hminkema said:
[...] The Dutch word has been used, and is still used in a neutral way to denominate black people, or Afro-American people, or any which political correct word you presently choose to denominate 'people of color' (a term that I find offensive). To illustrate my point: in the 1970s I was taught at primary school about Martin Luther King (in a positive way of course) and he was called a 'neger' and the people whose rights he defended were called 'negers'. Nothing offensive or racist about that - on the contrary. It is American sensitivities and American lack of understanding that has contaminated the Dutch use of the neutral term 'neger' (meaning 'black' in perfectly neutral Latin). [...] Bottom line: don't judge other people's word usage from the perspective of your own language's connotations. [...]

I'm afraid there is a point. All over Europe I observe a growing influence coming from the derogatory Americanism n***** which is spread by popular culture. The words used in the Germanic languages sound similar and suddenly a 'neutral' word becomes loaden with a negativity. But...sometimes influence from outside can stimulate us to reassess our own beliefs about what is 'normal' or 'neutral'. From a linguistic point of view the word 'neger' itself indeed means simply black. However things are not that simple. 'Neger' used to be an equivalent for a black slave, for someone of inferior race. These meanings of the word 'neger/negro' are universal to all countries that have a colonial or slave trade past. Maybe the influence of the Americanism can serve as an impulse to rethink what we really associate with the word 'neger'. Simply because we may think it is neutral and means nothing but subconsciously we may transfer racial stereotypes from one generation to the next. One thing I found so strange in Holland is that the 'negerzoenen' have been abolished but there are still 'Jodenkoeken'...

What an amusing thread! For eleven years I never noticed nor got obsessed with most points mentioned by people here. Every Dutch person I know, showers, they wash their hands regularly and teach this to their children as well and they frequently clean their houses. As a contact lense wearer I can also asure you that putting a lense into your mouth for a quick rinse with salvia is the best emergency treatment when you don't have a sink available to wash your hands and a bottle of rinsing solution. Believe me, if there's something underneath it you want to get rid of it now immediately. These kind of observations could really be made in any country and once you get hooked on your hygiene obsession you'll notice it everywhere. It's just what you'll pay attention to.

So is it better then to let someone suffer as long as possible? Diseases like dementia, alzheimer, etc. don't cause intense physical pain but the suffering is no less. I have a close friend who cared for his wife who suffered from alzheimer. It wasn't a pleasant thing to watch and after witnessing it from that close, I'd opt for euthanasia if I'd ever be struck with dementia or alzheimer. If there is an option for good palliative care, it shoud be done. But there is also nothing wrong if an individual wants to end her own suffering.

monkeynuts Just accept that the Dutch are very bad at hygiene - especially when it comes to washing hands after using the toilet. I know because I have seen this happen time and time again and have been horrified.

Getting all obsessed about hygiene is a common symptom of culture shock. No kidding, I could come up with 'dirty stuff' about people of every single country I live in. The Dutch are not bad or worse than other developed nations. Nurses that don't wear gloves when they draw blood I've come across in Germany, Switzerland and Turkey as well. In those countries I've also never seen a dental assistent/hygienist wearing gloves which seems to be common practice in the UK/US. This post was edited by siduri_again at December 1, 2011 1:55:29 AM CET

Even though this problem seems to be solved, it may be useful to others. http://www.acsg.nl I've used them for 11 years and always was happy with their services. Korrok, I'd advise you to change your doctor. It may take some time until you find one that you'll like, given that you also have to deal with cultural differences. My 'huisarts' was very different and when I told here I want pap smears on a yearly bases she said 'no prob, I'll just write down that you have some unusal spotting so the insurance will cover it." Not all doctors are bad. And there are bad doctors everywhere.