Gary Hays_Looking back

Ready for take-off

Ready for take-off. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the world changed forever. Lockdown and quarantine had a significant impact on our private and professional lives, on our mental health, and on our ability to travel.

The carillon in Dutch culture

Often housed in bell towers, the carillon is a musical instrument consisting of (at least) 23 bells which ‘ring out’ when played on a keyboard. The keyboard is similar to a piano or organ and each ‘key’ (or baton) is linked to a bell with...

Amsterdam calling

Amsterdam calling: Released on Netflix in April 2022 Dirty Lines tells the story of the development, and the rise and fall of the first phone sex line in Europe.

Dutch Business – Striving for balance

A fellow Canadian who works as a manager for an IT company with offices in Amsterdam warned that working with Dutch colleagues might be challenging. I could expect to spend my time negotiating every little change in plans and might find that colleagues expect to...

Walraven van Hall: The Resistance Banker

Joram Lürsen’s movie tells the incredible story of World War Two resistance banker Walraven van Hall, one of the greatest Dutch resistance fighters.