Visits

I love visits. Visits from friends, strangers or family. Visits to friends, less family and strangers. The last one is for me the most fun I think, as it give you a peek into someone else's life. For example on holiday: to visit a Greek birthday, a Czech evening party (and drink too much) and an invitation to drink tea in Bangkok. It is friendly, open, uncomplicated and honest. Strangers (= foreigners) love to open their homes and world for you and show you how their life is. Of course it also has something to do with hospitality, but they also enjoy the company of a stranger with whom they cannot communicate at all other than with their hands.
What is strange in our Dutch culture is that you are supposed to make an appointment before visiting someone. This doesn’t work for me as I like the spontaneous and the unexpected. I understand that some people have many things to do and that it can mess up their plans, but I don’t find it really disturbing. I prefer have someone standing on my doorstep than that I have to make an appointment all the time. If someone drops by I will always have time and offer a drink or whatever, even if it is 5am. Luckily for me no one ever stood on my doorstep at that time, but you are invited if you want to (gimme a call before so I can prepare…) :)