Lifestyle News in English
Latest lifestyle headlines from Dutch news, translated into English.
Canceled Houtfestival explores relaunch: 'We are taking a fresh look'
The Houtfestival organization is exploring a potential comeback for the event in Haarlem following its cancellation for 2026. They have partnered with PR agency StartPR to evaluate the future of the f...
Neighborhood resists data centers: We knew nothing
Residents near Schiphol-Rijk are protesting the planned construction of three large data centers, citing a lack of communication from local authorities and concerns over noise and property values. Alt...
Do adults know what children want? Are they out of their minds for inventing toy weapons?
Columnist Wouter Klootwijk questions whether adults truly understand children's desires, specifically criticizing the creation of toy weapons. The piece is part of his weekly series that typically exp...
Teacher Sabine blocked the path of a student with a knife. 'Dealing with aggression is the hardest part of our job'
Teacher Sabine Bakker recounts her past experiences with extreme classroom aggression, including blocking a student armed with a knife and facing hostile parents. She currently teaches children of exp...
Michaela felt no support from school management when a student spat in her coffee: ‘Young teachers need intensive guidance’
Michaela, a biology teacher from Haarlem, nearly left the profession after a student spat in her coffee and she felt unsupported by her school's leadership in Amsterdam. The incident underscores the c...
City film commission receives five applications daily: "We are more expensive than other cities"
The Amsterdam Film Commission manages approximately five daily requests, overseeing about 80 film and series productions annually while striving to minimize disruption for residents. Although filming ...
Dutch tourists avoid Asia and choose Spain due to Middle East war
Dutch vacationers are continuing to book summer holidays despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Travel agencies report a shift in destination preferences, with many travelers opting for Spai...
Guide Louis shares his experiences on Fort Island: ‘At the very top you have a beautiful view of all the corridors’
Guide Louis 't Hart and a team of volunteers will host a public day at Forteiland in IJmuiden this Sunday. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the historic fortification and learn about its ...
Jan (78) lives right across from his wife with dementia in Hof van Jacob: ‘She doesn’t recognize me anymore, but that’s okay’
78-year-old Jan Scholten has moved into a new independent apartment at the Hof van Jacob site to be near his wife, who lives in the adjacent nursing home due to dementia. Although she no longer recogn...
Blauw-Wit keep sights on another Korfbal League season
Amsterdam-based korfball club Blauw-Wit secured a 20-22 victory against local rivals AW.DTV in the play-down semifinals, moving closer to maintaining their spot in the Korfbal League. Star player Thij...
Jacques Hermus on his city Haarlem: ‘My wife and I were sold immediately’
Culinary journalist and author Jacques Hermus shares his favorite locations in Haarlem in the "My City" column of Mezza magazine. He provides local recommendations, including where to find quality ing...
Jim (23) is carillonneur at Plein '40-'45 and also takes requests
Jim, a 23-year-old carillonneur, is one of four young musicians performing on the freedom carillon at Plein '40-'45 in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. The district government decided to hire young talent follow...
Many mothers struggle to make ends meet during leave: ‘Extra recovery time is often needed’
A study by the CNV trade union reveals that nearly half of working women and 30% of partners in the Netherlands cannot afford to take parental leave due to financial constraints. Experts warn this sit...
Uproar in IJmuiden housing complex as seniors fear end of happy hour, but concern proves unfounded
Seniors at the Mercurius residential complex in IJmuiden sent an urgent letter to the city council fearing their regular 'Happy Hour' would be cancelled due to fire safety concerns. The issue was ulti...
Deining in Castricum aan Zee celebrates 25th anniversary with new beach pavilion: 'Preparing for a hugely busy year'
Beach pavilion Deining in Castricum aan Zee is celebrating its 25th anniversary with the opening of a completely renovated building on April 17th. After months of construction, the venue is preparing ...
Expeditie Robinson in Uitgeest during May holiday
Holland Sport is organizing an 'Expeditie Robinson' event in Uitgeest during the May school holidays. Instead of a deserted island, the activities will take place locally in the village park.
Jochem is the new face of Ronald Adventure shop: 'I feel right at home in this store'
Jochem Bossenbroek has taken over as the new owner of Ronald Adventure Shop, a long-standing outdoor and hiking specialty store in Beverwijk. Since December, Bossenbroek has been working with the exis...
Uitgeest distributes big bags again. Tiles out, plants in
The municipality of Uitgeest has reintroduced its free tile collection service to encourage residents to replace garden tiling with greenery. Under this initiative, the municipality will collect and d...
VOC handballers fail to recover from poor start and lose cup final
The Amsterdam-based VOC handball team lost the national cup final 30-26 to Kwiek after failing to recover from a poor start. Despite narrowing the gap to a single point in the second half, technical e...
Boerewors and fruity chutneys at Kuierkos: a little piece of South Africa in Bloemendaal (8-)
Kuierkos in Bloemendaal is a delicatessen specializing in South African cuisine, offering traditional dishes like bobotie, bredie, and malva. The store provides a unique culinary experience by introdu...
Wonderful: teenagers with well-rhymed and rhythmic stories in poetry class
Journalist and poet Yanaika Zomer shares her experiences conducting poetry lessons for teenagers in schools in her latest column. She highlights the impressive rhyming and rhythmic skills displayed by...
Tourette syndrome is often not what we think: ‘Most do not swear’
Psychologist Jolande van de Griendt clarifies common misconceptions about Tourette syndrome, noting that stereotypical symptoms like involuntary swearing affect only a small minority of patients. The ...
The p-word is forbidden at the table of Dutch champion Steffan Kok: ‘Tennis has everything: technique, tactics, physical and mental’
Steffan Kok, the 47-year-old editor-in-chief of Tennis Magazine from Zandvoort, has been crowned the Dutch national padel champion in the 45+ category. Despite suffering from a chronic injury that lim...
Drivers hit hard by unprecedented wave of roadworks: 'Don't just hit the road'
Following Easter, road users in the Netherlands face an unprecedented series of construction projects on major motorways including the A9, A44, and A10 around Amsterdam. Rijkswaterstaat warns of signi...
Listen to the Easter story and paint ostrich eggs: what to do this Easter weekend
Amsterdam offers a diverse range of activities this Easter weekend, including lamb petting at local farms, egg hunts in historic gardens, and creative workshops such as painting ostrich eggs. The holi...
Hiding eggs in the garden or indoors? This is the weather forecast for Easter
The weather forecast for Easter suggests that conditions will be favorable enough for people to hide eggs outdoors. This allows for traditional garden egg hunts alongside indoor celebrations as people...
Hiking holiday agency goes bankrupt, travelers lose trips and money: 'A total shock to receive such an email'
A travel agency based in 't Harde has declared bankruptcy, affecting hundreds of travelers and investors who now face the loss of their pre-booked trips and payments. All scheduled walking tours have ...
Screen Time | For young concertgoers, the perfect picture is totally unimportant
Tech reporter Rutger Otto explores how Gen Z concertgoers are shifting away from seeking the perfect social media photo in favor of capturing raw memories. The column highlights a broader trend where ...
Asylum seekers and Haarlem residents gather for Spaarne dinner
The Spaarnediner event in Haarlem brings together local residents and asylum seekers to foster community connections through shared meals and cultural exchange. Inspired by a similar initiative in Ams...
Conflicts with parents dampen job satisfaction at many primary schools: ‘One conversation in which a parent crosses all boundaries negates a hundred good ones’
A survey of 414 primary school directors reveals that 64% report decreased job satisfaction due to conflicts or threats from parents. These tensions increase pressure on teaching teams and can signifi...