Some nice/funny things about the Netherlands

There are a few things about the Netherlands that I really appreciate and like. There are a few things about the Netherlands that I also really dislike, but let's focus on the nice things.

I love the cheap price of (most) groceries. People here complain about the Albert Heijn monopoly and their insane high pricing, but I love that I can go to the store and buy yogurt, applesauce, cereal, milk, pasta, canned tomatoes, chocolate, cookies, etc., etc., and still spend only ten euros.

Today, for example I went to the Albert Heijn and bought a big bar of dark chocolate (it's really nice to let it melt in your mouth as you drink hot tea through it), two different kinds of cookies, and a bag of salted peanuts, for LESS THAN TWO EUROS.

Makes my day! Less than the price of a cappuccino at de Vriendschap! I love it!

Another thing I love about the Netherlands is a very funny one: The doors on the bathrooms stalls open OUTWARDS. You know how in the U.S, the doors all open inwards? And you have your purse (or if you're at the airport, two overstuffed carry-on bags) and you have to try to squeeze in the door without brushing up against the toilet or anything.

But in the Netherlands, everywhere I've been, you casually open the door, walk in, and shut it. no problems. No tricky maneuvering. Nothing.

But then again, we have hot running water in just about every bathroom that isn't a rest stop.

And another funny thing about the Netherlands is that here all of my friends have the same birthdays as friends at home. Laura has the same birthday as Julia, Yael has the same birthday as Koko (and Dilyana is only the day before), and Jeanine has the same birthday as Devin. Besides that, my friend Charlotte's birthday is the same as mine. I have never met anyone with my birthday before! And Charlotte and I aren't even the only ones; there's another first year who also has the same birthday.

Isn't that... weird? Freaky? Strange?