YouTube gives visitors the option to see less alcohol and gambling adscottonbro via Pexels
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YouTube gives visitors the option to see less alcohol and gambling ads

YouTube will give visitors to the video site the option to see fewer alcohol and gambling ads, the company announced on its blog. The option is expected to be available globally in Google Account Settings in early 2021. Alcohol and gambling…
rise in corona cases december 2020
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8894 new infections yesterday, 1600 more than the weekly average

A total of 8894 new confirmed coronavirus infections were reported to the RIVM as of Friday morning on 11 December, which is 120 more than the previous day. The weekly average is 7264. The number of infections has increased rapidly over the…
steak and rosemaryroyalty free (can be reused without attribution)
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Putting wild game on the menu

Most of our favourite comfort food is born in the recipes that mom made for us when we were kids – but as our palettes mature and we learn to cook on our own, we venture away from mom’s recipes and build our own comfort food repertoire.…
xmas cardroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Writing Christmas cards to Haarlem's elderly residents

It’s the festive season and a perfect time to do a good deed for fellow residents in the city, right? How about penning a little message on a Christmas card as a surprise for someone who might not otherwise receive any Christmas mail? It could…
Bermuda hometown

Let's talk about hometowns: Bermuda

Capitals, cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods. We all come from somewhere and it’s time to meet each others' hometowns and who knows, we might put some new places that we have never heard of on our bucket list! In this post, we hear from…
An interview with Sinterklaas (Photo: Rodi)
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An interview with Sinterklaas

The Shallow Man recently had the dubious honor of interviewing the world’s angriest not black man, Zwarte Piet. Like many of his supporters, I found him to be very emotional, irrational and downright aggressive. There were a number of questions…
Dutch Language exercise: Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet

Dutch Language exercise: Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet

Dutch Language exercise: choose the correct answer for each of the gaps. Sinterklaas woont in Spanje en Zwarte Piet is zijn helper. De Sint is een oude plan man maan baan met een lange witte baard. Hij heeft een mijter op zijn hoofd…
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…
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…
From December 1, face masks compulsory in all indoor public places in the NetherlandsUnsplash
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From 1 December, face masks compulsory in all indoor public places in the Netherlands

To reduce the spread of the coronavirus, it is compulsory to wear a face mask in all public indoor spaces for everyone aged 13 and older from Tuesday 1 December. Anyone not wearing a mask can be fined €95. The new law provides a legal…
Christmas wreathroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Haarlem happenings in December

December is here and the festive season is just around the corner! Things won’t be quite the same as usual – there is no annual Kerstmarkt* this year – though, there are still some festive (and non-festive) events happening, all the while…
booksroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Family sagas my grandmother would have loved to read

The recent passing of my grandmother has made me think of how some of my favourite books depict grandparents and family relations. My grandmother passed away on 6 October 2020. Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, I was not able to go…
hometown vancouver

Let’s talk about hometowns: Vancouver, Canada

Capitals, cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods. We all come from somewhere and it’s time to meet each others' hometowns and who knows, we might put some new places that we have never heard of on our bucket list! In this post, we hear from…
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…
primary school abacusroyalty free (re-use possible without attribution)
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Choosing a primary school in Haarlem

The process of picking the perfect primary school starts a long time before your child actually heads off for their first day. In the Netherlands, kids start school shortly after turning 4-years old and the application deadline will be 12 months…
hometown boscotrecase

Let’s talk about hometowns: Boscotrecase, Italy

Capitals, cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods. We all come from somewhere and it’s time to meet each others' hometowns and who knows, we might put some new places that we have never heard of on our bucket list! In this post, we hear from…
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…
Hometown questionnaireroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)

Let's talk about hometowns: share your story!

Capitals, cities, towns, villages, neighbourhoods. We all come from somewhere and it’s time to discover each other’s hometowns – who knows, as a result we might put some new places that we have never heard of before on our bucket list!…
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…
feeling grateful, giving thanksroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Experiencing gratitude even in tough times

It is mid-November and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. With the trials that 2020 has brought us so far, it has been a tough year – though, maybe we can still take a moment and find something to be grateful for. If you wish to welcome…
Consumers Association: Asian cars much more reliable than EuropeanMatthew Ronder-Seid
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Asian cars most reliable says Consumers' Association report

The most reliable cars come from Asia. At least, this is the result from the annual research investigation of the Consumers' Association (Consumentenbond). Mini is the only European car brand in the organisation's 'reliability top 10'.  Research…
Sint Maarten 2020 in HaarlemSven Brandsma
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Sint Maarten 2020 in Haarlem

Every year, children sing songs at the door during Sint Maarten on 11 November. This could increase the chance of coronavirus spreading, though the chances are reduced when everyone is careful and follows the guidelines. The celebration can…
house buyingroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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House hunting tips: buying a home in Haarlem

Buying a home in Haarlem can be exciting but also incredibly stressful. Transitioning from ‘huur’ to ‘koop’ on the Funda.nl search map is a big thing – and then you have to dive into the whole buying process. There are certainly a…
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…
Haarlem churchroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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November happenings for Haarlem's 775 years

This month our November events are fully focused on the fantastic occasion of Haarlem celebrating being a city for 775 years! Haarlem’s calendar for November has at its heart the fact that the city has a big birthday happening this month!…
Haarlem 775royalty free (event logo)
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Haarlem: 775 years!

On 23 November, in the year 1245, Haarlem received city rights from Count Willem II. That means that this month marks exactly 775 years since Haarlem could call itself a city. The festivities that were planned had to be curtailed due to the…
Haarlem corona numbers 21-27 oct
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Coronavirus in Haarlem: latest numbers from the RIVM

The total number of Haarlem residents that tested positive for coronavirus over the last week was 553. The figures were announced in the new weekly update from the RIVM. A total of 67,542 Dutch people received confirmation that they are infected…
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…