What are the Dutch really like? Are they rude and stingy, as one stereotype would have it, or are they polite and hospitable? And what of the famed Dutch tolerance that has been brought into question by the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment?

Who better to ask than foreigners living in the Netherlands? Radio Netherlands Worldwide spoke recently to three expats - at a prize ceremony for Expat of the Year - about typically Dutch characteristics.
 
Direct
The Dutch have a reputation for being direct and expecting others to be just as direct back. German Thiel Jansen has lived in the Netherlands for four years. He says part of being direct also means being open, especially about yourself.

“Dutch people want you to trust them. You have to be open, and not be afraid to show who you are or to talk about your private life. Then you’ll often earn their trust and feel more at home.”

Unspontaneous
The Dutch are known for making appointments for everything. There is little spontaneity. Sarah Harvey moved here from Australia nine years ago and had to learn to make social appointments.

“Now I make appointments for everything. While in Australia it’s not like that, at least not for social engagements during the weekend. We don’t need to write social appointments down in a calendar. You just do what you feel like on a Friday evening. But since I’ve been here, I’ve learned to plan ahead.”

Individualistic
The social structure in the Netherlands is loose – the boss should not look or act much differently from the workers. Sueli Brodin was raised in France, but was born in Brazil to a French father and Brazilian-Japanese mother. She has lived in the Netherlands since the early 90s and has just won the Expat of the Year award.

“Sometimes you simply have to speak up for yourself. I didn’t do that at first, given my French background. In France, it’s much more hierarchical. Here, everyone can just be themselves. I learned to do that – I have become a stronger person here in the Netherlands.”

International
This country invented international trade as we know it today. For hundreds of years, the Netherlands has been open to foreign products. But don’t let that international involvement fool you - appearances can be deceptive.

“It’s funny because on one side, the Netherlands has become much more international. For instance, you can find all sorts of ingredients for cooking foreign foods in the supermarket. That has changed since I moved here. When I first came, zucchini (also known as courgette) was an unusual vegetable. Now everyone eats it. But, on the other hand, I read things in the news sometimes which are disturbing. This country is scared to look beyond its borders.”

Tolerant
Finally, the famous Dutch tolerance. The reputation for tolerance has taken a dent recently, with the rise of anti-immigrant populists Geert Wilders (see photo) and Pim Fortuyn (who was killed in 2002 by an animal rights activist). But, as Thiel Jansen observes, the so-called black-stocking Christian communities (strict, if not fundamentalist Christians) have always been there.

“The Netherlands is well known, certainly in Europe, as a very tolerant society, very modern. But when I came here and I first heard about the black-stocking communities and listened to the Dutch news, then I saw that the image outsiders have of the Netherlands doesn’t match 100 percent with the reality.”