People in the Netherlands consider themselves very ‘down to earth’ and are not easily shocked or surprised. While the media was on top of the spread of the corona-virus, the Dutch population remained relatively calm. We would make jokes about people wearing masks, until it got more and more serious. After several press conferences by the prime minister and even the king, The Netherlands woke up.

The Dutch government has decided to have a so-called ‘intelligent’ lockdown. This means that there is not a ‘full’ lockdown and we can go outside for groceries, the pharmacy, but also for a walk or bike ride (of course!). Therefore we consider ourselves quite lucky, especially since Spring has officially started and we are having an exceptional amount of sun!

Esmée, who lives in The Hague has seen how everything develops. “Normally, I work in the city hall, where we work with more than 7,000 people. I enjoy my daily routine of biking to work, interacting with colleagues and having dinner with friends, or having a drink in the city center. It was quite a changeover that even the supermarket was becoming ‘quite an experience’ now. It took some time to adapt to work from home, however I have found a good routine. Working from my attic room is comfortable and in my breaks I sit in my window to catch some sun, while observing the sometimes hilarious scenes in the streets of people trying to keep 1,5m. distance.”

#stay safe!