Week Two - Cultural

Okay so my week in Nijmegen was pretty short! This was because my sister had her second daughter and as the brilliant and aspiring uncle that I am I went home for a few days! (This worked out rather well as we were all off class this week as it is Dutch Carnival!). However, even though my time in The Netherlands this week was short I still did get to experience the culture of The Netherlands, mainly through the dreaded process of travelling!

As I had never travelled on my own before, the very thought scared the day lights out of me – “What if I miss the train? What happens if I do not get off at the correct stop? Is there more security to do? Where do I go? What the heck does that even mean?!... Oh how I wish I learned Dutch!” These were only a few example of what was running through my head. Never the less, I found out that with a generous smile and speaking clearly, you will be okay… mainly due to the Dutch people being so helpful and friendly! One example of this warm nature was experienced while being on the train. As the snow had caused the main route to Schiphol Station being cancelled, I had to get off at Utrecht. This man who generously explained where I had to go, what platform my train was at and even helped me find the platform made sure then that the young lost (and more than worried) traveller would make his plane on time. Whether or not this was due to the man showing the best Dutch generosity that I had experienced or maybe it was just the man feeling so sorry for me as my face easily showed that I did not have a clue where or what I was doing haha

To make matters worse, the airport soon showed me once again the helpful nature of the Dutch people as I did not know where my gate for departure was at and also where security was at. Again, I was eager in my mind that I was going to miss my flight in some way or form. However, you will all be glad to know that I made my flight on time and had an excellent few days with my beautiful baby niece!

When I returned to my ‘Welcome Back Party!’ at the flat I knew that the next few days were going to be crazy! To truly experience the Dutch culture we decided to go to the big city of Amsterdam and yes whatever you have heard about Amsterdam, I can reassure it is all true! Again, travelling proved a task on its own but when we got there first thought was – it’s so busy! When in Amsterdam we did a lot of walking about and absorbing everything that we could see! The hustle of the city was amazing seeing the numerous amounts of museums that we could experience as well as the many shops filled with souvenirs. The souvenirs contained mainly the tulips, clogs etc the usual Dutch things as well as more… let’s just say interesting things! Haha We also got to see the canals in Amsterdam and at night see the city light up! Then on the second day we started by going to the Anne Frank museum which was breath taking. Honestly, the tour was so sad and humbling to see that such a small girl could write in such a way as she did in her diary. Also, the tour showed pencil marks made on the wall of the height of Anne and for once in my life I was speechless. This was by far the best experience I had in Amsterdam. It let us all see that The Netherlands, like all countries has a dark history but has climbed to become a beautiful city in many ways.

So week 2 is over and I can see that we will all be fine even though we know so little Dutch… or any language for that matter! I can honestly say that I now know my time here will be awesome with many new friends and numerous trips across The Netherlands or maybe even Europe? Hmmm… now there is an idea! P.s. top tip for this week – if your train becomes cancelled and you have to get off and change train, just keep calm, smile and remember to always speak slowly!