5 (more) things that SURPRISED me about THE NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱

In this video I am sharing some culture shocks and things that have surprised me, as an expat who lives in The Netherlands.
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Shoes inside
2:22 - Snow Chaos
5:45 - Dutch stubborness
7:58 - Dutch swearwords
9:13 - No closed curtains
10:28 - Watch until the end!
If you enjoyed this video, you should also check out my previous one about things that surprised me about the Netherlands: • 5 things that SURPRISE...
I hope you enjoy the video - If you do then please leave a like and comment. Remember to also SUBSCRIBE to join me on more adventures✨🍜🥰💖
💕 my Instagram (@janicasjourney): / janicasjourney 💕
🤍 Basic FAQ 🤍:
Where am I from? Finland
Where do I live? In the city of Leiden, in The Netherlands!
How old am I? 27 (when this video was filmed)

[@MarianneExJohnson]

I heard that the habit of not closing curtains does indeed come from the attitude that you shouldn't have anything to hide. In houses where the living room windows are right next to the sidewalk, people often stick strips of matte plastic to the insides of the windows, at such a height that they prevent accidental eye contact between the people inside and outside... while *still* not closing the curtains. Me, I like keeping the curtains open simply because I like to be able to look out, and maybe that really is why everyone else is doing it too. 😊

[@JanicasJourneys]

Makes sense! 😊 I must say, i’ve had some awkward eye contact moments a few times with my neighbours here, hahah 😂

[@AndreUtrecht]

yes, the shoes off thing.... I have been abroad where it is normal to take off your shoes at someone's home. It does something to your psyche, you're more vulnerable in a way: straight like how you would be at home without shoes. But it took me a while also to feel comfortable with it. Because yes, feet can be dirty. Socks can stink, be sweaty (you will see footmarks on a floor if so), people can have athlete's foot (which is contagious and I am not sure a thin sock will keep the bacteria away), there can be pets in a home and you get the hairs on your socks, you can get like other things on your socks (most homes are really clean but always you get particles on your socks, as an experiment just walk a while on white socks on a clean floor). So it is also not really very hygienic. I think a country like Germany is like 50/50? One part of the country takes their shoes off and the other keeps them on? In Spain they also keep them on, well at least when having people over for a party etc. Also in France, in most parts of the UK.... and in the US it is also more common to keep them on and not take them off.

[@ThomS8]

Shoes inside when visiting or when I have visitors the can keep them on, but at home I take them off! and that's in Leiden as well btw ;)

[@NinaW1n]

This is the first video I have seen of you, my mother is from Finland, she moved here to the Netherlands in the 70’s after meeting my Dutch dad. ❤ Though I have to say that she is stubborn one in our family, I guess its the sisu in her. 😉 Yeah its weird that we swear with diseases here, and not just any diseases, mostly old ones which are practically eradicated, some people will use ‘kanker’ (cancer)also as a swear word but at the same time thats also not acceptable for a lot of Dutch people. (The hard sound of the consonants k/k/r make it a very popular swearword though. Nice to see you enjoy it here! Whenever someone from our family goes to Finland we always bring Tupla’s for everyone, they are the best! 🇫🇮🇳🇱

[@JanicasJourneys]

Happy you found your way here! How fun to stumble upon someone who’s half dutch & half finnish, don’t think it’s very common! Very cool tho 😃🙌🏼 Hahah, funny that it’s the finn in the family who’s more stubborn! Tupla is

[@moniquevandoorn8347]

I close my curtains as soon as it gets dark outside. I don’t feel comfortable when I turn on the lights and the curtains are open. And I live in an apartment on the second floor! As for the shoes, I always wipe my feet before going inside, so I see no need to take them off. When I wear only socks, I am afraid to slip when I walk around.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Makes sense! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Very nice video and congrats with the 2000 subscribers, for the Q & A, How much time do you spent making videos 👍🥳

[@JanicasJourneys]

Thank you! 🥰

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

As for the shoe debate... With tiles or laminate shoes are ok (easy to mob) but with carpet I 100% agree. Got two pair of "instappers" for inside (do have carpet). The Dutch stubborn...in Finland this is called sisu 😂

[@AliciaChu1222]

when I did a canal cruise tour visiting Amsterdam in May, a passenger did ask the captain about the curtain thing, and his answer was that they want to show off their wealth, because in Amsterdam living beside canals or in a boathouse means you're rich, I don't know if this applies to other Dutch cities though😆

[@Man-in-the-green]

@@Waterdiver3900Yes he was. And he was right. Any other questions?

[@bencaspar]

Culturally speaking it is because we used to be very protestant and cleanliness and sobriety were very big. So people had open curtains to show their clean, normal home.

[@stroopwafel6141]

All valid observations. My wife is foreign and asks guests to take off their shoes. We have houseshoes in all kinds of sizes for them. It keeps the house clean. I agree on the swearwords too. We Dutch should restrain ourselves a bit.

[@JanicasJourneys]

In a lot of countries it’s normal to take your shoes off so I understand your wife very well 😁

[@phil_the_explorer3068]

1. For me it was the other way around: I had a cultural shock when moved to Estonia and discovered you have to take your shoes off when going to people's house/dinner parties 🤔😅

[@JanicasJourneys]

Oooh that’s so interesting to hear about someone who has experienced it the other way around hahah! 😄🙌🏼 small things like this make the world kinda fun

[@perpetual4958]

@@JanicasJourneys actually this used to be the case in Holland. Personally I always take them off at home. In Fall, Winter I have Blenzo's. North-Western Europe. 'Leijuh' is on the coast, so the moderating effect of the North Sea is considerable. Lithuania has a much more continental climate, though not as mountaneous as Estonia. Finland is a completely different matter, Arctic Circle and Contimental landmass climate.

[@hubabava]

Try to think why you would take your shoes of. If you live in Sandinavia with a long wet, snowy winter and go out, you will return wth a lot of muck on your shoes. Especially as you're wearing boots or shoes with profile so you don't slip and fall. In the Netherlands we surely take our (hiking) shoes of when it's raining or we've been on a walk on grass or sand. Although... most of the roads, streets and gardens are paved. So if you went outside on your bike and it's dry outside or just a little wet, your shoes will be fine, dry and clean. And else your mum will scream at you as she will see the sand everywhere...

[@perpetual4958]

@@hubabava In Holland it looks like fall right now, 15C and wind and rain for the past 12 hours or more. But it is an agricultural region/cultural thing.

[@user-vw4ui5gz6b]

As already mentioned, taking off your shoes was a agricultural and rural thing, a general rule for kids playing outside, and a general rule after walking outside after rain or snow. Finally: I live in the Randstad now. Here the older (50/60+) people still take off their shoes. So it's mainly the younger generations that don't. I feel it also is often connected to entering through the back door (you made it to someone's inner circle of you are invited to do that 😊). If you still have to ring the front doorbell, you're more of an official visitor. I would not automatically take off my shoes nor automatically ask visitors to take them off since it can lead to awkward situations. So in short: the more "official" the visit is, the less likely you're expected to take off your shoes. Dirty shoes overrule everything: clean them or take them off 😊

[@nstarrenburg]

Janica - my wife and I just discovered your videos and we love them. We are from Australia and we travel to the Netherlands most years at Christmas time to visit family in Eindhoven - we do trips from there to other countries. We love the Netherlands and your videos were really enjoyable. We are coming back this year and will be visiting Haarlem, Leiden and Alkmaar. Loved your videos. I am half Dutch and my wife laughed out loud about your comment about stubborn Dutch people. Thanks for what you have done.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I am glad to hear your wife and you have enjoyed & found the videos helpful! 😊 I hope you will once again have an amazing trip to The Netherlands soon ❤️ funny to hear that your wife could also relate to the part of having a stubborn partner 😉

[@joen5970]

Team shoes on! Your boyfriend said it right. You never know what old cheese smell or mushroom spores will come out of someone else's shoes. I take the risk that someone's shoes are not completely clean. After a visit I will vacuum and mop the floor. Oh and as for the thin ice, there used to be ice every winter. Due to climate change, that is no longer the case. But even earlier in my youth it was already a nice challenge to go over thin ice. That was actually fun!😄

[@JanicasJourneys]

Feels like such a hassle having to clean the floor everytime someone visits! But each to their own. 😌 Back in Finland people falling through the ice is a common cause of death, so they really try and teach you to fear it. During winter times they’ll show a small clip to the kids before the cartoons start, of a teddy bear falling through the ice - traumatizing us this way. 😆 But I guess it’s necessary lol

[@Harrypjotter7]

I am team shoes, as a Dutch person you always have to be prepared for a water disaster, it saves a lot of time if you already have your shoes on and you have to leave quickly. 😂🤪😜

[@GrantSimons2]

Oh so it DOES snow! This makes my little Minnesotan heart very happy. Excited to watch the chaos as I ride around on a fat tire bike :)

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahah! Yes sometimes we get lucky with some snow here too ❄️❤️

[@jve89]

I'm Dutch and live as an expat in Estonia. Same thing about the shoes over here. I was surprised how of a serious matter it is. If you keep them on, like I often do in the Netherlands, people get well upset haha.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahah yess, we take it very seriously 😂

[@joostprins3381]

It depends on the amount of snow, if it’s predicted it will be snowing then they can work on it. But of course then all will just explode.

[@infj4w511]

I generally take my shoes off, because bare feet are the best, but socks the next best thing. I want to be able to put my feet on the chair, the rug, etc. However, there's an exception: my own tiny flat. I share the hall, kitchen, toilet, and shower with others, so I don't trust those floors, and alike the hall, my room has a sorta rug everywhere, so it can't be cleaned well, and I avoid touching it. Yes, I'm a student

[@tammytreee]

In the house we wear house- shoes, which are soft, like Birkenstock sandals.Courtains are beautiful and keep privacy. Sometimes you see a courtain moving...... 😂😅❤.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Ah, yes - those kinds of shoes make more sense 😄 hahah yeah!

[@sanserof7]

For me I take shoes off at my own home, but when I am a guest somewhere I keep my shoes on

[@mariadebake5483]

I'm team shoes on. And I always close the curtains as soon as it's dark

[@unforgettablejazzfusion5546]

Such a nice video! I always love to see these foreign people talk about the country which is mine. I do have some remarks. I was born in the Netherlands and lived in Amsterdam for almost 43 years. 1:44 Shoes are absolutely not allowed in my house, they are actually outside my home in the stairway. The same goes for my parents and friends. I absolutely don't understand why people keep them on after a full day at work. Visitors are also not allowed to keep their shoes on. Exceptions would be parties. There are surveys that you can look up that actually 75% of the Dutch take their shoes off inside the house. Age 18-25 walk on socks, After that the surveys showed that older people use fabric slippers, and 10% walk on bare feet, which are mostly females. 3:42 The Dutch Public Transportation, notably the trains, belongs to the densest, most complicated, and most excellent in the world. There are so many safety laws in this country that even a slight risk will not be taken. In the last 10 years, the Dutch police registered only 20 fatalities per year, but these were all other traffickers not using Public Transport. They were usually people on bikes/pedestrians not paying attention to traffic and being hit by a bus, tram, etc. At the same time, the Dutch police register 0,6 fatalities per year of people inside a form of public transport. So we also have the safest Public Transport in the world and so yes, we don't like too much snow or leaves on the tracks/road. We clean it, and only then do we consider it safe for passengers. 6:42 First of all, Back in the 80s and 90s of the last century, when I grew up, I could walk over the canals to school EVERY WINTER. The winters were much colder then, it was not rare to go ice skating. It was not rare to play snowball fights during school breaks. Gradually, as the climate seemed to change, it got warmer and warmer. It became rarer to have these cold winters. First, it was normal to have maybe one year a warmer winter, but a couple of years after we would be ice skating again. Now? It's even rare to have ice even ONE WEEK, over YEARS. A big ice skating event in my country, which is a match across eleven cities, called the Eleven City Tour, will probably never be held again. There is a whole generation of Millenials and Generation Z who don't know about these colder winters. So that's why I think it is an inappropriate example of Dutch stubbornness. For that, there are much better examples, like political or other societal discussions. If you are looking for a stubborn people, or nation if you will, I would look at countries like North Korea. Pakistan. China. Russia. Iran. Israel. You get my drift. 8:35 Dutch people indeed use diseases as swear words, but this happens mostly in more undereducated layers of society, or with adolescents and young adults. When strangers start swearing at each other you usually know that some mistakes were made in their upbringing, or they belong to those groups. Dutch people are mostly polite if they are raised normally and have a normal education. I would never swear like that to strangers. Maybe to myself, if I really hurt my toe, or something. The consonants of some of these words sound really good in Dutch. We are indeed unique in using these diseases. The theory is that once we evolved from a Katholic to a protestant, to a secular country, religious swearing (like god damn it) lost popularity and we started to use diseases that were breaking out in these times as swearwords. Scabies, smallpox, typhus. And later cancer was added. But again, in my honest experience, usually it's the lower educated and less polite/adolescent and young adult people doing these things. Actually, most Dutch people will say "Godverdomme, Jezus, Kut (meaning, vagina), Fuck" etc. But yeah... Cancer sounds really good in Dutch so it's a nice word to shout when angry. 9:43 Keeping your curtains closed the whole day is usually not a good sign in my country. Generally, these people are often depressed, lonely, etc. The Dutch are very open people. It is deeply entrenched in our Calvinistic culture to show we have nothing to hide and that we live modest lives. Also, if you live in our cities, you usually don't have a lot of space. So, when having the curtains open you enrich your view and it will create more space. Furthermore, a lot of people have plants inside their houses, and in summer most curtains will stay open until sunset to give those plants some light. In smaller villages and neighborhoods it creates a sense of community and safety when people leave their curtains open. I subbed to your channel, Keep up the fun videos! Greetings from Amsterdam

[@JanicasJourneys]

Thank you, i’m glad to hear you enjoyed it! And thank you also for subscribing. 😊 - Oh okay, most Dutchues i’ve come across keep their shoes on, but those are some interesting statistics! - Makes sense that the puclic transport system wants to keep it as safe as possible. 🙏🏻 - It’s a shame that the ice doesn’t freeze up the sameway anymore & the tour can’t take place…. I’m sure there would be many more good examples, this one just happens to always pop into my mind first, but maybe that’s because i’m Finnish and we are really taught to fear thin ice.. - I’ve once been sweared at here in Leiden! By a man who seemed ”normal” and was out with his daughter… so you never know 😅 but yes probably for the most parts, that’s the case! - I think it’s fun you keep the curtains open, makes the cities feel more alive 🙌🏼

[@unforgettablejazzfusion5546]

@@JanicasJourneys Omg, I don't understand these people. I just got home from a day at the office, Literally the first thing I do is take my shoes off! :) Thanks so much for your cool reply! I am looking forward to more of your videos. By the way, I see a lot of crazy people who still have kids...

[@jacquelinethijsen272]

I grew up in the seventies/eighties when we had a financial crisis messing things up. Our favorite swear word at the time was crisis. Used the same way as kanker today.

[@mariajosevandensteen1651]

Great info added. Thanks

[@unforgettablejazzfusion5546]

:D Dank :) Kon het niet laten!@@mariajosevandensteen1651

[@theonijkerk3012]

I've wondered about that that. I have lived and worked in Gdansk in Poland for 6 and half years and neder had an issue with public transport when it snowed, and it snowed there more than in the Netherlands.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Yeah that’s true that the trains function without an issue in many countries with heavy snowfall.. that’s why it surprised me too ❄️

[@cfjooijevaar1]

We can use shoes in the house, we use doormats behind the front door.

[@tnickknight]

The windows open thing is really really strange from my Polish/ Lithuanian family's perspective. We were also shocked at how nice people keep their homes.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I guess you don’t have a choice but to keep it tidy with having to have your curtains open 😂

[@DataStorm1]

@@JanicasJourneys It's more about: how messy you are says a lot about you in all aspects. It's the living room, you always expect guests, or want to be relaxed. It being messy means you can't be relaxed, you're still have work to do. It's not the hobby closet filled to the brim.

[@marcovtjev]

The public transportation and snow is a new thing. Basically they have "weather alert predictions" now, and I suspect they follow them and turn off public transport for insurance purposes. To be honest I was quite surprised too, having gone by train for a decade in my college (90s) years and never encountering one single network wide outage like this. Things are different when there is twenty+ centimeters in a night, but you probably have to go back to the nineties or eighties for that, and even then it was just a morning with delays, never a complete stand-still.

[@rredding]

Nice video! About public transport.. "vroeger was alles beter" ("everything was better in the old days") probably holds true for train transport? Probably it is the effect of "free enterprise". What used to be one company, was split up between Prorail NV, a company which controls the tracks and stations, and NS, that is one (the largest) of the companies these days that brings your where you wanna be... After 10 years the privatisation of the Dutch railways was an important issue and the customers and society saw the situation as a failure by the state. Lack of maintenance made that stuff broke and trains weren't able to ride on time. This improved a lot, The snow issue remains... Something like that is what's going on here.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Thank you!! Ohh okay, I didn’t know that was the case, thanks for sharing 😊

[@mscheffy1]

Definitely team "shoes off!" Now that you've lived in the Netherlands for 3yrs...If you and your bf could could pick anywhere in Netherlands to live, if it didn't matter for job or money...where would it be? Would it still be Leiden?? Also, what do you do for your job?

[@Trekkie1982]

well i am half Dutch half indonesian and from my Indonesian side we always were slippers in the house. So we put our shoes in the hallway and wear slippers in the house.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Slippers sound much more comfortable! 😄

[@Robemackx]

born in netherlands shoes inside team nice story!

[@rvds5003]

These sorts of videos always make me feel un-Dutch. I’ve never not had curtains or failed to close them at night. Even when we lived on the top floor of our apartment building with nobody realistically able to overlook us. Also never had any inclination to go out on thin ice. Did skate all over the canals of Leiden back in 1996, but that was a proper cold spell when you could skate all the way to Katwijk. No idea if the trains and busses were riding, though. To busy skating to notice.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hmm, maybe you’re somekind of hybrid dutch 😉 Just kidding, the things I mentioned wont of course apply to everyone!

[@danabelardo8778]

Very interesting facts thanks for sharing Janica! About the Q&A I have more then one question if that's okay haha 🤣 - From all the countries that you visited so far, which one would you choose to live in if you had to? Sorry if this next one is too personal feel free to skip it if you think so 😳 - Apart from KZbin what is your job? How difficult was it to find work when you moved to the Netherlands? Thank you! 😘

[@JanicasJourneys]

That’s totally fine! 😉❤️ you can send as many questions as you want, haha!

[@elvinhaak]

Team shoes... on and off... really depends on the weather mostly. Rain? Shoes off inside to keep it all a bit clean.Sun and dry? Well, just keep them on because it is more convienent. Snow? Off mostly at least in the livingroom where the heater is. In the rest of the house: defenitely on since the floors are freezing-cold in our original non-insulated houses. In Finland I was surprised by the insulation and thick walls and windows... not yet that common in the Netherlands and especially not where I grew up since the 70s. And we don't have a sauna to get hot so only sitting close to the kachel in the livingroom to have icicle-feet 2 meters away. Curtains: well.... if you close them, the people from the church and the neighbours cannot check you out so you must be hiding something... and you probably know how nosy 'we' all are. So yes, better show. Of course not if it is too cold because we don't want to pay a lot for heating and throwing money away. But then, ofcourse neighbours or people from the church make their rounds and invite themselves in - you have to give them coffee. And yes, they are stubborn so if you don't open the door, they will knock again and again or try if the door is open and see if anyone is in, yelling 'volluk!'. Since something must be wrong. If not the frontdoor they might just try the backdoor. If you are ill they also invite themselves in to pretend to help you but of course are more interested on your house and income then on you. But yeah, this country is nice too...!

[@JanicasJourneys]

Makes sense to keep the shoes on if it’s freezing! To be fair you have a good point, the houses are kept much warmer in Finland than what they are here. 😊 It’s an interesting mentality to have that if you’re curtains are closed you must be hiding something hahah! In Finland it’s like ”oh, they’re home now” 🤣 Hahaha love your story about the stubborness!! 😂❤️ This country is definitely very nice too.. I have a video coming out on that too soon. 😇

[@elvinhaak]

@@JanicasJourneys I will see your video soon then! I know in some other countries that I visited, it is normal to provide houseshoes for every guest, so with a lot of different sizes always ready to be used in the hallway. Like for example Tsjechia, Slowakia and Hungary. At the friends I visited there, it was even mandatory to wear them, you are not allowed to walk on your socks or barefoot... yet another culture.

[@roodborstkalf9664]

That public transport stops when it snows is only since around 2009. Before that public transport was functioning when it snowed. Reason being that between 1998 and 2009 it hardly snowed for over 10 years and climate fanatics said it would never snow again. Turned how they were wrong. Between 2009 and 2012 there were four consecutive years with snow. Public transport authorities however refused to adapt to the new reality that on average once every two or three years we have a few days with snow.

[@JanicasJourneys]

That’s a pity!! Let’s hope they’ll adapt and become better with it 😁

[@Linda-hs1lk]

At home I take them off but that's also because I live near the forest and I'd take a load of sand inside. When I'm visiting someone I'd be wearing different kinds of shoes and I'd wear them inside. That's normal. Only if they'd ask me I would take them off. But to be honest, I couldn't care less. If people come into my apartment I won't ask them to take their shoes off. It's kinda rude to do that imo.

[@JanicasJourneys]

It’s interesting how cultures differ, where I come from it’s concidered rude if you don’t take them off 😄

[@CroweDharmaReloaded]

Shoes inside 👌

[@JanicasJourneys]

Each to their own 😉

[@CroweDharmaReloaded]

@@JanicasJourneys True! Usually I'm asked to take my shoes off when I enter a house and it has been raining or snowing. To make sure no water and dirt are brought in then. Otherwise, 9 out of 10 times I can keep shoes on.

[@goudvismannetje]

About the snow in winter, that's getting more less in last thirty years, when I was a child every winter there was lots of snow. And yes also in Leiden because I live whole my life near Leiden. Because of that here you really can see climate is changed in last thirty years. And some other thing in the past, when there was much more snowy day's, there was not that much problems with transportation, of course when it had very heavily snowed, but not like now days. Now if it only snowed a bit there are already problems with trains and busses. I think this is from last ten, maybe twenty years, that there are so much problems with transportation in winter when it have snowed. I still can't understand why in the past this problems with transportation even it did snow much more than now days where not that big as now days.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I’ve heard many say there used to be much more snow before, a bit of a pity it’s not the case anymore… but yes, odd that the transport system has gotten worse throughout the years 🤔

[@rthjong]

Yes, public transport doesn’t know how to deal with snow and some leaves on the tracks. Great difference with Canada, for example, where they ride through 2m of snow with 50 km/h. Now we are living in Brazil so no more problems here. No trains and no snow, hehehe 🤗

[@JanicasJourneys]

That’s true, there are many countries where the snow causes no issue… or places like Brazil where there’s no snow 😉

[@AlexK-yr2th]

I never thought of shoes when I was in The Netherlands but now that I live in Asia, I cannot imagine ever to wear shoes inside the house anymore. The argument that it is more hygienic is nonsense. Smell doesn't infect. What you said about the busses really surprised me. I come from the south and within hours (usually during the night) the main roads are salted and cleared (and the bus lanes first) and public transports is available. The stubbornness I hear a lot as well and I cannot deny it. But I think it is a cultural thing that Dutch are not easily convinced of the contrary and stick with what they know or their personal experience because there is simply too much liflaf around. And it is very stubborn to call others stubborn btw without a decent argument 🤪. You should go to Den Bosch where using swearwords is a culture and a form of pride. I'm pretty sure it it the roughest dialect in The Netherlands. Ie, they wish each other a good weekend by saying "tot maandag kut!". Swearwords are always about deceases in Dutch and weird for foreigners to experience but in reality, you cant give someone a decease by wishing or saying it so it must be metaphorical. Curtains open is Calvinist culture where you show that you have nothing to hide. Doesn't mean you look and invade someones privacy which is pretty high in The Netherlands. It is all about respect I think.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahah, that’s interesting! Fun how one’s opinion changes. 😊 Maybe the southern provinces are more used to dealing with snow than what the northern provinces are… also that time it was more snow than usual to be fair. I think stubborness seems to be a bit of a cultural thing too, and I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing! It’s good you guys can keep your ground too when needed. 💪🏼 Good to know to prepare myself and not be shocked if I go to Den bosch then, hahah! I did not know that it came from the calvinist culture, how interesting! Thanks for sharing 😄❤️

[@bigbro8439]

about snow. On the one hand you are right. Public transport should function snow or no snow. On the other hand please bear in mind that the number of people making use of public transport is enormous. So if for instance 1 train gets stuck it will have big consequences for the rest. The Dutch railroad system is one of the most heavily used systems in the world

[@JanicasJourneys]

Those are good points!!

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I am Dutch and you are right. The stubborness is by the way very old. It comes from the fight against the sea/rivers is my theory. You have to be stubborn to keep that fight up after flooding again and again. I think it was the Roman historian Plinius that stated that in the Netherlands (it was called Germania Inferior then) more people died because of the water than because of men. The stubborness also resulted in the longest (and a very bloody) war of independence in the history of mankind (80 years).

[@JanicasJourneys]

Makes sense!! It’s a good thing that you Dutchies are so tough and will stand up for yourselves. You even won the battle vs water 😄🙌🏼

[@renedevrind1733]

The way you speak English, i would say you are Dutch. That's quite funny as you are Finnish :)

[@JanicasJourneys]

It seems like i’ve picked up a bit of an accent while living here…. Not sure how I feel about it 😅😂

[@user-vw4ui5gz6b]

Lol, at first i thought so as well .😊

[@THommersom]

I never walk on soks or bearfoot throug my home, alway slippers, or shoes, soks or bearfoot can be dirty from sweat, or from animal hairs, or somebody can have a sicknes to their feet. So walking with shoes in side is more cleaner. watch your soks at the end of the day and you now we are right ;>). I agree that people hear show everything in there homes, I always close my curtains before the lights go on. There are a lot of stupid people that walk on thin ice, but the most of it don't ;>) On river ships nobody has shoes in their cabins, because a ship is often dirty with oil and so. Nice to here your thoughts about the dutch people.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Glad to hear about your takes on the topics as well! Thank you 😄🙏🏻

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

Always take my shoes of. But when visiting friends depends of what the hosts want...

[@JanicasJourneys]

Going with what the host wants is probably the best! ☺️🙌🏼

[@DataStorm1]

Swearing in Dutch is just make the longest most convoluted train of additions and modifiers to a disease, also additional actual swearing to pepper it will be appreciated. You win the race by having more, longer words and more descriptive detail than the other. Just the disease name is just making it off without any effort. If you can tune it off a tad lighthearted its actually refreshing.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Interesting take on the subject! 😄🙌🏼

[@DataStorm1]

@@JanicasJourneys Gotta keep the tradition high😇

[@dutchgamer842]

There's hardly snow in the southern provinces, it's mostly in the north, like Friesland or Groningen

[@JanicasJourneys]

I’ve seen there’s often snow in Brabant & Limburg too! But probably in the north aswell then ☺️

[@dutchgamer842]

@@JanicasJourneys compared to the north, it's hardly in Brabant&Limburg

[@ruudsmodelplanescars9013]

No trains is not always the way when it snows. In 2021 it was Corona time and we couldn't travel as normal so less trains did ride. Normaly there are way more trains and they keep the tracks clean. So i think you had bad luc that day it wasn't the right time to travel with snow. I traveled for more than 20 years with public transport and only had problems with very stromy weather or so much snow in the night that it took so much time to clean the tracks that it wasn't cleaned for the first train to travel.

[@dutchorangelion8137]

normally the public transfer will ride, only overcrowded or with delay's. with trains is an different story we are not prepared for ice build up on the tracks, so they can be cancelled. We have many culture differences in the Netherlands you can divide it in North, south, east and west. in the west they use more swearword and my opinion a little bit rude.

[@JanicasJourneys]

That’s true that things might vary depending on which part of the country you’re in!

[@johnveerkamp1501]

vloeken zijn we goed in ,en we genieten er van.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I have noticed! 😁🙌🏼

[@eriktraag8518]

No shoes inside!

[@EJannings]

Team Shoes On. I'm not going to visit someone if I have to take my shoes off.

[@cyrielmartens3575]

As a dutch person, I am team indoor-shoes. If I visit someone else, I will ask if I need to take them off.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I think that’s the most polite way to ask when visiting someone 🙌🏼

[@arievanderveken5095]

If you want to hear “swearwords”😢 then come to Ireland (on Ryanair! ) and especially to Dublin!! You will hear and learn many swearwords that you have never heard before! To start with every other word is f…. With many to follow! I am Dutch and I can tell you that we are very polite to each other compared to this part of the world, except for the Fins of course, who are too polite to each other!!

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahaha ! Yes I can believe that 😆 I guess for a Finn like me i’m used to the overly polite way

[@immoaky]

Team shoes off!

[@JanicasJourneys]

Team shoes off unite 🙌🏼❤️😂

[@infj4w511]

What would be the purpose of a window if you closed the curtains?

[@erichlf]

No public transport during snow is definitely shocking.

[@JanicasJourneys]

From a Finns point of persective it kinda is 😱

[@erichlf]

@@JanicasJourneys I didn't watch your previous video, but the difficulty finding an apartment is a bit shocking.

[@Anna-yl7xu]

If you want the see snow in the Netherlands look at the video's from 1979 that was snow

[@JanicasJourneys]

I’ll check it out!

[@Linda-hs1lk]

Swearing with diseases is very old. Had to do with being afraid getting that disease yourself. So they started saying 'get the ...etc' so the one saying it won't get it himself. At least that's what they believed, lol. And it's stuck. Also it depends a little on what part of The Netherlands you live. I was born in Rotterdam and grew up near. I always said the accent is one long curse with a few normal words in between (ok bit exaggerated but still). I now live in the east and eventhough you still hear it here, it's less 'bad'.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I didn’t know that’s where it came from, thank you for sharing. 🤗

[@roseannerandoy1840]

As an Asian… I’m Team No Shoes Inside 🙅🏻‍♀️😃

[@mvdh877]

1:40 I never wear shoes in the house As soon as I get home I take them off and put on slippers,i am team no shoes ...i am dutch btw

[@JanicasJourneys]

Slippers sounds like a much more comfortable option!

[@mvdh877]

@@JanicasJourneys maybe an option for youre boyfriend/husband

[@morgoth_7487]

Is dat een olie schilderij nat op nat techniek? Bob Ross style. 😂

[@09conrado]

People are woosses nowadays. We had lots of snow in the 70s and 80s and I don't remember transportstion coming to a full stop ever except when there were more than 30 cms of snow.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Many have been saying the same! Let’s hope they’ll become better with it 🙌🏼

[@joh.d.postema3159]

About shoes , if you wash your feet and change socks on a daily basis they don't stink, so out with the shoes!

[@JanicasJourneys]

Exactly what I think! 😉

[@liepsan]

Im Dutch, shoes off! 👍

[@JanicasJourneys]

Yay!! We’re not alone then hahah 🙌🏼😂

[@rvds5003]

When visiting people, really? Even if they don’t ask or indicate it’s ok?

[@liepsan]

@@rvds5003 It is mostly up to you. If a Dutch person doesn't like it when you wear shoes inside they will tell you. 😉 It is not a big deal either way. (Among my friends, most of them have their shows off just because shoes bring more dirt inside. There is no real culture thing going on as far as I know.)

[@kleineteen8043]

for the shoes, its depending on who I'm visiting. at 1 house I prefer to keep shoes on as I often come home with foot fungus from that house. but in my own house I usually take my shoes off.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Makes sense! 🙏🏻

[@leanderbuijtendijk6241]

😂 every point is so true but hopr you beleave me that this male dutchy is glad to always take of his shoes inside. Sadely also never understood the swear words with disease here. Am very mutch ashamed that this is a Dutch culture.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Points for you taking your shoes off!! Hahah 😁👍🏼 Well, I guess all cultures have some less nice things to them as well.

[@kamrulhassan6560]

My Q&A In your some videos we saw your mother in your bolg video but why not your father in videos.From gazipur bangladesh

[@johnveerkamp1501]

is mijn eigen huis en ik loop door mijn huis met de schoenen aan als ik dat wil.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Of course you can do as you please in your own house! 😊

[@albertlay8927]

We're not stubborn, we are "eigenwijs". I don't know an English word for it (lit.: self/own wise), but it means that we make our own judgements, we decide for our selfs.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hmmm okay, for me it sounds a bit like ”same same but different”, but maybe I’d need to be Dutch to understand 😉 Thanks for sharing tho 🙏🏻

[@queercastlimburg]

I'm Team no shoes inside

[@JanicasJourneys]

😎👍🏼

[@KootFloris]

I think the shoes in the house thing has to do with poverty. Around 1900 many Dutch were very poor (and due to that also among the shortest people in Europe). Many houses had wooden or stone floors, sometimes even sand. So in order to have warm feet, better wear shoes inside. Only when you have fluffy carpet, that's hard to clean, shoes off make sense (to me, many).

[@JanicasJourneys]

That might very well be the case! 😊

[@AndreUtrecht]

I am not sure that is the case.... poor people also had like shoes with holes in them. And many poor cultures all over the world still take off their shoes inside.

[@KootFloris]

@@AndreUtrecht It's not everywhere in the world people would throw clean sand on the floor once in a while. Most countries had and have wooden floors. Such makes a huge difference.

[@AndreUtrecht]

@@KootFloris Also on wooden floors.... do the test with snowy white socks 😀

[@GabberPinda]

Don't apologize in advance if people don't like it they can watch something else😉🤣

[@markjacobs1086]

Uhhh, I've got pretty smelly feet. So it might be better for everyone involved to keep my shoes on! 😆 Of course I don't really mind if people insist. Oh god, no... You DON'T swear with awful diseases, that's just called being inconsiderate. I would not go to such lengths for venting a bit of frustration.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahah - well maybe you’ll feel more comfortable with them on then! And yes, the swearing here is quite afwul 🫢

[@uniqueworld9828]

I want to invite you to my country

[@gersonc.2737]

Im team shoes off my wife is shoes on. Only time im with shoes on is when im at my sisters house, cause i love to piss her off

[@JanicasJourneys]

Hahhah - that’s true sibling love! 😂

[@aardbei07]

the netherlands sucks when it comes to weather. as soon its to WINDY or when LEAFS fall on the traintrack,or HEAVY rain or snow its panic and chaos by PUBLIC TRANSPORT. its a shame

[@JanicasJourneys]

Yes, the weather is very unpredictable… so is the NS quite often too… 😁😅

[@user-vw4ui5gz6b]

It actually has become worse during the years. Trains kept running during heavy snow untill the 70ies and 80ies. They ran on diesel so were less dependent on various techniques that can stop working. The schedule was also less tight, it left more room for a delay without causing a "chain reaction". In general I feel that weather warnings are released much sooner nowadays. Most of the time we would bike to work or school in similar situations not that long ago. I actually still do, but Dutch urbanites often react like I just crossed the North Pole or climbed Mount Everest 😂😂😂 In short: we Dutch are gradually turning into wimps. This also has a plus: especially (urban) juvenile and streetcrime is much lower when it rains nowadays. 😊

[@MusicJunky3]

Sorry ,I couldn't quite hear ..your boyfriend is WHAT ?? ...😂 (RUN !!..Janica..RUN !! )

[@JanicasJourneys]

You mean Dutch? 🤭😂

[@Paul-H]

No closed curtains stems from the Protestant religious tradition of Calvinism, which insists that honest citizens have nothing to hide. Closing the curtains may indicate otherwise. And by letting people look in, you let them know: look, I'm a decent person!

[@JanicasJourneys]

That’s so interesting that it’s something that’s started already a loooong time ago 😄!

[@dutchgamer842]

Aren't that mostly people in Northern Netherlands?

[@hansb57]

We never close our curtains. First of all I dont care what other people think of me. Second thing: If you close them, you have to open them again, waste of energy.

[@JanicasJourneys]

😂🙌🏼 We’ve gone the full Dutch way and don’t even have curtains in our living room, haha!

[@zaldabus]

Team No Shoes!

[@kellyvandijk3269]

The trains in the Netherlands can’t ride when there are leafs, snow or to much sun on the rails. It’s so stupid and unnecessary

[@JanicasJourneys]

True… 🤣

[@its_gaming_time-kn9jn]

If you want to lot of views and like so come to India and Pakistan for vlog

[@henkoosterink8744]

I never wear shoes, no one i know does....

[@JanicasJourneys]

You’ll find quite a few who do here in the comment section 😄🙌🏼

[@MarceldeJong]

1) I don’t even like wearing shoes. So, I take them off as soon as I get inside. Your boyfriend is wrong :) 2) yeah our public transport is not set up to deal with snow. 3) stubborn? Us? Never! No! We’re not stubborn! 4) I don’t like swearing. They’re horrible. I only use them when I’m seriously hurt. 5) there’s a spider living in my curtains, I rarely close them.

[@JanicasJourneys]

I’m gonna show him all these comments telling he’s wrong the next time we have this discussion. Heheh 😈 Say hello to the spider in your curtains from me 👋🏻😂

[@benbontjer]

There is currently an exodus of Dutch companies that are permanently leaving the Netherlands. Private people are also leaving the country. In the last 3 years there were 550,000 (cbs). this year's expectation is 200,000-250,000 (cbs), they don't want to live there anymore (many seniors) or they can't (young people looking for a house)

[@EricDieperink1]

You need to learn about audio editing.

[@JanicasJourneys]

Still learning - any good tips are welcome 😉

[@robertheinrichvonseyfenste267]

me and my boyfriend.... ME??? me Tarzan you Jane... it should be: my boyfriend and I... almost every English speaking person makes this mistake

[@JanicasJourneys]

Sorry, english is my 3rd language 🤭 but thanks, now i’ll know better for next time!

[@dutchgamer842]

Well people that speak a language perfectly as it should mostly (so not all the time) learned it at school as a foreigner, a native speaker or that grew up bilangual never speaks the language perfectly. It even gives it away it's not your native language or 2nd language if you do it to perfect.