Planning to move to or just visit the Hague? I've come across another great resource for expats: The Hague Online. This site provides news headlines in English but also goes in-depth on a number of important issues, like finance, health, housing, lifestyle and work.

It also provides a comprehensive business directory, from bookstores to interior design to ski centers.

The essentials tab provides information about free workshops, exhibitions, and concerts.

The Hague Online is a great website for any non-Dutch speaker looking to familiarize themselves with the city.

Tomorrow is Hemelvaart, assention day, a beloved holiday where the Dutch kick back, relax, and weather permitting - go out and enjoy themselves. Many will do the barbecue thing at a friends house or at the park, others will choose to go to a nice restaurant or café. If you happen to be someone looking for a nice big outdoor festival during the day, I have just the thing for you: Hemeltjelief.

Hemeltkelief is a self proclaimed, party for sweet people. So if you fit the criteria, the fun is taking place in Amsterdam North at the NDSM wharf. There will be a long list of music, art, and food for your indulgence. Among the international musical acts are: Mdungu, Les Chevals, Correspondence, Brazzaville, The Stokers, Cool Genius and Dent Tex.
The website includes a long list of children's activities making this festival as fun for kids as it is for adults.

The full festival combi pass costs €20 and a regular ticket costs €13. The combi ticket gets you into the after party that starts at 11pm and will go all night. The festival takes place all day long followed by the afterparty for those who prefer the darkness.

SAIL 2010 is still months away. Mark already alerted us to their call for volunteers, I but I want to take the opportunity to encourage anyone in or near Amsterdam in August to attend.

SAIL is a nautical extravaganza. I was there five years ago for SAIL 2005, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the most spectacular events I've ever been at in all my time in the Netherlands. As the website states, the event will boast the following:

* an impressive fleet of Tall Ships from all around the world
* a unique collection of Dutch sailing heritage
* a variety of modern ships
* various impressive naval ships and replicas
* an extensive, accompanying programme on the wharfs
* activities, performances and expositions for young and old
* a unique atmosphere with thousands of boats on the water
* a daily closing ceremony with a breath-taking fireworks show

The ships are really unbelievable, and all sizes and shapes fill the waters near Amsterdam Central Station. They're not just to look at, either - many of the ships can be boarded, and detailed tours are possible.

Check out the website and reserve these dates: August 19-23, 2010.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, there's a fantastic light show taking place in Utrecht every night, as part of the Trajectum Lumen project. Last night I managed to get a few shots of some of the lights on display, but this is just a small fraction. I particularly recommend the display at the Drift Canal, which is continuously changing, with images from abstract colors to Pac Man chases. It's hypnotic and hard to step away from it.

Seen here from top to bottom are the Drift Canal, the neon halo at St. Willibrord Church, and Janskerk:

Unless you've been hiding in a cave, you probably know that the Giro D'Italia bicycle race is starting off here in the Netherlands this weekend. Here in Utrecht, there are signs, flags, banners and every other sort of sign, both obvious and subtle, that the city is going to be visited by even more bicycles than usual. If you want to track the full route and figure out where you can see it yourself, you can always check the official website for the routes through Utrecht.

In the meantime, here are a few photos I took around town last night. The whole city has gone pink, it seems, from window displays, to the Winkel van Sinkel, to even the Domtoren!

From the U.S., but now call a Dutch city home? It's possible that you have cravings once in a while for food products more commonly found on U.S. soil.

Thanks to this blog (A Touch of Dutch) and a recently published entry called "The Updated Great American Food Blog Entry," there is now a comprehensive list of where to find or order American food in the Netherlands. And when I say comprehensive, I mean comprehensive. From Amstelveen to Utrecht to Leiden, she has provided information about the stores and contact info. She even has a section on Belgium.

But as she points out: be aware that these products are insanely expensive compared to their counterparts back at home. She also provides some links to shipping services, in case you decide to handle the import yourself.

Big music festival season will soon be upon us here in the Netherlands, that time of year when huge multi-day outdoor events take place throughout the country. While some names are world-reknowned, often its the smaller festivals that are most memorable.

In just over one week's time the Walk the Line Festival will take place in the Hague. While the title sounds like it must be a giant Johnny Cash festival, its actually just a nice music festival not necessarily obsessed with the Man in Black. Bands include Bonobo, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Blaudzun, and AVI Buffalo, all of which you can preview via the organization's very cool (and noisy!) website.

Tickets are available online, 25€ for one day or 45€ for both days. The dates are 14 and 15 of May and the specific locations are also explained in detail on the website.

It always takes a few days to recover from Queen's Day and this year was no different. Some said things around Amsterdam were a little quieter this year either due to the rain or last year's attempt on the royal family. However around my neighborhood and in the center of Amsterdam all was as lively and as orange as ever. I spliced together a one minute glimpse of Queen's Day 2010 for you, check it out:

The Latin American Film Festival, in its sixth year, is taking place May 6-14 in Utrecht. The festival showcases the work of filmmakers from Latin America and those making films about the region. Included is an overview of some of the best films and documentaries of the past year, as well as an exploration of social and cultural developments. Along with the films and presentations, music, dance and debates help round out the festival.

The festival is located at the Louis Hartlooper Complex,Tolsteegbrug 1. Single tickets are €8.50, but there are discounts and special rates available, including €6 tickets for afternoon showings.Full information is available on the festival's website, in both English and in Dutch, including a downloadable festival program.

Here's a problem I wasn't aware of in the Netherlands: public service employees often face aggression and violence when they are out doing their work, and witnesses do nothing to help.

This situation has two clear problems (the aggressors and the bystanders), but a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign aims to confront the bystanders. According to Dabitch at Adland.tv:

This PSA holds a mirror up to the people on the street, showing them onscreen (as people do love to look at themselves), but with a little help of a scene previously filmed against bluescreen background, they find that they are now in a scene where paramedics face violence, and they play the part of the onlookers who don't intervene when the paramedics need help.

Check out the PSA here. What a great idea! I'm interested to see if it helps to change bystander behavior and make the streets safer for public service employees to do their jobs.