No, I don't know where this came from either.

[rodneyscat]

Wooden shoes:

They are actually used a lot in The Netherlands! It's not just folklore. They are used as working shoes by farmers or in any profession where you walk outside a lot and run the risk of having something heavy (like a tool) fall on your feet. They're also often used for gardening or at campings. They're usually painted yellow, red or blue, with a simple ornamental drawing on them (just some curls and stripes).
They're watertight, warm, easy to slip on and off and comfortable to wear once you're used to them. There are some variations to make them more luxurious, like they take the top off, and replace it with a leather band stapled to the wood. And sometimes some rubber is nailed underside, when they're used on hard surfaces, because they're very loud otherwise.

'Washandje':

Something like a terry wash cloth, but folded double, with two sides stitched closed and turned. It sized so a hand can fit in easily. I always bring my own when going abroad, because I'm at a loss how to shower myself without one.

Raw herring:

The best time of year to eat those is late spring, early summer, when the herring is caught fresh. They're brought in, cleaned (belly sliced open, head cut off and in one movement all the entrails taken out, bones taken out) preferably in attendance of the customer and served with chopped, raw onions. You take the fish by the tail, drag it through the cut onions, lift it and eat it like that with your head tilted back. It's a very popular snack over here, often eaten outside at the fish stall, and it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If you do it right you drink a beer afterward, because 'fish's got to swim' as we say over here.

Complicated discount systems:

Some short term saving systems; like when for 6 weeks you get a stamp for every 20 Euro you spend at the supermarket, and when you've got a booklet with 30 stamps in them you get a box with random stuff in it varying from soup to toiletpaper)

Some long term saving systems; like for certain brands of coffee or gasoline you get coupons, and when you've collected enough you can get a towel, or a toaster, depending on how many coupons you've collected.

Everybody hates these systems, and most people will participate anyway. I think the principal is known all around the world, but over here the amount things to participate in is ridiculous. You get stamps, coupons and such everywhere.

All kinds of sweet spreads and sprinklers as sandwich topping:

I'll have a look in my kitchen cup board: Nutella (of course), 2 kinds of jam, honey, chocolate sprinklers, chocolate flakes, apple-treacle, a mixed white and dark chocolate spread, sprinklers with sweet fruity flavours and some kind of powdery sugar with anise.

Some general things:

Most restaurants will allow dogs.

There's often a refreshment break during a movie.

Even relatively conservative Dutch people won't seize to be amazed at the homophobia and the lack of nudity and sex compared to the amount of explicit violence in American movies and series. It's considered 'typically American'.

Most restaurants take vegetarians into account, from McDonald's to fancy haute cuisine restaurants, and have special menu's, not just 'the regular, but without the meat' or 'green stuff and an omelet'.



Next entry will contain a rec. Promised.

Comments

[shes-eclectic.livejournal.com]

I am Dutch, second generation American. This is fascinating because I never knew why we ate herring and it seems no one else here does! You can buy it here in little jars in the refrigerated section at the grocery, maybe only at the holidays though. Everyone has thought we were weird for liking it. Mmmm.

[rodneyscat.livejournal.com]

But those are pickled herrings, right? Can you get them raw? Like deep-frozen?

[shes-eclectic.livejournal.com]

Raw, frozen...hmmm, probably not. Gollum, anyone?

I've never wanted to think too much about whether the picked ones (with onions, yes!) are actually raw or cooked. I just eat them.