In Russia almost everybody works and goes shopping until nine or ten o’clock in the evening. Moreover, we have ‘24-hour shops’. It was a weird and unusual feeling to go to the city or a grocery store to buy some food for dinner around 8 pm and find everything was closed. How is that? I could not understand why shops would close THAT early, exactly at the time people return from work or school. When was I supposed to buy my food?
I will pick up my phone any time. Dutch people are different. After six pm it is their private time.
I have learnt to plan my shopping at weekends or in the early mornings if lectures only started in the afternoon. So that problem was solved and I adapted. But soon I encountered another issue with Dutch people ending their working day at 6 pm. They cannot be reached by phone after that! I am used to free communication by phone ANY time of the day: whether it is 9 am or 9 pm. I will always pick up and answer any questions and I know anyone I call will do the same. Dutch people are different. After 6 pm it is their ‘private time’. They cannot be reached for work-related matters anymore.
On the one hand that is weird for me as a foreigner, but on further consideration, the Dutch do not stress themselves when they come home and they can enjoy the rest of the day with their family and friends. What a happy nation!
Maria Starodubrovskaya from Russia
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