The Integration

The blossoming tulips in the Keukenhof Gardens in Mid-April.

When I first moved to the Netherlands, I frowned upon Dutch culture in many ways. 

As you have probably read in my previous posts, Dutch people generally have a savings culture. 

As South Africans, we love to have a good time, because we know how to have a good time. 

At first, I stared at people who put their groceries in their handbags or purchased drinks elsewhere before eating. Packing snacks on an outing or splitting costs with your friends when they visit you. 

When you are an outsider looking in, these things seem rather absurd. For a while, I promised myself that I would never become so frugal that I forgot to live a little. 

The problem with this is the mental converter, no matter how long you live in another country you always still convert the prices to your reference currency. People always say you can’t compare because you earn a different currency but the truth is we always need a frame of reference, we all need something to help us tell right from wrong.

Such is life, we only exist in irony. After some time as you know, I told myself you can’t be paying R15 for a plastic bag each time so I started shoving everything in one packet to avoid buying two or even using my handbag as a grocery bag. These are livable changes. 

I didn’t realize how much I was fully integrating until this week when I filled my bottle of water to take it to the restaurant. This is when I realized that I too am starting to integrate. 

It’s always weird living with one foot in two places. It never ceases to amaze me. One day, I’ll probably even start enjoying the simplicity of a plain bread roll and banana from the grocery store for lunch. Until then, I’ll hold onto a little bit of South African flair… and a whole lot of water bottles.

Until next time. ♥️