When traveling I am in favor of primary city hopping and I usually try to get information about 4 distinctive areas of interest:
- How to travel from A to B? Like: by plane, train, car or by boat? (I hate buses).
- How is B looking? Maps, pictures and descriptions (what you usually look for in a paper guide)
- How are the people of B?
- Things to do in B? Bars, restaurants, theaters, musea, scenic parts
With respect to all areas it is very easy to get tons of information via the Internet except for question 3: “How are the people of B?”. The more I surf around, the more I believe the expat Blogging community is the community to revert to: They give you a wonderful insight in the idiosyncrasies of the people you will meet in B.
One example of what I mean with idiosyncrasies can be found in this post : 51 Tips: An irreverent guide to international travel behavior from the Los Angeles Times (via The Worldhum Travel Zeitgeist): a simple list of do’s and don’ts in various countries.
One of my aims with this Blog is to make foreigners more aware of how the Dutch are. Therefore, I like to introduce you to an expat living in The Hague: Jenn in Holland, living in The Hague, who describes her adventures sometimes in a hilarious way in her Blog Something to say about Life in The Netherlands. Enjoy reading.
Good post! There’s a long article in Wikipedia on Dutch etiquette – do you agree with it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_etiquette You can add to this or make corrections. I’ve updated several things in the aussie one at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Australia_and_New_Zealand
Having grown up in Sydney with many Dutch neighbours (post-war immigrants), my primary impression was hard-working and straight to the point – they called a spade a spade. And they always kept the front curtains open so you could see inside.
Ken
Hi Ken
Thanks for your comment.
Yes the English Dutch Etiquette Wiki is extensive (more extensive than the English Wikis usually are about typical Dutch subjects) and for the most part correct. Variations occur off course. Good point. I didn’t think of it.
English and Americans tend to find the Dutch directness sometimes rude. Especially when they are confronted with it for the first time.
The open curtain thing is indeed amazing. Personally I close my curtains, but when we have foreign visitors they always like to walk a block to look into the houses of the neighborhood. There is another explanation for it: Actually the Dutch are very hospitable for their “inner circle” of family, friends and direct well known neighbors. By keeping the curtains open those from the inner circle know when they can hop in unannounced and when not.
Cheers!
Wow, thanks for the referrals. That is just so kind of you. I am really glad that you find the site worthwhile, and yes, sometimes funny.
Again, I really appreciate the link and your kind words.
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