Let's Go Dutch - Going Dutch

Going Dutch	Learning Dutch	Personal Files	Travel
1. Weird introduction to the Netherlands 2. Amsterdam and how to survive it 3. Dutch cuisine and recipes 4. Short history of Holland 5. Prehistoric Holland 6. Facts on Holland 7. Comparison to other countries (OECD)	1. Learn Dutch Ricky Style #1 - lingual divide 2. Learn Dutch Ricky Style #2 - Pronunciation 3. Learn Dutch Ricky Style #3 - Grammar 4. Proverbs/Sayings English vs. Dutch 5. Pronunciation Poem	1. If you are interested in me 2. Going Dutch - Dutch Virtual Government Award Program 3. The awards I have won 4. Resume 5. Webster, my cyber funnies	1. Index page USA 2. Meeting my travel companion 3. India Nepal 1995 4. USA coast to coast by bicycle

flag Lest we forget

Going Dutch - doesn't imply you have to pay for your visit -

Note on forehand:
Tiscali ate my former provider Wish. The result is I had to remove quite a lot of data. I managed to shift a few to Myweb (which was gobbled up in turn by wanadoo) , some files will not be accessible. I truly hate this 'merger wave' going on in internetland. I am working on it, though. Please bear with me. Sincerely, Rick.

I warmly invite visitors to spend a while and grin at my homeland
the Netherlands, their inhabitants the Dutch and their little traits.

My neighborhood's site

November 18th 2001, I quit smoking
Cold turkey. This is my story and I haven't touched a single cigarette since. This mantra made me laugh at hard times.

My cycling stories

Short Introduction

If it weren't for Hans Brinkers there'd be no Netherlands, leaving the American tourist with one option less to see in Europe. Alright, I shouldn't say things like that, and I certainly am belittling many travelers travelers the globe.
In fact, I heartily wish to express my joy for meeting you here, and I feel truly honored to be your guide during your stay. I hope you will like the Netherlands and the way I have chosen to present them to you, highly appreciated visitor.

The Netherlands, literally means low lands. This, my dear reader, is very true as more than forty percent of our country lies below sea level.
The Dutch have therefore always had a biased relationship with water. Over the years the sea regularly claimed parts of our country, and if it wasn't the sea, flooding rivers would take care of business.
On the other hand, the Dutch nautical endeavors brought the Dutch to colonizing many parts of the world: Indonesia,, South Africa, Surinam and the Antilles, but also New York (sold to the British for the whopping amount of one guilder. The Dutch fore saw New York would mean nothing but trouble in the long run - yet, if Holland wouldn't have sold it maybe the US would speak Dutch, heheh). As a result it brought much wealth to this country.
The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries weren't called the 'Golden Age' for nothing.
While the cruel sea took many sailors and tracts of land, the Dutch fought back and 'poldered' large parts by erecting dikes and other water works. This habit of claiming land can still be seen in the booming water works companies working all around the world.
So, I'll ask you this question: Global war(m)(n)ing:
what would the Netherlands look like if sea level rises 30 Ft?

Could this explain the truck load of gold medals won by the Dutch swimming team Olympics in Sydney 2000? I'll stand correct if you put forward that this did not so much happen in the Athens 2004 Olympics.

That's not all: while water in liquid stage forms many possibilities, in frozen form it hasn't been too unkind either. The skaters, and their ongoing reign will vouch for that.

Concluding. Provided one maintains respect for the sea and water in general, they can bring many benefits, not least of all our famed salted herring.

Making friends
You can mail me at: sparhawk@tiscali.nl
(If you should notice a link doesn't exist anymore, please drop me a note).

Credits:
Some of the ani's used I got gratefully from Dan Beland: The Ultimatorium
Many thanks goes to Vivian Bierman who took time and effort to edit some of my Dutch pages.

Disclaimer: In order to construct my pages I have been browsing quite a lot. Here and there I have lost track of the resources I used and the locations where I found some of the images. If you might find out material on this and my following pages is copyrighted, let me know. I'll remove it instantly, or will put in a credit if I am still allowed to use the material.

Last update: 10-27-2004