We moved from the US to Rotterdam Netherlands, what's the difference?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- Tammy and I moved to the Netherlands exactly one month ago today and living in the Netherlands as an American can have its challenges at times. I'm starting to get questions about if the Netherlands is a good place to live, specifically Rotterdam and how safe it is. Life in the Netherlands has proven to be better, more relaxing and safer than we imagined. Currently the pros by far outweigh the cons...life in the Netherlands is great!
Who else is watching and reading comments at the same time 😊
Bitcoin is The future, lnvesting in it now will be the wisest thing to do especially with the current rise
2021 online stock market is just difficult and unbelievable, l rather invest my money on crypto
@@danielhudson5362 For real it's true, This could be the wisest word l've heard, you got my points 👍
Nice words, Yes especially with the current Rise 😉
Bitcoin investment is great unlike the stock market and other financial Bitcoin has no centralized Iocation since it's operates 24 hours a day in different parts of the world
Welcome to the Netherlands and more specifically, welcome to Rotterdam, we are glad to have you guys and hope you will settle in nicely!!
Hi Add. Could you answer me a question please? Can I live and get a job in rotherdam only being fluent in English or it is essential to speak dutch as well?
@@martinibanez2727 Good evening Martin, i can provide a short answer to the question you asked me, which is that you can easily find work/job that only requires you to speak English. But that would be an answer you surely have figured out yourself. Your success regarding the bigger picture surrounding that question is what kind of education/qualifications did you pursue and master, and do you seek a job/work or have the intention on perusing a career?
Without a doubt there are plenty of foreign company's where English as native language is a must, but they surely require a degree or previous experience in the field they specialize in.
My wife is from Brazil and has a masters in journalism and communication but she is still not fluent in the Dutch language as of yet, even though we have been married for 21 years and she has been here for 23. When applying to Jobs she will often be confronted with that issue even though she has vast experience and most often is overqualified when looking at the degree requirements.
When applying to foreign companies, specifically those that require Portuguese as native language, her success rate has been proven far more likely to be granted a job/career.
@@AadZwaan As clear as crystal. So, to sum up, all depends on the company's language and the requirement for the job. Thanks a lot for your time!!
@@martinibanez2727 Sure no worries and have a good evening.
Waarom ?
One of the most surprising realizations for me in NL was that the way of life offers many amenities that Americans associate with being available only to the wealthy. Plenty of green spaces, decent housing, bike paths everywhere, public safety, healthcare, decent retirement, access to services, beautiful walkable cities, vacations, living wages, etc...
I was with you until the bike paths everywhere part. Cyclists are an annoying bunch!
@@mmkjijhuks1841 You probably hate cyclists because they get on the road, in the Netherlands you will never see bikes on the road because they have their own paths
@@makeithappenbourriht963 And yet you'll still see some cyclists go onto the main roads to ''save time'' instead of using their own roads...
@@Nick-ge7ug Nope they don't because it's usually faster to keep on the bike paths as that gives you way more options than roads for cars. There are roads that do not have a bike path but cyclists always stay on the right side of the road avoiding cars. The only thing that would annoy you as a car driver is 2 people cycling on the road next to eachother or them going through red lights. But when learning to get your license you get teached to be extra careful with cyclists. You get judged more about your awareness of your surroundings than actually driving your car when you go for your drivers license.
I can imagine you get the impression that the Dutch don't care about privacy, however, many people believe in the unwritten rule that you're not supposed to look inside people's windows. On the other hand, many people love to make a little showcase of their windowsill, with plants and other objects displayed. Those who do like to prevent looking in will hang net curtains or blinds before the curtains. Landlords and housing associations offer properties without window drapings or blinds as it can vary how tenants cover their windows.
Yeah, same sort of thing, living in Amsterdam, one regularly encounters famous Dutchies, which you of course recognize, but the unwritten rule is just leave them alone, let them go about their stuff. There's a reason Brad Pitt has an apartment in the old centre (apart from being away from Ms Jolie ;).. Last month I waited in line behind a TV commenter and a script writer, their conversation was interesting overhearing - but not disturbing them I saw the other customers cut in line - turned out them TV guys had already finished coffee and were just talking business ;)
I think historically it has to do with the fact that a window was used to show your wealth to the outside world. In some cities, like Delft, people where taxed based on the number of windows. The more window frames you had in your house to more tax you could afford to pay. So wealthy people had house with windows with a lot of smaller glasses to show to others they could pay a lot of tax. Less wealthier people had fewer window frames. Maybe this is why the Dutch still have large windows in their houses.
Also if you want to close it of because you want to walk 'au naturelle' all day long no ones holding you back. Infact please do. ;) Realy you can buy curtains here and use them. Dutch just like the light in our home because our winters tend to be long and dark. You can take glance, but don't just stare in someones house that is rude.
I agree, it's pretty rude if you look thru other peoples windows. We just don't do that. B.t.w. no Ikea shit comes in my house haha
exactly, it's all about letting the light in
and not the staring eyes. 👀
it's funny how most foreigners think it's letting go of privacy, when it just isn't.
we don't look in.
and it's not like we don't have curtains.
(or luxaflex, or lamellen etc)
in daytime curtains are open and let the light in... for ourselves and our plants.
at night time we close them to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
and when we want to be butt naked in the house... most of us just close the curtains as well.😎
oh.. and we do use fly screens.. we call them 'horren'.
...too many mosquitoes in this wet country😎
One advice I can give you is not to make the same mistake as many other expats. Do not think the life in the big cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht is representative for the rest of the Netherlands. Visit more parts of the Netherlands and your view of what is “typical” for the Dutch will change.
Yes.
Ik ben het hier zó mee eens Marc!
Klopt.
Nederland is niet alleen de randstad.
@@stevenjonas3572 is voorál niet de Randstad :P Er zijn vast nog mensen die geloven dat de wereld ophoudt boven de IJssel :)
@@christiaantinga Boven de IJssel is Nederland, onder de IJssel is België, toch? ;)
Always glad to see / hear another American moving to the Netherlands! Hope you enjoy your time and the new adventure!
Ikea is a good choice for a new apartment that needs furnishing. It is affordable and decent quality. There are, however alternatives ranging from shoddy and cheap to expensive top notch.
You forgot the main difference. You can walk the streets and not be afraid you will be caught up in a drive-by shooting or have an aggressive neighbor with an impressive collection of semi automatic weapons.
love these kind of videos. well done! im dutch myself and its always funny to hear your views as most of these things are so normal for me that i never think of it being unique or strange :)
Thank you for sharing your observations ! Interesting your explanation about Ikea furniture. I don’t know if it is still functional at your place, sometimes it was to many times painted over, but normaly one is able to take out the middle window on the streetside to move furniture. If so you will see a couple of screws on the vertical posts to remove it, although this handy feature is often “forgotten” during a renovation.
When i was walking with my dog in the evening i would look for what people were watching on tv. This might sound creepy but if it's dark outside and light (from the tv) inside it will just catch your eyes automatically no matter what. If you stand still and continue watch.., that is when it becomes creepy.
And during a football match i would always make the joke that i wont miss anything if i go outside during a game.
lol lol lol
@@SoultoSoulTravels as kids we'd grab the remote zapper of our own TV and go walk around in the neighborhood and switch channels of the neighbors... while they were smashing their own remote out of madness we laughed our ass off outside ;-)
@@dutchyjhome used to do that at school with the VCR too..
great way to get the teachers frustrated...
on.. of.. in.. out..
waiting until they were almost at the VCR and get the cassette back in..
and dosing it in just the right amount of annoyance so that they wouldn't notice it was us...
worked most of the times😇😏
Welcome to thé Netherlands and thanks for choosing our country. Hope you find your way around in feeling home.
Thank you so much. Looking forward to it!
Thank, you ...for sharing your experiences!
The atmosphere appear to look pleasant.
Yes, I noticed the apartments are really small. I'm learning that Simplicity is the 🗝key. Your youtube video...was very informative. Thanks so much!
Thank you for watching! Yes it’s small, but comfortable. We really really down sized before coming over to the Netherlands. We are much happier with the simple life! The Netherlands it’s an amazing place and we love it!!
Thanks for this video. I am dutch myself, but enjoy to hear these things from someone who is new to them.
These opaque film on the windows are often not the entire window , not the entire height, but just covering a part of it.
Sofa-solution I had in my house (also with narrow and very steep stairs): The windowframe comes out very easily in old houses (build in 1904)...with a moving elevator (?) it was pretty easy to get the sofa in.
Nice video! Very good content you provide :) Small detail caught my attention: I was listening with a headset and I noticed a little bit of white noice (not a big deal). Congrats on the move and good luck!
Screens: are not standard, because it costs extra money.
In our house we have placed screens to prevent bugs to come in. And at the south part of our house also sunscreens.
We Dutchies just love our windows. Let all the light in and you don’t feel locked in. We are so used to it that you don’t have to be scared people peeking at you when leafs fall.😜
Haha, we know how to 'not' look and see, but leave it at that.
thats why i always close my curtains because i hate light.
When you build a building there are a lot of laws to work with. In a house you need a certain amount of light from outside, that means certain windows are permitted by law.
I'm dutch and I hate this haha
We’re used to it, and we simply don’t care what people do in their home. I’ll argue privacy isn’t out the window at all, but very prevalent instead.
Don’t forget you moved here in covid period, so things changed too in the past year too. We started to prefer pin payment above cash money because of germs. Also parks are used much much more after gyms were closed and people wanted to work out in fresh air. Now they got used to that and like it. Although people use their bikes a lot because of the space problem, the parking problem, high parking costs but again covid stimulated using bikes, because of not wanting to use the public transport because of germs. Enjoy your stay in the Netherlands (and buy ‘horregaas’ to prevenr musketo’s from coming in and thick dark curtains to close at night, so you have your privacy.).
Sounds like you enjoy the new normal. You've already forgotten that you didn't PREFER pin payments because of 'germs' (lol). You were coerced into abandoning cash. Have you seen your criminal police in action tonight?
Good for you! Hello from Seattle. Keep up the videos
Very nice video. Welcome to The Netherlands! ♥
Happy to see y’all are settling into your new home. Hey Tammy, congratulations on retirement!
Thank you very much for sharing! 👍
My sister lived in Rotterdam for five years and I visited often.....absolutely loved it. (from UK)
Welcome to Rotterdam! And thanks for your channel!
Welcome, I think you rented a furnitured house which has everything from Ikea. That's not really standard. I have like 1 small table from Ikea in my bedroom.
Yes exactly! No one would do this in their own home
It’s funny to hear you talk about public transport and how great it is while I’m on a train. Makes ya appreciate it just a little bit more
Great video! Looking forward to the next one. I’m interested in you talking about taxes on income and items you purchase. Also how does the healthcare system work?
Our taxes are incredible high, the items we purchase usually are produced in China, but our health care system is one of the best in the world.( Ja, ja ik weet het er is nog een hoop te verbeteren .) But yes would be a nice video to those kind of things from the perspective of a foreigner. 🙂
Cant wait for your video about Belgium
Hope you'll enjoy your time in the Netherlands. And make sure to visit other places, as Rotterdam is one of the bigger and more International cities. I would recommend going to the countryside too. There's the Veluwe, the biggest natural environment in the Netherlands. Or areas like Drenthe and Friesland are a great getaway. I live in Breda, near Belgium, also great place to visit. Also Maastricht is fun. And wherever you go: rent a bike and go Explore. Its such a fun thing to do.
Welcome to the Netherlands! I live near the German border, near a town called Venlo, but I’m originally from Zuid-Holland, and I actually went to school in Rotterdam. I always thought Rotterdam is a pretty cool city, it’s also a great location from which to see other cities. If you’d like to see great nearby cities, you should visit Schiedam or Dordrecht, both great places with loads of history. Of course, Delft is great, but it’s a lot more touristy.
Other great cities (further afield) that I would definitely suggest visiting are Den Bosch, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Utrecht, Groningen and Deventer.
Heel bedankt. Ik ben en duitser en leef in Spanje. Ik heb altijd veel interesse voor Nederland gehad en vind de taal en de mensen leuk. Meer easy-going dan in Duitsland. Ik hoop dat ik de mogelijkheden kan vinden de vele oorten te bezoeken de jij voorgestelt hebt.
Welcome to our country! Hope you enjoy it!!
Welcome to the Netherlands and thanks for being so positive about our country. Hope you'll have a nice stay and that you'll get used to the quirks that make our country a challenge to live in. Just a few things: First rule: Do not walk on the bicycle paths. They all are black when they are constructed. The red color is from the blood of tourists that didn't follow the first rule. Second rule: Say Hi to everyone who greets you. It's very common to be greeted by total strangers. Just say Hi and walk on. Third rule: Don't get offended if a Dutch person tells you what you are doing wrong. We like everything to be normal. So we teach you how to be normal and not stand out. Fourth Rule: Do not stand out in any way. Act normal and that's crazy enough. Dutch people do not like show offs. Fifth rule: Be kind to your neighbors. They will watch your house when you're out but they also expect that you do the same. Saying Hi when you meet your neighbor at the entrance or in the elevator of your building is mandatory if you don't want to be labeled as the rule 4 person. Sixth rule: learn how to complain. Dutch people always complain about something with the weather being the most favorite thing to complain about. Again, Welcome to the Netherlands.
The apartments are designed to be moved into via the large windows. Older buildings have special mechanisms for the window to easily pop out.
Thanks for your interesting comments! It's fun to find out which ordinary Dutch things are different to you. About the privacy, yes this goes back a long time, I think, when Dutch culture had more of calvinistic values. People would have to keep the curtains open so everyone can see you are not doing anything sinful and that you clean the house. Everyone is free to use blinds or curtains, however if you do, the neighbors may assume you need to hide something. Perhaps an indecent activity, or a sloppy household :) So we don't dare, actually, to use blinds or curtains. But feel free.....
We may be compensating our lack of privacy by installing public toilets that don't have doors with bottom gaps up to our shoulders and side gaps all the way to our nose and navel. :p :D
Glad you like our biking infrastructure! Rotterdam isn't particularly known for being bicycle friendly (for Dutch standards).
Related to Ikea/steep stairs: One of the reasons why many old Dutch buildings lean forward, is because it makes hoisting up furniture easier. You can often see a protruding (hoisting) beam above the top windows.
About tipping the workers in pubs and restaurants: 5% is usually a nice extra if the service was correct. Yes they get paid a working salary but it is not that high, so tipping is no luxury for them.
You are right on the money with the rounding up 23,50 to 25 euro! It's the small things that make me notice you got it right! Nice job!
I like you Eric! That's a great honest view on the adaptation to Dutch life in Rotterdam :-)
In the part where I live most people have glass curtains (semi-transparent curtains). I think most Dutch people consider it impolite to especially look inside other people's homes, even if they have no curtains.
for screens as you call them you need to buy "vliegenhor" or "vliegen scherm", you can buy them online or at your local hardware store like a gamma or praxis
I myself am a Dutchman, and especially in the villages people close their curtains around 8 o'clock in the evening. But especially in winter when it's dark and rainy Then it gives a warm feeling to peek inside.😋 A lot in Dutch houses revolves around a cozy atmosphere, some people like to show that.
Welcome to the Netherlands!
I'm living in Enkhuizen next to the IJsselmeer. I've screens in all my windows. I don't like flies or mosquitos inside my house, and there are plenty over here.
Thank you!
I love the sound of this! i am a lifelong cyclist and i am 69 and still biking. very impressed with bike paths. in my southwest city, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists especially are hit frequently. for that reason i bike on the sidewalk and most ppl don't mind as i am courteous. within the last year my upstairs neighbor was in 2 crashes - one in car and one on motorbike - not his fault! it's outrageous - city does nothing but blame pedestrians. i also love nature and minimalism. i do like my privacy.
thanks for the video
Hi Root…thanks for watching and the comment. Hope you have a week and weekend! 👍
Eric
We do have screens lol named "raamhoor" just for the "open" part of the window so that the rest is open and flies can't get in ;)
Nice observations
Most of the things mentioned are similar to the UK with the exception of bikes being used so much. Privacy especially, houses and apartments are so close there is no privacy, most people put up Venetian blinds or vertical blinds if it bothers them. We close our curtains (drapes) as soon as it gets dark outside to maintain privacy. IKEA for us too is a very popular way to furnish your home, although since the UK left the EU many items are no longer available ☹️
The Netherlands is a great country, always loved my trips there and Rotterdam is on my my visit list for 2022. Enjoy your new home ! 👍
I was wondering why you chose the Netherlands? Good to have you here btw 😊
hello. hubby and I moving to the netherlands from california next week. so glad you are enjoying expat life. we are headed to Leiden. looking forward to more posts.
Leiden, my hometown, how nice to read this. A lot smaller than Rotterdam, no metro or tram, but public transport is covered well by the busses and trains. Homes totally filled with Ikea stuff are very rare overhere - well, I've never seen one - but we too do have bikes, lots of those! Hope you will enjoy living in Leiden!
Oh.. and.. eh.. please don't spoil our waiters and delivery-persons by over-tipping, if you do like to tip, 5 - 10% is realy enough normally.
Leiden is a great choice. I live nearby and I prefer Leiden and Haarlem to all other bigger cities. Leiden has it all, but it is not as massive as Amsterdam, Den haag or Rotterdam. And within 20 minutes you are in those cities (by train) have fun in leiden and prepare yourself for the 3th of October 😂
@@maartenvanderwerf4704 okay no excessive tipping, good tip maarten, lol. cant wait to enjoy a glass of wine on a terrace.
@@ikkeschopkont ok anne what is going to happen on the third of october?
@@earthling3616 we go crazy. There will be bands on boats in the canals, lots of public drinking and celebrating.
I would suggest checking out smaller cities, or some villages more in the south of the Netherlands. It is quite a change in scenery. I don't really enjoy big cities so living in a "vinex wijk" from Tilburg is really great! I hope you have a wonderfull stay and I hope you will check out themepark "De Efteling" in Kaatsheuvel, Noord-Brabant.
Are you seriously saying a vinex wijk in Tilburg is better than a quaint neighborhood in a bigger city? I think you don't really know what you're talking about. Rotterdam has awesome neighborhoods to live in. Lots of older streets and squares and small and big parks to discover. Great museum collection in the area. Great zoo. Old warehouses converted to popup restaurants and markets. Amazing diverse population with all these subcultures that enrich life. Rotterdam is basically a jigsaw puzzle of towns that together form a super dynamic city that never really sleeps. I get that Rotterdam doesn't have the best reputation in The Netherlands. But that's nothing but a wrong impression of day tourists who don't really breathe the city and see not much else than the Koopgoot and the Markthal. Oh and being able to take a tram just everywhere is something every city on the planet should have. No tram no go. Because trams are awesome. Human sized little trains on the streets that don't leave a trail of pollution. But sure be happy in your vinex wijk with 2 stinky buses per hour going nowhere. 😜
@@moladiver6817 pfff, you should probably just delete your comment. There is tons of stuff to do here, you should probably get some movement, and drive a bicycle around town, oh no wait, it Will be stolen in 15 minutes. Just stop bragging and go home to your 1 room appartement.
About the privacy:
We are 52-53 degrees north. We like the big windows to get natural light.
But most people do have curtains and blinds for when they don't want people to look in on them.
Fun fact on the tipping system in the Netherlands. Not all places do this but a lot I know will collect all the tips of the year and during the christmas holidays or new year they're distributed between all staff members as a holiday bonus. How much you get is often based on your salary, how long you've worked at the place and how often you've worked that year
Wow…interesting…really!
Of collect for a month and then share based on hours worked. Kitchen staff get a share too.
screens are not standard but you can get them fitted no problem
Most houses have curtains. We donot use them often but we also love our privacy
Great video! Are you both actively trying to learn Dutch? (Fly screens just aren't a "thing" in German apartments either. Conversely, many German merchants are more comfortable with cash than any electronic payment method.)
Welcome, to our country. Love your comment on the bank without cash. I don’t think a lot of people even realize that.
Open Windows, has been a habit for ages. You see more. This hugely contributed to Dutch painting and Dutch design.
At least you chose the best city to move to.
Welcome to my hometown
they do have screens here the thing is its hard to find anything you want you have to know where to get them. i am from baltimore i love old bay seasoning we finally found it at the chinese store. the chinese stores here sell things that other places dont not just chinese stuff.
Thank you 😊
Thank you!
I would love to show you some other parts of the Netherlands. Get a different view ;) I live in Emmeloord, 2 hours north of Rotterdam. But I was born in the provence Groningen. Love your vision about our beautiful country :)
A lot of people have screen to keep the bugs out. But not every where its a problem. So depending on where you live in NL you will see screens or not.
Haha 90 percent Ikea is not true I think. We use a lot of vintage too and there are so many other stores you can buy nice things at.
Agree, I do think you will find SOMETHING from IKEA in 90% of the Dutch homes though, wouldn’t you agree? Says one dutch person to another in English because that is another “ thing” most of us speak English and love to display it 🤣
naaaah it's all Ikea here!
@@VeroLandzaat haha yes you are right
Marktplaats all the way :D
@@B0K1T0 Used Ikea stuff? Lol!
My husband and I retired in 2008.. Moved to Sliedrecht to live near my familie..visited Rotterdam Blaak Market often..may I suggest you and Tammy plan to attend the US Expat Thanksgiving Service held each year in the cathedral in Leiden..you perhaps know the Pilgrim Fathers began their journey from Maiden Niet England..we attended the Thanksgiving service each yesr..met many Ex-Pats..worth the experience.. Also suggest taking a dag kaart on NS to Maasricht..well worth a day trip..tot ziens
Welcome to my hometown Rotterdam! Technically I am also an immigrant kinda, because I moved here a few years back from their Big Rival City Amsterdam. I love it here, I hope you'll enjoy Rotterdam as much as I do.
Mokum big rival? The two cities are not compatible.
About privacy... We have nothing to hide! :-)
I do urge you to learn the language, even though you might feel it unnecessary because a lot of people speak basic english. 1. You will miss out on subtle things if you do not speak Dutch at all and you might feel left out in group conversations. 2. It is more polite to make the effort to learn our language. Making the effort will realy be much appreciated! I refer you to Jovie's home. She has a very informative vlog for expats.
In my experience unfortunately when expats do try to speak Dutch, they are responded to in English which demotivates them to make the effort as much
@Baris That's because they think they're making it easier for you if they see you're struggling with Dutch. When you get to a certain level it will hardly happen. If people reply to you in English, just persist in speaking Dutch
When someone looks inside our houses we just look back and give them an (angry) stare in return. Most folks won’t peek inside after that experience. 🤣
I just moved here as well but traveling around the country until my apartment is available in Utrecht. I'd stayed here for a couple of weeks, several times so noticed these things and obviously liked them so I moved! I'm already bit up from mosquitoes so as soon as I get to my apartment, I'm making a mosquito catcher (look up Japanese kids create one out of a 2 liter bottle). And maybe I'll look at some type of netting. I love the open windows and at first it was uncomfortable for me but now I can't wait to decorate mine. I love not worrying about tipping and still round up all bills. The crying babies is one of the hard things and maybe just the luck I've had. Is it normal to let babies "cry it out' here?
Welcome!
The cashless system is great however what happens if the payment system doesn’t work? I use Apple Pay as much as possible but sometimes it doesn’t work. So I still carry at least two cards? I actually found a Starbucks in Columbia SC that doesn’t take cash 💰
It always makes me laugh when foreigners talk about our public transportation. It's great, it's fantastic. We Dutch 'oh gosh they're late again, it's full, it's expensive, etc'
I think the transport in the Netherlands is great, I live in Australie and its terrible, very bad, nothing is on time, its very expensive, you are all very lucky, the transport in the Netherlands is much better than many other countries..
lol lol…only been late for us once!
I think the key is complain and make that complaint heard. Make it a petition if necessary. Shout harder. Go to the media. Complaining is a national pastime in The Netherlands. We want to be heard as citizens and taken seriously and that's probably a big part of the reason why so many public services are so well organized.
Things do go wrong. Nothing's perfect. Imagine if it were. We'd have nothing left to complain about which would be a nightmare. 😅
You're not supposed to bring the sofa up the stairs, you're supposed to tie it to some rope and then tow it up though an open window. Many of those old houses have a hook or a metal loop where you can attach the rope to. 😁
Tips are expected ;-)!!! It's just not mandatory, the usual is 10% of your bill. Not giving a tip means you didn't like the service.
Inderdaad!
Tips are appreciated, not expected.
Haha I'm Dutch but I also never understood that window situation. I also appreciate some amount of privacy and would feel like some sort of zoo animal if people would peek inside all the time. And for me that happens automatically when I walk past those windows with the curtains fully opened. Sometimes when it's dark you see people in full light lying half dead in front of their TV. Perfectly fine if you don't have any shame, but no way I would do something like that 😁
The only reason why they have no continues is because they love to gossip and control what hapend around.
I understand the screens, but we install them on the bedroom windows, and keep the doors closed on daytime. Yeah, and we as Dutch, do not like flies and mosquitos, and other flying around stuff. Sure, we do open a window, (garden)door and so on, but out garden door has a screen (the best is a pleated screen door) and almost no flying annoiance will come in 😊
But yeah, we like open air!
Put the sofa through the window. In a lot of old apartments you can take out the main window of the living room.
And almost every building has a hook at the roof line to which one attaches a pulley system. Use the pulley to hoist the furniture to the upper floors.
Re: cash vs. cards payments - I think that’s just more due to Covid. During the pandemic, I went to the cash machine... *once*, I think. I still haven’t spent all that cash from that withdrawal - there’s some birthday cash in my wallet as well - as I do pay with my bank card almost exclusively now. So there you go.
Please start using your cash again
First of all, welcome to our neck of the woods! Hope you will feel at home here and will have many pleasant surprises along the way.
Now, about being a cashless country: that depends on where you are and what you are doing. For instance I live in Brielle, which is not too far from Rotterdam btw, it's a town in a rural area, many farmers will have fresh produce, plants or flowers for sale either in a cart, stand or a machine, for these you definitely require some cash. when you like fairs, yard sales, fleamarkets or the little antique/thrift shops those require cash as well, some will have the option of "tikkie", but good old cash wins most of the time.
IKEA does rule, as does YISK, but this is more for the people who want to furnish their houses on a low budget (speaking from experience ofc). If and when you will move to a place of your own to decorate, you will discover the woonboulevards with all the diverse shops soon enough. And if you want to browse beforehand, as you are living in Rotterdam: go to the Alexandrium. There are som great furnitureshops there
I kinda live in a tourist town north west above amsterdam but cash and pin go together Because of covid some shops didn't want cash because of the possible transmission but other shops just accepted it. Etos always accepted cash, the bakery across the street installed a cash machine. And many other shops. It's not something touristy, it's just the working of the shop/store
@@waagzangertje No, 'cashless' is just the work of propaganda
I think I'm the first Dutch person to respond to your video. It is always interesting for me (and other Dutch people) to hear a foreigner talk about our country. What are you all dealing with? How is life here? These are questions that often interest us. We are curious about your positive, but also your negative experiences. The Netherlands is not perfect, at least not yet :-)
So far I've heard familiar things. Only the IKEA story is not quite right. In Amsterdam, for example, you can very well get large pieces of furniture into a house. There are hoists mounted on the roofs and large opening windows.
By the way, many people don't know, IKEA is formally a Dutch company :-)
You should really enjoy the city parks. Especially when the weather is nice.
And that digital payment is typically Dutch. In few countries you will find such an advanced payment system as here. Do you already know Tikkie?
Well, enjoy your time here.
Thanks, still a lot to explore…heading to Amsterdam soon…thanks for watching!
@@SoultoSoulTravels Amsterdam is definitly not the same as the Netherlands, if you want to know the Dutch people it's better to go to other towns. Rotterdam is nice too.
Nice video, welcome here!
Also, houses are not so narrow everywhere. Only in the old city centers
Dutch person here :) IKEA a formally Dutch company? You mean, they have their HQ here because of tax reasons? That’s not the same. That would also make Fiat Chrysler, Airbus, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, Asics, Cisco, Nike, Netflix and PepsiCo Dutch? Nope. IKEA is Swedish.
@@Mazil_5 Yep, they are all formalyy Dutch :-) (Het is natuurlijk als grapje bedoeld).
@@SoultoSoulTravels you should come to Leiden, it's smaller then Amsterdam, less touristy, beautiful canals, lots of shops and cafes, it's a student city so full of fun.
I have had screens all my life. They made sense so we have them
We have "open" windows so you could think we have no sense of privacy. After a time you'll notice that we are in fact rather private and reserved people. Kind, friendly but difficult to get close to.
If you want to stay here for a longer period of time, I advise you to learn the Dutch language.
By the way it's quite possible to purchase blinds or curtains for your windows! Many people do, even we ( though most of us leave them open)
Hema is a good starting point to get curtains.
But what he’s talking about with screens is “horren”. Google horrengaas. The thing is that our windows aren’t very uniformly sized so it’s hard to sell standard sized screens.my grandmother had horren that were horrengaas nailed to little wooden frames that my grandfather made in the 1950s.
@@JasperJanssen We had the same in my parents house. Nevertheless he also talked about not having enough privacy because everyone could look inside. For that purpose curtains are much better than "horren". These last ones are more to prevent insects coming inside, not to hide you from view
I love to live in Nederland!
Groeten uit Zeeland.🙂
My daughter's family moved to Groningen last year. They have fit right into the lifestyle. They are from the Midwest. They were already into the bike thing. Yep. Ikea. Weird narrow staircases.
Like your channel!
Thank you very much and happy new year!🎊🎆
I would agree with the most things you said (as a Dutchman), but the privacy is still a thing here. Okay, you can see the interior of our houses... but that is mostly, because we do not want to feel locked up. We often love our view outside as an extention of our house. But we often close our curtains when we have our "special" moments. No not always haha, but mostly we do.
And our privacy on the internet is for many people a big concern. If we are active in discussion forums... we like to sign in by an fake name. That often is the same by many e-mails. Probably like you guys.
Glad your getting used to the Dutch. I'm from Connecticut and after leaving the military stayed. I get the privacy part but no one looks in. :) Don't worry... you will get used to it all. where are you from?
Loved the story of struggling with a box and get a quick hand from a random bystander but I really wonder what you guys do after lending a hand?....it is so engrained in all of us to: get job done, check /make sure, bye bye, and be of on our merry way. Is it a weird form of hyper-efficiency? We consider this err "normaal"(normal)?.... btw: a big cultural thing in the netherlands...."act normal"(doe normaal; don't stand out too much)...i think that is quite different in large/all(?) parts of the usa. Have fun over here.
Its not typical dutch things you describe, I live in a smaller town. McDonald's isn't delivering at home here, we do have screens and curtains, we have more space etc.
Deze man woont hier net geef hem ff de tijd, hij mag een 1e indruk hebben lijkt me? Waar ik woon bezorgt mc Donalds wel! Who cares? 💁🏻♀️
I'm native dutch and lived in the Netherlands all my live and I cam assure you you can pay by cash (up to €3000) nearly everywhere. I almost always pay cash for privacy
Good stuff...Thank you! We were just talking today about moving to the Netherlands and Rotterdam specifically. I'm glad to hear that you like it. Was it difficult to find housing? Did you rent or buy? Cheers!
I moved to the Netherlands from Greece..I must let you know Netherlands is an awesome country and very structured . Property and rentals though can be very expensive!!!To find a place is very easy .But it can be costly. Everage rent is from €1000 and above .Of course rents will be higher in cities like Rotterdam and Amsterdam..and to buy works the same way..
@@nick63837 Thanks Nick! We would be coming from California so the sticker shock should be somewhat muted! :-)
Actually privacy is a big thing around here, and its mostly foreigners who actively peek inside. We do love our natural light in our house though.
Privacy is not a concern in NL, and it's a bit related to what you're explaining here, but it goes a bit deeper: I think generally, the Dutch view people with suspicion if they appear to have something to hide. A documentary on privacy-related attitudes in NL interviewed a bunch of folks, and some were even offended at the thought that they would have "something to hide". It's weird to me, as I'm (half) Dutch and spent most of my formative years here, and still live here. But I do feel like some things are just... no one's business even if they're benign. And I tend to be suspicious of people who think they're owed every bit of information from me. A thesis of this aforementioned documentary is that the Dutch like showing off how completely _normal and law abiding_ they are. I think that the generally uncovered windows are part of that attitude. HAVING SAID THAT; There IS proper etiquette here in terms of windows at street level: just because you can look into people's homes, does not mean you should. It's proper etiquette to avoid directly looking into people's homes and respecting the tiny bit of privacy they do have.
I agree, and I think it has to do with demonstrating to the other townfolks you have nothing to hide, ánd that your house is well maintained. It might originate in a protestant worldview, but perhaps I'm over-thinking this.
@@martijnspruit Oh no, I think you're correct. Similarly, the "doe normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg attitude" can probably be traced back to protestant attitudes too.
I appreciate living here, but these 2 products of the country's protestant past are probably some of the things I like least about here.
I don't recognise myself in this at all. I know it plays a big role in religious communities but the majority of people are not.
Not covering up the windows was done so boys and girls at night could walk past and change the TV program for the people wathching
We didn't have screens in our apt in Madrid.
How did you ship your luggage from
USA? We looking to move soon
interesting to have the view from an outsider. Screens can be had but you have to go out and buy them. Can´t remember the last time I paid cash for anything. certainly more than 6 months ago.
I’ll argue that the privacy isn’t out of the window at all, the opposite actually we really don’t care about what you do in your home, so you can just leave it open without people snooping because we got better things to do
Ps as a born and raised Rotterdammer, welcome!
Recommendation the TH-cam channel of Jovie's Home for more information.
I think you have rented a furnished apartment? This is not custom here but often expected by expats (the real kind so people who are here temporarily for work). So the landlord reluctantly furnishes it using the 'affordable option' being IKEA. I have not bought IKEA after the first years living on my own. (Except for 1 very convenient closet). Now I can afford a bit more expensive furniture.
Also bike deliveries is not just a dutch thing I can say it is common in France, Belgium, Germany as well (have not been to other countries).
for airbnb and furnished apartments, ikea is convenient, cause they're cheap and the have everything to furnish an apartment.
Looks like you live near Beukelsdijk or Kralingen.....or maybe Hilligersberg?
wow i moved to the netherlands also rotterdam my wife is dutch i am american. i might be able to answer some questions you have.