My only regret of the visit is that we didn't get to spend more time in Amsterdam and experience the nightlife; I think it would have been pretty phenomenal! So the following post mainly talks of Rotterdam.
The nature of a sports tour is ofcorse to get drunk at every opportunity, a favourite passtime of mine, and such a state produced many realisations about the differences between the Dutch and the English. Here goes:
1) English fashion is relatively whorey.
A slight exaggeration maybe, but my point remains, when I was wandering through Rotterdam high street, despite the sweat-inducing temperatures, everyone was dressed very modestly. As a tourist, in my mini-shorts and cropped-top I felt pretty naked to say the least. The dutch people have a way of staring that made me change as soon as I got back to the hotel. Not in a pervy way, but a 'ew' kindof way. It seems strange that even though our country is colder, we wear less clothes in public - and even though Holland is slightly warmer than UK, the inhabitants wear more clothes in public and yet have a copious amount of naked health spas...2) Jay-walking is a bad habit.
In London Jay-walking (crossing a road without waiting for the lights' instruction) is the only way you'll ever get to cross a road, but in Rotterdam and Amsterdam it's very much frowned upon. Does this mean that the English are more impatient? I don't know, one can only assume. Also trams - watch out for the frickin' trams!
3) The Rotterdamites work hard, not many play hard.
Amsterdam never really sleeps, however, Rotterdam seems to be asleep all the time. Most of the shops don't open until 11 and not a lot seem to stay out late. How do I know this? When in a large group, noise tends to escalate. We weren't being terribly loud in our rooms and yet there were several noise warnings issued about us, and multiple shouts out of windows to 'BLOODY GO TO SLEEP!' - it was only 11pm! Part of me just wanted to say, Chill, man....
Also, English students go out almost every night, or at least my uni does.... but the only night any studes were really about in Rotterdam was a Thursday, and by that time we'd all crashed anyway.
4) UK really needs to step up its architecture!
Rotterdam and Amsterdam had the most phenomenal architecture I have ever seen. I'm not normally a fan of modern builds, I usually prefer the classics, but the buildings in Holland were pretty awesome. Mainly because of the sheer creativity
and ingenuity involved in them.
