Kruidvat Train Travel

So I've been here now 25 months and still have not been to many of the Dutch cities that I must see before I depart for sunny lovely Jamaica. Dutch News Daily - where you can get news in English - had a report on the Most Hospitable City in the Netherlands 2010. http://www.dutchdailynews.com/den-bosch-2010/

These were Breda, Haarlem, Den Bosch, Maastricht and Nijmegen. I've only been to Nijmengen and have been wanting to visit beautiful Maastricht for quite some time now. But on a budget without funding, I always thought instead of spending 43 euros (or 26 euros with a discount card) I could visit a nearer city and spend the rest on a great cafe. But in this blog entry I want to tell you that you have TWO opportunities per year to visit anywhere in the Netherlands for a significantly smaller sum. ONLY 12.49.

One such time is always in late September or early October for ticket purchase at Kruidvat. That is now. So ticket sales end on Oct. 24 but you can travel up to Dec 5 then a break. Then a second period between Dec 11 and Feb 6. CLICK ON FLYER BELOW AND DON'T MISS IT.  Tickets also finish before the period for sales so go as early as you can.

The closest Kruidvat to the Weenapad can be found at.......

Buying a Laptop - Computer accessories

So its the very first month and you've hit the ground running with lectures and group work and find yourself terribly limited by the lack of a personal computer. IHS facilitates the purchase of a laptop by granting a loan which you will pay back over the course of the 12 months of drawing down on the scholarship funds.

Just about everyone will recommend that you purchase a laptop from MEDIAMARKT, but PAUSE a bit. I have discovered that this is the recommendation because its perhaps the most well stocked computer store, well-established, reasonable service and return policies, in the very centre of town at Beurs, relatively easy to find from Weenapad and opens til 9pm. That's pretty hard to beat BUT for most students what it all boils down to is value for money and cost plays a huge part. That said, I would love to know this post has saved you the 100-150 euros I know you can save if you opt to shop around a bit.

Three Suggestions:-

COMPUTERLAND
You pass it on the way to IHS if you take the Tram #7

Address
http://www.computerland.nl/
Jonker Fransstraat 134
3031 AZ Rotterdam, Netherlands
010 4045808

PCL COMPUTERS
Beside Computerland (as you can see from the picture below)

http://www.pclcomputers.nl/
Jonker Fransstraat 130-A
3031 AZ Rotterdam, Netherlands
010 4134797

PARADIGIT

http://www.paradigit.nl/

Mariniersweg 2,
3011 NN Rotterdam,
Netherlands

I promise you these are not difficult places to find. Its the second tram stop after leaving Central Station using TRAM #7. PCL and Computerland are next to each other and Paradigit is 3 minutes walk away. Well worth a visit I promise you. Well hope that's been helpful. Just remember to always check not just price but servicing, warrantee and return policies. Cheers til next time.

What to do and Where to Go....2

Scenario One - You've just arrived and things are warming up (and we are certainly not talking about the weather here) and you're still trying to get a hang of what's the Netherlands like, the life and the living of Holland. Well one of the things I have enjoyed most about my social life in the Netherlands is the coming together over food with friends to fellowship.

Much of that will happen in the common room and if the Indonesians in your year are anything like those were in mine, they are a wonderful, giving bunch who share themselves and their lives with all around. So meals were always being shared and words like Nasi Goreng, bakso, Bumbu kacang, Ayam Goreng etc are no longer mysterious. But every now and again when time and funds permit, its good to get out and grab a bite.

I was not on a scholarship and so dining out had to be done at affordable spots and I had two favourites that I'd like to share. The first one is BED - Bar,Eten,Drinken and is within walking distance and had great interior with lovely music to add to the ambiance. Food is tasty and consists of great sandwiches and in the warmer months its a great street to hang out on by the pavements seats. Click on map below to see directions.

The second one is chinese and is a bit further from the Weenapad (still walking distance away) but you have to pass it to get from the University and is quite affordable, its called Wok City. See photos and directions below.

Now there are a few more and I will share those in a few days to come. Enjoy and ET SMAKERLIKE which means Enjoy your meal in Dutch....you'll hear it alot. Cheers!!