Things that are dutch

*Birth Announcements*

they send cards to everybody! and I mean tons of people... and then wait!those people all send cards back.

*Shoes Inside*

we are always wearing shoes. You go outside and then come back inside and the whole time you are wearing your shoes. We don't take them off till bed time! or if your feet are on the couch

*Raw Herring*

today for lunch we ate raw herring. Definitely something dutch. You literally just get a whole fish with its head cut off and its guts taken out but it still looks very much like a whole fish... and then you put it in your mouth and eat it. I actually liked it and would definitely eat it again.

*Coffee*

when i say coffee i really mean espresso because coffee here is so strong and so flavorful. I am sticking mostly to tea because I don't want to become dependant on coffee but when i stay up till 12 and get up at 6 to phone home it really catches up on you.

*Biking*

We bike everywhere here and so does every other dutch person. there are crazy biking lanes and crazy right of way laws for cyclists. It is really truly one of the main forms of transportation here in all weathers.

*Small Fridges*

There fridge is so small that it is impossible to fit much more than the days food. Each day or two we go and buy groceries for the next couple days. I find this a little frustrating, but i do love to grocery shop so it works out ok. Its also nice that nothing gets lost in the fridge and goes bad because there is nowhere to hide in such a small fridge.

*Keys*

Everything here locks, and you cannot get in the front door of houses without a key. The door handle does not turn, you need to put in the key turn it a certain way and push and thats how a door here is opened from the outside. That means if you forget your keys inside... good luck getting in. Our two neighbors have spare keys incase that ever happens.