I am a Dutch Canadian?

Question

Just wondering what its like to live in Holland.

Answer 1

Well, this will probably not come as big surprise but The Netherlands is mostly a flat country with some hills on the eastern and southern parts of the country (nothing spectacular, though). Another thing you would probably notice if you'd visit The Netherlands is that there's not much nature left around here, only in the Veluwe which is a national park in the eastern part of the country. There are a lot of cities and villages that are close together, almost as if they're connected to each other so you will notice a lot of buildings and pieces of farmland inbetween. A lot of Dutch people (except the elders) do speak English, so language shouldn't be a problem.

Because I've lived in The Netherlands all my life I find this country to be quite boring but many tourists might say otherwise. I'm sure it is very interesting to visit a flat country like this one when you're used to mountains and hills, and lots of nature. I guess the country is unique in its own way but I personally got a little tired of it. Tourists always say positive things about it, though.

Answer 2

It is not much different from what I see about life in most other western countries.

You wake up and go to work, (5 days in the week,) come home to eat dinner and watch TV till bed time. (Or use the computer instead like I do.)

In the weekend you do something fun, sports or you might even go away to an other town or country, but that is basically what everybody does in each western country.

The things that make the Netherlands so good to live in are not obvious in the normal things of daily life.

I think I value personal freedom more than anything else.

It is not the freedom the USA citizens claim to have, (to carry arms and drive wherever they want to go,) but the real freedom of thought and expression, and of ignoring some laws if you want to. (But there is a system which dictates which laws can be ignored and which have to be followed to the letter.)

I am sure there are some differences showing up to visitors, like a lot of people travel by public transport and bike.

There is a different attitude to drinking and use of some drugs, but if you look at the actual behavior, the Dutch do not differ all that much from the Canadians I have met.

(I do know a lot about the silly rules in the USA, but I am not really familiar with the actual rules in Canada, although I enjoyed Canada more than the USA when I visited both.)