Ode to my mother
Have you ever considered the fact that you are short-sighted, narrow minded and selfish? Okay, now that I have got your attention read the story below.
Author: Edna Kuipers
I am a Tanzanian born woman living in the Netherlands. My stay in the Netherlands has impacted me on so many levels. I feel the need to share my experience,knowledge and opinions. I will be bridging the gap between two continents, Africa and Europe in doing so. Exceptions and comparisons with other cultures may arise from time to time. I consider myself a world citizen. I have lived in several countries and I associate myself with people from all continents.
Good Idea, Bad Idea
Firstly, you do not or should not expect to get a gift! No, you were raised better than to expect free lunches, so to speak. The fact that the guests are there to attend your celebration is gift enough. They have come for you. What more do you want?
There is more than curry in India
.. This is an eye opening video about the misconceptions we are bound to have and generally do not make an effort and/or don’t care to know. False majority opinions and negative media coverage influence our mindset. I am posting this clip on India as an eye opener. I discussed a similar issue in one …
Ignorance is bliss to the foolish
There are two types of Irishmen; One will offer you Jameson whiskey and the other Bushmills whiskey, one will promote Bulmers cider and the other Magners cider.
Preach Germans,preach!
Today I decided to share a snippet from a music video I recently watched. The following video requires open-mindedness. There is no doubt that you will have an opinion on the content.The irony, one might say, is that the Germans are educating the world on morality and accepting multi-culturism. It is common cause that displaying national pride in German is …
Flirtation and landing a date: Is flirtation a foreign concept in the Netherlands?
“The Dutch are notorious for being tall, reserved and handsome – and lousy flirts…expat women in the Netherlands express constant frustration; they can expect more attention from a Dutch sack of bricks than its construction worker wingman”.
Sexual Cultural Shock
“Is he good in bed?” Oh my Lord, did he just say that?? How dare he! The question shocks me and nearly knocks me off my bar stool. And then he follows, “how does he compare with black men?” I was astounded. This comes from a random Dutch stranger at a bar in central Amsterdam. …
Dutch men are not ROMANTIC!
The word “Dutch” has some negative connotations. In the 17th Century the English marked the word “Dutch” as anything they did not like or considered unwholesome. To name a few that survived to this day; “Dutch courage” (over indulging in alcohol to gain foolish confidence), “Dutch sale or Dutch Bargain” (a sale made at an …
MISS JUDGED: More than meets the eye
“This is a CD, do you know what a computer is?; This was my first encounter with unmasked ignorance in Europe, more specifically the Netherlands. It was merely my second day in this wonderful country I have grown to love and I was already feeling insulted. This was only the beginning. … A couple of weeks later …