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More pics!

I walked around the little town of Aalsmeer today. Very pretty little town:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93071586@N ... 738143718/

So, I must confess something to you dudes: I basically started this thread because consulting is lonely as hell, and I wanted friends to hang out with. I've found something even more interesting now that I'm in another country: It's even lonelier when you don't speak the same language as everyone else. Holy balls.

You're in the Netherlands now?

Don't most Dutch people speak English better than we do?

Chankgeez wrote:You're in the Netherlands now?

Don't most Dutch people speak English better than we do?

Yeah, but it's not the language they tend to default to.


Also, on rereading my earlier post, I'm hella whiny.

Haki's out thar. hit him up.

MAKE ME SEETHE WITH JEALOUSY.

Grrface wrote:

Chankgeez wrote:You're in the Netherlands now?

Don't most Dutch people speak English better than we do?

Yeah, but it's not the language they tend to default to.


Also, on rereading my earlier post, I'm hella whiny.

Ah, it's OK, you're allowed to whine a little.

Being in a foreign country by yourself can definitely be a lonely experience.

I think the Dutch are friendly though.

in my experience, many people in the city of Amsterdam default to English, no doubt because it's such a tourist center; this is especially true of people in restaurants, hotels, museums, coffeeshops, and other places that uitlanders frequent. i wouldn't necessarily expect this outside of the major cities, though, and even in A'dam you'll get Dutch as the default in places that don't do much tourist trade such as drugstores, health/beauty shops, or small clothing stores. also, the folks tend to be friendly albeit a bit reserved by Yank standards.

dubkitty wrote:in my experience, many people in the city of Amsterdam default to English, no doubt because it's such a tourist center; this is especially true of people in restaurants, hotels, museums, coffeeshops, and other places that uitlanders frequent. i wouldn't necessarily expect this outside of the major cities, though, and even in A'dam you'll get Dutch as the default in places that don't do much tourist trade such as drugstores, health/beauty shops, or small clothing stores. also, the folks tend to be friendly albeit a bit reserved by Yank standards.

Reserved is a good word for it. I suppose it's my Southern US upbringing that makes it feel a bit rude, but I think that's just because I'm so used to EVERYONE making small talk.


On a different note, Haki and I are going to tear up Rotterdam on Saturday for anyone in the area who wants to join us. Although apparently my sense of distance is way off from European types. So let's just call my "in the area" an area encompassing the entire European continent.

I've been consultant for some years. Yeah, hanging Out at Hotels alone sucks.

I would Love to Join you guys. But that is pretty far away (for a European).

univalve wrote:I've been consultant for some years. Yeah, hanging Out at Hotels alone sucks.

I would Love to Join you guys. But that is pretty far away (for a European).

Awww

Well, in a very surprising turn of events, my boss just called me and said "How would you like to stop traveling, move to the Baltimore, MD area, and we'll double your salary and pay your wife's tuition."

Saw that in the other thread, mad congrats dude, that sounds amazing. Interesting point about people being reserved, I've always found the dutch to be very friendly (and good at english), but that's me coming from the UK where most people are definitely less ready to talk to strangers than in the US (that I've experienced).

Whelp, looks like I'm moving to Baltimore in a few weeks. So that's exciting.

Well, so much for traveling the world, eh?

Hope you find happiness in Baltimore.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yEEIhhLCTE[/youtube]

Yeah, my traveling will just be between DFW and Baltimore now, since my wife isn't able to move till she graduates next year. So we'll be taking turns flying back and forth.