Nov 29, 2011 - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, was welcomed by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington on Tuesday. This is the Dutch leader's first visit to the White House. At the beginning of the meeting in the Oval Office, President Obama said that the Netherlands is America's "most important ally."

22 November, 2011 - A vote in the Dutch parliament opposed the plans of Interior Minister Donner to allow Dutch citizens abroad to keep two passports. The decision is not yet final as the Raad van State still needs to issue advice. At this point, though, the petition that also circulated among our members does not seem to have had effect. To be continued.

Hallo ouders, Morgen kom ik aan in Nederland. Jullie kunnen nu al kijken naar het Sinterklaas journaal. Op 4 December ben ik van plan een snel bezoek te brengen aan Scottsdale. Dit jaar wil ik eerst mijn Amerikaanse kinderen zien. Zoals ik vorig jaar al zei, breng ik mijn nieuwe iSintPad mee. Ik zou graag van de ouders horen waar de kinderen zoal mee bezig zijn. Hoogtepunten van het afgelopen jaar, hobby's, speciale berichten and favoriete liedjes. Email svp naar bvelde@mac.com zodat we e.e.a. kunnen "uploaden" in het nieuwe boek. Dank! Vergeet niet om de familie op te geven voor 4 December.

We received a request from Nyssa Bulkes, a graduate student at the Linguistics Department of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: I am conducting a linguistics study about a particular speech phenomenon that occurs in Dutch. I am looking for participants to fill out two questionnaires; total time should be around 30 minutes. The study poses no risk to participants, and while I cannot offer financial compensation, I will be happy to share with participants the report of the findings that come about from the study. Speakers are welcome and encouraged to participate if they fit one of two categories: 1) Dutch immigrants whose native language is Dutch; they do not necessarily need to be living in The Netherlands at this time; or 2) American-born speakers who learned Dutch from one or both parents growing up in the home. Please contact me at nyssabulkes@gmail.com if you'd like any more information or if you would like to participate in the study. Thank you for your time! (Dank u wel!)

April 27, 2011 Playing this week at Shea 14: Winter in Wartime. During the last winter of World War II, Nazi occupied Holland lies under a blanket of snow. Living in a village near the town of Zwolle is 13 year old Michiel. Defiant in his hatred for the Nazis, he is eager to do something for the growing underground Resistance. His father, however, is anxious for Michiel to stay out of trouble. Michiel's chance to prove himself arrives when neighbor Dirk asks him to deliver an envelope on behalf of the Resistance. Michiel discovers how precious trust is and how close together good and evil can sit side by side without anyone ever noticing. He also learns that to become a man, he must abandon childish beliefs and face the truth head on.

Happy Dutch American Friendship day. We are so used to celebrate the Dutch American Heritage day that we may forget that we have a second day that celebrates the ties between our two countries. It remembers the day that John Adams, the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American Embassy in the world. While this is a day that is mostly celebrated by the Americans in The Netherlands, there is no reason we cannot say a little "Hoera!"