tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359760060658315030.post2011630721196526604..comments2023-05-11T12:54:04.524+02:00Comments on Letters from the Netherlands: Tracey Chalmershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10422112561804877205noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359760060658315030.post-56434364900580529412012-01-14T21:10:55.191+01:002012-01-14T21:10:55.191+01:00It does sound like uncle Sandy doesn't it? I t...It does sound like uncle Sandy doesn't it? I think he must be rubbing off on me... (err lol.. that sounds rude)<br />but he hasn't even read it... the swine!Tracey Chalmershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10422112561804877205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359760060658315030.post-61259653218069365792012-01-14T20:21:27.872+01:002012-01-14T20:21:27.872+01:00I could feel Sandy's influence with the "...I could feel Sandy's influence with the "red hot stream".<br /><br />Another lovely letter Trace, thanks for the chuckles! xJaccidenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04153275966140354696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359760060658315030.post-48730380027594204502012-01-14T18:27:30.583+01:002012-01-14T18:27:30.583+01:00Ah thank you... :-)
You're right of course, t...Ah thank you... :-)<br /><br />You're right of course, the Dutch are incredibly tolerant. Our new Dutch teacher (de docent) told us that The Voice of Holland (might be The voice of the Nederlands) has a runaway leader, a British guy who speaks Dutch so badly he mixes his own words making: dankublieft and alstuwell. Yet they are still voting for him in droves <br />xxTracey Chalmershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10422112561804877205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-359760060658315030.post-10513077623936916642012-01-14T18:13:54.338+01:002012-01-14T18:13:54.338+01:00You REALLY don't have to worry about speaking ...You REALLY don't have to worry about speaking Dutch until you are comfortable with it. Pretty much everyone, even the hairy biker lady, will understand English and respond to any English comments.<br /><br />2 things know in Dutch are "alstublieft", for please, here you are, go on, you first, etc.<br /><br />and Dank u well, for thanks for much.<br /><br />There's a clue in those 2 phrases, they are "polite" forms of Dutch, the Dutch have a formal and informal way of adressing people. And thats the clue.. IF you are ever in doubt, addressing someone formally forces them to respond formally and politely...Its kind of conditioned in them, and great news is that it works if you speak english too, if you are polite, say please and thank you and show appreciation for their comments, they almost always respond in helpful and polite ways. <br /><br />The defult is the direct, slightly impolite way to our ears, way.. So if you start any coversation using very polite formal english, they switch to polite response mode.<br /><br />4 years I've been here now and though I can undertand a reasonable amount of Dutch I struggle to speak it, but find that English spoken slowly and politely always works, even if the responses are in Dutch.<br /><br />you're doing brilliantly though, and the market is a great place.Boring old Farthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07863299168008905106noreply@blogger.com