nov zine 2014

#619

ZINE

Nov 2014

Small classes and personal attention. At the British School of Amsterdam we get to know each and every student. We provide an all-round education that develops the whole person and delivers academic success. From Early Years to Secondary School, we provide top-class British schooling for everyone from expats to locals seeking an international education.

With pupils of more than 40 nationalities, the British School of Amsterdam offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for students aged 3 to 18. Non-native English speakers are welcome.

Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide. In addition to the formal academic subjects, we teach European languages including Spanish, French, German and Dutch, as well as English as a foreign language.

Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Why not come along and visit us? For more information, see www.britams.nl, or contact us at +31 (0) 20 67 97 840 or [email protected].

FedericoAge 14

Italian/Dutch

“It’s a friendly, caring community”

TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS

Small classes and personal attention. At the British School of Amsterdam we get to know each and every student. We provide an all-round education that develops the whole person and delivers academic success. From Early Years to Secondary School, we provide top-class British schooling for everyone from expats to locals seeking an international education.

With pupils of more than 40 nationalities, the British School of Amsterdam offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment for students aged 3 to 18. Non-native English speakers are welcome.

Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide. In addition to the formal academic subjects, we teach European languages including Spanish, French, German and Dutch, as well as English as a foreign language.

Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Why not come along and visit us? For more information, see www.britams.nl, or contact us at +31 (0) 20 67 97 840 or [email protected].

FedericoAge 14

Italian/Dutch

“It’s a friendly, caring community”

TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS

The British Photographer in AmsterdamWEDDINGS PORTRAITS CHILDREN’S PORTRAITS EVENTS WALKABOUTS

Call 06 83 94 35 52 to make a booking and claim your exclusive Britsoc discount!

www.benjaminarthur.com

Contents

article/ “football in nl” arts/ “beth’s books”

article/ “giving blood”

event/ “bonfire night” “chairman”chair/

Page 18

Page 22

Page 7

“Photo lesson” Page 32arts/ “poetry”arts/

“own a poppy”article/

“home is where the art is” arts/

Page 10

music/ “texel island discs” Page 30

Page 14

“nick’s nosh”food/ Page 34

“cooking coach”food/

Page 28

Page 20

Page 42

“home is where the art is” “texel island discs”

Page 26

Page 14

Page 28

Page 20

ZINEEDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Alison Smith | [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARDJohn Richardson | [email protected] Arthur | [email protected] Symmonds | [email protected]

ADVERTISINGADVERTISING SALES Andy Symmonds | [email protected]

PUBLISHINGPUBLISHED BYJohn Richardson | [email protected]

FLIP MAGAZINE PUBLISHING PLATFORMwww.issuu.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND FEEDBACKAlison Smith | [email protected]

www.britsoc.nl

ISSUE #619

Colophon >

Page 42

Internationally CreativeOur educational programme is designed to encourage young people to step outside of their comfort zone and learn to express themselves in bold and imaginative ways

Internationally Britishwww.britishschool.nl

Internationally CreativeOur educational programme is designed to encourage young people to step outside of their comfort zone and learn to express themselves in bold and imaginative ways

Internationally Britishwww.britishschool.nl

Dear Members,I am sure that we are all looking back on a great summer as we dig out our warm jackets from the wardrobe. As the nights draw in, I look forward to hearty food, a glass of deep red wine and a good book, so there can be no better time than to get up and out for our biggest event—Guy Fawkes night on Sunday Nov 9th, which is only a few days away. For tickets and details, please check our ticket website www.britsocshop.nl. If we are not sold out, grab your tickets quickly. You can always take your chances and pay at the gate, so a last minute decision can still see you enjoying great food and fireworks.

Our winter activities come into their own now, so please join us for squash, badminton, tennis (indoors for the season) or bridge.

And, of course, our Christmas Dinner is coming up. Another Michelin star quality affair on Saturday December 13th—check the details and make sure of your place on our website. It’s sure to be an exclusive event where you can meet other members in a fine ambience.

Then we have a date for your diaries….looking into 2015, our Burns’ Night celebration with haggis and whisky will be held on January 17th.

Our website is, as always, the place to be to check all the details.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Ian [email protected]

P.S. We are looking for volunteers for our upcoming events: Expat Fair, Nov 2 (Page 8), Bonfire Night, Nov 8 (Page 10), and the Christmas Dinner, Dec 13 (Page 12).

If you would like to help, please email me at [email protected].

chairman’s blog/ Nov 2014

Evelyn liu

Join BritSocat the ‘i am not a tourist’ expat fair

The “i am not a tourist” Expat Fair at the Beurs van Berlage in the heart of Amsterdam serves the international community living, working and studying in the Netherlands and has become an annual institution, catering for newly arrived expats, long-standing residents, individuals and families alike.

Those new to the Netherlands will benefit from a comprehensive range of services, conveniently housed together under one roof. Topics include housing, employment, banking, tax and schooling, all running alongside an entertaining programme of performances and workshops.

More experienced expats and long standing residents can enjoy food, entertainment, networking sessions, informative workshops and access to a wide range of groups and clubs. What’s more, international artist Jim Collier will exhibit his work. Professional visitors, concerned with international mobility, should not miss the chance to network amongst this years largest gathering of industry professionals. Whether you are new to the expat lifestyle or an old hand, Expatica’s fair

is about easing and enriching your life abroad, providing instant access to the international community.You don’t have to take our word for it; here are testimonials from a visitor and an exhibitor:

Nicola McCall (visitor) “I hadn’t been to the fair for 5 years; I saw some familiar and some new faces and enjoyed the talks. It’s a great event and was busy even on the sunniest date I can remember! I think it actually re-energises a lot of us, stay put expats, when we meet others in similar situations, even if we’ve been around the Netherlands for a long time. For me, it was a ‘look how far I’ve moved on from when I first came moment’?”

Expat Mortgages, Henk (exhibitor) “Thanks for a great fair and for all you hard work and efforts! It was our third attendance and we’re very pleased again!”

Sunday 2nd Nov at the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.

See video: http://www.expatica.com/iamnotatourist/

event/We’re looking for volunteers to help on the BritSoc stand.

Contact: [email protected]

Painted by John Richardson

events/

Britsoc Bonfire Night Sponsorship by

&Michelin star chef, Chris Naylor

Dear members and friends,We are very pleased to announce that tickets

have now gone on sale for our annual Guy Fawkes Bonfire Night.

This year’s event will take place on Sunday November 9th at 4 p.m. at our usual location,

Watersportcentrum Sloterplas.It promises to be a very special edition, with

sponsorship by Marks & Spencer so we will be serving real British sausages and burgers.

Our friend and Michelin star chef, Chris Naylor will be behind the BBQ so we expect top quality

on all fronts again.This is a large event, but we do have a sell-out point, so please get your tickets now to avoid

disappointment at

www.britsocshop.nlWe look forward to seeing you for authentic

sparks and bangers!

“The Most Exclusive Britsoc Member Event of the Year”

The Britsoc Chairman’s Michelin Star

Saturday December 13th, 2014

Restaurant Vermeer situated on the Prins Hendrikkade 59-72

(NH Barbizon Palace Hotel) in Amsterdam

Tickets available at: www.britsocshop.nl

Christmas Dinner

Restaurant Vermeer is the scene where Michelin Star Chef Christopher Naylor will shape his culinary christmas vision.

Chris will be serving all the joys of a 4 course Michelin meal, including wine and table water at a cost of

€125 for members (guests €140)

7:30pm until midnight-ish

www.isa.nl

The remembrance poppy has been a symbol of the soldiers who have died in war since 1920. Inspired by the World War I poem “In Flanders Fields”, they were first used by the American Legion to commemorate

American soldiers who died in that war (1914–1918). The poet, Lietenant Colonel John McCrae was inspired to write “In Flanders Field” by the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers. Today they have become a recognised memorial symbol for soldiers who have died, not only in World War 1, but in any conflict.

In Flanders Field

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Picture courtesy of Anneliese Hanbury-Tracy

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

On and around Remembrance Sunday, The Royal British Legion launch their annual “Poppy Appeal” when you can buy a paper poppy for your lapel and donate to a charity which helps current and former military personnel. Poppy wreaths are also laid at the cenotaph and other war memorials around the world.

This year, being the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, the poppy symbol has been taken to a new level at The Tower of London where a stunning art installation has been created called “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of

Red”. The inspiration of Derbyshire-based ceramic artist Paul Cummins, 888,246 hand-sculpted ceramic poppies are being made and fixed to two-foot metal stalks and planted in the dry moat of the Tower of London. It is an ongoing process with the last poppy due to be planted on Armistice Day on November 11th 2014. Each of the poppies represents a Commonwealth soldier, sailor or airman who died in The Great War.

The 888,246 poppies are for sale with 10% of the price plus all sales profits going to six service charities and are already selling like hot cakes.

It is a breathtaking sight. When interviewed, Paul Cummins said he had the idea for a ‘sea of red’ after reading the will of a Derbyshire man who joined up and died in Flanders.

‘I don’t know his name or where he was buried or anything about him,’ said Cummins, who found the will among other old records in Chesterfield. ‘But this line he wrote, when everyone he knew was dead, and everywhere around him was covered in blood, jumped out at me: ‘The blood-swept lands and seas of red, where angels fear to tread.’

Hand made in Paul Cummins’ studio, poppies are available for £25.00 +p&p. All net proceeds plus a guaranteed 10% from every poppy sold will be shared equally amongst six service charities, which we hope will raise millions of pounds if all poppies are sold. Poppies will only be available to purchase throughout the duration of the installation. The Tower Poppies are being sold by Paul Cummins Ceramics Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red CIC with the support of Historic Royal Palaces.

https://poppies.hrp.org.uk/buy-a-poppy/

By Alison SmithBlood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Picture courtesy of Anneliese Hanbury-Tracy

Event AlertUpcoming events of interest to the British Expat community of the Netherlands

Annual Remembrance Ceremony 323 Commonwealth and Allied War Graves, De Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats, Kruislaan 126, Amsterdam. Sat 8th November 10:30amYou are very welcome to attend this moving event. This year marks

the 68th anniversary of the end of world War two. Virtually an

entire generation has been able to live a reasonably peaceful and prosperous life in freedom, which was achieved by the sublime and heroic efforts of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice: their unfinished lives.

The burgemeester of Amsterdam also laid a wreath last year.

Wreaths are laid by members of the armed forces, local dignitaries, children from the local British school and members of the public.

323 Commonwealth and Allied War GravesDe Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats, Kruislaan 126, Amsterdam.

Subject: BritSoc Event Alert | Annual Remembrance CeremonyFrom: "John Richardson" <[email protected]>

Remembrance CeremonySat 8 Nov 10:30

All Britsoc members, friends and families welcome to attend

323 Commonwealth and Allied War GravesDe Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats, Kruislaan 126, Amsterdam

You are very welcome to attend this moving event. This year marks the 69th anniversary of the end of world War two. Virtually an entire generation has been able to live a reasonably peaceful and prosperous life in freedom, which was achieved by the sublime and heroic efforts of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice: their unfinished lives.

Located behind Amsterdam Sloterdijk hospital, next to the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Sanquin (pronounced

sanqueen) is a unique three-in-one organisation for blood: blood bank, blood research centre and manufacturer of medicines from plasma. The name Sanquin is derived fro the French word for blood ‘sanguine’, and the Latin word for blood ‘sanguis’. The organisation employs about 2800 people (60% part-time).

Blood transfusion: a British first The British pioneered blood transfusion. In 1818 gynaecologist James Blundell performed the first successful blood transfusion and in 1921 Sir Percy Oliver set up the first public blood transfusion service in London. The first blood transfusion in the Netherlands took place in Rotterdam in 1925. Through a long series of reorganisations the blood banks in the Netherlands and the central blood research laboratory became a single organisation in 1997.

How can I give blood in the Netherlands?Unfortunately many Zine readers are currently not permitted to give blood in the Netherlands. If you have been in the UK for a total of more than six months between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1996 then there is a risk you might be carrying Creutzfeld-Jakob (mad cow) disease. As blood cannot be tested for this disease, the Dutch authorities have decided to exclude anybody who might carry it from giving blood.

However, all other foreign nationals aged between 18 and 65 years are eligible to donate blood. Donating blood is voluntary in the Netherlands. Donors are not paid for their service like they are in some other countries. You can register on a special page of the Sanquin website (https://www.sanquin.nl/en/register-as-a-blood-donor/). After registration you will receive an information package and an invitation to attend a blood donor health check. During this health check your blood will be tested and your blood type determined. If the test results are good, you will be invited to donate blood at a later date. On average donors give blood 1.6 times per year. For plasma donors (the liquid without blood cells) the average number of donations is 5.9 per year.

My blood’s not blue it’s British!As you might remember from school there are four basic blood groups: O, A, B and AB. But the number of people with each blood group differs per country. Us Brits aren’t quite the same as the Dutch.

Blood group % of Brits % of Dutch

O 47 47

A 38 42

B 10 8

AB 4 3

What happens to the blood you give?In a major logistics operation, blood from the donor centres is collected and brought to Sanquin for testing. At a suite of labs it takes just two employees and some high-tech equipment to screen 12,000 blood samples in scarcely 24 hours. This process is vital to guarantee the safety of blood donated, for example to make sure it is free from HIV and hepatitis. The blood type is also checked: giving a patient the wrong blood type can be fatal. Some blood types are very rare (the ABO blood type is not the only one). Sanquin therefore has a deep-frozen supply of over 70 rare blood types that can be sent to anywhere in Europe at a moment’s notice.

The blood donated is mainly used by Dutch hospitals but Sanquin also supplies 4000 units of blood per year to various UN peacekeeping missions around the world. The demand for blood from hospitals has fallen in recent years. One reason is the rise in keyhole surgery where a minimum of blood is lost during the operation. However, this does not mean that fewer donors are needed. New donors are always being sought to replace donors who stop (about 10% per year).

Giving blood in the Netherlands

behind the scenes at Sanquin

by Dave Thomas

Photos courtesy of Sanquin

The gift of bloodEach year in the Netherlands:

400,000 volunteer donors give blood

300,000 people receive a blood product (from accident victims to cancer patients)

25,000 patient lives are saved

Why does Sanquin do blood research?Blood research makes giving blood and blood transfusion safer. It also helps to find diagnoses and treatments for many complaints such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and anaemia. Sanquin did a lot of pioneering research into detecting the HIV virus in blood to make blood supplies safe when AIDS became an epidemic in the 1980s. More recently it found a reliable test to establish if a rhesus negative mother is pregnant with a rhesus positive child. That has saved a lot of mothers from undergoing unnecessary treatment. Current research includes stem cell therapy treatments for cancer and investigating how aging affects our immune system.

And if you’re squeamish don’t worry. A lot of the research is high-tech rather than bloody. For example, using advanced microscopy techniques and computer animation one research group is trying to find out how blood cells can pass through a blood vessel to reach an inflammation in your body. The images made can look quite surreal.

Art in the laboratory must inspireWhen I visited Sanquin I was surprised by how much good art hangs there. I found out that one of the former directors (Joghem van Lochem) was a keen art collector and acquired many good works for the organisation. Gallery Joghem is now open to visitors on weekdays between 08.30 and 16.30. You should report to the main reception to gain admittance.

Can you brew blood?We have test-tube babies. What about test-tube blood? Brewing (culturing) blood would mean no more donors are needed!

Unfortunately, culturing blood is very difficult. You need to start with the right type of cells and have exactly the right conditions for them to grow in. And even then only small amounts can be produced at present, far short of what is needed to replace all donors.

Sanquin is therefore investigating how to culture blood for a small group of people with a rare blood group but who need regular blood transfusions. An example is people who suffer from sickle cell anaemia. Their red blood cells have a sickle shape instead of the normal ring-doughnut shape and so their blood cannot carry enough oxygen. They therefore receive regular blood transfusions to replace the sickle cells with normal blood cells to improve their body’s oxygen supply. As people in the Netherlands with this disease originate from tropical countries, they often have a blood type that is rare here. So finding ways to culture such rare blood types to ensure a good supply of these makes good medical sense.

Mindboggling!Each second your bone marrow produces:

2 million red blood cells (carry oxygen)

1.5 million white blood cells (immune system)

5 million blood platelets (wound healing)

Blood treats a royal diseaseHaemophilia is sometimes called the royal disease as so many of Queen Victoria’s descendants suffered from it. At Sanquin, plasma (the liquid part of blood) is used to produce 11 different medicines including factor VIII for the treatment of haemophilia. The medicines are proteins that are removed from the plasma by a process called fractionation (the same sort of chemistry as oil refineries use to obtain petrol from crude oil, but then without the heat). This fractionation process needs pure alcohol and a tanker full of the stuff is delivered to Sanquin each week. This makes Sanquin the biggest consumer of alcohol in the Netherlands! At present, the big money spinner for Sanquin is a group of medicines called immunoglobulins. These are used, for example, to treat some cancers and are being trialled for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. So one day giving plasma might mean you help an aging relative suffer less from dementia.

Passing on the elixir of lifeSanquin’s work reaches beyond the Dutch borders. It supplies blood testing reagents to more than 30 countries, medicines from blood to 10 countries, and training programmes to improve blood bank services in developing countries. Sanquin employees also help to combat blood-related disease elsewhere in the world, for example, haemophilia in Indonesia.

Find out moreSanquin has an extensive website in English: www.sanquin.nl/en

Football in the Netherlands

Judging by the crowds that arrived at the Museumplein to watch games from the World Cup this year, football is dear to the hearts

of many. Football was introduced to the Netherlands in 1879 when the Haarlemsche Football Club was founded. The bigger clubs like Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax, Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven have all been playing for more than 100 years, although football did not see the establishment of the professional game until 1954.

The performance and achievements of the Dutch national side, in their distinctive orange kit with their even more distinctive supporters decked out in many (bright) shades of the same colour, are known around the world. Watching the opening game against Spain and seeing the majestic header from van Persie was enough to fan the flames of excitement even for expatriate supporters, and sent the Dutch to a new level of excitement. The final result was wearyingly predictable, but not without a few more surprises on the way to Germany once again taking the title this year (the 1-7 result for Brazil against the champions being a major shock on the global stage).

With some of the talents available to the Dutch national side it is a mystery as to why they have not yet won the football World Cup. They have developed a rich tradition of doing well but not winning. Having sat in the Arena and watched the boys in orange miss five penalties against Italy in 2000 and having been the only person wearing an orange shirt in a bar in Bucharest for the 2010 final, I can empathise with the long suffering oranje

supporters, but at least they consistently get further in the finals than any of the British sides have since 1966. They did win the European Championship in 1988 but they have played in many more finals and semi-finals over recent years, and lost.

Underpinning the national side is a vibrant club scene still including the famous names in the Eredivisie but also extending down through many divisions to a healthy grass roots level of clubs for players of all abilities and ambitions. The Dutch leagues extend from the 38 professional clubs down through seven levels of amateur leagues. This means that across Saturday and Sunday for the weekends of the football season, there are nearly 3,000 club teams playing against each other across the country. This comfortably eclipses the levels of participative interest in any other sport, and the support is naturally higher as well. If you are looking to join a football club then there are many choices across the country and you should be able to find a club that matches your requirements and level without too much investigation.

As ever with sports in the Netherlands, if you want to participate or enjoy a more passive, observing approach, there are many options available. Amsterdam appears to be well served with field hockey clubs, and the situation outside the city looks to be pretty similar.

As the year slowly heads towards the end, so our

sporting series also winds down, but not without

touching on the most popular sport in the Netherlands:

Football in the NetherlandsBy Andy Symmonds

sports/

Beth Johnson is the owner of Boekhandel Van Rossum (Beethovenstraat 32 in Amsterdam) which sells a wide range of Dutch and English books.

Richard Flanagan’s powerful book was treated last month.I have just completed Karen Joy

Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and am so impressed by the flow of her scientific and psychological analysis and the narrative that loops back upon itself time after time, that I want to know more about this

author. Turns out she writes science fiction, fantasy and produced in 2004 the highly successful novel The Jane Austen Book Club. Her latest is a tale of an unusual family which

explores a new way of bringing up children and ends with two of the three children disappearing from the life of the youngest, our heroine, Rosemary. Except that things are not quite what they seem. This clever work is tragic, funny, and committed to a better world. Quite exceptional, and one of the first American authors on the now broader Man Booker Prize list.

Beth’s Book Review | NOV 2014

Strangely enough, Ian McEwan’s new book, The Children Act, did not make

the Man Booker shortlist but the author demonstrates yet again the diversity of his range. After the suspense, the twists and the ultimate trickery of Sweet Tooth, this latest addition to his oeuvre is to all appearances measured, disciplined and reserved as befits a story about the esteemed judge, Fiona Maye,

who presides over London’s family court. But still waters run deep and the crisis in her private life brings emotions to the surface which have repercussions on her carefully balanced professional image. Using complex cases from the children’s court, McEwan explores the fabric of the law, respect for the parties involved, understanding of the way reason can be swayed by deep beliefs and temporary felt needs. He is one of the few authors I know who can truly crawl into the skin of a woman and portray her multiple-faceted lines of thinking. A moving and impressive masterpiece.

Another of my favourite recent reads is the new book by Anthony Doerr who always receives outstanding reviews yet has not quite penetrated to the consciousness of the general reader. All The Light We Cannot See deserves everyone’s attention, and indeed has just been selected for the National Book Award long list. A young French girl grows up in the

By Beth JohnsonThe short list for the Man Booker prize of 2014 has been announced and all six novels are worth the read, whoever ultimately wins. This crop of stories is exceptionally good.

See here for the list: http://bit.ly/YsQzwU

www.boekhandelvanrossum.nl

Jenny Nunn, translator and volunteer in the bookshop, has provided the following recommendation:

Marie Phillips

The Table of Less Valued KnightsAuthor Marie Phillips released her debut novel, Gods Behaving Badly, in 2007. The comic tale follows Apollo, Aphrodite and their fellow Greek heroes who, now living in a squalid flat in London, face a 21st century world in which no one believes in them. Their powers are dwindling, there’s rarely any hot water and family tensions are rife. Things come to a head when two mortals become unknowingly entangled in the godly action. With witty dialogue, vivid characters and great originality, this is a hugely enjoyable read. Phillips’ second book, The Table of Less Valued Knights, appeared in August this year and promises another serving of historical comedy.

For a touch of non-fiction, a long-time customer and friend, Frieda Jacobowitz, has kindly offered to review Naomi Klein’s new book This Changes Everything, Capitalism vs. the Climate.

Naomi Klein

This Changes EverythingNaomi Klein’s newest book, This Changes Everything, is a masterful and logical addition to and continuation of her impressive line-up of books. Since her influential debut with No Logo in 1999 about branding and sweatshop conditions in the Americas and Asia and most recently with The Shock Doctrine in 2007, she’s been a steady presence as an author, speaker, anti-globalism activist and journalist.

This Changes Everything sheds new light on many aspects of pressing global climate issues by showing the dire necessity of the world’s current neoliberal take on capitalism to change in order for us all to have a chance to maintain a livable world. “Time is running out quickly” is her message, as well as that of many researchers who are quoted in the book.

Despite this she describes a possible scenario with glimmers of some hope for being able to lower emissions and develop renewable energy techniques further. She suggests that we can perhaps even achieve much more than that on a global, humane and democratic level as well, if large (fossil fuel) corporations, among others, can be forced by world citizens and governments to bring an end to hundreds of years of very profitable “extractivism”.

This Changes Everything is a well-researched, thoughtful, timely and much-needed common sense treatise on what we still can, and indeed must, do in order to avoid the destruction of life as we know it on our planet by making it difficult, or impossible, for purely market mechanisms to determine the course national and global energy policies will take from now on. A must-read!

Museum of Natural History where her father is the master of locks, until they are forced to flee the Nazi invasion of Paris. A young German orphan becomes fascinated with radios and his repair skills later destine him to track Resistance cells across Europe. Doerr twines these two stories together in prose so detailed and so poetic that you will look at the world with new eyes. Both suspenseful and beautiful - and essentially very compassionate, this is one of those lovely, special books you won’t want to miss. Get to know Anthony Doerr!

British LanguageTraining Centre

English & Dutch CoursesTeaching English (TEFL)

www.bltc.nlTel. 020 622 3634

bltc

At ISA, we believe that great facilities can set the stage for great learning. ISA is housed in a space specially designed for international education. And inspiration.

Our facilities include a four-floor library/media center, a 400-seat theatre, science labs and specialist studios for music, art, and drama. More than 400 computers are joined in a school-wide, online network. Students work with laptops and iPads in the classroom. Two state-of-the-art gyms, discovery oriented playgrounds and adjacent playing fields are large, well equipped and secure.

ISA’s campus is not a luxury. It’s where ideas are born.

Sportlaan 45 - 1185 TB Amstelveen - The Netherlands - Tel. +31 20 347 1111 - www.isa.nl

Exciting and developing young minds

ISA campus, main entrance

Setting the stage.

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ISA_SettingTheStage_135x95.pdf 1 2/21/13 10:25 AM

Taste Life!Kingsalmarkt, the world-famous foodstore!We are known for our wide range of products from countries all over the world. ‘Taste life’ is what we call that. Visit us for your favourite American cornfl akes, brownies and soups, British jams and honey, Mexican tortillas, Spanish tapas and ham, Italian coffee and pasta and French cheese. Of course you can pick up the rest of your groceries too.

Rembrandtweg 621, 1181 GV Amstelveen-noord, tel. 020 643 37 51 www.kingsalmarkt.nl [email protected] reached by car (free parking) and public transport (5 or 51 tram to Kronenburg)Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am – 6 pm Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm

My wife did this painting and gave it to me for

Valentine’s Day when we had been courting

for just a few weeks. It has always hung in

our lounge.

I like it because it gives a homely and warm feeling

but cannot be pinned down to a specific geographic

location.

HOME IS WHERE THE ART ISBy David Thomas

If you have a piece of art in your home with a story attached, please feel free to sent it in to our editorial team. [email protected]

Texel Island DiscsTEXEL Island Discs comes this month from Benjamin Arthur, the British Photographer in Amsterdam and BritSoc’s resident expert. His choices take us on an emotional journey from melancholia to romantic bliss and 14 minutes down Telegraph Road. My two favourite bands of all time – The Beatles and Radiohead – are unrepresented because it would be invidious to try and pick one of their songs.

1. Barry White. You’re The First, The Last, My Everything. My wife & I picked this as our first dance on our wedding day. It’s not even my favorite Barry White number but as I’m dying on that Texel Island I’d want a rich, vivid reminder of the woman I love and this provides it.

2. Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone. In spite of its tragic-comic bitterness, it somehow always brings me up and makes me feel better about life. Maybe I’m just a really bad person!?

3. Rolling Stones: Wild Horses. So many incredible Stones numbers to pick from, but this one just has so much heartache and longing for another place in it, I feel it’d be a great TID! A close call with “Angie” mind.

4. Coldplay: Strawberry Swing. This song will float into your life and, once in, you’ll never want it to leave. Apparently it is “one of the most psychologically relaxing songs ever recorded”. It’s been the #1 most played on my iTunes for more than 5 years now.

5. David Bowie: Port of Amsterdam. My favorite solo artist singing about my adopted hometown in the most gut wrenchingly honest way imaginable. What’s not to love?

6. Dire Straits: Telegraph Road. It goes on for 14 minutes. It is a journey. It seems forever and yet it is absolutely impermanent. It’s about life.

Benjamin’s beats:

7. Gorillaz: On Melancholy Hill. Damon Albarn’s a genius. And Gorillaz is his finest creation. This was the sound of the summer of 2010. Just under 4 minutes of absolute pop perfection.

8. Amy Macdonald: This is the Life. Speaking of pop perfection, this Scottish talent was a revelation when I first heard her. After all the melancholia I need something to make me feel good about life again and this does the trick every time.

9. U2: City of Blinding Lights. Barack Obama’s 2008 election theme song. Each time I hear it I am reminded of that singular moment of [political] hope for the world. Regardless of what has subsequently transpired, what bliss it was to be alive on the morning of his election.

10. The Doors: The End. Finally a song to just get blitzed to. Oedipal, haunting, awful, brilliant. The Doors’ finest 11 minutes.

Would like to suggest your own Texel Island Discs? Please contact [email protected]

Dave Thomas & John Richardson

poetscorner68 North Streeta house taken from a child’s drawingsquare frame, trapezoid roof, chimney with smokearched recess with red front doorrectangular windows, metal frames off-white

front garden a model of perfectiontrimmed privet hedge, wrought-iron gatelawn mown with cricket field stripesroses without a single petal displaced

back garden an artist’s palettescarlet strawberries merge into straw-coloured gooseberriesgrey shoddy garage abuts brown potato patchblack brambles lost in long lime grass

front door only opens on special occasionsback door’s never lockedinside 1950s fireplaces, no central heatingbakelite sockets and light switchescrinkly Izal toilet paper in downstairs loowhirligig in a room the child’s long left

68 North Street, West Butterwick even the bridge to nowhere passed it by

© Dave Thomas 2014

You can’tYou can take the apple from the treebut you can’t put it back

I threw it on the grounda discarded rewinda mistake uncorrectable

It melted slowly into nourishment for the seedto feed the miracle

sculpted by the windof butterfly wings

it grew with no fearits circle unbroken

loss became gain

you can take the apple from the tree but only the apple can put it back again

© John Richardson 2014

poetry

BritPhotShot of the Month“St.Paul at the Rijksmuseum”

Technical details: Nikon D700. AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm, f/3.2, ISO 3200 @ 1/25th seconds

Britsoc Photo Lesson #6: Absorb your surroundings to construct your shot

Britsoc Photo Lesson #6: Absorb your surroundings to construct your shot

www.benjaminarthur.com

November 2014, Amsterdam

R embrandt’s masterful self-portrait

“Self-portrait as the Apostle Paul”

which hangs in the Honor gallery

in the Rijksmuseum, became the focus of

this shot, which I took during the Pritzker

Architecture Prize Dinner over the summer

… an event where I was the official

photographer.

I was inspired by the shot of President Obama

looking at the painting earlier this year.

Rembrandt’s gaze can easily be interpreted as

pitiless. What did he make of Obama? What,

indeed, would he make of this elite dining in

fine style in this place?

The picture has one important lesson in it for

any aspiring photographer; it is crucial to be

aware of your surroundings as you look for an

original image. What can you use to construct

your shot that other people might not think

of? This might look obvious but it only looks

that way in retrospect.

If you like this image please

email me for rates to hire me

for your next party, special

event, congress, conference or

Christmas festivities.

Email to:

[email protected].

Benjamin Arthur The British Photographer in Amsterdam.

Britsoc food correspondent Nick Nugent

Reporting fromthe four corners

of the Amsterdam kitchenFoyer - pop up restaurant. Kosebasi. Surya. Meetup Dining Clubs

NICK’S NOSH

Britsoc food correspondent Nick Nugent

Reporting fromthe four corners

of the Amsterdam kitchenFoyer - pop up restaurant. Kosebasi. Surya. Meetup Dining Clubs

Idon’t know whether you have noticed the huge rise in new Restaurants in Amsterdam recently. It’s amazing given that we are supposed to be in hard economic times with the ECB just lowering

interest rates to an unprecedented 0.05% (basically zero) to stimulate the economy. I find it surprising that so many people want to try their hand at opening a catering business, which is probably the most challenging type of business, with the worst failure rate of any business group.If you, like me, are interested to find new places, then having a list of 2,300 restaurants to choose from (admittedly a lot are fast food and late night kebab places, but nevertheless it’s an impressive number) means you are in a constant battle to find the best of this or the most delicious that. I have taken to creating vast lists in Excel to cope with this issue. I currently have all Indians, Michelin stars, Sunday opening and breakfast/brunch places listed separately from my main target list which changes as I eventually knock each one off the list. In recent months it has become more difficult to tick off those in my target list. I think I have only managed one in about 6 months. The reason? It is all these bloody new ones which keep popping up! Recently I went to Kosebasi (http://www.kosebasi.com/en) which is an excellent Turkish chain restaurant and on the way there I spotted about 3-4 new restaurants on Ceintuurbaan. What is a food critic to do?Well, one solution I have found is to join one of the extremely popular and rapidly expanding

Dining Clubs

dining clubs which can be found on sites like Meetup. This at least removes two issues: no more dining alone and of course your food choice is made for you. The one I chose to attend was organised by the AMS connected Meetup group, which regularly organise Sunday Brunches around the city and have begun to do evenings as well now. This one was at one of my favourite Indian restaurants Surya (http://www.suryarestaurant.nl/). I will not comment too much on the food in this review, as although it was pretty damn good, I want to concentrate on the concept of the Dining Club. However, just to let you know what we had, I have included our menu choices below:

Mixed starters/veg startersButter ChickenChicken Bhuna MasalaGurkha LambMomo SuryaDal MakhniVeg BaltiSalad, Rice, Naan, Garlic Naan

This was a set menu for 22.50 euros including a welcome drink.This particular night really attracted one hell of a lot of British, who like me are pining for a decent curry, which is what we got on the night. I am sure other restaurant choices would have attracted a much wider variety of nationalities. We occupied the long bench seat on the right hand side of the restaurant which meant that your conversation was restricted to the 5 or so people surrounding you for the majority of the time. Inevitably the topics of conversions all hinged around expat topics of what to do for fun, best restaurants (which is always my topic of conversation), who else we know and other

http://www.kosebasi.com/en

http://www.kosebasi.com/en

http://www.suryarestaurant.nl

expat events. On my table there were 3 guys, 2 of which were new to Amsterdam and single, the other was a veteran of a few years and knew many people in this group. We were 3 Brits and one Fin, for the record.I certainly got the feeling that quite a few people who were attending were here to see if there was a chance to get a date in future. The mix of boys and girls was fairly even so this was a good possibility, but the sexes did seem to stick together on this occasion. Nevertheless the event provides a really relaxed environment to give you a good chance to get to know people quite well and decide whether you are compatible. I was also able to organise a pool session in the future with some of the members of my table! I think these clubs will flourish, but it does really depend on keeping the mix of venues they choose fresh. If there is new and exciting food they really need to go there rather than going for the best deal they can get. Maybe I will see some of you at one of the next events.Nick Nugent

Foyer - pop up restaurant ***

much to the taste of the owners and reflected that, particularly in the reds, as it seems they have a palette for very soft reds with no body, legs or length. Typically there was a lot of Merlot, Fleurie and Gamay. The choices of heavier reds were a very heavy Bordeaux and a Bourgueil which was 100% Cabinet Franc. The waitress suggested a bottle which was 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc. I asked her if she was really sure based on what I told her I liked. We got the bottle, it was decanted and, after the first taste it was pretty flavourless with no body, legs or length, just as predicted. I said I would let it breathe for a bit to see if it developed, but no. The waitress saw my distress after the second try and asked me whether I liked it. I told her no, and she changed it without fuss to the Bordeaux, which was ok, but was a 2006 and so had a fairly hefty price tag. So what about the food? I shared everything with my dining companion so I can give you the benefit of more than half the menu.Starters:

Artichoke DishThis was very nicely presented with artichokes mostly hiding under some baby gem lettuce. There was a nice cauliflower puree, sliced radish, turnip and carrot. It was nice, a fresh way to start, but overall it was only ok.Beef DishThis was the standout starter. The beef was cooked beautifully and sliced really thinly on top of the vegetables and apple sauce. I don’t really care for endive but even that was ok with the sweetness of the apple to take away the major bitterness.

Ilike pop up restaurants as it gives a budding restauranteur the chance to open up and test their concept before they give it a real go. Great recent examples have been Lovefood HQ, which Jason Hartley tried to extend and make a

go of it, but ultimately couldn’t . The Foyer is another recent example which opened in May and will continue until the end of the year. It is promising to see modern Dutch food in an interesting location. They do have a superb venue, which is the foyer (hence the name) of the Felix Meritis Museum on Keizersgracht, but of course the question is can they deliver food to match? The menu concept is also interesting in that they deliver a menu with a list of ingredients for starter, in between, main and cheese and/or dessert, which are seasonal. They promise that they will make a really good dish, based on your meat, fish or vegetarian preference out of those listed ingredients. So we picked vegetarian and meat for both starter and main. We also chose to take the in between and the cheese platter. I did ask where the cheese was from, and a relatively funny conversation ensued. The response was that it was cheese from the street. I had a fairly good idea that what she was trying to say was that the cheese was from around the corner at Kaaskamer (a pretty good cheese shop if you are interested) Being from Liverpool, which means having to make a joke out of nearly everything, I couldn’t help myself, so I asked “so it’s street cheese? What’s that?”, which got a pretty big laugh from the table next to us. The situation was clarified a few moments later once the laughing had died down. We ordered it, whatever this street cheese would turn out to be.The next choice was the wine, which proved to be more tricky. The assembled wine list is very

http://foyer.fm

In betweenMozzarellaThis was a slice of mozzarella served with an aubergine puree, sweet peppers and a basil oil. Everything was nicely cooked on the plate, but the mozzarella was not really that good an example.

Mains:Mushroom DishThis was the standout dish of the two. The perfectly cooked sautéed mushrooms were liberally sprinkled on top of a fine mashed potato, with pumpkin crisps, boiled pumpkin strips, cabbage and parsley oil. This was a real taste of autumn on a plate.Pork (or Pig as it was written) DishWe had pork neck and belly served. The neck was a really fine piece of cooking and was moist and very tasty. The belly was very much over cooked and had dried out quite a lot, but maintained a pretty good flavour. I think part of the problem with the belly is that some of the fat had been removed. The celeriac puree was silky smooth, the sauerkraut was correctly balanced for acidity and the veg were green beans and turnip tops and the gravy was fairly tasty. It was pretty nice but I sort of said ho hum to myself. It was an ok piece of bistro cooking.Cheese Platter:Aged Gouda – ho hum it’s Old Gouda.

Munster – a pretty good soft cheeseRoquefort – so ripe it was trying to climb off the plate

So, if you find yourself around this area and fancy decent bistro style food then it’s definitely one to give a try, unless, like me, you like full bodied but fruity red wine then you won’t be satisfied with the choice. This was partly responsible for only 3 stars for this place. I actually think the food was a bit better than that, but taking the whole experience then I ended up with a 3. It’s pretty good and I don’t think you will be disappointed, but the price is also quite high. 3 courses is 27.50 each and with a fairly pricey wine I did not get change from 160 euros for 4 courses for 2 with tip. Also a reason it only gets 3 stars. Service was attentive and I gave some points for changing the bottle but also not enough to breach 4 stars. Anyway, try it yourself and if you spot any other popups then I would be interested to give them a try. You can contact me at [email protected] Nugent

Felix & Foam, Frame, Foyer & FriendsKeizersgracht 324, AmsterdamTel: +31 (0)6 2831 0403http://foyer.fm/http://www.foam.org/felix-foam/https://www.facebook.com/foyerfm

Restaurant Foyer opening hoursMon/Tue 11 am - 7 pmWed - Sun 11 am - 1 am

One Pan Practical Pork Chops in Half an Hour

Karen Vivers

food glorious/

Karen Vivers, originally from Scotland, has lived here in Amsterdam since 1997, and

has set up the Cooking Coach to help inspire people to get back into the kitchen. The basis of the cooking lessons are easy, tasty, healthy recipes. Each course starts with a free introduction session, to make sure that you only cook what you like to eat. As well as cooking lessons, Karen offers Culinary Tours in Amsterdam, is a passionate Food Blogger and works freelance as a

Culinary Consultant, specialising in small and medium businesses, helping them get started, grow and deal with commercial challenges.

One Pan Practical Pork Chops in Half an HourI’ve been feeling very efficient lately. I think it has something to do with workload. Lots of bookings for Culinary Tasting Tours in Amsterdam and Cooking Lessons have certainly made me focus my priorities. It’s made me decide what’s really important, of course that goes for my business, but also for my food. This recipe is a very recent addition to my ever-growing (at the last count almost 500) recipe list. I’ve published it not only on my own blog but on others too and it has had a great response, so I thought I’d share it with you. The whole thing started when I bought some pork chops at the French Butcher on the Albert Cuypstraat in Amsterdam. I got them home, unwrapped them and started thinking about the flavours I like to eat with pork. I started thinking about apples, sage, mustard, honey. The list goes on. Then I started thinking about sauces, how to combine all these flavours. I wanted it all, I didn’t want to compromise and use only some flavours. I looked at the clock, I heard my stomach growl. This would have to be quick. The thought of different sauces in different pans and the pork cooking at the same time was just all too much. Not to mention all that washing up! So, I got out the roasting pan and this is what happened...

Preparation Time: 7 minutesCooking Time: 15 to 25 minutes (depends on the size and thickness of your chops)

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients 4 x pork chops1 x large white onion sliced into thin rings3 x apples sliced thinly with the skin on (I like to use Elstar)2 x garlic cloves chopped finely5 or 6 sage leaves chopped finely3 x tsps Dijon mustard4 x tsps honey1 x tbsp olive oilJuice of a lemonSalt and pepper

Method1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C / 400°F2. Line a roasting tin with some aluminium foil.3. Layer up your ingredients in the bottom of the tin,

firstly the onion, then apple, sprinkle over the sage and garlic.

4. Place your pork chops on top. Drizzle over the lemon juice. Spread about a tsp of mustard over each of your chops (if they are large you may need more than is stated above), then drizzle the honey and the olive oil over the chops as equally as you can. Sprinkle some salt and grind some black pepper over them too.

5. Put your chops in the oven and roast for about 10 to 15 minutes. The chops are ready when they are nice and crisply brown and the meat is no longer pink. I check this by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the thickest chop to look inside – you can always disguise this by pulling a little of the mustard over your cut.

Tips and Variations• I love to serve this with some green beans and

oven roasted chips with sage.• If you feel that your chops are getting a little too

much colour without being cooked through or that you think they are drying out –you can cover them with some aluminium foil for some of the cooking time.

food glorious/

Karen’s COOKING BOOK

“Love Food, Live Healthy” now available on Amazon.

http://amzn.to/1rcOpYa

Learn How to Cook the Healthy, Tasty Meals you

WANT to Eat!Karen has recently published her first book ‘Love Food, Live Healthy’ ,which is ideal if you want to eat more consciously or lose weight without compromising on flavour or your enjoyment of food. A very achievable, common sense approach to healthy eating and cooking. With over 150 no-fuss, contemporary recipes suitable for cooks of all skill levels. As well as the recipes in the book showing you what to eat, there is lots of information about how to eat to stay healthy.

The Cooking Coach Love Food, Live Healthy

www.thecookingcoach.eu

Mobile : 06 1424 0009Email: [email protected]

This book started life as a collection of recipes used by Karen to lose over 40kgs. Karen was diagnosed with a Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D ) in 2003 and had lost and gained 100’s of kgs over her teenage and adult life. Karen realized that she had to face her fear (and her great love) – food - and take a whole new approach. This became the start of her successful and sustainable weight loss and the inspiration for her business “The Cooking Coach”.The book can also be downloaded to kindle and other E-readers and is compatible with tablets and smartphones as well as laptops and PCs.

THEOF AMSTERDAM

There's fun to be had by the whole family!

The Wintermarket will include:• 2nd hand toys/books/dvds • Vendors• Kids’ Zone activities • Kids’ Craft Market• Craft Room • BBQ & food stalls

To be a vendor, please contact Jacqueline Ruesink: [email protected] have a food stall, a table in the Kids' Craft Market or to help with thegeneral organization of the Wintermarket, please [email protected]

Sunday, 23 November 201412:00-16:00The British School of AmsterdamFred. Roeskestraat 94a

There's funto be had by the whole family!The Wintermarket will include:

nov zine 2014

Documents

arts page

british school of amsterdam

nicks noshfood page

cooking coachfood page

photo lesson page

topclass british schooling

secondary school

music texel island discs