br />

walking to the beach every evening<br />

54 GOING DUTCH<br />

DECEMBER <strong>2018</strong> 55

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