Evening closures and stricter anticorona measures during the dayPhoto by marco fileccia on Unsplash
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Evening closures and stricter anticorona measures during the day

The Netherlands will shut down from 5pm to 5am, apart from essential services for at least three weeks from this Sunday, as the cabinet struggles to reduce the spread of coronavirus, now at an average of 22,000 new cases a day. The number…
Earlier Coronavirus press conference on Friday, as hospital problems mount
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Coronavirus press conference this Friday, as hospital problems grow

Demissionary prime minister Mark Rutte and health minister Hugo de Jonge will host a new press conference this Friday, a week before the one planned on December 3. De Jonge said the decision has been made following a meeting with ministers…
Press conference: Light lockdown and 2G policy to comeMatt Seymour
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Press conference: Light lockdown and 2G policy to come

The Netherlands will be going into a three-week light lockdown. Coronavirus measures will apply from Saturday 13 November at 18.00 to at least Saturday 4 December.  At the press conference yesterday, Prime minister Rutte began his address…
New coronavirus measures: face masks are back, more working at home again and coronapass entry in more locations
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New coronavirus measures: face masks are back, more working at home again and coronapass entry in more locations

The government  has announced this second of November, 2021, that it is bringing back some of its previous coronavirus prevention measures and introducing new ones, in an effort to reduce the surge in new coronavirus cases. Face masks return…
Dutch office life

How is the office life in the Netherlands (and in Haarlem)?

The Netherlands is ranked third in the world for work-life balance by the Office for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). When you work in an office, your hours are clearly defined and always respected. It is unusual to find employees…
As of 25 September, we no longer have to stay 1.5 metres from others. The coronavirus entry pass system is being introduced
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Netherlands to reopen further with coronavirus entry pass

As of 25 September, we no longer have to stay 1.5 metres from others. The coronavirus entry pass system is being introduced for locations that will get busier when the 1.5 metre distancing rule is lifted. You can get a coronavirus entry…
free COVID self-testsDimitri Karastelev
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Ordering free COVID self-tests

The Dutch government has announced that between 10 August and 1 September, you can order two free COVID-19 self-tests. Self-testing is an important means of detecting asymptomatic infections. So before going back to work or university after…
Coronavirus vaccinations without appointmentUnsplash
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Coronavirus vaccinations without appointment

Have you not been vaccinated against COVID-19 yet but do you want to? From 17 August 2021, it is possible to go to the vaccination locations in Haarlem and Haarlemmermeer without an appointment for your first corona vaccine dose. As things…
No restrictions for on-site learning but other measures against COVID-19 extendedDaniel Schludi
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No restrictions for on-site learning but other measures against COVID-19 extended

This week saw the 22 millionth dose of vaccine administered. The Netherlands now has high vaccination coverage and the figure is continuing to rise on a daily basis. Nevertheless, a greater increase is still needed. There are still an estimated…
https://unsplash.com/@lukassouza
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Checklist entering or returning to the Netherlands from abroad - August 2021

Good preparation is important for your return trip to the Netherlands. Are you returning to the Netherlands from a yellow EU country on 8 August? Then you need a corona certificate (vaccination, recovery or test proof). Here's the Governments'…
Since June 5th the Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam presents an interactive TikTok-Museum.Solen Feyissa
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First Tik-Tok-Museum in The Netherlands

Since June 5th the Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam presents an interactive TikTok-Museum. In the museum users of the app can record their videos with about 25 different installations. After the success of the Instagram Experience…
7 steps to get unstuck
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Are you stuck? Here are 7 steps to create the life you desire.

Are you fed up working hard every day? Do you want to finally quit that 9-5 job? Do you want to wake up in a good mood and do what you love? Then do it! Live your life to the fullest! I made the decision to quit a successful corporate…
Pentecost 2021 is on the 23th and 24th of June. Here a couple of tips to spend your long weekend.Pexels
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Pentecost 2021 in Holland

Something that intrigued me ever since I first arrived in Holland is the number of Dutch public holidays specifically related to events on the Roman Catholic calendar. It struck me and still does that a fairly non-religious country like the…
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The number of unemployed Haarlemmers has risen

Unemployment in the Netherlands rose in 2020 for the first time in five years. At the end of last year, 357,000 people were out of work, compared to 314,000 at the end of 2019, according to figures from the recently published report…
This course is meant for children in the age between 8 and 12 to expand their knowledge of Dutch. Both online and face-to-face in Haarlem, starting May 10th.
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Dutch for Children

This Monday afternoon course is meant for children in the age between 8 and 12 who want to expand their knowledge of Dutch. The interactive course consists of 8 fun and meaningful lessons for children who wish to learn Dutch and communicate…
Rachel Smets Feeling Guilty March 2021
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How to remove guilt and worry, and move forward.

Why do we feel guilty so often or dwell on the past? Why is it so difficult to make certain decisions? Many people spend large amounts of time with two useless thought patterns: Guilt and worry. Guilt is in the past and worry is in the future,…
Is your job making you sick?
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Is your job making you sick? Stop pretending and take action!

Is your job making you sick? Do you feel trapped in your 9-5 wondering 'this is it for the rest of my life?' On the other side of this life there is freedom. If you long for freedom, why are you not going there? Stop pretending and start taking…
Dutch turn to live-stream webcams during curfewGemeente Haarlem
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Dutch turn to live-stream webcams during curfew

The national coronavirus curfew came into effect on January 23, and search engine Google immediately reported a significant increase in the number of ''webcam" searches. Curfew in the Netherlands In the ongoing fight against the coronavirus…
Rachel Smets life hacks crab bucketroyalty free (author's own pic)
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When your family doesn't support your dream

What do you do if you are lacking support from your loved ones? It is time to apply the crab theory! Is your family not supporting your dream? You are super excited and motivated but they say you're crazy. Knowing this crab theory will…
Moroccan landscaperoyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Travel tales: moving to Morocco with a passion for photography

During this period of time when we cannot travel, let’s look back and share stories of past trips – ones that have come about so we can make life changes or holidays where we had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This article tells the story…
Netherlands to remain in lockdown until at least 9 February inclusiveMartin Sanchez on Unsplash
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Dutch lockdown continues until at least 9 February

On the evening of Tuesday 12 January, prime minister Mark Rutte and minister Hugo de Jonge announced that the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus would be extended for a further 3 weeks. The previous announcement in December…
Rachel Smets no regretsroyalty free (author's own pic)
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Live life without regrets

Living life without regrets needs you need to take the leap. Are you ready? Regret is poison. Imagine being 90 years old and you're looking back upon your life and all you can think is: What if I had done it?' What if I had done what…
Simpel Award Website of the year 2020!Simple
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Simpel voted Website of the Year 2020

On 26 November, 2020, Simpel was voted the 'Website of the Year 2020' by the Dutch public, making it the overall winner of the 20th edition of this exciting election. The Website of the Year election* is the largest online public award…
stop people pleasingroyalty free (author's own pic)
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Addressing the need to be liked

It is time to stop being a people pleaser and instead make time to build more self-worth. You are a kind person, that's great, but when do you become a people pleaser? The difference between being nice and being a people pleaser is the…
woman in the light and treesroyalty free (re-use possible without attribution)
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Intensive mothering: the concept fully explained

Have you ever heard of ‘intensive mothering’? It could be a term relevant to all mothers in 2020 – as it has been quite an intensive year, right? Though, it is actually a concept that was introduced in the 1990s. Read on to discover more…
coronavirus masksroyalty free (reuse possible with accreditation)
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Dutch coronavirus response: survey for internationals

A new survey aimed at internationals living in the Netherlands about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting their daily lives has been issued by ICAP, the International Community Advisory Panel – which is an initiative put together by four…
Dutch unemployment rate slightly decreased in September, but more jobs will goOlia Danilevich
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Dutch unemployment rate dips in September, but more jobs could go

Despite the economic impact of coronavirus, the official Dutch unemployment rate fell from 4.6% to 4.4% between August and September, national statistics office CBS published this October. CBS makes known that in total, a further 2000…
Cabinet tightens up measuresMarkus Winkler
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Cabinet tightens up measures to tackle coronavirus

On the evening of 3 November, prime minister Mark Rutte and minister Hugo de Jonge announced new measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to extending the current measures, part of the package of new measures…
Drivers: Uber lets algorithm decide whether employees are firedVictor Avdeev
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Drivers: Uber lets algorithm decide whether employees are fired

With the taxi app Uber, automated systems would decide whether or not to detain drivers. Four former Uber drivers went to court in Amsterdam on 26 October. They say Uber is firing employees through automated systems, their lawyer…
break free with a bananaroyalty free (author's own pic)
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How to let go of limiting beliefs

Your challenge is to shut down the monkey mind in order to break free from your limiting beliefs. Your dream is to wake up to a life + career + relationships you love. You want a lifestyle that has other people saying: wow, you're so lucky! What…