“En dan begint het bieden.” (And then the bidding begins)
Speaking is Diego from Argentina. It’s his turn to demonstrate through a mini presentation that he can apply what he has learned so far.
In our advanced Dutch course this means using worden + past participle, ‘er’ and ‘zou’ in a correct way.
Diego continues, “Na bieden komt bidden. (After bidding comes praying) This can take days, up to weeks.”
“Take a topic that is close to you”, I had advised. Something you would want to share with your Dutch neighbors, friends, colleagues, in-laws or inburgeringsambtenaar (integration officer). “Thus, you will be more motivated and involved. Plus, it will be a handy practice.”
“Als na lang bidden je bod wordt geaccepteerd, ben je er nog niet.” (If, after a long prayer, your offer is accepted, you're still not there)
Via his slideshow we had been introduced step by step to what had occupied Diego in the past year, namely trying to buy an affordable apartment in Amsterdam.
Rephrased differently: looking for a needle in a haystack.
In chronological order he had described the hurdles that had to be taken, an endless trajectory of zoeken (searching) on the Dutch real estate site Funda, followed by bezoeken (visits) - from the most run-down shacks to glorified broom closets.
After “bieden, bidden en de goden bedanken“ (thanking your lucky stars), a second route follows.
Just as intense, uncertain and lengthy as the first.
The next slide shows a person who, except for a hand holding a ballpoint, is fully hidden behind an immense pile of documents and forms.
“Je zou denken: ik ben nu klaar. Maar dan moeten deze worden ingevuld. In het Nederlands.” (You’d think you’re done now, but then these need to be filled in. In Dutch.)
At this point in Diego’s talk you can hear a needle drop.
Will his dream be fulfilled?
On the following slide someone is felled by a stack of empty moving boxes. Diego: “Na formulieren invullen, komt dozen vullen.” (After filling out forms, comes filling boxes)
The moment Diego’s final slide features champagne coupes being filled, the suspense dissolves, filling us with relief.
Needle found.
Sure, I am Always Talkin’ Food, but I teach NT2 (Dutch as a second language) on the side. Mainly to young internationals who came to Amsterdam for or with love and intend to stay. For privacy reasons the names in these columns are fictitious.
Food lingo
Vegetarian - vegetarisch
Cavolo nero/palm kale - de cavolo nero/de palmkool
Makrut lime - de kaffirlimoen
Peanut sauce (containing peanuts) - de pindasaus (met pinda’s)
Satay sauce (any sauce on top of satay) - de satésaus (elke saus over de saté)
Fulfilling food
Once upon a time, looking for a good vegetarian restaurant in Amsterdam was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Not anymore. There are many good options nowadays. Chez Nina from the famous Swedish food blogger and cookbook author Nina Olssen is one of them. In her own words: “a seasonal eclectic vegetarian neo-bistro with sharing dishes, complemented by lush cocktails and beautiful wines.“
Of the mainly mediterranean dishes with an Asian twist, Nina’s peanut bucatini is probably one of the most photographed in Amsterdam right now. With people also frequently trying to copy it at home. It’s a subtle mix of Italian (cavolo nero and bucatini - narrow pasta tubes, the length of spaghetti), South East Asian (makrut lime), and Indonesian (peanut sauce). The fact that the latter is much loved in the Netherlands on top of practically any food might explain the current popularity of this fulfilling dish.
Chez Nina, Van Limburg Stierumplein 10A Amsterdam. Open: Sat - Sun Noon - Midnight; Mon - Fri 5:30 AM - Midnight.