The scenery
Every time I look out on our room window, I can’t help to imagine seeing this scenery on a postcard. In fact, everywhere I go in Europe I always said that. In here, they have their perfect match between modernizations with natural beauty. How often can you see horse in a field with duck and bird flying around while your house is 5 minutes away with metro station just a walk away? Or when you have humongous park near you with gorgeous lake that actually have black swan and bunch of green duck chasing each other? Or when you walk to your apartment and stumble on big tree that you will just looove to be sit underneath it and read books all day looong. I can go on and on about this, but yeah, the scenery here is breathtaking. They preserved their natural beauty as hard as they could.
2. The People
People of Netherlands often known have very plain personality. They don’t smile is what the rumor said. Well, my experience said the contrary. I always have people smiling and saying hi to me when I walk passes them in the street or in anyplace here. They do mind their own business thou. They don’t bother to comment negatively on your action and stare at you all day because you just difference from them. I used to be afraid using hijab in this country where the opposite politician speak very firmly about disliking Islam. But when I go through it day by day, I have almost 0 racist experienced regarding my hijab. It such a relief and also and eye opening that what one man speak does not represent the whole country.
3. The Language
Good thing we agree on the same universal language, cause oh boy.. how we need it in here. Everybody speaks difference language, Polish, Dutch, Italy, France, Greece, and off course Indonesian. But when it comes to social interaction, they all used the same language, English. Almost 90% of Dutch people can speak fluent English. The other immigrant such as student and the worker also speak English with their own twist of accent.
4. The Transportation
Bicycle is one hot thing now in Indonesia. Everybody rush in to use one because it is the hottest thing to do and you can say “Gaul”. In The Netherlands, bike is a must. It is not a trend, but a lifestyle. Here, almost everybody have and is a cyclist, from grandparents to mother with 2 children. Because of that, they have their modification of bikes based on their needs, bike with bags in the back to bring groceries, bike with baby seat, back with toddler seat, bike that’s looks like a “Becak” in Indonesia, and all difference kind of bike. They also make it easier for bike user to use the metro and train with the facility such as bike trail in the stair to bring to bike up to the platform, the big space in the train to put the bike or the bike parking area in the station. I was not used to using one, but in here, I must say, although I always out of breath riding one, I love it! It easy to use, easy to park, and very effective to get you to wherever you need without worrying with the traffic and parking. The road has special bike area that marks with color red. This red road also used by small golf car and motorcycle, but mostly by bi
kers. It is very helpful to have the road so for beginner like myself; I do not have to worry to get hit by a car while I stumble on my bicycle.
Those are the main point why I love Europe especially Amsterdam. But among things, I do have my concern and dislike.
I am a tropical girl, who likes her sun and beaches. In here,you have to check the temperature online and wind outside to determine what to use or decided it is good to go out or not. I am constantly cold in here, whether in my room or outside under the sun. The wind is freezing and what they call warm, I called it ice-cold. Man! I do not know how I can handle thewinter, if the spring is this cold. Just like, when I was drawing in the park and suddenly my hand is freezing, just from like 15 minutes sitting in one spot. Well, but I managed, I found the sun is very missed here but I found a lot of thing that can warm my heart, my lovely husband, my cute little apartment, and my bright future.
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