Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is an advanced system for improving mental and physical wellness, through a series of easy to learn exercises, meditation, and the development of one’s ‘character’.
At the core of Falun Dafa’s teachings are the values of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.
Falun Dafa originated in China and is now practiced in over 70 countries worldwide.

Enjoy a session of deep listening meditation with Psychosomatic Therapist Valeria Pierdominici and learn to live in the present moment with the help of a sound session. With live music from Alfredo Genovesi follow a guided visualisation and a relaxation tecnique . During this musical moment get in contact with yourself and your emotions, find your healthy balance and regain energy for the beautiful day head. Creative visualisation and ideas can be explored during this moment.

<<Music expresses, in some way, the movement of the feelings ... that cling to the unconscious processes... music represents the movement, development, and transformation of the motifs of the collective unconscious >> (Jung, 1973, p. 542 in Skar, 2002, p.632).

Greg is perhaps best known as the voice of the "Netherlands Second" video, but he originally came here to work for Boom Chicago theater for just one summer. 25 years and 3 books later, he's still here. In just 30 minutes, he will tell you about the many pitfalls of integrating into Dutch society, because he's fallen into all of them. 

The Amsterdam Magic Show is an ensemble of magicians who have amazed corporate clients as well as the Amsterdam public in sold-out shows for the last year and a half.

Now you have the opportunity to see the magicians at the Expat Fair - Things that make you go huh. 

Step into our magical world of ‘Huh’ and forget your daily routine for a moment.   

It’s Amsterdam Magic Showtime!

cultural awareness workshop 

What is culture all about? And, in reality, how culture can influence us on a daily bases?
These questions will be replyed in an interactive workshop. Peter Koijen will share with you the most extensive study done in the world about culture influence in a fun and hands-on workshop.
You will be able to understand better the dutch culture and also your own culture. And how to deal with the differences between them.

Greg is perhaps best known as the voice of the "Netherlands Second" video, but he originally came here to work for Boom Chicago theater for just one summer. 25 years and 3 books later, he's still here. In just 30 minutes, he will tell you about the many pitfalls of integrating into Dutch society, because he's fallen into all of them. 

The Amsterdam Magic Show is an ensemble of magicians who have amazed corporate clients as well as the Amsterdam public in sold-out shows for the last year and a half.

Now you have the opportunity to see the magicians at the Expat Fair - Things that make you go huh. 

Step into our magical world of ‘Huh’ and forget your daily routine for a moment.   

It’s Amsterdam Magic Showtime!

Easylaughs, improvised comedy

Every toastmaster's journey starts with a single speech. Do you want to become a confident public speaker? If so, Toastmasters is the place for you. You’ll find a supportive learn-by-doing environment that allows you to achieve your goals at your own pace. Furthermore, a Toastmasters club is a nice place to meet wonderful people as well.

During an interactive presentation you will get a glimpse of what Toastmasters might mean to you.

Whether you've just arrived or have already been living in the Netherlands for a while, it's not always easy to find a good dentist or to know how the Dutch dental system works. Thomas Rietrae, owner of Lassus Dental Practice, will outline some of the key aspects including: dental insurance, types of practices, dental specializations, treatment costs and tips for finding a dentist. Lassus Dental Practice is a multilingual dental clinic with 3 locations in Amsterdam. All clinics are open 7 days a week, including evening hours and offer emergency treatments and have all specializations in-house. 

As a category of writing, nonfiction is impressively broad. Personal essays, feature articles, a blog that debates which is the best soy sauce—all of this qualifies as nonfiction writing.

 In this compact class, you’ll get more of a feel for the requirements of nonfiction writing. We’ll look at:

-   3 examples of published nonfiction   

-   3 ways to improve your work

-   how to set achievable goals for your writing life

 All levels and non-native speakers of English are welcome.

 Lisa Friedman is a career writer and educator. She founded the Amsterdam Writing Workshops and the Institute for Business Writing. Feel free to contact Lisa at + 31 (0)62 502 0817.

 

Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd – Paul Brown

Living and working abroad creates both challenges and opportunities when it comes to personal finances. However, most expats are unaware of the various solutions available, so finding the right advice and guidance is essential.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the offshore financial services industry, Mr. Paul Brown (Group Director, Blacktower Financial Management) has built an excellent reputation among the expat community in the Netherlands. Mr Brown is an experienced and well-known speaker and presenter on various expatriate issues. He will deliver one of his lively and interactive presentations to provide an overview of financial issues to consider when living and working overseas.

Expats are privileged to benefit from specific financial structures that are designed to cater for their international careers and maximize their time overseas, whilst offering security, portability, tax efficiency and regulatory compliance.

The workshop will therefore cover various aspects of personal finances from an expatriate perspective, including:
- Internationally-portable retirement planning
- “Frozen" overseas pensions
- Flexible investment programs
- US Tax efficient (FATCA) compliant structures 

Financial planning can be a boring subject, but listening to any workshop by Paul Brown is an experience in itself! Anyone who has questions or curiosity concerning their own financial status really should to attend this workshop.

Due to the limited spaces available, it is strongly recommended to register early. Be sure to attend if you want to be certain that you and your family, as expats, are not losing out financially!

 

As expats, we work in an environment that is different from our home culture. At the same time, more and more companies are composed of people from different countries and cultures. How can you effectively navigate these differences and avoid miscommunication? Join this short session and find out how!

As the only English-speaking local organization of Junior Chamber International in the Netherlands, JCI Amsterdam International (JCIAI) is a multi-cultural non-profit organization. Redge Rafols is the current President of JCI AI and is also a Product Manager working for a multi-national logistics company. In this capacity, she has worked in six countries in the last 5 years and knows the importance of handling multi-cultural differences effectively.

Short stories and flash fiction, fictionalized memoir, novellas and novels—What kind of creativity do these forms call for?   

 This mini-workshop will give you an overview of what it takes to write—and publish—fiction. We’ll explore:

- writing fiction as a hobby 

- writing fiction as a profession

- publishing fiction

Lisa Friedman is a career writer and educator. She founded the Amsterdam Writing Workshops and the Institute for Business Writing. Feel free to contact Lisa at + 31 (0)62 502 0817.

Holland it is more than bikes, canals and cheese. Is a new culture, new people and new life. If you want to make Holland your new home and enjoy all the opportunities in this workshop you will find the simple tools to do it!

Gifted minds need assistance in their personal development, creative process and can be easily isolated and misunderstood. There is the risk not to find a place in the society we live in, and develop depression and burnout. Artists are a very good example.

They are easily bored and can not just do the job without finding a meaningful outcome!. Through an existential approach, an equilibrium is managed very well. 

This approach uses Jungian psychoanalysis and psychosomatic psychotherapy combined with music & therapy, improvisation workshops and traditional face to face therapy. 

Come and see how to stay creative and psychologically healthy, overcoming the challenges trusting the process of your life journey!

Dovile Corrigan - Boosting Female Talent – Collaborating with purpose  

Corporate background in sales and account management, she helps ambitious women to align their true strengths with their jobs more effectively.

Dovile is a seasoned expat understanding extra challenges of the international community and mum of two lively young children. She knows it is not only about developing skills and competence, but also learning to boost one’s energy. She works for Azkua Team www.azkua.eu as a Relationship Builder. 

Darina Veen - Arranging Your Office Desk to focus and succeed   

Graduated in Building Physics she complemented her knowledge of what makes interiors healthy with a certificate in Feng Shui from the Chinese Academy. She gained practical experiences for many years as a project manager and consultant, including the dynamic business environment of the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam. Darina will explain how the position of the your office desk effects your concentration and energy level and she will give tips how to organize it and de-clutter Yours for better focus. www.feng-shui-design.nl/en

 

Feeling stressed?

Relocating to a new country and leaving friends and family to create new connections is an adventure not without its challenges! The task of navigating new homes, jobs, schools, mortgages and health services can be daunting... and you're doing it in Dutch!

Join the Drs of Amsterdam Chiropractors for an engaging workshop where they will discuss:

The different types of stress.

How the brain and body react to stress.

Learn the 7 simple steps to manage the effects of stress to improve and protect your health for the future so that you can perform at work, as a parent and doing the things you enjoy most.

The Amsterdam Chiropractors have a huge 27 years experience between them, working with individuals and families, inspiring others towards a natural, holistic lifestyle. Providing care to an ever increasing stressed culture has given these Drs expert understanding in what most people are missing when it comes to stress management.

 

It is estimated that half of the approximately 7 million U.S. Expats living overseas are not in compliance with their U.S. tax filing obligation.  The FATCA law, passed in 2012, is designed to locate those who are non-compliant.  This session will explain how American Expats can avoid significant penalties – and even jail time – by using one of the currently available voluntary compliance programs.   If you have not been filing your U.S. income tax returns, you will not want to miss this important session.

Founded in1993, now 25 plus years later, Boom Chicago grown into the innovative and influential comedy institution it is today. The Amsterdam based comedians have made more than a million people laugh at their own venue as well as across events across Europe and beyond. Many famous American comedians began their careers at Boom Chicago, including Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Ike Barinholtz, and Kay Cannon.  Boom alumni fill the writing staffs at Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and many other successful TV programs. 

Come and get a taste of what improvisation is all about from the next generation of superstars in a 30 minute Improvisation workshop!

Why are the Dutch so blunt? Who is actually the boss in The Netherlands? 

Why do the Dutch leave their curtains open at night? And what are the cultural differences between the Netherlands and other countries? In her lecture ‘How to deal with the Dutch’ (of Working with the Dutch)

Saskia Maarse shows how Dutch culture is seen by other nationalities and cultures. She provides a lively analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Dutch character. For instance, the Dutch norm that ‘an appointment is an appointment’. 

Saskia humorously describes the origins of some typically Dutch characteristics, as well as what we can learn from and about other cultures –in areas like communication, leadership and behaviour.  

https://www.saskiamaarse.com/lecture-workshop-how-to-deal-with-the-dutch/

"how to make your CV speak for you"

Your CV is your calling card to a new job, it’s the first thing a prospective employer sees and the only document recruiters have to go on as they draw up the list of prospective interviewees.

Wouldn’t it be great if your CV was able to really influence that decision? Your CV needs to tell recruiters just exactly why you are the right person for the job you are applying to. This presentation would like to help you understand how to:

• create a CV which enhances your strengths and skills.
• Turn a list of work experiences into a story about you
• Summarise your abilities so you fit the job profile

Jane Stephenson is a career coach with years of experience helping clients get to the next level in their career. In 2016 she founded Stichting Empower Amsterdam along with two other like minded coaches and together with a team of dedicated volunteers they have helped hundreds of unemployed internationals get back into the work force.

"Are you presenting to colleagues, customers, or are you on stage in front of a large audience? Do you use a presentation? Then this your chance to learn more about: 

the impact of primary emotions,

the importance of the physical context with presentations,

presentations technical details, 

nervous repetitions, ticks, conquering your fear,

the use of the holistic approach,

how to use effectively the right visuals, your body language, or voice, in order to enhance your message,             
the fundamental difference between a boring slide-show and your next level presentation.

My name is Bogdan Manta, I am a speaker & presentations coach, and facilitator. My background comes from neuro-marketing, (corporate) communications, social psychology and multi-faceted program management. When it comes to teaching and coaching, I focus on applying neuro-psychology to different learning models, emphasizing on the human sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective response to stimuli. I always make sure that our workshops are not only reach in content and ''a-ha'' moments, but that they are also entertaining."

 

Everything you need and want to know when renting a home in the Netherlands

Finding your way around the Amsterdam housing market can be quite difficult, especially for internationals. The !Woon tenant support agency (funded by the Amsterdam municipality) provides professional advice and support for tenants and owner-occupants, confidentially and free of charge. By informing and supporting international tenants we hope to contribute to the quality of their stay in Amsterdam. This presentation will address topics like security of tenure (fixed time or indefinite?), shared housing, minimal rental terms, deposits, rent (all-in, rent caps), service costs (utilities, furnishing etc.), maintenance, agency fees / contract costs, etc.

Presentation on behalf of IN Amsterdam

Are you an expat? It could be a smart move to buy a house in the Netherlands. Your mortgage payment could be lower than the rent you pay and you could even save on taxes. Internationals in the Netherlands often have questions such as: Where do I start looking for a house? Can I afford to buy a house? Do I need to use my own savings? How does the legal and tax process work?  
Our mortgage specialist, Marcha Katwaroe will explain in detail the steps to take with finding and financing your dream home.

Buying a house in Amsterdam is becoming a more and more contentious subject. But rising rents and falling interest rate makes it a very attractive consideration to buy. However to get financing for said house, especially if you are not a Dutch national, can be daunting to say the least. Attend our presentation at the Expat Fair where we will explain the basics of buying and financing a house in Amsterdam!!

We will go into the basics of:

∙ How to determine your budget;

∙ How much savings do I need;

∙ No Dutch passport, (no) problem.

Buying a house or apartment is probably one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever take. For expats it can be even more of a challenge, especially for those who aren’t very familiar with Dutch legislation. We will tell you more about:

• Attractive places to live (also nearby Amsterdam)
• How MVA Certified Expat Brokers can help you with the purchase.

Are you an expat? It could be a smart move to buy a house in the Netherlands. Your mortgage payment could be lower than the rent you pay and you could even save on taxes. Internationals in the Netherlands often have questions such as: Where do I start looking for a house? Can I afford to buy a house? Do I need to use my own savings? How does the legal and tax process work?  
Our mortgage specialist, Marcha Katwaroe will explain in detail the steps to take with finding and financing your dream home.

Join the Expat Housing Network presentation on how to buy your own home in Amsterdam and learn the essentials of how to buy property in Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. Whether you’re looking for your own small studio, or a family home, Amsterdam is a terrific place to buy - when you know how!

Buying a house isn’t an easy process. And it can be extra hard if you’re an expat who’s unfamiliar with how the Dutch mortgage and housing markets work. You might have heard that the housing market in the Netherlands is crazy at the moment. And that it’s harder than ever to get a mortgage.

All of those things are true and that’s why we offer a complete, personable and flexible service in buying and financing your house in the Netherlands.

In this workshop, we explain how we can help you to:

• Find a house
• Finance your house
• Move into your new house
• Insure your house
• Set up utilities in your new house
• File taxes for your new house

Tell us about your housing dreams and we make it happen for you!

If you would like to learn Dutch, but you do not picture yourself studying grammar rules and memorizing vocabulary lists, then you want to attend this presentation.

I will prove to you that you too can learn Dutch without focusing on grammar and without memorizing vocabulary lists. All you have to do is listen and understand what I say. Together we will talk in Dutch about an interesting picture and you will be able to answer all my questions in Dutch. You will be able to read a short text in Dutch as well. And it will only take 30 minutes. Curious? I’ll see you on 6 October!

When you’ve been living in The Netherlands for more than five years you can apply for permanent residency or even full Dutch citizenship.

This requires passing a civic integration examination (inburgeringsexamen). This exam comes in different flavours, ranging from the easy basic integration exam to the more difficult State Examination for Dutch as a second language (Staatsexamen NT2) 

Apart from the reading, listening, speaking and writing exams, you also need to proof that you have some knowledge of Dutch society and that you know how to find a job in the Netherlands. These are the exams Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij (KNM) and Oriëntatie op de Nederlandse Arbeidsmarkt (ONA).

Annelies Braams from NedLes has helped many expats to get through these exams in the most efficient way and she will tell you all you need to know about these exams.

Talencoach – Albert Both

Dutch has a reputation for being very difficult. Dutch people love to say that their language is one of the hardest languages to learn.

But…if you look at it objectively, Dutch is the closest language to English; it is as a matter of fact a kind of German light (a language that is logical and consistent, according to many people).

Yes, chances are high that you’ll experience some challenges and obstacles whenever you try to learn and to speak Dutch. Even if you speak Dutch already, you may often find that somehow you are still limited.
The great news is that speaking Dutch can be far easier than you ever imagined. In this revolutionary workshop you’ll discover many great things:

• How to learn faster and speak more with a simple mind shift
• How to save loads and loads of precious time
• Expand your knowledge rapidly with ease
• Great shortcuts that quickly lead to Dutch Fluency

Albert Both, founder of Talencoach will reveal some secrets about Dutch Brainwashing; a refreshing and playful system that allows great results in a short time. If you like new ideas, out of the box thinking and adventure then don’t miss it! It could change your ideas about learning Dutch forever.

Albert published a new article with Expatica. Read it here: http://www.expatica.com/nl/employment/how-to-improve-business-dutch_681129.html

Choosing the right Amsterdam primary school for your child can be a complicated process. The language barrier, lack of knowledge of local rules, lack of references and the fact that few schools in Amsterdam have an English-language website, can be hampering aspects. That’s why Openbaar Onderwijs aan de Amstel is about to launch a unique initiative: ‘Schoolsearch Amsterdam’. A website and service in English (free of charge) to help international parents find a matching primary school for their child.
‘Schoolsearch Amsterdam’ will be launced during this presentation.
(By invitation only, more info at the OOadA booth).

Do you know a bit of Dutch but are you afraid to use it? Are you intimidated by those strange sounds and tricky vowels? Want to learn some words you can put to use right away? Then come and join our workshop, and take the plunge!

In this fun, engaging workshop the team from UvA Talen will introduce you to some practical words you can use in everyday situations. They will also get you acquainted with some of the language’s trickier sounds.

The workshop is aimed at absolute beginners, people who already understand some Dutch and anyone who wants to come along.

There are at least four reasons why Regina Coeli in Vught ranks among the oldest and most established language institutes in the Netherlands and Europe at large.

First of all, Regina Coeli offers a unique, ultra-intensive in-house language training program allowing you to make exceptionally fast progress in Dutch or another language of your choice. Secondly, our training programs are tailor-made to your specific professional or social requirements, producing very high success rates among our students. Thirdly, Regina Coeli training programs are run exclusively by native speakers with a wide variety of professional backgrounds and life experiences, enhancing not just your technical language skills but also a broader appreciation of the country and culture connected to the language of your choice. Lastly, you will leave Regina Coeli with a much richer network thanks to meeting people from all nationalities sharing your unique training effort and welcoming ambiance.

Regina Coeli truly offers the experience of a lifetime for a lifetime. Let that experience be yours as well.  

Talencoach – Albert Both

Dutch has a reputation for being very difficult. Dutch people love to say that their language is one of the hardest languages to learn.

But…if you look at it objectively, Dutch is the closest language to English; it is as a matter of fact a kind of German light (a language that is logical and consistent, according to many people).

Yes, chances are high that you’ll experience some challenges and obstacles whenever you try to learn and to speak Dutch. Even if you speak Dutch already, you may often find that somehow you are still limited.
The great news is that speaking Dutch can be far easier than you ever imagined. In this revolutionary workshop you’ll discover many great things:

• How to learn faster and speak more with a simple mind shift
• How to save loads and loads of precious time
• Expand your knowledge rapidly with ease
• Great shortcuts that quickly lead to Dutch Fluency

Albert Both, founder of Talencoach will reveal some secrets about Dutch Brainwashing; a refreshing and playful system that allows great results in a short time. If you like new ideas, out of the box thinking and adventure then don’t miss it! It could change your ideas about learning Dutch forever.

Albert published a new article with Expatica. Read it here: http://www.expatica.com/nl/employment/how-to-improve-business-dutch_681129.html

During this seminar Annebet van Mameren from New2nl will explain the essentials of the Dutch education system. She will discuss the level of Dutch education compared to other countries, the differences in educational philosophies (Montessori, Dalton, Waldorf, etc.), the practicalities of a Dutch school, and how the Amsterdam school lottery procedure works.

About the speaker:

Annebet van Mameren is an independent education consultant with a master's degree in Organizational, Social and Personality Psychology and a research background in Intercultural Conflicts at Work. 

She has worked for multinational companies, lived and worked in Italy, and has a thorough understanding of the (educational) challenges faced by international families when moving to the Netherlands. Annebet lives in Amsterdam, together with her American husband and two (bilingual) sons.

Grow or start your business with highly skilled migrants Information for highly skilled migrants that want to start a business, or want to work in a start-up, scale up business in The Netherlands.

XPat Media – Diane Lemieux

By moving to live abroad, you have developed skills that are highly valuable on the job market.  Diane Lemieux, co-author of the The Mobile Life, looks at expatriation through the lens of change management, giving you a way to describe your achievements during interviews and on your CV.

Using LinkedIn as part of your Job Search Strategy in The Netherlands

Would you like to ’develop your career’, ‘get ahead’, or ‘change direction’ but you’re not sure where to start? Would you like to discover a relatively simple way of finding companies and employers in the Netherlands who like to hire internationals? How about making your profile easier to find?

RSM Career Coach Justin Sheehan will give a crash course in the basics of steering your own career path and finding opportunities suited to you. Before you leave, you’ll know how to use a great tool to the fullest – LinkedIn – as an effective tool to support your Job Search Strategy!

Justin Sheehan coaches and trains RSM MBAs, Executive MBAs, and Global OneMBAs on their career development, presentation, and interview skills and guides professionals in using the best job search strategies to achieve their goals. 

During the presentation; “How to prepare for a job interview in the Netherlands” Recruitment Consultant Judit will present to you useful tips, do’s and don’ts on, how to apply and what to expect of the job interview. This all will hopefully lead to a job offer of the desired job.

Using LinkedIn as part of your Job Search Strategy in The Netherlands

Would you like to ’develop your career’, ‘get ahead’, or ‘change direction’ but you’re not sure where to start? Would you like to discover a relatively simple way of finding companies and employers in the Netherlands who like to hire internationals? How about making your profile easier to find?

RSM Career Coach Justin Sheehan will give a crash course in the basics of steering your own career path and finding opportunities suited to you. Before you leave, you’ll know how to use a great tool to the fullest – LinkedIn – as an effective tool to support your Job Search Strategy!

Justin Sheehan coaches and trains RSM MBAs, Executive MBAs, and Global OneMBAs on their career development, presentation, and interview skills and guides professionals in using the best job search strategies to achieve their goals. 

Guidance through the dutch IT market, trends, challenges and opportunities for  IT professionals

There are many ways of finding a suitable job and each country has different living and working conditions. Are you familiar with how Dutch society works? Do you speak Dutch (or other languages)? How to find a job? Where to find job postings? How about insurances and social security? It is important to understand these and other practical issues. During this presentation we tell you what EURES can do for you. 

YOGA FOR GOOD AMSTERDAM

Practicing high quality yoga and donating a yoga practice to others

Are you a practicioner of yoga and new to the Amsterdam community? Are you interested in starting a yoga practice? Are you looking for a way to give back and contribute to special groups in Amsterdam society? Do you want to be part of a ‘be good, do good’ community, AND receive special, high quality yoga XL classes, given by renowned yoga teachers and hosted by top yoga studios in Amsterdam?

Then visit the new social business start-up YOGA FOR GOOD at the I am not an Expat Fair 2019. We will provide you with information about our social business concept and give you a chance to experience YOGA FOR GOOD yourself.