All the fun facts about the Netherlands

It is flat, absolutely flat. You never need to worry about a car's engine overheating when driving uphill, because there is no uphill.

Open the journey planner on almost any weekend and half the country's tracks are blocked for 'werkzaamheden' (engineering works). Your direct train quietly becomes a train, then a replacement bus, then another train. The official maintenance map can look like the entire network is shut; see for yourself.

The rain comes and goes. Dutch people use the 'Buienradar' (rain radar) app to check whether it will rain and plan their commute accordingly.

If you like to have some hot water in a restaurant, you will have to order a cup of tea, which usually comes with a tea bag and a cookie or chocolate, even if you just want hot water and have to pay for the whole thing.

At lunch time, Dutch people take out their sandwiches wrapped in a small plastic bag -
you can buy these bags in supermarkets, and they are called 'broodzakjes' (bread bags).
That's it, for lunch.

In Dutch parties, people simply sit in a circle and talk, and that's it. No music, no food (well snacks), no games, and no activities.

Thanks to the EU regulations, plastic bottle caps are attached to the bottles, so that you cannot throw them away separately.

If you order something small online, you will have to pay for the shipping costs, even if the item is cheap. There is no free shipping.

Okay, 9-6 to be accurate. But after you finish a day of work, you will find that all the shops are closed. You can only go to the supermarket, which might be open till 10 PM.

Even at fast food places, soon after you get your food, the waiter will inevitably come to ask: "Heeft alles gesmaakt?" (Does everything taste well?). You are supposed to put down your cutlery, smile, and say "Ja, lekker!" (Yes, delicious!) — even if you are in a rush.

During a heat wave Dutch houses turn into brick ovens. Air conditioning simply isn't the default; most houses and buildings are built to keep heat in, not out. And if you live in an apartment, the VVE (homeowners' association) often won't let you install one anyway. Daycares and schools, whose buildings have no airco either, just call the day off. The official cooling system; open a window at night, close the curtains by day, and buy a tiny ventilator that politely stirs the hot air around.

While you are still thinking about what to do next week, your Dutch friends have already filled up their agenda for the next 6 months.

Dutch people get aggressive when they are on a bicycle, even in the wrong direction. You will hear about it if you are not cycling fast enough, or if you are not supposed to be there.

The Dutch heat record is 40.7°C. When the thermometer climbs, trains slow down and the whole nation agrees it is way too hot. There is still no airco, so a wet tea towel and that little ventilator become the national cooling system.

Dutch people mock Limburgers for their dialect as if it is a different language.
To Chinese ears, the difference is smaller than Beijing dialect and Northern dialects.

Trains have their schedule planned one year in advance, including strikes, which will be announced a few weeks in advance, so that you can plan your trip accordingly.

Dutch people know only two Chinese dishes: nasi and bami, which are actually Indonesian dishes.

Behind bars.
The weather is too hot (40°C) so the trains are not running.
By the way, Chinese high-speed trains run all year round from -20°C to 40°C, and they are designed to run in extreme weather conditions.
Wait until another player takes your place.

Fish...fried, bitterballen (meat mixture)...fried, kroket (meat mixture)...fried, frikandel (meat mixture)...fried, patat (potato)...fried, and so on.

Lost in the maze.
When you visit the GP, they will often suggest you take paracetamol with hot water, and you will be fine.
Also, often before your appointment with the GP in 2 weeks, you have already recovered on your own.
Go back to tile 39.