Shrunk the miniature potbellied VIP pig from the Netherlands

Yes indeed my first name is Shrunk, the miniature hunk. I am a Very Important Pig from the Netherlands, that is why everybody calls me VIP. Important because I run the biggest piggybank in the world. Every day I bike my way to work through the small streets in Amsterdam. During the weekends I am really at home though, on my farm in the eastern part of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a mouthful and we speak Dutch. Around the world the Netherlands is known as Holland, just because it is easier that way, even though Holland is only a province in the Netherlands. There is North Holland and South Holland. We still speak Dutch though and not Hollandisch or something silly like that. Are you confused yet?

I might be an very important pig, but honestly I am a very affectionate and simple individual who likes to eat a lot. Especially cheese, lots of cheese, where is the cheese, I love cheese!

Being small is strange in a country with so many tall people. Dutch people are very tall, actually the tallest people in the world, it is the land of the giants over here. Even stranger is that they live in one of the smallest countries in the world. Why are the Dutch so tall? The scientist don’t really know but they think it has something to do with eating good food. We grow the best food (wink) in the world, vegetables and big juicy strawberries, cucumbers and broccoli. Our cows produce the best milk to make cheese. The only thing we are not good at is making Taco’s, that is really Carlos’ thing. He makes the best Taco’s. I eat my Taco’s with a lot of cheese.

Shrunk keeps bankers hours, all Dutch people do. They work no more than 8 hours per day and get paid by their employers to go on long vacations. Maybe that is why they are all so tall, nothing but free time to eat and relax!

Cultural note:

According to Dutch law, nobody is allowed to work more than eight hours per day or 40 hours per week. All employees get a 30 minutes break after completing 4,5 hours of work. In May everyone receives a bonus (8% of annual earnings) to spend on taking a vacation. It is not obligatory (difficult word) to spend it on a holiday, you can do with it what you want. Buy a TV or a car or Taco’s.