Monday 19 January 2009
Punctuality
Having been given a fair amount of literature about moving to Holland and what to expect from Dutch people, one thing that was repeated numerous times was punctuality. Being 2 minutes late for a meeting is a grave matter; arriving 20 minutes late for dinner, as per the UK norm, a serious insult. You can imagine my surprise then, when in certain situations these rules do not seem to apply. If you are at a restaurant, service is almost guaranteed to come with a mañana attitude, and you are considered lucky to have food on the table within three quarters of an hour. Several times I have sat waiting for repairmen to attend to my property, and tonight is no exception, having spent nigh-on 50 minutes waiting for a someone to arrive and fix my extractor fans, or call me to explain their tardiness.
Dutch Railways - Punctual
Dutch Lost Luggage Delivery Services - Not so punctual
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Good to see you on-air and blogging again. I look forward to your offbeat wit and laconicism (if that's a word). Re punctuality: I was recently talking to a Brit who works in Africa with Africans and Americans. If he invites people for dinner at 20:00, the Americans arrive at 19:55, the Brits at 20:10 and the Africans some time after 21:30! They are all following the norms of their culture (and vive la difference!) but it makes catering a bit tricky. Uncle M.
ReplyDeleteDid he think of inviting the Americans for 20.05, the Brits for 19.50 and the Africans for afternoon tea?
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