What are the unique characteristics of Dutch society?

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Anna Sebastian

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What are the unique characteristics of Dutch society?

1. Very friendly. I love the scene in Spider-Man: Far from Home where Peter Parker lands in the Netherlands. He asks a man to lend him his phone and gets it right away. In the phone call, Peter says that the Dutch people are really nice.
2. Be blunt. We call it ' bespreekbaar ' which means you have to be able to speak up . Not because we like to hurt other people's feelings, but because we don't want you to get hurt later.
3. English speakers. Yes, we are famous for our good English skills. Wherever you go, you can communicate in English. Which is basically everywhere in the country. Children start learning English at around 10 years old.
4. We are considered stingy. In fact, we just like to bargain and don't like to buy cheap things that we don't really need. We are just being rational.
5. Get organized. Going to visit friends? Better make sure you have an appointment because our schedule is tight. We don't have much free time so everything has to be scheduled.
6. Good infrastructure. Good roads, and good street lighting. You won't find many places in the Netherlands where it's difficult to drive. Not to mention the bike paths everywhere. So it's very easy to explore the country by bike.
7. Bad food. Uhm, yeah, this is a bit embarrassing. But Dutch food is not known for being delicious.

Addition:

• Trade. We all know the VOC. Throughout history, our region has always depended on trade. In fact, today our economy is heavily dependent on exports. The Port of Rotterdam was the busiest port in the world from 1964 to 2004.

• Say cheese ! Who doesn't like cheese? We really do! And the Netherlands is quite famous for its cheese because our cheese is very delicious.

• Meises. This food often makes people wonder: "why is there no such thing in my country?" after they try it. Meises is very popular among children.

(translator's note: fortunately Indonesia has it, thanks to the colonizers ^^)

• Irrigation engineers. We are very good at water and engineering. We have to be like that. Because if we don't, we will drown. Probably the most famous is ' afsluitduik '.

• Beer boxes . Maybe not something that is really Dutch. But we Dutch usually buy beer in boxes. You won't find many households that don't have a box of this golden liquid. Some people build castles, and other things, with these boxes.

'biertje?' , the Dutch term for "Would you like a beer?"

Dependence Upon God

March 1, 2025 Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Readings for Today

Charles Lock Eastlake, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Video People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:13–14 Simplicity, trust, purity of intent, transparency, and resiliency are all qualities that children often have by nature. They are not yet capable of evil intent. They are quick to forgive and reconcile when conflicts arise. And they have an unwavering confidence in the care of their parents. These are among the qualities that we need to imitate in our relationship with God. It seems that as we age and as our human reason develops, we can lose some of the important qualities we had as children. But when it comes to our relationships with our loving God, we must never lose the important childlike qualities that lead us to be completely trusting and dependent upon God’s providence and care. Children are also weak in the sense that they are not able to care for themselves. They rely completely upon the care of others, especially parents. For that reason, a child is an ideal image of how we must approach God. We must see our weakness and dependence. We must know, with deep conviction, that we are incapable of caring for ourselves. And though we may achieve a certain independence as we age, being able to provide for ourselves materially, we will never be able to provide for the interior spiritual needs we have. For our spiritual needs, we remain completely dependent upon the mercy of God. We must never forget that, at our core, we are spiritual beings who long for true spiritual satisfaction. Material or fleshly satisfactions that we can obtain by ourselves will never suffice to fulfill us at the deepest level of who we are. God and God alone is capable of this form of fulfillment. Think about your own approach to life. Do you seek to find fulfillment and satisfaction in life through your own efforts? Have you attempted to take complete control of your present and future happiness? Though it is essential that we act responsibly in life, it must be understood that the most responsible way we can act is by willfully turning over complete control of our lives to God’s providence and care. As a child depends upon a parent, so we must depend upon the grace of God. Reflect, today, upon a child. Ponder, especially, how a child is dependent upon others. As you do, see yourself similarly as one who must become completely dependent upon God for all that is important in life and for all that ultimately fulfills who you are. Trust in God’s providence and mercy, and allow that childlike trust to place you firmly in the arms of your Father in Heaven. Loving Father, I turn to You in complete trust as a small child turns to a loving parent. May I never become so self-sufficient that I fool myself into thinking I am capable of finding my own fulfillment in life. Instead, may I always see You as the one and only source of true fulfillment and always trust in You alone. Jesus, I trust in You.