CS newsletter for the Netherlands: Difference between revisions

[[Wiki.trustroots.org]] is an independent wiki with information for people who are actively exchanging hospitality.
No edit summary
 
(110 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]
[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]


Draft 2nd newsletter
[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.2]]
 
Draft 3nd newsletter


=Heading=
=Heading=


Bericht over queensday?
=CouchSurfers meeting up=
 
=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
==Grote zomermeetings in Europa==
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]
More and more CouchSurfing communities are organising couchsurfing events this summer. Wherever you go, you can meetup with local couchsurfers.  


===Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles===
Below is a selection of interesting events:


During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
July 16th - July 18th: Oostende, Belgium: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=62713 CS Beach Weekend]
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
July 16th - July 18th: Champ-du-Boult, France: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=53351 Normandy Summer camp]
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
July 16th - July 21th: Brussels, Belgium: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=72244 Brussels CS summer event]
same spot. Keep an eye on the Couchsurfing events
calendar for more info.  


[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]
July 23th - July 25th: Dundee, Scotland: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=74886 Dundee Calling]


===Arnhem Calling?===
July 23th - July 26th: Paris, France: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=71291 Paris Rendez Vous]


Sytse gaat op zoek naar iemand die een verhaal wil schrijven
July 28th - August 1st: Pescosolido, Italy: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=48567 Italy summer camp]


===Bowling meetings===
July 30th - August 2nd: Aberdeen, Scotland: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66899 a summer camp on the stunning balmedie beach]


Astrid schrijft een stukje
August 2nd - August 8th: Tokaj, Hungaria: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=56737 Canoe tour]


===Happy times in Zwollywood - Sardines===
August 6th - August 8th: Spychowo, Poland: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=72666 II CS International Family Weekend (IFW)]


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?
August 1st: Barcelona, Spain: [http://hitchgathering.org/barcelona Pre Gathering for the 3rd European Hitchhiking Gathering]


Answer: Sardines!
August 6th: Sines, Portugal: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=69794 3rd European Hitchhiking Gathering]


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.
August 27th - August 29th: Karisilla, Estonia: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=74663 Summer camp in Setumaa]


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.  
September 2nd - September 5th: Milano, Italy: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57923 This is FO(u)R MI!]


The next step: Sardines on saturday afternoon on Utrecht Train Station (let me know if you want to join in)
September 3rd - September 5th: Lille, France: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=72089 The Braderie de Lille]


[http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs515.snc3/27054_108733015822075_100000561303728_153097_5544008_n.jpg picture1],
September 10th - September 12th: Prague, Czech Republic: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58166 Cz3echsurfing]
[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]


==overzicht van regular meetings==


[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]
In more and more Dutch cities CouchSurf-meetings are being held on a regular basis. If you want to know when to go where, you can check this [http://couchwiki.org/en/Netherlands#Regular_meetings list].


=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=
==[http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=60151 Castlefest] - Festival of Light==
6, 7, 8, August, Lisse, The Netherlands


==Ideas for meetings==
People from all over the world come to visit this, I would call it...
Medieval, hippy, folk, family, fantasy festival.


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].  
International world, pagan, celtic & folk music, encampment of medieval Re-enactors, a medieval & fantasy market. Art, theatre, visitors dressed up in most beautiful clothing.
All sort of things to do: Balfolk, Sword fighting, painting, poi. Food is all Biological!!


- Sardines (see for explanation in this newsletter) on Utrecht Central Station
It's a festival of enjoyment, relax & amazement. And I love it...would be awesome to have a CouchSurf meeting here!


- Rubix cube party (come in different colored clothes, leaves in the same color)
Place to be:
Every year there is a Wickerman burning on Saturday. A hugh wooden construction, filled with the wishes, dreams and gifts from all visitors. You can put your own dreams as an offer inside. The perfect spot to meet!


- Making up stories, tell them to each other and guess which one is true and which one made-up
I’m working as a volunteer (coordinator backstage) on this festival ever since the beginning and I love to show you people around. The most fun part is to explore the festival your self, so I suggest we meet Friday, Saturday and Sunday 14:00 hours for a drink in front of the Wickerbeast, and share our adventures of couchsurfing! After a drink, I can take the people who are interested for a short backstage tour.


- Make pubquizes
Relax & hope to see you there!
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/chantel_bleu/ Chantel]


- Bike meetings, double city bike tour and meetup half way in between the cities (like Utrecht-Amsterdam, Arnhem-Zwolle, Den Haag-Rotterdam)
More info: http://www.castlefest.com


- Meetup at the last metro or tram stop
!!!voor Floris: ik heb op 1 juli je een paar foto's gestuurd voor bij dit bericht!!!


- Singing songs from "Kinderen voor kinderen"
==The best way to spend a Kruidvat train ticket: 18 hours of train travelling in NL==


- Theatersport/imporv theater
“Would it be possible?”
“Hmm. If we start early and do some smart planning, yes, why not?”
“Let’s do this!”
I imagine the initiators of the idea came to the idea like this. The idea of the 24-hour train race project. The ambitious idea to visit all 12 provincial capitals of The Netherlands in just one day. Probably one of the few countries where such a thing is possible.
Many CS members, armed with a special Kruidvat train ticket to be able to travel for the whole day, would accomplish this mission on the 22nd of May. First train: 6:10am from Amsterdam, on to Haarlem and The Hague.
The fun started right from the beginning: the Dutch Railways (NS) decided that not our train, but the one 150 meters down the platform, would be the train that leaves.
And that’s how you create a delay: we started the journey with already 10 minutes off-schedule. “Off to a good start”!
Fortunately we caught up pretty quick, and, frankly, practically didn’t experience any delays for the rest of the day! Thank you, NS! There, I said it, something positive about the NS. They deserved it for once.
People were encouraged to join us during the journey whenever they wanted. And boy they did! “Are you guys from the 24-hour train race?” et voila: we had once again a bigger group of train travellers on a mission.
A few hardcore people made it all the way to the last stop: Lelystad. 0:18am the train arrived at the station! To make the last miles less painful we sang songs and people were already dreaming about their bed out loud... The other passengers thought we were gone nuts, I’m sure.
Once on the platform, we started praising the station signs and kissed the ground in true Pope style.
Relieved, proud and tired as hell, we could finally say we visited all 12 provincial capitals. Not only that, but we did it in one day!


- Sharades (hints)
Fotolinks:


- International invasions, to (Newcastle, Duisburg, Gent)
http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7869872_l_d4aa32afa3c87006c610c513658f1e5f.jpg


- 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
http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770295_l_671ade1bfeaaa2ea00c51695fefbaf1b.jpg


==Couchsurfing in the media==
http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770316_l_22883d7bfb73dd66771e51bf5046575e.jpg


More and more media are noticing Couchsurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found our about couchsurfing.  
http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770213_l_8603c1f3667916c4116bd86b6bf63f50.jpg


[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]
===The Netherlands today, Europe tomorrow!===
For me personally, the 24-hour train race was a learning experience as well, because I’m involved in a project that is a bit bigger than just The Netherlands. The project is called The Unity Express, and is about a journey across as many as 24 European countries in a single, privately chartered train, with stops in major cities along the way, for a period of four weeks in the summer of 2011.
The train has room for more than 400 people on board simultaneously. When traveling, people literally live in the train: eating, sleeping, partying, laughing, learning, discussing... It all happens there.
The main goal of this project is to create unity among as much European citizens as possible. By bringing all those people together, on the train and in cities we attend, we create a better understanding for each other, so we can live more peacefully with each other.
This project will launch in mid July on CouchSurfing and with its own [http://www.unityexpress.eu website]. Want to help? This project cannot exist without your help! We need every profession you can think of: paramedics, chefs, security, writers, programmers, entertainers, DJ’s, organizers, thinkers, planners and many more! Go to the website or do a quick search on CouchSurfing to find the working group where you can get involved!
Want more information about the project before the launch? Send an E-mail to [email protected] with your questions and I’ll be happy to answer them!


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].
Cheers,
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/riddergraniet Coen]


==New 'rules' for travelling (and Couchsurfing) in India==
=News from CS Netherlands=
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...
==New Ambassador program==


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.  
Maybe you already saw profiles of CouchSurfers that have a strange yellow flag on their profile, those people appear to be [http://www.couchsurfing.org/ambassador_list ambassadors]. All CouchSurfers are equal, so ambassadors are certainly no more important than any other CouchSurfer. Ambassadors are only more visible. Quite often they are the people involved in the internal organisation of CouchSurfing, welcoming new members, organising events or just answering questions about CouchSurfing. Find all about what it means to be an ambassador on the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/amb_levels.html CouchSurfing website].  


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.
The last few months the CouchSurfing headquarter in San Francisco has been busy on improving the ambassador program. This ment there have been no new ambassadors added for over half a year. We cannot give any details yet, but soon it will be possible again for people to apply for the new ambassador system. The Dutch CouchSurfing organisation is looking forward to welcome new people, so if you like CouchSurfing and want to do more with it don't hesitate! You don't need any superpowers to become an ambassador.


Now these are the requirements of the law...:)
Are you interested?
Contact [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper] for more info!


For Surfers -
=Nomadic adventures=
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!
Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!


Sytse heeft contact gezocht met een interessante surfer
==Dodging bullets in Syria==
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.


Somewhere on the edge of Europe lies an invisible line. Many people on the European side are afraid to go across this line. But those adventurers who do dare to risk their lives by passing this invisible line will be rewarded with their own weight in gold. Beyond this line, most media based presumptions which try to tie you up in your own state, turn out to be foolish. One of the random people I told about my upcoming visit to Syria and Jordan answered with a serious tone, that he preferred to visit places where less bullets were flying around. That was before I told him I would go there hitch-hiking.


If you follow the flow of life and surrender, it will show you the beauty of what travelling is really about: the Journey inside.
Xenophobia; I stumble upon it a lot, during my travels as well as at home. Mostly the xenophobia is directed at the neighboring country. Sometimes even on fellow inhabitants of ones' own country. In Turkey, on my way from the Netherlands to Syria, I was soaked with warnings about how often I would get killed once I would reach Eastern Turkey. They almost scared me, but assuming it would still be human beings living there, I went nonetheless. Now, two months later, I can tell you that the Eastern-Turkish people are just as hospitable as the people who warn you for them. I've got too many examples to offer, like this man who spontaneously took me home in the middle of the night, sparing me a long night in my tent at the outskirts of Antakya. Next day, wandering through the dark streets of an unknown village in Northern Syria, the first man I say 'good evening' to, interrupts his walk to the mosque and let's his son take care of me. The whole evening they've been treating me with tea, food, stories and Internet, inviting me the next day to come back any time I like. I didn't even get a chance to return to them the next evening; on my way to their village a man on a motorcycle persuades me to stay at his place instead.  


==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==
Syrians compete for their guests, doing everything to prevent you from visiting someone else. That's what I call hospitality. They're just amazing. Though even they, who should be aware of the Middle Eastern generosity, will warn you for their neighbors. Obviously they aren't afraid for their visitors; no xenophobia in that sense, yet they are for the strangers just over the horizon. I believe that CouchSurfing, or simply traveling, is the way to decrease this. Say 'no' to xenophobia!


Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/chiel/ Chiel]
(read more about Chiel's travels on his [http://www.manvandewereld.blogspot.com blog])


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.
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/2F1VS00/3335724_l_d85db16f40ffdea54f3a7d0afc596f91.jpg picture]


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.
=Exotic couches=
 
[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!
Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!


==Couchpicture==
==Interview with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/urbian/ Urbian Fritz-James]==


Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]
1  How did you find out about CouchSurfing?


==Interview with a 'exotic host'==
In 2005 I went to Krakow. I wanted to meet local people in Krakow so i start to google "meet local people". First I ran into to the site virtual tourist and than this guy said to me to go to couchsurfing.com and contact this lady in Krakow. So i decided to contact her. ( I really dont know her name and she is not on cs anymore) Well I contacted her but finally we didnt meet because she was busy. But I liked the idea of hosting people, so when I came back to Holland i immediately started hosting people and now I have been a member since 2005.


From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to a host in the Netherlands.
2  What makes your couch special?
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]
Well lets start with me and my girlfriend. People make the difference and being our guest, we really want to make people feel like they are at home. You can drink and eat whatever we have in our home (except for the champagne). Further we have a separate bedroom with AAA quality mattresses, so a goodnight rest is guaranteed. And on top of everything we have a jacuzzi on our rooftop. Furthermore we live on a island just in the middle of Rotterdam which make it just perfect for your stay in Rotterdam.  


1  How did you find out about Couchsurfing?


In September 2006 I red an article about CS in a local
We don't accept everyone. We have a preference for ladies and couples. I also have assignments written down in my profile so I know for sure that people have written my profile carefully instead of hitting the ctrl+c and ctrl+v button.
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?
3  Tell about a special person you hosted?


In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
Well we hosted a lot of special persons since 2005. But Leila Messaoudi was one of the most special persons we hosted. The first time she came to my place she planned to stay for 3 days but it ended up for 2 weeks. Spending christmas together. We also went to a cs meeting in Paris were we had a lovely time. Leila became my little sister and i adopted her. She visited our place again for 4 times.
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?
4  What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?


A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
Go to Kinderdijk (windmills) to get some of that nostalgic feeling of Holland
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?
5  What do you like to see in a good CouchSurf request?


In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
I would like to see some humor in it and please amaze me with something original and wicked. And when you write me a request you should at least have the words "qwerty", "smoke" and "jacuzzi" in your request. That is because of the assignments I have in my profile.  
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?
6  Which sort of guests do you prefer?


I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
We prefer couples and ladies. For the rest you will have to be able to speak english and dont be shy.
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?
7  Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?


I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
[http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=CI8LAF  Pieter Ter berg]
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)=
[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/2J65MU/22306_l_7430622ba1bc22932dc363dec4e0cb4f.jpg picture]


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.
=traveltip=


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

Latest revision as of 19:55, 14 January 2013

Old newsletters:

CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1

CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.2

Draft 3nd newsletter

Heading

CouchSurfers meeting up

Grote zomermeetings in Europa

More and more CouchSurfing communities are organising couchsurfing events this summer. Wherever you go, you can meetup with local couchsurfers.

Below is a selection of interesting events:

July 16th - July 18th: Oostende, Belgium: CS Beach Weekend

July 16th - July 18th: Champ-du-Boult, France: Normandy Summer camp

July 16th - July 21th: Brussels, Belgium: Brussels CS summer event

July 23th - July 25th: Dundee, Scotland: Dundee Calling

July 23th - July 26th: Paris, France: Paris Rendez Vous

July 28th - August 1st: Pescosolido, Italy: Italy summer camp

July 30th - August 2nd: Aberdeen, Scotland: a summer camp on the stunning balmedie beach

August 2nd - August 8th: Tokaj, Hungaria: Canoe tour

August 6th - August 8th: Spychowo, Poland: II CS International Family Weekend (IFW)

August 1st: Barcelona, Spain: Pre Gathering for the 3rd European Hitchhiking Gathering

August 6th: Sines, Portugal: 3rd European Hitchhiking Gathering

August 27th - August 29th: Karisilla, Estonia: Summer camp in Setumaa

September 2nd - September 5th: Milano, Italy: This is FO(u)R MI!

September 3rd - September 5th: Lille, France: The Braderie de Lille

September 10th - September 12th: Prague, Czech Republic: Cz3echsurfing

overzicht van regular meetings

In more and more Dutch cities CouchSurf-meetings are being held on a regular basis. If you want to know when to go where, you can check this list.

Castlefest - Festival of Light

6, 7, 8, August, Lisse, The Netherlands

People from all over the world come to visit this, I would call it... Medieval, hippy, folk, family, fantasy festival.

International world, pagan, celtic & folk music, encampment of medieval Re-enactors, a medieval & fantasy market. Art, theatre, visitors dressed up in most beautiful clothing. All sort of things to do: Balfolk, Sword fighting, painting, poi. Food is all Biological!!

It's a festival of enjoyment, relax & amazement. And I love it...would be awesome to have a CouchSurf meeting here!

Place to be: Every year there is a Wickerman burning on Saturday. A hugh wooden construction, filled with the wishes, dreams and gifts from all visitors. You can put your own dreams as an offer inside. The perfect spot to meet!

I’m working as a volunteer (coordinator backstage) on this festival ever since the beginning and I love to show you people around. The most fun part is to explore the festival your self, so I suggest we meet Friday, Saturday and Sunday 14:00 hours for a drink in front of the Wickerbeast, and share our adventures of couchsurfing! After a drink, I can take the people who are interested for a short backstage tour.

Relax & hope to see you there! Chantel

More info: http://www.castlefest.com

!!!voor Floris: ik heb op 1 juli je een paar foto's gestuurd voor bij dit bericht!!!

The best way to spend a Kruidvat train ticket: 18 hours of train travelling in NL

“Would it be possible?” “Hmm. If we start early and do some smart planning, yes, why not?” “Let’s do this!” I imagine the initiators of the idea came to the idea like this. The idea of the 24-hour train race project. The ambitious idea to visit all 12 provincial capitals of The Netherlands in just one day. Probably one of the few countries where such a thing is possible. Many CS members, armed with a special Kruidvat train ticket to be able to travel for the whole day, would accomplish this mission on the 22nd of May. First train: 6:10am from Amsterdam, on to Haarlem and The Hague. The fun started right from the beginning: the Dutch Railways (NS) decided that not our train, but the one 150 meters down the platform, would be the train that leaves. And that’s how you create a delay: we started the journey with already 10 minutes off-schedule. “Off to a good start”! Fortunately we caught up pretty quick, and, frankly, practically didn’t experience any delays for the rest of the day! Thank you, NS! There, I said it, something positive about the NS. They deserved it for once. People were encouraged to join us during the journey whenever they wanted. And boy they did! “Are you guys from the 24-hour train race?” et voila: we had once again a bigger group of train travellers on a mission. A few hardcore people made it all the way to the last stop: Lelystad. 0:18am the train arrived at the station! To make the last miles less painful we sang songs and people were already dreaming about their bed out loud... The other passengers thought we were gone nuts, I’m sure. Once on the platform, we started praising the station signs and kissed the ground in true Pope style. Relieved, proud and tired as hell, we could finally say we visited all 12 provincial capitals. Not only that, but we did it in one day!

Fotolinks:

http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7869872_l_d4aa32afa3c87006c610c513658f1e5f.jpg

http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770295_l_671ade1bfeaaa2ea00c51695fefbaf1b.jpg

http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770316_l_22883d7bfb73dd66771e51bf5046575e.jpg

http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1X9GA8A/7770213_l_8603c1f3667916c4116bd86b6bf63f50.jpg

The Netherlands today, Europe tomorrow!

For me personally, the 24-hour train race was a learning experience as well, because I’m involved in a project that is a bit bigger than just The Netherlands. The project is called The Unity Express, and is about a journey across as many as 24 European countries in a single, privately chartered train, with stops in major cities along the way, for a period of four weeks in the summer of 2011. The train has room for more than 400 people on board simultaneously. When traveling, people literally live in the train: eating, sleeping, partying, laughing, learning, discussing... It all happens there. The main goal of this project is to create unity among as much European citizens as possible. By bringing all those people together, on the train and in cities we attend, we create a better understanding for each other, so we can live more peacefully with each other. This project will launch in mid July on CouchSurfing and with its own website. Want to help? This project cannot exist without your help! We need every profession you can think of: paramedics, chefs, security, writers, programmers, entertainers, DJ’s, organizers, thinkers, planners and many more! Go to the website or do a quick search on CouchSurfing to find the working group where you can get involved! Want more information about the project before the launch? Send an E-mail to [email protected] with your questions and I’ll be happy to answer them!

Cheers, Coen

News from CS Netherlands

New Ambassador program

Maybe you already saw profiles of CouchSurfers that have a strange yellow flag on their profile, those people appear to be ambassadors. All CouchSurfers are equal, so ambassadors are certainly no more important than any other CouchSurfer. Ambassadors are only more visible. Quite often they are the people involved in the internal organisation of CouchSurfing, welcoming new members, organising events or just answering questions about CouchSurfing. Find all about what it means to be an ambassador on the CouchSurfing website.

The last few months the CouchSurfing headquarter in San Francisco has been busy on improving the ambassador program. This ment there have been no new ambassadors added for over half a year. We cannot give any details yet, but soon it will be possible again for people to apply for the new ambassador system. The Dutch CouchSurfing organisation is looking forward to welcome new people, so if you like CouchSurfing and want to do more with it don't hesitate! You don't need any superpowers to become an ambassador.

Are you interested? Contact Jasper for more info!

Nomadic adventures

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

Dodging bullets in Syria

Somewhere on the edge of Europe lies an invisible line. Many people on the European side are afraid to go across this line. But those adventurers who do dare to risk their lives by passing this invisible line will be rewarded with their own weight in gold. Beyond this line, most media based presumptions which try to tie you up in your own state, turn out to be foolish. One of the random people I told about my upcoming visit to Syria and Jordan answered with a serious tone, that he preferred to visit places where less bullets were flying around. That was before I told him I would go there hitch-hiking.

Xenophobia; I stumble upon it a lot, during my travels as well as at home. Mostly the xenophobia is directed at the neighboring country. Sometimes even on fellow inhabitants of ones' own country. In Turkey, on my way from the Netherlands to Syria, I was soaked with warnings about how often I would get killed once I would reach Eastern Turkey. They almost scared me, but assuming it would still be human beings living there, I went nonetheless. Now, two months later, I can tell you that the Eastern-Turkish people are just as hospitable as the people who warn you for them. I've got too many examples to offer, like this man who spontaneously took me home in the middle of the night, sparing me a long night in my tent at the outskirts of Antakya. Next day, wandering through the dark streets of an unknown village in Northern Syria, the first man I say 'good evening' to, interrupts his walk to the mosque and let's his son take care of me. The whole evening they've been treating me with tea, food, stories and Internet, inviting me the next day to come back any time I like. I didn't even get a chance to return to them the next evening; on my way to their village a man on a motorcycle persuades me to stay at his place instead.

Syrians compete for their guests, doing everything to prevent you from visiting someone else. That's what I call hospitality. They're just amazing. Though even they, who should be aware of the Middle Eastern generosity, will warn you for their neighbors. Obviously they aren't afraid for their visitors; no xenophobia in that sense, yet they are for the strangers just over the horizon. I believe that CouchSurfing, or simply traveling, is the way to decrease this. Say 'no' to xenophobia!

Chiel (read more about Chiel's travels on his blog)

picture

Exotic couches

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

Interview with Urbian Fritz-James

1 How did you find out about CouchSurfing?

In 2005 I went to Krakow. I wanted to meet local people in Krakow so i start to google "meet local people". First I ran into to the site virtual tourist and than this guy said to me to go to couchsurfing.com and contact this lady in Krakow. So i decided to contact her. ( I really dont know her name and she is not on cs anymore) Well I contacted her but finally we didnt meet because she was busy. But I liked the idea of hosting people, so when I came back to Holland i immediately started hosting people and now I have been a member since 2005.

2 What makes your couch special?

Well lets start with me and my girlfriend. People make the difference and being our guest, we really want to make people feel like they are at home. You can drink and eat whatever we have in our home (except for the champagne). Further we have a separate bedroom with AAA quality mattresses, so a goodnight rest is guaranteed. And on top of everything we have a jacuzzi on our rooftop. Furthermore we live on a island just in the middle of Rotterdam which make it just perfect for your stay in Rotterdam.


We don't accept everyone. We have a preference for ladies and couples. I also have assignments written down in my profile so I know for sure that people have written my profile carefully instead of hitting the ctrl+c and ctrl+v button.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

Well we hosted a lot of special persons since 2005. But Leila Messaoudi was one of the most special persons we hosted. The first time she came to my place she planned to stay for 3 days but it ended up for 2 weeks. Spending christmas together. We also went to a cs meeting in Paris were we had a lovely time. Leila became my little sister and i adopted her. She visited our place again for 4 times.

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

Go to Kinderdijk (windmills) to get some of that nostalgic feeling of Holland

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

I would like to see some humor in it and please amaze me with something original and wicked. And when you write me a request you should at least have the words "qwerty", "smoke" and "jacuzzi" in your request. That is because of the assignments I have in my profile.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

We prefer couples and ladies. For the rest you will have to be able to speak english and dont be shy.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

Pieter Ter berg

picture

traveltip

Retrieved from "https://wiki.trustroots.org/w/index.php?title=CS_newsletter_for_the_Netherlands&oldid=5838"