'Africans going Dutch': Part 28 - Casual-smart
Today, I catch the 8:37 train, which means I will be in the office before our official start at 9:30. As I board, I notice the train is glowing in colour. Its exterior shines bright hues of blue and yellow. The interior is furnished with red and blue seats that clearly divide the passengers into first class and second class.
By Alice Mapenzi Kubo
In front of me is a Dutch lady, I guess in her mid-40s. She wears a beautiful skirt and a blazer, black pumps and a matching handbag. Her hair is up in a bun. Her fingernails are manicured. This is not common in the Netherlands, where the majority of people go to work in jeans – the so-called casual-smart style. It is true that this tendency has simplified my life. In Kenya, I never went to work in jeans. That was clothing reserved for weekends, or Fridays in some organizations.
The lady and I are both heading to the train’s upper deck – the ‘quiet cabin’ where mobile phones can’t be used. This is where I prepare for work or read one of the free commuter newspapers, a way to improve my Dutch. During my student years, it was where I did class assignments.
As the lady pushes open the cabin door, she stops, turns to me, saying: “Don’t you like this train? It is so beautifully done. Look at this glass door with a golden handle!” I respond: “Yes, absolutely gorgeous.”
I notice a leaflet hanging on the edge of a seat. I pick it up. It is information about the train. Just as I thought! This is the Dutch railway’s new intercity train, stylishly designed, with luminous glass doors and windows that let in lots of natural light. The seats have extra cushions and the aisles are spacious. What an improvement – even in blue-hued second class.
Friends back home have asked why I don’t drive to my office. I have always said it’s because public transportation in the Netherlands works. Car jams can be horrendous during rush hour, but buses often have special lanes, which helps. And, yes, trains can be delayed – sometimes five to 25 minutes or even the occasional cancellation – but there are often alternative routes to reach your destination.
In Kenya, getting to work was mostly via one of the ubiquitous mini-buses known as matatu. I hear that Nairobi traffic jams are still the talk of the day.
[related-articles]