Going Dutch in the Netherlands

Doing business with the Dutch, especially the Dutch from Holland is quite an experience. More than anything else, for the unexpected directness these interactions bring. And for the fascinating colour they provide to the canvas of interactions.

I wondered if this was just me who was feeling this in-your-face-directness. So i googled to see what some others might be thinking. A few samples from the first few hits say-


" Dutch people are very direct. Depending on your point of view, this is rude, tactless or refreshing".

 "Dutch like to think that they are open, honest, to the point and direct. But that is just an excuse for their extreme rudeness".

"The Dutch are known for being down-to-earth and they are very direct. Some people may find this tactless, but Dutch people consider it a sign of honesty"

"The Dutch are in fact proud of all this directness and their very unique tell-it-as-they-see-it mentality. They often consider the English or American forms of politeness a sign of weakness, and reeking of insincerity and hypocrisy, two traits Dutch people absolutely despise".

As one might ponder over the merits of this Dutch trait, it needs no pondering to observe the following attributes:

1) The height: Most of the Dutch i know, both men and women, towered above my puny 5feet, 8inch frame. All my travels, all these years, this was where i felt most like a Liliputian in the land of Gullivers. And data proves it. The Dutch now are officially the tallest nation in the world.
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/35629-dutch-are-the-worlds-tallest-its-official

2) The cycles: Bicycles are everywhere. ranging from the old grandmother-black-no-brakes to modern-geared-sophisticated stuff to the e-bikes, the bikes are everywhere. This is a country which has more bicycles than people, and the rate of growth of the bike population is about four times the rate of growth of the human population. The sobriquet, "Bicycle capital of the world" fits in nicely.

3) The openness- Whether it is in conversations, or in business dealings, or in touristy stuff, the openness in every aspect of life is remarkable. It also manifests itself in iplaces like  coffeeshops (where you can snort upto a certain amount), legalization of the world's oldest profession and much more.

4) Feel of the ubiquitous phrase, 'Going Dutch'. This is a very Dutch expression of what they believe is a natural thing to do. everyone pay for your food at a restaurant, or split the expenses equally. This act, which can be considered disrespectful in many parts of the world, especially the oriental part, is par for the canal in the Netherlands.

5) The windmills- As i see them moving about, at none too great speeds, i try and wonder what is the technology that can tap this slow movement and convert to energy. and the scale ? and the investment ? No wonder they did not take off as anticipated.

And for all the hype, yet to see a single tulip except in a souvenir shop, leave aside the famed tulip garden. Will seek that out tomorrow. And continue my efforts at going dutch with some people
;-)