Podcasts for Dutch Learning

If you follow me on Twitter (please follow me on Twitter) you know I’m struggling through the third course in a series of Dutch for Expats courses offered by Maastricht University. Everyone has their own problems, but for me the biggest hurdle is being able to understand the Dutch that is spoken to me. In the real world, Dutch people speak much faster than the teacher and other people in my class (and the people in my class, like myself, don’t have the proper accents). The shop keepers must be telling all sorts of stories to their families about that weird American girl making funny faces over whether or not she wants a bag.

Of course my lack of vocabulary makes it difficult to respond too (I always want to say something more complex than I’m equipped to); but I don’t like to start a conversation I can’t finish.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been listening to Dutch language podcasts in an effort to build up my ability to understand native speakers better. I can’t say I actually know everything that is being said, but this little exercise is really about hearing the distinction between words and the way they are strung together. Here are a couple that I’ve been enjoying:

• Laura Speaks Dutch: This is actually a bilingual Dutch/English podcast for teaching you Dutch. The creator teaches your conversational phrases about specific topics. The early episodes are a little easy for me, but the later ones ramp up a lot and its a good way to pick up some vocab and pronunciation training.
• DeBuren Podcast: An all Dutch podcast with interviews and presentations about culture, politics, and art. These last about 40-60 minutes and are, frankly, much more interesting than the exercises we do in class. [website]
• Radio Taalblad: Short (8-10 minute) episodes about a variety of subjects, this podcast appears to be part of a larger Dutch learning program online. Comes out of Belgium.

I try to listen to two or so hours of Dutch every day in the hopes that it’ll improve my comprehension. It can be pretty exhausting to actively listen to Dutch right now (reading is tiring also), but I think it’ll be worth the effort. I hope so. Nederlands is moeilijk.

Train Travel by Twos

The return of Spring to the Netherlands also means the return of train ticket deals for those who know what to look for. The best train deals often seem to be available for people traveling in twos, so bring a friend or your partner on your weekend adventures.

Lentetoer

After missing our first train to Leiden Centraal last Saturday, I took a closer look at the ticket terminals and realized that the excellent deal tickets were back. The Lentetoer (Spring ticket) is a day-pass good for 2 people to ride in 1st class anywhere in the Netherlands for just 45 Euros (off-peak of course). When you consider a trip to Eindhoven typically costs 27,20 euros for one person in second class, this starts looking like a great deal. You can buy the pass just like any other ticket at the ticket terminals or the service desk (if you want to pay a service fee). They are available until June 13th.

Sometimes I feel like Dutch trains are really meant for two people to travel together. The seats are typically 2 across. They’re cozy. Special ticket deals often are good for a pair. Very romantic. The train runs these deals in the summer and fall as well; although sadly not in the winter (at least I didn’t figure out which ticket to get). Maybe winter isn’t a romantic season in the Netherlands; sorry Valentines day.

Of course the romance isn’t so good for short trips or International ones. Within Limburg the cost savings drops in a big hurry, so I like to check the regular price (or in my case the Voordeelurenabonnement price) against the Lente Pass. I don’t mind traveling 2nd class, so 1st class access is just icing on the cake.

Voordeelurenabonnement

Dave at Random Walks in the Low Country beat me too the punch on this one (although I did mention in on Maastricht Region a couple of weeks ago), but the Voordeelurenabonnement is a great deal for traveling either alone or in a group of up to 4 people. This yearly card offers a 40% discount during “off-peak hours” and is available for 55 Euros a year.

Dan and I picked one up a couple of weeks ago and used it on our way up to the Keukenhof; me the bonehead didn’t take the time to check which ticket was the better deal. But just knowing that a 40% discount is available for the both of us will make traveling by train more of a no-brainer this spring and summer. Plus, unlike the Lentetoer (or its Summer and Fall cousins), the Voordeelurenabonnement discount is good even on short hops. We were advised against buying the International extension though; if you book in advance you can get the 20% or so discount it offers on International travel.

Keukenhof: I’ve got your Tulips Right Here!

Fields of flowers and carefully cultivated tulip beds fills most people’s imaginations when they think of Holland. To get the full force of a bouquet in the face, Dan & I took the 4 hour train/bus trip up to the Keukenhof last Saturday to check out the center of the floral vortex.

Getting There

Before I get into the garden itself, I thought I’d mention that the Keukenhof isn’t terribly accessible from Maastricht. The major reason for this is the 3 hour train ride to either Schipol or Leiden Centraal. Following that, you’ll need to catch a bus (30-40 minutes) the rest of the way. Fortunately during open season there is a dedicated bus. We took the train up to Leiden Centraal, which gave us the opportunity to walk around a new town after our Keukenhof visit before we took the train back home. Hotels are pretty expensive, so if you do an overnight, book early.

Tickets aren’t too bad cost wise: 15 euros for adults or 21 euros for a combo entrance and bus pass. Guide books cost 4 euros, so we skipped that and just wandered around using the green houses for guidance.

Keukenhof: Floral Experience

For those who don’t know, the Keukenhof is a large and famous flower garden smack in the middle of the tulips fields around Lisse. They specialize (not surprisingly) in tulip varieties. This year’s theme is “From Russia with Love” and several areas in the park had Russian themed displays.

My own impression of the park was that it was very lovely, but a little sparse as we visited before many of the outdoor tulips had bloomed. The cool weather has slowed the growth this year I think, although the crocuses and daffodils both looked lovely. The path of blue/purple flowers between trees was particularly lovely. We enjoyed wandering off the main paths which were packed with people, and on to side paths that had fewer flowers blooming, but more of a rustic feel. I’m a rural girl. I like natural looking flowers.

Fortunately the indoor green houses allowed us to still see the huge variety of tulips that the Keukenhof keeps alive. Some of these varieties are very old and very unique. Dutch tulip breeding has gone well beyond the simple flutes we see in the U.S. And include many flowers with fridges, frilly and colorful leaves, three or more layers of petals and more.

Strange colors like these “Teletubbies”.

Huge sizes (That’s Dan’s fist.)

And sometimes even stripes and spots. Beautiful.

Statuary & Landscaping

In addition to flowers, the Keukenhof features many statues and a few creative landscaping features to make strolling around more fun. We especially liked this bull (Mortoro) created from an actual engine. Although naturally it don’t actually move it had a great, steampunk design that implies that it could suddenly come alive. I was surprised to learn that many of the statues in the garden are for sale. Getting your art into the Keukenhof must be something of a holy grail for statue creators in the Netherlands (if the prices are anything to go by anyway).

I also really liked these lady’s torsos themed for Spring, Summer, and Fall.

The central pond was very lovely and not only provided banks for colorful flower displays, it also features hopping “stones” over the water. They were fun to walk over, even if they were so full of people that I was sure someone was going for a swim.

Naturally a windmill also make an appearance.

The one thing I really didn’t like about the park is the large crowd, but I completely understand why it is so busy. The Keukenhof is only open for a short period of time every year and it is a very popular tourist ‘hot spot’ after all. I was also amused by how many people simply ignored the “stay off the grass’ signs; even going so far as to take pictures while standing right next to such a sign. We’ll probably go back again some time, but maybe not next year. Its one of those things you ought to do at least once.

Extended Stay: Renewing my Spouse Residency Permit

Last year when we applied for residency permits, Dan was issued a 3 year stay. I only received 1 year. Such is the challenge of the accompanying spouse. I suppose the government assumes anything could happen in that year which might result in me leaving alone, but fortunately none of those things have come to pass and so I’ve embarked upon the process of renewing my residency permit.

According to the documentation I received from the IND, I am obliged to extend my residency before the current time runs out. To do this they recommend a three month lead time. I’ve already mussed that one up, but fortunately the University’s HR department is helping us through the process so that should speed things up. At least I’m not trying to do this in August. That would be awful.

If you can lean on the HR department of your spouse’s employer, than here are the things I’m told you need to provide:

• Original GBA registration not older than 6 months. (Mine cost 11,10 euros at the Gemeente.)
• A copy of your health insurance
• A copy of your passport (I still have one from last year so we’re using it again.)
• A copy of your permit (both sides)
• A copy of your spouse’s work contract
• A copy of your spouse’s salary slips. We were asked for the previous 3 months.
• A Dutch passport photo. (I had leftovers from the driver’s license process that I never finished.)

The HR department at the University has asked my husband to bring all this in for a meeting and they will process the paperwork. I presume I will then need to make one or two trips up to the IND office in Eindhoven just as I did to get the original card.

If you can’t lean on your spouse’s employer for assistance (and if you can’t, they must be jerks), the IND provides the form you must complete on their website. If your Dutch is rough, you’ll want to get help because the form is 28 pages long and all in Dutch! Also the cost of extension is quite high, 288 euros. I’m expecting my husband’s employer to cover this expense for us.

I’ll keep you all posted on what happens next.

Luckily the cat’s don’t need a permit, although I suppose they also don’t get to vote. Trade offs.

Museum Weekend is Coming

We missed out on Museum Weekend last year, but it is upon us again and if you’ve never taken advantage of the Dutch Museum Card, then this is your chance to visit some museums for free on April 10 & 11. A couple of hundred museums, all public ones, participate in the program, although most of them are in the Northern parts of the Netherlands.  If you want to maximize your museum access, plan a weekend in Amsterdam where there are loads of participating institutions.

If you are in the Maastricht area, you’ll have to do more traveling between museums but you can probably catch a handful of museums depending on where you go. Swing by my article on Maastricht Region to see what museums in Limburg are participating.

A Few Participating Favorites

Bonnefanten Museum: An excellent art museum in Maastricht with a real mix of art including some great modern works. Museum Weekend will save you the € 8,00 adult entry fee.

Amsterdam Historical Museum: Deceptively small from outside, the historical museum has a huge collection well worth a few hours of exploration. Well organized and covers a lot of ground. Entry is typically €10,00 for adults.

Verzetsmuseum Amsterdam: The Resistance Museum of Amsterdam is one of my absolute favorites in Amsterdam. It is a multimedia exploration of how the Dutch people responded to the Germany invasion and occupation during World War II. Entry is €7,50, but you can get in for free during Museum Weekend.

Do you have a favorite museum you think people should visit? Share your suggestions in the comments.

Happy Exploring!

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