You do realize that this article was meant to be humorous, don’t you? And you did read this article, so you’ve taken a bit of time to consider the Netherlands. To respond to your comment, I don’t see hatred for cars as a bad thing, but anyway I don’t think the Dutch hate cars. They realize they’re bad for the environment and choose other forms of transportation. As for bad food, it’s not my favorite either, but it is filling and hearty. I would argue, though, that Dutch Gouda ranks among the best cheeses in the world. (It’s not the same as American-produced Gouda!)

I think the word “hate” is a bit strong. There are lots of cars here, so some people must like them. My husband and I have one, though we don’t use it much except for taking road trips out of the country. But certainly the country is set up so that there are plenty of alternatives. And these days cities and provinces do actively encourage people to choose other forms of transport for the sake of the environment. I don’t really get why that would be a bad thing. The less people drive, the better the air quality is and the less traffic there is for the ones who still need to drive. And bicycling, which pretty much everyone does here in varying amounts, is a healthy way to get around. What’s not to like?

Maybe we just don’t care to consider a country with bad food and a hatred for cars.

To be honest, I didn’t even realize they connected Gouda with the Dutch. The “gouda” in the US doesn’t taste like Dutch Gouda, so I’m not surprised if there’s a premium on the real thing. I didn’t know there was a gouda craze in the US; it must be pretty recent. They make lots of flavored Gouda varieties here too; brandnetel (nettle) or cumin or mustard, for example. And yes, the tourism industry has pretty much given in and uses the term “Holland” now, which is understandable. I mean, often when I say I live in the Netherlands, people give me a puzzled look and I have to add “Holland” and then they understand. Not just Americans, though – people from lots of different countries don’t know the term “Netherlands.”

I agree. This article is about how Americans SEE the Dutch, not how they actually are!

Yes, I guess I’m used to it. You can call them blunt, or you can call them honest. It just depends on how you feel! People do have a tendency to get defensive, which I understand. I get similar defensiveness on my other post about how the Dutch see the Americans.

Well, someone said the Dutch are blunt (direct, honest, rude sometimes even!) and Jan Alberts’ comment is a text book example.

Sorry you had to deal with that, Rachel. The longer I live in Amsterdam the harder I find it to digest it. The Netherlands is a beautiful, rich, well organized country but the mentality of the people here could be a bit warmer and friendlier at times (the same goes for the weather between October and March!). 🙂