The Dutch all tall and blond? Info or Intox...
This question may seem ridiculous because of course it is unable to generalize a population of over 17 million inhabitants to two physical criteria. In my opinion, it is now impossible to draw up a characteristic profile of a French person because our country is so cosmopolitan and the appearance of our inhabitants so diverse. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, there is, in my opinion, a great uniformity between the citizens. So the suspense ends, but yes, the Dutch are mostly blond, blue-eyed and very, very tall.
Being interested in fashion, I can't avoid looking at the way people dress. I believe that the choice of clothes says a lot about a person's personality. In fact, I can now picture the characteristic look of a Dutch person. First of all, unlike France, I find that there are, once again, strong similarities between the outfits of the inhabitants. I was used to spending several hours a day in Parisian public transport. Indeed, in order to get to the capital, I had to spend time in the train or the RER where the plurality of outfits could not be missed. A granny with a flowery skirt, a man in his forties, suit and briefcase in hand or a guy proudly wearing his new sneakers and jogging suit. In Paris, you can see an infinite number of different styles in just one day. Whether they reveal a state of mind or a social class, they draw us into this artistic universe where appearance is perceived as a form of audacity and creativity. I did not find this fashion madness in Groningen. Most Dutch people have a very simple style, jeans, trainers, and of course a raincoat and a waterproof backpack! Also, there are very few visible brands and this uniformity in style makes it impossible to determine the social class of the inhabitants. In Paris, it is quite obvious for me to ascertain whether a person comes from a privileged or a more precarious background. Here, this comfortable and very simple style acts as a uniform extended to a whole nation and thus erases the noticeable social differences. The color palette of the outfits is very simple, white, blue and brown I would say. For the girls, the originality usually comes from coloured patterned trousers. Indeed, I haven't seen this trend at all in France but many Dutch girls wear tight trousers that are slightly flared at the bottom with a strong pattern and bright colors, polka dots for example. It is also very popular here for girls to wear a clip to hold their hair. So, as this hairstyle seems to have developed mostly in the Netherlands, if you see a girl on the street with a clip in her hair you will know she is most certainly Dutch (and if she is tall and blonde with blue eyes you will know it for sure!)
Now that I have spent some time describing the Dutch dress style, let's move on to their personality! I consider the Netherlands to be an open-minded and progressive country. People are polite and courteous. One thing that struck me here is that homeless people, when begging, are polite and accept refusals. Most of them speak very good English, which confused me greatly at first. In terms of progress, I also find the accessibility of the city to people with reduced mobility in wheelchairs quite incredible. Indeed, I see at least once a day (if not much more!) a person in a wheelchair in Groningen. The cycle lanes easily take them around and allow them to remain independent. In fact, Groningen is once again, in my opinion, part of a progressive approach to acceptance. The Dutch are generally well educated, peaceful and calm people. Since I have been in Groningen, I have seen very few demonstrations in the city. When the equivalent of the health pass was introduced in the Netherlands, there were no demonstrations in Groningen, much to my surprise. The demonstrations I did see were organised by international students and the claims were about feminism, LGBTQIA+ causes as well as the environment. The only demonstration that was large and well attended was the one in support of Ukraine in early March.
In general, the culture in the Netherlands is more individualistic than in France. The Dutch are quite cold and don't take the trouble to say what they think. So, this can make them look like rough people, although this is usually just a cultural heritage and not a desire to offend people. Moreover, from what I have seen, they like to keep themselves to themselves. My Dutch friends, for example, ask me a lot less than my international friends to meet and discuss our respective lives. In a nutshell, the Dutch are polite, quiet and pleasant but generally won't try to build real friendships because they seem to value their privacy. My friends from Latin countries like Spain, Italy and Romania are very much into physical contact, hugging when we meet, hugging when we leave. Like the Germans, the Dutch are not very tactile and it is better to keep a certain physical distance in order not to rush them. Also, some Dutch people, partly older ones, are quite reluctant to the arrival of internationals in their country. We are seen as a threat to employment and housing for the Dutch. This is why I feel that most of the time, when people hear that I speak English, there is an amplified distance, and at the market in particular, I have the impression that the shopkeepers tend to serve the Dutch first. This often palpable unease of the Dutch towards internationals disturbed me at the beginning when I moved to Groningen because knowing that everyone is perfectly capable of speaking English, I did not understand this suspicion towards internationals. Now that I have taken a step back, I realise that this anti-international discrimination (mainly in the search for accommodation) is completely understandable and is surely even less important than the situation in France.
In conclusion, I hope that I have given you a clearer picture of the Dutch personality and culture. Of course my opinion is my own and it is my French cultural heritage that makes me associate these characteristics with the Dutch. If I had come from a country whose culture is radically opposed to the French one, my opinion would surely be different. The Netherlands is a great country to live in and the quality of life is very high according to me. In this country there is security, open-mindedness and courtesy. For these reasons I find living in the Netherlands a real privilege. So I feel that I have found the perfect cocktail in Groningen with a country where its people are clean and polite and a large number of international students who bring me great cultural enrichment and human kindness!