Learning the dutch….language


Not only learning about the dutch is enough to understand the culture, you definitely gotta integrate into their daily life situations and how better than learning some dutch.

I just think about doing a joke (yoke as I always pronounce it) like the ones I normally do, creating the environment for people to laugh and laugh myself. There is a moment for a joke; the way you say it and the specific moment when after capturing the attention of everyone, it gets to the climax and people cannot contain the laugh. If you loose the uniques of this moment, the joke is not fun anymore. So, imagine a dutch doing a joke (they are not regularly funny) but have to repeat it into english so people around them understand. It definitely loose the fun…

So, I learnt dutch. 13 minutes away from Rotterdam (and believe that minutes matter in this country), the Aula was located in the university of Delft. Twice a week after the office hours, I would run to the station and catch the train to get there and be back at my university times and my ceed in Groningen sorrounded by bikes and books.

Something difficult about learning dutch for a peruvian is not definitely the pronounciation but the order of the words which is certainly different to english and spanish, its something else but defnitely more enjoyable than german. I actually find pleasure pushing my throat to do the “gggghhhhh ….Scheveningen (esheyfeningen)”.

After the 2 lessons of 400 euros each I decided I was fluent enough (hahahah more fluent than my AI team for sure!). In my attemp to dutch the new AI team, we put in place dutch classes. Once a week, 22 individuals were back to school repeating loud all together Hallo mijn naam is xxx, Ik kom iut xxx… really fun! Brodie would get overexcited getting into the room and saying Oh God! You’ll be speaking in the office between yourself and we will not be able understand..
The teacher: member of the board of directors of AIESEC Netherlands, master (almost) graduate and future I-banker at one of the most prestigious banks in Europe. Part-time business manager and full-time AI member’s dutch boyfriend; Joost, now dutch teacher once a week, isnt it a great combination?

After speaking portuguese, spanish and english, its natural that my dutch is not the best, specially since I don’t have much chances to practice it (living in The Netherlands but working in AI)… but I have the hope once in Peru I will have some time to do some more and become probably the only peruvian in Peru spekaing dutch.

The Netherlands!
Finally it happened! Yes, we have the Netherlands as an oficially part of the transition agenda for the first time!!!.Yes, we should practice what we preach... we are living in a country full of discoveries and unexpected behaviours The Netherlands as described by the lonely planed: " It's a country where you can get a sex change on the national health scheme, and where Hilde and her two dads can share a joint to celebrate that she likes boys too, why does the washing up always get done straight after dinner? The Netherlands has managed to combine liberal attitudes with one of the most orderly societies on earth, in a community which manages to be radical and sensible without being silly or staid. The Dutch aren't bogged in their clichés, even though bikes, dykes, windmills and blazing flower fields are pretty much the norm outside the major cities."
We are living it up together now... As for the kick off of the block, we had a game " Became a ducthie" where everyone had to answer obvious and non-obvious questions about the country where they will be spending 14 months.We have a parallel calendar of activities happenning the coming months and dutch classes are just one of them...
This is a brilliant beginning, specially beign a peruvian introducing them into the dutch culture.. Ok ok, yes Taco is supporting on this, but he is still dutching hismself.