Tag Archives: Netherlands

Interview with Expatsblog – USA to the Netherlands

Posted on April 2, 2014 by wordgeyser

A while ago I was interviewed by Expatsblog for their great website which is full of resources for anyone moving from somewhere to, well, just about anywhere else. Their website a phenomenal amount of information available on wherever it is you’ll … Continue reading →

Queen’s Day: The Quieter Side

Posted on April 30, 2012 by wordgeyser

I’ve decided to share the quieter side of Queen’s Day, Koninginnedag, a day to celebrate the birthday of the former Queen, Juliana. The present Queen, Beatrix, spends the day with members of the Royal family, visiting towns throughout the Netherlands. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, The Netherlands | Tagged Beatrix of the Netherlands, celebrations in the Netherlands, Koninginnedag, Netherlands, Queen's night in the netherlands, Queens Day in the Netherlands, queens night in the hague, Wassenaar | 7 Comments

Global Tax : Inescapable and Unrelenting

Posted on February 22, 2012 by wordgeyser

It’s February and there’s that sinking feeling in my stomach. Not the winter blues, instead the gargantuan beast from hell, the preparation of the annual tax returns. You can’t forget about it, or pretend it’s not happening, stick fingers in your … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, The Netherlands, USA | Tagged belastingdienst, dutch banks, Dutch taxes, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Netherlands, Tax return (United States), taxes in the netherlands | 2 Comments

The Dutch 30% Tax Rule and International Teachers

Posted on December 12, 2011 by wordgeyser

I’ve written about the Dutch 30% tax ruling before, a topic foremost in most expats’ minds during the annual tax period. This year the topic gained the status of national debate when the junior tax minister, Frans Weekers, considered introducing an income … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Politics and Social Comment, The Netherlands | Tagged american school of the hague, dutch 30% tax rule, dutch 30% tax rule and teachers, international schools, international schools in the netherlands, international teachers, international teachers and dutch tax, Netherlands | 1 Comment

Pylons and Pianos Unrelated?: Not as Much as You’d Think

Posted on September 14, 2011 by wordgeyser

Sometimes you read an article or catch something on TV that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder about life. I had two experiences like that yesterday which (on a small scale) blew me away. The first was … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, England and Things English, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands | Tagged Department of Energy and Climate, design and tecnology, electrical pylons, Energy, incubate festival, luke jerram, Netherlands, nurturing the spirit, play me I'm yours in Tilberg netherlands, Pylon Design Competition, Royal Institute of British Architects, Technology, Tilburg | 10 Comments

S.A.D or Just Sad?: The Legacy of the Dutch Summer

Posted on September 2, 2011 by wordgeyser

I have bemoaned the non-arrival of the Dutch summer for well, the whole of the summer. Much was promised in the warm, soft days of spring when we could venture outdoors sans sweaters and coats, absorb the warming sunlight through our … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, The Netherlands | Tagged adjusting to new climate, dutch weather, expat experiences, expat life, lack of sunshine, Netherlands, New Orleans, SAD lamps, seasonal affective disorder | 10 Comments

How much personal living/working space does a Dutch person have?

Posted on July 14, 2011 by wordgeyser

I’m hoping everyone is up to a mental workout as I’ve come across some facts on the Netherlands which make for very interesting reading. This morning there was an article on the dutchnews.nl website, quoting information released yesterday by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, The Netherlands | Tagged green space in the netherlands, how the dutch cope with large population, land use in the netherlands, Netherlands, Population, population density in the netherlands | 4 Comments

Keukenhof: Useful Tips for Reluctant Visitors

Posted on April 19, 2011 by wordgeyser

I realised in my earlier post I’d forgotten to include some pretty important stuff you may like to consider before visiting the Keukenhof, should you decide to go at some point over the next few weeks. The weather here in The … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Life, The Netherlands | Tagged Expat, Haarlem, keukenhof, Netherlands, travel, tulip time in the netherlands | 3 Comments

Keukenhof: The Jewel in the Crown of The Netherlands

Posted on April 18, 2011 by wordgeyser

What I didn’t mention in The Perfect Palette : The Netherlands in Spring and what anyone living here would think of when you put ‘spring’ and ‘The Netherlands’ in the same sentence – the Keukenhof The reason, dear readers, is because I’ve saved … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, The Netherlands | Tagged day trips in the netherlands, keukenhof, Keukenhof Garden, keukenhof gardens holland, keukenhof gardens netherlands, Netherlands, photographing the keukenhof, photography, visiting the keukenhof | 1 Comment

Loving your Dutch Bike

Posted on April 8, 2011 by wordgeyser

Ask anyone to think of anything Dutch and I guarantee the top four will be, in no particular order, tulips, windmills, clogs and bikes. Bikes will always be listed – they are such an ingrained part of Dutch life and … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, Family Life, The Netherlands | Tagged best bike for the netherlands, biking in the netherlands, choosing a bike, dutch bikes, exploring the netherlands on a bike, humor, Jeremy Clarkson, learning to ride a bike, Netherlands, omafiets bikes in the netherlands | 7 Comments

Dutch Rules and Regulations

Posted on April 7, 2011 by wordgeyser

There’s no getting away from it, the Dutch are a nation managed by infinite rules and regulations. They are there for a reason, they work and are immoveable. Even Moses would have had a tough time without the Ten Commandments in … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Culture, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Family Life | Tagged bureaucracy in the netherlands, correct forms of ID in the netherlands, dutch bank cards and acceptable ID, dutch rules and regulations, humor, Identity document, Netherlands, Passport, passport as ID in the netherlands | 8 Comments

Spring Time and Dutch Delights: Dutch Leisure Pursuits

Posted on March 21, 2011 by wordgeyser

Finally after six long months of cold, wet and dark the Spring Equinox has arrived, the first day in the year when day and night are of equal length. From now until September 21 the days will be longer than the … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, The Netherlands | Tagged dutch bikes, Dutch life, Expat, expat experiences in the netherlands, how the dutch spend their leisure time, leisure pursuits in the netherlands, Netherlands, spring in Holland, spring in The netherlands, the Dutch in Spring | 1 Comment

Negative? Moi?

Posted on March 8, 2011 by wordgeyser

There have been grave rumblings in our household of late which were finally verbalised over dinner the other night. It seems my family members are concerned by – in their opinion – negative aspects in my blogs on life in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Writing | Tagged Expat, negative writing, Netherlands, on reading, the four agreements | 5 Comments

Leash Laws and Dog Wardens

Posted on March 2, 2011 by wordgeyser

The bell tolls long and loud for all Dutch dog owners from 1 March through to 1 August. The annual leash laws mean rather than running freely through public parks and woodland (in slow motion with the theme to Chariots of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Dutch Culture, Dutch Laws, Taxes and Bureaucracy, Expat Experiences, Family Life | Tagged dog laws in the netherlands, Dogs, dogs in the netherlands, Expat, expat family, expat pets, leash laws in the netherlands, Life Around The Hague, Netherlands | 2 Comments

Raunchy Daffodils and Randy Tulips: Learning the Lingo Part III

Posted on February 23, 2011 by wordgeyser

February, and those fragile signs that winter is finally drawing to a close and spring is just around the corner. Spending time outdoors walking the Archster I’m perhaps more aware than most of the changing seasons – when the first snowdrops appear and … Continue reading →

Posted in Dutch Culture, Expat Experiences, Family Life, Learning Dutch, Personal challenges | Tagged daffodils, Dutch language, Dutch tulips, Expat, expat experiences, expats and new languages, how to speak Dutch, learning a foreign language, learning Dutch, Life Around The Hague, Netherlands, speaking Dutch, Tulip | 3 Comments

Dog Days and Birthdays: November in the Netherlands

Posted on November 16, 2010 by wordgeyser

Some days you get out of bed feeling you can’t make the effort, then you do and the day takes off in ways you don’t expect. I’d psyched up for another day of rain, mud, and the company of equally … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands | Tagged back to nature, Dogs, English Springer Spaniel, finding calm in solitude, inspiration, joy of nature, life balance, Netherlands, nourishing the spirit, november in the netherlands, reconnecting with yourself, serenity in nature, solitude, Sporting-Gundog Group, weather in the Netherlands | 1 Comment