We live in crazy times - the Corona virus has got us all under its malevolent spell. In this edition I talk to psychologist Vassia Sarantopoulou about tips on keeping sane during this time of fear and social distancing. Vassia is the woman behi

Shaggy Dog Stories - Pilot

Mar 5th, 2020 25m 28s

I've been working on a new idea - a podcast all about dog stories. Having recently become a dog owner for the first time it struck me how many stories people start telling you when you are out with your pooch. So, let's do it, I thought, and he

Here in Holland: You'll never believe it

Feb 3rd, 2020 28m 7s

This a collection of funny stories recorded at the Feel at Home Fair in The Hague. Internationals from around the world share their thoughts on the wonderfully weird world that is The Netherlands. The fair was organised by The Hague Online in F

Here in Holland: The Rhine

Dec 18th, 2019 30m 8s

In this episode I'm joined by author Ben Coates. Ben is a Brit and he's been in The Netherlands for about ten years - he previously wrote a book about his experiences here "Why the Dutch are Different" and he featured in an earlier podcast talk

Here in Holland: Find Tranquility

Dec 5th, 2019 40m 26s

What to do when things get tough and you start getting into a negative spiral…we all feel down at times but what to do to stop this getting out of control? And how can we develop habits that will keep us happy and in balance?Internationals can

Here in Holland: Happy Kids in The Netherlands = Stressed Mums?

Jul 10th, 2019 34m 7s

What's it like being an international mum in The Netherlands? And what's it like as a woman here when trying to combine a career and a family. My guest in the podcast is Steliana van de Rijt-Economu she's originally from Romania and has been br

Here in Holland: All you ever wanted to know about Dutch politics but never dared ask

Jun 3rd, 2019 55m 17s

There's a famous quote about Dutch politics which says: "if Dutch politics ever gets interesting then something has gone terribly wrong."This is nonsense. Dutch politics is fascinating. This time in the podcast I'm joined by historian and Dutc

Here in Holland - Under Pressure

Apr 5th, 2019 40m 27s

More than 50% of internationals in the Netherlands have mental health issues according to new research from Healthcare for Internationals, a non-profit focused on improving healthcare for internationals in the Netherlands. These are initial fin

Here in Holland How Environmentally Friendly is the Netherlands?

Mar 8th, 2019 36m 12s

This time an interview with Marjan Minnesma the director of Urgenda. The organization achieved international fame after taking the Dutch government to court and winning. The first case in 2015 was a landmark ruling with the court saying the gov

Here in Holland Marathon Story

Feb 20th, 2019 33m 7s

This time a story I made when I was working at Radio Netherlands in 1998 - it's a documentary I made about running the Rotterdam Marathon. The music is a bit over the top - but what the hell. I thought I would share here as more than 20 years o

Here in Holland Living in the Netherlands Scores Out of Ten

Feb 4th, 2019 30m 50s

Recorded at the Feel at Home Fair 2019 in the Hague this edition of the podcast has internationals rating their lives in the Netherlands out of 10. There's lots of sharing of funny stories and experiences too.If you want to share a story with H

Here in Holland How to Become Dutch

Jan 8th, 2019 25m 40s

This time in the Here in Holland podcast – how to become a Dutch citizen.I sit down with immigration lawyer and Dutch citizenship expert Hermie de Voer and get the inside info on what it takes for internationals to get Dutch nationality. And we

Here in Holland The Monkey Comes Out Of The Sleeve

Dec 17th, 2018 38m 38s

I’ve decided it’s time for a campaign to get the best Dutch proverbs and expressions translated literally into English and accepted in every day use. There are so many brilliant Dutch expressions and it is a crying shame they are not given the

Here in Holland Ripple of Love

Dec 6th, 2018 17m 55s

We live in a selfish world and at the end of the year self-indulgence can switch into overdrive what with Christmas hols and New Year festivities. Looking for a bit more out of life? This is the podcast you've been waiting for. Find out how by

Here in Holland Brexit Chaos

Nov 5th, 2018 28m 42s

Brexit is fast approaching – what does it mean for the tens of thousands of Brits in the Netherlands? The truth is that it is chaos. In the podcast this time an interview with Sarah Parkes and Tricia Tarrant from the British in the Netherlands

Here in Holland All Over The Place

Oct 18th, 2018 26m 16s

Lots of funny stories about mishaps and misunderstandings in the podcast this time. The stories were recorded at the Expatica Fair in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam. If you like Here in Holland why not become a patron? For a small monthly c

Here in Holland - Distrust of Dutch Doctors

Oct 2nd, 2018 25m 39s

This time, why don’t internationals here in the Netherlands trust Dutch healthcare? Surveys show only 30% of internationals trust Dutch doctors. It’s a staggering figure…and this lack of trust can lead to some random decision making with pe

Here in Holland - All The Time We Thought We Had

Sep 6th, 2018 38m 45s

Moving to the Netherlands with a family can be tough at the best of times, but what if you have two autistic sons and your partner is dying of cancer?For journalist Gordon Darroch this nightmare scenario was a bitter reality. And now he has

Here in Holland- The Highlights Show

Jul 12th, 2018 13m 36s

To end the second season some favourite stories form the podcast so far. I'll be back in September with season3. Thanks for all your support. If you like Here in Holland why not become a patron? For a small monthly contribution you’ll be supp

Here in Holland Incredible LOL Hero

Jun 22nd, 2018 23m 52s

This time I’m talking to someone who has just been in the Netherlands for a few months. He’s Steven Morgan - by day, mild mannered IT guy, by night and weekend – stand-up comic, musician, writer and actor. We talk about his expectations of t

Here in Holland A Musical Challenge

Jun 6th, 2018 18m 18s

As we know there are lots of internationals in the Netherlands and they get up to some truly remarkable thing.This time in the podcast the challenge of producing a major musical on shoestring budget, with a severely limited rehearsal time and

Here in Holland - New Life

May 11th, 2018 29m 40s

Thaeer Muhreez is a Syrian filmmaker. I worked with Thaeer at Radio Netherlands Worldwide – the first part of this podcast was recorded two years ago whilst we were colleagues. I recently listened back to the recording and thought it would be f

Here in Holland - Extraordinary

Apr 20th, 2018 26m 52s

The theme of the podcast is 'extraordinary' - recorded at a recent expat fair in Amsterdam the podcast features great stories from internationals from around the world who have come to the Netherlands. Stories of confusion, of battling through

Here in Holland Why the Dutch are Different

Apr 6th, 2018 34m 9s

This time in the podcast Ben Coates the author of Why The Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands.Ben talks about the chance encounter that brought him to the Netherlands and the weird and wonderful experiences h

Here in Holland Bathroom Selfies

Mar 21st, 2018 13m 24s

This time a shorter podcast looking at social media and what to do and what absolutely not to do when you are looking for your dream job. The Netherlands is super tolerant and you might be forgiven for thinking anything goes - but not always.