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Africans going Dutch
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 49 - An appetite for animals
When I visited home recently, back in Sierra Leone, my mum asked me to prepare a chicken for dinner. I shivered at the thought of cutting off the animal’s neck with a knife, and I declined. My mum looked at me in amazement and asked...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 48 - No country for old men
“Have you ever seen a grey-haired African living in The Netherlands?” a friend once asked me. I was taken aback by this question. They are here of course. But the fact that I could not immediately think of one made me curious....
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 47 - Choosy children
Many Dutch families try to develop their children’s self-esteem by giving them autonomy at a very young age, sometimes as early as a year old. I often wondered what would become of these children when they are old enough to face...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 46 - Dutch humour
The Dutch have a ‘sense of humour’… if only in thinking that they are funny. The unfortunate truth is… they are not. When I try to tell the same sort of lewd jokes they find amusing, I am deemed an indecent joker...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 44 - Bishops and monkeys?
In mid-November, Dutch children and their parents assemble at the bank of a river to welcome the arrival of Saint Nicholas and his Black Piets. This yearly event is perhaps the last tradition that reminds the Dutch of their glorious,...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 43 - Another kind of noble
In Africa, a man spending money on a woman is seen as noble. It is a way to show affection, to show you are a responsible man and a caring person. And in Africa we believe that the way we act towards one another should be of vital interest...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 42 - My neighbour
After having left my father’s home to seek refuge in the Netherlands, I realized that my new-found country demanded adjusting to a new set of rules. I discovered that I could not be my same self the whole year round,...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 41 - Tomorrow
The Dutch will save for tomorrow and the day after. They are like cows living in the wild, always grazing in a hurry out of fear that predators attack them. Later, at a more convenient time, when they have reached the age of 65, they will...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 40 - Liwadin
The shape of your lips and the weight of your tongue determine whether you will learn to speak the Dutch language perfectly. I have been living for 17 years in the Netherlands, so I should know. By Babah Tarawally With all those long...
Article: Africans going Dutch: Part 39 - Question and answer
I grew up in Sierra Leone learning not to ask questions. I was trained to observe keenly, understand the non-verbal expressions and pay more attention to unspoken words. By Babah Tarawally
