Images by Daria Dyachenko and Jos Zwaan via Unsplash
Hoi, I’m Lia and I’ve lived in the Netherlands for a little over five years now. In that time, I’ve come across a number of culture shocks that made me feel out of place (albeit temporarily).
Note: Culture shocks are strange beasts. This piece was penned by a Eurasian woman originally from South Asia, so my culture shocks will definitely reflect my cultural background and upbringing.
1. Tap water that’s actually… drinkable?!
Like most of my friends, I grew up with a water purifier and a paranoid fear of drinking Sri Lankan tap water. It’s not entirely an irrational fear either, as most health organisations in my neck of the woods advise that you boil or purify your water prior to drinking it.
Needless to say, the convenience of being able to wander into the kitchen and fill up a glass of water — without needing to check if the purifier has to be refilled — is a very welcome culture shock.
2. Hot AF summers
Although I’d already visited Germany and New Zealand before coming to the Netherlands, I assumed Dutch weather would be… super cold all the time. I was looking forward to it, actually. (Call me optimistic.)
I was so optimistic, in fact, that I packed a grand total of five — yes, FIVE — summer tops and one pair of shorts. Everything else was cold weather gear thick enough to last a nuclear winter.
Surprise, surprise: I needed to buy a whole summer wardrobe when temperatures of 30ºC started hitting me in the face like steam from a sauna. It turns out that the Netherlands can get every bit as hot and humid as a tropical country, if only for a few weeks of the year.
3. Romance (or the lack thereof)
I’ve already talk about how much I appreciate the Dutch approach to dating, but it was definitely something I needed to wrap my head around when I first came to the Netherlands.
In my culture, men tend to see romance as a “wear her out until she says yes” or “catcall her into oblivion and she’ll definitely be into me” game. Call it toxic if you will, but initiating — through any means necessary — was seen as solidly a man’s job.
When I first arrived in the Netherlands, I found the woman-led approach incredibly alien. Over the years, however, it’s forced me out of my shell and I’m genuinely thankful for that.
4. Clones — clones everywhere
Had George Lucas wanted to film a live adaptation of Attack of the Clones, the Netherlands would’ve topped his list of shooting destinations.
All jokes aside, Dutch people (at least in the Randstad) seem to love dressing exactly alike. It’s pretty much a national sport at this point. If you see a group of girls wearing flared pants, leopard print, and Doc Martens or white trainers… there’s a 99.99% chance they’re from the Netherlands.
Although trends definitely exist in my country, people don’t really follow them as closely as the Dutch do.
5. language skills that aren’t overrated
If you’ve ever Googled anything remotely connected to the Netherlands, you’ll know that everybody and their mum waxes rhapsodic about how talented the Dutch are at mastering languages. However, I didn’t realise just how damn good Dutchies were at English till some of them started correcting my own speech.
In case you were wondering: yes, you can even have a gratis English lesson at the bus halt across the road from the Hoogvliet in Leiden. Just like their language skills, the Dutchies’ penchant for correcting people knows no bounds.
What are some culture shocks you’ve experienced abroad?
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