News - Our time in Holland

During the month of October last year we spent 2 weeks in Holland on the Dutch Gastroenterology course and it was an experience we will never forget. On arrival at Schipol airport Dutch friendliness and hospitality was immediately apparent. We therefore had no problems finding our way to the first leg of our journey, Zwolle, which is a sleepy hollow place in the centre of the Netherlands. Zwolle was actually voted as the greenest city in the European Union and indeed beautiful forests, tree-lined roads, and a quaint characterful city centre confirmed why the city had earned this prestigious title. Our host, Frits Nelis was gracious and charming and didn't waste any time making us feel at home. Not only did he invite all of us to his home for supper, but he also made sure we were well taken care of throughout the week. He is one of those people that you meet and immediately can sense that he has a warm heart.

Our accommodation during the first week was in a bungalow park in a dense forest. It was truly picturesque. In his wisdom, Frits made sure that each bungalow comprised of people from different countries so that we were forced to mingle and learn about other cultures. Although the East Europeans are a shy bunch most of them warmed up and by the end of the first week we made so many new friends.

During the week days we were subjected to lectures from morning to evening. As taxing as this sounds, we have to say that the talks were of the highest quality. Every speaker was an expert in their respective fields and had obviously invested a lot of effort into preparing the talks. Before we knew it, the week was over and we were off to Amsterdam.

On the first day in Amsterdam we were taken on a tour of Holland by some of the PhD students from the VU medical centre. We learnt about the country and its people and saw sights that we will never forget. Our host in Amsterdam was Professor Chris Mulder. Upon meeting him we were immediately infected with his passion for gastroenterology.

Our lectures during the second week were of equal quality to those we received during the first week. Professor Mulder impressed us all with his knowledge of our countries. He also had a passion for sharing his knowledge with everyone and for this we will always be grateful. We were delighted to meet a fellow South African in Amsterdam, Mashiko Setshedi. We would like to thank her for showing us around and being such a great gal.

We had more free time in Amsterdam than in Zwolle and were largely left to our own devices in the evenings. This was wonderful, although we cannot disclose everything we were up to. Let's just say that whatever happened in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam!

Our last night in Holland was emotional to say the least. We had to say good bye, not only to our kind hosts, but also to the friends we had made during the stay. Our trip was one of those ‘once in a lifetime' experiences and we would encourage anyone who has the same opportunity to grab it with both hands.

Finally we would like to thank SAGES and the Gastro Foundation who sponsored our travel expenses and Frits Nelis and Chris Mulder for being such gracious hosts in Holland. The knowledge we acquired during our time there is priceless. Keep doing what you are doing.

Thank you

Lucien Ferndale
Kugan Govender
Durban



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