IN LIKE A LION AND OUT LIKE .?

Although the north wind is blowing the snow against our windows as I type, I can at least hope that when you read this, spring really has decided to arrive, and that leaving the house has ceased to be preceded by the obligatory gloves-and-scarf-and-hat- and -extra-jumper routine . March needs to bring on the warmth now, that's what I say!

Don't forget - Wednesday 20 th March, Oegstgeest coffee morning, 9.30-11.30 - find out what Oegstgeest can offer!

There will be tea, coffee, cakes and chat on offer on the 20 th , in Alice's house near the Lange Voort in Oegstgeest (mail alice@homeinleiden.nl for the address). We'll have all manner of information about what's on in the area; also, Alison Sutton of Childrearing Matters will be joining us, as will Marinde Kruis of Orange Integration (see below) to tell us about her Dutch conversation groups. Let's hope that by then there will be lovely spring sunshine to entice you out!

Learning Dutch and making (Dutch) friends

It's a good time of year to make good those resolutions to learn the language; the days are getting longer and it's so much easier to leave the house in the evenings . We have two new suggestions for you, one for learning Dutch and another for the next step, which is actually using what you learn and developing the (oh-so-hard for many British people) sheer gall to Give It A Go in Dutch in real-life situations .!

There's a Dutch teacher who has come to our notice, Corine de Groot. She's worked for various institutes such as BplusC since 2005, also teaching French, and she is now also starting out on her own with private lessons in the pupil's home. Why not give her a ring on 071 541 82 16,
or (mob) 06 28 54 71 65? Her email is cjdegroot3@hotmail.com.

It's tricky developing any kind of fluency in a language without the practice - and how on earth does the new would-be-Dutch-speaker get that practice when so many people here speak excellent English back at you? Marinde and Ruud Kruis have set up their own group in Oegstgeest, Orange Integration , to help you do just that. They hold conversation evenings for people at all levels of Dutch, not only to practise the language but also to learn a bit about what makes the Dutch tick, meet others (Dutch and internationals) and find out about any other aspects of Dutch life that might be puzzling you. These groups begin on Thursday April 4 th (click here for the flyer) - contact orangeintegration@hotmail.com for more information or to join. The evenings are very relaxed and focused on getting you used to the language in an enjoyable and informal environment - Ruud and Marinde hold them in their own home. They also hold open coffee mornings on the first Friday of each month excluding school holidays - mail them beforehand to check dates. And Marinde will be joining us on the 20 th in Oegstgeest, so you can find out more there if you wish.

Last chance - One day Mindfulness workshop on March 17 th

Marie Vijendran has been working with her colleague Stephanie on Mindful Birth courses in the Leiden area for some time now, and recently they have started a new format for their course. There is a single day Mindful Birth workshop on March 17 th in the Hague, which would be ideal for anyone who has already done the course and would like a refresher, or perhaps for people whose baby is due before the next course starts in April. Just mail Marie for more information.