Posted on 24 July 2008 by joost
If there is something Nederlanders do, it’s building bridges. No wonder with a country that’s more water than land. And cities that have more canals than Venice! (Not sure if that is actually true, but it sounds dramatic.) And if you think having the longest bicycle-bridge in the world is outlandish, wait ’till you’ve seen one of the many bridges in the busiest highways.
Posted on 24 July 2008 by joost
The Dutch and money–it is an irresistible combination. Even fake money is loved by Nederlanders. Even fake money you have to pay for yourself, is loved by Nederlanders. The most popular and widely used kind of fake money from a Nederlander’s own pocket is called zegeltjes or (food) coupons. Saving them is a national sport.
Posted on 22 July 2008 by joost
What could be more boring than a postcode? Well, few things actually. But that’s not the point. The point is that Nederlandse postcodes are typical in that they are unusual and highly precise. A postcode basically tells you which block the recipient lives in.
Posted on 22 July 2008 by joost
Disposal of trash in Nederland is highly dependent on the gemeente (municipality). In general: the smaller the city, the less frequent trash pickup is, and the more likely you’ll have a container in front of your house. In cities, people put the trash bags on the street. Recyclebles are almost never collected, but the gemeente has containers for those on the streets.
Posted on 22 July 2008 by joost
This is not a paid ad, but chain store HEMA is the pinnacle of Nederlandness. It doesn’t have Nederlandse in its name, but it does have the A for Amsterdam and the rest of the acronym sums up our attitude nicely. Cheap prices!
Posted on 30 June 2008 by joost
Well it sure is not Nederlandsness. Really, we are not known for our proper manners. The more intriguing are these things called plaskruizen or ‘peeing crosses’. The photo says it all.
Posted on 30 June 2008 by joost
The level of service–or rather, lack of it–in shops is what startles most tourists. Store clerks are just plain rude and Nederlanders are completely accustomed to it. But that does not make it right, of course.
Posted on 21 June 2008 by joost
Getting a marriage in the books is nothing to sneeze at, and in Nederland it means filling out forms, waiting in line and paying for the privilege! Yes, weddings can be romantic too (right!) and yes, we have same-sex marriages, sort of (like we have ‘not quite legal marihuana‘) but we cover those–admittedly more romantic–topics in a different section. There’s nuts and bolts to deal with if you are crazy enough to tie the knot in .nl. Read more »
Posted on 05 June 2008 by joost
For a “first world” country, certain parts of healthcare in Nederland are in a pretty sad state, especially specialized care. Also, falling ill gets you no sympathy. Most often you will be told to take a pain killer and wait it out. The first-line medical care for Nederlanders is given by huisartsen (house doctors or MDs).
