Put Down That Guide to Life in Holland!

That's right. Put it down. Throw it out the window. Completely ignore everything the books say about the Dutch and how life is in Holland. So far almost everything we've read has been a complete and total lie. (Except that the cost of living here is about twice as much as it was in Dallas; that is absolutely true!) Let's have a look at some myths and truths about the Dutch and life in Holland:

Myth: The Dutch are extremely efficient and hard-working.
Truth: The Dutch work about four hours a day, as best we can tell. Whether one gets to work at 8, 9, or even 10, really does not matter - when 5 p.m. hits, or even 4 p.m. in many cases, it is time to go home regardless of how much actual work has gotten done. Keep in mind that 31% or people in the Netherlands smoke, thus requiring several smoke breaks during the day. Besides a 30-minute lunch, the Dutch must also observe the 10:30 and 3:30 coffee and tea breaks. Combined with the many breaks throughout the day we must consider the generally slower work pace of the Dutch, so we believe four hours of work a day is a fair estimate. (Unless, of course, you work for an accounting firm, say, Ernst & Young; business hours are relatively the same as in the U.S. there.)

Myth: In order to meet with a Dutch person, you must set up an appointment at least two weeks in advance and always be on time.
Truth: Although the Dutch may make appointments, they are rarely on time. In addition, we have not once encountered someone who made an appointment with us earlier than a few days in advance. Just as with most service companies in the U.S., you will still have to wait all day for someone to come fix/look at/deliver something "sometime between 10 and 4." In our experience neighbors are more than happy for you to just drop by since they have no idea what their schedule might be in two weeks time. The one strict rule we've come across regarding appointments is with our doctor's office where we must either walk-in between 8 and 9 a.m. or call for an appointment between 8 and 10 a.m. If we were to get sick, say, after lunch, our doctor told us we could call to see if we could come in but he would be severely unhappy and we might still have to wait and just call the next day during appointment-taking hours. (Our doctor, by the way, leaves the office at 4 p.m. See Myth #1.)

Myth: The public transportation schedules are not suggestions, they are promises.
Truth: Don't bother looking at the posted schedule because if you arrive one minute before the scheduled transport is suppossed to come it probably either came 7 minutes ago or will not come for 15-20 minutes. In any case, the average wait should be expected to be around 20 minutes. Bring a book. If the tram or train or bus comes to pick you up on the dot, praise God that He is blessing your day!

Myth: The Dutch are extremely straight-forward, even more so than Americans.
Truth: Perhaps the Dutch are brutally honest with each other (we have no way to tell since they speak to each other in Dutch, of course, and we understand nothing), but the Dutch seem to be quite gentle when communicating with Americans. In fact, the couple times we have practiced being straight-forward with Dutch people seemed to cause surprise and hurt feelings. Maybe the Dutch are told that it is the Americans who are completely truthful at all costs and so the Dutch are a bit afraid of what we might confront them with if they are too honest.

Myth: Many of the things you are used to in the U.S., like peanut butter, cake mixes, and Mexican food, will be impossible to find in the Netherlands.
Truth: Some of the first things we noticed in the grocery store were peanut butter, cake mixes, and an aisle of Mexican food. In fact, most everything the books say are hard to find can be found at any grocery store. (Note: Baking soda, black beans and pancake syrup as Americans are accustomed to it are both difficult to find and expensive.)

Myth: The Dutch are extremely environmentally-conscious and recycle everything.
Truth: There are the same number of environmentally-conscious people here as there are in the U.S. However, the Dutch do not recycle everything. Glass. Paper. Period. Even in Texas we recycled plastics, tin, and aluminum. Erin still has not found a place that recycles any of those in Amsterdam or the surrounding area.

Myth: Everyone speaks English in Amsterdam.
Truth: While many people do speak English in the city, be prepared to run across someone almost everyday who will only speak Dutch. Most older people and many employees in grocery stores and other small shops will not be able to speak English. Erin has experienced several uncomfortable episodes in the store where an older woman will strike up a conversation or ask a question to which Erin can only smile and try to communicate that she speaks English. If you plan to move to the Netherlands without learning Dutch, brushing up on sign language or charades is advisable.

The books are right about some things. It is cloudy quite a lot. Everyone rides a bicycle. Yes, you can buy pot and smoke it legally. Prostitution is legal as well. Dutch is an extremely hard language to learn.

One thing we never read in the books is that the Dutch are really very hospitable, sweet, and friendly. Amidst all the frustrations we continue to find silver linings. Come visit anytime to experience true life in Holland! (Warning: We do not gaurantee any visits to our apartment to be ordinary, calm, or unexciting.)