Our Partners
Our Sponsors
Invitation: Visit historic old city Breda
Hoi, Kruikenzeikers (Tilburgers)! You know how when you live somewhere you never bother to check out the local attractions?
How many of you have been to Breda for something besides visiting IKEA? A great way to get to know your way around any new city is to simply get out and walk. Breda is certainly no exception, and its picturesque Old Town center is a wonderful place to explore on foot, day or night.
Date: Saturday, 21 May 2022
Time: Meet at 12:30, Tour starts at 14:00
Meeting Point: Lunch @ The Botanist, Tolbrugstraat 19, 4811 WN Breda, Tour starts at the Breda Central Train Station, Stationsplein 16, 4811 BB, Breda
Register by: 19 May 2022
Member Cost: €7,00 pp (includes lunch and the tour! Normal price is €25 pp)
Guests: €12,00 pp (READ about how this can be pro-rated towards your membership fee)
Breda is an active town with a beautiful old city center crowned by the Grote Kerk, A little smaller than Tilburg, Breda boasts the historical seat of the House of Oranje-Nassau (ancestors of the present royal family). The Netherlands’ military academy is located in their old palace, and their old palace gardens have been converted into a huge park, Park Valkenberg. The city is surrounded by a river/canal “moat” that makes for a pleasant boat trip.
Petanque showdown!
by Mala Raman
<– Watch the video to see a masterclass on how our to throw the perfect “boule” (while wearing a chicken hat).
Check out our picture gallery from the event!
26 Feb 2022. We met for an indoor petanque tournament at Boules Bites Bar (behind the Pieter Vreedeplein) where we were safely tucked away from the start of Carnaval festivities. We still had the carnaval spirit with several members coming dressed for the occasion.
Petanque is a summertime classic outdoor game, also known as jeu de boules. It’s a simple game where you get three chances to throw a weighted ball as big as your palm as close to the “but” (a small-ish plastic ball) as possible — or at least closer than your opponents!
TIC members battled against each other in an intense series of ball throwing. The games moved along at a quick pace with groups of 4 or 5 taking turns at throwing their balls with sporty elegance and accuracy. At some point, competition devolved into chatting and drinking, but to be sure, a good time was had by all!
(more…)
Book Club review: Island of Sea Women
review by Katie Schweitzer
9 Mar 2022. For our most recent book club we read The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See.
<– Watch the video to hear about the origins of The Island of Sea Women told by author Lisa See who visited us during our book club!
Check out our picture gallery!
The Book
It told the story of two friends set on an island of Korea called Jeju. The story was told specifically through the frame of the society’s focus on women as breadwinners through diving, and the tumultuous period in history for Korea in the 20 th century.
Our Review
Everyone really enjoyed the book even though there were some difficult parts to read due to the traumatic events that took place.
However, the main highlight of the evening was that we were able to talk with the author herself because she joined our book club through a video call! She gave us some background on how she got interested in the topic of the haenyeo (women divers) and all the research she did to make the book a reality.
(more…)
Together again at the Holiday Brunch
review by Aurora Blasco Sancho
20 Feb 2022. After first contact with the Tilburg International Club in the last Borrel in February, this was my first event since I became a member. After months of not being able to have in-person events, we were finally able to get together again for the Holiday Brunch. A total of 27 members met up in the atrium of the Cinecitta. We enjoyed chatting a bit with a welcome drink and getting acquainted/reacquainted before going settling in for our brunch.
Tic hosted their annual Holiday Brunch which was held @Cinecittà where we had a reserved area. The place was very cozy and everything was very good organized by TIC.
I felt very welcomed by Jolonda, Mala and Lily. Our table companions were very nice and the truth is that time flew by. I’m looking forward to the next event to discover new people and meet a couple of familiar faces.
Thank you TIC!”
Check our our picture gallery!
(more…)
President’s Message – March 2022
Yolonda van Riel, Tilburg International Club President
Where are we now?
Hi everyone! I’m typing out this edition of the president’s message with more enthusiasm than I have had in quite some time. The sun is finally shining, I’m sitting in my real office and I attended a tic event (in person) over the weekend. It feels like the clouds are beginning to part and we are emerging smarter, happier, and more appreciative of the “little things”.
While day to day life begins to settle into the old routine, it is also a chance to change that routine into something that works better for ourselves and our family. Maybe that is hybrid or remote working. Perhaps it is finding joy in new hobbies we picked up during lockdown. It could even be something as simple as taking a few minutes of each day to be appreciative of all we have in our lives. Whatever that new normal means for you, I hope you can take full advantage of making it work in your life. (more…)
House of Gucci Movie Review
review by Anne van Oorschot
11 Feb 2022. After months of not being able to have in-person events, I was thrilled to be able to plan one of TIC’s most popular events – the Friday night movie. I was not the only one starved for a fun activity as a total of 14 members signed up and we met in the lobby of Pathé. We enjoyed chatting a bit and getting acquainted/reacquainted before going into the film.
The Movie
With a star studded cast, our expectations were high…and we were not disappointed! Lady Gaga was convincing as Patrizia Reggiani, later Gucci, with her beauty camouflaging her overwhelming desire for money and power. Adam Driver played the unsuspecting Maurizio Gucci, manipulated by his wife’s ambitions to push his uncle and cousin out of the company. Jeremy Irons was the perfect disapproving father who fails to dissuade his son from marriage.
A clearly old Al Pacino was really in his element as uncle Aldo Gucci, the brother really running the fashion empire. Jared Leto played his flamboyant and idiotic son, Paulo – “He’s an idiot… but he’s my idiot!” (Paulo reminded me that even made from high quality wool, the leisure suit – especially a mauve colored one – was not a positive fashion statement!!) The unbridled quest for power causes the family to unravel, taking the business with it. (more…)
A fun evening visiting GLOW in Eindhoven
06 Nov 2021. GLOW Eindhoven is a light art festival in the public space of Eindhoven and takes place every November. The light art festival GLOW in Eindhoven breaks the visitor record every year. The twelfth edition of GLOW Eindhoven took place from 6 to 13 November 2021.
Both in the center of Eindhoven and on part of the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology, dozens of special light projects were shown during the eight days, made by artists from The Netherlands and abroad. The special event always attracts visitors from all over Europe. The six-kilometer-long City Route included illuminated buildings, churches and tunnels, while the Science Route was largely located on the University grounds. (more…)
Book Club “Hiddensee” imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker
review by Wendy Powell
17 Jan 2022. We spent another relaxed evening chatting about the book Hiddensee by Gregory Maquire (and often many other life topics!), with our favourite drink(s) in hand.
“Enchanting, mystical and filled with wonder – the perfect holiday fairytale for grown-ups” is how People magazine described this month’s book club choice. From the opening of our discussion, it was clear that this is not quite how our TiC readers would describe it.
The Book
Hiddensee imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, tracing the story of the toymaker Drosselmeier from his challenging childhood through to his later years and his friendship with Felix and his daughter Klara.
Like Water for Chocolate: A Mix of Reality, Magic, and Supernatural
review by Lily Gonzalez
22 Nov 2022. It was my turn to make the book selection and when we were discussing about what would be nice to read, the conclusion was that 3 suspense/mystery books will be a nice shift. Then, when I was looking for the options, I also remembered that they wanted to read something “different”, “not too American” (because they have read a lot of those), so I decided to include an “extra” book that was popular in my country (México). Besides, in case they like the book, we could eventually also enjoy another “Tic Book Club-Movie” together. (more…)
Join (virtual) Book Club!
Are you up for a good discussion with a group of friendly book-lovers?
Would you like to expand your reading horizons by reading a book you may not have chosen yourself?
Do you want to spend a relaxed evening chatting about a book, and often many other life topics, with a cup of tea, coffee or perhaps glass of wine in your hand?
Join tíc’s Book Club where we meet up approximately once every 6 weeks to discuss the latest book pick by the group.
Tilburg International Club 