This post is all about a foreign student’s adventures in the Netherlands, where they faced culture shocks like “going Dutch” for bills, confusion over train types, a run-in with bureaucracy, and a dashed dinner date. Stay tuned for more of their eye-opening Dutch journey!
Navigating Dutch Bureaucracy: Your International Student Survival Guide
Welcome to the Netherlands, where tulips, windmills, and stroopwafels await. But before you embark on this Dutch adventure, it’s time to confront the less picturesque side: Dutch bureaucracy. Fear not, my friend; with a touch of humor and a pinch of know-how, you’ll master it like a pro. Let’s embark on your journey of “I’m-an-international-student-and-Dutch-bureaucracy-can’t-stop-me.”…
Navigating Student Excuses: Unraveling the Art and PR Tactics Behind Academic Tales
Ladies and gentlemen, gather around, because today we’re diving into the world of students, exams, and the art of crafting the perfect “dog ate my homework” excuse! I mean, let’s be real, when it comes to creativity, students are the real MVPs. They can turn the most mundane disasters into epic tales of woe and…
How I learned to love the Dutch language as an international student
When I first arrived in the Netherlands as an international student a lifetime ago, I had no idea what to expect from the Dutch language. I knew it was related to English and German, but I also heard it was full of strange sounds and expressions. I decided to take a Dutch course at the…
Let them fail
I was about to start writing this piece about student’s inquiring mind when my 8-year old daughter out of the blue asked, “Mom, do you know that many deep see creatures are transparent?” To which I answered shortly because I wanted to start writing right away,” Sure.” Not getting the clue that I was not…
Indonesia: Polarization in Politics: All a Cebong or Kampret
These days, it is hard to separate political polarization from the everyday life of Indonesian citizens.
Storytelling in Commercials – Examples from Cannes Festival of Creativity 2018
Given the (short) duration and (high) frequency of broadcast, it is always a challenge to get people to watch video/tv commercials. When the message is too light, people will forget. When the message is too long or too deep, people will get lost. Fortunately, people do value insights, and insights is more likely to stick…
When Uncertainty Reaches the Land of Certainty – Indonesia and the Netherlands
The only thing that is certain in this life is uncertainty. Growing up in Indonesia, the cliché is nothing short of the truth. People deal with ketidakpastian every minute of their lives. It has become the norm. When I was living in Jakarta, Indonesia, my morning always started with worrying if the bus would arrive…
An interview with: Yulianna Avdeeva
Moscow-born Yulianna Avdeeva got her first big breakthrough when she won First Prize in the Chopin Competition in 2010. A two-CD album featuring recordings of her performances during the competition was inaugurated the Fryderyk Chopin Institute’s blue series. How did the competition change your career? Thinking back, it was already almost eight years ago, but…
video project: Henk Swinnen talks OSR
In this video Henk Swinnen, general manager of the orchestra, introduces us to the world of this internationally acclaimed orchestra, during an interview at the Victoria Hall, while recording “Tchaikovsky & Mendelssohn – Violin Concertos” with Arabella Steinbacher and Charles Dutoit released in summer 2015. Video production: Festina Amsterdam Copywriter, art production: Rina Sitorus
think storytelling 