AWC Going Dutch Jan Feb 2020

Going Dutch

January/February 2020

The Magazine of the

American Women’s Club

of The Hague

Thanksgiving in Leiden

Out to Lunch Bunch

Exploring Boston

6

34

44

5 Officers and Chairwomen

6 Thanksgiving in Leiden

8 Message from the President

9 January Kick-Off and

February General Meeting

10 Letter from the Editor

12 Membership and

Newcomers

13 Clubhouse Corner

14 Ongoing Activities

22 One-of-a-Kind Activities

24 Open Chair Positions

25 TLC Dinner

26 Farewell to Suzanne

MacNeil

28 Calendar

33 AWC and the Arts

34 Out to Lunch Bunch

36 FAWCO Corner

39 Consumers, Brands and

Climate Action

42 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tribute

44 Exploring Boston

48 General Meeting and

Thanksgiving Potluck

50 Winter Woes

52 Announcements

56 Classifieds

57 Index of Advertisers

57 Rates

58 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

Light Snow in Leiden by Melissa White

Photography

Greetje Engelsman, Deana Kreitler, Suzanne

MacNeil, Alex Moore, Melissa Rider, Emily

van Eerten, Melissa White

Proofreaders

Celeste Brown, Audrey Goodman, Jane

Gulde, Diane Schaap, Debbie van Hees,

Melissa White

Advertising Manager & Invoicing

Open

Contributors

Barbara Brookman, Mary Ellen Brennan, Jane

Choy, Suzanne Dundas, Greetje Engelsman,

Roberta Enschede, Jan Essad, Dena Haggerty,

Eileen Harloff, Sheyla Karman, Suzanne

MacNeil, Sunita Menon, Georgia Regnault,

Melissa Rider, Jo van Kalveren, Anne van

Oorshot, Emily van Eerten, Hilde Volle,

Melissa White

Printer

www.dwcprint.nl

AWC Bank Account Number

IBAN: NL42ABNA0431421757

KvK Den Haag

40409274

BTW or VAT: 007408705B01

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

Honorary President Diane Hoekstra

President Melissa Rider

president@awcthehague.org

Vice President Barbara Brookman

vicepresident@awcthehague.org

Treasurer Teresa Insalaco

treasurer@awcthehague.org

Secretary Heather DeWitt

secretary@awcthehague.org

Club and Community Development

Open

community@awcthehague.org

Clubhouse Administrator

Jan Essad

clubadministrator@awcthehague.org

Communications Anna Molenaar-Ghijs

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

Caring Committee: Naomi Keip

Chat, Craft & Cake: Suzanne Dundas

eNews: Anna Molenaar-Ghijs

Evening Events: Open

FAWCO: Barbara Brookman

Front Office Coordinator: Open

General Meetings: Open

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

Social Media Facebook: Ceci Wong

Social Media Instagram: Anna Molenaar-

Ghijs & Michelle Voorn

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

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

Thanksgiving Ceremony in Leiden

Message from the President

by Melissa Rider

January Kick-Off

by Melissa Rider

Happy New Year! I always enjoy reflecting

on the past year to see where

I have been and then looking forward

to see where I am going. I began 2019

celebrating my one-year anniversary as the

Membership Chair and ended the year as

President. Talk about being fast tracked to

the top! Hopefully, my short stint as Vice

President, which began in June, has me well

prepared to handle the President’s job duties. I

much prefer behind-the-scenes administrative

work, but I will strive to be a good steward of

the presidency. Thanks to everyone who has

offered me their support and, in particular,

Barbara Brookman, who has volunteered

to fill the role of Vice President. Barbara has

been a tremendous help this fall organizing

several events and activities in addition to

doing her other volunteer job as our Club’s

FAWCO Representative.

or small, to keep

the AWC functioning

smoothly.

An all-volunteer

organization

should function

as follows: the

Board creates

the governance,

the Committee

Chairs are the

organizers, and

the Membership base volunteers for the

various tasks at hand. Currently, the Board

and, in particular, the Vice President, is doing

double duty of being a Board Member

and chairing several committees. Please see

the list of open AWC Board and Committee

Chair positions on page 24 and volunteer for

one of them today!

The January Kick-off is a two-parter

with a twist. Enjoy a morning mimosa

while mingling with Members, new and

old, and if you can’t make the morning shift,

join us after work for a borrel with friends.

Member-owned businesses will be showcased

to help “Kick Off” the second half of the Club

year. Committee Chairs and Board Members

will be present to answer questions about all

the great events and activities planned for

the first half of the new year. Please feel free

to bring your friends so they can learn all

about the AWC.

Thursday, January 9

Morning Mimosas: 10 a.m. – Noon

Evening Borrel: 5 – 7 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

Free

Happy New Year!

The AWC Clubhouse will open again on January 7


by Suzanne MacNeil

Another volunteer who has worked tirelessly

for the Club and has helped me immensely

with Membership Chair and Vice

President IT duties this past year has been

Julie Otten, our Webmaster. We’ve worked

together moving our Membership data and

events calendar over to our new web platform:

Wild Apricot. Without her expertise

and training, I would be floundering and so

would the Club.

Suzanne MacNeil’s leadership will be

missed, but the remaining Board Members

will continue with her vision of growing a

dynamic and involved Membership so that

the AWC remains strong. While

a lot has changed over

the years since the

Club’s founding in

1930, our strength

is still our volunteers.

I cannot

emphasize enough

how important it

is for you to volunteer

in any way, big

Of course, I would be remiss in not thanking

all of the Members who chair the Ongoing

Committees year in and year out. Weekly

and monthly, these women keep their activities

and events running smoothly for AWC

Members to enjoy. They are a vital part of

our active organization. Saturday Night Out

at the Club is the latest addition to our list of

Ongoing Activities. This event will be held

once a month starting with the return of our

Annual Chili Cook-Off in January, followed

by Bunco Night in February, and then Game

Night—Cranium in March. Look for all of

the details about these activities on page 19

or on our website calendar.

For 2020, make it your New Year’s resolution

to become a more active and involved

AWC Member! You won’t regret it.

Tot ziens,

Melissa

Sustainability is a key word in the work

being done to reduce plastic pollution.

Beth Massa is part of the shift towards

environmental responsibility and is striving to

put an end to disposable food containers. Beth

and her husband Michael, both from Seattle

and now living in Amsterdam, have developed

food-grade silicone reusable packaging

for restaurant take-away, which will eliminate

billions of one-use packages. Beth and

Michael’s product is not only environmentally

necessary, but once washed and cleaned, the

packaging is collapsible to about a half-inch,

making them easy to store and convenient

for reuse.

The Massas

have launched a

Kickstarter campaign

to introduce

their company

Ozarka and ARK

Reusables (www.

ozarka.club) on

a commercialscale

to restaurant

partners. This is

no easy feat, and Beth will join us at our

February General Meeting to not only discuss

ARK Reusables, but to share the trials

and tribulations of launching a business,

especially as expats. Don’t miss this interesting

discussion about the zero-waste takeaway

revolution.

Thursday, February 13

10 a.m. Coffee and Conversation

10:30 Club News and Updates

10:45 Presentation by Beth Massa

AWC Clubhouse

Guests are welcome

Free

8 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 9

Letter from the Editor

by Alex Moore

So, it’s that time of year again. The time

when we put away our hideous sweaters,

store the last of our Christmas

decorations, and make resolutions we are

most likely going to break in February. The

time of year when I realize that either I’m

getting older or time is flying by faster since

another year has come and gone. Normally,

I’d worry about pending existential crises,

but I seem to get fewer of those. I guess

that’s one benefit of aging.

While I may not have any more holiday

anecdotes or fun pictures about Teddy, I

do have good news: I managed to pull off

Thanksgiving without anything exploding,

catching on fire, or breaking. My inlaws

were wonderful as well, helping me

pick up the turkey, cook and set up. It’s the

first real Thanksgiving I’ve hosted, since I

don’t count the Friendsgiving I hosted in

Korea for my friends. There was no turkey,

after all, since that would have meant going

to Itaewon to the expat store and I lived

somewhat far from that part of Seoul.

After the excitement of the holidays,

January can be a tough month. Everyone

is broke, the holidays are over, winter is in

full force. No one ever said that a Dutch

winter was easy. It’s not uncommon to feel

sad during this time of year, especially for

us expats who are far away from the creature

comforts of home. The AWC has several

upcoming events such as a Welcome

Back Coffee, Welcome Back Borrel and a

Chili Cook-Off. Events like these can help

break up the winter blues that may seem

inevitable.

With the new year and new decade, there

are some changes to our Club as well.

Some Members have repatriated, new activities

have been added and new Members

have joined. I’d like to give shout-outs to

Audrey Goodman and Suzanne MacNeil

for everything they did to make our Club

and our magazine great, and for everything

they did to help me out. Here’s to hoping

our paths cross again. I’d also like to give

another shout-out to Teresa Mahoney and

Melissa White for everything they do to

help out with Going Dutch. If it weren’t for

them, we wouldn’t have successfully published

our fall issues.

I hope that 2020 is a wonderful productive

year for all of you. I look forward to getting

to know more of you at the various activities

planned for this year. I also look forward

to many more issues of Going Dutch.

Now if you all will excuse me, I’m going to

daydream about sunny places.

Happy New Year!

10 GOING DUTCH

Alex

DECEMBER 2019 11

Membership

by Mary Ellen Brennan

Clubhouse Corner

by Jan Essad & Sunita Menon

By the time you read this article, the

Club will have switched to its new

Membership management program:

Wild Apricot, which allows us to automate

many processes that we currently do manually,

such as connecting new Members with

the groups and activities of interest to them.

We will now be able to respond to prospective

Members more quickly. Members will be able

to update their contact information, which

will carry over to the Going Dutch mailing

list and their Membership record.

Help us recruit new Members by inviting

friends or acquaintances to our activities

Welcome New Members!

April

Carol

and events throughout the year. Thirsty

Thursday is a great activity for prospective

new Members to give them a chance

to make a connection with other Members.

Keep in mind that we are a diverse organization

(not just Americans!), and Members

can be Dutch or expats from other countries.

If you meet or know of someone who would

enjoy being part of the AWC, please consider

bringing them with you to Kick Off

(see page 9) or suggest that they visit our

website: www.awcthehague.org. Thanks!

A

new beginning... isn’t this a great time

of year? A mark of something new,

a chance to begin again with goals

and aspirations, or the opportunity to try

something different. This is the way Sunita

and I felt a year and a half ago when we decided

to venture together on this Clubhouse

Administrator journey.

I’m sure many Members wonder, “What in

the world does a Clubhouse Administrator

do?” Believe me, we asked the same question!

We soon found out it was a multifaceted

Board position with many fun support

roles, opportunities to maintain and improve

our Clubhouse, event planning and coordination,

team building, budgeting and, best of

all, shopping. (Sorry no shoes or half-price

boutique sales, ladies. But Sligro, grocery

and office supply can be fun, too!). Best of

all, you get to be part of a dynamic group

of women on a Board excited to serve, improve

our Club and contribute to the success

of AWC The Hague.

The new year brings all of us a chance to

consider something new, fun and challenging

that not only makes a difference to our

own life, but those around us. If you would

like to find out more about all we do, we

will be happy to answer any and all questions

about all the fun we have. You may be

just the right person to fill the position on

the upcoming 2020-2021 Board.

Thank you all for your support and we wish

you a very Happy New Year! Looking forward

to seeing you at the Club.

Newcomers

by Jo van Kalveen & Hilde Volle

Calling all AWC Newcomers! We are

Jo and Hilde, the AWC Newcomer

Chairs. Our one piece of advice for

anyone new to the Netherlands and the AWC

is to ask questions! Please feel free to email

us with any questions or queries if you are new

to the AWC or the Netherlands: awcthehague.

newcomers@gmail.com. In addition, make

use of the AWC’s Facebook Group as no

query is too small or silly. AWC Members

have a wealth of knowledge, experience and

areas of special interest between them, and

they’re always happy to share. And your

question(s) may just help other Members.

So, ask away!

12 GOING DUTCH

Keep an eye out for the next Newcomers’

event.

Tot ziens,

Jo and Hilde

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 13

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

January Selection: A Strangeness of My

Mind by Orphan Pamuk

From the Nobel Prize

winner and best-selling

author of Snow and My

Name Is Red, comes the

unforgettable tale of an

Istanbul street vendor and

the love of his life. Mevlut

Karataş moves to Istanbul

at the age of 12 in the hope

of becoming rich, but luck

never seems to be on his side. Every evening

for decades, he wanders the streets, selling a

mildly alcoholic drink and wondering at the

“strangeness” in his mind, the sensation that

makes him feel different from everyone else.

Told from different perspectives by a host of

characters, this is a modern coming-of-age

story in a great city that has witnessed many

changes over the past 50 years.

Thursday, January 23

10 a.m.

AWC Clubhouse

FREE

Daytime Book Club Reading List:

Thursday, March 26: Normal People by Sally

Rooney

Thursday, April 23: If Only I Could Tell You by

Hannah Beckerman

14 GOING DUTCH

February Selection: Fleishman is in Trouble

by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Toby Fleishman thought

he knew what to expect

when he and his wife of

almost 15 years separated:

weekends and every other

holiday with the kids,

some residual bitterness,

the occasional moment

of tension in their co-parenting

negotiations. He could not have predicted

that one day, in the middle of his summer

of sexual emancipation, Rachel would

just drop their two children off at his place

and simply not return. He had been working

so hard to find equilibrium in his single

life. The winds of his optimism, long dormant,

had finally begun to pick up. Now this.

As Toby tries to figure out where Rachel

went, all while juggling his patients at the

hospital, his never-ending parental duties,

and his new app-assisted sexual popularity,

his tidy narrative of the spurned husband

with the too-ambitious wife is his sole consolation.

But if Toby ever wants to truly understand

what happened to Rachel and what

happened to his marriage, he is going to have

to consider that he might not have seen things

all that clearly in the first place.


10 a.m.

AWC Clubhouse

FREE

Daytime Book Club Recap – November

In memory of American author Toni

Morrison, who died in August 2019, we read

Beloved, her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Inspired by the life of African-American slave

Margaret Garner, this novel tells the story of

Sethe, who escaped slavery and, when about

to be recaptured, killed her daughter to save

her from a life of slavery. The book portrays

a very dark point in American history, and

some found the book difficult to read due to

disturbing details. For some, it was their first

exposure to this chapter in American history.

While some found the book engaging, others

did not. Nevertheless, we agreed that this

book is important for its depiction of slavery

and its influence on African-Americans

even after slavery ended. The topics of slavery

and the depiction of Africans are current

ones more than a century later with the recent

news about Zwarte Piet demonstrations, the

appearance of racist abuse by Dutch football

fans, and the 25 migrants found on a boat

leaving the Netherlands for the UK. We discussed

the legacy of slavery and some of the

issues that still exist for African-Americans,

as well as the historical roles of the Dutch

and Americans in the slave trade. The

novel leaves many unanswered questions:

Is Beloved a real person, a ghost, or a figment

of Sethe’s mental illness? Should the

reader suspend disbelief and regard Beloved

as the dead daughter, or is Beloved simply

a runaway slave unrelated to Sethe? Why is

Beloved depicted as unlovable? Can Sethe’s

belief that Beloved is her daughter help her

to heal and get over the tragedy? Most of all,

we discussed whether to critique this book

on the importance of the topic or how it was

written.

Evening Book Club

January Selection: The Bridge of San Luis

Rey by Thornton Wilder

On Friday noon, July

the twentieth, 1714, the

finest bridge in all Peru

broke and precipitated

five travelers into the

gulf below. With this

celebrated sentence,

begins one of the

towering achievements

in American fiction,

and a novel read throughout the world.

By fate or chance, a monk has witnessed

the collapse. Brother Juniper, moved by

the tragedy, embarks on a quest to prove a

higher order is at work in the deaths of those

who perished. His search leads readers on a

timeless investigation into the nature of love

Evening Book Club Reading List:

March 11: The Signature of All Things by

Elizabeth Gilbert

and the meaning of the human condition.

The location of our discussion changes

every month, so please contact Dena at

bookclubevening@awcthehague.org if you

are interested in attending.

Wednesday, January 8

7:30 p.m.

Location TBA

FREE

February Selection: Nothing to Envy by

Barbara Demick

Award-winning journalist

Barbara Demick

follows the lives of six

North Korean citizens

over 15 years—a chaotic

period that saw the death

of Kim Il-sung, the rise

to power of his son Kim

Jong-il (the father of Kim

Jong-un), and a devastating

famine that killed 1/5 of the population.

Demick brings to life what it means to live

under the most repressive regime today—an

Orwellian world that is by choice not >> 16

DECEMBER 2019 15

Ongoing Activities (cont.)

Continued from page 15

connected to the Internet, where displays of

affection are punished, informants are rewarded,

and an offhand remark can send a

person to the gulag for life. She takes us deep

inside the country, beyond the reach of government

censors. Through meticulous and

sensitive reporting, we see her subjects fall

in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and

struggle for survival. We witness their profound,

life-altering disillusionment with the

government and their realization that, rather

than providing them with lives of abundance,

their country has betrayed them. The location

of our discussion changes every month, so

please contact Dena at bookclubevening@

awcthehague.org if you are interested in attending.

Wednesday, February 12

7:30 p.m.

Location TBA

FREE

Evening Book Club Recap – November

Fleischman is in Trouble was the debut

novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. a staff

writer for The New York Times. Although

our group was almost evenly split as to

who liked the novel, most of the group

could agree about the obvious writerly

craftsmanship exhibited. The story itself

and our dislike of the main character were

quickly hashed out as everyone was eager

to discuss the subject matters brought up

by the story: the equality of the sexes (or

lack thereof), the ‘fragile’ male ego, and

sex after divorce. These subjects led to a

lively and sometimes heated debate. We

didn’t have a problem agreeing about the

so-called fragility of the male ego, but how

far towards equality women have come was

a matter of much discussion. No items were

thrown, but voices were definitely raised. If

the measure of a good book club selection

is the amount of debate during our discussion,

then this was most definitely a good

choice.

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.

CCandCers 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

have received a heart pillow. For more >> 18

16 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 17



information, please contact Jan de Vries at

heartpillow@awcthehague.org.

Tuesdays, January 14, February 11

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

If you’re interested in exploring new

restaurants, join us once a month for

lunch in or around The Hague. A different

restaurant is selected each month on

varying days of the week. If you have

any questions, please contact Greetje

Engelsman at outtolunchbunch@

awcthehague.org.

Out to Lunch Bunch: January

Restaurant Augustus (www.eetcafeaugustus.nl)

is situated on the

Reinkenstraat, a nice shopping street. With

the the most extensive lunch menu in The

Hague, you can choose from sandwiches

and toasted sandwiches to wraps, salads or

poke bowls.


Noon – 3 p.m.

Restaurant Augustus

Reinkenstraat 75, 2517 CS Den Haag

Sign up at www.awcthehague.org

Registration deadline: January 21

Out to Lunch Bunch: February

Located on the corner of the Grote Markt

and Prinsengracht, De Boterwaag (www.

boterwaag.nl) was built in 1650 by city

architect Bartholomeus van Bassen exclusively

for the wholesale trade of butter and

cheese. Later this big 17th century property

was converted into a Grand Café and now

invites guests to eat, drink and be merry.

Wednesday, February 19

Noon – 3 p.m.

De Boterwaag

Grote Markt 8A, 2511 BG Den Haag


Registration deadline: February 17

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 Barbara Brookman

at activites@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

Trial Session: € 10 Members /

€ 15 non-members

NEW! Saturday Night Out at the

Club

The latest addition to our Ongoing

Activities will be a monthly Saturday Night

Out at the Club in which we’ll host a variety

of social events at the AWC Clubhouse.

January: Chili Cook-Off

The annual AWC Chili Cook-Off took a

hiatus last year, but now it’s back. Join in

the competition by bringing your best chili

in a crockpot, hot and ready to share with

Members who will vote to determine the

best in the bunch. Get creative as chili can

be meatless, spicy, white, or have a surprise

ingredient. Contestants get in free,

but partners pay € 12 to cover extra food

items, drinks and prizes. We need judges,

so come even without a pot of chili. Come

enjoy a warm bowl of chili with all of the

fixings on a cold January Saturday night.

Saturday, January 25

6:30 – 10 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

Minimum 10 / Maximum 36

Free for Contestants

€ 12 Members / € 17 non-members


Cancellation Deadline: January 17

February: Bunco Night

Bunco is a simple dice game that requires

only luck to win. Since it requires little

Upcoming Out to Lunch Bunch Dates:

Friday, March 27

Thursday, April 23

Monday, May 25

Friday, June 19

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.

18 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 19



focus and no skill, it is the ideal game for a

night of socializing with friends. The game

is played on three tables with four players

at each. It consists of six rounds with

each round ending when a table reaches

21 points. For the first round, the object

is to try to roll three ones, in the second

round twos, third round threes, etc. If a

player rolls three of the same number and

it matches the round number, that’s Bunco

worth 21 points. Although the object of

the game is to win, prizes are given for

the most Buncos, most wins, most losses

and the player who ends up even. The

Clubhouse has enough room to host three

games. Snacks are on the house, so just

bring drinks and your good luck. If you

want to compete for prizes, then bring € 5

cash that evening.

Saturday, February 8

7 – 10:00 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse


Free


Registration Deadline: February 1

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

Join us again for our monthly gathering.

Thirsty Thursday is a casual evening of

companionship and good conversation―a

favorite for AWC Members and prospective

Members. Two soft drinks, wine or

beer, plus snacks.


6 – 9 p.m.

Gallery 61

Passage 61, 2511 AC Den Haag

€ 15 for two drinks and snacks

No RSVP needed


6 – 9 p.m.

Lof der Zotheid

Breiterlaan 84, 2511 AC Den Haag

€ 15 for two drinks and snacks

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

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

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.

Dundas coordinates these meetings and can

be reached at chatcraftcake@awcthehague.

org. Since the location changes every

month, contact Suzanne if you are interested

in attending or for more information.

Thursdays, January 2, February 6

9:30 a.m.

Location TBA

FREE

20 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 21

One-of-a-Kind Activities

by Barbara Brookman

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.

Winter Welcome Back

Come enjoy a morning mimosa while mingling

with Members, new and old. Can’t

make the morning session? Then join us after

work for a borrel with friends. Committee

Chairs and Board Members will be present

to answer questions about all the great events

and activities planned for the first half of the

new year. Member-owned businesses will

also be showcased during this event.

Thursday, January 9

Morning Mimosas: 10 a.m. – Noon

Evening Borrel: 5 – 7 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

Free

AWC Table at Feel at Home Fair

The AWC will once again be represented

at the Feel at Home Fair, a celebration of

the uniquely connected and cosmopolitan

22 GOING DUTCH

international community of The Hague.

This fair provides a warm welcome to

newcomers and a friendly meeting place for

internationals already living here, so it’s the

perfect opportunity for the AWC to recruit

new Members. If you are already planning

on attending the event, please consider

spending an extra hour volunteering at our

table. Contact Mary Ellen Brennan at

membership@awcthehague.org to volunteer

for a shift. Entrance is free if you order tickets

in advance at www.feelathomeinthehague.

com.

Sunday, February 2

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Hague City Hall

Spui 70, Den Haag

Ceramic Canal House Tile Making

Class

Join Ceramic Artist Alexandra Breeze (www.

alexandrabreezeceramics.nl) for an introduction

to relief clay tile making. You have

probably seen Alexandra’s work at the AWC

Christmas Market or at shops around Holland.

We’ll look at different styles of Dutch canal

houses and their history, then we will make

and glaze four houses. Please note that due

to cost and time constraints, Alexandra uses

different glazes for the workshop, rather than

the process she

uses for her own

pieces shown

here. This means

that your houses

will have their

own unique

character!

Alexandra will

fire and mount

your houses, or

you can leave them unmounted to use as gifts

or ornaments. All materials are included in

the fee.

Monday, February 10

1 – 4 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

€ 80 Members / € 85 non-members


Cancellation Deadline: January 24

Private Dinner on the

Hoftrammm

Reserve your place now for a unique dining

experience on the Hoftrammm (www.

hoftrammm.nl), Once just a regular tram, it

is now a traveling restaurant, complete with

a WC and seating for 44 diners (8 tables

for 4 and 6 tables for 2). We’ve reserved

one car of the tram that seats 20 people for

our private AWC party. We’ll follow a scenic

route through The Hague while being

served a five-course gourmet meal designed

by Dutch Celebrity Chef Pierre Wind. The

Hoftrammm is literally a “moveable feast.”

Dinner will include: aperitif, bread, appetizers,

main course, dessert and unlimited drinks

(wine, beer and non-alcoholic options). A

vegetarian option is available if reserved in

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

advance; please note any food allergies when

registering. During our 2.5-hour tour of the

city, we will ride through Scheveningen, the

Statenkwartier and the Centrum. Please note

that the fee is nonrefundable unless your

spot(s) can be filled. RSVP and make your

payment via the online calendar on our website

by January 31. If there are not enough

participants by this date, the event will need

to be cancelled.

Sunday, April 19

Meet at 5:45 p.m. for a 6 p.m. departure

Stationsplein 8, Voorburg

€ 85 Members or Spouses

€ 90 non-members

Minimum / Maximum 20

Nonrefundable

Registration Deadline: January 31

Unique products

for entrepreneurs

1061246

DECEMBER 2019 23

TLC Dinner

by Suzanne MacNeil

Every so often we each need a bit of

tender loving care, also known as TLC.

The Merriam-Webster definition of

TLC is, “Extra attention to make someone or

something look or feel better.” And, once every

February our Club hosts the TLC Dinner

to provide that extra attention for women

who need a hand up, not a hand out. Guests

at the dinner come from all walks of life.

Some may be struggling financially, others

may be dealing with loss, and others may be

working to find their way back from illness or

dependency. No matter their personal issue,

our TLC Dinner provides a night filled with

friendship, good food, and efforts to make

the women who attend to put their struggles

aside.

Now is the time to recommend someone to

be welcomed to the Clubhouse for this warm

and gezellig evening. Perhaps you work

with an organization or group where women

are the focus and know someone who can

benefit from sitting with friends, old and

new, for the gift of being made to feel welcome

and to know they are not alone. If you

know of a woman, whether in the Club or

outside who will benefit from this night out,

please send her name and a bit of her back

story to Jaimie Keppel at philanthropy@

awcthehague.org, this year’s TLC Chair, no

later than Monday, January 20.

Our guests will be treated to dinner, entertainment

and gift bags. Each year our

Members volunteer to serve dinner to the

women who join us, to help make the evening

run smoothly, and to gain as much

from our guests as they gain from us. Please

consider helping make the TLC Dinner special

by any of the following options:

• Donate or find sponsors for gift bags

• Be one of six volunteers to help set up,

decorate and serve dinner

• If you know of a musician or other entertainer

who would be willing to donate

their services, please let Jaimie

know.

Saturday, February 15

5 – 10 p.m.

AWC Clubhouse

Guests by Invitation Only

Volunteers Needed

24 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 25

Farewell to Suzanne MacNeil

by Georgia Regnault

Most of this article I wrote back in

2016 for the bi-monthly magazine of

Benoordenhout, but thought it might be

nice to publish it again in Going Dutch as we bid

farewell to Suzanne MacNeil. Suzanne has been

an ideal example of today’s expat woman: one who

follows the creed to bloom where they are planted.

Suzanne lived in Benoordenhout for the last seven

years, leaving behind a career in the US as a TV

news anchor, reporter, producer and host, as well

as jobs in the corporate field.

As part of her study of mass communication at

Florida State University in Tallahassee, Suzanne had an internship at a local TV station. After

being promoted to reporter, she was one of the first on the scene when Ted Bundy, a serial

killer, attacked five women at the university, leaving two of them dead. A move to West Palm

Beach gave Suzanne the opportunity to cover the Ted Bundy case as the trial was moved to

Miami. For those unfamiliar with this case, Bundy was an infamous serial rapist and murderer

who, in the mid-1970s had committed gruesome murders of more than 30 young women

from coast to coast. He was finally apprehended in Florida, and Suzanne was in the right spot

at the right time to cover the trial on a daily basis. In her words, “In those days, there could

be no spinning of the news, just diligent research.” After several years in West Palm Beach,

Suzanne was offered a position in Champaign, Illinois as a host of PM Magazine, a nationally

syndicated show whose ratings were the sixth highest in the country.

This company, much like Kringloop here, helps people who need work, don’t know how

to find a job, and need to learn new work skills. Suzanne told their stories in the company

magazine, on the internal TV network, and to the news people in the city. She was literally

the face of Goodwill to the outside world. Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee had 1,600

employees when Suzanne worked there, and she said it was the best job she had in her long

and varied career.

That all came to a halt when she remarried in 2012 and her husband, Tim, was asked if he

would become the European liaison for an American company that developed a therapeutic

solution for patients with mitral valve disease. Since Tim had worked in The Hague several

years previously, he felt this was the best city for them to settle in. Although Suzanne was

extremely happy with this turn of events, it also meant she had to reinvent herself.

And we all know, Suzanne did just that. Suzanne joined the AWC and took a course in mosaics

at the American School. So intrigued by this new hobby, she built an atelier in her home

and took courses all over Europe to learn to work with various materials. She continued to use

her communication and writing skills while here and started working with several American

companies as a copy editor for teaching modules for nurses and also researching material for

a documentary that will be produced in California. Many of these skills Suzanne continued

to use in her positions as Editor of this magazine and President of the Club. I also can’t fail to

mention her many contacts who have visited the Club and shared their experiences. AWC of

The Hague will miss her gracious personality and her conscientious work for the Members.

Back in 2016, Suzanne closed our interview with a genuine promotion for The Hague, “I love

living here and made many friends: Dutch, American, Canadian and European. The lifestyle

suits me. The people are gracious. Never lost for something to keep me busy. Travelling is

easy. So much to explore.” I believe she still thinks this today and leaves with a heavy heart.

Suzanne, make sure you come back and visit.

Marrying soon after that to a university basketball coach, they consequently moved every

three or four years. In each place Suzanne found a new niche in the TV news world. She went

into writing and producing for TV, which included a cooking show that aired on HGTV, shows

that touched on social issues, and a documentary on how children of cancer patients deal with

their parent’s illness. This last production was nominated for an Emmy, the highest award a

TV show can win in the US.

In Nashville, Tennessee

Suzanne found herself a single

mom and in need of stable

work to enable her to raise her

two sons. She joined Nissan

America in their corporate office

in the internal communications

department. This involved

producing the company newsletter

and news programs for

employees. The urge to return

to her roots and work on social

issues made Suzanne decide to

leave Nissan when a job opportunity

opened at Goodwill

Industries of Middle Tennessee.

26 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 27

January 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4

Wassenaar Coffee and

Conversation 9:30 a.m.

Clubhouse Closed through January 6

5 6

7

8

9

10 11

Walkie Talkies 9:30 a.m

Chat, Craft & Cake 10 a.m.

Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Winter Welcome Back Coffee

10 a.m. - Noon

Clubhouse Closed through January 6

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Evening Book Club

7:30 p.m.

Winter Welcome Back

Borrel 5 - 7 p.m.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Buddy Check 12



Heart Pillow Workshop

Noon

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Dutch Politics Tour-

Parliament Buildings and

the Knight's Hall

10:15 a.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Thirsty Thursday 6 p.m.

Great Chili Cook-Off

6:30 p.m.

19 20

21

22

23

24 25



Pickleball 10 a.m.

Daytime Book Club 10 a.m.

Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Hermitage - Guided Tour of

Jewels! Exhibition

11:30 a.m.

Out to Lunch Bunch Noon

26

27

28

29

30 31



Pickleball 10 a.m.

Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Tribute and Dinner

5:30 p.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

28 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 29

February 2020

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Looking Forward to Spring:

April 2: Handbag Auction

April 19: Dinner on the Hoftrammm

2

3

4

5

6

7 8

AWC Table at the Feel at

Home Fair 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.



Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Wassenaar Coffee and

Conversation 9:30 a.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Bunco Night 7 p.m.

9 10

11

12

13

14 15


Ceramic Tile Making Class of

Amsterdam Canal Houses

1 p.m.


Heart Pillow Workshop

Noon

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Buddy Check 12

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Evening Book Club

7:30 p.m.

Coffee 10 a.m.


10:30 a.m.

TLC Dinner 5 p.m.

16 17

18

19

20

21 22



Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Out to Lunch Bunch Noon

Thirsty Thursday 6 p.m.

23 24

25

26

27

28 29



Mah Jongg 1 p.m.

Pickleball 10 a.m.

Daytime Book Club 10 a.m.

Happy Leap Year!

AWC Tennis 1 p.m.

30 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 31

AWC and the Arts

by Jane Choy -Thurlow, AWC Member and Mauritshuis Docent

Guided Tour of Jewels – The

Glitter of the Russian Court

One of the Hermitage’s greatest treasures is

the fabulous jewelry 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. Jewelry might also be

designed to provoke or convey secret messages.

Pieces were ordered from leading

houses like Cartier, Tiffany and Fabergé.

Many pieces were lost following the Russian

Revolution. Jewels! presents a glittering array

of over 300 surviving masterpieces, situated

in ballrooms and boudoirs like those of

the tsars’ Winter Palace.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is

a flower bouquet made of precious gems

(1740–50): Empress Elizabeth’s brooch

made with over 400 brilliant-cut and over

450 rose-cut diamonds, as well as blue and

yellow sapphires, rubies, topazes and emeralds.

Catherine the Great’s personal jewelry

box will also be on view: an inconceivably

rich masterpiece weighing 6.5 pounds (3 kilos)

and covered with almost 400 colorful

precious gems, including 26 rubies, 24 emeralds

and various cameos.

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. For further information, please contact

me at jechoy@me.com.

RSVP for all Arts Activities directly on

www.awcthehague.org

Direct any questions to

jechoy@me.com

Wednesday, January 22

Tour: 11:30 a.m.

Meet at 9:50 a.m. at DHCS

Hermitage Museum

Amstel 51, 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

Future Activites

To mark Mayflower 400 (the 400th anniversary

of the sailing of the Mayflower), we

are planning a visit in February or March to

the Leiden Textile Center to see the exhibit

on American quilts and to the Leiden

American Pilgrim Museum. Please watch

for announcements in eNews.

A walking tour of Old Scheveningen by

Monique Varma is planned for Monday,

April 20, as a special Walkie-Talkie outing.

32 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 33

Out To Lunch

Bunches

34 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 35

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.

FAWCO 25th Anniversary

Friendship Quilt Raffle Tickets

Raffle tickets are now on sale for the 25th

Anniversary FAWCO Friendship Quilt:

A Stitch in Time. Every year, members of

FAWCO clubs around the world create

the squares that are included in the quilt,

including our own CCandCers. The anniversary

quilt will be raffled at the FAWCO

Interim Meeting in Luxembourg in March

with proceeds going to The FAWCO

Foundation’s programs and charitable

causes. In an effort to be more sustainable,

you can order this year’s quilt raffle tickets

online by going to The FAWCO Foundation

website at www.fawcofoundation.org or by

following this link: https://form.jotformeu.

com/92934416145358.

One Billion Rising on February 14

FAWCO clubs around the world will be

participating in once again in One Billion

36 GOING DUTCH

Rising on February 14. This campaign

started in 2012 and occurs annually on

Valentine’s Day. Thousands of events will

take place around the world in the biggest

mass action to end violence against women

in human history. The campaign began as a

call to action based on the staggering statistic

that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be

beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the

world population at seven billion, this adds

up to more than

ONE BILLION

WOMEN AND

GIRLS. Watch

our AWC

FaceBook page

and eNews for

additional information

about

our local event.

FAWCO Handbag Auction

Scheduled for April

Yes, we are planning a Handbag Auction

again this year! Please drop off your lightly

used handbags to the Clubhouse by March

26. Tentatively scheduled for April 2, the

auction is a perfect opportunity to combine

spring cleaning with a new seasonal look.

Come enjoy bubbles, snacks and a fun afternoon

as we auction the bags in support of

FAWCO’s philanthropic programs.

FAWCO Interim Meeting

Save the date! The 2020 FAWCO Interim

Meeting will be held in Luxembourg

starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 20

and concluding on Sunday, March 22 at 5

p.m. To register: www.fawco.org/about/

conferences/upcoming-conference

Your Vote is Your Voice

2020 is Election Year

Every American citizen has the right to vote!

Register and Request your ballot by using

the FPCA – the Federal Post Card

Do it TODAY!

To download the FPCA,

go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program

www.FVAP.gov

or www.usvotefoundation.org

Your voting address is wherever you last resided,

no matter how long ago.

In 37 states, US citizens born abroad

who have never resided in the US can

use the voting address of their citizen parent(s).

Follow up on your request

There will be voter registration

at the AWC January Kick Offs

DECEMBER 2019 37

Consumers, Brands and Climate Action

by Anne van Oorschot (AWC The Hague) & Alexandra De Jager (AWG Paris, FAUSA)

Did you come to the AWC General Meeting in November? If you did, you heard the talk I

gave about trying to reduce the amount of plastic packaging we bring into our homes. The

following article gives some background information on our plastic problem, so I hope

you’ll read on. It was written by a member of FAWCO’s Environment Team who lives in

France and the US to remind us that environmental problems are everywhere!

September 20, 2019 was the first day of

a week-long Global Climate Strike and

16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg was

in New York City to lead the way. Earlier in

the week, she addressed the US Congress and

said that climate change is, “This is above

all, an emergency, and not just any emergency.

This is the biggest crisis humanity has

ever faced.” In this meeting, Representative

Graves of Louisiana attempted to pass the

blame for carbon emissions onto China.

“Another perspective,” Thunberg replied. “I

am from Sweden. It’s a small country. And

there it’s the same argument: Why should

we do anything? Just look at the US.” More

importantly, she said that she was not there

to give a prepared speech; she was attaching

her testimony, “It is the IPCC Special Report

on Global Warming ... I am submitting this

report as my testimony because I don’t want

you to listen to me. I want you to listen to

the scientists.”

Indeed, our existential crisis is twofold: the

first aspect is climate change and the warming

of the planet through methane and CO2

emission into the air which results in the

warming of the planet. A lot can be said

about this complex issue and its causes.

Instead, I’d like to focus on the second aspect

of the climate crisis: the destruction of

the environment through human trash, deforestation

for farming and livestock, and

the use of everyday chemicals like pesticides

and herbicides. An important driver

of this aspect is our love affair with modern

conveniences such as single-use plastic

and disposable fashion. While many of

these issues, like deforestation, are beyond

the influence of the average person, the

consumption of plastic is within the control

of the consumer if we are aware of it.

For starters, we must be conscious of the

throw-away culture that was helped by the

invention of cheap plastic. In one report by

The Guardian, “One million plastic bottles

are bought around the world every minute

and the number will jump another 20% by

2021…. More than 480 billion plastic drinking

bottles were sold in 2016 across the

world, up from about 300 billion a decade

ago. By 2021 this will increase to 583.3 billion.”

The frequent images of whales

>> 40

38 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 39

Consumers, Brands and Climate (cont.)


and other dead sea animals with their stomachs

full of plastic have now become common

place. Once pristine Pacific beaches

are now awash with plastic waste. Plastic

does not go away; it just gets broken down

into smaller and smaller pieces. Scientists

recently calculated that people who eat seafood

ingest up to 11,000 microplastics per

year.

The average American goes through more

than 250 pounds of plastic waste, and

much of that comes from packaging. We

have been fooled into thinking the problem

does not exist because we recycle. Sunil

Bagaria, who runs recycling company GDB

International, bemoans, “European countries

are recycling 35% to 40% [of their

plastic waste]. The US only recycles 10%.

How tragic is that?” But here’s the real kicker.

“The vast majority of plastic that has ever

been produced—79%—has actually ended

up in landfills or scattered around the world

or burned, not refashioned into new products,

which is what we hope for when we

talk about recycling,” Sharon Lerner of The

Intercept says. “For plastic bags, less than

1% of tens of billions that are used in the

US alone are recycled. Overall in the US,

our plastic recycling rate peaked in 2014 at

9.5%.” Another report says a whopping 91%

of plastics are not recycled. Up until 2017,

the US and other countries were selling their

recyclables to China and other Asian countries.

Since a lot of the plastics are actually

not recyclable, China is now refusing to take

the trash of the world. It’s piling up at recycling

facilities and going to poor countries

that also don’t have the means to recycle

some of those plastics. “We can’t recycle

our way out of this problem,” she says.

“We have to buy less plastic, and we need

American and other businesses to make less

plastic. There are alternatives, and I want to

emphasize even the most careful consumer

has a hard time avoiding plastics.”

As if our plastic problem couldn’t get any

worse, “A report from ICIS, a plastics market

research company, says the petrochemical

industry will likely double its plastic

manufacturing capacity from 2016 to 2024.

And the American Chemistry Council,

which represents, among others, plastics

manufacturers, says it expects industry to

spend nearly $25 billion to build new plastic

manufacturing capacity by 2025. (That

compares with the $1.5 billion that the industry

plans to spend on cleaning up plastic

waste.) The World Economic Forum

has issued a report on plastic that predicts

a doubling of production in the next two

decades.” In other words, continue to make

more and people will find a way to use it.

So, is the problem plastic or people? Or put

another way, are consumers the problem or

the manufacturers? There are many answers.

The answer is to consciously use less (SDG

13, Climate Action). We have made a

start with using our own grocery bags and

water bottles, but much more can be done.

Manufacturers can produce sustainably

(SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and

Production) and brands can package better.

Do supermarkets need to plastic wrap three

bell peppers together? We can be more

informed of what actually gets recycled.

Instead of throwing away or recycling, we

can reuse. There is a movement now for a

“circular economy” in which big companies

such as Procter & Gamble (https://

news.pg.com/press-release/pg-corporateannouncements/pg-joins-terracycles-looppilot-test-new-york-metro-area),

Nestlé

(www.nestle.com/media/news/nestlehaagen-dazs-loop-reusable-packaginginitiative)

and Unilever (www.unilever.

com/news/news-and-features/Featurearticle/2019/we-are-introducing-reusablerefillable-packaging-to-help-cut-waste.

html) are experimenting with refillable

containers for products like detergents, dry

food and even Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

Sources:

www.cnn.com/2019/08/18/health/glaciers-melting-climate-change-trnd/index.html

The answer is partnering and sharing responsibility.

We as consumers alone cannot

solve this problem; we need to let the stores

and brands know we want better and less

packaging and we will reward them with a

return for their

“good behavior”.

Let’s

start with being

aware,

and as Greta

Thunberg

said, “If not

you, then

who? If not

now, then

when?”

www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plasticbottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change

www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-wasteocean-trash-debris-environment/

www.npr.org/2019/08/20/750864036/u-s-recycling-industry-is-struggling-to-figureout-a-future-without-china

www.theintercept.com/2019/07/20/plastics-industry-plastic-recycling/

www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/09/20/how-to-recycle-plastic

40 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 41

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tribute and Dinner

by Roberta Enschede

A

former student of mine at the

American School of The Hague

(ASH) had a baby in Chicago in

August. She wrote, “My job is to raise you

into an empathetic being who will build

more love not hate in this already too cruel

world. The most terrifying part is raising a

black son in a country that will do its hardest

to harm you, to weaponize your own skin

against you, but your village is strong, my

beautiful son.”

When I read her words, I couldn’t help

thinking: why should a mother have to fear

for her child because he or she is a black

baby, or a brown, Asian, Jewish, Catholic,

Muslim or Roma baby?

Each year, on the last Sunday of January,

we commemorate the life and work of Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and ask ourselves

that same question: Why? Dr. King articulated

an American idea when America is

at its best, its most principled and idealistic.

He challenged us to live out “the true

meaning of the Dream... We hold these

truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal.” He weaponized the words

of the Declaration of Independence, words

that resound wherever men and women ask

why, march, speak out and demand freedom.

In the Netherlands, he is a hero with streets

named after him. The Vrije University of

Amsterdam awarded him an Honorary

Doctorate. In 1964, he received the Nobel

Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. At that ceremony,

he said, “I refuse to accept the view

that mankind is so tragically bound to the

starless midnight of racism and war that the

bright daylight of peace and brotherhood

can never become a reality... I believe that

unarmed truth and unconditional love will

have the final word.”

42 GOING DUTCH

Tragically, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was

shot and died on the balcony of the Lorraine

Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Just four

days later, Rep. John Conyers called for

the creation of a national holiday to honor

him. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan

finally signed legislation designating the

third Monday of January as Martin Luther

King, Jr. Day. There was much resistance,

but even the most hardline states eventually

relented. Coretta Scott King said of the day,

“Make it a day on, not a day off.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was first commemorated

in the US in 1986. That same

year and every year since, we’ve commemorated

it here. We know we must always

remember and continue to do whatever we

can so that no mother will ever have to feel

terrified for her child. Dr. King once wrote,

“We must build dikes of courage to hold

back the flood of fear.” We need that courage

now!

Just a few days before writing this article,

I was watching CNN. A banner appeared

at the bottom of the screen that read, “In a

Strasbourg cemetery, more than 100 Jewish

graves were desecrated with swastikas!”

At Syracuse University in New York, a racist

and anti-immigrant manifesto was posted

Sunday, January 26 at 5:30 p.m.

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Anneke Beeuwkes, Michele Beier, Roberta Enschede, Tove McGrew, Jessie Rodell

online and a fraternity made a “funny” film

in which a student recited an oath “to solemnly

swear to always have hatred in my

heart” and referred to blacks, Latinos and

Jews. Fifteen students were suspended.

In November, there were innumerable incidents

on US college campuses. At the

University of Georgia, “All Heil” with a

swastika underneath was scrawled on the

door of a Jewish student. At Iowa State,

racist stickers and posters were found on

light poles and bus stops. At the University

of Wisconsin Eau-Claire, there was a string

of racist social media posts including a

burning cross of the Klu Klux Klan. At

Auburn University, an extension cord tied

as a noose was left in a common area. It’s

hard to fathom that 56 years after the March

on Washington in 1963, and 65 years after

Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, and

11 years after President Obama was elected,

that such incidents continue to happen.

That people who are perceived to be “different”

almost certainly will be victims of

hate sometime in their lives. That more

likely than not, that precious little Chicago

infant will one day know hate.

It may be Charlottesville and neo-Nazis

chanting, “Jews will not replace us!” It may

be soccer fans in Italy or the UK tormenting

black players with monkey chants. It may

be Dutch teens on a bus to Wassenaar bent

on humiliating a young girl with a hijab and

causing her to get off the bus in tears.

That’s why each year, we set aside the last

Sunday evening in January to remember

Dr. King and to challenge ourselves and

our children to work to realize his Dream.

This year, as always, Reverend Harcourt

Klinefelter and Lois Mothershed Pot will

join us to share their thoughts and memories.

Reverend Klinefelter worked for Dr.

King for three years, until his death. He

went down South from Yale Theological

Seminary to find him and became his public

relations person. He ate dinners in his

kitchen and marched by his side. Lois

Mothershed Pot is the sister of Thelma

Mothershed, one of the Little Rock Nine.

She remembers how Thelma had to be escorted

by the National Guard in order to

enter high school. Lois was the first black

student in her university and the first black

president of the National Christian Students

Union. During WWII, her father was in a

segregated unit, fighting for the freedom

he did not have. Like Reverend Klinefelter,

Lois continues to work and speak about

where we’ve come from and where we still

have to go.

We hope you will join us. Bring your children,

friends and neighbors. There will be

wonderful jazz singers and musicians from

Memphis, Chicago and ASH. Young speakers

will briefly talk about what the “Dream”

means to them and a representative of the

US Embassy will share his or her thoughts.

Let Us Break Bread Together and as we

do, let us also remember that January 27 is

Holocaust Memorial Day, a date chosen by

the UN in remembrance of the liberation of

Auschwitz in 1945.

Dr. King warned, “The greatest crime of all

is the silence of good men.” The challenge

of his Dream is to always ask why and never,

ever be silent. Then and only then “Shall

we overcome.”

DECEMBER 2019 43

Revolution. Along the way we saw such

historic sites as Paul Revere’s home and the

Massachusetts State House, shown here,

which was built in 1798 and is still the state

capitol.

I

was impressed and surprised when I

learned that my friend’s son was accepted

for a one-year internship at Harvard

Medical School. Perhaps if Andrew was

studying biomed or medicine, it would be

expected, but he’s studying chemistry at

University of Bath in England. When Sally

said she was visiting him in late October,

without even thinking, I invited myself to join

her. As Andrew works all day,

she welcomed the company.

Our explorations began with

attending a vegetarian festival,

which Andrew’s roommates

told us about (and

was a good reminder that it’s

worth doing a little research

before heading somewhere

new to see if there are any

festivals worth attending).

It would have been easy

to have bought a bunch of

products I haven’t seen in

Holland, like grated cashew

cheese, but my luggage was

already at its max weight after

spending a week at my

44 GOING DUTCH

Exploring Boston

by Melissa White

parents’ house in California, so I restrained

myself.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking

the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile (4-kilometer)

path starting in Boston Common, America’s

oldest public park dating from 1634, to

the Bunker Hill Monument, commemorating

the first major battle in the American

The following day, Sally went on an allday

fall foliage tour, which she thoroughly

enjoyed. I had debated about joining her,

but recognized that my impatience doesn’t

mix well with a large bus tour. Luckily

the Boston Hash House Harriers had a run

that day, so I joined them for a hash trail

(somewhat like a scavenger hunt for beer).

Something truly unique about this running

club is that there are groups in nearly every

major city in the world and visiting

“hashers” are always welcome. I was a bit

nervous about getting lost, so was relieved

that I was able to keep up with the slower

runners. I was completely shocked when we

got to the end and saw that the host had a

large cooler full of live lobsters that he was

steaming for dinner along with corn on the

cob and potatoes.

I am not a foodie, but much of the five days

in my home town (we moved to California

before my third birthday) was about food

with an emphasis on seafood: lobster roll,

lobster soft tacos, scallop risotto and New

England clam chowder both in a ceramic

bowl and in a bread bowl. We also had fresh

cannoli from Mike’s Pastry, but rather than

wait in the hour-long line in the original

shop which opened in 1946 in North End,

we had no wait at all in Cambridge.

With Halloween around the corner, we took

a scenic journey by ferry to Salem, home of

the infamous Salem Witch Trials. We had

originally planned to visit one of the cheesy

witch museums, but not the haunted houses

as neither of us likes scary stuff. Instead

we watched a movie produced for the

National Park Service, which stuck to the

facts: between June and September 1692,

20 innocent people were executed―14

women and 6 men, 19 by hanging and 1 by

being crushed. It was quite sobering to walk

through the Salem Witch Trials Memorial,

consisting of 20 granite benches inscribed

with the name of the accused and date of

their execution located next to the Old

Buying Point. The other highlight of our >> 46

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

“Our next holiday is

a safari. They do

the whole world!”

“They make booking a

holiday so easy. I just

leave it to them!”

“Every trip is

customized, just for

me! That’s unique!”

DECEMBER 2019 45

Exploring Boston (cont.)


day in Salem was a visit to the Punto Urban

Art Museum, which consisted of 70 amazing

murals. I was happy that Sally was also

interested in taking the time to photograph

the artworks as I am always drawn to photographing

street art.

When I suggested that we visit the John F.

Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

the next day, I honestly had no idea if either

of us would enjoy it, but we both agreed it

was definitely worth visiting. We started

with an introductory movie beginning with

JFK’s childhood, his heroic efforts as a patrol

boat captain in the US Navy during World

War II, and ending when he threw his hat

into the race for President. Then the exhibits

bridged the gap from the election campaign

until that fateful day in Dallas, when I was

just three months old. It was fascinating!

There was a movie about the Cuban Missile

Crisis and videos of his iconic speeches:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what

your country can do for you, ask what you

can do for your country. Just catching sight

of the black wall with November 22, 1963

upon it, brought tears to my eyes. I was very

relieved that the videos in that hall showed

the horse-drawn carriage with the flag covered

casket rather than footage of the assassination.

On my flight home the next day, I

watched the biopic Jackie, which focused on

the few days between his death and burial.

While there are currently 12 other presidential

libraries in the US, the next one I hope to

visit hasn’t even broken ground yet: Barack

Obama’s in Chicago.

That evening I treated Sally and Andrew to

a nice dinner to thank them for the hospitality.

I was quite excited when he led us to

the Prudential Building, the second tallest

skyscraper in Boston, but we actually ate at

Earl’s, a nice restaurant on the second floor.

Afterwards we headed to the 52nd floor to

grab a drink and check out the view, but

the windows were completely fogged up,

so we skipped the drink and went in search

for dessert. It was incredible that we didn’t

fall into sugar-induced comas after gorging

on enormous ice cream concoctions at Max

Brenner.

My final day in Boston was spent exploring

my father’s alma mater: MIT. Sally and I

started with trying to get into Baker House,

where he lived for the four years of his

undergraduate education. After making it

through the outer and inner doors, we were

quickly caught by security; I didn’t really

expect to get in, but figured it was worth at

least trying. Then we learned that MIT has

lots of cool public art, so we went in search

for some of the iconic pieces, such as this

stainless-steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor

that creates optical illusions. It was fitting

that I ended my explorations of Boston

where my story began―my father was attending

MIT when his parents met my

mother’s parents and set them up on a blind

date. Their marriage didn’t last, but I am

truly thankful that they met.

46 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 47

Annual General Meeting and Thanksgiving Lunch

48 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 49

Dealing with Winter Woes

by Alex Moore

Much has been written on seasonal affective disorder and the effects it has on us

during winter. Despite being a realist for much of the year, winter affects my mood

too, whether I’m in Florida, New Zealand or Holland. Believe it or not, Florida

has its fair share of rainy, cold winter weather. Something about those gray skies and short

days make me emo as well, so I’m stuck looking up ways to defeat the winter blues.

Indeed, winter can be quite lovely. Snow in the countryside can create a landscape nothing

short of a winter wonderland. Roaring fires and hot chocolate can be idyllic on those

cold nights. Dutch pubs create a certain gezelligheid that isn’t found just anywhere. It’s

the perfect time to sport our favorite sweaters. Winter can also be the perfect time to try

out all of those soup recipes you’ve been stocking. (Apologies, the door was wide open

for that one.)

Now it’s time for some real talk: sometimes winter sucks. Going to and from work in the

dark is not fun. Slipping on ice, landing smack on your backside while yelling a series

of four-letter words is not something I’d recommend. Sweaters can be itchy and bulky.

Soup gets old and stamppot is not going to help you with those fitness resolutions you set

for yourself.

It’s easy to get stuck in a circle of negativity, something that seems more magnified during

the winter. Admittedly, this article is part self-help, part morbid curiosity to attempt an

article on a subject that’s been written about many times. Paul Simon may have 50 ways

to leave one’s lover, but I have 8 ways to keep those blues far.

Movie Night: Gather your friends, Romans, countrymen. Well, maybe not all of them because

it might cramp your living room. Grab some snacks and pick out a movie to enjoy

on one of these winter nights. So help me, if I see you queuing up Dr. Zhivago, I will slap

the remote out of your hands and queue up Stepbrothers instead.

Day Trip: If flying anywhere is not an option, a day trip can work, too. We live in

Benelux after all, which is a convenient location. A trip to Belgium, Germany or perhaps

Luxembourg is an option to snap you out of that winter funk. The Netherlands has all

kinds of cute villages worth discovering. Pick somewhere you’ve never gone to and make

a day of it checking out what the new place has to offer.

Self-care: Many of us are guilty of not doing enough of this. But it’s so important to take

time out for you to do something you enjoy, whether it’s an exercise class, a favorite hobby,

or an evening with friends. There are infinite ways to practice self-care, but one option

is to go to a spa. You can sit in a sauna and pretend you’re in Arizona in July. Since many

spas offer massages and facials, you can get your diva on and book one of those as well.

Get Crafty: You know that one project that you’ve been meaning to do for a while, the

one that gets shoved in the back of the closet because you’ve found yet another way to

procrastinate doing it? Yes, that one. That scarf you want to crochet, the needlepoint, the

hat you want to knit. Get it out, dust it off and do it once and for all. Just like the charcuterie

board, that craft is not going to make itself. And you don’t have to craft alone as Chat,

Craft & Cake meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. all winter long at the AWC (see page 17).

Contact a Friend: Think of someone you haven’t seen in a while. Contact them and

invite them to do something, whether it’s coffee, lunch, or another activity. Chances are,

this friend will be thrilled to hang out with your fabulous self. A simple outing with a

friend can distract you from anything negative.

When the weather is cold and gray, the winter blues try to stay. With these suggestions,

you can tell those blues to go home. At least until March, when the winter funk subsides

and the spring funk takes over lightening up your mood before making you sneeze. You

take the good with the bad, I suppose.

Winter Potluck: Since the stores all have those three snacks for € 5 deals, have a potluck

where everyone can bring their favorite snacks. Eat, drink, and be merry. That charcuterie

that you worked so hard to arrange out of everyone’s borrel hapjes lottery is not going to

eat itself. Nor should it. That would be a waste of good munchies.

Get Out of Your House: Yes, I know the weather is atrocious and all you want to do is

drink tea and read a book on the sofa covered in so many blankets you look like a fleece

mummy. Staying in the house for too long isolated is only going to make you feel worse.

Bundle up, go for a walk, even if it’s only 15 minutes. Consider joining the Walkie Talkies

for their Monday morning walks throughout the winter (see page 21). Fresh air does the

spirit and the body good.

Long Weekend Trip: There may be flight deals to sunny places or to somewhere else new

and exciting. Look on budget airline websites for any new deals. Cheapflights is also a

good resource. Sunweb is your friend. The only problem with Sunweb and Cheapflights is

that you will need your Dutch partner or Google Translate. Unless of course, your Dutch

is good enough to decipher the text on these websites in order to book a brief holiday.

50 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 51

Announcements

The Arts Society Lecture

Treasures of the Ottoman Empire

Pencil shaped minarets, domed mosques,

vibrantly coloured tiles with tulips and arabesques,

and grand manuscripts enlivened

with miniatures are just a few examples of

the rich and varied Ottoman artistic heritage

that will be discussed by Dr. Luit Mols,

who teaches Islamic art at the University of

Amsterdam. Nonmember fee is € 13. www.

theartssocietythehague.org

Tuesday, January 14 at 8 p.m.

Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Cultural Centrum Warenar

Kerkstraat 75, Wassenaar

International Literature Festival

Writers Unlimited, an annual international

literature festival connecting over 80 authors,

poets and musicians from all over

the world with each other and with audiences,

will take place from January 15 – 19

on stages around The Hague. The theme

52 GOING DUTCH

of the 25th jubilee edition is Freedom and

Decolonization in Literature and Art, focusing

on liberation, how truly free are our

minds, and the decolonization of Western

thinking. There are programs in English as

well as Dutch. www.writersunlimited.nl

National Tulip Day

National Tulip Day is on Saturday, January

18. To celebrate, Dutch tulip growers

create a massive temporary garden on Dam

Square in Amsterdam, bursting with

around 200,000 tulips. Everyone is invited

to pick their own tulips for free from this

specially constructed picking garden

with the theme of World of Colors. www.

tuliptime.info

Rotterdam International Film

Festival

The 49th International Film Festival

Rotterdam (IFFR) takes place from

January 22 – February 2. One of the largest

audience and industry-driven film festivals

in the world, IFFR offers a line-up

of carefully selected fiction and documentary

feature films, short films and media

art from 50 countries. This year’s festival

will examine the most basic elements that

make up film: primary colors, a flicker of

light meeting darkness, a chemical drip on

a strip of film―elements that, when combined

with talented determination, can create

infinite forms of cinematic experience.

www.iffr.com

Burns’ Night Supper

The St. Andrew’s Society extends an invitation

to the AWC to attend their annual ceilidh

(Scottish country dancing) and dinner in honor

of Robert Burns, Scotland’s most famous

poet. Dinner will include haggis (dispatched

with a swirling sword), neeps (turnips) and

tatties (mashed potatoes); please note if

you’d prefer vegetarian haggis when booking

your tickets for € 40 at www.standrews.nl. No

dancing experience is necessary as you will

be encouraged to join in with step-by-step instructions

by a caller―the dance teacher who

walks everyone through each dance.

Friday, January 24

Door open at 6:30 p.m.

Prompt start at 7 p.m.

BSN Leidschenveen

Vrouw Avenweg 640, Den Haag

Grab Your Skates

Winter is here and in addition to the

chance of skating on natural ice, there are

several outdoor rinks that have been set

up around The Hague. The seaside resort

of Scheveningen offers ice skating in front

of the Kurhaus through January 26 (www.

cooleventscheveningen.nl). Although

Leidsenhage, the large shopping center with

free parking in Leidschendam, is largely

under construction, its large rink is once

again open daily through March 1. This rink

is occasionally closed for private parties,

so be sure to check the calendar first (www.

iceparadise.nl).

Feel at Home in The Hague Fair

Whether you are new to The Hague and its

surrounding area or have lived here for years,

you shouldn’t miss the biggest international

community event in the region. There will

be an international food court and more

than 130 exhibitors providing information

on every aspect of life in and around The

Hague as well as shows and displays from

local schools, theater groups, musicians and

sports teams. Be sure to stop by the AWC

table. Free tickets are offered online: www.

feelathomeinthehague.com.

Sunday, February 2

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Den Haag Stadhuis

Spui 70, Den Haag

Art Fair in Rotterdam

The 21st edition of Art Rotterdam, an international

art fair for contemporary modern

art, takes place from February 6 – 9 in

the Van Nelle Factory, a UNESCO World

Heritage Site. Built in 1931, this factory

produced tobacco, coffee and tea from until

1995. It is an iconic example of the Modern

Movement in the Netherlands. This is an excellent

opportunity to visit this unique site

in addition to browsing around an art fair

known for discovering up-and-coming talent.

Discounted tickets are available online:

www.artrotterdam.com

Chinese New Year Festival

There is a lot to see at the official opening

of the annual Chinese New Year Festival

to celebrate the Year of the Rat on

Saturday, January 25. In and around The

Hague Stadhuis (City Hall), the national

celebration is organized with Chinese

dragons and lions dancing, performances

by Chinese and Dutch artists, and an Asian

market in the Stadhuis starting at 11 a.m.

www.chineesnieuwjaar-denhaag.nl

>> 54

DECEMBER 2019 53

Announcements (cont.)


The Arts Society Lecture

In Search of the Queen of Sheba

The fame of the Queen of Sheba has lasted

almost 3,000 years since she made her

epic journey from her distant land to the

court of King Solomon. A passage in the

Bible’s Book of Kings has immortalized

this Queen and her camel caravan laden

with gold and incense as gifts for the king

of Jerusalem. In this talk, archeologist

and former curator at the British Museum,

Louise Schofield, looks at how the Queen

of Sheba has captured the imagination of

great artists, inspired epic films and has

led archaeologists to go in search of her

land—a search that has led to discoveries

of great temples, tombs and treasures in

Yemen and Ethiopia. Nonmember fee is

€13. www.theartssocietythehague.org

Tuesday, February 11 at 8 p.m.

Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Cultural Centrum Warenar

Kerkstraat 75, Wassenaar

47th ABN AMRO World Tennis

Tournament

Over 100,000 spectators are expected at

this annual indoor tennis tournament from

February 8 – 16 at the Ahoy Rotterdam.

The event offers men’s singles, men’s

doubles and the World Wheelchair Tennis

Tournament. Ladies’ Day will be on

Tuesday, February 11 featuring tennis of

the very highest standards. Tickets for

Kids’ Day on Wednesday, February 12 can

only be purchased through the Ahoy Box

Office. www.abnamrowtt.com

Blues Festival Delft

Delft is home to the Netherland’s biggest

indoor blues event from February 14 – 16.

More than 70 Dutch and foreign bands perform

at more than 30 cafés and restaurants

throughout the city during this free festival.

If you love Chicago and Texas blues,

blues rock and acoustic Delta blues, you’ll

feel right at home. www.delftblues.nl

Offensive Books?

The House of the Book

within the Meermanno

Museum in The Hague

is presenting Offensive

Books? an exhibition

through March 1 about

books which have become

taboo over the

decades. Freedom of

expression and a free

press are guaranteed in the Dutch constitution.

This exhibit will challenge visitors

to consider if things have gone too far and

boundaries need to be set. The impact of

books will be explored through politics,

religion and society. www.meermanno.nl

Fashion Icon: Thierry Mugler

Through March 8 at the Kunsthal in

Rotterdam, the exhibition Thierry Mugler:

Couturissime brings together more than

150 outfits, most of them on display for

the first time, created between 1977 and

2014, as well as many never-before-seen

accessories and stage costumes, videos

and sketches. Innovative and rebellious,

the French designer has been surprising

the world for almost 50 years with his

extraordinary creations. This exhibit will

Photo by Alan Strutt

reveal the multiple universes of this undeniably

artistic figure—visionary couturier,

director, photographer and perfumer—in a

retrospective of his work. Due to the popularity

of this exhibit, timed slots will need

to be booked and there is a surcharge with

the Museumkaart. www.kunsthal.nl

The Offshore Experience

Many AWC Members have moved to

Holland because of the energy sector. Learn

more about Holland’s modern-day maritime

prowess at the Maritime Museum in

Rotterdam’s permanent exhibition, The

Offshore Experience, which allows visitors

to go on a challenging interactive search

for energy. Wearing a safety vest and helmet,

you’ll think you’re on board an offshore

oil platform in the middle of the

North Sea. Models of the newest and most

advanced offshore ships, built especially for

the exhibition, demonstrate their capabilities.

The adventure ends in the future. Vote

for the best sustainable idea for producing

energy at sea. Will it have been suggested

by a professional offshore engineer or by a

group of primary school students? Free with

Museumkaart. www.maritiemmuseum.nl

54 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 55

Classifieds

Index of Advertisers

Private Pilates Lessons in

Your Own Home

I am a Certified Pilates

instructor offering mat

Pilates—tailored to your

body’s specific needs.

Monday to Friday, office

hours. Women only. Private

one-on-one or small groups

of up to three possible.

Lessons in English.

The Hague, Wassenaar area

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 32

American Travel

Center

page 45

Aveda Lifestyle

Salon

Inside Cover

FRITSTAXI

Airport Service

Inside Back Cover

Happy Critters

page 21

Marcel

Vermeulen

Jewelry

page 11

Petros Eyewear

Sligro

page 11

page 23

VERHEY VAN

WIJK brilmode

page 17

Wassalon

Weissenbruch

page 15

Your Cleaning

Service

page 32

Support Fellow AWC

Members

Find links to a large

variety of businesses

owned by AWC Members

at www.awcthehague.

org/site/newcomers/

business-links

Event information, suggestions or comments

for eNews?

Please send all eNews information to

enews@awcthehague.org

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!

Going Dutch is Available Online

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.

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!

Member Privacy

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.

56 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 57

Restaurant Recommendations

Recommendations by Sheyla Karman & Suzanne MacNeil

Please send your recommendations to wwdp@awcthehague.org

La Lanterna

With four locations in The Hague, La

Lanterna, has been specializing in preparing

traditional Italian food with fresh ingredients

since 1975. They also have a wide selection

of Italian wines.

Javastraat 29

2585 AC Den Haag

070 365 6088

lalanterna.nl

Traditional Italian

€€ - €€€

Monday – Friday Noon – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 3 – 10:30 p.m.

Didong

Fresh, authentic and spicy Indonesian food

with a contemporary character. A variety of

menu items, specials of the day and the traditional

rice table, Didong can also serve to

the vegetarian palate.

2e Sweelinckstraat 115

2517 GW Den Haag

070 364 9887

didong.nl

Aisan, Indonesian, Fusion

€€ - €€€

Wednesday – Friday 5 – 9 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday 4 – 9 p.m.

Knossos

Located by the Grote Kerk since 1985, this

family-owned business caters lighter dishes

and sandwiches for lunch, as well as organic

meats and sustainably caught fish for dinner.

Kerkplein 1

2513 AZ Den Haag

070 365 4831

knossosdenhaag.nl

Greek, Seafood, Mediterranean

€€ - €€€

Lunch: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Dinner: 4 – 10 p.m.

58 GOING DUTCH

DECEMBER 2019 59

AWC Going Dutch Jan Feb 2020

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