What is funny is that everyone thinks that where they come from is the normal way things are done all over the world. I have no accent; the rest of the world has an accent. How could you drive on that side of the road? What, no Taco Bell !!! I moved to The Netherlands in February of 2002 to be with the woman of my dreams. I already knew what to expect from Holland, since I had been here before. My observation of the Netherlands is mainly a comparison to where I lived my entire life, in Northeastern Ohio. I tried to be very open minded when I moved here, and not think that what I was used to, is the correct way things must be done. With all that in mind lets look at how I see this country, my new home called The Netherlands.
The Netherlands is a very beautiful country. The many green fields, separated by many canals. The farmers have no need for fence to keep the many cows and sheep inside their own land. The canals do the job. The biggest thing I noticed right from the very beginning is how flat the country is and all the canals that disect the fields. I was surprised not to see quite as many windmills as I had expected. But since then I have found a lot of windmills.
As far as work goes, it was not easy for me to find a job. Most companies do require you to speak Dutch. I found an international company, where the company language is English. But work here is, well it is work alright, just like I was used to. Actually the job I do here is almost the exact same as I did in Ohio, so there was not all that much of an adjustment for me to make. I do ride the train to work everyday and that was a new experience for me. Now I am an old pro on the dutch train system. Let me see now, what really are the biggest changes for me, an American from Ohio moving to live in the Netherlands. Driving here is different from what I was used to. Many bicycles on the road and on the bicycle paths. A few different laws that I was never used to. Speed bumps in the middle of the road. The lack of fast food. There are some McDonalds and Burger Kings and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but not like you would find in Ohio. The Dutch Fry Shops are my favorite. They are not quite fast food, but as close as your going to find here. All the stores close by 5pm or 6pm. The stores in general are different. Many more specialty stores such as The Butcher, The Baker, The Green Grocer just to name a few. You will not find a K-Mart, Wal-Mart or Target store here, or anything comparable. The price of gasoline and anything that is automobile related. I used to complain like everyone else when the price of gasoline would climb to 1.50 dollars a gallon. The price of gasoline is very steady here. Steady but quite high. Somewhere just under 5.00 Euros or Dollars a US Gallon. The prices for many things are quite higher here. There just are not the number of stores here that sell the same products here, so the competition is not quite as severe. Also I arrived in The Netherlands just when the Euro became the currency. Just about everyone here will agree that all prices have risen here since the Euro became the currency here. Bank Cards are as common as money. Many more Vacation Days at work. Dutch law requires each company to give at least 24 days vacation (or as we say here Holiday days) a year. I receive somewhere between 35 to 45 vacation days at my company. It is not uncommon to take 3 or 4 weeks off at a time. I never had a vacation over 2 weeks before moving here. Sports in general are quite different. Of course soccer is the main sport here. But cycling is very big too. I was used to sports such as Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, and Hockey just to name a few. They do exist here, but not at all like I was used to.
Smoking is different here. You can smoke in most places here. This is changing though. This reminds me of Ohio about 15 years ago when smoking was allowed almost anywhere. There are so many dogs in The Netherlands. You can take your dog into almost any place of business as long as your dog is well behaved. Birthdays are a little different. At work you are expected to buy some kind of cake for everyone on your birthday. Everyone will congratulate you on your birthday. Where I work on your birthday, everyone gathers around you and sings a Dutch birthday song to you, followed by a gift from your colleagues. It is quite an experience. These are just some of the things that are different for me. There are many more and I do not like to concentrate on what is different for me. Every place in the world has good points and bad points. Life here in The Netherlands is quite good. For me personally, it does not matter where I am, as long as I am with Maggie. I Love my life here in the Netherlands, but I would love my life if we were in Ohio too. We would both like to invite you to come to our country The Netherlands and find out for yourself what life is like here. If you ever have any questions, always feel free to write us.
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Dave Looks At The Netherlands
My personal favorites of the country have to be the older things. Such as the many old windmills, the many old little towns, the castles, a ride on the canals in Amsterdam, the old center of the cities. One of our favorite things to do here is to find a castle that we have not seen and ride through all the little towns to get there. You really get to see the country and all the beauty it has to offer from a trip off the highways. I find most everyone to be quite friendly. I do not speak Dutch, and maybe to my disadvantage, I have had no problem going anywhere or communicating with anyone. Everyone speaks English and is quite helpful if you ask.
I am going to single out Golf from all the sports to explain more. There just are not near as many golf courses here in The Netherlands as what I was used to in Ohio. This causes the price of golf to be expensive. The biggest difference is that most golf courses here require a golf license to play on their course. The license is good for a life time once you receive one. To obtain a license you must take a written or oral test on the rules of golf and then play a few holes, just to prove you can play the game. You are not judged on the quality of your golf.
