All Things Holland

I found this interesting.  The Dutch were definitely a force in the east indies but did you know they had a settlement in Taiwan!  For 38 years ( 1624-1662) the colonial Dutch government had a settlement on the island, toward the south, as a pit stop to trade with China and Japan; almost all of the Dutch there were soldiers at a defensive fort.  At that time the island was inhabited by aborigines and Chinese immigrants, its main resource was deer.  Basically after a while the native people were sick of Hollands tyrannical colonization, and after several uprisings they took back their island.  Some of the interesting contributions of Dutch rule are the standards that were set for Taiwan's international trade ability as well as a liberal view of immigration that allowed many Chinese to come to the island, creating an ethnically Chinese majority, and opening up communication between the Chinese and Taiwanese who were culturally more Polynesian.      

KLM continues to be super fun company and they are continuing their Holland Cool campaign. But why does it always have to be Facebook! Check this out. https://www.facebook.com/KLMUSA?v=app_654446261251028&app_data=gaReferrerOverride%3D I tried putting the video here but you have to have the link emailed to view it. Anyway. Who's up for trying herring? Anyone have any ideas on how to pronounce that beast?

More fast and furious blog entries! I found a neat blog entry on spas in Amsterdam. You could just jump in the canal... http://www.everettpotter.com/2013/07/spawatch-akasha-spa-amsterdam/

I can't do this article justice. Check this out. You may have already read it. http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/spectacular-new-floating-cycle-roundabout/

Ahhh May 4th, Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan, what can I say about you?  Thankfully this year the Tulip Time Festival did indeed have tulips, unlike last year's StemFest.  However; in my humble opinion Tulip Time was pretty bad.  Imagine a strange assortment of vendors selling their quilted nascar blankets, overcrowded streets and restaurants, and mock indian encampments.  No modern furnature, gouda, dutch bicycles, dutch vendor food like those little pancake thingys or herrings to be found.   Surely the walk to Tulip island where the only true Dutch windmill in America resides must have been amazing?    ( de zwaan was pretty cool, but.... ) First you must pay a hefty chunk of change to enter the island after walking a couple of miles in the blazing sun.  Once there you gaze upon two rows of tulips, followed by a short jaunt to the tourist mill where you see a mildewy replica of Amsterdam and are tempted to buy a button that says "Kiss me I'm Dutch".   Being

Whoa. It's almost been a month since our last post. Sorry. Back to being regular. Here's one I've had in my emails for a while. Full Article So the thought is what do you do if your city is on the coast or below sea level? Prepare for the eventuality and either build higher or make them float. That's exactly what some of these cities have done. And obviously the Netherlands is high on that list. The article above has more pictures and detail but check out a few of these. Amsterdam - Very Futuristic with 2 levels.     Amsterdam - 75 Floating Houses clumped together (video at the link)   The rest on the link are from other areas of the world. But fitting that the Netherlands has the 2 top posts.   

Yes one day I will have a separate blog for my bike posts but until then I will continue to relay an important Dutch cultural obsession, the bicycle.  What can be better than a completely man-powered means of ground transportation.  Maybe a man powered flying vehicle?  Come on Leonardo!  He had to have one for his own personal use.  Anyway, the other day I ran across this interesting ad for a bike made by the brand Republic.  Republic bikes are custom made, like how you can customize cars online, and they seem to focus on fixies or single speed bikes, in fact their limited edition right now is "Portlandia".  All of their bikes begin with a famous Greek thinker's name: Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, ...etc.  This blurb about the bike caught my eye. Plato® Dutch bikes The satisfying spirit of the Dutch bike is upright and relaxed, practical and pleasant ... and  Plato  agrees. The Plato Dutch bicycle is designed as a mix of retro styling and modern twists – because a dos

For a bizarre, uncomfortable approach to this Dutch blog today's post is about the pain of childbirth.  In the news a few months past, were the Dutch duo Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena.  This daring duo decide to take on strange and mainly painful tasks which are then shown on their live TV show "Proefkonijnen", in the past the pair cooked and ate each others' flesh...oh boy.  This time they decided to take on the "worst pain there is", and therefore they subjected themselves to simulated labor. One of the men asked one of the nurses, who were there for breathing exercises and gas masks, if the pain would make them scream?  She calmly answered, "yes, it definitely will."  And so began the pain as the nurses cranked the electrodes that were placed on key muscles of their abdomens in order to mimic birth.  The two were writhing in agony within minutes.  Screaming...check, crying...check.  The agony was cut short as the two finished their exper

Dutch as it stands from a 2005 study is the native language of over 22 million people who reside mostly in the Netherlands and Belgium. (Sijs 348) Dutch as a language in America today is diminishing. (Sijs 107) It looks as if the Dutch language is losing ground it would seem. Apparently one can be proud of one’s Dutch background without being able to speak the Dutch language. A personal anecdote proves this the case. My last name is Dutch and I’m proud of it. Blauvelt means Blue Field in Dutch. I am the 13 th generation living in America since my first ancestor from Holland made the trek to America. I don’t speak Dutch however, I have been trying. I meet a girl whose last name was van Crae (Americanized) and she asked what percentage Dutch I was. I have no idea, probably very small if any. Her father is from Holland, making her 50%. This proves Sijs’ theory. I am proud to be ‘Dutch’ even though I don’t speak it, have never visited, and by now am most likely more a mix of other nat

(One more part left for tomorrow) No borrowing takes place unless two cultures and their languages come into contact with each other. So who would use loanwords?   Those who come in contact with and acquire new knowledge from a foreign culture use foreign words in an attempt to disseminate their new knowledge (Higa 284).   One reason could be linguistic innovation. When new things or concepts are learned by one culture form another there arises a need to name them in the persons own language. Examples of this can be seen with English words spreading throughout the Earth. Words like Internet, Walkman, TV etc. new technologies that don’t have existing words in other languages so they are borrowed and used straight up with little change in the new language. Hence new words may be created or it may directly borrow from the ready-made foreign word. Visitors and immigrants to foreign countries tend to use borrowed words in their native languages to show their progress of acculturations

....Dutch loanwords in American English fall into 13 different areas. Let’s take some of the words mentioned previous and break them down. Coleslaw, which is regarded as a typically American product and is exported to other countries under this American name, was recorded at one time as Cold Slaw which was most likely due to Americans not calling the plant cole; instead calling it cabbage. It was borrowed in the 17 th century from the Dutch koolsla or cabbage salad. Cookie, in Dutch koekje, is a small flat sweet cake. Cookie is one of the most frequently used Dutch loanwords in American English and has been used in many expressions that do not exist in Dutch. Spill your cookies, the way the cookie crumbles, have your cookie and eat it, etc. (Sijs 126) Waffle, or Dutch wafel, is a light flat pastry with a diamond shaped pattern. Derived from weven (to weave) and related to Wabe (honeycomb). Boss, or Dutch baas, meaning master foreman. This loanword has ‘conquered the world’ as it w

...This may seem a lot to take in and remember but the key to remember is there were other colonists in the ‘New World’ besides the British. In fact there were quite a few European nations in the Americas. Sweden had a colony north of New Netherland, France had the area around modern day Louisiana, Spain was attempting one along the southern coast in Florida, and then there’s the well known British colonies. Being the first Europeans in the area and witnessing plant and animal life they had never seen; the Dutch colonists were the first to name these items and many of these have stuck down to this day. A brief look at the map just north of New York City would prove this. Town names of Orangeburg, Sparkill, Tappan, West Nyack, and Blauvelt prove this point. Orangeburg is a take on the Dutch royal color of Orange, Sparkill translates to Spar=spruce and kill=creek, and Nyack and Blauvelt are Dutch surnames.   Many names were even changed from their original Dutch. An example would be th

This video sums it all up. Oh, and this Pim guy seems awesome.

A few weeks ago I hinted at a paper I had to write for my Language class about Dutch loanwords. Well I finished it and got a high grade. It's no work of art but I thought I'd post it piece by piece for you. All grammatical errors and whatnot are my fault. Dutch Loanwords - How They Shaped American English            What’s more American than booze, pickles, coleslaw, and a cookie? The answer is actually lots of things because all four of those words are not ‘English’ (in this case British) in origin. They originate across the sea yes, but from another nautical nation; the Netherlands or more readily known as Holland. But those are only a handful of many words that we can attribute to the Dutch. “Certainly no language was ever composed of such numerous and such diverse elements” quote by Walter W. Skeat 1892 (Speaking about the English Language). Questions arise then; Why do we have words in our everyday language that originate from Holland, What is a loanword, How much of E

  The Giro d'Italia ( Tour of Italy) is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1909. Along with the Tour de France (France) and Vuelta a España (Spain), the Giro makes up cycling's prestigious three-week-long Grand Tours. The Giro is usually held during late May and early June. While the route changes each year, the format of the race stays the same, with the appearance of at least two time trials, the passage through the mountains of the Alps and the finish in the Italian city of Milan. Like the other Grand Tours, the modern editions of the Giro d'Italia normally consist of 21 day-long stages over a 23-day period that includes 2 rest days. All of the stages are timed to the finish. After finishing the riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times. The rider with the lowest aggregate time is the leader of the race and gets to don the coveted pink jersey  (who needs yellow!). So why is thi

Yes. You read that correctly. And no, I am not buying one. I used to have my dog sleep on my bed when I was little but that was when I was 7. Noortje de Keijzer  (her website) a Dutch designer and illustrator has designed a life-sized, yes life size, knitted pillow in the shape of a man. Or a boyfriend. Whichever you prefer.   Keijzer's " My Knitted Boyfriend " (click this link. It shows the different accessories and the book that accompies your 'man') project consists of two different oversized cushions, "Artur" (white guy with brown hair) and "Steve (darker guy with black hair)." The pillows come with a number of accessories, including knitted moustaches, glasses, watches, bow-ties, and even tattoos. There's also an illustrated book to show you what you can do with your knitted companion.   Keijzer had her mother and grandmother hand-knit the body pillow. (Slave labor?, I'm still wondering why she couldn't do it he

As some might have heard in the news this year is going to be very special one for the House of Orange.  At the end of January Queen Beatrix announced that she would abdicate the throne to allow her son Willem-Alexander to ascend to the throne.  This event will take place on April 30, 2013.  He will be the first Dutch king since 1890.  What does this mean for the Netherlands?  Well for an American outside of Holland the most obvious change will be spring time in the Netherlands.  Queen's Day will be no more!  Instead starting next year, the new Orange holiday will be King's Day; held on April 27, Willem-Alexander's birthday.  King's Day next year is on a Sunday so the party will be held on Saturday April 26.  This year's party will surround the coronation of Prince Willem-Alexander. It seems there are some very Orange years ahead of us! 

With the approaching Tulip Time Festival (May 4-11) in Holland, Michigan,  I have decided to once again write about " t ulipa gesneriana" and specifically the period of time in the Netherlands called "tulipomania".  As you can probably guess tulipomania was a time when Holland was obsessed with tulips.  This period in the 1600's saw the beautifying of Holland, which up until this time was quite muddy and dull looking, and also the strengthening of the Dutch market.   The tulip, originally cultivated in Turkey found its way to Europe in the 1500's.  In fact the name tulip comes from the Turkish word for turban.  One theory for why it became so popular in the Netherlands is because of bleakness of the Dutch landscape.  Another reason they were popular was because of  their rarity.  In the tulip bulb their are little 'offsets' which is how new bulbs are grown. The tulip rave in the Netherlands began with master gardener Carolus Clusius.  He brought

Remember a few months ago when I posted the article on Mars One ? Well according to space.com they're accepting applications. The Netherlands-based Mars One will begin accepting application videos sometime between now and July, charging a fee to weed out folks who aren't serious about their candidacy. The group hopes to raise millions of dollars this way, with the proceeds paying for the ongoing selection process and technology studies. "We expect a million applications with 1-minute videos, and hopefully some of those videos will go viral,” Mars One co-founder and chief executive officer Bas Lansdorp told SPACE.com on April 10. He was in London to speak to the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) that day. Mars One now has 45,000 people registered for its mailing list and has already received 10,000 emails from interested individuals, Lansdorp added. The organization will unveil more details about its astronaut selection process at a press conference in New York Ci

Here are two fun videos about a Dutch Soccer player scoring on his own team. They are all in Dutch but you get the idea of what they mean. The first is his blunder. He trips on his own feet trying to clear a ball from in front of the net. Mike van der Hoorn plays for Utrecht in the Netherlands. Doh!!! Notice how even the other team pats him on the back. That has got to sting. His team went on to lose 6-0. The next video is a montage that the local sports station put together of other players making the same mistake. I think they're trying to make Mike feel better. Perfect song choice. Also a great opporunity to listen to native Dutch speakers as they interview van der Hoorn and the news anchor. Always look on the bright side of life.

KLM, is in my opinion, the coolest airline out there and I've never even been on it! Well, they're at it again, solidifying their 'coolness'. Read this email I received from them yesterday. "The countdown has begun. The countdown to a live worldwide challenge. Are you ready to win the ultimate journey of inspiration? Join the challenge before April 22nd. On that date we will launch a high-altitude balloon. It will carry a precious cargo: a ticket to space. Predict the location of its highest point and claim it as your place. If your guess is closest, you will win the journey of a lifetime: a spaceflight."       LINK one of the coolest interactive sites Too cool. I'd try to link you to my page so my chances are higher at winning but that almost feels like cheating. Someday on my plane ride to Holland I will be on a KLM flight, oh yes I will.

At the beginning of the 16th century gardening in Europe was still an underdeveloped skill, vegetable gardening especially.  It is said that Catherine wife of King Henry VII of England could not procure a "sallad" until Henry sent to the Netherlands to have a gardener sent to England to raise the proper articles.  But, it seems that the Netherlands was on top of this modern gardening trend. In most countries carrots are orange, but that has not always been the case.  In fact carrots in the past were never orange.  Before orange carrots there were Western red and white carrots which today might be called parsnips,  and Eastern purple carrots with the occasional wild carrots of different colors. So what is the legend that surrounds the orange carrot?  Folktales tell us that the orange carrot was bred in the Netherlands in the 16th century to honor William I of Orange (William the Silent).  It was to tribute to William I during the Dutch fight for independence from Spain.  W

Awesome. Seems the Dutch and Europe in general are ahead of us in technological energy saving ideas.

Check out this interesting article on cooking Dutch food from the NY Times . I don't want to copy down what she said but I'll offer some bullet points here. -Next time I'm in Amsterdam, I'm visiting Boerenjongens. It's a food shop that specializes in traditional home-style dishes. The word Boerenjongens can mean a couple of things; 'farmer boy' and others. -Here is the blog of writer Janneke Vreugdenhil . (be prepared to read Dutch). She as written a few cookbooks but sadly (for now) they're all in Dutch. -Some of her more unusual recipes include hangop met boerenjongens, hutspot, and endive soup. hangop met boerenjongens here meaning 'brandied raisins' is a  'super' dessert. Hutspot is a traditional stewy soup with it's origins in Spain but was turned Dutch with the addition of mashed vegetables or stamppot (any combination of mashed vegetables and is the national dish of Holland). Finally, endive soup using bitter greens. Whic

Ahhh, the most perfect place on earth.  Where else can you still have an interesting native culture, go bungee jumping, see a beautiful landscape, and have a national rugby team.  Yes, New Zealand is now very English; its ruler is officially Queen Elizabeth II herself.  But what about that name?  Wouldn't an English colony have the name New Essex or New Reading or even New Caledonia, hint hint.  We should have noticed in the first glance that this name is Dutch.  So, what is New Zealand's Dutch heritage? The first Europeans to "discover" New Zealand's islands were the Dutch, led by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1642.  He also discovered the island of Tasmania, look at his last name.  However this first encounter with Europeans was not peaceful.  Several of the Dutch crewmen died in this hustle with the indigenous people the Maori; aka the rugby and football stars of the world, you don't want to mess with them.  One beneficial outcome of this encounter was the

Well hopefully you found it. Welcome ABD members! I finally opened my newsletter yesterday and saw the neat little box about this blog. I had sent the association an email way back in November and hadn't heard anything since so I figured they never got it. But then I see us mentioned in the newsletter!(albeit they spelled our URL wrong but I had faith in the readers to know the difference between blogspot and blogspost) Which is exciting. I've personally never attended a meeting of the ABD, since I live in the midwest. I plan on going to one someday though. I'm trying to time it with riding the Kalmar Nyckle. For a rundown of what this blog will be about see Nummer Een published way back in September 2010. We both have been a little lax in our publishing here with classes being in full swing but we're ready now to get back into the swing of things. Some things to look forward to. -One of the classes I'm taking will require me to write a paper. I've choosen

Check out this great MSN video - Mythical Viking Sunstone Is Real So this guy is slightly annoying and 'rad' but it's a good summary of the sun stones. I'll do a more detialed post on it later.

This is a new Dutch blogger that I found on youtube.  It follows Lize and her mother Petra.  Petra lives by herself so Lize is with her to combat the winter blues.  It's fun you can pick out some words.  Love it, they're very funny.  PS might contain some "zoo" material

This article is too long for me to ruin by summarizing it here. Check this out... NY TIMES on Dutch Flood Control

Thanks to my new favorite bike blog lovelybike@blogspot.com I have stumbled apon the ideal Dutch family transportation vehicle. Say you have three children and no car. No problem! You put them all into a large crate on the front of your bike. I introduce to you bakfiet or the plural bakfeitsen the cargo bike of Holland. It was developed by a dad in need of a bike that his kids could climb into. I think it's awesome. It's a heavy little sucker but if you needed a bike to get groceries downtown this would be the perfect thing. Or bags of salt, or small dogs,or radiators,or even to transport live organs to hospitals.

Can't believe it's been 1 month since our last post. Sorry. My bad. We both started up our classes for the spring semester and have been extremely busy. I guess after NO ONE responded to my reader post a while back I was very disheartened. Oh well. Back to writing this blog for who really cares about it. (bitter much?). I'll be leaving for a week long vacation next week so I will be absent again for a time but I promise that upon my return I will post those articles I teased about a month + ago. Maybe if I have time around packing and school I'll get one up before I go.. maybe. So I just wanted to say, to those who continued checking here for updates but are too much of a chicken to comment to us... thanks. We'll be back soon. I promise. Stick with us. (side note: What a crapy way to celebrate our 100th post) - de Blau Boer