Carnival 2009/2010 is coming. It first burst onto my tiny expat radar on November 11th as I tried to walk through the Vrijthof on my way to class, only to be stopped by a huge and colorful crowd of people in cow costumes (among other things). A month ago, we began to hear and see many marching bands and tiny parades kept springing up. Now, one week before the event, nearly every house in Maastricht, and all the stores, are graced with the traditional red, yellow, and green banners.
We discovered this heavily decorated home around the corner from our apartment. I believe that this is actually the "Palace" of this year's Prince.
Of course Maastricht is well known for their beautiful and gregarious Carnival celebrations; complete with a Prince, several parades, and visitors from all over the country. Being not only from the US, but also from New England where our Puritan ancestors didn’t even go in for musical instruments in Church, I find myself curious but rather baffled. Which is why I’m going to send you to the experts. Go read a couple of these articles from Crossroads to get a feel for the event and then come back for my thoughts and plans.
- Carnival is a Feeling (2007)
- The History of Carnival (2007)
- Maastricht Carnival: to beer or not to be here (2008)
- and one from a tourist’s perspective: Carnival in Maastricht (2004)
All done? Ok, down to business.
Like I mentioned before, I find the entire exercise to be a bit baffling, but I am very curious to see what the event and parades are like. so this year we’ll be participating in our visit Carnival to the extent our limited language skills will allow.
Costumes
A little hint at Dan's costume.
Carnival events begin on Friday, but the day when the locals dress up (unless your in an event) is Sunday (according to this article). I’m not sure if people also dress up on Monday & Tuesday. Anyone who want to help out on that question, I’d appreciate it.
Our costumes? They are a secret for now, but we’ll have lots of pictures after Carnival.
Parades
Many Carnival related bands have been in and out of this pub across the street. This particular one woke us up coming back around 12:30 am.
Drinking & Revelry
Several of the pubs and cafes have elaborate decorations in place.
Serious Play
Of course the flipside of everyone getting dressed up and having a good time is that Carnival is taken very seriously by those who grew up with it. Everything I’ve read suggests that there are several levels of participation in Carnival. Outsiders (like me) only get to participate in a shallow level of revelry revolving around parades and bars and listening to music. We simply don’t have the experience to do or understand more. Locals and people who participate year after year (and speak the local dialect) are able to delve much deeper into the event and participate in the event the “right” way.
This distinction is maintained both by an attitude that outsiders don’t “get it” (ok, you’ve got me there) and a linguistic restriction due to all the most important events and speeches being held in Limburgish (which prevents outsiders from getting too deep). I’d never suggest events shouldn’t be held in the traditional language, but I doubt I’ll ever be at the point where I learn both Dutch and Limburgish fluently enough to understand these speeches. And that is kind of sad.
Our Plan
The Maastricht train station is decorated in the traditional colors and, appropriately, umbrellas.
See you there!
Carnival Schedule 2010 (from the Tempeleers website [Dutch/Limburgish])
Roughly translated. I don’t know which, if any, of these events may be by invitation only.
Saturday, 13 February
- Festive Presentation with the StadsPrins at the Train Station: 13.11
- Procession to Town Hall on Markt Square. 13.55
- Transfer of Power from the Mayor to the Prince: 15.11
- Reception at the Redot (?) of the Prince: 20.11
Sunday, 14 February
- Ceremony at the ‘Palace’ (home) of the Prince: 10.33
- Raising of the ‘t Mooswief & 11 gun salute on the Vrijthof: 12.11
- Official Carnival Parade
Monday, 15 February
- Family & Children’s Parade: time unknown.
Tuesday, 16 February
- ‘Zate Hermeniekes-concours’ (all band concert) on the Vrijthof: 14.11 (until 17.00ish?)
- Children’s Costume Contest in the Bonbonnière: 15.11
- Lowering of ‘t Mooswief and official end of Carnival: 23.55
I was going to blog about the coming of Carnival here in Maastricht, but since we’re planning on shopping for costumes this weekend, I thought I’d save that adventure for Monday. Instead I wanted to share a few pictures I’ve snapped over the past few months of art and statues in the Netherlands. I love how these sometimes small, sometimes grand gasps of art are sprinkled all over the place. Hope you enjoy.
Cat graffiti in Maastricht. Maastricht actually has tons of interesting graffitti.
Woman Statue in Valkensburg. On a private bridge over a canal.
Seal and sea otter statues on a bridge in Den Haag.
I must be some kind of fool, but just before Christmas I decided it was time to take up a running regimen to keep those extra holiday pounds down and get me out of the house. Armed with the Couch to 5K interval running program, I’ve been out pounding the sidewalks in and out of the residential spaces of Maastricht. This region is fun to run in. Here’s why I think so.
Read the Rest of my article at Maastricht Region: To Live
All-You-Can-Eat Sushi!
Location: Jodenstraat 26, 6211 ER Maastricht
Website
Sushi is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Personally, I adore it; especially when I find excellent tuna sashimi. That’s why Dan & I were so pleased when we first discovered Kaishu, a sushi and teppen-yaki restaurant. Every time we’ve been there the sushi and hot dishes have been very good. Excellent tuna. And a widely varied menu means there is a little something for everyone; even those of you who would rather eat your fish cooked.
The restaurant has two floors. The upstairs features a sushi bar as you walk in the front door and a lot of seating in dark wood. This floor is well-appointed in a fairly classic Japanese restaurant style (lots of reds, rice paper panels, and fans). Additional seating is available downstairs and is less attractive, but we’ve never seen the restaurant full so it is unlikely you’ll be seated there. The waitresses wear kimonos, creating a pleasant dining environment.
In addition to their a la carte selection, Kaishu has several special menus. Our favorite is, of course, the All-You-Can-Eat. For 23-25 euros per person you can order anything you want off of a special menu for two solid hours. All they ask is that you eat everything you order. The same menu is available for lunch between 1pm and 4 pm for 16,50 euros.
Other special menus are:
- Thursday & Friday Sushi Night: 14,95 euros plus free soup
- Take Away: various prices
- Teppan-Yaki Set Menus: Between 45,00 and 65,50 euros
Kaishu is open 7 days a week. Lunch is served from 1 to 4 pm and dinner from 4 to 11:30 pm.
image (c) xpatarchive.com
Starting from a humble beginning as an old leather suitcase full of diaries and yellowing documents, the Expatriate Archive Centre has grown into a lovely residential office where a trove of expat-related documents and ephemera are collected for future research.
Why an Expat Archive
“To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible a collection of primary source materials documenting the social history of expatriate life.” – Expatriate Archive Centre Mission Statement
That is the mission of the Expatriate Archive Centre and they take it very seriously. Living and working abroad is one of the most influential decisions an expat can make, but the reasons behind that decision and the experiences after it vary widely. By bringing together the experiences of expats, organizations, and their families left at home, the Centre is creating a collection useful for all sorts of researchers interested in multicultural experiences, immigration, and even genealogy. The materials can also be used to support future expats by creating higher value experiences for them or simply by letting each of us know we are not alone.
Location, Location, Location
Front entrance of the Archive. image (c) xpatarchive.com
I believe the choice of the Den Haag as the home of the Expatriate Archive Centre was a coincidence, but it is appropriate. In addition to being the home of the UN’s judicial branch and the Dutch seat of government, Den Haag is home to a variety of international companies with a strong expat community. The Netherlands itself is quite centrally located for European-based expats.
Although the archive is located in the Netherlands, it accepts donations from expats living worldwide and in all languages. They have a relationship with a translation program to translate all contributions into English for access.
Volunteering with the Archive
The archive space is temperature controlled. Image (c) xpatarchive.com
Volunteers are the lifeblood of this young archive. While they do have a small, professional staff who maintain the archive, seek out new donations, and assist researchers, it is the volunteers who read diaries, scan materials, translate documents, and build the archive’s presence online and outside of Den Haag. New volunteers are asked to attend the regular Introductory Workshop to ensure that they know what they are doing and why it is being done. Other volunteers help conduct oral interviews and they have an additional training workshop as well.
Despite the distance of Maastricht from Den Haag, my archivist background simply made volunteering with the archive too good of an opportunity to pass up. I originally met Donna from the archive at the “I’m not a Tourist” Fair in Amsterdam but circumstances conspired to keep me away from the facility for several months. After my trip last Thursday I will be helping to read and summarize diaries, as well as sharing the Archive with the Maastricht area in the hopes that some of you will want to share your documents and experiences with the wider database.
Donating to the Archive
Example from the collection. Image (c) xpatarchive.com
The Expat Archive Centre is growing their collection of expat-related materials and they need your help. All expats, regardless of country of residence or origin are welcome to contact the archive with donations of diaries, journals, letters, paperwork, photos, audio recordings, newsletters, and other items related to your experiences. They are also beginning to archive some blogs/weblogs; with permission of the creators of course.
As with any archive donation, you will be asked to give the Archive control of the copyright. This will allow them to use the materials in research and/or simply care for the documents over time. You can require that some materials not be released right away if you are concerned about repercussions. If you have an item that you’re like to share but don’t want to part with, the archive will happily scan the item and return it to you in good condition. Please contact the archive at welcome@xpatarchive.com for more information and do please swing by the website to see more examples of the collection or sign up for a workshop.
Photos from the Archive’s website used with permission.
Wow. Two posts in one day. What is this blog coming too?
Yesterday was a good day. Dan and I visited Atomic comics in Sittard; the closest comic book store to Maastricht, followed by high tea at John Mullins. After our late “lunch”, I got some good blogging done and then we went out for drinks with a couple from our language class.
After dinner I discovered that Dave, a fellow Maastricht-based blogger from Random Walks in the Low Country, had recognized Maastricht Minutiae with the Beautiful Blogger Award. I’ve never received a blogging award nomination before and I’m very honored. I read Random Walks and really enjoy how Dave sounds so natural living here. His photos are always tipping me off to things that I’ve missed.
The award comes with some required actions, including writing seven things about myself and nominating up to 7 additional bloggers. So without further ado…
7 (hopefully) Odd/Interesting Facts about Amanda
- I was born in Alaska and lived in a small village above the arctic circle for 4 years.
- I am the eldest kid in my family, but the only girl so I tend to be a bit of a tomboy.
- I learned to like beer when working as an archaeologist.
- I’ve been scuba diving twice; once in the middle of winter. In Greece.
- I was hit by a car in Ireland in 2001. I’m mostly over my car phobia by now. >_>
- I have an unexplained interest in abandoned shoes.
- My personal philosophy in life is to “Organize Things & Help People”.
5 Nominated Bloggers
- Invading Holland: Very funny.
- 24 Oranges: The first expat blog I started following when we move to the Netherlands.
- Crossroads Magazine: Great for Maastricht-related stories.
- Franco Phoney: Whose blog about living in France I discovered via Absolute Write.
- PlagiarismToday: Which isn’t about expats at all, but has great information about plagerism, copyright, and other similar issues.
Beautiful Blogger Rules (change as desired)
- Thank the person who gave you the award
- Paste the award on your blog
- Link the person who nominated you for the award
- Share 7 interesting things about yourself
- Nominate 7 bloggers or less
Welcome to another episode of Maastricht Minutiae! In Episode 19 with dive into the struggles we’ve been having over starting a business in Maastricht; mostly brought on by a combination of poor language skills and confusing governmental agencies. Click here to listen to episode 19 or download it to you favorite podcatcher.
Topics this week include:
- Starting our business/Part one
- Expatriate Archive Centre
- Sittard Comics
- A train toilet that opens straight to the tracks
Er…no. Nog niet…
Image by Sara Björk. Licensed under CC 2.0.
When Dan & I first moved to the Netherlands, we wanted to learn Dutch but we were naive about just how important it really was. “Oh you don’t need to learn Dutch” people (not just non-Dutch people) would say to us, “Everyone speaks English in the Netherlands”. “Oh they speak something different in Limburg” was another one (true, but still not an excuse). We even had individuals advise us to learn French or German instead; purported that it would be “more useful” since the Netherlands is a small country and one of the few in the world that speaks their tongue.
We said, “No, no. Learning Dutch is the right thing to do if we’re going to live there.” We understood that it would matter for finding work, making friends, and joining clubs. But honestly we didn’t try very hard. But everyone speaks English in the Netherlands. No problem right?
Wrong! Maybe if you live in Amsterdam, in a community of all expats, and never want to connect with someone cross-culturally you don’t have to learn Dutch. But if you can’t stand being functionally illiterate and live anywhere else you better get yourself enrolled in a course ASAP. Because that is exactly what it is like to live in a country without speaking the language: like being illiterate. And I’ve got it easy.
I think what people really mean is “you can get by”. That’s true. I’ve been getting by for nearly a year now, but its embarrassing to order poorly in a restaurant and sad to miss out on conversations with colleagues and friends. I don’t have an office to go too, but it would be nearly impossible to engage with your coworkers without making the effort to speak their language. While everyone is friendly about speaking to me in English (and stares at me funny when I try to speak Dutch), I feel guilty and separate from the people around me. It’s a very foreign feeling and not a pleasant one.
So what’s taking so long? Well, honestly I’m not very good with languages and scheduling conflicts kept us out of the Dutch for Expats course for longer than intended. Poor excuses I know, but there you go.
We are now enrolled in Maastricht University’s Dutch for Expats second module and struggling through homework on a nightly basis to get a handle on all aspects of this new language. The first module was taught more or less in English, but this one is exclusively being taught in Dutch. While that’s good for my ear, I feel like I’m falling further behind every week.
Despite its apparent similarities to English, Dutch is actually quite different and difficult to learn, but I still believe it is worth learning. After a module and a half my reading comprehension has shot way up (long articles wear me out) and my writing and speaking is slowly improving. My listening comprehension remains terrible; probably because I don’t get forced into Dutch conversations or situations very often and it is easy to miss things when you’re not prepared to be spoken to.
I’m still extremely nervous about testing out my measly skills even in simple situations because while I’m sure I can say what I want to, I’m not sure I’ll comprehend the response. Hopefully by the end of the three modules I’ll be more confident and will be able to at least do simple things freely. I’ve got two more years to get it right.
Moral of the Story: Learn Dutch. Please. Seriously. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Type of Place: Indonesian Restaurant
Location: Rechtstraat 47; 6221 EK Maastricht
Website
Indonesian food is to the Netherlands, what Chinese food (and Mexican food) is to the United States. It is the most popular ethnic cuisine, with many restaurants ranging from small mom-and-pop take-away to high-end sit-down restaurant. There is even an Indonesian take-away/grocers across from Gadjah Mas. The flavors are varied, but tend to be spicy and contain coconut milk. Peanut sauce also plays a big role in Indonesian cuisine (in the Netherlands anyway) in sate dishes such as chicken sate.
Gahjah Mas is an attractive, richly-appointed restaurant with an excellent menu. One of the most common ways to eat Indonesian food is to order a rijsttafel (rice table); a sampler like set of small plates with different types of meat, vegetables, and sauces. Gahjah Mas offers 4 different variations at varying price points including a vegetarian one, however you will need to have at least two people to order one. We’ve had rijstaffel before, so Dan and I explored other parts of the menu. Gahjah also has several individual dishes including a variety of stewed meat and sates. Dan ordered the kip (chicken) sate and enjoyed it a lot. I had a lontong compleet: a bowl of “cubed” rice with chicken, lamb, and pork and three different sauces topped with a hard boiled egg. It was also delicious and lots of food.
Gahjah Mas also has a take-away option and a good wine menu. The prices are average for Indonesian food in my limited experience, with regular plates running between 15-25 euros and the rijsttafels starting at about 20 euros. Visit their website for a full menu.
I really wanted to hold off on writing this article until I had officially registered with the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK; Chamber of Commerce), but I’ve been so invested in the process over the last week or so that it is short-circuiting my brain’s ability to write about anything else. So here is Part One of “Starting my Business in the Netherlands”.
Step One: Find a need, Fill it.
So the basics of starting a business in the Netherlands is more or less the same as starting a business anywhere else. You need to identify a need in a market and then determine to to fill that need with a service or product. The KvK offers the Starters Center, a Dutch-language website to help new entrepreneurs, but I found that the Small Business Association’s resources for the USA were just as helpful for the conceptual stage.
(Update/Caution: I took a closer look at the Starters Center and found a lot of broken links.)
I sort of fell into the services I’m offering based on my archivist background and writing this blog actually. I am providing copyright research to publishers and writing/administrative services to other organizations. I want to help clients take control of the information around them, and I can do that best through writing, organizing resources, and website building. My business website will be ready as soon as I complete the registration process since I don’t want to inaccurately represent my business name without knowing if it is available.
Step Two: Write a business plan
Business plans are a pain to write, but there are a lot of resources out there for it and English resources will get you through many of the sections. I checked the KvK’s section on writing a Business Plan to make sure I could answer the questions most pertinent to them:
- What am I marketing and why?
- Who are my clients?
- How will I connect with them?
- What are my costs?
- What are the anticipated outcomes?
“What” you are selling is also important for zoning. Some residences cannot be used to start a businesses. We spoke with the Bedrijfscontactpunt (Business Contact Point) office at the Gemeente and they said there should be no problem for me as a freelancer. Apparently some people try to start clothing stores or chocolate shops out of their apartments.
Step Three: Be sure you can get at least 3 customers.
I’ve been toying with starting a business for months, but it wasn’t until a got a second client lined up that it stopped being so scary for me. As a freelancer service provider in the Netherlands, its important to always have a minimum of three clients per year. Otherwise the tax office could deem you the employee of one of your clients and create a whole mess of employee taxes, pension payments, benefits, and so on. The advice I received from another local freelancer is to define my freelance activities broadly. The economy hasn’t been good to freelancers in the past year or so, so a breadth of services helps keep your options open.
Step Four: Identify a business structure.
I’m still working on this step and will be visiting the KvK in person this week in hopes of nailing it down. For my current circumstance there are three possibilities:
- A ZZP’r or Freelancer: This is probably the structure I’ll go with since it is the simplest and only requires me to submit taxes once per year. However, I cannot have employees.
- A Sole Trader: Is a one-person business that can hire on help when needed. It requires more frequent submission of taxes, but otherwise is similar to a zzp (or rather, a zzp is similar to a sole trader).
- Partnership: This is where things get a bit complex for us. Dan also has a new project that needs to be registered as a business. I think it would be easier if we could register our businesses as one partnership, but I’m not sure if that’s an option since my info services and Dan’s webcomic are very different.
There are also Limited Liability structures available, but for my needs they are off the table for now.
Steps Five – ??: Register your business.
I still need to go through these steps, but they are very important since unlike in the US you shouldn’t start freelancing without registration in the Netherlands. There is a minimum income required for taxation, but the state wants to be able to track your obligation (and theirs). You may also be eligible for monetary start-up assistance. Registration involves registering with the Trade Register and the tax authorities to receive a VAT number. Your business name is checked against others in the database to make sure there are no conflicts.
My best advise is to try and talk to people at the KvK directly. While there is basic information on their website in English, it isn’t really enough to make final decisions about your own circumstances. Or at least is hasn’t been for me. All the legal forms are in Dutch so I’ll also be needing assistance filling those out.
More on starting my business and a proper soup-to-nuts post or three on the subject coming soon!
