Love-hate relationship with the Netherlands (Part 1)

It is almost a year since the first time I came to the Netherlands. It means that I have already passed the halfway of my 2-year master degree in Utrecht University. Is it fun? HAHAHA that is maybe the hardest question for me to answer.

To be fair, I want to explain the two sides of this country: the good and the bad (or anything that makes me uncomfortable). And disclaimer, this story only represents my experiences so maybe some parts can be biased so I'm sorry. So let's begin with the good! I found the Netherlands has a diverse population and in my perspective, there is little segregation between ethnicity. I don't feel like a stranger here and people always try to speak Dutch with me as if I were a citizen of the Netherlands. Even though afterward I confess that I don't speak Dutch, all people that I have ever encountered always automatically convert their language into English. It's not a problem when you can't speak Dutch here. It's a true relief for international students here including me actually. Nonetheless, of course, speaking simple Dutch is important willy-nilly, such as to understand signage and some regulations which are always written in Dutch. Also, when traveling by bus or train, the operator seldom announces some information in English. I think it's not unusual because they provide the infrastructure for their citizens, not for tourists.

Next, I love the Netherlands for their hospitality. I think Dutch people whether native or not are very friendly. For instance, in my neighborhood, we always say hi or hello to each other even though we don't really know who they are. My wife who lived for a year in the UK also feels amazed with how people here treat each other. She compares them to British people in London who always look ignorant and grumpy. Although it is not 100% true and does not present most of the population, I can say that all the people here are really friendly. So don't forget to always say hi or hello to the bus driver when you hop in and say goodbye or tot ziens when you hop out the bus because that's what people always do here.

I also love the Netherlands for its clean street and how they manage the city. In the beginning, I took this situation for granted. Like, I live in a developed country in Europe, of course, this cleanliness is not strange. But after I went to Germany and Belgium, the closest countries, I realized that cities in the Netherlands are far better than cities in those two countries. For instance, in Antwerp, Belgium, it's very common seeing rubbish in the street especially when you walk in the deprived neighborhood. But in the Netherlands, I feel that the street is always clean. Moreover, I think there is a regulation which prohibits someone to be a beggar (if you are poor, the government will give you a low-skilled job and you have to do it, instead of being a beggar), so beggar hanging around in the Netherlands is rarely seen. But that not the case in Germany and Belgium. Homeless people and beggars are everywhere there. It's kinda surprising for me actually because I thought poor people should be looked after by the government.

The scenery from my apartment which is super lovely!

The last good thing for me is that the Netherlands is a home far away from home. Since this country has a long history with Indonesia and they bring the culture back here when they colonized Indonesia, it is not difficult to find anything related to Indonesia. Indonesian food? A lot. Even if you miss kerupuk, I can guarantee that the closest supermarket has it namely "keropoek". Indonesian language? Sometimes Dutch has similarities with Indonesian. Some streets in Utrecht and Amsterdam are also named from Indonesian cities or islands. I can say that I don't miss Indonesia too much because I can easily find something related to my home here (I only miss my wife and my family, they are not here).

This rendang can be found at the nearest supermarket (AH)

However, nothing is perfect, not even the Netherlands. Why? Let's see them later in my next post.

[to be continued...]