AWC Going Dutch Dec 2019

Going Dutch

December 2019

The Magazine of the

American Women’s Club

of The Hague

Halloween

Holiday Bazaar

Andalusia

6

22 -27

40

5 Officers and Chairwomen

6 Halloween Collage

8 Message from the President

9 December General Meeting

and Holiday Party

10 Letter from the Editor

12 Membership

12 You Vote is Your Voice

13 Clubhouse Corner

14 Ongoing Activities

20 One-of-a-Kind Activities

22 Holiday Bazaar

28 Calendar

31 The Dutch Daily

32 FAWCO Corner

35 Special UN Climate Summit

38 AWC and the Arts

40 Adventures in Andalusia

44 The Gift of Coffee

47 Announcements

52 Classifieds

53 Index of Advertisers

53 Rates

54 Restaurant

Recommendations

DECEMBER 2019 3

Editor

Alex Moore

2019-2020 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 2019-2020)

€ 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

Mauritshuis 2018 by Melissa White

Photography

Sarah Dunn, Greetje Engelsman, Amber

Gatewood, Theresa Lane, Suzanne MacNeil,

Alex Moore, Melissa Rider, Emily van

Eerten, Anne van Oorshot, Melissa White

Proofreaders

Celeste Brown, Audrey Goodman, Jane

Gulde, Diane Schaap, Debbie van Hees,

Melissa White

Advertising Manager & Invoicing

Open

Contributors

Mary Adams, Barbara Brookman, Mary

Ellen Brennan, Jane Choy, Suzanne Dundas,

Greetje Engelsman, Roberta Enschede, Jan

Essad, Audrey Goodman, Dena Haggerty,

Eileen Harloff, Sheyla Karman, Suzanne

MacNeil, Sunita Menon, Melissa Rider, Anne

van Oorshot, Emily van Eerten, 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 Melissa Rider

president@awcthehague.org

Vice President Open

vicepresident@awcthehague.org

Treasurer Teresa Insalaco

treasurer@awcthehague.org

Secretary Heather DeWitt

secretary@awcthehague.org

Club and Community Development

Barbara Brookman

community@awcthehague.org

Clubhouse Administrator

Jan Essad

clubadministrator@awcthehague.org

Communications Open

communications@awcthehague.org

Member-at-Large

Sunita Menon

Front Office

Liduine Bekman, Siska Datema-Kool,

Deana Kreitler, Hannah Gray, Georgia

Regnault, Melissa Rider, Jessie Rodell

Activities: Open

Arts: Jane Choy

Assistant Treasurer: Lori Schnebelie

Assistant Membership: Liduine Bekman

Board Advisor: Jessie Rodell

Bookkeeper: Lori Schnebelie

Caring Committee: Naomi Keip

Chat, Craft & Cake: Suzanne Dundas

eNews: Melissa Rider

Evening Events: Open

FAWCO: Barbara Brookman

Front Office Coordinator: Open

General Meeting Programs: Suzanne

MacNeil

Heart Pillow: Jan de Vries

Historian/Archivist: Georgia Regnault

Holiday Bazaar: Open

IT Administrator: Julie Otten

Kids’ Club: Open

Library: Dena Haggerty

Lunch Bunch: Greetje Engelsman

Membership: Mary Ellen Brennan

Movie Network: Tina Andrews

Newcomers: Jo van Kalveen & Hilde

Volle

Parliamentarian: Georgia Regnault

Philanthropy: Jaimie Keppel-Molenaar

Public Relations: Open

Social Media Facebook: Ceci Wong

Social Media Instagram: Open

Social Media LinkedIn: Julie Otten

Tennis: Molly Boed

Thirsty Thursday: Open

Tours: Liduine Bekman

Volunteer Coordinator: Laurie

Martecchini

Walkie Talkies: Emily van Eerten

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 March issue, submissions are due before Monday, February 24.

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.

DECEMBER 2019 5

Halloween Party

Message from the President

by Suzanne MacNeil

Sometimes life goes as planned.

Sometimes there are curveballs that

can’t be dodged. That’s the state of

my life in The Hague at the moment as I’m

dealing with some of the last days I can call

myself an expat.

Tim’s company is based in Northern

California and the business plan called for

him to manage clinical trials in Europe for

the company’s new cardiac device. Then

came information that the Food and Drug

Administration will allow clinical trials in

the US, so the company’s board of directors

asked him to return. Our intense discussions

throughout October centered on whether I

should return with him or stay in The Hague

to finish my term as AWC President. It was

strictly my decision, and I chose to stay till

May and then move to Nashville to ready

his house (now a rental) for sale.

Tim was in Nashville at the end of October

to look for property for us to build the house

that we’ve been noodling about for a while.

It turned out that new construction is prohibitively

expensive as Nashville is a booming

market, so off Tim went looking at existing

homes. And he found the perfect place for

us. It wasn’t until midnight on Halloween

that we learned our offer was accepted and

we closed on the house late last month.

I have since decided I don’t want to be separated

from Tim for the six months until the

installation of the new Board. We’ve packed

and shipped much of our “stuff” already

and I’m repatriating six months

earlier than planned.

This was not an

easy decision, but

it was made after

speaking with

Tim, friends and

confidants who

provided wise

counsel. Despite the

decision being based

8 GOING DUTCH

on logic and logistics,

it has

ripped my heart

apart as I love our

Club, my friends,

our mission, and

everything good

that has happened

to me because of

our Club. How

do I leave in the

middle of my

obligation? It is the question that kept me

up at night, for many nights. But, I’m now

at peace and know that the Club will, of

course, continue doing what it does best:

providing a home away from home for all

of us who live far from family and life as

we knew it.

During my adult life, I’ve moved 11 times

and, with any luck, this 12th move will be

my last for many years to come. Fortunately,

the house we bought is close to friends,

my Publix grocery store, even my previous

veterinarian. We are truly American

as in the last month we not only bought a

house, we’ve also purchased two cars and

a mini dachshund! Tulip is currently in St.

Petersburg, Florida and we’ll meet her during

the holidays when we visit Tim’s older

son and two grandsons in Tampa. I’m looking

forward to hearing the tap, tap, tap of

her teeny nails on the floor and having her

keep me company while Tim is traveling.

Not only am I leaving, but so are several

other Members of your Board. Many thanks

to Melissa Rider who will take my place

as President. This summer, when we first

spoke about her role as Vice President, I

promised her I was in it for the long haul.

I hate not keeping promises, but Melissa,

one of the kindest women I know, has accepted

her new role with grace. Please give

her your support and keep those ideas about

events and activities flowing. I also appreciate

Barbara Brookman stepping in

>>46

December General Meeting

and Holiday Party

by Suzanne MacNeil

For the first time ever, a woman is the

Deputy Chief of Mission at the United

States Embassy in the Netherlands.

Marja Verloop is a career diplomat who

started her service at the embassy in June.

Marja was born in the Netherlands and returned

to the country after serving as the

Deputy Executive Director for the East Asian

and Pacific Affairs Bureau, overseeing 45

overseas posts and 12 domestic offices. Her

career has been diverse with other assignments

in Poland, Malaysia and Namibia. Join

us for our December General Meeting to meet

Marja and learn more about her journey. We’ll

also be celebrating the holidays with a potluck

lunch. Look for more information about the

lunch on the Club’s calendar and eNews.

Thursday, December 12

10 a.m. Social

10:30 a.m. Meeting begins

10:45 a.m. Marja Verloop

Noon Potluck Lunch

AWC Clubhouse

Happy Holidays!

The AWC Clubhouse will be closed from December 20 to January 6

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!

DECEMBER 2019 9

Letter from the Editor

by Alex Moore

Well, if it isn’t that time of year again.

The time of eggnog and cookies

and goodwill and Christmas cheer

and the same playlist ad nauseam. The time

of year when we don sweaters ugly enough

to terrify small children and attend parties

specifically for this purpose. You know, the

one with the same Christmas songs that have

“jazzed up” renditions of songs we all know

that sound exactly the same every year. All

right, I’ll stop being Scroogier than Ebenezer

himself. Is that a real word? It is now.

One of the happiest things about the

Christmas season is the camaraderie that we

share with others and being able to gather

together with friends and family to celebrate.

Especially the camaraderie we AWC

Members share. Last year may not have

been my first Christmas away from home,

but any homesickness I had was kept at bay

because it was in December 2018 that I first

went to a Thirsty Thursday and saw firsthand

what a great Club we had. I received

such a warm welcome that night that I became

a Member not long afterwards.

It’s hard not to get caught up in the holiday

cheer, especially with events such as

the AWC Christmas Lunch with the Out

to Lunch Bunch, the Daytime Book Club

Holiday Party and the Christmas Market

trip to Germany. Whether this is your first

Christmas away from home or your fifth,

these events will provide fun opportunities

to enjoy the Christmas spirit with other Club

Members. One of the hidden advantages to

winter is providing plenty of opportunities

to experience gezelligheid in a cozy indoor

place. As travel writer J. Maarten Troost

noted, stepping inside a Dutch pub during

these bleak winters will revive the spirit.

I’m looking forward to Sinterklaas coming

on December 5 as well as Christmas festivities

with Diederik’s family. Last year, I

baked cookies on Christmas Eve using my

mother-in-law’s cookie cutters and her fancy

mixer. As usual, Teddy the Irish terrier

came in to try get me to play with her while

I was in the middle of livestreaming Alex’s

Ratchet Kitchen: The Christmas Edition on

Instagram. I didn’t kick her football across

the room, but I did wash my hands and pet

her. We ate the cookies while we watched

The Sound of Music and any cookie crumbs

on the floor were soon eaten by Teddy. She

would still be my kitchen sidekick if she

weren’t in dog heaven. My in-laws have a

new dog, a dachshund named Morris, but

the jury is out on whether or not he’s a good

kitchen assistant. We’ll see when it’s time to

make the cookies.

10 GOING DUTCH

If I’ve learned anything in my numerous

years around the sun, it’s that sap is a snark

killer. Leave it to Christmas to bring out my

sentimental side and have it flowing faster

than Vermont maple syrup on Christmas

morning pancakes. May all of you have

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

Alex

DECEMBER 2019 11

Membership

by Mary Ellen Brennan

We always welcome new Members

to our Club. Please don’t hesitate

to bring your friends and acquaintances

to activities and events throughout the

year so they can try us out. And remember,

they don’t have to be American to join.

Welcome New Members!

12 GOING DUTCH

Peggy van Luyn

Marnie de Mooij

Hilde Vistnes

Your Vote is Your Voice

If I’m not registered, how can I register?

Use the FPCA – Federal Post Card.

How do I get an FPCA?

Contact the FVAP – Federal Voting Assistance Program

www.FVAP.gov or www.usvotefoundation.org

How do I request an Absentee Ballot?

Use the FPCA to:

1) Register and

2 ) Request an Absentee Ballot

When should I send in an FPCA?

Every January or at least 90 days before an election.

The FVAP - Federal Voting Assistance Program advises Overseas

Citizens to complete an FPCA every January!

Why Not Use the Clubhouse for

a Meeting or Event?

by Jan Essad and Sunita Menon

Did you know that the AWC Clubhouse is available to rent for events and activities,

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

meeting or you know someone who is looking for a place for a function, this could

be the perfect space. Here is a little information about renting the Clubhouse.

AWC Member Rentals

There are two types of rentals offered to AWC Members:

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

as a birthday party.

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

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

full-day event.

AWC Business Member Rentals

This rental is designed to support our Business Members. The rental fee is based on the

number of AWC Members and non-member attendees but will never exceed an amount of

€ 40.

Non-member Rentals

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

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

Refundable Deposit

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

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

of the Clubhouse after the event, it will be determined how much of the deposit will

be refunded.

So, if you are looking

for a great place to have

your event, consider

your Clubhouse. Please

be sure to share this

information with friends

and colleagues, as it just

may be the perfect place

for their upcoming event.

For more information,

please contact the AWC

Clubhouse Managers

Jan Essad and Sunita

Menon at awcthehague.

clubhousemgr@gmail.

com. We’ll see you at the

Clubhouse!

DECEMBER 2019 13

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.

Happy reading!

Daytime Book Club

December Selection: An American

Princess: The Many Lives

of Allene Tew by Annejet

van der Zijl

Written by one of the

most widely read literary

nonfiction writers in the

Netherlands, this book

about Princess Beatrix’s

godmother, was originally

written in Dutch. The

rags-to-riches story takes

us around the world, through two World

Wars and the Great Depression, while highlighting

the transformation of Allene Tew

from a rural all-American girl to European

royalty.

Note new day, time and venue for

Christmas party

Friday, December 13

11 a.m.

Georgia Regnault’s Home

FREE

Daytime Book Club Reading List:

January 23: A Strangeness of My Mind by

Orphan Pamuk

Daytime Book Club Recap – October

Never before has typesetting colored our

opinions about a book, but the typesetting

for Lanny by Max Porter was an issue for

us. First things first: Porter was a bookseller

of some renown and a dabbler-poet before

he wrote his first book: Grief is a Thing with

Feathers. The success of …Feathers enticed

him to revisit a poem he had long ago

shelved, which he reworked into Lanny. As

befits a novel that began life as a poem,

Lanny is avant-garde. The titular character

never speaks and his age is never revealed.

We know Lanny through his parents and

his elderly art tutor, once a celebrity bad

boy of the art world. We see Lanny through

the pithy comments of the denizens of his

small village outside London and through

the deranged ramblings of a supernatural

Green Man called Dead Papa Toothwort.

The mostly unidentified villagers “speak”

through snippets that are printed to flow

around and over each other on the page, a

typesetting decision some of us found confusing

and off-putting. Our typesetting aficionado

(who knew?) found it thrilling. It

would have been helpful if each speaker’s

comments were printed in a different font,

but they weren’t. Lanny is a short, engrossing

novel, but it worked better as the audiobook,

in which the snippet voices were distinguished

by gender, accent and inflection.

Let’s call Lanny a “special” book. We leave

it to you to decide how it is special for you.

Evening Book Club

December Selection: Love You Hard by

Abby Maslin

Join us for an inspiring

and unflinchingly honest

memoir of resilience

and commitment about

recovering from a traumatic

brain injury and

learning to love again

as told from the caregiver’s

perspective. At

the heart of this unique

story are universal life lessons: living and

loving wholeheartedly, learning to heal after

profound grief, and choosing joy in the

Credit: Amazon

Evening Book Club Reading List:

January 8: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by

Thornton Wilder

February 12: Nothing to Envy by Barbara

Demick

March 11: The Signature of All Things by

Elizabeth Gilbert

wake of tragedy. The location of our discussion

changes every month, so please contact

Dena at bookclubevening@awcthehague.

org if you are interested in attending.

Wednesday, December 4

7:30 p.m.

Location TBA

FREE

Evening Book Club Recap – October

Although there was one very loud dissenter,

the vast majority of readers enjoyed The

Red Tent. Even the dissenter agreed that the

description of the daily life in Dinah’s time

period was fascinating. The herbs they used

for midwifery, for example, was incredibly

detailed as was the description of what daily

life consisted of for women of that time

period. We were all more than a bit thankful

for living in a modern age, although a

few wouldn’t mind the re-initiation of the

red tent to get a break from the world for

a few days each month. The blatant sexism

as portrayed in the novel served as fodder

for an interesting discussion of love and sex

in modern versus ancient times. Everyone

agreed that although there are no longer red

tents (and the symbol of the supposed inferiority

of women), modern society still has

a way to go before equality of the sexes is

achieved.

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

10 a.m. – Noon

AWC Clubhouse

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 >> 16

14 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 15

Ongoing Activities (cont.)

Continued from page 15

have received a heart pillow. For more

information, please contact Jan de Vries at

heartpillow@awcthehague.org.

Tuesday, December 10

Noon – 2 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

FREE

Visitors Welcome

Mah Jongg

Mah Jongg is a popular tile-based game of

Chinese origin. This exciting game is similar

to the card game, Rummy. We will play

the international version with 144 tiles with

no scoring. Be prepared for a game of strategy

and luck that will quickly become addictive!

We will begin with an introduction

of the basic rules and hands. All beginners

and experienced players are welcome at any

time. Once the group is established, beginners

can join and learn from doing. Please

join us as this game is simply good fun. For

more information and to RSVP, contact Jen

van Ginhoven at activities@awcthehague.

org.

Every Tuesday, except second Tuesday of

the month

1 – 4 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

FREE

Out to Lunch Bunch

Every year the Out to Lunch Bunch group

organizes an AWC Christmas Lunch, open

for all Members. This year’s will be a special

three-course lunch at Restaurant Bistro

Mer. Join us to enjoy good food, wine and

company. Registration and payment are to be

made on our website by December 12, after

which you will be asked to choose between

a fish, meat or vegetarian menu. If you have

any allergies or dietary restrictions, please

specify when registering. If you have any

questions, please contact Greetje Engelsman

at outtolunchbunch@awcthehague.org.

Tuesday, December 17

Noon – 3 p.m.

Restaurant Bistro Mer

Javastraat 9, 2585 AB, Den Haag

€ 30 Must be paid by December 12

Sign up at www.awcthehague.org >> 18

16 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 17

Ongoing Activities (cont.)


Pickleball

Pickleball is a sport that combines elements

from tennis, badminton and table tennis. It

is played with a paddle and light ball in a

badminton-sized court. It is a friendly sport

for all age groups and levels! Pickleball is

the fastest growing sport in the US and is

exploding in popularity internationally.

The AWC is now trying to form its own

Pickleball League with AWC Member,

Krishna Thakrar, teaching us how to play.

Contact Melissa Rider at vicepresident@

awcthehague.org to join a trial session with

the option to become part of the league.

Every Wednesday

10 - 11:30 a.m.

Sporthall Houtrust

Laan van Poot 22, Den Haag

Single Session: € 10 Members/ € 15 nonmembers

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.

Tennis League

Players needed! The AWC Tennis Group

plays doubles every Tuesday in Warmond.

Ladies move up and down the courts according

to a ladder system. The emphasis

in on having fun! The League is available

for all levels except true beginners. Contact

Molly Boed at mollyboed@gmail.com for

more information.

Every Tuesday

(except specific holidays TBD)

1 – 3 p.m.

Dekker Tennis Court

Veerpolder 14, Warmond

Thirsty Thursday

Don't miss out on our December Thirsty

Thursday. Celebrate the holidays at Bit

Restaurant with two drinks of choice and

small bites for just €15.

Bring your friends!


6 – 9 p.m.

Bit Restaurant

Buitenhof 42, 2513 AH 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.

Please check the AWC Facebook page or

contact Emily van Eerten at walkietalkies@

awcthehague.org for last minute updates and

cancellations.

Mondays

9:30 a.m.

AWC Clubhouse

FREE

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 vicepresident@

awcthehague.org 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.

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 a.m. 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

18 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 19

One-of-a-Kind Activities

by Melissa Rider

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.

Guided Tour of Nicolaes Maes,

Rembrandt’s Versatile Pupil

The Mauritshuis will conclude the year of

Rembrandt & the Golden Age with the first

international retrospective exhibition about

one of Rembrandt’s most talented students:

Nicolaes Maes.

With his original representations of everyday

life, Nicolaes Maes was one of the most

innovative painters of the Dutch Golden

Age. His domestic scenes have been a

source of inspiration for painters such as

Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer.

In his lifelike representation of emotions,

Maes shows himself to be a fully-fledged

student of Rembrandt. He began his career

by painting biblical stories, in which the

The Eavesdropper, 1656

Wellington Museum, London

influence of his teacher is clearly visible.

Maes was inspired by his teacher, but at the

same time always looked for his own new

solutions.

In the following years, Maes painted intimate

scenes with women engaged in their

household duties. The Eavesdroppers is

a favorite, representing how the lady of

the house catches her maid with a lover.

Roguishly and conspiratorially, the woman

looks at us; with her finger on her lips she

draws the attention of the viewer and calls

for silence. Some beautiful “eavesdroppers”

will be on loan from the Dordrecht

Museum, the Guildhall Art Gallery and the

Wellington Museum (both in London).

Maes achieved his greatest success, artistically

and financially, during his life as a portrait

painter. His clients are dressed luxuriously,

represented in fantasy costumes, and

placed in park-like landscapes with antique

structures and fountains.

Save time by buying your entrance ticket

online in advance at www.mauritshuis.nl.

For further information contact jechoy@

me.com.

Cologne Christmas Market Trip

It’s not too late to join us for the Christmas

markets in Cologne, Germany on December

10 and 11. Since this year’s trip will be by

train, you can book last minute assuming

there is still space available on the ICE train.

We’ll be departing on the ICE train from

Utrecht Centraal at 8:37 a.m. and arriving

in Cologne at 10:46 on Tuesday. We’ll be

departing Cologne at 17:46 and arriving at

20:01 in Utrecht on Wednesday. You must

book your own hotel accommodations.

Those who reserved early will be staying

at the Hotel City Class Residence am Dom

near the train station.

The Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral

is the largest and most well-known with

over 150 wooden stalls, and nearby, in front

of Town Hall, is the Alter Markt. The city

has many other markets as well. Located

on the Neumarkt Square, the Market of

Angels is the city’s oldest market, while

Heavenue has only been in existence

for two years. The Harbour Christmas

Market with its maritime flair is held at the

Chocolate Museum in a picturesque setting

beside the Rhine River. The Village of St.

Nicholas on the Rudolfplatz has the medieval

Hahnentorburg as its historic backdrop.

The smaller and quieter Stadtgarten Markt

is located in the Belgian Quarter of the city.

Finally, if you want a break from shopping,

eating, and drinking glühwein, you can follow

the Route of the Nativity Scenes to see

these displays in more than 110 locations

throughout the city. Arrangements have also

been made for a private tour of the Cologne

Cathedral in the afternoon on Tuesday.

Once you have completed your travel

arrangements, or if you have questions,

please send an email to Melissa Rider at

vicepresident@awcthehague.org.

Unique products

for entrepreneurs

Sunday, December 8

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Mauritshuis Museum

Plein 29, Den Haag

€ 10 Members (€ 15 non-members)

PLUS

Museum entrance fee is € 15.50 or free

with Museumkaart

Minimum 11 / Maximum 15

Nonrefundable

Sign up at www.awcthehague.org

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

20 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 21

2019 AWC

Holiday

Bazaar

by Suzanne MacNeil

If you didn’t stop by the Holiday Bazaar

last month, if you didn’t shop at the

Holiday Bazaar, and if you didn’t volunteer

for the Holiday Bazaar, you missed out

on an incredible weekend! The sun filtered

through into the massive conference space at

the Marriott Hotel (at least on Sunday) with

almost 40 vendors selling their jewelry, art,

textiles, cards, wine, and many other items

to the shoppers. Some of the vendors were

familiar faces, others were first-timers, and

almost all agreed they’ll be back for next

year’s event. Our guests were mostly from

the area in and around The Hague, but we

also welcomed guests who came from as far

away as Amsterdam and Brussels as they

knew our Holiday Bazaar offered a big bang

for their buck.

The success of this event would not have

been possible without a strong team. Major

kudos to Jaimie Keppel who took the reins

for the second year. She assembled a group

of Members who proved our Club is comprised

of women with big hearts and baking

skills. Jaimie started working on the event

in the spring by meeting with the staff at the

Marriott Hotel as the cost of returning to

the previous two locations was financially

prohibitive, and by contacting vendors and

getting contracts signed early.

One of the biggest challenges for the Bazaar

is ensuring our bake sale is fully stocked,

and Theresa Lane did not disappoint. In

fact, Theresa made two gingerbread houses

that were displayed at the bake sale. One

sold for a whopping € 45 and the other was

donated to the raffle sale. One of the most

popular baked item year-in and year-out is

Jan de Vries’s carrot cake. Jan had surgery

on one of her hands in recent months and

we certainly didn’t expect to see any of her

delicacies at this year’s bake sale. However,

mid-afternoon on Saturday, Jan and her husband

arrived carrying three carrot cakes,

which sold for € 4 a slice!

Leading up to the Bazaar, Laurie

Martecchini worked behind the scenes

assembling the volunteers who staffed the

event. Laurie is a Holiday Bazaar veteran

and not only were all positions filled, there

were some positions with a shorter turnaround

as we had plenty of Members who

stepped forward. Also working behind the

scenes was the Finance Team comprised

of Teresa Insalaco and Lori Schnebelie.

Although the Bazaar was just a weekend affair,

their job wasn’t over for more than a

week afterwards as they counted the money,

reviewed sales, paid vendors, and managed

all of the expenses.

This year’s Kids’ Corner was organized

by Jaimie and gave moms, dads, omas and

opas the opportunity to shop while the kids

were entertained. The Gym graciously offered

their services for free on Sunday and

it was fun to watch the kids jump, run, balance,

and be encouraged. Sitting nearby was

Bob “Santa” Essad whose booming ho-hohos

echoed throughout the shopping and

play areas. No matter your age, the magic

of Santa was clearly evident in the smiles of

our guests, both kids and adults. Santa now

knows what gifts our little guests want, including

a puppy who may arrive under the

tree for one of the kids who sat with Santa.

There are no words to express our appreciation

of the staff at the Marriott Hotel. Not

only was the space warm and welcoming,

the hotel generously provided a free night’s

stay for two for our raffle. It was a much

sought-after prize and was won by one of

our vendors.

Our Holiday Bazaar allows our Club to

continue its philanthropic efforts, to ensure

we have the funds to manage our Club, and

to provide what we’re known for: being a

home away from home for our Members.

Thank you for your participation, as without

you we would not have been able to pull off

this successful Holiday Bazaar.

Jaimie Keppel: Chair

Theresa Lane: Bake Sale

Teresa Insalaco and Lori Schnebelie:

Finance

Laurie Martecchini: Volunteers

Members who staffed the raffle table, payment

tables and entry table, and who baked

and sold at the bake sale

And, to everyone who shopped, bought,

and gave of their time and energy

>> 24

22 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 23

Holiday

Bazaar

Volunteers

Tina Andrews

Liduine Bekman

Mary Ellen Brennan

Barbara Brookman

Celeste Brown

Kimberly Carlton

Heather DeWitt

Sarah Dunn

Amber Gatewood

Hannah Gray

Marsha Hagney

Lana Heidar

Rachel Hines

Teresa Insalaco

Sheyla Karman

Jaimie Keppel-Molenaar

Shirin Kianmanesh

Deana Kreitler

24 GOING DUTCH

Suzanne MacNeil

Laurie Martecchini

Julie Mowat

Una Mulvihill

Rebecca Niles

Georgia Regnault

Melissa Rider

Dory Ritchie

Lynn Roukema

Holly Savoie

Theresa Schmader

Lori Schnebelie

Krishna Thakrar

Ellen Uit den Boogaert

Jo van Kalveen

Peggy van Luyn

Hilde Volle

Anne Von Oorschot

Michelle Voorn

DECEMBER 2019 25

26 GOING DUTCH

December 2019

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3

4

5

6 7

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m.

Spanish Conversation Noon

Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Evening Book Club

7:30 p.m.

Wassenaar Coffee and

Conversation 9:30 a.m.

Guided Tour of "Let's Dance"

Fashion Exhibit 11 a.m.

8

9

10

11 12

13

14

Guided Tour of Nicolaes

Maes, Rembrandt’s Versatile

Pupil 4:30 p.m.



Heart Pillow Workshop

Noon

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Coffee 10 a.m.

General Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Daytime Book Club Holiday

Party (offsite) 11 a.m

Cologne Christmas Market Trip

Buddy Check 12

15 16

17

18

19

20 21



Pickleball 10 a.m.

Holiday Out to Lunch Bunch

Noon

Spanish Conversation Noon

Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

Clubhouse Closed December 20 through January 6

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Thirsty Thursday 6 p.m.

22 23 24 25s 26 27 28


Hanukkah

29 30 31


Christmas

Save the Dates:

January 9: Kick Off

January 17: Dutch Politics Tour: Parliament Buildings

and Knight's Hall

January 22: Jewels! Tour

January 25: Chili Cook Off

28 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 29

The Dutch Daily

by Eileen Harloff

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.

30 GOING DUTCH

If you have any questions about the website, please contact

communications@awcthehague.org

Credit: AD.nl © Fred Leeflang

Traces of the Past

Anyone who lives in the Netherlands and

has an interest in art will be familiar with

the name Johannes Vermeer and with at

least two of his paintings: View of Delft and

The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Vermeer

was born and lived all his short life in Delft.

In his early years, his family (father, mother

and sister Greetrui) moved into Herberg

Mechelen in the center of town, across the

square from the present Vermeeer Center.

His father was a satin weaver, innkeeper

and art dealer. In 1653, Johannes married

Catharina Bolnes, joined the Catholic

Church and moved with his wife to the home

of his well-to-do mother-in-law, where he

had his own atelier. Mainly he sold paintings,

but he also took commissions to paint

pictures for others. During their marriage,

Johannes and Catharina gave birth to 11

children, the eldest of whom was Johannes,

who became a priest.

Following the death of his father, Johannes

the painter inherited the Herberg Mechelen.

Unfortunately, at this time the economy was

slow and the only price he could get for the

inn was a mere 960 guilders. Commissions

for paintings were not forthcoming and

Johannes became depressed and, after a

short illness, he died in 1675 at the age of

42. In 1851, the Herberg was destroyed and

all but forgotten.

Fast forward to June 2019. While excavations

were being done on sewer works in

the center of Delft, the workmen came upon

a substantial wall, which was identified as

having been part of the former Herberg

Mechelen. The chairman of the Vermeer

Center, Herman Weyers, has suggested that

the cellar of the former inn be dug out and

covered by a glass plate so that this piece of

history can be revealed to people of today.

However, it is likely that the cost of such a

project and its maintenance may well make

such a venture too expensive to realize.

Child Wonder

The Heywoods are an unusual family.

After having traveled around Europe for a

time, they have now settled in a houseboat

in Gouda. Their passion is music, which

fills their days. Father plays a variety of

instruments, and six-year-old Pippen can’t

spell well, but he can read sheet music.

Sister Jala, age 10, is both a bookworm

and a passionate musician; she sings and

plays the piano and guitar. Two years ago,

she applied for an audition at the Royal

Conservatory in The Hague and was accepted

as a student. Her instrument at the

time was the piano, but she started looking

around for another instrument to play—

one that her father had not mastered—and

came upon the contrabass. She fell in love

with it, was its only student, and has become

the pride of the Conservatory. It’s a

big instrument for a small person to play,

but Jala finds that one of its advantages is

that it grows with the player but must always

be larger than her. However, it must

not be so large that she can’t reach the top

of the strings. She plays both jazz and classics,

and is the pride of her teacher, Mark

van Rooijen, who praises her enormous

focus. However, he adds, this is perhaps

because there is no television on the houseboat.

It won’t be long, he predicts, before

she may well surpass him.

DECEMBER 2019 31

FAWCO Corner

by Barbara Brookman, 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.

Caught “It” At the FAWCO Regional Conference

“Did you catch it? Did you catch it?” Last month, I found myself in a room full of incredible,

inspirational, irrepressible women at the FAWCO Region 4 Meeting in Amsterdam. This

was my first experience sampling the heady atmosphere of a FAWCO gathering and people

couldn’t wait for me to catch the bug.

Needless to say, it is contagious, and I’ve caught it…although I’m still trying to figure out

exactly what “it” is. FAWCO is so much and then so much more. Having Suzanne MacNeil

as my buddy for the meeting as well as being with all the others from the AWC The Hague,

really helped me make the most of our weekend. The Regional Meeting was a whirlwind introduction

to FAWCO and its current focus on Health as the Target Program for 2019 to 2022.

Through the Target Program, FAWCO makes a significant impact on global issues by actively

supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Over the next three years, we will take a deep dive to learn what matters in women’s and girls’

health. The monthly Target Blog: Health Matters will explore the issues affecting the health

and well-being of women and girls around the globe; discuss the goals established by world

leaders in health to remedy these injustices; and look at the impact health has on women’s and

girls’ lives, families and communities, and on society. Check it out!

Sixteen applications for the next Target Project have been submitted. Our Club will vote on

a shortlist in February and a project will be selected at the FAWCO Interim Conference in

Luxembourg in March 2020. The monthly Target Bulletin will update you on the current status

of the Target Program. Here is a quick timeline.

2019

October-December

2020

January 6

February 1-15

March

Selection Committee reviews 16 project proposals received

Short-listed proposals announced and project summaries

published

Member Clubs vote

Winning project will be announced at FAWCO Interim

Conference in Luxembourg and fundraising begins

Interim Conference in Luxembourg

Speaking of the FAWCO Interim Conference, mark your calendars for March 20 – 22, 2020

in Luxembourg. More information will be available on the FAWCO website (www.fawco.org)

soon.

FAWCO Under 40

FAWCO has started a virtual networking event, the FAWCO Under 40 Happy Hour for the

younger-ish members of FAWCO. Every month they have a themed discussion on topics like

living abroad, women’s health, collaboration within FAWCO, and how to get involved. Bring

your own cocktail or coffee! RSVP to FAWCO-U40@FAWCO.org to get on the invite list.

FAWCO Foundation Education Grants

Remember the 2020 Education Award applications and all relevant information are available

on the Education Awards pages of the FAWCO Foundation website. There are nine Education

Awards including the all-new Vocational Award. All applications are due on January 27, 2020.

Handbag Auction is on For April!

We are planning a Handbag Auction at the AWC Clubhouse in April to benefit FAWCO, so put

aside any lightly used handbags for this exciting event. It will be a fun afternoon of friendly

competition for the perfect bag, tentatively scheduled for April 2.

32 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 33

Special UN Climate Action Summit

by Anne van Oorschot (AWC The Hague) & Joan Evers (AWC Madrid)

Did you hear about the Climate Summit in New York that took place at the UN in

September? It was in the news a lot, and while its occurrence was probably hard to miss,

you might not have a clear picture of “how it turned out.” FAWCO’s Environment Team

wrote a good and understandable summary of the event, so read on to learn what the

results were…

Fall Activites

Climate Change is a critical issue facing

the world today and many see it

as an existential crisis. UN Secretary

General, Antonio Guterres, called for a special

UN Climate Action Summit where leaders

from government and business would outline

their actions to address this threat, even going

beyond what was first agreed upon at the Paris

Climate Agreement. The Paris Agreement

marked the first time that all nations agreed

to the common cause of combating climate

change and required that all parties put forth

their best efforts to limit the global temperature

increase to less than 2° Celsius, with a

stretch goal to limit that increase to 1.5° C. It

was drafted at the Conference of the Parties

(COP) for the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

in late 2015 in Paris, was opened for signatures

on Earth Day on April 22, 2016, and

went into effect on November 4, 2016, after

the 55 countries representing 55% of global

emissions, ratified it on October 5. Guterres

emphasized that the focus of this most recent

Summit must be concrete actions and not just

plans. Only the leaders of “action” countries

were asked to present on Monday, September

23, 2019, during the UN General Assembly

in New York.

Fridays for Future

The spotlight on the climate crisis has

gained extra power over the last year thanks

to Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg,

who began her Fridays for Future

(#FridaysforFuture) school strikes on

August 20, 2018. The attention and coverage

of these events, along with her speaking

to multiple governments, has grown over

the past year. Greta’s environmentally

conscious travel to New York for the UN

Climate Summit onboard a zero-carbon

yacht harnessing wind, sun, and hydro

power, has garnered her even more public

attention. As a result, significant worldwide

strikes occurred on Friday, September

20 and Friday, September 27, under the

banner Global Strike for Future. On the first

Friday, over 1 million people participated

in climate strikes across 4,500 locations; on

the second Friday, there were over 2 million

across 2,400 locations. In addition to

>> 36

34 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 35

UN Climate Action Summit (cont.)


the strike, Thunberg and 15 other children

representing countries around the world filed

a formal legal complaint against 5 countries.

This complaint was filed with the UN

Rights of the Child Committee and alleges

that these countries are violating their rights

as children by failing to sufficiently address

climate change.

Guterres set a strong tone during his opening

remarks about the future that children

could face, “I will not be there, but my

granddaughters will, and your grandchildren,

too. I refuse to be an accomplice in the

destruction of their one and only home.”

And the Results Are…

What was achieved at the Summit was summarized

in the closing press release:

65 countries and major sub-national economies

such as California committed to cut

greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by

2050, while 70 countries announced they

will either boost their national action plans

by 2020 or have started the process of doing

so.

Over 100 business leaders delivered

concrete actions to align with the Paris

Agreement targets, and speed up the transition

from the grey to green economy, including

asset-owners holding over $2 trillion

in assets and leading companies with

combined value also over $2 trillion.

Many countries and over 100 cities, including

many of the worlds largest, announced

significant and concrete new steps to combat

the climate crisis.

The release also outlined specific commitments

which can be read in detail: https://

www.un.org/en/climatechange/assets/pdf/

CAS_closing_release.pdf

Mixed to Negative?

While the organizers of the Summit touted

these achievements, coverage of the

Summit commitments was mixed to negative.

The countries who are the largest polluters—China,

United States and India—

made little to no substantive commitments

to reduce their pollution. Helen Mountford,

Vice President for Climate and Economics

at the World Resource Institute, said, “What

we’ve seen so far is not the kind of leadership

we need from the major economies.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made

remarks at the Summit that his country’s

goals must be higher but only made additional

commitments for using more renewable

energy. Currently their efforts and plans

are in line with the 2° C reduction goals of

the Paris Agreement.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China’s State

Councilor and special representative of

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also articulated

the need for all countries to limit

greenhouse gas emissions. He outlined that

China is ahead of its Nationally Determined

Contribution (NDC) plan to reduce emissions.

However, that NDC plan is not in line

with the 2° Paris Agreement goals.

President Donald Trump of the US did not

speak at the Summit and has announced

plans for the US to withdraw from the Paris

Agreement. The US is also not on track to

achieve voluntary targets. Withdrawal from

the Agreement cannot formally occur until

the four-year anniversary of when the

Agreement went into effect, November 4,

2020.

The next critical event on the global stage

for battling climate change will take place in

Madrid this month at the UN COP25. WRI’s

Mountford has said, “COP 25 ... is going to

be a key moment where there will be again,

a lot of public pressure and public scrutiny

and accountability to see whether these

countries are stepping up. All eyes are going

to be very firmly fixed on them over the

next couple of months looking at whether

they are going to be able to step up and deliver

what is needed.” During this gathering,

it is hoped that countries will determine the

specific plans to meet their commitments

and those who have not yet increased their

NDCs will hear from their peers and activists

that more is needed.

Hopefully things will go well and ambitious

agreements are made, but if the September

Climate Summit is any indication, the results

may not be all that we and the planet

need.

Sources:

UNFCCC What is the Paris Agreement (https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/

the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement )

September 2019 Climate Strikes Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

September_2019_climate_strikes)

UN Climate Action Strike 2019 Closing Press Release (https://www.un.org/en/

climatechange/assets/pdf/CAS_closing_release.pdf )

Vox Sept 24, 2019 post climate conference coverage (https://www.vox.

com/2019/9/24/20880416/un-climate-action-summit-2019-greta-thunbergtrump-china-india)

New York Times Sept 23, 2019 post climate conference coverage (https://www.

nytimes.com/2019/09/23/climate/climate-summit-global-warming.html)

Business Insider ( https://www.businessinsider.nl/global-climate-strike-photosshow-protests-around-world-school-children-2019-9?international=true&r=US)

36 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 37

AWC and the Arts

by Jane Choy -Thurlow, AWC Member and Mauritshuis Docent

Let’s Dance!

Fashion in Dance, From Tutus to

Sneakers

The Gemeentemuseum has undergone

a name change and is now known as

Kunstmuseum Den Haag. While the name

has changed, luckily our tour guide has not.

Please join us for another incredible tour

guided by Monique Varma.

We dance for laughter, we dance for

tears, we dance for madness, we dance

for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance

for screams, we are the dancers, we

create the dreams.

~ Albert Einstein

38 GOING DUTCH

RSVP for all Arts Activities directly on

www.awcthehague.org

Direct any questions to

jechoy@me.com

Let’s Dance will include exquisite tutus and

classic ball gowns, but it will also take visitors

on a journey through time, with items

that will be instantly recognizable to many.

Didn’t we all want to look like Madonna

in her cool dance videos in the 80s? Or,

ten years earlier, like John Travolta in his

white disco suit? The fashion of dance appeals

to the imagination, and this is regularly

reflected in mainstream fashion. Just

think of the red shoes from The Wizard of

Oz, Elvis’ blue suede shoes, the legwarmers

from Flashdance, Michael Jackson’s leather

jacket from Thriller, and Beyoncé’s styling.

Popular dances have also often influenced

fashion styles, such as in the 20s when everyone

wanted to dance the Charleston,

preferably in a dress with lots of beads and

fringe. The jive, disco and house not only get

us on our feet, they also affect what we wear.

Subcultures like hip-hop have changed the

face of fashion for good.

Special dance fashion first emerged in the

17th century, when ballet performances were

just as much a spectacle as today’s catwalk

shows during the major fashion weeks, not

least because of the fabulous costumes worn

by the dancers. In 2018, Maria Grazia Chiuri

for Dior literally brought fashion and dance

together by using a dance floor as a catwalk

featuring both models and professional

dancers. Many other designers, including

Giambattista Valli and Tomo Koizumi, are

producing designs featuring big clouds of

tulle, and dancers are increasingly being

used as models. Like fashion, dance is about

movement, freedom and beauty.

Let’s Dance fashion exhibition will explore

this unique relationship between fashion

and dance. Besides professional dance costumes,

influential costumes from dance

films, and clothes to dance in, it will also

feature designs produced for ballet companies

by well-known couturiers like Viktor &

Rolf, Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent,

Vivienne Westwood, Jan Taminiau, Iris van

Herpen and Rodarte, as well as work by designers

like Dior and David Laport who were

inspired by dance. Let’s Dance!

Save time by buying your entrance ticket online

in advance at www.kunstmuseum.nl.


11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Kunstmuseum Den Haag

Stadhouderslaan 41, Den Haag

€ 15 Members (€ 20 non-members) PLUS

Museum entrance fee is € 19.50 or € 3.50

with Museumkaart


Non-refundable

Guided Tour of Jewels – The

Glitter of the Russian Court

One of the Hermitage’s greatest treasures is

the fabulous jewellery collection. Hundreds

of them superbly sparkle in Jewels!. Together

with many portraits and a profusion of richly

decorated gowns and ensembles once worn

by the highest echelons at the Russian court

in St. Petersburg, they represent two centuries

in fashion and jewels. Meet the country’s

flamboyant empresses – Anna, Elizabeth and

Catherine the Great – as well as grand dukes

and duchesses, tsarinas and noble fashionistas

of the 19th and early 20th century. They

wore dazzling costumes to balls and parties,

set off by bijoux carefully selected to demonstrate

identity, taste, breeding and wealth.

Jewellery might also be designed to provoke

or convey secret messages. Pieces were ordered

from leading houses like Cartier and

Fabergé. Many pieces were lost following

the Russian Revolution. Jewels! presents a

glittering array of surviving masterpieces,

situated in ballrooms and boudoirs like those

of the tsars’ Winter Palace. For further information

contact jechoy@me.com.

Please meet in front of Starbucks at Den

Haag Centraal Station at 9:50 a.m. if you

wish to travel by train together (at own expense).

Save time by buying your entrance

ticket online in advance at www.hermitage.nl.

Wednesday, January 22

Tour: 11:30 a.m.

Meet at 9:50 a.m. at DHCS

Hermitage Museum, Amsterdam


€ 10 Members (€ 15 non-members)

PLUS

Museum entrance fee is € 18 or € 2.50

with Museumkaart

Cancellation deadline: January 11

It is possible to sign up after this date if

there is space

DECEMBER 2019 39

Adventures in Andalusia

by Alex Moore

Feast or famine. Yes, it’s a cliché and

every creative writing class I took told

me to avoid clichés. Which is why I

don’t like having one in this lead, but it’s the

best way to describe my approach to Spain in

2019. I go years without visiting, seeing loads

of other places in between from Bucharest to

Tokyo to Rarotonga to Montreal, but then I go

three times in one year: Seville in February,

Barcelona in September, and back to Seville

in October.

Diederik and I woke up at 3:30 a.m. to

take a red eye from Eindhoven to Seville; a

Transavia flight that had a group of women

I will “affectionately” dub The Hyenas because

of their raucous cackling at 6 a.m. I’ve

never been a morning person, especially not

on a 6 a.m. red eye, but the only reason I

didn’t glare at the hyenas was my noise

canceling headphones that allowed me to

cat nap. I’d also enjoyed a chococino at the

airport, and if that doesn’t start my day off

right, I don’t know what will.

The purpose of our trip to Seville was for

a wedding. My mom’s best friend’s daughter

was getting married in Carmona, a small

town roughly 30 minutes outside of Seville.

The wedding was most important, but we

agreed that we were going to eat our collective

weight in delicious food, bask in

the sunshine, and enjoy the Mediterranean

vibe that should be brought back to the

Netherlands to bring a little fun to the cold

and calculated Northern Europe.

tapas. Later that day, my mom and dad arrived,

and we enjoyed sangria on a rooftop

bar at Hotel Zenith, where they stayed. Then

we moseyed downtown to one of the many

tapas restaurants, where we sat outside. We

met up with the mother of the bride, who

knew all of the good places to eat. The

bride’s sister joined us later with her boyfriend.

I hadn’t seen her since 2005, so it

was a treat to see her again. While we ate, it

was fun to see the city come alive at night.

A few days before our trip, Diederik asked

his uncle for recommendations for Spain,

one of which was to get a haircut and a hot

shave. The day before the wedding, we decided

to follow his advice. Since Diederik

doesn’t speak Spanish, I was his translator.

Every time the barber asked him something,

he gave his best deer in the headlights look

until I jumped in to translate. Now he knows

how I felt for my first year in Holland. When

the barber of Seville (forgive me) was finished,

it was my turn. My Rapunzel hair had

some split ends that needed to be trimmed,

since the last haircut I had was from my trip

in February. His uncle’s recommendation is

one that I will pass on because barbers and

stylists are excellent in Spain.

After our haircuts, my parents met us and

we took a bus to see some Roman ruins just

outside of Seville. Normally I would sneak

in a terrible pun about ruins, but the only

ones I can think of are too horrific for my

standards, which are fairly low already. In

all seriousness, it was fascinating to see artifacts

from a time period before the Middle

Ages. It was a reminder of how the Roman

legacy can still be found. We marveled at >> 42

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

“Our next holiday is

a safari. They do

the whole world!”

Our first course of action was to locate anywhere

that had a delicious lunch. Our hotel

in the downtown area of Seville, where

we had access to lots of shops, tapas bars

and restaurants. We found a place in the

sunshine, where we ordered patatas bravas,

beef tenderloin and olives just to start.

While Diederik has visited Tenerife and

Barcelona, this was his first time in Seville.

Our lunch was also his first experience with

“They make booking a

holiday so easy. I just

leave it to them!”

“Every trip is

customized, just for

me! That’s unique!”

40 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 41

Adventures in Andalusia (cont.)


the mosaics depicting Roman gods and goddesses.

As we strolled around the arena, we

tried to imagine what must have happened

hundreds of years prior. Centuries later, we

were able to admire the ruins, something we

couldn’t stop discussing over our lunch at 4

p.m.

The next day we rented a car and drove to

Carmona. The wedding was in the evening,

but we speed walked down the cobblestones

hoping not to be late. But we should have

known better because Andalusia runs on its

own time.

The wedding ceremony took place in an old

church near the center of Carmona. Before

it started, we took a moment to admire the

church’s beauty. No matter how many cathedrals

Europe has, each one still has its own

details that make it a work of art to appreciate.

When the bride walked down the aisle with

her proud father while Canon in D played, it

was hard not to be emotional. Her dress was

perfect―a simple white gown that was classic

but seemed to suit her personality.

The reception was at a ranch outside of

town where we had a cocktail hour before

snacking on tapas until 10:30 p.m., which is

when we finally went inside for dinner. We

ate jamon iberico, queso manchego, olives,

shrimp, queso iberico, pinchitos and jamon

cerrano. I’ll stop right there because if I list

any more food, I will be raiding my kitchen

for the chorizo in my pantry.

I’m not sure how I managed to have room for

dinner, because I couldn’t stop eating those

delicious tapas. Even though the four of us

agreed that we wanted to head home at midnight,

we were still eating dinner at midnight,

so the joke was on us. We should have known

better; we were running on Spanish time after

all. The party began at 2 a.m. with everyone

dancing to La Vida Es Una Carnaval

by Celia Cruz, but by this point, the four of

us could barely keep our eyes open. We left

shortly, giving the newlyweds lots of hugs

and well wishes.

After living in a cold climate for several

months where the sun doesn’t always shine

and the winter is darker than nighttime on

Pluto, we basked in the sun every chance we

got. We spent much of one afternoon at the

rooftop bar of Hotel Zenith, lounging by the

pool while sipping sangria. We then walked

all the way back to find the tapas place we

went to on our first day. The waitress still remembered

us, and her friendly service meant

we tried to go back there whenever we could.

Our flight left in the evening so that gave

us plenty of time to enjoy our last hours in

Seville. Brunch was salmorejo and strong

coffee. We went to the cathedral where

Diederik snapped photos for his website/

portfolio. Even though I’ve been to the cathedral,

I never cease to be amazed by the

ornate details of the arches, flying buttresses

and interior. Climbing to the top to catch the

stunning views of the city was a highlight of

our visit to the cathedral. The cathedral has

been there for hundreds of years, which is a

consistent reminder that even though things

rapidly change, certain things will still be

there decades later.

Before we left, we stopped at a store to buy

olive oil and Rioja. Sometimes we get lucky

and find these things in the Netherlands, but

it’s not the same. As the plane took off, I

glanced out the window for a final view of

the sunset. I’m not sure if I’ll visit again next

year, but I hope that 13 years doesn’t pass

once again. Maybe if La Sagrada Familia finishes

when it does, I’ll go to Barcelona. And

Seville.

Tour of Monet Exhibit

42 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 43

The Gift of Coffee

by Mary Adams

Recently my apartment complex had a homeowners’ clean-up day, and one of the

neighbors volunteered to cater lunch. She offered a towering tray of basic buttered

buns stuffed with a single slice of ham and she made fresh coffee. While we sat

in our neighborly circle and munched our broodjes, memories started to bubble up from

the bottom of my coffee cup. During the rest of lunch, I experienced waves of olfactory

memory. The scientific term means that certain smells trigger memories. In other words,

the coffee was going straight to my head. Before I knew it, I was back in the 1960s.

Coffee is My Birthstone

My paternal grandparents lived on a ranch in Texas. During our summer vacations, my

siblings and I enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities, but the first thing that pops into my

head when I think about the ranch is the red and white checkered tablecloth in the kitchen.

Breakfasts were my favorite meal because my grandmother made biscuits and gravy

alongside a fry-up of venison backstrap. There was a coffee percolator on the counter. It

sputtered and popped as it boiled strong coffee whose aroma seemed to soar above the

other kitchen smells and go straight up my nose. Oh, that smell made me want coffee. I

begged and pleaded for coffee. At home my parents did not drink a lot of coffee. At the

ranch I’d ask my Dad, “Can I have a taste of yours?” The answer was always a firm “No.”

But I did gradually wear Dad down. He would get a small water glass and pour in about

an inch of coffee, sprinkle in some sugar and fill the rest with milk. It was my first latte.

Ahhh – the smell merging with the sweet taste was delicious. My lattes remained a summer

treat. Somehow, I got the notion that real coffee was only for grownups.

Coffee Smells Like Magic and Fairytales

In 1976, I spent the summer in Italy as part of a university study abroad program, although

I was still in high school. I remember being extremely nervous about the trip, not

knowing anyone and being the youngest student. The lodging was based in a convent

located near Saint Peter’s

Square. Our flight arrived

in the evening and we were

bused to the convent. The

cafeteria was in the basement,

and the nuns had

prepared sandwiches and

coffee for the weary faculty

and students. The rich

smell of European coffee

smacked me in the nose

like a spurned lover from

the ranch. I edged my way

to the table and picked up

a coffee cup and a sandwich.

A tiny bite and a tiny

sip sent shivers down my

spine. At long last, I had

arrived. I was officially a

real grownup.

44 GOING DUTCH

After my summer in Europe sipping espresso, I found it very difficult to go back to my

senior year of high school. It was also very difficult to get a good cuppa joe. Later at

university, I gradually learned to depend on all-night cafés as my main coffee supplier.

Forget a tiny cup of espresso. Order a doughnut and get a pitcher thermos of black coffee,

yielding at least six cups if you were drinking solo. Guaranteed to keep me up all night

to study and chatter.

Bacon Frying, Coffee Perking and A Woman’s Eye All Promise More

Than They Can Possibly Deliver

When the Starbucks coffee shops opened, I went wild. Not only did I like tasting coffees

from all over the world, I loved the way the names rolled off my tongue: E-thi-o-pia dark

roast. Ken-YA dry roast. The beans were scent-ilcious, inundating the entire store with

an exotic velvety rich smell. I experimented with the lattes, the mochas, the macchiatos.

It seemed perfectly normal to visit the drive-through window every day and come away

with a tall cup of dark-brewed energy.

By the 1990s, I had my daily caffeine routine: a large latte in the morning from my

home coffee machine, a dash to the coffee pot at work to fill up my company-branded

mug, and the Starbucks drive-through for that wake-up call after a heavy Houston lunch.

Eventually, upon the advice of self-help books, I decided that caffeine was having a negative

influence on me. I switched to decaf. I survived the jitters and just swallowed the

brown water. In time, I actually acquired a taste for decaf and one cup was sufficient. The

smell was a bit stale, but the taste wasn’t entirely stripped away from the bean.

Too Much Monday, Not Enough Coffee

I moved to Paris in 2000. The first time I ordered a decaf coffee, the waiter actually

sneered. He came back with a cup of hot water and a packet of dried coffee crystals. I took

that as a sign to get caffeinated. I went cold turkey from decaf right back to the strong bitter

French brew. To soften the hard bean taste, I became a fan of overflowing milky frothy

cappuccinos at restaurants. My coffee breaks at work became a series of tongue-burning

slurps from tiny white plastic cups from the machine in the basement, where the luscious

smell of coffee evaporated in whiffs of cigarette smoke tangled up in clouds of French

conversation. Paris is certainly for lovers, just not coffee lovers.

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

The Netherlands is really a coffee culture. During work hours, the koffee pauze is built

around taking the time to connect with colleagues. Most of the office machines grind their

beans and offer an assortment of beverage sections and an okay cup of coffee. But sadly,

the overriding odor at my workplace was not fresh coffee. It was the overwhelming cup

of soup smell heavily hanging in the air at four o’clock every day. Whereas the smell of

coffee holds unlimited potential and flavor, the smell of soup just makes me hungry.

Everyone Should Believe in Something—I Believe I Will Have

Another Coffee

That single sniff of fresh coffee during the neighbor lunch reminded me that my life has

been a rich brew of family, friends and cultures. It all started with a smell that exploded

my past into my present. This is the power of olfactory memory. In November 2017, scientists

discovered why odor-linked memories can be so vivid. The memories are saved

in a part of the olfactory bulb called the piriform cortex. Now, go make yourself a cup of

coffee and Google “olfactory bulb.” Inhale. One could postulate that the memories that

come flooding back to you are most likely a neurological side effect in the piriform cortex,

but I consider them a gift.

DECEMBER 2019 45

Message from the President (cont.)


to replace Amber Gatewood whose husband’s

job is taking them to Singapore.

Barbara will chair Club and Community,

while Teresa Insalaco is taking on the role

of Treasurer as Sheyla Karman is taking a

leave of absence. The Board will continue

its evolution as a replacement is needed for

Melissa in the role of Vice President and the

Communications position is also open since

Audrey Goodman will repatriate for her

new job which begins just after the first of

the year. The two Boards I’ve chaired have

been filled with women whose only goal

has been to make our Club better without

ego or personal agendas. We haven’t always

agreed, but our discussions have always

been respectful, and I hope all our Boards

going forward work as well as we have, as

a cohesive unit in the spirit of the legacy of

our almost 90 years as a Club.

46 GOING DUTCH

Flower Arranging Class

How do I thank all of you for your friendship,

your support, the fun times we’ve

shared, the wine we sipped together, and

good work we’ve done in my seven years

in The Hague? There’s no easy answer for

me, except to offer a piece of my heart to

those of you with whom I’ve laughed and

worked, and offer you a place to stay should

you visit Nashville. You’ll meet Tulip, you

can wander our two acres, and ride the elevator

that comes with the house. I hope we

can get together for more Thirsty Thursdays

in the States!

Bedankt and tot ziens to all the fabulous

women of our AWC…

Suzanne

Announcements

The House of Sinterklaas

As is tradition in Leiden, the Waag

(Weighing House) is transformed into the

House of Sinterklaas, where Sinterklaas

and all the Piets can be found daily through

December 4. Admission is free and there are

a range of activities for children, from crafts

to climbing on the training roof or dancing

to Sinterklaas music.

Through Wednesday, December 4

Noon – 5 p.m.

Aalmarkt 21, Leiden

Winter Fair

The Ahoy in Rotterdam will be transformed

into a winter wonderland from December 5

– 8. In a cozy atmosphere, you can get in the

mood for the holidays. In honor of its 10th

anniversary, there will be a unique exhibition

of erotic art for visitors over 16 years

old. There will also be workshops and entertainment.

Discounted tickets are available

online: www.winter-fair.nl

Happily Ever After, a Pantomime

Distinctively British, a panto is a popular

form of family entertainment incorporating

song, dance, slapstick comedy, cross-dressing

and audience participation. This holiday

season, the Anglo-American Theatre Group

(AATG) reminds us that things aren’t always

as “happily ever after” as they seem.

Join them to find out what happens after the

end of a panto to see if Jack will win Jill

back after how he’s behaved, or whether the

dastardly new villain will crush his dreams

instead. www.aatg.nl

Friday, December 6 through

Sunday, December 8

Theatre aan het Spui

Spui 187, Den Haag

Homemade Winter Market

The area surrounding The Hague’s Grote

Kerk, known as the Hofkwartier (Court

Quarter), is the perfect setting for this

Dicken’s style Christmas market. Explore

cozy stalls and wooden houses full of unique

gifts that are not mass produced.

Sunday, December 8

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Hofkwartier, Den Haag

The Arts Society Lecture

Snow and Ice: Holland Frozen in Time

The great Dutch Masters of the Golden Age,

Hendrik Avercamp, Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan

van Goyen, and even Rembrandt van Rijn

painted the old-fashioned wintry scenes

of frozen lakes and canals filled with skaters.

Discover the reality of those ice-bound

winters, followed by koek en zopie after

the lecture. The guest lecturer will be AWC

Member Jane Choy, who is the Arts Chair

for our Club (see page 38). In addition to being

an art historian, she is a founding member

of The Arts Society and a docent at the

Mauritshuis. Nonmember fee is € 13. www.

theartssocietythehague.org

Tuesday, December 10 at 8 p.m.

Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Cultural Centrum Warenar

Kerkstraat 75, Wassenaar

>> 48

DECEMBER 2019 47

Announcements (cont.)


Lighting of Christmas Trees

Delft: From 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December

10, there will be Christmas stalls and musicians

in the main square. The Christmas

tree will be lit with 1,500 lights at 7 p.m.

to give light to the Dark Days of Delft,

which lasts through January 4. You can get

warmed up with hot chocolate, gluhwein

(spiced mulled wine) and erwtensoep (split

pea soup). www.donkeredagenvandelft.nl

The Hague: A traditional ceremony is held

each year in honor of the Swedish Feast of

Lucia during which Lucia, dressed in white

and with candles in her hair, will bring

light into the dark winter night. Listen to

the Santa Lucia-choir and Salvation Army

Band while enjoying a hot chocolate or

gluhwein in front of the Escher Museum

for the lighting of the Swedish Christmas

tree on Thursday, December 12 from 6 to

7 p.m.

Gouda: During the impressive illumination

festival Gouda by Candlelight on Friday,

December 13 at 7 p.m., over 1,500 candles

will be lit in Gouda’s historic city hall,

while thousands more are aglow behind

the windows of the picturesque buildings

surrounding Market Square. Street and

shop lighting are switched off, lending a

fairytale quality to this spectacle. Various

choirs will be performing Christmas carols

and the audience is encouraged to sing

along. www.goudabijkaarslicht.nl

48 GOING DUTCH

Christmas Market for Dogs

Dogs and their owners are invited to a special

market of Christmas toys and snacks

at Happy Critters, a long-time supporter of

Going Dutch. Renske Natural Petfood will

offer a tasting session for dogs from their

Christmas menu and Santa will be dropping

by for free photos. There will also be warm

drinks for the owners. www.happycritters.nl

Saturday, December 14

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Weissenbruchstraat 63, Den Haag

Christmas Concerts

Cecilia International Choir, a mixed voice

group of 70 singers, will perform Christmas

Concerts in Voorburg on December 13 and

in The Hague on December 17. The ticket

price includes mulled wine and minced pie

during the interval. www.cecilia-choir.com

Royal Christmas Fair

This free fair has grown to be one of the

Netherland’s largest Christmas markets.

Its twinkling lights and familiar Christmas

carols are bound to put you in a festive mood.

Enjoy some gluhwein and flammkuchen

while shopping for unique items among

the 100 stalls. Entertainment will include

performances by children’s choirs, theater

groups and storytellers. Santa Claus

will also make daily appearances. www.

royalchristmasfair.nl

Thursday, December 12 – Monday,

December 23

Noon – 9 p.m.

Lange Voorhout, Den Haag

Dickens Festival

A 19th century English city of Charles

Dickens’ days will live again in full glory

during the Dickens Festival in Deventer the

weekend of December 14 – 15. Some 950

characters will come to life from Dickens’

celebrated books, including Scrooge,

Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, along

with Christmas carolers, orphans, drunkards

and distinguished citizens. The shops

will be open in the city center both days

and there will be a Christmas market on

Sunday. Over 125,000 visitors are anticipated

for this free festival, so expect to

wait approximately one hour at the entrance.

www.dickensfestijn.nl

The Hague HighLights

The facades of two monumental buildings

in The Hague city center will feature free

light shows for the first three weekends

of December. Take a journey through the

milestones of The Hague’s democracy with

Old Masters, New Heroes, shown on the

13th century Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights).

Nearby will be an interactive light projection

on the Mauritshuis featuring the

Masters of the Golden Age.

Ridderzaal and Maurtishuis

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays

Through December 21

6 – 10 p.m.

Dutch Christmas Markets

Leiden: From December 14 – 25, Leiden

hosts the only floating Christmas market in

the Netherlands. Entrance is free into the

Winter Wonderland Village on the water of

the Nieuwe Rijn with 86 decorated chalets

filled with winter products, gifts, snacks

and warm drinks. You will also find an ice

skating rink on the canal from December

8 – January 5. www.visitleiden.nl

Dordrecht: From December 13 – 15,

Dordrecht will host the largest Christmas

market in the Netherlands with 200 stalls.

In addition, there will be hot treats, live entertainment

and an ice skating rink. www.

kerstmarktdordrecht.nl

>> 50

DECEMBER 2019 49

Announcements (cont.)


Valkenburg: Running until December 29,

the Christmas Market in the Velvet Cave

is the Netherlands’ most popular indoor

Christmas event. This unique experience

is a shopper’s delight with fairytale decor,

seasonal music and a large variety of handmade

local and international gifts. www.

kerstmarkt-fluweelengrot.nl

Countrywide: During December you

will find other various Christmas markets

throughout the Netherlands. For listings, go

to www.kerstmarkten.net.

A Christmas Carol

The English Theatre: Ashley Ramsden,

the world-famous storyteller from Great

Britain, returns to perform this Christmas

favorite on December 20 – 22 at the Theatre

aan het Spui in The Hague. He performs all

23 characters, which shows his formidable

talents as a storyteller and actor. Expect to

be mesmerized by a story that is still relevant

today in a world where there is a gulf

in the distribution of wealth, influence and

knowledge. www.theenglishtheatre.nl

De Dutch Do not Dance Division: Charles

Dickens’ famous Christmas story was

turned into a ballet in 1992. Young and old

will recognize themselves in the adventures

and dreams of the man who lost happiness,

but luckily finds it again. This will not be

a traditional British interpretation; instead

The Hague and Scheveningen from 1910

will play an important role. The festive

score mixes classical music with traditional

Christmas carols. www.ddddd.nu

Friday, December 27 – Sunday,

December 29

Zuiderstrandtheater, Den Haag

Christmas Circuses

There is no doubt that Christmas Circuses

must be quite popular in the Netherlands as

our region hosts two. Both feature spectacular

acrobatics and hilarious clowns; for those

curious, circuses are no longer allowed per

Dutch law to feature wild animals.

Rotterdam: December 21 – 30 at the Ahoy.

www.kerstcircus.nl

The Hague: December 21 – January 5 at

the Malieveld. www.kerstcircusdenhaag.nl

New Year’s Fireworks

New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands is often

celebrated with fireworks and our area has

several large fireworks shows. Most cities

shut down public transportation no later

than 9 p.m., so please plan accordingly.

Scheveningen: After million of euros

worth of damage caused by last year’s giant

bonfire, it was unclear when we went to

print if the traditional annual bonfire would

be allowed. Regardless, there is still likely

to be fireworks and music at the beach.

Rotterdam: At midnight, the most

spectacular fireworks in the country will

burst from the Erasmus Bridge with the best

view from the Boompjeskade; it will also

be aired live on all RTL channels. www.

hetnationalevuurwerk.nl

New Year’s Dive

What started in 1960 as a joke with just

eight people participating, has turned into

a national tradition boasting more than

135 locations where you can jump into the

sea or a lake on New Year’s Day at noon.

The largest dive is held at Scheveningen

Beach, where 10,000 people plunge into the

sea each year. This spectacle is also great

to watch from the sidelines. Which of our

AWC Members will brave the cold waters

this year? Tickets can’t be reserved, but

must be purchased for € 3 starting at 10:30

a.m. www.unox.nl/nieuwjaarsduik.html

Amsterdam Light Festival

A unique experience in the darkest months

of the year! Created by international artists

especially for this festival, 25 works of art

were chosen to depict this year’s theme of

Disrupt! Dutch and international artists will

give their interpretation of disruption by using

light in a unique way to be disruptive

and give us new impulses. The exhibition

can be admired by boat, bike or foot through

January 19. www.amsterdamlightfestival.

com

Ice Sculpture Festival

Held in Zwolle from December 14 through

March 1, this is Europe’s largest ice sculpture

exhibit. The festival features over 100

sculptures of ice and snow up to 20 feet

(6 meters) high made of 606,275 pounds

(275,000 kilos) of both ice and snow created

by 40 of the best ice artists in the world. The

theme this year is Journey through Time.

To keep the ice sculptures in top condition,

it is 14°F (-10°C) in the large cooled event

hall, so be sure to dress warmly. Although it

is difficult to avoid long lines into the hall,

you can avoid queuing at the box office by

purchasing discounted tickets online. www.

ijsbeelden.nl

Save the Date: MLK Dinner

Mark your calendars to bring the whole

family to the annual Dr. Martin Luther King

Tribute and Dinner. Look for further details

in the January issue.

Sunday, January 26

5:30 p.m.

Hotel Den Haag - Wassenaar

Zijdeweg 54, Wassenaar

Grab Your Running Shoes

The Hague’s Biggest Race: If you like to

run, be sure not to miss The Hague’s 46th

CPC Loop on Sunday, March 8 starting at

the Malieveld. There will be 45,000 runners

including professionals and amateurs for

distances ranging from 1K for kids to a

half marathon. Don’t hesitate to register,

as this event fills up every year: www.

nncpcloopdenhaag.com

50 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 51

Classifieds

Index of Advertisers

Private Pilates Lessons in

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instructor offering mat

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only.

Please email christina@gikas.

nl for more info.

Members: eNews Distribution

A weekly electronic newsletter

is sent to all AWC Members.

If you have not been receiving your eNews, please

contact Mary Ellen at

membership@awcthehague.org.

ACCESS

page 30

American Travel

Center

page 43

Aveda Lifestyle

Salon

Inside Cover

FRITSTAXI

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Inside Back Cover

Happy Critters

page 19

Marcel

Vermeulen

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page 11

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page 17

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page 30

Support Fellow AWC

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Find links to a large

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at www.awcthehague.

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Event information, suggestions or comments

for eNews?

Please send all eNews information to

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no later than end of day each Friday for the

following week’s eNews.

AWC is a Pet-Free Zone

As much as many of our Members love

their pets, please do leave them at home as

the AWC has a long-standing policy of no

pets in the Clubhouse. Thank you for your

understanding!

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

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Please be reminded that the AWC Membership List is for AWC Member reference only and

use of this information in any communication other than AWC official business is strictly

prohibited. Members may not share the list with anyone other than another AWC Member

in good standing and never to any third party.

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.

52 GOING DUTCH

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

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

DECEMBER 2019 53

Restaurant Recommendations

Recommendations by Suzanne MacNeil & Sheyla Karman

Please send your recommendations to goingdutchmag@awcthehague.org.

Vigo

This restaurant, specializing in seafood and

sushi, is part of the Roeleveld family business.

The family also has a fish shop in The

Hague, which supplies the restaurant with

fresh seafood.

Aert van der Goesstraat 9, 2582 AH, Den

Haag

070 205 0273

restaurantvigo.nl

Sushi, Seafood

€€ – €€€

Tuesday – Wednesday, 4 p.m. – Midnight

Thursday – Saturday, Noon – Midnight

Sunday, 4 p.m. – Midnight

Tapas Bar Restaurant Limon

Tapas! This is a great casual spot to share

a few small plates of delicious food with

friends, your spouse, or family.

Denneweg 39A, 2514 CC, Den Haag

070 356 1465

limon.nl

Mediterranean, European, Spanish

€€ – €€€

Monday – Sunday, 4:30 – 11 p.m.

La Bruschetta

Charming Italian eatery specializing in pizza.

Don’t feel like going out? You can order

delivery!

Denneweg 57, 2514CD, Den Haag

070 406 4746

labruschettaco-denhaag.nl

Italian, European, Pizza

€ – €€

Open Tuesday – Sunday

Lunch: Noon – 3 p.m.

Dinner: 5 – 7:30 p.m.

54 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 55

AWC Going Dutch Dec 2019

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