``````````````````````````````````````````````
“In Germany we have an expression for Dutch people. Well call them ‘Käseköpfe’ (cheese heads) because we always think of Dutch people eating cheese all the time.”
``````````````````````````````````````````````
The Bulgarians, representing 0.54% of TU’s student
”
Greek students, totalling to around 0.50% of Tilburg’s total student population, are the fourth largest international student community at TU. The Greeks spoke pretty much in line with the rest, acknowledging the Dutch kindness, open-mindedness and easy-going behaviour. They appreciated how Dutch people always respected others’ privacy. Iro Margeri, 23-year-old Master’s student in Strategic Management explained, “They seem a little bit cold, but they are not. This is just their way, their culture. If you ask them something, they will answer you very politely. But that’s it, nothing else. I think it’s about respecting your privacy.” “They’re helpful. They are also
population, are all big fans of the Dutchopen-mindedness.
Aleksandrina Banusheva, 24-year-old Master student in Law and Technology, spoke at length about how this was so refreshing, “The fact that they are so open-minded, it’s so liberating, so amazing. It’s really great when people support each other, they don’t judge each other. I come from a kind of conservative country, and people aren’t very welcoming to new things, to changes. While with Dutch people, I don’t think there is anything you could do to surprise them. And they’re like, if it doesn’t hurt anyone, then go ahead. What’s that song: If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad!”
What was new to some of them however, was the renowned Dutch flair for directness, something that is very different in their own culture where people are always very polite and vary of hurting each other in what they say. 19-year-old Nikolay Ignatov, first year student of Liberal Arts,
somehow very relaxed, like they have everything under control,” added Christos Psomas, 23-year-old Master student in Economics.
`````````````````````````
"And they’re like, if it doesn’t hurt anyone, then go ahead. What’s that song: If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad!”
`````````````````````````
“Tall. Blonde. A bit stingy with money,” that’s how Afroditi Kanakopoulou, 26-year-old Master student in Business Communication and Digital Media, described the Dutch. Iro added to this, saying, “Patient, really patient. Especially when there is traffic outside, everyone is so calm and cool.”
also mentioned that while the Dutch do accept new people in their country, they can still tend to be a bit skeptical about them. Coming from Bulgaria, they often experience stereotypes about Eastern Europe being a poorer place and therefore a bit inferior. However, there’s more lurking beneath the surface here. The third Bulgarian student we interviewed, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated a more serious stereotype she has encountered during her stay in the Netherlands, “Several people have asked me if I am a prostitute just because I am in Holland and I am Bulgarian….I was really angry, of course. I was kind of shocked because I was not expecting that.” As a student far away from her country, that was of course a rather unpleasant experience. She explained further that it was unacceptable to ask anyone such questions no matter what the person is doing, yet with a sweet smile, she immediately lightened the mood, saying, “in general, young people [in Holland] are really open minded towards all cultures so they don’t use prejudices that often.”
As for the stereotypes about the Greek prevailing in the Netherlands, Afroditi jokingly summed it up for us pretty nicely, “Yeah, I am Greek. I am lazy, coffee, sun, beach, bankrupt, don’t like to work, take their money.”
``````````````````````````````````````````````
"They are also somehow very relaxed, like they have everything under control”
``````````````````````````````````````````````
Last but not least, are the Indonesians, constituting 0.43% of the student population at Tilburg. The Indonesians had one word to summarize what they loved the most about the Netherlands: weed. “I think that one of the best things about the Netherlands is the free use of marijuana. Because in my country it’s illegal, I think that’s pretty
3