The Netherlands VS America
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Also published on the Engineering Ambassador's website for Ohio University's Russ College of Engineering and Technology Over winter break, my boyfriend – born and raised in Ohio – and I traveled down to The Netherlands, my home country. During this busy, but fun trip I realized once more that two Western countries can still have a lot of differences. Click on the "Read More" button to read the full post |
When I first traveled to America about 3.5 years ago, my first experience was based on a 7-hour layover in a “fish bowl” a-like airport in Newark. Then a quick stop at MacDonald’s in Athens for my “late dinner” before passing out on a couch at my former teammates’ apartment while my body clock told me it was past 4 am. Ever since that day, I have experienced many other, foreign situations and differences in the Dutch and American culture:
- The Dutch love their cheese and eat it with a flat cheese slicer.
- The Dutch can eat bread for every meal, especially with “Calve Pindakaas” (peanut butter) and “Hagelslag” (chocolate sprinkles).
- In The Netherlands everyone bikes to school or work, even in winter when it is freezing outside and/or snowing.
- The Dutch LOVE black liquorish candy, especially the salty kinds and in the shape of a Dutch haring.
- A typical dinner in a Dutch restaurant takes at least 2 hours and it is normal for the waitress/waiter to not introduce oneself and the customers may see at least 3 different faces to serve them over the span of the evening.
- Ohio is five times the size of my country, while The Netherlands houses twice the population size of Ohio.
- It takes you 5 hours to drive from Athens to Michigan, while in The Netherlands you would have crossed Belgium to reach Paris, France, in the same amount of time.
- Americans normally get a driver’s license around 16 or 17, in The Netherlands the average age to start driving a car is 22.
- In America it is not common to go to graduate school (right) after an undergraduate degree, in The Netherlands it is basically required to get a master’s degree after a bachelor’s due to a leveled education system.
- The Dutch MacDonald’s is much better and more modern while it was first established in America…? Especially the Dutch milkshakes are yum!
Even after this trip with my boyfriend and pointing out those differences once again, I still equally love my 2 home countries and I am excited to get the best of both cultures while studying at Ohio University <3