Every 1st Thursday of the month the Dutch Ambassador invites the Dutch community to a nice evening get-together. On a different event I met Willem. By reading his business card I asked if he or his ancestors belong to the Netherlands. He himself is and also connected with Groningen. At this point we talked Dutch with each other. For the first time in my life, I needed to explain, that I am not Belgium. It is not that normal, that a German can speak fluent Dutch.
Dutch Embassy
We talked about our network activities, what are we doing and have done so far and also what are we both looking for. He told me that he has good connections to the Dutch Embassy and that he is regularly going there to different events.
Next one at Thursday evening in San Francisco. An informal get-together with the Ambassador and I could go with him. Nice! We connected via LinkedIn and wrote a few mails about the “how to”. So I picked him up at Palo Alto where he lives. We drove the long road to San Francisco, talking about lots of things and he is thinking that I am very good integrated in the Dutch society. My knowledge about the anthem of the land, the anthem of the state I am living there and about the traditions like Sinterklaas is enormous. We also sang a few “Sinterklaasliedjes”.
Pim and Willem
And again,there is a reason why I like the Dutch that much: the Ambassador himself opened the door. He offered us the drinks and food. Also I was afraid that I have to concentrate of the “formal use of language”. As in Germany there is a very formal YOU. It is grammatically different how to use the words then. But he told me form the begin his prename and talked also to me in a very informal way. My first few sentences were “formal” but he told me, that there is no need for it. He can also speak German, too, but as usual I told him like everybody else, that there is no need to do it. My Dutch is fluent, my accent is very German but it will better work out that way.
He is a perfect host, running around, chatting with everybody and was himself very natural. A pretty easy and nice man. If you think in that case of a German Ambassador I can tell you that Germans in these high positions are very, very serious people. They also wants to be seen as “very important” and that it is an “honor” to talk to them. Not here. Dutch are not, as Germans are doing, fixed on the titles they have. It doesn’t matter for them if you are a PhD or a mate. I told him my story and my future plans. He got my business card and has written down what I am looking for. Then he introduced me to a few more people. A very interesting evening!
Dutch Ambassador
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