And another thing...

[raxacorricofallapatorius]

...while I'm in annoyed mode.

Normally, on Wednesdays the kids have a half day, getting out at 11:30. Apparently group 5 and up stay until 12:30, a fact which I only just learned today when my son failed to show up at what I thought was the right time.

Amazingly, no one thought to notify me (or the other parents of new Group 5 students) of this. I guess the whole fucking world is supposed to just KNOW this. The teacher looked at me like I had two heads when I said that I hadn't been aware of it. It's ALWAYS been this way, and how could anyone NOT know this.

I just love how foreigners are treated in this country. It's subtle, but the discrimination is very much there.

Comments

[hauntingdream.livejournal.com]

That's weird, that no one even thought to notify the parents. Wasn't there any communication or schedules passed around? Wow for the schooling systems here...

Are all the other parents of new group 5 students foreigners?

I guess I'm feeling a little sensitive concerning your comment about how foreigners are treated in this country. You know I'm Dutch, but I've never done that and I don't know people who do that either. People here are always very open to every kind of foreigner, we go out of our way to speak English with them or if they are French we try to speak French etc. etc.
Not all Dutch people discriminise. Of course some do, but you can't generalise this whole country is treating foreigners with discrimination. (And that is how your comment comes accross to me).

[torenheksje.livejournal.com]

Nope, nothing sent home. We got a newsletter yesterday, but there's nothing on it about that. We get a weekly newsletter, with a yearly schedule for holidays and such, but that hasn't come out yet.

I was not the only parent standing met een mond vol tanden. And yes, the other parent in question was also a non-Dutch. This was one of many incidences that I've had with this school over the years of things "everyone knows," that caught me completely by surprise. It's probably not as conscious as it feels to me sometimes (I am also rather sensitive in the other direction about how foreigners are treated), which is why I said that it's subtle, but it exists.

I was actually referring to the school, and not all of the Netherlands, which on second reading of my post I see that I didn't make clear, so I apologize for that. I didn't mean to generalize so.

I'm mostly upset at once again being made to feel stupid and foolish because I didn't know something that "everyone" knows. After 5 years of it, it gets really, really, old. And I do realize that nobody can "make" you feel anything, but it's hard not to feel that way when you get eye-rolling and sarcasm. Or worse, condescension. My overall experience here in the Netherlands has not been very positive, I'm afraid, and right now I'm struggling with a bad case of "poor pitiful me" syndrome, which is coloring my viewpoint.

I know there are decent people here; I've even met a few. But the bad stuff always hurts more and stays longest, I guess. :c/

Regarding "everyone knows"

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

They do the same damned thing here in Connecticut. The school system acts as if every parent went to school in this town and knows how things work, but neither my husband nor I are grew up here. Heck, I didn't even grow up in this state.

It's slightly gratifying that this isn't the only place it happens, even if it's still a very aggravating attitude.

Re: Regarding "everyone knows"

[torenheksje.livejournal.com]

Ah, well then, I can be slightly mollified that it's nothing personal, and that there are morons everywhere. :cP

It's the eye-rolling that annoys me most, I think. I guess I just tend to add the postscript of prejudice onto it automatically. That's NOT good. Hmmm....:c/

Re: Regarding "everyone knows"

[popfiend.livejournal.com]

The eye rolling may have a modicum of prejudice in it, but I bet it's a more an issue of snobbery and ego boosting. They need to feel superior to you because they probably feel inferior.

Re: Regarding "everyone knows"

[voltaires-vice.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear. As a Dutchie, I know that racism - subtle or otherwise - exists in Holland, but I am sure this is something the school uses to make you feel *this* small. It allows them to save face. Wankers...

[oh--tsarevich.livejournal.com]

After reading this post and your comment to hauntingdream, I am severely pissed off at my fellow country(wo)men >:( seriously, that kind of behaviour is rude and hostile and downright childish. Like it's so difficult to inform foreign parents of changes in their child's schedule, or to at least act understanding when those parents turn out to be unaware of those changes. I'm sorry people here are treating you this way!