novels
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Novels to better understand the Dutch

Getting to know a new culture can be difficult, especially when there is a language barrier. I moved to Holland five years ago and even if I have taken lessons and try my best to speak Dutch on every available occasion, my Dutch is still not…
workplace
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Haarlem's Top Coworking Spaces

Expats who engage in remote work have the benefit of working from anywhere, but selecting your office space should be done carefully. Recent research from Deskmag and Deskwanted revealed that 74% of coworkers have increased productivity.…
Suriname
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Suri-where?

Why would anyone go to Suriname if you’re not a nostalgic Dutch or someone just looking for a wild adventure? Simple, this tiny country is a world itself—breaking out from its colonial history while embracing its mixed heritage. Tucked between…
Liberation Day
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5th May: Liberation Day and festival

Following directly on from Remembrance Day, 5 May is a national day of celebration known as Liberation Day throughout Haarlem and the Netherlands. You will find a wide variety of entertainment and events taking place to commemorate the liberation…
Mud Masters Obstacle Run
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Mud Masters Obstacle Run 2018

Doing Mud Masters is one for the bucket list. A day full of mud, obstacles and fun with your friends – one that years later you’ll look back on with a smile and brag about at get-togethers with friends and family. This year the Mud Masters…
Est! Est!! Est!!!
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Wine tip: Est! Est !! Est !!!

Est! Est !! Est !!! di Montefiascone is an unforgettable name for a wine named after a special story. In the year 1111 the German bishop Johannes Fugger traveled to Rome. On his way to Lazio, he asked his servant Martin to find a good…
New York Deli
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New York Deli: Food and Live comedy

On Haarlem Foodies we gave in February  a preview of this new spot with the taste of the Big Apple. With a unique concept inspired by inspired by Delis in The Lower Eastside. Fast-casual American Jewish comfort food with outstanding quality. The…
Rokjesdag
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Rokjesdag 2018

Saturday 7 april will be the first "ROKJESDAG" of 2018. What is Rokjesdag or Skirt Day? It is officially the first day on which Dutch women wear skirts with bare legs. Every spring the men look forward to Rokjesdag, the day when the…
Keukenhof spring garden
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Keukenhof Spring Garden open 22 March-13 May 2018

Keukenhof, the world’s most beautiful spring garden, opens its doors from 22 March to 13 May 2018. Keukenhof Spring Garden Keukenhof (“Kitchen garden”, also known as the Garden of Europe), is one of the world’s largest flower…
Experience Haarlemmermeer
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Experience Haarlemmermeer Fair 2018

Get information, meet services and businesses, attend free workshops and presentations, enjoy a stand up comedy, live music, networking, meeting people and having fun! Free professional childcare and kids entertainment is available during…
Cold Netherlands
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Thursday real feel temperature: -17C degrees

Freezing winds from Siberia are blowing into the Netherlands this weekend bringing heavy frost with sunny sky. By next week Wednesday and Thursday, the temperature could dip to as low as -6C degrees to -9C degrees overnight. The temperature…
tissues
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Do Dutch people use tissues?

The other day I read a very interesting post on a Facebook Expats site. A young woman was questioning and seeking clarification as to whether Dutch people made use of tissue paper. She personally noticed that she had not come across any Dutch…
Geluksroute Haarlem 2018
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Geluksroute Haarlem 2018

Geluksroute (Happiness Route) is a relaxed way of sharing happiness, which makes for inspiring meetings and wonderful discoveries. Discover it on Saturday the 3rd of February 2018 and Sunday the 4th of February 2018 in Haarlem. The invitation…
blockchain bitcoin
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Speed course bitcoin and blockchain

Heard of the new buzz words and want to know more about it? Join the speed course bitcoin and blockchain. Free for our readers.   Program of the speed course bitcoin and blockchain The lecturer Henk van Cann will address: - Why…
National Tulip Day
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National Tulip Day 2018

An estimated 1.7 billion Dutch tulips bring a welcome touch of spring to households and businesses all over the globe each year. National Tulip Day sees Dutch tulip growers create a massive temporary garden on Dam Square Amsterdam, blooming…
Christmas tree action
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Christmas tree action on 4 and 10 January 2018

Just like in previous years, the municipality of Haarlem and Spaarnelanden organize the Christmas trees campaign in early 2018. On Thursday 4 and Wednesday 10 January 2018 - between 12.30 and 16.00 hrs - children up to 15 years old can bring…
work-life
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Work-life balance and how to achieve it.

A modern lifestyle requires most of us to spend a lot of our time working. And with 24/7 access to technology, it becomes difficult to disconnect from work even when we’re at home. When working abroad, expats are expected to adapt quickly…
New Year's plunge
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New Year's plunge

Those crazy Dutch! Once you survived Sinterklaas, Christmas and dodged the fireworks during new years eve you think you can finally relax. Well, guess again. How the tradition started I don't know but on the first of January masses of children,…
Amsterdam Light Festival
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Amsterdam Light Festival 2017 - 2018 

Amsterdam's winter festival returns each year to illuminate the city's streets and waterways with fantastic light installations by international artists. Find out more about where, when and how to see this year's works!  Amsterdam Light Festival…
Innenschau
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Language no problem Theater INNENSHAU with discount

INNENSHAU will be performed in Toneelschuur Haarlem on 4, 5, 6 January, 2018, 8:30 PM. ExpatsHaarlem readers get discount. Let's enjoy the performance together, join our Innenschau Meetup on Friday, January 5, 2018, 8:00 PM. INNENSCHAU,…
Winter Village Hoofddorp
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Winter Village Hoofddorp

Experience a true winter wonderland at Winter Village Hoofddorp. An ice rink in a fairytale atmosphere, crackling fireplaces, hot glühwein and delicious winter dishes. The Town Hall Square has been transformed into Winterland Hoofddorp. A…
Housing Offer
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HOUSING & FINANCIAL SERVICES OFFERS DECEMBER 2017

Special FREE FIRST CONSULTATIONS and DEALS for registered readers of expatsHaarlem. Find our readers' offers about renting, buying, mortgage, notary, insurance, tax advice, home utilities, cleaning and more. Housing & Financial Offers…
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My First Sinterklaas

This past weekend on the evening of December 5th, I celebrated my first Sinterklaas. I first learned of the old Dutch custom earlier this year when moving to Haarlem with my Dutch boyfriend. As a Canadian new to the tradition, I would like…
Christmas Market
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Haarlem’s Christmas Market Photo Walk

The Christmas Market in Haarlem is one of the biggest and nicest Christmas markets in the whole Netherlands and Benelux.  Every year the city turns in a real spectacle. This year the Christmas Market will take place on Saturday 9 and Sunday…
Sinterklaas
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Sinterklaas versus Santa Claus

They both work in the same sector, wear red, and have a big white beard. For Piet's sake: what's the difference?  The Big Day Sinterklaas: Sinterklaas' "heerlijk avondje" / delicious is 5 December, although Sint arrives with a steamer…
Black Friday
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Black Friday in Haarlem

It's black Friday! Find an overview of the (web)shops that participate to Black Friday 2017.  Visit their shop or find the webshop with Google for great sales deals! Black Friday Black Friday is an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving…
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How to behave online in 2017

We learn how to succeed, follow a dream, but no one says how to behave online. Go search "how to behave online" on Google and you'll get "how to behave in the church" or “how to behave in the Gladiators Games." That's all you should know about…
class
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More kids per class in Dutch primary school

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences (ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap -OCW) school classes still average around 23 pupils. But a reaserch conducted by AD newspaper with government figures obtained using…
Sinterklaas
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Sinterklaas in Haarlem

Sinterklaas is coming to Haarlem on November 19 at 13:00! He will be arriving on his steamboat on the River Spaarne! You do not want to miss this event! There will be a major parade with the following route: Spaarne, Damstraat, Oude Groenmarkt,…
Dutch
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The Dutch and their Dutch

Dutch is a strange language. Many expats live in the Netherlands for years and never truly get to grips with it. There are so many unwritten rules that you simply cannot learn everything from a textbook. You can ask Dutch people to explain why…