27th March 2010: After Day 2 in the Hague, we are having a good time and here are some things we have learnt about the place and the people:
1. We were told "don't worry, everyone speaks English". But, it's not like you walk around and hear English being spoken everywhere. Actually, everyone is speaking Dutch and we don't know what they are saying, but once we speak English to them, they speak back perfect English to us and you can ask for a menu in English.
2. The Dutch don't waste time on nonessential chit chat or smiling unnecessarily. For example, when you go into a shop you don't get asked "how is your day, got much shopping to do?" etc etc. In the post office buying a strippenkart, you don't get a smile at all, but if you ask for what you want you get exactly what you want. When we speak English, no one asks us where we are from or anything. The guy who owns the hotel here (still don't know his name) never asks us what we have been doing or where we are from or what our plans are even though we are one of only two groups staying here and I think the other group could be leaving tomorrow, so we will be the only people. But it's not that he is not friendly - he is. He says hello and goodbye and when we ask him something he answers and he makes our bed and makes nice breakfasts. Another example of this is you don't see many people talking on their mobile phones, if they have nothing to say they don't say it.The lack of pointless chit chat is refreshing and has taught us to be assertive - you have to speak up and say what you want - no one can guess from our smiles or confused facial expressions. If people smile at you it is genuine and people happily help you when you just ask.
3. The Strippenkart: one strip for travelling within a zone, one strip for travelling into the next zone and one strip just because. This is for the tram, it's fun.
4. Whatever the Dutch do at 7:30am on a Saturday morning, it's not go to the beach. We ran from our Hotel in the Statenkwartier to Scheveningen (pronounced unfortunately "shave a nigger" from the guidebook) and although the beach and boulevarde and its numerous cafes and restaurants could accomodate tens of thousands of people we only saw about five people near the beach - a few dog walkers (border collies) and two other runners. Some said Goedemorgen and hi to us. The groups of people on the street on the way back form the beach craned their necks and stared at me running in my black tights and black top and gloves - do people not run on the street or do I look like a house burgler minus balaclava and TV set? Sean said he didn't notice the staring, he wasn't in "burgler wear" though.
5. The Dutch eat a lot of cheese, cakes chocolate and biscuits. They also have a lot of fried snack food - haven't tried it yet, can't identify what it is except for the hot chips with a small mountain of mayo on top. There are smelly cheese shops with big yellow cheese wheels out the front. Our pasta meal came with half a cup of grated cheese on top and most sandwiches you can buy contain cheese. There are beautiful cake shops with exquisite cakes and pastries and chocolatiers sell handmade chocolate creations. And not small portions of anything but huge wedges of cakes eaten by women in cafes at 10am. Every time you have a coffee in a cafe you are given a biscuit. But the only fat people we have seen are AMERICANS. Must be because...
6. Everybody even grandma rides a big and clunky upright bike and if you are not riding you are sitting side saddle on the back, probably using your core muscles to balance because through the centre of the city they ride like maniacs. But no one seems to care.
7. They like flowers. There are lots of flower sellers and small plant nurseeries selling potted bulbs. And the flowers are beautifully arranged, not like the ones you get at the petrol station or Woolies but professionally arranged just sitting in buckets on the cobbled footpath at the flower stall. The hotel guy puts a vase of tulips on our breakfast table - its nice.
8. Even though it's cold (Sean has now decided he will wear a singlet and the scarf I bought him); they like to eat alfresco - preferably with their chairs facing the direction of the sun and not each other in a cafe. There are millions of wicker chairs and little tables sitting outdoors in cobblestone streets and squares - it's pretty.
9. They don't wear clogs. But you can buy clog slippers (look comfortable) from a gift shop. If you would like some, let us know the size and I will send them over. Sean just said we will not be doing this.
10. The service in cafes and restaurants is slow. It's best to arrive before you are hungry. The upside of this is that you can sit on one cup of coffee for an hour and just take in the picture postcard scenery and people watch. You can't listen into conversations though - see point 1 - but they can listen to ours.
1. We were told "don't worry, everyone speaks English". But, it's not like you walk around and hear English being spoken everywhere. Actually, everyone is speaking Dutch and we don't know what they are saying, but once we speak English to them, they speak back perfect English to us and you can ask for a menu in English.
2. The Dutch don't waste time on nonessential chit chat or smiling unnecessarily. For example, when you go into a shop you don't get asked "how is your day, got much shopping to do?" etc etc. In the post office buying a strippenkart, you don't get a smile at all, but if you ask for what you want you get exactly what you want. When we speak English, no one asks us where we are from or anything. The guy who owns the hotel here (still don't know his name) never asks us what we have been doing or where we are from or what our plans are even though we are one of only two groups staying here and I think the other group could be leaving tomorrow, so we will be the only people. But it's not that he is not friendly - he is. He says hello and goodbye and when we ask him something he answers and he makes our bed and makes nice breakfasts. Another example of this is you don't see many people talking on their mobile phones, if they have nothing to say they don't say it.The lack of pointless chit chat is refreshing and has taught us to be assertive - you have to speak up and say what you want - no one can guess from our smiles or confused facial expressions. If people smile at you it is genuine and people happily help you when you just ask.
3. The Strippenkart: one strip for travelling within a zone, one strip for travelling into the next zone and one strip just because. This is for the tram, it's fun.
4. Whatever the Dutch do at 7:30am on a Saturday morning, it's not go to the beach. We ran from our Hotel in the Statenkwartier to Scheveningen (pronounced unfortunately "shave a nigger" from the guidebook) and although the beach and boulevarde and its numerous cafes and restaurants could accomodate tens of thousands of people we only saw about five people near the beach - a few dog walkers (border collies) and two other runners. Some said Goedemorgen and hi to us. The groups of people on the street on the way back form the beach craned their necks and stared at me running in my black tights and black top and gloves - do people not run on the street or do I look like a house burgler minus balaclava and TV set? Sean said he didn't notice the staring, he wasn't in "burgler wear" though.
5. The Dutch eat a lot of cheese, cakes chocolate and biscuits. They also have a lot of fried snack food - haven't tried it yet, can't identify what it is except for the hot chips with a small mountain of mayo on top. There are smelly cheese shops with big yellow cheese wheels out the front. Our pasta meal came with half a cup of grated cheese on top and most sandwiches you can buy contain cheese. There are beautiful cake shops with exquisite cakes and pastries and chocolatiers sell handmade chocolate creations. And not small portions of anything but huge wedges of cakes eaten by women in cafes at 10am. Every time you have a coffee in a cafe you are given a biscuit. But the only fat people we have seen are AMERICANS. Must be because...
6. Everybody even grandma rides a big and clunky upright bike and if you are not riding you are sitting side saddle on the back, probably using your core muscles to balance because through the centre of the city they ride like maniacs. But no one seems to care.
7. They like flowers. There are lots of flower sellers and small plant nurseeries selling potted bulbs. And the flowers are beautifully arranged, not like the ones you get at the petrol station or Woolies but professionally arranged just sitting in buckets on the cobbled footpath at the flower stall. The hotel guy puts a vase of tulips on our breakfast table - its nice.
8. Even though it's cold (Sean has now decided he will wear a singlet and the scarf I bought him); they like to eat alfresco - preferably with their chairs facing the direction of the sun and not each other in a cafe. There are millions of wicker chairs and little tables sitting outdoors in cobblestone streets and squares - it's pretty.
9. They don't wear clogs. But you can buy clog slippers (look comfortable) from a gift shop. If you would like some, let us know the size and I will send them over. Sean just said we will not be doing this.
10. The service in cafes and restaurants is slow. It's best to arrive before you are hungry. The upside of this is that you can sit on one cup of coffee for an hour and just take in the picture postcard scenery and people watch. You can't listen into conversations though - see point 1 - but they can listen to ours.
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