There are a few things that just seem to be impossible to find here in NL. Some are just darned near impossible, and others are possible, at a high price. So, if you're going to be living in NL for an extended period of time and are extremely partial to these things, you'll need to bring them with you. I will discuss a few of them in this blog.
1) Top sheets for the bed. I have not found these ANYWHERE. I can find fitted sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers. That's it. Top sheets appear to not be a European thing, they simply use the duvet cover and wash that. Having done that a couple of times with the duvet cover in the guest bedroom, I CANNOT STAND trying to put that thing back onto the comforter. What a royal PITA! I'm sure there's some technique to doing this that I haven't mastered. Until that time, I'm glad I shipped our bed here along with it's bedding. Putting a freshly washed top sheet on the bed is extremely less time consuming.
2) Washcloths. They have things here for washing in the shower, they're just not the American version of a washcloth. These things are more like bathmitts. I cannot explain what my aversion is to these mitts, but I'm just not keen to use them. Fortunately, I shipped several washcloths here so I'm good until those become threadbare.
3) Any OTC med that contains amphetamines (e.g. cold/flu meds, sinus meds, etc). This one I found out the hard way. I had developed some sinus pain and was looking for something to alleviate it. I went to every CVS-like store I could find (Kruidvat, Etos) and I visited a couple apotheeks (actual pharmacies... pharmacists are only found in an apotheek). No such luck. I can't recall how I found out, but I learned that these things are only available via prescription. When Hubs and I went back to the US over the Christmas holidays I stocked up on cough/cold/sinus meds. My suitcase looked like Walgreens and vomited. Apparently the amount of OTC meds in my suitcase was of interest to US customs as they searched my suitcase on the way back to NL. Fortunately, everything was still in its original packaging, much of it not even opened. Dutchies seem to either be a heartier breed, or more into homeopathy. For sinus issues, use a saline nose spray. The saline spray is fine if it's something you do regularly and aren't in so much pain you want to drive an ice pick up your nose.
4) Stick deodorant. I have found roll-on and spray, but for whatever reason, the Dutch do not seem to be fans of stick deodorant.
5) Rubbing alcohol. Now, this one I don't have personal experience with but I did see a thread in an American expat group asking where to find isopropyl alcohol here in NL. This seemed to cause a rousing debate as to its availability. The upshot seemed to be that one could find it in the CVS-like stores, but it just wasn't the same as back in the US.
Friday, 17 May 2019
Don't use that, I might need it later!
I brought a few consumable things from the US that seem to be irreplaceable here in NL (see my other post You Cant Get That Here for other things that can't be found here in NL)*. For example: ZipLoc baggies, Reynold's Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil and Kleenex Tissues. Yes... I am partial to these brands. And it's not necessarily that these generic items cannot be found here in NL. It's more that what the NL use is not up to my standards.The foil doesn't seem as heavy duty, the tissues aren't as soft, and the baggies (at least the ones that I've found) are closed by either a twist tie or via a tab that is pulled across the top. These all work fine, it's just that, for me, it's like having to use regular grade gasoline when you've become accustomed to premium grade.
Since these things aren't readily available here, I have resorted to hoarding. They sit, rarely used, waiting for me to cave and make use of them. Much like when people keep a fine bottle of wine around for that 1 special occasion**.
The other night Hubs was kind enough to help make dinner. Now, before you feminazis get your panties in a knot over why shouldn't I EXPECT him to help make dinner, I'd like to remind you that I am NOT working. He is the sole provider so far and as such I am (exceedingly happy to be) responsible for cooking/cleaning/shopping. But, even if that weren't the case, having one's spouse/SO/mate/partner in crime/etc actually want to help with domestic duties should still be appreciated... but I'll leave that for a future post which will probably be titled "Where has all the empathy gone?"
But I digress... so, Hubs was kind enough to help make dinner. When he asked where the aluminum foil was I flipped. "DON'T USE IT!!! I'll just wash the cooking sheet." This, of course, aroused suspicion in him and I had to explain my desire to not use foil. In hindsight, I recognize just how silly that was. It's aluminum foil, not gold bullions set aside for our retirement. Hubs was considerate enough of my irrational fears that he only used as much foil as was absolutely necessary.
* If you go onto 1 of the "expats in NL" related FB groups you will quickly be told that whatever you are searching for can be found at Kelly's Expat. Kelly's is a store that specializes in British and American consumable items (sweets, medicines, baking goods, etc). The only problem is that you have to pay about 5x more at Kelly's than what you'd pay in the US. And since I'm more frugal than I am paranoid, I refuse to pay that much for these things.
** Except for the boxes of Kleenex tissues. Those we are using and as the number dwindles, I get more and more anxious about what will happen when they're all gone. The box of tissues Hubs bought prior to my arrival is NOT soft!! (I know... FWP)
Since these things aren't readily available here, I have resorted to hoarding. They sit, rarely used, waiting for me to cave and make use of them. Much like when people keep a fine bottle of wine around for that 1 special occasion**.
The other night Hubs was kind enough to help make dinner. Now, before you feminazis get your panties in a knot over why shouldn't I EXPECT him to help make dinner, I'd like to remind you that I am NOT working. He is the sole provider so far and as such I am (exceedingly happy to be) responsible for cooking/cleaning/shopping. But, even if that weren't the case, having one's spouse/SO/mate/partner in crime/etc actually want to help with domestic duties should still be appreciated... but I'll leave that for a future post which will probably be titled "Where has all the empathy gone?"
But I digress... so, Hubs was kind enough to help make dinner. When he asked where the aluminum foil was I flipped. "DON'T USE IT!!! I'll just wash the cooking sheet." This, of course, aroused suspicion in him and I had to explain my desire to not use foil. In hindsight, I recognize just how silly that was. It's aluminum foil, not gold bullions set aside for our retirement. Hubs was considerate enough of my irrational fears that he only used as much foil as was absolutely necessary.
* If you go onto 1 of the "expats in NL" related FB groups you will quickly be told that whatever you are searching for can be found at Kelly's Expat. Kelly's is a store that specializes in British and American consumable items (sweets, medicines, baking goods, etc). The only problem is that you have to pay about 5x more at Kelly's than what you'd pay in the US. And since I'm more frugal than I am paranoid, I refuse to pay that much for these things.
** Except for the boxes of Kleenex tissues. Those we are using and as the number dwindles, I get more and more anxious about what will happen when they're all gone. The box of tissues Hubs bought prior to my arrival is NOT soft!! (I know... FWP)
Thursday, 16 May 2019
Sidewalk Rage
Anyone who has ever been in the car with me while I'm driving or talking to me on the phone while I'm driving will confirm that I pay A LOT of attention to the road.
Hubs and I would frequently chat on the phone (hands-free of course!) while commuting to work. Here is what a typical conversation sounded like: (hubs) "Any thoughts on where you'd like to go for dinner?" (me) "I've had a hankering for get the fuck out of the way!" Poor guy.
I haven't driven much in the past 9 months, so road-rage isn't an issue for me any more. What I have noticed is that it's been replaced with "Sidewalk Rage". It's the same humanitarian desire to help the idiots around you properly use the surfaces upon which they (more importantly *I*) navigate. Since I'm walking, in public, where people can actually hear what I'm saying, the cussing stays in my head. But it's quite loud in my head and almost as frequent as when I was driving.
Just this morning I was walking down the sidewalk and a bicyclist was coming towards me, cuz, ya know... reasons. In my head I was calling her every name in the book, "politely" reminding her that it was a sidewalk and that there was, indeed, a dedicated bike lane just on the other side of the road. This was scattered with a few "fuck you"s, of course.
As mentioned in SEVERAL other blog posts, I am frequently avoiding dog shit, parked cars, scaffolding, parked bicycles/mopeds, moving bicycles/mopeds... WHILE REMAINING ON THE SIDEWALK! I don't want to stay cooped up inside the house, and I'm trying to get some exercise in and save money by walking instead of using public transportation. Also, until recently the weather hasn't been good enough for me to want to use my bike (rain and/or wind and/or cold). I'm trying to do good here. Why can't people just let me use the sidewalk the way God intended? HUH!?!
Sidewalk rage... it's a thing 😈
Monday, 13 May 2019
Applying to be a patient (Dutch healthcare part 3)
(If you have not done so, please read my Dutch healthcare overview post first)
I've mentioned in a previous blog post about doctors refusing patients because of where the patient lived with respect to the doctor's office. Well... we have experienced it first hand.
Me... I'm planning on boarding the first plane back to the US if anything major happens to me. For whatever reason, I do not trust these doctors to actually take care of me in the manner to which I have become accustomed. Hubs, however, wants to find a huisarts (general practitioner, literally "house doctor"). So, he went to a doctor's office close to his work. Hubs works approximately 5km (3.1 miles) from out apartment, not some great distance away. And this doctor's office was close to the local hospital.
Hubs comes home from stopping by this doctor's office with an application form. And he said the receptionist told him he could "apply" as a patient but warned him that we live outside the "house visit" perimeter (I'm paraphrasing here). I was floored that doctors actually make housecalls here. I mean, how hard can it be to "prescribe" paracetamol over the phone? 😉
Now, hubs will defend the person with whom he spoke as not having a great grasp of English (WHAT?!?! Not everyone speaks fluent English here? That just can't be!!! < snark >) but it sounded like she had a good enough grasp, and he did come home with an application form. So, I'm thinking she was able to explain it pretty accurately.
Yes, it is true, in the US a doctor's office can reject a patient if (among other reasons) the doctor's office is not accepting new patients, or is not in the patient's health insurance network. But I don't think I've ever heard of a doctor refusing to take on a new patient because of where the patient lived.
How I stand out as an American
Following upon my rant (read it here) about all these lists on the internet that talk about the many ways Americans stand out overseas (and they usually seem to be somewhat negative), I thought I'd create a list of my own.
1) If I had brought my dogs with me, I would not leave their shit on the sidewalk. I would dispose of it properly. Yesterday Hubs and I watched someone actually pick up their dog's crap... I about fainted.
2) When waiting to get on a train/tram/elevator, I back away from the door to allow the people getting off enough room to do so
3) When waiting to get on a train/tram/elevator/bus, I don't try to butt my way in front of others who have been waiting to board prior to my arrival. (I intentionally omitted bus from #2 because here in Den Haag riders can only board the bus at the front and riders can only exit the bus from the other doors). When we were coming back from Keukenhof last month we were the 3rd, 4th and 5th people to wait in line for the bus to arrive. Once the bus finally arrived, the people who had been standing behind us in line tried to worm around to my left and squeeze between me and the door. I wasn't having any of that... with my left hand I took a hold of the bar just inside the bus door, blocking any further advancement of the jerks behind us, and made sure hubs and my friend got on the bus before them.
4) I actually verify there are no bikes/mopeds/cars coming before I step out onto the street. Interestingly enough, drivers seem to get irritated if I wave for them to proceed while I'm standing beside the road. Hubs and I were walking yesterday, not even in a crosswalk but getting ready to cross the entrance to a parking garage. We waved the approaching car to proceed, but the driver refused. Whatever.
5) I DO NOT RIDE MY BIKE ON THE SIDEWALK!!! Just this past Saturday I almost got mowed over because I verified there were no bikes approaching in the bike lane (it was a situation where bike traffic is 1 way), crossed the bike lane and stepped in front of a bicycle riding on the sidewalk in the direction I hadn't looked, because the fietser was too freaking lazy to go on the other side of the street to ride in the bike lane going in the proper direction. And on Friday I was walking on the sidewalk facing down a fietser because she wanted to turn right, and even though the sidewalk was curbed to accommodate fietsers turning right, she didn't feel compelled to actually bike where she was supposed to, even though the bike lane was literally RIGHT BESIDE THE SIDEWALK!!! GRRR!!!
6) I don't push my shopping cart sideways down the grocery store aisles. Here in NL, the grocery carts (winkelwagens) have 4 wheel drive... each wheel on the cart can spin 360 degrees. On more than 1 occasion I've come across a fellow shopper who, for some reason I cannot fathom, thinks it is a wonderful idea to push their cart perpendicular to the aisle.
7) (Related to #6) If I see other people coming down the sidewalk or store aisle, I will make room for them, even if I'm walking with someone else. I swear the Dutch play a game called "How much sidewalk can I use?". I have seen groups of 4-5 people walking side-by-side on the sidewalk. And these aren't American sidewalks that are luxuriously wide... nope. There is barely room for these people to walk abreast. But, by God, they will do it and they're not interested in making room for people walking in the other direction. Similarly, I've seen groups of fietsers biking side-by-side where 1 is actually biking on the sidewalk to achieve this goal. Heaven forbid that person should have to bike behind the others (to be fair, these are usually school-aged children).
8) When I get on the bus/train/tram, I always get into the interior seat (if it is available) and place my bags on my lap, making sure the seat beside is available for other rides to use. (See this blog post)
9) I'm not openly belligerent to strangers if they don't acknowledge that I'm speaking to them. (See this blog post and this blog post)
10) I actually say "Yes, please" and "No, thank you". As I mentioned here all conversations are to be bookended with some form of salutation. You can be as rude as you want anywhere between the salutations, but if you don't bookend your conversations you are rude.
1) If I had brought my dogs with me, I would not leave their shit on the sidewalk. I would dispose of it properly. Yesterday Hubs and I watched someone actually pick up their dog's crap... I about fainted.
2) When waiting to get on a train/tram/elevator, I back away from the door to allow the people getting off enough room to do so
3) When waiting to get on a train/tram/elevator/bus, I don't try to butt my way in front of others who have been waiting to board prior to my arrival. (I intentionally omitted bus from #2 because here in Den Haag riders can only board the bus at the front and riders can only exit the bus from the other doors). When we were coming back from Keukenhof last month we were the 3rd, 4th and 5th people to wait in line for the bus to arrive. Once the bus finally arrived, the people who had been standing behind us in line tried to worm around to my left and squeeze between me and the door. I wasn't having any of that... with my left hand I took a hold of the bar just inside the bus door, blocking any further advancement of the jerks behind us, and made sure hubs and my friend got on the bus before them.
4) I actually verify there are no bikes/mopeds/cars coming before I step out onto the street. Interestingly enough, drivers seem to get irritated if I wave for them to proceed while I'm standing beside the road. Hubs and I were walking yesterday, not even in a crosswalk but getting ready to cross the entrance to a parking garage. We waved the approaching car to proceed, but the driver refused. Whatever.
5) I DO NOT RIDE MY BIKE ON THE SIDEWALK!!! Just this past Saturday I almost got mowed over because I verified there were no bikes approaching in the bike lane (it was a situation where bike traffic is 1 way), crossed the bike lane and stepped in front of a bicycle riding on the sidewalk in the direction I hadn't looked, because the fietser was too freaking lazy to go on the other side of the street to ride in the bike lane going in the proper direction. And on Friday I was walking on the sidewalk facing down a fietser because she wanted to turn right, and even though the sidewalk was curbed to accommodate fietsers turning right, she didn't feel compelled to actually bike where she was supposed to, even though the bike lane was literally RIGHT BESIDE THE SIDEWALK!!! GRRR!!!
6) I don't push my shopping cart sideways down the grocery store aisles. Here in NL, the grocery carts (winkelwagens) have 4 wheel drive... each wheel on the cart can spin 360 degrees. On more than 1 occasion I've come across a fellow shopper who, for some reason I cannot fathom, thinks it is a wonderful idea to push their cart perpendicular to the aisle.
7) (Related to #6) If I see other people coming down the sidewalk or store aisle, I will make room for them, even if I'm walking with someone else. I swear the Dutch play a game called "How much sidewalk can I use?". I have seen groups of 4-5 people walking side-by-side on the sidewalk. And these aren't American sidewalks that are luxuriously wide... nope. There is barely room for these people to walk abreast. But, by God, they will do it and they're not interested in making room for people walking in the other direction. Similarly, I've seen groups of fietsers biking side-by-side where 1 is actually biking on the sidewalk to achieve this goal. Heaven forbid that person should have to bike behind the others (to be fair, these are usually school-aged children).
8) When I get on the bus/train/tram, I always get into the interior seat (if it is available) and place my bags on my lap, making sure the seat beside is available for other rides to use. (See this blog post)
9) I'm not openly belligerent to strangers if they don't acknowledge that I'm speaking to them. (See this blog post and this blog post)
10) I actually say "Yes, please" and "No, thank you". As I mentioned here all conversations are to be bookended with some form of salutation. You can be as rude as you want anywhere between the salutations, but if you don't bookend your conversations you are rude.
Sunday, 5 May 2019
How to get someone to turn off their phone in a movie theater
Let me start this entry by stating that I was indeed in the wrong.
So, yesterday, hubs and I are in the theater waiting for the movie to start. Prior to the previews airing a screen is shown (all in Dutch only) stating to not use one's mobile in the theater. This was shortly followed by a screen (again, all in Dutch only) about a rewards program the chain had that involved an app. I was interested in this program and immediately whipped out my phone. Yes, I had taken notice of the screen about not using my mobile, but I figured it was only the previews so it didn't really matter, and I had every intention of turning off my phone before the movie started (you know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions, right?). And in my head I kept hearing Greg Kinnear in "You've Got Mail".... "A HOTDOG is singing. You need quiet while a hotdog is singing?"
A couple minutes after I had started using my phone (still well before the movie actually started) I felt a swift kick to the back of my chair. The theater had stadium seating, so kicking the back of my chair meant kicking me in the shoulder. Thinking it was someone adjusting their sitting position I said "Ouch" and kept futzing with my phone. A few more kicks and I turned around to see what the hell was going on. Seems the "gentleman" behind me, and his lovely companion, wanted me to turn off my phone. I said "Sorry" and turned off my phone, but I was livid. (Note: after this incident, a couple came into the theater and sat in our row, and the guy briefly used his phone, too, but I didn't feel our row of seats being jostled with swift kicks)
As I said at the start of this post, I was in the wrong. A message had appeared stating to not use one's mobile and I was most definitely using my mobile. Nevertheless, is this the best way to handle the situation? Would it really have been so difficult to tap me on the shoulder and ask me to turn off my phone, instead of kicking me in the shoulder.... repeatedly?
Either way... well played. I have learned my lesson and will NOT be using my mobile in a movie theater ever again.
Yesterday, hubs and I went to see "Shazam" at Pathé Spuimarkt.
Pathé is the only non-Indie theater chain in Den Haag and there are 3 theaters. One is literally attached to the apartment building in which we live and is the theater we typically utilize, for obvious reasons. There are 2 more in the city center, 1 which I've been to a couple of times with a friend of mine... another American expat who has lived here for about 15 years and married a Dutchie. She's been a great source of Dutch info and a good friend, too.
Pathé does "50+" days where anyone 50 and over (Yikes! Did I just admit that I'm that old?!?!?!) can watch a matinee of a movie that was released 6+ months ago, and during intermission (yes, they have intermission) coffee and tea are served, along with "iets lekker", which translates to "something tasty" and, on the 2 occasions I've done this, involved a large KitKat. All of this for less than the usual price of admission. It's amazing how quickly old people (I'm not putting myself in that category yet!) can move when food is involved - lol.
The third theater neither hubs nor I had been to prior to yesterday but it was the only one not playing Shazam only after 7pm. From our time in that theater it seemed to be the busiest, loudest, and dirtiest of the 3. When hubs and I were there I noticed crushed chips at the top of every escalator. You might be wondering "just how many escalators does this theater have?". Since real estate is a premium here businesses build up, not out. The theater next to our apartment and the one we visited yesterday are each at least 4 stories high.
The night before we went there they had an incident where the police were called due to the suspicious activities of a few "youths".
Pathé is the only non-Indie theater chain in Den Haag and there are 3 theaters. One is literally attached to the apartment building in which we live and is the theater we typically utilize, for obvious reasons. There are 2 more in the city center, 1 which I've been to a couple of times with a friend of mine... another American expat who has lived here for about 15 years and married a Dutchie. She's been a great source of Dutch info and a good friend, too.
Pathé does "50+" days where anyone 50 and over (Yikes! Did I just admit that I'm that old?!?!?!) can watch a matinee of a movie that was released 6+ months ago, and during intermission (yes, they have intermission) coffee and tea are served, along with "iets lekker", which translates to "something tasty" and, on the 2 occasions I've done this, involved a large KitKat. All of this for less than the usual price of admission. It's amazing how quickly old people (I'm not putting myself in that category yet!) can move when food is involved - lol.
The third theater neither hubs nor I had been to prior to yesterday but it was the only one not playing Shazam only after 7pm. From our time in that theater it seemed to be the busiest, loudest, and dirtiest of the 3. When hubs and I were there I noticed crushed chips at the top of every escalator. You might be wondering "just how many escalators does this theater have?". Since real estate is a premium here businesses build up, not out. The theater next to our apartment and the one we visited yesterday are each at least 4 stories high.
The night before we went there they had an incident where the police were called due to the suspicious activities of a few "youths".
 |
| Police report of Pathé Spuimarkt Incident |
So, yesterday, hubs and I are in the theater waiting for the movie to start. Prior to the previews airing a screen is shown (all in Dutch only) stating to not use one's mobile in the theater. This was shortly followed by a screen (again, all in Dutch only) about a rewards program the chain had that involved an app. I was interested in this program and immediately whipped out my phone. Yes, I had taken notice of the screen about not using my mobile, but I figured it was only the previews so it didn't really matter, and I had every intention of turning off my phone before the movie started (you know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions, right?). And in my head I kept hearing Greg Kinnear in "You've Got Mail".... "A HOTDOG is singing. You need quiet while a hotdog is singing?"
A couple minutes after I had started using my phone (still well before the movie actually started) I felt a swift kick to the back of my chair. The theater had stadium seating, so kicking the back of my chair meant kicking me in the shoulder. Thinking it was someone adjusting their sitting position I said "Ouch" and kept futzing with my phone. A few more kicks and I turned around to see what the hell was going on. Seems the "gentleman" behind me, and his lovely companion, wanted me to turn off my phone. I said "Sorry" and turned off my phone, but I was livid. (Note: after this incident, a couple came into the theater and sat in our row, and the guy briefly used his phone, too, but I didn't feel our row of seats being jostled with swift kicks)
As I said at the start of this post, I was in the wrong. A message had appeared stating to not use one's mobile and I was most definitely using my mobile. Nevertheless, is this the best way to handle the situation? Would it really have been so difficult to tap me on the shoulder and ask me to turn off my phone, instead of kicking me in the shoulder.... repeatedly?
Either way... well played. I have learned my lesson and will NOT be using my mobile in a movie theater ever again.
Thursday, 2 May 2019
I was spoiled by London
A friend of mine from the US visited us for a couple weeks last month. The first week was spent seeing the tulips, and touring Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Delft using our apartment in Den Haag as base and the second week the 3 of us stayed at an AirBnb in London.
Although the flat averaged out to "so-so", there were some things about London that spoiled me and I'm still trying to get back into the Dutch groove. (Why "so-so"? The location was decent, very close to a tube stop, it had WiFi, a lovely terrace with table and chairs for dining al fresco, and it was an OK size. But my and hubs's bedroom was in the front of the flat and it sometimes sounded like there were no windows or that they were all open. It was a small street... was it really necessary to try to haul ass down it in their cars only to come to a stop 1/8 of a mile later? The neighbors above us seemed to enjoy doing laundry at 10pm which my friend could hear from her bedroom and which she said sounded like a helicopter taking off. The last couple of nights it was if a neighbor had just purchased a new entertainment system and was trying it out. We could hear what they were watching. The door to our en suite bathroom only shut if you pulled with all your might and VERY quickly as the door had swollen. Of course, when you did that the bedroom door popped open. The en suite bathroom was truly a "water closet", barely room to turn around if the door was closed, which it wasn't, cuz you couldn't. The sink was in this niche where normal people couldn't insert their shoulders without twisting their upper body - made brushing teeth interesting. And the water in the en suite bathroom was just warm enough to take a shower... although I noticed the pipe between the on/off control and the temperature control was very hot... so I'm not sure where the hot water was actually going)
But I digress... why was I spoiled????
1) English. It was EVERYWHERE! Most of the people spoke English first, not another language first and then repeating what they just said, with a 'tude, in English. I finally realized I didn't have to try and translate what they were saying - lol. And the signs were in English. I could read what was written without whipping out my phone and frantically typing into Google translate. It was a nice little vacation for my brain, ears and eyes.
2) CONDIMENTS! One thing that got my friend the most during her week here in NL was that many restaurants charge for condiments. She asked me a couple times why they did and the only answer I could provide was "cuz they can". I've looked it up on the internet and could not find a reason for why they charge. But... be warned. If you are addicted to ketchup and you want to visit NL, bring your own. Trying to get condiments in NL reminds me of a Jim Gaffigan joke: 'the guy handing them out always treats you like you're taking from his personal stash. "Looks like my kids aren't having ketchup tonight."' But in London... OMG! It was there! On the table! Waiting to be used!! As much as you wanted!! For ZILCH, NADA, €0, £0, $0... Gratis! FREE! 🎶"as free as the wind blows... as free as the grass grows..." 🎶 oops... sorry about that. Got a little carried away.
3) The sidewalks... they were actually being used as... SIDEWALKS! And ONLY sidewalks. I almost fainted. Sure, I was dodging people on the sidewalk, but they were SUPPOSED to be there. I didn't have to keep an eagle eye for dog poop. I wasn't stepping around parked bikes or mopeds or vehicles. I wasn't being run down by bicyclists. It was so weird! What a novel concept. The sidewalk is for pedestrians only. It's not an alternate commuting surface or parking area. It's for people... to walk! Why, just today I was facing down a deranged fietser on a narrow sidewalk because they didn't feel like biking on the road... where all the other fietsers were biking. Hubs made some comment about the bicyclists knowing where they should be biking in NL, to which I replied "Yes... any flat surface". And, it's true, they will literally bike anywhere as long as it's flat.
There was definitely a smaller number of bicyclists in London. Like.. I could almost count on 1 hand the number of bicyclists I saw in a given day. But 1 of our tour guides was quite proud of how many bicyclists there were. <snort>
4) OTC cold meds... Here in NL you cannot buy cold/flu/sinus meds over the counter like you can in the states. You can only get them via prescription (and that ain't gonna happen... paracetamol to the rescue!!!) Coming back to NL from the US after our Christmas holiday our suitcases looked like CVS vomited. But go to a drug store in London and... lo and behold... cough and cold medicine to be purchased without the consent of a physician. Good to know that I don't have to fly all the way to the US to get me some Dayquil.
So, thanks, London for teasing me with your more western ways....
🎶 so close, so close and yet so faaaarr 🎶
Although the flat averaged out to "so-so", there were some things about London that spoiled me and I'm still trying to get back into the Dutch groove. (Why "so-so"? The location was decent, very close to a tube stop, it had WiFi, a lovely terrace with table and chairs for dining al fresco, and it was an OK size. But my and hubs's bedroom was in the front of the flat and it sometimes sounded like there were no windows or that they were all open. It was a small street... was it really necessary to try to haul ass down it in their cars only to come to a stop 1/8 of a mile later? The neighbors above us seemed to enjoy doing laundry at 10pm which my friend could hear from her bedroom and which she said sounded like a helicopter taking off. The last couple of nights it was if a neighbor had just purchased a new entertainment system and was trying it out. We could hear what they were watching. The door to our en suite bathroom only shut if you pulled with all your might and VERY quickly as the door had swollen. Of course, when you did that the bedroom door popped open. The en suite bathroom was truly a "water closet", barely room to turn around if the door was closed, which it wasn't, cuz you couldn't. The sink was in this niche where normal people couldn't insert their shoulders without twisting their upper body - made brushing teeth interesting. And the water in the en suite bathroom was just warm enough to take a shower... although I noticed the pipe between the on/off control and the temperature control was very hot... so I'm not sure where the hot water was actually going)
But I digress... why was I spoiled????
1) English. It was EVERYWHERE! Most of the people spoke English first, not another language first and then repeating what they just said, with a 'tude, in English. I finally realized I didn't have to try and translate what they were saying - lol. And the signs were in English. I could read what was written without whipping out my phone and frantically typing into Google translate. It was a nice little vacation for my brain, ears and eyes.
2) CONDIMENTS! One thing that got my friend the most during her week here in NL was that many restaurants charge for condiments. She asked me a couple times why they did and the only answer I could provide was "cuz they can". I've looked it up on the internet and could not find a reason for why they charge. But... be warned. If you are addicted to ketchup and you want to visit NL, bring your own. Trying to get condiments in NL reminds me of a Jim Gaffigan joke: 'the guy handing them out always treats you like you're taking from his personal stash. "Looks like my kids aren't having ketchup tonight."' But in London... OMG! It was there! On the table! Waiting to be used!! As much as you wanted!! For ZILCH, NADA, €0, £0, $0... Gratis! FREE! 🎶"as free as the wind blows... as free as the grass grows..." 🎶 oops... sorry about that. Got a little carried away.
3) The sidewalks... they were actually being used as... SIDEWALKS! And ONLY sidewalks. I almost fainted. Sure, I was dodging people on the sidewalk, but they were SUPPOSED to be there. I didn't have to keep an eagle eye for dog poop. I wasn't stepping around parked bikes or mopeds or vehicles. I wasn't being run down by bicyclists. It was so weird! What a novel concept. The sidewalk is for pedestrians only. It's not an alternate commuting surface or parking area. It's for people... to walk! Why, just today I was facing down a deranged fietser on a narrow sidewalk because they didn't feel like biking on the road... where all the other fietsers were biking. Hubs made some comment about the bicyclists knowing where they should be biking in NL, to which I replied "Yes... any flat surface". And, it's true, they will literally bike anywhere as long as it's flat.
There was definitely a smaller number of bicyclists in London. Like.. I could almost count on 1 hand the number of bicyclists I saw in a given day. But 1 of our tour guides was quite proud of how many bicyclists there were. <snort>
4) OTC cold meds... Here in NL you cannot buy cold/flu/sinus meds over the counter like you can in the states. You can only get them via prescription (and that ain't gonna happen... paracetamol to the rescue!!!) Coming back to NL from the US after our Christmas holiday our suitcases looked like CVS vomited. But go to a drug store in London and... lo and behold... cough and cold medicine to be purchased without the consent of a physician. Good to know that I don't have to fly all the way to the US to get me some Dayquil.
So, thanks, London for teasing me with your more western ways....
🎶 so close, so close and yet so faaaarr 🎶
Free Dutch lesson
As I may have mentioned in earlier posts, there is a small farmer's market every Thursday near our apartment. A stretch of street is blocked off from cars (*NOT* bicycles... *NEVER* bicycles - lol) and vendors set up their stands. There's a couple cheese stands, a few produce stands, a baked goods stand, the nut stand, a hard sausage stand (go ahead, laugh), a "snoep" stand (candy), and some other butcher stands.
I usually go to 4 stands: the butcher stand that sells eggs (eggs are NOT refrigerated here and are sold in either 6 or 10 count.. rarely 12), a cheese stand, the nut stand, and a produce stand. On occasion my sweet tooth kicks in and I'll visit either the baked goods stand (YUMMY muffins) or the snoep stand where you can get 4 Mars candy bars for €1!! (The European Mars bar is really a Milky Way)
I usually go to 4 stands: the butcher stand that sells eggs (eggs are NOT refrigerated here and are sold in either 6 or 10 count.. rarely 12), a cheese stand, the nut stand, and a produce stand. On occasion my sweet tooth kicks in and I'll visit either the baked goods stand (YUMMY muffins) or the snoep stand where you can get 4 Mars candy bars for €1!! (The European Mars bar is really a Milky Way)
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| European Mars Bar -- aka Milky Way |
Today I was at 1 of the cheese stands trying to speak Dutch. I was doing ok, asking for what I wanted, making it clear up front that my Dutch is "niet zo goed". I did tell the vendor that I speak "een klein beetje Nederlands" but that I was trying to speak Dutch (all in Dutch... mind you).
Side note: The Dutch seem to like to remind me that I speak "een klein beetje" Dutch ("just a little" or "an ounce" if you're talking about cooking). Not "een beetje" which is "a little" or "some". Nope... that doesn't accurately reflect just how ignorant I am of their language. And they usually chuckle when they say it. So, screw 'em... I've adopted the phrase myself. And then... POW... I understand or use a word they don't think I should be able to use and it surprises the crap out of 'em. lol
Any who... my interactions with the cheese vendor evolved into an impromptu Dutch lesson. He'd say something in Dutch, I'd give my best impression of a deer in the headlights, and he'd repeat it back to me in English. "bijna"... "almost"
I was appreciative of his 1) not laughing at me and 2) wanting to actually help me learn. I also learned that there are some Dutchies who are willing to teach me their secret language!
Dank je wel, Meneer Kaashandelaar!!
Wednesday, 1 May 2019
She who will not be ignored...
Hubs and I went to Breda a few weekends ago for their "Hop On/Hop Off Beer and Food Truck Festival". Don't ask me why "Hop On/Hop Off" was included in the title because the entire event took place in an ice rink.
It was a fun event, albeit a little pricey. You purchased tokens that looked like poker chips which were used to pay for the food and beer. There was no discount for bulk chip purchases. But, the beer and the food were good, and we weren't going to be driving so there wasn't that worry. We would've made it home with TWO tasting glasses, but, alas, I dropped one while waiting for the bus to take us back to the train station. (I may or may not have been a little tipsy at the time)
None of the above is really relevant to this blog, other than to explain why we were in Breda.
Shuttle buses had been set up to take participants to/from the train station and the event. Hubs and I were standing on the bus platform at the train station waiting to board one of the shuttle buses when a woman walked up to hubs and said something to him in Dutch. I was completely oblivious to the fact that someone was attempting to talk to hubs. Now... it's not uncommon to have people come up and beg for money. It's not an every day occurrence, but it has happened a few times. With that thought in mind, and since he can't understand much Dutch, hubs ignored the woman.
Being ignored did NOT sit well with the woman AT ALL. She switched to English but spoke in such a tone as to imply "How dare you ignore me!". She wanted to know something about the buses, and 2 gentlemen standing behind us ended up answering her. Now, these 2 men appeared to speak Dutch so I'm not sure why they didn't answer her to begin with. Either way... don't ignore the Dutch cuz they are not afraid to bite your head off.
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| Inside the festival |
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| Words to live by! |
None of the above is really relevant to this blog, other than to explain why we were in Breda.
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| There were several chickens and roosters roaming free in the park near the train station |
Shuttle buses had been set up to take participants to/from the train station and the event. Hubs and I were standing on the bus platform at the train station waiting to board one of the shuttle buses when a woman walked up to hubs and said something to him in Dutch. I was completely oblivious to the fact that someone was attempting to talk to hubs. Now... it's not uncommon to have people come up and beg for money. It's not an every day occurrence, but it has happened a few times. With that thought in mind, and since he can't understand much Dutch, hubs ignored the woman.
Being ignored did NOT sit well with the woman AT ALL. She switched to English but spoke in such a tone as to imply "How dare you ignore me!". She wanted to know something about the buses, and 2 gentlemen standing behind us ended up answering her. Now, these 2 men appeared to speak Dutch so I'm not sure why they didn't answer her to begin with. Either way... don't ignore the Dutch cuz they are not afraid to bite your head off.
Proud to be an American.. dammit!
[warning... rant ahead]
A popular thing to do seems to be to beat up on Americans... even among Americans. This isn't a new thing. I've heard stories much of my life about how rude American tourists can be, how very few speak another language, and how very few own a passport.
(Not trying to brag, just trying to put some credibility behind my opinions...) Having visited several countries on 4 continents, "rude" is relative. We are part of our upbringing and culture. We get used to certain behaviors because they are acceptable within the culture we were raised. Therefore, what's "rude" to one group of peoples is NOT rude to another. Sure, Americans may come across as rude to the Japanese (just as a hypothetical), but the Japanese lack of personal space comes across as rude to Americans. So... KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!! It's these differences that make us diverse, right? We're supposed to be honoring/respecting/preserving our different cultures... right? What makes Americans different shouldn't be viewed as bad, cuz it's not. I've seen some pretty rude British tourists in my travels, and there are things the Dutch do that I consider rude (their "directness" being top of the list). But neither of these people would consider what they're doing as rude... it's part of their culture... to them it's acceptable behavior.
As for the other 2 comments about Americans, all I can say is... "DUH!" The United States and its territories cover a sizable portion of the Northern Hemisphere. I can travel from Alaska, to Hawaii, to Maine, to Puerto Rico, to Guam... and never need a passport. I can experience different "cultures" (just look at LA vs Topeka 😉) , and different ecological regions ("The United States may be the most ecologically diverse country in the world, home to 21 of 28 globally defined ecoregions." Quoted from here).
And although Europe may have a higher population than the US, the US is larger geographically. It can take quite a while to visit all 50 states. And only 1 language is needed to visit all these places. Of course Europeans learn multiple languages... you cross a border and more than likely you'll end up somewhere where the native language is not your own. Hubs and I can travel no more than 3 hours by train in any direction (except NW, cuz then we'll end up in the North Sea) and be somewhere where they don't speak Dutch. Since I've moved to NL I've been to countries that speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic and have flown shorter flights than it takes to go from Washington DC to LA. Plus there are many English speaking countries on the planet as well. Heck, you could visit at least 2 other continents and not have to learn another language.
On top of the above complaints there always seems to be a new list on the internet of the ways Americans stand out when traveling to other countries. Again, all I can say is.... "DUH!". Every culture stands out when it travels abroad in some way or another. (You ever been around a group of Dutchies either just heading out or just coming back from holiday? Plug your ears cuz they can be quite loud and hyper-verbal) And that standing out should be ok. We don't want everyone to be the same, do we? I mean, there's this huge push for diversity everywhere. Well, outside the US Americans are in the diverse group. These differences exist within the US itself. New Yorkers are considered rude (and even that slur is focused on NYC, not the state). Mainards can't give directions ("Yeh kant get thah from heeya"). Californians are a bunch of stoner surfers. Oregonians are tree huggers. Texans love guns.
So... lets stop proposing these differences as "bad" (Just recently someone posted yet another list in an American expat group where the poster asked "how many are you guilty of?" Why "guilty"?Why the negativity?) and embrace them as being no more than "different"
[end rant]
A popular thing to do seems to be to beat up on Americans... even among Americans. This isn't a new thing. I've heard stories much of my life about how rude American tourists can be, how very few speak another language, and how very few own a passport.
(Not trying to brag, just trying to put some credibility behind my opinions...) Having visited several countries on 4 continents, "rude" is relative. We are part of our upbringing and culture. We get used to certain behaviors because they are acceptable within the culture we were raised. Therefore, what's "rude" to one group of peoples is NOT rude to another. Sure, Americans may come across as rude to the Japanese (just as a hypothetical), but the Japanese lack of personal space comes across as rude to Americans. So... KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!! It's these differences that make us diverse, right? We're supposed to be honoring/respecting/preserving our different cultures... right? What makes Americans different shouldn't be viewed as bad, cuz it's not. I've seen some pretty rude British tourists in my travels, and there are things the Dutch do that I consider rude (their "directness" being top of the list). But neither of these people would consider what they're doing as rude... it's part of their culture... to them it's acceptable behavior.
As for the other 2 comments about Americans, all I can say is... "DUH!" The United States and its territories cover a sizable portion of the Northern Hemisphere. I can travel from Alaska, to Hawaii, to Maine, to Puerto Rico, to Guam... and never need a passport. I can experience different "cultures" (just look at LA vs Topeka 😉) , and different ecological regions ("The United States may be the most ecologically diverse country in the world, home to 21 of 28 globally defined ecoregions." Quoted from here).
And although Europe may have a higher population than the US, the US is larger geographically. It can take quite a while to visit all 50 states. And only 1 language is needed to visit all these places. Of course Europeans learn multiple languages... you cross a border and more than likely you'll end up somewhere where the native language is not your own. Hubs and I can travel no more than 3 hours by train in any direction (except NW, cuz then we'll end up in the North Sea) and be somewhere where they don't speak Dutch. Since I've moved to NL I've been to countries that speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic and have flown shorter flights than it takes to go from Washington DC to LA. Plus there are many English speaking countries on the planet as well. Heck, you could visit at least 2 other continents and not have to learn another language.
On top of the above complaints there always seems to be a new list on the internet of the ways Americans stand out when traveling to other countries. Again, all I can say is.... "DUH!". Every culture stands out when it travels abroad in some way or another. (You ever been around a group of Dutchies either just heading out or just coming back from holiday? Plug your ears cuz they can be quite loud and hyper-verbal) And that standing out should be ok. We don't want everyone to be the same, do we? I mean, there's this huge push for diversity everywhere. Well, outside the US Americans are in the diverse group. These differences exist within the US itself. New Yorkers are considered rude (and even that slur is focused on NYC, not the state). Mainards can't give directions ("Yeh kant get thah from heeya"). Californians are a bunch of stoner surfers. Oregonians are tree huggers. Texans love guns.
So... lets stop proposing these differences as "bad" (Just recently someone posted yet another list in an American expat group where the poster asked "how many are you guilty of?" Why "guilty"?Why the negativity?) and embrace them as being no more than "different"
[end rant]
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