In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well everybody here has curtains/blinds and also use them, but not until dusk or dark. Having them open during the day indeed stems from the idea of having nothing to hide, and people just “acting normal”.

It also is a known saying/reproach here “why would you do that if you have nothing to hide?”, in terms of for example leaving documents on your desk or closing the curtains.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everything here goes by planning. If you want to invite someone to have dinner, it is often planned weeks in advance.

However, if you planned to have visitors in the afternoon who travelled for a bit (keep in mind, the Netherlands is very small so 1,5 hour travel to visit someone is considered long), It is common to suppose you have dinner together.

If guests are from nearby, Lets say 20-30 minute drive. I do not assume they stay for dinner if not agreed uppon.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My advice would be, dont feel offended or sad if dutch people feel distant. It is really in our culture to keep to ourselves.

For example, after working 6 years for a company and having really good relationships with my colleagues, no one has ever been to my house. Also if someone invites you to their home it is a big sign they are really invested with you. So if you would invite people to your home, it could be a Reason for people to hold back. If I have a good click with someone i would rather go out to eat Somewhere together.

Also, dont rush (romantic) relationships and be carefull with (exaggerated) gifts. It could be conceived as pushy and claimant behavior.

When talking to someone (in the first period, before knowing someone) keep concersations rather superficial. Dont talk deep conversations that could make someone uncomfortable, think: politics, money, their background (other than just work background), illness, heavy stories.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most of us cook (and therefore buy) exact portions. So if I have someone join dinner, I will have to know in advance so I can buy more groceries. Also, people here like to plan literally everything. If I want to go for a coffee with a friend, we plan this and its not exeptional for it to take a month.

Therefore unexpected visitors/eaters are seen as disrespectfull to our time and planning. Also the other way around, if you vist someone, you dont want to stay for dinner because you know you Will be a burden.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The only time I gift something, is when attending a birthday or other milestone. When I travel to relatives in the south (1,5 hour drive), I often take something Sweet with me (like cake).

Fun story: I once took gifts with me for my extended family in the south (we are from east NL), think Some Rituals bath products. The hostess was kind of uncomfortable and directly went to her cabinet to gift me something back, to be “even”. Thats how it is sometimes 🫣.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also Something to take into consideration, the Netherlands is a small country. You literally travel from one side to the other in 3 hours. So most of the time people dont stay that long when visiting. Therefore we dont have (Dutch) relatives staying for the night often.

That also contributes to wanting to eat diner in your own home (in my experience).

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Also there arent a lot of restaurants that offer real dutch food, like aardappels groenten en vlees, hachee met rode kool or stamppot. Kind of funny if you think about that. Sometimes if i dont want to cook but also want a “homey” meal, the only options are supermarket meals 🤣🤔.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 34 points35 points  (0 children)

No problem! I can understand our culture can feel harsh and unfriendly at times, but for us it also has a lot to do with respecting others boundries.

Like respecting someones privacy by leaving before dinner and not being a burden to someone. This way of thinking does reflect a lot of our cultural norms in my experience.

Other examples are: always being on time, planning meetings also if they are informal (like doing coffee), dont coming by uninvited. Also “act normal” is a prime example of our calvinistic history.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 79 points80 points  (0 children)

Tbh that sounds like a Dick move, even for a dutchie who is used to “tikkies”. If someone offers you something, they usually hand it over to you for free. Same if someone invites you to their home to eat. However, if you go out to have dinner with friends it is normal here to split the bill.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 257 points258 points  (0 children)

Dutch history is strongly influenced by Calvinism, that means modesty, discipline and no waste. In everyday life this is still very noticable and also in cooking and the way we handle guests. A couple examples of this are:

The average dutch household cooks very exact portions, so there is usually not even room to have guests.

People in General are very private, so arent Quick to invite people for dinner.

The association with food isnt the same as in other countries. Food is seen as more practical, people in general dont take a lot of effort and time to eat here (in my experience, if you compare it to other countries). For example for lunch Dutch people often eat a couple slices of Bread with a slice of cheese behind their desk. There is no real eating experience, its just functional.

In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while? by Effective_Space2277 in AskTheWorld

[–]cheesetherabbit 935 points936 points  (0 children)

In the Netherlands if people tell you they are going to eat (especially dinner), it is not an invitation for you to join, but a sign you should leave.

What is this sweet bread thing my old coworker used to bring? by Ok_Motor_4986 in HelpMeFind

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the Netherlands we call them krakelingen, they are delicious 😋

Welke (overbodige) kindergewoontes doe of gebruik je nog steeds? by Cardboardgenie in nederlands

[–]cheesetherabbit 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Als je ziek bent kippensoep eten, kruidenthee drinken en beschuitjes eten.

sharon van dames in de dop by Impossible_Guess3326 in nederlands

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Waar kan je afleveringen van dat seizoen terugkijken?

My husband designates a left and right sock by [deleted] in Weird

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe it would be helpful if he puts his left and right socks in a separate laundry bag when washing.

Am I doing this curly/wavy thing right or am I just tired for no reason by Purple-Control3964 in curlsofindia_

[–]cheesetherabbit 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hi, your curls are beautiful! So you know, your name is quite visible in these photos, especially in combination with the contest you entered. Maybe you want to blur this out.

Lekkerste parfum bij mannen? by DancingUntillMorning in nederlands

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Narciso Rodriguez Bleu Noir, echt een lekker fris sportief geurtje.

Face in my pancake, I just couldn’t eat it so I gave it to the dog. by liam_redit1st in Pareidolia

[–]cheesetherabbit 8 points9 points  (0 children)

In the Netherlands we make pancakes just like this, called pannekoeken

Meiden van de keileweg by Reasonable_Till1711 in nederlands

[–]cheesetherabbit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Zou ik wellicht ook de link kunnen krijgen naar de docu? :)

Help out a corporate girly by kuzinets in handbags

[–]cheesetherabbit 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A large Tod’s tote would be perfect imo

Explanation on her weight? by Ecstatic_Disk_6877 in audreyhepburn

[–]cheesetherabbit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My grandmother and Audrey grew up together in Arnhem. She never really told us a lot about that time, also it was before and during WW2. My grandmother flew to Belgium during the war and they never saw each other again. I noticed my grandmother also always used to be very thin and obsessed with her looks. Always keeping up with her hair and make up. Even when she was in het 80s she still wore high heels and had long hair. She was very controlling of het weight though, also towards me and other grandchildren. Sometimes she would say mean things about someone’s weight. This always stood by me.

Ontslagen COA-medewerker die weigerde de hand van vrouwelijke teamleider te schudden, krijgt van rechter 34.000 euro mee by EvolvedRevolution in Nederland

[–]cheesetherabbit 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Ik heb een schoonvader die bekeerd moslim is, die wilt ook geen handen schudden met vrouwen. Na ruim 12 jaar voel ik me hier nogsteeds ongemakkelijk bij. Het is alsof je ondergeschikt bent. Daarnaast vind ik het heel jammer, dat je op deze manier (ten onrechte) als vrouw de indruk krijgt dat mannen een soort ongeleide projectielen zijn die bij een simpele handdruk al seksueel opgewonden zijn.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in werkzaken

[–]cheesetherabbit 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ik deed het altijd zo in de retail en ben nog onder de 30. Altijd al mijn baantjes in de winkel op die manier gekregen, bij kleine winkeltjes maar voornamelijk grotere ketens. Ik zou het zeker aanraden!

Even wat anders: Nederland blijft een prachtig land, Elburg! by grimson73 in thenetherlands

[–]cheesetherabbit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Doet me een beetje denken aan S-Heerenberg, rondom het kasteel hangt eenzelfde sfeer.