When you start living in a different country, you will always find the people there living in a slightly different lifestyle from where you are originally from. Same thing happened to me when I came to Netherlands. No matter it is transportation, shopping habits or the way people greet, Dutch people are doing them slightly different from the Hongkongers. Therefore, I decided to do something slightly different from the previous blog posts, and tell you about a few interesting things I found in the Dutch life.
Bike your way
The Netherlands is a pretty flat country, making it really suitable for cycling. Cycling here is not just a form of leisure activities like what it is in Hong Kong, but it is an essential form of transportation. Most of the Dutch people are good cyclist, by saying good I mean REALLY good. I have seen so many times that they use cell phone when they bike (both hands off the front barrel!) and still be able to deal with the busy traffic. I cannot bike at all before coming to the Netherlands, but after seeing the public transportation fee, I just have to force myself to learn it.
Check-in Check-out on the buses
Dutch people use the OV-chipkaart for their public transport system. The OV-card is just like the Octopus Card we have which is not hard to use at all. However, things are a bit different when it comes to using it on buses. In Hong Kong, bus counts the fare by number of trips; but in Netherlands, they count it by distance. Therefore, you have to tap the card both when you get on and off the bus. I was not aware of that before at all until I realised how fast the money on my OV-card go (embarrassing!), but if this happens to you too, you can always call the bus company for a refund and the staff is very helpful.
Close on Sundays
People who know me well will know that I am a shopping addict. Yet in Tilburg, most shops close very early. They usually close at 6pm on weekdays except Thursday, which is their shopping day, and some of them even close full day on Sunday. This is surely something very different Hong Kong, where shopping malls are everywhere and will not close until 10pm. Although the shops close early, brands like Zara, Bershka... do free shop delivery so you can just browse their online catalogue anytime (and I can still be a shopaholic).
Debit Card = Wallet
Unlike Hong Kong, credit cards are not that common in Netherlands. Most shops do not even have enough change for big notes like 100 or 500 euro. Dutch people usually pay with debit card when they buy groceries, which the amount will automatically be deducted from the account, just like how EPS works. Once I tried to pay my groceries with a 100 note and none of the cashiers at the supermarket had enough change, luckily one of the customers had two 50 notes and saved the day!
Hello to everyone
Most Dutch people I have met are super friendly. Every day when I bump into my neighbours in the elevator, they will always greet me with a big smile and a friendly "hallo". The staff at the supermarket is very nice as well, one of them even tried to teach me some Dutch!
I am sure there are a lot more interesting things about the Dutch way of living. I am so glad that most of the people here are very helpful so I do not have to undergo any major cultural shock so far. Heel Goed!
外國的日常生活少不免會有許多與香港不同的地方，初抵步荷蘭的我當然亦感受到兩地的差異，所以今天想暫時不寫遊記，談談我在荷蘭交通、購物和人與人之間的相處方面的一些新體驗。
單車就是私家車
荷蘭與香港的地勢截然不同，這個歐洲國家幾乎整國都是平地，所以到處都適合踩單車。這裡的單車徑四通八達，單車早已不再只是週末的悠閒娛樂而是主要的交通工具。大部份荷蘭人踩單車的技術相當高超，許多人已練成「雙手離開把手一邊whatsapp一邊踩單車」，實在令我這個來到荷蘭才學懂踩單車的留學生十分佩服。
上車嘟一嘟，下車嘟一嘟
多數荷蘭人都會使用OV-chipkaart乘搭公共交通工具，其原理與香港的八達通無異。但這裡的巴士收費模式卻略有不同，與其是上車嘟一次便扣掉全程所需車費，這裡的巴士採用以距離計算的收費模式。故坐巴士的時候必須上車嘟一嘟，下車也嘟一嘟。初時我對此並不為意，直至我發現我的OV card儲值額用得出奇地快時才得知這項收費規則。幸好這裡的公共交通供應商十分體貼，只需致電熱線便可以將忘記拍卡而多扣的費用轉到戶口，十分方便。
東主常常有喜，周日全日休息
香港幾乎是個不夜城，廿四小時營業的店舖隨處可見。但在荷蘭，所有店舖都十分早關門。除了星期四開得較晚，它們平日大多只營業至下午6時，星期天幾乎更是全部關門。對於我這些熱愛購物人士而言，的確有點兒不方便。幸好的是許多品牌的網上商店都設有免費送貨至門市服務，所以要買zara, bershka等衣服仍然無難度！
EPS I Do?
在荷蘭付款主要是使用現金或是debit card（OV-chipkaart與八達通不同，是不能用於公共交通以外的），信用卡並不普遍。所謂debit card其實就是EPS，它能夠直接從戶口中扣錢，大多數荷蘭人在超市購物都會以debit card付款的。另外，許多到歐洲旅行的香港人都會和我一樣，預先在香港銀行兌換歐元。除非顧客特別要求，一般銀行都會給你100或500紙幣。但這裡大部份的商店都不會有許多零錢，即使是大商店亦不例外，故到荷蘭小鎮旅遊時要注意了！
Hello，Hello
荷蘭人十分友善熱情，許多時在街上都會主動跟你打招呼。而且他們的公民教育提倡人人平等，所以甚少會有歧視的情況出現。如果你嘗試跟當地人以簡單荷蘭文溝通，他們更會主動教你一些日常用語。
我相信荷蘭社區仍有許多有趣的事物等待我去發掘，希望下次再和大家分享！
單車就是私家車
荷蘭與香港的地勢截然不同，這個歐洲國家幾乎整國都是平地，所以到處都適合踩單車。這裡的單車徑四通八達，單車早已不再只是週末的悠閒娛樂而是主要的交通工具。大部份荷蘭人踩單車的技術相當高超，許多人已練成「雙手離開把手一邊whatsapp一邊踩單車」，實在令我這個來到荷蘭才學懂踩單車的留學生十分佩服。
上車嘟一嘟，下車嘟一嘟
多數荷蘭人都會使用OV-chipkaart乘搭公共交通工具，其原理與香港的八達通無異。但這裡的巴士收費模式卻略有不同，與其是上車嘟一次便扣掉全程所需車費，這裡的巴士採用以距離計算的收費模式。故坐巴士的時候必須上車嘟一嘟，下車也嘟一嘟。初時我對此並不為意，直至我發現我的OV card儲值額用得出奇地快時才得知這項收費規則。幸好這裡的公共交通供應商十分體貼，只需致電熱線便可以將忘記拍卡而多扣的費用轉到戶口，十分方便。
東主常常有喜，周日全日休息
香港幾乎是個不夜城，廿四小時營業的店舖隨處可見。但在荷蘭，所有店舖都十分早關門。除了星期四開得較晚，它們平日大多只營業至下午6時，星期天幾乎更是全部關門。對於我這些熱愛購物人士而言，的確有點兒不方便。幸好的是許多品牌的網上商店都設有免費送貨至門市服務，所以要買zara, bershka等衣服仍然無難度！
EPS I Do?
在荷蘭付款主要是使用現金或是debit card（OV-chipkaart與八達通不同，是不能用於公共交通以外的），信用卡並不普遍。所謂debit card其實就是EPS，它能夠直接從戶口中扣錢，大多數荷蘭人在超市購物都會以debit card付款的。另外，許多到歐洲旅行的香港人都會和我一樣，預先在香港銀行兌換歐元。除非顧客特別要求，一般銀行都會給你100或500紙幣。但這裡大部份的商店都不會有許多零錢，即使是大商店亦不例外，故到荷蘭小鎮旅遊時要注意了！
Hello，Hello
荷蘭人十分友善熱情，許多時在街上都會主動跟你打招呼。而且他們的公民教育提倡人人平等，所以甚少會有歧視的情況出現。如果你嘗試跟當地人以簡單荷蘭文溝通，他們更會主動教你一些日常用語。
我相信荷蘭社區仍有許多有趣的事物等待我去發掘，希望下次再和大家分享！
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