Farewell Crossroads
April 11, 2011 Leave a Comment
“Crossroads has always been the first site I send to new expats who have discovered my blog and there really ought to be something for our region written by expats, for expats. Without it, where are we going to turn?” asks US expat Amanda Potter.
Article republished with permission
Source: Amanda Potter’s blog Maastricht Minutiae
The story of Crossroads
April 10, 2011 1 Comment
The news this week of the discontinuation of Crossroads, the English language web magazine published by the European Journalism Centre in Maastricht came as a shock to its many readers and contributors. The publication, which attracted 12,000 unique visitors every month, has been closed, due to end of funding.
Crossroads editor Sueli Brodin takes a looks at the history of the magazine.
A fatal choice
April 10, 2011 3 Comments
“The region had it all sorted out: a successful website with news and tips for expats and foreign students in Maastricht, the Netherlands. An international platform where they could share what really mattered to them. This site has now suddenly closed.”
Article republished with permission.
Source: Jean-Paul Toonen’s blog Shipping Thoughts
Back home in Maastricht after 40 years abroad
April 2, 2011 11 Comments
Or the story of an endearing friendship between a 76 year old world traveller from Limburg and a Romanian student in Maastricht.
A Texan in Maastricht
March 28, 2011 3 Comments
Before she arrived in Maastricht as a study-abroad student a few months ago, Audrey Cary had never set foot in any other country than her native United States. What has the experience taught her about herself and the world?
My highlights of TEFAF 2011
March 27, 2011 1 Comment
Crossroads editor Sueli Brodin shares her personal highlights of this year’s edition of Maastricht’s Arts and Antique Fair TEFAF.
World students in Maastricht
March 23, 2011 7 Comments
Attracted by Maastrichts convenient geographic location at the heart of Europe, and its university’s outspoken ambition to be an international academic institute, Dutch, German and Belgian students, as well as a large number of other foreign students arrive each year to study in Maastricht. For the cosmopolitan group among them, Maastricht only represents a temporary stopover on their global journey. Katalina Präkelt explains why.
10 “unhealthy” Dutch foods that are actually good for you
March 2, 2011 1 Comment
Can the Dutch offer guilt-free nibbles to get through the week? British expat and nutritionist Mandy Dunlop shares her top 10 “noteworthy noshes that not only will satisfy your taste buds but sneak in generous amounts of some very important nutrients.”
Cricket – The game I love the most
February 22, 2011 2 Comments
“The game of cricket is in the blood of every Indian,” says Madan Raj. “When I got my visa for the Netherlands, the first thought running on my mind was this,” Is it possible to play cricket in Maastricht??”, “If possible, where?””
Education without borders: distance learning
February 13, 2011 2 Comments
How can expatriates improve their education while living and working in the Netherlands? A testimonial by Claudia Costa.
Health hazards
January 29, 2011 Leave a Comment
Singaporean expat Musliha Ajmain Janssen gives a testimonial of her experience with Dutch doctors and the Dutch health care system.
Zoekjaar: license to work
January 20, 2011 7 Comments
Frieda Gultom is an Indonesian graduate from Maastricht University currently living in the Netherlands on a one-year zoekjaar permit. Her dream is to find a job in the field of media, preferably in the Maastricht region. Will she succeed?
Dear Maastricht: A Love Letter
January 13, 2011 15 Comments
US citizen Becky Castle Miller only spent a few days in Maastricht last September but immediately “fell head over heels in love with the city.” For the past three months, she and her husband have been scheming about ways to get back. Becky shares her feelings in a love letter to Maastricht.
Internationals get together in Maastricht
December 20, 2010 Leave a Comment
On Thursday December 16th 2010 the International Service Desk of the Maastricht Region, Brainport Development NV and the Maastricht University Knowledge Centre for International Staff organised a very much appreciated get together for the international community.
Officially a Limburger
December 20, 2010 Leave a Comment
Crossroads editor Sueli Brodin has a new business card that simply reads: Limburger.
Life in-between: an expat in North Limburg
December 6, 2010 Leave a Comment
Two years ago, Claudia Costa exchanged her Italian home town of Milan for a small village in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and now commutes to work every day in North Limburg. “Although both Venlo and Roermond boast many nice restaurants and cafés, what is definitely missing is a greater offer of cultural activities and events aimed at expatriates, similar to those which liven up the provincial capital of Maastricht,” she says.
American author presents bilingual children’s book in Maastricht
December 2, 2010 Leave a Comment
Book presentation of “The Adventures of Yin & Yang: Snoepje and the Pizza Box” on Sunday, November 21st at Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, by American author Susan Hermse Schaefer and Dutch Minister of Immigration and former mayor of Maastricht Gerd Leers.
My first expat Thanksgiving: A how-to in holiday meals abroad from an American in Aachen
December 2, 2010 Leave a Comment
“Heard the one about the four Germans, three Americans, two Mexicans, a Frenchman and a Colombian? Then you haven’t heard about my Thanksgiving celebration this year,” writes Luisa Maria Badaracco, a US expat living in Aachen.
Maastricht University international staff get-together
November 18, 2010 Leave a Comment
More than 200 international staff members from Maastricht University gathered at the beautiful old ‘City hall’ on October 12th 2010 for the first ‘Cultural Introduction & International Staff Get-Together’.
X Magazine for Xpats
October 31, 2010 Leave a Comment
X is a new guide for expats living in the Southeast Netherlands. A review by Crossroads editor Sueli Brodin.
Learning Dutch in terra incognita
October 20, 2010 4 Comments
Sarina Legge moved to the Netherlands three months ago from Montreal, Quebec, Canada and shares her story of her first week at Arcus College in Heerlen learning the Dutch language.
How to write about your life abroad
October 5, 2010 2 Comments
Expat, author and writers’ mentor, Jo Parfitt, tells you how.
Reaching out
September 19, 2010 Leave a Comment
The month of September marks the opening of the new social and cultural season in Maastricht, and sees the arrival of many newcomers from abroad. Crossroads editor Sueli Brodin shares some tips about English-language activities and resources which can be of interest to the international community in the Maastricht region.
How international is Maastricht?
July 30, 2010 2 Comments
A city of many borders and languages, Maastricht lies at the heart of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, an area covering three major languages (French, Dutch, German), a number of distinct dialects and an overall population of nearly four million people. The capital of Limburg prides itself on being ‘international’, and justly so. But what does all this add up to? How ‘international’ is Maastricht? Robert Norris investigates.
Street Views: What are your plans for the summer?
July 7, 2010 Leave a Comment
How are people in Maastricht going to spend their summer? Crossroads writer Sina Spohr investigates.
CouchSurfing: An unusual travel trend
June 29, 2010 Leave a Comment
It might sound like a new kind of sport, but CouchSurfing is actually a global online network of travellers who have offered or are seeking couches (or beds, a floor or whatever space is available) on which to sleep. This service includes everything from sleeping place to sharing shower and kitchen to guide assistance. And everything for free. A report by Veronika Krupova.
From whom the suds flow
May 30, 2010 Leave a Comment
Canadian expat Patrick Granton meets “the nicest man in Maastricht” and finds out why this region is “the best in the world for making beer.”
Building bridges between the expatriate and local communities
May 1, 2010 Leave a Comment
A pilot initiative inspired by the Native Speakers Project is currently seeking English-speaking volunteers in Maastricht interested in giving English conversation classes in local schools.
A homecoming
March 6, 2010 6 Comments
After spending 13 years in the US, Ben Willems is now coming back home to his native Netherlands with his American wife and 2 year old son. What are the reasons behind this decision?
Finding the “right home”: Student choice of accommodation in Maastricht
February 18, 2010 1 Comment
The first thing a student must do before starting his/her studies is finding accommodation. This is not always an easy process as many criteria need to be taken into consideration. After speaking with a few students at Maastricht University Adina Răducanu came up with some surprising conclusions.
