Blog Action Day: Water & Bottled Water

Today is Blog Action Day, when bloggers across the interwebs write about a shared subject to encourage discussion. This year, the subject is Water. I’d like to direct you the petition in my sidebar to support the UN’s effort to bring clean water to the people who need it the most. Go check it out. I’ll wait.

Now most participants are probably taking on the serious water issues. So I’m going to address the theme with something more pedestrian: Bottled Water.

Or as we call it by its brand name in the Netherlands, Spa.

Bottled Water in Dutch Restaurants

Every restaurant you visit in the Netherlands will be happy to serve you water, either still or sparkling. For a price and out of a bottle. This may be unavoidable for sparkling water, but it is rather disappointing for the ordinary still variety.

First of all, perhaps because I’m an American, I’m accustom to water being included at a restaurant for free. And when it is included, it’s tap. With the cost of bottled water often higher than that of beer, which do you think most people will choose to drink? I drank a lot more water in the US. The sad thing is that Maastricht actually has pretty good tasting water and I use it direct from the tap or cooled in reusable bottles all the time at home.

Secondly, the use of bottled water is creating excess waste that restaurants must pay to dispose of or recycle properly (at least I assume they recycle). Skipping bottled water would reduce costs and work for both the cafes and the city itself. Recycling is good, but it’s better to switch to reusable and sustainable options before you create the stuff you’ll just have to recycle later.

Now I understand that this method of serving water in a cafe probably has some cultural nostalgia behind it (although cultures can and sometimes should change). And I also understand that restaurants want to be able to charge for everything they serve. It’s only natural. But surely there can be a way to keep the feeling of the bottle (and a little profit for the restaurants) while cutting out the disposable excess that we see today.

Why Not Reusable Bottles?

Simply put, restaurants could offer a reusable bottle filled with clean, fresh tap water instead of the still Spa water they offer now. The water can be served in a bottle (easily refilled and washed), thus retaining whatever cultural expectation may be there. You’ve sacrificed no presentation, and the restaurants see an immediate reduction in their recycling/waste expenses (and the city has less work as well).

And now that the costs have gone down, the restaurants can pass some of that savings along to their customers. Charge a minimal fee for the water and more people will purchase both water and a beer (or soda or coffee). After all people in the Netherlands do expect to pay for water and the restaurants are making an effort to improve the presentation. Besides, it’s healthier and people will enjoy the flavor of the water just as much.

Sure it’s not a perfect plan (what about ice cubes I hear some of you cry), but it would be a good start. Individuals reducing their bottled water consumption is good, but if every restaurant in Maastricht stopped serving bottled still water? I think we’d see a huge difference. Think about it.

B/W Image is (cc) to Xavi Talleda. Color image is (cc) Ingridtaylar. Both images licensed via Creative Commons.

Places Around Maastricht: Bever Zwerfsport

Type of Place: Outdoor/Camping Store

Location: Scharnerweg 66-70

Website

I’ve been on a 18+ month battle to finally get my gas outdoor grill working. This quest finally ended last Friday when the last pieces were in place and I grilled some lamb and corn on the cob. Bever Zwerfsport is what made this last stop finally possible.

Located beyond the center of Maastricht (out past the train station), I happened on Bever Zwerfsport on my way back from a teachers meeting. I had known for a while that the store existed because a pair of friends had purchased our propane tank for use earlier in the summer. But the regulator I had purchased elsewhere at the time was the wrong one and I hadn’t gotten around to hunting the store down for a replacement. So with luck on my side I headed inside this large store.

Bever Zwerfsport is an outdoor sporting good store. It carried most of the things you’d need for camping, hiking, cooking outdoors, and a mix of winter activities. In addition, they have a nice sized collection of books for outdoors activities and regional camping (in Dutch), a wall of hiking boots, and, of course, gear for propane grills. The store is three sections deep, with each section taking you down a short flight of stairs. With that much space, the variety of products they provide is impressive. For Americans, think of a REI store.

I ultimately had to ask for help, and the staff was quite willing to lend me a hand identifying the correct equipment and explaining to me how to set it up. The cost of the new regular was higher than the old, but it works, and that’s what really matters. The prices overall were on par which what I’m use to seeing in most outdoor sporting goods stores (adjusted for the Euro/Maastricht); a bit high end but generally of good quality.

To my knowledge, this is the only place to buy a propane tank in Maastricht, although if you have a car you can probably find other locations. The tank we have is about the size of a basketball and cost approximately 100 euros new. Refills will probably be less since we’ll be able to turn in the old tank and get a deposit back.

Bever Zwerfsport is open Monday to Saturday for typical hours (open 1 pm on Monday; til 9 pm on Thursday). If you need some serious camping gear or prefer a gas grill like me, it’s well worth the trip slightly out of your way.

The House of Wonders: A Step into the 19th Century

If you have a yearning for a Victorian era museum you can visit in a single room, BV Limburg and Zicht op Maastricht are making that possible with Het Huis der Wonderen (House of Wonders). Located in the Hooftwacht on the Vrijthof, you can visit this small collection of weird things, Limburgish memorabilia and other “rarities” for just 2 euros from now until 11 January, 2011.

I have a soft spot in my heart for 19th century type museums and curiosity shows, with all their strange, fake, and sometimes wildly inappropriate displays. So it was with that in mind I approached the House of Wonders. I was not disappointed.

Curiosities are packed into narrow display cases; carefully arranged and only lightly labeled so you may woo and ahh at will (and with minimal context, just the way they liked it in the 19th century). The objects are organized into a wide variety of subjects including medical weirdness, Limburgish memorabilia, natural history, prehistory, mining and a host of other things. I don’t want to give away too much about what’s inside the exhibit; discovery is the best part of the House of Wonders, but be on the look out for a pancake with Jesus’ face and a stuffed hunting fox. Like with actual Victorian age exhibits, it’s up to you to decide what’s real and what’s not, but you will certainly have fun puzzling it out.

The curiosities extended to some Limburg region specific items as well (including several things that are 20th century). You can look at old mining paraphernalia from Maastricht, tourist souvenirs from Valkensburg, and Gualish themed mini-statues from Tongeren. There are also some objects from famous people, including (apparently) Andre Rieu’s first violin. My favorite regional curiosity is a clod of grass purported to be the actual “Drielandenpunt” from the location of the same name near Vaals. After your visit, you can also pick up a free booklet full of stories about Limburg and this project (in Dutch).

So if you’re in the mood, grab your parasol or your gentleman’s cane, and enjoy this small but entertaining exhibit on the Vrijthof. The exhibit is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm.

If you’re a student interested in this sort of thing, BV Limburg is looking to hire a part-timer who wants to learn more about Limburgish history and create and maintain exhibitions like this one. I’m told that you need to speak a little Dutch and that it is a paid position. Interested students should contact info@bv-limburg.eu or 062749291 for more information and to apply.

Source: This article was original posted on Maastricht Region To Live.

Guess Who’s a Working Stiff

That’s right. Me. Now when people ask me the inevitable question “what do you do?” I can tell them I teach English to adults at a trade school. Maybe now they will stop assuming I’m unemployed when I say I’m a freelancer.

But let me back up.

I’ve been wanting a part time job that takes me out of the house and force me to interact with real people since we moved to the Netherlands. While my business has brought me some income and taught me a lot, it doesn’t really help me meet people or improve my Dutch. So when an advertisement seeking a native English speaker came across my desk, I felt I had to apply. To my surprise and despite my lack of classroom teaching experience (or teaching credentials), I got an interview and then a job teaching in the evenings twice a week (3 teaching hours).

I’m a Teacher?

So a bit about this gig. Leeuwenborgh Opleidingen is a “technical high school” where students prepare for a trade (an MBO) rather than to go to University. English is taught because the language is so commonly used in the Netherlands and, in some cases, can be necessary for people to obtain jobs in their chosen field.

The classes I’ll be teaching are evening courses for the ‘techieck’ department, which provides training in technology, electronics, that sort of thing. Most of my students will be adults who are returning to school to improve their skills, change jobs, or because their workplace wants them to specifically learn English. I’m hoping they’ll be pretty self-motivated (and maybe a bit easier to teach than 15-18 year olds).

Native English speakers are valuable because of our life-long experience with the language; so much so that apparently my weak Dutch ability and lack of classroom experience isn’t a problem. It’s really going to be a steep learning curve for both myself and the people I’m teaching. Hopefully the weekly language teacher meetings will help me bridge that gap faster.

Starting up my Dutch lessons again will probably help too.

Employee Red Tape

This is, of course, the first time I’ve had to deal with the hiring process in the Netherlands. As a teacher, I am required to have a background check run. Plus I need to show that I have health insurance (or sign up), decide if I want to sign up for workers comp, and figure out my travel expenses. I’ll be taxed at the regular Dutch rate for my tiny amount of income, but I will get a 13th month and holiday bonus; so that’s a plus.

The background check is called (I think) Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag and so far has been very easy to deal with. My new employer filled out most of the form, I added in my personal information and then took the form to the Gemeente so they can send it along to whatever agency checks to see if I’m a masked vigilante, etc. The cost is only 30,05 euros. Now I’m from out of the country, so there may be some trouble getting approval, but I’ll cross that bridge in 4 week if I need to.

Tax-wise, apparently I fall unevenly into a category of people who work two jobs and therefore need to pay more taxes on their second job. (I know, seems unfair.) However…my other job is my business. I’ll have to talk to my accountant of what effect these three hours of employment are going to have on my taxes come the end of the year. Not much I imagine.

Besides that the rest of the paperwork is slowly falling into place and I’m exploring the textbook and program I’ll be using to teach with. Since I’m suppose to start next week, I do hope the school gets my teaching schedule to me soon. I’d like more than a day’s notice to prepare if possible. Wish me luck! And if you have teaching experience, feel free to share it below.

Places Around Maastricht: De Smaak Pannenkoek

Type of Place: Pancake House

Location: Markt Square

Website

The Dutch claim to have invented the pancake. I don’t know if that’s true (how hard can it be to make a circular, flat cake from runny batter), but I do know that the Dutch version is delicious. Eaten as a snack, dessert, or sometimes savory lunch, Dutch pancakes are very large and thin with tasty things baked in. Until De Smaak Pannenkoek opened its doors on the Markt square, we had to take the train out of Maastricht to find pannenkoeken with more than apples or bacon in it. Now we have our choice of 70 varieties. Lekker.

De Smaak Pannenkoek is a typical pancake house with a comfortable interior. The front part is more family oriented, with bright (slightly creepy) wallpaper featuring the owner and his kids. The back is dark and cozier, just right for a casual dinner or lunch. If you like watching your food, you can see the cook preparing pancakes behind a half wall in the front of the store. Outdoor seating is available as well (as always).

The menu is inexpensive compared to other dinner options in the area and basically features one large pancake filled with increasingly complex combinations of food. I really enjoyed the pizza pancake which contained lots of pizza fillings with a huge dollop of red sauce on top. Dan also had a savory pancake which he found enjoyable; although he simply cannot eat a pancake without syrup. Naturally you can get beer, coffee, soda or whatever you prefer with your meal.

The only real downside to De Smaak Pannenkoek is that they are not open early for breakfast. That would have make it perfect.

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