I am the kind of person that prefers a good, deep conversation to small talk. One of my favourite parts of my former job was interviewing people. It's a challenge (albeit a fun one) to figure out what questions to ask in order to learn something that you want to learn about someone. I loved asking questions like "How did that affect you?" or "Why did you choose this over that?" It's these kinds of questions that help you understand a more of a person's inner motivation and goals and desires. It's these kinds of conversations that help you really get to know someone, or feel like you're known and understood.
When I first arrived here, it was a bit awkward to be in stores, or sometimes in public in general. I look like I could be dutch, so why would anyone guess that I didn't speak the language. (This post was how I felt when I first arrived.) My first mission was to learn the basics. "Thank you", "please", "How much does this cost?", "bicycle", telling time, colours, furniture... these are some of the first things I learned. I felt (and still do, at times) like a child, because of the level of my dutch language. That's not a bad thing. This is how you learn.
As I've been paying more attention to the dutch language around me, and thinking in dutch sometimes, and communicating in dutch sometimes, I find myself really wishing that I could make small talk with people! (I never thought I would say that.) I wish I could think quickly enough to say "excuse us, he's just excited to see so many new things", or "don't worry about it", or "blowing raspberries is his way to say that he's trying to talk to you" but even more than that, I wish I could joke with people (especially strangers.) It's the little phrases like this, and short communication that help people decipher between a good or bad attitude. [When using small-talk, or joking with strangers, I'm very aware that a small vocabulary or grammar mistake can change the whole meaning of a phrase. I don't want to joke with strangers unless I know exactly what I'm saying, and know that it's correct and appropriate.]
I don't really care if people think I'm a serious person or if they think I'm funny or boring. I don't care if they think I have a good attitude or not. However, I think attitude is contagious. If, while standing in line waiting to check out, someone cracks a joke or comments on something that everyone notices, it can really lighten the mood, and make things just a bit more enjoyable.
It only takes one person to start a "conversation", and it doesn't even have to be about anything special! I just like knowing that even if you don't know people, it's still possible to make otherwise boring and monotonous things a little more interesting and fun, if you have the right thing to say, to the right person, at the right time. This is when I wish I could be the person to make the right joke at the right time.
I look forward to the day when I can use small-talk appropriately and effectively.
Showing posts with label Cultural Differences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cultural Differences. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
"Kraam-": Maternity care and post-partum traditions
"Kraam" is a dutch word that has no equivalent english word. The fact that they have this word is a small indication of the care they have for new mothers.
Kraam describes something that has to do with the 6 weeks following the delivery of a baby. A kraamvrouw is the woman that just gave birth. The kraamtijd is the six weeks following the delivery. A kraamvisit is when a close friend or family member comes to visit sometime following the birth. And possibly my favourite, kraamzorg is an organization that provides an in-home nurse for a week or so following the birth.
A "kraamvisit" is when someone comes during the first 6 weeks, for the purpose of visiting (or seeing) the baby and mother. Just like all Dutch visits, there is always coffee, tea and some kind of treat offered to the guests. The day (and week) after I gave birth, I was in bed (all day for a few days), and I was not thrilled at all about the idea of people coming to visit. I felt like I was in no condition to be seen, and I didn't have much energy to visit at all, but I did want to share the joy of a new baby with others. However, I knew this was how things work here, and Martin and Erna and some other family members helped a lot with hosting the visitors. One thing I was surprised by was the fact that when people come for a kraamvisit, they always bring a gift. Our little guy received a lot of clothes, toys and other essential and fun things, from so many family members and friends. I absolutely didn't expect this at all! No wonder baby showers are not common here! We got "showered" during these kraamvisits. Although it's humbling to be seen in such rough shape, sharing the joy of a brand new life is something that makes family and friendship bonds stronger.
A "kraamvisit" is when someone comes during the first 6 weeks, for the purpose of visiting (or seeing) the baby and mother. Just like all Dutch visits, there is always coffee, tea and some kind of treat offered to the guests. The day (and week) after I gave birth, I was in bed (all day for a few days), and I was not thrilled at all about the idea of people coming to visit. I felt like I was in no condition to be seen, and I didn't have much energy to visit at all, but I did want to share the joy of a new baby with others. However, I knew this was how things work here, and Martin and Erna and some other family members helped a lot with hosting the visitors. One thing I was surprised by was the fact that when people come for a kraamvisit, they always bring a gift. Our little guy received a lot of clothes, toys and other essential and fun things, from so many family members and friends. I absolutely didn't expect this at all! No wonder baby showers are not common here! We got "showered" during these kraamvisits. Although it's humbling to be seen in such rough shape, sharing the joy of a brand new life is something that makes family and friendship bonds stronger.
This is by far my most personal post yet, because this is one cultural difference that has affected me and my experience here quite a bit. This could be lengthy, but here is my story about kraamzorg.
A month or so before our due date, a representative from the kraamzorg organization that we had signed up with came to meet us and explain how things would work. She explained that since we can't schedule the day and time of births, they can't make any guarantees about when someone would be free to help, or how many hours we would be given. We would pay 4 Euros per hour that someone was here, and our insurance company would pay the rest. We would be allowed 50 hours of help within the 8 days immediately following the delivery, as long as someone was available.
Just before 3am on Monday morning, after about 8 hours of labour, the midwife turned to Martin and said "now's the time to call the kraamzorg." A few minutes later, our little boy was born. (This is another story which I won't blog about but I'm always happy to share it.) 45 minutes after he was born, Erna showed up. Erna was our "kraamhulp". She was just lovely! For the 8 days following the delivery, Erna was at our house from about 8am-4pm. She changed diapers, made and brought food to me, did laundry, cleaned, helped host visitors, showed us how to bathe our new baby, kept a journal about every day's happenings... and the list goes on. There are two things that I will always remember very clearly, and I'm so thankful for. Erna loved doing what she did. Technically, she could have really just sat at our kitchen table all day, reading magazines... but she chose to keep looking for things to do that would be helpful. After making sure that our baby and myself were all taken care of, she cleaned, and even cooked some meals for us to eat after she left.
The second thing that I won't forget is how helpful she was by explaining things. She was able to explain that the dots or rashes that we saw were OK, and that the baby acne was caused by hormonal changes, and it was OK. She showed us different ways to burp our little guy, and helped with feeding. She also warned us about what was coming next, and what we should look out for. She mentioned some things that we might notice, and told us what was OK, how to handle it, and how to tell if something was wrong. I will always remember our third night. As Erna was saying good-bye for the night, she said something like this: "just so you know, there is a special name for days 3 and 4 after the birth... these days are normally really hard for the mother because she is getting exhausted and has a whole lot of hormonal changes around this time. You might feel really tired and cry a lot. Just remember that it is OK, and I will be back at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." I was SO thankful to be given a heads' up on so many things, like this.
I was recently watching a documentary on birds, and they showed a "kraam" bird-- that's another name for stork... of course!
The second thing that I won't forget is how helpful she was by explaining things. She was able to explain that the dots or rashes that we saw were OK, and that the baby acne was caused by hormonal changes, and it was OK. She showed us different ways to burp our little guy, and helped with feeding. She also warned us about what was coming next, and what we should look out for. She mentioned some things that we might notice, and told us what was OK, how to handle it, and how to tell if something was wrong. I will always remember our third night. As Erna was saying good-bye for the night, she said something like this: "just so you know, there is a special name for days 3 and 4 after the birth... these days are normally really hard for the mother because she is getting exhausted and has a whole lot of hormonal changes around this time. You might feel really tired and cry a lot. Just remember that it is OK, and I will be back at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." I was SO thankful to be given a heads' up on so many things, like this.
I was recently watching a documentary on birds, and they showed a "kraam" bird-- that's another name for stork... of course!
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Dutch Clean
The week I first moved here, there were some things I expected to find around the house, but couldn't. One of the first was a broom for sweeping our kitchen and living area (the whole main floor is hardwood and tile.) Martim assured m that he had one, but it was an old outdoor-style broom, with curled bristles. Something like this (but after about 10 years of use)
I insisted that we go shopping for a broom. I wanted a proper kitchen broom with angled bristles... the kind that is good for getting in the corners and under the cabinets. Despite our disagreement about the importance if this, Martin took me out to look for a broom. We went out to all the home and kitchen shops and department stores (at least 6 of them), and I was shocked to discover that all I could find was the outdoor-type of broom. I couldn't find my angled kitchen broom anywhere, and I couldn't figure out why, so I decided that the old, curly outdoor broom would have to do until I solved this mystery.
At the same time, I was noticing that there was no carpet on the main floor of any house I had been in here, and their floors were always clean. I'm sure that part of this is the fact that "you notice the imperfections more in your house than others", but I knew that there was more to it than that.
A few weeks later, I noticed a sound coming from the neighbours... I heard this sound at least 3-5 times a week, for about 5-10 minutes at a time, and it would come from both neighbours houses. The vacuum! People don't sweep here because they vacuum ALL the time! But the nice thing is that it only takes 5-10 minutes to vacuum the whole level.
I still haven't found my nice angled kitchen broom, but I have embraced the vacuum. It is fast, it means no need for the annoying dust pan that always seems to attract dust with static electricity, and it sucks the dust up instead of just moving it around (oddly enough, the direct translation for a vacuum cleaner in Dutch is "dust sucker.)
I had a doctor's appointment a couple days ago. (Let me point out that it is fall, so there are piles of decomposing leaves on the sidewalks, and it rains almost every day.) I walked into the doctor's office with a stroller (after walking to the office). The office had dark blue carpet. At the end of the appointment, as I was walking out, I noticed a strange look on the doctor's face. I then followed his eyes... he was looking ah the tracks I had left all over the floor, and he said: "well, I guess I have to vacuum now." I apologized, and felt very embarassed, and as I left, I saw him go find a vacuum cleaner, and I heard that all-familiar noise (the vacuum) coming from his office.
Never, in Canada, would an office be vacuumed between patients. And never, in Canada, would the doctor, himself, do the vacuuming.
If you hear the term "Dutch clean", I would say you should believe it.
I insisted that we go shopping for a broom. I wanted a proper kitchen broom with angled bristles... the kind that is good for getting in the corners and under the cabinets. Despite our disagreement about the importance if this, Martin took me out to look for a broom. We went out to all the home and kitchen shops and department stores (at least 6 of them), and I was shocked to discover that all I could find was the outdoor-type of broom. I couldn't find my angled kitchen broom anywhere, and I couldn't figure out why, so I decided that the old, curly outdoor broom would have to do until I solved this mystery.
At the same time, I was noticing that there was no carpet on the main floor of any house I had been in here, and their floors were always clean. I'm sure that part of this is the fact that "you notice the imperfections more in your house than others", but I knew that there was more to it than that.
A few weeks later, I noticed a sound coming from the neighbours... I heard this sound at least 3-5 times a week, for about 5-10 minutes at a time, and it would come from both neighbours houses. The vacuum! People don't sweep here because they vacuum ALL the time! But the nice thing is that it only takes 5-10 minutes to vacuum the whole level.
I still haven't found my nice angled kitchen broom, but I have embraced the vacuum. It is fast, it means no need for the annoying dust pan that always seems to attract dust with static electricity, and it sucks the dust up instead of just moving it around (oddly enough, the direct translation for a vacuum cleaner in Dutch is "dust sucker.)
I had a doctor's appointment a couple days ago. (Let me point out that it is fall, so there are piles of decomposing leaves on the sidewalks, and it rains almost every day.) I walked into the doctor's office with a stroller (after walking to the office). The office had dark blue carpet. At the end of the appointment, as I was walking out, I noticed a strange look on the doctor's face. I then followed his eyes... he was looking ah the tracks I had left all over the floor, and he said: "well, I guess I have to vacuum now." I apologized, and felt very embarassed, and as I left, I saw him go find a vacuum cleaner, and I heard that all-familiar noise (the vacuum) coming from his office.
Never, in Canada, would an office be vacuumed between patients. And never, in Canada, would the doctor, himself, do the vacuuming.
If you hear the term "Dutch clean", I would say you should believe it.
Friday, 23 March 2012
More on language
Most people here speak English... which has taken some pressure off me, so I felt like I could really try to adjust to a new home, new culture, and new people, before needing to learn and get by with a new language.
Now that my life feels much more "normal" (or maybe it's me that feels more normal), I find myself noticing, following and being a little more confident with the Dutch language. I still have a very limited vocabulary, but I feel like a two-year-old, who keeps repeating words, and asking "what does this mean?", as I'm trying to learn new words each day. I think this is a good exercise for my brain!
One thing that has surprised me is that I think I have learned some Dutch grammar by noticing some mistakes Dutch people have made when they speak English. When a Dutch person makes a grammatical mistake in English, it's often because they are translating word-for word. I know this is frustrating for some Dutch people who are trying to improve their English, but it's actually helpful for me, as it highlights some of the grammatical differences between our languages.
Two significant and notable differences are the way you address people, and nouns that have genders. The word "you" is translated differently, based on your relationship with the person or people. "U" is used to address people in a formal relationship, or elders. "Je" is used to address friends or kids. I'm still working on differentiating between these situations (for example, which do you use with a cashier at the supermarket? What about a waitress that's serving you?) I'm also working on pronouncing them clearly... apparently my "uw" and "je" sound almost the same. I think in English, we use a much lazier "u"... to make the "uw" sound here, I think you actually have to purse your lips.... I think that's the trick.
One thing that has given me a chuckle is this phrase, which I have heard a few times: "I will take him for a wash tomorrow" (him, in this case, is a car.) It reminds me that nouns have genders here. I have to be careful not to laugh, though, because if you're speaking in Dutch, it's perfectly normal. To me, it sounds like your car has become your personified prized possession. Of course, this may be true of some people, but I don't believe it's true of the people who I have heard it from. The nice thing is that I *think* you can also use "het" which means "it" to refer to something... so I think I can get by, for now, without knowing the genders... I think.
Now that my life feels much more "normal" (or maybe it's me that feels more normal), I find myself noticing, following and being a little more confident with the Dutch language. I still have a very limited vocabulary, but I feel like a two-year-old, who keeps repeating words, and asking "what does this mean?", as I'm trying to learn new words each day. I think this is a good exercise for my brain!
One thing that has surprised me is that I think I have learned some Dutch grammar by noticing some mistakes Dutch people have made when they speak English. When a Dutch person makes a grammatical mistake in English, it's often because they are translating word-for word. I know this is frustrating for some Dutch people who are trying to improve their English, but it's actually helpful for me, as it highlights some of the grammatical differences between our languages.
Two significant and notable differences are the way you address people, and nouns that have genders. The word "you" is translated differently, based on your relationship with the person or people. "U" is used to address people in a formal relationship, or elders. "Je" is used to address friends or kids. I'm still working on differentiating between these situations (for example, which do you use with a cashier at the supermarket? What about a waitress that's serving you?) I'm also working on pronouncing them clearly... apparently my "uw" and "je" sound almost the same. I think in English, we use a much lazier "u"... to make the "uw" sound here, I think you actually have to purse your lips.... I think that's the trick.
One thing that has given me a chuckle is this phrase, which I have heard a few times: "I will take him for a wash tomorrow" (him, in this case, is a car.) It reminds me that nouns have genders here. I have to be careful not to laugh, though, because if you're speaking in Dutch, it's perfectly normal. To me, it sounds like your car has become your personified prized possession. Of course, this may be true of some people, but I don't believe it's true of the people who I have heard it from. The nice thing is that I *think* you can also use "het" which means "it" to refer to something... so I think I can get by, for now, without knowing the genders... I think.
Friday, 9 March 2012
Fashion...
More specifically, men's fashion.
I now live in a land where men wear appropriate-sized pants, fastened with belts, around the waist; the actual waist. And boys are taught to be men.... hence, they also wear their pants, with belts, around the waist. It's quite refreshing, actually!
I now live in a land where men wear appropriate-sized pants, fastened with belts, around the waist; the actual waist. And boys are taught to be men.... hence, they also wear their pants, with belts, around the waist. It's quite refreshing, actually!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Flavours
I think the Dutch- and every culture or nationality, for that matter- have some specific flavours that they prefer.
Peach and apple are common fruit flavours. (Red peach is the "red" flavour of gatorade here- not fruit punch or cherry.)
Sweet pepper (or paprika). Almost all chip flavours have something to do with either pepper, onion or garlic. The variety of chips sounds something like this: paprika & onion, paprika and garlic, paprika and onion and garlic, sweet chili paprika, paprika and chili paprika... I haven't found ketchup chips or all dressed chips yet. Too bad for me!
Almost all cookies or desserts are either apple or almond-flavoured.
Cinnamon and nutmeg can be used to flavour anything. I have been served potatoes, brussel sprouts and red beets, all flavoured with nutmeg, and I've been told of other vegetables that are to be served with nutmeg or cinnamon. For me, cinnamon is for baking, and nutmeg for baking or for on oatmeal. (They also don't eat oatmeal or porridge here. Breakfast is always a cold meal, mostly with bread, cheese, apple spread, peanut butter, and maybe some yogurt.)
Applesauce is like gravy. It's the perfect topping for beef, mashed potatoes, or whatever you'd like! (I haven't adjusted to this yet.)
Chocolate? Well, yes, there is chocolate here, and is it ever delicious! I'm talking melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate that you can buy at any store! But there's nowhere near the option of chocolate-flavoured desserts. I have had some of the best ice cream cake here (mixed-berry) but it couldn't replace a DQ cake. "Red fruits" or "forest fruits" is a typical flavour for teas, juices and ice cream cakes. It seems that tiramisu and strawberry are more popular flavours for puddings and icecream, than chocolate. Layered cakes also seem to be more common. Layers of crunchy mixed with layers of pudding and whipping cream. Yum!
People think I'm crazy if they discover that I like peanut butter with my banana. This must be a Canadian thing!
I made two batches of chocolate chip cookies, and of course, the people who ate them said "they're good", but it was nothing compared to the reactions I got for oatmeal raisin cookies! I think the Dutch people love their cinnamon and raisins. I also think the Dutch prefer spice to sweet. I think in Canada, we like very rich sweets. But this is all just in my personal opinion, based on the limited number of Dutch people who I have conversed with about food.
Peach and apple are common fruit flavours. (Red peach is the "red" flavour of gatorade here- not fruit punch or cherry.)
Sweet pepper (or paprika). Almost all chip flavours have something to do with either pepper, onion or garlic. The variety of chips sounds something like this: paprika & onion, paprika and garlic, paprika and onion and garlic, sweet chili paprika, paprika and chili paprika... I haven't found ketchup chips or all dressed chips yet. Too bad for me!
Almost all cookies or desserts are either apple or almond-flavoured.
Cinnamon and nutmeg can be used to flavour anything. I have been served potatoes, brussel sprouts and red beets, all flavoured with nutmeg, and I've been told of other vegetables that are to be served with nutmeg or cinnamon. For me, cinnamon is for baking, and nutmeg for baking or for on oatmeal. (They also don't eat oatmeal or porridge here. Breakfast is always a cold meal, mostly with bread, cheese, apple spread, peanut butter, and maybe some yogurt.)
Applesauce is like gravy. It's the perfect topping for beef, mashed potatoes, or whatever you'd like! (I haven't adjusted to this yet.)
Chocolate? Well, yes, there is chocolate here, and is it ever delicious! I'm talking melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate that you can buy at any store! But there's nowhere near the option of chocolate-flavoured desserts. I have had some of the best ice cream cake here (mixed-berry) but it couldn't replace a DQ cake. "Red fruits" or "forest fruits" is a typical flavour for teas, juices and ice cream cakes. It seems that tiramisu and strawberry are more popular flavours for puddings and icecream, than chocolate. Layered cakes also seem to be more common. Layers of crunchy mixed with layers of pudding and whipping cream. Yum!
People think I'm crazy if they discover that I like peanut butter with my banana. This must be a Canadian thing!
I made two batches of chocolate chip cookies, and of course, the people who ate them said "they're good", but it was nothing compared to the reactions I got for oatmeal raisin cookies! I think the Dutch people love their cinnamon and raisins. I also think the Dutch prefer spice to sweet. I think in Canada, we like very rich sweets. But this is all just in my personal opinion, based on the limited number of Dutch people who I have conversed with about food.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
A Different Kind of Christmas
*Yes, my blog did go on vacation, and we're back up and running now. Thanks for the wake-up call Christl ;) Also, I should mention that there are a LOT more things going through my mind that are not included here. The main point is that it was a lovely and thought-provoking Christmas for me. Now, you can read all the details if you'd like.*
Home is where the heart is. Traditions are created with intention, for a purpose. Normal is what is characterized by the majority.
These are three statements that I've been thinking about a lot this Christmas. I've been asked "what's normal over there?" I don't actually know what is normal for Christmas over here. What's normal for Christmas in Canada? I'm really not sure that I know that either! I know what I have experienced, and I know how my Canadian family and Martin's Dutch family celebrates Christmas, but the reality is that each and every family celebrates in different ways. "Christmas" means different things to each of us.
Yes, I did miss my family this Christmas. I missed staying up late on Christmas Eve to wrap Carrie's presents, I missed playing at our Christmas Eve service with Carrie, Joel and Mom with little-to-no practise, I missed watching Dad make stuffing, and cook the turkey, I missed playing endless games of Settlers, in our PJ's, I missed preparing a walk-way of candles with pop bottles, I missed the midnight walk, I missed the late-night kraft dinner, I missed the Christmas tree falling over, I missed spending time with my family... but things change. I don't feel like I missed out on these things, but it's more that I look back and remember those moments with fond memories. Those were the things that meant "Christmas time" to me. Life changes. Our circumstances change, and I was so glad to be here, celebrating Christmas with Martin. We did not exchange any gifts, but it felt like a gift just to spend time with him. I don't feel like I've missed out on anything by not exchanging gifts.
I realized this year that a lot of my family's Christmas traditions, and Canada's Christmas traditions are especially nice for kids. And since Martin and I are "grown up", we wouldn't get the same excitement out of an advent calendar, or gingerbread house, as I certainly used to!
Even though I don't want to seem to know what's "normal" for Christmas anywhere, here are some differences I noticed:
- turkey: there's nothing special about turkey here. In fact, when we went to the grocery store on Christmas Eve day, we had to ask the boy in the meat department if they had any turkeys. He looked at us as if to say "now, why would you be looking for a turkey?" He went to the back, and found one. $26 Euros for a 5-pound bird. We settled for chicken... which I stuffed. Ha!
- gingerbread houses: I didn't see one over here!
- stockings: nope! I think they do the shoes-at-the-door here, during Sinterklaas, but no stockings at Christmas.
- candy canes: didn't see any of these either. Now, I wasn't looking hard, but I didn't just happen to see any, anywhere! This includes candy cane ice cream.... I definitely missed that!
- stars: are hung upside-down... at least I saw a lot of them hanging like the photo below. Can a star be upside down?
- stars: are hung upside-down... at least I saw a lot of them hanging like the photo below. Can a star be upside down?
In a previous post, I mentioned that the Dutch have two Christmas days. On each of these days, we spent time with family. We went out to two very fancy restaurants (one with Martin's Dad's side of the family, and one with Martin's Mom's side of the family)- and everyone dresses up. I'd say this is different from Canada, where we normally spend a good portion of the morning (or day) in our PJ's.
Gifts are not really exchanged here. The fancy meal out and time with family is the gift. And it was so nice! It was really nice to not have the pressure of shopping, and choosing the right gifts, and getting it all done on a tight timeline. It was so nice to just enjoy time together!
It was lovely to go to Doorbrekers on Christmas Eve for a 10:30pm service. It was nice to go out for a bike-ride on Christmas day afternoon. I realize that as newlyweds, everything is exciting, and just being together this year was a gift, but I'm excited to plan and create Christmas traditions with Martin in the years to come, and discover what we'd like to make "normal" for us.
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Dutch Yogurt
As Martin does some paperwork that should allow me to become a Resident of the NL, I'll make myself useful by sharing my deep thoughts about Dutch Yogurt. And yes, I have been thinking about this one for a while now.
Dutch yogurt:
- comes in a carton
- is a common dessert
- can also be eaten for breakfast
- can be really runny
- is eaten with a spoon
- is drank out of a straw from a juice box (like yop... but it's more common than that)
- is poured from the carton into a bowl-- THIS is what first caught me off-guard.
**Note: this is just based on my very limited observations, and may not be true or accurate of ALL Dutch yogurt, or Dutch people**
Dutch yogurt:
- comes in a carton
- is a common dessert
- can also be eaten for breakfast
- can be really runny
- is eaten with a spoon
- is drank out of a straw from a juice box (like yop... but it's more common than that)
- is poured from the carton into a bowl-- THIS is what first caught me off-guard.
**Note: this is just based on my very limited observations, and may not be true or accurate of ALL Dutch yogurt, or Dutch people**
Monday, 12 December 2011
Language
The most frustrating part of this move is the language difference. Whenever I'm out with Martin, and he's talking with someone (eg. shopping), I have 4 choices:
1) go to another part of the store, so that I'm not involved in the conversation at all
2) stand beside him, looking to be interested in whatever he's talking about, but not saying a word, like a good submissive wife who doesn't care about the outcome. I feel really rude doing this.
3) pretend that I'm Dutch, using a few words (like "thank you"), at the risk of the other person carrying on a conversation with me in Dutch
4) mention that I only speak English, which often makes a scene.
I don't like any of these choices. So off to learn Dutch for me :)
1) go to another part of the store, so that I'm not involved in the conversation at all
2) stand beside him, looking to be interested in whatever he's talking about, but not saying a word, like a good submissive wife who doesn't care about the outcome. I feel really rude doing this.
3) pretend that I'm Dutch, using a few words (like "thank you"), at the risk of the other person carrying on a conversation with me in Dutch
4) mention that I only speak English, which often makes a scene.
I don't like any of these choices. So off to learn Dutch for me :)
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Same Difference
10 things I've noticed about life here:
1) Everyone wears shoes inside the house. Because the town is so small, and there is no mud (everything is either stone or asphalt), shoes don't really get dirty. They might get a little wet, but nothing a small rug can't handle. This is also really handy, since all of the girls and women wear boots. I don't think I have seen anyone in sneakers or shoes.
2) There are no fans in the bathroom.
3) The driver's door on cars only locks with a key. That way, you never get locked out of your car.
4) Neutral colours (black, grey, whites and shades of brown) are by far the most common for clothing. Everything looks OK together, and you can make a lot of different outfits out of a few pieces of clothing.
5) Bikes are cool. Men ride bikes with baskets, in their suits. More on bikes later...
6) Actually, one more about bikes. Bike insurance is just as important as car insurance. We just got 3 yrs. worth of insurance for our bikes.
7) Houses are heated with radiant heating, which is really nice for drying and warming towels.
8) The weather is always changing, but it's never too bad for too long, and no one talks about it.- EDIT: apparently the Dutch DO talk about the weather a lot. I guess the only Dutch people I have spoken with so far are Martin's family and good friends, and we talk about more personal things than weather.
9) They have systems in place that issue automatic speeding tickets in certain areas.
10) Here, we have two Christmas days. The 25th is referred to as "the first Christmas day" an the 26th is the "second Christmas day." Handy, eh?
1) Everyone wears shoes inside the house. Because the town is so small, and there is no mud (everything is either stone or asphalt), shoes don't really get dirty. They might get a little wet, but nothing a small rug can't handle. This is also really handy, since all of the girls and women wear boots. I don't think I have seen anyone in sneakers or shoes.
2) There are no fans in the bathroom.
3) The driver's door on cars only locks with a key. That way, you never get locked out of your car.
4) Neutral colours (black, grey, whites and shades of brown) are by far the most common for clothing. Everything looks OK together, and you can make a lot of different outfits out of a few pieces of clothing.
5) Bikes are cool. Men ride bikes with baskets, in their suits. More on bikes later...
6) Actually, one more about bikes. Bike insurance is just as important as car insurance. We just got 3 yrs. worth of insurance for our bikes.
7) Houses are heated with radiant heating, which is really nice for drying and warming towels.
8) The weather is always changing, but it's never too bad for too long, and no one talks about it.- EDIT: apparently the Dutch DO talk about the weather a lot. I guess the only Dutch people I have spoken with so far are Martin's family and good friends, and we talk about more personal things than weather.
9) They have systems in place that issue automatic speeding tickets in certain areas.
10) Here, we have two Christmas days. The 25th is referred to as "the first Christmas day" an the 26th is the "second Christmas day." Handy, eh?
Monday, 5 December 2011
Sinterklaas
Today is Sinterklaas. Or, maybe more appropriately, it's the end of Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas is both a person and a season... I think. Sinterklaas arrives sometime at the end of November, along with his helper, Black Peter (or Schwarte Pete), and they leave papernote (little round ginger cookies) all over the place. Then Sinterklaas leaves on December 5th, and the country of the Netherlands starts to celebrate Christmas.
I know that at Sinterklaas funny gifts are exchanged (the Canadian equivalent of white elephant gifts), but there is a lot more thought and effort put into these gifts- or so it seems. From what I've observed (which isn't much), it seems that these gifts are meant to be cheap, but thoughtful. It's a chance to find creative and resourceful ways to make something that means something. I like this! Along with this, a lot of families and people share poems with each other- about each other.
Since Martin and I are now our own little family, I won't be experiencing Sinterklaas like most kids will. I don't really know the significance of how it affect daily life throughout the season, but it certainly seems like a nice way to start off the Christmas season.
I know that at Sinterklaas funny gifts are exchanged (the Canadian equivalent of white elephant gifts), but there is a lot more thought and effort put into these gifts- or so it seems. From what I've observed (which isn't much), it seems that these gifts are meant to be cheap, but thoughtful. It's a chance to find creative and resourceful ways to make something that means something. I like this! Along with this, a lot of families and people share poems with each other- about each other.
Since Martin and I are now our own little family, I won't be experiencing Sinterklaas like most kids will. I don't really know the significance of how it affect daily life throughout the season, but it certainly seems like a nice way to start off the Christmas season.
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