tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59293406124727151202024-03-14T22:21:46.445+11:00A Touch of DutchMy Expat Life in the NetherlandsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246470297042186087noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929340612472715120.post-47310858244457136142013-06-12T19:07:00.001+10:002013-06-12T19:40:54.940+10:00Holland vs. Australia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYSN3aWpNkirBzQcdZUY1zVrP-XghgjtdbTjYUJTMOyy8wL453-ZDW7ZCPxpxlk6xijzo9Tjxrc4pAfJf9jRnkynI2VmemeTUfiDMEtU6YtLv5g-DrsWF9F8QbZ_XtYMmAMzIc21ssV0U/s1600/spin+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYSN3aWpNkirBzQcdZUY1zVrP-XghgjtdbTjYUJTMOyy8wL453-ZDW7ZCPxpxlk6xijzo9Tjxrc4pAfJf9jRnkynI2VmemeTUfiDMEtU6YtLv5g-DrsWF9F8QbZ_XtYMmAMzIc21ssV0U/s320/spin+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me during my first few months here in Australia... LOL!</td></tr>
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<b>H</b>aving lived in Australia (which was once upon a time named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Holland_(Australia)" target="_blank">New Holland</a>) for a bit over two years now, here are some major differences that I've <strike>dealt with</strike> stumbled upon since moving from (America to) the Netherlands (and then back to America, and then) to Australia. LOL! Are you still with me? OK, then. Here we go!</div>
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<b>Size —</b> The Netherlands is tiny. But very full. It's slightly less than the state of New Jersey x 2, but it has a population of about 17 million people. Australia is huge. But it's almost empty. It's almost the same size as the contiguous United States, but it has only 22 million people, which is less than the population of the entire state of California.<br />
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<b>Mosquitoes —</b> In the Netherlands, they're <i>muggen</i>. In Australia, they're "mozzies." Either way, they're just as annoying here as they are in the Netherlands. However, the Dutch mosquitoes still win (by a wing!) when it comes to how annoying they are when flying near your ear. Never in my life have I had so many mosquitoes buzzing around by my ear at night while I tried to sleep than while I was living in the Netherlands.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Huntsman spider in my home recently.</td></tr>
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<b>Spiders and snakes —</b> I used to be afraid of spiders. Not anymore. You can't be down here in Australia, or you could kill yourself from the fear. Here (above) is a spider that was in my home recently — It's a huntsman spider. His diameter was only the same as the standard coffee mug, but they can grow as big as an adult man's hand (with fingers and thumb) or a dinner plate. They're really harmless, but they are horrible to find all of a sudden! They usually like to be inside of a home just to hang out and eat bugs, while mysteriously appearing in another room faster than you can think. Sometimes they'll get in your car and hide out there, if you leave your windows open. Sometimes they cause car accidents because a driver will be suddenly surprised to find one dangling down in front of his or her face on the motorway. Here's one quick example of this in this Australian car insurance ad (at 0:05)...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o-SGwouhAnU?rel=0" width="300"></iframe></div>
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And that's just the beginning. <br />
There are also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider" target="_blank">redback spiders</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_funnel-web_spider" target="_blank">funnel-web spiders</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missulena" target="_blank">mouse spiders</a>, plus more. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUcHFMBkbZ2IP_w2rehh87fvZo1S9aaskAbsEVGnsFduW4u5ZHohAyn8mTGRgnlsnqXt3aJLBhix8POqK4Brp2xwCIE5bOFrOVm__GUORWaM6i5g7sDYkeRSmXCnzsnMwyMzxFJHiSk-F/s1600/spin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUcHFMBkbZ2IP_w2rehh87fvZo1S9aaskAbsEVGnsFduW4u5ZHohAyn8mTGRgnlsnqXt3aJLBhix8POqK4Brp2xwCIE5bOFrOVm__GUORWaM6i5g7sDYkeRSmXCnzsnMwyMzxFJHiSk-F/s320/spin.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detailed sheet of which spiders to watch out for in the Sydney metro-area.</td></tr>
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Snakes, I have no issue with them. But Australia has the most deadly snakes in the world. The worst that I know of near me is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_brown_snake" target="_blank">brown snake</a>. I haven't seen one yet — I've only seen a long <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelia_spilota_variegata" target="_blank">carpet snake</a> in the middle of the road because it was hit by a car. I see more dead kangaroos on the side of the road than snakes anywhere in the outdoors.<br />
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Snakes or spiders in the Netherlands? Um, you have nothing to complain about over there. Seriously. So don't.<br />
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<b>Cars, Roads, Houses, Supermarkets —</b> All big. I got (sort of) used to the smaller sizes of cars, houses, streets and grocery stores in the Netherlands. Sort of. Then I came to Australia. On my first day here, I went into a <a href="http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/webSite/Woolworths/" target="_blank">Woolworths</a> in the Paddington-area of Sydney to pick up some breakfast foods for the hotel room in the morning. I was overwhelmed by not only how close the supermarket was to an American supermarket, but also that in itself it was just... Huge! I felt like a kid in a candy store, honestly. <br />
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Streets in the Netherlands are smaller in width normally, but here in Oz they like to have very wide roads for their big cars. Big parking spaces.<br />
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Homes in the Netherlands are quaint. They're tiny, usually, or they're big but have crazy and dangerously steep staircases. The homes are usually built with brick. I loved the homes there on the exterior, especially if they had <i>stormluiken</i> (storm shutters) which were decorated (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/govert1970/2512343308/" target="_blank">like these seen here</a>). The gardens are typically tidy, and the garage (if one has one) is usually quite tiny as well. Homes in Australia are average to massive in size. They are normal-sized homes, really. Most homes are built with brick here as well. It's typical to drive through a neighborhood and notice several different types of brick used on the homes. No two homes standing next to each other are likely to look alike, and I like the <a href="http://federationdetails.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/federation-house-in-australia.html" target="_blank">Federation-style homes</a> here too.<br />
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<b>Barefoot</b> <b>— </b>Speaking of supermarkets, here in Australia (especially near the beaches) people are commonly seen shopping without shoes on. I'm not going to knock bare feet. Whatever is your prerogative, as long as it's not harming anyone, go for it. Anyway, I went to an open house for an apartment and one prospective renter decided he'd come look at the place in his board shorts and bare feet. It made me laugh, honestly. I often see people (typically younger men) waiting inside of McDonald's without shoes on, but it's even funnier to see people shopping in a supermarket without shoes on, after living in the Netherlands, where women seem to get very much dressed-up just to go to the <a href="http://www.ah.nl/" target="_blank">Albert Heijn</a> to pick up some coffee, cookies and milk.<br />
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<b>Dutch women vs Australian women — </b>Apart from the fashions (seriously), most Dutch women look Dutch. And Australian women look, well, Australian. But getting beneath the surface, Australian women are a lot easier to approach. They typically don't wear much makeup, and they try their best to stay out of the sun since UV rays are very strong down here. Dutch women also typically don't wear much makeup, and they seem to flock to the outdoors like bees to a hive whenever the sun comes out. With how little the sun shines in the Netherlands, though, can you blame them?<br />
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<b>Public transportation — </b>I think the public transportation in the Netherlands might be better than the public transport in Australia. Although the system down here is great, it doesn't cover the areas one might want to get to efficiently enough. For example, and those of you who live in Sydney will understand this one, take the Manly-area of Sydney. If you're coming from Circular Quay, where the Opera House is, no problem. You just take the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay. But that's the only way, other than sitting on a bus or hailing a cab. There isn't train service to that area, while Bondi and Cronulla have train service.<br />
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<b>Sticker shock!</b> <b>— </b>Yes, the cost of stuff here is also ridiculous. Australians and Dutch people alike are paying way too much for stuff. So I will continue to buy many products, like makeup, from America via eBay or whatever other source instead of paying 3+ times the price for it down here, when I know I can get it for less, even after the cost of shipping.<br />
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<b>Excuse me, thank you and I'm sorry</b> <b>— </b>They say this here a lot. In the Netherlands, I'd have to stretch my imagination and pretend that someone was saying "excuse me" after bumping into me with their shopping trolley. But here in Australia a majority of the people will apologize and then some. And most refer to each other as "mate." That's still very nice to hear, even after two years.<br />
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<b>Weather — </b>In the Netherlands, it just gets cold and rainy. And rainy and cold. Sometimes it snows. Sometimes the lakes and canals freeze over. Sometimes the sun comes out. Sometimes it's too hot and this makes the Dutch people grumpy. They seem content with their rain and snow, really. I mean, overall, that is what they're used to. In Australia, depending on where you are, it can get down to 0°C at night (Canberra, Australia's capital, seems to be one of the coldest places down here). Melbourne gets a lot of rain and 4-season weather. Sydney is warmer, but it does get cold in the winter months. No snow, but 2°C is also nothing to shout about, if you don't like cold weather. There's more sun to make up for it, though. Brisbane, up near the Gold Coast, is much warmer. I have friends who live up that way who complain when they have to wear a sweatshirt in the winter. The summer in Sydney can get up to 45°C or more, but an average day is somewhere around 30°C in the summer.<br />
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<b>It took me ____ hours/days to get across the country — </b>In the Netherlands, it only takes a few hours (if you don't have traffic jams to face) to cross the entire country. In Australia, it will take you days or weeks, depending on how fast you travel and how many people are in the car who can take turns driving.<br />
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<b>Culture shock? — </b>I have not had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock" target="_blank">culture shock</a> since arriving here. At first, I thought I better be prepared, just in case, but it still hasn't hit me, really. I experienced culture shock twice, majorly, in the Netherlands within 7 years. But can it happen to someone else? Yes. You are not free from homesickness if you move to Australia. First of all, it's an island. A big island, albeit, but it's still an island. And it's on the other side of the world. But I feel often like I am in a bubble; in the Newport Beach/Avalon-area of Sydney in the Northern Beaches, I feel like I am in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, California. With the gum trees, lemon trees and palm trees everywhere, it reminds me of some obscure place in between Laguna Beach and San Diego. Australians are a lot like Canadians, actually. They're like America's laid-back cousin.<br />
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If you are currently living abroad, where are you originally from and how does it compare to where you are living now?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246470297042186087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929340612472715120.post-45665835618531973612013-06-04T13:19:00.001+10:002013-06-06T10:35:36.933+10:00Heel Lang Niet Gezien!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLLFnha5OtI/Tvlz_ddD7CI/AAAAAAAADh4/NEJwxgv2_bw/s1600/clog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLLFnha5OtI/Tvlz_ddD7CI/AAAAAAAADh4/NEJwxgv2_bw/s320/clog.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clogs of a different kind...</td></tr>
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<b>H</b>eel lang niet gezien = Not seen for a long time. And, yes, it's been far, far too long since I updated this blog, and it's not because I have lost interest in it — I just simply have not had the time, but I've had other ideas of what I would love to make from this blog eventually, so I'll be around! I have so many fun and wonderful things that I would love to share about on here, but I believe I'll do so in a new venture somewhere else online instead where I combine all of this, along with everything new going on around me, as well as what I hear about the Netherlands from afar. I'll figure it out because I'd certainly love to pick back up where I've left off...<br />
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And definitely so much has changed over there in the Netherlands since I decided to leave there for good. A lot has happened to me as well, and I'd like to share that — But no longer on this blog in the state that it's in. I've left it for over a year practically without a single touch-up and without my quirky posts about the Dutch lifestyle. Not even a post about the recent abdication of Queen Beatrix and crowning of King Willem-Alexander! <i>Gasp!</i> That is very much unlike my style — Normally I would have been all over that on here! Instead, I watched it on the news like the rest of the world and chatted personally with friends about my thoughts of it all.<br />
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I'll update here again soon about when/where/why my new blog [or different venture] is ready, but until then a few of my thoughts and updates:<br />
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Do I still speak/think/read/write in Dutch? Yes. Ja. Will I forever do this? Yes. Inderdaad! Regardless. I worked hard to learn Dutch, doggone it. I'm not just going to forget all of that hard work that I put myself through. I studied it and used it <u>every</u> <u>single</u> <u>day</u> for nearly 7 years!<br />
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Dutch, Dutch, Dutch. I love bumping into Dutch people — No, not physically. But I mean learning that someone is Dutch! I go right over to them and start speaking Dutch and without hesitation! It's awesome. It's always pleasant. Most of them who I meet in Australia have only learned Dutch from their parents and maybe used it a few times on visits to cousins or other family who still live in the Netherlands. Sadly, though, many who are Dutch don't know much Dutch at all because their parents decided to drop Dutch and use only English when they originally came to Australia. I also meet many who are from South Africa and their language <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaans" target="_blank">Afrikaans</a> is similar to Dutch because it's old Dutch dialects used by the Dutch settlers there in the 17th century. We speak to each other, them in Afrikaans and me in Dutch, and we can understand each other pretty well. It's great!<br />
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Wise thought to share with other expats who plan on moving to another country with a different language and culture: From my own experiences! It's a bit of a rant, but... Understanding ahead of time that you are now the alien in a group of Dutch people. It will be eye-opening for you, most likely, somehow, at least once. Understand though that it is you who is from another country and the people who you now live around are not going to be just like you. Ever. Never ever. You might even be judged just because you're foreign. The people you're living around will have different habits and celebrate festivities which you've never heard of. You should try to embrace this. Totally! Try it out and it will teach you some more about their culture and way of living, at the very least. You don't have to do it again and again, or you never have to again, if you don't want to. And remember that most likely they don't care that it's the 4th of July on that date the way that you do. But go ahead and celebrate it anyway if it still means something to you. Just don't bust out the fireworks because that would likely be illegal and/or alarm your neighbors if you start lighting off fireworks at 11 P.M. that holiday evening. And most likely they don't care that you care that they don't care. They'll over-share their opinions or say things that are <b>way</b> too honest [aka seeming far too blunt]. But that's them, though. That's how they treat each other too, so you're not being singled out. So don't waste your energy worrying about it. Just get out there, explore, try, enjoy, hop on a bicycle [rain or shine] and live. Most importantly: If anyone has a chip on their shoulder against you, it's likely because you're not being 100% Dutch, like them. You're not stuck conforming to their ways completely. If you're like me, you feel free to pick and choose the good cultural habits and decide not to take on what you think are bad Dutch habits — And they're actually not stuck doing it either. They just do it because they know no other way and/or will be put back into their place by another for even trying to think outside of the box.<br />
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Have I visited the Netherlands since I left in 2010? No. Will I again? Maybe. Actually, it would be good to see specific areas that I didn't get to see, such as <a href="http://www.holland.com/uk/tourism/cities-in-holland/visit-maastricht.htm" target="_blank">Maastricht</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giethoorn" target="_blank">Giethoorn</a>.<br />
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Do I miss living in the Netherlands? No. And that's not said with a cold heart. Where I was, it just wasn't for me.<br />
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Did I dislike living in the Netherlands? No. And yes. I liked the Netherlands. The Netherlands did nothing wrong to me. As a matter of fact, let me explain this a bit because it's certainly not a simple experience that I had. My experience there overall [both good & bad times] really opened my eyes. The world could totally be something else than what I had thought or was used to. It taught me a lot about myself too because I constantly found myself looking at how I felt, feeling and looking at it from within more often, which is something I guess I normally did but never consciously realized.<br />
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And maybe you can learn from this too, before making a decision to move to the other side of the world with someone who you've fallen in love with: In the Netherlands, I stated several times to those close around me that I constantly felt a bit like a child when going to do some simple tasks outside of the home, for about the first year after I arrived. I didn't feel quite adult, but that was because I didn't yet speak Dutch well enough and therefore I lacked confidence in speaking to strangers, so I felt often compelled to try my best to at least understand and speak some Dutch as quickly as possible. It was that or not talk to people at all. No thanks! I like to talk. But my need to learn Dutch so fast was also mostly due to my circumstances — I learned Dutch quickly because I lived at first with my former mother-in-law there who spoke no English, and I really wanted to communicate with her because she was so lovely to me and so patient. I'm always thankful for that. So while most who come to the Netherlands are blessed to not have to learn it so quickly, ironically I was blessed to have had the urgent need to learn Dutch when I arrived because it also helped me get by and I felt more like an adult. <br />
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<b>Note:</b> A lot of people speak English there secondarily, but often in smaller communities and especially the social circles you become involved in with the Dutch require that you speak Dutch and nothing else [with the exception of their local dialect]. Besides, if you ever sit in a room with a bunch of Dutch women drinking coffee, you'll find that there is maybe only one or two of them who really want to speak English to you the whole entire time. In <b>all</b> of my experiences, though, the ones who will do it are always the ones who unfortunately ramble on about how much they question/dislike American politics/culture. Oh joy.<br />
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I tried to make it all positive by thinking and doing positive, but I couldn't accept my circumstances overall. I was constantly alone. I made friends but, apart from a few who lived local, most of them lived elsewhere in the country or moved away to some other country for work. All in all, I should have considered the fact that my former partner would be travelling all over the world for his work, and how this would affect me. I was of course accepting of it, but I remained mostly in the Netherlands by myself more often than I had hoped and this became too difficult for me. My soul purpose for being there was off on the other side of the world again for a few weeks at a time for work, soon to be sent off to another foreign locale, and then another, and then another... That works great for some but, as I learned, it doesn't work for me. At all. After the required full-time Dutch language course at the ROC, I had difficulty finding work at first where we lived and was alone at home often again, and it only made it harder on me, but then I did eventually find a wonderful job at a university which kept me busy enough. Above all, love and curiosity were what kept me there, but I obviously had grown very weary from always being alone. I had few trusted people in my life who I felt comfortable enough talking about all of this to [or anyone who actually understood how I felt] without them passing judgement on me, so that was the reason why I began this blog was to help others [and myself, ten-fold] by reaching out through this blog, figuring that there must be some others out there who I could reach, who were feeling exactly how I was feeling. That it would somehow help. It worked too! I'm so glad that I began this blog way back in February of 2008.<br />
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You may notice that no more of my posts, with the exception of this one and the <a href="http://atouchofdutch.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/my-firsthand-survival-guide-for-expats.html" target="_blank">My Firsthand Survival Guide for Expats</a> entry, have been removed. Well, all of my posts that I had shared here still exist. I have just taken them down until I figure out what I will do with them next, and that [like I said] I will share soon.<br />
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Until then, are you new to living in the Netherlands as a spouse or partner of someone who is Dutch? Are you living there for work? Are you there with your spouse/partner for their work? Perhaps you'd like to share what your initial thoughts were when you came to the Netherlands and began to settle-in on your own blog? If so, please let me know that you have in the comments here by leaving a link to your post! I'm sure it will be helpful to other readers who are or will be in the same situation. This type of feedback is valuable to expats, folks — So please share away!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246470297042186087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929340612472715120.post-1580785874075726862012-06-27T15:35:00.001+10:002012-06-27T19:28:33.061+10:00My Firsthand Survival Guide for Expats<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSAbXMWn2MX0sxagtMpB9NsFAa4MtJ2LDKx2YU1QPPiS1Q9b36fIf6e1QKK2FqGHRh7ZvPWP-G19N9IQo9U3T25ojiuVg00jgW9sEUeUW9kT37ZDUCPwiPMslKgspurqFaJBCcuHE6mTe/s1600/atodnijn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSAbXMWn2MX0sxagtMpB9NsFAa4MtJ2LDKx2YU1QPPiS1Q9b36fIf6e1QKK2FqGHRh7ZvPWP-G19N9IQo9U3T25ojiuVg00jgW9sEUeUW9kT37ZDUCPwiPMslKgspurqFaJBCcuHE6mTe/s320/atodnijn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nijntje [or Miffy] in the Netherlands...</td></tr>
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<b>I</b>t seems I've spoken a lot recently with others about what life is like on the other side of the world. I've now lived on 3 different continents, and not just for a few weeks at a time like a lot of travellers, but on a permanent basis. This means I've had to adjust the way I do almost every single daily activity, as well as learn a new language and many other differences. Because I've chosen to have a positive attitude and outlook about it, I think that it's worked better for me... I hope I can help others too, so here are a few tips that I think might be helpful for you.<br />
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<b>· Learn the language.</b> At least try. I immersed myself completely in learning Dutch, and basically without choice - At first I lived in the Netherlands with my former mother-in-law for 1½ years and she could not speak English, so I had to learn as much as I could daily. It helped! Her patience and understanding also helped me a great deal. She took me shopping and showed me how things are done. I remember I needed to change the bedding one day but didn't know what they called duvet covers or pillowcases in Dutch, so I had to first sit down on my bed with my Dutch-English dictionary and form a sentence, practicing it before asking. I remember it was very basic and went “<i>Waar zijn de dekbedovertrekken en de kussenslopen?</i>” [Where are the duvet covers and the pillowcases?] Within two years, I could understand Dutch well enough to suffice, but I continued learning until I could speak it nearly fluently. I look back now and am so very grateful that I did, and I wouldn't have done it any other way.<br />
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<b>· Stay positive!</b> Surrounding yourself with things and others who are going to bring you down or not help encourage you when you need it [e.g. chances are you will feel homesick at some point], this is not going to help you in the long run. Look — It's OK to vent frustrations, but it's not going to be helpful to be negative about those issues every single day. It's not worth it to sacrifice your happiness, so try to engulf yourself in positive activity and hang around people who are succeeding in their adaptation to the new culture.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>· You are the one who is different.</b> Try to remember that you are the one who came to their country, where they have their own culture, and they are not going to change the way that they do things to convenience you or your habits.<br />
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<b>· Practice within your own home what you want, when you want </b>— Whatever makes you happy. Cook your favorite meals, enjoy quiet time your way, celebrate with your family and friends the way you want or would have in your native land.<br />
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<b>· When in Rome...</b> In Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Groningen, Eindhoven or wherever you are in the Netherlands — Do as the Dutch do! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_customs_and_etiquette" target="_blank" title="Dutch customs and etiquette">Learn about the new culture around you</a>. You don't have to do it 24/7, but do try at least to incorporate their culture into your own. Understanding why the people who you live around behave a certain way will not only help you to feel more settled in, but it will also help you to understand why they are doing what they are doing. You don't necessarily have to do all of what they're doing as well, but at least you'll understand better why they might be treating you differently or not including you in their circle [most Dutch social circles are long-standing and tight-knit, and it might take time for them to include you]. The biggest mistake I made: I didn't leave the sheers on my front windows open during the day, on through the evening hours, so my neighbors couldn't see into my home. I didn't <i>want</i> for my neighbors to see in — Why should I, I thought? It's none of their business what I am doing... Also I had one neighbor who seemed extremely nosy, and I didn't want to give him an excuse to be able to look into my home to see what I was up to at any given moment. He creeped me out. But you see, many Dutch have a “<a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/puritan" target="_blank">Puritan</a>”-value instilled in them from birth... Call it being nosy or whatever, but if the drapes are closed during the day then it means there must be something suspicious going on inside. Looking through a window and seeing that the neighbor has nothing to hide seems to give them some sense of ease, and this is why you will see so many Dutch windows with their drapes wide open a majority of the time. Because I kept my sheers closed during the day, to let in light but to keep my privacy, this drove my neighbor(s) absolutely crazy! <br /><br />* I want to clarify that the Dutch won't just walk up to your window and look in. Or they shouldn't — Unless it's the postal carrier with a package or Domino's with a pizza delivery, who will often knock on your front window if you don't answer the door first — It's the fact that you have your drapes open enough that it's clear you are not causing them to worry about the state of their neighborhood. And it's the fact that you have nothing to hide from them... I've also heard that the Dutch like to leave their drapes open as a form of pride, without speaking, to say “look at my home”, but that also they seem to really enjoy their homes being well-lit. However, with my personal experiences, I feel it's mostly because of a habit which has been passed down from generation to generation for <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/calvinism" target="_blank">Calvinistic-reasons</a>. I noticed that the more religious a person/family was, the more irritated they seemed that my drapes weren't open...<br />
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<b>· Get out more.</b> Do not just sit there at home daily and mope, all alone. Go for a walk or ride your bicycle to a new area nearby and learn your neighborhood. Visit a park and find a cool place to go for a picnic on a sunny day. Take the train to a different town for your shopping. Get to know the shops near you. Have lunch once a week on a weekly basis at a local café. Join an expat club. Invite your neighbors over for coffee or tea [the Dutch <b><i>love</i></b> this!]. Go visit a new friend. If you're not already working, get yourself a job, even if it's part-time or volunteer work [Dutch: <i>vrijwilligerswerk</i>]. Sign up with an “<i>uitzendbureau</i>” [employment agency] like Randstad for temporary or casual work. Start your own business. Pick up a new hobby or delve deeply into one of your favorites — Like photography or cooking? Get into it more. Join a class to further your hobby or join a club — And you might even meet others who you can connect well with in those classes or clubs. Plan a vacation to a different place, even if it's just a weekend getaway, or plan a weekly excursion. Mine was shopping in Germany — I loved that! It was always such a nice change of pace.<br />
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<b>· Connect with other expats. </b>I think this one is pretty important. You will cross others who are in the same boat as you in so many areas too, so it's difficult to avoid: language school, work, and Dutch friends will likely introduce you to their expat friends as well. If you aren't able to get out often enough, connect online via forums and groups like <a href="http://www.expatica.com/" target="_blank">Expatica</a>. Be aware that some groups are not always monitored online, so like I said before avoid the negativity [rise above it].<br />
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<b>· Stay in touch!</b> Facebook is one good way to keep in touch with people on the other side of the world who you care about. This also helps those who you've moved away from keep up-to-date on the latest going on in your life. It's a fast and easy way to share.<br />
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Now I am living in Australia and find myself pretty much at ease in almost every area of life, compared to how it was when I lived in the Netherlands. Australians, whether they like to hear it or not, are a lot like Americans and Canadians, so it's been easier for me [and I can speak English]. They have some areas that are difficult to understand at first, like the <a href="http://www.sabona.com.au/articles_detail.ews?articles_detail.ewdid=388" target="_blank">Tall Poppy Syndrome</a>, but I got a major taste of this already when I lived in the Netherlands where folks are direct and tend to not boast about their achievements. Australians also like to “take the piss out of” others, so they joke about someone in an almost cruel way — Which is again a lot like how the Dutch use directness to drive their point home with others [I often felt the Dutch were using directness as an excuse to be rude, similar to how I feel that Australians use “taking the piss out of” someone as an excuse to be rude.<br />
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If you'd like to keep up on what all I'm learning about in Australia, I've been keeping a separate blog online <a href="http://thingsaussieslike.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a> — Check it out!<br />
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Are you planning a move to the Netherlands and would like some good tips and advice? Here is a brief list of websites that I've found to be helpful:<br />
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<b>·</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_customs_and_etiquette" target="_blank">Dutch customs and etiquette</a>.
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<b>·</b> <a href="http://www.expatica.com/nl/main.html" target="_blank">Connect with other expats</a>.<br />
<b>·</b> <a href="http://www.expatica.com/nl/essentials_moving_to.html" target="_blank">Tips for those moving to the Netherlands</a>.<br />
<b>·</b> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock" target="_blank">Dealing with culture shock</a>.<br />
<b>·</b> <a href="http://vrijwilligerswerk.nl/" target="_blank">Search the Netherlands for volunteer work</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14246470297042186087noreply@blogger.com8