Living in Holland

After finally being driven crazy by life in Holland - in particular, dealing with Dutch attitudes to service and convenience - I've decided to purge via this blog. The Dutch drive me crazy. They cling to this notion that they're relaxed, liberal and maverick. Er.... no, they're just backward, limited and scared witless of any form of change. "We have a system" (even though they don't) and "words will not help you" are phrases you will frequently encounter when trying to achieve anything from the mundane - like buying gum - to the incredibly creative and complex - like getting your suit dry cleaned.

So this is a set of stuff about an expat's life in contemporary Holland, having been raised in a more dynamic environment - ie, anywhere outside Holland. Hope you enjoy it. There's no need to worry about Dutch people reading it and taking offence as (a) none of the internet service providers in the country will have figured out how to get them online; and (b) even if they had, no Dutchie would spend the €20 or whatever it is to get online - that would be a whole year's stonewash denim budget.