Micellaneous Observations 080225/sa

Okay, I keep getting e-mail from everyone wanting to know what the experience has been like now that I’ve been here a month. I’d heard a lot of things before I came over and wasn’t certain what to expect. Below are some things that I heard and my firsthand observations:

The toilet paper is rough...
I don’t find this to be true...maybe I just buy the right kind. Actually I like it better. It seems to be sturdier (for the tough jobs) and doesn’t chaff my baby-soft skin.

You can’t get steak...
The guys both had to have steak before we left the states because they’d heard we couldn’t get them here. Actually, I think they’ve both had steak at least once a week since we’ve been here. All of the restaurants have one steak or another–t-bone, ribeye, filet mignons and others are available on most menus. Also, I’ve seen some awesome steak cuts at the grocery...maybe we can get a grill for the patio and check them out too.

No Poptarts!...
True, and nothing that would even compare. As I shop and cook, can usually find something that will work as a substitute...but for some things, there is no close equivalent... poptarts, French’s mustard, cold brew tea, saltine crackers.

Nothing has preservatives...
True. This one cracks me up. Over here, nothing has preservatives. I’ve decided that’s one reason they have tiny fridges...anything more would be wasted space. Once you buy something (other than cheese or sausage) you’ve got limited time to get it eaten. This is normal over here...contract this to back home where, we call this "organic" and pay a premium to get it without preservatives! One step forward, two steps back as the saying goes.

No Dr Pepper...
False! I am able to purchase them at the grocery across the street. I still miss Ole Jax.

The tea is "sparkling"...
This means that it is made with carbonated water. Definitely NOT anything to write home about. Needless to say, I’m having difficulty when we go out to eat. And all the drinks are so small! Maybe 6 oz at best–but, that evidently is a European thing–they don’t drink with meals. Someone definitely needs to introduce them to a "Texas-size" drink!

It rains all the time...
A bit of an exaggeration...but at least once a day six out of seven days would be pretty close!

Most Dutch people speak English...
True! Its been awesome. Hank is so good about letting everyone know right up front that his mom doesn’t speak Dutch! Other than a couple of situations, I’m able to communicate more than adequately.

The international school is very advanced compared to US schools...
This is probably true. However, Hank has not had a problem at all adapting probably because he’s always been in the gifted programs and our semester at Lovington Christian Academy also helped!

They drive on the wrong side of the road...Nope, they drive on the right, just like we do.

They all ride bicycles...
True. Young and old, rich and poor. They ALL ride bicycles. It amazes me to see children as young as two or three on bicycles...then there are the elderly...and the hordes of kids who ride in packs to school. It amazes me how so many ride with no hands, with umbrellas, carrying packages. Moms with one tot in a basket on the handle bars and another in a seat on the back! I’m going to take a photo day and just go out and photo all the different bicycles and their riders.

Drugs are legal...
Not true. Drugs–including pot– are controlled substances in the Netherlands and both possession and production for personal use are still misdemeanors, punishable by fine. Coffee shops where people smoke pot are also technically illegal according to the statutes; however, there is a policy of non-enforcement to these laws as drug use is considered a public health issue rather than a criminal matter. Large-scale dealing, production, import and export of drugs are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Exactly how coffee shops get their supplies is rarely investigated, however, it is certain is that coffee shops do sell pot that comes from countries where it is illegal. I’ve not seen any drug use and although I have stumbled upon a couple of head shops and coffee houses, they are well marked and easily avoided.

Other things that I’ve found:

Dutch people are tall...in fact, they are amongst the tallest in the world, with an average height of about 6 ft 1 in for adult males and 5 ft 6 in for adult females. People in the south are on average of ½ inch shorter than those in the north.

Amsterdam is a dangerous city–even the natives steer clear because of the high crime rates.

Holland is a state in the Netherlands, but they all say welcome to Holland, no matter where you live in the country. They speak Dutch in the Netherlands, but Germany is called Deutschland.

Anytime Hank is introduced, they all say, "Ah, a good Dutch name" even though they spell Hank, with an "e" – Henk.

Radio – Maybe if you have a new car and live in the city in the states, this is the case there too, but out in po-dunk where we live its not–here, on the car radio, the digital read out on the radio on the dash tells the name of the song, the artist, and in some cases when the song was released on the currently playing song and the previous song. Its pretty cool...no more 2nd guessing who’s singing what! I like it–are DJ’s on the way out

That's all for the moment, but more posts and pictures coming shortly!