countries/netherlands

DUTCH LIFE

What if you came to live in the Netherlands?
Would you like it? Would you feel at home?

That depends.

Do you like to learn languages?
Some call Dutch the Chinese of Europe - to show the difficulty they have in learning it. In the Netherlands, everyone learns English, which is even used in some of the courses in many universities. But since our small country is sandwiched between Germany, Belgium, France and England, you'd learn at least the basics of German and French.

Do you like to ride your bicycle?
Sorry, no school buses here. You ride your bicycle to school or parents may take their younger kids to school by bicycle. It's not unusual for teens to ride their bike for 30 minutes or more to get to school.

Do you like rain?
You don't? Well, neither do the Dutch; but they're always prepared with an umbrella or rain suit, just in case there's a surprise. In fact, it seems to be overcast and rainy more often than not. During the winter, it can be weeks - sometimes months - before you get some serious sunshine again.

Would you like to take your life into your own hands?
For most Dutch folks, life and death is all up to yourself! Abortion is widely practiced, although not to the late term that it is currently in the USA. And euthanasia continues to be protected by law, at least in cases of extreme suffering, but the legal limits are being tested and stretched.

Do you think two political parties is not enough?
That's great, for in the Netherlands, you have a dozen and a half political parties, all with their own programs and politicians. Besides the usual left- and right-wing parties, some parties emphasize the environment, others focus on senior citizens, while there are even two outspoken Christian parties. The Dutch have two houses of parliament, and a cabinet with a prime minister. Queen Beatrix oversees it all, but she has little political power, since the country is a constitutional monarchy.

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