ralph schmitz Going Dutch You made HAN University your new home, at least for a few months, but how about the Netherlands? Do you have a deep passion for the colour orange? Can you belt out all fifteen verses of the Wilhelmus (our national anthem) and do you start your day with a nice fresh herring fish? Not yet? Well then, let’s go and get Dutch! B-LQ\WZQIT;\INN sensor #17, volume 13 13 How Dutch ou? e y re and see r ultu a utch c Test your knowledge of the D utchy. if you can call yourself a true D cord for scoring the most goals for 1. Which soccer player holds the re the national team? A. Patrick Kluivert B. Marco van Basten C. Johan Cruyff ocated? 2. Where is the Dutch parliament l A. Amsterdam B. The Hague C. Nijmegen 3. Which drug is legal in Holland? A. Cocaine B. Marihuana C. Both ends? o the Dutch give when greeting fri 4. How many kisses on the cheek d A .None, they hug. B. Two C. Three he rest of the world? 5. What did the Dutch do prior to t A. Legalise gay marriage B. Abolish slavery C. Wear clogs ch Colony? 6. Which country used to be a Dut A. Mexico B. The Bahamas C. Suriname he fifth of May? 7. What do the Dutch celebrate on t A. Birthday of the Queen B. Labour Day ation C. Liberation from German occup igh trees catch a lot of wind’? 8. What does this saying mean: ‘H uld plant trees A. To stay out of the wind, you sho tics away B. Be moderate, if only to keep cri F o r e r v e . r ll c y a o r r n t e a c h a t t t n r s o w e h y r e s o u s u o b c o r t r te o e t n e p e ’s b o i t n t C. I . A n s w e r s: 1 s: A , 2 , B , 3 , B , 4 , C , 5 , A , 6 , C , 7 , C , 8 , B 14 How Dutch are they? lm hey are. Mai and Christa from Indonesia, Han from Vietnam and Pa Four Life Science students were the first to find out just how Dutch t Basten, so he could very well be the top scorer. test together. Christa: ‘The only soccer player I heard of is Marco van from Thailand took the ck s.’ Not only Christa answered wrong, all of them didn’t guess Patri Oh, he’s the former national coach? That’s why I know him, I gues n that the Dutch parliament is not located in coring soccer player. The next question was easier: it seems well know Kluivert to be the best s rls e Ducth way? Palm: ‘They don’t hug each other? Ah, too bad.’ The gi the Dutch capital, but in The Hague. What about greeting friends th hrown in for good luck. What they do know is three kisses. But none of them knew that the third kiss is actually t seem to know about the oo he right answer must be legalising gay marriage. Wearing clogs is t that the Dutch were not the first ones to abolish slavery. Han: ‘No, t obvious.’ hbouring countries celebrate Labour Day on nswering the question about the fifth of May. Because a lot of neig The Asians had trouble a s e right answer. ‘I just guessed, because it’s the same day the Mexican the first of May, all but one chose that answer. Only Christa picked th celebrate their freedom.’ e scored four points. The girls did pretty well. check the scores. Palm still needs some lessons in Dutch culture: h After the test it’s time to at ons right. Han isn’t surprised: ‘I like it here in Holland. The flowers Mai and Christa both scored six points. Han answered seven questi on’t like? That it gets so boring after five o’clock.’ the Keukenhof is what I actually dig most about this country. What I d Results 0 - 3 points Y ou were probably surprised to see that there’ s not a windmill on every corner of the street and that almost nobody actually w ears clogs in the Netherlands. You are as D Japanes utch as a e tourist in line for the Anne Frank museum. 4 – 6 points Y ou can explain to your friends at home what Neuken in de keuken means and you probably eat an occasional patatje mét. You don’t deser ve the title ‘Integrated’ yet, but are well on you way. Give it a few m r onths and you’ll surely grow an orange heart. 7 – 8 point Y ou can probably name all of Queen Beatrix’ s grandchildren and are the first to cheer for the Dutch team during a soccer match. Why don’t you change your name to K beca ees or Miep, use you are as Dutch as it can get, my friend! sensor #17, volume 13 15 Overwhelmed by orange an Queen’s Day. That’s why There’s nothing more Dutch th eece wants to experience this twenty-year-old Marina from Gr emester, studying at the Pabo. special day. She’s only here for a s turn out as festive and cheerful Unfortunatley, Queen’s Day didn’t e horrible events in Apeldoorn, as it should have been because of th attempted assault on the Royal where seven people died after an itely got to experience the true family. Nevertheless, Marina defin essence of Queen’s Day. to Amsterdam, which was an The day began with the train ride ving in Utrecht, the train was adventure on its own. Upon arri dn’t discourage the hundreds already jam packed. But that di : they started squeezing and of people waiting on the platform re was no tomorrow. ‘I can’t pushing themselves in like the following thirty minutes were breathe’, Marina screeched. The ell of armpits and beer. Finally, spend with no fresh air and the sm The doors openend and Marina Amsterdam Central was reached. in a sea of orange. Following and her fellow travellers blended dam, Marina was stunned by the flow to the centre of Amster , we have nothing like this in the dressed up Dutch people. ‘Wow ccasion Marina herself dressed Greece, this is amazing.’ For the o e a little crown. Nothing too in an orange shirt, and she wor erfectly. Off to the Vondelpark, extraordinary, but she blended in p as held. Surrounded by people where the traditional vrijmarkt w aying music for cash, Marina’s selling their junk and children pl were selling ‘stroopwafels’. ‘I eye caught a stand were two girls ents!’ Enjoying her big cookie, love these, and they’re only fifty c gantly dressed lady. ‘She looks the Greek girl spotted an extrava r crown and pretty dress. Now just like the Dutch queen, with he n’s Day!’ that’s giving real meaning to Quee n the canals, the place to be on After watching a stream of boats o eached: Museum Square. Over Queen’s Day, the final stop was r e beats of 2Unlimited. Marina 60.000 people were partying to th J Tiësto would be playing later got excited when she found out D ened the Olympics in Athens. that evening. ‘I know him; he op ueen’s Day eating a big bag of He’s very good.’ Marina ended Q orld’s best DJ. patat, dancing to the sounds of the w W as ... That Queen B W ... Why orange is our national colour? It h O eatrix’s birthday is n ot on the O N 30th of Apr o do with the colours of our flag. It il, but on t N nothing t he 31st of January? We celebrate it in Ap originates from the family name of the Royal U K ril because the form er queen K U O Juliana ( Beatr family. The word orange is part of the name: ix’s m O other) was born on the Y 30th o f April. Y Orange Nassau. D D DI DI 16 Gone Dutch erlands to be with her husband. Vonai Shumba (36) is from the United States. She moved to The Neth ion in Nijmegen. She is currently in her second year of the Higher Laboratory Educat dscape is: very bright and fresh. ‘The first thing I noticed about The Netherlands, is how green the lan ally in the little town of Nijkerk, I thought everyone was extremely nice and interested in me, especi n take it overboard and will ask where my husband is from. Although I have to say that the Dutch ca be invasive or rude, it’s just in you very personal questions. I’ve come to learn they don’t mean to ch as drugs and prostitution is their nature to be curious and direct. Their approach to matters su e the open mindedness here in one I can appreciate. Personally, I’m not into those things, but I lik Holland. I like making ‘stamppot’ (stew) Being here for a while, I took over some Dutch habits. For instance, someone. I also love stroopwafels, and have gotten used to the three kisses on the cheek when greeting like is Koninginnedag (Queen’s but I’m not so fond of haring (herring).