DON'T Move To the Netherlands If...
Moving to the Netherlands isn't for everybody, but with a lot of videos you may come across on KZhead, it may seem like relocating to the Netherlands is a no-brainer. The reality is that there are things that may not make this the place for everyone. So I wanted to make a video on some of the things that I've noticed that may make someone second guess about making a move to this country. I hope you enjoy!
00:00 Intro
00:55 You're not comfortable with putting yourself out there
02:05 Sensitive with hearing the truth
02:55 You love mountains/hills/hiking etc.
03:25 You don't enjoy long periods of rain
04:00 You don't enjoy planning
04:30 You don't know/plan on learning how to swim
05:20 You're not a fan of higher taxes
06:10 You don't want to learn Dutch
07:00 You can't handle being away from family
07:40 You prefer a more vibrant culture
08:30 Bonus one!
10:00 Outro
#MovingToTheNetherlands #Netherlands #LivingAbroad
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There are a couple of points I did want to clarify because I feel I could've expressed them better in the video: Point number 2, I don't mean it in the sense of Dutch people are always right and always have the truth. I mean more that they're not afraid to be honest and give you their true opinion. Point number 4, I don't mean to say that it rains all day for long periods, but that you can have long periods where there's rain at some point in the day for majority of the days in the week. Point number 8, I don't think everyone that moves here should learn Dutch fluently or anything (and no I don't consider myself fluent haha), just learn enough to hold a conversation and handle basic tasks if you plan on living here long-term.
This is dope Sam!!! 🤯 you adjusted so well out there my guy. Keep Killin it. Love you fam
I appreciate you, fam!!! Love you too!
Ik vind het een duidelijke en een eerlijke uitleg, waarom je misschien niet in Nederland moet komen wonen. Je doet geen oordeel over de dingen die je benoemt. Wat betreft punt 2, 4 en 8, als je goed luistert naar hoe jij het uitlegt, is het al duidelijk. Maar ... slim dat je even een extra uitleg erbij zet. Je begint Nederland en zijn Nederlanders goed te kennen. 😉
Actually Dutch people are always right, just look at Max Verstappen, Louis van Gaal and Erik ten Hag (to give a few examples). We are notoriously good at being right. On a more serious note, it's not just that we are straightforward, it's that having an opinion about something is a sign of strength, and hierarchy doesn't play a role (this is why we are so good at building strong and innovative businesses). Lacking an opinion is a sign of weakness.
@@daarom3472 Mensen die overal een mening over denken te moeten hebben zijn niet dominant maar irritant. Achterlijke haantjes. Zorg liever dat je met een beetje goede argumenten komt. Met luisteren naar anderen krijg je meer gedaan dan met overal doorheen ratelen.
Point 8: I've worked with many expats as a native Dutchie and they always complained they had no Dutch friends, but at the same time refused to learn Dutch. "Everyone speaks English anyway!" was the argument they used, which is true, but people won't speak English with a group of Dutchies for the single English-speaker in the group. They might try at first, but it will quickly move to Dutch as it is just easier. Language also is engrained with local culture, understanding the language helps you understand the people. Language was formed by the people speaking it, who used in a way that was most efficient for their culture and way of life. Dutch is very direct, concrete and not superfluous, while English is much more a conversational language, meant to tell stories. This is a gross simplification but the essence is true. The Dutch are historically traders and farmers, who are no-nonsense, so when they speak, it is the same and the language reflects that.
Great point!
Why you call yourselves dutchies ? Like you are cute?
@@b.a.b7834 No, it is the shortest way to write it. The country is the Netherlands, but we're not called Netherlandians, not Hollanders (as that is what two provinces are called), the people from the Netherlands are called the Dutch or Dutch people. In conversation this always ends up being Dutchie. Same with Kiwi for New Zealanders.
@@Yvolve and Ozzy for Australians. Besides, we live in 2022 and "Dutchie" is "genderless" so there is that.
@@mavadelo Yeah, didn't think of the Ozzies, although they're the champions of shortening everything they say. Afternoon becomes arvo, that kind of stuff.
Thank you for mentioning swimming. It worries me how more and more people in The Netherlands cannot swim. Every year people drown needlessly.
I'm glad he's learned to swim. Lots of places in the Netherlands where a moment of inattentiveness can have you fall in drowning-deep water. Just to much water to fence it all off. Amsterdam police is constantly dredging up drunk tourists (drowning is a silent death: if nobody sees you going in you have to save yourself). Some foreign idiots even go to swimming lakes with their kids without knowing how to swim.
Making friends in the Netherlands as an adult, is like contracting: two parties find eachother interesting, go through a period of due dilligence, and if it suits both parties, yay friends :D. Dutch people take friendships pretty serious and don't throw the word around that easily. But that also means that when you're in, you're in. Of course this is generalised and doesn't go for everyone. But don't be dismayed by being a 'kennis' (acquaintancee) for a while, because it's the road to friendship :). About the directness: our directness is greatly enhanced when we're speaking English. Our ways of being polite don't translate well into English so we quickly sound rude. When you translate the other way around, it quickly sounds obsequiously.
Haha, I love how you described making friends!
they take everything seriously that is why people don’t want to stay here because end of the days they will end up alone. Let’s also be honest how many times while I live here I have heard some mean comments about my nationality and me not being able to speak Dutch ( like it’s some must know language ? ) … In my opinion people are too stuck up and close minded. I came here but I regret it a lot.
@@PartyCanal For a lot of us Dutch people, it has something to do with nationality. If you want to come live here, that's perfectly fine. If you don't know Dutch yet, that's also perfectly fine. But if you've been living here for a couple of years, and are planning to stay several years longer, a lot of us would scold you for not starting to learn Dutch yet. If you're going to stay here for a long period of time, you should at least try to learn our language. Looking at your name, I presume you're Polish. For some reason I find it odd you think that way. Because I work with a lot of Polish people at my job and several have said the same about their country. That it's not easy moving there since you have to able to speak the language, which I completely understand. An old colleague of mine moved there with his girlfriend, but he had to learn Polish before he could even apply for a house. I don't know if that's everywhere in Poland, or maybe parts of it. But what I'm trying to say is that the two countries are very comparable. Me, myself, I don't care all that much whether you want to speak Dutch or not. That's all up to you. I often even speak English to my Dutch friends. But I think it's pretty acceptable that, if you move to any country in the world, they would like for you to be able to speak their native language
As an immigrant from Kazakhstan to the USA, making friends as an adult is difficult everywhere. I felt extremely misunderstood and out of place upon moving to another country with a different culture. 😁 It's a point for every country, not just Netherlands 💕
We in the Netherlands are very accepting to other cultures but you earn respect if you try and learn Dutch. But you are right
An excellent point. When I hear people say "In the Netherlands, people form friendships early in life, and it's hard to break into that 'circle', I think... that's exactly how it is in America! LOL. Isn't it like that everywhere?? Thanks for confirming.
Hahaha the girl at 0:30 just noped out of your video 😂
hahaha, I'm glad you caught that!
I was shouting at her: , Come on lady, it's ok to walk through the video!!! come!
haha @blackadder75
The netherlands is very safe. You don’t have to worry about gangs or anti-social elements. I was surprised to find small kids driving bikes at night with no worry.
(Dutchman here) I think another thing to mention is that there isn't really any raw untaimed nature in the Netherlands. So if you like long walks trough nature alone the Netherlands is not for you. There aren't a lot of areas you can walk in for 15 min without seeing someone else. Also I really like these video's ! And I love that u are really taking your time to learn the culture and language and explore the country!
Great point! And thank you for watching and for your positive feedback! I hope you enjoy all of the videos to come as I learn more about this country and others :)
There is "raw and untamed", it is just very hard to find and not as spectacular as the "raw and untamed" in for example the States. But even Staatsbosbeheer is now leaving certain areas alone to have it develop naturally instead of the planted woods we mainly have now.
We hebben de Drunense Duinen...... That's raw and untamed right there :) Take your dog for a nice walk there in the rainforest of the south and and finish with a gezellig terrasje. Have coffee or a beer and enjoy the Dutch nature. :)
Just go to Drenthe and be surprised!
Impossible to get lost in the 'wild' in the Netherlands. Just walk in the same direction for 30 minutes and you will find yourself at a bar or in the coffee corner in a Albert Heijn
Based on past experiences, I already know I'm going to get comments on this video with people saying "stay out of the Netherlands", "go back to your country", etc. haha and for those people, I just want to say thank you in advance for watching! And to everyone else, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in the comments :)
I think you are a very good sport about any comments that would be considered ill-willed. That's why you're so good at this.
Thank you, Linda!
Great video!
Ha ha you really hurt my feelings ! 😉 (not at all) Thing is that social interacting used to be a lot more loose thirty years ago. Things changed a lot. So , whatever, you're mostly right after all. (Also, The Netherlands has more of a scandinavian touch) People from abroad always think there are no highways here, but I tell you the highways here are a fantastic experience if you like space and aestethics in infrastructure and : clouds ! You should try. The hours you spend on highways here is so smooth and it never gets dull ! I hope you'll find more warmth and spontanity here. I like your vids anyway ! 🌹
If you really love the Netherlands and want it to be the best, you have to be critical of it too. So hate on it all you want (I know you don't) but stay anyway haha!
As a Dutchman, I think your video quite accurately describes things that Americans may need to be prepared for if they intend on staying here for a longer period of time. As for the scheduling, I think it varies between different places in the Netherlands. Life in the cities is more hectic and efficient, so people tend to be more busy and on a tight schedule, but in more rural areas, especially in the South, I think people are a bit more laid-back about planning, scheduling and punctuality. Also you make a good point about missing your family and friends. But perhaps you won't know if this is an issue beforehand. I went to live in Japan for a year and after a few months I already started to miss my family and friends and just my country in general, which I didn't really expect because I liked to be in Japan.
Thank you for your feedback, Dave! And interesting, is that what made you leave Japan?
It's not the reason why I left Japan (that had more to do with obstacles to extend my stay there), but I did feel very happy when I returned to the Netherlands. It made me realise how much I feel at home here. So I decided that I would keep living in the Netherlands from then on (this was 30 years ago).
Japan isn’t as friendly as people think. Many are introverted.
@@whitepouch0904 I'd agree with that, but my coworkers were nice people and some of them were my friends. They spoke some English and I spoke some Japanese.
Yes I agree with you they’re polite and nice people but they’re too serious in their career life. They’re perfectionist. My sister works there and she was a bit culture shocked in her company because chit chatting during work is seen as kinda taboo. It’s like people who talk a lot in the workplace are viewed as not too serious employees. If she wanted to talk maybe like a few seconds and she needs to whisper. She was lonely during her first year. Also, my sisters co-worker are mostly gen x and she’s a millennial. And pretty common work setting in Japan. That’s why hikkikomori are increasing at an alarming rate.
Learning the language is vital indeed. You will be accepted much easier. Dutch isn't too difficult when you are native in another germanic language, like English.
Dutch Frisian is really close to English but after several years it has changed and German words where added to Dutch
@ Znari Znotsj Just ask someone to say 'Scheveningen' !
Yes, I always thought it was a little selfish for anyone anywhere to move to another country, not learn the language, then complain because you're not making friends. That's just not thinking clearly. I'm learning Dutch just because I MIGHT move to the Netherlands (and to understand her family).
I am a native dutch and you are one of the few people that actually came with a good and accurate list! Nice job man.
This is really cool to hear! Thanks!
Regarding the "can't swim" part, you are right that there are quite a lot of foreigners that drown every year, but it isn't because we have so much water. It might contribute a little, but by far most foreigners drown while active choosing to swim. Often it has to do with overestimating their capabilities, alcohol being involved or it is due to unfamiliarity with the water (like some dangerous parts in the sea).
Fair point!
Correct! A lot of people, who are new to the Netherlands, see kids jumping into lakes. Grannies taking a swim. And it all looks very attractive on a warm summers day. Many young men think: If they can, I can too. And those adventures can end very badly. Especially in rivers where there is a local beach, they get caught by the flow and do not know how to deal with it.
Partially true. There's about 20 tourists dying in the Amsterdam canals each year, those typically didn't anticipate swimming
Like Jan already said, I think most foreigners that drown here are tourists going to Amsterdam, smoking and drinking all day, then taking a leak in the gracht and falling in. I met a girl that lived next to a gracht and had to jump in a couple of times a month to save a tourist. But during the winter thats not really possible cause youre also putting yourself in danger because of how cold the water is.
I stand corrected, the combination of alcohol, drugs and canals is worse then I thought. For the last decade or so the amount of people drowning in the Netherlands lies around 80-100 people. Around 50% of these are foreigners, which means 40-50 foreigners drown in the Netherlands. And Amsterdam alone has about 18 deaths by drowning every year.
Oh wow, I really love your accent when you are speaking Dutch. It has some very American sounds to it (obviously), and for me it also sounds weirdly Flemish? Like some of your sounds really remind me of speaking with Belgians. Really cool! Als laatste, je hebt een geweldige mentaliteit! Ik geniet vaak van de content die je upload, dank daarvoor!
Heel erg bedankt! Hopelijk zal ik meer Nederlands klinken in het toekomst😃
Good thing about the weather is that you appreciate the sun so much more when it’s finally shining. Making friends can be tough, depending on how outgoing you are. But when you ask me, there’s always room for one more good friend in your live.😊
Very true, Hunchback! And you can sign me up on the friend list! Haha
@@exploringtheforeign You're on the friend list for sure.
Thanks for sharing this valuable information. I enjoy your videos and they e helped enlighten me more about the country since I’m new here.
Thank you for watching! I'm glad the videos have been enjoyable and helpful😃 we're both in the same boat of navigating life in the country as a foreigner haha
Just going through some of your vids and noticed you filmed in my home town. Even better when I noticed you actually filmed my home. Nice channel.
Awesome! Thank you!
Once again, another well informated video, thanks alot man!
Thank you, Tom! Means a lot.
For me as someone with autism social interaction is a lot harder, thus hinders me to make friends, but they are slowley comming since I moved (in the Netherlands) and started living in a difrent village.
Wow your Dutch is actually pretty well. Strong accent though but you make yourself understandable. Hats off!
Thanks, Amir! I'm going to try to work on the accent haha.
Good points and advice! Love the videos
Thanks! Thank you for watching😃
Great subject and great filming. Absolutely enjoyable!
Thank you, Ingrid!!🙏🏾♥️
thank you! recently came back from Amsterdam and fell in love.
Nice summary, I’ve been living here 16 years and you hit a lot of good points. I will recommend anyone who want to move to NL to watch this first 😊
*NOOOOO!!* They won't come! 😅
Thank you, Pat!😃
This is the first time i have seen a video of you and i'm Dutch en jij maakt mij trots om Nederlander te zijn. En onwijs veel respect hoe je Nederlands probeert te leren. Keep up the good work! Yes we can speak English but it's amazing to see someone trying to make an effort trying another language especially Dutch! Unfortunately their will always be those people. But please know more people welcome you with open arms then people who don't they just scream louder.
Dankjewel voor de mooie worden, D. Unkown! I appreciate the words :)
Very good video Sam! I don’t recognize the planning thing, and I am glad that I don’t, never had an agenda!
Dankjewel, Hilde! En ja, in mijn ervaring, het is echt een ding hier haha
@@exploringtheforeign Dat is alleen in het stedelijke gebied denk ik Sam!
Daar ben ik weer! En zoals verwacht weer een sterk gemaakte video. Je Nederlands zit echt goed in mekaar, en ik hoop dat mensen je ook de kans geven Nederlands te spreken, daar (omdat) ik weet van Nederlanders die hun spraak 'aanpassen' en in een soort gebroken Nederlands gaan brabbelen, wanneer ze horen dat iemand uit het buitenland komt en zich wat minder soepel uitdrukken kan. Zelf koester ik de wens om een tijd in Zweden te wonen; moge ik dan tegen die tijd net zo goed Zweeds spreken als jij nu Nederlands spreekt. Dat je met dit kanaal begonnen bent is prachtig, en zonder je onbedoeld verder nog te kleineren, zal ik toch benadrukken dat je het fantastisch doet. Ik kijk uit naar je volgende video! Joejoe
Thank you, Benjamin!! I appreciate the support. And what has you interested in Sweden
@@exploringtheforeign Seems I never wrote a reply, it randomly popped up, so, before I forget; Sweden has me interested, as I, for one, am really intrigued by the unknown ties it has had throughout the ages with The Netherlands and the whole interconnectedness of the north, its role in Europe and history... the Hanseatic League, etcetera That fascination aside, I am not too optimistic about the housing market situation here in the Netherlands, and the upcoming warmer weather. As dramatic as it may sound, I could not function this summer... I yearn for colder weather; a calmer housing market where buying houses is the norm, a solid social system, colder weather, a culture akin to Dutch... a wealthy, well developed North European nation, alike my own? Count me in. I have my ways with language, and I have already begun with learning some basic Swedish. Even if this dream does not develop into a plan in the next few years, I'll have gained some experience in learning the language. I have not been planning anything just yet. So those are some of my scattered thoughts about it.
That was a fun video again, this time from my home town. Almost every building you showed was max 15 years old. Zaandam had a very big city restyle in the past decades. I would have loved to meet you in the real world.
Thank you, Dick! I found it a very uniquely built city! I'm nearby so maybe you'll catch me there again soon!
You have a good eye for your surroundigs and a nice way to bring some 'negative' points to the front...and still in a very possitive way ;-)
Thank you!!
I've been watching a couple of your videos and what I've come to find is that, like with quite possibly every other foreigner-exploring-the-Netherlands-and-talking-about-their-language-and-culture channel, is that I'd really like to help them explore the country even more and eventually become their friend. Part of me says "Why?", but I just really love to see foreigners trying to explore their way into our culture and talk about their findings. And more often than not, they will say something that I've never known about my own country. I actually learn quite a lot from people like you. Keep it up! You're doing great!
This is really kind and nice to hear, Martin! I'm always open to learning more and meeting new people, just like you! Thank you!
Most points are not new, but now that you said it... it's mindboggling how often people from abroad end up drowning here. Btw, love how you took the effort to pick some nice backgrounds.
Appreciate you calling that out! And yeah, it's sad hearing about people drowning.
Getting hideously drunk and stoned and not being able to swim is not a good combination in a place like the Netherlands.
Yes, every summer when you here that someone drowned, it is a foreigner most of the time. Someone did a study on that. It happens because foreigners are like: Everyone is going in the water here, so I can too! They don't know that everyone here had swimming lessons and 'graduated' from swimming school. Most people also know about the different dangers of swimming in natural waters. Foreingers often don't, so they get themselves in dangerous situations with limited swimming skills, and they drown. It especially seems to be the case with Eastern European migrant workers, but it can happen to anyone of course.
I’m interested in teaching at an international school in the Netherlands. I live in the desert, so I’m very much used to sunshine and cold weather not lasting long. I’m introverted; however, I put in my best efforts to maintain the friendships and relationships that I do have and I don’t mind being out in public. I’m sensitive; however I do appreciate honesty. I tend to get sensitive if I’m feeling negative vibes/rudeness versus if a person is just being honest. I wouldn’t mind learning Dutch, but I think I may become frustrated for not knowing enough as I learn it. Great video and I love your filming style!!! ❤❤❤
Cool video. Like the shots and angles.
Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoy that🙌🏾
Some good points to think about for sure. Establishing a friendship group is generally found through your workplace or school. I'm American, but I MUST plan .. no spontaneous stuff for this ol' bird. 😁 P.S. One of the things that helped me against homesickness was to plan my vacations either around a home visit or meeting my family somewhere else in the States or here in Europe. Lots of fun and it meets all the criteria.🌹
Thanks for watching as always, Linda!!! :) And good points on how to cope with the homesickness. On the flipside, it does get expensive trying to make the trips back home to see family... that's unfortunate.
I'll be honest though I lived for 36 years in The Hague. I now live in a village 10 minutes outside of the hague ... I am 37 :D But I always went everywhere with the car. Although in some neighborhoods in the Hague parking sucks, specially when you get back late. Love this village life right outside the city though, I can be in Rotterdam, The Hague, Delft, with in 10 minutes and have plenty of parking. So for me it's never been an issue. Great video man even when you point out "negative" stuff its always well honest and delivered in a friendly tone!
Fair enough!😃I guess just from my observation it seems the popular mode of commuting when living within the bigger cities is public transportation. And thank you for the positive feedback🙌🏾
Great video! All very true. Love that you spoke Dutch to make the point even better. It isn’t an easy language to learn, but very important for intergration. You dis a good job at it!
Thank you, Nitzan! I appreciate that🙌🏾
Hey Sam, you made really good points. Some of them I hadn't even thought of as a Dutchie, but I actually agree with all of them.
Thanks, Babs! Good to know the video was credible haha
As a dutch woman I want to say I love your videos haha I’ve lived here my entire life and it always puts lots of things in perspective. Things that I really should appreciate more. But also about the driving thing. I live in Amersfoort. It’s a small big city next to Utrecht! And even here I am just so much faster by bike. With the car you can’t really cut large parts of your route, you are very dependent on the main roads. But by bike you can basically always go straight through which saves lots of time! Besides that, parking is very expensive and often you can’t comfortably drive through the cities. There are times that I actually feel bad for a car driver haha
I appreciate you saying that! Amersfoort is a cool city! Been there a couple of times :)
Yooo this was my favorite video.. wow!! Pimp you are really killing it! I watched it twice! LOL Man i love it here.. but yea.. i agree with you.. especially on missing family and the high taxes... but i dont know.. its definitely worth it though... i mean... man.. it was a culture shock visiting america a last week. like.. man.. .
Really dope to hear, Sky, thanks!!! And yeah, I'm curious to see how I feel when I go back!
A very good explanation about my country, i like this very much.
Dankjewel Helen!
Id like to add one: You already slightly touched on that with the friends point: Dont move to The Netherlands thinking its one homogenous place and your experience will be the same everywhere. Especially people from the US might think this because compared to there, the country is so small. So do some research. If you move here with your family you want different thing than when you move here single and meeting people is a priority. But apart from big cities vs suburns and countryside, there a lot more differences. Some parts like Friesland even have their own language that you wont understand, even if you have learned Dutch. Places like the south of Limburg will have a very strong regional accent too and are culturally different from the classic Dutch image you might have. As someone from Amsterdam, Friesland and South Limburg almost seems like abroad. Great list and very fair by the way. Good job with just staying factual and just straight up share your experience without adding a personal preference. Thats a lot harder than it seems because of course you have one, like everyone and some of that almost seeps through.
Thank you, Sander! I feel you make really valid points. And I appreciate the feedback on the video :)
My girlfriend came to study in The Netherlands and ended up in Twente, after a relative living in the east of the country had told her Enschede is 'similar to Amsterdam' haha
Great advice!
2 things I like to touch on , Language : Whenever moving to a country with a different language , I feel its a MUST to learn it , otherwise you're going to feel left out/lonely very quickly . Sure , most people here speak English , but imagine yourself in a group of Dutchies , at first they might speak English to accomodate you but it will quickly turn into Dutch because its more convenient . Besides , not every one's lvl of English will be good enough to express themselves on a deeper lvl . Mountains : While we might not have mountains , from an American point of view , they are really not that far away ? I mean , the Alps are about 800Km from here . And while to us Dutchies that sounds like the other side of the world , I'm pretty sure many Americans will percieve that as being pretty close , distance is relative to what you are used to ?
Some are obvious like missing family but for weather and people acting like in Brazil or other warmer countrys like that its not here depending on who you know where you go, the change of seasons are great if sun all the time we would not like it when it came down to it. Sure its best to learn Dutch ive had fun hearing what some have said thinking i dont understand lol. Only thing i miss is some foods and yes high taxes but we get something back for it but we all would prefer none i think. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the feedback, John!
never stop making video's you're really good at it
Wow, thank you, Vito! This really put a smile on my face haha
A few of these points are a bit unrelated to moving to the Netherlands. I'm dutch and moved years ago. Willing to learn the local language and being away from family and friends is a generic thing of living abroad. Nice vid though 👍🏻. Have fun over there.
Being direct is most noticeable in restaurants I think. Never been to the USA, but if I am correct a waitress will be talking to the costumer a bit before taking the order. Here in the Netherlands the waitress walks up to the table with the menus, no introductions and asks if we want to order drinks already. Once the sign has been given (Not sure which countries this all applies) of everyone closing the menu to indicate everyone knows what they want to order they will come to the table and take the order. If they see empty glasses they will keep a close eye on the table, to see if people sign they want to order more drinks. Just pure efficiency and fast service over an experience. Which fits the culture very well.
Yeah service is definitely different, but yeah, in the US it's more personable. They also come check on you more often to see if you need anything, whereas here, it seems the attention to service isn't that emphasized.
@@exploringtheforeign That differs per restaurant, a good restaurant also has good service. And I also think about how busy the restaurant is.
Thank you so much, I would love to leave The Netherlands for some of the reasons you mentioned (I am Dutch) You brought it very tactfully and respectfull. Groetjes vanuit Gouda
Thank you for watching and for the positive feedback, Francisca! Nice to hear the video was relatable. Where could you see yourself living instead of here?
The Netherlands is a very nice country, I use to live abroad as well but NL wins the trophy
@@exploringtheforeign I would rather live in a country that is not always in a rush, like we are. I like Spain & Portugal a lot. It al depends where in Spain & Portugal of course. And you can't have everything what you want. But it would be a big step forwards to live somewhere where people are not at harsh and rushed as here.
@@arno4641 in which country('s) have you lived? As I may ask?
@@franciscachesca england
Hi i am new.. I subbed since you do highly quality vide
Thank you! I hope you enjoy all of the videos to come :)
Respect for the girl at 0:33 for trying to avoid blocking the camera
😂🙌🏾
And you are comfortable with putting your camera there. Try that in Paris
Our country is designed for walking and biking and is most of the time faster then the car.. Also because of this the streets are less filled with cars in the city and also making it easier to get somewhere in your car without standing still to long. For instance when you go from A to B your max speed will be lower then in other countries but your max travel time will be less and your average speed will be higher than in other countries. So driving is actually still more efficient and safe then in most of the countries.
Heel goed gedaan! Knap dat je in korte tijd zo goed nederlands spreekt! for the rest of yall, in case your curious, i complimented him in dutch 😉
You have a bit of a southern Dutch accent there man with the smooth g's. Good for you!
Ik woonde eerst anderhalf jaar in Brabant dus misschien daarom haha
I'm Dutch! _Really_ accurate video! Again! (2 out of 2 now :p)
Really accurate, capital R
Dankjewel Jos! Nu tijd voor 3 voor 3😜
ngl as a dutchy all points are spot on, and nice one on the swimming, i notice that i looks like more people are drowning here in the last couple of years, and as you said most of them are foreigners. good job on learning how to swim
Thank you! And yeah, it's sad hearing about those stories. Hope you enjoyed the video :)
Your videos kept coming up in my feed so I just subscribed to your channel. What was the reason you moved to the Netherlands in the first place?
I hope that the algorithm and I didn't let you down😅😁 My girlfriend's Dutch so I ended up finding a job that allowed me to move here🙌🏾
0:32 caught me off guard. I found it amusing when they suddenly turned back after spotting the camera
Haha yeah that was funny.
So funny. I always do that when people are filming or taking pictures in the street, thinking it's rude to walk by and put myself in their picture. This made me realise it actually looks worse to do that when someone is filming and you're spotted hahaha. Oops!
what you described at 8:30 and onwards is a dystopia, im so glad you dont have to own a car, its not perfect but pretty damn good compared to other countries, thats a plus for me, not a minus lol
Even smaller cities/ more remote areas most transport happens on bike. Because those smaller places have everything you need anyway ((grocery) stores, schools, bars etc.) only if you would go farther than 5 km would you take a car (speaking from own experience living in Drenthe) and for most smaller cities/towns nothing is further than that. However these smaller cities are less crowded so going by car is easier than in big cities (no traffic delays etc), so you might take a car if the weather is bad or if you are going to buy a lot of stuff, but rain or shine bike is still nr one.
I live in the Netherlands. I haven't seen serious rain in months!
Rain is usually outside, not indoors.
Haha yeah, I did mention in the video that since I moved here it's been pretty sunny.
I've never considered moving to the Netherlands before, but that could also be because I live in the Netherlands
Does that mean you have actually considered moving to Mongolia?
Lol
Hey. I really enjoy your videos and content. I hope your channel grows. Just one thing: maybe be a bit more conscious of people's privacy when filming in public, especially with kids. That's all and keep up the good work!
I appreciate it, Esther! And I'll try to be more cognizant of that. I typically try to film in a way where it's obvious I'm filming before people walk by, but I know there's one shot in here where the kids are playing around, and although this doesn't fully excuse it, I did ask the father of two of the kids in that shot if it's okay if his kids were in the film and he was more than fine with it😃
Lol, i just realised: you said mountain biking, implying biking through the mountains. Makes sense. Im Dutch tho, and we do have mountain bikes here, yet no mountains, like you said. When you said not to come here if you like mountain biking, my first thought was 'why not? we have mountain bikes?', realising after that it is actually the mountains we are lacking 🤣
I am partly shocked by some comments from the Dutch here. Greetings from Germany. Ps: Great Video!
Hey, thanks!
Nice video. Good to have a more balanced view compared to all kroketten/poffertjes/haringen videos.
Thank you, Guus!
Let me add one more. Bureaucracy is incredible. And what makes it worse, is a total lack of ordinary online services. This is something what Dutch could learn from countries like Cambodia, not to mention other EU countries like the Baltics or Poland. Yes, when you get your DigID, there are some services available online but in order to get that, you wait for months to get a physical appointment for your BSN number with loads of paperwork (which is totally irrelevant to your taxes) and then wait for weeks to get that number actually. During those months of waiting you are not eligible to park where you live, open a bank account and even your employer is forced to break the law while paying your salary. A simple suggestion - if you consider relocation to central Europe, look for other countries around. They are similar in terms of climate and salaries but will be cheaper and not treat you like an enemy.
3:25 NL does not have 'Long Periods of Rain' , like a monsoon. And NL has 850mm percipation per year, similar to NYC and a lot less than Miami ! And it rains only 6% of the time. The issue in NL is, it can rain any moment of the day, of the year ! The weather is very changeable , '4 seasons in a day like' . The weather when you leave home in the morning is not the same as when come back in afternoon. Even in summer you 'll often take a jacket 'just in case'. Futthermore due to maritime humidity heat and colder (+2-7°C) can feel much more unpleasant than in dryer or continental climate ("water cold" ).
I could've clarified it better, but by long periods of rain, I was referring to long periods where you can consistently have rain within a day. Not that it rains all throughout the day, but that you'll encounter rain at some point quite consistently if that makes sense.
Been living here for soon 4yrs now and im loving it
Awesome! :)
On the subject of taxation, I would like to add: yes, taxes take up a larger share of your income in the NL than they would in, say, the US. But because those taxes are used to heavily subsidise things like education and the healthcare system, they lower the overall cost of living. For example, health insurance on average costs around €150 a month in the NL, while in the US it costs many times more, and a year at a Dutch university costs only a fraction of what you pay for a year at a US university. There is a video (I forgot the name) that did the maths and figured out that after paying taxes and other fixed costs of living, low to upper-middle class people in the NL are actually left with *more* disposable income than people in similar situations in the US. It's only when you step into the realm of millionaires that living in the US becomes comparatively 'cheaper' for your bottom line.
Pretty accurate list, and your Dutch is pretty good!
Dankjewel, Casper!
Good video. I am missing one big important thing, the housing crisis. It can be very difficult and expensive to rent or buy a house here.
Thank you, Jill! And yes, that is valid. I feel many people around the world are struggling with that as well, though, to be fair :)
@@exploringtheforeign That could be true, I don't know the situation in other countries. It's just that the Netherlands is a tiny country. Theres not many space to build, and it has to remain liveable. So i guess thats the worry here.
That makes sense, I understand the concern. Just out of curiosity, is the problem really scarcity of housing as well or is it just the cost of housing? Because I always feel like I see homes for sale, it's just the price that's the problem.
@@exploringtheforeign it's because theres a housing shortage in the Netherlands of 315.000 houses. The land itself is expensive (because there is little) so its expensive to build. Then theres climat problems regarding building new houses and it still has to remain liveable, as in ; where do you built. Plus the population grows.. So that all raises the prices.
@@jillvandenlinden6946 So how hard do you think it would be to rent a house right now? I'm planning on moving with my partner in a few months but this is my biggest worry. I see so many job opportunities and scarcity of workers, how are they gonna get filled if there's no housing?
11. the housing prices 12. the housing prices 13. the housing prices 14. cost of owning and driving a car (we can;t bike everywhere)
You forgot the housing prices
@@Han-ot2ll thank you, those are very important too, I will make sure I add those next time.
@@Blackadder75 Did you add housing prices?
@@VpowerSP drat! I knew I forgot something... I'll make sure to add the housing prices next time
Hi man, love your videos, can you also create one where you can explain the steps you followed to learn dutch in such a short period of time? Thanks a lot🎉
Thank you! And I kind of made that video here: kzhead.info/sun/dpiHqpyIpmKrlKs/bejne.html But I can definitely do a better one in the future!
I think the "high tax" thing is one of the most misunderstood things about the Netherlands. Because in the Netherlands we pay a lot less tax than in for example the USA. In the netherlands the tax is high, but you get discounts. In alot of other country's the tax is low, but you have to add lots of extra's. The most important thing is how much money you are left with after deducting all the tax and living expences and insurances etc. More often than not, the Netherlands will leave you with more money in the end. And especially compared with the USA. Also if your an expat, and you got your work contract before you moved here, you will have tax exempt. So you pay almost no tax at all! This is to give new people the money to setup their new life so to speak.
Another downside is that transportation in general is very expensive. Public transport is quite expensive so is fuel. Also flying isn't cheap anymore and costs for that will increase a lot. For a person like me that is quite annoying because I love to spent time in nature a lot. Europe has beautiful natural areas to explore but most are nowhere near the Netherlands. Reaching those places becomes more and more expensive.
I did hear from foreign people that love to drive that actually love to drive here. Only if you live and work in the city you dont need to drive
Yeah definitely!😃 That's what I was trying to highlight, if your life takes places in the bigger cities, there isn't as much of a need to drive.
I’m currently based in Arnhem and struggling to find a swimming school and Dutch learning institution. Hopefully I’ll find something by next early year
My girlfriend is Mexican and I am Dutch, not sure how we are going to get used to each others countries, to be honest, BUT, I do think we can get used to each otrhers countries and cultures, it might be a challenge at first, but I think after a while, we are used to it, my love for her is since day one, thru the roof, I love her more than I love life, she's my everything, she wants to have kids, and I think when you have a child, the Netherlands is one of the best countries to raise one in, because it's safe, with very friendly people, and so on, but Mexico also has stuff that I find better than here (Mostly parties and holidays) Now onto something more personal.... To you, my beautiful girlfriend, Thank you so so much for being there for me thru the hardest times of my life, you are the most amazing person I've ever met, and I can't wait for my exciting future with you, with a lot of great memories to be made, a lot of fun places to explore, a lot of fun concerts, festivals, whatever, I want to explore everything, with you, since I met you my life has completely changed, in the most positive way, I hope you and I, can have a great future ahead of us, when you feel a certain emotion(Like sadness, happiness) and so on, I feel the same emotion as well, you are my soulmate, the only person I would spend the rest of my life with as a husband and wife
As an older native Dutch guy, I can say you are on the dot with every single point. All those people who trry to tell you different.... well... they are either foreigners or should be, rather sooner then later.... And enjoy your stay...
Dankjewel, Henri!!
I absolutely think it's based in what city's you've stayed at,and villages . I would never wanne live in Amsterdam etc, and there's many dutch people who don't plan,and are go with the flow,and don't have childhood friends. I do think at a certain amount of time (depend if people migrate here or not) yes talking dutch is absolutely normal,and they should learn. otherwise it's a plus for just a visit. and most dutch people aren't straight forward ,many play pretend in your face. But also depend on which city you're in. we do have plenty of rain,but also lots of sunny days 😊 and I hardly ever ride my bike and public traffic I avoid like the plague. many do just drive you know or walk lol it's all based on what city,what neighborhood etc I absolutely do like your clips,you've been in my city,and enjoyed carnaval there🥳 and beside all the high tax,it does does provide better roads , and benefits in many ways.
Thanks for the comment, Charon! And yeah! I had a great time at carnaval :) I'll be back soon!
Leuke video's !
Dankjewel, Frans!
@@exploringtheforeign graag gedaan en alle feiten kloppen 🤣
On your first point: "friend" has a different meaning in NL when compared to the US. It's a rare moniker.There's a lot of granularity in Dutch relationships: "kennis", "bekende", "collega", "maat", "vriend" en zo zijn er nog wel een paar. It's rare for someone to call you a "friend". That's a relationship typically established at younger ages, not so much later in life. I am sure there are exceptions, but in general, that's how it works. The people that I call friends right now - in the Dutch context - are basically from the study and military service days.
My hometown ^^ funvid. Good points! (I'm Dutch, born and riased :))
Thank you! This was a fun city to film in :)
As to the planning bit, you're absolutely right on the money. I'll be going to Florida on November 9th, but guess what? Yes, my suitcase is already fully packed and ready to go 🙂 And, since I'll be going fro close to 3 months, it's a big suitcase and if there's anything last minute, that'll just have to go in my carry on 🙂
haha, this is extreme Dutch!
renting a car is also super expensive here in NL
Best advice for people that wanna move on more of a budget: consider moving to the north of the country or Flevoland if you like to be close to Amsterdam.
Thanks for sharing! :)
North of the Netherlands or Flevoland? Are you crazy? Nobody wants to live there, these parts are even worse then Zaandam. Draw a line between: Amsterdam > Utrecht > Den Bosch > Rotterdam > The hague > Haarlem and back to Amsterdam, This is the part of the Netherlands where people want to live.
As a dutch, I agree with most of them. But I feel like 5 and 6 are not really such a big deal. Planning really depends on what kind of groups you’re in, and if you’re not a maniac who jumps into canals randomly, Not knowing how to swim is not going to be a big problem. I’ve lived here my whole life, and never have I experienced a situation where I actually need my swimming skills to not drown.
Hey, Han :) Yeah, I could imagine people have experienced different or don't necessarily agree with every point, and that's fine! This is just based on my opinion/experience.
Most people who drown (if not all) never experienced situations where they actually needed their swimming skills to not drown. They are no longer with us. The argument is a complete fallacy.
I wouldn't say it's a fallacy because even in the example you gave, if you're a maniac that decided to jump in the canals, that's still a situation where you need to know how to swim, right? Regardless of whether or not you consciously decided to be in water, the fact remains that you need to know how to swim to survive in the situation.
Dat plannen heeft met tijd en socializen te maken denk ik. We zijn op het werk, sport, uitgaan, superdruk door de bank genomen. Thuis is echt even rust-haven. Bovendien hebben we niet zo'n zuidelijke familie-thuiscultuur. Daar en daarom laten we niet iedereen (snel) toe. Maar zoals je gemerkt hebt, ook voor een kennis zijn we best wel hulpvaardig. En, ben je al achter het begrip "gezelligheid", wat dat echt inhoudt?
@8 Je zal ook gemerkt hebben dat ALS je Nederlands wil leren dat juist héél erg geaardeerd wordt. Zelf als het gebroken Nederlands en accent moeilijker te verstaan is. En het ook DE manier is om in dat "Nederlandse Cirkeltje" te komen. @10 True, we're not very Brazilian vibrant. Although I have some Dutch Caribbean friends that are very much the exception to that rule. Dank en Gegroet Gij Ontdekker van het Buitenlandse😃
Yeah I understand your points but they are mainly for a big city imo. Because In a smaller community you’ll get to know people way faster and people are more willing to help, more hospitable etc. And it also depends if you live in the south or the North. I personally love in the south in a smaller community and some of these points don’t hold here. There is a reason I live here;) no offense to the big cities but it’s just not for me, although i did work there because of my job. The people are way different there.
Yeah I definitely think in the small cities people are more personable and willing to help but I would also think in terms of really becoming friend, it would be not difficult because people in the villages usually have an even more stronger and established friend group. At least from what I've seen😃 and thank you for watching!
You shouldn't just look at taxes, they are just one part of the equation. You also should look at disposable income (what do you have left after taxes, insurances, and cost of living) and you will see we have a higher disposable income than for example the USA. I am 54, I have never needed a car to get anywhere, as a result I do not even have a drivers license. Bycicle, Bus. Train, Tram is all I need. (and in the end much cheaper than a car with all the secondary costs aruound it)
Another reason why people in the cities don't drive everywhere is because parking is horrible in the centre and the cost of parking is ridiculous, like €5 to €8 an hour to park. And even parking in your own street cost money and you have to buy a parking permit that usually has a waiting list and in the meantime you pay the hourly or daily parking rate. The fine you get for not paying parking money is also high. So that s also a reason why some ppl in the cities don t have a car
Although it’s true that there isn’t immediate nature, we’re just 3 hours away (from Amsterdam) from Belgium Ardennes or German forests. These make for great places to do many nature-type activities. Isn’t it true that you could live hours away from good places to hike (or climb in my case) in the US too?
Yeah that can definitely be the case in some places in the US, but everywhere that I have experience living in, the nature was not too far away😃
It depends on where in the Netherlands you are. Well, okay, there isn't any absolutely 'untouched' place in the Netherlands, but there's still a lot of nature, if you want to see it. Only thing is, everywhere are people, but there's nature nonetheless. And although there are people everywhere, it doesn't mean it's crowded everywhere. Go to the forests of the Veluwe, go to the hills of South Limburg, go to the beautiful beaches of Sealand (Zeeland) or take a domestic ferry to one of the five stunning Wadden isles in the north of the country. There's so much to see in the Netherlands. It's different from nature in other countries, but hey, that makes it unique, doesn't it?
The "veluwe" is beautifull, espechially when the heather are purple 😃
Can’t argue with the points you made. Language is one of the most important things. Learn Dutch. It opens doors. The main thing I don’t like about my country are the azijnpissers and roeptoeters. You already mentioned it a bit in your own comment. Some people just need to offend you or disrespect you just because you have a different opinion. I call it the ‘10% schreeuwers op links en de 10% schreeuwers op rechts’. The majority is mostly relatively silent somewhere in between. I think I have been called a sheep to often…. Oh, and must be confusing but we do mountainbike without any mountains. I know… It’s confusing 🤣
Yeah the loudest people usually hold the minority view of a group! And are you referring to people biking in the dunes as mountain biking? Haha
@@exploringtheforeign Yep. And we have some bumps in the woods 😆
Haha😂
We have a "mountain" in the Netherlands though , "de vaalsche berg" meaning mountain of vaal, but thats a bit misleading cause it's actually a hill! 😅
Dutch here, I'm happy that I moved out of the netherlands to france, no i have mountains better social security / health care lower taxes, not being a sardine in the train etc
Have you been to Zuid-Limburg? That part of the Netherlands is not flat at all, and, in my honest opinion, the most beautiful part of the country/ But maybe it's because I live in that part.
I have😃 but the point I was trying to make is that in general the country is pretty flat.
If there is one tip i can give you it would be to say “u” instead of “je” to strangers. Its normally quite disrespectful to say “je” to any stranger the same age and especially older than you thought i think they dont really mind since they can hear you dont speak Dutch natively. In the Netherlands “u” is never used for anyone below 18 though young kids do often use its when speaking to older teenagers mainly because they are a bit intimidated. In Belgium they seem to use “u” for basically everyone but im not from there so i wont act like i understand their ways.
Mentaliteit is the right word for Mentality in Dutch. 👌
Thanks!
After a few points i was done.. nothing it like I think it is to live in the Netherlands... And I lived there for 36 years...
Hey, no probleem! Not everyone will agree and that's fine, but if you read through the comments, there are quite a few Dutch people that do.
Any place on the planet has its unique issues. 00:55: I think this goes up for many countries too. 02:05: Yes it's a bit over blown. But yes the way of talking comes from practical attitudes 02:55: Lol, yup at best you find some hills 03:25. As a Dutch citizen, I actually think this is also a little over blown. Yes it rains and it can be windy. But it's not like that it's raining every day, week or month. Dutch people complain more about bad weather than the number of bad weather days. 04:00 it really deepens. It's not that everything is planned. But think of it like people are respecting the time of the other person. A date is a date. and it's made in consensus with each other. 04:30: Well it's not like we swim to the school, supermarkets etc. But yep, especially when you want to enjoy the beaches, the pools etc it's a skill that is smart to have. 5:20 The countries with the most happy society are those with higher taxes. At least when that tax money is used in a way that everyone benefits from. This is certainly is mostly the case here. 6:10 I don't know about this one. Most Dutch people have learned English pretty well. At least up to a basic level. I think most people easily go from Dutch to English. But, don't just assume that everyone speaks English up to the level that you need. But most people are surprised about how well they can communicate in English or other languages in The Netherlands. Obviously Dutch people love it when someone from another country speaks Dutch. This goes up for every country, I can speak English in many countries but if I want to spend more time their than knowing the language gives you a better experience and understanding. 7:00 Yes understandable. 8:30 The country is more than Amerstand, Utrecht, Rotterdam Train is a very good alternative for the car in The Netherlands.