Greg:     Hi! It’s me, Greg Shapiro: The American Netherlander. And this time it’s also my wife Inez de Goede; author and mother of our two kids. Inez:      The mother-who-always-gets-the-blame-when-things-go-wrong-with-her-child. Greg:     Right. Inez has quite some experience with our 15-year-old son and his medical condition. Inez:      Our son has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. … Continued

By Chris Smit   Most of the work I do consists of giving 1 or 2-day workshops and giving lectures (anything between 20 minutes to 2 hours, I consider a lecture) about cultural differences. And to ‘ease’ the delegates into to the subject of culture, I start talking about stereotypes; which are, of course, an … Continued

By Greg Shapiro   When it comes to Dutch employment, Shapiro takes you behind the scenes for a unique peek at the bizarrely revealing rituals known as ‘Dutch corporate events’. “Granted, I’m just a comedian, but I do get some lovely, candid snapshots of Dutch companies in the raw. One of the major innovations on … Continued

Fish Discover Water Last By Chris Smit   The old Arab proverb “Fish will discover water last” is a very useful term to describe, in a cultural context, how people only realize that they have a culture of their own when you take them out of their own culture. Only then they will realize that … Continued

By Chris Smit The Dutch are internationally known for the fact that their English is of a very high standard. Why is that? Well, there are a couple of reasons. On a technical level, the Dutch language has its roots in the Indo-European languages (like German and English itself). For that reason, grammar structures (and … Continued

By Nico McGough   Wine importers often look back as the wine year is coming to an end. I certainly do that, and for 2019 there are two, maybe three, ‘wine discoveries’ that have made this year special. We have to go back to last January, the moment our purchasing starts up again after the … Continued

By Deborah Valentine Those of us who have been living in the Netherlands for a while, have noted with sadness the number of international students starting their studies, without yet having a place to live. Each year, the lack of available accommodation for these students becomes painfully apparent. We were therefore delighted with the evolution … Continued

Success for The Knott, Straight Out of the Box   By Nico McGough   The ‘oldies’ among us will remember a ‘straight out of the box’ maiden victory, long ago when German industrialist Walter Wolf built a Formula 1 car from scratch, put ace driver Jody Scheckter in it, and won the team’s first ever … Continued

By Jan Vincent Meertens   Professor Geert Hofstede, one of the Netherlands’ most widely cited and translated scholars, passed away in February 2020, at the age of 91. Hofstede is known for his pioneering research on cross-cultural groups and organizations and has been a great source of inspiration to those who have tried to unravel … Continued

By Divya Susan Varkey   Looking out of my living room window, I see my neighbor’s house decorated for Christmas – Santa Claus, Christmas lights, reindeer and elves hanging in various angles across the wide glass. Walking past it, though, I never know whether I should take a closer look or how long I can … Continued

By Robin Pascoe   The experiences of a young Brexit escapee trying to find a place to live in Amsterdam have proved quite an eye-opener to DutchNews.nl editor Robin Pascoe. When your own offspring have flown the nest, the rooms they have left behind collect all manner of waifs and strays who need a place … Continued

By Robin Pascoe   Today’s breed of young adults just starting out on the career ladder might have the world at their feet, but DutchNews.nl editor Robin Pascoe would not swap places with them for anything. I never set out with a plan, just took advantage of the opportunities that came my way. No career … Continued