Don’t know the Dutch much? Well, then strike up a conversation.  The Netherlands celebrates the Queen’s birthday on the last day of April. Her birthday is actually earlier but we celebrate this date in honor of her late mother. After spending our first year in Amsterdam for Queen’s Day, this past year we decided to stay in Eindhoven. This was a perfect day to get to know the local Dutch.

Let me say this… The Dutch know how to party. 99% of the people were dressed in orange, the color of the Royal family. The drinks were flowing and the people were all mosh pitted together all trying to have fun! Concerts can be heard throughout the city or DJ’s jamming out the latest tunes. Bars blare their music beckoning you to come sit at their joint. I had snagged us a tall bar top table outside on Dommelstraat at our favorite local pub, Dommel 18. As we sat there taking in the sights and fun of the party goers drinking our beer and trying to catch up, two young men came by our table smoking cigarettes. Now mind you it’s standing room only in the streets. People are wall to wall walking, talking and having fun!  I saw them smoking so I pushed an ashtray over for them to use. They kindly accepted and started talking to us. Three hours later, I can say that I definitely know more about the Dutch than I did before, at least through the eyes of two 19 year old men.

As Ties and Bart puffed on their cigarettes, I remarked that it seemed like a lot of Dutch smoke. They said that yes, 60-70% of the Dutch smoke! (stat on the web from Radio Netherlands Worldwide… 25%). They said that at 16, a person can purchase cigarettes. Wow, I said,  that seems very young! They told me that it’s ok for them to smoke but if they had a girl friend or were married they would not want her to smoke, especially if she were pregnant.

Ok, so let’s open this can of worms…-  Pot?! Bart and Ties… “ Ahhh yes we smoke pot. It’s good for you!  If you smoke pot once a month your blood flows better.” They said,  “ Take a man in a high stressed  position, if he smokes pot once a month he will be more relaxed and not  be inclined to have a heart attack.” Someone at the table says “Who wants another round?” All hands in the air! And Proost!

“Speaking of pot”, says Ties, “We just got our Weed Pass”.  “Oh really? What’s that?” I asked. ‘’Well, starting May 1st in our area, people can get a Weed Pass. Like a members only pass at clubs or coffee shops.”  Apparently people from other countries come here to buy the marijuana and then return to their countries to sell it. Here’s another Bart and Ties stat… 70% of all Dutch smoke pot! (Wiki stats.. 9.5% young adults in the Netherlands).

All in all, a very educational fun day spent with Bart and Ties! A few more things they would like us all to know… Bitterballen… made from horse meat! And Tom Jones is the bomb! Sex Bomb that is! I love it! Teens in America would probably ask “Who the Hell is Tom Jones?”

“The great thing about The Netherlands is the liberty to make your own decisions. You have to be responsible for your own actions”, Bart said.
Thanks Bart and Ties for a wonderful Queen’s Day!

Lisa Jochim

In anticipation of our last Queen’s day, or Koninginnedag, before Queen Beatrix hands over all royal duties to her son Prince William Alexander on April 30th, I thought I would reflect back on the two short Queen’s Day celebrations I had since moving to The Netherlands.

Back in April of 2011, my daughter and I came over to The Netherlands to visit her new school and to find a new house. Our trip ended with a day in Amsterdam. This city, which sits on the North Sea, has many canals that wind their way through the tiny streets. There are thousands of bikes lined up and parked all over. I quite honestly have no idea how each person finds their own bike or remembers where they’ve parked their bike. I do know that bikes are stolen here all the time. I guess it’s a little give and take philosophy. I’ll take yours but I’ll give you mine, if you can find it.

On a normal day, Amsterdam is a busy city of over a million people. We happened to visit the city on the day the whole country celebrates the Queen’s birthday. This day is called Queen’s Day. We took a train into the center and couldn’t believe our eyes. First of all, no one sent us the memo that wearing orange is a must! It’s the color of the royal family and all of Holland wears it proudly. Second, this was the party of all parties … EVER! The beer was flowing, the vendors were busy selling their wares, the children were in carnival ride heaven, and people everywhere were all over the streets, canals and literally hanging from the windows.

A day to party…. You bet! But I had one more quest in mind. I wanted to visit Anne Frank’s house. The line to get in was short. We entered knowing there were no photos allowed to be taken. I could not help the thoughts that were running through my mind. This was one little girl’s story. This one brave little girl, wrote down her inner most thoughts and prayers. Her courageous father, who had the heart to share her story with the world, not knowing what a huge impact his little girl would have on the world.  I couldn’t help but notice the sick comparison that I was in the middle of. Outside, there were thousands of people celebrating and going about their normal life. Inside, not one person was speaking. Not one person walked with heavy steps. Not one person dared to make a sound. It must have been like the insanity of Anne’s little life in that house before her death. This was one story, but there were many, many more that were left untold.

Lisa Jochim

Everyone who knows me knows my love for my dogs. It seems in life either you’re a dog person or a cat person. I don’t have anything against cats; it’s just that I’m more of a dog person. Ok and when I say dog, I don’t mean the kind you can dress up and put in a purse. I like dogs… stick eating, rough and tumble dogs!

I’m missing  America and thought I would share some of the things I miss plus the replacement if there is any in Holland. Remember I’m a newbie who’s still searching.
1.    7-Eleven: Don’t ask me why this is number 1. It’s just on my mind right now. I need a Slurpee! Ok, I’ve only had about 10 Slurpee’s in my life but I would like the choice. And I would like the convenience of being able to go to 7-Eleven if I run out of milk at 23:00. Everyone knows that 7-Eleven is open 24 hours a day in most places. Thus arriving at 11 is perfectly fine. (Replacement: Get my act together by 17:00 before the stores close). Some markets stay open till 19.00 or 20.00 giving me a chance to remember.
2.    Starbucks: I miss the convenience of a drive-through coffee shop and also the relaxed atmosphere of the couches and everyone gathering to sit and mingle or just relax while browsing the web. (Replacement: No, not THOSE Coffee Shops! Douwe Egberts. Love this coffee; love our little coffee shop where we can meet. Maybe a few more couches and I’d be all set. Oh and a drive through would be nice).