The Study in Holland podcasts are hosted by Dutch NHL Stenden student Lotje with Vincent from Germany, Jade from Zimbabwe, and Agata from Romania. This week, they talk about the Dutch and some typical Dutch stuff.
We launch into the podcast with Agata sharing her culture shock experience... the way the Dutch cycle. The sheer amazement of not just cycling through hailstorms, rain and whatever but also of what people transport on their bikes. What's the craziest thing you can think of? Well, the Dutch will carry it on their bike!
So the Dutch are renowned for being direct and it can be a good thing but our students do signal a fine line... between being direct and just being mean. That said, it seems everyone is pretty friendly, saying hi on the street and returning well wishes. And isn't nice when the waiter says ‘enjoy your meal’ and you say, ‘you too!’ Our students also talk about getting around Europe and how it's pretty easy to get around, but you really need to hear why Jade felt like a child in a candy shop when she first got here.
Did you know King's Day doesn't just have a great festival vibe but there's a cute side to it too? Lotje sees children's entrepreneurial spirit being nurtured but how? Of course, there's lots going on in all Dutch cities, towns and villages for King's Day, but there's a lot of places that are well worth going to even when there's not a street party going on. What places do our students have on the top of their lists? Well, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam are all discussed and they've all got something going for them, from architecture to old history.