Hallo allemaal. Me and my fiance have been dating for quite some years now and I am still learning lots of things about him and his culture. Being in an interracial relationship was never easy. But since I have been a very good observer and submitter (at least that's how I feel. Hihi), I came to understand his reasons and we are doing it right (not all, but most of the important things).
They say that Dutch people dress messy. As per what they say about dressing, I am just so not into believing that Dutch people don't care how they look. Wearing jeans is very comfy, but hey! They are very fashionable and conscious with their style too. Though it might apply to most of the Dutch in the Netherlands, I am happy I have my partner which does not fall in this category. My stay in the Netherlands proved this statement wrong. Might apply to ladies hair (they just tie them up like what I usually do or wring it tight for convenience) but never with their dress and clothing. My fiance loves wearing stylish clothes but also depends on his attire to the event.
Clean your table. One of the characters of being a Westerner that I admire the most. Whenever we go out and eat at fast food restaurants, he initiates to clean our table and leave no trash behind. I noticed that when we ate at McDonald's. In the country where I live is a total opposite. People are used of letting the staff clean the table for them, reasoning that it is what they're hired for. But considering the amount of work they might have done if you'll clean your table, they can be more productive. So every time we eat out, I just make sure that I piled everything up for the staffs' ease of cleaning.
Walk fast and walk more. Dutch people love walking, well at least that's how I find. And they do not walk as normal, they walk fast, like always in a hurry. But the good thing is, I can keep up. It is just that I feel exhausted fast due to my heart's medical condition. One thing I miss is when we walked in the forest, not once, but many times. There is where you can clear your head and feel and appreciate God's creations. We did it in winter and that's one of the awesome things I am seeing my myself doing in the future again with him.
Direct. When Dutch people have something in their head, they say it, eye to eye, and they do not hesitate to let others know it. They are known as one of the direct people in the world. I do understand though. If you have something in your head, why hold back? But with the experiences I had with Dutch, I never had a problem with their directness. As long as it is a kind way of telling it, that's acceptable. I normally hear GJ say "not bad" and they say that it means that they are praising you.
There are a lot of things I learned about the Dutch people but I don't want to fill you up in one post. I am dividing them into different categories depending on the traits, things they do and everything else. I am excited to share with you other things I noticed about them.
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