Seriously, people, SERIOUSLY! What the heck do Americans learn about the Netherlands??! I got a mail from a girl I've been mailing with for about 3 years now. She's nice, she's smart, she's cool, she's a friend. And yet, what does she mail today?

"If I go to the Netherlands one day, I would love to see the wind mills, the tulips, the aprons and the clogs."

Do you Americans want to kill me??! The people who know me, know that nothing makes me feel insulted more than remarks like that. Yet I have to stay nice because she obviously doesn't know any better. But seriously people, STEREOTYPE!

Which Aprons?! Which Clogs?! About 100 people in the Netherlands still wear those clothes most people think we still wear. And why do they wear it? FOR THE TOURISTS!

Let's see, what am I wearing today? Mm... white socks (so sue me), black pants, a white shirt with the image "Get your own N1nj4 St3v0 Doll" printed upon it, but already halfly faded away, and my mom's dark grey sweater (because we have the same size, because she's not around, because it's a great sweater, because I'm lazy to pick something myself). Shoes? At this moment slippers, but soon I will replace them with Nike shoes (going to Belgium with my friend J-guy! Weee! But first returning my flunky mp3 player to the store- bought it monday damn it!).

Let's see... how many pair of clogs do I have?
None.
And I will kick everyone very hard who dares to bring a pair inside the house.

Let's see... how many of those typical aprons do I have?
None.
And I won't wear one unless I get lots of money or my life will depend on it.

Those traditional clothes are cool, I admit that. It's a touch of history. What steams me up is that people, and appearantly mostly Americans, still think we live in clothes like that!!! That we are stuck in history! ARGH!

Oh, and Tulips... they are FLOWERS people. Originally from India, I even believe. So what Dutchies had a lot of them, in the past. And maybe in the past they did crazy thinks for them, but not any more. It's not like you will find a tulip every 10 metres. And yes, I have tulips in my garden. I love tulips. I just despise the stereotype connected to it.

Oh, and appearantly, because Germany and France used to dub EVERYTHING (movies, cartoons, tv series), appearantly the Netherlands does that as well. When will people still get it through their thick skull we only dub things that are meant for small children. You know, like cartoons. And some cartoons aren't even dubbed, but subbed. And most movies, when dubbed, are also available in English (or the other original language).

I recently saw Ice Age 2. SUBBED. English with Dutch Subtitles. I saw McLeod's Daughter's yesterday. SUBBED. English with Dutch Subtitles. I also saw an episode of My Life as a Teenage Robot not to long ago. DUBBED, because it's a CARTOON.

Seriously, I keep on telling this to certain friends, but they just won't understand it. I'm so glad most of my friends do get it, but some I just want to drag over here, and let them have a culture shock. Because then they will find out we wear normal clothes like they do, have normal lives like they do, and are far more advanced then they think.

Dutch people are not stupid! We built the Delta Works. We have Rotterdam. That is either the biggest harbor IN THE WORLD, or the second biggest (haven't followed it lately; Antwerp is big as well; maybe bigger now? Could be. Don't pin me down on the fact it it's the biggest XD. It was that for years anyway.). Do you know the electronica brand Phillips? Began in the Netherlands.

Dutch people do NOT live in the past. Oh, and btw, the girl who caused this rant also said: "please don't take me to WW2 places; that would make me sad."
Come to think of it, then she shouldn't come at all. Since the entire Netherlands was owned by Germany. And each city has a memorial statue at least. But you know, we rebuilt a lot of it, what was destroyed. Doesn't mean we forget about it.

Nopes. 4th of May is coming. Death Memorial Day. The day where we think about those who died in WWII (as the correct form would be - in my eyes anyway =P), and remember we should NEVER allow such a thing to happen again.

This was my rant.
Kitty Ocean
Signing off....