Brits Think I Am Rude, but I Am Just Dutch

Why I started to apologise for being Dutch

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Why do you think all Dutch people leave the UK with bruises all over their bodies? Because they are not used to being beaten around the bush!

All joking aside, I love the British people! They wouldn’t hurt a fly. Whether the love is mutual is debatable. They seem to think I’m rather rude!

What? Me? Nooo! Am I?

I would describe myself as calm and polite. I am not loud or obnoxious. I am an introvert with a healthy dose of confidence. I can be passionate about things and have an opinion, but I have a polite smile and a friendly face. I don’t shout or get angry easily.

In fact, I would never describe myself as impolite, aggressive, rude, or full of temperament. Until I moved to the UK…

I have been living in the UK for six years now, and I am still struggling to find my ‘polite voice’ without feeling fake. I often still forget to adjust my tone to a British one. It goes automatically.

I was left flabbergasted when my colleague said: “Well done, it was a great success. Let’s do it again next year.” She was speaking in a fake mothering tone to stakeholders in an online debrief of an event at work. Didn’t we just have a pre-meeting next to the water cooler…