Post by Vorchia on Nov 10, 2005 14:19:20 GMT -5
Wow I’ve started more of a discussion then I intended to… In fact its so large that I am typing this in word so I don’t loose track of all the POSTS while attempting my reply...
*scrolls up* Ok, how’s about I just start at the top and work my way to the newer comments...
PYROMANIAC!!! Lol Maybe you can make your design using those little candles? It won’t look ‘suspicious’ that way and will last longer.
About the language education. In primary school children get a small bit of English, hardly of a level beyond ‘Dora the explorer’. Yes we have that and yes it teaches Dutch children some English. My siblings actually ran around screaming ‘open the gate’ for months... I even had them yell it once so that Azonthus could hear it over the phone.
In seconday school they get serious language education in English, German and French. At some schools other languages are offered too like Spanish, Turkish, Latin, Greek, Arabian, Chinese etc etc. MOST secondary schools however teach English, French and German as the standard foreign languages. Contrary to popular belief, there are no Babelfish in the grachten of Amsterdam, just a lot of trash and hundreds of bicycle wrecks.
I didn’t start about the constitution because I didn’t think anyone was going to care much for such a discussion and all in all, the en mass ‘no’ voting against our European consititution didn’t stop them anyway.
Your guess is as good as mine.
We’re just a small country with a little used language, if we want to communicate we HAVE to learn and use other languages...
The Eurovision songfestival you mean? Thats not about singing. Its about dresses, its about public relations and its about politics. The best singers never win. But we’re not supposed to realise that.
Now thats what I think of beer except then that beer LOOKS the part too. It depends on which wine you drink of course. I’m half French by blood, maybe that explains something?
*scrolls up* Ok, how’s about I just start at the top and work my way to the newer comments...
lol, I was telling my dad I wanted to take five huge boxes of matches, make a design, then light the first match on fire and watch as each match next to it lights on fire. Dad said I should be careful because someone might think I'm a pyromaniac and turn me over to the police. *glooms*
PYROMANIAC!!! Lol Maybe you can make your design using those little candles? It won’t look ‘suspicious’ that way and will last longer.
About the language education. In primary school children get a small bit of English, hardly of a level beyond ‘Dora the explorer’. Yes we have that and yes it teaches Dutch children some English. My siblings actually ran around screaming ‘open the gate’ for months... I even had them yell it once so that Azonthus could hear it over the phone.
In seconday school they get serious language education in English, German and French. At some schools other languages are offered too like Spanish, Turkish, Latin, Greek, Arabian, Chinese etc etc. MOST secondary schools however teach English, French and German as the standard foreign languages. Contrary to popular belief, there are no Babelfish in the grachten of Amsterdam, just a lot of trash and hundreds of bicycle wrecks.
thought this was going to be a discussion about the European Constitution...
I didn’t start about the constitution because I didn’t think anyone was going to care much for such a discussion and all in all, the en mass ‘no’ voting against our European consititution didn’t stop them anyway.
Wait... Dutch groups sing in english? Is there a reason for this?
Your guess is as good as mine.
We’re just a small country with a little used language, if we want to communicate we HAVE to learn and use other languages... I heard that at some sort of European cultural songfest or something, most of the groups there, with the notable exception of the French, had english langauge stuff...
The Eurovision songfestival you mean? Thats not about singing. Its about dresses, its about public relations and its about politics. The best singers never win. But we’re not supposed to realise that.
GAK! I hate wine. It tastes like urine.
Now thats what I think of beer except then that beer LOOKS the part too.
It depends on which wine you drink of course. I’m half French by blood, maybe that explains something? Oooooooooo! I had Swiss choolate before. It's great. Way better than American stuff. [/qoute]
I know, I often put some in the presents I send to the U.S.A.
Unfortunately there is NOTHING that cannot be bent to be commercially abuseable. For Halloween its books, music, costumes, attributes, decoration, candy etc.
We celebrate the end of WWII on the 4th and 5th of May.
Harrods in London starts in August....... Her the Sinterklaas phenomena keeps the overly early Christmas at bay at least a little.
Excellent point, why didn’t I think of that??
Your family obviously isn’t obsessing over the size of your waist. Mine does, suffice it to say the easiest way is to simply stay slim. And the standards here are bit skinnier then those of the U.S.A. LOL But still, so much food gets throwns away and wasted...
Can we say naiive any louder? Sexual freedom and its excesses are an inescapable part of the modern culture. I’m not too fond of it all being taken over the edge either but the alternative, conservationism to the point of there being no condoms, anticonception pills or sex ed is worse.
And whats sacred got to do with it? Is reproduction sacred? Is binary fission of a bacterium sacred? I don’t think so. I sex was sacred, the Vatican wouldn’t be so silly about condoms.
Agreed! Ignorance leads to expirimenting teenagers getting in trouble.
Oh yes, people always know about THAT bit of my country and about the softdrugs right after the mills and tulips chliché...
Nice mixups you have there...
It works in accordance with the market principle. If it doesn’t sell, it disappears. It sells. It always will.
They’re very rare and mostly in the more religious groups like conservative Christians and Muslims. I’ve never been told it was wrong, I’ve only been told during my teens, by my mother: “Here’s a condom, there is the box, do NOT hesitate to take condoms, I will never count them”. There, the point is to avoid STD and pregnancy by taking the taboo AWAY... Telling a teenager to simply refrain from something will in 99% of the cases fail. Proper education however will help them keep themselves from harm.
Awwwwwww.....
Wait, since when were we DECENT??? Lol
Me too, she DID give that impression… Has Vira been typing when she was very tired??
I have no idea... I mean all the money I waste for Christmas goes into buying and sending. I shouls say sending and buying, the sending rates usually exceed the value of the packages I send...
If I had to buy presents year round I’d be getting pretty broke...
Sinterklaas has a steamboat transporting himself, his helps and the gift from Spain to the Netherlands. Then he has a white horse he rides around on. Don’t ask me about the logic in that... lol
Again I don´t have anything against Wicca.
I know, I often put some in the presents I send to the U.S.A.
I really don't see how Halloween can be so profitable.
Unfortunately there is NOTHING that cannot be bent to be commercially abuseable. For Halloween its books, music, costumes, attributes, decoration, candy etc.
The Netherlands doesn't have an Independence Day? Didn't you guys break away from the Hapsburgs at some point in the past?
We celebrate the end of WWII on the 4th and 5th of May.
I've been to the shopping mall lately and they've been getting ready for Christmas for a few weeks already...
Harrods in London starts in August.......
Her the Sinterklaas phenomena keeps the overly early Christmas at bay at least a little. Meh. Christmas was never really about the birth of Jesus Christ in the first place. Otherwise, the Church would never have renamed Saturnalia for the sole reason that it was too pagan and wanted a Christian-oriented holiday instead.
Excellent point, why didn’t I think of that??
Meh. I don't feel too guilty about being well fed.
Your family obviously isn’t obsessing over the size of your waist. Mine does, suffice it to say the easiest way is to simply stay slim. And the standards here are bit skinnier then those of the U.S.A. LOL But still, so much food gets throwns away and wasted...
It's supposed to be private and sacred.
Can we say naiive any louder?
Sexual freedom and its excesses are an inescapable part of the modern culture. I’m not too fond of it all being taken over the edge either but the alternative, conservationism to the point of there being no condoms, anticonception pills or sex ed is worse. And whats sacred got to do with it? Is reproduction sacred? Is binary fission of a bacterium sacred? I don’t think so. I sex was sacred, the Vatican wouldn’t be so silly about condoms.
Also, simply keeping kids in ignorance IS NOT a proven way of preventing teen pregnancy and STD transmission.
Agreed! Ignorance leads to expirimenting teenagers getting in trouble.
Yeah. Amsterdam has a world-famous red light district.
Oh yes, people always know about THAT bit of my country and about the softdrugs right after the mills and tulips chliché...
Em... I got my words mixed up again, I meant private and special between the two couples.
Nice mixups you have there...
Or, at least, if it did, it wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't in demand.
It works in accordance with the market principle. If it doesn’t sell, it disappears. It sells. It always will.
There are teens who might have had sex, but didn't because they were told not to.
They’re very rare and mostly in the more religious groups like conservative Christians and Muslims. I’ve never been told it was wrong, I’ve only been told during my teens, by my mother: “Here’s a condom, there is the box, do NOT hesitate to take condoms, I will never count them”. There, the point is to avoid STD and pregnancy by taking the taboo AWAY... Telling a teenager to simply refrain from something will in 99% of the cases fail. Proper education however will help them keep themselves from harm.
In fact, the only decent people I've met, besides about 3 people from my old school and my immediate family, are all of you here online at Dinotopia and the T of P and a couple other places online.
Awwwwwww.....
Wait, since when were we DECENT??? Lol
I was under the impression that you thought there was something wrong with sex ed. My bad.
Me too, she DID give that impression… Has Vira been typing when she was very tired??
How would giving not be a part of even the commercialized parts of Christmas?
I have no idea... I mean all the money I waste for Christmas goes into buying and sending. I shouls say sending and buying, the sending rates usually exceed the value of the packages I send...
I think Americans do become more generous during this time. The trouble is that it isn't year long.
If I had to buy presents year round I’d be getting pretty broke...
The Dutch guy would be Sinter Klaas. I think Vorch mentioned him. He doesn't have a sled and reindeer, though. He does have a steam engine, though. He a bit more industrialized that Santa.
Sinterklaas has a steamboat transporting himself, his helps and the gift from Spain to the Netherlands. Then he has a white horse he rides around on. Don’t ask me about the logic in that... lol
Again I don´t have anything against Wicca.