🇳🇱🤯🇺🇸PART 2: Culture SHOCK as an American in The Netherlands - Jovie's Home
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Hi, welcome to Jovie's Home!
In this video, I'm sharing the remaining culture shocks I experienced when I moved from the USA to The Netherlands. Do you relate to anything I'm saying here?!
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My name is Jovie and I am a Mama to two beautiful children. I make videos about my life as a mother and everything that goes along with it (cooking, cleaning, organizing, tidying, grocery hauls, the laughs, the tears, the ups and downs and everything in between).
My goal is to create a supportive community for others where we can celebrate our differences as parents and learn from each other.
Thank you for stopping by!
#DutchLife #CultureShock #LifeInTheNetherlands
As a Dutch medical student your first point made me think for a minute why it is the way it is. I think as you said it mostly has to do with cost-effectiveness. What I do know about that for example is the PSA test to check for antigens which can indicate prostate cancer in men above 50 years. We discussed to have that as an annually exam and we found out a big con for implementing this. If you look at the statistics there is a high number in what it's called false-positivity, which indicate a positive test result without actually having cancer. All those men that are positive need to get a punction which is invasive (can lead to infection) and a lot of men can experience it as traumatic. Also all those extra tests costs more in the end than the way it is now. So that's why they don't use that annually and only when something is suspicious. Of course this is not the same with other diseases and all need to be looked at independently!
Another thing I do think the Dutch healthcare system does really well is our cautious use of antibiotics. I'm a firm believer that antibiotic resistance is a future epidemic coming up in the next 50 years and thus we cannot use antibiotics too easily for preventic use. That's also a reason I think why we have that "just take a paracetamol" mentality hahaha
Yeah i think its about cost effectiveness. Only the of the age that the risk is big they get breast or ... exams. I think also being to preventive you can create a fear culture about health and sickness and can cost you a lot while like with breastcancer the change that you get it in your twenties is quit litlle
Totaly agree with you on this. But I also am on Jovi side. The paracetamol culture here is rediculous and I'm not saying we should be a little looser on the antibiotica. But when you come with some issues, maybe get into it a little deeper befor just brushing it of. When I go for a blood test, wich I'm willing to pay for outside of my insurance, just to check if something is wrong. I'm talking vitamins, cholesterol, diabetic, etc. The doctor asks why or what makes you think something is wrong with that? Seeing your parents (who also were her patient) getting illness and died of some issues, that potentialy can be hereditary makes me think that. What can be so wrong on checking blood when there is not a direct reason for it? I think that does have to do with money and it shouldn't be.
I think if you have a full check-up each year, there will be at least a few strange outcomes that you then have to follow up on, with new more invasive test. Also, and I'm just guessing here but, the salary of doctors in the states are much different earned than in the Netherlands.
On the hospitallity note, I know we are not the most kind people in the world, but if someone would speak to me like that, I would just go. I did that ones in the LIDL. I left a ( realy full ) grocerycar behind becaus one of the employees was realy rude to me.😂😂😂
@@lindaraterink6451 Most doctors will hand you the checklist for your blood test to take with you for when you're getting your blood drawn; if I want to test more I just check more boxes. And that's not because my GP ignores my concerns, more like I forgot to ask them or didn't consider it. My GP is always very cooperative and helpful, probably helped by the fact that I see him at most twice a year and not on a monthly/weekly basis.
Thank you so much for this insightful comment. I should have added that my father was specialized in geriatric and internal medicine so certainly his (and my) reference age group for preventative care was older. And as for antibiotics, I am firmly in the "use only when necessary" side with you. One big difference between the US and NL cultures is that in NL you are encouraged to take days off work to rest and recover from a cold/flu whereas in the US you're encouraged to go to work with a disgusting slimy nose and cough, so people might see their doctor and beg for antibiotics just so they can go to work and not worry about being fired for being sick. Thanks for watching and commenting and good luck with your studies!!
I'm surprised that you say that the Netherlands practices reactive medicine and the US practices preventative medicine. Maybe some annual tests are not really a thing, and maybe that's cultural. But a lot of Americans only go to the hospital when a problem has progressed to the point that it's become an emergency, even when it could have been prevented. Many of those Americans are uninsured or can't afford the crazy deductibles/out of pocket costs. That would never happen in the Netherlands. In that sense, Dutch medical culture would be more preventative than American medical culture.
performing tests when not necessary might lead to false positives and unnecessary surgeries and/or medicines.
thepatientfactor.com/canadian-health-care-information/world-health-organizations-ranking-of-the-worlds-health-systems/
Netherlands is ranked 17, USA is ranked 37. The lowest of the western world. So i do trust our system better.
She is right about preventing medicine in the US.
Only about half the population can’t afford it because they have no insurance or there insurance does not cover it.
@@Bruintjebeer6 "Or their"....... US school system has some flaws too ;)
This is so true. You get to a dentist twice a year here, preventive. You have to get your car checked every year, preventive. Why not preventive check yourself at a doctor? This mindset really accomodates treating an upcoming illness/disease really early on, instead of going to surgery because you basically never knew you had something going on.
I can totally see how you, as an American would find out customer service a bit disappointing. I personally find the 'lack' of customer service quite nice to be honest. I hate walking into a store and have someone almost immediately walk up to me to offer me help and I think quite a lot of Dutch people get annoyed by that.
Yes indeed. `Can I help you' is very annoying, almost impolite, as if we (the costimers) are normally helpless. `Good morning/afternoon' from behind the desk will do. That's a friendly way to let us know there's a shop keeper around in case we have a question or going to pay for the thing(s) we want to buy.
p.s. Nose picking in public is indeed disgusting behavior. Apparently those people don't have a handkerchief with them. Fortunately I don't see it happen very often.
p.s.2 Checks are weird. We Dutchies feel they don't belong in the 21st century, a bank employee probably doesn't know what it is and what to do with it.
What is even worse is when they don't just walk up to you but follow you around constantly.
If that happens I sometimes just walk around the store randomly. It usually takes very long for them to find out you are making fun of them.
@Jeongyeon x Nayeon.
Spreek lekker voor jezelf. Ik vind het juist zeer klantonvriendelijk. Zeker als ik een vraag ergens over heb dan vind ik het zeer klantonvriendelijk om aan mijn lot over gelaten te worden.
Als ik dan maar zelf naar een medewerker toe moet stappen om het alsnog te vragen en ik dan ook nog eens onfatsoenlijk te woord word gestaan en ik het lekker zelf maar mag uitzoeken. Dat vind ik gewoon echt onbeschoft.
yes! When I was in the US, I had the opposite and I was like "Please leave me alone I'm eating in peace what do you want from me????"
Als ze mij gaan volgen ga ik weg. Super irritant. Alsof ze bang zijn dat je wat gaat stelen
I'm so happy and proud to live in Holland....all your culture shocks make me realize in what a great country i live in.
I think your "car" comment is more about the horrible weather. It's very confusing I agree. But you have to know how to deal with the weather. There are ways, that don't nessesarily involve a car.
Plus we have a saying in Dutch (ofcourse), that's "je bent toch niet van suiker" meaning "you aren't made of sugar, right?".
Basically, you won't melt in the rain, you'll survive 😂
Cheques.... oh god, that is like medieval isn’t it... do they still carry gold nuggets in the States ? 😂😂
Can hardly remember cheques, lol
LOL.... they have them still in France.... my goodness what a pain in the ass is that when you are standing in line for the Kassa..... it takes hours to write them... it is 2019
I am not sure about the Netherlands, but pretty sure they still have cheques as we do in Germany. But usually we don't use them as a private person because we have bank transfers and this is safer for the recipient. But as far as I understand the US the real matter is the lack of bank transfers in the US.
@@wolfgangengel7786 We don't any cheques any more !!!!
We don't do checks anymore, this lady is from the stone age.
The average life expectancy is higher in the Netherlands than the US.
Exactly. Eat junk food all day, and take preventive medicines. Not very effective.
Yep. I think that's what this whole exchange boils down to. You can be as preventative as you want, in the end your population is less healthy than ours. STD rates are one 3rd of the USA so go right ahead and have your pap smeared, we'd rather educate our kids not to catch it.
naess004 less healthy on average though. Since the divide between rich and poor seems much greater in the US, it might just be that the poor are skewing the average downward.
There are very good types of clothing available for rainy weather, Don 't buy a cheap raincoat in a country having 150-180 rainy days a year.... Just go out and buy a breathing multilayered outdoor jacket. They cost a lot more but will keep you dry(er) and less smelly, and will definitely improve your experience, nature is something you live with, you are nature as well. The jackets are also really nice for biking.
Maybe being more aware of nature is also a reason why people do not use so much make-up... To show nature. Elder people are generally senior and more respected. Just pasting your face to look younger lowers your status. Cold water is no problem, warm is a luxury.
Oh and picking your nose and looking at it, well... also compares to the classical Dutch toilet, with the table (which is phased out slowly) so you can see what you produce. It helps to stay aware of things. Self diagnosis as you wish. Colorless firm boogers are okay, red or brown means nose bled, if it bleeds for a long time your clotting sucks, green means bacterial sinusitis or other inflammations or foreign objects, fluid colorless is cold, virus or allergies. Same with stool... It can tell you a lot as well... Though I consider most people not (enough) aware of their biological existence, and possible not observe their waste. Saves a lot of preventative medicine... Just being aware of yourself. And public transport tends to be a good vector for germs anyhow, like schools, daycare and other places where you come into contact or travel very close to other people.
@@naess004 So, education will not save you from HPV (the STD that causes cervical cancer). HPV is transmitted by shedding skin all over the groin area, so a condom won't protect you. The only thing that will protect you is not letting your groin area touch the groin area of someone who has HPV. And since the cancer-causing HPV strains do not cause warts, the only way to know that someone has HPV is regular screening, or having cancer advanced enough to be symptomatic. The thing about cervical cancer (and this is not true of all cancers, but it is true of some) is that if treated early, you have an excellent prognosis. If treated too late, you have a very bad prognosis. I come from Canada originally. We have universal healthcare, and we do regular pap smears there because it is more cost effective and humane than an expensive last-ditch effort to save the life of a woman dying from cervical cancer because it was detected too late.
I am curious if you could do a reverse culture shock kind of thing? Like things that are very normal in America, never thought about it, then when you lived in the Netherlands you were like... why do Americans do it this way? I always said that i learned as much of the Netherlands living in the states as about the states themselves
I feel like everything in America is backwards now to be honest. But I love this video idea... 😉 thank you!
Good idea!
@@JoviesHome OMG I hate your personality. So happy you left America. You're not good enough.
Hi Jovie, I watched some of your videos. Interesting to hear about the cultural differences. I've been to the USA 4 times (have been a guest at several people's homes), so I can relate to a few things. What I find typical American is that you apologize a lot for your own opinions (sorry, but that is the way I feel about it). That is so not Dutch! lol. I know Americans do that, but if Dutch people do that, to most of us they come across as insecure. Talk about cultural differences. ;-)
Checks are like ancient technology here. I remember cleaning up at my grandparent's house and finding a check book and my parents telling me "yes child that is a checkbook, something they used when we ourselves were small children". I would be really annoyed too if someone gave me money in a way that required me to go to a bank. Nobody physically goes to banks here on a regular basis.
True, cheques are very old-school. We used to have Giro Cheques, you paid with them in shops or could retrieve cash from the post office, also abroad, in the pre-ATM times. I think they were abolished at least 25 years ago. Nowadays you hardly have any physical banks to go to anyway, all online.
It's cheques not checks..... for god sake! Nederland kennisland yeah right.
@@narvul Zeker spellingcontrole uit geschakeld..
@@computeraddic675 "Checks" is een bestaand woord dus komt glansrijk door de spellingscontrole.
@@narvul Checks is the US spelling, cheques the British. Both are correct.
The reason you don’t get called in for a pap smear before the age of 30 is simply statistics: the chances of having developed cervical cancer by then are so low that doing pap smears for everyone every year would be very costly while very few cancers would be discovered by it. Besides overloading the medical system with essentially healthy people who take up precious time of medical professionals, it just causes lots of worry and concern in the patients. Also, there’s no need for an expensive gynecologist to take the pap smear; it’s a simple enough procedure for any doctor to perform, which then gets send to the lab for testing anyway. In the US, where everyone pays crazy amounts for health care, you get some kind of entitlement: I paid for it, so give me care. Here, health care costs are a burden shared by all, which means sensible choices need to be made that weigh cost and benefit. It might indeed mean that some people are unlucky enough to be statistical outliers, but comparing that to a system where millions are completely uninsured, I know what I prefer.
Also, getting checked for breast cancer is generally senseless before the age of 50, which is when Dutch women are called in. Unless there’s a history of breast cancer in your family, there is no reason to believe you would suddenly develop breast cancer. And even then, this is something you can check yourself as well with self-examination, and then you simply go to the doctor if you are worried about something.
I am saying all this as someone who had to get a small procedure done after my first ever pap smear (they basically were preventing the prevention, removing cells that had a potential to become cancerous in future), and whose mother has had breast cancer. What you’re describing in the US isn’t so much preventative care as it is fear-mongering. And certain doctors and HMOs certainly fare very well by it, so why would they bother telling you it’s actually pointless?
Like to add that you can call and get a STD-test/papsmeer/breastexamination done if you do wish to do so before the required age. it's just one phonacall away, so if you really wanted it that could be done, but like said above.. statistics etc.. :)
Hey, Dutch guy here.
When I'm in a shop/cafe/whatever and I ask the staff a question, they'd better not be rude, because I'm out of there fast. Bad service is just bad service. And though it might be true the Dutch retail/horeca industries should focus a bit more on customer friendliness (at least in my honest opinion, I've worked in retail/horeca too and I think it is important), I'm very happy with the passive assistance I normally receive in Dutch shop / horeca places. If I have a question, I'll ask, I don't need a conversation every time I go into a shop.
Another native here. Unfortunately rude waiting staff is not rare in the Netherlands and has been so for as long as I know. Ordinarily service staff try to be helpful and polite, but they're paid a salary and don't live from tips. As a consequence they can get away with nastiness and they know it. That said: "the customer is always right" doesn't work here either. Rude or unreasonable customers are happily ignored. Yelling at a shop assistant can easily get you removed.
A lot of people in the Netherlands find it to much in your face if you walk in a store and they jump in your nek. I dont like it my self. But it's normal to be greeted and asked if you need help. And they should do that. So i think you just had some bad experiences. Because that women in the pizzeria was plaine rude!!! That is not the Dutch way.
About the warm/cold water in bathrooms, it might depend on what you’re used to? If I wash my hands with warm water a few times, my skin gets red, dry and cracks and bleeds on the knuckles 😳. Yes my hands are drier when the weather is cold, but that’s because of the weather, not because of the cold water.
I think the reason is, by the time the warm water reaches the faucet(?), you’ve usually already finished washing your hands. And if they need a good scrubbing with some warm water, it’s usually not after going to the bathroom, but after working outside or something, and then I wash my hands in the kitchen.
I was an au pair in a different country, and I made sure to stand by them when they washed their hands. Not to make sure they did so, but I was afraid they would turn on the hot water, and burn their hands 😅
Hey Jovie. Comments on a couple of points you raised:
1. Customer Service - As a lifelong customer service professional, I know EXACTLY what you mean, lol, having been born in The Netherlands and moving to Canada at the age of 13 and living there for 30 years. I've lived in 8 countries (mostly European) in my time, and the best customer service (overall) is definitely found in Canada and the US. However, compared to the rest of Europe, customer service in The Netherlands is actually pretty darn good. I lived in Malta for a little over 4 years, and for a tourist destination country, the customer service there is generally pretty shockingly bad. I thought it was the worst until I moved to Prague, CZ, where it's actually worse! Unbelievable. My guess is that it has a lot to do with the differences in tipping culture, and the fact that most employees in the service industry actually get paid a better salary relatively speaking, compared to their North American colleagues. The way I choose to deal with it (due to me being a typical straight forward Dutchie) is by commenting on it directly. So if I receive bad service, I will definitely speak up about it to the clerk/server/manager of the establishment. I consider it a public service ;) I have been a restaurant manager, and a manager of various customer service departments large and small, and I would want to know where my crew is failing so that I can improve the service we provide. So please, don't be shy and let the establishment know when they could be doing better. Some may not appreciate constructive criticism, but that's their problem.
2. Salary schedule - Yeah, going from a weekly/bi-weekly payment schedule to a monthly one was a bit of a change for me too. You guessed right, though, in that it is a European thing, as monthly salary payments are standard in all European countries (at least in the 7 that I've worked in).
3. Weather - Trust me, you are definitely NOT the only one who has issues with Dutch weather. It is after all the favourite topic of complaint in The Netherlands, and you're probably aware by now that Dutch people are champion complainers! ;)
4. Using a car - I can totally understand how having a car improved your quality of life. The US has after all the ultimate car culture. It's pretty much necessary in Canada and the US to have a car due to the extreme distances involved. I myself owned a car from as soon as I was legally allowed to drive on my own (16 in Alberta, Canada), and would not have been able to survive without it. Having lived in places like London, Prague, and Malta, however, has allowed me to get used to life without my own vehicle quite simply. Public transportation in most European countries is excellent, much more efficient than in most places in North America. Let's face it, other than in major cities in Canada and the US, public transport is pathetic and hugely time-consuming (mainly due to the distances, of course, but also due to the aforementioned car culture). It's just not used enough for economies of scale to make it both affordable AND efficient.
5. Cheques - Yeah, so this one. You can still use cheques in Canada, but almost no-one does, and haven't for quite some time. I think the last cheque I wrote/received in Canada was sometime in the '90's. The automated debit/money transfer systems used in Europe are MUCH more efficient than in North America. Also, no chance of writing/receiving a bad cheque, because EFT transfers can only be made if the money is actually there. In this case, just like with the adoption of the metric system, the US is far behind the rest of the world. The major issue here is, imho, the geographical and economic size of the US. This allows too many US residents to remain insular/ignorant, not needing/wanting to be exposed to other cultures and ways of doing things. I think that most educated US residents (like you) who are exposed to European cultures long term would enthusiastically subscribe to some of these "different" ways of doing things because they are simply more efficient. After all, 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 1760 yards in a mile, 2025 yards in a nautical mile ... Wouldn't moving the decimal point left or right be so much easier???
I live in the US and have not used a check in years! I pay everything using my debit card and EFT for all my payments. To give gifts I use Zelle, I just add the recipient's name and bank information to the list on my bank account and they have their money. Stores and online I use debit/credit cards. The only persons I know that still use checks are elderly and they are not comfortable using new technology.
Oh yeah, I live in the US and people definitely still use checks, especially older folks
About the service....Rude is never OK, but also...the customer is not always right! I have read posts on reddit about customers in the US..... The 'Karens' with their 'I want to speak the manager' or 'I get you fired'....even if the customer was wrong, people did get fired or had to follow a (mandatory) course in customer support....
The laws here protect the workers much more....to get fired due to a customer complaint, is almost unheard of....and never wenn the customer is wrong.
Monthly salary....divide in 4 and don't spend more than that amount in each week.....😉😃
the netherlands have one of the lowest incidences of cervixcarcinoma in europe although other european countries are more equal to your idea of preventive medicine with anual papsmear from 18 yr.
i don't think that a visit to the gynaecologist could prevent you from catching a STD's 😉
Hi Leonard that maybe true but the netherlands is the third country that has breast cancer mortality in europe, mainly by late diagnosis. Women here get a eco/mamogram every 5 years. In my opinion is too long because by the time you feel something on your breast it maybe too late and then you have to go for more aggressive treatments. Preventive care is very important, maybe not in the extreme of countries but is necessary
@@maitemarquez2 The mammogram is every 2 years not 5. And when you have had breastcancer (like me) it is every year. But you have to be alert yourself: you can have a mammogram and it is good and the next month you can have a tumor. Even once a year is too long then.
Cheques still exist in America? 😂 Haven't seen one since the 90s
Of course checks exist. We have a SHIT load of baby boomers that can't or refuse to adapt. I haven't written one in years, but there are still businesses that are outdated.
@@bmw803 lol don't even think they issue them to customers anymore in the UK.
We had cheques about twenty years ago.
Here in Belgium cheques disappeared with the introduction of the euro, so probably the same is true for the Netherlands
I had to laugh so hard about the nose picking thing. Personally I love that you included that one. It's good to hear the things people are often afraid to bring up. I don't see people nose picking in public here, but maybe I unconsciously ignore it as I don't think it's the worst thing. That's the thing with most culture shocks, you experience them because you have a different reference point. Like with the service industry, I actually feel attacked with the friendliness in other countries sometimes. Like someone is stepping into my comfort zone. With the people being on their phone I wouldn't mind bothering them as it's their job to help, but at least they will let me be until I ask for help. However they should just be doing their job which can't be only answering questions so they're being bad employees in that sense.
I'm only saying, don't think I'm "getting at you", but in the US you can only have preventitive care is if you have insurance. Without insurance you are totally on your own with no options
You’re very right and that is such a tragedy. Everyone in the world should have access to affordable and quality healthcare. And especially in the USA. I don’t understand how anyone can possibly disagree with the concept of universal healthcare. 😰 thanks for watching and commenting!
About the customer service: If customer service is shit I just leave. And yes, it happens. Never had a salesperson say they are busy but I have had stores where I had to wait a very long time because everyone was busy or because there just wasn't enough help around. If that takes too long I will go somewhere else.
Nice story. If you believe in preventitive medicin how about Insurance? If you want your country to be healthier, provide good Insurance foor all the peope. But you don't. If you do not have the money, there is nothing you can orevent. Peipel in the US go blind with cataracts which are perfectly treatable with IOLs. Other point is: how does this all pan out? Well your system is already extremely expensive and all this just is in favour of the companies providing it. I would lvoe to see how preventitive medication has a significant adavtage over "our" way. But again: people annot afford even basic medicin becuase it is SO expensive. Let alone preventitve medication.
I’m working on a US video and will address some of your points.
I am a Dutch person, moved to the US because of my husband. I am experiencing the same things here everything what you have mentioned but the opposite. :)
OMG Checks are so pre-historic!
Like she mentioned in the video; if someone is giving you gift, he will give you money gift in Check. Apartment rent is payed with a check.
You’re totally right about the customer service. I’ve often gotten in altercations with very obnoxious employees who have the nerve to snap at you for asking them a perfectly polite question. Some are so self centered that they feel so attacked by you confronting them with their behavior they start getting racist and xenophobic. It’s an amazing thing to experience.
In order to 'wish there was a bit more preventative medicine in the Netherlands" it should really start with the question: "What are the percentages of women getting cervical cancer (or which ever disease you want to compare) in the States and in the Netherlands?" If the percentages are much lower in the US, then there's something to be said for preventative medicine, otherwise it's a waste of money and an extra worry for patients, not to mention the things medication can do to a person's body. I don't think you can judge one or the other without knowing the numbers.
The fact that you grew up being the daughter of a doctor who firmly believes in preventative medicine, doesn't really weigh in this discussion. If I was born in the Bible Belt, I would most likely be Christian, but if I was born in Afghanistan, I would be Muslim. That's just circumstance, what you're taught and what you grow up with ;-)
The weather sucks here, I agree. I have seen video's of Americans visiting the Netherlands and commenting on Dutch girls and women. How most of them look 'plain' and usually without make-up, compared to American girls/women. Now, if you come from a part of the world where it only rains for 6 days a year, then I can understand women paying more attention to their looks and outfits, but if you're in the Netherlands, what's the use, right? Make-up, a cute outfit and a nice hairdo don't go well with it raining all the time, especially if you have to get on your bicycle every day.
The customer service really sucks, although I don't like it if I walk into a store and they immediately come up to me, and I don't even got a chance to look around. If I have a question, I'll let them know. But in a restaurant it's a different matter. Only a few restaurants really get what good customer service is and it's one of my pet peeves when going out to dinner. They either ignore you, or it takes way too long to bring the food, drinks or even the cheque, or they give you the "How dare you walk into my restaurant unannounced"-look. If waiters/waitresses weren't paid and had to live off of their tips, I think the customer service in the Netherlands would go up leaps and bounds.
People who pick their nose in public should be smacked in the head on the spot. It's so gross and I can't watch them do it. When I'm driving in my car and waiting at a stop sign, I more than often see someone in the car behind me burrowing their nose and almost touching their brain. So gross, it turns my stomach.
@@jbird4478 I agree, but 'preventative medicine' suggests that people are treated for a desease they do not yet have, and will not get because of the preventative medicine. Imo in this case one cán compare percentages. The number of people getting cancer and/or dying from it is another discussion.
But I do agree that it's difficult (if not impossible) to compare the US with the Netherlands, because the countries are totally different: healthcare, demographic, economic situation etc. There are so many variables to consider when making a comparison, that it's too easy to just say one is better than the other, which was my initial point ;-)
report.nih.gov/nihfactsheets/viewfactsheet.aspx?csid=76 www.volksgezondheidenzorg.info/onderwerp/baarmoederhalskanker/cijfers-context/sterfte-en-overleving#node-sterfte-baarmoederhalskanker The mortalityrate of cervical cancer is exactly the same in The Netherlands as in the USA. Anual examination is expensive and does not lead to a decreacse of cancer. Best would be if everyone would get vaccinated for HPV, that's the most effective preventative medicine!
Dude, not sure where you get the "American women look better than Dutch women"-argument from... But believe me, they do not!!! I am a VP IT with an American ecommerce fulfillment company, based in Amsterdam and I reside ~50% of my time abroad, of which much in the US (mostly Santa Clara area). Depending upon the region I think it is fair to say that women in NL are a solid 8, in the US more like a 4/5 on average, in looks and fashion... Exceptions are Florida (Miami especially) and California, and most of the East Coast. If you seek beautifully garnished women you need to go to Eastern Europe: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, etc...
@@fransezomer 'Dude', as I said I was just repeating what I hear American vloggers/expats say about Dutch girls. Personally I don't share this belief. I love the natural look with much less make-up.
Complaining about the weather - very dutch of you
Not secretly enjoying the shared suffering of cycling through the wind and rain along with everyone else - not very dutch of you :(
Dutch people do not enjoy the rain
Picking your nose at the very last second of this video, that would make my day.....
haha, the 'nose-picking' part is nice and direct, very Dutch :) Congrats!
My parents taught me not to pick my nose in public and I won't, but if you pay attention to it: yes, it's quite common.
The customer service thing is a bit different to the US. When we go out to eat, we see it as an outing. We don't want to be seated, get our food immediately and then be sent out the door. We spend that time as quality time with our friends and family and we want to take our time for that. That also stems from the fact that we mostly cook our meals at home, so going out to eat is a luxury. Related to that is also the non-tipping culture. In the US tips make up they majority of the wages of the waiters and waitresses, so it is in their best interest to have as many paying customers as possible a night. In the Netherlands waiters and waitresses have a good basic wage, so they don't need to live of tips as much.
Granted, when you ask to be serviced you should not be snapped at, that is just rude.
Thanks for sharing your view of the Netherlands in this great video! In my opinion the healthcare system is too reactive, issues need to escalate before actual steps are taken. Regarding STDs, we do have proper sex-ed with great attention to STDs in high school, in contrast to some states in the US. Moreover, there are free STD test clinics in which you anonymously can check you sexual health. Keep up the videos :)
Whilst in Amsterdam me and my partner went for a meal in a tourist restaurant, walked in, sat down, waited for 10 minutes, no one came to see us. The place was half busy and there were staff, VISIBLE. We walked out. I'm from the UK and this is so so rude. Maybe it was a one off but your video makes me think it's common. The UK isn't the best, but still.
Sorry that you had to suffer "Dutch hospitality" the Amsterdam way. Luckily Amsterdam isn't exemplary for the civilised parts in the Netherlands where you still get service instead of being treated like you're just a nuisance for the servers. Perhaps tourists should start avoiding Amsterdam and visit other parts in the Netherlands to experience what real hospitality is.
Very interesting to see our country from an outside perspective. I just happened to find your channel and find it very entertaining and educational. 👍
Thank you Josh!
There is preventive healthcare in The Netherlands. I don't know about the pap thing. Don't even know what it is, but for breast cancer there is a whole bevolkingsonderzoek set up where all women of a certain age get their breasts examined each year. That started in the 90's and the first time my mother went there, she was diagnosed with a very early stage of breast cancer. The preventive healthcare probably saved her life.
Something similar is set up now for colon cancer too.
So we probably do it a bit different but saying that there is no preventive healthcare is not true.
I’d love more info about these screenings; had NO idea that they exist and am so pleased to hear that they do!!
@@JoviesHome Just tell me what you want to know and I'll see if I can answer your questions. On this or any other subject.
@@JoviesHome I have found some links you might find interesting:
www.rivm.nl/en/breast-cancer-screening-programme
www.rivm.nl/en/bowel-cancer-screening-programme
The thing with these preventative screenings here is that they are done from the age where most people get diagnosed (I think or where most people just have it, basically it’s know as a risk group) these type of screenings are most often done at a central point (usually something mobile like a special bus) in the town. Everyone within the age group that is at risk of getting this disease gets a letter at their home to take part in this big screening. In the letter it says where the screening takes place and when you are expected to be there. People can choose themselves if they want to take part in this. There are also some at home screenings (like for colon cancer) where you basically take a sample (often poo or urine) in a cup that they send you in the mail and then you send it to the lab for screening. I don’t really know how you get the results back (probably in the mail or via your gp). There are also regular screenings for people that have special reasons (like family members with a specific hereditary disease) I think. I’m pretty sure that it is done this way because the government did a cost benefit analysis of screenings vs waiting for problems to occur and decided that it was most cost efficient with a relatively low amount of health risk to do screening only for specific ages. Hope this helps!
@@Vero12 No, with the colon cancer screening you do not put a sample in a cup. You are sent a test tube. In that tube is a stick. You take that stick and dip the point o of the stick in your poo and then put it back in the tube. You send the tube to a laboratory where it is tested for a certain substance. If that is detected you get a letter to report to a doctor for further examination.
To add to your bit about the health care for women. Girls do get a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer (of course it's optional) which is funded by the government. Also about breast cancer I don't which age they start but my grandmother did get hers so there is a test for it
I would LOVE something like an annual women's wellness exam. That would make me feel so much better, and more on top of my own health. 😊 Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the video!
Checks are from the 1980’s. 😉
And yes, as I asked you before, would love you to talk some Dutch!! Don’t be afraid to mess up. I do too in English when I do my channel.
I understand your cultureshocks. It is very different here.
Checks: we couldn't even go to the banks if we wanted to: most banks are gone. I indeed would not know how to use a check. Pinpas works fine for me.
Bad customer service: I think it is appalling! A few weeks ago I was in a bookshop. The people who worked there were talking to another. Didn't even say hello when I entered. I got more annoyed when a while later other people that came in were kind of helped. It maybe had something to do with the fact that I looked too ordinary (it was in a village where a lot of millionares live) or too old. But of course I went without buying anything. I want to be treated well. No customer service, no customer. No pizza eating in your restaurant if you are too unpolite to bring me a menu!
Picking noses in public: also grose! Sounding like a granny, I know, but I can't remember people doing that when I was young.
No car, getting wet: I don't like to get wet either but I have to admit: when I had no car, I was in much better shape, doing groceries once a week on my bike and everything else as well. But: as my friends are so kind to point out to me: of course I am also older now. 🤔😊
To be honest Ive lived here all my life and every day rain or no rain I’ve gone to school on my bike and tbh I could do without
It is very interesting that you talk about all these screenings etc that you do in the USA to prevent sickness. I have lived in Sweden , Ireland , Belgium and also 4 years recently in US . I also live a short time in South America. I have to be honest and say I have never lived in a country that is sooooooooo FOCUSED on sickness and medications like the US is . Also I have NEVER met and seen soooooooo many sick people as I did in the US . So many people on oxygen , so many children with broken bones, so many people with allergies etc There is an expression or perhaps Law of attraction that whatever you focus on gets drawn to you or gets bigger. I think that is the problem in the USA . They have so much focus on sickness and a pill for everything . Going to the doctor in an unusual thing in all the other countries I have lived in .
Most dutch people would, when ignored like that by store workers behind the checkout desk, get angry and at the very least send a snarky remark their way. And very likely ask to speak to their manager if they still wouldn't service them. Either that or simply leave the store and go to a different one and not going back to that store and tell the story to everyone who would be willing to listen. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.
Nose picking? Really? That's disgusting.... also for Dutch people. But about the cold water for washing your hands; you are joking, aren't you? Yes, you are. I hope? Please?
It is so obvesly that you live in the North of Holland. And It had his greatness, but these is such a difference from living in the south (And yes it is a small country, but with such bigg differences). You are so very welcome to visit the south and feel another part of Holland.
Oh and nr 14 ieuwwwwwww 🤢
Absolutely. People in the South are much more easy-going and nowhere near as snappy as those hyenas from the Randstad. I used to work a lot in Amsterdam but I found the only interesting thing there was the train to Den Bosch. And we don't pick our noses here. Or anyone else's, for that matter.
The medical stuff: it is rather complicated, I'm afraid. I can understand your astonishment though. The care is built up totally differently. As mentioned by others, you get an extensive education regarding STD, sex etc. There is a lot of information available about birth control and the need to be careful about STD's if you have different partners. The GP (huisarts) would be the person prescribing birth control, and will discuss risks and options with you as well. Part of that may very well be a PAP smear long before you get to the age of 30. Also, you can go for free and anonymous testing and treating at special STD-clinics. To us, preventive medicine is not about testing but about lifestyle choices. The Dutch Huisartsen Genootschap issues standards on all types of diseases and risks (www.nhg.org/nhg-standaarden) so you can always look up what is tested when and why. In general, those choices are based on evidence-based knowledge. (Illustration of the effect of sex ed in schools and availability of information: the Dutch abortion rate is half that of the US (WHO figures) and teenage pregnancy is 5 times lower.) - So I think it is mostly down to a thoroughly different system but again, I totally understand your astonishment, the whole approach is unrecognizably different.
Thanks for this comment and for telling me about the extensive sex ed in schools. Yes the Us is also backwards when it comes to this 🤨. I arrived to NL as a married woman which is probably why my GP never suggested a pap until I received the invitation on my 30th birthday ;)
Thanks for watching and commenting!!
You can go the house doctor, for test and get all test you want at any age
As soon as you apply yourself to learning Dutch, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you will get the hang of it. Our languages are actually quite similar. I don’t know if you know the Joey Jaq channel, but I sure admire him for the speed at which he picked up our language !
and learn dutch ! 10 years..wow , this makes your integration going like chips. Easy do it yourselves on youtube. Or start conversing with your family in dutch.
PAP-smears are not done mainly for checking for STD's, but first and foremost to screen women for cervical cancer (this is basically a preventive part of the health-care system of The Netherlands).
The reason they are done from 35 and on (I think till 65 years of age) is because that is like the average age most women diagnosed with cervical cancer turned out to have.
Sort of the same thing applies to breast-cancer screening (you might have seen the "GGD"-trucks near busy spots like city squares) that usually is done in mobile checkup-centers from the GGD (Gemeentelijke GezondheidsDienst) that take a part of the burden of the check-ups that would otherwise flood hospitals (which in more rural areas could also be reasonably far away to have to travel to).
If they find something there, you will be send to the hospital for further research.
The thing about being in a restaurant, waiters are not that dependant on tips like in the US, so waiters consider customers a lot more as someone equal to them, so being overly polite isn't always the thing here like it is in the US.
About creating a budget for a month: some people have the saying "I try to make a budget, but at the end of my budget I still have a piece of month left".
Washing hands with cold water is not a really big problem, washing your body with it, that's a whole different story for me :P.
Well, it's not probably people's choice to be all dressed up, but if you are working at the Zuidas (Amsterdam-Zuid), you have to, because that's where all the posh jobs are (that I always consider to be the "crunching numbers"-type of jobs that come over as heavenly boring to me, but ok).
On the other hand, hearing about those people picking their nose re-assures me that they are still people :P. (sometimes, overhearing their supposedly very important but annoyingly cringy phone conversations they sound like a robot).
Concerning being sexually active: most Dutch schools have good sexual education (and in cases, sexual education that goes beyond the "mostly scary pictures of STD's that have gotten totally out of hand" in the biology book) and getting contraceptives or basically any kind of birth control is not such a politically charged thing like it seems to be (for Dutch people) in the US.
If you are concerned, that's the moment you go to your general practitioner/home physician. Most STD's can be traced by a simple bloodtest, by the way and do not need physical examination, unless the doctor suspects you are either not telling the whole story (concerning the amount of time that passed between possibly getting infected and seeking treatment or simply by not telling the whole story by leaving out symptoms some people might feel ashamed about).
Some people, because of this like to go to a completely different general practitioner (for instance, their replacement for when their regular doctor is on holidays or has some time off), which I still find funny in a way, because their file will get updated and their general practitioner will see it anyhow.
Josie's from energy slurping country #1 to take it in perspective.
I loved watching this, always like to know more about different cultures since it's the main point of my major, super interesting and what I great discussion in the comments, wow! I think that Germany and the Netherlands have a lot of similarities :)
2:40 I think people just go when they need it (aka just before becoming sexually active), which might be 10 or 15 years before turning 30. :-) Breast cancer checks ups is handled by preventative care and education separately (I wonder if you just don't know about it because it starts from an age before you came from the US to the Netherlands ?) and a lot of time is spend on preventative sexual education a lot more than in the US as I understand it and a lot earlier (they say teen pregnancy is thus far higher in the US).
But a number of these issues I can't comment on as I'm not a woman. :-)
Teen pregnancies (unplanned pregnancies as a whole actually) and STI/STD rates are both much lower in the Netherlands than in the US. Which can mostly be attributed to the comprehensive sexual education starting at an early age.
If you are sexually active and you are below the age of 25, you can go to the GGD and you can get checked on std's. Not a problem. And from a young age around like 10-12 years old you get thought in school on how to practice safe seks. That's why we don't have that many 16 year old moms around.
Handen wassen met koud water is slecht voor de huid ?
I rest my case.
The first point is kinda funny, apparently coming from a relatively rich American. Famously, the USA have basically no organized healthcare system, so what healthcare Americans get depends entirely on how much healthcare they can pay for themselves.
Whereas in standard mixed economies with general health insurance, everybody gets sufficiently good healthcare. I live in such a country, and if I wanted, I could go to several yearly check-ups covered by my general health insurance.
We have a saying: “At the end of my money, I still have a piece of month left” (instead of vice versa).
I agree on the lack of customer service here, but too much service can be annoying as well, even if it's well intended. I remember restaurants in the states where the waiters were coming like every 2 minutes at our table to check if everything was fine, while in my head I was already almost screaming to them: "please, leave us alone!".
Culture shock can be a pretty strong feeling. So many others can feel upset and feel ignored when they go to different cultures. I'm sorry you had a negative experience! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@10:45 I find that extremely annoying actually. Like they NEED to sell you things, instead of them being lucky that you are in their shop. A big no for me :)
The 1980s called, they want their checks back....
What the hell is preventive medicine? Take pills before getting ill? I assume that in the netherlands medical care is almost for free as it is in Germany too. Oh okay Germans btw go to the gynologist twice a year since u are like 12 or 14, depending on your body development. But it is out of free will then.
This is why i always wear a t-shirt even below 32°F, but i have to admit that i have an own car here in Germany, even tho i could manage my life (sort of) even without a car :P
Talking about costumer service, i don´t like the american way. But if 2 workers have a convo at work that is not about the work, i will interrupt them. Also when they won´t take away their phone. This is a no-no as service personnel.
Checks have died out in the 80s in europe lol.
Wait what? why should your boss do 4 times the work to get your paycheck ready weekly? How inefficient is that omg.
Warm water would in every public toilet would be waaay to expensive. How should it be pissible to warmthen it everywhere? Who should pay the bill for the eletric power that you would need to heaten that water all year?
Yes we have a great nose picking culture 😂😂😂
when you said picking your nose in the train i already knew you were talking about first class
? it only happens in first class cabins? (disclaimer: ignorant American question, indeed. but i had to know...)
customer service in the USA is amazing !!! I love it . You do not feel like a criminal for returning stuff LOL
I have seen several videos from you but I was wondering if you realy like it here???? All these points , comments you have..... What do you want? Do you want to change the way we live here change our habbits etc. Because that is not gone happen. If I going to live in the US, I have to deal with the way it is and all the habbits, customs everything... So stop whining and don't compare the Netherlands with the USA all the time.
Wow! Yeah the lack of good customer service would be hard for me to deal with!!! I’m so used to good customer service and being able to complain if there’s bad customer service, especially as someone who worked in customer service for 10 years and was yelled at by customers but always responded politely… I do not deal well with a customer service person being rude to me ha ha
A lot of things you talk about are incidents. That doesn't mean it's culture.
In the past you would get annual ‘ women’ exam when you were using birth control pills. Nowadays girls just go to the apotheek to get the pills without even havig seen a doctor. I think that is insane! When I was young I had to come every year and got examend totally. Oh and the weather in the Netherlands SUCKS. But my son cannot drive a car because he has epilepsie so I won’t complain. He may !
Oh dear, you do know birth control pills HAVE to be prescribed by a doctor and that patient has to be present? There is a system in place that lets you pickup your medicine for 3 periods. Basically your pharmacist has 1 year before he tells you to visit your doctor. That makes your argument null and void. If your pharmacy just hands over you pills and does that year on year he breaks the law.
Any medicine is prescribed for a certain period. Normally that runs for 3 months then you return to the pharmacy and get the next batch. Once per year you need to go to your doctor, and they will examine you and ask if you have complaints. If there are non the pharmacy will get the ok to resume for another year.
Great video! I love listening to you talk. I'm inspired to do culture shock videos now! I think I'll do one of reverse culture shock of being back in the US. I'm so glad I found your channel. 😁
Thanks Kate! I presume you mean when you visit the US, right? You're not moving back, are you?!
@@JoviesHome yep, just visiting. Gotland Sweden is my home for the next few years at least!
A funny fact which is very shocking for dutch ppl about things in the USA is that you have a brand of jeans called KUT. First time I saw that I was in shock. A line of that brand is called Boyfriend., so basically it's Kut boyfriend, saying it's a really louzy boyfriend. Speaking about shocking things ;)
Hey Jovie! I've been binge watching your Dutch Culture and Life videos, and thank you for stating your honest opinions on them. After reading through some comments I can say that most people are definitely not coming at you, they're just.. Well, being very direct, haha. Ever since my (Online) friend group included mostly Americans, did I start to realize just how Direct I was, and that some people indeed thought I was rude. I've learned to dial it down a little bit, and as my gran always said, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. So in a way it really helps me to watch videos of people not from here, and them giving their honest opinions. So honestly, thank you for that!
To address a few things I've heard you mention, if a person that works somewhere, or is in some position that involves Customer Service, and they are rude to you? they're being awful at their job. I personally think that with the Dutch waiters and such not relying on tips makes them more honest, and if they do a good job, they deserve that tip for a job well done. Also very interesting to see your opinion on the Healthcare! We could all learn from each other, and make it more obvious that you can ask for these tests, or make them available to everyone that falls into the right demographic. (Sexually active, etc.)
Now to stop my giant comment here, I have a question for you! My friends like to call where I live ('s-hertogenbosch/Den Bosch) Fairy land. Did you experience the same thing when you came here and how everything looked? And what is your absolute favorite thing you learned here in terms of our culture?
You are totally right about the pap smear! I was expecting a letter when I turned 18, but I was shocked to learn that I have to wait till 30. I'm gonna go see if I ca get it anyways, because it seems very scary to me.
I don’t feel clean when I wash my hands in cold water , even with soap!
I think a lot of people are not aware that the are picking their noses. Something is bothering them and instictively react on it without realizing someone might see that. The custumer service thing... if the waitress was like that to me I would get up and leave also. When someones on their phone I have no problem bothering them. I'd ask if they are on a break, since they're on their phone or have time to help me. Also they are not realizing they're doing it probably. I think that is were the Dutch are being direct. They will just say it or leave, but yeah if you come to my space, with an is everything alright, can I help you with something. It feels restricting to dutch and feeling obligated to buy something to get away from the person. We don't like that.
It also might give dutch the feeling you are not wanted. We would say that also when someone is traspassing or something. Let me help you quick so that you can leave now or I will call the cops. Actualy saying I am friendly now but I don't know how long I will be that way. So we just leave.
I work in a restaurant and when I need a table for the next guests and every thing is full I go to the guests that had there meal and I ask if they want more drinks. 80% will say:" no thank you, please bring me the bill". 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I feel uncomfortable when they do that in America because I know they're only like that because if I don't tip them they can't feed their kids or something like that. I work in custommer service, I'm always polite and don't act that way., but no.. the customer is not always right, in fact.. most of the times they're kinda dumbasses and rude. It is quite funny though, I've had Americans respond to me denieying their requet for extra service with something like: "Well you can kiss your tip goodbye." And it feels absolutely amazing being able to wave them goodbye smiling not caring about tips at all.
The customer service used to be even worse in the NL. Especially In the 80’s and 90’s. But it is still bad!
There are some things that are just cultural. Some Americans think it is bad service if you have to ask for the bill in a restaurant. But as a European I would be offended when the bill would be presented without me asking. It would make me feel unwelcome. Like: “you had your food, now get out”. But overall I wish service would be better.
I'm from a different generation of course, but spent my entire career in some form of preventative medicine or other. You're right, the Dutch do things with less 'urgency' than we do in the States (which at first drove me crazy), but they DO offer annual exams for women over a certain age free of charge. Their form of prevention is to visit your doctor or dentist every 6 months for a check-up (something I STILL don't like to do). I actually have Dutch friends who say they like it when they go to the States where the customer is king and Americans drip in saccharin when wishing you to have a nice day, much better than the 'don't take a number' pushing in front of each other to get to the front of the line mentality of the Dutchman. 😁 PayPal works wonders and saves a whole lot of trees when wanting to give a gift to people in foreign countries. I LOVE the ability to pin everything. OMG, you brought your American 'dubbeltje op zijn kant' with you? Yes, one of the most important things in life is to be able to cut up the credit cards and live within our means. Oh honey, just wait till you see them EAT their boogers .. now THAT'S a culture shock I still can't get over!😜 Even if you find it hard to integrate fully into the Dutch culture, DON'T WAIT to learn the language!!! And learn it well. You will be respected far more if you do. I can't wait to have a good sit down talk with you someday so we can compare generational notes. We'll have a gay ol' shits and giggles time of it, I swear. 🌹
I am agree. The weather here is sometimes really horrible.
Some dutch people who says that the weather here is good are a little.....weird i think.
Oh...and the customer service in the Netherlands is also horrible. I really hate it here.
And if somebuddy is rude to me in a shop i really just don´t buy something there.
The nose picking is so gross! It surprises me too. A couple of weeks ago, had a meeting with the director of our company and she was picking her nose while someone was asking her a question. It was so shocking to me! I still can't believe this actually happened and I'm Dutch :p
Personally I never had bad service. And im happy we ditched cheques on the first of january of 2002 and I dont like people beating the bush and saying having a car gives freedom is so american
Hello Jovie, you might consider buying a GoreTex rain suit! I love biking in the rain. PS Here in the east of the Netherlands restaurant personnel is always very kind. PPS The Dutch are very frugal and efficient, It's not for nothing that we are the largest exporters of agricultural goods in the world, only second to the USA, whilst only having 17.5 million inhabitants. PPPS I always shower with cold water, summer and winter.
17:24 about the 'replacement shame', I think someone might have translated this incorrectly (or too literal) for you. The English 'shame' translates better to the Dutch 'schande', while the Dutch 'schaamte' is better translated with 'embarrassment'. So the meaning of the Dutch 'plaatsvervangende schaamte' would be better captured as 'emphathic/vicarious/secondhand embarrassment'.
I don't agree with your opinion about preventative medicine.... its useless to check for some things before a age when you are vulnerable!
Of course in USA they love to do it so they can change you🙄....
We have regular breast exams, pap smears, colon tests, etc.! Regularly arranged by the government healthcare.
Plus if u suspect something u can always ask for a test.
Also.... about restaurants...
They don't want to bother you to order (and get the f..k out because they want many different customers because they want tips! Because they aren't paid a decent wage!)
They leave u to enjoy your evening out!
The difference in preventive medicine in the Netherlands and the United States is, that the preventive examinations in the Netherlands are for everybody, not only the happy few with enough health insurance.
Ha ha customer service... once with a Peruvian friends in a café behind the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, we ordered a coffee. Waiing for 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min... My Peruvian friend (a diplomat!) went asking when our coffee would be coming. Answer: CAN'T YOU SEE I AM FUCKING BUSY! FUCK YOU, I 'LL BRING YOUR COFFEE WHEN IT SUITS ME, the staff member was even making threatening gestures.
Hello. This is a great channel. As a Canadian, I can relate to a lot of this. About the health care: if your father is a Dr, maybe you know more about this than me, and I am certainly no expert. However a simple glance at the life expectancy in USA vs Netherlands (83 vs 78 years), and the health care expenditure per capita for the two countries ( double in the USA), it would appear that perception isn't always in line with fact. The Netherlands is getting longer lives for fewer dollars. Dare I say the quality of life in NL is better too. And for the car thing: the fact that most Dutchies do some shopping every day or two is exactly why they don't need as many cars. If you do want to do the huge , freezer load type shopping in the suburbs then yes, you will need a car. Personally, I can't stand that way of life, and am therefore happy to bike down to the AH and grab some fresh things for a couple of days. Thanks, and keep the great channel going !
I enjoy your entertaining videos, you are a very good observer.
I may have missed it but what about one of the biggest differences between America and the rest of the world?
It's something Americans don't realise the rest of the (western) world doesn't do and the rest of the world doesn't know Americans practice it: circumcision of infant boys.
It seems to be be a taboo subject. As you may know in the Netherlands we don't practice that, we never did. Dutch men and boys are intact. When I tell people in the Netherlands about American circumcision most are shocked. When I tell Americans that Dutch people keep their sons intact (without a problem) and don't even consider circumcision, they are surprised.
Speaking of Culture Shock!
In Scandinavian countries like Iceland, Denmark and Norway legislation is proposed to make circumcision of boys under 18 years illegal.
I gladly support the American organisations that raise awereness like:
www.YourWholebaby.org
www.DoctorsOpposingCircumcision.org
www.BloodStainedmen.com (They even mentioned The Royal Dutch Medical Association)
www.Intaction.org
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moral-landscapes/201109/myths-about-circumcision-you-likely-believe
"The Real Reason You're Circumcised" - Adam Ruins Everything (History of American Circumcision): th-cam.com/video/gCSWbTv3hng/w-d-xo.html
Channel about Intactivism: th-cam.com/users/Bonobo3D
"American Circumcision" Documentary on American Netflix (VPN 😊): circumcisionmovie.com
The monthly salary is depended on your job.
I get paid weekly personally.
As for the body checkups, you can do these yearly without extra pay (outside possibly own risk(/eigen risico.) You can call with your insurance to check) with at your home doctor(/huisarts) assuming that you are insured. The one at 30 is "mandatory." (You aren't forced to go but it is highly advised that you do.) If you are over 50 you'll get a free scan every 2 years in a buss that comes to every city.
And while it's true that checks are considered outdated, most banks will support them fine until 2020 (if you have a Dutch bank account, contact them about it. Some will support checks longer.) It's just that giving money is easier for most people. Tho businesses rarely takes checks due to fraud concern.
About customer's service.... I think I can relate. In Holland, we like our privacy and most people dislike it when shopkeepers come up to them right away. We like to look around for ourselves and be not distubed. But if you ask an assistent for service, it would be considered very rude if they wouldn't help you right away or speak to you politely. You should not accept that. I hope my English isn't too poor... An old Dutch saying is (translated): the customer is king. In English it probably translates to: the customer is always right. I think most shopkeepers are very nice. The bad ones should find another job.
Jeezz checks.. I remember me parents writing checks in the 80's.
Writing 3 minutes a check (with people behind you waiting) where you can just type 4 numbers and be done with it, why the hell would you still use checks... They are soooo outdated, I think we transfered to paying by pin over 30 years ago. And now even without a code up to 25 euro.
So you give someone a piece of paper worth 50 dollars, you have to go to the bank to get the money yourself, so why not just put 50 bucks in an envelope with a nice card and be done with it, alot less hassle and waste of time. Typical dutch efficiency I guess, we (well at least that's the case for me personally) don't like doing extra work if it's not necessary.
Have seen a number if your video's now. But the naivity strikes ne every time. You're commenting on the Netherlands as if Alice in Wonderland . The most harm you can do, imho, is call this country 'quaint'.. We have it all down, positively, fór the people, by the people. And have done for ages langer than newer countries who barely touch the 200 y age mark.
But still, amusing as it is. Try to look less through the looking glass, see mire if the whole picture.
Like the lack of personal make up, hairdo or attire. Think, what's it good for besides showing off.
About the medicine... the USA is also the same country that prescribes Anti-biotics to a simple cold or flue ... but, i for one agree on the 'women wellness' thing, i am not a women but i can see your point! ... So, for those not knowing, this is the way you deal with certain illness or injury (other then acute things that are clearly wrong, like a lot of bleeding or bones sticking out, temperature over 38.5C). You wait 5 to 7 days, if the thing gets worse or isn't over by then, THEN you go to your doctor (huis arts). And you tell him, i have this thing now for 7 days and it's only getting worse or it's just not going away. First, this will save you a lot of unnecessary visits to the doctor for things that are clearly just a passing that your body can handle, which saves time and money. But also, you prevent your doctor from saying 'well lets see how things develop, if they don't get better in 5/7 days we will look into actual treatment'.
Yup, nobody in the Netherlands is really ever getting used to the weather, you just get over it and live with it, because one can't change the weather ;) ... car helps, or 'buienradar' ...
Customer service ... i hear this a lot and i think this mostly has to do with people living in 'The Hollands', aka. the west of the Country. These are generally shops run by people that get paid wages and the store owner is nowhere to be found except on Saturday to make up the register, and the people working there get paid regardless (which is why we don't TIP unless service was exquisite). And with the amount of jobs available in the 'service industry', getting fired isn't the biggest deal ... when you get more east, and especially in the village centers, it's the shop owners that actually work the register, their behavior determines their income (restaurants not always the case though). But i will say that most Dutch people are mostly 'looking around' (kijken kijken, niet kopen) and feel somewhat awkward to ask for help if they aren't buying something there, or might feel that getting helped will 'trick' them into buying something before making their actual choice (aka. they are comparing prices in several shops to get the most value for their spending). So many, will forego the 'can i help you' moment. To a point where a lot of shop owners wait for that until they truly see you might need help, or be so direct and ask for help. (my hunch is that your level of service experience has mostly to do with living in the west though).
Yeah, we mostly want just hard cash, or direct transfer ... checks can bounce and then where is my money. Like i know that has to do with trust in the Financial situation of somebody else, but i am sure it relates to us being so tight/frugal with out spending. We just want the cash, and giving cash in an envelope is actually normaal. Also, why do you give me some piece of paper that i need to take to the bank and spend time on, why don't YOU go to the bank and withdraw money so you can give it to me; may also factor in.
Now-a-days if you work in a ManPower type construction, where you can basically be hired/fired by the day, they actually pay weekly ... in a more fixed working relationship/contract it's indeed monthly. This may well be why we are somewhat Frugal and save up, because some months can be expensive, so having a 'stash' at the bank can help you through those months without having to worry. But it is quite common to say that at the end of the monthly pay there is some month left (aka. one runs out of money before the end of the month).
Toiletwater, NO CLUE EITHER !! ... Probably not supposed to wash your hands anyways ;P
Last one, no comment, i'm busy atm... ;D
You shouldn't have apologized. You should have "kept it real" as many of the Dutch are commenting, and told the woman exactly how you felt about her response. I don't put up with that crap. That's not keeping it real. That's being an asshole. A simple, "I'll get to you in a second" is fine. I don't need or want you to kiss my ass, which by the way, I also understand that critique about American customer service (overwhelming and annoying). But I also don't want your attitude. By the way...this isn't an American thing. It's a Western Hemisphere thing. The European or Dutch way of customer service...what they call still keeping it real...would not fly anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.
The getting paid once a month thing.
I wouldn't even mind if people were paid once per year (or when your contract ends). Americans are notoriously bad with money and budgeting and i think that being paid weekly is one of the reasons why. You're just not taught or forced to be cost efficient and think about your spending. Often this also leads to taking on unnecessary preventable debt in the US. And this way people get used to being in debt and pretty quickly the whole USA is just one big debt. Now, there is a good debt which is actually useful and a bad debt. Sadly most of the US is flooded with the bad kind of debt. In countries where people are paid monthy and forced to think about their spending, the debt situation is significantly better (I'm sure there are exceptions, but generally). For example, I've never even met any European who had any kind of debt other than a mortgage (which is the good kind of debt, if done correctly)... Anyway, i just wanted to share my thoughts. Cheers!
In the Netherlands, the focus lies on secondary prevention. You get that when youy have a condition that could cause worse problems down the line. So things like diabetes, hypertension, COPD, astma get regular care.
PAP smears get a lot of false positives in women under 30, because of sexual activity. It has NO added benefit under the age of 30. The general breast cancer screening happens from 40, 45 years and up. You don't get a palpation, but a mammography. This screening comes to your municipality, so you don't even have to come to the hospital. There are also screenings for colorectal cancer and all of them are available at a much younger age if a relevant relative has had a similar form of cancer. If you have mother who had breast cancer at a relatively young age, you will be invited earlier.
There is a lot of preventative medicine in the Netherlands beside this: vaccines, consultatiebureau, midwives, safe public spaces, difficulty to obtain firearms, traffic safety, proper sex ed, first aid classes in many schools, public health services, and so on. A lot of this will be offered to you when it applies to you.Teachers, police social workers, general practitioners, etc are all required to act/report when they see someone.
lab results get a lot of false positives if you check everyone without screening people for symptoms beforehand.
I could add so many culture shocks to your list. I still have a very difficult time here after 10 years. I would love to find more American's to chat with that live here. I don't have a single friend. I have my husband and my daughter and my internet friends to talk to. (Oh and that nose-picking thing. I don't get it. I was at a pharmacy once and a man was reading a newspaper that was sitting on a table for all to read. He was digging for gold the whole time and turning the pages of that paper without even wiping off his finger first. His number was called and he put the paper back on the table for some else to read. GROSS!!!!)
Medicine in the US is a money making business, hence the more 'preventative' the more people in the medical testing business will do well. Everything in ads over there is based on FEAR "just in case you MIGHT get it. And the US has the highest stats on people who die from prescriptive drugs in the world. The most stressed out people are in the US. As for dressing up and putting make up on; the pre-occupation with looks is debilitating. As for the weather, what's wrong dressing according to the weather? The US is one of the biggest energy users globally, e.g. California has so much sun but there is not a clothesline is sight! No, electrical dryers is the go. Hmmmm...
The States is the epic country for service in the world I think ! Also Canada runs up second ! Both countries are so friendly! Just get in to a elevator and people say hi or good morning ! That’s indeed whet blew me away coming to North America. The Dutch are bold and even though I am Dutch born , I could not handle it !! They are opinionated creatures ! Not all but most are ! And I my self have to work on me not to judge so fast ! Anyway after 46 years in Vancouver I have now learned but it still creeps up you know ?
Just be you and speak your mind with a smile on your face !! Never mind the Dutch ! But I see where you coming from !
I am very sorry, but I disagree strongly about your comments about healthcare. What you describe American preventive medicine, to put it bluntly, is covering-their-ass medicine with unnecessary expensive testing and how-can-I-bill-more medicine. That's why American healthcare is soooo expensive and why a lot of your compatriots can't afford it. In the Netherlands, doctors will look more at patients history, family history, age, etc. If you fall in a certain risk group then they will advise their patients, if certain tests are necessary. And yes, Dutch doctors do not pump you full of medicine if you catch a cold and not fall in a risk group. A healthy human body will heal itself. But do keep up with your videos, :D. I find them interesting :)
Hi Jovie. It kind of surprised me when you talked about Americans not being loud and noisy as people from certain countries in Europe would clearly disagree with you. Ask the Swiss how they feel about the American volume when they speak…. About the Dutch being loud: I guess it depends much on where you are in the Netherlands imo: people from the Randstad are more loud and opinionated than in the north or east I think. (Just a European girl :-) )
There is a resaon why in public restrooms the water has only cold water.
It is mandetory because of health safety issues!
The reason was the biggest outbreak of Legionairs disease in worldhistory at a gardenshow in 1999.
32 people lost their life and 200+ became permanent disabeled
The Legionella bacteria growt explodes dramaticly between 30 and 45 degrees celcius.
In public places like swiming pools and schools the water is on regular base tested and expensive filters and detection systems are installed to prevent the growt of the bacteria.