The clogs are trying to integrate people into their cloggy ways. If you guys were in NL now your Husband would be getting treated to examinations on his cloggyness (or perhaps he had to go through that!) A lot of things have gone a bit too cloggy for my liking. You have one side where everyone in Amsterdam just talks to you like a dumb tourist (unless you have a big floppy hair-do and are wearing brown brogues with your pink ralph lauren collar popped up with a white t-shirt underneath, then they will speak to you in Dutch). However, phone the tax people, a bank, or anything relating to actual living in Holland, and they all now refuse to speak in Engish. In fact the Tax people are not "allowed" to speak to you in English. It's like in the last few years there has been a big drive towards nationalism. I wonder if your friends cheese intake has increased over the years, and her taste buds have gone bland. My wifes Great Aunt thinks its terribly out there and riské, to have cheese and ham on your bread together! one shudders to think.