We will have 2 time slots for the parade to accommodate a larger group.
1st Parade : 10:30 – 11:30
2nd Parade : 11:30 – 12:30

We will gather at 15 mins before your chosen timeslot, in front of St. Nicolaaslyceum, Beethovenplein 2, 1077 WM Amsterdam. The parades will start at 10:30 &. 11:30 respectively. We will parade from the St. Nicolaaslyceum to Beatrix Park (by the paddle pool). After a fun-tastic parade, you and your little monsters can enjoy the playground (by the paddling pool in Beatrix Park), play with other families and join our activities.

What’s Halloween without candy?! Don’t forget to bring a mini-collection bag for the little ones to take home their trick-or-treat goodies.

Our wonderful partners WOW Family Centre Amsterdam will organise a spooky activity for the kids.

Want a snack or drink? You can always stop by at Park Kiosk BEA which will be especially open for Spooktacular!

Let’s Go! Dress up in your spookiest Halloween costumes, in fact you can even decorate your strollers, bikes or steps and join us for a fang-tastic time!

Limited tickets available, so don’t miss out !!

The post Amsterdam Mamas Spooktacular Parade 2024 appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

We live in what is considered a young neighbourhood of the city. The houses are newer, windows are double glazed, heating is by block, and energy consumption is more efficient. A younger home also means being exempt from unwanted guests of the rodent kind. Until recently, that is. 

For those wondering, we live in the Oostelijke Havengebied, also called the Eastern Docklands. The neighbourhood was built in the mid-to the late 90s as a high-density, low-rise residential neighbourhood, where homes replaced warehouses that stored grain, cotton, sugar, coal, and other commodities that were shipped into the city. I imagine that a few decades ago, rats and mice must have been flourishing in the hood, especially if one considers the mountains of sugar that were stored here. Luckily, the little critters were driven away when the new homes were built, resulting in many happy rodent-free years. Alas, that came to an end in November last year – 8 months into the lockdown.

Our mouse-counters started when different family members per chanced the little chap scuttling past on many occasions. We ignored the mouse for the first few weeks after the initial sightings, mainly because it did not really bother us. We did make an effort to move, cover, and secure all loose food items, but not much else because we are essentially a lazy bunch. However, when the sightings continued, and I started noticing tiny black mouse droppings lying around, I decided our little houseguest overstayed its welcome. 

The list of possibilities to get rid of Mr (or Mrs) Mouse included borrowing the neighbour’s cat. Still, we did not want to see the entrails of the little chap after the feline got it. Sticky rat paper seemed horribly cruel, as once caught, the mouse has to be drowned with the paper. And then the guillotine type mouse catcher; such a gory and horribly medieval way to trap a mouse! 

Unable to find a solution, I passed the problem over to my kinder, calmer, and generally far more generous husband, who, after some research, found a mouse-friendly trap on bol.com 

This little contraption is a long plastic tube with a weight-sensitive door that slides into place once the mouse is in the tube. The mousetrap was delivered with tiny cups of Fairtrade and organic hazelnut paste to lure the mouse and an instruction manual on treating the mouse gently and humanely. Once the mouse is caught in the trap, it gets very panicky, so you should cover the trap with a tea towel and carefully lift it without making too many sudden or jerky movements. Then, it is recommended that it is best to release the mouse into a neighbourhood garden or field, not too close to your home, lest it finds its way back. 

And so, for several days and nights, we positioned the mouse traps, with the opened cup of hazelnut paste, in different places where the mouse had been spotted. The mouse was not a fan of the organic hazelnut bait.

So after about a week, my kind husband replaced the hazelnut paste with some ontbijtkoek smeared with peanut butter… and voila! Within a day, the mouse ran straight into the tube. It was ever so gently delivered to a green, bushy area about 500m from our home. I should mention that the mouse was only bid adieu after it was photographed (without a flash), shown to the kids and me to explain, again, how it was only a harmless, cute field mouse, not a monster, and that every time I screamed, I immensely stressed it out!

Lesson not learnt, I hoped that was the end of the mouse episode in our lives, but it seems our ‘new’ homes are now old, for last week we had another mouse visitor. Better prepared and far more adept, we whipped out the mousetrap, set it up with a Medjool date (owing to it being Ramzan time) smeared with peanut butter, and quickly caught the greedy little guy. He, too, was released into the same green space, and my husband imagines that Mouse 1 and Mouse 2 are now merrily setting up a tiny home of their own…hopefully, far enough from ours. 

Handy Resources:

If you are worried about mice or their bigger, more aggressive cousins, rats, be sure to read this article 

Reporting of pests and vermin indoors and outdoors:

Online form Melding Openbare Ruimte (in Dutch).

Call the City of Amsterdam’s information line: 14 020 

For advice about pests and vermin, as well as tips on getting rid of them (rodents, birds, insects) in and around your home, garden, or business premises, you can call or send an e-mail to the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam) at dpb@ggd.amsterdam.nl or call 020 555 5600.

Photo Credit: Banner by Kong Jun, cat photo by Lodewijk Hertog, field mouse photo by Matt Seymour. All on Unsplash.

The post Of Mice and Kind Men: To Catch a Mouse (Humanely) appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

What Is Ramadan?

Shehre Ramazan, or Ramadan, is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic year – the month when the Quran Sharif (the Koran -Islam’s holy book) was revealed to Prophet Mohammed. To honor and celebrate this month Muslims the world over refrain from eating and drinking anything from sunrise to sunset. Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. Barring the exceptions of being unwell, pregnant, travelling etc., all adults are expected to fast during this holy period.

 Here, I hope to share the joys this month lends.

Why? There are several reasons for fasting – I suppose they include physical, mental, spiritual cleansing, a time to slow down and look inwards etc., but that is not the scope of this article. Here, I hope to share the joys this month lends. The month commences with 30 days of fasting and culminates with a big celebration – this day of revelry is known by different names in different languages but the most common one is Eid-ul-Fitr. In The Netherlands, perhaps owing to the large quantities of sweets consumed, it is called Suiker Feest.

While Ramadan is foremost a month of prayer and introspection, it is also a month of wonderful family time and a time for the daily preparation and consumption of especially delicious foods at sundown.  Like most traditions, every home, community and country has slightly different practices that they follow during Ramadan. However, the basic practice remains the same:

1) The family wakes up well before sunrise to eat breakfast, called Sihrori in Arabic, and guzzles down as much water as is possible at that hour

2) This is followed by morning prayers, and then back to bed for a quick snooze before the day begins.

3) At sundown – an hour which differs considerably depending on the time of year and country you live in – you pray evening Namaz and ‘break your fast’ with a date and water or milk. Why a date? Because this is what Prophet Mohamed ate to break his fast! Dates also have plenty of natural sugar to give your body an energy boost after a day of fasting.

4) Breaking the fast is followed by a delicious savoury meal called Iftaari. It’s common to invite friends over for Iftaari and share your meal, or go out to different eateries serving iftaari, like Khao Gali in Bombay. I know this tradition is also common in Dubai, Cario and Kuala Lumpur where street food vendors are open all night during Ramadan.

The Food

The Muslim community in India, where I come from, is well over 11 per cent of the population, spread all over the sub-continent, and each follows slightly varied traditions in Ramadan. In my hometown, Bombay, at sundown we firstly pray, eat a date, and then start on the daily gastronomic feast. We make two special drinks for Iftaari:

Gud Ka paani: made by soaking jaggery in water for a day and then drinking it chilled with soaked chia seeds and lime juice.

Harira: a delicious, warm, milk-based drink prepared by roasting almonds and pistachios in ghee (clarified butter) and then adding to it milk and sugar and allowing it to slowly simmer while constantly stirring, so the speckled liquid thickens and turns sublimely delicious.

The gud ka paani is prepared because it is especially ‘cooling’ during the warm fasting days, while the harira is full of good fat – required to pep you up and keep you going during the fasting period.

This is followed by fruit, chai, and then then a variety of savoury delicacies ranging from deep fried mince samosas, mince cutlets, bhajjiyas of onions or potatoes, different bakes, kebabs and any other favourite food of the family. Often, the Iftaar also serves as dinner but sometimes you might reach for a post-iftaar snack or meal before you go to bed. For me the first few days and the last few days of fasting are hardest. The first because my system has to get used to not being indulged several times a day, and more so, being denied it’s caffeine fix. The last few days are the final lap and tend to drag on.

Eid-ul-Fitr

Luckily, the thing to look forward to that makes the long fasts manageable, is the grand day of celebration at the end of the month of fasting! Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated, when possible, by meeting extended family and friends, by having one or several meals together as you pop in to visit relatives, and by thanking God for the joy He bestows on your family. Most often children, or even the whole family, get new clothes. Girls get to decorate their hands with henna. Men and women both rush to the hair salon for a colour or style, which were neglected during fasting.

Here we saw cousins (the ones we liked and those we hated), aunts, uncles, grandparents, newborns, slightly estranged family members, newly acquired family members, in-laws of second-cousins etc. – each one dressed to the hilt, flaunting freshly coloured hair (no greys), deep brown henna on the hands, and brandishing a new piece of jewellery if they were lucky enough to have acquired one. 

My strongest memory of Eid is visiting my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends, mostly in order of seniority by age – starting with the oldest and working our way down. At each home we would do a salaam to the adults (kissing their hands as a sign of respect) and in return receive a crisp white envelope with a crisp note of money as Iddi (Idd present). The amounts of money received varied, but I am certain the aunts used to call each other and pre-fix an acceptable amount for a certain category of relative. The Iddi could be pocketed and spent as you wish, however, my Iddi went into a ‘collection pouch’ that lay safely with my Mom and was used to make me a piece of jewellery when an adequate amount had been saved – often over several years.  Each home we visited also offered a small cup of Sev Khurma – a delicious sweet made with ghee, vermicelli, nuts, milk and a special dried version of a date called kharak. By the end of the day, we might have gone through 10-12 cups of this indulgence, and yet, always had space for one more at the grand finale of the day – the Idd party. This event was held at the home of my uncle, who literally invited everyone!! Here we saw cousins (the ones we liked and those we hated), aunts, uncles, grandparents, newborns, slightly estranged family members, newly acquired family members, in-laws of second-cousins etc. – each one dressed to the hilt, flaunting freshly coloured hair (no greys), deep brown henna on the hands, and brandishing a new piece of jewellery if they were lucky enough to have acquired one. The meal mostly included sev khurma, biryani, Hyderabadi kebabs, nalli niharis, fresh naan, chatter, love and a growing warmth, that even surpassed the childhood grudges held against mean cousins, and made the day more special each year.

Eid-ul-Fitr in the time of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has been tragic for families who have lost loved ones. For others it has meant not being able to travel home to see family, and it has also meant the debilitation of several wonderful celebrations like Eid-ul-Fitr. This year we were lucky to celebrate Eid with friends who are like family, in Amsterdam.

The day started out, much to the dismay of the kids, with a(nother) wake-up before sunrise for special Idd prayers/Idd Khutba. After praying, we ‘broke our final fast’ symbolically, with a special date and then ate a non-traditional pancake breakfast before everyone went right back to bed only to wake-up to online school or work a couple of hours later! The special date (kharak) is quite particular to my community and is prepared by soaking a dried date in rose water for 24 hours, then de-seeding and drying the now slightly softened date, and finally stuffing it with a mixture of almonds, pistachio, and sweetened mawa (reduced milk cream). A traditional breakfast would have involved eggs, kheema (spiced mince), naan and of course Sev Khurma but the pancakes and maple syrup were a treat enough for us.

Since we couldn’t have an Idd party for our friends – a wonderful, annual tradition we started in Amsterdam a few years ago – we decided to celebrate the day with a food crawl through the amazingly eclectic and vibrant Dapper and Java buurt. These streets are lined with the most amazing eateries – we started with a Turkish pizza at Bakkerij Bereket on the Eerste van Swinden Straat and then crossed over to Authentic India for chai, mango lassi, and spicy samosas. We then walked to over to Sweet Asia to pick-up an old time favourite, an alleged beef dish baked for 24 hours in a clay pot but unfortunately we ended up with a beef kerrie – probably owing to our awful description of the dish we wanted. Still we ate it greedily in a children’s play area below the train tracks and a solitary cherry blossom tree at the start of the Javastraat. In order to balance the Indian samosa, we hopped over to Pakistani Curry House for a fiery Samosa chaat, which we then doused with a mild haloumi wrap at Tigris and Euphrates. We finally ended with ice-cream, not at the chic ice cream shop on Javastraat but with soft ijs at the Febo on Javaplein and coffee from the Coffee Company. With full bellies, and tired feet we walked home and instead of playing the intended Game of Thrones … we succumbed to Netflix and uitbuiken.

The post A Month of Prayer, Peace, Joy, and (very) Good Food appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Mumbai – Some Basic Facts

Mumbai is a huge city! It has a population of almost 20 million people: to put that in perspective, New Mexico City, has around 23 million, and Amsterdam, approximately 800,000. Mumbai used to be called Bombay and is still fondly called by that name by some (ex) residents; including me. I tend to switch between the two.

You can take a girl out of Bombay, but you can never take Bombay out of a girl!

Bombay is on the west coast of India, with the Western Ghats (a mountain range that runs along the length of the Malabar coast) to the east. The city has grown in a northward direction. On a map, it appears as a long, skinny, densely populated metropolis. Bombay used to be seven small islands, which were later connected by reclaimed land. Mumbai is ideally located: with beautiful beaches, only a couple of hours out of the city, across the Thane Creek.  Travel a few hours inland southwards towards Tarkarli, and you discover farms, lush plains, lofty hills and table mountains.  Bombay’s tropical, hot, humid climate (30-32 degrees Celsius), is broken by a spectacular monsoon season from June to September and a few marginally colder months from December to February (26-29 degrees Celsius). A good time to visit is during these winter months when shorter days, languid evenings and cool breezes make walking and exploring quite enjoyable. 

I want to caution the first time traveller:  Mumbai is busy, crowded, loud, unclean and intense! Everything is heightened; smells, colours, emotions, breezes, tastes, disparities and wonders. Respect the culture and the climate, and you’ll have a great holiday. I have experienced visitors who love it and continue to return, and others that never quite get it and leave perturbed. 

Stay

You can treat yourself to unequivocal five-star luxury,  as  India is known for the most exceptional hospitality, or you can rough it a bit. The Taj Mahal hotel is incomparably luxurious but pricey. The Trident, the President, the Shalimar are all top hotels and well located. You want to be careful with food and water, with children especially, so plan your stay accordingly. I suggest basing yourself in South Mumbai; it’s the older, historic part of town. Public transport is tricky in terms of schedules and crowds.  A black-and-yellow cab or Uber is perhaps more convenient. 

Be careful with food but don’t miss out on local delicacies!

What to See

Things to not miss while in the city, include a ride on a BEST double-decker bus, a local train (outside of rush hour) and, a public ferry from the Gateway of India to Elephanta or Mandwa jetty.  Avoid going on a Sunday, when it can be over overcrowded with local tourists. Make sure to plan a few heritage walks through the Fort area, and artsy Kala Ghoda; this area is home to the Prince of Wales Museum (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya), a new Children’s Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art.  It offers many art galleries, design hubs, and the Bhau Dadji Lad Museum, in the east of the city, next to the zoo.  Be sure visit the grand, fraying Ballard Estate, Ban Ganga, Chowpatty Beach and Marine Drive, Crawford Market and Kalbadevi. These neighbourhoods are a treasure trove of Victorian, Imperial, Indo-Saracenic, Art Deco, vernacular and traditional architecture!  Buildings, people and clothes are untidily meshed together, creating a riot of impressions. 

Eat!

Be careful with food but don’t miss out on local delicacies! Street food is also available off the street at some lovely restaurants. If the heady smells don’t lead you there, I’d suggest feasting at Swati, Soam, Sri Thakur Bhojnalaya, and Dakshinaya; for a spread from the North, South and Gujarat. Coffee lovers needn’t fear; western-style cafés dot the city.  A few favourites are Kala Ghoda Café, Pantry and Basilico. 

Good food, fine dining and restaurants, with incredible spatial layouts, have found a home in the city. Masque, Koko, Vetro, Bombay Canteen and my forever favourite, The Table, are all worth the price tag. Though, Udipi restaurants, Irani Cafés, and street vendors continue to be the heroes of the culinary scene. The beauty of this city is that you can dole out a hefty amount for luxury or explore it on a tight budget, without missing out. 

Buildings, people and clothes are untidily meshed together, creating a riot of impressions.

Shop!

Bombay allows you to shop till you drop.  Prices are generally lower than in Europe. Mumbai offers a variety of shopping options: from clothes at Fashion Street for a few euros, to a handwoven pashmina, at a boutique, for a few thousand euros. Stores that are popular with tourists are Fabindia, Anokhi, The Shop, Chimanlals and my favourite, Good Earth. My kids cannot go past, Fashion Street, in Fort, where they can buy ‘Hikes’ (not Nikes) for under 10 Euro. 

Out of Town

Once you’ve seen what’s on offer in the metro, I’d suggest you drive up to Sanjay Gandhi National Park; an escape from a bustling city which can overwhelm the senses. It is an oasis of natural beauty inside the city borders. No, you will not be the only tourist. Still, you will find ancient Buddhist caves, birds, butterflies, flora, fauna, a rickety mini train ride safari,  and hiking trails.  Similarly, you can sail on a public ferry from the Gateway of India to Mandwa jetty, and then catch a rickshaw to the nearest beach or farm for a day out of town.

These are only some things that maintain my love affair with Bombay.  You can take a girl out of Bombay, but you can never take Bombay out of a girl!

Photo credits: All images from Yay Images

The post Quick Guide: Mumbai Meri Jaan with Kids appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Editor’s Note: All public celebrations of Diwali and Durga Puja have been cancelled because of the Novel Corinavirus and private gatherings are restricted. See here for latest measures.

What Is Diwali?

By Tasneem Hatimbhai

The story goes that when Lord Rama completed his fourteen years of exile and returned home with his wife Sita and brother Laxman after defeating the Demon Ravana, the people of Ayodhya lit hundreds of lamps to mark his path home and jubilantly welcome their King.

Thus, Diwali marks the victory of good over evil. For me, as for many others, Light, the central symbol of this festival, symbolizes victory over our demons, both external and internal.

In present times, Diwali is a celebration of the Hindu New Year. It’s a time of cleansing, of putting aside the old and making way for the new – a wonderful period of celebration with family and friends. New clothes, delicious food, love, and laughter make Diwali a time of year to look forward to, no matter where you are!

Diwali is celebrated widely in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the whole diaspora where people from these countries have settled. Each family and community has their own special way of celebrating. There isn’t one standard modus operandi. Since the Hindus follow a lunar calendar, the festival date changes each year in the corresponding Western Gregorian calendar.

How Is Diwali Celebrated?

On the first day of Diwali, called Dhanteras, families will be “spring cleaning” their homes. The word “Dhan” means wealth and “teras” refers to a particular date. This day is about celebrating prosperity. Most people try to buy something new for their home; gold jewelry, or a little gold memento is best, but even a household object like a pan or set of spoons is considered auspicious. There are several more traditions that mark the day … and one of them is gambling! Card parties are rampant as friends and family get together in the weeks leading up to Diwali to play “teen patti” or Flush. Many hundreds (of rupees) are made and lost, but it’s (mostly) always in good spirit!

On the second day of Diwali, you will find many homes with little diyas (earthen lamps, filled with oil and a cotton wick) lit at their doorsteps. Traditionally, the women and children of the home decorate the entrance with special, colourful designs of mangoes, flowers and peacocks. The patterns are called rangoli. This day is also called Choti Diwali or “Small Diwali”. The Goddess Kali and Lord Krishna are said to have destroyed the demon Narakasura on this day.

On the third day, Diwali, families gather together for Lakshmi Pooja, a prayer to the Goddess Lakshmi, who is known to be the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Offices conduct a special prayer to bless their business. Books of accounts, or computers, get a special red tikka and bonuses and sweets are distributed to the staff. This is also the day for sharing and eating copious quantities of ladoos, halwas, and all sorts of other sweet and savoury treats. A typical scene would be kids dressed up in their finery running around lighting fireworks, the sky ablaze with light and colour, and the streets alive with the sounds of laughter and celebration. This day also happens to be the darkest day of the month – the new moon day. Goddess Kali is worshipped on this day as well.

New Year is normally celebrated on the fourth day of Diwali. This day is marked by friends and relatives visiting each other with presents and sharing more sweets and endless cups of chai. Freshly cleaned homes are open to many visitors and the day is a blur of greetings, hugs, chats, and treats.

The fifth and final day of Diwali is called Bhai Duj and it’s a special day to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, brothers visit their married sisters and they share a special ceremony, always followed by a grand meal.

It’s not easy leaving family, friends, traditions, and celebrations behind when you move to a new country. However, a festival like Diwali propels and compels you to find a way to celebrate. Amsterdam is now home to many families that celebrate Diwali. We have been lucky enough to find good friends who invite us to their homes and the community itself has grown large enough to support and organise many festivities across different locations in Amsterdam and The Netherlands.

Where to Celebrate Diwali?

By Amrita Suri​

Nothing makes one miss home more than the memory of festivals celebrated with family and friends, the expansive spread of food, and frequent exchange of gifts. Living away from family and friends one has grown up with can be difficult at the best of times, but it’s especially tough during the festive season that is soon to begin. As an Indian living abroad I’ve missed celebrating Diwali with my family the most. Luckily, we can still celebrate Diwali with friends here in the Netherlands.

Saturday 7 November, from 14:00 onwards you can join the Diwali Festival Amstelveen online from the comfort of your home, free of charge. Link to the festival here.

Grocery Stores

Other than these Diwali celebrations, there are many Hindu temples in The Netherlands where one can go to offer prayers on festivals and other occasions.

Like Diwali, Durga Puja also depicts the triumph of good over evil as it commemorates the victory of goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo demon. The festival begins on the same day as Navratri, a nine-night festival celebrating the divine feminine.

What is Durga Puja?

By Amrita Suri​

Another major festival celebrated at this time of the year is Durga Puja. Celebrated predominantly in the western states of India – West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand – Durga Puja is observed to honour Goddess Durga. Like Diwali, Durga Puja also depicts the triumph of good over evil as it commemorates the victory of goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the buffalo demon. The festival begins on the same day as Navratri, a nine-night festival celebrating the divine feminine.

Traditionally, Durga Puja is a 10 day long festival beginning with Mahalaya which marks the advent of Durga in her battle against Mahishasura.

On the sixth day, Sasthi, when the goddess descends on the earth with her four children – Ganesha, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati – the major celebrations begin, starting with elaborately decorating idols of Durga in temples and pandals.

On the seventh day, Saptami, the idol is bathed in water to invoke life and religious texts describing the scene of the goddess entering into war with Mahishasura are recited.

The eighth day, Maha Ashtami, is considered the most important day as the minute this day ends and the ninth day, Mahanavami, begins is said to be the time when Durga defeated Mahishasura in war.

On the ninth day, Mahanavami, Durga’s victory is celebrated with fire oblation rituals and more chanting of religious texts.

The tenth and final day, Vijaya Dashami, starts with”Sindoor Khela– (smearing of vermillion). Married women smear sindoor (vermillion) first on the goddess’s forehead and feet and then on each other. In Hinduism, sindoor is considered to be an ornament of married women and the ritual signifies wishes for a long and happy married life. The celebrations culminate with large ceremonious processions that carry the clay idols of Durga to a river or sea for immersion. As the clay dissolves in the water, the goddess is thought to return to her home Mount Kailash, to her husband Lord Shiva, and to the cosmos. Upon returning from the immersion, people distribute sweets and presents among friends and family.

Where to Celebrate Durga Puja

By Amrita Suri​

This year Durga Puja will be celebrated from 22 – 26 October. If you want to be a part of the celebrations, here’s where you can join in:

• Zuid Holland: Durga Puja will be organized by Kallol – an association of the Indian Bengali community in the Netherlands.
• Amstelveen:  Normally there are at least two events to mark Durga Puja, but not this year, because of coronavirus. Here are the links to the organizations that host them:

1. Anandadhara – a non-profit organisation that offers a common cultural platform to people from the Bengali community in the Netherlands
2. Hoichoi

However you choose to celebrate these beautiful traditions, may it be a happy time for you and yours.

The post Diwali and Durga Puja in the Netherlands 2020 appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

PART I – Basisschool

Because our family has moved back and forth between Mumbai and Amsterdam several times, our children have needed to transition between the International School System we used in India, and the local public school system we used in the Netherlands. Their International School offered an IGCSE/IB education in English, and Dutch schools were entirely in Dutch. After nearly 14 years and 5 moves, you’d think we’d be professionals at navigating these transitions, but we aren’t.

Schooling is essential and is often one of the most complicated aspects of moving. If you’re able to stick to one system of schooling, and move to locations that have schools within that system (i.e. a British School, an American School, or a German School) then you should consider yourself very fortunate. However, as this is often not the case for a number of reasons, it is necessary to grapple with varied systems and methods of education: public, private, IB, local, partially subsidised, International, ICSE, Dalton, Montessori, Rudolf Steiner, etc., and more often than not, combinations of many of all of these! It is definitely complicated!

The Younger Years

Our children started their education in Mumbai. Our son went to the German International School, with children from over 25 different countries; our daughter went to a wonderful nursery school, a bit like a Dutch peuterspeelzaal. The language of instruction of both schools was English, though the German school taught German as a second language.

When we found out that we had to move to Amsterdam, we started looking for neighbourhoods which not only suited our requirements for housing, but also offered good schools. Our son was four and a half years old and our daughter was three, and although my husband is Dutch, neither of them had mastered much more Dutch than saying goodnight and listening to Dutch bedtime stories. Most of our research on schools was done on the internet. When we chose a neighborhood, some of the schools were full but we finally found a spot for our son in a wonderful basisschool and, one day after we arrived from Mumbai, he joined Groep 1/ 2.

For me, as a parent with virtually no Dutch, the other class parents, teachers, school principals and all the staff made things very easy. They would translate messages, involve me in class activities and give me a sense of being able to participate in the education of my children. Our first experience with a Dutch school was great!

During our two and a half years in The Netherlands, our son went from Groep 1/ 2 to 3 and our daughter spent a few months at peuterspeelzaal before joining the same basisschool as her brother. They loved it! The teachers were fabulous – helping them with the language, and making them feel very welcome. For me, as a parent with virtually no Dutch, the other class parents, teachers, school principals, and all the staff made things very easy. They would translate messages, involve me in class activities and give me a sense of being able to participate in the education of my children. Our first experience with a Dutch school was great!

When we had to move back to Mumbai, the kids returned to the German International School. Now aged seven and five and a half, English continued to be their first language and the transition was very smooth. The kids were still young, so academics were less relevant and systems were less stringent. The IGCSE/IB education meant project based learning, and the kids loved it and had no problem re-adjusting. As a family, we thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of the International school; we became friends with many international families. Also the perks that went along with being in an international school were great: theatre workshops, dance workshops, art appreciation, etc. However, I recalled that at the Dutch basisschool the kids also had project based learning, a healthy/non-competitive attitude, great sports, and fun class trips to theatres and museums. We also missed having more music and drama and swimming, but their after school activities (NSA) at Dutch school compensated for those.

This time the kids were older, and we were much more concerned about their transition back to a Dutch education.

In 2015, after almost four years in Mumbai, we once again needed to move back to the Netherlands. This time the kids were older, and we were much more concerned about their transition back to the Dutch educational system. We knew we wanted them to be in the same basisschool as before, and we were lucky enough to find them spots in it. We timed our arrival to be in the last five weeks before the summer holidays, thinking it would help the kids acclimatise. After the Summer, our son went to Groep 8 (age 11) and our daughter to Groep 6 ( age 9). Although they’d had a Dutch language class once a week in Mumbai, it wasn’t nearly enough!

Groep 8 is a decisive year for students in The Netherlands. Students have their final CITO tests and they get a recommendation which directs them to a particular middelbare school. It’s also the last year of basisschool – being a new student means trying to integrate into pretty established groups of friends. All in all, it was not an easy time. In terms of academics the biggest challenge was the language; in terms of their social life, they had to re-establish old friendships or make brand new ones. Though tough, in the end it worked out just fine.

Our son is now in his second year of middelbare school and our daughter is in Groep 8 of basisschool. Their time in the higher years of basisschool and their transition to middelbare school will be discussed in Part II of this article: Moving to Middelbare School.

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Moving to Middelbare School

Moving between the Dutch educational system and an international one is not necessarily complicated for children under the age of ten; basisschools (lower schools) in Holland are wonderful, nurturing, and relaxed places where children play and learn at the same time. Naturally, as a non-native, the Dutch language is a challenge, but most children are terrific at picking up languages, and manage quite well. Indeed, children whose first language is not Dutch even have the option to go to special language schools.

The challenges of shifting systems really begin as your kids get older. Children aged between 10 – 12 (Groep 6, 7 and 8) begin more intensive studies and this is when we noticed the differences between the systems starting to matter more. Maths is a great example. In the Netherlands, our kids had to memorise the times tables; in Mumbai, they were encouraged not to learn things by heart, finding methods to do quick calculations instead. The chunking method, as well as the multiplication and division methods also differed.

Additionally, the international system always promotes an international perspective across all disciplines – whether sciences, business, environmental studies, or cultural studies. In the Netherlands, the focus, naturally, tends to be more Eurocentric.

On a purely practical level, Dutch middelbare schools (upper schools) are not necessarily in your immediate neighbourhood and your child will likely have to learn to bike to school alone. The jump to independence is marked.

CITO Exams

Most international schools offer a seamless education from the lower years all the way up to the IB or A levels etc. The Netherlands, however, has more of a tracking approach and if you are enrolling your children into the Dutch system during Groeps 6, 7, or 8 (ages 10, 11, and 12), it is important that you are prepared for the CITO exams.

In the year of Groep 8, children in the Dutch school system are given an assessment and recommendation that determine the academic track they will follow going forward. Basisschools assess children based on:

1. Their academic performance in Groep 6, 7, and 8
2. Their results from the CITO standardised test
3. Their individual interests, ambitions, will to improve, and attitude

These factors, along with the personal guidance of their teachers during these three years, eventually result in your child getting an ‘advies’ (recommendation). It is this recommendation that determines to which academic category of middelbare school they can apply and is loosely categorised into VWO, HAVO and VMBO.

• VWO:  the highest academic recommendation a student can receive and which allows them to apply to Gymnasium (classical education) or Athenaeum
• HAVO
• VMBO (which is divided into several sub-categories).

A VWO recommendation is the highest academic recommendation that a student can receive and allows them to apply to Gymnasium (classical education) or Athenaeum. A HAVO is a less academically rigorous diploma than VWO, and VMBO is less rigorous than HAVO. In Amsterdam, owing to schools being in very high demand, students are assigned a school based on a lottery system. Students in Groep 8 ought to visit at least 12 schools that are of interest, then submit a list of schools in order of preference. Then, depending on how the lottery plays out, students get into their first, second, etc. school of choice. Needless to say, this works nothing like an international school.

Opinions about this method of school assignment vary greatly. As a non-native parent, it can be quite a shock if you’re not prepared. One way to soften the shock is to talk to friends, neighbours, and classmates and try to get a feel for the system. If you can, visit some schools while still in Groep 7, so that in Groep 8 you’re not overwhelmed at the open days. Most importantly, be prepared that the lottery system setup might result in your child not getting into one of their top three choices. It’s up to you to convince them, and yourself, that this is ok. From personal experience, I’d like to stress that it helps if you just accept the system as it is and not resist it.

His Dutch primary school very kindly accommodated our request to keep the language deficiency in mind and refer to his older report cards to get a clearer and more rounded view of his abilities and academic level

Our son’s official recommendation was based on his one year in Groep 8, the learning aptitude he showed during basisschool, as well as his performance in Mumbai. His Dutch basisschool very kindly accommodated our request to keep the language deficiency in mind and refer to his older report cards to get a clearer and more rounded view of his abilities and academic level. This helped him get into the category of middlebare school we had hoped for.

If you’re in a similar situation, talk to the class teachers and school principals to check for the possibility of a different recommendation. If that doesn’t have an immediate effect, be aware that if your child improves their grades during middlebare school they can move up a level of academic school each year till they reach their optimal level. In that way, it is a flexible system.

One other big difference that stands out between the international upper school system and the Dutch middelbare school one is that only the children who graduate from a Gymnasium or Athenaeum middlebare school can go straight to university. In international schools, it is open to everyone – and depending on your grades you’ll get into an appropriate programme. Of course once again, as is the Dutch way, you can spend a few extra years studying hard and still make it to university.

The education system in the Netherlands is hard to grasp initially. However, it’s a very good system that allows everyone to reach their potential through hard work. Last, but certainly not least, compared to most international education, it’s much more affordable!

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Skiing for Dummies

I first got on skis post-thirty; it was the same year my son, aged four, and daughter, aged three, started. My Dutch husband’s traditions dictate a ski holiday annually, and it’s a wonderful family affair.

Naturally, like father and grandfather, the kids took to the slopes just fine – but not me.

As expats, it’s normal to want to experience the customs of the country in which we live. In Holland, skiing and camping have a special spot on the cultural circuit. Many of us want to follow suit but find ourselves introduced a little late’r’ in life.

The thing is, once you turn thirty (or thereabouts), and especially after you become a mom, you become aware that you can’t just climb every mountain and follow every dream anymore – not successfully, at any rate. Also, being born in the tropics is not conducive to mastering a winter sport.

This is not an article with revolutionary instructions for amateurs who want to ski. It’s rather an explanation of the seemingly-simple reasons that some of us, simply, can’t.

Did I Mention that for Three Years I (quite) Regularly went to Ski School?

In my first year on the charming slopes of Austria’s Alpine Tirol area, I joined a three-day ski class for adults. The lessons were four hours per day, with a mid-day break for lunch in restaurants on the slopes. It sounded simple enough…however, the agony started well before I hit the slopes.

Ski rental stores are a wet flurry of chaos: too many people, too many skis, too many boots, too many lost hats and some lost kids. They weigh you, measure your height and assign you full-length skis, the assumption being that you have skied before. If you find yourself in this situation, please ask for shorter skis, which are simpler to handle, as I discovered only in year three.

Ski rental stores are a wet flurry of chaos: too many people, too many skis, too many boots, too many lost hats and some lost kids.

The next challenge en route to the slopes is making it through the gondolas. Getting in and out of a moving gondola, with skis, poles, and heavy ski boots is not easy, even for seasoned skiers. These things sound trite, but believe me, they are quite a hurdle for new skiers. Ski classes mostly start with several rounds of practice, where you go up a little slope on a travelator and have to ski down with your skis in a pizza formation (joined at the tips, far apart at the end, like a slice of pizza – it helps control your speed on a slope). Not easy.

If you do ok on that you get to a slightly steeper slope and start learning to go left and right. And if you do OK on that, you might make it to a chair lift to an even longer slope. I never got that far so I have no idea what comes next. After three days of classes that first year, followed by a single snup tage (trial day) in the second and third year, I gracefully gave up.

The kids in the mean time were doing great! And my family was amazing about my not having done so great; not only did they suggest Tiger Balm cream for my sore rear – every night – but they started to plan the week so the adults only skied three days and could spend the remaining time with me. My in-laws don’t ski anymore and I spend some days with them doing little walks in the village or scouting the local conditoreis (bakers).

Other Pistes to Conquer

Austria is a great destination for people who don’t ski. If you’re a keen hiker, you’ll find yourself in paradise! On a sunny day, you can walk for miles and miles along the periphery of the valley and bask in the glory of the winter sun along the way. Innsbruck has castles, museums, shops, cafés, and amazing rail connectivity to Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.

During our winter breaks, on non-ski days, we have taken off to Venice for a night, spent the day in Salzburg, and visited Munich and Zurich by train. Despite the slight hiccup of not being able to ski, I continue to enjoy the magical winter wonderland, off my rear, and on my feet – instead of on my entangled skis. Though, I must honestly add that in the run-up to our ski holiday this year, I find myself tempted to give it one more shot. I’ve considered taking lessons near the Overtoom or in Landsmeer, at indoor ski schools.

If you don’t mind your kids swooshing down and waving to you on the bunny slopes, and if your ego stays intact when your instructor says, “get up yourself even if it takes all day”, I suggest to first-timers that you give skiing a shot. And for those who have tried and are on the verge of giving up, I say, if your bruised rear and sore legs are not a major concern, then keep on trying!

I continue to enjoy the magical winter wonderland, off my rear, and on my feet – instead of on my entangled skis.

There is a reason thousands of people return to the slopes every year: skiing is fun, it’s glamorous, and it’s a family sport. Once conquered, it must feel fabulous to have the wind in your face, as you glide over the snow and watch the slopes gently fade away behind you. However, if age and pedigree are not suitable, you’re likely to never get past the ‘pizza’ on the piste. And that’s OK.

Each year I explore the villages around Innsbruck and discover a new part of the picturesque countryside. On the days that everyone is skiing, I put on my boots and walk through the village on my own. I find a bakery for lunch, a tourist shop for postcards, which I fill in over a verlängerter (café latte), and eventually the post office, where I send off my overseas greetings.

At other times, I stay indoors in our wonderful chalet and write by the window. Overlooking the slated roofs with huffing chimneys, and with the backdrop of the snow-covered mountains, inspiration comes easy.

Note: A response to this article was just posted on Amsterdam Mamas! Read it here!

photo credit: Yay Images

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