Dutch Sayings

I'm pretty lucky, at the Plant I am working with Bas Geldof a 62 year old ExxonMobil employee. Since we are the same age and have worked about the same number of years in the petrochemical industry we seem to have a lot in common.  He speaks very good English and is great to talk with.  We are always talking, comparing the Dutch way to the way we do things in America. Bas has taken the time to share Dutch culture through various Dutch sayings which I will now share with you.

The Dutch saying is "Nu komt de aap uit de mouw" it translates to "Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve" but it means "to let the cat out of the bag"

The Dutch saying is "Wie boter op zijn hoofd heeft, moet uit de zon blijven" it translates to "He who has butter on his head should stay out of the sun" it means “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”

Bas has explained to me he is on his second marriage and that divorce is very expensive in the Netherlands. His second wife is 10 years younger than him. They share a passion for motorcycle riding. They have participated in many Rider Days at Assen raceway a world famous track in the Netherlands.

The Dutch saying is "Met zijn neus in de boter vallen" it translates to "To fall with your nose in the butter" and it means "To be at the right place at the right time"

The Dutch saying "nog een kiezelsteen uit je schoen" it translates to "another pebble from your shoe" it means "one less problem in your life"

Bas had a heart attack about 2 years ago and was moved into the training department. Once the Project entered into the startup phase he was asked to help with the Startup, it is not something he wanted to do but it was his best friend who asked, so he is here. I'm lucky to be working with him, he is fun to work with as well as a hard worker.

Here is my favorite Dutch saying...

The Dutch say "Alsof er een engeltje over je tong piest" it translated to "as if an angel is peeing on my tongue" what is means is " I am really enjoying my meal or beer".

I'm getting a little hungry, so now I'm going to try and find that angel...


TJ in Holland

The Hague

After a hour trip on the Metro I found myself in The Hague.  It's the third largest city in the Netherlands.  It seemed like a mixture of old and new architecture, tall modern buildings mixed in with old small shops.  The streets were narrow and bustling with people.  Sidewalk cafes abound making it easy to sit and enjoy a beer or two while watching the people walk by.  There are a lot of canals/waterways crisscrossing the city along with flags and flowers making it very picturesque.

The Hague is the home of the Dutch Government, the International Court of Justice and where the Royal Family reside.

Here is a link to a You Tube video it is a little long (too long, 28 min) but it has a lot of information about the city and it's attractions.

This is The Inner Circle - The Knights Hall.  It is a courtyard in the middle of the Royal Residence where large ceremonies are held, things like Royal weddings and Military parades.
























I'm not exactly sure what I expected to see or find in The Hague but it was not what I expected.  I envisioned a older city steeped with historical buildings.  I expected it to be a slow paced old world city and from what I saw it is a fast paced shopping center.  I will have to go back after I read some more and find all the jewels the city has to offer.

TJ in Holland

The Food

Several people have ask me to tell them about the food here in the Netherlands..I'll try.  For the most part the food I am eating here is similar to the food back home.  They seem to have a little more emphasis on healthy eating than we do.  The restaurants and cafes include some type of salad or cole slaw with every dish often excluding potatoes or fries when you would expect them and with the exception of the cafe at work the portions are a little smaller.  Price is higher, burgers will be 15-23 Euros ($17.50-$27), sodas are more expensive than beer (5.5 Euros for a pint, $6.50 for a coke).

Since an evening meal is included with our room package we eat mostly at the hotel restaurant.  After a week in a foreign country I usually fall into eating at McDonald's or other American style fast food place...it provides comfort as the stresses build....it has been three weeks and I have not eaten at an American Fast Food place yet...however I was tempted to eat at Five Guys last weekend.

One of the best things about being in Europe is the bread!  There are many different types and most are very good.  For breakfast I love a warm croissant, for a lunch sandwich I like a crusty Italian bread and for dinner just about anything. Below are some foods I have encountered.

A Kroket is difficult to explain because there are so many different ways they are made.  The ones I have had are a long cylindrical deep fried creation.  Inside they have a filling that is a finely shredded meat mixed with some potatoes.   It is thick enough that it does not run out but very mushy/creamy.  Not a bad taste but the texture is not pleasing to me.

Frikendel is a Dutch deep fried snack sausage I see at work and sold by cafes and street vendors.  They are spicier than an American hot dog and are usually eaten without the bun.  They can be covered in mayonnaise or cheese and served with fries.





Patat is the common name for french fries in the Netherlands.  They are usually thick crispy fries that were said to be invented in Belgium.  The Dutchies love their Patat with large amounts of mayonnaise and often have them with other fired foods like a Kroket or Frikendel.  I have to ask for Ketchup and they look at me a little weird.

Stamppot is a traditional Dutch dish made from a combination of potatoes mashed with some vegetables.  These vegetables can include sauerkraut, kale, spinach, turnip greens or carrots and onions. I don't care for it, they serve it frequently at the work cafeteria.





Stroopwafel is one of my favorite snacks/desserts.  I first had them when my colegue in Saudi would bring them back from his visits home.  I think I may have sent you some before.  If you have never tasted them do a Amazon search and buy some!


Dutch Licorice is found everywhere and while I don't like it the Dutch do!  You will find jars or baskets of it on the hotel reception desk, on people's desks and sold by street vendors.

TJ in Holland

The Netherlands

When I was young I thought Holland was a country, it isn't.  This was what was taught in school. The Netherlands is the country, Holland is one province within the Netherlands.  In the 1600s until the 1900s most of the wealth power and prosperity was centered in the province of Holland so when a Dutch person was asked where they were from they responded Holland so people knew they were affluent.

Fun facts, the Netherlands has more bicycles than people and the men of the Netherlands are the tallest in the world (on average).

Tulips while always associated with the Netherlands are actually from Turkey. For some reason they really like the Dutch soil and eighty percent of the worlds flower bulbs are exported from the Netherlands.

Eighty six percent of the Dutch speak English as a second language.  I have only found a few people I could not converse with and I find all of them very pleasant to talk with and extremely helpful.



I am staying in a suburb of Rotterdam called Spijkenisse not far from the ExxonMobil refinery where I am working.  Here is a picture of the hotel where I reside, the Carlton Oasis.  It has a duck pond on one side of the hotel.  You can sit outside at the bar and watch the ducks while you drink your self into oblivion.

Having been here a week it was now time to find a place to do laundry because it is too expensive to have the hotel do it for me.  I did a Google search and a place popped up just across the street from the hotel so I walked over and saw a petrol station with a car wash, Google must have lost something in the translation.  Back to the hotel and after several more searches, all showing the same location, I went back and found 2 washers and one dryer, BINGO!  After several attempts I got the laundry started. As I turned to walk back to the hotel I noticed there was a dog wash station next to the washer/dryer.  WOW you can get fuel, get food, wash clothes, get your car washed and wash your dog all at the same place!!!  If they had beds I could stay here!

TJ in Holland

Another Adventure Begins

Once again our hero TJ strikes out on another adventure, this time to the Netherlands, Rotterdam to be exact.  I have been to 29 countries and nothing ever prepares me for deplaning in a foreign city, being tossed out to fend for yourself starts a chain of events I have learned to dread.  How to get a taxi, which ones are real and which ones are scammers.  What about public transportation, how do you get a ticket, how long is it good for, do you validate by the track or on train?  Where are we going to get groceries, what about laundry?  Even though most of the Dutch speak English and are very helpful, most of the signage is in Dutch so it can present a challenge driving places.  Figuring out the best roads to work, what are the traffic patterns where can you get breakfast at 6am, all these things need to be answered and quickly.When I was younger it was easier, I guess I need to just tell myself ...piece of cake, your only 35, you can do it!

Most people think travelling is just one fun day after another fun day, I'm here to tell you taking a bus tour or a cruise is nothing like stepping off a plane with no guide or travel agency arranging the details, OK, OK, rant over!

The Hague is where we had to go to get my Dutch Social Security number.  About a 45 minute drive from Rotterdam it was a good trip I enjoyed looking at the countryside.This is the inside of their city hall where we filled out the paperwork and after a short wait had the Dutch Social Security number.





















There were quite a few pieces of art work around the building.  I only took a few pictures, I wish I would have taken more.  Some of the pieces are difficult for me to understand or identify what they are.

There was a picturesque church around the corner, I didn't get a very good picture but you can still tell it was interesting.  I will definitely be back on a off day and see more of this delightful city.

There were three of us from Houston that came over together to the Netherlands.  I have worked with both of these guys before so we knew each other. They gave the three of us a rent car, it is pretty small, I twist my knee every time I get into the back seat.  We are supposed to get a bigger car any day, that will bring a smile to my face.

Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe.  I think of it as a working mans city, it doesn't get the attention Amsterdam does but it may be as nice or even better.  The towns, streets and other names are very hard for me to pronounce, I get very flustered trying to say these names/places...OK, pull out Google maps and look at the names yourself, try a few...see I was right! Vondelingenplaat, Vrijenburg, and Spijkenisse to name a few.  Spijkenisse is the area where we are staying.  The Carlton Oasis is the hotel where we reside.

And another thing, the Dutch like most European country don't understand what Air Conditioning means.  In America it means cold air blows out a one or more vents in your room making the temperature drop to a comfortable temperature.  In Europe it means air, maybe warmer that the outside air, waifs through one small vent heating up your room to the point you will spend the whole evening in the bar drowning yourself in cold beer, true fact!

It's been a very busy few days, I need to get more rest so I need to sign off for now...more to come!