ACT NORMAL

Act Normal! 'When the Dutch invite you to their homes, they often promptly serve you a cup of coffee or tea. Is this a hint that YOU should keep your stay brief? Quite the contrary: in Holland, a steaming kopje koffie is a heartly welcome. Along with each cup your host or hostess will offer you a cookie one cookie, mind you after which the lid goes back on the cookie tin. The Dutch sec nothing uncongenial whatsoever in this ritual. Usually you will be offered a second cup of coffee, again in the company of a solitary cookie.' This is one of the 99 observations from Act Normal, a lighthearted 'user's guide' for anyone who - voluntarily or otherwise - is confronted with the Dutch in daily life. This thumbnail sketch of Dutch culture contains on-the-dark descriptions of present-day etiquette in the Netherlands. Though the author might occasionally be guilty of mild irony, his expertise in this field is beyond reproach. For the Dutch, Act Normal! is au amusing 'look in the mirror'. Yet it can also serve as a concise and useful manual for the many foreigners who have settled in the Netherlands. It is indispensable for the many tourists who come to visit our country every year.