WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT LIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS?

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Permalink Reply by Cristina Corduneanu on April 26, 2009 at 12:55pm

Hey Angelita! How was Slumdog Millionaire? Hopefully good!

I like the hands-on mentality of the Dutch people. I like their way of making from a flat and boring land such a beautiful and picturesque landscape. I like their respectful attitude towards other people. I like the sky and the mist. And I agree with you about the biking.

Are you going to add a discussion "what do we not appreciate about living in NL"? Just curious :-)

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Permalink Reply by angel Hudepohl on April 26, 2009 at 3:58pm

Too easy to go down that road, toch :-) .... so i won't.
Let's see if some of the members can 'dredge' up some other 'positive' points.
Like you, I think the landscape is picturesque and your photography of the misty days makes it all look very surrealistic. Thanks for that.

Feel I can't give a good reaction to the film ... but perhaps that's unfair. the theatre was like the inside of a koolkast! so I couldn't get far past the fact that I was freezing! :-(

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Permalink Reply by Alina on April 26, 2009 at 11:37pm

I like your discussion! It's so much easier to complain about Dutch way...
What I like the most about Holland is being a parent. From the beginning - pregnancy is not being seen as sickness - if everything goes OK, you gain a lot of trust to your own body. You are being taken serious as a whole persoon, not as a hospital case who's got nothing to decide.
Children are being respected and listen to (mostly, I know it's not ideal). And as parent you have freedom to make your choices about the ways you raise your child. Dutch approach towards the children is (and you can see it at a playground already) - I will help you so you can be proud of yourself. Where I come from - take care, you are going to fail. It makes really a lot of difference!!

And I like the winters. There is no snow for months making everyday life difficult. I am happy with these few days a year, it's just about enough.

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Permalink Reply by nicki carter on April 27, 2009 at 9:15am

-(thanks to the flat landscape)
On a clear blue sky day,when the frost still lies on the stumps of the cut off corn and the geese make their way( to somewhere else) flying high above,making patterns in the air like chinese ribbon dancers.
-being able to get around the country so easily.
-having met lovely friends here.
-bacon pancakes
-sinc service club (see events 17th June)
-living in the beautiful countryside- Twekkelo.

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Permalink Reply by Hanna on April 28, 2009 at 11:58pm

I like the Dutch directness too.They don't beat about the bush but are straightforward.
I like that people here, also complete strangers, great each other while taking a walk or a bike trip. I love the landscape, magnificent clouds (when it is not raining....), bike paths, waterbirds, flowers..... ontbijtkoek....

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Permalink Reply by angel Hudepohl on April 29, 2009 at 8:52am

hey thanks everyone for your thoughts :-).

On reading them I realise that there are even more reasons why I appreciate living here (than I first wrote about).

Aah Hanna ... a slice of ontbijtkoek covered with thick unsalted butter ... no need to feel guilty about the calories cause you just go for a pleasant bike ride afterwards. :-))

And apart from New York, this is the only place that I've found where people will greet you and stop to chat for a few minutes before going on with their business. Delightful ... and so good for the soul, eh?

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Permalink Reply by nicki carter on May 7, 2009 at 9:06am

This was emailed to me from my Amercian friend in India. In view of the writer's comments( in this article) he would like to later move to Holland!!!

Attachments:

• Dutch Socialism.doc, 75 KB

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Permalink Reply by Ina Brouwer on July 2, 2009 at 2:16pm

Very interesting to read! Even, or should I say especially!) when you are Dutch. like me.
Makes me realize again it's a wonderful country I live in. And everybody who lives here should read Geert Mak.

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