Hello, beautiful Roermond.
I have not seen much of you recently because – well, as you see. It is my turn at last. I am vaccinated and boosted (thank you, Nederlands!) so I am not very sick. I am staying home diligently because I don’t want to make anyone else sick.
To pass the time I’ve been watching YouTube videos about The Netherlands. I’ve been watching the Easy Dutch channel; and Dutchies To Be; and Bart de Pau – all Nederlanders. Also Josephine Ogugua from Nigeria, and Matthew Schwarzer from Germany, and Not Just Bikes by Canadian Jason Slaughter. And Expat Ellen from the US; Casey Killmore from Australia, and others.
Then, I have been reading the comments from Nederlanders. They seem so interested in the opinions and experiences of buitenlanders, and how the country is being portrayed to the rest of the world. Their comments are almost always welcoming and encouraging. The Dutch seem so delighted when buitenlanders are happy here.
Often Nederlanders write something like “Not everything is perfect here…” or “There are lots of problems in our country…” They are warning foreigners not to see things too much “through rose colored glasses” as we would say in English.
Of course that is true. There are problems in every land. But I hope the Dutch see that all these foreigners find many wonderful and special things here; so many things that the Dutch can be proud of.
Recherche Roermond 