ESN VU Amsterdam 2014-2015 Spring Semester

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Table of contents1. Word of welcome - P. 32. About ESN - P. 43. Meet the board - P. 64. Meet the committees - P. 85. Activities - P. 106. Past activities - P. 147. ESN VU Amsterdam - P. 168. VU University - P. 209. Amsterdam - P. 2410. The Netherlands - P. 28

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Welcome to VU University and welcome to Amsterdam! Your studies here will be a great experience. ESN VU Amsterdam is here for you to make it an awesome adventure. Whether you are here to study all day, every day or party all the time - we recommend a healthy combination of both - we can help you feel at home in the Netherlands.

This welcome booklet will give you all the useful informati-on you need. You will find all the answers to the key questions regarding ESN, our buddy program, and our ESN VU Amsterdam past activities. We also provide general information about VU University and how to get around in Amsterdam. And last but not least, some essential (funny) things you need to know about the Dutch culture.

So, on behalf of the ESN VU Amsterdam board and all the volunteers, making it all happen, we wish you a great time in Amsterdam and we hope to meet you all soon!

Mengalvio DompigPresident ESN VU Amsterdam 2014-2015

Word of welcome

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What is ESN VU Amsterdam?ESN VU Amsterdam is part of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). ESN is the biggest student association in Europe. ESN is working in Higher Education, offering services to 180.000 students, has 13.500 active members that work mainly on a volunteer basis. All ESN sections benefit from this huge network.

ESN VU Amsterdam is the local ESN section for students of VU University Amsterdam. ESN VU Amsterdam offers services to 700-800 students yearly. We try to enrich society by supporting international student mobility. Our goal is to make sure that international students and internationally minded students feel at home in Amsterdam. We help to make sure internationals get to know Amsterdam, Dutch culture and each other, while having a great time here. We do this by organizing social and cultural events.

Where to find us?The ESN Office is located at the Room 0D07 of the studentD0k. If you enter the main building you have to walk to the right, towards the coffee corner. When you are at the coffee corner you see a big door on your left. Above the door is a sign with StudentD0k on it. Enter through the door and you will find room 0D07. You can walk by our office for questions, but of course also to buy tickets for our amazing events!

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About ESN

Buddy programWe offer a buddy program. Internationals can get a Dutch buddy or an international that has been in Amsterdam for a while. The buddy will answer questions of the student and organize an activity regularly. This can be a cultural activity, clubbing, or maybe even a homemade dinner at your buddy’s home.

A buddy can help you to:• Get in contact with other international and Dutch students;• Get to know everything about Dutch lifestyle;• Introduce you to all the nice places to hang out in Amsterdam;• Make your stay in Amsterdam as comfortable as possible• Answer all of your questions

Do you want a buddy during your time studying abroad!? Check out our website for more information. If you have any questions you can send an email to: mail@esnvuamsterdam.nl

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Mengalvio Dompig President

Sophie Warning Secretary

Pablo Rocco SilvaTreasurer

Hi all! As a treasurer I’m responsible for the financial part of ESN VU Amsterdam. Last year I was on exchange in Valencia and that semester abroad was unforgettable and one of the main reasons to join ESN. Together with the other members we will do our best to make your exchange in this beautiful city an experience you will never forget! I’m looking forward to meeting you all.

Hi everybody! I study psychology at the VU and I’m the secretary this year. Last year I’ve spent my exchange in Lisbon, Portugal. I liked the international environment so much that I decided to join the board of ESN. I’m really happy to have the chance to meet all of you and I’m sure we will have an amazing time together!

Hi, I'm the president of ESN VU Amsterdam. I am 22 years old and I study law. I joined ESN because I wanted to apply my views on having a good time: don't take yourself too serious, be yourself, you are the party! I am very proud to be in the board of such a beautiful organization. Together with the rest of the ESN crew we will make sure your stay here will be awesome.

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Kirsten de Haas Activities

Coordinator

Umer SaqibPR

Coordinator

Florien VeermanSports

Coordinator

Meet the Board

Dear Internationals, I recently graduated my Bachelor Studies in International Business Administration. My exchange semester in Hong Kong last year was amazing and I hope you will be able to say the same after your time here will be over. Before that, there is a great time ahead for you in Amsterdam. For the coming year I will be the activities coordinator in the ESN VU Amsterdam board. I hope you will have a great time and will make lots of memories.

Hey everbody! Welcome to Amsterdam. I’m an international student, doing my joint masters from UVA&VU. I’m the PR Coordinator for this semester to make it more awesome for you guys. We’ll be seeing each other often if you are part of our events. I’ll be with you on your introduction days and we will try to make the best of these days and the whole semester indeed. Enjoy your time in Amsterdam.

Dear Students, welcome to Amsterdam! My name is Florien Veerman and I will be the Sports coordinator for this year. If I had the chance to study abroad, I would pack my bags and leave immediately. Unfortunately for me, it is not possible to do an Erasmus in my bachelor. That’s why I like the international atmosphere around ESN. Together we will create the right atmosphere

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Activity CommitteeThe activities committee is responsible for organizing all of the ESN activities. With a mix of cultural and social activities, the commitee will show you the best part of the city and country. Besides the Netherlands, you will get the chance to explore other cities in Europe as well.

The committee is led by the activities coordinator from the board. The commitee members are:

• Zakarias Nordfält Laws• Gloria van der Fluit• Jack Dodd• Stephen Ho • David Mager • Sammie Barends

Meet the committees

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Meet the committees

PR CommitteeThe ESN PR Committee is the voice of ESN VU Amsterdam. Our main aim is to spread the word for ESN VU Amsterdam and all the exciting events, tempting deals, eye-catching activities and amazing parties that we organize throughout the year for our exchange students. If you believe that you have the creative skills and motivation to be the part of our innovative team and make the best of your exchange? Then join the PR committee to avail all these worthy opportunities.

The committee is led by the PR coordinator from the board. The commitee members are:

• Max Burg• Willem van Meerkerk• Nick Lynch• Nadya Kalantary

Meet the committees

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January Th 1 Fr 2 Sa 3 Su 4 Mo 5 Tu 6 We 7 Th 8 Fr 9 Sa 10 Su 11 Mo 12 Tu 13 We 14 Th 15 Fr 16 Sa 17 Su 18 Mo 19

Tu 20 We 21 Th 22 Fr 23 Sa 24 Su 25 Mo 26 Tu 27 We 28 Th 29 Fr 30 Sa 31

February January

Party with ESN Utrecht

Arrival day + Wecome DrinkCampus tour

February Su 1 Mo 2 Tu 3 We 4 Th 5 Fr 6 Sa 7 Su 8 Mo 9 Tu 10 We 11 Th 12 Fr 13 Sa 14 Su 15 Mo 16 Tu 17 We 18 Th 19 Fr 20 Sa 21 Su 22 Mo 23 Tu 24 We 25 Th 26 Fr 27 Sa 28

Meet ESN & coaches

Introduction WeekendIntroduction WeekendIntroduction Weekend

Dutch Culture Pubquiz

Volendam & Zaanse schans

Red Light District Tour

Exchange Party

ESN Weekendtrip to Prague

ESN Weekendtrip to Prague

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Activities

April

We 1 Th 2 Fr 3 Sa 4 Su 5 Mo 6 Tu 7 We 8 Th 9 Fr 10 Sa 11 Su 12 Mo 13 Tu 14 We 15 Th 16 Fr 17 Sa 18 Su 19 Mo 20 Tu 21 We 22 Th 23 Fr 24 Sa 25 Su 26 Mo 27 Tu 28 We 29 Th 30

March April March

Su 1 Mo 2 Tu 3 We 4 Th 5 Fr 6 Sa 7 Su 8 Mo 9 Tu 10 We 11 Th 12 Fr 13 Sa 14 Su 15 Mo 16 Tu 17 We 18 Th 19 Fr 20 Sa 21 Su 22 Mo 23 Tu 24 We 25 Th 26 Fr 27 Sa 28 Su 29 Mo 30 Tu 31

ESN Weekendtrip to Prague

Comedy Show

ESN Party

ESN Weekend trip LimburgESN Weekend trip LimburgESN Weekend trip Limburg

Trampoline Dodgeball

Keukenhof

Pubcrawl @ the Jordaan

Kingsday

International Dinner

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May JuneMay

Fr 1 Sa 2 Su 3 Mo 4 Tu 5 We 6 Th 7 Fr 8 Sa 9 Su 10 Mo 11 Tu 12 We 13 Th 14 Fr 15 Sa 16 Su 17 Mo 18 Tu 19 We 20 Th 21 Fr 22 Sa 23 Su 24 Mo 25 Tu 26 We 27 Th 28 Fr 29 Sa 30 Su 31

June Mo 1 Tu 2 We 3 Th 4 Fr 5 Sa 6 Su 7 Mo 8 Tu 9 We 10 Th 11 Fr 12 Sa 13 Su 14 Mo 15 Tu 16 We 17 Th 18 Fr 19 Sa 20 Su 21 Mo 22 Tu 23 We 24 Th 25 Fr 26 Sa 27 Su 28 Mo 29 Tu 30

ESN Weekendtrip to ParisESN Weekendtrip to ParisESN Weekendtrip to Paris

Poker Tournament

Wad Island & GroningenWad Island & Groningen

Wad Island & Groningen

ESN Goodbye Party

* All dates and events are subject to change

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Activities

An ESN Experience Max Burg on the ESN Prague Weekend Trip“On the evening of the 24th of October, we arrived in Prague. We had time to settle in our hostel, the “Prague Square Hostel” which was in a perfect location to explore the city. The first day was planned as free-time so you were free to discover the city by yourself and eat some delicious (and cheap!) Czech food. In the evening of the first day, ESN had organized a pub crawl, which consisted of 4 different bars/clubs. The first bar we went to offered all-you-can-drink beer, vodka and to the excitement of most people absinth for the first hour. After some more pubs and bars (the memory gets kind of blurry from here) we ended the crawl with free VIP entry to the five-story megaclub “Karlovy Lazne”, the biggest music club in Central Europe. Beer cost around 1.20€ and long drinks 3-5€, which made the night even more fun without spending a fortune.

After breakfast, ESN had organized a guided city tour, after all this was a cultural- and not a pure party-trip. Our guides showed us around some of the most famous places in the city, like the Prague astronomical clock or the Jewish quarter, one of the most beautiful locations in the city. After dinner, we headed to a pub in which you could tap your own beer directly on the table, wh ich of course was a highlight itself. Especially for me as a German! The pub closed at some point so we were looking for our next location. Walking around in the streets of Prague we suddenly found a bar named COCO’s. Of course we instantly felt home and pretty much took over the whole bar.

The next day we once again had the chance of exploring Prague’s beautiful streets. Upon arriving back in Amsterdam it was time to say goodbye, but not for long: we could all not wait to go on another action-filled and fun ESN trip together again!”

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Oktoberfest

Sinterklaas

The Hague NL - MEX

Past activities

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NL - MEX

Zaanse Schans

Hitchhike to Berlin

Weekendtrip to Prague

Football

Past activities

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Dutch Culture and Language lessonsTo familiarize yourself amongst the Dutch, ESN is offering an introductory Dutch and culture language course in a ‘gezellige’ setting. The course will mainly focus on the speaking aspect of the language and all your questions about the ‘weird’ Dutch customd will be answered. Besides, emphasis will be given on the Dutch culture and its traditions. The lessons are given by an expe-rienced teacher who has studied abroad herself. To ensure the quality of the course, there will be no more than 10 students per time slot.

We understand that studying abroad is already expensive which is why we have a good offer for you:

7 lessons of 1,5 hours for only €55!

Are you interested in the ESN Dutch Culture and Language lessons? Look on our website for more information or send an email to activites@esnvuamsterdam.nl

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ESN VU AppESN VU app is just what you need to easily stay up to date of all the ESN VU Amsterdam activities. It will also help you to get to know the city of canals, tulips and windmills.

When viewing the event section, you will find information, locations, times and maps to help you out for upcoming activities. The activities are of coause the heart of ESN, but it is not all, following are a few other features in the app that you might find appealing. Discover ESN locations around Amsterdam/The Netherlands using the apps map display. Find your way around the city using the integrated 9292, which will help you with all public transportation options. Read up about what ESN is and find the contact information you might need.

We are proud to announce that ESN VU Amsterdam has launched its own mobile app. The app is available for IOS and can be downloaded in the App store. An Android will follow soon. To stay updated please visit our website.

ESN VU Amsterdam

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Coco’s Outback weekly drinksOne of our favorite events is the recurring ‘Borrel’ in Coco’s Outback Pub. A ‘Borrel’ is a typical Dutch get-together, where you can enjoy socializing with friends and new people. Basical-ly it’s nothing different from an informal party at a local bar or pub. The ESN sections of the bigget universities in Amsterdam organize the ‘Borrel’ on one of the best locations of Amsterdam. This is the place to let loose after a week of hard studying and to meet other international students located in Amsterdam. What-ever you do; don’t miss the ‘Borrel’! Bring your ESN-Card as well for discounts on drinks. Dates: February 4th, 11th & 25th; March 4th &18th; April: 1th, 15th & 29th; May and June to be confirmed

Address: Thorbeckeplein 8-12 (Next to Rembrandtplein).

Exchange partiesIs your party-hunger still not satiated? Every few weeks we team up with our partners to organize a big and professional club par-ty for international students located in and around Amsterdam. Even bigger, louder and crazier than the ‘Borrels’, you can’t af-ford to miss out on this! The first party will take place on the 21st of February already, so don’t hesitate and buy your tickets before it’s too late!

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ESN VU Amsterdam

ESNcard dealsBy buying an ESNcard you officially become a member of the international Erasmus Student Network. Not only the VU, but universities all over Europe are affiliated with ESN. With the ESNcard, you will enjoy thousands of discounts (housing, sport, food, bars, etc.) all over Europe. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to participate in thousands of events (trips, cultural events, sports activities and parties) all year long. An ESN-card costs only 5 euro and can be bought during our office hours on Wednesday and Friday between 13.00 and 16.00 in the ESN office. To see in which specific stores, clubs and restaurants you can get discounts with your EScard in Amsterdam check www.esncard.org!

A selection of our sponsors

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Short historyVU University was founded in Amsterdam in 1880 by Abraham Kuyper, who would later become Prime Minister of the Netherlands. As the first protestant university in the Nether-lands, the institution originally was only accessible for Reformed Christians, however, since the 1960’s everyone is welcome at VU University. Vrije Universiteit (VU) means ‘free’ or ‘liberated’ university relating to its independent position from the church and government.

VU in numbers• Currently, there are about 25000 students at VU University;• 4435 of them are first year bachelor students;• 7765 students have applied for their master studies;• 1170 students are international students;• There are 12 faculties;• In total there are 48 bachelor studies and 89 master studies

available at the VU university;• 2764 academic employees are working at VU University.

Practical informationVU University works with a unified calendar, meaning that every faculty plans their exams and holidays at the same time. Each study year is divided into 2 semesters, each having three periods. The first 2 periods consist of 7 weeks and are completed with an exam week. The third period is shorter and only has three weeks of lectures before the exam week.

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VU University

Class scheduleTo make sure that you won’t get lost in all the buildings we will give some examples of the lecture locations shown on your schedule.

1. HG-07A11 means main building, 7th floor of the A part of the building (you can see on the sign where that part is located) room 11.2. WN-M616 means math and science building, M part, 6th floor room 16.3. BV-1H26 means BelleVUe, 1st floor room 26.4. IN-3B45 means Initium, 3rd floor, room 45.5. MF-D214 means medical faculty, D part, 2nd floor, room 14. 6. TR-3C18 means Transitorium, 3rd floor of the C part, room 18.

VU CampusVU University has a campus located at the Zuidas which is currently under construction. A map of the campus can be found on the next pages. The easiest way to reach the campus by public transportation is by taking a train to ‘Amsterdam Zuid’ (around 10 minutes walk), Metro 51 exit‘ De Boelelaan/VU’ (1 minute walk), tram 5 exit ‘De Boelelaan/VU’ (1 minute walk) or the last stop of either tram 16/24 (1 minute walk).

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1. De Boelelaan 1105 (main build-ing)• Arts• Auditorium• Aula• Economics and Business

Administration• Executive Board • Interdisciplinary Centre for the

Study of Science, Society and Religion

• Law• Reception• Theology• University Administrative and

Support Services

2 De Boelelaan 1091 (BelleVUe)• Department of

Communications

3 De Boelelaan 1091a• ‘De TenT’, examination hall

4 De Boelelaan 1081 (W&N)• Physics and Astromony• Mathematics and Computer

Science• Chemistry

5 De Boelelaan 1085 (W&N)• Earth and Life Sciences• Radionuclide Centre

6 Van der Boechorststraat 7-9 (MF)• Audiovisual Centre• Human Movement Sciences• Medicine

9 Van der Boechorststraat 1 (Transitorium)• Occupational Health, Safety

and Environment Psychology and Education

10 De Boelelaan 1109 (OZW)• Educational Institue for Care

and Welfare

11 Buitenveldertselaan 3 (Metropolian)• Social Sciences• Centre for International

Cooperation

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VU University

1

23

4

5

6

89

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Must see placesAnne Frank HouseThis is a sad but interesting part of history. The Anne Frank House offers a tour around the Secret Annex where Anne and her family went into hiding. The house has been turned into a museum. If you have read the diary it is very interesting to see it in real life.

VondelparkVondelpark is a lovely park very close to Leidseplein and Museumplein. A few minutes walking and you will find yourself in this beautiful green area. You do not come to Vondelpark to see flowers, but to relax, jog, lay down, picnic, BBQ or more. Vondelpark is perfect when you don’t want to spend a lot of money. Tip: Bring your bike or skateboard. Or gather your friends and bbq in the special bbq zones!

Canals by canal bikeYou already know about all the bicycles in Amsterdam. But did you know you can even cycle through the canals by canal bike? It’s a unique way to see the city, especially on a sunny day!

RijksmuseumThe Rijksmuseum underwent a complete transformation of both its building and the presentation of its collection. Around 8000 objects are currently on display in the museum. These are dedicated to arts, crafts, and history from the years 1200 to 2000. The collection contains more than 2,000 paintings from the Dutch Golden Age by notable painters such as Rembrandt.

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Amsterdam

Tips you learn from mistakes

• Always be earlier to catch a metro, tram or a bus. They are mostly ahead of schedule.

• Always buy your tickets in advance for clubs, concerts, bars, gigs, events and trips. Door sales rarely work out. Especially on weekends!

• Want to save some money for drinks? Have a pre-party before going out.

• Most grocery stores close at 18:00. Buying some drinks? Don’t forget your ID.

• Please respect tourists even after you are registered with the municipality. No tourists, no Amsterdam.

• Make your bike your closest friend.• Make sure you have a good lock on your bike and

don’t forget where you park it.• Have lights on your bike. Otherwise you might be fined

€64 euros. You can buy them quite cheap. • No drinking or glass bottles on the streets.• Do not carry more than 5 grams of cannabis.• BOYCOTT STREET DEALERS!!!• Always check the weather forecast before leaving home.

It is quite unpredictable here.• Mind your belongings in hostels, cafés, clubs and

public places.

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Types of public transport in AmsterdamTrainTrains are typically used for travel between different towns. You must use an OV-chipkaart on the train, don’t forget to check in and after check out. You will need sufficient credit: at least 20 euro’s.

TramTrams are ideal for short journeys around the city centre, as well as for travelling to other districts.

MetroAmsterdam’s metro system radiates from Central Station to the city’s outer districts. While not very useful for the city centre, it’s the fastest way to reach districts like the Bijlmer, Amstelveen and Diemen.

BusAmsterdam’s extensive bus network will take you nearly anywhere you want to go.

FerryBehind Central Station, ferries hustle their way across the IJ River, transporting passengers to various locations in Amsterdam Noord --completely free of charge! Some specialist ferries also travel along the river to other districts of the city.

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Amsterdam

How to get aroundPublic transport smart card (OV-chipkaart)In the Netherlands the public transport smart card (OV-chipkaart) is used for travel on train, trams, buses and metros.

The most important tip for using your OV-chipkaart is always remember to check in and check out! If you forget to check out it will cost you money! At the start of your journey, hold your card up to the card reader until you see a green light and hear a beep. Do the same every time you leave the tram/bus/metro or change over to another line. In buses and trams, card readers are located inside the vehicle next to each door. If travelling by metro, the card readers are on free-standing poles throughout each station.

Anonymous top up OV-chipcards can be purchased at the following locations: GVB or NS ticket vending machines (for example at Station Amsterdam Zuid), GVB Tickets & Info locations, and selected newsstands and supermarkets.

Planning your journeyBefore seeing the sights, you may wish to consult the 9292 route planner or GVB website to help you find the quickest and most convenient way to get from A to B. www.9292.nl

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Fun facts about the Netherlands• Dutch people are the tallest people in the world.

Woman: 170 cm, man 184 cm;• Almost every Dutchie has a bike and there are twice as many

bikes than cars. On average, the Dutch person cycles 2.5 km per day and 900 km per year;

• The highest point in Holland is the Vaalserberg, from which the top is 323m above sea level and there is also the point where Holland, Germany and Belgium come together;

• The lowest point of Holland is 6,76 meter under sea level;• Windmills in Holland are a symbol of the fight against water.

There are 1180 windmills in the Netherlands;• Tulips are typical Dutch, but they originally come from Turkey.

They seemed to grow very well on Dutch grounds;• 86% of the Dutchies speak English as a second language;• Holland is the biggest beerexporter in the world;• The saying ‘let’s go Dutch’ means: everyone will pay for their

own food; • The first gay marriage took place in Amsterdam in 2001;• Wifi is a Dutch invention;

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The Netherlands

• Holland has 16,5 million inhabitants, 493 people live at 1 km2, it is the most density populated country from the European Union and one of the most density populated in the world.

• Schiphol, one of the biggest airports from Europe, is 4 meters under the sea level;

• A 2007 UNICEF report on child well-being in rich countries ranked the Netherlands as the best country for children to live;

• New York City started as Dutch colony called New Amsterdam. Many place names in New York remind of the Dutch origins of the city;

• The Dutch national anthem, Wilhelmus, is the oldest in the world. It was written and first used from 1568, although it was only officially adopted in 1932;

• The national flag of the Netherlands dates from 1572 and is also the oldest tricolour flag. At one time, the top of the flag was orange instead of red;

• Amsterdam’s soil consists of a thick layer of fen and clay, all buildings are built on wooden poles that are fixed in a sandy layer that is 11 meters deep on average. The Royal Palace at Dam Square is built on no less than 13,659 wooden poles

• Netherlands and Holland are not synonymous. Holland is largely the western coastal region of the Netherlands, comprising of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Leiden and the Hague.

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Dutch food

The herring with chopped raw onions and pickles is a national dish. The Dutch consume 12 million kilograms every year, which translates to at least 5 fish per person.

Drop is an usually black salty-sweet liquorice. An average of 2 kilo-grams of drop is consumed by each person per year with over 80 “typical” kinds of liquorice available to choose from. The experience is that many foreigners don’t like the taste, but you should definitely try it out yourself.

Dutch cheese is the best cheese in the world, as agreed by 40 judges from 17 countries who judged 2,500 cheeses in the 2012 World Cheese Making Contest held in the US. We have many different kinds of cheese, so if you like cheese, you are in the right place! Dutch people eat an average of 14,3 kilo cheese per year (per person).

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The Netherlands

Dutch people are used to eat sandwiches for lunch, you’ll notice that the Dutch have many different kind of sweets to put on the bread.

In the Netherlands we have small pancakes, they are called poffertjes. You should defeniteley try them.

Last but not least, are stroopwafels. I’m sure all of you will like them. It is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. Dutch people like to eat them as a snack.

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Contact information ESN VU AmsterdamDe Boelelaan 11051081 HV Amsterdam StudentD0k Room 0D-07

www.esnvuamsterdam.nlmail@esnvuamsterdam.nl

www.facebook.com/esnvuamsterdamFacebook group: ESN VU Amsterdam 2014/2015 Semester 2

Thanks to :

Francine van Vlijmen Liselotte TervoorenZakarias Nordfält LawsGloria van der FluitJack DoddStephen HoDavid MagerMax BurgSammie Barends

Willem van MeerkerkNick LynchNadya KalantaryUmer SaqibMengalvio Dompig Sophie WarningPablo Rocco SilvaFlorien VeermanKirsten de Haas