7 things the Dutch could learn from the Kiwis

After a year of living in the Netherlands, I’ve come to find a few things here lacking so I started wondering if there is anything the Netherlands could learn from New Zealand? Or anything the Dutch could learn from Kiwis?

There is a country at the bottom of the globe named Land of the Long White Cloud. Its residents are known for their relaxed beach culture, delicious wine, outstanding rugby team and unrivalled landscapes.

It may be small but sets a big example in many regards. New Zealand was the first country to give women the right to vote and its current Prime Minister was only the second woman in the world to ever give birth whilst in office.

To be clear, there is also a lot that NZ could learn from the Netherlands (living more communally, bike culture, effective public transport, better work/life balance, liberal drug policies) but that’s for another article…

7. How to make a decent coffee

You can’t get away from good coffee in New Zealand and you can’t get away from a bad coffee in the Netherlands. There is nothing more disheartening than paying nearly €4 for a sub-par coffee.

There are two places I have found in the Amsterdam which do good coffee — Bruno’s in the Jordaan and Scandanavian Embassy in De Pijp (sponsor me please). Aside from that, can Dutchies please learn how to froth milk properly?

books about the netherlands
I just need a decent cup of joe please. Image: Pixabay/Pexels

6. Meat is expensive — so make it show in the price

The Netherlands has seen the biggest annual price rise in 10 years with an estimated five percent increase to meat prices in recent years. However, the Dutch government still believes that Dutch food remains too cheap and more efforts should be made to invest in environmental and sustainable food.

And it’s true. You can purchase meat so inexpensively which is quite possibly why the Netherlands meat consumption is remaining stable, despite most Dutchies’ awareness of the negative impact meat consumption has on the environment.

In NZ the price of meat more adequately reflects the cost of meat production.

5. Better weather

Hey Nederland, do you realise there are other types of weather apart from rain? And that there are also four seasons! As well as winter and autumn there is also summer and spring.. fancy that?!

Surprisingly, many people think New Zealand is consistently warm despite it getting very cold during winter. The beauty of seasons is the fact they are just that, seasonal. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in the Netherlands.

4. Food in the nude: stop wrapping fruit and vegetables

Walking into a Dutch supermarket after living in New Zealand for so long can be alarming. Counters are loaded with single vegetables wrapped in plastic. So agonisingly unnecessary.

New World, one of the leading supermarkets in New Zealand kicked off their 2019 with the “food in the nude”. In this they eliminated almost all plastic packaging on their fresh produce. Nigel Bond, manager of one of the New World supermarkets, said “When you take on these projects they can be a disaster and lead to customer pushback but in my 30 years in the supermarket industry this simple change has resulted in the most positive feedback from customers I have ever received”, NZ Herald reports. 

Plastic free supermarkets
Countdown supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo: Lily Sawbridge/Supplied
NZ supermarkets
Plastic-free fruit display at Countdown supermarket in New Zealand. Photo: Lily Sawbridge/Supplied

3. The art of conversation: how to be honest whilst also being nice

Dutchies are getting endless slack for their Dutch directness. This straightforwardness is so valued in Dutch society that there’s even a Dutch word for it: bespreekbaarheid. This roughly translates to “speakability” or “negotiability” and means that no topic should be taboo.

Expat Facebook groups are often strewn with “you won’t believe what a Dutch person said to me today” stories. I’ve had my fair share of blunt comments, such as the time a stranger told me my hair looked awful. But I find this refreshing as I believe it creates authenticity and builds good rapport.

When I tell people I came from New Zealand the immediate response is “everyone is so lovely there!” and whilst they are, I have often found it to be a superficial niceness. By comparison, people in the Netherlands are far more considerate and genuine. From my experience, the affable nature of the kiwis is a bit of a social faux-pas. Nonetheless, many others believe the Dutch should learn tact from people like the Kiwis.

2. Equality in public toilets

So riddle me this Dutchies. Men get to pee freely by using standing pee stations but women have to pay? As much as 50 cents? and sometimes 70 cents?!

The lowlands used to perform well in equality rankings but in recent years, according to the World Economic Forum for gender equality, the Netherlands dropped to number 31. Maybe the lack of pee stations for women has something to do with this?

This toilet-inequality issue has been heard in court after Geerte Piening, 23, received a €90 fine for popping a squat in an alleyway after a night of drinking. When she challenged the fine, the judge told her she should have used public urinal (another Dutch fail).

A typical Amsterdam urinal. Image: Balou46/Wikimedia Commons/CC3.0

1. Stop charging for water

If you ask for water when out for dinner in the Netherlands, the waiters will bring you bottled water by default — which you have to pay for. But there are even times I have been charged for tap water. Yes TAP water. Are you kidding me? So it is important to clarify whether the water costs anything or not before you guzzle three bottles and stare in dismay at the bill at the end of the night.

Paying for water is a rarity in New Zealand and tap water is provided free of charge at most establishments. What’s more, is you will also see water fountains dotted around most cities so you can even access water while jogging along the beach or pull over in your car and fill up your water bottle.

Of course, both countries can learn a little from each other — but sometimes you just gotta voice your frustrations!

Do you disagree or agree? We love debate and being challenged! Fire away in the comment section! 

Feature Image: Kyle Myburgh/Unsplash

Freya Sawbridge
Freya Sawbridge
Freya was born in Edinburgh but raised in New Zealand (cue every person she meets saying “oh I have always wanted to go there but it’s so far away!”). A restless and curious nature has led her to move countries 5 times in the last 3 years in attempt to find a place she can call home. She contacted DutchReview on a whim and arrived in the Netherlands in summer 2019 to start her internship.

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