Hi Listservians!
This is a message from Holland (I'll get to the drugs part later, bear with me)
Thinking about it, I can describe my life as extremely average. Because of this:
- I live in a town in the middle of Holland;
- with an average distribution of various beliefs (Christians, both strict and lenient, Muslims, non-believers);
- in a town that is often described as The Most Average Town in Holland.
- I live in the most common type of house in Holland (terraced, small front and back garden)
I have a loving husband, two teenage children (boy and girl of course).
In fact, everything is so average it is almost pretty special...
As promised, I want to clarify the Dutch attitude towards drugs.
We have a clear distinction between soft drugs and hard drugs; the latter (heroin, cocaine, christal meth etc) is just as forbidden as in the rest of the world, and rightly so.
Soft drugs (marihuana, weed, whatever you call it) is allowed in Holland. In fact, we have a shop in our town and I could buy some today. I even know a woman who works there, our kids went to the same school. So, no big fuss about soft drugs in Holland...cigarettes are a lot more addictive and they are legal!
The fact that soft drugs is so readily available takes away a lot of the mystery surrounding it: some teenagers use it, most stop when they are adults. It's just no big deal...many problems in Amsterdam are caused by tourists who see the city as a paradise filled with drugs and booze.
I could rant on forever on topics I find interesting, but I will end my contribution with a tip: Rowan Atkinson in "the devil Toby welcomes you to hell" (Youtube, of course) Hilariously funny.
Take care,
Marlies
Marlies Smits
[email protected]
The Netherlands, Woerden