Being back in Britain – albeit very briefly – also made me realise the extent to which I had ‘gone Dutch’. In the course of nearly five years in the Netherlands I had, I thought, become rather more laid-back. I was less concerned about career and money, and more inclined to prioritise quality of life over status. If I met someone at a party, asking their occupation might be my tenth question rather than my first. I had developed a deep love of cheese sandwiches and good coffee, and a curious affection for the colour orange. I even nurtured a strange kind of love for the unappealing Dutch
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