Nieuwe Groep

I'm continuing in the new classroom. I was pleased to find that I am able to keep up with the N2T course. It's nice to be able to have real conversations with my classmates. It's also nice to find that I already speak better Nederlands than many of them in spite of the fact that their Nederlands is quite good. It makes me feel more confident in my own abilities.

I tried explaining to them yesterday that I come from an isolated part of America where we don't get to meet very many foreigners and that I appreciated the chance to learn about them and where they came from. During break we talked about the food back home and how Dutch food for them was tasteless. I'm thinking of suggesting to them that they try making their own Dutch food but fix what they think is wrong with it according to their preference. It could result in some interesting fusion. And I think they're right. Dutch food needs it. I don't agree that Dutch food is tasteless, but the Dutch learned how to make dinner from their mothers and grandmothers. They've been doing things that way for as long as anybody can remember because it's simply how things are done. I've done my share of tweaking the food here to my own taste and improved on it with some very basic changes, like browning and seasoning the meatballs before putting them in the groentesoep. It makes a huge change over boiling them with the soup. The consomme stays clear and the flavors jump out more. Little things like that make a big difference.

One thing that I'm getting used to is people smiling at me. The teachers all say hello and my classmates are happy to see me. They're as curious about me as I am about them. I feel as if I'm in the right place. The same applies to how I feel about being in the Netherlands. It's been hard work getting to this point where I feel as if I fit in somewhere. I went into this process deciding to meet the Netherlands halfway and learn the language and learn about the people. It's been rewarding. It turns out that I was doing myself a big favor in doing so. Here it seems as if they appreciate the effort as much as the success. If they can see that you're really trying, the Dutch will give you an amazing amount of help and encouragement. They respect effort. I think everyone does, but I've never seen it so clear-cut as here. And now that I can have meaningful conversations with them in their own language I'm getting to know individuals here. So far I have liked just about everyone I've talked to. I'm taking on their way of thinking and adding it to my own way of thinking and coming out with something interesting and new. The process of learning about them has come with deeper rewards on a personal basis. I really have to work to overcome my reticence, but as I do I come to see the Netherlands as a much friendlier place. I'm coming to see that the Dutch can be very warm people. I think they've decided to keep me judging by the welcome they've given me.

That said, I need to be more Dutch and learn to check my bike before I get on it. I wondered why it seemed stiffer to pedal on the way home. The back tire was completely flat. I tried to think back and for all I can guess it could have been flat when I left home for all I know. I need to learn to check the tires or I'll ruin them, and the back tire is a bitch to have to replace because you have to take it apart and put it back together again. That or you have to pay someone who does it for a living. Not checking could end up costing me a lot of effort or money that could have gone to better use. I'm not so Dutch yet that I can break down a bike and put it back together blindfolded like they can, so my best bet is to take better care of my bike. That or maybe learn a little basic bike repair so I'm not stuck somewhere with a broken-down bike kilometers from home, probably after dark and in the rain knowing my luck.