My last blog entry was post number 200! I knew I had a lot to say about life here. . . And this will be my final post for about a week. Unless I get overly tempted to come chat it up about the Netherlands. Or vent. LOL! I've got a busy schedule coming up. A friend is visiting the Netherlands and I'll be busy with this. I'm also currently unemployed and will begin searching for work. . . In addition, as I mentioned before [click here & here], I am cutting back on posting so often because I have another personal project I've begun. I will still check in here to write a few times now and then, and especially update the word of the week and to check links are still functioning, but I simply won't have enough time for so much internet each day for a while. So to kick off what should become an interesting holiday season [we're going to be OK], here is a special mix of more random things relevant to the Netherlands from this highly observant American expat.

Nederland: This is what the Dutch call the Netherlands. Nederlands is the language, which we call in English 'Dutch.' If someone is Dutch, they are a Nederlander. Holland is not what the country should be called when you are referring to it. The provinces Noord Holland and Zuid Holland are 'Holland.' Because popular destinations Amsterdam and the Keukenhof are located in these regions, you can say you've been to 'Holland' if you visit there. Click here to learn more about this. . .

Wall Street in New York City. While I found out recently the Holland Tunnel in New York City has nothing to do with the Netherlands, there are a few parts of the Netherlands still included in New York City's terrain. Wall Street is one. According to Answers.com:

"A street in lower Manhattan that is the original home of the New York Stock Exchange. The street is the historic headquarters of the largest U.S. brokerages and investment banks. Many have since relocated to other areas of Manhattan and the United States. Wall Street was named after the wooden wall Dutch colonists built in this area in 1653 to defend themselves from the British and Native Americans." [source]

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands once stayed in the White House as a guest of Franklin D. Roosevelt. During her visit one night she saw the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. True or not, here is what History.com has to say about this:

"The ghost of Lincoln was seen frequently during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, when the country went through a devastating depression then a world war.

When Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was a guest at the White House during that period she was awakened one night by a knock on her bedroom door. Thinking it might be an important message, she got up and opened the door. The top-hatted figure of President Lincoln stood in the hallway. The queen fainted. When she came to she was lying on the floor. The apparition had vanished." [source]

And have you ever noticed this? It has not much to do in relation to the Netherlands vs. America, but I've noticed it for a while and finally decided to tackle it. The Energizer Bunny in America vs. the Duracell Bunny in the Netherlands. Both drumming and pink! The history [Dutch: geschiedenis] on the Duracell site says the "drumming bunny came from the United States" in 1973. Huh??! Aren't Duracell and Energizer two separate companies in the United States?!. . . But hold on! There is an explanation about it all. A long one. You can click here to learn more all about it.

Lastly, I'm doing some Christmas shopping for close friends back home. I came across these Blond Amsterdam at V&D. Click here for the Blond Amsterdam website. The products are up the spendy-route, but I think this might be a nice idea for a few friends. Click here to see a sample of these products in a current V&D ad [see page 32-33 of the ad].

Click here to return to the main page.