The Importance of Being Earnest

Before we came to the Netherlands, many people advised us that the Dutch can be very frank, and foreigners can sometimes be a bit taken aback by this. I think it's fair to say that Paul was very taken aback when he went to the gym at our hotel and during his workout, the gym manager asked him "Would you like me to wash your shirt for you?" Paul thought this man was being genuinely kind and replied "No thanks, there is a coin washing machine and dryer in the hotel building". He was absolutely horrified when the man elaborated, that Paul's t-shirt had a smell when you don't dry your clothes properly and it's damp for too long. We encountered a few other instances of their blade-sharp frankness during the past week and realised that the next few years will be a skin thickening process for us. I think we'll be returning back to Oz with elephant skin. Having said that, there is definitely an upside. During my househunting expeditions, I have been gobsmacked to be told by agents, "yeah that house you just inspected - they want too much rent for what it's worth" or "that second bedroom is too small for the queen size bed you're shipping over". They were so honest about some of the negative aspects of the apartments instead of buttering it up. On the topic of househunting, the photo is an evening shot of 'S-Hertogenbosch (I have no idea how to pronounce it properly) also known as Den Bosch. This is the city where we are hoping to live. It's an hour south of Amsterdam.

Our past week ended on a high for Paul. He managed to get a ticket to Liverpool FC v Eindhoven PSV - a Champions League match in April. We're living in Eindhoven at the moment, so the match is at the local stadium. To quote Paul when he got the ticket, "This ticket is GOLD!!"