Travel+Report

Rick Hayward__**
 * __My Visit to the Netherlands, March, 2008

This was my third visit to the Netherlands. I have returned to Canada after each of those visits with a very special feeling of warmth that has come from the generous hospitality with which I have been received. It has prompted me to want to create opportunities for my colleagues and students to have the privilege of travelling to the Netherlands to experience Dutch geniality. This trip was even more special because I got to not only experience the kindness of our Dutch hosts, but I also got to share it with my wife, my colleague Joey and his wife, and our District 15 colleagues. It was a trip that generated many great memories of fun, laughter, professional development, discussions, and events that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

The image of the young boy on his stilts captures the essence of this trip for me. I see in his smile, magnified by the cookie jutting out of his mouth, the pride that I witnessed in the faces of each student I met. You can see in his face the love of learning and the joy for living that I observed in the Dutch classrooms I visited. Students were polite, friendly, enthusiastic, and very curious! So were their teachers.

The image of me swallowing the raw herring dipped in onions, signifies a common link that my Miramichi culture has with that of our Dutch friends. Fishing is an integral part of the Miramichi history and remains one of the most important economic pillars in our community.

There is a lot we can learn from our Dutch friends. For example, when I asked Dutch students what they did to learn English so well, many of them, at different schools, responded that they did so by means of online games, movies and music. Each is a highly motivational means of communication for young people and perhaps they should be stressed more in our French courses. I also think we would do well to adopt the Dutch philosophy of ensuring the Physical Education is an integral part of not only the school curriculum, but also everyday life. As Canadians, we might have an excuse for not biking more often in the winter when we can get up to five metres of snow (like we did this winter). However, we do not have any excuse for not doing so more often in the summer! Not only would we get in better shape like our Dutch friends, but we would save energy and help in the fight against global warming.

Two other experiences stand out – our visit to the Anne Frank Museum and the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetary. I believe that a visit to the Anne Frank Museum is a life-changing event. I have now experienced that visit three times and my hope is that I will be able to do so at least one more time because I have promised my daughter, Sarah, that I will take her the next time I get to go Amsterdam. (Sarah finished the latest unabridged version of Anne Frank in just three days after my return to Miramichi.) It is a promise I look forward to keeping! My visit to the Groesbeek Cemetary was also very emotional because therein lies members of the North Shore Regiment, soldiers from Northern New Brunswick, who gave their lives in their fight to help free the Netherlands near the end of World War II.

I have returned to Canada full of new ideas and renewed enthusiasm for learning. I will now focus on my goal of doing whatever I can to create opportunities for my colleagues and their students to not only have the very special privilege of sharing experiences with our Dutch friends but to also, hopefully, have the opportunity to visit the wonderful country of the Netherlands!