Contracting in Netherlands

[Francko]

you'll never be one of them even after you live half a century there
Compared to?, various EU countries where someone can be born there, a native speaker, second/third generation and all the rest and, well...let's just say the chances of seeing someone like Trevor McDonald, or his equivalent, on German/French/Belgium/Italian TV in the next 25 years is somewhat small.

Joe, in "I used to be a Europhile" mode.

This is not to debate over general tolerancy, of which England can probably teach a lot to the whole world. I was merely discussing linguistic tolerance. Apart from the French who ridicously pretend that their language is universal I feel that only in England there is this theory of a superior language whereby everybody from abroad is expected to learn and speak it perfectly. In euroland you probably have the opposite problem where conflicts start because people have an inferiority complex of having a less "important" language.

[threaded]

Actually it gets even worse in Holland. That is probably the only country where the natives get annoyed if you try to speak their own language. A poor friend of mine was so frustrated, he tried to learn it for 2 years and he never got any chance of practicing it as they always replied in English to all his attempts of conversation.

Actually, I have business interests and family in the Netherlands and have never, touch wood, met people with that attitude, although I hardly ever go into the big cities. Though, city-folk being ass-hats generally, I am not so surprised.

[AlfredJPruffock]

A foreign body
And a foreign mind

Never welcome
In the land of the blind

You may look like we do
Talk like we do
But you know how it is

You're not one of us
Not one of us
No you're not one of us






The best example I have of the frustration of living and working in the Netherlands was a very good American friend of mine who lived and worked there for 15 years - he took u[on himself as a personal mission to learn Dutch and master every facet of the Languauge and Grammar .

Dutiffuly read all of Dutch Literature and was expert in all manners od Dutch culture - but he left rather bitter after 15 years as he was convinced he was never accepted by the Dutch - any native Dutch folks reading this care to comment ?


It's only water
In a stranger's tear

Looks are deceptive
But distinctions are clear

A foreign body
And a foreign mind

Never welcome
In the land of the blind

You may look like we do
Talk like we do
But you know how it is

You're not one of us
Not one of us
No you're not one of us
Not one of us
Not one of us
No you're not one of us

There's safety in numbers
When you learn to divide

How can we be in
If there is no outside
All shades of opinion

Feed an open mind
But your values are twisted

Let us help you unwind

You may look like we do
Talk like we do

-But you know how it is

You're not one of us

Not one of us
No you're not one of us

Peter Gabriel

[threaded]

The best example I have of the frustration of living and working in the Netherlands was a very good American friend of mine who lived and worked there for 15 years - he took u[on himself as a personal mission to learn Dutch and master every facet of the Languauge and Grammar .

Dutiffuly read all of Dutch Literature and was expert in all manners od Dutch culture - but he left rather bitter after 15 years as he was convinced he was never accepted by the Dutch - any native Dutch folks reading this care to comment ?

Yes, but septics are inferior. The Dutch are probably being more honest when they make it felt, rather than the fake smiles English people give them.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Aye Threaded

Thats true.

Personaly I fail to see the attraction of living in a culture dominated by petty meetings dull food a flat landscape and flat beer - and rather dull people IMHO - save staying for an odd contract/smash'n'grab and moving on to higher ground - but thats just me.

Tot Ziens !

What have the Dutch ever done for us ?

[Joe Black]

"This is not to debate over general tolerancy"



What have the Dutch ever done for us?, they brought us these chaps. The ones on the left and right have unfortunately retired.

[expat]

Personaly I fail to see the attraction of living in a culture dominated by petty meetings dull food a flat landscape and flat beer - and rather dull people IMHO - save staying for an odd contract/smash'n'grab and moving on to higher ground - but thats just me.

Do you really think the South of England is that bad?

[AlfredJPruffock]

Do you really think the South of England is that bad?

A contractor dies and finds himself in Hell.
Ths Devil appears and ask how is he settling in.

'Actually - I quite like it here - I was from Basingstoke.'