Last weekend I sat down for tea with Carolina Nesi, the easy-going Brazilian woman who started up DULI. For those who haven’t discovered it already, DULI is a unique concept, and a gem for expat families in the heart of Delft. Part international bookstore and part birthday party venue, the English-language workshops — for both kids and adults — sit at the heart and soul of DULI. In this article, I share the fruits of my conversation with Carolina: what DULI is and how it was created.
What is DULI
DULI is part bookstore, part birthday party venue, and focuses on fun workshops for kids and adults in English. What makes it so unique in Delft is that it offers engaging after-school activities for expat kids who have not (yet) mastered the Dutch language. It also offers an easy way for expats to enlarge their expat social circle.
Bookstore
The bookstore is full of fun and educational books in several languages. While browsing, you can enjoy a cup of tea or Brazilian coffee. Bookstore hours are:
| Monday-Wednesday | 13:30-17:30 |
| Thursday-Friday | 10:00-17:30 |
| Saturday | 10:30-15:00 |
Birthday parties
DULI rents out the space for 2-hour birthday parties. The price starts at €120 and includes a workshop for 10 people, including invitations. Food is allowed but must be provided by the host.
Workshops
Regularly-scheduled workshops
DULI offers a host of fun workshops and activities for kids in English. These range from crafts to science to sports. They are offered as an 8-class package over 8 weeks (one class per week) for €80. Individual classes can also be attended for €12 on a drop-in basis. The full list of workshops on offer can be found on their website: http://www.dulidelft.com/childrens-workshops/.
One-day workshops
DULI also offers one-day workshops that do not require any registration. For example, looking for a fun activity on a Saturday and up for some creativity, try a Delft Blue tile painting workshop for kids and adults, taught by Carolina herself.
Adult workshops
DULI offers workshops and talks for adults on Thursdays from 20:00-21:30. They are given by a specialist on a selected topic, usually related to education and child behavior.
Requested workshops
If you have an idea for a (kid or adult) workshop, or are looking for one that is not on offer, Carolina is enthusiastic about discussing requests and ideas.
Workshop location
Depending on the needs of the workshop, the location can be on-site at the DULI bookstore, or at a nearby local school.
The story of DULI’s creation
Carolina’s story
Carolina had always been crazy about books. But the impetus to start DULI was born out of necessity. Together with her husband and two kids, Carolina moved to the Netherlands for work in 2015. They enrolled their kids in the International School, but quickly realized that after-school activities were offered predominantly in Dutch. This left them without a lot of appealing options for stimulating and dynamic after-school activities.
Carolina used her social and business skills to create a network of parents and teachers who were able to teach fun workshops in English to kids of different ages. She rented a classroom at the International School in Delft and organized a variety of eight-week workshops in the afternoon. Carolina was always in search of ways to combine her passion for child development and literature with her business skills. By the beginning of 2017 when her work contract was ending, she decided to take the dive, and in March 2018 she realized her long-term dream – opening DULI.
What does the name mean
From a combination of Duda and Lipe, the nicknames of Carolina’s two children Maria Eduarda and Felipe, the name DULI emerged.
So there you have it. DULI — a great find that offers educational activities for expat adults and kids, in creative, flexible environments right here in Delft.