Gay spots and events in Maastricht
October 11, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Is the gay community well catered for in Maastricht? With two important Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) organisations and regular big parties, the situation doesn’t look too bad. Crossroads writer Hania Piotrowska takes a closer look at the available options. [continued...]
A bystander’s question
With the semester in its initial phase, Maastricht’s student population is in the ‘design your life’-craze again… an annual recurrence, as close observation suggests.
And with enormous piles of new students freshly arrived from high school or from the usual year abroad, the demand for self-definition and identity is outpaced even by the demand for IKEA furniture. [continued...]
Mahl magazine or the new Eutropolitan vision
October 5, 2007 by Sueli · 2 Comments
Ever wished you lived in London or any other metropolis? Congratulations, say the creators of Mahl magazine, for if you live in Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen or Liège you are an inhabitant of Eutropolis.
Feeling Spanish in Maastricht: a meeting with Mr. Hubertus Dolmans, honorary vice consul of Spain
After spending five years in Maastricht, and four teaching Spanish at various institutes in The Netherlands, Spanish expatriate Diana Berdun says she has not met a more passionate person about her country and its language than Mr. Hubertus Dolmans, the honorary vice consul of Spain in Maastricht. [continued...]
Maastricht: Living in a fairy city
October 2, 2007 by Sueli · 2 Comments
Maastricht appeared to me from the very first minute as a little fairy city when I arrived here by train in June 2007. It was the picture of a city that is being loved by its inhabitants and thoroughly taken care of. [continued...]
Spanish serenades in Maastricht
September 18, 2007 by Sueli · 6 Comments
Spanish expat Diana Berdun explains why meeting the “Tuna Universitaria de Maastricht” immediately made her feel at home in the Netherlands. [continued...]
Maastricht’s Preuvenemint: Polish tartar sauce or Lithuanian sushi?
September 3, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
This year’s edition of Maastricht’s annual gastronomic festival known as “het Preuvenemint” had a special European flavour. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which in 1957 established the European Economic Community, and the 15th anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht, the festival’s theme was entitled “Europe at a table” and each stand was supposed to represent one of the 27 EU countries. But did the festival fulfill its goal? A review by Hania Piotrowska for Crossroads.
Netherlands tourism pioneers Second Life
August 30, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
The Netherlands Board Of Tourism & Conventions is launching http://us.holland.com a fully Web2.0 based site, as well as the official launch of the world’s first National Tourism Board in Second Life, www.hollandsecondlife.com.
The new Holland.com is a fully web2.0 based website which offers not just a quick and easy way to find information about travel [...]
Momentous Dutch encounters in Hungary
August 29, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
It’s been two months now since my partner and I moved to Maastricht, but it is in our native country Hungary that I had my first contact with Dutch people. I was working last year for an international Human Ressources company in Budapest and the place was exceptionally multicultural: our trainers came from the USA and Europe, my colleagues were English, Irish, Israeli, Polish, Swedish, French… and one of my bosses was Dutch. [continued]
Interview with Wilfried Ruetten, director of the European Journalism Centre in Maastricht
August 24, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
It is my pleasure to introduce our readers and contributors to Wilfried Ruetten, director of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) in Maastricht.
Interview by Sueli Brodin, Crossroads editor on 23 August 2007
Video production: Bernd Kapeller, EJC
Lumière cinema: the artistic answer to end-of-summer blues
August 24, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
What fills these days, when summer has become somewhat stagnant and, at the same time, fall approaches all too quickly? A trip to Lumière Cinema, with its unique film selection and welcoming café bar, might be just the thing for you. [continued...]
Let’s stick together now
August 22, 2007 by Sueli · 5 Comments
When I told my husband that I wanted to write down my thoughts about the Dutch word ‘mee’, he looked baffled. “What is there to write about?” he wondered out loud.
My sister in Paris was just as puzzled: “How am I supposed to pronounce this ‘mee’ anyway? To be honest, it sort of reminds me of a flock of sheep!”
Well funnily enough, after living sixteen years in the Netherlands, I have come to view this small and perhaps inconspicuous ‘mee’ as one of the most important words in the Dutch language. I even think that learning to use it has helped me understand some typical aspects of the Dutch way of life! [continued...]
European Journalism Centre: Innovation Journalism Conference a success
August 8, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
More than 20 media experts from around Europe and the United States convened in Maastricht to discuss innovation journalism and the innovation ecosystem. The EJC partnered with the Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University, Stanford University and Deutche Welle to host the conference “Innovation Journalism: Detecting Weak Signals” on July 25-27, 2007. A report by Kathlyn Clore.
Spinning my way into Dutch life
August 2, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
“Why do you bike indoors when the South Limburg countryside is so beautiful?” a Dutch friend once asked me when I told him about my spinning addiction at the local gym. “Don’t you feel claustrophobic in a room packed with sweaty strangers and all that loud music?” [continued...]
Maastricht through other eyes: International students speak
June 20, 2007 by Sueli · 3 Comments
They are everywhere. You might have seen them on the bus, biking around or having a beer on the Vrijthof. In fact they might live next door, in a rented room. Sometimes they seem like a swarming plague taking over the town. They are the international students at the University of Maastricht.
For a week I followed six of these specimens, learning more about them, their habits and their personal histories. Becoming one of them wasn’t too difficult… and here comes my secret: I’m an international student too. Keep on reading to know what these peculiar people think and do in Maastricht and find out about their dreams, their regrets and some of their advice for the city. [continued...]
Drug tourism in Maastricht – what is all the fuss about?
June 15, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
“You live in Holland, oh you must be smoking a ton of pot” is the typical thing I hear when I tell Canadian friends that I live in Maastricht. And I tell them no, I barely know any Dutch people who smoke. I think pot is more visible in Vancouver than in this snazzy shopping town. But I’m obviously missing something since 1,5 million drug tourists reportedly come through Maastricht every year to buy weed and drive home. [continued...]
Maastricht Secondhand
Of the many endearing qualities of the Dutch, the one I most appreciate is their frugality. It’s comforting to know that my cheap, student mindset is shared by the general population. But unfortunately, for the person who needs or wants a new item of clothing without spending too much money, the center of Maastricht appears to offer very little. However, there are quite a few good secondhand stores, many of which are but a short walk from Vrijthof Square. [continued...]
Lions Club Maastricht Mondial, May Fair 2007: a photo-reportage
June 11, 2007 by Sueli · 3 Comments
photo: Stuart Woodburn 
The Lions Club Maastricht Mondial this year held its annual May Fair for expatriates and their families at Kasteel Limbricht on Sunday 3 June. [See photo-reportage by Stuart Woodburn and Herman Pijpers...]
A Tale of Two Cities: the twinning between Maastricht and El Rama, Nicaragua
June 7, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness”*… in short, it was the 1980s. A group of Maastrichters was touring Central America, enjoying the lush beauty of the continent. When they arrived in Nicaragua, the land of lakes and volcanoes, little did they suspect that their trip had reached a turning point. [continued...]
Kunsttour 2007: New Media and Artistic Innovation in Maastricht
June 2, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Bright pink brochures in hand, thousands of people roamed the streets of Maastricht on May 26th, 27th, and 28th, with only one thing on their minds: modern art! It was the weekend of the 8th annual Kunsttour (ArtTour), and Maastrichters young and old alike enjoyed the displays of cutting-edge art exhibited all around our city. The types of art were diverse, including contemporary art, design, and new media art, but those attending the ArtTour had at least one thing in common: a genuine appreciation for artistic innovation.
FORUM MAASTRICHT 2007: “If I call up Europe, who answers the phone?”
May 18, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
“While it’s a time to celebrate, it’s also a time to reflect on Europe’s missed opportunities,” said Maastricht University president Jo Ritzen last week in his introductory address to Forum Maastricht, the university’s annual conference on European affairs.
A spring guide to Maastricht’s parks
May 16, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Ahhh, spring in Maastricht! Outdoor chairs appear at every café, the sun shines, flowers bloom, and Maastrichters head outdoors with gusto. The parks of Maastricht become popular, and populated, once again. This time of year these public spaces have shed their gray winter coats to become sunny green magnets for one and all: dogwalkers, sunbathers, sports players, families, bikers, strollers, readers, writers, and all the rest. [continued...]
Mugged in Maastricht
Crossroads writer Danya Chaikel tells of her experience with the Maastricht justice system.
I have lived and travelled in many cities around the world and when I came to cobbled streets of Maastricht I felt safer than ever before. I really couldn’t imagine there being much crime in this picturesque ‘village’. My naiveté was crushed on 11 January 2007 when I was attacked and robbed on a bike path off Cabergweg.
[continued...]
“Tot ziens Mama - I’m off to play … at school!”
Crossroads writer Gina Wuppermann looks at the Dutch equivalent of preschool, known as “peuterspeelzaal” (literal translation “toddlers’ playroom” or “playschool”). [continued...]
Aachen: History Meets High-Tech at the Cradle of Europe
May 5, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Once the heart of Charlemagne’s kingdom, Aachen is now a center of technology and learning. Located in western Germany near both the Dutch and Belgian borders, the city is considered a model for cross-border cooperation.
Read full article: Deutsche Welle, 27 April 2007
Queen’s Day in Maastricht
May 4, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Every year on Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day), 30 April, the Netherlands celebrates the Queen’s official birthday. Street parties and other events are held all around the country. This year in Maastricht, a large “vrijmarkt” (free market) was organised in the StadPark (City park) and many music bands performed for the public. [more photographs...]
60 years and counting! The Netherlands-England Society of Limburg celebrates its Diamond Jubilee
May 3, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
Anniversaries are, by definition, special. The 60th birthday of the Genootschap Nederland-Engeland (Netherlands-England Society or GNE) branch in South Limburg, however, was extraordinary. This jubilee, with its rich and entertaining program, will last in the memories of the people who attended it for a long time. [continued...]
Easter Mélange: Bach, the “Passion” and the Saint Servatius Basilica
April 25, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
One of Maastricht’s most majestic groups of buildings, the Saint Servatius Basilica, became a stunning concert hall for Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Passion according to Saint Matthew” for two consecutive nights on the weekend before Easter. A review by Hector P. Alvarez for Crossroads.
A visit to Maastricht’s Steam Brewery De Keyzer N.A. Bosch
What can you do in Maastricht on the second day of Easter after you’ve been to church (for those who go), eaten all you can, caught up with the family and already travelled all around?
Well, there is still one thing which is really worth investigating further while living in the Netherlands. Why, I’m talking about beer of course! Surely everyone here indulges in more than a glass a week of that refreshing and tasty beverage, as a nice start into the evening… [continued...]
A meeting with Professor Tannelie Blom: Europe, the Big Absentee?
April 23, 2007 by Sueli · Leave a Comment
In preparation for the third annual Forum Maastricht conference: ‘Europe, the Big Absentee’ (9 - 11 May 2007), Crossroads’ writer Danya Chaikel meets with Dr Tannelie Blom, Professor of European Studies at the University of Maastricht and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to talk about his role as Academic Advisor of Forum Maastricht. [continued...]
