Low lands

Imagine what dreadful scenario would happen if the dikes crumbled down:
Governmental cut backs have been the main policy over the last couple of years, leaving devastation throughout the entire country. The once so famed (and evenly scorned) 'nanny state' came abruptly to a stand still. These policies not only affected the contents of Dutch wallets (except for those prone on filling them for themselves) but the damage ranged wider than that. Provincial budgets in general decreased considerably, and therefore also affecting available funds for sustainable infrastructure maintenance. In danger of expressing myself with inadvertent double entendre I can predict no dike guards would be left to stick their trained fingers into the tight and wet water squirting cracks, thus resulting in severe flooding.

Although the immediate danger for the average tourist would outmeasure that of the Dutch by far, flooding would mean an annoying hinder in daily affairs. Traffic jams (clogging the roads even now) would grow beyond estimation for loss of a sound and working road system (collapsed bridges, slippery roads surfaces, flooded tunnels connecting opposing river banks etc.); short circuiting electrical appliances necessary for home keeping, perishable goods in the supermarket would, because of damp conditions, go bad weeks preceding the stated date on the package, rusty, and so hardly manouverable shopping carts, and not to forget the nuisance of drowning.

But then, don't people in Naples live near volcano Vesuvius? And aren't the people in LA living on the San Andreas vault? On the other hand, as soon as I am beginning to get the impression that the rainfalls indeed are developing truly menacing to the Dutch I'll consider taking refuge in parts of the world less threatened to drown.
Anybody willing to take this humble spirit, in that case will be embraced warmly with gratitude. <wink>, <wink>, <nudge>, <nudge>

Personal freedom!

Ask any Dutchman about his most important value and very likely he'll answer "My personal freedom". Living in the Netherlands seems to be a paradise for freedom of thought, speech, religion, gender, sexual preference and culture are noted in our constitution and considered an essential part of Dutch society.
That's in theory, but what does daily practice prove?
It's paradise provided you are well to do, or you're not an immigrant from the Mediterranean Arab countries.

There is first rate and second rate citizens, but according to many voices this is all the logical result of the personal freedom in becoming a success (to western standards, which means money) or being a loser. What is being overlooked here, of course, is the lag people, not being able to master the language fully, got compared to those successful people. Not only that, universities and the schooling system boast on the aftermath of liberalization in education resulting in a higher influx of people attending higher education. That may be true, but in fact it means that today even the dumber upper class students have found their way to university. Surely you are not going to tell me that these people have become smarter over the years. On the contrary, I think that general level of education has dropped.

The fascist factions around here don't agree with me. They say Holland actually is (well fare) paradise, taken advantage of by anyone unwilling to adapt to the alleged superior Dutch standards, by mainly keeping up a hand. They are, fortunately, a small minority in Holland and considered laughable, though some xenophobia towards exiles and refugees exists.
Referred to in the media as the 'Refugee Problem', now doesn't that sound familiar? (Fascism in Europe on a whole is gaining power.) Racism in Holland is more or less hidden under layers of subtlety. White people won't likely admit their latent views, if present. The scars inflicted on society during the occupation in the Second World War have left a taboo around the subject.

Open verbal abuse is a rarity, one way or the other, but it happens. Most often however, they'll just think it and vent their opinion among friends. This whole racism thing actually cuts two ways, because the taboo surrounding political correctness and the ban on being racist offers ample opportunity for abuse by people that want to take advantage of the term and the sentiments surrounding it.

Pubs and drinking

The purchase of alcohol in shops:
I have never been asked an ID in a hard liquor store. Not even when I was younger than age sixteen. This, dear reader, isn't supposed to be so. It's a criminal offense to sell liquor to minors.
Last: beer, wine and shooters are available in the supermarket.

Free drugs?

The Dutch liberal policies in dealing with the drugs-racketeers and drug use (mind my words, use does not necessarily mean abuse) have created an environment which at least doesn't demand too many casualties. Use of pot, marijuana, weed and so on however, is not really permitted and possession is not allowed. But, because everybody uses it, policy consists of conniving at possession solely for personal use. Currently discussion is going on whether hard drugs should be legalized in order to undermine the position of drug barons.

Obviously surrounding countries, and trade partners, aren't too happy with this prospect. BTW, Dutch weed seems to be the best in the world, with the highest quantity of THC (wasn't it?) and as a matter of fact should therefore be listed a hard drug. Typically for the way Dutch home growers tend to take care of business. Hey, it isn't for nothing that University of Wageningen founded a research unit on cannabis related topics. I bet the researchers can get spirited when it comes to upgrade crop yields.
So I've heard for I don't use that kinda stuff anymore. Years ago I tried it a couple of times, and I did inhale (I have got the guts to admit that, at least), but most often it made me sick and I was soon off it.

Common street violence

Ritualized violence happens in the form of arranged battles (appointments are being made by portable phone) between groups of (football)hooligans, and often between hooligans and the police.
There appears to be a negative correlation between how well hooligans perform, even on international scale, and the performances of the teams they supposedly support.
Anyway, this kind of violence has culminated in incidents in which people were matter of factly beaten to death because they stood up for people who couldn't defend themselves, or even because they commented on vandalism.

This has given rise to a call for stern measures to be taken. The future is going to show Dutch society whether street violence can be halted. As far as I can see there is a growing lack of tolerance for the fellow human being, even one's own neighbor. In my humble opinion this is due to the general policy of meekness and lassez faire in the light of by the Dutch so celebrated personal freedom. In other words : the personal freedom is lack of involvement. I still though, refuse to translate this into statements about not being able to go out anymore after dark.

Cultural life

But there are lots of musea, galleries, expositions, theaters etc., as long as they're sponsored by the private sector since the government tends to cut back on its budgets, like in infra structural fashion, for anything cultural.

Rijks Museum Amsterdam. This site is truly awesome. I can recommend a visit to this site.

Maybe the main reason why so few Dutch novelists are being published in other languages is their lack of culture, or even worse, Dutch culture cannot be comprehended by anyone but Dutch people. Oh fear!
No, the main reason, imho, is the tendency to persist on going on about their Christian/Calvinist up bringing or the Second World War. Of course, these are things that have meant a lot to the generation that grew up in the fourties and fifties, but can hardly testify for a global view that woloud mark any world citizen. With this I do not necessarily mean an American dominated world view, by the way).

Actually, cultural life's booming in Amsterdam. Street theater and music in summer are a treat, as are the many free rock festivals.

Couch potatoes

Cable: available for almost everyone in the Netherlands. And if not, one buys a satellite disc. Cost for cable is shared within some other costs. At least, I don't pay too much for it (I guess about $ 8 per month). Not to forget: the very presence of a TV-set in a house, connected or not, obliges any person to pay a yearly fee...can you imagine that? More recent news from that front. As we speak it seems that last mentioned costs will disappear from daily household budgets to be replaced by a higher fee going to the cable company. Like we are able to choose our very own supplier. Not!

Radio music equals billboards.
So five times a day it's more of the same old drag in sometimes a different order, unless the actual billboard hot 100 is on, then the play list will be defined by the place of the song taken on the board, but I don't think I need to explain to mechanics of bill boards. Isn't there anything then? Well, there is the classical music station, there is the news station, the other kinds of stuff station and not to forget the commercial stations playing yet once again anything making the bill boards. God!
Going to the States in 1998 and 1999 made me discover good music actually can be found on the radio.

TV.: 90% American stuff. Soaps, movies, sit coms, some British and Australian stuff.

National cuisine

The average Dutch meal consists of potatoes, veggies and a piece of meat (quite small according American standards, I suspect), gravy to cover the potatoes. Yuch.....

National celebrations

25th/26th December (obvious);

31st December-1st January (see X-mas holidays);

Easter, Whitsuntide;

Ascension Day.
Those are the ordinary holidays.

The Dutch also celebrate 31st January (Queen's birthday), but the festivities take place at 30th April (Coronation Day, and coincidentally the queen mother's birthday too);

4th May (Memorial Day);

5th May (Liberation Day).

As it was written in the Bible: thou shalt not work at the Seventh day, but spend it worshipping and mind to the celebration of their maker. So, nowadays, the Dutch sleep in and visit their parents at Sundays.

Sports

Peculiarities

Let me give it a try:
1. The (educated) Dutch appear to be open minded. Any topic can be discussed: from abortion till free access of drugs. But any topic is treated as if they were it chats about the weather;

2. The Dutch may seem slightly grumpy and bad-tempered and they really like to complain about the world around them whether it's the weather (haha) or politics;

3. The Dutch are obsessed about the weather; (comes from rain all the time)

4. Every person (at least in Amsterdam) may feel free to act, do, dress like they feel to. They won't be corrected since everybody minds their own business (and couldn't care less);

5. Visits aren't meant to be spontaneous: dinner parties have to be preceded by an official invitation, just like a regular visit. But on the other hand, a welcome yet unexpected visit may be greeted with pleasant surprise;

6. Dates may lead to sexual intercourse but isn't an obligation;

7. Sexual equality appears to be well developed in the Netherlands, but beware: wages often are lower for women than for men; part timers (mostly women reentering the job market) are still somewhat excluded from pension funds. I dare to say that when it comes to making a professional career, you're better off in the States.
I invite you to take a peek at my International Facts Page.

8. Men and women relating to each other in daily life can be natural and relaxed. It appears this way, but what lays hidden underneath the surface?;

9. The young Dutch are materialist, conservative and tend towards a growing sexism and are generally called the Nintendo generation.... (well let's say egotism), The generation following this one, is referred to as the back seat generation (because the kids are brought to school by car);

10. The Dutch don't like to be touched by strangers. On the other hand are easily switching over to the thee and thou business. Odd, isn't it?

11. Giving the finger doesn't very often cause personal danger, it is either laughed at (They'll probably wave back) or results in a brawl. The latter, obviously, does impend immediate personal danger.
It's much safer to sustain with the English variety of giving a 'V'-sign with the back of the hand outside. It's quite towards British people, but the Dutch won't understand it. (I do)
You'll notice that insults and curses are often picked up from American TV series and movies. But the Dutch've got a whole bunch of their own. I guess Dutch are just good at cursing.
Are the Dutch foul mouthed? I don't really think so. They aren't considered a big deal.
Blunt? that might be quite another story;

12. Religious life? Urbi et orbi. Dwindling; I refer to the Fact Sheet.

13. Politics? Would you buy a second hand car from this man? Seriously, due to the many political parties in the Netherlands it a sheer impossibility for a single party to form a government on its own. In order to get a majority in parliament coalitions have to be made, which results in governmental policies based on compromise. Accordingly governmental policies don't differ that much between different governments, which again results in rather long term policies without any next government trying to minimize policies of former governments. Thus securing a kind of sustainability of the middle way. This kind of policy of compromise is also known as 'The Polder model'.
Recent developments, though, have brought an unnerving underbelly side of the Dutch to light. I will come back to this in due time.

14. Concluding: I think the Dutch are a little argumentative.

All this may seem to you that I'm not proud of being Dutch. But that's quite the opposite. It's just like old lovers: they learn to appreciate each others strange little habits. But as a Dutchman, I've been here all my life so I don't know any better.

Prejudices against the Dutch Q & A

Drugs are free so everybody uses them

Gimme, gimme some. I want it, I need it. Example: 430 heroine addicts per 100,000 in the USA - 160 heroine addicts per 100,000 in the Netherlands.

Crime rate in Holland and violence in the Netherlands is highest in the world

Certainly. There is not a single soul abroad after dark, that's why nightlife in Holland is booming. Example: 8.2 crime related deaths per 100,000 in the USA - 1.2 crime related deaths per 100,000 in the Netherlands

All Dutch are misers

Of course, why would we spend our precious money on useless stuff abroad? In fact, the Dutch are more picky, maybe, than other people. They like to be certain of any purchase. Combine this with a centuries long trading tradition, and the miser myth has seen the light.

All Dutch wear clogs and traditional wear

Very true. The baggy trousers are used to stack our drug supply away. But when we go abroad we like to disguise ourselves as normal people wearing ordinary clothes. It may be true that certain villages maintained their traditional clothing (specific for each village) well into this century, but this is a dying tradition. Although, for tourist's sake some famous villages like Volendam and Marken keep on doing this. It would be the same saying that all Americans wear stetsons.

Every Dutchman knows the Hans Brinkers' story with the finger and the dike

Yup, By heart. Mandatory stuff at school. What story about lesbians? (no offense meant)

Every Dutchman knows the silver skates story

Isn't that the same story?

Child abuse and molestation is common practice in Holland

Keep yer children indoors mothers of the world! Produce of bad news footage, often out of context. It's the Belgians! And this too, isn't true.

The Dutch are very rude and blunt

So? We are outspoken and like to vent our opinion, and yes I think we can be.

All Dutch speak many languages

A missinterpretazion soulaley baysed on owe and at my razion for our akward attemps.

Suggestions? Comments? Please drop me a note. Any suggestion about improving this page will be welcomed as a pleasant surprise.

©Rick Vermunt

Hope you enjoyed my stories.
Love from Holland!