A Little Different but Mostly the Same {6 Month Reflection}
!!!Happy six month anniversary since I came to the Netherlands!!!
Can you believe that I've made it this long? Well, even if you can, I certainly can't. Either way, I did it. Not that I really do much here.
Expanding on that, life here has been really great. I've had a lot of time to reflect, learned how to relate better with my age group (well, a little better at least), and I've learned even more about surviving out there in the big world like the responsible adult that I am (did I mention I'm now a twenty-one-year-old?!).
Otto (my eleven-year-old host child) and I get along really well, especially since he's found out he can beat me at *almost* any sport. You see, I have this habit of closing my eyes when the ball gets close to me. . . Anyway, Cato (my thirteen-year-old host child) is quieter and much busier, but we've still had our bonding moments. Usually over cookies, nail polish, and making weird noises at drunken strangers from our windows late in the night. Yeah, don't ask questions. Overall, I've really had to be creative when it comes to bonding with these two, quasi-adult, children. I've found out they aren't as much motivated by winning/loosing/petty rewards. They're much more motivated on a relational level. As long as you're there and you're all laughing and having a good time together everything's peachy. HOWEVER. I still pride myself on trying (maybe even competing a little), and I've managed to come up with a few widely successful games they like to play. More on that in a later blog post, I think.
I really can't believe it. Six months have wisked by already. I often find myself thinking something along the lines of, "No! Stop! Or, maybe slow down a little? Just a tad??".
Anyway, that subject makes me sad. Let's move on to some actual writing/blog-ish sort of things.
Speaking of reflecting and being all responsible and adult-like, I thought I'd do a sort of fun blog post. I thought I could share with you how the Dutch are the same and/or different from me (and my culture back in the U.S.A.). Lucky for me, this is a much-talked about subject around pub tables and over coffees. Here's what I've gathered.
We both really like being fit and happy. I contribute my background in fitness mainly to the area I grew up around. The Pacific Northwest (the region of the states I grew up in) is probably actually addicted to health. However, I like the way the Dutch do it better. Health is a little more integrated into how they do life itself. Tennis, golf, and soccer are social sports for the local moms. You bike to all your errands. The children all bike/play/do sports for a majority of the day. You grocery shop day-by-day, buying only what you need, for the day (believe me, it makes you think more about what you eat that way). On a side note, I still totally prefer US supermarkets-- not only are they easier to navigate, but an unusual amount of the stuff at Alberthein (pretty much the only chain grocery store here) isn't very fresh when it comes to meat, fruits, and vegetables. Which I guess is good for the local grocers.
We both like fresh flowers in the house. My host parents like the nice ones you buy. I just bring home mangled wildflowers from my runs and Frits tries to hide his disapproving sigh. I like to think he secretly enjoys them and just disapproves of me "deflowering" public parks. In my personal opinion, there's plenty of canals and plenty of daffodils.
We both value families and friendships more than work. This is something I think the Dutch have down really, really well. Believe me, they've had time to think about it during their three, week-or-more vacations they've taken since I've been here. And not just little stay-cations or anything. Vacations to Switzerland and New York and resorts in the summer. I love how Desiree works extra-hard during the week to have a three-day weekend. I love that my host father is one of the most involved fathers I've ever seen.
We both prefer el naturel hair/clothes/make up. "You're sure wearing a lot of blush today," one of my local friends mentioned at the grocery store. Yeah, I'll talk about Dutch bluntness later. But if you know me, you know I don't wear a lot of makeup. most of the time, blush is pretty much the only thing I wear. So my friend mentioning my blush really says something about the culture here.
On that note, I love how Dutch girls spend 90% of their time cycling around with their long, uncurled or dried or straightened hair flowing in the wind and their cheeks rosy from the wind rather than blush. Further, Dutch guys don't even really like girls dressed up! There's been a couple of studies that have come to the conclusion that Dutch guys believe girls mostly just dress up for each other, which I think is pretty true. Granted, the Dutch girls are some of the prettiest girls in the world, but I still have hope. As someone who has spent most of my life in a pair of running shoes and a t-shirt, it's a relief. Out of all the european countries I could have chosen, I think the Netherlands is actually closest to my personal style (when I'm not in running shoes).
We both tend towards being more intellectual and quiet. I think my host mom summed this one up perfectly, "we say what needs to be said, not more, not less." They wear collars under their sweaters. They have round glasses (Or, at least, my host father does). Although I know an entire country can't be made up of introverts, the Netherlands is a great place to be one. You have the ability to connect when you need to, and also to have space and distance as well. I love the quietness of the rain and the (usually) white walls and the bookcases and old paintings. Or, to sum it up even more perfectly, gezellig! "Gezellig" is a favorite Dutch word for something they truly value-- an easy, warm, loving atmosphere or way of being. I've heard some people call gezellig the modern religion of the Netherlands.
REASONS WHY THE NETHERLANDS AND JESSICA ARE NOT THE SAME:
The Dutch take bluntness to another level. A level that I have not reached yet. Don't get me wrong, this isn't something I especially hate or anything- it's just radically different from America. Ladies, you know how it is when your makeup smears and you need to beg your friend to be on smear-watching duty. Yeah, the entire Dutch population has your back on that, don't worry. Most of the time, I don't really have a problem with it. But sometimes. . . it's just a little much for me to handle. Maybe I'm still suffering from cultural shock. Luckily, I think my host family is a bit different from this cultural average. I usually have to depend on Otto to clue me in on any unintentional misdemeanors.
The Dutch like their simple, straight-forward meals. I don't. Sometimes, for breakfast, I like to eat apples and peanut butter. Perfectly normal, right? Except not. As my host father pointed out, saying, "What a strange thing to eat." As he smeared his weirdly orange-colored spread on crackers (the Dutch and their orange, amiright?). It's your call, my friends, on whose breakfast is stranger. I'm sure he also thinks I'm ridiculous when I make rice or eggs or salad or all the things I like to make for myself for lunch. A typical Dutch lunch is bread with cheese and some milk, or lemonade for the children. Although I appreciate the simplicity, somehow I've been completely unable to adapt to it over these past months.
The Dutch don't really appreciate individualism or self-expression. This is actually probably my biggest pet peeve with the Dutch. Why do they get to have so many great artists when they don't even appreciate things that aren't considered "normal." It's not fair! The website, "Stuff Dutch People Like"sums up the Dutch dislike of general strangeness with a list of exactly what the Dutch don't like:
1. Bragging
2. Showing off or acting pretentious
3. Discussing money (or how much you have)
4. Showing a little too much personality
5. Showing avert public displays of anger or emotion
6. Not following the ever-important rules and regulations (I don't agree with this one. The Dutch are always finding loopholes.)
7. Acting of being anything else perceived as "weird", "different", "disobedient", or "foreign"
While I don't think this list is totally bad, sometimes I find it stifling. And no fun. Especially when I work with their children-- although they definitely do let their children have a little more free range. Still, the culture of adults is bound to wear off on the children.
. . . And that's what I've got! Six months worth of reflection, my friends. I find with travel, one of the most intimidating aspect is oftentimes just how different a place can seem. But I'd like to encourage you- people are people no matter where you go. People everywhere like to love and eat and listen to music and relate. Everyone cries, everyone has desires and passions. As much as we are different we are even moreso the same.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work on my time-slowing machine. I think I'm going to call it the time-slow-inator. More on that later.
With much [Dutch] love,
Jessica J. Wolfe
Can you believe that I've made it this long? Well, even if you can, I certainly can't. Either way, I did it. Not that I really do much here.
Expanding on that, life here has been really great. I've had a lot of time to reflect, learned how to relate better with my age group (well, a little better at least), and I've learned even more about surviving out there in the big world like the responsible adult that I am (did I mention I'm now a twenty-one-year-old?!).
Otto (my eleven-year-old host child) and I get along really well, especially since he's found out he can beat me at *almost* any sport. You see, I have this habit of closing my eyes when the ball gets close to me. . . Anyway, Cato (my thirteen-year-old host child) is quieter and much busier, but we've still had our bonding moments. Usually over cookies, nail polish, and making weird noises at drunken strangers from our windows late in the night. Yeah, don't ask questions. Overall, I've really had to be creative when it comes to bonding with these two, quasi-adult, children. I've found out they aren't as much motivated by winning/loosing/petty rewards. They're much more motivated on a relational level. As long as you're there and you're all laughing and having a good time together everything's peachy. HOWEVER. I still pride myself on trying (maybe even competing a little), and I've managed to come up with a few widely successful games they like to play. More on that in a later blog post, I think.
I really can't believe it. Six months have wisked by already. I often find myself thinking something along the lines of, "No! Stop! Or, maybe slow down a little? Just a tad??".
Anyway, that subject makes me sad. Let's move on to some actual writing/blog-ish sort of things.
 |
| #sotrue |
Speaking of reflecting and being all responsible and adult-like, I thought I'd do a sort of fun blog post. I thought I could share with you how the Dutch are the same and/or different from me (and my culture back in the U.S.A.). Lucky for me, this is a much-talked about subject around pub tables and over coffees. Here's what I've gathered.
REASONS WHY THE NETHERLANDS AND JESSICA ARE THE SAME:
We both really like being fit and happy. I contribute my background in fitness mainly to the area I grew up around. The Pacific Northwest (the region of the states I grew up in) is probably actually addicted to health. However, I like the way the Dutch do it better. Health is a little more integrated into how they do life itself. Tennis, golf, and soccer are social sports for the local moms. You bike to all your errands. The children all bike/play/do sports for a majority of the day. You grocery shop day-by-day, buying only what you need, for the day (believe me, it makes you think more about what you eat that way). On a side note, I still totally prefer US supermarkets-- not only are they easier to navigate, but an unusual amount of the stuff at Alberthein (pretty much the only chain grocery store here) isn't very fresh when it comes to meat, fruits, and vegetables. Which I guess is good for the local grocers.
 |
| Biking fiends |
We both like fresh flowers in the house. My host parents like the nice ones you buy. I just bring home mangled wildflowers from my runs and Frits tries to hide his disapproving sigh. I like to think he secretly enjoys them and just disapproves of me "deflowering" public parks. In my personal opinion, there's plenty of canals and plenty of daffodils.
We both value families and friendships more than work. This is something I think the Dutch have down really, really well. Believe me, they've had time to think about it during their three, week-or-more vacations they've taken since I've been here. And not just little stay-cations or anything. Vacations to Switzerland and New York and resorts in the summer. I love how Desiree works extra-hard during the week to have a three-day weekend. I love that my host father is one of the most involved fathers I've ever seen.
We both prefer el naturel hair/clothes/make up. "You're sure wearing a lot of blush today," one of my local friends mentioned at the grocery store. Yeah, I'll talk about Dutch bluntness later. But if you know me, you know I don't wear a lot of makeup. most of the time, blush is pretty much the only thing I wear. So my friend mentioning my blush really says something about the culture here.
On that note, I love how Dutch girls spend 90% of their time cycling around with their long, uncurled or dried or straightened hair flowing in the wind and their cheeks rosy from the wind rather than blush. Further, Dutch guys don't even really like girls dressed up! There's been a couple of studies that have come to the conclusion that Dutch guys believe girls mostly just dress up for each other, which I think is pretty true. Granted, the Dutch girls are some of the prettiest girls in the world, but I still have hope. As someone who has spent most of my life in a pair of running shoes and a t-shirt, it's a relief. Out of all the european countries I could have chosen, I think the Netherlands is actually closest to my personal style (when I'm not in running shoes).
We both tend towards being more intellectual and quiet. I think my host mom summed this one up perfectly, "we say what needs to be said, not more, not less." They wear collars under their sweaters. They have round glasses (Or, at least, my host father does). Although I know an entire country can't be made up of introverts, the Netherlands is a great place to be one. You have the ability to connect when you need to, and also to have space and distance as well. I love the quietness of the rain and the (usually) white walls and the bookcases and old paintings. Or, to sum it up even more perfectly, gezellig! "Gezellig" is a favorite Dutch word for something they truly value-- an easy, warm, loving atmosphere or way of being. I've heard some people call gezellig the modern religion of the Netherlands.
 |
| Anything awesome= gezellig! |
REASONS WHY THE NETHERLANDS AND JESSICA ARE NOT THE SAME:
The Dutch take bluntness to another level. A level that I have not reached yet. Don't get me wrong, this isn't something I especially hate or anything- it's just radically different from America. Ladies, you know how it is when your makeup smears and you need to beg your friend to be on smear-watching duty. Yeah, the entire Dutch population has your back on that, don't worry. Most of the time, I don't really have a problem with it. But sometimes. . . it's just a little much for me to handle. Maybe I'm still suffering from cultural shock. Luckily, I think my host family is a bit different from this cultural average. I usually have to depend on Otto to clue me in on any unintentional misdemeanors.
The Dutch like their simple, straight-forward meals. I don't. Sometimes, for breakfast, I like to eat apples and peanut butter. Perfectly normal, right? Except not. As my host father pointed out, saying, "What a strange thing to eat." As he smeared his weirdly orange-colored spread on crackers (the Dutch and their orange, amiright?). It's your call, my friends, on whose breakfast is stranger. I'm sure he also thinks I'm ridiculous when I make rice or eggs or salad or all the things I like to make for myself for lunch. A typical Dutch lunch is bread with cheese and some milk, or lemonade for the children. Although I appreciate the simplicity, somehow I've been completely unable to adapt to it over these past months.
The Dutch don't really appreciate individualism or self-expression. This is actually probably my biggest pet peeve with the Dutch. Why do they get to have so many great artists when they don't even appreciate things that aren't considered "normal." It's not fair! The website, "Stuff Dutch People Like"sums up the Dutch dislike of general strangeness with a list of exactly what the Dutch don't like:
1. Bragging
2. Showing off or acting pretentious
3. Discussing money (or how much you have)
4. Showing a little too much personality
5. Showing avert public displays of anger or emotion
6. Not following the ever-important rules and regulations (I don't agree with this one. The Dutch are always finding loopholes.)
7. Acting of being anything else perceived as "weird", "different", "disobedient", or "foreign"
While I don't think this list is totally bad, sometimes I find it stifling. And no fun. Especially when I work with their children-- although they definitely do let their children have a little more free range. Still, the culture of adults is bound to wear off on the children.
 |
| Don't worry, they're in good hands. I'm a professional weirdness-trainer. |
. . . And that's what I've got! Six months worth of reflection, my friends. I find with travel, one of the most intimidating aspect is oftentimes just how different a place can seem. But I'd like to encourage you- people are people no matter where you go. People everywhere like to love and eat and listen to music and relate. Everyone cries, everyone has desires and passions. As much as we are different we are even moreso the same.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work on my time-slowing machine. I think I'm going to call it the time-slow-inator. More on that later.
With much [Dutch] love,
Jessica J. Wolfe
 |
| If I'm not careful this place may steal my heart completely |
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