AWC Going Dutch April 2019

one stop shop 

for all your beauty desires 

Going Dutch 

April 2019 

The Magazine of the 

American Women’s Club 

of The Hague 

5 Officers and Chairwomen 

6 Winter Activities Collage 

8 Message from the President 

9 April General Meeting 

10 Letter from the Editor 

12 Membership 

Denneweg 56 

2514CH The Hague 

Tel. 0703458442 

www.lifestylesalonthehague.nl 

Easter Basket Assembly 

FAWCO Handbag Auction 

Unconventional Travel: Seoul 

26 

36 

42 

13 Newcomers 

14 Ongoing Activities 

19 Front Desk Volunteers 

20 One-of-a-Kind Activities 

22 Slate of Officers 

26 Easter Basket Assembly 

28 April Calendar 

30 Repatriation 

32 Dutch-American Friendship 

Day 

34 FAWCO Corner 

35 Hope Beyond Displacement: 

News from the CRP 

36 FAWCO Handbag and Art 

Auction 

40 Travel Tips & Tricks 

42 Unconventional Travel: 

Seoul 

46 The Dutch Daily 

48 Announcements 

52 Classifieds 

53 Index of Advertisers 

and Ad Rates 

54 Restaurant 

Recommendations 

APRIL 2019 3

Editor 

Audrey Goodman 

2018-2019 AWC Officers 

Committee Chairs 

AWC Clubhouse 

Johan van Oldenbarneveltlaan 43 

2582 NJ Den Haag 

Tel: 070 350 6007 

info@awcthehague.org 

www.awcthehague.org 

Going Dutch Magazine 

goingdutchmag@awcthehague.org 

Clubhouse Hours 

Tuesday and Thursday 

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday Closed 

Dues (Effective 2018-2019) 

€ 110 per year (€ 66 after January 1) 

€ 90 business, professional 

€ 55 valid US military ID 

€ 35 student 

€ 35 Outside the Netherlands (Going 

Dutch magazine not included) 

Add € 15 new member registration fee 

Design and Layout 

Teresa Mahoney 

Cover Photo 

Bulb fields in Sassenheim by Melissa White 

Photography 

Greetje Engelsman, Amber Gatewood, 

Marsha Hagney, Suzanne MacNeil, Teresa 

Mahoney, Julie Mowat, Melissa Rider, 

Emily van Eerten, Melissa White 

Proofreaders 

Celeste Brown, Jane Gulde, Diane Schaap, 

Debbie van Hees 

Advertising Manager & Invoicing 

Open 

Contributors 

Debbie Cascio, Jane Choy, Suzanne Dundas, 

Greetje Engelsman, Rebecca Failor, Marsha 

Hagney, Eileen Harloff, Suzanne MacNeil, 

Julie Mowat, Naya Pessoa, Melissa Rider, 

Holly Savoie, Jo van Kalveen, Melissa White 

Printer 

www.dwcprint.nl 

AWC Bank Account Number 

IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757 

KvK Den Haag 

40409274 

BTW or VAT: 007408705B01 

Honorary President Diane Hoekstra 

President Suzanne MacNeil 

president@awcthehague.org 

Vice President Marsha Hagney 

vicepresident@awcthehague.org 

Treasurer Sheyla Karman 

treasurer@awcthehague.org 

Secretary Heather DeWitt 

secretary@awcthehague.org 

Club and Community Development 

Naya Pessoa 

community@awcthehague.org 

Clubhouse Administrator 

Jan Essad 

clubadministrator@awcthehague.org 

Communications Audrey Goodman 

communications@awcthehague.org 

Member-at-Large 

Sunita Menon 

Front Office 

Liduine Bekman, Siska Datema-Kool, 

Dominique Duysens, Amber Gatewood, 

Shanon Gonzales, Melissa Rider, Jessie 

Rodell, Holly Savoie 

Activities: Greetje Engelsman 

Arts: Jane Choy 

Assistant Treasurer: Teresa Insalaco 

Benefit Event: Michelle Voorn & Deana 

Kreitler 

Board Advisor: Jessie Rodell 

Caring Committee: Naomi Keip 

Chat, Craft & Cake: Suzanne Dundas 

eNews Amber Gatewood 

Evening Events: Elizabeth Zeller 

Events & Tours: Liduine Bekman 

FAWCO: Julie Mowat and Teresa 

Mahoney 

Front Office Coordinator: Open 

General Meeting Programs: Dena 

Haggerty 

Heart Pillow: Jan de Vries 

Historian/Archivist: Georgia Regnault 

Holiday Bazaar: Jaimie Keppel-Molenaar 

IT Administrator: Julie Otten 

Kids’ Club: Lindsey Turnau 

Library: Dena Haggerty 

Membership: Melissa Rider 

Newcomers: Holly Savoie, Greetje 

Engelsman 

Parliamentarian: Georgia Regnault 

Philanthropy: Holly Savoie 

Public Relations: Open 

Social Media: Ceci Wong and Julie Otten 

Tennis: Molly Boed 

Tours: Liduine Bekman, Sabine Crowley 

Volunteer Coordinator: Laurie 

Martecchini 

Webmaster: Julie Otten 

Women with Dutch Partners: Michelle 

Voorn 

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

For example, for the May/June issue, submissions are due before Monday, March 25 

Please Note: Articles submitted to Going Dutch will be published subject to space limitations and editorial approval. 

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

awcthehague.org 

Legal Notice: Articles in Going Dutch express the views and opinions of their authors alone, and not necessarily 

those of the AWC of The Hague, its Members or this publication. 

4 GOING DUTCH 

AWC Mission Statement 

The AWC is an association formed to provide social and educational activities for American 

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

as well as acquiring funds for general public interest. Membership in the club is open 

to women of all nations who are friendly and welcoming to American culture. The association 

does not endeavor to make a profit. The AWC is a 100% volunteer organization. 


“Trashure” Hunt Beach Cleanup 

Farewell Lunch for Pamela 

Winter 

Activities 

Behind the Scenes of Panorama Mesdag 

Out to Lunch Bunch 

Thirsty Thursday at Project 2.0 Gallery 

TLC Dinner 

February General Meeting

Message from the President 

by Suzanne MacNeil 

April General Meeting—Vote! 

by Suzanne MacNeil 

April! The tulips have emerged from 

their winter slumber, the pop-up restaurants 

at Scheveningen are popping 

up, and the change in seasons is palpable. 

Just as April promises so much, so does the 

Club. We will be celebrating Rembrandt at a 

discussion about his work that will be hosted 

by our Arts Chair, Jane Choy, at her home 

on Wednesday, April 3. 

I caught ‘FAWCO Fever’ at the 

conference in Edinburgh! 

If you’ve recently moved to the 

Netherlands, you definitely want to attend 

one of our most popular events for newcomers. 

The Dutch Products class is offered in 

the spring and fall and is taught by long-time 

Member Carol Slootweg, who is also a chef, 

and will be joined by Greetje Engelsman. 

The two will share the substitutes for your 

usual items that aren’t sold in the country, 

along with explaining some of the new-to-you 

food that you’ll see at your local markets. I 

only recently took the class (after more than 

six years as an expat) and finally solved a 

problem I hadn’t been able to resolve when 

washing towels. It’s never too late to learn 

and I suggest saving Monday, April 8 for 

the class! 

8 GOING DUTCH 

Are you going to 

Madurodam on 

Saturday, April 

13? I hope to 

see you that 

evening for the 

Club’s annual 

major philanthropic 

event. 

The Benefit 

Committee has 

been working for 

months to organize 

and create 

a night that will 

continue our 

legacy of giving 

back to our 

host country. The 

re-Building 

Lives, from 

Trafficking to 

Independence 

will benefit Not for Sale. The organization 

is fighting to end modern day slavery and 

the benefit evening will be busy with a sitdown 

dinner, music and dancing, live and 

silent auctions, and a scavenger hunt through 

Madurodam. It is going to be a great evening 

and the committee hopes the guests will help 

us make a generous donation to Not for Sale. 

April also hosts two major holidays, 

Passover and Easter, and if you celebrate 

either, I hope you’ll spend time with family. 

If not family, then with friends, who are our 

surrogate family while we’re on this expat 

journey. 

One of the most important April events is 

our General Meeting on Thursday, April 11 

when Members vote on the slate of officers. 

Many thanks to Lindsey Turnau, the chair 

of the Nominating Committee, and those who 

sat on the committee. The Members who have 

volunteered to serve on the Board deserve 

your attendance at the meeting, especially 

if you have not yet met those who are on 

the slate. It’s important to know who will be 

charged with continuing the Club’s legacy, 

whether it’s financial prudence, philanthropy, 

or working to provide Members a wide range 

of events and activities. 

The key component of the April meeting 

is the vote for our Board, so we don’t 

invite an outside speaker. However, once the 

vote is complete, Julie Mowat, our FAWCO 

(Federation of American Women’s Clubs 

Overseas) rep, will present about the >>33 

Voting for your Board is one of the key 

responsibilities of being a Member 

of our AWC. The Board oversees all 

aspects of the Club with the help of committees 

and volunteers. As a nonprofit organization, 

we are registered with the KvK 

(Chamber of Commerce) and must follow 

all laws pertaining to nonprofits. If you’re 

not able attend the April meeting, you are 

still able to vote by filling out a proxy ballot, 

in accordance with our Bylaws. The vote 

will count only if we have a quorum of 15% 

of the voting Members of the Club. Please 

download the proxy ballot from our website 

under the ‘About Us’ tab. From there 

you’ll see ‘Club Documents’ and it’s there 

that you’ll find the ballot. Please download 

by Jan Essad and Sunita Menon 

The construction on Johan van 

Oldenbarneveltlaan is now just outside our 

front door! 

According to a Dutch website, works will 

possibly continue until July. However, we 

hope they will finish early. Due to this ongoing 

construction, parking will be limited 

and public transportation is recommended. 

Parking is available on the southside of the 

street and on the one-way streets off Johan 

the document, complete it, and send it with 

a Member who is attending the meeting, or 

scan and send it to info@awcthehague.org. 

Our Parliamentarian, Georgia Regnault, 

will oversee the voting. 

Thursday, April 11 

10 a.m. – Noon 


Construction Around the AWC 

Clubhouse 

van Oldenbarneveltlaan. However, public 

transportation is highly encouraged. 

The Clubhouse is accessible via tram #16, 

tram #1, and bus #21. Consult www.9292. 

nl for the best means of travelling to the 

Clubhouse from your area. 

We sincerely hope this minor inconvenience 

won’t keep you from coming to the 

Clubhouse to enjoy scheduled activities and 

great company. See you at the Club! 


Letter from the Editor 

by Audrey Goodman 

I’ve been looking forward to April for a long 

time. It kicks off several months of travel adventures, 

beginning with a trip back home. I 

haven’t been back to Baltimore, Maryland since 

last April, and I’m beyond excited for my weeklong 

stay in Charm City. I plan to spend the first 

couple of days with my sister, several nights 

with a couple friends, and a weekend sharing a 

hotel room with my mom. Somewhere in there 

I’ll do a bit of shopping (looking forward to 

plentiful petite options again), go to an Orioles 

game, catch up with friends over drinks, and enjoy 

Easter brunch and dinner. And I’ll finally get 

the pleasure of meeting several of my friends’ 

babies born over the last year. 

I’ve always found it interesting to hear 

what other expats miss about home, other 

than friends and family: The favorite restaurant 

in town, shopping at Target, a certain shampoo 

that can’t be bought in Europe, summer 

trips to the local beach. For me, it’s American 

baseball. I was raised in a Cardinals family 

but embraced the Orioles when I moved to 

Baltimore. There’s something about sitting in 

Camden Yards with a Hebrew National hotdog 

and a National Bohemian (Natty Boh) tall boy, 

singing Thank God I’m a Country Boy during 

the seventh inning stretch, and praying for a 

home run that bounces off the warehouse. Yes, 

I’m aware of their horrible record over the last 

couple (okay, many) years. But I haven’t lost 

faith. Go O’s! 

“If you go anywhere, even 

paradise, you will miss your 

home.” 

-Malala Yousafzai 

After filling up on blue crabs and Natty 

Boh, I’ll head to Georgia to meet my husband 

and his family. My sister-in-law is getting married! 

She and her fiancé will have a small afternoon 

ceremony in Savannah, with immediate 

family and a couple of close friends. The next 

day they will host a larger brunch celebration 

at a restaurant along the Savannah River, likely 

followed by an afternoon of bar-hopping. We’ll 

spend four days in the coastal city, and it’s 

sure to be a fun weekend. Not only will I get 

to spend time with friends and family in my 

home city, I’ll get to spend a long weekend in 

a beautiful southern city filled with history. 

10 GOING DUTCH 

I’ve been enjoying every minute of my 

time here in The Hague, but the expat life 

comes with a bit of homesickness. While I’m 

grateful for Skype and WhatsApp, they can’t 

replace the comfort brought by hugs from 

friends and family. I have one week to get my 

Baltimore fix and a long weekend to enjoy 

family time, then I’ll be back to continue my 

European adventures! 

Audrey 


Membership 

Newcomers 

by Melissa Rider 

by Greetje Engelsman 

With 15 new women joining since 

January, our Membership is now at 

176 Members. As you may already 

know, any English-speaking woman may join 

the AWC. Currently, 24% of our Membership 

is international. The demographic trend of 

our newer Members tends to be younger, 

working women. But non-working women 

still make up 58% of the AWC, with working 

woman comprising 22.7%. Our Honorary 

Members who have been with the Club for 

a minimum of 25 years compose 12.5% of 

the Membership. Our smallest groups are our 

Overseas and Student Members at 4.5% and 

2.3%, respectively. 

Welcome New Members! 

Catherine 

Helen 

Dutch Products Class 

(Especially for new Members: a must!!) 

AWC Member and long-term resident of 

the Netherlands, Carol Slootweg, will explain 

Dutch cooking and cleaning products. 

She teaches cooking classes, so she is an 

expert in using local products and converting 

American recipes. She and Greetje 

Engelsman have co-produced a book entitled 

Dutch Products, which will be offered 

for sale for € 10. 

Join this class and you will never be confused 

about cooking or cleaning products in 

the Netherlands again! 

If you have questions, contact Greetje at 

activities@awcthehague.org. 

Monday, April 8 



FREE 

Sign Up at www.awcthehague.org 

Encourage your friends and acquaintances 

to join, so we can continue to grow, thrive, 

and evolve! Registration and payment can 

be done at www.awcthehague.org. If you 

have any questions, please contact me at 

membership@awcthehague.org. 

Going Dutch is Available Online 

Go to www.awcthehague.org to share the current month’s issue with friends and family. You will 

also find links to our annual advertisers, whose support makes this magazine possible. If you 

visit or contact one of our advertisers, let them know Going Dutch sent you! 

Birthdays 

Due to changes in European privacy laws, and because 

Going Dutch is posted on our external Facebook page, we 

won’t be sharing birthdays in print any longer. Instead, you’ll 

see Members’ birthdays in the weekly eNews, which is sent 

to your private email account and is more secure. We value 

our Members’ privacy. If you have any questions, please 

contact Melissa Rider, our Membership Coordinator, at 

membership@awcthehague.org. 

Members: eNews 

Distribution 

A weekly electronic 

newsletter 

is sent to all AWC 

Members. 

If you have not been 

receiving your eNews, 

please contact Melissa at 

membership@ 

awcthehague.org. 



Credit: Amazon 

Ongoing Activities 

Book Clubs 

The AWC Book Clubs are open to all readers, 

and new Members are especially welcome! 

There are no requirements that you 

must attend every meeting or lead a discussion. 

Snacks are provided by a different 

Member each month. There are two Book 

Clubs hosted by AWC Members: One in the 

daytime and one in the evening. Questions? 

Teresa Mahoney organizes the daytime 

group and can be reached at bookclubday@ 

awcthehague.org. Dena Haggerty handles 

the evening meetings and can be reached at 

bookclubevening@awcthehague.org. reading! 

Daytime Book Club 

April Selection: 

Who Asked You? by Terry 

McMillan 

When Who Asked You? 

begins, Trinetta leaves 

her two young sons with 

her mother, Betty Jean, 

and promptly disappears. 

BJ already has her hands 

full dealing with her other 

adult children, two opinionated 

sisters, an ill husband, 

and her own postponed dreams—all 

the while holding down a job delivering 

Daytime Book Club Reading List: 

May 23: Perfume River by Robert Olen 

Butler 

June 27: The Witch Elm by Tana French 

room service at a hotel. Her son Dexter is 

about to be paroled from prison; Quentin, 

the family success, can’t be bothered to lend 

a hand; and taking care of two lively grandsons 

is the last thing BJ thinks she needs. 

But who asked her? 


10 a.m. 


FREE 

Daytime Book Club Recap – February 

We discussed Milkman by Anna Burns, a 

novel about social oppression and intimidation 

in a war-like setting, presumably 

Belfast in the seventies during The Troubles. 

No physical places are mentioned, nor do 

we get to know names of people. We only 

learn of the characters’ relationship to the 

protagonist, an 18-year-old girl stalked by 

a renouncer called “Milkman”. Burns’ language 

reminds us of James Joyce, the way 

she describes in stream-of-thought fashion 

the isolation the protagonist must deal with 

Credit: Amazon 

for being unjustly found guilty of adultery 

by a society where you are driven to trust 

only yourself. We all recommend this book, 

especially the audio version. 

Evening Book Club 

April Selection: 

The Song of Achilles by 

Madeline Miller 

A tale of gods, kings, immortal 

fame, and the human 

heart, The Song of 

Achilles is a dazzling literary 

feat that brilliantly 

reimagines Homer’s enduring 

masterwork, The 

Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic 

love story, a marvelously conceived and 

executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental 

debut novel has already earned resounding 

acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s 

brightest lights. Fans of Mary Renault, 

Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and 

Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series 

will delight in this unforgettable journey 

back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes. 

Evening Book Club Reading List: 

May 8: TBA 

The location changes every month, so 

please contact Dena at bookclubevening@ 

awcthehague.org if you are interested in 

attending. 

Wednesday, April 10 

7:30 p.m. 

Location TBA 

FREE 

Evening Book Club Recap – February 

It’s no surprise Rachel Kushner’s The Mars 

Room was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. 

It is a beautifully written book that focuses 

upon a topic rarely seen in the world of 

fiction: women in prison. Main character 

Romy Hall’s voice comes through with such 

clarity that it’s as if Romy were standing 

next to us telling her story out loud. But 

this was not an easy story to read. On the 

contrary, Romy’s life was the stuff of which 

nightmares are made. A kid who got off >> 16 

Cancellation Policy 

Members may reserve a spot for an AWC tour, activity or 

event in advance. Payment is required within five business 

days of the reservation or before the deadline date (whichever 

is sooner) otherwise your name will be moved to a waitlist. 

It is the responsibility of the Member to notify the Club at 

awcthehague.finance@gmail.com to cancel a reservation 

prior to the cancellation deadline. Please note that there will 

be NO REFUNDS (no exceptions) after the cancellation deadline. 

Members may find a substitute in lieu of cancellation 

provided that arrangements are made with the tour, activity 

or event organizer. Members shall be held responsible for 

their guest reservations in accordance with this policy. 

AWC Guest Policy 

Guests are welcome 

to participate in AWC 

activities and tours on 

a limited basis. As a 

nonmember, a guest 

is limited to attend 

two functions per 

calendar year and will be 

charged an additional 

nonmember fee. Only 

Members are entitled to 

use babysitting services. 



Ongoing Activities (cont.) 

Continued from page 15 

track, never found her way, and ends up in 

prison for life. Fortunately, Romy’s story is 

not told in one exceedingly long narrative. 

Instead, we view bits and pieces of her past 

as she struggles to make it through everyday 

life in prison. This made the story palatable, 

although no less heartbreaking. We also get 

a glimpse into other lives as the novel is told 

from various points of view. These changes 

were a breath of fresh air. The Mars Room 

is a breathtakingly beautiful book about an 

abysmal situation. 

Chat, Craft & Cake 

Chat Craft & Cake is a weekly highlight 

for those who enjoy crafts and camaraderie. 

Whether your craft is knitting, quilting, 

needlepoint or simply mending your 

clothes, or whether you are a beginner or an 

expert, you are welcome to join us. Fish that 

UFO (Unfinished Object) out of the drawer 

and get going on it again. CCandCer’s are 

always ready with a helping hand, a lesson, 

or some advice. Each week, a different 

Member brings a cake—tried and true, 

or experimental. Babysitting is not available 

and there are lots of sharp objects 

about (pins, needles, scissors and wit) so 

we cannot accommodate children. Contact 

Suzanne Dundas at chatcraftcake@awcthehague.org 

for more information 

Every Tuesday 



FREE 

Heart Pillow Project 

Members work together to make heartshaped 

pillows designed to help support 

the arms of recent mastectomy patients. 

Each pillow is made with TLC, wrapped, 

and comes with a note signed by an AWC 

volunteer. No sewing skills are needed, as 

you can cut, stuff, or wrap the heart pillows. 

We are proud to provide men and women 

with something both practical and comforting, 

and we know our work helps because 

we often receive thank-you notes and emails 

from the patients who have received a heart 

pillow. For more information, please contact 

Jan de Vries at heartpillow@awcthehague. 

org. 

Tuesday, April 9 

Noon – 2 p.m. 


FREE 

Visitors Welcome 

Out to Lunch Bunch: April 

The Malieveld in The Hague is a large grass 

field, located opposite The Hague Central 

Station. It is a major venue for funfairs, 

concerts and markets that are organized 

throughout the year. The Malieveld is also 

a favorite place for protests and major 

manifestations. The café-restaurant >> 18 



Ongoing Activities (cont.) 


Front Desk Volunteers Needed 

by Holly Savoie 

Credit: VVV.nl 

Paviljoen Malieveld has been located at the 

Malieveld since 1941. This restaurant is an 

“institution” and is famous for its delicious 

poffertjes, pancakes and Old Dutch waffles. 

The pavilion is also highly suitable for a 

light lunch or extensive afternoon tea. When 

the temperature is pleasant, the terrace is 

open. If you have any questions, please 

contact Greetje Engelsman at activities@ 

awcthehague.org. 

Monday, April 15 

Noon – 2 p.m. 

Paviljoen Malieveld 

Koekamplaan 6, Den Haag 

www.malieveld.nl 

Sign up at www.awcthehague.org 

Thirsty Thursday 

Don’t miss our April Thirsty Thursday as 

we’re returning to Restaurant Nivoo. This 

spot was one of the favorites last Club year 

and several Members requested that we visit 

again. Thirsty Thursday is a casual evening 

of companionship and good conversation. 

Two soft drinks, wine or beer, plus snacks. 


6 – 9 p.m. 

Restaurant Nivoo 

Hooistraat 1, 2514 BM, Den Haag 

€ 15 for two drinks and food 

No RSVP needed 

Walkie Talkies 

Whether you count your steps or just want 

to walk with friends, the Monday morning 

Walkie Talkies is a fun, healthy and energetic 

way to start the week. The group meets in 

front of the Clubhouse before heading out 

to walk to various destinations in the area, 

usually racking up 10,000 steps along the 

way. To receive email updates, contact 

Emily van Eerten or Greetje Engelsman 

at walkietalkies@awcthehague.org. 

Mondays 

9:30 a.m. 


Free 


Wassenaar Coffee & 

Conversation 

If you live in or north of Wassenaar, join 

your neighbors for coffee and conversation 

once-a-month without having to drive 

to the Clubhouse. One Member will host 

a casual coffee at her home at 9:30 on the 

first Thursday of every month. Prospective 

Members are welcome too. Suzanne 

Dundas coordinates these meetings and can 

be reached at chatcraftcake@awcthehague. 

org. Because the location changes every 

month, contact Suzanne if you are interested 

in attending or for more information. 


9:30 a.m. 

Location TBA 

FREE 

In order to keep the Clubhouse open and 

functioning properly, we need some friendly 

faces stationed at the Front Desk to welcome 

both current and potential Members to 

our Clubhouse. 

Since we are open two days a week, that 

means we have a minimum of eight shifts to 

cover each month. In order to spread out the 

workload, we ask that each Front Desk volunteer 

commits to at least one shift per month. 

Our amazing Front Desk team is currently 

comprised of the following volunteers: 

• Amber Gatewood 

• Dominique Duysens 

• Holly Savoie 

• Liduine Bekman 

• Melissa Rider 

• Shanon Gonzales 

• Siska Datema 

Playball Netherlands is now 

taking bookings for 2019! 

Want to get your little one involved? 

www.playballkids.com to see the fun for ages 

2-7 years 

Email kidsplayball@hotmail.com to arrange a 

FREE trial class 

www.facebook.com/PlayballNetherlands 

Or call Maggie on: 0627214347 

Volunteering at the Front Desk is: 

• a great way to get to know current AWC 

Members, 

• only a once-a-month commitment for 

four hours, and 

• fun and easy to do. 

If you are interested in volunteering for 

the Front Desk, please contact me at 

philanthropy@awcthehague.org. 

Looking forward to welcoming you to our 

team. 



One-of-a-Kind Activities 

by Marsha Hagney 

RSVP directly on www.awcthehague.org. Direct any questions to 

vicepresident@awcthehague.org 

Payment must be made within 5 calendar days of reserving or your name will be moved to a waitlist. 

Payment can be made in the Front Office by PIN, on the AWC website (www.awcthehague.org) or by 

bank transfer to the AWC account NL42ABNA0431421757. 

large distance, so good walking shoes and 

an interest in covering much ground are required. 


10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

We will meet for coffee at the first 

“gem” at 10 a.m. 

De Haagsche Kluis, Plein 20, Den Haag 

€ 15 Members / € 20 Non-Members 

Max 15 

Registration/Cancellation Deadline: 

April 15 


Rembrandt: Bohemian or 

Businessman, Romantic or 

Rebel 

AWC Member Jane Choy graciously 

opens her home and shares her knowledge 

once again. Holland has designated 2019 as 

“The Year of Rembrandt” commemorating 

his legacy. This year marks 350 years since 

his death. This special lecture provides an 

opportunity to learn about Rembrandt, as 

you experience the many tours and exhibits 

in the Netherlands throughout 2019. 

Rembrandt is considered by many to be 

Holland’s greatest artist and the equal of 

Mozart, Shakespeare and Michelangelo. 

Unlike van Gogh, another great Dutch artist, 

Rembrandt has not left much written 

material explaining his views on art. But 

what he has left is a unique visual autobiography 

in his self-portraits, which he 

did from the time he was 20 until he died 

at the age of 63. This lecture will use the 

self-portraits as a thread through his life 

and with his other masterpieces explore the 

man and what, why and how he painted. 

Was he a businessman or bohemian? Rebel 

or romantic? 


Coffee at 7:30 p.m. 

Lecture 8 – 9:30 p.m. 

Private home in Voorburg 

Registered attendees will receive address 

in advance of the event 

€ 15 Members / € 20 Non-Members 

Includes refreshments 

Maximum 20 

Cancellation Deadline: March 25 


Hidden Gems City Walk 

Monique Varma leads us on a special walking 

tour of hidden gem including hofjes 

(courtyards surrounded by almshouses that 

have existed since the Middle Ages and 

provided housing for women and the elderly), 

statues, monuments, gardens, and religious 

buildings. We start at De Haagsche 

Kluis, at Plein 20. They will open earlier 

than usual for our coffee at 10 a.m., and 

we will depart there at 10:30 to begin the 

walk. We will conclude at Pulchri Studio 

with many gems in between. Many of the 

places we will tour are now mostly closed 

to the public for various reasons, mostly 

the change in security standards the past 

several years. More details will be available 

before the tour. A unique tour with the 

disclaimer that it involves covering a fairly 

Unique products 

for entrepreneurs 

Sligro The Hague Forepark is the perfect fit for you as entrepreneur. 

We inspire and support you with our products and services, that will 

help you with your business. Our people are always there for you 

with professional and tailored advice. 

sligro.nl 

Linge 2, The Hague 

1061246 



Slate of Officers 2019-2020 

We are pleased to introduce the candidates for the 2019-2020 AWC The Hague Board. 

The election of Officers will take place during the General Meeting on April 11. If you 

are unable to attend the meeting, please submit a proxy ballot. 

President – Suzanne MacNeil: I am honored to be nominated 

for a second term as President of our Club, which 

will be my seventh year as a Member. Where has the time 

gone?!?! My first term on the Board has been filled with 

serious discussions, teamwork, fun, and desserts. Lots of 

desserts! I told the 2018-2019 Board at our first meeting 

in June of last year that I’m not a micromanager, and 

that each Member is empowered to oversee her position 

and the volunteers with whom she works. I also told the 

women who served with me that while we are charged 

with overseeing the Club on many levels, we are volunteers, 

and the Club is first and foremost a social organization 

so our goal is to enjoy our time together. I hope our 

Members sensed the camaraderie within the Board this 

Club year, and I see no reason to change our way of working. 

Looking ahead, I want to help our AWC continue to 

grow, make substantive decisions that will serve the Club for years to come, and help 

to foster the friendships that make our AWC one of the most interesting and inspiring 

organizations you’ll ever join! 

Vice President – Shanon Gonzales: I was born in the 

Texas panhandle and lived in the Houston area from the 

age of five. My husband and I always dreamed of living in 

Europe. When he was offered a transfer to his company’s 

corporate office in Amsterdam, we knew we couldn’t pass 

up the opportunity, and we moved our family to Leiden in 

August 2019. My husband, Christopher, and I have been 

married for 23 years this summer, and we have two children. 

My daughter, Emily, is a sophomore at the University 

of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas and is pursuing her nursing 

degree. My son, Seth, just started high school and attends 

Rijnlands Lyceum in Oegstgeest. I graduated with a 

degree in Education from Houston Baptist University, and 

I have taught for 22 years. I have been fortunate to teach 

3rd grade, 4th grade, reading academic support, and (my 

favorite level) kindergarten. I love helping people, and 

teaching has brought me so much joy! I spent 17 years at Memorial Parkway Elementary 

(MPE) in Katy, where I was very active in leadership roles. I served as a team leader for 

most of my years at MPE. I was also the chair of the Sunshine Committee, as well as 

the campus representative for the Association of Texas Professional Educators. In addition, 

I served as the webmaster for my campus. My family enjoys traveling together, 

and we are excited about the opportunities we now have to explore the Netherlands and 

surrounding countries. I am so glad that I found the AWC so quickly after my arrive to 

the Netherlands, and I am excited to serve on the Board. 


Treasurer – Sheyla Karman: I was born in Panama, lived 

and studied in New York for 17 years where I obtained my 

BS in accounting from Long Island University, and later my 

CPA licensure in New York State. I began my public accounting 

career in 1987 with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 

New York City, which took me on to Curaçao, and Jersey 

in The Channel Islands. In 1998 I returned to the US and 

changed career paths to the private sector as a financial reporting 

manager for Ocwen Financial Corporation, a publicly 

traded entity. In 2001, I switched career paths again, 

this time to fulfill the desire to start a family and become a 

full-time mother. Over the course of the past 17 years, along 

with motherhood, I have applied my professional skills and 

experiences to diverse volunteer leadership work opportunities: 

as Treasurer for the AWC of Brussels, Fellowship 

Committee Chair at the American Protestant Church of The Hague, account reviewer for 

the AWC of The Hague, alongside pursuing my passion for hospitality as an events planner 

and caterer. I have lived in The Hague since 2005, and am married to a Dutchman, and we 

have two teenage kids. 

Over the past year I have served the AWC The Hague as Club Treasurer and continued to 

meet and forge friendships with the diverse group of ladies who make up the AWC of The 

Hague. Our Finance Team has been working this past year on updating our accounting program, 

methods of payment and continuing to provide the Board and various Committees 

with finance related support. In the coming year, our goal is to continue to support the 

Board and its various Committees and to look for ways to improve and simplify the finance 

function, while looking ahead at the short- and long-term life of the AWC The Hague. 

Secretary – Heather DeWitt: I was born in Louisiana and 

became a Third Culture Kid when, at the age of seven, my 

family moved to Saudi Arabia. Living there and traveling the 

world was a wonderful way to grow up. After moving back to 

Northern California for high school and Southern California 

for university, I met my husband, Mike, at a drive-in movie. 

With Mike’s evolving career we have lived across the US: 

California, Wyoming, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Texas. 

With each move I have reinvented myself, as a graphic artist, 

teacher, interior decorator, and marketing production 

assistant. However, my favorite job has been as a mom. I 

have volunteered for many school, sport, church committees 

and groups over the years supporting our children Skyler 

and Logan. One very fond volunteer memory was as a key 

member of the St. Richard Appalachian Mission trip. This 

trip is an annual event where 40 adults and 80 high school 

youth travel to West Virginia and perform “Habitat for Humanity” like work on people’s 

homes. It was always an amazing week to work with the youth. I was able to improve 

my DIY skills tenfold; a few things I enjoyed learning were HVAC, drywall framing and 

how to plumb a shower! I have also had the opportunity to volunteer here in The Hauge 

with Present Stichting International, by helping underserved people improve their lives 

by improving their living environments. Having the wish to travel has always been in my 

blood and living in such a central location, I’m always looking for the next adventure. My 

travel highlight of last year was being able to walk on the Camino de Santiago with my 

daughter, mother and father. This year I’m looking forward to being able to meet more 

AWC Members and enjoying the wonderful city we call home. 

>> 24 


Slate of Officers (cont.) 


Club and Community – Amber Gatewood: I was born 

and raised in West Virginia and received my BS in Dental 

Hygiene at West Virginia University. A highlight of my 

career was my time spent in pediatric dentistry, especially 

community outreach in schools and the Give Kids A Smile 

program. I was on the dental hygiene advisory board at 

Bridgemont Community and Technical College and believe 

that the mouth is a gateway to overall health (remember to 

floss!). My husband, Mark, and I met during wild times 

at WVU, then settled down and got married in 2006. We 

moved to Charleston where I was active in the Bedford 

Road Garden Club, attended Bible Center Church and 

joined the Junior League. Shortly after moving to Houston, 

a wonderful opportunity presented itself, and we relocated 

to The Hague for Mark’s job in oil and gas. Currently, I 

am the eNews Editor and enjoy meeting culturally diverse 

women while working the front desk. I LOVE the cycling culture in the Netherlands, 

the convenience of European travel, and meeting up with my husband after work trips 

in places I might not normally venture. BUT my favorite place to go is back to ‘Almost 

Heaven’; being in my grandma’s kitchen, hiking in the hills, kayaking with my sisters, 

and simply spending time on the farm make me the happiest. 

Clubhouse Administrator – shared by Jan Essad & 

Sunita Menon 

Jan Essad: I was born in Albuquerque, but have known the 

expat life ALL my life, growing up in a military family and 

then marrying Bob who served in the US Air Force for 29 

years. I took advantage of the military lifestyle as an opportunity 

to do many different things: working as a hospital 

administrative assistant, dental assistant, substitute teacher, 

and owner of a small pottery business. Since arriving in 

The Hague in 2010, when Bob accepted a position with 

NATO, I have been an active Member of the AWC, serving 

various roles such as Secretary, chairing two Holiday 

Bazaars, Activities and Tours Chair (I am very proud the 

Walkie Talkies I started is still going strong!), Gala committee 

team member for six AWC Galas and Heart Pillow 

Project. Outside the Club, I enjoy fundraising for Stahili 

and am also an active member of Redeemer Church enjoying outreach for asylum seekers. 

Bob and I have two grown children, Grant and Natalie, and the cutest little granddaughter 

Myra Grace. This past year, Sunita and I have loved giving the Clubhouse a 

major facelift, by organizing a Club clear out, new furniture, painting, floor polishing and 

repairs where needed. We have also installed a new printer, router and motion lighting in 

the alleyway. Sunita and I look forward to serving on the Board again and accomplishing 

the remaining things on our VERY ambitious checklist. 

Sunita Menon: I was born in New Delhi, India and educated in various cities all over 

the country. After completing my master’s degree in biology, I met and married Mohan 


and moved to the US in 1991. I have lived in New York and Seattle, taught pre-med at 

the State University in New York and worked as a science educator at a middle school for 

several years. My family moved to the Netherlands in 2007 and in 2008 I started my business, 

The Acer Company, specializing in product brokerage and business development. 

My first AWC event was an evening wine tasting, as a guest; I enjoyed my time so much 

that I became a Member shortly thereafter. Since joining the AWC, I have been a part of 

the Gala team for six galas and the AWC Philanthropy Chair from 2013-2015. In 2015, I 

joined the AWC Board as Secretary and served until 2016. Today, I am an AWC Board 

Member and active volunteer at the Stahili Foundation, an organization that helps reunite 

children with families in Kenya. I also volunteer at Ipse de Bruggen, a Dutch support center 

for handicapped children and adults. I live in The Hague with my husband and grown 

children Avanti and Ajay. I trained as an Indian classical dancer for 18 years. I also love 

to cook, travel and learn languages – am learning Romanian at the moment. I enjoy being 

on the board, especially working with Jan on the Clubhouse projects and I look forward 

to another fun and productive year ahead! 

Communications – Audrey Goodman: I was born in 

Florida, spent my childhood moving around the US, and 

am a proud Navy Brat. I spent most of my adult years in 

Baltimore, where I call home. My background is in general 

liability and property insurance, working in claims for over 

seven years and insurance operations for the last three. I’ve 

held various management roles over the past five years and 

helped launch a new claims organization. My husband’s 

job moved us to The Hague in 2018 for a two-year assignment, 

and this the first expat experience for us both. 

I joined the AWC Board mid-way through the 2018-2019 

Club year, as the Communications Officer. During this 

time, we launched a new website (thanks to AWC Member 

and Webmaster Julie Otten), increased the activity on 

our public Facebook account, and reorganized our private 

Facebook page. I am also the Editor of Going Dutch, working with Terri Mahoney who 

handles the design and layout. Additionally, I am serving on the Benefit Event Committee 

as the Marketing and Promotions Chair for the re-Building Lives Benefit. In the upcoming 

Club year, our goal is to further increase our social media activities, expand Going 

Dutch advertising and article submissions, explore additional marketing options, and 

fine-tune the new AWC website. 

Did you know that any woman who speaks English is eligible to join the 

American Women’s Club? 

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



by Holly Savoie 

Help us assemble Easter baskets for the 

children residing at Vliet en Burgh, 

the Leger des Heils (Salvation Army) 

foster home in Voorburg. Baskets, bubbles, 

chalk, etc., and of course chocolate bunnies 

have all been purchased! All we need 

is for you to “Hop on Down” to the AWC 

Clubhouse and help to assemble the baskets. 

Join us for a fun evening of fellowship and 

wrapping fun. 

Funds from the philanthropy budget was 

used to purchase all the items needed for the 

baskets. Of course, any additional items that 

you would like to donate will be used and 

appreciated. 

In order to give working Members an 

opportunity to participate, basket assembly 

will take place in the evening this year. 

Please contact me at philanthropy@ 

awcthehague.org with any questions, or to 

volunteer to help with the assembly and/or 

delivery of the baskets. 


6 – 8 p.m. 



The new AWC Website is now up and running! 

Please visit 

www.awcthehague.org 

for all of your Club-related needs: 

Payment of Membership dues, registration for activities and events, Membership 

directory, etc. 

If you have any questions about the website, please contact 

awcthehague.communications@gmail.com. 



April 2019 

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m 

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m. 

AWC Tennis 1 p.m. 

Wassenaar Coffee and 

Conversation 9:30 a.m. 

AWC Board Meeting 1 p.m. 

Rembrandt Lecture 

7:30 p.m. 


6 p.m. 

7 8 


Dutch Products Class 

10 a.m. 

9 


Heart Pillow Workshop 

Noon 


10 

Evening Book Club 

7:30 p.m. 

11 

Coffee 10 a.m. 

April General Meeting 

10:30 a.m. 

12 

Buddy Check 12 

13 

re-Building Lives Benefit 

6:30 p.m. 

14 15 

16 

17 

18 

19 20 


Out to Lunch Bunch 

Noon 



Hidden Gems City Walk 

10 a.m. 

Thirsty Thursday 6 p.m. 

Dutch - American Friendship Day 

21 22 

23 

24 25 

26 27 



Daytime Book Club 10 a.m. 

King’s Day 

28 29 


30 


Save the Dates: 

May 9: Installation of Officers 

May 15: Lunch Bunch 

May 23: Volunteer Luncheon 



Reflecting on Repatriation 

by Rebecca Failor 

Expat, trailing spouse, repatriation. These are all terms 

I’d never used before 2010, when we started our 

wonderful life of living in the Netherlands. And 

what a wonderful life it was! The AWC The Hague made 

such a big difference in my integration into that life. But 

all good things seem to end, so now the word “repatriate” 

applies to me. 

For those of you who know me, you know I think you can 

do almost anything if you are determined and have a plan. 

As a very experienced traveler, I thought our integration 

into Dutch life would not be that difficult. Heck, I had just 

retired and had all this time to do whatever was needed. 

As my husband Hugh says when I am being naïve, “It’s 

a nice little world you live in.” So when reality set in, I 

needed help and that is what I received from the wonderful 

AWC ladies and our lovely neighbors. 

So when we repatriated I was not so naïve. I read the Repatriation section of the AWC 

book At Home in Holland. I got it that my friends’ lives had moved on without me. I knew 

the wonderful public transportation of the Netherlands would not be there on my return 

to California’s San Francisco Bay Area. But how hard could it be? I can read and speak 

the language. I was returning to a community I had previously lived in for 30 years, so I 

know my way around and know the customs. I have friends here. 

What Has Been Easy: 

• Staying with wonderful friends until we were ready to move back into our house. 

• Returning to the area we had lived for over 30 years. 

• Hugh had a job to return to, even though he did not have a specific assignment. 

• Knowing how to speak, understand, read, and write the language. 

• Knowing where and how to buy stuff, such as: 

○ Two cars (yes, two are needed here and we are driving more in one day than I 

used to drive in a couple of weeks) 

○ New bed, with all the needed sheets, blankets, 

etc. 

○ New television and stand 

○ New kitchen and laundry appliances for our 

house, replacing 20-years-old ones 

○ New window coverings—24 of them! 

• Knowing how to hire workers to: 

○ 

Paint the entire interior of our house—it 

looks so fresh and new! 

○. Install new carpet and flooring 

○. Repair a water problem in a bathroom 

• Getting our belongings from storage and receiving 

our shipment (though it takes weeks to get everything 

put away). 


What Has Not Been Easy: 

• Finding that most people have little interest in what 

your life was like in the Netherlands, or hearing about 

your experiences. 

• Missing my friends living in Holland (Thank goodness 

we have had quite a few visitors from our NL times). 

• Integrating back with old friends who have full lives. 

• Finding a club with frequent activities, like the AWC, 

with Members who “get my situation” and want to 

help. 

○ The local women’s club just doesn’t fit me. I 

○ 

tried! 

I’m not “Dutch” enough to integrate with the local 

Dutch group. 

• Driving everywhere you need to go. It isolates you 

from the life around you. 

• Watching Hugh be sidelined at work by those trying so hard to protect their turf. 

• Adjusting to US payment processes. The first time I wrote a check after repatriating, I 

had to stop and remember how. What goes where, and how does my husband want it 

recorded? And of course they wanted to see identification. Why can’t I just transfer the 

money directly? 

It’s Funny What I Miss About Holland: 

• Dropping in at Chat, Craft & Cake, even though I don’t do any crafting 

• 200-gram packages of roerbak veggies, ready for a quick stirfry 

• Flowers that cost less than $20 a bouquet 

• Ladies talking about Houston 

• The Museumkaart for access anytime to a fabulous museum, even if I only had a short 

time to visit. 

The Wonderful Things About Living in California: 

• Views of mountains and rolling hills from our backyard 

• Sailing on the San Francisco Bay 

• Feeling at home, and not like a visitor. 

For any of you who will be repatriating: Take care of yourself. Don’t expect it to be a piece 

of cake. And remember the wonderful experiences and friends you have made during your 

life abroad. 


The Story of Dutch-American 

Friendship Day 

by Roberta Enschede 

“There are no friends more faithful than they.” 

– John Adams 

On the 19th of April 1782, the United Provinces 

recognized the independence of the raggle-taggle 

colonies that were to become the United States of America. John Adams, the feisty, determined 

colonial man from Quincy, Massachusetts fought and cajoled and reasoned to make 

Dutch Recognition of American independence a reality. 

Ultimately, “De Heer Adams” succeeded. He became Minister Plenipotentiary, the first 

American ambassador to the United Provinces. He was received by the States General and 

the next day at Huis Ten Bos by William V, Prince of Orange. He wrote, “We have torn from 

England’s bosom a faithful ally by availing ourselves of the still small voice of reason without 

money—without credentials.” 

Princes Margriet by members of Congress, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Ben Gilman (R-NY). 

The resolution was sponsored by Bill Alexander (D-AR) (Steny Hoyer, now the majority 

leader in the House, came in his place) and Ben Gilman (R-NY). It was handwritten by an 

artist calligrapher who proudly placed the wax seals of the US and the Netherlands upon it. 

Thomas Boyleston Adams, President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Charles 

Francis Adams, direct descendants of John Adams, came over from Boston. The same day, 

in Washington D.C., Her Majesty Queen Beatrix addressed a joint session of Congress. 

On April 20, Her Majesty allowed the Huis Ten Bos to be opened. Charles Francis Adams 

and Thomas Boyleston Adams were welcomed there 200 years to the day after their ancestor 

“De Heer Adams” Minister Plenipotentiary was received by William V, Prince of 

Orange. 

“The American cause has had a signal triumph in this country.” – John Adams 

It was true in 1782. It was true in 1982. In 2019, we know—it is true today! 

“There are no friends more faithful than they.” – John Adams 

In 2007, on the 225th anniversary, Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, then Congressmen Pete 

Hoekstra (R-MI) and Chris van Holland (D-MD) now Senator, introduced HR-89 reaffirming 

Dutch-American Friendship Day. 

“You will see, the American cause has had a signal triumph in this 

country. If this had been the only action of my life, it would have been 

a life well spent.” -John Adams 

Message from the President (cont.) 


He bought a house at Fluweleen Burgwaal 18, “suitable for a Hotel des Etats-Unis”. That 

house became the first embassy the US ever owned. (The site is now a parking lot.) 

On Dutch-American Friendship Day, we extol his “Signal Triumph”—237 years of unbroken 

diplomatic relations—the longest continuous ties between the US and any nation. The idea for 

Dutch-American Friendship Day began in September of 1981. There was talk and plans for 

the Bicentennial of Dutch-American relations: business initiatives, projects, more business 

initiatives. But, we asked, “What about history?” 

In 1981, it was especially important to remember our history, our shared values, our “firm, 

inviolable friendship.” The Cold War was a clear and present reality. The US wanted to deploy 

48 cruise missiles in the town of Woensdrecht. Thousands of Dutch people protested on the 

Malieveld and all over the country. A resolution declaring Dutch-American Friendship Day 

would not mollify their concerns and fears. Nevertheless, it would be a fitting tribute. 

What was drafted on a kitchen table in September 1981, was passed by both houses of Congress 

in March 1982 and signed by President Ronald Reagan. HJ 410 (House Joint Resolution 410) 

declared the 19th of April Dutch-American Friendship Day. 

It passed just in time for the John Adams Dinner that would be held on the anniversary of 

the Bicentennial. At the dinner, the first copy of the joint resolution was presented to HRH 


FAWCO Biennial Conference that was held in 

Edinburgh in March. It was my first FAWCO 

conference and our Club had a large contingent 

of Members attend, including Georgia 

Regnault, Emily van Eerten, Anne van 

Oorschot, Terri Mahoney, and Laurie 

Brooks. In addition, Johanna Dishongh, a 

former president of our Club who has repatriated, 

is the US Issues Liaison for FAUSA, 

the American arm of FAWCO. 

I met incredible women from every 

FAWCO region and 40 different clubs in 

Edinburgh. The presidents’ sessions gave 

me confidence that our Club is moving in 

the right direction. I’ll discuss some of what I 

learned in Edinburgh at our April meeting, the 

ideas we shared, and why FAWCO remains a 

relevant organization that all Members should 

become more involved in, as it offers numerous 

opportunities through its multifaceted 

programs. If you’re not familiar with 

FAWCO, I know Julie will be happy to share 

why she became our rep, and I can explain 

why I caught FAWCO Fever at the conference 

in Edinburgh! 

I hope to see you at one, or all, of the fun 

events taking place this month. 

Tot ziens, 

Suzanne 


FAWCO Corner 

by Julie Mowat, AWC The Hague FAWCO Representative 

Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas, a United Nations NGO with 

consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council 

www.fawco.org. 

One Billion Rising 

One Billion Rising is the biggest mass action 

to end violence against women in history. 

This campaign started in 2012 and occurs 

annually on Valentine’s Day. Many activities 

are planned, including flash mobs. This 

year, the AWC The Hague participated 

again. Melissa Rider held a rehearsal at the 

Clubhouse for Members to learn the dance, 

and lots of laughter and fun was had. Then 

on Valentine’s Day, a beautiful sunny day, 

we (dressed in pink and red) joined the AWC 

Amsterdam (AWCA) for the flash mob in 

Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam. So much 

fun with great energy! The AWCA did a fantastic 

job organizing. When we were done, 

we decided to try to make it to the flash mob 

in Leiden (last year, AWC Members danced 

with Webster University in Leiden). We 

caught the right train and ran to the location 

in Leiden. We made it and joined them in 

their dance! Again, lots of fun energy and 

laughs. It was so empowering and a wonderful 

experience. We all plan to do it again 

next year and hope more Members can join 

us! 

It’s Not Too Soon to Register to 

Vote 

Federal law 

requires 

overseas 

voters to 

(re)register 

every year 

in which 

they mean 

to vote. Yes, the next national election is in 

2020, but prepare for special and any other 

elections that may arise in 2019 by using 

FAWCO’s dedicated website to register: 

www.usvotefoundation.org. 

Hope Beyond Displacement 

News From Collateral Repair Project 

by Tricia R. Saur, FAWCO Member 

SuperGirls: A Hallmark of Hope 

Beyond Displacement 

SuperGirls focuses on healthy eating and included 

a field trip to a nearby supermarket. 

The girls had a small budget to spend and 

got to decide what nutritious snack to purchase. 

The activity was followed by vibrant 

discussion that illustrated how the girls are 

learning about the value of money and independent 

decision making. 

The Collateral Repair Project (CRP) has 

seen real results in the way the girls control 

their emotions and interact with others, from 

the beginning to the end of the six-month 

session. For example, when one eight-yearold 

participant began, she was barely able 

to communicate at all. She was too shy to 

look at anyone’s face or respond when spoken 

to. Because of these issues, her parents 

decided it would be easier for her to not go 

to school. Then, after six months, she was 

regularly participating, and her hand was 

the first to shoot up to answer questions. 

That September, her parents registered her 

in school. 

Leadership In Action 

As part of the Leadership in Action program, 

18 women and men finished a 5-day 

training which taught them how to advocate 

and act on issues they see in their community. 

They have chosen child labor, violence 

against women, and the dangers of the internet 

as the issues to focus on and are in the 

process of designing advocacy projects. 



FAWCO Handbag and Art Auction 

by Julie Mowat, AWC The Hague FAWCO Representative 

Our FAWCO Handbag and Art Auction was once again a big success! This has always 

been a particularly fun event, and this year was no exception. Not only was a record 

amount raised – € 3,880! – but everyone had a wonderful time. Also, this last amount 

donated has pushed our Club up into “Diamond Level” donor status! It was truly incredible 

how many fabulous bags, scarves, accessories, and artworks were donated. It was wonderful 

to hear the gleeful laughs when a new item was presented. Bags were modeled by volunteers 

and then passed around to be examined before the competitive bids started. The high tea 

treats and bubbly were also highly appreciated by our many attendees. 

This fundraiser was the last one for the 2017–2019 FAWCO Target Project: CRP’s Hope 

Beyond Displacement. This non profit operates an amazing community center in Jordan that 

helps refugees. The funds raised will be used for many things including SuperGirl classes, 

gender-based violence programs, vocational training, education, etc. Your donations will 

definitely make a difference! Having had the privilege to visit there last spring, I can say your 

donations will be utilized well. For more information, visit www.collateralrepairproject.org. 

This auction could not have happened without all the dedicated and delightful volunteers 

that donated their time, money, and creative positive energy. We were led by our 

fearless leader Terri Mahoney, whose calm positive energy is an inspiration. Thank 

you especially to Loren Mealey, our auctioneer, who can really make the room buzz, and 

to all of our volunteers who put in more hours than you might imagine to make the whole 

event possible: Amber Gatewood, Audrey Goodman, Deana Kreitler, Debbie van 

Hees-Cascio, Dominque Duysens, Emily van Eerten, Georgia Regnault, Glenda Ohr, 

Greetje Engelsman, Holly Savoie, Jan Essad, Lana Heidar, Maud Janssen, Melissa 

White, Sunita Menon, Suzanne MacNeil, and Una Mulvihill. 

Again, a big heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated items, volunteered, and made 

purchases. I hope you are enjoying your new goodies. I am so proud to be a Member of 

this generous Club! 

With gratitude, Julie >> 38 



Handbag Auction 



Travel Tips & Tricks 


“I use www.skyscanner.nl to help me find the cheapest 

flights to European destinations. We much prefer flying 

from Rotterdam if possible—far less queuing time and 

much cheaper car parking! And don’t forget to consider 

going from airports located outside the Netherlands. 

We have flown out of Brussels airport a few times because 

flights were significantly cheaper than those in the 

Netherlands.” – Jo van Kalveen 

“The best way to avoid the tour bus crowds is to either 

get up and out early or visit later in the day. Take an 

afternoon siesta if you choose the early option, so you 

can still enjoy a fun evening out. Many museums have 

night hours one day a week.” – Melissa Rider 

“In the US, my husband and I are loyal to one of the 

large hotel chains. But we’ve found that boutique hotels 

in Europe are often cheaper and cozier than the chains, 

especially in many city centers. Our new go-to website 

for hotels is www.booking.com. We’ve also become big 

fans of the Lonely Planet travel books. I know the Rick 

Steves books are more popular, but we prefer the format 

and maps in Lonely Plant.” – Audrey Goodman 

“My ‘Cannot Travel Without’ piece of luggage is the 

Brics X-Large 3-in-1 Bag (www.brics.it). It has a sleeve 

that fits over your trolley handle, making it so easy to 

move through airports. It’s a shoulder bag with leather 

straps that you can move and restyle, to make it into a 

large crossbody, freeing your hands. The small zipper 

pouch that snaps inside the bag comes with a thin, removable 

leather strap so it can be used as an evening 

crossbody or just a clutch. [Bonus!] The other thing I 

carry is a roll of washi tape. It comes in handy for clothes 

alterations, rubber band replacement, or keeping bags 

tightly closed in your suitcase. It is so tiny, but does a 

big amount of work!” 

– Debbie Cascio 

“If you plan to walk on anything other than the roads, 

i.e. hiking paths or trails, I have a great free app that will 

help you navigate anywhere in the world. You can use it 

with WiFi, or if you know you will be out with no WiFi 

reception, you can downlaod the maps for free and have 

them ready on your phone to be used with GPS. Go to 

the app store and look for Gaia GPS.” 

– Terri Mahoney 

Travel4U@americantravelcenter.net/www.americantravelcenter.nl/tel. +3261234901 

“Our next holiday is 

a safari. They do 

the whole world!” 

“My husband and I love using the Rick Steves Audio 

Europe App. I like to listen to the audio files as I am 

planning our trip. Once we arrive in the city, we usually 

start our adventure with his City Walk audio guide. The 

City Walk provides a great overview and history of the 

city and when it is complete you have a good lay of the 

land to explore more in-depth.” – Holly Savoie 

“They make booking a 

holiday so easy. I just 

leave it to them!” 

“Every trip is 

customized, just for 

me! That’s unique!” 



Unconventional Travel: Seoul 

by Melissa White 

Shortly after New Year’s and just a month 

after leaving Athens, Ashlynn was off 

to Seoul for eight weeks for her next 

“on stay” as a full-time model. It was incredibly 

strange kissing my 18-year-old daughter 

goodbye at Schiphol knowing that she was 

traveling to Asia on a one-way ticket; the plans 

for the next leg of her trip to Sydney hadn’t 

been finalized at the time. 

Instead of renting her own place, this time 

Ashlynn was staying in a “model apartment” 

managed by her Korean modeling agency so 

that models could share affordable space in 

this overcrowded city. The apartment was in 

Gwangjin District, southeast of the city center 


and about a 20-minute walk from a vibrant 

shopping and restaurant area. It was also conveniently 

close to the agency and the male 

models’ apartment. Ashlynn was a bit apprehensive 

about living with total strangers, but 

she quickly bonded with the other girls and 

was very happy she wasn’t living on her own 

in such a foreign land. The biggest drawback 

was that she was constantly having to watch 

good friends leave; not unlike what she was 

used to growing up as an expat, but on a much 

faster timescale. 

Two weeks after she left Holland, I also left 

Schiphol on a one-way ticket to Seoul. Unlike 

Ashlynn, I had a series of one-way tickets that 

would then take me to San Francisco to visit 

my parents, and on to New York to meet up 

with my husband on a business trip (which is 

definitely an entirely different tale to tell), and 

then eventually back home to complete my first 

round-the-world journey. Seoul had previously 

changed my life by exposing me to international 

travel and the idea of living as an expat. 

My parents lived there in the early 90s and I 

got my first passport to visit them in 1991 when 

I was 27. Over my five visits, I spent about 

eight weeks in Seoul and was looking forward 

to experiencing the city with my daughter. 

I had originally planned to stay in a hotel 

in the city center with Ashlynn joining me on 

the weekends, although it would have limited 

our time together. I was thrilled when her 

agency offered to let me stay with Ashlynn 

in the three-bedroom apartment instead, since 

there was only one other model at that time, 

a 20-year-old Russian from Tel Aviv. A big 

surprise was that I could stay for free, allowing 

me more time with Ashlynn and freeing 

up more spending money to spoil her. It also 

meant that I ended up hanging out with a 

bunch of models 14 to 23 years old when I 

was invited to a few group dinners and an 

evening of karaoke. 

Things had really changed since the last 

time I was in Seoul in 1995. I was happy to 

see that the roads seemed much more orderly 

than the complete chaos before. My 

dad likened driving there in the 90s to being 

completely surrounded by teenage drivers, as 

few people could afford cars previously. The 

subway system has spread vastly around the 

city and is efficient, clean and easy to use. 

The line serving Itaewon, where my parents 

lived, didn’t open until five years after they 

left. Itaewon’s main shopping street had transformed 

from a series of crooked alleys and 

little shops to a glut of national and international 

chain stores. I was excited to find the 

familiar staircase up the hill to my parents’ 

old street, but was astonished when I realized 

that all the single family houses on their side 

of the street had been replaced by multistory 

apartments or office buildings. I was also surprised 

to see how many bars were advertising 

that they were open 24/7; in 1991, I was in a 

bar with a friend when announcements were 

made by megaphone at 1 a.m. instructing 

people to go home and then the police arrived 

at 2 a.m. to escort everyone out. 

A model’s schedule is not her own. 

Ashlynn frequently wouldn’t find out when 

she had castings or photo shoots until 9 p.m. 

the previous evening, so it was difficult to 

make any firm plans. She usually had at least 

one casting daily, so we were limited to mostly 

half-day activities. Unlike Athens, where I 

walked along with her and then waited outside 

while she went to castings, in Seoul she was 

always driven to castings or jobs and accompanied 

by her manager to translate since very 

few of the clients and photographers spoke 

English. She had the entire first weekend off, 

but we had the misfortune of getting food poisoning 

from an Indian restaurant on Saturday, 

which wiped out Sunday. She then had to 

work most of the second weekend, but this 

gave me the chance to run with two different 

chapters of the Hash House Harriers, the international 

running group that I regularly run 

with in Holland (www.harrier.nl). “Hashing” 

is a great way to see sections of a city that are 

off the beaten path. 

Some of the other models told us about 

a raccoon café that they had visited, but 

complained that it was very busy with lots 

of screaming children. I did a little research 

and found an alternative that wasn’t in a 

tourist area. According to Timeout Seoul, the 

owner of Blind Alley had adopted the rescued 

raccoons as babies and didn’t want to leave 

them home alone so set up a separate room in 

a café for visitors to meet her pets. We were 

lucky enough to be the only guests. Before 

meeting the raccoons, however, we first fed the 

two resident pigs in a most unusual manner: 

by sitting on a pillow, having a blanket placed 

across our laps and then throwing the >> 44 


Unconventional Travel (cont.) 


food across the blanket. Needless to say, it was 

quite a strange sensation. Things were calmer 

with the raccoons with one of them sleeping 

and one hiding. We took turns holding and 

feeding the third one, who was surprisingly 

heavy. The room was clean with lots of 

climbing structures to entertain the raccoons 

and the staff seemed very attentive. 


Seoul is now home to the fifth tallest 

building in the world: Lotte World Tower 

(seoulsky.lotteworld.com). It opened in 2017 

and is 1,821 feet (555 meters) tall with 123 

floors. Rather than take the subway, we 

walked across a bridge over the Han River 

and along the riverfront for one and a half 

hours. It was chilly (the temperature rarely 

was above freezing during my visit), but 

the sun was shining and it was great to get 

outside. The design of the tower reminded 

me of The Shard in London, but this was 

much taller. We entered the building through 

the most luxurious shopping mall I’ve ever 

seen, before heading to the basement which 

housed a more affordable mall and the entrance 

to the observation deck. Admission 

was a bit pricey, but it was definitely money 

well spent. The fun started when we entered 

the Sky Shuttle, the world’s tallest and fastest 

double-decker elevator, which took just 

under one minute to bring us 

to the 117th floor. While the 

views were fantastic there, 

they got even better when 

we went up to the 118th floor 

to check out the Sky Deck, 

the world’s highest glassfloor 

observation deck. It 

was truly wild standing on 

a clear glass floor 1,568 feet 

(478 meters) above traffic. 

Our timing was perfect to 

see the 360° view of Seoul 

as daytime transformed into 

nighttime. We finished our 

visit with the signature cocktail 

of the 123F Lounge on 

the top floor. 

The next day we were back in the basement 

of Lotte World Tower, this time to visit 

the Lotte World Aquarium, another highpriced 

activity that Ashlynn would have 

foregone if she had to pay since she keeps 

herself on a strict budget. As a future marine 

biologist, she is torn between her love for 

being around sea life and her concerns about 

animals in captivity. We were both impressed 

with this modern and well-designed aquarium 

housing 55,000 creatures from 650 species. 

I especially enjoyed the 275-foot (85-meter) 

long underwater tunnel and Ashlynn especially 

loved getting to look eye-to-eye with 

a beluga whale. 

On my last night in town, we went to Asia’s 

largest underground shopping center: COEX 

Mall. Ashlynn was happy to find a Dutch café 

serving authentic warm stroopwafels, which 

were unlikely to be vegan but worth it for a 

little piece of home. The biggest surprise of the 

evening occurred when we wandered into what 

we thought was a giant bookstore. Instead it 

turned out to be the incredible Starfield Library 

with over 50,000 titles in an amazing twostory 

open-plan design. We just happened 

to go past some magazines and on a whim I 

searched for the February issue of Noblesse, 

a Korean luxury lifestyle magazine. Much to 

our surprise, there was Ashlynn gracing the 

pages in a circus-themed editorial she had shot 

just two weeks earlier wearing 

designer clothes. It was quite 

surreal to be standing in a library 

in Seoul watching my 

daughter seeing herself in a 

Korean magazine for the first 

time. I was especially thrilled 

when we discovered a bookstore 

around the corner that 

had a copy so I could bring 

one home. 

By the time you are reading 

this, Ashlynn’s stay in 

Korea will have come to an 

end and she’ll have moved 

onto Sydney, where yet another 

adventure awaits me as 

well. 


Credit: Royal Institute of Dutch Architects 

The Dutch Daily 

by Eileen Harloff 

From Embassy to Cultural Center 

When the US Embassy moved from the 

Lange Voorhout in The Hague out to 

Wassenaar over a year ago, a question arose: 

What should become of the building? In 

some quarters it was suggested that it be demolished—as 

soon as possible as it was an 

eye sore for that location and looked like a 

prison—and replaced by a smart hotel. Other 

factions said the building should be kept, but 

that it should be changed into a hotel. Others 

suggested that it should become a new museum, 

either to house the Escher collection 

(currently located down the street) or to make 

it into a museum dedicated to Dutch porcelain. 

The decision has been made. and the 

former embassy building is now a museum 

whose purpose is to “focus on the most relevant 

developments in the modern arts and 

provide the opportunity and space for artists 

to develop new work and thereby make a 

meaningful contribution to society.” The museum 

is under the aegis of the national institution 

West Den Haag, together with ANNA 

Vastgoed (Property) and Culture. 

The rescue of the building from destruction 

is applauded by those interested in architecture 

and its development over time. 

It is a product of the Hungarian-American 

architect and furniture designer Marcel 

Brauer, a former member of the then radical 

arts and crafts Bauhaus School that was 

founded in the 1930s by Walter Gropius in 

Weimar, Germany. Following his studies, 

Brauer became a member of the faculty of 

the School, later moving on first to London, 

then to the US where he was on the faculty 

of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 

In 1946 he moved to New York City and 

set up his own practice. During his career 

he designed almost 100 buildings, including 

the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the 

IBM Research Center, and the headquarters 

of the US Department of Housing and Urban 

Development in Washington, D.C. 

Like it or not, the former embassy building 

has been spared a sad demise and can now 

look forward to a bright future, it is be hoped, 

in the context of modern society. The museum, 

which opened its doors to a large crowd 

of visitors in February and can be visited 

daily from 1 to 6 p.m. Free entrance is available 

for children up to 12 and Museumkaart 

holders. www.onzeambassade.nl 

Get With It, Gemeentemuseum 

To the horror and dismay of many of its 

admirers—including me, I might add— 

the Gemeentemuseum of The Hague will 

be changing its name to Kunstmuseum 

Den Haag (Art Museum The Hague) some 

time at the end of this year. Although the 

Gemeentemuseum is one of the most visited 

and well-known art museums in the country, 

according to Director Benno Tempel its 

name is old fashioned, stuffy and regional— 

it’s not associated with its international collection. 

Nor is a change of name so unusual, 

an example being the former Letterkundig 

Museum (Literary Museum), whose present 

name is Literatuurmuseum (Literature 

Museum). With its new name, the museum 

will have the international allure that is 

crucial in these times and will undoubtedly 

lead to a greater number of visitors. When 

news of the intended change was made public, 

the newspaper AD carried out of poll to 

determine the opinion of the public. The response 

was that only 14% of the respondents 

Credit: Gemeentemuseum The Hague 

thought it a good idea. A former Professor of 

Corporate Communications, Cees Riel, who 

has carried out extensive research on the subject, 

agrees with Director Tempo. The new 

name, he suggests, is associated with modern 

art from the 20th and 21st centuries, and 

while change often leads to uncertainty and 

irritation, in the long run the change will generally 

be accepted. 

The Case of the Glass Piano 

It’s like a story from a book or a film, and 

its main character is a former Malaysian millionaire, 

Jho Low, who stole millions from 

Malaysia’s national funds, among others, 

through various white-washing deals. He 

was a big spender, owning a super-luxe yacht 

with helicopter platform and a 19-man crew 

(bought in the Netherlands), a private plane, 

10 houses in New York City, California 

and London, paintings (one of which was a 

Picasso that he gave as a gift to Leonardo 

DiCaprio), jewels, etc. He also gave money 

to charity. 

Now this is where Holland comes into the 

story. Jho Low ordered a glass piano from 

Dutch piano maker, music teacher and director, 

Peter Tol. The piano maker lives in 

Ablasserdam, where he has a home and 

workshop. When he was 12 years old, he 

saw an acrylic piano in a store in town. He 

was fascinated with it and decided that one 

day he would like to have such an item in his 

own home. Peter grew up, married, and had 

a daughter named Cecille, who was severely 

handicapped, but who learned to play the 

piano. Together they entertained themselves 

with playing duets. When she was 25 years 

old, Cecille moved out of the home and Peter 

began building acrylic pianos, to which he 

gave her name. 

Switch back to Jho Low, millionaire. He 

saw one of Tol’s acrylic pianos and decided 

that this was the perfect gift for supermodel 

Miranda Kerr. It was October, and he wanted 

the piano to be delivered to Miranda in 

California by Christmas, about three months 

away. It usually takes nine months to build 

a piano, but Peter Tol had an unfinished one 

on hand and was able to meet the deadline. 

Moreover, the piano was to have a red acrylic 

ribbon around it just above the legs, and 

when it was taken out of its wrappings it was 

to automatically play You’re Still the One. 

The piano was delivered on time, in the rain, 

but as no one was home it was deposited on 

the front porch. How it was received and if it 

were used is not known. 

The end of story is not yet in sight. Eventually 

the financial machinations of Jho Low came 

to light and he fled to an unknown destination, 

although it is suspected that it is China. 

As most of these transactions took place in 

the US, that country was tasked with sorting 

out the mess. This undertaking is costing a lot 

of money, as items that had been gifted to various 

people (the Picasso given to Leonardo 

DiCaprio, the glass piano to Miranda Kerr, 

etc.) have had to be retrieved, examined and 

repaired. The fate of Peter Tol’s glass piano 

is not yet known. I hope it ends up in the 

Netherlands and that it will be on display. It 

may even become a national treasure. 

Credit: Vogue 



Announcements 

Scary Bikers 

A comedy/drama about life, love and staying 

on your bike by John Godber, one of the 

U.K.’s most performed playwrights. Based 

in Amsterdam, The Queen’s English Theatre 

Company’s touring production opens in the 

Netherlands just as it is also transferring into 

London’s West End. When retired miner 

Don and former teacher Carol meet it looks 

like a new beginning, but a bike ride through 

Europe tests their budding romance. It’s second 

time around for recently bereaved Carol 

and Don, but the road to love proves rocky 

when they find they are on opposite sides 

of the fence over Brexit! Tickets are sold at 

www.qetc.nl for performances in The Hague 

on April 5 – 7 and in Leiden on April 10. 

Greenhouse Open Weekend 

Kom in de Kas (Enter the Greenhouse) 

is the largest public event of the Dutch 

greenhouse industry on Saturday, April 6 

and Sunday, April 7. Hundreds of hospitable 

vegetable, flower and plant cultivators are 

scattered over 22 regions throughout the 

country. This is a unique opportunity to see 

what is happening inside the greenhouses. 

The cultivators will proudly present the art 

of growing fresh and safe natural products. 

www.komindekas.nl 


National Museum Week 

For more than 30 years, over 400 museums 

across the country have offered a special 

weekend with free or discounted entrance 

including free films, slide shows, tours, 

demonstrations and workshops. The fun 

has been expanded to an entire week from 

April 8 – 14 with the theme of Our Real 

Gold. For more information and to see 

which museums are participating, visit 

www.nationalemuseumweek.nl. 

Sci-Fi Weekend 

Take a deep dive into the unknown during 

Sci-Fi Weekend at the Kunsthal Rotterdam, 

a contemporary art museum. On Saturday, 

April 13, there will be a lecture on extraterrestrial 

life by Vincent Icke, Professor 

of Theoretical Astronomy and Cosmology. 

The Doelen Ensemble will perform Hans 

Zimmer’s Interstellar Suite, and there will 

be a focus on the first landing on the moon, 

which took place 50 years ago. You can 

also join in a comic illustration workshop. 

Sunday, April 14 is Kunsthal Family Day. 

Immortalize yourself as a cyborg and learn 

with the HipHopHuis how to dance like a 

robot. You can design your own robot in 

the Digital Playground Media Lab. On 

both days, you can have great fun with the 

best science fiction retro and classic video 

games in the arcade hall. Admission is free 

for Museumkaart holders and youth under 

17. www.kunsthal.nl 

Toy robots c.1950-1970 Photo by Tristan Fewings, Getty Images 

The Arts Society Lecture 

William Shakespeare and His Turbulent 

Times 

More than 400 years after Shakespeare’s 

death, his words still have the power to thrill, 

move and uplift the soul. This lecture will 

explore what is known of his life in the turbulent 

and dangerous world of Elizabethan 

and Jacobean England and look at the development 

of English Renaissance theatre. 

Freelance lecturer Elizabeth Merry has over 

25 years’ experience lecturing on classical 

art and architecture, and the links between 

literature and art. Non-member fee is € 13. 

Tuesday, April 16 

8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.) 

Cultural Centrum Warenar 

Kerkstraat 75, Wassenaar 

www.theartssocietythehague.org 

Scottish Country Dancing 

Potluck 

The St. Andrew’s Society of the Netherlands 

invites the AWC to a Potluck Ceilidh 

(Scottish country dancing). There is no 

previous experience needed. Similar to 

American square dancing, there is a “caller” 

who walks everyone through each dance before 

the music starts and then calls out the 

moves throughout. Dress code is smart casual 

or kilt. Entrance to the dance with refreshments 

is € 10 plus a potluck item for 

the buffet. 

Friday, April 5 

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. 

British School of the Netherlands 

Diamanthorst 16, Den Haag 

www.standrews.nl 

Bonfire Beach Fest 

Celebrate the official opening of beach 

season at this festival that will put 

Scheveningen on fire. On Friday, April 19 

and Saturday, April 20, the entire beach— 

from the Sportstrand to the Zwarte Pad— 

transforms into a large open and free festival 

area. Young and old will be entertained with 

cultural, musical and culinary activities. 

www.bonfirebeachfest.com 

Flower Parade 

On Saturday, April 13 at 9:15 a.m., the 

72nd edition of the annual Flower Parade 

will leave Noordwijk to travel its 25-mile 

(40-kilometer) route along the main roads 

to arrive in Haarlem around 10 p.m. The 

procession will be comprised of 17 large >> 50 


Announcements (cont.) 


floats with the theme of Changing World 

and more than 30 decorated luxury cars, 

interspersed with marching bands. There 

will be plenty of space on the roadside for 

the hundreds of thousands of spectators 

who always congregate along the route. 

The Flower Parade passes Keukenhof 

around 3:30 p.m. If you miss the parade, 

you can see the floats on view in Haarlem 

on Sunday, April 14 until 5 p.m. There 

will also be an illuminated parade in 

Noordwijkerhout on Friday, April 13 at 

9:15 p.m. To see the schedule of the route, 

go to www.bloemencorso-bollenstreek.nl. 

KunstRAI Art Fair 

From Wednesday, April 17 until Monday, 

April 22, the longest running art fair in the 

Netherlands (now in its 35th year) will offer 

contemporary Dutch art for sale at RAI 

Amsterdam. During the fair, over 80 galleries 

will show their paintings, sculptures, 

photography, new media, design and jewelry. 

www.kunstrai.nl 

Outdoor Photo Exposition 

The National Geographic Masters of 

Photography outdoor photo exposition is being 

held on the Lange Voorhout through April 

22. This free exposition displays a selection 

of 22 historic images of landscapes, culture 


and animals as seen through the lenses of top 

photographers. 

Life I Live Festival 

Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26, The 

Hague city center will be transformed into 

a free open-air music festival to kick off the 

celebration of the King’s birthday and continuing 

on Saturday, April 27 for King’s Day 

itself. During these two days, 50 local bands 

and DJs will perform next to international 

acts on stages scattered around playing a variety 

of musical styles: soul, rock, funk, hip 

hop, blues, indie pop, jazz and dance tunes. 

www.thelifeilive.nl 

Tulip Festival 

This festival celebrates the famous tulip and 

ensures it blooms all over Amsterdam each 

spring. In 2015, nearly 550,000 tulip bulbs 

were planted in beds and pots around the 

city for the first festival. Additional bulbs 

have been planted each year, moving towards 

the goal of one bulb for every inhabitant of 

Amsterdam. All through the month of April, 

colorful and rare tulips can be seen at 85 

Photo by John Lewis Marshall 

locations scattered among the gardens of museums, 

private homes and other city institutions. 

A festival guide and route map showing 

the participating locations is available for € 2 

at the information points. www.tulpfestival. 

com 

Broadway Writer/Performer 

Coming to The Hague 

Join award-winning playwright and performer 

Ann Randolph for her two-day workshop: 

Speak Your Truth: Writing and Storytelling 

for the Page, Stage and Life. Ann teaches 

how sharing your strengths and vulnerabilities 

builds trust with friends, clients and your 

audience. She says that by learning how to 

tell your own story, you will not only learn to 

craft your experience into a compelling narrative, 

but also unleash a sense of purpose in 

your own life. Tickets are € 260 and can be 

purchased at www.eventbrite.com. 

Saturday, May 18 – Sunday, May 19 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

De Stadhouder 

Stadhouderslaan 9, Den Haag 

Hockney and Van Gogh Exhibit 

Through May 26, the colossal works of 

David Hockney will be on display at the 

Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Hockney 

– Van Gogh: The Joy of Nature offers an 

extensive and colorful exploration of the 

common ground between the work of these 

artists. This exhibit will further demonstrate 

the influence of Van Gogh on Hockney’s 

work, exploring both artists’ fascination with 

nature, their use of bright, contrasting colors 

and their experimentation with perspective. 

Science Fiction: A Journey Into 

the Unknown 

Through June 30, you can step into the fascinating 

world of more than 100 years of science 

fiction at Kunsthal Rotterdam and discover 

the ongoing human quest for the unknown on 

our own planet and beyond. More than 850 

unique objects show the incredible imagination 

of the human mind. Travel through time 

and space with film clips and video installations, 

rare manuscripts, drawings, books, 

comics, and art. Admire the many costumes, 

masks, models and props from film classics 

like Star Wars, Star Trek and Godzilla. See 

Darth Vader’s warrior helmet, Spock’s space 

suit, an original manuscript from 1865 from 

Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty 

Days and the dinosaur egg from Jurassic 

Park. Immerse yourself in a multiscreen installation 

with an episode from the Netflix hit 

series Black Mirror specially adapted for this 

exhibition. www.kunsthal.nl 

APRIL 2019 51 

Kilham to Langtoft II by David Hockney Photo by Richard Schmidt Photo by Tristan Fewings, Getty Images

Classifieds 

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ACCESS 

page 27 

American Travel 

Center 

page 41 

Aveda Lifestyle 

Salon 

Inside Cover 

FRITSTAXI 

Airport Service 

Inside Back Cover 

Happy Critters 

Marcel 

Vermeulen 

page 19 

Petros Eyewear 

Playball Kids 

Sligro 

page 11 

page 19 

page 21 

VERHEY VAN 

WIJK brilmode 

page 17 

Wassalon 

Weissenbruch 

page 15 

Your Cleaning 

Service 

Jewelry 

page 11 

APRIL 2019 53 

page 27 

WORDPRESS Basics 

Workshop 

Learn how to install, setup, 

create and manage your own 

WordPress Website. 

COST: €149, AWC Members 

only €90 

DATES: Mar 4, Mar 22, Apr 5, 

Apr 12 

TIME: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

WHERE: AWC Clubhouse 

Register: www.Juewels.com 

Coffee, tea, juice, & light lunch 

included! 

Taught by: Julie Otten (AWC 

Webmaster) 

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The AWC takes care to protect Member information and adherence to this policy is critical to maintain 

Member privacy. Members are asked to report suspected misuse of the list to any AWC Board Member. 


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Rates 

Classified Mini-Ads: 

Deadline: In general, the 1st of the month prior to the 

month in which your ad will appear, although subject to 

change due to holiday schedule. 

AWC Member Rates: 

For 45 Words 

Non-Member Rates: 

For 45 Words 

For 25 Additional Words 

Per Issue € 15 € 8 

Eight Issues € 110 € 55 

For 25 Additional Words 

Per Issue € 10 € 5 

Eight Issues € 70 € 30 

The AWC is not responsible for accidents 

or injuries occurring at Club activities or 

on Club property. Sports and exercise 

instructors must carry their own liability 

insurance. 

How to Submit Your Ad: 

Email your ad to: goingdutchads@awcthehague.org 

Payment Information: 

Please indicate the name of your ad on your payment so that 

we are able to match up your payment with your ad. 

By Bank Transfer: 

ABN-AMRO 43.14.21.757 

IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757 

Display Ads: 

For full, half, third or quarter page commercial display ads, 

email our magazine staff at 

goingdutchads@awcthehague.org

Restaurant Recommendations 


Recommendations by Naya Pessoa & Jo Van Kalveen 

Please send your recommendations to goingdutchmag@awcthehague.org. 

Somos Peru 

Authentic Peruvian cuisine with good service. 

Delicious “pisco sour” cocktails, usually 

two-for-one on Fridays! 

Javastraat 13, 2585 AB, Den Haag 

070 778 6184 

Somos-Peru.nl 

Peruvian, Latin, Seafood 

€€ - €€€ 

Tuesday – Friday, 12 – 10 p.m. 

Saturday & Sunday, 1 – 10 p.m. 

Closed Monday 

MaMa Kelly 

Housed in a converted water plant, with 

a menu based around chicken or lobster. 

Check out the huge terrace during the 

warmer summer months! 

Saturnusstraat 100, 2516 AH, Den Haag 

070 217 0546 

MaMa-Kelly.nl 

French, Seafood, International 

€€ - €€€ 

Sunday – Friday, 11 a.m. – Midnight 

Saturday, 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. 

(Lunch is available from Noon – 3 p.m., & 

Dinner from 5:30 – 10 p.m.) 

Central Park 

Beautifully-presented food, with a regularly 

changing menu. Look out for their special 

ice cream dessert, served in a huge bowl 

surrounded by dry ice, with a variety of fun 

toppings. 

Oosteinde 14, 2271 EH, Voorburg 

070 387 2081 

CentralParkVoorburg.com 

French, Dutch, Seafood 

€€€€ 

Breakfast: Monday – Friday, 7 – 10 a.m. 

& Saturday – Sunday, 9 – 11 a.m. 

Lunch: Sunday – Friday, 12 – 3 p.m. 

Dinner: Monday – Saturday, 6 – 9 p.m. 

& Sunday, 6 – 8 p.m.

AWC Going Dutch April 2019

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