AMERICA VS. THE NETHERLANDS

By Anna Hoksbergen

“I’m from the Netherlands.” When I say those words everybody seems really amazed. “How is it there? Is it different?” Yes, it is different…

I remember my first day at PCC was really overwhelming. The language is a big switch, the friendly faces and warm welcome were and are awesome, but also the simple things are different like having a dorm.

I was worried the food would be awful but the food was actually really good. At lunch (and, to be honest, any other time of the day) I heard people talking about chicken fritters. There’s a lot of food here that you don’t have in the Netherlands. I’d never heard of those so I gave them a try and they were very good. Not healthy but good. Besides chicken fritters as food we don’t have in the Netherlands, we also don’t have Goldfish and Cheez-its. Funny, right? I know Goldfish are definitely one of my favorites now and I’m going to stock them up good before I leave.

Another thing that is different from at home is that there is so much food here everywhere. If any of you ever come to the Netherlands you’ll be really disappointed in the portion size which is small, or at least smaller than here at PCC (and really just the US in general.)

The next thing that blew my mind was the gym we have the dances in. The first thing that came to mind when I went into that gym was, ‘This looks exactly like High School Musical’. The gym here is twice as big as at home.

My mom was born and raised in the U.S.,  so I’ve been coming to the states ever since I was nine weeks old. She’s also a PCC alumni. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that even though it isn’t my first time in America, it is my first time at PCC and it definitely takes some getting used too.

I only have six weeks of summer vacation so that’s why I started almost halfway the program and leave after Week Five. I was surprised that a lot of you have summer reading and summer math and stuff like that. Once we get out of school we’re done until after the vacation, no work in the summer vacation.

When I’d talk to people and they’d ask me what grade I’m in I would say “I honestly have no idea”. That’s because in the Netherlands we don’t have middle school. So once you’re out of elementary school you go straight into high school, and depending on your level determines how long you go to high school, also another difference between the U.S. and the Netherlands.

Something else that definitely ‘wowed’ me was the HEAT here. The Netherlands is a really cold and rainy country. That’s our reputation and it’s true. We do have some days that are nice but my summer clothing for that doesn’t apply here for this deadly warmth. I went shopping with my mom before PCC and bought some new clothes that I’ll probably only be able to wear here and never again at home because it is just simply too cold:(.