I know how you feel, I have Indonesian, Dutch, British and German blood, was born in The Netherlands and live in Belgium now. I married a man from the South of The Netherlands, which already caused misunderstandings, though we both speak Dutch. My parents are from the surroundings of Rotterdam and the culture within one country can differ very much already, also dependant on religion. I also found that the people in the north of a country have the tendancy to speak faster (and live faster). In North Carolina (U.S.), where I lived for a year, the people spoke more slowly than in New York. Also the girls are called Southern Belles (they just wear more make-up). In Liège (Luik), Belgium, the people speak much faster that in the South of Belgium. In Rotterdam the people speak faster than in Maastricht, you can come listen for yourself. My radiation-free B & B is only 12 kilometers from Maastricht.
thanks a lot for your comment! You sound like a real “multiwoman”; fascinating background!
It’s fascinating to learn about experiences in different cultures and to overcome some possible misnunderstandings. There is still so much to learn.
Great business by the way!
Hi Claudia,
We are allready friends on Facebook and I would like to share my experiences as a multicultural woman here too.
I’m a daughter of parents both born in Indonesia but my mother has Chinese/German and my father Scottish/Indonesian blood running through their vains.
Born in the Netherlands and being told that I was only allowed to speak
Dutch because my parents wanted to fit in properly, I always felt torn between two worlds.
Looking like a Chinese girl I was hardly accepted by the Dutch children at school and in my neighbourhood. Neighter by my darker Indonesian friends and relatives as well.
But at home and between older relatives and my parents I also felt like I didn’t belong, for I could not understand a word they were saying.
Now in my late 40′s (I become 50 next year) I finally started to do a course in my parents language Malay .
Although I have picked up some sentences and words during my lifetime it’s still hard work at my age, I can tell you that ; )
I am so aware of the fact that my parents, althoug they had my best interest in mind, deprived me of my roots.
For a long time I did not want to have anything to do with “those foreighners” living in side of me and I have wasted a great period of my live trying to be as Dutch as anyone else surrounding me..
Silly ….can you imagine a chinese looking girl talking slang dutch ??
I was glad that when I got married , to carry my husbands name so I was delivered from the burden of my scottish “difficult to pronounce” name.
I was always struggling with those 4 different cultures in my character.
Now I finally have come to the point that I can make those differences work for me and I have peace with myself.( Some flowers come to bloom late.. : ) )
I now dare to say that I am proud of who I am, and carry my maiden name Mac Gillavry with dignity. ( divorced 10 years ago)
Not ashamed to love food from Suriname and Italy more than the Indonesian (althoug tofu and tempeh are my favorites)
Loving to go to Scotland more instead of wanting to visit Indonesia.
Being glad to being able to be as polite and dignified as a Chinese man.
But then again also liking to be as blunt and direct as a Scotchman. : )
To be thourough like a German ( Die Deutsche Grundlichkeit ) and as
thriftily as a Dutchman.
And all of that in one woman.. MulticultiMac..
love to have met you.. greetings and best wishes..
Likewise! Happy to have met you too!
Wow , I really love your cultural background and what an enriched personality! This is quite unique
But I can also imagine your inner battle in the past. And it’s also a personal journey to discover the beauty of the cultures and its traditions. We need to choose the good things and have to decide which traditions or patterns won;t work any longer .
Change and progress go hand in hand. Even if that doesn’t feel that way.
Thank you so much for sharing Eugenie!
Alwasy welcome to post your comment
4 comments
July 26, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Mirjam
Hi Claudia,
I know how you feel, I have Indonesian, Dutch, British and German blood, was born in The Netherlands and live in Belgium now. I married a man from the South of The Netherlands, which already caused misunderstandings, though we both speak Dutch. My parents are from the surroundings of Rotterdam and the culture within one country can differ very much already, also dependant on religion. I also found that the people in the north of a country have the tendancy to speak faster (and live faster). In North Carolina (U.S.), where I lived for a year, the people spoke more slowly than in New York. Also the girls are called Southern Belles (they just wear more make-up). In Liège (Luik), Belgium, the people speak much faster that in the South of Belgium. In Rotterdam the people speak faster than in Maastricht, you can come listen for yourself. My radiation-free B & B is only 12 kilometers from Maastricht.
July 29, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Claudia de Kruijff-Gan
Hi Mirjam,
thanks a lot for your comment! You sound like a real “multiwoman”; fascinating background!
It’s fascinating to learn about experiences in different cultures and to overcome some possible misnunderstandings. There is still so much to learn.
Great business by the way!
September 8, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Eugenie Mac Gillavry
Hi Claudia,
We are allready friends on Facebook and I would like to share my experiences as a multicultural woman here too.
I’m a daughter of parents both born in Indonesia but my mother has Chinese/German and my father Scottish/Indonesian blood running through their vains.
Born in the Netherlands and being told that I was only allowed to speak
Dutch because my parents wanted to fit in properly, I always felt torn between two worlds.
Looking like a Chinese girl I was hardly accepted by the Dutch children at school and in my neighbourhood. Neighter by my darker Indonesian friends and relatives as well.
But at home and between older relatives and my parents I also felt like I didn’t belong, for I could not understand a word they were saying.
Now in my late 40′s (I become 50 next year) I finally started to do a course in my parents language Malay .
Although I have picked up some sentences and words during my lifetime it’s still hard work at my age, I can tell you that ; )
I am so aware of the fact that my parents, althoug they had my best interest in mind, deprived me of my roots.
For a long time I did not want to have anything to do with “those foreighners” living in side of me and I have wasted a great period of my live trying to be as Dutch as anyone else surrounding me..
Silly ….can you imagine a chinese looking girl talking slang dutch ??
I was glad that when I got married , to carry my husbands name so I was delivered from the burden of my scottish “difficult to pronounce” name.
I was always struggling with those 4 different cultures in my character.
Now I finally have come to the point that I can make those differences work for me and I have peace with myself.( Some flowers come to bloom late.. : ) )
I now dare to say that I am proud of who I am, and carry my maiden name Mac Gillavry with dignity. ( divorced 10 years ago)
Not ashamed to love food from Suriname and Italy more than the Indonesian (althoug tofu and tempeh are my favorites)
Loving to go to Scotland more instead of wanting to visit Indonesia.
Being glad to being able to be as polite and dignified as a Chinese man.
But then again also liking to be as blunt and direct as a Scotchman. : )
To be thourough like a German ( Die Deutsche Grundlichkeit ) and as
thriftily as a Dutchman.
And all of that in one woman.. MulticultiMac..
love to have met you.. greetings and best wishes..
Eugenie Mac Gillavry.
September 9, 2010 at 7:07 am
Claudia de Kruijff-Gan
Hi Eugenie or should I say MultiCultiMac
Likewise! Happy to have met you too!
Wow , I really love your cultural background and what an enriched personality! This is quite unique
But I can also imagine your inner battle in the past. And it’s also a personal journey to discover the beauty of the cultures and its traditions. We need to choose the good things and have to decide which traditions or patterns won;t work any longer .
Change and progress go hand in hand. Even if that doesn’t feel that way.
Thank you so much for sharing Eugenie!
Alwasy welcome to post your comment
Warm regards,
Claudia