Nether worlds feelings

First of all I have to say, that I was in Netherlands for almost six month. I think I travelled enought to see more than what you can find in tourist informations, and what is more important I lived there, not only spent there vacation time.

In this small chapter I want to say few words about Holand also to the people which I met there, in language that they possibly can at least read. Reason is very simple, I hope that ones, somebody who will visit Czech Republic will do something similar, so I can see "picture from otherside".

My first feeling from Netherlands I described a lot in my emails that I wrote home. Briefly I can say here, that when, I for a first time, look through train window I saw wood, mist and wet everywhere. As we run through land to final point I found that land is terribly flat, what is more depresive is that man from middle Europe feels really strange when you can not say: "Hey yes, this town is overthere behing this hill..". It is hard to find a point you can take as your base. But I can not say a word against this, this is the mather of the nature which (partialy) builds this land. For sure, this makes people which live there really different. And then, for sure, also what people are doing is different, what they are building is different, how everything seems is different. You can easily say: "How different?". Yep. First I start with houses, because these are really characteristic, and I will, like with everything, compare them with country where I've lived for the rest of my life.

Usuall houses looks like models to midman like me. But I did not see a lot of inhabited places where these small houses with big windows are looking sad. Each house has for example 4 m2 of a small, but really nice garden. In CR, here everybody has garden 500 m2 and he does not know what he has on oposit site, because he can not drive his lawn-mower so far. The same it is with houses. People in CR usually want to have big house. In Holand I found really nice to have only such house that I am able to make clean and I know where what I have. I know what I am talking about, I am living in 8 m2 for 6 years and I can say, I am happy. Shortly - I think the style of living in Holand makes people to live more efficient, and much more close to each other. And this is not seen then only in housing. I was really fascinated how kind people in Holand are. Yes, I also met nervous people, but they were minor. I really liked when I was walking at late evening around village and people were greeting me, like their neighbour, but I never saw them before. One man greets me through the window. I was really surprised, and I was turning around if he really greets me. I think I understand why peolpe are so kind to each other - they found that they must live (close) together and that it is easier to live together when you greet neighbour then to make him invisible in you mind - this is what people are doing in CR. They usually want to live alone, close to town.. But I have to say, that it is basicaly because how people had to live in past..

Lack of space is one of most forming things in Holand. How far I found from my own living (not only in Holand) I think that fact makes people to live more freely. I see that like this: less propety you have more freedom you have = less things to worry about. And that is also possible to see in peaceful life here.

Maybe my feelings are influenced by the fact that I lived in Holand in small town, not in big city, but, what I saw, Holand is one big city. And that is one thing that I do not like in Netherland, you can not get lost, at least in the woods. They have parks, with large woods, but in daytime there is so many people. Yes I know I am czech and I need more space around me. What is also related to this is Holand worldwide known tolerance. I felt real difference in how e.g. adults are talking to young extravagant (wo)man, against CR. In CR, when you are different you are bad, and you need advice from older and experienced adult. In Holand I think, things are different and young people are taken like they are. The center of all Holand tolerances I found in Amsterdam, and I have to say, I do not like it. I mean Amsterdam. According to my feelings it is ugly overcrowded town full of people searching for exitement and entertainment. Of people who does not take care of tomorrow. And I think, Amsterdam is not Holand. As many times as I can read about Amsterdam, I think Holand is everywhere around Amsterdam, im Amster there is Holand for the rest of the world.

Dums. This is really something fantastic. And they hardly formed people in Netherlands. Dums makes living possible in "underwaterlands". Not only dums, but also a lot of channels and artificial rivers. What you can not find in Netherlands is real river, like Vltava or Labe. You can hardly find which direction the water is flowing. What you can find everywhere are boats, and people living in boats/with boats. If I ever go to Holand again I want to spend some time traveling by boat.

Covex