Monday, June 7, 2010

A girl's gotta have her priorities straight

Ok...first allow me to tell you something that is very typical in Dutch culture.  Marriage...or rather, lack there of.  The majority of couples in Holland enter into domestic partnerships, buy a house, have children, pay taxes, and all the other things that married couples do...just without a ceremony.  I have noticed it, and more officially, my book "The UnDutchables" noticed it (it was written by Dutch expats.)
Now, I hold no judgment over this decision, especially when it's the norm in a culture.  However, it was a little weird coming here, and realizing that.  To be honest, living in America, you just assume that the majority of couples with kids are married.  I know what happens when you assume, so save that, and I also am not saying that there aren't plenty of normal, healthy, non-marital, parenting relationships in the US.  I cannot stress this enough.  I am just giving you information.
Anyway...Suzan turned 40 this year.  One, you would never tell by looking at her that she is forty...I only hope I can be that tall, blond, and skinny when I'm that age.  Two, she did NOT want a big party.  In fact she left town to go to her mothers for just such a purpose. Three, I bought her a Snuggie...and she wears it EVERY night.
Ok so it was time for presents.  Fien had gotten her a gorgeous ring with a colored stone.  Suzan's parents had gotten her one to link with it with a different colored stone.  And finally Rogier pulled out a box and said "There's one more ring but you must answer a question first." Before he could even ask, Suzan replied "Yes I will marry you, but not until the roof is finished."
And that my friends, is how an engagement was born.

GELFELICITEERD SUZAN AND ROGIER!
(I have yet to get a picture of the rings...look for it later)

Word of the day: voorstel - proposal

2 comments:

  1. BRILLIANT! Way to go Suzan. :)

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  2. Wow! How exciting! And a bit funny...

    I think I heard before about the Dutch not being marrying types. It does seem a bit strange from our point of view, but when I look at all the people my age who have kids... a lot of them aren't married, but that seems only to be because they made some bad life choices, you know?

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