National particularities

When I first got here, it was easy to see and feel the uniqueness of the Dutch as a people. Now that I've lived here a while, I don't really notice it any more, people have become individuals instead of representatives of a particular nation.

I've noticed this happening before as well, for example with Americans. From afar they seem a very distinct people (yes they do, go put your melting pot where the Sun doesn't shine) but whe you get to know the individuals, you lose sight ofthe bigger picture. Plus, when you get to know lots of individuals, they start seeming normal and then it's YOU that's weird.

So, what is so particular about the Dutch? Well, usually you can tell they're Dutch just by looking at them. There's two main types: one is medium to tall height and has that rosy-cheeked buttery glow that some people have (never mind that they're actually skinny, they just look so... well... chubby). The second is extra-tall and usually thin often with curly hair.

The Dutch are usually considered very forward and frank but at the moment I can't think of a good example except the fact that (this particularly for the Dutch males) they come off extremely rude in any kinds of (business) conversations. Personally, I prefer this lack of "soft talk" to the American version of business lingo. The Americans keep talking but they have absolutely no idea what about, everything is fine as long as they use all the right big words. So when a Dutchman says something along the lines of: "no, we cannot do it the way you want because you don't understand what I've been explaining to you for the past 2 days at all" then, obviously, the poor American gets a culture shock and stops functioning.

I've noticed this not only with Americans but with pretty much all westerners. Now, coming from the neck of the woods that's considered impolite by most standards, I have to say that even I have a problem with this sometimes. But then I'll just tell myself that this or that person is being like my brother and I should ignore any kinds of perceived insults on my intelligence and concentrate on the actual information instead. This has proved useful in that after a few weeks everyone seems to think me very smart indeed. Or maybe I am very smart indeed. Don't know.

What I really like about the Dutch people is their relationship to religion. There are pretty much all kinds of religions represented here but at the same time the Netherlands is probably one of the most secular countries in the World. Personal religious beliefs are considered pesonal and people don't generally talk about their religion. Belief is considered to be within the person, not around him/her and therfore it is considered unecessary and a little rude to profess it vey loudly. I suppose this has a lot to do with the latent effecs of the protestant branch of Chrstianity. In fact, that is the only reason why I might, if pressed, say that I am Lutheran (as opposed to a thorough agnostic, which most people take to mean "undecided", whereas for me it means "error, impossible to compute", the same answer you get when dividing anything by zero).

I'm sure there are more... and I'll post those cultural peculiarities at some later point.

Football, politics etc

So it's now time of the European Championships. Since Estonian football officially sucks so much that even geese could probably beat us, I'm rooting for Holland. Obviously :P

I have a feeling that the Dutch have a "sour grapes" relationship with football. They tend to do well enough but haven't won anything major since 1988. This has been enhanced even more in the past 2 years when the new Dutch national team's coach has been heavily critisized (or so I hear, I really haven't been paying much attention up until the day before yesterday) for picking very young inexperienced players instead of already famous players. He is now vindicated - the young and by now experienced - Dutch team beat the World Champions the Italians in their first game of the turnament 3-0. Now, admittedly, the Italians were probably taken a bit by surprise and then lost morale... but still.

What I found really wonderful about that match was how NICE everyone was, especially compared to the Spain-Russia and Sweden-Greece games yesterday where you could cut animosity with a knife, so to speak.




another EC, this time the European Commission has accepted yet another directive (still needs to pass in the European Parliament) which caused quite a buzz in the office yesterday because it allows people to work 60 hours a week.

Now, people hear that and go "no way, I'm NOT doing that". But in fact the law, after reading the original one from 2003 and the agreed amendments, is actually very reasonable. It says that a standard working week is a maximum 48 hours INCLUDING overtime. In some cases it is possible to opt out - for example if the nature of the job requires constant presence, such as on drilling platforms or when on call - and in THAT case, and only with the written consent of the employee is it allowed to work at a maximum of 60 hours a week. It also betters the condition of temp workers *raises hand* where now the temps are eligible for full contracts after 3 months instead of 6 as before.



On another note, the Irish are voting on the Lisbon treaty soon. crap crappidy crap crap. If they say no, then the EU will be floundering about for another 3-5 years while Russia and US pick it apart state by state, playing one against the other. What the EU as an entity really needs is a unified foreign policy and that just isn't happening until the union is more, well, unified. I understand that a lot of the "old" EU countries are afraid of being outshouted by the "eastern bloc". Ok, fine, but why did they accept us in the first place then? did they really expect us to sit tight ans shut up while they auction our freedoms off to Russia yet again? what a load of hypocricy!

Breathe

Point is, I wish some of the oldies (you know which ones I mean) could get over their latent 19th-century-imperialistic thinking and settle themselves into the 21st century. If we are to be a union,we should be a strong one. One that upholds the uniqueness of each member state but shows a unified front to the rest of the world.