Netherlands

I, myself, am not a tourist. I am most happy when I am acting as if I were a local. I feel you get more out of your experience when you live like that.

So, needless to say, last weekend was probably one of the best weekends of my life. I went to go visit a long time friend in Tilburg, Netherlands. Upon arrival, we were supposed to go check out Amsterdam so that I could stare at all the glory that would surround me in the Red Light District ;), check out some coffee houses, and just be a crazy teenager. But as soon as I got there, I decided that Amsterdam just seemed too....mainstream for my tastes. So we didn't go. Thus started a whole new cultural adventure that I was NEVER expecting.

Sadly, it all started at McDonalds where as soon as I walked in, I found myself extremely intimidated. Somehow I forgot that the Netherlands was a foreign country.. that had different customs.. and most importantly... a different language. THE WHOLE MENU was in DUTCH (minus names like "Big Mac" of course)!.. HOW WAS I TO ORDER!!??.... I freaked. My friend assured me that it would be alright if I just ordered in English, but I refused. I didn't believe him when he said that they would understand. After I made a scene because I was dancing around trying to read the menu out loud, my friend, Arjen informed me that about 90% of Dutch teenagers are fluent in English. I was immediately taken back. I think only about 80-85% of American teenagers are fluent in English.. let alone fluent in another language. After getting our food, I noticed that my BigMac tasted very strange in comparison to an American Big Mac and instead if ketchup, I was given some strange concoction of Mayonaise, Mustard, and pickles. It was.. horrid.

After we ate, we got back on the highway and found it to be completely backed up. Oddly enough however, unlike in America, people were not fighting their way through the traffic jams, driving on the shoulders, or even honking like idiots. In fact, the people were rather polite. Arjen pointed out that only when there was a traffic jam would the speed limit sign come on. Also, people will turn on their emergency blinkers when a traffic jam was coming up. The whole system was basically based on courtesy. It was amazing!

When we got to Arjen's house, I noticed so many little things that were just so different than London, let alone the US. For example, his freezer and fridge were seperate and about the size of the ones that we have at the flats. I figured that in a home that the fridge would at least be a little bigger. Also, the toilets were different again.. I don't quite understand the whole different toilets in every country thing is about.. Arjen said that in the Netherlands the shape and way that the toilet worked was all about efficency and saving water. I could understand after seeing that there was basically no water in the bowl before you flushed. The stairs also really got to me. They were sooo steep and went around in a circle in one point. I don't know how many times I hit my shins on those stairs. They were killers.

These are just some of the differences I experienced in the Netherlands. There really is way too much to even begin describing here. But, it still to me is soo exciting to look back on. I have so much appreciation for how different every culture is. This trip just made me even more interested in seeing other areas and countries in the coming months and years.

This trip has really shown me that even though you think you know something about the differences between each European country, you don't. I never really thought that simple things such as toilets, would be so much different from country to country. Then there are other things, like weather, that you think will be so much different, and it's not. Each European country is really a country of it's own, no doubt. It's not at all like in the states where each individual state has some minor differences, but are basically all the same. It is a very strange thing to experience being from the US, but it really is what makes Europe special.

Not quite sure about this whole blog thing..

So let's talk about this religion thing.

I often hear many of the people in this program going on and on about how sad it is that London is a secular area. This offends me!!! I am all for people being religious. I LOVE all aspects of religion, and how it makes people act and feel on the inside. But what I do not love is when people go out of their way to say "It is sad that London is a secular society. These people really have no reason to do good, no real reason to live". That is ignorant, and that is crap.

I, on the other hand, am not bothered by the fact that London is a secular area. I know from prior research that even though Sunday is not considered a Holy day to most people, it IS considered a family day. People do not really go out on Sundays. Stores still close early, and hey, it is typical that families actually have a nice sit down dinner on a Sunday evening.

So what if religion does not play a huge role in a typical Londoner's life? What does this really mean for them? They are not good people? If you believe that, then you must also believe that I am not a good person either. Just because you are not religious does not mean that you are not moral or that you are not capable of doing good.

I am really annoyed with these certain people who cannot open their minds to see the beauty in a different type of society. Just because it is not the same as what you have grown up with, does not mean it is any worse, or any better. If someone is not religious, yet still a good person, then you can be sure that this person is really doing good things for their self rather than to get into heaven or what-not.
From what I've noticed, although sometimes a little rude, Londoners are very kind and helpful people for the most part.