58 connections mar2015

Connect International serves the international community in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.

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2 Connections #58

Supported by an international staff and Board of Directors, we provide quality relocation services and practical information to help familiarize international residents with all aspects of living, working or studying in the Northern Netherlands, as well as organizing events and activities to make connections.

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Connect International would like to welcome the following new members: Ruben Gomez Sanchez, Jana Sanchez Wandelmer, Fulvio Reggiori, Muriel Mari, Andri Fraenkl, Mario Mauthe, Benjamin Bewerdsorf, Lise Schlebusch, Katarzyna Schakel, Yingying Cong, Andrea Corrales Bernal, Edgar Buchvalov, Sergei Lodiahin & Mariia Maksymova

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Jo in Us !You can register to become a Connect International member via our website. For a small yearly fee, you receive the Connections e-magazine newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox, you have access to the Connect International community through organized events, you can ask us any questions you may have and much more.

Visit: www.connect-int.org

● Immigration services● Home search & set-up● Social events, activities & clubs● Career services● Business events● Books & guides● Knowledge database

Connect International

Contact : Publ ica t ion Team:Connect International office:Gedemete Zuiderdiep 98, GroningenPostbus 16, 9700 AA GroningenTelephone: 050 7440087Email: [email protected]: www.connect-int.org

Publisher: Stephanie Fermor-PoortmanAssistant Editor: Margaret MetsalaContributers to this issue: Stephanie Fermor-Poortman, Yumiko Connah, Alexandra van den Doel, Karen Prowse, Margaret Metsala, Mariateresa Pastore & Robert van Deursen

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3 Connections #58 Connect International

MarchCalendar

March 2015


Free to a good homeBaby clothes, size 50 and 56 (0-3 months), for both boys and girls. Please contact Alexandra on: 06-29919525.

Mini Market

MarchEvents

Administration and tax 101Date: 19 March 2015 @ 18:30 hrsLocation: Conference Room, Poelestraat 30, Groningen International Coffee Morning GroningenDate: 20 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrsLocation: La Place, V&D in Groningen Flower Arrangement for EasterDate: 26 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrsLocation: Hooghalen Coffee in Leeuwarden Date: 27 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrsLocation: V&D, La Place, Nieuwestad 150 in Leeuwarden Crafts Club - Beading WorkshopDate: 29 March 2015 @ 14:00 hrsLocation: Groningen Parents Coffee Time Date: 31 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs AprilWriter's CircleDate: 1 April 2015 @ 19:30 hrs Tell us who you are! Date: 2 April 2015 @ 18:30 hrs

Upcoming Events in Groningen, Friesland & DrentheWriter's CircleDate: 2 March 2015 @ 19:30 hrs Parents Coffee Time Date: 3 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs Movie NightDate: 4 March @ 19:00 hrsLocation: Pathe Groningen

International Coffee Morning GroningenDate: 6 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrsLocation: La Place, V&D in Groningen Wall ClimbingDate: 8 March 2015 @ 15:30 hrsLocation: Klimcentrum Bjoeks Book ClubDate: 12 March 2015 @ 19:30 hrs Crafts ClubDate: 13 March 2015 Coffee in LeeuwardenDate: 13 March 2015 @ 10:30 hrsLocation: V&D, La Place, Nieuwestad 150 in Leeuwarden Parents Coffee Time Date: 17 March 2015 @ 10:00 hrs 5 Connections #58 Connect International

Entrepreneur Feature

What do you do when you want to feel refreshed? Relaxation tips include doing hobbies, exercising and traveling... but having a massage therapy should also definitely be on that list. Massage therapy not only helps you feel refreshed but it can also enhance your mood and promote wellness.

ROKKO Natural Beauty

After seven years of working in the service and hospitality industry, I became a relaxation therapist and, I have worked in this area for nine years. I wanted to become a therapist to cover all aspects of a client's diverse needs. That desire led me to train in traditional Thai and pressure point massage where I learned how to apply the correct amount of pressure using gentle touches and strokes synchronized with the client’s breathing. I am also trained in Swedish massage, considered to be the most basic and classic of all massage methods. I have developed a holistic way of treating my clients, and I practiced in several cities in Japan, including Tokyo. 6 Connections #58 Connect International

by Yumiko Connah

In 2012, I opened my own salon where I provided facials, aromatherapy and maternity treatments. The salon was exclusively aimed at female clientele and offered tailor-made, one-to-one treatments in a cosy and secure environment. Since the focus of my treatments was aimed at females, I became skilled in providing a variety of treatments to meet the needs of women of varying ages and those with different lifestyles.

One example of the treatments I offer women is a maternity massage. In Japan, it is not easy for expectant mothers to find a salon, even though pregnant women would like to feel better and to be in a relaxed state of mind when giving birth. The maternity treatment I provided became one of the salon’s most popular treatments. Some of the maternity clients explained they



had been experiencing motherhood anxiety and often lacked adequate sleep. Moreover, some clients were experiencing physical discomforts such as upper- and lower- back tension, shoulder ache and lower leg cramps during sleep. Professionals believe these symptoms appear due to drastic changes during the prenatal period. A 60-minute body treatment helped them feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Massage therapy does more than relax the body and mind, however. It loosens tight muscles, increases blood flow, and helps flush out toxins. It revitalizes the body and mind, improves posture, and facilitates a feeling of well-being. A mother's wellness is also her baby's. I was delighted I was able to make them feel better during such a special time in their lives. The maternity treatment is available after the first trimester.

Massage techniques are also used in aromatherapy massage treatments. Aromatherapy is a very subtle form of healing, with the use of essential oils mixed with a natural plant oil called a carrier oil. Each essential oil has its own therapeutic properties and is suitable for particular purposes when it is used in massaging. Lavender helps to soothe stress, sweet orange uplifts your mood, peppermint helps concentration, and so on. At Neal's Yard School of Natural Medicines in Tokyo, I studied all aspects of clinical and holistic Aromatherapy, including anatomy and physiology, to name but a few.

I now have opened a salon in Groningen. ROKKO Natural Beauty's aspiration is customers’ pleasure. I hope you enjoy your treatment and let your natural beauty shine!

ROKKO Natural BeautyTherapist / Yumiko Connah

Visserstraat 9, 9712 CR Groningen(Above kapsalon QNIPP)Open Monday to Friday 9:00 -17:00Other days/times possible by appointment.Treatments by appointment only, female customers only. Credit cards/PIN Not available

Website: www.spamariposalibre.comEmail : [email protected]

Salon Information



Today I am meeting with Daniël Joosten, founder and owner of Leef and Beleef (Live and Experience).

Daniël is a qualified psychologist and coach who predominantly works with ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), more of which will be explained later.

Leef & Beleef

Once he qualified, Daniël soon realised that finding a job in an established practice and being able to work with people in the way he wanted was not going to be easy. In addition, he noticed that none of the established organisations were able to fill the needs of people who did not have Dutch as a

by Alexandra van den Doel

first language. Daniel’s partner is British and he spends most of his time speaking English. So an idea was born. Daniel is now able to cater for Dutch people but also for those who are more comfortable expressing themselves in English. Also, in order to help him diagnose children in particular, he has non-verbal versions of the tests, so that the actual problem rather than the knowledge of language is tested.

So who comes to see Daniel and how can he help them? Basically, (young-) adults who feel “stuck” come to Daniël. Perhaps negative thoughts and emotions about themselves or their lives are stopping them from moving on and/or achieving what they want to achieve. Perhaps anxiety, low self-esteem, depression or a traumatic experience is causing problems in every day life; also, children whose parents may be seeking information about the child’s IQ level, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or ADHD, for example, and who may or may not require a diagnosis. Daniël currently visits children at the GSV (international school in Groningen), for example.

Daniël uses ACT (Acceptance and



ones. This does have evolutionary and survival advantages, but if we listen to our negative voice too much we can become stuck and unable to move on with our lives. ACT teaches us to recognize and accept those negative thoughts and feelings and find a place for them and move on with them and despite them. [By the way, for those of you familiar with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), this is where the big difference between the two comes in. Whereas CBT focusses on continuously confronting and changing these negative thoughts, ACT feels that the energy that is required is better used to spend on life itself and that recognizing and putting the negative thoughts to one side works better.] This way, you can learn to get as much as possible out of the positives in life and increase your satisfaction. If you are into mindfulness, you may recognize

some of these aspects and indeed, ACT does incorporate some of the same values as mindfulness.

Daniël’s sessions (treatment would typically be for 6-12 sessions, although this is, of course heavily dependent on the person, the severity of the problem and the work the patient is willing and able to put in) are not covered by health insurance, but his charges are relatively low, so that he remains affordable for those seeking help.

For further reading on ACT, Daniël recommends: “ACT made simple” by Russ Harris.

To learn more about Daniël and his work, or to make an appointment, please visit his website in English and Dutch: www.leefenbeleef.com

C o m m i t m e n t Therapy) to help his patients move forward. This therapy recognises the importance of language in our daily life. Language is used for communicating and expressing thoughts and feelings but, unfortunately, we are hard-wired to pay more attention to the negative messages than the positive

Upcoming Workshop


I began my website design business back in 2009. For a few years I built up my business and learned many of the do's and don'ts of running your own company. One thing I used to muddle my way through was my yearly inkomstenbelasting (income tax returns) and my quarterly BTW (VAT) returns, which I never had to do before.

The Nightmare of Dutch Tax

I am sure many of you will have experienced as expats, the firestorm the Dutch tax system can be. Everything is in Dutch: all the forms, programmes, paperwork, the helpline, and they won't/can't give you advice in English.

Building a stronger businessesIn 2011 I met Robert van Deursen. In our first meeting we discussed all the elements of my business, my strengths and my weaknesses. We identified a

by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman

Upcoming Workshop


number of points that I wanted to improve, one of which was understanding my BTW (VAT) returns and inkomstenbelasting.

Business finance administrationWith Robert’s help I set up a bookkeeping spreadsheet to manage my business expenses and income and it automatically generates all the figures I need when it is time to do my tax returns. Robert also helped me understand all the extra expenses that come with running a business and how to fill them in on my returns, thus saving me money.

Time is moneyNow, staying on top of my paperwork is easy. As I make invoices, I add them to the spreadsheets, and at the end of each quarter I set aside an hour or two to fill everything else in and submit my paperwork. I take great satisfaction in being able to do it myself, as well as being able to better track the progress and growth of my business.

About Robert van DeursenRobert van Deursen graduated in 1986 from the University of Amsterdam. Since 1987, he has worked as a trainer, coach and consultant for (starting) entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, but also abroad - via email and Skype. His work involves all aspects of setting up and expanding one’s own business or profession, such as the entrepreneur as a person, market research as well

as the market approach, finance and taxation and the (legal) organization of a company.

Administration 101 workshop So if you are an entrepreneur (or are considering starting your own business), then you really should attend the upcoming workshop by Robert van Deursen: Administration and tax 101 for small business owners. The workshop will be on Thursday 19th of March, from 18:30 till 21:30. During the workshop, he will show you how you can manage your busines finances and tax using some simple Excel files (available freely to those attending the workshop).

Places to go Things to see


While winter is coming to an end and the days grow longer, it’s hard to beat going out to a club in this optimistic season. The night sky is clear with a few visible stars, maybe it's a little misty, and the streetlights shine off the damp bricks of the Kleine Kromme Elboog. You and your friend are out there looking for a place to settle in with a drink and listen to some live music.

Music in Groningenby Karen Prowse & Margaret Metsala

March Feithuis, 15 March De Sleutel, 5 April Feithuis, 19 April De Sleutel.

www.houseofcooking.nlAt House of Cooking, life is never dull with special dinner and after-dinner jazz nights and Saturday night mini-concerts starting at 21:30.

If you can’t get enough of jazz or travel, you can try the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in July or the annual Kuala Lumpur International Jazz and Arts Festival in September.

Closer to home, you can try out Groningen’s summer jazz bike tour on 29 and 30 August with different themed tours: keep an eye on www.zjft.nl for the agenda. Remember to check out Swingmaster Records at Pelsterstraat 20 for all the jazz you desire to have in your collection!

If jazz isn’t your scene, there are plenty of live concerts, special events or dance opportunities of all types to be found at various cafes in Groningen.

www.donovans.nlCafé Donovans, Funk, soul, Motown with live DJ – free entrance.

You can find jazz almost any night of the week in Groningen - Tuesday, Thursday, doesn’t matter. You can find a club you love somewhere in the city. Try these places for a start:

www.stichtingjazzingroningen.nlThe agenda for many Groningen jazz venues is here.

www.jozg.nl/main.html#agendaCan’t stay up late? Twice a month on Sundays, alternating between the Feithuis and de Sleutel, jazz can be enjoyed between 16:30 and 18:30. The schedule for March and April is: 1

Places to go Things to see


www.buckshotcafe.nlEvery Sunday afternoon starting at 16:30; they have different bands and entry is free.

www.cafekoster.nlEvery Sunday afternoon starting at 16:00, a variety of live bands. Check their website for what is on and what the entrance fee is (often it is free).

050danst.jouwweb.nlMonthly dance parties for 40-plusers, with rock, soul and disco from the 60s until the present. Starts at 10:00, entrance 3-5 euros

www.jazzcafedespieghel.nlVarious evenings / night events featuring live bands.

www.cafewolthoorn.nlEvery last Friday of the month – “Plaatjesdraaien avond” – Albums and 45s night

If you enjoy salsa you can find a list of venues around Groningen and costs at salsa.latinnet.nl/salsa/agenda/groningen-stad/

We hope you have a fun time exploring the cities music scene!

LifeExperience


“New year, new life” Under this motto, my 2015 year has started. I am Mariateresa and I come from Caserta, a little town in the centre-south of Italy. The reasons that led me to the Netherlands are different: for some they are crazy, for others brave, for me a challenge. I wanted to try to live and work in a place where my certainties are replaced by the need to test yourself every day, thousands of miles away from home. I’m a lawyer, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, but here I am also something new and more. In Groningen, begins a new chapter of my life.

First Impressionsby Mariateresa Pastore

canals and geometrical constructions.

I landed late at night with all the normality of the dark, but not so normal was the darkness the morning after. Probably, the lack of light is the thing I strive more to get used to.

And you don’t have to think that the weather here is so bad. Ok, it is not my sunny Italy and maybe global warming has its share as well, but, until now, I have not yet seen any big snowfall or rainstorm or ... icy canals, which I had hoped for. The sun is always there- you need to know that you can have four seasons just in one day; thus between drizzles, a ray of sunshine can light up your path.

Certainly, it is a weather climate for using the bike. As was easily foreseeable, without a car, I am completely converted to the ease and comfort of my “oma fiets” (kindly lent by my boyfriend, who is clearly “allergic” to its use). A hat, a waterproof jacket, gloves and lights are the only rules to observe in a country where the bike reigns. No fears to hurdle through its roads with fietspaden and their own streetlights, stalls for parking and cars that give way to you. There is no place

As is obvious, differences with Italy are everywhere. Just boarding a plane (the one of Transavia) past the Alps, the tangle of towns, houses, roads, waterways, and mountain ranges give space to lakes and ponds, rivers and streams that cross fields, apparently drawn with a ruler. Then, surrounded by these fields, are the towns with their

Life Experience


grass out of place.

And then, there are serious things: food. Once more, Italy is far away but, going by the assumption that with the right items, it is possible to reproduce Italian dishes at home, let us discover new foods. If on one side the Netherlands does not have a typical cookery style, on the other, it is possible to find something special, such as the stroopwafel, a new addiction of mine.

Seriously, for me, it is time to go from office to office to regularize my position in the Netherlands, to find a job and

confront the Dutch bureaucracy (apparently more simple than the Italian one), and then to learn this new strange language called Dutch. In fact, it is true that in the Netherlands both the younger guy and the older man can speak English but in order to feel part of the community or simply understand what happens around you in your everyday life, it is important to know the language of the country you live in.

Timed perfectly to coincide with what all my expat countrymen describe as the worst time of the year, it can only get better. I just have to find out about all this “better”.

you cannot go with your bike; in this, Italy is so far away.

Public parks and green spaces... I am so lucky because at the moment, I live near the Hoornsemeer; a kind of peaceful and fantastic place that a friend of mine defined as fairy-like, like the scenery of The Chronicles of Narnia; a place where everyone can go running, have a walk, play with children or simply enjoy a sunny afternoon with the family dog or sit in silence watching the sun set. Indeed, you can find tidy green everywhere and it is always amazing that, however small it may be, every family has and takes care of a garden which often contains one of those typical little wooden houses for birds never a blade of

DutchCulture

Introduction to Dutch

Learn to speak, write and understand basic Dutch, with this free, three-week, introductory foreign language course organized by the University of Groningen though futurelearn.com.

The course starts on March 2nd and is intended for anyone who wants to learn Dutch or is planning to visit the Netherlands (fun for friends or family who may be planning a visit). The nice thing about the course is that it starts at the very beginning, so those taking it do not need to know a single word of Dutch beforehand. The course covers the basics of Dutch, including how to introduce yourself and getting to know others, talking about your family, friends, work and study and will include short film clips to help and give an impression of home and working life in the Netherlands.

During the course, you will learn Dutch phrases, greetings, vocabulary, numbers, spelling and grammar. Being able to understand the language will make everyday activities, such as shopping or going out to a restaurant, much more enjoyable.By the end of the course, you will be able to recognize familiar words and phrases about yourself and your family. You will be taught to use simple sentences to describe where you live and the people you know.Finally, you will be able to write short texts such as an email or fill in forms with personal details. The main focus will be on receptive skills such as reading and listening.

How do I sign up?As I mentioned, the course is free and you sign up at www.futurelearn.com/courses/dutch. The course starts on the 2nd of March, so don't wait if you are interested!


by Stephanie Fermor-Poortman

Food for Thought


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58 connections mar2015