There is quite a bit of grumbling in the Netherlands, because it is too full, we no longer understand everything and the Dutch pot is no longer the regular food in our “own” country. But who decides what your “own country” is? You were born there and you may grow up there (or not). Who gives you the right to show others the door, lose weight or otherwise. For the same money, you can also see the positive sides of what multicultural Netherlands brings us. Enrich yourself with the possibilities, because you could do that too. Yet that group is relatively small and we prefer to send people away, drop them off or join them. What makes us take so little advantage of so many cultures, smells, colors and tastes?
The base
For most people, the base is where they were born and where they once, perhaps very briefly, felt safe. Things are changing, because unfortunately there are still many people who use religion to impose their will on others and chase innocent people away or even to death. People are fleeing and looking for a new home. A basis that is important for everyone.
In addition, there is a group that, for other reasons, can no longer live in the area where they grew up. For example, because there are no jobs and people cannot earn money to live and support their families or children are mutilated because religion supposedly prescribes this. Which, by the way, is also your own interpretation. Anyway, people who don’t go away for fun, but because they have to.
Acceptance
Source: Kangheungbo, Pixabay
Then acceptance (or not) comes into play when it comes to admitting people. Of course, the Netherlands is small and there are European countries that have much more space, but a country like Germany also takes in many more people from beyond its borders. Although you can be critical, it is also a matter of accepting that the situation is as it is. If you can do that, the process of deepening what the other person brings begins. After all, every person brings a backpack and that backpack contains things that someone else can benefit from and which can ultimately bring people closer.
Young children can be harsh and direct, but usually do not see that another child has a different skin color and whether they like it or not. This does not depend on a different color or different eating habits, unless of course they are spoon-fed something. But in the vast majority of cases, many adults can still learn something from the child in that context.
Cuisine and culture
While in the past only the well-known Dutch pot was served, this became clouded in the 1960s and 1970s. With too much work and too few Dutch people willing to do the often dirty work, these forces were brought from the Mediterranean area. Where people were waiting for work and therefore money for subsistence. Mostly Italians and Spaniards formed the first group that was active in Dutch society and were the first to bring something different. Although many have returned, it has broadened the image of the Netherlands. Then a wave of Surinamese people comes to the Netherlands when the Netherlands lets go of Suriname and that also brings a lot. Each group has caused some ,hassle,, but many people in the Netherlands find the wave of Surinamese intense (at least about 45%).
Of course, after the Second World War we had people from Indonesia and slowly but surely you can see that both the art and the cuisine are becoming broader. People from very different backgrounds live together and many people try to make something of it. Unfortunately, this does not apply to everyone, because apparently some people believe that there is an exclusive right to their Dutch birthplace. The fact that it enriches our culture and that it only makes us wiser in many areas and therefore certainly not poorer is ignored without batting an eyelid. The spiritual poverty is elsewhere.
Let’s see if it’s possible!
Fortunately, there are more and more people who want to emphasize the positive aspects and showcase the wide cuisine that we can choose from. Even the interior has increasing influences from Morocco, China or the Mediterranean. By seeing and applying it, you bring cultures closer and if you bring cultures, smells, colors and tastes closer together, there is more chance of cohesion.
To enjoy
You can continue to resist, but for the same amount of money you can also see what you can get out of it in a positive sense. Things like:
- Nutrition, our menu is much more extensive. In addition to healthy ingredients from other cuisines, it also enriches the view of nutrition and its application.
- People, everyone is different and when you interact with people from other cultures, you notice that a different color or different lifestyle habits do not make them a different person.
- Culture, every person retains things from their own culture and what is more beautiful than a beautiful African wooden statue by a Dutch painter. Besides seeing it, it can also inspire you.
- Life, by knowing more about other people (and their associated cultures), you also enrich your own life. Think of your own home base, your home. But also appearances or lifestyles (the Western hectic versus the Eastern peace and cleanliness).
Finally
This is just a small part of what other cultures bring and from which you can benefit. If you let this sink in, accept it and dare to enjoy it, you have a better chance of accepting these people and things will stabilize. Not constantly pushing against the grain takes a lot of energy and ultimately yields little or, as Eastern culture has been trying to convey for a long time, Go with the flow.