(More) Framed Webcomic Art

I hope you’ll forgive me a moment of fan-girlness to share two new additions to my webcomic art collection. I actually picked both of these up a while ago, but only just now have gotten around to framing them. I encourage you to check out both of these comics. Lots of fun and each has an interesting and unique story.

Gunnerkrigg Court

Paradigm Shift

Places Around Maastricht: Comics Hunting

One of the (admittedly few) things Maastricht is really missing for me is a good comic book store (I’d like to have a Jo-Ann Fabrics too, but at least there is the Wednesday market for that). When I lived in Boston we had a nice one within walking distance, and the city as a whole has a respectable number, plus a zine library for the underground set. Here? Nothing. I’ve learned that there use to be one, but it was closed due to the economic downturn a few years back.

So what’s a comics enthusiast to do?

Brussels is packed with comic book shops, but honestly it’s too far away for us to do regular trips. Instead we only have a few options if we want to visit a physical store.

De Slegte

As I’ve mentioned before, De Slegte here in Maastricht is sort of our local replacement for a comic book shop. The availability is fairly eclectic, a good thing for me. And a bit old, which can be good or bad. Although they don’t have the “feel” of a comic shop, the mix of European and American titles is pretty good and we don’t mind getting the discount books occasionally.

Atomik Comics

Located in Sittard, which is mercifully not far by train, Atomik is a comic shop proper with a large selection of old and new material, plus board games, role-playing games, and even a computer gaming room. We’ve only been over once or twice, but its a nice space with lots of material to browse. They have a handful of recent American comics in addition to the regular Dutch ones and even a small selection of indie comics/zines. Unfortunately they are only open a few days a week during the summer.

Comics 2000

A recent Google search also turned up Comics 2000, which is apparently a shop in Valkenburg. They’re website indicates that you may have to “register?” to shop with them, but with a proportated large collection of comics, models, and other collectibles it might be worth a look. If anyone with better Dutch could clarify if that’s register for the online rather than the physical store, I’d love to know.

Do you know of any comic or hobby shops I’ve missed in the area?

Typically Limburgish: Responses

My Typical Limburg, Typical Dutch post generated a good deal of discussion and many people shared excellent ideas about what makes Limburg distinctive. For your consideration, here’s a list of what we came up with:

Geography

Geography is one thing that’s quite obvious if you’ve every hopped on a bike and explored any part of the Netherlands. Limburg is hilly compared to the rest of the Netherlands; hilly enough that I don’t like biking here without at least a three-speed. The region is also very close to Belgium, German, and (sort of) France and that proximity has had a huge influence on all the other things that make Limburg distinct from other parts of the Netherlands

Language

Lots of people commented on the language differences. Many communities in Limburg have preserved their own dialects and they are often so different that native Dutch speakers not from this region cannot understand the dialects. Frank (no website), who was born in Kerkrade referenced “above the river” as the point where the dialects become distinctly “Limburgse”. The various dialects are influenced by their proximity bordering countries, so may be influenced by German and French.

Invader_Stu also noted that the Dutch accent is different in Maastricht; the most notable difference being the softer ‘g’. Aledys Ver thinks it sounds “less flat” and a bit funny.

Religion

Specifically Catholicism, Judy explains that the Calvinist influences never quite made it south of “the rivers”, partially because the region wasn’t always part of Holland. In fact it was part of Beglium for a while, which is also a predominately Catholic area. You can read her much more detailed discussion of how Netherlands does not always equal Dutch. It’s well worth your time.

I’ve observed the influence of Catholicism on Maastricht as well. The architecture is filled with shines and biblical motifs, not to mention the large number of cathedrals and other religious buildings that have now been turn over to secular uses (notably the University has many formally Catholic church-owned buildings).

Attitude

Dave Hampton, an expat who use to live in Arnhem and now lives in Maastricht, feels that the city is more international (than Arnhem anyway), probably because of the University or it’s proximity to other countries. He feels that life here is less intense overall than up North; people laugh more easily and are more social. On the downside his experience has been that customer service is much slower and less attentive. There is a strong sense of history in the area, but, Dave observes, people in Limburg still identify strong as Dutch when faced with comparisons with other countries.

Judy attributes a local appreciation for fine clothing and good food (Maastricht is a popular shopping and dining area) to the area’s Catholic heritage.

Celebrations

Dave noticed that celebrations tend to be more colorful and noisier than those up North, although things like Queens Day and football are more casually observed.

I think that people in Maastricht just to love any excuse to dress up.

Food

I already knew that the foods can be quite different here, but Dave thinks the beer and chocolate is better thanks to the proximity to Belgium. Waffles (thanks Judy) are just one more notable influence (although Belgian waffles really do taste better in Belgium).

Melissa noted with glee that you can a slice of vlaai in Maastricht when invited for coffee instead of (only one) cookie.

Ultimately, as Judy notes, these differences are “small ‘taters” to the new expat who isn’t going to recognize differences in light of the greater differences between the Netherlands in general and their own culture. But it’s fun to explore what creates this strong sense of Limburg-ness and I, for one, have learned a lot. Thank you to everyone who commented

I suppose if I were to pick something arbitrarily to symbolize Limburg, it would probably a slice of vlaai and small coffee. Tastier to than wooden shoes anyway.

Do you agree? Disagree? Share your thought in the comments.

Places Around Maastricht: Koestraat

Type of Place: side-street of restaurants.

Location: Koestraat, near the Onze Lieve Vrouw Square and Cathedral; 6211 Maastricht

A little something different for this week’s “Places”, Koestraat is not a single location, but rather a short, foot-traffic only street lined with restaurants. If you’ve grown tired of the tourists at the Vrijthof and want something a little different than the classic Dutch fair on the Onze Lieve Vrouw square, Koestraat offers a quiet, more intimate setting for dinner or drinks.

Dan and I typically head to Koestraat to eat at Thai Ichi, one of our favorite Thai restaurants in Maastricht, but this narrow street has a nice variety of other eateries available. There is an Indonesian restaurant, tea shop, a couple pizzerias, and more. Of particular note, although we haven’t eaten there yet, is the Beluga Nxt Door. This cocktail bar and restaurant is the “little sister” of the Beluga, a well-known 2 Michlien Star restaurant here in Maastricht. Most of the retaurants also have a little outdoor seating, which narrows the cobblestone street further and keeps foot traffic slow and (most) bikes out.

At the end of Koestraat, you’ll find the Bisschopsmolen, an active water powered grain mill and bakery.  Pop inside for a tour or just to see the large waterwheel in the back. Seeing the mill is free, although the tour may not be.

Enjoy!

6 Websites The Maastricht Expat Should Know

I would have loved to start this list off with my own blog, but of course, you’ve already discovered it. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here learning about the sites that I always keep tabs on. So without further ado…

1. Crossroads: The first English language site I discovered about Maastricht, Crossroads has a great mix of local news, interviews, and longer cultural and social articles. Check out their great collection of resources for expats as well.
2. Maastricht Region: A general purpose site dedicated to introducing Maastricht and the other cities and towns in the region to new or potential residents. General information, housing for sale or rent, and a cultural calendar. The To Love blog is not to be missed (and you can also read To Live, which I write).
3. Expat Guide Holland: Not strictly about Maastricht, but this guide is the most comprehensive resource for the little things like how health care works, how to register your pet, renting, and other sorts of thing.
4. Random Walks in the Low Country: One of the other active Maastricht-based bloggers, Dave’s calm and thoughtful articles talk about the experience of living in Maastricht (and England) as well as being a business owner.
5. Maestricht.net/Mtricht.com: Update! Maestricht.net & Mtricht.com are two regional social networks for expats and locals that just merged. Sign up for Maestricht.net if you join as it has the larger community. The new combined site should be primarily in English. My.Mtricht is a small, regional social network for both expats and locals. In addition to articles about the area, they also have a nice activity calendar and blog posts by participants. You can “friend” all sorts of people in this Ning community.
6. Dutch News: This site compiles lots of Dutch news into short English-language articles for those of us who can’t read Dutch. Good for national news rather than local.

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