I thought you might like to see what Dutch ads look like. They come in the mail in a group like this and wrapped in plastic and are delivered every week.

They don’t really tempt me because I can’t usually read them or I don’t know where the store actually is. But I do like the Zwarte Pieten and Sinterklaas images that we wouldn’t see in the states.

Shopping here is a very different experience for me. Instead of it being pleasurable, most of the time it feels like work. I think it’s because I don’t really know where to go, to find what I need and to be able to comparison shop. I haven’t found something like a TJ Maxx or Target or Costco, although Hanos is pretty cool. The language barrier doesn’t help either, but luckily most people are friendly and will offer help when I ask. I typically ask if they speak English first (in Dutch) and they most always answer me, with “yes – a little bit!” Isn’t that funny? I’m so thankful when they do, because when I do use a little bit of Dutch to ask a question and then they answer me in Dutch, most of the time I have no idea what the answer means!!

Most places I go to shop I have to pay for parking and I hate that, just on principle. And the other part of shopping that I don’t like is that if you have to go to the bathroom, you have to pay for that too! And speaking of paying for things that should be free, most restaurants charge you for water and will not even offer you tap water. Now of course, there are plenty of exceptions to these, but I am confronted with at least one out of the three evils on most shopping occasions.

I used to like shopping online, but here they charge you huge import fees. Jeff ordered a backpack for work and had to pay 10Euros to the delivery guy on the spot before they would give him his package. That was in addition to the shipping fees of course. Makes things pretty pricey!

I didn’t intend for this post to be such a downer, but its kinda sounding like that and ending like that, but maybe the good news or the take away is that shopping shouldn’t be that important!!? But I need to shop to support our family! They need food and clothes to stay full and warm and dry, especially now when it’s supposed to freeze tomorrow! I’ll accept the challenge for what it is. Even if most stores close by 5 pm and are closed on Sundays! More time to be efficient and with family and friends, right??

Namaste