Week 48
The Poetry Walk
The Freeway to our place was completed a few years ago - it could already be 5! At our turn-off they did major landscaping on both sides including breaking down some old farmhouses and closing some roads.
On the south side they turned it into a nature walk called the Poetry Route.
(One of our brothers in law has been making "Covid Challenges" for the family (just to keep everybody busy during the Covid times).
So, this walk was part of one of the Challenges.
We're very spoilt having such beaut walks all around us - but this time we bundled Boeke into the car and went further afield (just a few kilometres).
Sunday afternoon
With poetry (in Frisian) along the way... Now, Frisian is supposed to be "close to English", but these are beyond me, apart from a few sentences here and there!
Not yet Winter...
Each year we put these in front of the ventilation holes under the floor - stops the floor getting too cold!
...and last night they started putting salt on some of the roads...and I'll be searching for my gloves soon - for Boeke's early morning walk.
Boeke's Haircuts...
...cost €50,00 every three months!! We tried it ourselves during the first lockdown - it's worth the €50,00 to get it done by someone who knows what they are doing!
I know I'm getting homesick when I start looking (in vain) for Chocolate Ripple Biscuits! It really is a lost cause after 27 years, I guess.
So, again I made a subsitute with some other biscuits that have the same texture...but it's not the same!
It gives the boys something to do...
( We had 8 boys this weekend - that's about as much as we can handle - Janny is still getting phone calls for more, so we are trying to think of a way that we can open for an extra weekend, or two). We also had to split up the two brothers - they do nothing other than trigger each other when they are together - it seems to be working much better (for everyone!).
Ben sent these photos from Amsterdam...
In the News
Face Masks Mandatory from 1 December
In a statement on Thursday, the Dutch government announced that face masks will be mandatory in public indoor areas in the Netherlands from December 1.
The announcement does not come as a surprise, as Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo De Jonge had made it clear that, after months of deliberation, this rule would be implemented in the Netherlands. De Jonge stated that the rule would be enforced under the new coronavirus law, which comes into effect on December 1.
Non-medical face masks will be mandatory in shops, museums, restaurants, cinemas,airports and theatres, for everyone aged 13 and older. They will also be mandatory in secondary schools and universities (but not in primary schools). Lastly, anyone working in a contact profession (i.e. hairdressers, driving instructors) will be required to wear one, as will their customers.
Masks are already mandatory on all forms of public transport, but the rule will now also apply in stations and at bus / tram stops. Anyone who fails to wear a mask will risk a 95-euro fine.
Exemptions to the face mask rule
There are a handful of places that are exempt from the new law. A mask is not required if people have a fixed seat (i.e. in a restaurant or theatre), but as soon as they stand up and walk around, to go to the toilet for example, then a mask must be worn. The same goes for schools - masks can be removed during class when students are seated, but must be worn when moving through the building.
Masks are also not mandatory in places of worship (i.e. churches, mosques, and synagogues). Face masks will also not be required during sports, musical rehearsals or performances, for radio and TV interviews, or when acting.
Lastly, the law does not apply to anyone who is unable to wear a mask due to disability or a health condition, but police officers or community service officers (BOAs) can ask a member of the public to prove that they are exempt front the rule.
The Dutch are the best non-native English speakers - again!
The Netherlands has, yet again, nabbed the top spot in the rankings for English proficiency. Well done Dutchies!
EF English Proficiency Index 2020
The EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) 2020 is the world’s largest ranking of countries, regions and cities by adult English language skills. EF calculates each score through three separate tests - two of which are available online for free, and the third is an online placement test used by EF during the enrolment process for English courses.
Every score for all of the tests taken was then normalised by EF in order to obtain the percentage of correct answers for each test. All the scores for each country / region were then averaged across the three tests in order to calculate an overall score. In the 2020 study, there were a total of 2,2 million test-takers, hailing from 100 different countries and regions.
The Netherlands number one in the world for English proficiency
The EF EPI has awarded the Netherlands the number one spot for the second year in a row, with a total score of 652. Since 2011, the Netherlands has consistently achieved a top-three ranking, claiming the number one spot a total of four times (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020).
Amsterdam also performed well in the 2020 international city scores, coming in second place with a score of 656. Nationally, while Amsterdammers may be the best English speakers in the Netherlands, they are closely followed by Rotterdam and The Hague.
One of the reasons EF cites for the Dutch speaking such good English is because the Dutch spend an average of 12 years of their lives at school (higher than the global average) where quite a lot of attention is paid to learning English. Furthermore, unlike neighbouring countries such as France and Germany, the Dutch don’t dub any of their films or TV programmes, so from quite a young age they are exposed to the language.
Marc Hollander, Country Manager EF Education First Netherlands, said in a statement: “It is great that the Netherlands has again managed to occupy the number one position this year. It has become clear that communication is key, especially in the challenging circumstances of the past year.”
Top 12 countries for English proficiency
According to EF’s 2020 report, the top 12 countries / regions around the world for English proficiency are:
The Netherlands - 652
Denmark - 632
Finland - 631
Sweden - 625
Norway - 624
Austria - 623
Portugal - 618
Germany - 616
Belgium - 612
Singapore - 611
Luxembourg - 610
South Africa - 607
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