The 8 things people definitely say when you're from Brabant

With my butter-soft G, I quickly reveal that I come from the low countries. You trace my roots back to Eindhoven, or actually Veldhoven. When I'm there, I immediately switch to the ‘wa, da, nie’ mode. Even though I try my best to finish my words above the rivers and not say things like: ‘I left at 7 this morning’ (departed), it doesn't help. These are the 8 things people definitely say when they hear I'm from Brabant.

1. Are you Limburgish?

I send these types straight to Beter Horen.nl. The singing Limburgish is really different (spicy) cake than Brabants.

2. Eindhoven the craziest

Says almost everyone, with a kind of low humming yet cheerful accent including a weird arm dance, when I mention living near Eindhoven.

3. 365 days of carnival

In principle, an average Brabo celebrates between three and the seven days of carnival. You can make it as ‘Eindhoven the craziest’ as you want. Still, there’s a stigma attached to our behind that we also sit in random Tuesday mornings with a hoempapa band in brown cafés knocking back a beer. Not true.

4. Our mom, who is that?

When we talk about mothers, fathers, sisters, dogs, or girlfriends, we put ‘our’ or ‘our’ in front. ‘Our mom’ instead of ‘my mother’. Sounds much nicer, right?

5. Super cozy, what is that?

My favorite word. Everything is cozy anyway because, well, bourgondian. Moreover, ‘kei’ is a rock-solid adjective that adds much more power than ‘very’, ‘really’, or ‘super’.

6. GHB & XTC

I would love to debunk this hard. Unfortunately, it's very true. In Holland, there’s a house, in Brabant, there are drug factories.

7. Dalijk is not a word.

Yeah, I know. But ‘dalijk’ instead of ‘dadelijk’ is just much faster. And easier. And you know exactly what I mean.

8. And then I think of Brabant, because there’s still light burning.

From Drachten to Roermond, everyone knows the Brabant folk song. Optimal enjoyment when this is sung loudly in the Kleine Cooldown.

After reading bullet point number three, ‘365 days of carnival’, can you think of anything else? From March 1 to 6, we celebrate carnival next year. And since we also have a hospitable image; come grab a beer? Bye, huh.