I recently had a nice conversation with a good foreign friend, who has been living in the Netherlands for a number of years now.
He said the language is fairly negative and what “annoys” him the most is that we make things small.
The Dutch use the letters JE al lot. Instead of “Do you want a beer?” The Dutch say, “Do you want a small beer?” We don’t actually use the word small but JE behind the beer, bier – biertje.
- Would you like a sandwich (je)?
- Want a beer (tje)?
- Do you want an ice cream (je)?
He had countless examples and we laughed hard at this and wondered why we are doing this.
Together we have concluded that this has to do with the fact that we are a stamp on the earth and yet are present everywhere.
In the field of sports
Businesslike
And also
Land reclamation
The Netherlands has been a real water country for many years. The Netherlands was a source of prosperity due to the growing shipping industry. This is also noticeable in the Golden Age, where the prosperity and power of the Netherlands grew considerably.
Water management
In addition to shipping, other structures were built a long time ago, such as the Afsluitdijk and the North Sea Canal. Even the king has a specialism in water management. Partly because of this, the Netherlands is on the map as a real waterland. The land that has been fighting against the water for centuries and can even expand the land on the water.
Seed breeding
From ‘Seed Valley’, the Netherlands develops the best seeds for agriculture and horticulture.
the area around Enkhuizen. Because that is also where an epicenter resides, namely that of seed breeding.
For example, Enza (Enkhuizer Zaadhandel) is in the top 10 of global vegetable breeders. Or for example Incotec. In Warmenhuizen, you will find Bejo Zaden, which is also in the global top-10.
In the Westland, for example, Rijk Zwaan is located. A stone’s throw away, in Bergschenhoek, is De Ruyter Seeds. They form a partnership with about thirty companies and suppliers, called Seed Valley.
Flowers
The Royal Flora Holland flower auction is the beating heart of the international flower trade
Aalsmeer is the beating heart of the international flower trade, with the Royal FloraHolland Flower Auction as its main artery, the largest marketplace for flowers and plants in the world. You have to get up early to visit this world-famous flower auction in Aalsmeer, but the reward is an unforgettable experience. The earlier you get there, the more you see.
Food production
The Netherlands is the second largest food exporter in the world.
Compared to the US, the Netherlands is a small postage stamp country. Yet we are the second largest food exporter in the world after America. How on earth is that possible?
The Netherlands has an area of over 40,000 square kilometers. This makes it 15 times smaller than France, 30 times smaller than South Africa and 200 times smaller than Brazil. These are all three countries with a sizeable agricultural sector. Yet the Netherlands easily rivals these superpowers as an exporter of agricultural products. That fact is all the more remarkable when you realize that the population density of the Netherlands is by far the highest.
More info about this via this link
And I can make the list longer!
So we actually have quite big pants on and that is why we have to keep our feet on the ground at home. Don’t make things too big and nkeep using common sense! Could this have something to do with the sobriety of Dutch culture?
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