If you've been paying attention, you'll notice that I've changed my profile picture for the column. This also marks my first issue as editor of the magazine! Now that it's in my hands, I'm proud of the first effort and know exactly what to do to make the next one(s) better.
A funny little anecdote: As editor, I was bequeathed all the back issues of The Contact going all the way back to 2000. I've made it my goal to read through all of them for ideas for the IWCU as well as for the publication. Meanwhile, I had been following the blog Kats in Klompen now for a while and have enjoyed reading the blog. The other day, I was collecting posts from other blogs on Queen's Day and found several on Kats in Klompen. My eye happened to fall upon the name of the blogger, which only now was familiar to me. Kats in Klompen blogger Judy Nijholt-Strong was editor of IWCU's The Contact for two years and is responsible for the content of the newsletter, which has been improved upon even further by the layout designers who designed the new layout. Judy is also a fellow American who followed her heart to the Netherlands. Small world, isn't it?
As usual, click here to read The Next Step and here to see the May-June 2010 issue of The Contact in full. Enjoy!
Here is an excerpt taken from the column:
"Once your municipality, or gemeente, realizes that you exist (you may have to remind them), they will send you a letter much like the following:
Dear Foreign Person,
We just discovered that you walk among us and we would like to give you the chance to be converted into our Dutch cult. Because you are an immigrant, you obviously have no life. Therefore, you will have no problem making this meeting we have scheduled for you. At (insert the one time and day of the week that you actually do have something planned here) you will meet with (insert impossible-to-pronounce Dutch name here).
With friendly greetings,
Your Gemeente"
