We are (slowly) learning Dutch, it’s not too hard, but also not easy. Well I say that, but for now I just refuse the idea of learning the big words like “waarschijnlijk”, that means "probably". The thing is not only hard to read, but also to write because of all the “s” - “c” and “i “ - “j” combination. But there are, of course, bigger words, if I’ll say that they join names in one word, for instance, “parkkeervergunning” - licence to park! (These are the simple ones, that I’m slowly getting used to…)
When I say people that I want to learn Dutch, they all say a very ironical “good luck with that…” but I think it’s important! And even though every rule as more exceptions rather than anything else, I’m opening my mind to this new language!
This summer we got to study a lot! We had to sacrifice our beach time in the morning to do so, but it was worth it! When we arrived from holidays I said to Carlos that I would go to the market with him, but we made a pack – we would only speak in Dutch! And it worked, we could understand almost everything.
But it gets better: I went personally to the recruitments agency here in Breda, I thought that it could help if I presented myself personally. In one of the agencies I went, I started the conversation in Dutch, but always waiting for them to switch to English, as everybody does as soon as they realise we are not Dutch (they try to be nice and polite but they really don’t let us practice the language). I got to say everything in Dutch and I understood exactly what the lady told me – they didn’t recruit non Dutch speakers! Of course, my Dutch skills are not good enough to work, I still have to search for words, and some I just try the English/French version with a little bit of Dutch accent (as much as I can fake)… But I’m getting there! YEY!
When I say people that I want to learn Dutch, they all say a very ironical “good luck with that…” but I think it’s important! And even though every rule as more exceptions rather than anything else, I’m opening my mind to this new language!
This summer we got to study a lot! We had to sacrifice our beach time in the morning to do so, but it was worth it! When we arrived from holidays I said to Carlos that I would go to the market with him, but we made a pack – we would only speak in Dutch! And it worked, we could understand almost everything.
But it gets better: I went personally to the recruitments agency here in Breda, I thought that it could help if I presented myself personally. In one of the agencies I went, I started the conversation in Dutch, but always waiting for them to switch to English, as everybody does as soon as they realise we are not Dutch (they try to be nice and polite but they really don’t let us practice the language). I got to say everything in Dutch and I understood exactly what the lady told me – they didn’t recruit non Dutch speakers! Of course, my Dutch skills are not good enough to work, I still have to search for words, and some I just try the English/French version with a little bit of Dutch accent (as much as I can fake)… But I’m getting there! YEY!
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