Population of Holland. Characteristics and features of the country. Cultural characteristics

Recently, an English friend told me about an incident that very clearly demonstrates the peculiarities of Dutch hospitality. The girl was invited to a barbecue with Dutch friends. The party was a great success: a lot of wine was drunk and a lot of meat was eaten. When the guests were about to leave, the owners asked them to pay the cost of food: 8 euros per person. The Dutch counted out the coins and went home. And only the Englishwoman stood for a long time at the entrance with her jaw hanging...

I must say that this story did not really surprise me: I had heard before about cases when guests came to a dinner party with empty handed, and then took out their wallets and offered to compensate the owners for expenses. I even had to hear a heartbreaking (for my Russian soul) story about how someone counted out change for an aspirin tablet borrowed from a fellow student. At the same time, I myself have never found myself in such situations; on the contrary, the Dutch treat me regularly and completely free of charge.

I personally have always explained to myself this model of behavior, in which nothing is given for free, and all expenses are divided equally, by the historically established merchant mentality of this people. Indeed, it was not for nothing that in the 17th century the Netherlands became the largest trading power in the world. Dutch merchants, excellent entrepreneurs, created the world's first joint-stock company - the Oost India Company, bringing in up to 400% of income. The Dutch are still known in Europe today as the most thrifty nation. No wonder English expression“Let’s go Dutch” means “everyone pays for themselves.” Although, if you think about the essence of such a “merchant” model of behavior I, then she is not talking about the stinginess of a person, but rather the opposite. The guest, not wanting to incur expenses for the hosts, compensates the costs. Yes, the breadth of soul familiar to Russians is not in fashion here, but no one eats anyone and leaves no one in debt.

However, I heard a slightly different explanation from the Dutch themselves. The fact is that Holland has been a country where immigrants from all over the world flock for several centuries. Representatives of 178 nationalities live in Amsterdam. The city's population is 30% immigrants, and in the 17th century this figure was 40%. Needless to say, with such a variety of cultures, Holland is not a country of traditional ways of life. Thus, the lack single norm etiquette is quite natural. So, in one Dutch family they will feed you, give you something to drink and wrap you up with food, while in another they will scrupulously count how many glasses of wine they drank and push the saucer with nuts away. Often, residents of large cities themselves do not know how it is customary to receive guests in a particular family. Therefore, if you are invited to visit the Dutch, it is best to find out in advance how the reception will be organized. And be open to any innovations that this multicultural country never ceases to amaze its guests with.

What are the features of Dutch national character? Of course, this is primarily the well-known Dutch tolerance. Not only in relation to non-traditional sexual orientation and one of the most ancient professions (remember the red light district), but in general to everything strange and unusual. For example, the Dutch will not at all judge a guest who comes to a social reception in old jeans and a frayed sweater. And at the same time, they will calmly treat a loader in a jacket and tie. They won’t even blink an eyelid when they see a half-naked passerby in winter. Without a shadow of amazement they will look at a man in a woman’s headscarf and with pigtails. They will smile calmly at a person loudly singing opera arias as they walk. They were probably just used to wonders and surprises. To understand this, just take a walk around Amsterdam at night - you will see so many interesting extraordinary people that you will lose the ability to be surprised.

The Dutch, who are not surprised by anything, are not alien to curiosity, bordering on tactlessness. This is not immediately obvious, since the people of the country are extremely polite and accommodating. They will never ask questions about salary, religion or political preferences. But they can easily ask a woman they don’t know how old she is, if she is married, if she has children. (It should be noted that they do not consider the absence of a husband and children to be a disadvantage). The Dutch also often strive to get to the heart of things, asking: why do you think this way, why do you act this way and not otherwise? However, they rarely give unsolicited advice.

The Dutch are hardworking, conscientious and obliging people. At work - even a not very beloved one - they give their best not to please their superiors, but out of a sense of duty and internal discipline. And they almost always keep their promises. If for some reason they let you down, they apologize and, if possible, compensate for the damage or inconvenience caused. The Dutch, without shame or complexes, admit that they do not know something - even if it concerns historical, geographical or cultural facts that everyone is supposed to know. They can also calmly admit that they don’t read books or go to museums. They know that the interlocutor will not look at them with contempt and will not even think badly about them.

The Dutch value honesty above all else. If a child has committed a serious offense, for example, stealing money from his parents, they often tell him: “We can forgive you for the theft. But never a lie." If the Dutch don't like something, they announce it directly. They easily criticize their interlocutor without being embarrassed by the presence of other people. And if a discussion starts in the company, they always take part in it. And this is not for the sake of standing out. It is simply important for them that others know their opinion.

In general, we can say that the inhabitants of the country are straightforward open people. But, unfortunately, sometimes they are too open. For example, they will frankly report to their boss that a colleague went home too early. Or he said or did something wrong. And that same colleague won’t even be offended by this. Of course, this does not happen in all teams, but this is the general trend.

Looking at the balanced, helpful and always smiling local residents, it is difficult to imagine that they can shout, pound the table with their fists, or slam the door. It seems impossible to piss them off – at least not in a business setting. However, this is only an appearance: the Dutch quarrel with their colleagues and neighbors - but only differently than our compatriots. They express their indignation and dissatisfaction peacefully and politely - from the outside it seems that people are having a normal conversation. They also calmly make peace: they discuss who was right and wrong about what. They consider reconciliation after a quarrel necessary, even if the main conflict remains unresolved.

The Dutch are supporters not only of unconditional honesty, but also of complete justice. Nobody gives bribes to anyone. Try to suggest, they simply won’t understand you. Of course, corruption scandals happen, but rules always mean exceptions. The Dutch are law-abiding people and demand the same from others. Any privileges are excluded. Thus, when entering an elite school or competing for a prestigious position, everyone has equal chances: the son of a minister, for example, will not receive the slightest advantage. This does not apply only to the royal family - all its members are well settled. And no one blames them for this. The royal house is a symbol of the country and lives by its own ‘symbolic’ laws, so a lot is forgiven to them.

It seems the story is almost finished. Everything I have said so far corresponds to both generally accepted views and my own observations. But the reader may ask: what about the famous Dutch stinginess? Even the residents of the country consider themselves exaggeratedly thrifty and enjoy telling the following anecdote: “Do you know how wire appeared? Two Dutchmen found a ten-cent piece and each took it towards him.” However, I personally do not consider the Dutch to be stingy and I do not notice that they skimp on themselves and their loved ones. The modesty of their feasts is explained, in my opinion, only by moderate needs and a reasonable attitude towards food. It should be added that in financial matters the Dutch are extremely prudent and careful, so they do not count on “maybe” and insure themselves for almost all eventualities.

I also do not agree with the popular opinion that the Dutch are unemotional and dry. For example, they never cry in public, except at funerals. No, that’s not true, even if they are more reserved than, for example, the Italians. They also say that the Dutch do not like to gossip. It’s not true – they love it, although they don’t abuse it. In general, the inhabitants of the orange kingdom are normal, nice people, but in some ways they are special and unique. I would say: great guys. I like them.

Each people of the world has its own characteristics, which are absolutely normal and ordinary for them, but if a person of another nationality falls into their midst, he may be very surprised by the habits and traditions of the inhabitants of this country, because they will not coincide with his own ideas about life. We invite you to find out 9 national habits and characteristics of the Dutch that may seem surprising and a little strange to Russian people.

Their iPhone is cheaper than going to a restaurant

The Dutch know the value of things and services. Moreover, their logic and ours are incompatible. So, if Dutch young people save money, they will not visit a restaurant (this is entertainment and a waste of money!), but they may well give a friend the latest iPhone for her birthday. What about the savings? It turns out that a restaurant, according to the Dutchman, is an irregular expense and a waste. But a telephone is an investment item that is used for three or four years and pays for itself.

They treat other expenses in the same way: they are investments in a stable life. For example, taxes go towards the development of various infrastructures. Payment for public utilities- for maintenance and keeping houses clean, insurance payments are returned in the form of quality medical care, etc. The Dutch are confident in the future, but also understand that good financial planning is a guarantee of stability. And that's why...

They give strange gifts

If you are dating a Dutch guy, something like this may very well happen to you: “One day my boyfriend called me and said that he had surprised me and sent him on e-mail. I opened my mailbox with great enthusiasm, and it turned out that he had sent me an Excel file in which he planned our joint budget for six months. A very good gift."

They hang photos of relatives in the toilet

However, the Dutch are no strangers to sentimentality. If a Russian always has a book in his toilet - the thicker the better - or, at worst, a newspaper, then a Dutchman decorates the walls of his toilet with a calendar on which the birthdays of relatives and friends are marked. Perhaps there will also be photographs of family members hanging there, maybe even a child’s drawing. This does not seem strange to people, although none of them can explain what this tradition is connected with.

They close the door on an uninvited guest

The Dutch are not characterized by spontaneity. On the contrary, every resident of the Orange Kingdom has an agenda. Agenda is a schedule of tasks for the day, week, month and even a year in advance. So running over to a friend’s house for tea because you happened to be nearby won’t work. On the phone they will answer with a polite refusal, and if you immediately ring the doorbell, they will ask you to leave.

According to the schedule, they meet here not only with friends, but even with family members. Family weekend is discussed six months in advance: booked Vacation home, then schedules are compared for a long time, a date is chosen, then everyone meets at the appointed place, and after three days they leave and start planning the next meeting. And most importantly, in this country you cannot be late. Being ten minutes late is a terrible crime.

They are treated with ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid and advice to do yoga are a completely normal prescription that you can get from a Dutch doctor. Here they are confident that the body is capable of healing itself and does not need to be interfered with by serious (and less serious) medications. Antibiotics can only be prescribed in cases of severe illness.

The main person for the patient is the family doctor. If you are unwell, it is he who conducts the first examination and prescribes examinations, referring, if necessary, to other specialists. If the family doctor does not find anything abnormal, then it will be almost impossible to get an appointment with a doctor in the hospital.

They don't make an event out of a wedding.

Dutch weddings are modest and simple: no luxurious tables with food for four days, no dresses on credit, no cheerful parties. After the wedding ceremony in a church or in the municipality, where only the closest people are invited, everyone goes to a cafe or restaurant, where the newlyweds are joined by other invitees.

Instead of a banquet table - small interest groups, instead of a suckling pig - cocktails and light snacks, instead of a set for 120 people, a modest envelope with €20 as a gift for the newlyweds. No toastmasters or flying drones with a video camera - in the Netherlands they are trying to save money on organizing and holding a holiday in every possible way, because money can always be spent on something more necessary.

They store eggs in a bank

The Dutch have large and cheerful families. But then - when a career has developed, funds have been accumulated, that is, not earlier than 30, or even 40 years. Young couples live together for years, taking their time to register their relationship, sometimes until the birth of a child.

Actually, there is nothing surprising in this. In Holland there is an egg preservation program, which is covered by insurance. Thus, a woman even in adulthood has the opportunity to give birth to a healthy child.

They don't give a damn

Future parents plan in advance where they will live and how. They move in advance to a country house with a garden so that the children grow up in comfortable conditions. The husband will be present at the birth, and then, along with his wife, will participate in bathing, feeding, walking, raising children, and may even take maternity leave.

And at the same time, suspiciousness is alien to Dutch parents. The baby can lie quietly in the stroller without socks in early spring and sitting without a hat in the sidecar of a bicycle in January. Children with early age teach you to be independent. Already in adolescence many begin to earn extra money, and then, when the time comes for universities and colleges, they leave parents' house and receive support from the state.

They've been friends since kindergarten

It is believed that the Dutch are difficult to contact. The reason is not that the Dutch are cold, constrained and unsociable people - no. They develop a strong friendship with childhood. Until the end they will communicate with their faithful comrades, with whom they painted train cars together. The Dutch periodically meet with old friends and cherish their friendship.

The first thing tourists associate with the Netherlands is the legal sale of soft drugs in coffee shops. Amsterdam seems to be a city free from prejudice, a city of free people and free-thinking. Abortion, prostitution, euthanasia, and same-sex marriage are legalized here. At the same time, Holland can be called a country of contrasts and paradoxes, for example, for wearing fur products in this country, animal rights activists can throw paint on the street - and this is also a consequence of the freedoms provided to residents by the state.

The Netherlands is an amazing country in which its capital is radically different from most other cities. Nominally, the monarch has power here, but in fact the country is governed by parliament. Holland has a very low crime rate and is one of the safest countries in Europe. People of all races and skin colors are treated liberally here, and the same rule applies to tourists. The national traits of the Dutch are politeness, punctuality and thrift, and visitors will feel quite comfortable among the friendly and calm hosts of the country.

There are several traditions that everyone who comes to the Netherlands needs to know. It is not customary to dance in restaurants here - for this it is better to go to a disco. The Dutch do not shake hands when meeting each other and almost never give compliments; the stinginess of this people is also evident in this. At the same time, they are very tolerant of other people’s opinions, never get into an argument and even respond to rudeness with politeness and a smile. They never flaunt their wealth, and tourists should not do this either. In this country, such gestures are considered bad manners, the same as unpunctuality - the Dutch simply cannot stand it. Copyright www.site

Holland has its own attitude towards the process of eating. For example, in their culture there is a rule “for one cup - one cookie”, and they still strictly observe it. They don’t eat “yesterday’s” food, so they usually cook only as much as they can eat. At the same time, the Dutch are very fond of holidays - they enjoy celebrating the royal family, national holidays, and birthdays. A person from another culture, attending a Dutch birthday, will be very surprised - at the holiday it is customary to congratulate not only the birthday person, but also everyone present.

Another interesting tradition that will be of interest to tourists is hunting for old things. About once a month, residents throw away large items on the street - old furniture, household appliances, interior elements, building materials, anything, everything that they no longer need. Almost all items are in excellent condition. Such landfills become popular places, a kind of free flea markets where any Dutchman can pick up the right thing. Pragmatic, thrifty Dutch do not consider this something shameful; on the contrary, they gladly take the opportunity to save or gain original item for your home.

The initial period - when it seemed to me that “we” (Russians) and “they” (Dutch) were almost the same - gave way to a period when I thought that we were completely different. Now I understand that personality depends little on nationality, but largely on acquired life experience.

I have become so integrated that it is already difficult to determine who I am: still Russian or already Dutch? I think she’s Russian, but my Dutch husband says that she’s not at all, that only a few features of Russian are left. “Actually, you look most like a German,” he says. Thank God that I managed to preserve at least these residual “Russian features”, but what does “look like a German” have to do with it, I don’t know at all. Probably because I often admire out loud my German colleagues (it’s nice to work with them!) or German quality, I don’t know. But, actually, I want to write about Holland, since I live here.

I will not outline here simple everyday issues that every beginner pays attention to. After a couple of months, you easily get used to many things, and after another couple of months, they no longer seem unusual to you. I would like to write more about the differences in characters and habits. I have an unlimited amount of material: the international company where I work: my colleagues are from all over the world, everyone is different, each brings with them the experience and traditions of their country, and they are so intricately intertwined with the Dutch. My Dutch friends, acquaintances from a couple of clubs, neighbors... The images are real, the stories are true, although sometimes I reserve the right to leave things unsaid or change details.
Marina G.R.

About Holland - with love

1. If everyone goes left, I will go right.

The first thing I found out for myself about the Dutch character (by the way, the country is called the Netherlands, and Holland is just one of the provinces. But for some reason everyone everywhere is replaced with Holland, and I’ll stay with you for convenience) is that for For a Dutchman, it is fundamentally important to be different from everyone else. If everyone is going left and I also need to go to the left, I will still turn right, simply so as not to be with everyone, not to be like everyone else. This is an indispensable condition for Dutch “personal freedom”.
By the way, about freedom. Now I understand freedom differently. Freedom is having choice. In any situation. You have plenty to choose from, which means you are free.

The Dutch try to express their own individuality in everything. A small child is not taught “manners” and is not vaccinated family traditions; on the contrary, it is believed that it is the personal qualities of even a small child that need to be respected, stimulated and not “educated,” but only to guide the child’s individual development. The teenager chooses his own hobbies and interest clubs. There is no compulsory set for a “child from a decent family”, as in Russia - music school, English, dancing for girls, prestigious sports clubs for boys. No, the child chooses himself. The teenager will even determine his future education himself and, by the way, will earn extra money for his education.
A Dutch adult can easily resist the routine standards of life. If everyone else’s minimum program includes: getting an education, finding a good job, getting married, having children, having certain material benefits and status, then a Dutchman will easily exchange all this for the opportunity to travel. He will quit that same “good” job and go on a year’s trip somewhere halfway around the world, stopping along the way, here and there, to earn extra money and use the money he earns to travel further until it runs out again.

Most other people want to have their own home and financial stability, but a Dutchman can, for example, upon retirement, sell everything he has, buy a large comfortable caravan and, together with his wife, who will also be over 60, start traveling around the world, living where there are caravan campsites.

Most people want to achieve professional growth and have an interesting, well-paid job, but the Dutch are more concerned about how much time they have left for their personal life. This is not South Korea or Japan, where people voluntarily stay in the office until 10 pm. (Why? Because the boss is still in the office, which means I still need to work!). A Dutchman, unless he is a senior manager, will leave work after exactly 8 hours. The psychology is this: I get paid for 8 hours of working time. The rest of the time is my personal time. Why should I sell my personal time for free or why should my hourly pay be reduced?! By necessity? This is a problem for the company and my boss. Additionally, they want my time? He has a price. This is a market economy. Well, if you are a senior manager, director, etc., then everything is different: you knew what “package” you accepted. But, let me tell you, how they know how to initially fight for the contents of this package!

Everyone else gets married, but the Dutch are quite comfortable living without official registration, and an agreement is usually concluded only when they buy a house together and take out a mortgage. The birth of a child is not a reason for official registration, just as different surnames of father and mother are normal and standard. Why, in fact, should there be one surname?
They get married when the soul wants a holiday. We lived together for 10-15 years, earned money for everything, including wedding expenses, well, we can organize a holiday for friends. However, they worry little about their relatives. One of my Dutch friends, a young girl of 27 years old, was getting married and thought for a long time whether to invite her mother or not. Still, she invited me. She had no relationship with her mother. No love, no hate, just no related emotions at all. Mom came, and I watched all evening how this woman was “uncomfortable” at her daughter’s wedding. No one paid attention to her, she did not make any touching speeches, and her gift (a souvenir - a music box worth a maximum of 5-10 euros) was unwrapped, thanked and placed on a shelf next to others of the same...
I won’t say that such relationships between children and parents are typical, but they do occur quite often.

But perhaps the most important thing is that this is not an attack on the individual. Do whatever you want, as long as you are within the bounds of decency. Live as you want, but respect the freedom and independence of others. Do as you know, have whatever beliefs you want, but don’t impose your views. And if you are not asked for help, it will not occur to anyone to impose it (help). And they don’t give advice unless you ask. There is even a proverb that, when translated, sounds something like this: “Unsolicited help is rarely welcomed.”

Everyone tries to do everything themselves. I felt like sometimes it would be a lot easier (or faster?) to ask someone who already knows. For example, how to find directions or what broker your friends who sold their house a month ago would recommend to you. But no! Take a map and find your route; analyze everything accessible internet and around lying agencies to choose a broker. And all this is not because they don’t want to help you, but because you have your own opinion and no one wants to impose their views on you. Your individuality is deeply respected. Everyone has the right to their own choice, everyone goes their own way. Needless to say, responsibility for decisions made does everyone carry it themselves? Society gives you a chance to express yourself as an individual and respect yourself for the ability to make decisions and act on your own. And if for some reason you failed, were unable and then asked for help, they will certainly provide it to you, in the very in the best sense this word.

It is also considered polite to respect other people's time. If you can find the information yourself, there is no need to distract people. Even after coming to new office to work, do not expect that they will babysit you and “hand over” things to you, teaching you along the way. It would be good if they showed the intranet and general outline outline your responsibilities. Otherwise, how will you show your individuality and your experience “from the outside,” for which, in fact, they took you.

My story today is exactly about this - about independence and respect for other people's time.

My first friend in Holland was Italian.
We met interestingly. Late in the evening I was returning by train from Amsterdam. The day was hectic and by the end I had a headache. At that moment I could only observe and react relatively. I wanted to come home as soon as possible and try to somehow get rid of this terrible migraine. But the gaze still reluctantly moved from one to another, until it suddenly stopped on a small young woman. I liked her hair: fashionably dyed, well-groomed, beautifully styled. I immediately thought: “She’s not Dutch.” She was also bored, she also looked at me and simply said: “You’re not Dutch, are you?”
We quickly started talking, and I found out that Roberta is an Italian, but she came to Holland two months ago and married a Dutchman. I was also “new”, so we had common interests. After 20 minutes we were talking like family and simply could not tear ourselves away from each other on the empty platform. If you have had experience communicating with Italians, you know how quickly all sorts of conventions disappear if you like each other. They begin to consider you a friend, introduce you to the family, allow you to enter their soul. All this is accompanied by endless emotions, compliments, and now you are inextricably linked by bonds of friendship! Since all this is characteristic of me, our admiration for each other and growing sympathy were mutual. Both of us were not burdened with any responsibilities and, naturally, immediately agreed to meet the next day.

By that time, I already knew that people usually do not invite new acquaintances to visit, but prefer to chat on neutral territory. I think (this is my personal opinion) that Dutch women do not like to receive guests because they still need to somehow prepare for guests. It’s easier to go sit in a cafe, then you both will “have fun.”

The next day we met with Roberta in the city center, and she immediately announced that we would go to her house, she wanted to show me how they settled down, how she furnished their new apartment. I didn't mind. But there was one small problem - Roberta did not know how to get from the center to her home. That is, leaving the house, she simply boarded a passing bus (all roads lead to Rome, like all buses - to the central station in the city center *N). And now she had absolutely no idea how to get back.
A short dialogue of my logic:
- Do you remember the bus number?
- No.
- What is the name of your area?
- Don't know.
-Where are we going to go?
- Well, I remember approximately which way!

She also remembered the name of the street.
Another thing is that she rode the bus for 10-15 minutes. From this we concluded that we could easily get to her house on foot.
On the way, it occurred to me to go into a bakery and ask where this street was. Motivation: Usually, salespeople in bakeries or gas stations always know everyone and everything in their area well.
The young boy instantly laid out a map of the city in front of us, showed us where we were and where the right street was. I understood then why I taught geography at school: to find the road and bring Roberta to her home!

My dear Roberta, I will never forget your warmth and friendly tenderness! A woman built only on emotions, very soon I knew her whole life. Roberta was 28. There were four daughters in the family. None of the three previous parents managed to get married “properly” (officially, with a wedding), so they concentrated all their responsibility for all four on Roberta’s fate. Roberta had everything (the Italian dad paid for it): a gorgeous wedding with a wedding, a breathtaking wedding dress, a limousine, a photographer, a reception for 200 and dinner in the castle for 40 invited guests, stay of out-of-towners, including Dutch relatives, in the same castle for the night, obligatory gifts guests (yes, yes, you understand correctly, Roberta and her husband gave gifts to the guests. It was a papier-mâché doll, specially created by the designer for Roberta, in 40 copies...)
In a word, you have an idea how much all this cost the Italian pope. When the newlyweds returned to Holland, and the question of housing arose (Roberta, of course, did not work, her husband did, but I think, being still just a young professional, he did not earn too much) - the Dutch mother of her husband, who lived at that time with her new man, and her apartment was free, she invited them to “live” in this empty apartment. The Dutch mother naturally assumed that her son and daughter-in-law would pay her full rent, how could it be otherwise?

And Dutch reality began for Roberta. Her husband went to work, Roberta was bored. Bored, she called her mother and friends in Italy a lot, as a result of which Roberta’s husband had to work part-time in the evenings to pay for her telephone calls. Roberta spent the day putting on her beauty (what true Italian woman doesn’t want to be beautiful!), sincerely wondering why there are so many stone pavements (it’s difficult to walk in high heels) and where to put her favorite mink coat (in Holland you won’t see women in products from natural fur). Roberta was anxiously waiting for her beloved to go “in public” in the evening so that everyone could see what a beautiful, sexy wife this Dutch guy has. And for some reason the beloved would come tired, and if he didn’t have to go to his second job in the evening, he would sit on the sofa and somehow quickly fall asleep from fatigue. Neither the loud scandals that Roberta made for her beloved from the bottom of her heart helped (she knew that the neighbors heard everything, so what?! But everyone already knew that an Italian woman lived in the house (!), nor the seclusion in the bedroom (“You know, I I'll scream, get offended, and go to the bedroom. And after 10 minutes everything is over - and I'm ready to make peace with him. Only for some reason, after these 10 minutes, he begins to get into a state of irritation and begins to get angry, and this lasts for the whole evening.. ").
My Roberta didn’t ask for advice, and I didn’t give it. I already knew the rule of non-interference. And he doesn’t accept Robert’s advice. All that remained was to listen.

The day we met on the train, Roberta was “lost” in Amsterdam. This was expressed in the fact that Roberta could not independently find the central Train Station, which is in the center. Roberta, who speaks fluent English, did not think to ask anyone. Instead, she calls her Dutch mother-in-law (who at this time is in the city *N, which is 1.5 hours away on the highway to Amsterdam).
Roberta asks her mother-in-law to come to Amsterdam to pick her up, she is standing here on some street near... something like that... With tears in her voice, Roberta told me that her mother-in-law, softly apologizing, said: “No way.” I can’t, honey. I have a tennis lesson,” and hung up. “Yes, if,” Roberta was indignant, “my husband got lost in Italy and called my relatives, and they would go out in 5 cars to find him!!!”

Our friendship was so bright and so short! Together we explored Holland and learned about the Dutch; together we were perplexed, rejoiced, together we found solutions to our little problems.
On the very first day, in memory of the story of her wedding, she gave me a dozen linen towels with white hand embroidery, which was part of her “dowry”. And once I returned from Russia, I brought her gold earrings in a single design, made especially for Roberta by a jeweler friend.
One day I had to go to Moscow for a short time. When I returned, I did not find Roberta. No one lived in the apartment. A mobile phones It didn't exist then. I left Roberta my addresses: both Russian and Dutch; but apparently dear Roberta, as always, could not find me. INFORMATION BY COUNTRY" and "MARRIED ABROAD":

INNA GORDOK (NETHERLANDS):