Confusing Cultural Differences
Some things are very difficult to get used to, especially when you grew up with the total opposite for about 44 years. Small things, but oh boy, they can really mess up everything!
I was looking at a date this morning and it occurred to me how I constantly have to remind myself that the first number is the month and the next one is the day. In the Netherlands it's exactly the other way around: Day, Month, Year. So today would be 21-03-06 instead of 03/21/06. In the beginning I would think to myself: "There is no 21st month. That must be an error", immediately followed by the realization that it's written the other way around here! Uh oh, gotta keep that in mind before I totally mess up appointments!
Another thing is numbers. 47 here is pronounced forty-seven (which makes good sense) but Dutch says seven and forty. The last number is said first when it concerns the last two digits. I made so many mistakes transposing numbers in the beginning, that my husband thought I was dyslexic, haha. It's getting better although I still prefer numbers from 0-20, no mistake-opportunities there, hehe.
And this would be the killer of all! Writing dollar amounts! If something would cost 2 dollars and 95 cents, it's written $ 2.95 while in the Netherlands it would be written like this $ 2,95 (can't find the euro sign, but you get the point. Or is it comma??). See the difference in the use of the comma and the point/period? When it goes into the thousands, it's exactly the other way around $ 1,000.95 here, and $1.000,95 in Dutch. I better let my husband write the checks, hehe. Might save us some grief!
What seems so normal to some, may seem backwards to others. It's the way we have learned to do things, habits or, in most cases, where we decided to place our values. God's way goes so against our nature that we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are the ones who have it backwards:-)
I was looking at a date this morning and it occurred to me how I constantly have to remind myself that the first number is the month and the next one is the day. In the Netherlands it's exactly the other way around: Day, Month, Year. So today would be 21-03-06 instead of 03/21/06. In the beginning I would think to myself: "There is no 21st month. That must be an error", immediately followed by the realization that it's written the other way around here! Uh oh, gotta keep that in mind before I totally mess up appointments!Another thing is numbers. 47 here is pronounced forty-seven (which makes good sense) but Dutch says seven and forty. The last number is said first when it concerns the last two digits. I made so many mistakes transposing numbers in the beginning, that my husband thought I was dyslexic, haha. It's getting better although I still prefer numbers from 0-20, no mistake-opportunities there, hehe.
And this would be the killer of all! Writing dollar amounts! If something would cost 2 dollars and 95 cents, it's written $ 2.95 while in the Netherlands it would be written like this $ 2,95 (can't find the euro sign, but you get the point. Or is it comma??). See the difference in the use of the comma and the point/period? When it goes into the thousands, it's exactly the other way around $ 1,000.95 here, and $1.000,95 in Dutch. I better let my husband write the checks, hehe. Might save us some grief!
What seems so normal to some, may seem backwards to others. It's the way we have learned to do things, habits or, in most cases, where we decided to place our values. God's way goes so against our nature that we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are the ones who have it backwards:-)
2 Comments:
Food for thought =)
This post is so informative.
In Singapore it's day month year. Same as Netherlands.
Then it's $1.23 and $1230.00.
57 is fifty seven.
^grin^
Audrey,
That seems to be much closer to the Dutch system. Except the numbers, hehe.
God's Grace.
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