Media Loft editor-in-chief Victoria Hoogland presents her second book "Madam Amsterdam"

Following the success of her first book, which was highly praised by famous  Dr. Komarovsky (Ukrainian pediatrician, doctor of the highest category, writer, TV presenter and blogger with 8,5 million followers in Instagram), Victoria presents a collection of short stories about the Netherlands.

It includes both humorous notes about life in the Dutch countryside, the adventures of her husband Adrie, and new stories about the culture and manners of the locals, which are already beloved by the readers.

"I am married a Dutchman thirty-three years older than myself, -  she laughs, "that was already enough to arouse curiosity and interest in me in the little Dutch city. I just had to write a book about it."

The bright and unique journalistic style of Victoria, perfectly complemented by illustrations by Bazhena Borisova and Alexander Kachura, will make you laugh, sad, frown, giggle, shake your head questioningly and definitely motivate you to visit the country of mills, tulips and cheese.

"This is a random collection of short pieces, funny, sad, scary, interesting and unexpected. I promise you that when you finally set up this puzzle, you will totally get why I love and respect this great country so much", said Victoria Hoogland when presenting the book to her Russian-speaking audience.

Victoria graduated сum laude from the Faculty of Journalism in St. Petersburg. Since 2012 she has lived in Eemnes with her husband Adrie and two daughters and speaks fluent Dutch.

Two years ago she launched her own project Trendz Europe. It is an independent European media whose mission is to unite Russian-speaking immigrants and expats: citizens (or former citizens) of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan etc who moved to Europe. At the moment it is one of the few independent media resources able to publish and release information in Russian. 

Below is a small excerpt from the story "You're Beautiful, Your Majesty." included in Victoria's new book.

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In the Netherlands, the non-natives are comfortable and not the slightest bit ashamed for being foreigners, because one of the most prolific Dutch figures, the beautiful and beloved Queen Maxima, is an immigrant herself. 

Despite the fact that the Dutch, in their very direct way, like to remind us who orders all the music here (that is, on whose money the royal family exists), the queen, in my opinion, is sincerely loved for her beauty, humanity and easygoing nature.

The Queen received an excellent education in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires, and after graduation she rapidly advanced her career. At the age of twenty-five she had already become the Vice President of Latin American Relations at HSBC James Capel Inc. - one of the largest financial institutions in the world. 

She is now 50 and it's almost as if she doesn't notice her age. She is proud of the fact that she was born into a large international family and is now raising three daughters on her own. Her father Jorge Sorregieta worked in the government of the notorious Videla - the 43rd President of Argentina, a dictator sentenced to life imprisonment for numerous repressions. Given this background, after beginning an affair with the prince, the future princess and then the queen had to wait to see if the Dutch parliament would allow Prince Willem-Alexander to marry the beautiful foreign woman. 

Maxima and the handsome heir to the orange throne first met many years ago at a private party in Seville, Spain. He approached, and introduced himself. He approached and introduced himself but it appears it was the young Latina's infectious laugh and perky personality that he fell in love with. So much so, that 2 years later he aske her to get married. So perky, that he fell in love with her at first sight, and in two years he asked Maxima to marry him. 

The Dutch parliament is not a bunch of boring old men from the TV series "The Crown", so after some hesitation, they gave their blessing, but insisted that they did not want to see Maxima's father at the wedding due to his involvement in the previous dictatorial governance of Argentina.

In this, lies one of my favorite Dutch national traits. Almost all processes in this country, though strict to the rules, nevertheless are guided by a “human face”. Meaning, whilst in Russia everything is either allowed or not, whereas in the Netherlands you can only do what is allowed but if you prove your honest right for an exception to the rules exceptions can be made. On the other hand, lying does not work! Dutch officials will give you a wolf ticket and ask you very politely to leave the country (everyone is polite here). 

(C) Victoria Hoogland "Madame Amsterdam/Netherlands, land of mills, tulips and cheese" AST 2022.