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A little less than a year ago, I relocated to the Netherlands from sunny South Africa. Having spent most of my life in a climate blessed with fair weather, I have since discovered just how much of an impact the sun has on people. Coming from a country where even the harshest winter months are sprinkled with days of sunshine in between, the sun was something — dare I say — I had taken for granted.
It was only upon arriving in this small orange pocket of Europe that I realised just how much of an effect that warm amber ball has on human beings, their lifestyle and, above all, their mood. Born and bred in Cape Town, famously dubbed the Cape of Storms by the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, Capetonians are no strangers to torrential downpours, grey skies, and gale-force winds. I mean, Cape Town’s rugby team is called the Stormers for a reason. We know bad weather.
That said, I now realise that the way Capetonians — and, more broadly, South Africans — deal with bad weather is similar to how one deals with an unwanted houseguest. You grin and bear their presence because you know that, eventually, they will be on their way.
The Dutch, however, are not as lucky.
Here, grey skies stretch from days to weeks to months without so much as a peekaboo from the sun. About a month after arriving, my roommate excitedly announced one evening that the following day promised blue skies and warm temperatures. I didn’t give it much thought.
The next morning, I woke up to him lekker besig with the laundry. Somehow, he had managed to remove every curtain in our apartment, gleefully stuffing them into the washing machine before I had even had my first cup of coffee.
“We have to take advantage of this weather, you know.”
A few minutes later, his friends called to invite him to a lunch party. They had reserved a terrace table “to take advantage of the weather, you know,” he explained.
That was the day I discovered that my roommate was not the only one whose every other sentence was tied to the weather. I was ditched by a friend with whom I had evening plans to catch a movie. Her boyfriend decided to surprise her with a road trip to Volendam — “because of the weather.” I know.
Another friend took a day off work. His reason? An unashamedly simple answer: “To soak in the sun.”
Even the old man in my building — the one with a permanent scowl etched across his face — greeted me for the first time. As he was making his way into the building while I was leaving, we exchanged pleasantries. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the moment was pure coincidence or whether his good mood had been sparked by the weather.
It was then that I realised the winter gloom South Africans experience is little more than a watered-down irritation compared to the doom and gloom — on steroids — endured by our Dutch counterparts.
I became aware of how much I had previously been ignorant about. Like most people, I knew that less sun exposure leads to lower vitamin D levels. What I had never heard of were conditions like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the Mayo Clinic, SAD is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern and lasts throughout winter.
I can imagine just about any local reading this and thinking, What idiot doesn’t know about the effects of too little sun? I suppose I am that privileged idiot.
One day of bad weather is typically followed by ten glorious ones where I’m from.
My questions became more philosophical. South Africans are widely considered a hospitable and warm (excuse the pun) bunch. Is that because we are sun-kissed on any given day? Would we still be as warm if that same grey carpet in the sky lingered over Sea Point’s promenade or our beloved hiking trails for months on end?
This, in turn, made me think about the Dutch and their reputation for being direct. What if they’re literally just too cold to smile or greet a stranger the way saffas so easily do?
What I do know is that I now have a far greater appreciation for our glorious weather whenever I fly home for a visit. Maybe not to the extent of furiously scrubbing curtains at sunrise — but certainly enough to stop and properly appreciate a Cape Town sunrise.
Summer Jacobs holds an Honours degree in English and has a rich background in journalism, where she spent years interviewing fascinating individuals and sharing their stories. An avid traveler, she recently relocated from South Africa to Den Haag, bringing her passion for storytelling and global experiences to a new chapter in life.
Venue provided complimentary food and drinks during Sherika’s visit for this feature. The Hague Online retained editorial control, and the views expressed are the writer’s own
In the Zeeheldenkwartier, you’ll find the charming café, Petit by Sam. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, owner Samita Raheja moved to Amsterdam when her Dutch partner wanted to return to his home country eight years ago, she seized the opportunity to expand on her love for baking and opened Petit, initially as a takeaway-only concept. When the couple later relocated to The Hague, Sam decided it was time for a fully operating café.
At the time, vegan and gluten-free options were hard to come by in the city, and the few places that did offer them often relegated a dry, uninspiring banana bread to the back of the counter as an afterthought. Sam knew she could do better. She wanted to give the community baked goods that anyone could enjoy — and so Petit by Sam opened its doors in October 2023.
Walk in and you’re greeted with a warm smile and a display of gorgeous handmade cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats at the counter. An added delight is the open kitchen at the back, where you can watch bakers Jessica and Michelle in action. Jessica has been by Sam’s side since the very beginning, with Michelle joining the team more recently.
What does Sam love about the city? The slower pace compared to Amsterdam, the sense of community, and the way people here are looking to connect more deeply with one another. In a time when the world feels so divided, Sam spotted an opportunity to make her space a place of genuine connection. On the first Tuesday of every month, she hosts a parent meet-up, for moms and dads to connect over raising kids and every Thursday evening is reading night, where people can curl up with a book and enjoy the company of fellow bookworms. Latte art classes, cookie decorating workshops, and more are also on offer.
Opening a new café comes with its challenges, and in the early days some customers were unsure of the higher prices of the baked goods. But Sam was committed to the quality and standards she had grown up with in Switzerland — and now everyone is glad she stayed true to it. I tried the carrot cake, which looked almost too good to eat: a light, fluffy sponge with frosting so creamy and soft you’d never guess it was gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. The chocolate chip cookie is another favourite, somehow achieving that essential chewy texture every great cookie needs.
Parents can relax while kids enjoy the play corner, and the café is dog-friendly — making it the perfect stop on a daily walk. The terrace has just reopened and new seasonal drinks are coming soon, right on cue as the weather warms up.
Petit by Sam is located on Prins Hendrikstraat 106 and open seven days a week, and also takes orders for celebration cakes for birthdays, weddings, and other special events.
Images: Petit by Sam
Do you have a story about your own café, restaurant or bar in the city? Reach out to sherika@thehagueonline.com to possibly be featured.
Sherika Rooplal-Clappers is a contributing writer for The Hague Online, covering culture, lifestyle, and local events. With a passion for storytelling and international perspectives, she highlights the people, places, and experiences that make The Hague a dynamic city.
Belonging is usually defined as being part of something — a group, a category, a collective you’re meant to fit into. But what happens when you don’t fully belong to any group? When shared nationality doesn’t create closeness, when language doesn’t guarantee familiarity, or when cultural stereotypes don’t hold you?
In ACCESS Stories this month, Sarai Velez Ramirez reflects on her experience of growing up between cultures and how living abroad can reshape the meaning of “home”. While moving through international communities in the Netherlands, she realised that shared nationality or language does not always create the sense of belonging we expect. Unexpectedly, she found a deeper connection with the Indian community, which helped her understand how identity, culture and home can evolve over time.
With insight and wisdom she came to discover that…
“Today, I live in the Netherlands.
My heart lives in India.
And I am Mexican.
None of these cancel each other out. Together, they make me whole.”
ACCESS is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation that has supported the international community in the Netherlands since 1986. English-speaking volunteers provide free, independent information and guidance on living, working and settling in the Netherlands, via a helpdesk, email support and partnerships across the country.
DutchBuzz is an English radio programme of news, views and interviews that tells you what’s happening in this buzzing city of ours. The international team of presenters and reporters are from many different continents, but view The Hague as their home!
Listen live weekly on a Thursday from 7-8pm on Den Haag FM:
The Hague’s Pearls – listen to previous recordings
The podcasts below are devoted to members of the international community who have made a special contribution to the City of The Hague.
The DutchBuzz team takes pleasure in inviting and interviewing the city’s many ‘pearls’. Many of them have been featured in our programmes over the years because they reflect our rich and diverse international community.
Newsmakers, writers, local politicians, entertainers, innovators, entrepreneurs, experts in their field, and colourful personalities, they all make The Hague a better place to live and work in.
All the interviews have been broadcast, but we enjoyed them so much that we are now sharing them with you as special, celebratory podcasts.
Angelika Regossi is an author and former international journalist who grew up in Soviet Ukraine and has lived across Europe, Canada, and Asia. She has been based in the Netherlands since 2015. Her writing reflects her experiences of migration, integration, and belonging.
She has shared this article below which draws on her personal experiences of leaving the USSR, moving across several countries, and gradually building a life in the Netherlands. It reflects on how small moments of connection and discovery shape the feeling of belonging for internationals.
In 1988, in Soviet Ukraine, a great artist painted my fear.
I didn’t ask him to. He had been observing me quietly while I worked at the Bokshaj Art Museum in Uzhhorod, where I organized exhibitions and wrote about art. One summer day, he invited me to pose for a portrait. I was in my twenties, silently preparing to leave the Soviet Union, and I never told him. In those years, speaking openly was dangerous; silence was survival.
Yet somehow, through his brushstrokes, he captured what I never said. In the portraits he made, I am a sad young woman. Sad because I knew I would have to leave everything behind: my home, my work, my family, and step into the unknown. It felt like standing on the edge before a parachute jump — thrilling, terrifying, and life-changing all at once.
That moment stayed with me for decades. Years later, after moving across several countries, I settled in the Netherlands. My life here didn’t hinge on dramatic milestones or sudden revelations. It was shaped by small discoveries: learning to navigate Dutch directness and pragmatism, finding joy in simple daily routines, and embracing both rainy writing days and sunny gardening days. These ordinary experiences mattered far more to me than any formal measure of “integration.”
As internationals living in The Hague, many of us know this feeling well. Integration isn’t a single moment of accomplishment. It’s the accumulation of small victories: the first time you successfully navigate the train system without panic, the first Dutch recipe you master, the first neighbor who greets you with warmth rather than suspicion. It’s learning to laugh at misunderstandings, to adjust expectations, and to cherish fleeting moments of connection in an unfamiliar environment.
For me, belonging came slowly. It arrived in the quiet evenings spent walking through the city’s canals, in conversations with friends who became like family, and in the comfort of routines that once felt foreign. And it arrived with the realization that my past — the fear, secrecy, and challenges I carried from the USSR — did not prevent me from building a new life. Instead, it gave me a perspective on resilience and human connection that I carry with me every day.
Every expat’s journey is different, but the common thread is often the same: small moments create the tapestry of home. It’s in the ordinary and mundane that belonging is forged. In a place like The Hague, with its international community, cultural diversity, and daily reminders of being “foreign,” these small moments gain even greater significance.
When I reflect on my own path, I realize that integration is not about erasing your past or fully adopting a new culture. It’s about weaving your experiences into a life that feels authentically yours — learning from the local culture, contributing to the community, and finding ways to feel grounded amidst constant change. Every conversation, every meal shared, every day spent learning something new adds up. These are the moments that make a home.
I hope sharing these reflections encourages fellow internationals to notice the small, often overlooked victories in their own lives. Integration is not a checklist; it’s an accumulation of lived experiences, each small moment a step toward feeling at home.
Spring is just around the corner and at Pathé the new month begins with a diverse programme full of spectacle, emotion and adventure.
From Ryan Gosling’s space journey in Project Hail Mary to the dark twist in The Bride!, there is plenty for film lovers to look forward to. Thrill-seekers can follow the hunt for a billion-dollar inheritance in the crime drama How to Make a Killing or experience the deadly game in Ready or Not: Here I Come.
With moving arthouse titles such as I Swear and the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller Reminders of Him, featured during the festive Ladies’ Night on 11 March, this month offers something for every taste.
Pathé Specials
Ladies Night: Reminder of Him – March 11
Experience Reminders of Him firsthand during Ladies’ Night on March 11th. This film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s phenomenal literary bestseller is a life-changing film about motherhood, forgiveness, and the power of love to overcome even the biggest mistakes.
Reminders of Him @ 2025 Universal Pictures International. All rights reserved
New releases
The Bride! – March 5 (Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, ScreenX, IMAX, 4DX)
A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask the groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. Together, they resurrect a murdered young woman, creating The Bride (Buckley). But what follows is beyond anything either could have foreseen: Murder! Possession! A radical cultural shift! And two lovers in an explosive relationship on the run from the law.
The Bride! @2026 Warner Bros. Pictures international Holland. All rights reserved
How to Make A Killing – March 5
Does money truly buy happiness? When Becket Redfellow (Glen Powell) discovers after her death that his mother was once heiress to an exorbitant fortune, but was disowned by her family, he decides to right the wrong. Determined and resourceful, he focuses on the seven family members who stand between him and the $28 billion inheritance. As the heirs one by one meet seemingly unhappy ends, Redfellow finds himself in need of his creativity in another way as well…
Reminders of Him – March 12
After a perfect day out with her boyfriend, Kenna (Maika Monroe) makes a huge mistake that lands her in prison. Seven years later, Kenna returns to her hometown, hoping for a chance to be reunited with her young daughter, Diem. But Diem’s grandparents have custody of her and flatly reject Kenna’s attempts to see her daughter. When Ledger (Tyriq Withers) takes Kenna’s plight to heart, a deep sense of connection slowly forms between them.
Joe Speedboat – March 12 (Dutch language)
After a bizarre accident leaves Fransje Hermans in a wheelchair, he seems doomed to live out his days in the sluggish village of Lomark. The accident leaves him unable to move or speak, and with the exception of one functional arm, his life seems hopeless. However, that changes when the charismatic and reckless newcomer Joe Speedboot arrives and forms an unlikely friendship with Fransje.
Project Hail Mary – March 19 (Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, ScreenX, IMAX, 4DX)
Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up light-years away from home on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Gradually, his memory returns: he’s on a mission to discover why a mysterious substance is causing the sun to burn out. To save everything on Earth from extinction, he must draw on his scientific knowledge and some unorthodox ideas. But an unexpected friendship means he might not be entirely alone.
Ready or Not: Here I Come – March 19 (Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos, 4DX)
Shortly after surviving an all-out attack by the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she has reached the next level of the nightmarish game, this time with her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), at her side. Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the high seat of the Council that rules the world. Four rival families are chasing her for the throne, and whoever wins rules all.
Loverboy: Trust No One – March 26 (Dutch language)
Former loverboy Terrance tries to rebuild his life after serving a prison sentence, but is confronted with his past when the police offer him a dangerous deal. He must infiltrate an international human trafficking network to rescue four missing girls. Will he remain the ruthless player he once was, or will he risk everything to free the girls and get his daughter back?
Arthouse Films
I Swear – March 26
I Swear follows the true story of John Davidson, Tourette’s syndrome activist, and his struggles with the condition throughout his troubled teenage years and early adulthood. Initially alienated from his peers and family, Davidson continues his attempts to live a “normal” life despite all odds, finding some unlikely allies along the way.
Pillion – March 26
Shy Colin leads a dull life as a traffic cop. He yearns for a soulmate, and then he meets Ray: his complete opposite and the man of his dreams. As Colin surrenders himself completely to the macho biker and enters an exciting new world of sadomasochistic desire, he will have to define the limits of his devotion.
Pathé is the first and largest cinema brand in the Netherlands, founded in Paris in 1896 by true pioneers of film: the Pathé brothers. Their aim was to share the wonderful world of film with as many people as possible. Throughout the Netherlands, Pathé has 30 locations, 253 screens and 1,900 employees. Through its wide range of films, livestreams of opera, sports and gaming, among others, the latest techniques such as IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema and ScreenX, and business events, Pathé creates special and unforgettable cinema stories for all.
Disclaimer& Copyright notice
Pathé is a partner of The Hague Online, and we receive cinema tickets in exchange for sharing monthly updates and links on our website and in our enewsletter. Text is provided by Pathé in Dutch and translated into English by The Hague Online. Images are provided by Pathé. Text and images may not be copied and shared without permission.
