Grown up, that is how I felt two years ago when I started studying here in Maastricht. I was going to become independent, make new friends, party all night long and, of course do a bit of studying at the department for Translation and Interpreting at Zuyd University. For me this new adventure was somehow […]
The Netherlands has the highest rate of part-timers within the European Union (EU). This applies to both genders. Part-timers Nearly half of Dutch working population are part-timers In 2008, nearly half of 15 to 64-year-old Dutch worked on a part-time basis. The proportion of part-timers is much lower in other EU countries. The Netherlands is […]
The number of registered victims of human trafficking in the Netherlands rose last year to 809 from 716 in 2007. The number of registered victims from Hungary and China grew fastest, according to provisional figures from the Human Trafficking Coordination Centre (Comensha). Nearly all victims are women: 763 of the 809. Among the women, 60 […]
The cabinet seems to have adopted the term ‘bicultural’ as a term for people from ethnic minorities. It has announced in a press release that “more managers with a bicultural background” should be employed by the government. The organisation Inspiration for Integration (IVI) launched a media campaign in February 2008 to introduce the term ‘bicultural’. […]
In the interviews he’s given to the media, the Iranian born writer Kader Abdolah says that he hopes that his books will lead to a better understanding of Islam and help promote the dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. But the views he expressed on October 29 in front of the packed audience at Maastricht University […]
From today’s edition of the Radio Netherlands Press review: The Dutch St Nicholas holiday, which sees presents given on the evening of the 5 December, is the number one Dutch tradition. According to a survey conducted by the Centre for Dutch Culture, the centre made a list of the 100 most-cited traditions. The Sunday edition […]
They can’t be missed anymore during carnival. For the past few years Brazilian samba bands have become an increasingly popular feature of our Maastricht carnival and can no longer be dissociated from it. But what exactly are samba bands? Where do they come from? And how did they reach our city? To learn more about […]
Whether it’s their first or last question, there is one thing my American friends always ask about my life here in the Netherlands. I let them down gently. “Well, there are five coffeeshops on my street…” “Nice!!” “…But I haven’t been inside any of them.” “Oh … But isn’t it legal there?” “Well, it’s not […]
Cathedral-fatigue. Many visitors to Western Europe know the feeling all too well. The Duomo in Florence, Notre Dame de Paris, the Kölner Dom, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome – the list goes on and on and is itself impressive, even if not exhaustive. Luckily for the afflicted, a refreshing surprise awaits those who head to […]
In the 18th century, while most of Europe was shaking off centuries of superstition and beginning to prepare for the age of reason, the lands which now form the Dutch and Belgian regions of Limburg were terrorised by hordes of flying devil worshippers. These mysterious robber bands met in caves or at isolated roadside chapels. […]