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CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-30T15:04:58Z

82.210.125.61: /* Interview with Marc */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Coming==

===Queensday all over the country===

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

===The 24 hour train race project===

Jasper zal de tekst van Floris in de CS-NL groep aanpassen

===Family Meeting on Kijkduin beach, The Hague===

We are happy to organise the very first [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66973 Family Meeting] in the Netherlands.

The beach is a perfect place to meet for families and share experiences under a (hopefully) bright blue sky, while barefoot children play games in the sand.

We meet at 10.30 o´clock under the lighthouse near the parking and bus stop in Kijkduin, before going down to the beach (right side). Here the children (and parents too) can play games in groups like waterpaaltjes voeltbal, giant mikado and frisbee. Also individual games like poi and diabolo are fun to do or learn. Also there is the biggest swimming pool of the Netherlands: the sea!

If all families bring some food (enough for yourself and two others) we can have a huge picnic around 12.30 o'clock.
In the afternoon there is a yoga class and we'll build sandcastles and play more games.

If you want to join this event, sign up on the meeting page, we would like to know how many people are coming. Please bring friends who are not yet a member of CS as this is a perfect introduction to Couchsurfing.

What to bring: The usual stuff like towels and swim suits, favorite games of the children and food/drinks.

During the meeting you can contact us on 06 389 259 52

We hope to see you all on the 13th of June!
Greetings from [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/onsplekkie/ Ilse, Maarten and Lilou]

===Visit the Deltaworks in Zeeland!===

The Dutch know how to manage the water. It's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries, with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands of people
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch people and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works with their own eyes. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
on the program now, but it will include a
museum visit and a visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event with camping for those who want to, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

===Songfestival Meeting in Utrecht===

Everybody has an opinion about the Eurovision Songfestival. Some like the music, some like the show, some think it is only favoritism, but everybody loves to see who gets 12 and who gets 0 points.

*Will the Netherlands give 12 points to Turkey again?
*Will the Scandinavians give all points to each other again?
*Will Turkey and Greece give points to each other?
*Will any of Turkeys neigbours give them points?
*Will the Netherlands finally reach the finals again?
*Are there still enough Poles in Ireland to give them 12 points?
and the most important one:
*Will Israel give points to Germany?

Of course we will also vote ourselves, we'll see who predicted the winner, but more important, we will see which songs the couchsurfers actually DO like.

Sing up [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=67969 here]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

===Midsummernight in the park in Utrecht===

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The submeetings are made, so [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] before it is too late!

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht finding the lost couchsurfer

- A chance to see the Netherlands play football against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you might expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==past==

===Flash Mobs in the Netherlands===

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

===Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles===

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

===Arnhem Calling?===

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

===Bowling meetings===

Astrid schrijft een stukje

===Happy times in Zwollywood - Sardines===

What do you do when your with over 10 couchsurfers in a abandoned school (which will be demolished in 2 weeks) and because it is [http://www.earthhour.org/ Earth Hour] you just turned off all the lights?

Answer: Sardines!

Sardines is reversed hide and seek; one person hides and the rest seeks. When you've found the person that is hiding you crawl next to this person untill you've reached the point that one person is looking for everybody.

Both the location and the group of couchsurfers appeared to be perfect for this game. We've been hiding under the sink, under chairs and even in the shower of the teachers dressing room on the gym of the school. In the end we got so good that we even managed to let somebody sneak out and come back with chips.

The next step: Sardines on saturday afternoon on Utrecht Train Station (let me know if you want to join in)

[http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs515.snc3/27054_108733015822075_100000561303728_153097_5544008_n.jpg picture1],
[http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs495.ash1/27054_108732965822080_100000561303728_153087_2414733_n.jpg picture2], [http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs515.snc3/27054_108732989155411_100000561303728_153092_296049_n.jpg picture3], [http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs495.ash1/27054_108732982488745_100000561303728_153091_1916225_n.jpg picture4]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==Ideas for meetings==

At the last [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64872 meeting] of the Netherlands CS organisation we brainstormed about ideas for possible meetings. Some of those ideas are already being organised and can be found in this newsletter. Some of those ideas can be found below. Do you want to help with organising any of these ideas, contact [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lizzie82ish/ Liza] or any other member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=5031 Netherlands CS Organisation].

- Sardines (see for explanation in this newsletter) on Utrecht Central Station

- Rubix cube party (come in different colored clothes, leaves in the same color)

- Making up stories, tell them to each other and guess which one is true and which one made-up

- Make pubquizes

- Bike meetings, double city bike tour and meetup half way in between the cities (like Utrecht-Amsterdam, Arnhem-Zwolle, Den Haag-Rotterdam)

- Meetup at the last metro or tram stop

- Singing songs from "Kinderen voor kinderen"

- Theatersport/imporv theater

- Sharades (hints)

- International invasions, to (Newcastle, Duisburg, Gent)

- Meetup where you don't know where you will end up: 2x left 1x right for a ... period of time and see where you end up

==Couchsurfing in the media==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing.

[http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 Elsevier] recently wrote an article about a CS event in Eindhoven and 'Het Reformatorisch Dagblad' made an [http://www.refdag.nl/artikel/1468653/Wereldreizen%20van%20bank%20naar%20bank.html interview] with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lizzie82ish/ Liza]

Tilburg CS was in the news twice for so far. A tv show called Campus in Beeld, whose host surfed a couch in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aqRyTeNy8 this city] and an article in the student [http://www.uvt.nl/univers/nieuws/0910/09/onderdak.html paper].

==New 'rules' for travelling (and Couchsurfing) in India==
For everybody who is planning to surf in India this summer something to keep in mind:

In the aftermath of the recent terror attacks & keeping in view the not so good geo-political relationships, the govt has decided to become more stringent on rules regarding stay of foreign nationals in India. Several state govts. have started cracking the whips on errant Hotels, Hostels & Homestay owners...

The Foreigners Registration Act (FRA) states the rules & regulations to be followed by all Hotels, Hostels, Homestays, Resorts, Private homes (which is where all CS hosts fall under), Dormitories...etc. The "C" Form, which is available in all Police stations has to be filled out by the visitor and thats a formality which has to be strictly followed. The "C" Form collects the details of the passport of the foreigners, where they were coming from, and the duration of their stay. (Under the 1992 Registration of Foreigners Rules (Section 14) Act. The C Form to be submitted to the government should have information about their native country, date of their arrival, duration of stay, purpose of the visit and date of their departure. The details should be signed off by the host who was accommodating them.

If anybody is accommodating a foreign guest on a personal visit in his or her house, they should also inform the police department as per the Foreign Registration Rules. Failure to provide information to the authorities by the hosts would invite a punishment of imprisonment up to five years and a fine.

Now these are the requirements of the law...:)

For Surfers -
this filling up of the C Form is a formality - when ever you check into a hotel - they will photocopy your passport & make you sign the C form anyway, just that you don't have to go to the police station...so thats an additional task for you...but in return you will get the hospitality of a good host...whether you would want to do this is your choice, but the request will be to follow the law & make yourself & the host safer in the city...

one of the reasons the police are insisting on compliance on Form C is not only to stop unwanted elements from misusing the facilities of the state but also for your security...just in case - nationals of a particular country have to be given extra protection - then they can effectively do so...

just 3 weeks back - we had a high profile visitor from the US who was on a private visit, but b'coz of the current situation, the moment we notified the cops, a constable on duty was provided as extra protection, just in case....yes, this doesn't hold for 99% of CS guests, but nevertheless, we would like to comply with the laws of our land, and hope that you too will...:)

hope this brings the clarity to all those who are going to be hosts & surfers in India...

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/priyaq/ Priya]

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

==Interview with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/oysie/ Marc]==
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

An Amsterdam friend of mine had been hosting people already for some time, and he kept bugging me with saying it is really something for me. So I finally signed up and I was lost: totally fell in love with the concept, the openness and the trust between people who are everywhere just that: people.

2. How did you participate in CS until now?

I have mostly been a nomad until now. 4 years ago I left Holland with the idea to travel for maximum a year. It became 2 and then 3 and then 4......
I met hundreds of CS'ers, people who hosted me, who I travelled with, who I did an activity with, who I met on meetings, parties, took a biketour with, hitchhiked with, walked throught the desert with and even hosted in a temporary home I had :)
It is just amazing that there is a community of people all over the world (and growing!) who want to share their life, their experiences, their...

3. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

This question is a typical northwest-european question, only people there ask it :-)
If you are travelling in other places in the world, You will never get that question, but questions like: what did you learn as a human, what kind of people did you meet, what amazing experiences do you have if you travel so long etc
I'll answer the question like this:
Actually, if you travel outside of the 'material' western world, you discover how hospital people are. Especially in the African, Arabian and East-european societies people invite you all the time for tea, dinner or to stay over, also outside cs. And in these cultures it is often an offence to do something back, so you have a hard time spending money!
Also: Travelling over land by hitchhiking, local busses, local trains is extremely cheap and beautiful: the whole fact of travelling 'slow' makes you really get to know the countries, the people and the culture.
OK OK, if you really want to know:
I worked and saved some money before I departed, and because I have a free job, (I am an teacher/director of theatre, circus and voice), it is quite easy for me to work on the way. (but I didn't really need to)

4. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

That's a difficult question, I had so many amazing experiences:
-Being hosted in an Hotel in Jordan, because the CS member was the owner,
-Climbing the tablemountain in Capetown in midst of the day in summer (stupid!) with a local guy from the townships.
-After a 42 hours drive in a 'bush-taxi' from Guinnee via Senegal to Gambia being invited to a wedding of the brother of a CS'er. The whole high-society of Gambia and Sierra-Leone turned out to be at this wedding, and 2 smelly cs-ers
-Hitchhiking all over Moldova, because my host didn't feel like staying in the capital and going to school
-After walking for days through the Negev desert getting a shower at a cs'r who was also a 'national trail angel'

5. What is the most special place you ever visited?

Pffff, same problem as above..
If I really have to choose:
Visiting the San people (Bushman) in the Kalahari desert in Namibia.
These people are so amazing: If you look into their eyes, you see a deep wisdom and the fire of a child at the same moment.
I was able to talk with them, because their 2nd language after their own (the language with the 12 'clicks') is Afrikaans, which is related to Dutch!
Because it was apparent there were no young girls walking around with babies, like you expect of 'tribe' people, I asked why.
Their answer: We don't get children before the age of 30, because then you are wise enough not to project your problems on your children.
....
I rest my case

6. What is your favourite means of travel?

Hitchhiking.
slow, really being inside of the country, meeting locals. the best way!
Once I had a ticket from Hamburg to Israel because it was the cheapest I found. The only thing was that I was in Porto, Portugal. :-)
I already booked a ryanair ticket from Portugal to Hamburg via London.
And then I got an offer to drive with truckdrivers from Portugal via Belgium to Hamburg, so of course I skipped my ticket!!!

7. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

-Book: the little Prince
-Object: a red nose
-Paper and marker for Hitchhiking
-Not enough money, so you will improvise
The suitcase itself should be small and < 15 kg. I had many cases that I took my daypack to visit someone for a few days, and I ended up travelling with it for many weeks. It made me realize I actually didn't need the stuf in my 'big' bag :-)

8. what would your advise be to other (new) travellers?

-Always follow your intuition. It is always right! (no need for explanations)
-Travel slow!!!! Stay a long time in countries! I tried to be at least 6 weeks or even a few months is places, because you slowly sink into the local culture and really start to understand on a deeper level about the people, the land, the culture.
-never by Return tickets (or worse: RTW tickets).
Because I followed my intuition, I ended up in places and with people I couldnt have planned at all beforehand.

If you follow the flow of life and surrender, it will show you the beauty of what travelling is really about: the Journey inside.

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1HUXNSU/974873_l_1d63f3bfa645852d7cc36574d490e2bb.jpg Kinderdijk]

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September 2006 I red an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

==CS house==

'''Couchsurfing house #1 – Casa Merode in Tilburg'''

What do you get when you combine five couchsurfers, liters of coffee, a vegetable garden, a crossword puzzle in the toilet and lots of people coming in and going out every day? Casa Merode (CM) is the one and only CS-house in Tilburg. All inhabitants are members of CouchSurfing and enjoy having guests.

“We can refer to ourselves as a CS house, but we are more like a collective of nice people who just live together and happened to members of CouchSurfing.” Sofia, from Sweden, is the only ‘real foreigner’ living in Casa Merode. The other housemates (Lukas, Erik, Susy and Bram) love to travel and don’t mind speaking English when she’s around (and sometimes even when she’s not), but are all born in The Netherlands.

“This house feels like an international home” is something we have all said on several occasions. It’s almost like a family, with lots of respect and love. We cook, eat and hang out together, we look out for each other. There’s no stupid cleaning schedules and fights about who drank someone else’s milk. We use common sense and the simple rule ‘if you finish something, replace it’.

And then there’s CouchSurfing. Tilburg does not get a whole lot of travelers coming through, but it’s very nice to have some guests once in a while. Casa Merode has an average of 2 guests a month. But we would like some more! So, this is an official statement for everyone who reads this: If you’d like to stay, or just drop by in our house in Tilburg, send one of us a message through CS!

Susanne/SusyQ

More about Casa Merode:
Two guys from Campus in Beeld (tv programme in Nijmegen) surfed our couch a few weeks ago and it’s to be found on Youtube now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aqRyTeNy8
Also we’ve been interviewed for a local student-paper (in Dutch). http://www.uvt.nl/univers/nieuws/0910/09/onderdak.html
And then there’s our CS-group http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894 and Wiki http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode .

Noot voor Jasper: foto’s kun je vinden op Lukas’ of Sofia’s profiel
Lukas: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=2O0CHTP
Susy: http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/susyq/
Sofia: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=31A8KCF
Erik: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=2Y73UWF
Bram: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=4SR4UY5

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for more than 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-22T13:40:16Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday all over the country==

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks in Zeeland!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Family Meeting on Kijkduin beach, The Hague==

We are happy to organise the very first [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66973 Family Meeting] in the Netherlands.

The beach is a perfect place to meet for families and share experiences under a (hopefully) bright blue sky, while barefoot children play games in the sand.

We meet at 10.30 o´clock under the lighthouse near the parking and bus stop, before going down to the beach (right side). Here the children, parents too, can play games in groups like waterpaaltjes voeltbal, giant mikado and Frisbee. Also individual games like poi and diabolo are fun to do or learn. Also there is the biggest swimming pool of the Netherlands, the sea!

If all families bring some food (enough for yourself and two others) we can have a huge picnic around 12.30 o´clock.
In the afternoon there is a yoga class and we build sandcastles and play more games.

If you want to join in on this event, sign up through the link, we would like to know how many people are coming. Please bring friends that are not yet a member of CS as this is a perfect introduction to Couchsurfing.

What to bring. The usual stuff like towels and swim suits, favorite games of the children and food and drinks.

During the meeting you can contact us on 06 389 259 52

We hope to see you all on the 13th of June!
Greetings from [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/onsplekkie/ Ilse Maarten and Lilou]

==Midsummernight in the park in Utrecht==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The submeetings are made, so [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] before it is too late!

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht finding the lost couchsurfer

- A chance to see the Netherlands play football against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you might expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==Couchsurfing in the media==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing.

[http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 Elsevier] recently wrote an article about a CS event in Eindhoven and 'Het Reformatorisch Dagblad' made an [http://www.refdag.nl/artikel/1468653/Wereldreizen%20van%20bank%20naar%20bank.html interview] with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lizzie82ish/ Liza]

==New 'rules' for travelling (and Couchsurfing) in India==
For everybody who is planning to surf in India this summer something to keep in mind:

In the aftermath of the recent terror attacks & keeping in view the not so good geo-political relationships, the govt has decided to become more stringent on rules regarding stay of foreign nationals in India. Several state govts. have started cracking the whips on errant Hotels, Hostels & Homestay owners...

The Foreigners Registration Act (FRA) states the rules & regulations to be followed by all Hotels, Hostels, Homestays, Resorts, Private homes (which is where all CS hosts fall under), Dormitories...etc. The "C" Form, which is available in all Police stations has to be filled out by the visitor and thats a formality which has to be strictly followed. The "C" Form collects the details of the passport of the foreigners, where they were coming from, and the duration of their stay. (Under the 1992 Registration of Foreigners Rules (Section 14) Act. The C Form to be submitted to the government should have information about their native country, date of their arrival, duration of stay, purpose of the visit and date of their departure. The details should be signed off by the host who was accommodating them.

If anybody is accommodating a foreign guest on a personal visit in his or her house, they should also inform the police department as per the Foreign Registration Rules. Failure to provide information to the authorities by the hosts would invite a punishment of imprisonment up to five years and a fine.

Now these are the requirements of the law...:)

For Surfers -
this filling up of the C Form is a formality - when ever you check into a hotel - they will photocopy your passport & make you sign the C form anyway, just that you don't have to go to the police station...so thats an additional task for you...but in return you will get the hospitality of a good host...whether you would want to do this is your choice, but the request will be to follow the law & make yourself & the host safer in the city...

one of the reasons the police are insisting on compliance on Form C is not only to stop unwanted elements from misusing the facilities of the state but also for your security...just in case - nationals of a particular country have to be given extra protection - then they can effectively do so...

just 3 weeks back - we had a high profile visitor from the US who was on a private visit, but b'coz of the current situation, the moment we notified the cops, a constable on duty was provided as extra protection, just in case....yes, this doesn't hold for 99% of CS guests, but nevertheless, we would like to comply with the laws of our land, and hope that you too will...:)

hope this brings the clarity to all those who are going to be hosts & surfers in India...

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/priyaq/ Priya]

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1HUXNSU/974873_l_1d63f3bfa645852d7cc36574d490e2bb.jpg Kinderdijk]

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September 2006 I red an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for more than 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-22T13:36:24Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday all over the country==

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks in Zeeland!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Family Meeting on Kijkduin beach, The Hague==

We are happy to organise the very first [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66973 Family Meeting] in the Netherlands.

The beach is a perfect place to meet for families and share experiences under a (hopefully) bright blue sky, while barefoot children play games in the sand.

We meet at 10.30 o´clock under the lighthouse near the parking and bus stop, before going down to the beach (right side). Here the children, parents too, can play games in groups like waterpaaltjes voeltbal, giant mikado and Frisbee. Also individual games like poi and diabolo are fun to do or learn. Also there is the biggest swimming pool of the Netherlands, the sea!

If all families bring some food (enough for yourself and two others) we can have a huge picnic around 12.30 o´clock.
In the afternoon there is a yoga class and we build sandcastles and play more games.

If you want to join in on this event, sign up through the link, we would like to know how many people are coming. Please bring friends that are not yet a member of CS as this is a perfect introduction to Couchsurfing.

What to bring. The usual stuff like towels and swim suits, favorite games of the children and food and drinks.

During the meeting you can contact us on 06 389 259 52

We hope to see you all on the 13th of June!
Greetings from [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/onsplekkie/ Ilse Maarten and Lilou]

==Midsummernight in the park in Utrecht==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The submeetings are made, so [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] before it is too late!

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht finding the lost couchsurfer

- A chance to see the Netherlands play football against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you might expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==New 'rules' for travelling (and Couchsurfing) in India==
For everybody who is planning to surf in India this summer something to keep in mind:

In the aftermath of the recent terror attacks & keeping in view the not so good geo-political relationships, the govt has decided to become more stringent on rules regarding stay of foreign nationals in India. Several state govts. have started cracking the whips on errant Hotels, Hostels & Homestay owners...

The Foreigners Registration Act (FRA) states the rules & regulations to be followed by all Hotels, Hostels, Homestays, Resorts, Private homes (which is where all CS hosts fall under), Dormitories...etc. The "C" Form, which is available in all Police stations has to be filled out by the visitor and thats a formality which has to be strictly followed. The "C" Form collects the details of the passport of the foreigners, where they were coming from, and the duration of their stay. (Under the 1992 Registration of Foreigners Rules (Section 14) Act. The C Form to be submitted to the government should have information about their native country, date of their arrival, duration of stay, purpose of the visit and date of their departure. The details should be signed off by the host who was accommodating them.

If anybody is accommodating a foreign guest on a personal visit in his or her house, they should also inform the police department as per the Foreign Registration Rules. Failure to provide information to the authorities by the hosts would invite a punishment of imprisonment up to five years and a fine.

Now these are the requirements of the law...:)

For Surfers -
this filling up of the C Form is a formality - when ever you check into a hotel - they will photocopy your passport & make you sign the C form anyway, just that you don't have to go to the police station...so thats an additional task for you...but in return you will get the hospitality of a good host...whether you would want to do this is your choice, but the request will be to follow the law & make yourself & the host safer in the city...

one of the reasons the police are insisting on compliance on Form C is not only to stop unwanted elements from misusing the facilities of the state but also for your security...just in case - nationals of a particular country have to be given extra protection - then they can effectively do so...

just 3 weeks back - we had a high profile visitor from the US who was on a private visit, but b'coz of the current situation, the moment we notified the cops, a constable on duty was provided as extra protection, just in case....yes, this doesn't hold for 99% of CS guests, but nevertheless, we would like to comply with the laws of our land, and hope that you too will...:)

hope this brings the clarity to all those who are going to be hosts & surfers in India...

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/priyaq/ Priya]

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1HUXNSU/974873_l_1d63f3bfa645852d7cc36574d490e2bb.jpg Kinderdijk]

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September 2006 I red an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for more than 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-20T11:18:15Z

82.210.125.61: /* Interview with a 'exotic host' */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Midsummernight in the park==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The program is being filled in right now but expect again:

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht

- A chance to see the Netherlands play against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch before saying good-bye

Don't forget to [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign in] before it is too late!

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you can expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1HUXNSU/974873_l_1d63f3bfa645852d7cc36574d490e2bb.jpg Kinderdijk]

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-20T11:11:46Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Midsummernight in the park==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The program is being filled in right now but expect again:

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht

- A chance to see the Netherlands play against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch before saying good-bye

Don't forget to [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign in] before it is too late!

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you can expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-20T11:10:30Z

82.210.125.61: /* Queensday */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Linda schrijft een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The program is being filled in right now but expect again:

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht

- A chance to see the Netherlands play against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch before saying good-bye

Don't forget to [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign in] before it is too late!

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you can expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-19T21:01:50Z

82.210.125.61: /* Midsummernight in the park */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The program is being filled in right now but expect again:

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht

- A chance to see the Netherlands play against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch before saying good-bye

Don't forget to [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign in] before it is too late!

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you can expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-19T21:00:45Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The program is being filled in right now but expect again:

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht

- A chance to see the Netherlands play against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy sundayafternoon-brunch before saying good-bye

Don't forget to [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign in] before it is too late!

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you can expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-16T19:45:35Z

82.210.125.61: /* Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-16T19:45:00Z

82.210.125.61: /* Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk) */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591
ouchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-16T19:43:44Z

82.210.125.61: /* Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk) */

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591
ouchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

==Standaardvragen==
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-16T19:42:47Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Bericht over queensday?

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

==Queensday==

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

==Visit the Deltaworks!==

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

==Flash Mobs in the Netherlands==

Flash mobs have been taking cities all over the world
by storm since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common-place in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then quickly disperse. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organising one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on Couchsurfers, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. Couchsurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically worshiped a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

==Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles==

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my ipod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591
ouchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS
listen to other CS’ music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, ipods,
headphones and harddrives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be held Thursday 1st of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

==Arnhem Calling?==

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

==Bowling meetings==

Astrid schrijft een stukje

==Midsummernight in the park==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Small meeting?==

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

==Meeting in Zwolle?==

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==CS Eindhoven in Elsevier==

More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing. Read [http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 here] a article about a CS event in Eindhoven

==wellicht nog iets naar aanleiding van de volgende CS NL meeting==

==nieuwe ontwikkelingen==

hopelijk zijn de vernieuwingen van het ambassadeurs-systeem bekend en kunnen we een oproep plaatsen voor nieuwe ambassadeurs

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

==stories from Dutch travellers?==

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

===Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm===

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg was a german from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg, and since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem taking me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I ha to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

==guests in NL?==

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Standaardvragen===
1. How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2. How do you combine travelling with your professional life?

3. What is the most special experience you ever had through couchsurfing?

4. What is the most special place you ever visited?

5. What is your favourite means of travel?

6. What should every traveller bring in his/her suitcase?

7. Which traveller should we interview in the next newsletter?

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] in Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

In September I read an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and informed myself at an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He talked
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them as much
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have the meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties as
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a
guy of 21, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke: Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
already three times, each time several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still have contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'grote markt', and tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the favour of
the doubt and welcome also young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who wanna let them show around. Guests who
let me decide where to go, see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He made me enthusiastic and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host at
guests.

===Standaardvragen===
1 How did you find out about Couchsurfing?

2 What makes your couch special?

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

5 What do you like to see in a good couchsurf request?

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

==Place unknown==

Casa Merode, a CS house in Tilburg. It's a house with 5 students who are all active on CS. There's a Wiki-page about it and it's got its own group on CS.

http://wiki.couchsurfing.org/en/Casa_Merode
http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894&showpage=1

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for over 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-03T16:59:26Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Een welkom en een vraag die linkt naar een threat in de NL group
(wanneer is iemand voor jou een vouch waard?)

=Couchsurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

===Queensday===

Wie schrijft er een korte introductie over alle activiteiten?

===Visit the Deltaworks!===

The Dutch know how to manage the water, it's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water are the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the 'Eastern Schelde dam' being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks were built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works by themselves. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I set up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
hard on the program now, but it will include a
museumvisit and the visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event for those who want,
with camping, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please sign up, and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated then.

Meetinglink:
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443

===[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 MCME] ===

Jasper: mail gestuurd naar Victor

===Arnhem Calling?===

Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven

===Midsummeraftercamp?===

wordt dit weer georganiseerd dit jaar?

===Maastricht summer meeting?===

wordt dit weer georganiseerd dit jaar?

===Midsummernight in the park===

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

===Small meeting?===

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

===Carnaval?===

Wil er iemand iets leuks over schrijven?

===Meeting in Zwolle?===

Vind enkele dagen voor de deadline plaats,
is het nog mogelijk er iets over te schrijven?

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

===How to make a CS event? > Maikel's powerpoint?===

Stoppen we deze erin?

===Discussion topic (heading) ? ===

doen we dit nog?

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

===stories from Dutch travellers?===

===guests in NL?===

Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

===Interview with a 'exotic host'?===

Jasper gaat nog contact zoeken
Zie voorstel vragen in de newsletter werkgroep

===Couchpicture===

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

===Place unknown===

Welke community is leuk om iets mee te doen,
Tilburg? Zwolle?

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

wie heeft er een traveltip?

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-03-01T16:45:12Z

82.210.125.61:

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-02-25T18:35:56Z

82.210.125.61:

CS Organisation Netherlands

2010-02-22T10:16:33Z

82.210.125.61:

{{Netherlands}}

== List of Dutch Ambassadors ==
===Country Ambassadors===
[[:cs:users/LIZZIE82ISH|Liza van Kuijk]] (Utrecht)
+ Support Dutch City ambassadors and the rest of the Netherlands CS community.
+ Member of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3581 New Member Welcome group], greeting new members in Utrecht and around.
+ Organising meetings and activities in Utrecht and assisting in others in the Netherlands.
+ Explore the other CS communities in the Netherlands and the rest of the world by surfing and going to meetings
+ Member of workinggroup for reorganising groups of the Netherlands
+ Mentor/Buddy for new ambs in the centre of the Netherlands
+ Moderator of:
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=238 Netherlands CS group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=5031 Netherlands CS organisation group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3486 Last minute couch in the Netherlands group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=14572 Dutch lessons in Utrecht group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group]

[[:cs:users/VATO_LOCO|Henri Geerman]] (Arnhem)
+

===City Ambassadors===

=====[[Amsterdam]]=====
[[:cs:users/mab84|Menno]]
+

[[:cs:users/SPREEKER|Stephan Preeker]]
+

[[:cs:users/JP1978|JP1978]]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=1334189#post1512749 post on the CSNL Group]

=====[[Rotterdam]]=====
[[:cs:users/ROSSI IN ROTTERDAM|Annemarie Rossi]]
+

[[:cs:users/GERALD_ROTTERDAM|Gerard Bosman]] (Lansingerland municipality)
+

=====[[Utrecht]]=====
[[:cs:users/KILGORETROUT|Jasper Haenen]]
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group] and [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=8029 Utrecht meeting and events team group].
+ Member of Cs working groups: [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=10128 Events & Outreach - Event Organizers] & [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3727 couchsurfing Wiki]
+ Wikiholic; editing Wiki's of among others [[Utrecht]], [[Netherlands]] and [[Dutch ambassadors]]
+ Organisation of meetings in Utrecht
+ trying to keep track on Dutch groups and Ambassadors groups, posting there when necessary
+ Trying to keep contact with other communities in the Netherlands
+ Trying to go to meetings in and outside Utrecht when I can

[[:cs:users/SANNEBONGERS|Sanne Bongers]]
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group] and [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=14572 Dutch lessons in Utrecht group].
+ Organiser of the Utrecht CS Dutch Lessons.
+ Organiser of several events in Utrecht.
+ Going to many meetings in Utrecht and trying to go to meetings in other communities.
+ Spreading the word, be a good host/surfer.

[[:cs:users/KIWIA|Tim Straatsma]]
+

=====[[Den Haag]]=====
[[:cs:/LIN.|Linda]]
+

=====[[Groningen]]=====
[[:cs:users/GPIKKIO|Giuseppe Cimo']]
+ Active Couchsurfer.
+ Moderator of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=4416 Groningen CS group].
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=12745 CS Groningen Organization group].
+ Moderator and active member of many groups.
+ Event organizer in [[Groningen]].
+ Editor of the [[Groningen]] CS Wiki page.
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/contact.html Contact Us Team].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=7043 Groups Management operators].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/organization.html?gid=4401 Location Fixing Team].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3581 New Member Welcome group].
+ Member of a number of CS Organization Working Groups.
+ ([http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=6 Old]) translator of the CS site.
+ Mentor for new ambassadors and volunteers in the north Netherlands.
+ CS addicted :)

=====[[Maastricht]]=====
[[:cs:/LEONAH|Leona Reuter]]
+

=====[[Eindhoven]]=====
[[:cs:/KONL|Konstantin Youdenko]]
+

=====[[Leiden]]=====
[[:cs:users/LINFORCER|Tommy Quist]]
+

=====[[Haarlem]]=====
[[:cs:users/COUCHISTA|Klaas]]
+ moderate Haarlem group at http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=6774
+ organise meetings such as http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=9214
+ maintain CS Wiki page about Haarlem at http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Haarlem
+ promote CS in my social network

=====[[Amersfoort]]=====

[[:cs:users/-MARTINA-|Martina]]
+

=====[[Delft]]=====
[[:cs:users/vontaks|Lukas Taks]]
+

=====[[Dordrecht]]=====
[[:cs:users/REMUS86|Remco Matthias Kwint]]
+

=====[[Oss]]=====
[[:cs:users/lourenssenm|Maikel Lourenssen]]
+

===Other Ambassadors===

[[:cs:users/onsplekkie|Maarten, Ilse + Lilou Duijvesteijn]] (De Lier) (Family)

[[:cs:users/CYDOREN|Cynthia Doren]] (Amsterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/IPELLEBOER|Ineke Pelleboer]] (Oldelamer) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/SERENDIPITOUS|Serendipitous]] (Roger Thompson) (Schaijk) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/SUPERANDERSAO|Anderson Ferreira]] (Rotterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/NAT-CHO|NAT-CHO]] (Amsterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/jeroenek|Jeroen Geerdink]] (Nomadic)

==Ambassadors meetings==

=== Calendar ===

Ambassadors and other volunteers organize many meetings and happenings all around the country. Check the Dutch CS events on our [http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=couchsurfingnl%40gmail.com&ctz=Europe/Amsterdam Calendar]

=== Minutes ===

Here you'll find reports of the meetings with the City and Country ambassadors in the Netherlands.

[[Minutes 1st Dutch Ambassadors meetup]], march 15th 2008, Utrecht

[[Minutes 2nd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], june 14th 2008, Utrecht

[[Minutes 3rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], september 6th 2008, Groningen

[[Minutes 4rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], january 10th 2009, Oss

[[Minutes 5th Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], september 27th 2009, Haarlem

[[Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], january 17th 2009, Arnhem

== Dutch Ambassador Welcome kit ==

The [[Dutch Ambassador Welcome kit]] has usefull information for new ambassadors in the Netherlands.

== Things to do==

[http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Ambassadors#Tips_for_Ambassadors Tips for ambassadors]

'''Wiki Netherlands'''

The [[Netherlands|Dutch wiki page]] is in progress! Please feel free to add any useful information!

{{IsIn|Netherlands}}
[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]

Guide to punk

2010-02-09T16:15:38Z

82.210.125.61: /* Utrecht */

This page was originally created by users of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=753 Punk Rock Group] to provide punk travellers an access to the local scenes. So for your convenience you find a list below that consists of links to sites where you can find out what to do or who to see at the place you're going to.

Let's keep this page as DIY as possible, remember : punk rock is not for sale! (And another important thing: [http://www.dynamite.lautre.net/antimyspace/antimyspace.htm Keep Myspace out of punk!])

If you can help, please do. If your country isn't yet in the list, just create a new paragraph, or even a regional sub-chapter.

{| align="right"
| __TOC__
|}

== Worldwide ==
* http://www.anarcho-punk.net/
* http://www.byofl.org/ : Book your own fuckin' life

== [[Africa]] ==

== [[North America]] ==
=== [[Canada]] ===
=== [[USA]] ===
* http://www.houseshowdatabase.com/ : A guide to alternative venues all over the states

==== [[New York city]] ====
*http://www.abcnorio.org/ : ABC No Rio is a collectively-run center for art and activism

== [[South America]] ==
* http://anarcopunknoticias.blogspot.com/ : all about anarchopunk in America latina

== [[Asia]] ==
=== [[Indonesia]] ===
=== [[Japan]] ===
=== [[Malaysia]] ===
=== [[Philippines]] ===
=== [[South Korea]] ===
*http://www.myspace.com/soeultari : DIY punkrock show organizer
*http://brokeinkorea.proboards.com/ : english web board on korean punk scene. people who are posting here are disgusting expats.

== [[Australia]] ==
==== [[Sydney]] ====

*http://blackrosebooks.org/ : Black Rose Anarchist Library and Bookshop
*http://jura.org.au/ : Jura Books
*http://squat.net/shac/index.html : Sydney Housing Action Collective
*www.bikesarefun.org/ : Critical Mass Sydney

==== [[Melbourne]] ====
*http://mac.anarchobase.com/, Melbourne Anarchist Club, venue, infoshop and events
*http://loopholecommunitycentre.org/node/827 Community/ Social center with Library, kitchen, bike workshop, urban gardening, concerts and Food not Bombs
*http://barricade.org.au/news/- anarchist bookshop- located in loophole from november 2009.
*'''Irenes Community warehouse'''- Food not bombs cooking, mondays and tuesdays, from 10am and 4pm, free computer access, workshops, artspace and concerts
*http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/ Friends of the Earth, with cheap food, environmental shop, food co-operative, environmental projects.
*http://thearthouse.com/ The Arthouse, Bar with alternative concerts
*Squats are everywhere, you just need to find a person and ask, they are houses not social centers.

== [[Europe]] ==
* http://radar.squat.net/ : stuffs to do in your punk life in Europe
* http://squat.net : news about squatting in Europe
* http://abb.hardcore.lt/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=10&Itemid=60 : Eastern European links @ the Abolishing the Borders from Below site

=== [[Austria]] ===
==== [[Wien]] ====
* http://www.med-user.net/~ekh/ : EKH, famous austrian squat

=== [[Belarus]] ===
*http://www.375crew.org/ : d.i.y. political punk/hardcore culture of Belarus
*http://eatyourselfcrew.ucoz.ru/ : Eat Yourself Crew

=== [[Belgium]] ===
==== [[Brugge]] ====
* http://www.freewebs.com/lappersfort/ : Forest occupation
==== [[Liege]] ====
* http://www.chauvesouris.collectifs.net/ : a squat

=== [[Bosnia & Herzegovina]] ===
* http://www.osvajanjeslobode.bravehost.com/ : anarchist info

=== [[Bulgaria]] ===
* http://www.diy.aresistance.net/ : d.i.y. anarchopunk webzine

According to those people :

" OK, so the situation in Bulgaria is very different than in the other
European countries.

There are no squats and autonomous centres!

There are problems with Nazis in cities like Sofia and Plovdiv, so you
have to be very aware of this, especially if you're with a mohawk and
dress like a punk.

Varna was much better, but the only DIY punk club was closed by the police
two months ago and there is nothing happening right now there.

Bulgarian and Serbian are the most untolerant to gay people societies in
Europe. 80% of Bulgarians are homophobes and some kind of nationalists.
Punk shows are two types: completely apolitical or nazi-friendly. The
hardcore scene is into tough guy macho beatdown or NYHC stuff without
political messages. Very patriotic, sexist and homophobe.

There are environmentalist with a hippie attitude, some rastas and
drum&bass fans that are cool people, but don't have any relevant political
culture. There are bikers and they have a NGO called Bikevolution, they're
cool people, but normal looking people with prejudices on punx with
mohawks etc."

Unfortunately, my short experience there confirm this more or less :(

[[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]][[User talk:Bikepunk|Talk]][[:cs:Bikepunk|CS]] 15:32, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

* http://a-bg.net/new/ : anarchist portal

=== [[Croatia]] ===
==== [[Pula]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/monteparadisopula http://squat.net/monteparadiso/ - squat with gigs, film screenings etc.
==== [[Zagreb]] ====
* http://www.hranaaneoruzje.net/ : Food Not Bombs
*http://pierottijeva11.org/info : Autonomous cultural center

=== [[Czech Republic]] ===
* http://www.punk.cz/index.asp?menu=603 www.punk.cz
* http://www.a-punk.cz/ : active ! punk
==== [[Praha]] ====
* http://milada.org/zpravodajstvi/category/english : squat in Praha since 1998 (evicted)
* http://kk.czechcore.cz/index.php?english : anarchist cafe/infoshop
* http://squat.net/praha/ : squatblog

=== [[Denmark]] ===
==== [[Copenhagen]] ====
* http://www.ungdomshuset.dk/spip.php?page=english : a famous squat that was evicted, now a new social centre/venue

* http://www.dortheavej-61.dk/ the new website of the new ungdomshuset, Overdrevet with concerts, peoples kitchen on thursdays, yoga, book cafe and other projects.

* http://www.myspace.com/copenhagenunderground : underground music info site

*http://www.bolsjefabrikken.com/ The candy factory, workshop spaces, cinema, peoples kitchen, recording rooms, free shop (at a new location so things are still being completed NOV 2009)

*'''Bumzen'''- Old squat, now legal and with 2 collectives living there. Vegan peoples kitchen on wednesday, space for visitors, concerts. Baldersgade 20-22 nørrebro (south of nørrebro station)

*'''Folkets Hus''', The peoples house with collective cafe, peoples kitchen (mondays from 630pm) Queer films on sundays, concerts and meeting spaces. With Cafe underkonstruktion http://underkonstruktion.dk/ Stengade 50, Nørrebro

*'''KafaX''', Peoples kitchen on tuesdays from 7pm, free shop, meeting space and food co-operative on Wednesdays. Korsgade 19, Nørrebro, close to the lakes.

*'''Solidaritetshuset''', Solidarity house, Material for sale, projects, meetings and events. Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro (close to Folkets Hus)

==== [[Aalborg]] ====
*http://www.1000fryd.dk 1000fryd is a social center @ Kattesundet 10. Concerts, peoples kitchen, meetings.. everything happens here only!

=== [[Estonia]] ===
* http://www.hxc.pri.ee/ http://www.myspace.com/eestihardcore) : Estonian hardcore portal
* http://punkar.pri.ee/ : discussion forum
* http://www.rockiklubi.ee/ : the best DIY venue in Estonia (on the border with Latvia)

=== [[Finland]] ===
* http://www.punkinfinland.net/ http://www.myspace.com/punkinfinland : Finnish punk info site
* http://www.punkinfinland.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=6 : a gig info thread with the first message listing nearly all punk gigs around Finland
* http://www.punkinlapland.net/community/ : United punk scene in Northern-Scandinavia
* http://takku.net/calendar/ : an event calendar @ a d.i.y. media project site
* http://kimppa.net/English/Default_eng.aspx : autostop/car-sharing
* http://tresquat.net/ : Finnish information channel about squatting
==== [[Helsinki]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/oranssiklubi : an old squatter organization doing punk/indie shows (no age limit, no alcohol served), people's kitchen, vegan cafe and other stuff, too, whenever they have a place
* http://fireinsidemusic.com/shop/info_english.htm : a punk shop
==== [[Lahti]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/roosterpub : a hardcore/punk pub
==== [[Lappeenranta]] ====
* http://www.lprhardcore.net/ : info site
==== [[Tampere]] ====
* http://www.vastavirta.net/ : a really nice punk cafe/bar/venue
* http://www.puntala-rock.com/ : an open air punk festival held near Tampere in July
==== [[Turku]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/tvoturku : probably the oldest d.i.y. venue in the whole country (having done shows since the 1950s), run by university students and punks
* http://www.myspace.com/turkupunk : a hardcore punk festival held in May
* http://www.myspace.com/palavaporkkana : a vegan people's kitchen/infoshop collective
==== [[Oulu]] ====
* http://www.ykanpub.com/ : an old scruffy pub with punk gigs every now and then.

=== [[France]] ===
* http://dynamite.lautre.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 : Show announcements
* http://www.punk-hardcore.info/ : punk hardcore, and more, in france and everywhere
* http://www.theyliewedie.org/ : anarcho-punk portal
* http://infokiosques.net/ : infoshops & stuff
==== [[Amiens]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/squatsaintrock : small but nice punk squat (evicted)
==== [[Angers]] ====
* http://letincelle.over-blog.org/ : social center
* http://troglobal.waloomaloo.com : a kind of self managed village...
==== [[Angoulème]] ====
* http://marsattack16.free.fr/ : a punk bar/venue
==== [[Bordeaux]] ====
* http://www.atheneelibertaire.net/ : a kinda social center. political music welcome
==== [[Bretagne]]/Britany ====
* http://penkalet.info/index.htm : a kind of self managed cultural center
==== [[Caen]] ====
* http://www.anartoka.com/squat/portal.php : about squats in Caen
==== [[Grenoble]] ====
* http://grenoble.indymedia.org/spip.php?page=agenda : Indymedia Grenoble calendar telling you what's going on in the city
* http://www.lustucrust.org/ : Grenoble punk info site
* http://www.lustucrust.org/localautogere_presentation.html/ : an anarchist/punk infoshop
* http://www.le102.net/ : an autonomous social/cultural center/venue
* http://www.bibliothequeantigone.org/ : an autonomous library/cafe/infoshop/social center

==== [[Dijon]] ====
* http://www.brassicanigra.org/agenda/ : an event calendar with links to places and collectives of interest in the city
* http://squat.net/tanneries/ : a huge political squat/social center, the oldest still functioning squat in France
* http://malokadistro.com/ : 20-year old anarcho punk collective packing a large distro and doing a lot of concerts
==== [[Lyon]] ====
* http://rebellyon.info/ : an event calendar with alternative radical political infos for Lyon
* http://www.grrrndzero.org/ : two separate venues for musical and other cultural activities
* http://laluttine.free.fr/ : a DIY punk infoshop open on Saturdays
==== [[Paris]] ====
* http://ctx-n-flrs.zikforum.com/infos-concerts-et-albums-f3/ : Punk show forum
* http://lamiroit.free.fr/ : squat with concerts in Paris
==== [[Saint Etienne]] ====
* http://la.france.pue.free.fr/new/accueil.htm : booker and distro
* http://www.lasourcefurieuse.org/ : punk collective
* http://sainteunderground.free.fr/ : St Etienne underground forum (french only)
==== [[Robiac]] ====
* http://collectif.valette.free.fr/ : Self managed village in the middle of nowhere (a big punk festival once a year)
==== [[Toulouse]] ====
* http://toulouse.indymedia.org/spip.php?page=agenda : Toulouse Indymedia event calendar with links to local collectives
* http://www.olibanum.org/ :a squat/social centre with concerts and other stuff
* http://infokiosques.net/kioskarnaudben : an infoshop with library, internet, coffee, etc.
* http://www.panx.net/ : Toulouse punk network infosite
==== [[Tours]] ====
* http://lavictoireestanous.blogspot.com/ : squatted social center
==== [[Marseille]] ====
* '''LE SEUL PROBLEME''' self-managed social center. 46 rue Consolat / 13001 Marseille.
:du mardi au vendredi : 14h - 20h
:samedi : 10h30 - 19h
:dimanche : 14h - 20h

=== [[Germany]] ===
* http://knox.p-u-n-k.de/db/ : Concert database
==== [[Berlin]] ====
* http://stressfaktor.squat.net/ : an extensive underground guide/program calendar for berlin, with pretty much all diy concerts, people's kitchens and other activities
* http://www.wasteofmind.de/berlin/berlin.php : punkrock/hardcore ezine
* http://www.myspace.com/cafemorgenrot/ : a really nice punk cafe/bar that holds a famous vegan/vegetarian brunch on weekends and has a small venue in the basement
* http://koepi137.net/ : a very famous and huge punk house project with bars, two venues, discos, films screenings etc.
* http://www.myspace.com/scharni38/ : a punk house project with a bar and a small venue in the basement
* http://squat.net/liebig34/ : a queer/anarchafeminist punk house project with a bar and a small venue
* http://erinyen.blogspot.com/ : anarcha-feminist collective
All in all, just walk around in Friedrichshain, especially down Rigaerstraße, and you'll come across plenty of old squats/house projects with bars and venues and all kinds of political activities.
==== [[Flensburg]] ====
* http://www.hafermarktflensburg.de/ : punk rock's house !!
==== [[Hamburg]] ====
* [http://www.bewegungsmelder.org Bewegungsmelder] - Shows, parties, politics
* [http://www.hamburgpunk.de/ Hamburgpunk] - Dates (mostly concerts), Forum, Gossip (not always up to date)

==== [[Kiel]] ====
* http://www.altemeierei.de/tiki-start.php : hausprojekt with cofee and venue since 1983
==== [[Lübeck]] ====
* http://www.walli-bleibt.de/ : wagen burg with coffee, bar an venue

=== [[Greece]] ===
* http://athens.indymedia.org/ : Indimedia is the main way of anarchist counterinformation in greece
* http://athens.indymedia.org/calendar/ : just the calendar (google translate may help)

==== [[Athens]] ====
* http://kataramenosyndromo.com/ : DIY punk rock collective
* http://villa-amalias.blogspot.com/ : squat organising punk gigs
* the best way to meet punks in athens is still to hang around Exarhia in the evening. The "punk" meeting spot is Mesonligiou but it worth to check out the Parko (self managed recclaimed area where people destroyed a car park to build up a public parc) 50 meters up on Navarinou.

==== [[Kavala]] ====
* http://accionmutantecollective.blogspot.com/ : punk collective
* http://anarxikoikavalas.blogspot.com/ : anarchist infos

==== [[Thessaloniki]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/streetattacksquad: Street Attack, a punk squat
* a good way to meet punks an other "alternative" people in Thessaloniki is to go at the place called "Rotode" is a famous youth gathering where police is not welcome
* there are also a few squatted venues inside the university: Steki Sto Biologiko...

=== [[Hungary]] ===
*http://www.socialdisease.tk/ : anarchist punk collective
* http://www.myspace.com/dreamlongdeadbooking : booking/shows

=== [[Italy]] ===
* http://www.punk4free.org/concerti.html
* http://www.sowdust.it/sd/concerti/
* http://www.myspace.com/punxmeeting
==== [[Milan]] ====
* http://milano.tonight.eu/locali/centri_sociali : Alternative venues in Milan
==== [[Torino]] ====
* http://www.tuttosquat.net/
* http://www.radioblackout.org/ : anarchist radio

=== [[Latvia]] ===
* [http://pretspars.hardcore.lt/ Prepstars] : zine, distro, action
* http://www.punk.lv
==== [[Kuldiga]] ====
* [http://www.nekac.lv/web-content/index.html NEKAC] : d.i.y. center with shows and stuff

=== [[Lithuania]] ===
==== [[Vilnius]] ====
* http://www.hardcore.lt/
* http://www.myspace.com/XI20 : booking/shows

=== [[Macedonia]] ===
* http://www.teror13.anarhija.org/

=== [[Netherlands]] ===
* http://www.punx.nl/ - Punk listings
* http://radar.squat.net/ - Squat listings
==== [[Amsterdam]] ====
* http://www.xs4all.nl/~binnenpr/ : Binnenpret - Cultureel complex in Amsterdam-Zuid
* http://ot301.nl/ : Overtoom301
* http://swomp.wordpress.com/ : Freestate SWOMP
* http://www.vrankrijk.org/ : Vrankrijk, queer squat

==== [[Den Haag]] ====
*http://www.everyoneweb.com/presentation_tier/Index.aspx?WebID=piratenbar&BoomID=B1&KnooppuntID=K486&KnoopOpen=True : Pirate social center in Scheveningen

==== [[Leiden]]====
* http://koppenhinksteeg.nl/ : Koppenhinksteeg - Bar, cafe, freeshop, offices, venue
* http://www.multipleks.org/ : Multipleks - Freespace
==== [[Rotterdam]] ====
* http://www.poortgebouw.nl/ : Poortgebouw - Cafe, gigs, living group
* http://www.wormweb.nl/ : Worm - Alternative music venue
==== [[Utrecht]] ====
* [http://www.acu.nl/ ACU] - politiek cultureel centrum (former squat which managed to keep the anarchist atmosphere in a professional setting)
* [http://www.dbstudio.nl/ Db's] - a big complex with lots of rehearsal rooms, a small concert hall and a studio. Programs a ot of underground acts

=== [[Norway]] ===
==== [[Oslo]] ====
* http://www.blitz.no/ : an old squat with political activities, vegan/vegetarian cafe and punk shows

=== [[Poland]] ===

* http://www.hard-core.pl/ : check out the forum, there you can find all gigs and what's going on in Poland
==== [[Biała Podlaska]] ====
* http://zakazny.110mb.com/ : squatted venue in Biała Podlaska
==== [[Częstochowa]] ====
* http://elektromadonna.bzzz.net/ : old nice squat in a boring town
==== [[Gliwice]] ====
* http://www.krzyk.gliwice.com/ : squat in Gliwice
==== [[Lublin]] ====
* http://tektura.wordpress.com/ : DIY cultural center in Lublin
==== [[Łódź]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/falodz http://www.czsz.bzzz.net/czarny/ : anarchist site with news, calendar etc.
* http://www.myspace.com/vlodz http://k50squat.blogspot.com/ : squat with concerts etc.
==== [[Poznan]] ====
* http://www.rozbrat.org/ : the oldest squat in Poland, with concerts and more...
==== [[Toruń]] ====
* http://www.pilon.pl/ harcore punk anarcho cafe bar
==== [[Warsawa]] ====
* http://infotrouble.blogspot.com/ : independent newsletter of warsaw
* http://www.elba.bzzz.net/ : The only squat/punk social center in warszawa
* http://www.u-f-a.pl/ : nice place, nice people, some concerts and other "punk" activities
* http://cykloza.waw.pl/ : a vegan bikepunk cafe just in the centre of warsaw
* http://www.myspace.com/nocwalpurgii : queer feminist hc/punk festival
==== [[Wrocław]] ====
* http://crk-wro.info/ : legal squat in Wrocław

=== [[Romania]] ===
* http://www.aro.ecobytes.net/lovekills/ : anarcho-feminist collective
* http://www.myspace.com/thrashsilvania : political hc/punk collective doing shows & stuff
==== [[Bucharest]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/riotseeddistro : distro

=== [[Russia]] ===
* http://pv.anho.org/forum/index.php
* http://www.go-punk.ru/site_news.php
* http://www.punk.ru/
* http://russia.indymedia.org/
* http://squat.anho.org/ : squatting info
* http://www.avtonom.org/ : autonomous action
==== [[Moscow]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/interpretation_zine
* http://edavmestobomb.narod.ru/ : Food Not Bombs
==== [[Samara]] ====
* http://www.duplo.narod.ru/ - cultural center & alternative movie club
==== [[St. Petersburg]] ====
* http://svinokop.narod.ru/

=== [[Serbia]] ===
==== [[Belgrade]] ====
* http://www.kontra-punkt.info/
* http://eng.queerbeograd.org/ : anarchist queers

=== [[Slovenia]] ===
* http://www.ljudmila.org/anarhiv/

=== [[Spain]] ===
==== [[Bilbao]] ====
* http://www.bilbaorockcity.com/ : all rock concerts in Basque Country including underground shows
* http://www.kukutza.net/ : biggest skuat in Bilbao
* http://www.blogari.net/itzubaltzeta : other skuat/social center
==== [[Barcelona]] ====
http://usurpa.squat.net/index.html

=== [[Sweden]] ===
==== [[Luleå]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=241848409
* http://lulehc.uni.cc/
==== [[Malmö]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/malmopunkandhardcorecrew
==== [[Stockholm]] ====
* http://www.stockholmhardcore.com/home.html
* http://www.myspace.com/klubbgrazonen : a hc/punk collective doing shows in Fullersta (an anarchist house located in a Stockholm suburb)
* http://www.myspace.com/279659016 : a queer feminist bookstore carrying also zines, underground comics, curiosities and whatnot, occasionally having film screenings and other cool stuff, too
==== [[Umeå]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=207371356
==== [[Uppsala]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=319530594
==== [[Göteborg]] ====
* http://www.spatt.info
* http://www.kulturhusetunderjorden.se
* http://punkillegal.com
* http://www.egalia.eu

=== [[Switzerland]] ===
==== [[Lausanne]] ====
* http://kadterschmiede.squat.net/espaceautogere/ : bar, gigs, infoshop etc. in a squat

=== [[Turkey]] ===

==== [[Istanbul]] ====
* http://www.noizine.net/ : Turkish DIY Punk/Hardcore/Noize Community

=== [[Ukraine]] ===
* http://infoshop.zaraz.org/

=== [[United Kingdom]] ===
==== [[Brighton]] ====
* http://www.brightonzinefest.co.uk/ : Brighton zinefest - Also organise monthly zine socials
* http://cowleyclub.org.uk/ : Cowley Club - A collectively run libertarian social centre. 12 London Road
* http://cranks.org.uk/ : Cranks - A DIY bicycle workshop
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/huw/props_edgeworld.shtml : Edgeworld - Independent record shop
* http://www.infinityfoodsretail.co.uk/ : Infinity - Centrally located organic wholefoods shop run by workers' co-op
* http://www.myspace.com/punkerbunker : Punker Bunker - A punk record shop and gig organizor. 34 Sydney St. North Laines
* http://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/ : Resource Centre - Cheap equipment and printing etc
* http://www.myspace.com/tattyseasidetown : Tatty Seaside Town - Organizes gigs
* http://www.protectourwoodland.co.uk/ : Titnore Woods Protest Site
==== [[Bristol]] ====
*http://comutiny.wordpress.com/ : Bristol Co- Mutiny
==== [[London]] ====
* http://www.56a.org.uk/ : 56a - A radical social centre since 1991
* http://www.eroding.org.uk/ : Eroding Empire - punk/anarchy listings for London
* http://infousurpa.co.nr/ : London Infousurpa
* http://londonscn.wordpress.com/ : London social centres network
* http://www.myspace.com/queermutinylondon : Queer Mutiny - anarchist queers
* http://therampart.wordpress.com/ : Rampart social centre
==== [[Manchester]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/fungalpunk : FungalPunk - diy punk gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/slitrecords : Slit Promotions - Ska/ punk / hardcore gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/gashcollective : Gash Collective - Underground DIY punk gigs/parties/raves
* http://www.myspace.com/sayittomyface : Say it to my face - punk/grindcore/hardcore gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/anarchisticundertones : Anarchistic Undertones - DIY punk/ska/harcore
* http://www.myspace.com/manchesterpunx : Manchester Punx
* http://www.myspace.com/mutinymanchester : Mutiny Manchester - Hardcore/Metal/Punk gigs
* http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1385514487 : Punk gigs in Manchester Facebook
* http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703395004 : No particular Promotions ( gamberro )

{{Stub}}

Guide to punk

2010-02-09T16:15:27Z

82.210.125.61: /* Utrecht */

This page was originally created by users of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=753 Punk Rock Group] to provide punk travellers an access to the local scenes. So for your convenience you find a list below that consists of links to sites where you can find out what to do or who to see at the place you're going to.

Let's keep this page as DIY as possible, remember : punk rock is not for sale! (And another important thing: [http://www.dynamite.lautre.net/antimyspace/antimyspace.htm Keep Myspace out of punk!])

If you can help, please do. If your country isn't yet in the list, just create a new paragraph, or even a regional sub-chapter.

{| align="right"
| __TOC__
|}

== Worldwide ==
* http://www.anarcho-punk.net/
* http://www.byofl.org/ : Book your own fuckin' life

== [[Africa]] ==

== [[North America]] ==
=== [[Canada]] ===
=== [[USA]] ===
* http://www.houseshowdatabase.com/ : A guide to alternative venues all over the states

==== [[New York city]] ====
*http://www.abcnorio.org/ : ABC No Rio is a collectively-run center for art and activism

== [[South America]] ==
* http://anarcopunknoticias.blogspot.com/ : all about anarchopunk in America latina

== [[Asia]] ==
=== [[Indonesia]] ===
=== [[Japan]] ===
=== [[Malaysia]] ===
=== [[Philippines]] ===
=== [[South Korea]] ===
*http://www.myspace.com/soeultari : DIY punkrock show organizer
*http://brokeinkorea.proboards.com/ : english web board on korean punk scene. people who are posting here are disgusting expats.

== [[Australia]] ==
==== [[Sydney]] ====

*http://blackrosebooks.org/ : Black Rose Anarchist Library and Bookshop
*http://jura.org.au/ : Jura Books
*http://squat.net/shac/index.html : Sydney Housing Action Collective
*www.bikesarefun.org/ : Critical Mass Sydney

==== [[Melbourne]] ====
*http://mac.anarchobase.com/, Melbourne Anarchist Club, venue, infoshop and events
*http://loopholecommunitycentre.org/node/827 Community/ Social center with Library, kitchen, bike workshop, urban gardening, concerts and Food not Bombs
*http://barricade.org.au/news/- anarchist bookshop- located in loophole from november 2009.
*'''Irenes Community warehouse'''- Food not bombs cooking, mondays and tuesdays, from 10am and 4pm, free computer access, workshops, artspace and concerts
*http://www.melbourne.foe.org.au/ Friends of the Earth, with cheap food, environmental shop, food co-operative, environmental projects.
*http://thearthouse.com/ The Arthouse, Bar with alternative concerts
*Squats are everywhere, you just need to find a person and ask, they are houses not social centers.

== [[Europe]] ==
* http://radar.squat.net/ : stuffs to do in your punk life in Europe
* http://squat.net : news about squatting in Europe
* http://abb.hardcore.lt/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=10&Itemid=60 : Eastern European links @ the Abolishing the Borders from Below site

=== [[Austria]] ===
==== [[Wien]] ====
* http://www.med-user.net/~ekh/ : EKH, famous austrian squat

=== [[Belarus]] ===
*http://www.375crew.org/ : d.i.y. political punk/hardcore culture of Belarus
*http://eatyourselfcrew.ucoz.ru/ : Eat Yourself Crew

=== [[Belgium]] ===
==== [[Brugge]] ====
* http://www.freewebs.com/lappersfort/ : Forest occupation
==== [[Liege]] ====
* http://www.chauvesouris.collectifs.net/ : a squat

=== [[Bosnia & Herzegovina]] ===
* http://www.osvajanjeslobode.bravehost.com/ : anarchist info

=== [[Bulgaria]] ===
* http://www.diy.aresistance.net/ : d.i.y. anarchopunk webzine

According to those people :

" OK, so the situation in Bulgaria is very different than in the other
European countries.

There are no squats and autonomous centres!

There are problems with Nazis in cities like Sofia and Plovdiv, so you
have to be very aware of this, especially if you're with a mohawk and
dress like a punk.

Varna was much better, but the only DIY punk club was closed by the police
two months ago and there is nothing happening right now there.

Bulgarian and Serbian are the most untolerant to gay people societies in
Europe. 80% of Bulgarians are homophobes and some kind of nationalists.
Punk shows are two types: completely apolitical or nazi-friendly. The
hardcore scene is into tough guy macho beatdown or NYHC stuff without
political messages. Very patriotic, sexist and homophobe.

There are environmentalist with a hippie attitude, some rastas and
drum&bass fans that are cool people, but don't have any relevant political
culture. There are bikers and they have a NGO called Bikevolution, they're
cool people, but normal looking people with prejudices on punx with
mohawks etc."

Unfortunately, my short experience there confirm this more or less :(

[[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]][[User talk:Bikepunk|Talk]][[:cs:Bikepunk|CS]] 15:32, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

* http://a-bg.net/new/ : anarchist portal

=== [[Croatia]] ===
==== [[Pula]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/monteparadisopula http://squat.net/monteparadiso/ - squat with gigs, film screenings etc.
==== [[Zagreb]] ====
* http://www.hranaaneoruzje.net/ : Food Not Bombs
*http://pierottijeva11.org/info : Autonomous cultural center

=== [[Czech Republic]] ===
* http://www.punk.cz/index.asp?menu=603 www.punk.cz
* http://www.a-punk.cz/ : active ! punk
==== [[Praha]] ====
* http://milada.org/zpravodajstvi/category/english : squat in Praha since 1998 (evicted)
* http://kk.czechcore.cz/index.php?english : anarchist cafe/infoshop
* http://squat.net/praha/ : squatblog

=== [[Denmark]] ===
==== [[Copenhagen]] ====
* http://www.ungdomshuset.dk/spip.php?page=english : a famous squat that was evicted, now a new social centre/venue

* http://www.dortheavej-61.dk/ the new website of the new ungdomshuset, Overdrevet with concerts, peoples kitchen on thursdays, yoga, book cafe and other projects.

* http://www.myspace.com/copenhagenunderground : underground music info site

*http://www.bolsjefabrikken.com/ The candy factory, workshop spaces, cinema, peoples kitchen, recording rooms, free shop (at a new location so things are still being completed NOV 2009)

*'''Bumzen'''- Old squat, now legal and with 2 collectives living there. Vegan peoples kitchen on wednesday, space for visitors, concerts. Baldersgade 20-22 nørrebro (south of nørrebro station)

*'''Folkets Hus''', The peoples house with collective cafe, peoples kitchen (mondays from 630pm) Queer films on sundays, concerts and meeting spaces. With Cafe underkonstruktion http://underkonstruktion.dk/ Stengade 50, Nørrebro

*'''KafaX''', Peoples kitchen on tuesdays from 7pm, free shop, meeting space and food co-operative on Wednesdays. Korsgade 19, Nørrebro, close to the lakes.

*'''Solidaritetshuset''', Solidarity house, Material for sale, projects, meetings and events. Griffenfeldsgade 41, Nørrebro (close to Folkets Hus)

==== [[Aalborg]] ====
*http://www.1000fryd.dk 1000fryd is a social center @ Kattesundet 10. Concerts, peoples kitchen, meetings.. everything happens here only!

=== [[Estonia]] ===
* http://www.hxc.pri.ee/ http://www.myspace.com/eestihardcore) : Estonian hardcore portal
* http://punkar.pri.ee/ : discussion forum
* http://www.rockiklubi.ee/ : the best DIY venue in Estonia (on the border with Latvia)

=== [[Finland]] ===
* http://www.punkinfinland.net/ http://www.myspace.com/punkinfinland : Finnish punk info site
* http://www.punkinfinland.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=6 : a gig info thread with the first message listing nearly all punk gigs around Finland
* http://www.punkinlapland.net/community/ : United punk scene in Northern-Scandinavia
* http://takku.net/calendar/ : an event calendar @ a d.i.y. media project site
* http://kimppa.net/English/Default_eng.aspx : autostop/car-sharing
* http://tresquat.net/ : Finnish information channel about squatting
==== [[Helsinki]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/oranssiklubi : an old squatter organization doing punk/indie shows (no age limit, no alcohol served), people's kitchen, vegan cafe and other stuff, too, whenever they have a place
* http://fireinsidemusic.com/shop/info_english.htm : a punk shop
==== [[Lahti]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/roosterpub : a hardcore/punk pub
==== [[Lappeenranta]] ====
* http://www.lprhardcore.net/ : info site
==== [[Tampere]] ====
* http://www.vastavirta.net/ : a really nice punk cafe/bar/venue
* http://www.puntala-rock.com/ : an open air punk festival held near Tampere in July
==== [[Turku]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/tvoturku : probably the oldest d.i.y. venue in the whole country (having done shows since the 1950s), run by university students and punks
* http://www.myspace.com/turkupunk : a hardcore punk festival held in May
* http://www.myspace.com/palavaporkkana : a vegan people's kitchen/infoshop collective
==== [[Oulu]] ====
* http://www.ykanpub.com/ : an old scruffy pub with punk gigs every now and then.

=== [[France]] ===
* http://dynamite.lautre.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 : Show announcements
* http://www.punk-hardcore.info/ : punk hardcore, and more, in france and everywhere
* http://www.theyliewedie.org/ : anarcho-punk portal
* http://infokiosques.net/ : infoshops & stuff
==== [[Amiens]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/squatsaintrock : small but nice punk squat (evicted)
==== [[Angers]] ====
* http://letincelle.over-blog.org/ : social center
* http://troglobal.waloomaloo.com : a kind of self managed village...
==== [[Angoulème]] ====
* http://marsattack16.free.fr/ : a punk bar/venue
==== [[Bordeaux]] ====
* http://www.atheneelibertaire.net/ : a kinda social center. political music welcome
==== [[Bretagne]]/Britany ====
* http://penkalet.info/index.htm : a kind of self managed cultural center
==== [[Caen]] ====
* http://www.anartoka.com/squat/portal.php : about squats in Caen
==== [[Grenoble]] ====
* http://grenoble.indymedia.org/spip.php?page=agenda : Indymedia Grenoble calendar telling you what's going on in the city
* http://www.lustucrust.org/ : Grenoble punk info site
* http://www.lustucrust.org/localautogere_presentation.html/ : an anarchist/punk infoshop
* http://www.le102.net/ : an autonomous social/cultural center/venue
* http://www.bibliothequeantigone.org/ : an autonomous library/cafe/infoshop/social center

==== [[Dijon]] ====
* http://www.brassicanigra.org/agenda/ : an event calendar with links to places and collectives of interest in the city
* http://squat.net/tanneries/ : a huge political squat/social center, the oldest still functioning squat in France
* http://malokadistro.com/ : 20-year old anarcho punk collective packing a large distro and doing a lot of concerts
==== [[Lyon]] ====
* http://rebellyon.info/ : an event calendar with alternative radical political infos for Lyon
* http://www.grrrndzero.org/ : two separate venues for musical and other cultural activities
* http://laluttine.free.fr/ : a DIY punk infoshop open on Saturdays
==== [[Paris]] ====
* http://ctx-n-flrs.zikforum.com/infos-concerts-et-albums-f3/ : Punk show forum
* http://lamiroit.free.fr/ : squat with concerts in Paris
==== [[Saint Etienne]] ====
* http://la.france.pue.free.fr/new/accueil.htm : booker and distro
* http://www.lasourcefurieuse.org/ : punk collective
* http://sainteunderground.free.fr/ : St Etienne underground forum (french only)
==== [[Robiac]] ====
* http://collectif.valette.free.fr/ : Self managed village in the middle of nowhere (a big punk festival once a year)
==== [[Toulouse]] ====
* http://toulouse.indymedia.org/spip.php?page=agenda : Toulouse Indymedia event calendar with links to local collectives
* http://www.olibanum.org/ :a squat/social centre with concerts and other stuff
* http://infokiosques.net/kioskarnaudben : an infoshop with library, internet, coffee, etc.
* http://www.panx.net/ : Toulouse punk network infosite
==== [[Tours]] ====
* http://lavictoireestanous.blogspot.com/ : squatted social center
==== [[Marseille]] ====
* '''LE SEUL PROBLEME''' self-managed social center. 46 rue Consolat / 13001 Marseille.
:du mardi au vendredi : 14h - 20h
:samedi : 10h30 - 19h
:dimanche : 14h - 20h

=== [[Germany]] ===
* http://knox.p-u-n-k.de/db/ : Concert database
==== [[Berlin]] ====
* http://stressfaktor.squat.net/ : an extensive underground guide/program calendar for berlin, with pretty much all diy concerts, people's kitchens and other activities
* http://www.wasteofmind.de/berlin/berlin.php : punkrock/hardcore ezine
* http://www.myspace.com/cafemorgenrot/ : a really nice punk cafe/bar that holds a famous vegan/vegetarian brunch on weekends and has a small venue in the basement
* http://koepi137.net/ : a very famous and huge punk house project with bars, two venues, discos, films screenings etc.
* http://www.myspace.com/scharni38/ : a punk house project with a bar and a small venue in the basement
* http://squat.net/liebig34/ : a queer/anarchafeminist punk house project with a bar and a small venue
* http://erinyen.blogspot.com/ : anarcha-feminist collective
All in all, just walk around in Friedrichshain, especially down Rigaerstraße, and you'll come across plenty of old squats/house projects with bars and venues and all kinds of political activities.
==== [[Flensburg]] ====
* http://www.hafermarktflensburg.de/ : punk rock's house !!
==== [[Hamburg]] ====
* [http://www.bewegungsmelder.org Bewegungsmelder] - Shows, parties, politics
* [http://www.hamburgpunk.de/ Hamburgpunk] - Dates (mostly concerts), Forum, Gossip (not always up to date)

==== [[Kiel]] ====
* http://www.altemeierei.de/tiki-start.php : hausprojekt with cofee and venue since 1983
==== [[Lübeck]] ====
* http://www.walli-bleibt.de/ : wagen burg with coffee, bar an venue

=== [[Greece]] ===
* http://athens.indymedia.org/ : Indimedia is the main way of anarchist counterinformation in greece
* http://athens.indymedia.org/calendar/ : just the calendar (google translate may help)

==== [[Athens]] ====
* http://kataramenosyndromo.com/ : DIY punk rock collective
* http://villa-amalias.blogspot.com/ : squat organising punk gigs
* the best way to meet punks in athens is still to hang around Exarhia in the evening. The "punk" meeting spot is Mesonligiou but it worth to check out the Parko (self managed recclaimed area where people destroyed a car park to build up a public parc) 50 meters up on Navarinou.

==== [[Kavala]] ====
* http://accionmutantecollective.blogspot.com/ : punk collective
* http://anarxikoikavalas.blogspot.com/ : anarchist infos

==== [[Thessaloniki]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/streetattacksquad: Street Attack, a punk squat
* a good way to meet punks an other "alternative" people in Thessaloniki is to go at the place called "Rotode" is a famous youth gathering where police is not welcome
* there are also a few squatted venues inside the university: Steki Sto Biologiko...

=== [[Hungary]] ===
*http://www.socialdisease.tk/ : anarchist punk collective
* http://www.myspace.com/dreamlongdeadbooking : booking/shows

=== [[Italy]] ===
* http://www.punk4free.org/concerti.html
* http://www.sowdust.it/sd/concerti/
* http://www.myspace.com/punxmeeting
==== [[Milan]] ====
* http://milano.tonight.eu/locali/centri_sociali : Alternative venues in Milan
==== [[Torino]] ====
* http://www.tuttosquat.net/
* http://www.radioblackout.org/ : anarchist radio

=== [[Latvia]] ===
* [http://pretspars.hardcore.lt/ Prepstars] : zine, distro, action
* http://www.punk.lv
==== [[Kuldiga]] ====
* [http://www.nekac.lv/web-content/index.html NEKAC] : d.i.y. center with shows and stuff

=== [[Lithuania]] ===
==== [[Vilnius]] ====
* http://www.hardcore.lt/
* http://www.myspace.com/XI20 : booking/shows

=== [[Macedonia]] ===
* http://www.teror13.anarhija.org/

=== [[Netherlands]] ===
* http://www.punx.nl/ - Punk listings
* http://radar.squat.net/ - Squat listings
==== [[Amsterdam]] ====
* http://www.xs4all.nl/~binnenpr/ : Binnenpret - Cultureel complex in Amsterdam-Zuid
* http://ot301.nl/ : Overtoom301
* http://swomp.wordpress.com/ : Freestate SWOMP
* http://www.vrankrijk.org/ : Vrankrijk, queer squat

==== [[Den Haag]] ====
*http://www.everyoneweb.com/presentation_tier/Index.aspx?WebID=piratenbar&BoomID=B1&KnooppuntID=K486&KnoopOpen=True : Pirate social center in Scheveningen

==== [[Leiden]]====
* http://koppenhinksteeg.nl/ : Koppenhinksteeg - Bar, cafe, freeshop, offices, venue
* http://www.multipleks.org/ : Multipleks - Freespace
==== [[Rotterdam]] ====
* http://www.poortgebouw.nl/ : Poortgebouw - Cafe, gigs, living group
* http://www.wormweb.nl/ : Worm - Alternative music venue
==== [[Utrecht]] ====
* [http://www.acu.nl/ ACU] - politiek cultureel centrum (former squat which managed to keep the anarchist atmosphere in a professional setting)
* [http://www.dbstudio.nl/ Db's] - a big complext with lots of rehearsal rooms, a small concert hall and a studio. Programs a ot of underground acts

=== [[Norway]] ===
==== [[Oslo]] ====
* http://www.blitz.no/ : an old squat with political activities, vegan/vegetarian cafe and punk shows

=== [[Poland]] ===

* http://www.hard-core.pl/ : check out the forum, there you can find all gigs and what's going on in Poland
==== [[Biała Podlaska]] ====
* http://zakazny.110mb.com/ : squatted venue in Biała Podlaska
==== [[Częstochowa]] ====
* http://elektromadonna.bzzz.net/ : old nice squat in a boring town
==== [[Gliwice]] ====
* http://www.krzyk.gliwice.com/ : squat in Gliwice
==== [[Lublin]] ====
* http://tektura.wordpress.com/ : DIY cultural center in Lublin
==== [[Łódź]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/falodz http://www.czsz.bzzz.net/czarny/ : anarchist site with news, calendar etc.
* http://www.myspace.com/vlodz http://k50squat.blogspot.com/ : squat with concerts etc.
==== [[Poznan]] ====
* http://www.rozbrat.org/ : the oldest squat in Poland, with concerts and more...
==== [[Toruń]] ====
* http://www.pilon.pl/ harcore punk anarcho cafe bar
==== [[Warsawa]] ====
* http://infotrouble.blogspot.com/ : independent newsletter of warsaw
* http://www.elba.bzzz.net/ : The only squat/punk social center in warszawa
* http://www.u-f-a.pl/ : nice place, nice people, some concerts and other "punk" activities
* http://cykloza.waw.pl/ : a vegan bikepunk cafe just in the centre of warsaw
* http://www.myspace.com/nocwalpurgii : queer feminist hc/punk festival
==== [[Wrocław]] ====
* http://crk-wro.info/ : legal squat in Wrocław

=== [[Romania]] ===
* http://www.aro.ecobytes.net/lovekills/ : anarcho-feminist collective
* http://www.myspace.com/thrashsilvania : political hc/punk collective doing shows & stuff
==== [[Bucharest]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/riotseeddistro : distro

=== [[Russia]] ===
* http://pv.anho.org/forum/index.php
* http://www.go-punk.ru/site_news.php
* http://www.punk.ru/
* http://russia.indymedia.org/
* http://squat.anho.org/ : squatting info
* http://www.avtonom.org/ : autonomous action
==== [[Moscow]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/interpretation_zine
* http://edavmestobomb.narod.ru/ : Food Not Bombs
==== [[Samara]] ====
* http://www.duplo.narod.ru/ - cultural center & alternative movie club
==== [[St. Petersburg]] ====
* http://svinokop.narod.ru/

=== [[Serbia]] ===
==== [[Belgrade]] ====
* http://www.kontra-punkt.info/
* http://eng.queerbeograd.org/ : anarchist queers

=== [[Slovenia]] ===
* http://www.ljudmila.org/anarhiv/

=== [[Spain]] ===
==== [[Bilbao]] ====
* http://www.bilbaorockcity.com/ : all rock concerts in Basque Country including underground shows
* http://www.kukutza.net/ : biggest skuat in Bilbao
* http://www.blogari.net/itzubaltzeta : other skuat/social center
==== [[Barcelona]] ====
http://usurpa.squat.net/index.html

=== [[Sweden]] ===
==== [[Luleå]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=241848409
* http://lulehc.uni.cc/
==== [[Malmö]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/malmopunkandhardcorecrew
==== [[Stockholm]] ====
* http://www.stockholmhardcore.com/home.html
* http://www.myspace.com/klubbgrazonen : a hc/punk collective doing shows in Fullersta (an anarchist house located in a Stockholm suburb)
* http://www.myspace.com/279659016 : a queer feminist bookstore carrying also zines, underground comics, curiosities and whatnot, occasionally having film screenings and other cool stuff, too
==== [[Umeå]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=207371356
==== [[Uppsala]] ====
* http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=319530594
==== [[Göteborg]] ====
* http://www.spatt.info
* http://www.kulturhusetunderjorden.se
* http://punkillegal.com
* http://www.egalia.eu

=== [[Switzerland]] ===
==== [[Lausanne]] ====
* http://kadterschmiede.squat.net/espaceautogere/ : bar, gigs, infoshop etc. in a squat

=== [[Turkey]] ===

==== [[Istanbul]] ====
* http://www.noizine.net/ : Turkish DIY Punk/Hardcore/Noize Community

=== [[Ukraine]] ===
* http://infoshop.zaraz.org/

=== [[United Kingdom]] ===
==== [[Brighton]] ====
* http://www.brightonzinefest.co.uk/ : Brighton zinefest - Also organise monthly zine socials
* http://cowleyclub.org.uk/ : Cowley Club - A collectively run libertarian social centre. 12 London Road
* http://cranks.org.uk/ : Cranks - A DIY bicycle workshop
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/huw/props_edgeworld.shtml : Edgeworld - Independent record shop
* http://www.infinityfoodsretail.co.uk/ : Infinity - Centrally located organic wholefoods shop run by workers' co-op
* http://www.myspace.com/punkerbunker : Punker Bunker - A punk record shop and gig organizor. 34 Sydney St. North Laines
* http://www.resourcecentre.org.uk/ : Resource Centre - Cheap equipment and printing etc
* http://www.myspace.com/tattyseasidetown : Tatty Seaside Town - Organizes gigs
* http://www.protectourwoodland.co.uk/ : Titnore Woods Protest Site
==== [[Bristol]] ====
*http://comutiny.wordpress.com/ : Bristol Co- Mutiny
==== [[London]] ====
* http://www.56a.org.uk/ : 56a - A radical social centre since 1991
* http://www.eroding.org.uk/ : Eroding Empire - punk/anarchy listings for London
* http://infousurpa.co.nr/ : London Infousurpa
* http://londonscn.wordpress.com/ : London social centres network
* http://www.myspace.com/queermutinylondon : Queer Mutiny - anarchist queers
* http://therampart.wordpress.com/ : Rampart social centre
==== [[Manchester]] ====
* http://www.myspace.com/fungalpunk : FungalPunk - diy punk gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/slitrecords : Slit Promotions - Ska/ punk / hardcore gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/gashcollective : Gash Collective - Underground DIY punk gigs/parties/raves
* http://www.myspace.com/sayittomyface : Say it to my face - punk/grindcore/hardcore gigs
* http://www.myspace.com/anarchisticundertones : Anarchistic Undertones - DIY punk/ska/harcore
* http://www.myspace.com/manchesterpunx : Manchester Punx
* http://www.myspace.com/mutinymanchester : Mutiny Manchester - Hardcore/Metal/Punk gigs
* http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1385514487 : Punk gigs in Manchester Facebook
* http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=703395004 : No particular Promotions ( gamberro )

{{Stub}}

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-01-23T13:45:25Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

=Meetings=

==upcoming meetings==

===Queensday===

===Midsummernight in the park===

===Midsummeraftercamp?===

===Maastricht summer meeting?===

==past meetings==

===Arnhem Calling?===

===Carnaval?===

===Small meeting?===

===Meeting in Zwolle?===

===[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 MCME]===

=News from Cs Netherlands=

===How to make a CS event? > Maikel's powerpoint?===

=Travel stories=

===Tommy?===

=Exotic couch=

===Interview with Jacque?===

===Couchpicture===

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-01-23T13:45:01Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

=Meetings=

==upcoming meetings==

===Queensday===

===Midsummernight in the park===

===Midsummeraftercamp?===

===Maastricht summer meeting?===

==past meetings==

===Arnhem Calling?===

===Carnaval?===

===Small meeting?===

===Meeting in Zwolle?===

===[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 MCME]===

=News from Cs Netherlands=

===How to make a CS event? > Maikel's powerpoint?===

=Travel stories=

===Interview with Jacque?===

===Tommy?===

=Exotic couch=

===Couchpicture===

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-01-23T13:44:04Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Meetings=

==upcoming meetings==

===Queensday===

===Midsummernight in the park===

===Midsummeraftercamp?===

===Maastricht summer meeting?===

==past meetings==

===Arnhem Calling?===

===Carnaval?===

===Small meeting?===

===Meeting in Zwolle?===

===[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 MCME]===

=News from Cs Netherlands=

===How to make a CS event? > Maikel's powerpoint?===

=Dutch travels=

==stories==

===Interview with Jacque?===

===Tommy?===

==exotic couch==

===Couchpicture===

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

Minutes 2nd Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-18T13:17:40Z

82.210.125.61:

2st meetup of the [[CS_Organisation_Netherlands]]

location: J & L's crib (Utrecht)

'''Present''': Giuseppe (city Ambassador Groningen), Liza (city Ambassador Utrecht), Jasper (city Ambassador Utrecht), Maikel (active member), Kim (Leiden representative), Menno (Amsterdam representative), Martine (country ambassador Belgium), Chris (city ambassador Aachen, Germany), Aldo (Global ambassador).

'''Absent with notification''': Harold, Rose, Ramon, Esly, Henri, Tim

'''Absent without notification''': Shilp, Klaas, Konstantin, Sannie, JP1978, Joris, Paul, Martiniman, Eleanor.

==Welcome to new ambassadors==
Everyone told why they became active, what they are active with and what working groups they are involved in

==Queensday==

Important people are missing for a good evaluation.

some short observations:

- We started too late

- To the outside the list of sub-event looked very chaotic

- We were lacking a big central event

- There were too many things at the same time

- In general we were very good at brainstorming and coming up with a lot of submeetings but lacked the ability to focus on a short list of events.

==Mission and goals==

- Get to know each other

- Organise things together

- Help to get travellers in the Netherlands off the beaten track and to put the Netherlands in a broader perspective

- Give a framework for new ambassadors with information, advice, help on a local job and answers to questions

- Motivate each other to get a momentum

- Reaching out abroad

- Help finding solutions for problems together

- Finding creative ways to get new members active

==Ways to reach our mission and goals==

- mentorship (new ambassadors get help from an experienced ambassador)

- Regional coordination (west / south / north)

- Coordination for 'out of border activities'.

- Recruiting new ambassadors

- Making activities of the beaten track

Who: will be discussed online.

==Intern organisation==

How do we organise ourselves?

- Rotating locations

- The people from the host location will present theirselves and will arrange minutes

(The next location will be [[Groningen]])

- in every meeting there should be time for a brainstorm about other meetings like we did today

==Inactive ambassadors==

Henri should get into contact with inactive ambassadors to find out if they are really inactive and if so if the want to stay ambassador. Possible inactive ambassadors are Martiniman (Eindhoven), Joris (Amsterdam) and Eleanor (Rotterdam).

Henri should invite all nomadic ambassadors within the Netherlands into the Netherlands organisation group and should ask if they want to be more involved.

==European coordination==

- google-calanders can be usefull for internal coordination, not for reaching out abroad.

- It is good to have 1 or 2 representatives from neighbouring countries at our meetings.

- A meeting of country ambassadors in the North-west of Europe might be usefull.

- A meeting of ambassadors near each others border might be usefull.

- A good way of keeping track of each other is joining eachothers groups. Most of us don't want to interfere with discussions in other peoples groups (allthough nobody seems to mind if that would happen in their own group).

==Ambassadors in conflict==

how do deal with questions about negative references:

- There is a group about support on writing references, it could be usefull to refer people to that group

- In doubt always ask to contact the safety team.

- On a negative reference, always be short and factual, not emotional.

==Business cards==

Several people seem interested in them. We will check in our local groups if other members are interested so we could order a lot at the same time on national scale.

==Fundraising==

There are diffent opions on this subject. Important is always to be open about what you use the money for and to use the money only for specific perposes so not for something general.

[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}

Minutes 3rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-18T13:17:33Z

82.210.125.61:

3rd meetup of the [[CS_Organisation_Netherlands]], Saturday 6th of September, Groningen

Attendees: Giuseppe (host and chair, Groningen), Liza (Utrecht), Chris (Aachen), Gerard (Rotterdam and surrounding), Maikel (Oss), Ramon (Amsterdam), Henri (country amb), Rose (country amb), Aldo (admin), Paul (Rotterdam), Tommy (Leiden), Menno (Amsterdam), Esly (minutes, Enschede)

=Introduction=

· Please fill in the Dutch Ambassadors wiki with the tasks you are doing or would like to do. If you have problems with the wiki, please contact Jasper. He can help you! http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Dutch_Ambassadors

=Already discussed and to be finalised=

· At the last meeting, we decided that new ambassadors might need some support. Ramon sends some information to new ambassadors now. Henri and Rose will write some kind of tool kit to help the newbies to get to know our group and help them to get active as an ambassador. Also, it is decided that we will introduce some ‘buddies’ for new ambassadors. Giuseppe (for the northern part), Liza (for the middle) and Maikel (for the south) will be the first persons for new ambassadors to go to. What does of course not mean that others are not allowed to help or motivate them!

· We should try to activate inactive ambassadors. In Australia they send a very nice message to inactive ambassadors to find out what they are doing. Henri and Rose will send a reminder to our inactive colleagues. If you think an ambassador is inactive, please write to Henri or Rose so they can send that person a message.

Aldo has a lot to say about this topic. If an ambassador is not coming to the meeting, it does not mean he or she is an inactive ambassador. Country ambassadors should have an idea who of the not-active group members, are active in their local community though. If ambassadors are inactive in both the ambassador groups, and in their local community, we can write that the ambassador team in CouchSurfing to ask to have a look at this person and see whether he or she is the right person to be an ambassador. We can even set some rules of what we think an ambassador should do. If a person doesn’t meet those ‘rules’ we can ask the management team to take them out. In the next months, the ambassadors will become a focus point for the CouchSurfing organisation. So it might be that some standards or rules for ambassadors will change.

To keep people up to date about what’s going on in the Netherlands, we might think about making some kind of newsletter in which every ambassador can write a bit about the activities in his/her city.

· Regarding the emergency couchlist. Some of those lists offer people an emergency couch, others only advice people. Aldo knows the system in CouchSurfing will change on this topic, so people might still be able to find their host. Also, the site is almost always up, so you can doubt how necessary it is. We decided to wait for the improvements on the site and then have a further look at it.

· Paul and Aldo give us an update about CS Zones and City Surfing Pages. There will be two different things implemented, first CS Zones, which is really one specific location where CouchSurfers meet or get together regularly. The second is City Surfing Pages. Those are under construction, but will give information about a city. The first page will be a kind of magazine where you can post news about coming meetings, pictures of passed ones and so on. The other pages will become more static. At the next meeting, Paul hopes to be able to show us some examples.

=Netherlands Group Coordination=

· Considering the Dutch CS-groups, we decided to base the structure on provinces. Giuseppe will try to make a clickable map to put on the Netherlands main group page, so that people can immediately click to the region they are looking for.

Inactive groups will be deleted (after talking to the moderator about it), double ones can be put together. A moderator should mainly literally moderate. He or she can also welcome new group members, but this should depend on the group and the person joining. Just use your common sense to decide whether you think it is needed or not!

Ramon will continue this job. If you have suggestions or ideas, please contact him.

· Giuseppe will write some manual for our group communication.

§ For discussions, use the CS Group

§ For amb-meetings, CS Events, if people are added we can also use that to communicate with the group.

§ For documents, use the Google group

§ For things that are also open for outsiders, use the wiki pages

If new members are added, the other members of the group should be informed about that. To prevent a too big amount of members of the organisation group, it seems to make sense to take only foreigners in who are related to the Netherlands (like Dutch Nomadic Ambassadors abroad, or people like Chris who work a lot together with Dutch cities), in general, one representative of our neighbouring countries (next to the ones we have very direct connections with), should be enough.

· It is possible to get a third country ambassador. Giuseppe says that being active in CouchSurfing and getting an idea of the international situation can also be done in some workgroups.

Some different tasks for country ambassadors are mentioned.

§ They should have an overview of the city ambassadors and take care about them

§ They are the link between the Dutch organisation and the outside world.

§ They have a motivating role

§ It would be nice if the country ambassadors can develop some vision where we want to go to with this organisation group.

Rose says that since she applied, so many things changed in Amsterdam. Her help is needed in Amsterdam for now. Paul advices to ask active members to help, also without a flag.

Aldo differentiates three kind of jobs for country ambs. The first one is mainly online, in taking part in group discussions, promote and represent the Netherlands in international groups, greeting people and so on. These jobs seem to suite Rose. The second part is meeting people, show your face, promote CouchSurfing on meetings and so on. This is what Henri is good at. The thing that is missing is someone who has a broader overview, who can take care about the organisational part and brings up things among ambassadors.

Both Liza and Giuseppe thought about applying as a third country ambassador. Giuseppe has his doubts for being not Dutch and is very likely to leave the country in about two years. Everybody, including Giuseppe, will be very happy if Liza will apply for the third country ambassador position. The situation in Utrecht is very stable with Jasper as active city ambassador. Liza will think about it and inform us before the 9th of September, the next deadline for country ambassador applications. If she will apply, Giuseppe can always help if things need to be done.

=Event organisation=

· Due to a lack of time, we will discuss this further online. Please write some words about your experiences with events and organising them in the CS group. In this way, we can all learn from each other.

Next Dutch ambassadors meeting will be held in Rotterdam, in the last weekend of November. This weekend, the big international Sinterklaas Meeting will also take place in this city. Paul will organise our meeting, more details will follow by then!

=Decisions taken:=

1. Henri and Rose will develop a toolkit for new ambassadors

2. Giuseppe, Liza and Maikel can act as buddies for new ambassadors

3. Henri and Rose will send a reminder to inactive ambassadors

4. Everyone can/should write Henri or Rose if you think an ambassador is inactive

5. Regarding an emergency couch list, we will wait till the system on the main page is improved

6. The Dutch CS Groups will get based on provinces

7. Giuseppe will try to develop a clickable map for the Netherlands Group page

8. Giuseppe will write a manual about communication in our group

9. If new members are added to the group, we will get informed about that

10. Liza will think about applying as a third country ambassador

11. Next meeting will be in Rotterdam, in the weekend of the Sinterklaas meeting

[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}

Minutes 4rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-18T13:17:23Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes of 4th meetup of the [[CS_Organisation_Netherlands]], Oss January 10th 2009

Present: Liza (Country amb), Maikel (Oss), Willem (Rotterdam), Giuseppe (Groningen), Jasper (Utrecht, not.), Timz (nomadic, Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Klaas (Haarlem), Tim (Utrecht), Henri (country amb).

absent with notice: Rose, Marten, Jeroen, Menno, Esly, Tommy, Gerard, Paul, Aldo, Rossi

==1. Minutes last meeting: ==
decisions taken:
– click able map: not possible
– communication manual: better as a flagged post, it changes quite often

==2. Google calender==
We will not promote the google calendar, it is better to centralize information, it is better to focus information in the events page. Liza will post to the brainstorming group that you can be alarmed if there is already a meeting your region if you make a meeting for a certain day.

==3. Working groups==
There doesn't seem to be a need for it yet. If there is a subject that needs a workgroup we can start one for it.

==4. Editing groups==
No action is taken so far. Giuseppe has the tools to edit groups. Giuseppe can start according to the decisions taken on the previous meeting. Any 'tricky' cases can be discussed among the taskforce about this topic (Giuseppe, Ramon, Liza, Tommy, Jasper).

==5. Nomadic ambassadors==
The country ambassadors sent out an email to the Dutch nomadic ambassadors what their plans were. This could have been more carefull. Rose still have to report the answers.
A lot of nomadic ambassadors in the Netherlands seem to be having a quite steady base in the Netherlands, and could as well be city ambassadors. We try to get into contact with nomadic ambassadors (like city ambassadors), we should do this as decentralized as possible.

==6. Posting in each other groups. ==
Best is posting just in the city and country group. In other city groups maybe there can be postings about traveling there (so there is a direct link). Meetings set up to be very big are of course a exception, there's no problem of posting them in other groups. About other cases you can always contact moderators of a group.
If you see people signed in on meetings who have to travel there (ig on big events), it can be smars to post to people to suggest to travel there.
For repeating of messages, please add new information.

==7. Money==
Investigation about what a legal entity requires can be very welcome, but there is a big fear that creating a legal entity can create much more fuzz than we want to and it doesn't seem strictly necessary. Liza will post about this in an ambassador group.

==8. Wiki==
Please add info about yourself on the wiki, if you don't know how to use the wiki, ask Jasper.

==9. Welcome kit==
Giuseppe made some corrections, Liza and Henri will check them out. Safety issues will be delt with by contact us, not by the country ambassadors.

==10. Queensday==
Best way would be to focus on several smaller meetings (the box of chocolate strategy) but connect them all by making them all start with the word 'Queensday-week'.
The rest is up to the organizers of the several events.

==11. New members==
be carefull of facebook.

==12. Rondvraag==
We would love to hear more about what country ambassadors are doing, Rose is very absent in the ambassadors group.
There is just a small group of people active. Meeting in person has an extra value. We try to keep the meetings as open as possible for new people, also inviting active people without a flag.

* next meeting: in the beginning of April in a more informal setting

==13. Meeting Annet==

==action list:==

everybody: (if needed) add you info in the ambassadors wiki page

Liza: post in the brainstormgroup about double meetings

Rose: report the answers to the messages to nomadic ambassadors.
everybody: get into contact with nomadic ambassadors in your region (if you don't know them yet), if an ambassador appears to be inactive, get into contact about it with a country ambassador.

Liza and Henri: update the welcome kit.

Liza: post about money in ambassador groups.

All country ambassadors: inform on progresses made.

[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}

Minutes 5th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-18T13:17:05Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes Amb-meeting Haarlem zo 27-9-2009

===Present===
Menno (city amb. Amsterdam), Klaas (city amb Haarlem), Gius (city amb Groningen), Henry (country amb), Maikel (city amb. Oss), Linda (city amb Den Haag), Jelly (city amb Amsterdam), Liza (country amb, chair), Floris (Wognum), Sanne (city amb Utrecht), Pieter (Leiden), Gerard (Bergschenhoek, Rotterdam region), Sytse (Arnhem), Jasper (city amb Utrecht)

===Absent with notice===
Konstantin (city amb Eindhoven), Rose (country amb), William (Breda)

==1. Introducing each other==
a short introduction round

==2. CS newsletter==

Henri: had contact with Meredith from CS homebase in SF a while ago about a plan to have a newsstream on the website. It is a pilot, other countries are already involved.

We want to be involved, we were working on a newsletter anyway. We made a group of people who will work the plans out.

===Tasks===
editing, scouting (finding people and info), journalists

===Interested===
Sanne, Maikel, Jasper, Sytse, Linda & Floris

==3. CS NL Foundation==

Floris was thinking about having a foundation. He made a list of benefits and downsides on which we added some things.

===benefits===
* looks more professional
* possibility for sponsorship
* possiblity for referencing for jobless people who want to volunteer
* contact with local gouvernments might be easier
* improves legal status (responsiblities)
* possiblity to get insurance

===Downsides===
* extra costs of administration (how much? tens or hundreds or euro's?)
* boring work
* more responsiblities
* might look overprofessional which might not fit with the general atmosphere on couchsurfing
* couchsurfing international doesn't back it up (or is this a benefit?)

===other ideas===

* Would it be possible to do it on a European base?
* We decide to do more research
* Floris, Linda & Henri will do this.
* Next meeting there will be a report about this.

==4. New ambassadors / application procedure==

Liza made a presentation about the procedure that just finished, you can find it on the [http://groups.google.com/group/couchsurfingnl CS NL google group]

The future of this procedure is unclear

When the new round starts Liza will notify people in active cities without an ambassador.

==5. CS NL outside of Randstad & Bigger cities==

Jasper: Couchsurfing is slowly spreading outside of the Randstad, but is still mainly focussed on cities. Do people agree with this problem and know a way to solve it? Answer to both questions seem to be yes. We also agree that it is a task of us to help travellers to get out of the beaten tracks.

Menno, but also others, already have plans for meetings in the countryside

The news letter might help extra to promote lesser known places.

It also might help to drag people from smaller places to big cities, when people in the big cities know them it is easier to visit them.

Idea: organise several (like every 3 months) 'invasions' to small places and see how that works.

We will start a topic about this (countryside invasions) on the CS NL group, several people will come with ideas and are free to organise them.

==6. Groups reorganisation==

Reorganisation is almost finished.
The 'Holland'-group will be put in a subgroup 'archived subgroups of the Netherlands'

We have some NL-subgroups left which are not province-groups. We decide to not put them in a new subgroup. The list of subgroups of the Netherlands is not chaotic anymore so it is not a problem that those subgroups are there.

Not every province group the right moderators yet. The people involved in the reorganisation will fix this soon.

==7. New developments in CS==

Some people gave some updates in the current situation.

==8. WVTTK==

===Events powerpoint===
Maikel made a very usefull powerpoint presentation about how to use the events-page
You can find it [http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AeBqhUHENOo_ZGQ2M2prOGhfNDNna3pyZGhnZA&hl=nl here]

===Greetings===
At this moment the following Dutch people are greeting new members (local, national or globally):

Klaas (local)

Maikel (national/global)

Henri (priority for local, National)

Liza (local and national)

Giuseppe (local)

Linda (local, just applied)

Other greeters (not at the meeting):

Astrid from Eindhoven

Shilp from Delft

Erik from Arnhem

The following people said they also want to greet:

Pieter

Jelly

Sytse

Floris (locally)

===Event approvers===

Henri (priority for NL)

Guiseppe

==Action list==

* Sanne, Maikel, Jasper, Sytse, Linda & Floris: working out the idea of the newletter
* Liza: noticy active cities without active ambassadors when the new application round starts
* Floris, Linda & Henri: to more research about what it means to start a foundation
* Giuseppe: put the Holland-group in the new to make 'archived groups of NL' subgroup
* people involved in reorganisation groups: find moderators for some groups
* Pieter, Jelly, Sytse & Floris: join the new member welcome group

[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}

User talk:85.145.165.16

2010-01-18T10:21:53Z

82.210.125.61: Created page with '85.145.165.16 = Kilgoretrout, sorry every now and then I forget to log in'

85.145.165.16 = Kilgoretrout, sorry every now and then I forget to log in

User talk:82.210.125.61

2010-01-18T10:20:13Z

82.210.125.61: Created page with '82.210.125.61 = Kilgoretrout, every now and then I forget to log in :S'

82.210.125.61 = Kilgoretrout, every now and then I forget to log in :S

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-01-18T10:04:38Z

82.210.125.61:

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Meetings=

==upcoming meetings==

===Queensday===

===Midsummernight in the park===

===Midsummeraftercamp?===

===Maastricht summer meeting?===

==past meetings==

===Arnhem Calling?===

===Carnaval?===

===Small meeting?===

===Meeting in Zwolle?===

===[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 MCME]===

=News from Cs Netherlands=

=Dutch travels=

==place unknown==

==tips and trivia==

===How to make a CS event? > Maikel's powerpoint?===

==stories==

===Interview with Jacque?===

===Tommy?===

=Couchpicture=

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:CS Newsletters]]

Netherlands

2010-01-17T18:13:17Z

82.210.125.61:

{{Netherlands}}

Welcome to the '''[[Netherlands]]'''! The Netherlands is a tiny country located between [[Germany]] and [[Belgium]]. Despite its size, it still houses a population of over 16 million people. Most of the people live in the "Randstad" metropolitan area, located in the West of the country around the region called [[Holland]]. In contrast to the mainly protestant north, the south people of the south has a largely catholic heritage which give them trong ties to for instance Belgium. In the North life is less hectic since there are less big cities. The province of [[Friesland]] has their own history and language. Most people of the Netherlands speak Dutch although most people are also proficient in English and one or more other European language(s).

Most Dutch people don't feel very connected to the traditional touristic stereotypes of wooden shoes, tulips and windmills. Still they are a unmistakable part of the Dutch history and heritage. No single country has been so active in creating their own land from the water. The culture of the Netherlands is for a big part shaped by a open and tolerant society. The Dutch became famous for being tolerant on Drugs (especially socalled 'softdrugs' and XTC), were the first to allow gay people to marry and are quite progressive in medical issues as abortion. From the 17th century Amsterdam was a multi-cultural society, nowaydays most cities in the west have a mixed population with people from our former colonies ([[Indonesia]], [[Suriname]], the Dutch caribic islands), immigrant workers from [[Morocco]] and [[Turkey]], refugees and lately more and more western expats.

A lot more info about the Netherlands can be found on [http://www.writingtravellers.com/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Netherlands Writing Travellers], [http://wikitravel.org/en/Netherlands Wikitravel] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands Wikipedia].

==Couchsurfing Meetings==
There are a lot of meetings all around the Netherlands. Due to the small size of both the Netherlands and the CS community, people from all over the country usually attend these meetings. Cities near to the border (like [[Maastricht]], [[Groningen]] and [[Enschede]]) even tend to coorporate with nearby cities across the border. Netherlands meetings often take up a full evening, day or even weekend, can be attached to cultural events (the celebration of [[Sinterklaas]], [[Midsummernight]], [[Queen's day]], New Year's Eve or personal events (birthdays, going away parties), and often involve a few hosts opening their homes to large groups of people. Larger events also attract CSers from [[France]], [[England]] and [[Germany]].

For more info about the meetings check the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html CS-meeting page], the [http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=Y291Y2hzdXJmaW5nbmxAZ21haWwuY29t Dutch CS-calender] or ask the [[Dutch Ambassadors]]

===Regular meetings===

====Weekly====

[[Rotterdam]]: every Tuesday

[[Amsterdam]]: every Saturday

====Monthly====

[[Utrecht]]: every last Friday of the month

[[Groningen]]: every first Friday of the month

[[Amersfoort]]: every first Friday of the month

[[The Hague]]: On Thursdays, twice a month

[[Leiden]]: no steady schedule, but once a month

[[Delft]]: every first Wednesday of the month

[[Leeuwarden]]: every second Wednesday of the month

[[Maastricht]]: on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday in the second half of the month

[[Enschede]]: every 7th of the month

[[Eindhoven]]: every last Thursday of the month

====Annual====

[[Rotterdam]]: [[Sinterklaas]]: end of November, beginning of December

[[Utrecht]]: [[Midsummernight]]; the weekend closest to June 21st

[[Groningen]]: [[Groningen Summer CS Picnic]]; beginning of September

[[Maastricht]]: Maastricht Summer Meeting in the end of July (weekend), Carnaval Meeting in February or March (five days), 11th of 11 at 11 november (one day)

[[Haarlem]]: Midsummer aftercamp

[[Arnhem]]: Arnhem Calling, january

All over the country:
* Queensnight: April 29th
* Queensday: April 30th
* Liberation day: May 5th

===Other cities with meetings===

[['s Hertogenbosch]], [[Arnhem]], [[Zwolle]], [[Breda]], [[Tilburg]], [[Hengelo]]

==Main attractions==

Most tourists stay in Holland (the provinces North and South Holland). This area is very densely populated and has most famous tourist spots.

* the the tourist enclave and cultural capital '''[[Amsterdam]]'''.

* the gouvernmental city of '''[[The Hague]]''' with the beach of '''[[Scheveningen]]'''

* modern multicultural city life and architecture in '''[[Rotterdam]]'''.

* Polders and Windmills, [[Kinderdijk]] and the [[Beemster]]

* Tulips, near the coast north of [[Leiden]] and of course in the [[Keukenhof|Tulipgarden]] '[http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html keukenhof]

==Tips==
Advise from couchsurfers for everyone who wants to leave the ´beaten track´:

====Active Couchsurfing-comunities====

The cities below are cities that don't recive a lot of tourists but have an active Cs-community, so it's always easy to have a good time in there.
* [[Utrecht]]

* [[Groningen]]

* [[Leiden]]

* [[Maastricht]]

* [[Rotterdam]]

* [[Amersfoort]]

* [[Tilburg]]

====Beautiful spots====

Al the big cities in the west together form a horseshoe, therefore the name 'Randstad'. In between this horseshoe there is a quiet rural part called the green hart, perfect to bike around in and to cool down from the busy citylife.

Plenty of pretty small historic cities can be found in these regions:

* Rivierenland: near the big rivers (Between [[Rotterdam]], [[Utrecht]], [[Nijmegen]] and [['s Hertogenbosch]]). The first cityrights were granted in this region to cities like [[Dordrecht]], [[Gorinchem]], [[Wijk bij Duurstede]], [[Tiel]], [[Zutphen]] & [[Deventer]].

* [[Zeeland]]: the Islands in the southwest. A lot of Germans go to the beaches in here in the summer, but the Island around Zeeland also have a lot of nice old cities that look like cities in Flandres ([[Middelburg]], [[Sluis]], [[Brielle]], [[Domburg]]).

* [[Friesland]]: the northern province with it's own culture, language, flag and national sport and nice historic cities like [[Heerenveen]], [[Franeker]], [[Drachten]], [[Sneek]], [[Harlingen]], [[Sloten]], etc)

* kop van Noord-Holland: Holland north of [[Amsterdam]], also known as west-Friesland. In the Dutch golden age this area was very rich, you can still see traces of this in cities like [[Enkhuizen]], [[Hoorn]], [[Alkmaar]] and [[Edam]]). There are also a lot of old and interesting polders in this area.

* the South of [[Limburg]]: because of the hilly landscapes and distinct, bourgondic culture this region feels like a foreign country to a lot of Dutch people.

* The Islands in the North (Waddeneilanden): Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog

====Exotic couches and people who would like to get more guests====
If you would like to get more guests or tell about a beautifull (exotic) couch you know, you can put your profile name in here.

* [http://couchsurfing.com/GERALD_ROTTERDAM Gerard Bosman] lives in a small town near Rotterdam, on a central spot in the Randstad. He loves to show the people, also young backpackers, around and explain them about how the Dutch manage to live so far below the sealevel.

* If you're into WWOOFing or would like to find out about squatted farms, check out [http://couchsurfing.com/spruit Spruit]'s profile. He lives in a beautiful place in the middle of the Randstad.

==The Dutch==
Advise on [[how to be a good guest]] in the Netherlands:

This one is from an integration course and doesn't apply to overnight visitors, but more to coffeetime guests. It probably only applies to the older generation of Dutchies. It definitely doesn't apply to CouchSurfers, for neither guests nor hosts,
# If the host says he will start preparing dinner, this isn't an invitation to join dinner (unless explicitly said), but a sign for you to leave.
# When visiting a Dutch family at tea time you will likely be offered a biscuit from a large tray or tin full of biscuits. Be considerate and only take one or very few.
#Smoking marijuana is depenaltized, but still, this does not mean you are free to practise this anywhere, with anybody, or talking apparently about such habits to anyone. Better that you don't exceed the limits upon a coffee-shop visit and restrict your use of marijuana there.

A good and funny book about the Dutch and dutch customs is the [http://www.undutchables.com/ UnDutchables]

==Get around==

===Bike===
* [[Traveling by bicycle]]is easy and very common both within cities and across the country. There are separate paths for bikes linking cities and villages, as well as directional signs (in red) indicating major bicycle routes. If you are bicycling at night, you must have a white light on the front of your bike (or yourself) and a red light on the back. You can find more info on biking in the netherlands (including routes) in [http://holland.cyclingaroundtheworld.nl/ here]. Renting bikes is possible at most big trainstations (where intercities stop).

===Train===
* There is a very well-developed internal train network, and the country's small size means that the major destinations are often within 20 - 80 minutes of each other. The train system is privatised. The biggest railroad company is the [http://www.ns.nl NS], of which the state is the only shareholder. Regional private companies include [http://www.syntus.nl/ Syntus] in the east of the country, [http://www.arriva.nl/ Arriva] which operates mainly in the North and near Dordrecht, [http://www.connexxion.nl/ Connexxion] in the centre and [http://www.veolia-transport.nl/ Veolia] in the South east. Tickets bought at NS vending machines/desks are valid for all trains in the Netherlands, exept high speed trains. At service desks you pay €0,50 extra as a 'service fee'.

* [http://www.nshispeed.nl/en International high-speed trains] stop at the major cities, and there are direct trains to and from such cities as Paris, Brussels and Cologne.

===Bus===
* If you travel by bus or metro more than once, it is advisable to buy a so called 'strippenkaart', see [http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/strippenkaart/ here] how it works. Sometimes you can/have to use OV-chipkaart, which is a magnetic card. See this [http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/?taal=en website] for more information. In the centre of Rotterdam and regional buses around Eindhoven, Leiden, Gouda and Schoonhoven you can use OV-chipkaart. The Rotterdam metro system only allows the OV-chipkaart.

* [http://www.eurolines.com/index.php?id=113&L=0 Eurolines] bus service makes daily trips from Belgium, France, Germany and the UK as well as semi-regular service from Poland and other countries.

===Boat===
* Ferry lines are operated on Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam and IJmuiden.

* The islands in the north are best reachable by this [http://www.rederij-doeksen.nl/ ferryservice]

===Car===
* There are a lot of roads of good quality in the Netherlands and no tollways. The speed limit is 120 km/h on freeways, 50 in and 80 outside of cities. The old cities are mostly hard to reach by car, overcrowded and expensive to park in. Don't travel in de [[Randstad]] by car in rushhours, there are allways a lot of trafficjams.

* Due to the small size and relative dense population '''[[hitchhiking]]''' is really easy in the Netherlands. The country is quite friendly to hitchhikers with even special spots in some cities. [http://www.liftershalte.info Lifterhalte ] is a wiki about hitchhiking with a very usefull map with some good hitchhking spots. Some other good spots can be found in [http://www.franknature.nl/hitchhike/hitchhike.htm# here]. Because of the free public transport cars students get a lot of Dutch are not used to hitchhikers.

===Air===
* The Netherlands main airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, a busy international airport with a trainstation conveniently located underground. From Schiphol, travel to locations within the Randstad can be accomplished within 1 hour, and major destinations throughout the country can be reached within 3 hours.

* Some low cost carriers such as Easy Jet, Berlin Air, Sky Europe, Wizz Air and Ryan Air also fly into the airports at Maastricht/Aachen, [http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Eindhoven Eindhoven] and Rotterdam. Public bus systems connect these airports with the NS stations. Easyjet stopped flying to Maastricht/Aachen but there are several main-carriers flying to Schiphol.

==Safety==
*The general alarm number is 112.
*While biking in the Netherlands is a nice way to get around, be sure to bring good locks for your bike if you bring your own. Bike theft occurs, mostly in metropolitan areas.

==Work==
[http://www.undutchables.nl Undutchables] and [http://www.bluelynx.com Blue Lynx] are job agencies that offers jobs to internationals in many languages. If you already speak dutch (or english for some jobs) try [http://www.monsterboard.nl Monsterboard]. For English speaking jobs, try [http://www.jobinamsterdam.com JobinAmsterdam].

==Backgroud information==

===Geography===

'''Polders'''

The country is famous for being below the water level. About half of the country has a state-controlled water level. In the west a lot of parts are reclaimed land; socalled 'polders'. The deepest are a little north of Rotterdam, some parts are more than 6 meters below sea level. Two polders appear on the world heritage list, kinderdijk (east of Rotterdam) and de Beemster (north of Amsterdam).

'''Delta Works'''

'''Randstad'''

'''Multi-cultural society'''

'''Bible Belt'''

===History===

'''Romans'''

The Netherlands formed the northern border of the Roman empire for some ages. The north was conquered once, but got independent again short time later. Not much is left of the Romans. The places where they built fortesses are often marked, but most of that is artificial. Some cities evolved from the Romans. [[Nijmegen]] is the only city founded by the Romans, [[Maastricht]] and [[Utrecht]] evolved from Roman fortifications.

'''Medieval'''

In the early medival times the west of the Netherlands was mainly a swamp. People only lived on the high parts around the rivers and on hills (terpen) in the North. After the year 1000 people started to make the swamplands into polders with grassfields. Cities appeared around the rivers ([['s Hertogenbosch]], [[Utrecht]], etc) and in [[Friesland]]. Most wealth was in the western provinces of Belgium which also belonged to the low countries (= Netherlands)

'''Dutch Republic'''

In the 16th century the all the provinces of the Netherlands (the present Netherlands, [[Belgium]] and [[Luxemburg]]), by intermarrying, came under the rule of [[Spain]]. The cities of Flanders were wealthy tradings cities by that time. At the same time all over [[Europe]], people started to protest again the decadence of the Catholic Church. Protestantism was quite popular in the southwest of the Netherlands. After the icony clash in 1566 the Catholic Spanish intensified repression against protestants. Lower dutch nobility started to protest against this repression, but were not taken serious by the Spanish. The provinces in the North make a coalition in [[Utrecht]] in 1567. William of Orange became the unofficial leader of the protestant rebellion. After a failed attempt, the rebellion really started with the takeover of the small coastal city of Brielle. Slowly more and more cities joined the insurge.

After 80 years of war the north became the protestant republic of Dutch provinces, the south remained catholic under rule of the Spanish. The north conquered two catholic provinces, [[Brabant]] and [[Limburg]], but also in the north there were lots of catholics left. The catholics were allowed to remain catholic, as long as the leading protestants didn't have to see anything that reminded them to catholicism. The centre of the region moved from [[Antwerpen]] (previously a protestant city, but conquered by the Spanish) to [[Amsterdam]]. Amsterdam became more wealthy then [[Antwerpen]] ever was and became the centre of a strong naval, colonial power. The VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) started trading posts in [[Afrika]], [[India]], [[China]] and [[Japan]] en conquered big parts of [[Indonesia]] while the WIC (West Indische Compagnie) started selltements in present day [[New York]], [[Recife]] ([[Brasil]]) and the carribean islands and got rich by Piratery and slavery.

'''French Revolution'''

In the 18th century the Dutch republic was a big example for the formation of the United States but was allready for a long time in decline. After losing wars with [[England]] the Dutch lost their role as world power. The Dutch were completely overrun by the enthousiasm of the revolution in [[France]] and became a French province aroun 1800. The French totally reformed state organisation drasticly.

'''Dutch Kingdom'''

When the French left the other monarchies in Europe upgraded the family of Orange to a royal family. the Netherlands became a kingdom joined with [[Belgium]]. Belgium left this union in 1830, but the kingdom remained.

'''World Wars'''

The Dutch tried to be neutral in both world wars, but only succeeded in that in the first. In the second the country was invaded by [[Germany]]. The war only lasted a few days and stopped after the Germans totally destroyed [[Rotterdam]]. It took 5 years untill the country was liberated. The south was allready liberated in 1944, the whole winter lasted with a frontline on the rivers, causing famine in the urban regions in the North. By mistake the allied forces destroyed the city of [[Nijmegen]] (they ment to detroy a German city).

'''Modern History'''

After the sober fifties, the Dutch became very wealthy in the sixties after finding gas supplies in the North. The cultural revolution of the sixties had a big impact on the Netherlands, making the country known for it's liberal, progressive laws and making [[Amsterdam]] one of the hippie capitals of the world. Because of shortage of low education workers, a lot of workers from mediterranian countries were reqruited. Together with the independence of most colonies (and the migration of lots of their inhabitants), this made the Netherland a multicultural society. After being mostly known for the country with liberal laws on drugs, gay-rights and etnical medical matters after the millennium the country was more and more polarised. Right wing politicans criticise the lack of authority and two political murders gave the Netherlands a reputation of a country looking for it's identity and unsure of what the future will bring.

[[trash:Netherlands]]
[[hitch:Netherlands]]
{{IsIn|Europe}}

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:11:46Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes meeting CS NL 17-01-2010

Present: Floris (Wognum), Liza (Utrecht), Jasper (Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Linda (Den Haag), Gerard (Rotterdam-suburbs), Clarissa (Maarssen), Tamara (Groningen), Annemarie (Zwolle), Maikel (Oss, chair), Guiseppe (Groningen), Nicholas (Rotterdam), Tommy (Leiden), Erik (Arnhem), Sytse (Arnhem), Marten (Maastricht), Henri (Arnhem)

=1. introduction=

Sytse: Next year there will be a Arnhem-calling again

=2. ambassadorship=

Liza gave a short update about the worldwide developments concerning ambassadors

Liza is almost done with the reorganisation of the CS NL group, nice that finally almost everybody replied.

=3. Newsletter=

* reactions were positive
* so far 1418 unique people visited the site
* The newsletter helped a lot for getting people to Arnhem Calling
* NMW could redirect new members to the newsletters (Henri > people in the NMW)
* It would be nice to have a link to the site on the NL group (Liza, Henri)
* Nicholas might be able to a get the site hosted on the couchsurfing servers. We keep this in mind for when the number of visitors will increase. Nicholas will check the possibilities. (Nicholas)

=4. Actionlist provious meeting=

* cities without ambassadors: no developments yet

* foundation research: Linda: association is no option at all, there are quite some formal requirements and costs for that, but there are also advantages. Other countries (Indonesia, Hungary) have got more experience about it.

Linda will investigate more, Erik and Clarissa can assist a little bit.

* Dutch groups reorganisation: Guiseppe: it is almost done

* Group moderation: Guiseppe will check which groups are not moderated. Please reply if you know people who might be suited to moderate them.

=5. Location fixing=

Manu needs help to know which should be the correct name of a place.

These people can help:

Brabant / Limburg: Maikel

Gelderland: Erik

Overijssel: Annemarie

Drente, Groningen: Tamara

Friesland: Menno

Utrecht: Jasper

Noord-Holland: Floris

Zuid-Holland: Gerard

Flevoland: probably no need

=6. Collecting names from the past=

2 reasons:

* thanking people for involvement
* not forgetting old contacts

Henri will make a start with a private list

=7. Next meeting=

End of march in Zwolle

=8. WVTTK=

Clarissa: who wants to help with organising a Couchsurfing Orientation meeting (on a local scale):

Tommy, Tamara, Annemarie, Maikel, Liza

Tommy: we need to update the adresses in the contact list in the Google Group. Liza will go after that. If you want to be in the document, give Maikel your private e-mail adress

Floris: would like to have more experienced people involved in the countryside invasions

=Action list=

Nicholas: investigate the possiblities for putting the CS NL newsletter of the CS servers

Henri: Ask Dutch people in NMW to tell new members about the Newsletter

Henri, Liza Link the Newsletter on the Netherlands group

Linda Investigate more about a foundation

Guiseppe Check which groups are still unmoderated

Henri Start with a private list of people who helped us in the past

Annemarie Organise a meeting in Zwolle

Clarissa Get into contact with people who want to help with Couchsurfing orientation meeting

Liza Update contacts on the google group

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:10:49Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:09:53Z

82.210.125.61:

((CS Organisation Netherlands))

Minutes meeting CS NL 17-01-2010

Present: Floris (Wognum), Liza (Utrecht), Jasper (Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Linda (Den Haag), Gerard (Rotterdam-suburbs), Clarissa (Maarssen), Tamara (Groningen), Annemarie (Zwolle), Maikel (Oss, chair), Guiseppe (Groningen), Nicholas (Rotterdam), Tommy (Leiden), Erik (Arnhem), Sytse (Arnhem), Marten (Maastricht), Henri (Arnhem)

=1. introduction=

Sytse: Next year there will be a Arnhem-calling again

=2. ambassadorship=

Liza gave a short update about the worldwide developments concerning ambassadors

Liza is almost done with the reorganisation of the CS NL group, nice that finally almost everybody replied.

=3. Newsletter=

* reactions were positive
* so far 1418 unique people visited the site
* The newsletter helped a lot for getting people to Arnhem Calling
* NMW could redirect new members to the newsletters (Henri > people in the NMW)
* It would be nice to have a link to the site on the NL group (Liza, Henri)
* Nicholas might be able to a get the site hosted on the couchsurfing servers. We keep this in mind for when the number of visitors will increase. Nicholas will check the possibilities. (Nicholas)

=4. Actionlist provious meeting=

* cities without ambassadors: no developments yet

* foundation research: Linda: association is no option at all, there are quite some formal requirements and costs for that, but there are also advantages. Other countries (Indonesia, Hungary) have got more experience about it.

Linda will investigate more, Erik and Clarissa can assist a little bit.

* Dutch groups reorganisation: Guiseppe: it is almost done

* Group moderation: Guiseppe will check which groups are not moderated. Please reply if you know people who might be suited to moderate them.

=5. Location fixing=

Manu needs help to know which should be the correct name of a place.

These people can help:

Brabant / Limburg: Maikel

Gelderland: Erik

Overijssel: Annemarie

Drente, Groningen: Tamara

Friesland: Menno

Utrecht: Jasper

Noord-Holland: Floris

Zuid-Holland: Gerard

Flevoland: probably no need

=6. Collecting names from the past=

2 reasons:

* thanking people for involvement
* not forgetting old contacts

Henri will make a start with a private list

=7. Next meeting=

End of march in Zwolle

=8. WVTTK=

Clarissa: who wants to help with organising a Couchsurfing Orientation meeting (on a local scale):

Tommy, Tamara, Annemarie, Maikel, Liza

Tommy: we need to update the adresses in the contact list in the Google Group. Liza will go after that. If you want to be in the document, give Maikel your private e-mail adress

Floris: would like to have more experienced people involved in the countryside invasions

=Action list=

Nicholas: investigate the possiblities for putting the CS NL newsletter of the CS servers

Henri: Ask Dutch people in NMW to tell new members about the Newsletter

Henri, Liza Link the Newsletter on the Netherlands group

Linda Investigate more about a foundation

Guiseppe Check which groups are still unmoderated

Henri Start with a private list of people who helped us in the past

Annemarie Organise a meeting in Zwolle

Clarissa Get into contact with people who want to help with Couchsurfing orientation meeting

Liza Update contacts on the google group

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:07:19Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:05:19Z

82.210.125.61:

Minutes meeting CS NL 17-01-2010

Present: Floris (Wognum), Liza (Utrecht), Jasper (Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Linda (Den Haag), Gerard (Rotterdam-suburbs), Clarissa (Maarssen), Tamara (Groningen), Annemarie (Zwolle), Maikel (Oss, chair), Guiseppe (Groningen), Nicholas (Rotterdam), Tommy (Leiden), Erik (Arnhem), Sytse (Arnhem), Marten (Maastricht), Henri (Arnhem)

=1. introduction=

Sytse: Next year there will be a Arnhem-calling again

=2. ambassadorship=

Liza gave a short update about the worldwide developments concerning ambassadors

Liza is almost done with the reorganisation of the CS NL group, nice that finally almost everybody replied.

=3. Newsletter=

* reactions were positive
* so far 1418 unique people visited the site
* The newsletter helped a lot for getting people to Arnhem Calling
* NMW could redirect new members to the newsletters (Henri > people in the NMW)
* It would be nice to have a link to the site on the NL group (Liza, Henri)
* Nicholas might be able to a get the site hosted on the couchsurfing servers. We keep this in mind for when the number of visitors will increase. Nicholas will check the possibilities. (Nicholas)

=4. Actionlist provious meeting=

* cities without ambassadors: no developments yet

* foundation research: Linda: association is no option at all, there are quite some formal requirements and costs for that, but there are also advantages. Other countries (Indonesia, Hungary) have got more experience about it.

Linda will investigate more, Erik and Clarissa can assist a little bit.

* Dutch groups reorganisation: Guiseppe: it is almost done

* Group moderation: Guiseppe will check which groups are not moderated. Please reply if you know people who might be suited to moderate them.

=5. Location fixing=

Manu needs help to know which should be the correct name of a place.

These people can help:

Brabant / Limburg: Maikel

Gelderland: Erik

Overijssel: Annemarie

Drente, Groningen: Tamara

Friesland: Menno

Utrecht: Jasper

Noord-Holland: Floris

Zuid-Holland: Gerard

Flevoland: Tommy puts his finger in a dike

=6. Collecting names from the past=

2 reasons:

o thanking people for involvement
o not forgetting old contacts

Henri will make a start with a private list

=7. Next meeting=

End of march in Zwolle

=8. WVTTK=

Clarissa: who wants to help with organising a Couchsurfing Orientation meeting (on a local scale):

Tommy, Tamara, Annemarie, Maikel, Liza

Tommy: we need to update the adresses in the contact list in the Google Group. Liza will go after that. If you want to be in the document, give Maikel your private e-mail adress

Floris: would like to have more experienced people involved in the countryside invasions

=Action list=

Nicholas: investigate the possiblities for putting the CS NL newsletter of the CS servers

Henri: Ask Dutch people in NMW to tell new members about the Newsletter

Henri, Liza Link the Newsletter on the Netherlands group

Linda Investigate more about a foundation

Guiseppe Check which groups are still unmoderated

Henri Start with a private list of people who helped us in the past

Annemarie Organise a meeting in Zwolle

Clarissa Get into contact with people who want to help with Couchsurfing orientation meeting

Liza Update contacts on the google group

Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup

2010-01-17T18:04:13Z

82.210.125.61: Created page with 'Minutes meeting CS NL 17-01-2010 Present: Floris (Wognum), Liza (Utrecht), Jasper (Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Linda (Den Haag), Gerard (Rotterdam-suburbs), Clarissa (Maarssen),…'

Minutes meeting CS NL 17-01-2010

Present: Floris (Wognum), Liza (Utrecht), Jasper (Utrecht), Sanne (Utrecht), Linda (Den Haag), Gerard (Rotterdam-suburbs), Clarissa (Maarssen), Tamara (Groningen), Annemarie (Zwolle), Maikel (Oss, chair), Guiseppe (Groningen), Nicholas (Rotterdam), Tommy (Leiden), Erik (Arnhem), Sytse (Arnhem), Marten (Maastricht), Henri (Arnhem)

=1. introduction=

Sytse: Next year there will be a Arnhem-calling again

=2. ambassadorship=

Liza gave a short update about the worldwide developments concerning ambassadors

Liza is almost done with the reorganisation of the CS NL group, nice that finally almost everybody replied.

=3. Newsletter=

* reactions were positive
* so far 1418 unique people visited the site
* The newsletter helped a lot for getting people to Arnhem Calling
* NMW could redirect new members to the newsletters (Henri > people in the NMW)
* It would be nice to have a link to the site on the NL group (Liza, Henri)
* Nicholas might be able to a get the site hosted on the couchsurfing servers. We keep this in mind for when the number of visitors will increase. Nicholas will check the possibilities. (Nicholas)

=4. Actionlist provious meeting=

* cities without ambassadors: no developments yet

* foundation research: Linda: association is no option at all, there are quite some formal requirements and costs for that, but there are also advantages. Other countries (Indonesia, Hungary) have got more experience about it.

Linda will investigate more, Erik and Clarissa can assist a little bit.

o Dutch groups reorganisation: Guiseppe: it is almost done

o Group moderation: Guiseppe will check which groups are not moderated. Please reply if you know people who might be suited to moderate them.

=5. Location fixing=

Manu needs help to know which should be the correct name of a place.

These people can help:

Brabant / Limburg: Maikel

Gelderland: Erik

Overijssel: Annemarie

Drente, Groningen: Tamara

Friesland: Menno

Utrecht: Jasper

Noord-Holland: Floris

Zuid-Holland: Gerard

Flevoland: Tommy puts his finger in a dike

=6. Collecting names from the past=

2 reasons:

o thanking people for involvement
o not forgetting old contacts

Henri will make a start with a private list

=7. Next meeting=

End of march in Zwolle

=8. WVTTK=

Clarissa: who wants to help with organising a Couchsurfing Orientation meeting (on a local scale):

Tommy, Tamara, Annemarie, Maikel, Liza

Tommy: we need to update the adresses in the contact list in the Google Group. Liza will go after that. If you want to be in the document, give Maikel your private e-mail adress

Floris: would like to have more experienced people involved in the countryside invasions

=Action list=

Nicholas: investigate the possiblities for putting the CS NL newsletter of the CS servers

Henri: Ask Dutch people in NMW to tell new members about the Newsletter

Henri, Liza Link the Newsletter on the Netherlands group

Linda Investigate more about a foundation

Guiseppe Check which groups are still unmoderated

Henri Start with a private list of people who helped us in the past

Annemarie Organise a meeting in Zwolle

Clarissa Get into contact with people who want to help with Couchsurfing orientation meeting

Liza Update contacts on the google group

CS Organisation Netherlands

2010-01-17T18:02:04Z

82.210.125.61: /* Minutes */

{{Netherlands}}

== List of Dutch Ambassadors ==
===Country Ambassadors===
[[:cs:users/LIZZIE82ISH|Liza van Kuijk]] (Utrecht)
+ Support Dutch City ambassadors and the rest of the Netherlands CS community.
+ Member of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3581 New Member Welcome group], greeting new members in Utrecht and around.
+ Organising meetings and activities in Utrecht and assisting in others in the Netherlands.
+ Explore the other CS communities in the Netherlands and the rest of the world by surfing and going to meetings
+ Member of workinggroup for reorganising groups of the Netherlands
+ Mentor/Buddy for new ambs in the centre of the Netherlands
+ Moderator of:
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=238 Netherlands CS group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=5031 Netherlands CS organisation group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3486 Last minute couch in the Netherlands group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=14572 Dutch lessons in Utrecht group]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group]

[[:cs:users/VATO_LOCO|Henri Geerman]] (Arnhem)
+

===City Ambassadors===

=====[[Amsterdam]]=====
[[:cs:users/mab84|Menno]]
+

[[:cs:users/SPREEKER|Stephan Preeker]]
+

[[:cs:users/JP1978|JP1978]]
+ [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=1334189#post1512749 post on the CSNL Group]

=====[[Rotterdam]]=====
[[:cs:users/ROSSI IN ROTTERDAM|Annemarie Rossi]]
+

[[:cs:users/raineybean|Lorraine Sanchez]]
+

[[:cs:users/GERALD_ROTTERDAM|Gerard Bosman]] (Lansingerland municipality)
+

=====[[Utrecht]]=====
[[:cs:users/KILGORETROUT|Jasper Haenen]]
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group] and [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=8029 Utrecht meeting and events team group].
+ Member of Cs working groups: [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=10128 Events & Outreach - Event Organizers] & [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3727 couchsurfing Wiki]
+ Wikiholic; editing Wiki's of among others [[Utrecht]], [[Netherlands]] and [[Dutch ambassadors]]
+ Organisation of meetings in Utrecht
+ trying to keep track on Dutch groups and Ambassadors groups, posting there when necessary
+ Trying to keep contact with other communities in the Netherlands
+ Trying to go to meetings in and outside Utrecht when I can

[[:cs:users/SANNEBONGERS|Sanne Bongers]]
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=1348 Utrecht CS group] and [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=14572 Dutch lessons in Utrecht group].
+ Organiser of the Utrecht CS Dutch Lessons.
+ Organiser of several events in Utrecht.
+ Going to many meetings in Utrecht and trying to go to meetings in other communities.
+ Spreading the word, be a good host/surfer.

[[:cs:users/KIWIA|Tim Straatsma]]
+

=====[[Den Haag]]=====
[[:cs:/LIN.|Linda]]
+

=====[[Groningen]]=====
[[:cs:users/GPIKKIO|Giuseppe Cimo']]
+ Active Couchsurfer.
+ Moderator of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=4416 Groningen CS group].
+ Moderator of [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=12745 CS Groningen Organization group].
+ Moderator and active member of many groups.
+ Event organizer in [[Groningen]].
+ Editor of the [[Groningen]] CS Wiki page.
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/contact.html Contact Us Team].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=7043 Groups Management operators].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/organization.html?gid=4401 Location Fixing Team].
+ Member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=3581 New Member Welcome group].
+ Member of a number of CS Organization Working Groups.
+ ([http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=6 Old]) translator of the CS site.
+ Mentor for new ambassadors and volunteers in the north Netherlands.
+ CS addicted :)

=====[[Maastricht]]=====
[[:cs:/LEONAH|Leona Reuter]]
+

=====[[Eindhoven]]=====
[[:cs:/KONL|Konstantin Youdenko]]
+

=====[[Leiden]]=====
[[:cs:users/LINFORCER|Tommy Quist]]
+

=====[[Haarlem]]=====
[[:cs:users/COUCHISTA|Klaas]]
+ moderate Haarlem group at http://www.couchsurfing.com/group.html?gid=6774
+ organise meetings such as http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html?mid=9214
+ maintain CS Wiki page about Haarlem at http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Haarlem
+ promote CS in my social network

=====[[Amersfoort]]=====

[[:cs:users/-MARTINA-|Martina]]
+

=====[[Delft]]=====
[[:cs:users/vontaks|Lukas Taks]]
+

=====[[Dordrecht]]=====
[[:cs:users/REMUS86|Remco Matthias Kwint]]
+

=====[[Oss]]=====
[[:cs:users/lourenssenm|Maikel Lourenssen]]
+

===Other Ambassadors===

[[:cs:users/onsplekkie|Maarten, Ilse + Lilou Duijvesteijn]] (De Lier) (Family)

[[:cs:users/CYDOREN|Cynthia Doren]] (Amsterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/IPELLEBOER|Ineke Pelleboer]] (Oldelamer) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/SERENDIPITOUS|Serendipitous]] (Roger Thompson) (Schaijk) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/LAO|Laurence Carrier-Desjardins]] (The Hague) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/SUPERANDERSAO|Anderson Ferreira]] (Rotterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/NAT-CHO|NAT-CHO]] (Amsterdam) (Nomadic)

[[:cs:users/jeroenek|Jeroen Geerdink]] (Nomadic)

==Ambassadors meetings==

=== Calendar ===

Ambassadors and other volunteers organize many meetings and happenings all around the country. Check the Dutch CS events on our [http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=couchsurfingnl%40gmail.com&ctz=Europe/Amsterdam Calendar]

=== Minutes ===

Here you'll find reports of the meetings with the City and Country ambassadors in the Netherlands.

[[Minutes 1st Dutch Ambassadors meetup]], march 15th 2008, Utrecht

[[Minutes 2nd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], june 14th 2008, Utrecht

[[Minutes 3rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], september 6th 2008, Groningen

[[Minutes 4rd Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], january 10th 2009, Oss

[[Minutes 5th Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], september 27th 2009, Haarlem

[[Minutes 6th Dutch Ambassasors meetup]], january 17th 2009, Arnhem

== Dutch Ambassador Welcome kit ==

The [[Dutch Ambassador Welcome kit]] has usefull information for new ambassadors in the Netherlands.

== Things to do==

[http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Ambassadors#Tips_for_Ambassadors Tips for ambassadors]

'''Wiki Netherlands'''

The [[Netherlands|Dutch wiki page]] is in progress! Please feel free to add any useful information!

{{IsIn|Netherlands}}
[[Category:CS Organization Netherlands]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]

Netherlands

2010-01-08T18:02:08Z

82.210.125.61: /* Annual */

{{Netherlands}}

Welcome to the '''[[Netherlands]]'''! The Netherlands is a tiny country located between [[Germany]] and [[Belgium]]. Despite its size, it still houses a population of over 16 million people. Most of the people live in the "Randstad" metropolitan area, located in the West of the country around the region called [[Holland]]. In contrast to the mainly protestant north, the south people of the south has a largely catholic heritage which give them trong ties to for instance Belgium. In the North life is less hectic since there are less big cities. The province of [[Friesland]] has their own history and language. Most people of the Netherlands speak Dutch although most people are also proficient in English and one or more other European language(s).

Most Dutch people don't feel very connected to the traditional touristic stereotypes of wooden shoes, tulips and windmills. Still they are a unmistakable part of the Dutch history and heritage. No single country has been so active in creating their own land from thw water. The culture of the Netherlands is for a big part shaped by a open and tolerant society. The Dutch became famous for being tolerant on Drugs (especially socalled 'softdrugs' and XTC), were the first to allow gay people to marry and are quite progressive in medical issues as abortion. From the 17th century Amsterdam was a multi-cultural society, nowaydays most cities in the west have a mixed population with people from our former colonies ([[Indonesia]], [[Suriname]], the Dutch caribic islands), immigrant workers from [[Morocco]] and [[Turkey]], refugees and lately more and more western expats.

A lot more info about the Netherlands can be found on [http://www.writingtravellers.com/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Netherlands Writing Travellers], [http://wikitravel.org/en/Netherlands Wikitravel] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands Wikipedia].

==Couchsurfing Meetings==
There are a lot of meetings all around the Netherlands. Due to the small size of both the Netherlands and the CS community, people from all over the country usually attend these meetings. Cities near to the border (like [[Maastricht]], [[Groningen]] and [[Enschede]]) even tend to coorporate with nearby cities acros the border. Netherlands meetings often take up a full evening, day or even weekend, can be attached to cultural events (the celebration of [[Sinterklaas]], [[Midsummernight]], [[Queen's day]], New Year's Eve or personal events (birthdays, going away parties), and often involve a few hosts offering up their homes to large groups of people. Larger events also attract CSers from [[France]], [[England]] and [[Germany]].

for more info about the meetings check the [http://www.couchsurfing.com/meetings.html CS-meeting page], the [http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=Y291Y2hzdXJmaW5nbmxAZ21haWwuY29t Dutch CS-calender] or ask the [[Dutch Ambassadors]]

===Regular meetings===

====Weekly====

[[Rotterdam]]: every tuesday

[[Amsterdam]]: every saturday

====Monthly====

[[Utrecht]]: every last friday of the month

[[Groningen]]: every first friday of the month

[[Amersfoort]]: every first friday of the month

[[The Hague]]: On thursdays, twice a month

[[Leiden]]: every first friday of the month

[[Delft]]: every first wednesday of the month

[[Leeuwarden]]: every second wednesday of the month

[[Maastricht]]: on a thursday, friday or saturday in the second half of the month

[[Enschede]]: every 7th of the month

[[Eindhoven]]: every last thursday of the month

====Annual====

[[Rotterdam]]: [[Sinterklaas]]: end of november, beginning of december

[[Utrecht]]: [[Midsummernight]]; the weekend closest to june 21st

[[Groningen]]: [[Groningen Summer CS Picnic]]; beginning of September

[[Maastricht]]: Maastricht Summer Meeting in the end of July (weekend), Carnaval Meeting in February or March (five days), 11th of 11 at 11 november (one day)

[[Haarlem]]: Midsummer aftercamp

all over the country:
* Queensday: april 30th
* liberation day: may 5th

===other cities with meetings===

[['s Hertogenbosch]], [[Arnhem]], [[Zwolle]], [[Breda]], [[Tilburg]], [[Hengelo]]

==Main attractions==

Most tourists stay in Holland (the provinces North and South Holland). This area is very densely populated and has most famous tourist spots.

* the the tourist enclave and cultural capital '''[[Amsterdam]]'''.

* the gouvernmental city of '''[[The Hague]]''' with the beach of '''[[Scheveningen]]'''

* modern multicultural city life and architecture in '''[[Rotterdam]]'''.

* Polders and Windmills, [[Kinderdijk]] and the [[Beemster]]

* Tulips, near the coast north of [[Leiden]] and of course in the [[Keukenhof|Tulipgarden]] '[http://www.keukenhof.nl/nm/english.html keukenhof]

==Tips==
Advise from couchsurfers for everyone who wants to leave the ´beaten track´:

====Active Couchsurfing-comunities====

The cities below are cities that don't recive a lot of tourists but have an active Cs-community, so it's always easy to have a good time in there.
* [[Utrecht]]

* [[Groningen]]

* [[Leiden]]

* [[Maastricht]]

* [[Rotterdam]]

* [[Amersfoort]]

* [[Tilburg]]

====Beautiful spots====

Al the big cities in the west together form a horseshoe, therefore the name 'Randstad'. In between this horseshoe there is a quiet rural part called the green hart, perfect to bike around in and to cool down from the busy citylife.

Plenty of pretty small historic cities can be found in these regions:

* Rivierenland: near the big rivers (Between [[Rotterdam]], [[Utrecht]], [[Nijmegen]] and [['s Hertogenbosch]]). The first cityrights were granted in this region to cities like [[Dordrecht]], [[Gorinchem]], [[Wijk bij Duurstede]], [[Tiel]], [[Zutphen]] & [[Deventer]].

* [[Zeeland]]: the Islands in the southwest. A lot of Germans go to the beaches in here in the summer, but the Island around Zeeland also have a lot of nice old cities that look like cities in Flandres ([[Middelburg]], [[Sluis]], [[Brielle]], [[Domburg]]).

* [[Friesland]]: the northern province with it's own culture, language, flag and national sport and nice historic cities like [[Heerenveen]], [[Franeker]], [[Drachten]], [[Sneek]], [[Harlingen]], [[Sloten]], etc)

* kop van Noord-Holland: Holland north of [[Amsterdam]], also known as west-Friesland. In the Dutch golden age this area was very rich, you can still see traces of this in cities like [[Enkhuizen]], [[Hoorn]], [[Alkmaar]] and [[Edam]]). There are also a lot of old and interesting polders in this area.

* the South of [[Limburg]]: because of the hilly landscapes and distinct, bourgondic culture this region feels like a foreign country to a lot of Dutch people.

* The Islands in the North (Waddeneilanden): Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog

====Exotic couches and people who would like to get more guests====
If you would like to get more guests or tell about a beautifull (exotic) couch you know, you can put your profile name in here.

* [http://couchsurfing.com/GERALD_ROTTERDAM Gerard Bosman] lives in a small town near Rotterdam, on a central spot in the Randstad. He loves to show the people, also young backpackers, around and explain them about how the Dutch manage to live so far below the sealevel.

* If you're into WWOOFing or would like to find out about squatted farms, check out [http://couchsurfing.com/spruit Spruit]'s profile. He lives in a beautiful place in the middle of the Randstad.

==The Dutch==
Advise on [[how to be a good guest]] in the Netherlands:

This one is from an integration course and doesn't apply to overnight visitors, but more to coffeetime guests. It probably only applies to the older generation of Dutchies. It definitely doesn't apply to CouchSurfers, for neither guests nor hosts,
# If the host says he will start preparing dinner, this isn't an invitation to join dinner (unless explicitly said), but a sign for you to leave.
# When visiting a Dutch family at tea time you will likely be offered a biscuit from a large tray or tin full of biscuits. Be considerate and only take one or very few.
#Smoking marijuana is depenaltized, but still, this does not mean you are free to practise this anywhere, with anybody, or talking apparently about such habits to anyone. Better that you don't exceed the limits upon a coffee-shop visit and restrict your use of marijuana there.

A good and funny book about the Dutch and dutch customs is the [http://www.undutchables.com/ UnDutchables]

==Get around==

===Bike===
* [[Traveling by bicycle]]is easy and very common both within cities and across the country. There are separate paths for bikes linking cities and villages, as well as directional signs (in red) indicating major bicycle routes. If you are bicycling at night, you must have a white light on the front of your bike (or yourself) and a red light on the back. You can find more info on biking in the netherlands (including routes) in [http://holland.cyclingaroundtheworld.nl/ here]. Renting bikes is possible at most big trainstations (where intercities stop).

===Train===
* There is a very well-developed internal train network, and the country's small size means that the major destinations are often within 20 - 80 minutes of each other. The train system is privatised. The biggest railroad company is the [http://www.ns.nl NS], of which the state is the only shareholder. Regional private companies include [http://www.syntus.nl/ Syntus] in the east of the country, [http://www.arriva.nl/ Arriva] which operates mainly in the North and near Dordrecht, [http://www.connexxion.nl/ Connexxion] in the centre and [http://www.veolia-transport.nl/ Veolia] in the South east. Tickets bought at NS vending machines/desks are valid for all trains in the Netherlands, exept high speed trains. At service desks you pay €0,50 extra as a 'service fee'.

* [http://www.nshispeed.nl/en International high-speed trains] stop at the major cities, and there are direct trains to and from such cities as Paris, Brussels and Cologne.

===Bus===
* If you travel by bus or metro more than once, it is advisable to buy a so called 'strippenkaart', see [http://www.amsterdam.info/transport/strippenkaart/ here] how it works. Sometimes you can/have to use OV-chipkaart, which is a magnetic card. See this [http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/?taal=en website] for more information. In the centre of Rotterdam and regional buses around Eindhoven, Leiden, Gouda and Schoonhoven you can use OV-chipkaart. The Rotterdam metro system only allows the OV-chipkaart.

* [http://www.eurolines.com/index.php?id=113&L=0 Eurolines] bus service makes daily trips from Belgium, France, Germany and the UK as well as semi-regular service from Poland and other countries.

===Boat===
* Ferry lines are operated on Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam and IJmuiden.

* The islands in the north are best reachable by this [http://www.rederij-doeksen.nl/ ferryservice]

===Car===
* There are a lot of roads of good quality in the Netherlands and no tollways. The speed limit is 120 km/h on freeways, 50 in and 80 outside of cities. The old cities are mostly hard to reach by car, overcrowded and expensive to park in. Don't travel in de [[Randstad]] by car in rushhours, there are allways a lot of trafficjams.

* Due to the small size and relative dense population '''[[hitchhiking]]''' is really easy in the Netherlands. The country is quite friendly to hitchhikers with even special spots in some cities. [http://www.liftershalte.info Lifterhalte ] is a wiki about hitchhiking with a very usefull map with some good hitchhking spots. Some other good spots can be found in [http://www.franknature.nl/hitchhike/hitchhike.htm# here]. Because of the free public transport cars students get a lot of Dutch are not used to hitchhikers.

===Air===
* The Netherlands main airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, a busy international airport with a trainstation conveniently located underground. From Schiphol, travel to locations within the Randstad can be accomplished within 1 hour, and major destinations throughout the country can be reached within 3 hours.

* Some low cost carriers such as Easy Jet, Berlin Air, Sky Europe, Wizz Air and Ryan Air also fly into the airports at Maastricht/Aachen, [http://wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Eindhoven Eindhoven] and Rotterdam. Public bus systems connect these airports with the NS stations. Easyjet stopped flying to Maastricht/Aachen but there are several main-carriers flying to Schiphol.

==Safety==
*The general alarm number is 112.
*While biking in the Netherlands is a nice way to get around, be sure to bring good locks for your bike if you bring your own. Bike theft occurs, mostly in metropolitan areas.

==Work==
[http://www.undutchables.nl Undutchables] and [http://www.bluelynx.com Blue Lynx] are job agencies that offers jobs to internationals in many languages. If you already speak dutch (or english for some jobs) try [http://www.monsterboard.nl Monsterboard]. For English speaking jobs, try [http://www.jobinamsterdam.com JobinAmsterdam].

==Backgroud information==

===Geography===

'''Polders'''

The country is famous for being below the water level. About half of the country has a state-controlled water level. In the west a lot of parts are reclaimed land; socalled 'polders'. The deepest are a little north of Rotterdam, some parts are more than 6 meters below sea level. Two polders appear on the world heritage list, kinderdijk (east of Rotterdam) and de Beemster (north of Amsterdam).

'''Delta Works'''

'''Randstad'''

'''Multi-cultural society'''

'''Bible Belt'''

===History===

'''Romans'''

The Netherlands formed the northern border of the Roman empire for some ages. The north was conquered once, but got independent again short time later. Not much is left of the Romans. The places where they built fortesses are often marked, but most of that is artificial. Some cities evolved from the Romans. [[Nijmegen]] is the only city founded by the Romans, [[Maastricht]] and [[Utrecht]] evolved from Roman fortifications.

'''Medieval'''

In the early medival times the west of the Netherlands was mainly a swamp. People only lived on the high parts around the rivers and on hills (terpen) in the North. After the year 1000 people started to make the swamplands into polders with grassfields. Cities appeared around the rivers ([['s Hertogenbosch]], [[Utrecht]], etc) and in [[Friesland]]. Most wealth was in the western provinces of Belgium which also belonged to the low countries (= Netherlands)

'''Dutch Republic'''

In the 16th century the all the provinces of the Netherlands (the present Netherlands, [[Belgium]] and [[Luxemburg]]), by intermarrying, came under the rule of [[Spain]]. The cities of Flanders were wealthy tradings cities by that time. At the same time all over [[Europe]], people started to protest again the decadence of the Catholic Church. Protestantism was quite popular in the southwest of the Netherlands. After the icony clash in 1566 the Catholic Spanish intensified repression against protestants. Lower dutch nobility started to protest against this repression, but were not taken serious by the Spanish. The provinces in the North make a coalition in [[Utrecht]] in 1567. William of Orange became the unofficial leader of the protestant rebellion. After a failed attempt, the rebellion really started with the takeover of the small coastal city of Brielle. Slowly more and more cities joined the insurge.

After 80 years of war the north became the protestant republic of Dutch provinces, the south remained catholic under rule of the Spanish. The north conquered two catholic provinces, [[Brabant]] and [[Limburg]], but also in the north there were lots of catholics left. The catholics were allowed to remain catholic, as long as the leading protestants didn't have to see anything that reminded them to catholicism. The centre of the region moved from [[Antwerpen]] (previously a protestant city, but conquered by the Spanish) to [[Amsterdam]]. Amsterdam became more wealthy then [[Antwerpen]] ever was and became the centre of a strong naval, colonial power. The VOC (Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie) started trading posts in [[Afrika]], [[India]], [[China]] and [[Japan]] en conquered big parts of [[Indonesia]] while the WIC (West Indische Compagnie) started selltements in present day [[New York]], [[Recife]] ([[Brasil]]) and the carribean islands and got rich by Piratery and slavery.

'''French Revolution'''

In the 18th century the Dutch republic was a big example for the formation of the United States but was allready for a long time in decline. After losing wars with [[England]] the Dutch lost their role as world power. The Dutch were completely overrun by the enthousiasm of the revolution in [[France]] and became a French province aroun 1800. The French totally reformed state organisation drasticly.

'''Dutch Kingdom'''

When the French left the other monarchies in Europe upgraded the family of Orange to a royal family. the Netherlands became a kingdom joined with [[Belgium]]. Belgium left this union in 1830, but the kingdom remained.

'''World Wars'''

The Dutch tried to be neutral in both world wars, but only succeeded in that in the first. In the second the country was invaded by [[Germany]]. The war only lasted a few days and stopped after the Germans totally destroyed [[Rotterdam]]. It took 5 years untill the country was liberated. The south was allready liberated in 1944, the whole winter lasted with a frontline on the rivers, causing famine in the urban regions in the North. By mistake the allied forces destroyed the city of [[Nijmegen]] (they ment to detroy a German city).

'''Modern History'''

After the sober fifties, the Dutch became very wealthy in the sixties after finding gas supplies in the North. The cultural revolution of the sixties had a big impact on the Netherlands, making the country known for it's liberal, progressive laws and making [[Amsterdam]] one of the hippie capitals of the world. Because of shortage of low education workers, a lot of workers from mediterranian countries were reqruited. Together with the independence of most colonies (and the migration of lots of their inhabitants), this made the Netherland a multicultural society. After being mostly known for the country with liberal laws on drugs, gay-rights and etnical medical matters after the millennium the country was more and more polarised. Right wing politicans criticise the lack of authority and two political murders gave the Netherlands a reputation of a country looking for it's identity and unsure of what the future will bring.

[[trash:Netherlands]]
[[hitch:Netherlands]]
{{IsIn|Europe}}

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2010-01-06T16:21:47Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter > kan in de mailing over de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- stukjes over organisatie?

* Sauna meetings > Ramon ?

* corrigeren: tot en met Arnhem Calling

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

For the 4th time couchsurfers in Rotterdam celebrated Sinterklaas, and like other times hunderds of couchsurfers from all around came over for this special event. This year even the organisation was a joint venture between couchsurfers not only from Rotterdam but from several Dutch cities and even a Belgian city. The climax was of course the visit of his holyness himself and the handing out of presents. Sinterklaas didn't start giving out presents immediately but had to talk to some couchsurfers who have been naughty in 2009 (hier kan mooi de foto met Liza en Sanne die op de testpagina stond). There were also lots of possibilities to discover Rotterdam or the many rituals around Sinterklaas.

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: Give it to a boy I know very well.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it.

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===Speeddating===

The Sinterklaas meeting is always a great event with people from nearby countries taking Rotterdam by storm, and of course filling local couchsurfers' couches. It all starts innocently enough on the Friday where the main party is the speed dating mee... wait, that doesn't sound very innocent.

Alright, it IS innocent, it's a bit of a joke on the "CS is not a dating site" motto going around, but as my friend Ben said, that regardless of the joke: "So many people are going to hook up", which sounds like it definitely wouldn't be entirely untrue. Presented by Carel & the speed dating bitches (Damn, I'd buy music by a band with that name.) we were all given cards with suggestive questions on them, and when the other person answered them we'd get to write something related to that answer on their back for everyone to read, and mostly for yourself to read at the end of the night, especially if you're very self-absorbed.

After that, all the men spent half the night finding out who wrote "He is definitely gay" on their backs, because God forbid someone realizes the truth.

If you want to read more about Tommy's experiences click [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/2009/12/worst-4-beers-of-your-life-or-how-i.html here]

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] (the writer of this article).

As we arrived the host of this event, [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje], already had some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the tea we all went to work.

We made 'pepernoten'. They are good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

In the end many things were made, like [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten kruidnoten]. Also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 pepernoten and cookies];
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 the horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired];
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 a flag (guess from wich country)];
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 meat (and a present vegetarian meat;-))] and
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 fresh big pepernoten].
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 fingers].
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
But when they saw [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this pepernoot] everybody was happy again.

Everybody liked the baking extravaganza and because the group was small it was a very cosy meeting.

===organisation===

Linda ?

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of Friday December 4th when Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some nice couchsurfers]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht had the honor of hosting the very politically correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that it was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht style: with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of December 5th) Sinterklaas was to busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG Sinterklaas candy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lesson].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

The obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couchsurfer heroes who, because of their patience and support, allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgettable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

Links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the ambassador meeting we were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small city.

Now, a few months later, the preparations are in full swing. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different, yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the city tour: a tour where you will not just see the sights but also realize that Arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
The tour is led by a notorious guide who also did the Zutphen tour, which turned out to be a great success. You can expect some really cool things during this tour and it will most definitely be worth your time. You might see something like this love poem here :)........

Liefste rollator,

Je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in.
Ik straalde diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou.
Heb je mijn opwinding opgemerkt
toen ik ineens blozend een beetje rood begon te schijnen?
Ik deed het voor jou maar
je was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen,
als een stel ganzen op zoek naar de zon,
wegdromend bij je knaloranje kleur.
Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen?
Dan kunnen we samen keet schoppen
en de wereld al rollend verlichten met ons kattenkwaad.
Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot je weer onder me door loopt.
Jij bent mijn knarsende, piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”.

Je lantaarnpaallampje.

(Sorry for the Dutch: it's not really translatable.
The story is about a lamppost falling in love on another object.
They need love too right.)

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from Arnhem: you might know her or you might not, but she's famous !!!!!
All around the world she distributes funny texts that make you laugh or think.
And on the Arnhem calling meeting you get the chance to make your own Loesje text.
In a 2 1/2 hour course you will learn all the ins and outs about Loesje and you will love her when you're done.

Some examples of Loesje texts:

The world is TOO ROUND to silently sit in the corner.

I woke up this morning and found the world on my doorstep.

One's plenty can be used to fill someone else's lack.

Is the earth still round if one side develops faster?

===The hunt===
Have you ever been afraid??
Ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants?

Your old scares won't mean a thing anymore! Be ready to be truly afraid....

Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!!

That is what you can expect in the hunt.

This nightly event will be held in Sonsbeek.
And you can expect to be a scared at times.
But nothing life threatening: we promise :)

Of course there will be more activities at Arnhem Calling, like a cool jam session and a pub crawl.
Find out more about the program on http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785.

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==Midsummernight in the park 2010==

Still a long time to go, but you can already [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] to celebrate midsummernight in Utrecht for the 3rd time!

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Couchsurfing Geography

Among the different groups of volunteers who contribute to the site improvement, there is a team in charge of fixing and maintaining the Couchsurfing location database. This database contains the list of regions, countries, provinces and cities that you use when you select your location in your profile, when you do a CouchSearch or when you select the location of an event.
Since last October, this team has started a comprehensive correction of the database for the Netherlands. This process is done province by province. As we write these lines, the provinces Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Utrecht and Flevoland are completed while Noord-Brabant is in progress.
The correction consists in:
- checking the spelling of places names
- relocating cities into the right province
- merging cities when needed (like Etten and Leur which make Etten-Leur in Noord Brabant)
- merging wrongly listed districts names with the city they are part of (like Statenkwartier which was merged with The Hague)
- adjusting the cities coordinates (latitude and longitude) from which distances between cities are calculated: this is used when you make a CouchSearch with a x kilometers radius.
All these changes aim to make it easier for surfers and hosts to find each other, as this is the core of Couchsurfing.

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-30T09:18:35Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter > kan in de mailing over de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- stukjes over Speeddating en organisatie?

* Sauna meetings > Ramon ?

* Location fixing > Manu ?

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

For the 4th time couchsurfers in Rotterdam celebrated Sinterklaas, and like other times hunderds of couchsurfers from all around came over for this special event. This year even the organisation was a joint venture between couchsurfers not only from Rotterdam but from several Dutch and even a Belgian city. The climax was of course the visit of his holyness himself and the handing out of presents. Sinterklaas didn't start giving out presents immediately but had to talk to some couchsurfers who have been naughty in 2009 (hier kan mooi de foto met Liza en Sanne die op de testpagina stond). There were also lots of possibilities to discover Rotterdam or the many rituals around Sinterklaas.

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===Tommy's story about Speeddating?===

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

===organisation===

Linda ?

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==Midsummernight in the park 2010==

Still a long time to go, but you can already [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] to celebrate midsummernight in Utrecht for the 3rd time!

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-30T09:16:45Z

82.210.125.61: improved the CSinterklaas in Rotterdam part

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

For the 4th time couchsurfers in Rotterdam celebrated Sinterklaas, and like other times hunderds of couchsurfers from all around came over for this special event. This year even the organisation was a joint venture between couchsurfers not only from Rotterdam but from several Dutch and even a Belgian city. The climax was of course the visit of his holyness himself and the handing out of presents. Sinterklaas didn't start giving out presents immediately but had to talk to some couchsurfers who have been naughty in 2009 (hier kan mooi de foto met Liza en Sanne die op de testpagina stond). There were also lots of possibilities to discover Rotterdam or the many rituals around Sinterklaas.

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===Tommy's story about Speeddating?===

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

===organisation===

Linda ?

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==Midsummernight in the park 2010==

Still a long time to go, but you can already [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] to celebrate midsummernight in Utrecht for the 3rd time!

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-30T09:04:58Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

nog niet af

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

Linda ?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==Midsummernight in the park 2010==

Still a long time to go, but you can already [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] to celebrate midsummernight in Utrecht for the 3rd time!

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-28T17:58:04Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

nog niet af

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

Linda ?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Polish food meeting in Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==Midsummernight in the park 2010==

Still a long time to go, but you can already [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] to celebrate midsummernight in Utrecht for the 3rd time!

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-28T17:53:52Z

82.210.125.61: /* Community uitgelicht/place unknown */

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

nog niet af

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

Linda ?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Polish food meeting in Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

==Leeuwarden==
Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-28T17:53:16Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* Algemeen
- een inleidende tekst over het wat en waarom van de newsletter

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

nog niet af

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

Linda ?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year.

It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Winter Efteling meeting==

It is in days like this that you understand what fairy tales are made of....

the obstacles we all had to endure to reach the park, the solidarity of couch surfer heroes who by their patience and support allowed other people to also live the experience of the Efteling and finally the magical surrounding & great company, provided the perfect ingredients for an unforgetable day in which our inner child had a blast!!

links to pictures:
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889440&id=663115970 1]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889447&id=663115970 2]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4860159&id=663115970 3]
[http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4889457&id=663115970 4]
[http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/photo.php?pid=4889471&id=663115970 5]

==Polish food meeting in Amersfoort==

The CouchSurfing Amersfoort community is a young CS group – one of the smaller ones in the Netherlands - that has however grown rather fast in the last couple of months. It currently counts 104 members of various countries.

Besides monthly meetings that usually take place on the first Friday of each month, other events and activities are organised on a regular basis. One example for such gatherings is the Polish Food @ Home meeting that took place in November 2009, attracting many CouchSurfers from Amersfoort, places elsewhere in the Netherlands as well as travellers from abroad. People brought typical Polish food – which was a home match for some and a rather challenging undertaking for others. Thanks to the host of this meeting and the professional guidance given by two Polish CouchSufers, this event was not only a very yummie one, but it also brought together many CouchSurfers who had never met before and turned out as big success and lots of fun. Besides, it inspired CS Amersfoort to arrange even more Food @ Home meetings with a specific country character. There have been an Indian and Italian Food @ Home meeting before, and there are doubtlessly many more to come.

==Sauna Meetings ==

Ramon ?

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

When the preparations started after the first ambassador meeting We were thrilled to take up such a challenge for our small ranked city.

But now a few months later the preparations are in full progress. Many people are working hard to create an event that is
different yet also familiar. With plenty of socializing and couchsurfing going on it is going to be an event where you make new friends
but where you also have the chance to catch up with old ones.

What do we have in store for you????????

===City tour===
Be creative in the citytour a tour where you will not just get to know arnhem but also realize arnhem is a city full of culture, art, fashion, and fun.
A tour let by a notorius guide whom also led the Zutphen tour. which turned out to be a great succes. You can expect some really cool things during this tour it will most definetly be worth your time you might see something like this lovepoem here :)........

liefste rollator,
je liep knarsend en piepend mijn licht in. Ik straalde
diep en wilde dat ik dichter bij de grond was,
verbonden met de aarde en met jou. Heb je mijn
opwinding opgemerkt toen ik ineens blozend een beetje
rood begon te schijnen? Ik deed het voor jou maar je
was supersnel weer in de volgende schaduw verdwenen.
Nu hang ik hier het donker weg te jagen, als een stel
ganzen op zoek naar de zon, wegdromend bij je
knaloranje kleur. Als je nog eens voorbij komt rollen,
mag ik me dan in je mandje laten vallen? Dan kunnen we
samen keet schoppen en de wereld al rollend verlichten
met ons kattenkwaad. Voor eeuwig zal ik branden, tot
je weer onder me door loopt. Jij bent mijn knarsende,
piepende, “alles-op-rolletjes”. je
lantaarnpaallampje
(sorry for the dutch its not really translateable.
basic story is about a
lamppost falling in love on another object)
They need love to right.

===Loesje workshop(16pax)===

Loesje from arnhem you might know or you might not but
she's famous !!!!!
all around the world she distributes funny text that
make you laugh or think.
and on the arnhem calling you get the chance to make
your own. in a 2 1/2 course you will learn
all the ins and outs about loesje and you will love her
when your done.
(The world is TOO ROUND to silently in the corner)

===The hunt===
have you ever been afraid??
ever been so scared you were ready to wet your pants
its not going to mean a thing
be ready to be truely afraid
Be ready to be HUNTED!!!!! that is what you can expect
in the hunt
this nightly event is gonna be held in sonsbeek. and
you can expect to be a scared at times.
but nothing life threatening we promise.

ofcourse there is more things to be done like a cool
jamsession and a pubcrawl
find out more on
http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=49785

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

Since the summer of 2009 the couchsurfers of Leeuwarden have tried to organize some meetings to get to know each other. After an ice-cream meeting and a meeting in a bar where three people showed up, we really got some people together at what's now called the first monthly meeting on Wednesday September 16th. We met at 'De Stee', a bar right across the bus- and train station, so people that had to come from outside of Leeuwarden could easily find it. After that we decided to have a monthly meeting on the Wednesday closest to the 15th of the month. So far we have had great fun meeting new people and people we met at other meetings. We are starting to make plans: city exchanges and couchsurfs with a theme like visit the place with the longest city name or visit at least one couch in every province in the coming year. If you are interested in meeting up with us. Check the upcoming event page at couchsurfing.com. Also if you are interested in a city exchange we would be glad to host a group from any city and show you around! You can contact us via the Leeuwarden CS group.

=CS Netherlands news=

==CS location-database fixing==

Manu ?

==Family welcome Netherlands==

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=23160 Family welcome Netherlands]

Just for the people that have not had any experience
with the so called “Family Welcome Group” I like to
give a little introduction about this family friendly
group.

It all started with a few people that like to use the
CS system and take the [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4084390_l_09ffe8f3e570d1bf22d06e9168714572.jpg children along]. They formed a
group, and soon many members popped-up and showed
interest in sharing experiences and inviting other
families to their house. [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/5618745_l_faa96418804b4343f10e66de23234d14.jpg International Family Meetings]
where soon organised, and all where very enthusiastic
about the way their children started to get involved in
hospitality and sharing towards others, finding a way
around language barriers and enjoy many hours of fun
with (inter)national friends.

More and more families joined in this fun, and now
there even is a Family Welcome Group Netherlands. In
this group Dutch families come together for sharing
experiences and through the CS website can easily be
found by other international families that like to
visit the Netherlands.
Please know that you not need to be a family yourself
to join in on these groups, if you like to host or surf
or share with families you are very welcome to join.

This spring we hope to organise a meeting where many
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/21KOQ15/4859304_l_379957ef1e13ebcbd0b04a1a2d2db155.jpg families] will be part of. Where the children can
meet&play and parents can enjoy&share this great thing
that is called Family Couchsurfing!
So, if you are, or know a family that likes to get
involved let them know about this wonderful group of
people. We hope to see everyone soon!

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-14T12:00:21Z

82.210.125.61: /* Sinterklaas in Utrecht */

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst (?)

* Interview met couchsurfer (Maikel en Jasper ?)

* meer aankondigingen / verslagen (Jasper en ?)

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

===?===

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year. It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite willing to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cYvPOJlCNuE/SyElFoT4GAI/AAAAAAAAC8w/rVIsTlAQrfI/s720/Sinterklaas%20068.jpg surprise-evening] of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Sauna Meetings (Jasper heeft hierover contact met Ramon)==

==Amersfoort (Jasper zoekt hiervoor contact met Martine)==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Sytse

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

Jasper: heeft contact gezocht met mensen in Leeuwarden

=CS Netherlands news=

Jasper: ik ga proberen onze eerste familie-ambassadeurs wat te laten schrijven over couchsurfing families in Nederland

=Interview=

Who wants to select a couchssurfer and make an interview?

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-13T20:32:05Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

* Interview met couchsurfer

* meer aankondigingen / verslagen

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

===?===

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year. It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite will to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the surprise-evening of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Sauna Meetings?==

==?==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Sytse

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

Who wants to pick one and write something, Amersfoort or Leeuwarden might be an idea?

=Interview=

Who wants to select a couchssurfer and make an interview?

=tips / trivia=

== Traveltip for inside the Netherlands ==
If you like to do cheap sightseeing in Noord-Brabant than a good deal might be the [http://www.brabant.nl/dossiers/dossiers-op-thema/verkeer-en-vervoer/openbaar-vervoer/bussen-in-brabant/actie-de-bus,-d-,-beter-dus/kaarten-en-tarieven/dagkaart.aspx dayticket] that you can buy on request only from the busdriver.
The system is simple: When you are boarding the bus you don't buy a normal ticket but a Dagkaartje and pay in cash exact 3 euro(often they can't change from bigger money).
With this ticket you can use all busses in the complete province [http://www.storm-buitensport.nl/displayImage.html?iid=3450 Noord-Brabant].
As Brabant is one of the biggest provinces there are many things that you can visit for just that 3 euro in one day. You can plan your route at the [http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/ 9292 routeplanner] or if you have NO internet just dail: 0900-9292 (€ 0,70 p/m, max € 14,-)

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-12T17:24:16Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

nog te doen:

* CSinterklaas:
- meer inhoud zoals een inleidende tekst

* Interview met couchsurfer

* trivia / weetjes

* meer aankondigingen / verslagen

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnyOYqmpI/AAAAAAAAFCo/enYltkmMq5A/s800/IMG_3613.JPG Sam]: give it to a boy I know very well

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnykUkYVI/AAAAAAAAFCs/vu1_XP27GQ0/s800/IMG_3614.JPG Paul]: I am going to put coins in it

[http://lh5.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnzeJvR_I/AAAAAAAAFCw/Q1W7Di1DgDs/s576/IMG_3615.JPG Sagnik]: I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxQnrcI1vgI/AAAAAAAAFB0/pmAPyCppxPg/s800/IMG_3601.JPG Jessica]:

===organisation===

?

===Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!===
Part of the Sinterklaas Event in the last weekend of November was the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=50714 Sinterklaas Pastry Extravaganza!]

For this meeting 21 people signed up but at the day itself about 10 people showed up. So did [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/wizzardofoss/ the Wizzard of Oss] who is writing this article.

As we arrived the hoster of this event hosted by [http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=1YA2FUP Maartje] had already some tea ready.
The forecast told that it would be raining a lot that day so everybody was happy to be at this workshop not having to do sightseeing in the rain. After finishing the Tea we all had to get to work.

In the work we made pepernoten wich is good for getting [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409590869192774994 Dirty hands] and a good view on the recipe.

Afterall many things were made including like: [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruidnoten Kruidnoten], also many decorations were made with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marzipan Marzipan].

In the end after all our work we managed to prepare:
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592114868791538 Pepernoten and Cookies]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409592348657724402 The Horse of Sinterklaas that was very tired]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593014472790642 A flag (guess from wich countr)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593149510617506 Meat and a present vegetarian meat;-)]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409593329163313042 Fresh big pepernoten]
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=43L1EXA Linda] liked to color her [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594099720538930 Fingers]
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594680871282306 A bored Couchsurfer with die sick dogs of the host] Maybe someone was killed there.
Bet when seeing [http://picasaweb.google.com/lourenssenm/2009CSSinterklaasMeetingRotterdam#5409594545561912610 this Pepernot] Everybody was happy again.

Afterall everybody liked it and as the group was small made this beeing a very cosy meeting as a part of the Sinterklaas event in Rotterdam.

===?===

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

Sinterklaas was all over the Utrecht community for several days this year. It all started with the monthly meeting of friday december 4th where Sinterklaas left some [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHvC4HCmI/AAAAAAAAFS0/W3-u2RNXIZw/s800/IMG_3737.JPG nice] [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHfZ8meGI/AAAAAAAAFRg/b_-_tOPmL0U/s576/IMG_3693.JPG presents] for [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqHyWPevII/AAAAAAAAFTQ/D-5y7689yhc/s576/IMG_3744.JPG some]. When Sinterklaas himself showed up it appeared that Utrecht has the honor of the very politicly correct [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqIDTcw2jI/AAAAAAAAFUU/wI-q_j5TMAE/s800/IMG_3769.JPG Zwarte Klaas and Witte Piet] who were quite will to give all those naughty couchsurfers some [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink#5411787236789597778 decent spanking]. After that is was time to say goodbye to Graham in Utrecht-style, so with [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxqINdsk24I/AAAAAAAAFU8/dmjDv5NlGdY/s576/IMG_3787.JPG something to write on], this time a table-cloth.
On Pakjesavond (the evening of december 5th) Sinterklaas was too busy for us, so we had to make our [http://lh3.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvSIZzIyI/AAAAAAAAFY4/0IW0O4vNPLI/s800/IMG_3802.JPG sinterklaascandy] [http://lh4.ggpht.com/_4si9ljdgMXs/SxuvXwYpMOI/AAAAAAAAFZY/k7NrBEb-wNs/s800/IMG_3816.JPG ourselves].
Luckily Sint managed to come back from Spain on the 8th to attend the surprise-evening of the Dutch lessons in Utrecht.

For more pictures check here:
[http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ&feat=directlink# monthly meeting], [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/SinterklaasBaking05122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDb95DGuYrnhQE&feat=directlink# baking evening] and [http://picasaweb.google.com/Nynke87/CSSinterklaasUUNL09# Dutch lessons].

==Sauna Meetings?==

==?==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Sytse

==Small meeting==

In April 2010 there is about a SMALL CS meeting to Happen in and around 's-Hertogenbosch (also known as Den Bosch)

This meeting will be organised as one main eventlocation somewhere in or near 's-Hertogenbosch and several Sub-events during the day.

Check [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=46053 The meetingpage] for all details as far as they are ready and signup to the subevents that you like.

In this meeting the following sub-events are part of the plan:
- City walk around 's-Hertogenbosch (with all the stories doing it slow this meeting can take op to 4 hours for getting a good view on all the nice details of the city
- Canal boat tour in the evening on the canal de Binnendieze (will start at 20:00 or 21:00 u reservation will be confirmed 100% in february)
- Main party event in the evening (for gathering together and having fun)
- Maybe a walk into the nature the next day.

Checkout the meetingpage for all the details about this nice happening.

==CS Carnaval==

Couch Surfing Alaaf! The Netherlands Alaaf! Traveller
Alaaf!

CS Crazy Couch Surfing Carnaval in the Maastricht (NL)
/ Aachen (D) / Belgian village (B) Euregion.

We start on the 11th of February and go on until
Ashwednesday on the 17th of February. Note that te
official Carnaval days are 14, 15 and 16 February, be
sure to stay till Monday, Tuesday or (best!)
Ashwednesday! Besides sleeping, on Ashwednesday it’s
a custom to go for “haringbijten”, usually with
classical music!

All days there is the Carnaval Style Open CS House at
Marten’s place, close to the central station and the
center; for meeting, disguising and eating! During all
days there are Carnaval activities from the end of the
morning until deep in the night! Main organizers are
Frank ~ inofficial CS Carnaval Ambassador ~ who’s
guiding you through the traditions from the morning
till midnight, and Marten whom you can follow for
Carnaval “the nightlife edition”.

The organizers are giving each square cm, so just the
two of us can already host 33 people at the same time!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=33037 Sign up!]

==regular meetings==

Jasper: imo we have to say something about those (see also this post in the NL org group: http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=5031&post=4398815#post4512320). Maybe just a link to [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings here] might be enough.

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

Who wants to pick one and write something, Amersfoort or Leeuwarden might be an idea?

=Interview=

Who wants to select a couchssurfer and make an interview?

=tips / trivia=

And tips or trivia?

=foto couch=

Couchsurfing EXTREME

Ever had massive numbers of people surfing your couch???
Was it ever so full you were afraid that it might break because of the sheer weight pressing on it.
The Couchsurfing Newsletter challenges you to top 5 people on one couch. Easy? Proof it!!!
Make a nice photograph of hordes of people on the same couch and tell us what happened.
The best picture will be selected for the Couchsurfing newsletter volume II.

[[File:Couch1.jpg|200px|thumb|left|5 people on one couch]]

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-06T12:57:17Z

82.210.125.61: /* Presents */

Draft 1st newsletter

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[[Image:Cadeau Sam.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"give it to a boy I know very well"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Paul.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"I am going to put coins in it"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Sagnik.JPG|200px|thumb|left|"I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep"]]

[[Image:Cadeu Jessica.JPG|200px|thumb|left|]]

===organisation===

===verslag bezoeker?===

===?===

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

===Surprise===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Zwarte klaas en Witte Piet===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Sinterklaas Baking===

==?==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Systse & Maikel ?

==Small meeting==

Maikel?

==?==

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

?

=Interview=

?

=tips / trivia=

?

=foto couch=

?

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-06T12:55:48Z

82.210.125.61:

Draft 1st newsletter

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[[Image:Cadeau Sam.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"give it to a boy I know very well"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Paul.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"I am going to put coins in it"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Sagnik.JPG|200px|thumb|left|"I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep"]]

[[Image:Cadeu Jessica.JPG|200px|thumb|left|]]

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

===Surprise===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Zwarte klaas en Witte Piet===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Sinterklaas Baking===

==?==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Systse & Maikel ?

==Small meeting==

Maikel?

==?==

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

?

=Interview=

?

=tips / trivia=

?

=foto couch=

?

CS newsletter for the Netherlands

2009-12-06T12:52:20Z

82.210.125.61:

=Draft 1st newsletter=

=Past meetings=

==CSinterklaas Rotterdam 2009==

===Presents===

We asked some people what they will do with the presents Sinterklaas gave them

[[Image:Cadeau Sam.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"give it to a boy I know very well"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Paul.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"I am going to put coins in it"]]

[[Image:Cadeau Sagnik.JPG|200px|thumb|left|"I will break this puzzle tonight, before I go to sleep"]]

[[Image:Cadeu Jessica.JPG|200px|thumb|left|]]

==Sinterklaas in Utrecht==

===Surprise===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Zwarte klaas en Witte Piet===
Will use some of [http://picasaweb.google.nl/Lizzie82ish/CSMonthlyMeetingSinterklaasEdition04122009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJyz4OLa8MzyEQ# these] pictures
===Sinterklaas Baking===

==?==

=Future meetings=

==Arnhem Calling==

Systse & Maikel ?

==Small meeting==

Maikel?

==?==

=Community uitgelicht/place unknown=

?

=Interview=

?

=tips / trivia=

?

=foto couch=

?