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Netherlands
'A Very Big Small Country'
Lonely Planet, the Australian publishers of extensive,
very practical travel guides the world over, now include the Netherlands
in their list. The first edition of their guide to the Netherlands
appeared this January. The Lonely Planet writers have produced
a 350-page, information-packed book with an extra cycling section.
"We were struck by the generosity of the Dutch, who wanted
us to enjoy their country as well as understand it," writers
Ryan Ver Berkmoes and Jeremy Gray say in their introduction. "It's
a very big small country."
 This kind of guide is not only
useful for tourists. People working or studying in the Netherlands
may find this guide gives them some insights they might have taken
a long time to think of themselves. For example, about how to
find an authentic Indonesian meal as opposed to the blander, Westernised
'Chinese-Indonesian' version. Or how to tell the difference between
a 'café', 'koffieshop' and 'koffiehuis'.
The two American writers of the Lonely Planet Netherlands edition
have clearly researched their subject extensively. The guide is
split into a general section on facts about the Netherlands with
interesting historical background, a further section with facts
for the visitor, chapters on travel, getting around and cycling.
The authors then continue with specific information on Amsterdam
and the eleven Dutch provinces and their towns and cities. The
information on Amsterdam is very detailed and useful to anyone
planning on staying in Amsterdam for a few days, be they Dutch
or foreign.
Eindhoven
Information on Eindhoven and the province of Noord-Brabant is
extremely limited. The authors seem to have fallen for the general
inferiority complex and bad pr about Eindhoven, with people saying
Eindhoven is really just a place to work. Apparently the only
thing worthwhile in Eindhoven is the Van Abbe Museum, with its
excellent collection of twentieth century art. Eindhoven's population
is still 198,000 at Lonely Planet, in reality it has long since
passed the 204,000 mark. Cursor may find occasion to write a little
more on the subject of Eindhoven in future.
The authors do say the guide may already be out of date when it
hits the stores and ask readers to send in any comments or experiences
of their own to the Lonely Planet site: talk2us@lonelyplanet.
com.au. The best contributions will be rewarded with a free guide.
A new edition is expected in two years.
Den Bosch, with its beautiful old centre, gets a better press.
Den Bosch has a very impressive cathedral which is worth visiting.
Lonely Planet also recommends a visit to Maastricht in the province
of Limburg, especially for "going wild" at carnaval.
"Maastricht has a liveliness and energy out of proportion
to its size. The people are irreverent, there's hordes of university
students and the streets are steeped in history. No visit to the
Netherlands is complete without a visit to Maastricht."
Nirvana
One of the traditions at Lonely Planet is to include detailed
maps, which for the Netherlands also means maps of interesting
cycling routes. "The Netherlands is a nirvana for cyclists,"
the authors comment. Needless to say, no map of Eindhoven is included.
Lonely Planet is of course not the first or only guide to the
Netherlands. It is a very practical guide for the backpacker or
for anyone who wants to see the country on a limited budget. The
Rough Guide has a similar approach, but is larger, includes more
colour photos and fewer maps. The Blue Guide gives a lot of information
about things to see in the Netherlands. Bookseller Sjef van Kuijeren
of Van Piere Boeken (with a branch at TU/e) further recommends
'The Culture Shock Guide: a guide to customs and etiquette' for
people newly arrived in the Netherlands. This guide is meant for
new residents and has a section on doing business in the Netherlands./.
The first Lonely Planet travel guide for the
Netherlands includes background on windmills how they work
and where to find them.
Photo: Bram Saeys.
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Volleyball at Sports Fair
It's very hard to play volleyball on a court of only a few metres
square. But this was exactly what happened last Monday at the
Auditorium. This was the day of the sports fair where many student
sports clubs were represented. Four members of Hajraa gave a volleyball
demonstration between the stands. This was even a bit dangerous
on occasion. The ball kept landing between the organisers of GNSK
2001, who were looking for 'crew members'. Their job will be to
make sure the Grote Nederlandse Studenten Kampioenschappen run
smoothly. The student championships are to be held in Eindhoven
this year. Hockey club Don Quishoot screened a video showing how
the sport clubs do other things besides playing sports. The sports
fair was held at the beginning of this free sports week.
New Rector TU/e
TU/e's Executive Board will make the name of the new rector of
TU/e known on February 20. The person taking on this job will
have a slightly different job description than the current rector.
The new rector will have room to work on more things than only
the rectorate. "This is no coincidence," says dr. ir.
Henk de Wilt, chairman of the Executive Board. "It has to
do with the goals we have defined for the coming years. We want
to strengthen our position in Europe. Scientists are always welcome
in Europe and the rest of the world because of their research.
If we make sure the new rector can remain active in a leading
field of science, he will be able to operate more easily in the
world of international science, and he will be able to gain access
to other universities more easily." Executive skills will
therefore be less important than the candidate's professional,
scientific knowledge.
Concert Tour NSK
The Nederlands Studenten Kamerkoor (Dutch Student Chamber Choir)
will be touring seven student cities from February 17 to March
3. The annual concert tour by the choir, which consists of thirty
amateur singers, has taken on the theme of 'tone poets' this year,
referring to the relation between poetry and music. For more information,
such as dates, locations, places and times, please consult www.nskk.nl.
Anti-RSI Offensive
TU/e is starting a campus-wide campaign against RSI (repetitive
strain injury), also known in the Netherlands as 'mouse arm'.
The campaign will start on March 5 with a joint effort by the
company doctor, Arbo- en milieuserviceorganisatie and the Student
Sports Centre. All the health/sports officials concerned favour
an integrated approach. The campaign will centre on a number of
workshops to be held in the Student Sports Centre. Experts will
tutor small groups of students and staff in correct computer posture
and the prevention of RSI. The campaign will start with a meeting
on March 5 in the Auditorium, Blauwe Zaal. Paul Weijmans, head
of the Arbo- en milieuservice organisatie, will give a short introduction.
TU/e's company doctor Ben Martens will then discuss specific health
aspects. Arbo adivisor Theo Melgers will explain how to make sure
your work station comes up to scratch and Frits Niemans, instructor
and physiotherapist, will explain the idea behind the workshops.
It will then be possible to register for the workshops. The meeting
is meant for everyone at TU/e.
Two New Programs
TU/e will be offering two new programs to students in September
of this year and next year, respectively. The Industrial Design
department will start the new program in September 2001. Installation
Technology will become a separate program in 2002; this field
has been a major at the Architecture department for the past ten
years. The 'Advies Commissie Onderwijs' or ACO recently gave permission
for both these new programs. Installation Technology is a unique
scientific program in the Netherlands and is concerned with the
science and technology pertaining to the inside of buildings.
Industrial Design will be a program in which groups of students
work on design assignments.
Corpse Found on TU/e Campus
A body was found on TU/e campus last week. The deceased's name
was Peter Holten, he had been missing since the beginning of the
year. The corpse was discovered in the bushes by the Dommel river,
near by Student Sports Centre, by someone taking a walk. Detectives
have not found any sign that a crime was committed. The police
say the man probably fell in the water and died shortly afterwards.
The identity of the deceased was quickly apparent, because he
had his ID papers on him.
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