Holy crap, I'm in Holland!

[nephthys224]

I haven't been on LJ much these past few months, as my life has been pretty crazy. The month of May, in particular, was so stressful that I'm sure it took years off my life. :-P I finally got my thesis finished and bound, and after a series of mishaps and miscommunications straight out of a Hollywood movie, managed to turn it in just in time for me

Comments

[wavebreaker]

Welkom in Nederland!! :-)

And just so you know: the shops being closed on Sunday has nothing to do with lazyness, but with the fact that God doesn't allow people to work on Sundays. According to some people that is... ;-)

As for answering the phone: most people just say "Met [name]". Some people will say their full name, others just their first name. So it's up to you.

[nephthys224]

I'm just teasing about the laziness thing. :) Shops used to always be closed on Sundays in the US, too (and in some of the smaller towns, particularly in the South, they still are). I actually don't mind, but I need to make sure I get Rick to tell me which shops are closed on which days, since some are closed on Saturday, some on Sunday, and some on Monday, and I don't feel like finding out by trial and error! :)

[wavebreaker]

I know, it just that it annoys me that that is still the reason why shops are closed. ;-)
And yes, it can be confusing because opening times on Saturday, Sunday and Monday differ for each village/town/city. The same goes for "koopavond": it's Thursday evening in some places and Friday evening in others.

[ex_ladyvox549]

First off, welcome to the netherlands!! I have been thinking about you the past weeks, wondering and very curious how you were doing and when you would be arriving.

I had the same telephone anxiety as you have, when I had just moved to the States. I kept picking up the phone wondering what to say. Or worse, I could get the hello out but then the other end of the line would answer by just starting to talk while I had no friggin clue who the heck it was who was calling!!:)
Here at home I normally just pick up with "met esther". I stopped using my surname many many years ago when we had nasty buggers call us on the phone.
I am sure people will understand you, and if they don't you could always try english? Except when those sales people are calling you on the phone, please continue speaking dutch then, and give them a hard hard time asking for explanations of everything haha (that is, if you have time for it and like to pester them back ;-))

I myself am leaving for the States next thursday. I would be very happy to show you around my

Hoera!

[ivo]

Hoera! Heel heel heel veel plezier in je nieuwe leventje.

Als ik weer in het land ben, moeten we zeker een keertje afspreken voor een lekker biertje!!

[68024]

Haha, it's funny reading this, as you did the opposite of what I did- i left Holland (ok, technically England)- to go and live in the US, and you did it the other way around.

That thing with the shops closing, I think that the shops are actually open now in the big cities on Sundays, although of course I wouldn't know that for sure, not having lived in Holland for a longer time since 1998 ;)

But I hope you're going to enjoy yourself, sounds like you already are!

Oh and the phone thing, that's funny actually, I've become so used to just saying 'hello' that when I'm in Holland I do the same without thinking sometimes, and people will get confused ;D

[flightysprite]

:) yea sissy is safe and sound :)
while i do miss you lots, i'm glad to hear that all is going well and you like it over there. tell Rick hi for me.
and when you get a chance you must send me pictures and an address for snail mail.
hope everything keeps going well :)