Welkom to the Netherlands, a wonderfully gezellig (cosy) yet idiosyncratic little land, where the natives are very friendly if not quite ‘normaal’ (their favorite word).
A few tips to help ensure that you have a happy and healthy stay here in the Lowlands.
Don’t eat a broodje fricandel, infamous Dutch fast food; it’s made of pig butts scraped off the slaughterhouse floor. Do buy and ride a bicycle, but stay to the right and, like the Dutch, don’t stop at red lights unless absolutely necessary. Don’t mention the war, or Frank de Boer, disgraced drug-cheat football hero (the Dutch are in national denial). Do learn to say ´Mag ik Engels praten´ to Dutch shopkeepers, strangers, et al. before addressing them in English. The answer will invariably be ´ja´ and your politeness mightily appreciated. Don’t drink Karne milk unless you like milk that tastes like it’s been left out in the hot sun for a month. Do buy the novels of Cees Noteboom in translation, especially In the Dutch Mountains and The Following Story. Don’t go to a ‘coffee shop’ expecting to get a cup of coffee. Stoned on skunk, yes, but for coffee, it’s a café you want. Do visit the Wadden Islands and go Wad-walking, one of the great outdoor recreations in the world. Don’t forget to look out for dogshit when walking Dutch city streets%they’re a minefield of solid, smeared and scattered hondepoep. Ditto for walking across the grass in public parks. Do eat dinner cheaply and deliciously at Wolbodo, a TU student fraternity, but get there early (around 5:30). Don’t swim in Delft´s toxic canals unless you have comprehensive health insurance. Do attend this year’s (Bouwkunde) Architecture Party, the biggest and best student party in the Netherlands. Don’t wear a Republic of Ireland supporter’s scarf on September 1, which is D-day for Holland´s World Cup hopes. Do go to the top floor of the ElectroTechnic building for a stunning birds-eye view of Delft. Don’t walk down Delft´s Kromstraat dressed like a bourgeois student unless you enjoy being abused by brainless hooligans. Do make use of Delft Public Library´s discoteek(CD library), where you can rent thousands of CDs at f 3.75 each. Don’t practice your own form of apartheid by only hanging out with your fellow foreign students%mix and mingle with Dutch students.
Welkom to the Netherlands, a wonderfully gezellig (cosy) yet idiosyncratic little land, where the natives are very friendly if not quite ‘normaal’ (their favorite word). A few tips to help ensure that you have a happy and healthy stay here in the Lowlands.
Don’t eat a broodje fricandel, infamous Dutch fast food; it’s made of pig butts scraped off the slaughterhouse floor. Do buy and ride a bicycle, but stay to the right and, like the Dutch, don’t stop at red lights unless absolutely necessary. Don’t mention the war, or Frank de Boer, disgraced drug-cheat football hero (the Dutch are in national denial). Do learn to say ´Mag ik Engels praten´ to Dutch shopkeepers, strangers, et al. before addressing them in English. The answer will invariably be ´ja´ and your politeness mightily appreciated. Don’t drink Karne milk unless you like milk that tastes like it’s been left out in the hot sun for a month. Do buy the novels of Cees Noteboom in translation, especially In the Dutch Mountains and The Following Story. Don’t go to a ‘coffee shop’ expecting to get a cup of coffee. Stoned on skunk, yes, but for coffee, it’s a café you want. Do visit the Wadden Islands and go Wad-walking, one of the great outdoor recreations in the world. Don’t forget to look out for dogshit when walking Dutch city streets%they’re a minefield of solid, smeared and scattered hondepoep. Ditto for walking across the grass in public parks. Do eat dinner cheaply and deliciously at Wolbodo, a TU student fraternity, but get there early (around 5:30). Don’t swim in Delft´s toxic canals unless you have comprehensive health insurance. Do attend this year’s (Bouwkunde) Architecture Party, the biggest and best student party in the Netherlands. Don’t wear a Republic of Ireland supporter’s scarf on September 1, which is D-day for Holland´s World Cup hopes. Do go to the top floor of the ElectroTechnic building for a stunning birds-eye view of Delft. Don’t walk down Delft´s Kromstraat dressed like a bourgeois student unless you enjoy being abused by brainless hooligans. Do make use of Delft Public Library´s discoteek(CD library), where you can rent thousands of CDs at f 3.75 each. Don’t practice your own form of apartheid by only hanging out with your fellow foreign students%mix and mingle with Dutch students.
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