Some observations about Holland:

lowlands
The Dutch are once again the tallest people in the world (on average). My Dutch buddies joke that it's because nearly the entire country is below sea level, so by natural selection the tallest tend to be able to breath when the country floods.

working out ... in a gym
The fitness club I joined not only allows payment exclusively via bank account (no checks, credit cards, or even cash), it also requires 3 visits before you are allowed to use the facility on your own: an 'introduction' about how the machines work and what is available, a fitness test (I have 11.5% body fat, which is pretty good), and a 'first training' where the specific workout plan devised for you at the fitness test is codified (they suggest optimum weights for machines, reps, etc, depending on your level and goals). I find it both a bit of a hassle, as a lot of this I already know, but it is pretty cool to have a personal workout guide developed specifically for you. It is also a lot more expensive than the U.S. - 40-50 euros/month is typical (40 is actually a discounted rate).

hospitality
The first week I was in my house, this guy knocks on my door around 2300 and asks if he can "use the SIM card from an old mobile." I'm like "umm ... I don't have an old mobile, sorry."

Yesterday a guy rings my doorbell and asks if I have any coffee or "some caffeine." When I tell him I don't drink coffee, he looks at me like I'm putting him on.

I have nothing against being open and all with your neighbors, but I do not think I need to have an American worldview to find some of that behavior more than a bit odd. Bringing someone a pastry because they just moved in is a nice gesture; mooching off someone after they've been here less than a month is just strange.