All Things Holland

KLM continues to be super fun company and they are continuing their Holland Cool campaign. But why does it always have to be Facebook! Check this out. https://www.facebook.com/KLMUSA?v=app_654446261251028&app_data=gaReferrerOverride%3D I tried putting the video here but you have to have the link emailed to view it. Anyway. Who's up for trying herring? Anyone have any ideas on how to pronounce that beast?

You may have noticed that many words in English directly come from Dutch, although it may be deeper such as the German root. You may also know that the Netherlands and other northern European countries love their pickled herring. So, what you are probably guessing is true, the word pickle comes from the Dutch word pekel . Or does it? Upon my research I have come to hear of a dutchman by the name of William Beukel or Beukelz. So what does William Beukel have to do with pickles? Well, William Beukel was a 14th century Dutch fisherman. Some say that the word pickle is a form of his last name Beukel. Although he was known for his pickled fish the word to pickle has come to mean pickled cucumbers. As for being "in a pickle" meaning that someone is in plight, the word also comes from Dutch origins. However, this pickle is spelled pekille or pikkyll which means to be in a plight, scrape, jam, fix or bind. Just because a pickle is a pickle in English, doesn't mean...

I should be studying for a test I have in about 3 hours but the other author on this site is giving me a hard time for not posting as often as I should. I had a neat idea about the happiest countries I read somewhere but that will take some time to put in order. Instead I found some neat little Netherlands fun facts. One big caveat, I've lived in Indiana my whole life and haven't (although I plan too) visited the Netherlands. I'm going off someone elses notes and opinions on these. Although most were taken from a website called discover the Netherlands which I'm guessing means it's fairly truthful. Enjoy. I added my personal comments after each.... + People in the Netherlands eat raw herring with onions on top (It sounds weird but I bet it tastes great!) + Amsterdam has 1,281 bridges (I believe it. They have enough water to go around) + When Dutch schoolchildren pass their exams, they hang a Dutch flag and a school bag outside their homes (Time to celebrate! Hopeful...