Archive for July, 2010
How to get the Dutch to Speak Dutch Posted by sarah on Jul 30, 2010
One of the most common complaints from anyone learning Dutch and living in or visiting the Netherlands is that it can feel like pulling teeth to get the Dutch to respond to you in Dutch. Many of us have faced this situation or something similar before: You need to buy a strippenkaart for the tram. …
Out in the Dutch Garden Posted by sarah on Jul 28, 2010
For our last trip around the house, we’re going to step out into the garden. Gardens are very important here in the Netherlands, as well as keeping plants in general. Even if there is no actual garden, the Dutch will stuff their balconies with plants and flowers instead. Maybe it’s because there is a lack…
The Dutch Stereotypes Posted by noortje on Jul 27, 2010
I don’t know what foreigners say about your people, but the Dutch are also the victim of stereotypes. On the other hand, they don’t exist without a reason. Or they do? Let’s review what you guys think and say about us. True or False? – Drugs, smoking pot legally, coffeeshops. True, I guess. Holland is…
In the Dutch Bathroom Posted by sarah on Jul 26, 2010
We’re almost through our basic household vocabulary for the month, and really no room by room exploration would be complete without a trip to the bathroom. In the Netherlands, and many other countries as well, there is frequently a separate water closet (WC) and bathroom. The WC will always have a toilet and sink, whereas…
In the Dutch Living Room Posted by sarah on Jul 21, 2010
So far we’ve had a peek into the Dutch kitchen, the bedroom and even learned some words for household work. We’ve learned about the dekbed and how to wash our windows like the Dutch. Today we’re going to have a look at some of the items in the living room, a place where we can…
Buurman en Buurman Posted by noortje on Jul 20, 2010
Buurman en Buurman (neighbour and neighbour) is a doll animation and one of my all time favorite shows. Two neighbours are trying to fix things in or around the house, which goes wrong every time. Orginally those two funny men find their roots in the Czech Republic. They saw their first glimpse of light in…
Dutch Verbs for Housework Posted by sarah on Jul 19, 2010
Ok, it’s not that cleaning is my favorite thing to do, but it is something that I seem to do an awful lot of. And since we’re working on basic vocabulary for around the house this month, having some verbs to work with will probably be helpful. Perhaps it might even encourage us all to…