One thing I just want to say that doesn't really have anything to do with our customs is that I heard that English people mostly from America think that Dutch and German is the same. Or at least our langauges get swopped a lot of time. It ain't the same! XD. Dutch is a bit just a small bit alike in sound but not at all in other aspects though some say different. I myself don't see the simularity.

What people don't know or mostly don't know is that here we kiss each other when we meet. UK does it twice but we do it three times on the cheek. I believe we are the only ones doing three.... we just love to kiss XD.

Though many make the mistake we don't do it ALWAYS when we see someone. It became more like a thing when you see your uncle or aunt. Or friends of your parents come by. It is a little official but still a way of showing you know each other. Though sometimes, rarely though, it will be done between strangers too.

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Also when we enter our house we put off our shoes like in Japan. In the hallway most houses have an indoor mat where you are supposed to take off your shoes to only put them on again when you leave. For short visits they can be left on and there are always exceptions on this. Some family's prefer to keep their shoes on in house. My family doesn't though. It is almost like a Dutch tradition to do them off and we kept that in.

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It used to be very normal to eat potato's every day. Or Aardappelen as we call them. Nowadays we adjusted a lot and eat food from every country. But some family's still keep that as a must. My family is one of those. We eat potato's a lot in many different way's and still to my surprise sometimes I have not gotten enough of them. We make our own mashed potatoes, fried them, cook them or put them in the oven. Ofcorse we eat a lot of other food too. We also eat American, German, English, Mexican etc etc. Like all the other countries in the world.

So don't go thinking we are potato addicted people in Holland XD.

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Our school years work slightly differently then in the UK, US, Ireland and almost all other parts too. We start out with what we call: basis school on our fourth. Translated precisely meaning Basic school. We have basis school for eight years. The first two years we just play and learn a little. The following six years we'll learn the basics of Math, History and other things we'll later will be learning more of.

After that voortgezet onderwijs follows, also called 'VMBO'. It stands equal to high school I believe. That usualy takes four years starting at age twelve-thirteen. When you have done the last year you do exams to finish this school. You schould be about fiveteen-sixteen when your done on High school. (Thanks to some crappy shit with my health it took me two schools and three years longer. I turn nineteen this year so almost four years.) Our High school is a new school specialized in the next level. You have to pick it again just like your basis school.

After that you go on another three or four years for a level higher. Again on another school. (which I am auditioning for at theater school in January.) That is the next school here called 'MBO'. After that you will be fully done with school and be able to have a proper job. You can stop after your MBO but that will give a LOT of trouble and cost money.

Studying after that is also possible, named Univursity in other states. It will take another three or four years to complete depending on what you pick. Then you can specialize in something of your choice more to get a job in it. (Like you guys don't know XD)

I myself will not go to "Univursity". Probably. I decided to stop after MBO, the third school. I will try to get into the four year long theater school with auditions in January. My sister did study. She still does even. She is 23 and studies History. I guess I'm just too lazy to XD.

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Ofcorse like in almost every part of the world English is also our second language. We start really early. from the second we are born we will be brought in contact with English. Dutch people took over words which are now used in daily live. Like the Ow My God or Fuck. I seem to have a talent for picking the perfect words to sound stupid but these are the first popping up XD.

But it is not only the words we hear. Many shows on TV or movies made are all English. Ofcorse we have them Dutch too or at least subbed but we mostly (in my and my brother and sisters case then) we skip fast enough to English with Dutch sub until we can do without. Though we tent to put the subs on anyway XD. I don't really know how it goes in other parts I have to admit though I think it will not be so different from us.

But, now you learned some of our customs and ways our country works. It might have been boring.... probably was... but for the people that want to know this might help. I myself think something’s from America like the way the schools work there are hard to understand so for people who have that with us I could imagine this can be helpful. Please ask if you have questions and for the Dutch people: Als ik iets fout heb kwa school ofzo geef het door. Zoals ik al zei heb ik door ziekte het allemaal anders gedaan dus ik kan me om eerlijk te zijn moelijk voorhalen hoe het precies hoorde Xp.

Prettige dag of slaap lekker!.

Have a nice day or sleep well!.

posted: 12-08-2014