international life
A helping hound in Holland 18/01/2008 00:00
I never realized how many doors could open for me simply by having a pet, says Olivia Neri, whose Mopshondje (Chinese Pug) has helped break the ice in her neighbourhood.
A great way to practice Dutch.
One thing that amazed me in my Dutch class is the number of students who state that they have little to no interaction with Nederlanders. My advice, get a dog! I have always been an extremely chatty person, and paired with my dog, Pepper, I am given an excuse to talk to perfect strangers each and every day! All I have to do is take Pepper on a walk and I am guaranteed to have at least one interaction with a Nederlander – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I stop and say,"Hi!" to other dog owners, and Pepper and I have a chance to make new friends! The small talk that transpires is a great way to practice my Dutch with native speakers, and more importantly, my neighbours.
Teaching my dog Dutch.
People always ask if I speak to my dog in English or Dutch. When I respond that I speak to her in both – with a few words in Spanish thrown in – I get an array of reactions. One woman actually said that I would confuse my dog by speaking to her in two languages! For me, it is a great way to practice my Dutch, without getting judged.
Exploring the neighbourhood
Even though my dog weighs a mere 15 pounds, when I am walking with her, I never feel alone. I look for new routes to take so neither of us gets bored, and in the process, I learn more about my neighbourhood daily. For instance, without my walks I'd never have discovered some enchanting houses which are hidden in the some of the backstreets we've wandered along.
Choosing a vet for your dog
The best way to find a good veterinarian is to ask around. I was fortunate to find a great practice through a neighbour, where the vets are friendly, knowledgeable, and speak fluent English. This is especially important because although I speak conversational Dutch, I want to be able to communicate clearly with my dog’s vet with absolutely no room for misunderstandings.
Obedience classes
Doggie class has been one of the most difficult classes I have ever taken. We, the doggie parents, are constantly reminded that the class is teaching us; not the dog, which is a polite way to say that each time my dog does something incorrectly, I have only myself to blame!
The first obstacle we faced in obedience class was that Pepper did not listen to me. The second was that the language of instruction was Dutch. Fortunately for me, the instructors are patient with my Dutch, and take time to make sure that I understand every lesson.
While Pepper’s doggie class is certainly one of the hardest classes I have ever taken, it has also been one of the most rewarding, and I happily look forward to the end result: A loyal dog that listens and behaves. After all, that is why we enrolled in the class in the first place!
My Pug Pepper is my best small friend who is helping me to get to grips with Dutch culture and to discover my adopted country.
Commands for beginners:
Zit - Sit
Volg - Follow
Blijf. Stay
Plaats/ Liggen - Lie down
Aan Voet - Stand next to you.
Dog Training Courses
Eindhoven:
Honden Club Oud Woensel:
www.hcow.nl
Telephone: (0)40 245 2749
E-mail: info@hcow.nl
[We invite you, our readers, to recommend Dog training courses so that we can build up a useful listing for the Expatica community.]
Freelance writer Olivia Neri, who packed her bags and moved from Los Angeles to Eindhoven last year to marry her Dutch boyfriend, finds that shaking off the label of 'American who doesn't know Dutch' is hard work.
[Copyright Expatica 2008]
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1 reaction to this article
Nathalie posted: 21-01-2008 | 9:30 AM
http://www.martingaus.nl/
I recommend the Martin Gaus dog training schools. I took my long-haired Dachshund (tekkel) Katrine to the training school in Haarlem and the sessions worked wonders.
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- Hello Frank and Expatica My question has to do with the current financial crisis. After having sold my U.K. house, I deposited the money offshore, which I declare to the tax authorities (I do not have 30% ruling). the offshore savings are only guaranteed up to 15000. However, considering the acute financial crisis and instability of the banks, I would feel safer if I had the money physically in a safe deposit box and actually even trust friends and family and my home with small chunks of it rather than the banks. My question is, how do I declare this to the tax authorities without proof of a bank statement? Would I have to redeposit the money to get an end of year statement and then withdraw it again? Thanks. I am sure that other expats are also worried about the lack of offshore guarantees. Annette H Dear Annette, Thank you for a very topical question. The part of my answer within my field of professional expertise is that you should not worry. If you state the amount of cash at hand as per the relevant moments for box 3 (in most cases: January 1 and December 31) in the correct lines in your return (assets in box 3), you fully comply with tax law. Should your total of assets vary substantially without apparent reason, that may of course attract the attention of tax authorities for investigation. Please also note that some offshore banks are obliged to withhold a retention tax on interest, which may be difficult to receive back. But the parts of my answer that are beyond my professional expertise and are therefore tentative in nature, but may be more important. Any bank to cash or vice versa movement of EUR 15,000 or more may trigger an obligatory Unusual Transaction Report (melding ongebruikelijke transactie) which may be a reason to launch a financial investigation. Further, carrying cash across EU borders of EUR 10,000 or more must be reported to customs. Detailed information: http://www.douane.nl/overig/verordening_liquide_middelen/en/ . Last: I can not readily find whether a law proposal has been entered into force that makes cash of more than EUR 2,000 when found upon investigation liable for immediate seizure unless you provide a reasonable explanation. All these measures have been proposed to counter illegal activities including money laundering. Despite your opinion on these measures, I would say: not worth the potential trouble. Apart from that, European authorities have drastically increased their bank deposited money guarantees in order to inspire you to leave your money in the bank, as lack of such money may cause further bank trouble. Bank deposits by private persons and small companies with Dutch licensed banks are guaranteed by the Dutch Central Bank up to EUR 100,000 per account. Therefore, with our Dutch tradition to expect much of their authorities presumed to work, you should be reasonably safe when you spread your assets over various private accounts of up to EUR 100,000 with Dutch banks. For completeness’ sake, you will appreciate that my answers in this paragraph are tentative. I trust t have informed you appropriately. Kind regards, Frank de Bats Tax Lawyer - De Bats Beheer BV - 27155273 P Herberg 63 - NL-2264 KP Leidschendam T +31 6 201 29 830 F +31 84 728 729 6 E info@frankdebats.nl Asked by : Helena Cocoa Answered by : Tax Expert Frank de Bats
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