But That Aine How We ‘mericans Do It

Here’s a rule to live by: Think Different. (I know, I know, Steve Jobs said it first; but it is darn sound advice for living here.) This place requires a flow, an acceptance of gezillig, which, as I told you, is not my nature nor the custom of my American heritage. We want it big, and we want it now.

There were two bulls at the top of a hill. 

The American bull said to the Dutch bull, “Hey, hey, look at all them cows down there! 

Let’s run down and get one of ‘em!”

Here is my best example of accepting the flow: grocery shopping. How often do you shop for groceries? OK, OK, how often does someone from your family go to the store for groceries? Once a week? Twice at most? It’s different for everyone but the answer is somewhere between once and not real often. Not here. Not us. First of all, we have a tiny refrigerator. Secondly—no freezer. Last and most significantly, toting an American-sized collection of groceries up the stairs to our apartment isn’t my notion of a good idea.

What’s the alternative? We shop every day—every, single day with very, very few exceptions. We have to. Instead of resenting it or even thinking of it as a chore, buying our daily food is actually an opportunity to have fresh food without storing huge amounts at home. Think different. Accept the flow. Gezillig.

(I know what you’re thinking… You’re still back a few paragraphs on “no freezer”; right? It is not the rule here, but it is certainly not unprecedented. We’re growly more and more used to it—slowly. A little bag of ice cubes lasts about three days in the frig—no worries; hey, we’re in the store anyway.)

“Nay,” replied the Dutch bull. “Let’s walk down and get them all.”

Gezillig.