Irish Conversation in the American Midwest #29
The Netherlands
-Yes sir, can I help you?
-I’d like to send this to Holland please
-Okay, let me weigh it for you. Ah, if you want it to go to Holland you’re going to have to write Holland on it
-I understand
-They’re not going to know which country to send it to if you don’t write it on there
-I see, but it does actually have The Netherlands written there on it, see?
-Well where do you want it to go? To the Netherlands or to Holland?
-Em…
-You’re going to have to pick which country you want to send it to and write it on there
NOTE: Yes I know the difference between Holland and the Netherlands; this post is simply a relay of a conversation as it happened
See Other Conversations Because You’re Intrigued Now:
• Leaves Changing Color
• Someone From Europe
• Five Pence
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
You’ve lived in the U.S. long enough to realize that they don’t emphasize geography, Eolai.
Or evolution for that matter. When we lived in Kansas it wasn’t taught in school at any rate.
Every home had a bible and one of those “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books.
*shudder*
Speaking of the Dutch and travel… New Zealand got its name by way of Dutch Explorer, Abel Tasman. Yip, there is actually an “Old Zealand” but it’s just called Zeeland in the Netherlands. But who cares? We’re not fighting a war there so there’s no need to know.
There was a survey done a while back on NZ radio where Americans were polled if they knew where NZ was. Here were the top 3 answers –
3) “Isn’t it somewhere up near Sweden or Switzerland or whatever they call it?”
Yip – right up there. They put all those “SW” countries together to make it easy.
2) “Isn’t it joined to Australia by that harbor bridge we see on the TV?”
That’s right – longest bridge in the world – some 1300 miles. No roundabouts though.
1) “I’m pretty sure it’s part of Texas.”
Could possibly be. TX is so big you’d never know. Handy though – NZ would have the right to fly it’s flag the same height as the US flag, and potential to secede from the Union and I’d imagine - drift slowly back to the South Pacific.
You weren’t sending me a birthday present were you?
Once I was showing a map of Ireland to some Belgian students of mine (during my teaching days) showing them where I grew up , went to uni etc and then one of them asked me where London was on the map !!**??!!
Ah yes Medbh, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” the bible for people who have forgotten what being alive means.
Brettski, you mean the Zuider Zee doesn’t translate to the Tasmanian Sea?
Conor, I was sending you a map of Ireland with London on it.