Quarterly for international students studying at theUniversity of Amsterdam and Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Insiders is a magazine for students involved in the international students life of Amsterdam in one way or another. Bachelor and Master students stuyding at UvA and HvA, plus students otherwise involved with ISN, as ISN-coach, ISN-committee member and other ISN-enthusiastics are invited to read and or to participate in producing Insiders. This magazine is published twice per semester, forming a beginning and ending to or extension to an extraordinary time in Amsterdam. Would you like to share your experiences in Amsterdam with your fellow students, do you have other ideas for Insiders or do you want to cooperate with ISN? Contact us for a publication in the next Insiders: info@isn-amsterdam.nlInternational StudentNetwork AmsterdamNieuwe Achtergracht 1701018 WV Amsterdam+31 (0) 20 5253721

EditorDesign InsidersIntroductionprogram:

Cover Guestwriters

Tessa GulpersJoshua Verkerk

Andrea VendrikCarly BerendsenMala Joosten(template by Commissie Intree)James StillMarissa Kraaij Lukas SnoekAnouk vd VeekenEzra de KorteEline BraakmanBas SchnaterBarend WindTiina KoivistoShannon McCormack Chema Valle RodriguezKalina ChernevaDr. Eberhard van der LaanKatrien Vanderdriessche Juanma Fiñana

colophon

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Index WelcomeWhat is ISN? Mental Map of AmsterdamThe Fall SemesterDutch Film For BeginnersISN Football‘I lived here once’ Work Hard, Party HarderBest. ISN. Weekend. EverDutch Fact ListDutch Crash CourseHow to Survive AmsterdamAmsterdam CalendarWriters ContestCard Deals

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the boardDear internationals,

Congratulations on making the decision to study and live in Amsterdam! I’m very happy to welcome such a large amount of new international students this semes-ter. I’m convinced that in deciding to study in Amster-dam, you have made a fantastic choice. I hope you will all fall in love with this city the same way that I did.

You are about to discover Amsterdam’s ‘infectious’ energy. Hardly a million people live here, yet the city has a rich history that goes back centuries, world-class museums and theatres, an enormous variety of bars, restaurants and clubs… and all of that in a village-like setting. Some people refer to Amsterdam as a ‘global vil-lage’. This is reflected by the fact that a full 80% of the Amsterdam population is fluent in English, and that the city is being home to 200 different nationalities. Its inter-national character makes it a place where foreigners feel at home easily. I hope you will have the same experience.

You are at the start of a new chapter. Your exchange will introduce you to new places, customs and people to meet. Some of them you will love, others you might have to get used to. As an international student new to life in Amsterdam, ISN will help you to quickly find your way around your new home. For this semester we have planned a wide range of trips, parties and other events to show you the city, teach you about Dutch cul-ture, and help you getting to know each other. We hope that you will join us with these activities and make the most out of your stay in Amsterdam. In this magazine you will find information about ISN Amsterdam, the ISN introduction program, some interesting stories of Dutch and international students and much more. I wish you all the best during your stay in Amsterdam! I hope you enjoy exploring your new home, and I look for-ward to showing you around Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands together with the other ISN board members.

On behalf of the ISN board of 2011-2012,

Tessa GulpersISN Secretary

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the mayorDear student,

On behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam I am pleased to welcome you to this great city. I can only heartily agree with your choice in picking Amsterdam as the place for your exchange experience.

Amsterdam is a major international city on many grounds, but at the same time has the atmosphere and ease of small-scale living. It offers different city districts consisting of various styles; from modern to artistic areas, from big clubs, to small, cozy cafes, to 16th century houses next to state-of-the-art architecture, as well as several parks next to a flourishing harbor.

Not only is the constant offer of cultural and social activities an important aspect of Amsterdam, but the university at which you will study has also become an highly valued and integrated part of the city. The buildings, often beautiful historic moments, are scattered around town, providing you with the various scenes in Amsterdam, as well as a high education level.

The international mindset of the universities has always been stimulated by the city of Amsterdam and have been doing this work with great joy for centuries. We realize the importance of stimulating trade treaties, promoting international cooperation, inspiring young people to spread their wings, and teaching them to develop their talents. The international relations and the growing globalization are considered a treasured contribution to our country.

Part of the energetic and lively character of the city is due to the students of Amsterdam; not only the Dutch students, but also the international students are constantly contributing to the city’s positive vibe.

In additon to the already student-minded city there is the International Student Network. A non-profit organization which will help you get to know your fellow students as well as Amsterdam . For more than a decade, ISN Amsterdam has been devoted to helping the international students, by facilitating various fun, social, cultural and interesting activities to enrich the students life in Amsterdam. They are doing a fantastic job contributing to the international atmosphere as well as young people’s lives, and I am extremely proud of the work they are doing.

I am honored and very pleased to address you and your fellow international students and warmly welcome you to the great city of Amsterdam. Dr. Eberhard van der LaanMayor of Amsterdam

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what is isn? ISN Amsterdam is part of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). ESN is an organization, with 339 sections in 34 countries, that makes sure you will have the time of your life when studying abroad. ISN Amsterdam is a voluntary student-run organization dedicated to helping international stu-dents make the most of their stay in the Netherlands. It has the full support of the UvA and HvA.Th e aim of ISN is to help foster student mobility through optimizing the social and cul-tural integration of international students in Amsterdam. We try to achieve this by or-ganizing introduction days, parties, ‘borrels’, weekend trips, excursions and other cul-tural activities. We also promote contact with Dutch students with our coach system. Every semester about 1000 international students join ISN-Amsterdam. Not just for the rea-sons mentioned above, but also because it’s the best way to meet fellow international students

from both the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and the Universiteit van Amsterdam. To take part in ISN-Am-sterdam, the only thing you need to do is obtain your ESN card for just E5,- during the introduction week, at our ISN offi ce or at the weekly borrel. Also, subscribe to our weekly Newsletter to keep yourself up to date.

We have offi ce hours from 13.00-17.00h on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You are always wel-come to stop by if you want to subscribe for activities, if you have any questions or just for a chat and a cup of tea!

Visiting & Post addressInternational Student Network AmsterdamVendelstraat 21012 XX AmsterdamTh e NetherlandsBorrel: Two Wednesdays a month, ISN organi-ses the Borrel Night at Coco’s Outback; the place to meet, dance, drink and party with other in-ternational students.Some parties have a special themee, as “Sexchange”, or a Neon party. We kick off your stay in Amsterdam with a full month of Wednesday parties in February! Like to meet new people and make friends and memories for

life? Come to the ISN nights at Coco’s Outback!Th e fi rst Monday of every month ISN organises a pubnight in Chupitos Shooter bar. Drop by for a drink with choice of over 150 shots!

Day trips In order to explore other parts of the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam, ISN organi-zes several sightseeing trips throughout the year. Very popular are the trips to the Windmills and

Moving Notifi cation: From February 10th the ISN offi ce will be located at:Nieuwe Achtergracht 1701018 WV Amsterdam

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meet the isn board

Eline Braakman Hi fellow students, welcome to Amsterdam! I am the president of ISN Am-sterdam. I am studying cultural anthropology at the UvA and the last couple of years I have travelled extensively in Asia. Last year I went on exchange myself to Singapore and I had an amazing time there. I want to make sure you guys have a blast here. See you soon!

Tessa Gulpers Hey Everyone! I’m Tessa Gulpers and I am the secretary of ISN for this year. I study Human Geography at the UvA. Last year I studied in London for a few months and that was a fantastic experience. It was an opportunity for me to meet new people and to make new friends from all over the world. I hope to get to know many of you in the coming months. I’m looking forward to the trips, activities and parties of the coming year and I hope you are too.

Lukas Snoek Hey everyone! My name is Lukas Snoek, 20 years old, and as the treasurer of ISN I am going to make sure that we can organize all the awesome activities we have planned for you guys. Last year I experienced a gap year in Santa Barbara, California, and now I continue my studies at Amster-dam University College. I will try to make the most out of your international experience in Amsterdam!Iris Hendriks Hi guys, welcome! My name is Iris, communication student, and your activities coordinator. After travelling and having spent time abroad for an internship I know I love to meet people from all over the world. I hope I can contribute to a wonderful time for you here in Amster-dam. Having seen a bit of the world, I think Amsterdam is one of the best cities to live in. Enjoy!

The board of ISN Amsterdam consists of eight students studying at the University of Amsterdam and University of Applied Sciences. Here we introduce ourselves!

Cheese museum at the Zaanse Schans, the Hoge Veluwe National Park and daytrips to other Dutch cities.

Introduction weekend This incredible trip provides the students with an unforgettable experience in a typical Dutch environment, while getting to know each other on a whole new level.

Exchange party Three times every semester there is an Exchange Party for over a 1000 students.

ESN Card ISN Amsterdam is part of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), a federation of similar organizations throug-hout Europe. To become a member of ISN Amsterdam you can buy an ESN-card which will give you discounts at a number of res-taurants and nightlife venues in Amsterdam. The card costs only E5,- .

Student Language Exchange On this online forum, international and Dutch students can post messages requesting cost-free language exchange in an informal setting. Think, for example, of learning basic Dutch while you are here, or having someone check the spel-ling of your English thesis. For the forum visit: www.sle-amsterdam.nl.

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Anouk van der Veeken Hi Everybody, My name is Anouk van der Veeken and I’m stu-dying political science at the UvA. I’m specializing in International Relations. During my 5 month stay in Spain I learned, besides the language, how much fun it can be to live abroad. Being an Introduction Coordinator I’ve been given the opportunity to make it ea-sier and more exciting for you to get to know Amsterdam and your fellow exchangers.

Ezra de Korte Hola Amigos! My name is Ezra de Korte. Since a development pro-ject in Nicaragua, working with people in an international way became a passion. When I will finish my study, “Sports, Management and Business” I hope to share the experti-se of Holland, in “how to organize” and “how to train” in sports with the rest of the world.

Joshua Verkerk Hello soon to be-Amsterdammers, my name is Joshua. I am the Design and Mar-keting Coordinator. Together with the Secretary I will be making the Insiders magazine. I am a sociology student here in Amsterdam. Erasmus took me to Berlin, which was an amazing experi-ence. As you will find studying abroad is very different and much more fun than studying at home. Together with the other board members I hope to make your time in Amsterdam unforgettable.

Marissa Kraaij Hi everyone! My name is Marissa Kraaij and I will be responsible for PR and Fundraising this year. After having studied abroad in Finland and Scotland, and this sum-mer in Korea, I decided it is time to stay in Amsterdam for a while to finish my master’s in Business Studies with Marketing, and to contribute to the city’s international life by joining ISN. I will do my best to make your time abroad as amazing and unforgettable as mine were!

from left to right: Joshua, Iris, Anouk, Eline, Lukas, Marissa, Tessa & Ezra

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mental map of amsterdamWhen you exit Amsterdam Central Station for the first time you could think that you have arrived in pure chaos. Shortly, however, you will discover that there is a certain method to the madness of the “Amsterdammers”. We cycle through red stoplights, phoning on our cellphones as we go, screaming as we almost knock someone down, preferably on old and battered bicycles.by Barend Wind (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

From this moment on you start to build your Mental Map of Amsterdam. On this map some places should definitely be included, and along with these places I will give you a short history of Amsterdam. It will definitely not be the complete story, and every day you will discover new places that will fill out your knowledge of the city that is Amsterdam.

When you walk out of Central Station you immediately find yourself in the oldest part of the city. Up until 1845 the Amstel, the river for which Amsterdam was named to-wards the end of the 13th century, flowed in the direction of the Dam, where today there is a broad avenue. The Amstel flo-wed into Het IJ, where Central Station now lies, and was hereby connected to the sea. Amsterdam quickly became a successful commercial town due to its many waterways. In the first two centuries of her existence Amster-dam was a village, and became a small town around 1300, when she was awarded city rights. In the 16th century the population incre-ased rapidly. The town attracted people from all around who were interested in trade and profit. In the 16th century trade was mostly in wood and bier, but after the discovery of the colonies in Asia and Africa (such as In-donesia, Ghana and Taiwan), trade in exotic products and spices grew. Around 1600 gilds determined society in the town. But soon a capitalistic turnover took place. Prosperity in-creased through trade, and Amsterdam grew explosively. To house the new inhabitants the ‘grachtengordel’ or circle of canals was built. When you cycle along this area you can see that it was built for the elite and the rich.

Inside the half-circle formed by the Center of Amsterdam you can find a great number of well-known and interesting places to visit. In the oldest part of Amsterdam, near Central Station, you can find the Red Light district. Right from the beginning of Amsterdams existence prostitution has flourished here, since the 1960’s in its present form. If you want to meet drunken English tourists on a pub crawl this is the place to be. A few hund-red meters to the east lies the “Nieuwmarkt”. In the middle of the square stands one of the oldest buildings of the city. This weigh-house was used as one of the entrance gates of the city up until the 17th century. Around the square you can find many nice cafes, in the summer with outside seating. Squeezed between ‘de Wallen’ and the ‘Nieuwmarkt’ lies Amsterdams Chinatown. On the ‘Zeedijk’ you can eat wonderful Chinese food at very

low prices, and also pray in the only Buddhist temple of the Netherlands.

The center of Amsterdam has two large squares with nightlife facilities: ‘het Leidse-plein’ and ‘het Rembrandtplein’. Both squares have a diverse population of visitors, though ‘het Leidseplein’ attracts more students. Fanatic shoppers should definitely visit the ‘Negen Straatjes’ or nine streets. These nine streets are in the western ‘grachten-gordel’. Here you can find secondhand shops and shops selling designer clothing. These shops form a sharp contrast to the ‘normal’ fashionable chain-stores in the ‘Kalverstraat’ and the ‘Nieuwendijk’.Outside the center of the city there are actu-ally quite a number of exciting places to be found. Neighbourhoods between city center

every day you will discover new places that will fill out your knowledge of the

city that is Amsterdam.

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and the Ringweg A10 have become home to many students. In these neighbourhoods you can find many cosy cafes and cultural facilities. To the south of city center there is an area called ‘de Pijp’. Especially around the Gerard Douplein you can visit popular cafes. Only 50 meters from here is the ‘Albert Cuypstraat’, during the daytime a busy market, the most well-known market of Amsterdam. Here you can find fresh fruit, vegetables and fish at a good price. At night it is deserted here.You won’t find many real ‘Amsterdam-

mers’ in the above-mentioned places. To meet them you will have to cross the A10; this will definitely be worth it!

Not only because of the modernistic neigh-bourhoods, built with an unprecedented social vision, but also to find some spe-cial, more alternative places. In the Bijlmer, a formerly problematic neighbourhood with a large Surinam population, lies the ‘Bijlmerplein’. Here, in the multicultural market you can buy delicious spicy rolls.

In the ‘Westelijke Tuinsteden’, to the west of Amsterdam, lie neighbourhoods with a large mainly Dutch Turkish and Moroc-can population. The ‘Amsterdammers’ of the inner ring hardly ever come here.

Still, it is wonderful to jog around the Slo-terplas, swim in the Sloterparkbad, or eat a Turkish pizza on the Osdorperban.

Amsterdam is still expanding, especially al-ong the waterfront. The old harbor-areas are being transformed into a cultural zone with a mix of living and business areas. To the east of Amsterdam artificial islands are being built for this purpose. Even before the construction starts interesting and creative spots arise here. An example of this is the NDSM-wharf, where every now and then festivals are organized. In the summertime there is a beach where one can always have a drink and relax and enjoy the panorama of Amsterdam. You can reach the NDSM-wharf by ferry (free of charge); it departs from behind Central Station. Also, in the areas that are already completed you will find ‘must-see’ places. For instance, the Public Library is such an interesting place to visit. It is the largest library of Europe. You can find a good place to study in one of the many spaces. On the top floor of the library you can find a restaurant with a magnificent view of Amsterdam: a good place to meet.

Discover Amsterdam, and keep adding to your Mental Map of this great city!

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the fall semesterThese are some of the things we did last semester. Most of these activities will return in the spring semester! For more information on what we will do this semester, check out page 6.

Hoge Veluwe & Krüller MollerThe ISN trip to Hoge Veluwe National Park was the perfect day out of the hustle-and-bustle of Amsterdam. It was only one hour from Amster-dam on our own bus, and we arrived to absolu-tely perfect weather! The National Park was small (by Australian standards!) but the ability to ride a bicycle through natural wilderness was defini-tely a unique (and very Dutch) experience that I will remember for a long time. I was amazed by how many different sections there were in the park. One moment you would be riding through a forest and one minute later you are surrounded by sand and feel like you are in a desert! What was amazing about the Hoge Veluwe was the fact there is a world-class art gallery within it – the Kröller-Müller Museum. The museum has work from many different artists, including Pablo Pi-casso and George Braque, but it also has the second-largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world! The trip to Hoge Veluwe National Park was definitely one of those moments I will always remember about studying in Amsterdam. It was a great day and I met lots of new people from all over the world. James Still, Australia

Disco Ice SkatingWhat happens when you mix internationals and ice ska-ting? Awesomeness. But what happens when you throw in disco music and party lights? Epic awesomeness. In the beginning, it’s quite hard to get used to being sepa-rated from the ice by only a thin metal blade. Many peo-ple were stuck to the wall like flies – myself included. But slowly, people dared to venture more than a couple of centimeters away from the side, and soon people were zooming around as if they had been doing it all of their life. The absolute cherry on top, however, was the mu-sic. The combination of dimmed lights, a beat and disco lights had everyone feeling like a skating superstar. There was no stopping us now! The next day my muscles told me off for using them abnormally, but it was more than worth it: we can all now confidently brag that we were absolute pros at ice skating, in the Netherlands no less. And with disco music! Katrien Vanderdriessche, Belgium

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Train Game This is a game that brings you all over the Netherlands, and is a lot of fun! The Train Game is an activity where teams of 5 students go to dif-ferent cities in the Netherlands by train. Each team can decide for them-selves which cities they would like to visit. During this trip your team has to fulfill several tasks for which you can collect points. The goal is to collect as many points as possible together with your team. A camera is a very important item in this game. To collect points your team has to make pictures of several places in different cities. Besides that your team can also collect bonus points by fulfilling some extra challenges. The tasks are very diverse, from taking a picture of your team with as many train conductors as possible to a planking pose in an original spot. Creativeness is highly rewarded during this game. In the end this game is just a lot of fun, you can see a lot of the Netherlands in one day, and you will go home with a lot of beautiful but also very crazy pictures!Kalina Cherneva ,Bulgaria

Hitch Hike Antwerp & BrusselsI remember the day we left for the Hitchhike as a sunny day, a Saturday, rather cold, but I could not imagine the amount of experience that would take place on this par-ticular trip. Reading in the ISN news that the Hitchhi-king contest was to be Amsterdam-Brussels, I convinced many friends to participate. My traveling companion and I saw this competition as an adventure: different than being with our family and friends. We wanted to win, but mostly we wanted to have fun, everything was new to us. We started at the Amstel Station. Accompanied by other participants we tried to capture the attention of drivers in the middle of the road. So we got our first ride in just 10 minutes. Around 4 thirty in the afternoon we were the first to arrive in Brussels. For us it was a big surprise that of about 20 couples we were the first. We were very happy and it was hard to believe it. For us it was a very exciting trip and different. In addition, we won an ISN trip to Düsseldorf in Germany! Juanma Fiñana, Spain

Potluck dinnerWe organized a Potluck Dinner on a boat for 80 international students. Everyone prepared a starter, main course or desert that was typical for their home country. The result was that the room was filled with deli-cious food from all over the world. There were many different things you could taste, it was difficult to choose what to put on your plate. In the end you just tried almost every-thing. It was great to see the pasta from Spain on your plate lying next to the Boerenkool met worst from Holland, the Cheese from Germany, the Spinach main from Azerbaijan and the Noodles with chicken from China. After dinner some students started playing guitar and piano and some boys started to sing along. It was a wonderful experience to taste so many dishes from all over the world. Tessa Gulpers, The Netherlands

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dutch film for beginnersEvery month ISN will organize a Dutch Film Night in CREA. The Dutch movies will have Dutch subtitles. We will show you the most renowned Dutch movies and arrange a speaker who will give you more background information about each movie. Going to the Dutch Film Night will give you the opportunity to get to know more about Dutch film culture and to meet other international and Dutch students. So write down these dates in your diary!

On the first Film Night we are going to see the film ‘Black Book’ (Dutch: Zwart Boek). This film, made in 2006, is about World War II. It tells the story of a young Jewish woman in the Netherlands who becomes a spy for the resistance during World War II. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive Dutch film ever made, and also the Netherlands’ most commercially successful. In 2008, the Dutch public voted it the best Dutch film ever! So write down the dates of the ISN film nights in your diary and don’t miss it!

Guest speaker of the night will be Dienke Hondius, associate professor of history at VU University Amsterdam and works for the Anne Frank Foundation as well.

dutch film nights this Semester

February 13thMarch 19thApril 23thMay 14thJune 4th

Dutch film night @ CREA!

isn footballPlaying once every Sunday in the late afternoon, we have listened to the students’ wishes. Since Sunday is always National Hangover Day in Amsterdam, we planned the competition matches as late as possible so the students could sleep as long as possible on Sunday. With this set-up, the ISN Football Competition was fully designed for the ultimate weekend recovery before a new, fresh week of studying started!Looking back at the number of subscriptions the first semester, it is definitely a success. The footballers started to make teams in advance, and even made own team names. With giving freedom to their ideas and input, combined with the available resources, I perso-nally can call the ISN Football a great success!

Do you want to participate this semester? Contact sport.isn.amsterdam@gmail.com and we will keep you updated!

Sports is the only language everybody speaks, whatever your nationality. Without having an oral conversation, sports creates a bond between students and makes you talk with your feet. And maybe even more important: it’s really fun!By: Bas Schnater, The Netherlands

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‘i lived here once’

When I moved to Amsterdam in late Au-gust, I didn’t know anyone here. I spent the first two days wandering around the big city by myself. I remember the countless times I walked into Hema, Xenos and Albert Hejn, trying desperately to find blu-tack so I could make my room feel like ‘home’. I remember standing in Dam square, thinking to myself “why am I doing this?” Even though I failed to find blu-tack, it only took me three days to fall in love with Amsterdam – thanks to my ISN introduction group leaders and group.

After the introduction week, I found myself spending ample amounts of time with the new friends I had made, making new friends every week. We spent hours getting to know each other better in café’s, biking to and from parties along the breath-taking canals, and exploring the city to find out what it really has to offer. The best vintage shops, the best café’s, the best markets – we wanted to dis-cover all of them. I took almost a thousand pictures during the first two months of li-ving here and even started a blog, simply be-cause I didn’t ever want to forget every little detail in every little corner of Amsterdam. There was, and still is, so much to discover in this beautiful city and country that time has seemed to grow wings – which is what it always seems to do when there is little of it.

I cannot help but think that I have been ex-tremely lucky. When I first thought about applying for a semester abroad, Amsterdam was nowhere near my first option. Yet I find myself having fallen in love with this choice. That man sitting outside his house along Prinsengracht with a small plate of cheese and a glass of wine. The way the canals look almost magical at night with their lights and the little boats floating along peacefully. The bar where you can sit outside on a boat, en-joying a glass of wine whilst hearing the bells of Westerkerk strike midnight. The joy in see-ing Chipsy King’s open doors after a night of some very strange but tasty shots at Chupitos. The parrots that come sit in the tree outside my apartment on some days. The surprise in seeing cows and sheep after biking for fifteen minutes in Amsterdam Noord. The humour in walking around in the wind and rain with a newly purchased umbrella, only to notice after five minutes that it has turned upside down.

It will not be easy to pack my bags and leave – it never is. But it makes me smile to think that I will return one day, just to take a stroll down the breath-taking canals, proudly saying to myself “I had the opportunity to live here once”.

When I started thinking about what to write about my experiences and adventures in Amsterdam so far, I got upset. I’ve lived here for three months now. That leaves me another two months until I have to head back home. It is not the first time that this feeling has taken over me – I don’t want to go home.by Tiina Koivisto (Stirling, Scotland)

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work hard party harder

ISN helps those in need of some relaxation by hosting its ‘borrel’ every other Wednes-day at Coco’s Outback Bar, where students can get together and enjoy some cheap drinks in the heart of Amsterdam’s city center. Next to the ‘regular’ borrels, Coco’s also hosts theme-borrels, examples of the last semester are thee beach party borrel (where guys and girls in swim wear were not uncom-mon) and of course the already infamous ‘sexchange’ borrel, where many girls with mustaches and guys in skirts could be spotted. Whereas the borrel is a time to relax, the occasions to dance and go crazy were obviously the Exchange Parties in Ode-on! This chic, old theater made up the perfect location for over a 1000 international students to show off their

Amsterdam stands for culture, history, and its excellent universities of course. Yet sometimes you, as an international student, have to take a break from all that and just sit back and enjoy a cheap drink.by Lukas Snoek (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

dance-moves and to prove once more that internationals know how to party hard. The Exchange Parties of the second se-mester are already planned, so save the fol-lowing dates in your agenda because you don’t want to miss out on these epic parties!

Remember that besides the Exchange Parties you can find us at Coco’s every Wednesday throughout the semester!

PS. Are you a DJ and would you like to get a chance to spin at Coco’s Outback Bar sometime? Please send an email to info@isn-amsterdam.nl

February 17thMarch 30th

June 1th

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best. isn. weekend. ever.

Only having arrived a month prior, I had established a few close friendships and ac-quaintances, but this gave me the chance to meet a whole new group of internatio-nal students whom I may never have had the chance of knowing if it wasn’t for this trip. I can say it was by far the best decision I have made since arriving in Amsterdam!

Upon arriving in Limburg, to a big house where we would spend the next three sunny days together, the group of thirty-five stu-dents from all different countries started out as perfect strangers. But within no time at all, we became fast friends! The ISN board, a group of eight incredible, extremely per-sonable Dutch students, not only organized a wide variety of fun activities for us to get to know each other, such as speed dating the very first night, but also interacted with the international students. It was obvious the great length they had gone to in order to make every individual feel included. The next day was spent outside in the beautiful weather

playing sports, relaxing, and chatting with our new friends. However, in my opinion, the best part of the weekend came that night. ISN organized a party bus (which truly was the party!) to take us to a nightclub. The group of us danced the night away; listening to fan-tastic Euro-90s jams. This was arguably one of the best nights I have had abroad thus far!

The final day of the trip was spent touring Den Bosch, which gave us the chance to see ano-ther Dutch city besides Amsterdam, which many had not yet experienced. As we left each other after such a magnificent weekend, we immediately exchanged contact information and planned many more adventures with one another for the rest of our time in Amster-dam. Because of this weekend, I have found lasting friendship in a group of international students as well as in the ISN board. So, my greatest piece of advice for students coming from abroad, do not miss out on trips like this, because you might be missing out on some of the greatest people you will ever meet!

As an international student, one of my main goals of studying abroad is meeting new, fun people to share your time abroad with. I believe the truest way to do this is to bond through a weekend away. This is exactly what happened during the ISN Introduction Weekend to Limburg! By Shannon McCormack, United States

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the dutch factlist

* Th e name Amsterdam comes from the combination of the river Amstel and the Dam that was built on it in order to found the original village known today as Amsterdam. You might know the name Amstel as the name of a beer which was also named aft er the river. * Th e city is entirely built on piles, by means of huge stakes driven into the ground. * Amsterdam has the highest number of nationalities of any city in the world: 175 of the 194 internationally recognized countries in the world. * Amsterdam is home to more than 300 coff ee shops, which are legally allowed to sell up to 5 gm of soft drugs per person. * Amsterdam is known to house the largest number of museums in the world per square meter.* If the sea level rises even slightly, Amsterdam would be one of the fi rst cities in the world to say bye bye, as its altitude is below sea level. When you land at Schiphol Airport, you are actually four meters below sea level*Visiting the Amsterdam parliament building could prove diffi cult as there isn’t one. Even though Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands and is offi cially the capital, it does not hold the parliament as all of the government functions take place in the Hague. * Amsterdam has a house boat known as the Poezenboot which acts as a house for stray cats. A woman who had been re-housing stray cats had the idea of getting them a houseboat. Aft er all, if people can live in them, why not cats?* Out of the top 500 companies in the world, as many as seven, including Philips and ING, are based in Amsterdam.* Th e oldest area in Amsterdam is known as de Wallen and it is home to the city’s famous red light district. Th ere are almost 500 prostitution windows in Amsterdam, next to brothels etc. Daily, about 1,000 prostitutes are working in Amsterdam and in a given year, the city sees about 8,000 diff erent prostitutes.

You now probably know more about Amsterdam than the average ‘Amsterdammer’. Th ough all ‘Amsterdammers’ see the area outside of the city as the countryside, we do not want you to leave the Netherlands without knowing more about our lovely country. Th erefore, we have listed some interesting facts about the Netherlands in general as well:*Th e Netherlands has more than 4,000 km of navigable rivers, lakes and canals* Over 70% of the world’s bacon (poor pigs) comes from the Netherlands* Th e International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are both in Th e Hague.

woman who had been re-housing stray cats had the idea of getting them a houseboat. Aft er all,

* Out of the top 500 companies in the world, as many as seven, including Philips and

* Th e oldest area in Amsterdam is known as de Wallen and it is home to the city’s famous red light district. Th ere are almost 500 prostitution windows in Amsterdam, next to brothels etc. Daily, about 1,000 prostitutes are working in Amsterdam and in a given year, the city sees about 8,000

average ‘Amsterdammer’. Th ough all ‘Amsterdammers’ see the

You have probably noticed that there are almost as many bikes as inhabitants in Amsterdam. Some claim the number is even higher. But there are more noteworthy statistics about Amsterdam. Attention trivia buff s, the numbers are in: Amsterdam has 2,500 houseboats, 654 gable stones, 6 windmills and 1 Skinny Bridge. Need more to win a game of Trivial Pursuit? We listed some interesting numbers for you!By Marissa Kraaij, Th e Netherlands

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* Holland has around a thousand original still-working windmills.* Holland has over 15,000 km of bicycle lanes.* Holland was one of the six founding members of the European Union.* Holland’s highest point is 323 meters above sea level which makes it their highest mountain.* A quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level.* Th e Dutch are the tallest people in the world. Th e average Dutchman is just over 6 feet (1,84m), while Dutch woman average 5-foot-7 (1,71m).* In 2008, a tobacco smoking ban was introduced in Dutch cafes and restaurants, but you are still allowed to smoke marihuana and hash in Dutch coff ee shops. If only you don’t mix it with regular tobacco. Th at’s bad for your health you see… * Dutch is also spoken in Belgium, northern France, Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. * Aft er Scandinavians, the Dutch are the world’s biggest coff ee drinkers* Th e Netherlands has one of the youngest populations in the European Union. * Th e legal drinking age in the Netherlands is only 16. * Prostitution is legal but you must be at least 18 years old to be one and you must be at least 16 to ‘participate’.* New York used to be named New Amsterdam as it was a Dutch colony. Australia was named New Holland and New Zealand was named aft er the Dutch province Zeeland by the Dutch explo-rer Abel Tasman. So, this must be all you need to know about Amsterdam, Amsterdammers, Th e Netherlands and the Dutchies.

Amsterdam in numbers Inhabitants 747,290Nationalities 175Bicycles 600,000Trees 220,000Parks 28Trams 232Ferries 9Markets 21Canals 165 Bridges 1,281Art galleries 141Museums 51Wax statues at Madame Tussauds 140Animals at Artis Zoo 6,100Concerts and theatrical performances per day 40Cinemas 61Cafés and bars 1,215 Restaurants 1,250 Hotel beds 41,000

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dutch crash courseSOME FACTS ABOUT THE DUTCH LANGUAGE

Even though Dutch is the 6th language in the European Union, not many people are familiar with it. In fact few have any clue of where it is spoken. Dutch is spoken in the Netherlands and in the Northern part of Belgium, though here it is called Flemish. Outside of Europe, the Dutch language is also spoken in former colonies Aruba, Netherlands Antilles and Suriname, though it is a second language here, and mother tongue speakers are a minority. In another former colony, Indonesia, Dutch is spoken only by older generations. Afrikaans, a dominant language in South Africa, was derived from Dutch and though it is a language in itself, Dutch people can understand it fairly well.

IMPORTANT DUTCH WORDS AND EXPRESSIONSTo make your exchange experience in Amsterdam and the Netherlands even more enjoyable why not learn a little of the local language? Here are some useful Dutch phrases with their English equivalents.Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks very good English. Anyway it might be nice to learn some important words and expressions. Dutch people realize that their lan-guage is not the easiest to learn and are extremely flattered when you give it a go. More often than not, they’ll even take the time to coach you and teach you more!

Mijn naam is.. / ik heet..Ik kom uit NederlandWaar kom jij vandaan? Ik vind je leuk!Leuk je te ontmoetenHoe oud ben je?Ik ben twintig jaar oudIk moet nu gaanIk ben zo terugWaar woon je?

introducingMy name is...I’m from the NetherlandsWhere are you from? I like you!Nice to meet youHow old are you?I’m twenty years oldI have to goI will be right backWhere do you live?

to greetGood morningGood afternoonHelloSee you laterHave a nice day

GoedemorgenGoedemiddagHallo / hoi Tot ziensFijne dag

to thankThank youPleaseSorryNo thanks

DankjewelAlstublieftSorry / pardonGeen dank

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asking for help

Sorry sir/madam, can I ask you somethingDo you speak English I speak a little DutchHow do I get to Coco’s Outback Bar? Could you speak slowly please? Where can I find How much is this? Can you help me? YesNo

conversation: ordering

You: Good evening!Bartender: Hello!Y: Everything ok? B: Yes fine, and you? Y: I’m fine too, Wednesday at the Coco’s is always a nice party!B: Yes for sure!Y: Can I have five beers please? B: Sure, that’s 10,- euro’s with your ESN CardY: There you go, take one yourself aswell B: Thank you! Have a great night.

You: GoedenavondBartender: HoiY: Alles goed? B: Ja prima, met jou? Y: Heel goed, woensdag bij Coco’s is altijd een mooi feestje! Ja zeker wel!Mag ik vijf bier alstublief? Natuurlijk, dat is dan tien euro met je ESN kaartAlsjeblieft, neem er zelf ook eenDankje! Fijne avond.

ordering

Can I see the menu, please?One (two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, tem)Hoeveel kost het?

Mag ik de menukaart, alstublieft?Een (twee, drie, vier, vijf, zes, ze-ven, acht negen tien) bier graag)Hoeveel kost het?

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how to survive amsterdam

WeatherI come from Seville, a city located in the south of Spain. We have an average of 52 rainy days (the rest are sunny days !) and temperatures ranging from 40 celsius degreesin summer to 10 degrees in the winter. May-be it was because of that huge contrast that i had prepared myself to the worst case scenario here, luckily the weather is not as bad as I imagined in Amsterdam.

The cold is the easiest to deal with, actually it is not that cold anyway, being next to the sea helps the temperaturesto be around 0 degrees. If you’re feeling cold then you’re not biking fast enough!

The rain is also a trademark of Amsterdam, un-like the rain in my home country here youwill face a very unpredictable but, in most cases, light rain; just make sure to keep yourraincoat with you at all times and you’re good to go.

So far so good but now the wind comes, which in my opinion is the key of the Dutchweather. Being such a flat country and close to the sea makes it very easy for the wind topenetrate at full speed. Also mix the above elements with the wind and you will have avery annoying combination, especially when you’re riding your bike. Imagine yourself with the winter coat, plus the raincoat for the

bike in a rainy day and now picture the windblowing hard. You will feel as a human sail. Bike CultureIf you like biking you will love Amsterdam, if you don’t, well... you’ll end up liking it becausethe bike is the way to go in this country. Ha-ving no bike here is pretty much like having nolegs in any other place, get one as soon as possible !

I’ve been riding bikes for many years in my home city but it is nothing like here. Biking hereis not a way of transport but a way a life, a cornerstone of the dutch culture. You candefinitely tell that just by looking at the huge variety of two wheels vehicles, wether you

have to carry your kids to school or a heavy load from one place to another they have a

bike fitted for the job.

The amount of bikes in parking places ma-kes it sometimes difficult to locate your bikeespecially after heavy partying at night. To overcome this people customize their bikes withmany things, from crazy paint schemes to vegetation (seriously ! i’ve seen moving junglesout there !). So get out there and pimp your ride.

The DutchIt’s hard to address a whole country as the Netherlands from the very little experience i’ve

Amsterdam might be totally different from your hometown. Chema Rodriguez comes from Seville, Spain and writes about the things he had to get used to when moving to ‘The Dam’.

Biking here is not a way of transportit’s a way of life

had so far here (being living in Amsterdam only for a few months) but i will try to exposehow i think the dutch people is.

First of all, the people i’ve met so far have been very helpful to me at all times, they’vebeen very open and friendly. Most certainly being a major trade hub since the 17th centuryand the amount of different communities and ethnical backgrounds living together inAmsterdam have made it a very tolerant and open minded environment to stay.

One of the first things i noticed when i arrived is how extended the use of English amongthe Dutch popula-tion is, no matter the age. I’ve been able to communicate with everybodyin English which makes it very easy to get your way around things. However this could bea double edged sword when it comes to le-arning dutch since every time you try to testyour dutch they will detect that you’re

foreign and switch immediately to English.Also you have to be aware that they are quite straight forward people regardingcommunication, if they don’t like something or don’t agree with you they will say it sodirectly. I personally like that way of being but i guess some people could consider thatrude.

To sum up i would say that a “live and let live” kind of attitude prevails in Dutch culture, theydon’t care about what you do as long as you don’t bother anyone.

Hogeschool van Am-sterdam VS University of Seville

I majored on Computer Systems Engineering, a 5 year degree at the University of Seville.My home university is a research one, like the UvA in Amsterdam and the coursedynamics are based on final theory and practical exams, plus some projects, they don’tcare who you are or if you attend classes as long as you perform good at the tests andprojects.

When i came here at the HvA, being an applied sciences university i was very surprised ofthe small size of the courses as well as the attention they pay to attendance; if you miss alesson they will ask you where were you and why did you missed it (and if you miss someof them you may even fail the course). The course dynamics consists in mainly in weeklyassignments, group projects and presentations, this can be quite time consumingcompared to research universities.

When it comes to the lectures dynamics i’ve noticed that the atmosphere is way morecasual than in my home university. Often you see people eating lunch while having alecture, that is something you would never ever see back home.

Just be aware of these differences if you are going to make such a transition.

If you’re feeling cold then you’re not biking fast enough!

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Amsterdam Calendar

are missing in the regular cinematic offerings.

12-28 April: Amsterdams Kleinkunst Festival The Amsterdams Kleinkunst Festival is the annual highlight of the cabaret season in the Netherlands.

14-15 April: Nationaal MuseumweekendDuring National Museum Weekend more than 500 museums in the Netherlands open their doors to the public free of charge, or at a heavy discount. Many museums also or-ganize special activities and performances.

20-21 April: World Press Photo Award DaysThe Awards Days weekend is a celebration to honor the prize-winning photographers of the annual World Press Photo contest. The weekend is filled with activities, inclu-ding photographer presentations, the Sem Presser Lecture and the Awards Ceremony.

26-27 April: Amsterdams Studenten FestivalAt the Amsterdam Student Festi-val talented students have the oppor-tunity to show their arts and move forward in their passion. The aim of the fes-tival is to give students a change on the stage.

29 April: Koninginnenacht (Queensnight) & 30 April Queensday.The night before Queensday there are lots of stages and concerts throughout Amster-dam. Nightclubs organise special parties for which you have to buy tickets in advance because tickets are usually high in demand. April 30 marks the former queen’s birthday and Amsterdam’s biggest annual celebration, around 800.000 people come to Amsterdam during this national holiday. The traditio-nal ‘Vrijmarkt’ (Fleamarket) takes place all over the country people sell second-hand

19-21 February: CarnivalCarnival is especially popular in the sou-thern provinces of the Netherlands. During Carnival the regular order of things is turned upside down. Cities are renamed and ruled by Prince Carnival. People dress up in funny costumes and go party.

22 February: Stukafest AmsterdamStukafest is a ‘Student Room Festival’, where around 20 studentrooms are transformed into minitheaters. In every room there is a different act of half an hour from poetry to rock. You choose your own schedule throug-hout the city in different studentrooms.

5-11 March: Amsterdam Restaurant WeekDuring the Amsterdam Restaurant Week you can afford to eat dinner in a different restaurant every night of the week. And lunch too. For € 27,50 you can savour a three-course dinner menu at one of the 165 participating restaurants in Amsterdam.

Queensday in Amsterdam

7-11 March: 5 Days OffElectronic Music & art festival at Melkweg and Paradiso

15-25 March: Roze Filmdagen (Pink Film days)The ‘Roze Filmdagen’ aim to highlight all as-pects of quality gay cinema for a broad audience: feature films, documentaries and shorts that

There’s always something to do in Amsterdam. Here is a list of coming events this springs semester. by Eline Braakman (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

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stuff in the streets, this is the so called the, in Amsterdam it the most popular spots are the Jordaan quarter and the Vondelpark. The Queen and members of the Royal Family pay a public visit to two cities each year. There are food stalls, drink stands and concerts and stages in every town in The Netherlands. So dress up Orange, join the crowds and stroll around the canals filled with boats and to the squares where the parties are in Amsterdam!

4 May: Dodenherdenking (Remembrance of the Death) & 5 May Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day)The ‘Dodenherdenking’ commemorates all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II. The main ce-remony takes place at the National Monu-ment on Dam Square where, among others, the Queen lays a flower wreath. At 8 pm a two minute silence is observed countrywide. On the 5th of May the Dutch celebrate their freedom and the liberation of The Nether-lands on May 5th 1945. All over the country free festivals are held, where you can go to see bands, performances and street theatre. You can go, for example, to the Museum-plein or Amstel/Carré. Or to a different city like Haarlem, where every year is the ‘Bevrij-

dingspop’ which sees around 150,000 visitors and offers a wide range of entertainment.

26-28 May: PinkpopPinkpop is Netherlands’ most famous open-air festival and Europe’s longest-running un-interrupted outdoor pop festival. Pinkpop will take place for the 42nd time at the festival site Megaland at Landgraaf, 134 miles south of Amsterdam. There are 4 large campsites, pro-viding space for 50.000 campers. In the sum-mer there are even more festivals. Some of the most known are Amsterdam Roots Festival, Over het IJ Festival, Loveland, Dancevalley, Mysteryland and the Amsterdam Gay Pride.

1-26 June: Holland Festival: International Theatre, Music and DanceIs the leading international performance arts festival in the Netherlands. The fes-tival offers a heady mix of theatre, mu-sic, dance, opera, film and visual arts, as well as Western and non-Western perfor-mance pieces in a variety of languages.

03 June -26 August: Vondelpark Openair TheaterEach summer, the Vondelpark’s open-air theatre hosts concerts and free open-air performances from the world of comedy, dance, music and kid’s theatre.

15 -17 June: Open Garden DaysHidden behind the stately facades of the houses along the main Amsterdam canals lie some of the city’s best kept secrets: gar-dens. Few of these canal house gardens are usually open to the public, but each year some thirty of them are accessible to visitors during the Open Garden Days.

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writers and photo contest

YOUR experiences in the ISN Magazine Insiders?!Do you like to write stories? Do you want to share your experiences with other exchange students? Would you like to show everyone you are having a great time in Amsterdam? Do you want to become famous in the world of exchange students? This is your moment!

The Summer edition of the Insiders will be full of your experiences. You can write about a weird experience with the crazy Dutch people. Or give a des-cription of your feelings the moment you first ate haring. Tell us in which ISN activities you have participated and what you think about it. We want to know about you experience in Amsterdam and what you think of the Dutch culture. Out of all the articles we will make a selection and the best articles will be placed in the Insiders and receive eternal fame. Besides, the best three writers will be surprised with an additional prize:1. 2 tickets for a ISN daytrip2. 2 tickets for an Exchange Party Please send your article before the 1st of May to info@isn-amsterdam.nl. We look forward to reading your stories!

YOUR Photo’s in the ISN Magazine Insiders?!During the semester you will probably make a lot of photos to record your ex-periences as an exchange student here in Amsterdam. If you send your funniest, silliest or most beautiful photo’s to info@isn-amsterdam.nl you could win the following prize:Prizes! 1. 2 tickets for an Exchange PartyYour photo could also be chosen as cover photo for the summer edition of the ISN magazine ‘Insiders’! So make sure you always take your camera with you wherever you go!

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isn membership cardSo you just arrived in Amsterdam, your new hometown for the next couple of months. First things fi rst, so you have arranged housing, a bicycle, and groceries to get through the fi rst days. Th at means now it is time for the social and cultural integration! First thing you should do? Become a member of ISN Amsterdam!

Becoming a member of ISN Amsterdam ensures that you’ll meet a lot of new people of all kinds of nationalities, you’ll make friends for life and get the best out of your Amsterdam ex-perience. Every other Wednesday, you can meet other ISN members at the weekly Borrel at Coco’s Outback. ISN Amsterdam also organizes various activities for its’ members, from cultural events as visits to Volendam and the Keukenhof to sport activities and from week-end trips to Paris and Groningen to pubcrawls and potluck dinners. ISN Amsterdam is fun-ded by the Universiteit van Amsterdam and the Hogeschool van Amsterdam together.

Th is enables us to provide the various activities for low-prices. ISN membership only cost you €5, for a whole year. You will receive the weekly newsletter, can join our activities, will receive the ISN quarterly magazine and you will be getting discounts at all partners of ISN Amsterdam. As ISN Amsterdam is part of the European wide organization Eras-mus Student Network, you will receive the ESN Card as a proof of your membership.

Th is membership card makes you eligible for discounts at all partners of as well ISN Amsterdam, as in all other ESN cities all over Europe. Th ere are partnerships in various categories, from bike shops, to comedy clubs, places to eat and clubs. You can fi nd an overview of the current part-ners of ISN Amsterdam at the next page, but also keep an eye on the website (www.isn-amster-dam.nl) as new deals appear regularly. When traveling during your time abroad, don’t forget to check the ESN website (www.esn.org) for discounts in other cities off ered to ESN Card holders.

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Boom Chicago Th is famous comedy theater has great, funny shows in English and of-fers ESN Card holders amazing discounts. On Wednesday nights, up to four students can see a show with only one €22 ticket (€5,50 a person). ESN Card holders will get a €5 discount on shows from Sunday through Th ursday, and the second show on Saturday (21:45h). On these nights, Boom Chicago also off ers the international students a burger, fries & ticket deal for only €24,95. Th e theater is located at Leidseplein 12. For more information see www.boomchicago.nl

Tourist Save the World For tourists who want to go beyond the usual. Th ere is more to Amster-dam than de red light district, the coff ee-shops and the “Leidse Square” for example. ‘Tourist Save the World’ looks past this vacation-hedonism and gives opportunities for an interactive way of explo-ring and experiencing Amsterdam; and performing some good deeds on the way! ESN Card holders only have to pay €7,50 for the tour, instead of €10. For bookings, visit www.touristsavetheworld.com. Chupitos Shooter Bar Amsterdam’s fi rst shooter bar is located at Zieseniskade 25, on walking distance from Leidseplein. Drop by for a drink and choose between 150 dif-ferent, entertaining shots. With your ESN Card you always get to pay student prices (€1,50 for beer and wine and shots for €2, €3 or €4,-). For more information visit www.chupitos.nl

Talia Are you looking for fresh, tasty and especially aff ordable food? Pizza slices, amazing sand-wiches, fi ngerfood, vegan options; not to mention the best coff ee in town for only 1€! Or may-be you are looking for a cozy space where to spend some time on a couch, relax or study, enjoy the free WI-FI or play with the XBOX; or again a venue with amazing events, from jam sessi-ons to aperitivos. Come with your ESN card, get 10% discount on their products! You can fi nd Talia at Prinsenstraat 12, near the Jordaan neighborhood. Check www.i-talia.net for more info.

Club 8 off ers you some very nice discounts. You get a 50% discount on all parties at Club 8. Further-more you can play pool for free from Monday till Saturday until 19.00, and on Sunday the whole day. Also don’t forget the ESN Meal = A Good Deal, and have a delicious sate meal for only €5. Don’t forget to bring your ESN Card. Visit Club 8 at Admiraal de Ruijterweg 56 B. For more info check www.club-8.nl

ASVA Student Union the Amsterdam student union which believes students should be able to get the most out of studying in Amsterdam. Th ey off er housing mediation, legal advice, answers to all your questions about studying in Amsterdam and more. ASVA off ers ESN Card holders a discount on their membership. Instead of paying €15, you only pay €10. For more information check out www.asva.nl.

Ultimate Party Do you like to party and meet other internationals? What better way to do this and enjoy Amsterdam’s amazing nightlife than joining Ultimate Party. For a night you won’t remember, but never forget. With your ESN Card you get a 50% discount. Also see www.joinultimateparty.com

Bike shop Groeno Buy a bike and get a 10% discount with your ESN Card on your (second hand) bike! At the end of the term you can bring your bike back, and if it’s still in good condition you’ll get back up to 50% of the amount you paid for it. Keep your receipt! Check also www.groeno.nl. Groeno is located on the Tweede Hugo de Grootstraat 12-18. You can take trams number 3 or 13.

TIK TAK @ Club AIR Th e weekly Sunday night of epic tunes and lovely ladies and gentle-men at AIR Amsterdam, brought to you by GirlsLoveDJs and E&A Events. TIK TAK is the best night to end your weekend. Your ESN Card entitles you to a €4 discount, so you will only pay an entrance fee of €8 instead of €12! Club AIR, Amstelstraat 16 (near Rembrandt square). Check out http://ea-events.com/concepts/tiktak

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Zieseniskade 25 AMSTERDAM | www.chupitos.nl

OVER 150 DIFFERENT SHOTS

AMSTERDAM'S FIRST SHOOTER BAR

SEE ISN CARD DEALS

IT’S AN EXPERIENCE...

for SpecIal DEALS!

IT’S NOT JUST A SHOT

Zieseniskade 25 AMSTERDAM | www.chupitos.nl

OVER 150 DIFFERENT SHOTS

AMSTERDAM'S FIRST SHOOTER BAR

SEE ISN CARD DEALS

IT’S AN EXPERIENCE...

for SpecIal DEALS!

IT’S NOT JUST A SHOT