5 Things The Dutch are WEIRDLY More Relaxed About Than Americans/ The Netherlands Vs USA

5 Things The Dutch are WEIRDLY More Relaxed About Than Americans/ The Netherlands Vs USA
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(00:00) Intro
(01:12) Nudity On T.V
(02:26) Interracial Couples
(03:58) Customer Service
(04:53) Eating Dessert
(06:45) Taking Time Off From Work
(08:20) Outro

[@waltzingpeter]

I’m Dutch and my parents raised me with a mind your own business attitude. And who dates who is not only not my business, most people just don’t care. I mean really don’t care.

[@Londronable]

Same basically applies to Flanders. There's very much an attitude of "as long as your actions don't affect me I don't care".

[@Freya76]

This is very true. Het maakt me niet uit wat je doet, als je mij er maar niet lastig mee valt

[@renevaanhold]

Dear Fi, I'm married with a beautiful woman from Curaçao. We never use the word interracial because it is no issue. Race says nothing about a person. Our cultures are different and that makes everything extra interesting and nice. During the winter we stay at Curaçao and I adept to the way of life overthere. For example I don't get angry anymore when people arrive half an hour late. And during the summer in The Netherlands it's the other way around. Everybody is on time. You say that we look different. That's debatable. What's different? The color of the skin? Yuppies? Farmers? Rotterdammers? Religieus people? Hells Angels? The list goes on. See you 🫶

[@mavadelo]

Although I am in agreement with every word you said, I am afraid it no longer works that simple in the Netherlands. Also here, racism and discriminatory behavior is on the rise. We see it in the rise of certain politcal parties (not naming names, but if people feel called out there is probably a reason), in the behavior online, in the treatment of refugees etc. I HOPE the Dutch are not a "13%" country but tbh, lately I am not so sure anymore.

[@har3036]

I hate the word interracial, as it implies race is very important. I'm white and my kids are not, labeling them interracial makes them sound like the result of some weird experiment in a lab.

[@mavadelo]

@@har3036 I kind of understand why you would look at it that way. (I don't agree with it but I understand it), But how do your kids view it? As some weird experiment or as the result of two people loving and caring? As silly as it is, we do need a descriptor in todays society. (personal favorite: Mixed Cultures, I think it is very inoffensive). Refusing to use a descriptor is imo a bit like the "I don't see no color/I am colorblind" excuse. Yeah, everybody understands the intention is to say "I am not racist, everybody is equal to me" but at the same time you are denying a whole lot of people their identity and close the door to conversations that might be awkward but still are needed. Only when everybody truly is treated equally and the sins of the past are dealt with we can afford ourselves to become "colorblind" and stop with the ugly "grouping"

[@releasethekraken5039]

​@@mavadelo i don't think listing every difference between races is gonna bring us any closer to a more equal society. In the long run these traits don't matter much anyway so why bring it under a microscope to dissect it even to the most minute detail?

[@j.p.vanbolhuis8678]

@@mavadelo In my experience "race" used not to be an issue. Culture was. Unfortunately, nowadays culture still may be an issue AND we are imported that STUPID "interracial" NONSENSE from the USA. And in my opinion, culture is a lot more relevant and some cultures do clash vehemently. And the attitude of "all cultures are equal, and dutch just have to make place for other cultures" does not help.

[@marijavliegmiepje]

I always find it so apparent that Americans in the Netherlands always feel the need to apologise or put in a disclaimer. That is typically American culture I guess. I don't think a lot of Dutch people would do the same. That's Dutch bluntness.

[@robinnoel2716]

I love our Bluntness cause it's very effective to communicate , and because of that I feel less offended because I'm used to it . I'm mix of flamish Belgian and a Dutchman.. I rarely feel offended by a Dutchman because of the directness , but when someone from flanders tries his/her best not to offend you , I littarly take it personal. 😂

[@markjacobs1086]

​@@robinnoel2716 I'd just get impatient, just get to the point already! 😂

[@robinnoel2716]

@@markjacobs1086 exact ! I'm impatient too , but my mother for example really likes to beat around the bush and I'm like : mom , get to the point..

[@anaguq4651]

@@markjacobs1086 Same here! It depends on the subject, and i also just skip a bit....only to look back a bit later to see.....if I missed something! 🤣🤣🤣

[@Korilian13]

Yes, but Dutch bluntness also means she could get torn apart in the comment section of people don't like her opinions. Though to be fair, that's a problem with social media in general.

[@hunchbackaudio]

I never realized being in an interracial relationship until youtube 😂 The fact that this is still a thing in some modern western cultures was a total surprise. Sometimes I feel like humanity is going backwards.

[@blinkybillist]

It's actually not a thing, but has become part of the "racist" thing

[@AnagramGinger]

I learned it on a different tube

[@jbird4478]

The nudity on television is really a US thing. In the rest of the western world it's pretty much the same as in the Netherlands; it's accepted as long as it's not overly sexual during daytime. A similar difference exists between American and European movies. Hollywood movies always make me chuckle a bit when an intimate moment fades out and you see the happy couple wake up the next morning. They have a very typical way of making it clear the characters had sex, without actually showing anything. European movies tend to be a bit more graphic about that.

[@arranchace1306]

Mainland Europe never was Prude, That came around when the Katholic Church got a hold over Europe. Since NW-Europe never really became Katholic, specially Netherlands, Germany and Scadinavia, these countries are way more relaxed on Nudity, as for example, England, where the Katholic CHurch grew big. And why USA is Britisch Prude, well, Colonisation, US was Brittisch. so the inherrited the prude conception. Centuries later, US is still the most Prude Western country in the world., The Brits chilled out a bit, still for EU standards very Prude.

[@oetgaol]

I think it's more the Anglo Saxon world vs mainland Europe. Sure the US is the prudest of the bunch but the others are relatively prude as well

[@chubbymoth5810]

@@arranchace1306 You seem to have never heard of John Calvin. He was not a Catholic for sure. The Catholics used to be thought of as being a bit loose with morals, getting drunk at carnival and then go to confession. Prejudice for sure,.. but a common one. To me they're all hypocrites, regardless the belief system. The prudishness only disappeared after the invention of the pil. True even before that the culture was not that prudish either in comparison. But the interesting research done by Kinsey in the 50's showed a big discrepancy in what was the perceived culture and the reality of human behaviour.

[@erikmulder2574]

Hi Fi, nudity is an American issue. We are not uncomfortable with it, and actually seeing some nudity on tv helps us to find it normal. Items as nipple-gate would never be an issue here and would be seen as part of the show. Interracial couples? I never think like that, for me it is just two people who get along so well together that they want to share their live together. What is wrong with that? Don’t get me wrong, there is some discrimination against people in the Netherlands as well, it would be ignorant to deny that, however my feeling is most people do not find it offending when someone makes the choice to have an interracial relationship. What can be difficult is the cultural differences, these are quite large when we look at native Dutch and e.g. Surinam originated Dutch people. The family values for example are quite different and that would need an effort from both sides to make it work. But obstacles are there to be removed 😊 How do you experience this point? Do you experience to be discriminated against in the Netherlands, and if so is this on a same level as in the USA? Please let us know, that might educate us.

[@jbird4478]

@@chubbymoth5810 Calvin was a Catholic. He was on his way to become a priest even. He turned away from Catholicism though - the loose morality and hypocrisy you describe being one of the reasons. I agree that chistianity is mostly hypocrisy in general, but certainly Calvinism brought a lot more modesty than Catholicism. That in fact may very well be the reason the US today is so much more prudish. They were by in large Protestant, as opposed to South America (well - cough - the European population in both cases obviously) which has always been Catholic and not nearly as prudish.

[@cgplanchart]

Love your video, admire your analytical mind, your objectivity and your points of view.

[@oetgaol]

The service difference comes from the Dutch being very egalitarian. A fortune 500 CEO is no better than a cleaner. If they know each other they will be on a first name basis. So in customer service an employee will not grovel to appease a customer who is clearly in the wrong. Another reason for the perceived difference in restaurants and cafes specifically is a difference in culture. In the US you go to a restaurant for a fast meal while in Europe going to a restaurant is an evening out on its own. You don't want an overly friendly server hovering over you the entire night as you are busy eating and having a good time with friends.

[@releasethekraken5039]

Forget nudity on tv, you can't even cuss on american television without it being censored with an ear bleeding beep

[@henrischutte1968]

But slicing a neck, shooting somebody or find another way to spill somebody's guts all over the place is ok though.

[@Rose-Dew]

@@henrischutte1968 Right? 😂

[@MichaelAhgren]

American children have seen thousands of killings on TV during their childhood, but no nipples. Some of us Europeans find that a bit peculiar... :-)

[@markvansintfiet6174]

Living in The Netherlands working for an industrial enterprise I have 40 days off, I must use 27 and can choose for 13 to use them or sell them for extra salary. One of the many reason why I prefer working here

[@eppoh66]

About deserts; I hope you discovered vla... Vanillevla, hopjesvla or caramelvla are soooo goooood!

[@Frahamen]

Americans just eat there desert as breakfast.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

😂😅

[@ramonamaramis]

"telling your boss in the US that you wanna take 2 to 3 week off in the summer will prolly place you in the performance improvement plan" 😂😂😂

[@rudolphinawelles3440]

Hi Fiona Nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear about the lack of realy free time from work in the USA. It should be easier for the employees to enjoy some time off. But it is what it is. Have a nice day ❤

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Thank you, Rudolphina! 😃 You too❤

[@anaguq4651]

Interracial, i never really understood that, we are all human, right? And each with their own colours, habits and character. There is nothing wrong with different flavors, at least not for me! I live in a small village so we don't see much people of color. But when I do see someone of color, I always smile and think "what a beautiful man, woman or child, you are"! But i do say it sometimes, while looking in their eyes, mainly to the young teenagers, boy and girl, just to see them smiling with a shy smile back at me. That makes my day, and I hope theirs too!

[@casvanleeuwen5280]

The service thing is a bit misunderstood by a lot of people from the US. We just don’t think it’s necessary good service when they stand at your table every 5 min. Because that interruptus whatever you are doing. But it’s a fine line in my opinion.

[@williamgeardener2509]

Service in the US has become an unreasonable monster. Customers have outrageous demands because they know they will get their way, staff is bullied and managers just let customers have their way because it isn't worth their job to stand up against those idiots. The culture of "Customer is always right" has evolved into a way of thinking that Wal Mart has an obligation to fix appliances you bought at Target and that you can return clothes you bought six years ago from a competitor. Just google "Not always right" to read some horror stories.

[@harrybruijs2614]

You looking great. Motherhood of a baby becomes you.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Thank you, Harry!

[@jannetteberends8730]

My first reaction when I saw the title was: naaktstranden!😂 Well I was close. First complete naked persoon on tv was Phil Bloom in 1967. She was reading a paper. There was some outrage then. And imo it’s not ok that you had to pay for a phone call to customer service. It irritates me each time when it happens. Looking forward to your reaction video.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

😂 Yes, you were!

[@hamster4618]

And funnily enough, today we are FAR MORE prudish than in the 80ties. When nearly every one, including retired ladies and fat women, would go around topless. When I lived in the USA some 25y ago, we were at the beach and it took me a while to discern what was different to the Dutch beaches (in addition to not being allowed to drink a beer on the beach), and that was the lack of nude toddles. In the Netherlands you’ll always see kids running around in their naked bums (up to 4y) or undies.

[@Mcbrand67]

I think dessert is often the best part off the dinner!

[@heroldboertjens4227]

You can also make combinations, like eating dessert in the nude on your day off.

[@FacelessJanus]

The point is the view on nudity vs sexuality. In how far does society in this case link nudity with sexuality ??? Is nudism/naturism common ?? (I heard something similar said by Hayley Alexis, US expat in Germany.)

[@oetgaol]

Naturism is on the decline thanks to smartphones. But nudity is not linked to sexuality as it is in the US. I doubt anyone would bat an eye about a woman breastfeeding. Nudity in commercials often has to do with body care and is not shot in a sexualized way.

[@markjacobs1086]

​@@oetgaol We don't even bat an eye at a toddler going around naked at the beach.😅

[@TheB0sss]

The part about vacation days, it's not just "accepted", your employer is required by law to give you a minimum of 5 weeks a year, if they don't they have to pay out the vacation hours or sometimes you can take like 1 week over to the next

[@gardenjoy5223]

Twenty days, actually. But then again, you have the fixed holidays, like Christmas, extra.

[@hamster4618]

4 weeks, but most employers offer more.

[@cloudspecs3864]

Super leuke video!

[@nagranoth_]

2:55 Just wait till they find out there is only one human race left: Homo sapiens sapiens. It's not that we're more "relaxed" about customer service so much as we realise employees are human, and respect needs to go both ways. Most customer service numbers are free, and there are other options than phones...

[@miekebr]

We have 20 vacationdays minimal when working fulltime. And you officially must take one time 10 days (2 weeks) together. So you will really have a rest from work. So it’s not weird for Dutch people to take 2 or 3 weeks for their big vacation.

[@peterselie6500]

we always took 4

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Most workers have 20 days and that's it, so you have to really plan your holidays... usually the last week of the year, and two weeks in summer, and the rest for loose days..

[@chubbymoth5810]

Plus weekends and national holidays. It also varies a lot what type of job you do what amount of holidays you get. 20 is probably the minimum. In quite a few countries those weekends are included in the amount of holidays you have when they count to 24.

[@picobello99]

In the US many people don't even get 10 days and that's including sick days and holidays 😅 Or they get nothing, as paid vacation days aren't obligatory. In the Netherlands 4 weeks is the minimal requirement. If you work 5 days a week that'll be 20 days. If you work 3 days a week, you'll get 12 days off. But many employers give more.

[@carolinavanderlande4904]

You managed to surprise me with the dessert issue. I would have thought people in he US value dessert more because they value large portions and unlimited refills, so why not also dessert? Guess I was wrong.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

As I mentioned, it all depends on the social circle.

[@weeardguy]

@@livinglife.digital3399 Yes, but on the other hand I have never encountered a social circle (I'm Dutch) that talks about dessert the way apparently some (or quite a lot of) people in the USA do ;)

[@ThysRoes]

Customer service: it could be better, but 'the customer' simply isn't always right. If they are they are. If they are not, it is not up to the business to pay for a mistake a customer made.

[@ceesvanderschoot9799]

Still got 288hours vacation time left this year 🤣👍and I work 28 hours a week so that’s 10weeks 🤣.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

WOW😅. That's incredible!

[@WolfyLuna]

Am Dutch myself, I usually try to end my meal with a dessert to sort of balance out the savoury with something sweet. A little yin / yang thing I guess. Of course when I am really full I skip dessert :)

[@hellmuthschreefel9392]

When I was living in the Netherlands in the 70s, on a sabbatical from university, I remember there used to be something I found very delicious; when visiting or being visited by family or friends, the host was generally expected to provide the coffee and the guests usually thoughtfully brought the pastries. I don't know if this was a cultural norm across Nederland but it was in my circle of family and friends. I also very vivdly recall that Dutch pastries are just way more delicious than American pastries and because of the daily physically active lives the Dutch lead those pastries never seemed to settle around the waist or hips.

[@releasethekraken5039]

If you have like a cook-off or barbeque it is generally expected for the guest to bring some stuff to cook. If you're just coming over to an acquaintance for a chat or a drink the host is expected to take care of the refreshments

[@lienbijs1205]

Time has changed, Obesity is nowadays also a Dutch problem.

[@weeardguy]

@@releasethekraken5039 This is the first time I hear something like this at all (just like the story by hellmuthschreefel9392). When you are having your birthday, organise a barbecue or whatever, you usually take care of things yourself: having guests bring pastries, refreshments or drinks is something I have never encountered at all and sounds very American. It does happen on more informal occassions (just dropping by or something, but than usually when you're just with a few people visiting someone else) that someone brings (for example) stroopwafels to take care off with the coffee' but this is more a thing that you do among friends and is more like 'Let's enjoy this together', while supplying eadible items at a birthday is something I really never witnessed. What hellmuth tells, could be a student-thing: as money is tight, everyone spends a bit on everything, but it certainly isn't the norm and I can't recall my parents or grandparents talking about this.

[@fionaalgera3391]

Customer service is good in the Netherlands if you can work the system. There are rules. Paying to complain is smart from the company. It’s simple: if it’s bad enough your willing to pay to complain about it. It’s worth the time to solve the problem. A free number is most of the time asking for more work for your customer service which will lead to delay in solving the real problems. (Most companies have a free option by email or text)

[@nataschakooiman5056]

It's bad service having your clientes pay, to receive service for a product that does not work and they already paid for. No matter how you prase it! I'm Dutch, I think this sucks! It insane you have to work a system to get what you want. Not all companies are bad, but a hell of a lot are!

[@xander9460]

No no no no no, no I got to reply to the service thing. It's different. We have a very egalitarian mindset. If you're a polite customer WE GO BEYOND THE STARS to help you out. But if we sense any "I'm the customer so I'm king" mentality? Or some other aloof habits? Yeah, forget it. Thoroughly goes against the Dutch mentality of equality and treating your fellow man as normal people. Treat one as one wants to be treated is the mindset you have to have towards the staff. And staff will by default give you the benefit of the doubt. But take no nonsense or attitude. We also are a non tip depended country. So, don't expect any staff to be sad they didn't get a tip. This one boggles my mind as someone who works almost exclusively with US and Canadian tourists. Trying to take the staff hostage by threatening no tip... But calling our service sub-standard? I'm offended.

[@DenUitvreter]

From a historical perspective: The Pilgrim fathers did not flee to America for religious freedom flee religous persecution in England, but they went to Leiden in the Netherlands where there was religious tolerance. There was also a sexual freedom (within monogamous marriage) and they feared the effect on their children and fled. The USA and Britain are still the exception, they are the prudes, especially the USA. The Dutch are at the other end of the spectrum, but the Germans, French etcetera are far less prude than the Americans and British too. Mixed race marriage has never been much of an issue in the Netherlands (mixed religion has been), not even in the days of slavery in the overseas territories, everywhere they have been there has been race mixing. So there aren't historical black communities and many of the Dutch whites aren't 100% white in their DNA. Eroticizing darker skin? The Dutch are guilty as hell, going back to the precolonial times but also in my schooldays mixed race girls were seen as especially hot. The Dutch tend to not want skin colour to matter at all and like to pretend that is the case. I'm guilty of it too and I don't like to see separation on colour and am worried/disappointed/annoyed when I see younger generations sorted on colour. "Integration happens between the sheets". There is more animosity towards immigrant groups as they stay more separate. An American racist won't like to see a black man in a good suit and tie, being successful. A Dutch racist/bigot/xenophobe will bemoan the lack of blacks being successful and integrating like that and deem him the exception.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Very interesting read, Lynott!

[@releasethekraken5039]

I wonder what your impression was seeing a typical dutch breakfast for the first time. Compared to other countries, even western ones like Britain, we are really modest with our first meal of the day. We rarely eat warm food in the morning, usually we just cut open a couple buns or take a couple slices of bread and dress them up with a bit of margarine and toss some slices of ham, chocolate sprinkles, nutella or whatever you can put on a sandwich. I usually just take 3 crackers with nutella, some philadelphia cream cheese with chives and a cup of coffee to start my day haha. Really different from an english breakfast indeed ;P

[@B-Meister]

How did you not mention cheese xD I mean... I feel like most people would at least include a "boterhammetje kaas"

[@releasethekraken5039]

@@B-Meister because personally i hate cheese on bread. Almost sounds like heresy, i know.

[@B-Meister]

@releasethekraken Haha, yeah... But you're forgiven. I really like cheese on (good) bread, but also I pair it with mustard a lot of times

[@leendewaardt8937]

No need for disclaimers in the Netherlands

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Duly noted!

[@tinekebotman7861]

My own family is interracial, so why would that bother me? Isn't your own business, don't be so interfering, who cares? There was a song somewhere in the sixties about this topic. "Make a great big meltingpot from this world" And thats exactly 💯 % wath needs to happen in order to live and be happy-go-lucky together. Why should skin color or eyes matter. I truly don't ( want) to understand.

[@Lauren88nl]

I am Dutch and appreciate your video a lot! I am proud to be Dutch!| I welcome all cultures and mixed couples. When I see a mixed couple, it makes me feel warm and happy. Glad that many accept that!

[@RK-cj4oc]

Feeling happy and warm from that is just weird.

[@Lauren88nl]

@@RK-cj4oc It is weird that other peoples happiness makes me happy? That seeing such tolerance and love, where there is also racism makes me warm inside? Maybe the fact you do not feel it is weird.

[@RK-cj4oc]

@@Lauren88nl Feeling warm just because 2 people having sex are a different race while not feeling the same for same race couples is actual racism. You feel different because of skin color.

[@Lauren88nl]

@@RK-cj4oc It is not about sex, it is about love!

[@RK-cj4oc]

@@Lauren88nl Yeah good way to change the subject. I used them interchangably.

[@marcvolgers8352]

By law you are entitled to 20 days when you work fulltime (40 or 36h depending on cao). Most employers give 25 days, and some even more (I have 7 weeks... that's about the most you can get here). 20 days is seen as the bare minimum. Also: we don't have the sick days, so when we would be out of sick days we aren't forced to use vacation days when you're sick.

[@qixxor2075]

Love you videos! Keep them coming :) nudity on tv doesnt stand out. The lack thereof never bothered me the US, i dont really notice it. Customer service numbers arent free because of scale, its simply expensive. As to dessert shaming, i think its here as well, judging by my wife at least. She always eats my dessert with me. Which is perfect for me. And yes cheesecake is a calory nuke in the US (at least in the cheesecake factory)

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying them.

[@davidgalvez5341]

I find quite interesting the contrasting attitudes of both cultures towards nudity (without a sexual context) and violence on TV where they can be accessible to children. The Dutch regard non erotic nudity as natural and wholesome and therefore nothing to be ashamed of or hide, while the amount of violent content a child should be exposed to concerns them more; in the US the tendency is to take the opposite view. We can debate which attitude is more sound and healthy.

[@joostprins3381]

The point about customer service here is that if you make a mistake you won’t get your ass sued of.

[@hamster4618]

8:10 that’s so sad, that you have vacation days you don’t (dare) use.

[@TheTwan85]

Making kids eat food is hard. So I was raised with "als je je bord leeg eet krijg je een toetje" (if you finish your plate you'll get dessert) 😁 I guess many of us got that as a kid and we stuck with it 😂

[@peterkeijsers489]

About interracial couples: I know that southern states in the US have a history on slavery, and maybe some states in the north as well. So from that perspective - knowing that there ARE still quite racist people there - I can understand (although NOT condone!) issues with interracial couples. However: here in the Netherlands it's not even an issue - let alone a topic of discussion! Of course, there are some political parties that have an issue with immigrants (mostly from muslem countries), but in general we just mix better with other cultures, I guess.

[@tobijug]

For much of the Western world the lack of holidays for workers in the US is weird. In the UK you are entitled to 4 weeks and 8 days (Xmas, Easter etc) all paid. Yet the businesses are still profitable. Much the same as the almost 3rd world health (un) care system. One that ranks about 38th for delivering results and is way below that figure for efficiency. Yet bizarrely, US citizens defend it - though can never explain why if it is so good their armed services do not have this strange 'pet care plan' arrangement.

[@bernhardhoedjes4371]

don´t forget , you came from a 3 rd. world country, ( the usa) and do live NOW in a first world country where people are normal people

[@martijnvandonselaar8957]

About the life /work balance; when dutch are at work, we work. Unlike in the States, where you work all the time, hence have no opportunity to arrange the other necesseties in life that also have to be taken care off. So, long story short, dutch are just way more effective doing one thing at a time, bonus is a happier life I guess. As we have a saying: "the graveyard is full of people that could not be missed."

[@chrisshelley3027]

I hear so many people from the US using the size of the country for all manner of reasons, in particular why they don't travel to other countries (with the possible exceptions of Canada and Mexico for fairly obvious reasons) strange how we don't hear this from Canadians or people from other large countries, why not just be honest and admit that its because you are given so few days off work each year, by the way I'm still waiting to hear what the people of the US are more relaxed about than the Dutch, a more relaxed people than the Dutch is not going to be easy to find.

[@nooeemie]

Not taking your vacation days is not only being frowned upon, if you get to the end of the year, you sometimes get forced to take it, because we cannot take those days with us into the next year. (This must sound crazy in a lot of other countries) Probably has to do with health. Also mental health. A healthy worker is not going to call in sick as much. Calling in sick doesn't get you a pay cut. Also, employers are going to have to pay their salary for like a year or so, if they would get for instance a burn-out, or any other type of chronic health problem. After that the government takes over, and you will still receive 70% of your last salary. This can ultimately turn into a benefit payment for life. (Not being able to work is hard enough.) (This all is not 100% accurate, but gives you a rough first explanation)

[@puckie55]

I don’t understand why people are upset by seeing a naked part of the body. What me shocked a long time ago was the song of Bruce Springstean : I’m on fire. He little girl is your daddy home and did he left you all alone, i have a bad disere, oh i’m on fire. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@jahkaakboboshantichannel]

i have 9 weeks off in a year

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

In the Netherlands, we have a saying: "de klant is koning" (the customer is king). It sort of means that the customer is always right, even when they are not. Now unfortunately not all shops profess this motto. But I can tell you that whenever I experience subpar service, I will point it out and complain just as long as it takes until the matter is corrected. So I am definitely not more relaxed about subpar service, and I am Dutch. I've also worked in retail and have found that most Dutch, justly or unjustly, are not shy about asserting their rights. Of course, what constitutes subpar service can vary between cultures. It does help if you know your rights and can point them out exactly. Of course, if you are incorrect in your assumption the service staff will probably have no problem with pointing that out as well. Service by phone usually costs money in the Netherlands, but service by email or chat is usually free and available.

[@Rinzwind79]

That doesn't really means the customer is always right. Right about what he/she wants, and should be treated with respect (like a VIP). "The bin in my room wasn't empty, I deserve a free upgrade!" -No, you will not get that. Never made any sense to me to say the costumer is always right. It is often not even good service if they leave with a product they think they want but wouldn't be right for their situation. I think you are mixing "de klant is koning" with "the customer is always right" they use in English.

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

@@Rinzwind79 No I'm not mixing them. I am fully aware of the difference. Translating expressions is a tricky business. That why i said it sort of means... Tbh, the expression the customer is always right has never made a whole lot of sense to me either, given that they are wrong so often. But what it means to me is respect, treat them with respect, even when they are wrong. Treat them as you'd want your loved ones treated. Treating customers with respect, as you'd want your loved ones treated is the most important element of "the customer is kind" as well. Kings are equally never wrong, just misguided sometimes.

[@janbouli]

@@Frazec_Atsjenkov it's usually the customer that doesn't show respect , and it gets you nowhere to demand anything , being polite and making legitimate claims will get you all the service you want . And the saying is "klant is koning maar verkoper is keizer ". I treat my customers with respect and will do anything I can to help them , but only if they treat me with the same respect and don't ask for rights they do not have.

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

@@janbouli that is an excellent point. The times i felt it necessary to lay down the law were fortunately few. But some customers unfortunately do need some help with understanding that a seller also has some rights and that they are guests and should behave as such.

[@damiettes7140]

I guess you haven’t been to the Cheesecake Factory in US! No guilt there eating a huge dessert

[@robsteries]

Colors don't matter, cultures sometimes do I think

[@danobanano2505]

5:28 so if Americans are looking down on desserts, why do they start their day with one? 😂 even plain bread contains 6x the amount of sugar 😂

[@alicedeeper]

"nudity isn't something that we're used to" - an unfortunate reality, while (practically) all human life stems from sex, which comes with nudity, which should be a celebration of one another's physical form... Prudence is in fact a bizarre, almost perverted, form of hypocrisy. Racism exists in the NL, but it is definitely more fringe. We live quite tightly packed together and especially urban areas are very mixed, and have been for a long time (seafaring trade culture... go figure). Customer service in the NL is a laugh. No, not customer centered AT ALL. You get put on wait forever and then get scoffed at if not outright berated for having issues with whatever you called about. Do not rely on customer service..... Desserts are a great end to the dinner experience. It's just the way to go. EXACTLY just as having a beverage to drink. At lunch for instance... a smoothie is the perfect combination beverage/dessert. Paid vacation is a great way for motivating your employees. The US are doing it deeply wrong at that front. Welcome to the land of the free :) in closing, there is not nearly a divide in dutch society as is visible in the US. Political engagement is lower and also far more splintered, resulting in surprising stability and efficacy. US people do seem to be very comfortably self-confident (even though they are often very wrong about things, and it's mostly the men, not the women) and that is something dutch people have far less of. Also default gender roles are slightly different/more neutral in dutch culture, even by comparison to neighboring countries. There is also the matter of religion, which is not much of a thing in the NL. The number of people identifying as religious have been in the decline for decades, and nobody cares. All in all is goes to show that the western countries all have their distinguishable identities, and that is a great thing.

[@Freya76]

Hey Fi, I think you are so cute and your videos are so genuine. One thing I want to say is that I think we should stop using the words race, racism or interraciale. These words in themselves are discriminating, we are all the human race! Marrying a monkey would be interracial...😉

[@meredithonline9784]

Why the picture of the guy in the whitehouse? Has nothing to do with the subject.

[@ThermaL-ty7bw]

to people in Belgium and surrounding countries , the Dutch are a twitchy bunch , most Dutch people aren't ''relaxed'' at all , to my knowing i've been around the Netherlands a bit and people in Belgium and surrounding countries are Way more in a relaxed state then the Dutch ... in Belgium , people go entire months/years without ''rasing their voice'' , what's the point , when you can talk like a human being... it's about respect for people , in Belgium , don't rase your voice , be polite , help people when you see they need it ... not the complete country , there are outlyers , but most districts are raised this way , don't know why really ... just from the old days something that stuck , i guess

[@bcvanrijswijk]

How do people in the US think about marriages between people with blonde hair and people with dark hair? Or about relationships between people with blue eyes and brown eyes? Is that also out of the question? The dating pool does get tight then.

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Re the nudity thing... I find it astonishing Americans are more freaked out by nudity than explicit violence...

[@HenkJanBakker]

Customer service depends very much on the store. But usually it's done with the Dutch no-nonsense approach. So instead of the American ''let me see what I can do for you'' full well knowing it's nothing, you get the answer straight. ''Sorry but your guarantee has expired. Anything else I can do for you?''

[@renefrijhoff2484]

You should watch Turks Fruit (1973) or Blue movie, the first Dutch/German sex movie (1971). They were both showed in the public movie theater. 🤣

[@nas4apps]

In The Netherlands it is very rare and feels discriminatory if official institutions in any way ask about racial background. Why ever? In terms of the law, all are equal, so it is hard to get good 'official' figures in this regard (like partnering). It is mostly through the questionaires of social sciences, certain figures are observed. Main theme: are you of European origin or not, which defines as your parents were born in The Netherlands or EU or Europe, depending on the questionaire. Religious differences are probably a larger 'issue' than 'race' although as times pass - discrimination tends mostly to focus on 'immigrant' groups of low social economic class and different, externally less accepted, social behavior. This can include groups of certain Europeans as well. But all seems fine when groups of Dutch students have large parties and get drunk - that then seems recognized and is deemed ok. How different with Eastern European seasonal workers (hard working!) who sometimes party as well and get drunk - the latter seems less accepted.

[@JC.Holland]

Nudity is ok here because when you sexualised the human body that's what you get in the state's, client is king.. here they say klant is koning zolang die zich Koninklijk gedraagt. Or customer is king as long as they behave like royalty

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Relaxed? Depends where they come from, if they come from the east of the country they will be more relaxed, if they are from a big city, they will be more stressed. Ah relaxed as in "uncivilised".. The bigger the city, the less civilised in general. We have this invention here: Here in the Netherlands our TVs have an off-switch, so, nope I'm not watching garbage, I would never watch Fox "news" for example, or other x rated junk, on TV, and you can read in the TV magazine when and what they will show. Furthermore, there are 30 to 40 channels in many languages to choose from anyways, so I can watch German or English or Belgian TV, or CNN etc. At the moment, we do not watch TV at all, the TV died, and we don't have the money to get an other one, not missing it.. So nobody needs to watch any thing they don't want to watch.

[@Rhinoleum]

It still amazes me that racism is still such a big issue in America because I think the native Americans, well native says it all, have always been the original Americans. All others Americans are mixtures of races from all over the world. We're all human and we all matter,

[@KeesKouwenberg]

Interesting video. But I don't understand the "WEIRDLY", even in capitals. If I were to use that word, I would have called the video: "5 Things Americans are WEIRDLY More Uptight About Than The Dutch/ USA Vs The Netherlands

[@kwalther1]

Think I have a crush ? Intelligent lovely woman , am a fan now 😉

[@mavadelo]

This is weird, I subscribed months ago and wondered why I didn't get no videos and upon checking I was no longer subscribed.... KZbin unsubscibe shenanigans are going on again. Check your subscriptions if you are "missing" uploaders all of a sudden people. customer service: hhmm I do not know any customer service I have to pay for. Energy, water, rent, internet.... all toll free numbers. Dessert: Of course you have dessert, it is the crown jewel of the meal.

[@MarcelNL]

Nudity in commercials.....the Fa shower products come to mind, an a really stupid Droste chocolates commercial. That one actually did cause quite a lot of controversy; an African woman, looking hot and sexy, roaring like a lion when she uncovers her breast, eats a chocolate and then breastfeeds the baby......yeah not many people could appreciate that one.

[@MarcelNL]

Oh, interracial couples? Uhmmmmmmmm.....hahaha! I am Dutch, with somewhere a German ancestor. My wife is from The Philippines and has a Spanish grandmother, and her father is from Ghana. Our sweet and beautiful 4-year old son has ancestors from 3 different continents! About customer service, this is very strange to hear. I never have to call a number that I have to pay for. Yeah local calling costs perhaps, but if you have a mobile phone with contract, you have free calling minutes per month. And the quality and friendliness of customer supports, I rarely am unsatisfied. Purely by coincidence we do have a bit of a struggle today with a booked tour, but that's with an international organisation. And a while ago I had to deal with some rude and uninterested people from my internet provider. I filed a complaint about that and they right away took action against those specific employees. (Was during the covid peak when they were working from home.)

[@alexandergrofics1885]

And what about the Badedas reclame. Dozens of people handing or throwing the bottle of shampoo to the next person in the commercial. All with the same annoying song. I can't find that one but I found these: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4CXgmubh9OFo5I kzbin.info/www/bejne/boeVnGuVacqna5I kzbin.info/www/bejne/nn3dlGWAhp2CoJI

[@nelsonkaiowa4347]

Dutch people don´t talk about race. People are all of the human race. They do talk about skin colour or ethnicities when it is relevant only.

[@Roggen45]

I always find it funny when Americans are shocked about the nudity on tv or in real life considering the fact we are born naked, not to forget to mention The States how one of the biggest porn industries in the world, kinda hypocritical and weird if you think about it that way lol. In my opinion i dont care who dates who, if your happy with each other live and let live. My mom use to own a sporting goods store in the North, and yes customer was always king....but as mom use to say im the emperor! ( Meaning if you have a valid reason to return an item or submit a complaint as long as you do it with respect your the king and will be treated like one, if you have to be rude out about it then get the heck out of the store! About the fact that your so full after eating dinner maybe has something to do with the huge portions you get served in the states? If i eat that much i dont think id eat dessert either😂😂, but mostly it depends on my mood, sometimes i eat dessert sometimes i dont, but do not think twice about it or call myself bad😂. The vacation days is a right, and in my opinion the people that dont get vacation in the states are modern paid slaves, because the happier your workers are the better they perform and the longer they stay with a company. If i wouldnt get any vacation on my job i wouldn't even have applied there. Great video, hope you and your family feel at home in this tiny country😊.

[@markjacobs1086]

I don't even like the term "interracial couple" to be honest. Why care what colour someones skin is? I don't really care which colour your hair or clothes are either so why should we treat skin colour any different?

[@blinkybillist]

The "anti-racists" care

[@jacobvandermeulen1970]

deserts: arent american portion sizes idiotically big?

[@MarceldeJong]

I wonder what you consider nudity, as I don’t think I don’t see a lot of nudity on Dutch tv. But yeah, a body is a body. It’s less sexualized here. Stores not going above and beyond. Nobody here expects that. Store employees can say no to customers, and as a customer you’ll have to accept that. It’s calvinistic, I guess. If a sandwich shop is out of a certain type of sandwich, they can’t magically make one for you, all they can do is offer you an alternative, but you won’t get a free drink on top of it as compensation. Things can run out. Same with other products. “op=op”, that’s just reasonable to most Dutch people. We really don’t expect “above and beyond”, we’re already pleasantly surprised with “above”. Also, toll-free numbers used to get abused a lot by people, so companies decided to ask a fee. That fee is legally limited though. And I think the free returns thing of online stores is also going to go away at some point, as that gets abused a lot too.

[@johnkochen7264]

If you believe Dutch commercials, all Dutch people are married to a black person. That is silly of course but you are right when you say that people tend to not put skin color high on the list of marital dealbreakers.

[@rascalap2968]

?? Everyone is more relaxed than Americans! 😂

[@joostprins3381]

Interracial depends on where you ask, same about nudity, just go to someone living in the Bible Belt.

[@TheAndjelika]

There is no such a thing as interracial, same as there are no races. There are only humans with different attributes, like eye color, skin color, hair color, height, weight, body shape and so and so, and all of this attributes are beautiful. We should mix more, because mixing more creates better people, better humans, more sophisticated DNA. Whenever we use word - race, we admit races and actually support racists in some way.

[@Wrecker3D]

I can say I don't care about your race or religion (or other factors) as long as your behave and are respectful... People can look good on the outside and have a rotten core and vice versa... So I see myself as "colorblind" If we are talking about a race I think there should be more differences then color of skin or praying to (another) god, race is when a tail make you a Cat or Dog etc. not because your roots lay in China or Africa etc. The problem with the acceptance is mostly government not stepping up or pointing fingers at a (random?) color while saying: "Not welcome!" or "Job thieves" or as Trump said it in USA "RAPISTS!" We the people... ALL of us not just USA or EU/NL should know better... especially EU citizens: We had 2 wars, one more devastating then the other, populations being wiped out because of believes and background... I mean I know to many people are fleeing poverty or warzones and atm we're overwhelmed with it, but we should stop any "one bad apple ruins the whole batch" mentality (I would understand if we were making apple juice or applesauce but these are people and you should treat them as individuals only punishing those who can't seem to behave) Anyway, before I make it even more political or keep ranting on I do hope we're better then most other countries, an will try to learn about and get to know each other better before we put a stamp on or put in a box someone and either drop them, fear them, or bully them. -Note: I'm someone with an open door policy, if it's in my power to help (although it might not be much) I will do so... even when I've been burned before, as I know that's the person that was rotten, not the whole of society (even if some politicians try to tell it is so)

[@brigittelehmann9749]

I find the Americans are stuck up

[@gardenjoy5223]

I don't like the nudity at all. Find it idiotic. If you can only sell it, using nudity, then your product must have little worth. But I also don't like at all, how in the US people seem to sleep with each other all the time. Look at how Grey's anatomy started and how it went along. You didn't see the boobs, but enough bottoms. But there was very much emphasize on having sex all the time. Even with strangers. Met an American woman in the nineties, who expressed, that she felt compelled in her group to have sex each and every day with whichever boy wanted it. Yikes!

[@jappetah6155]

thats because they are selfish .as long as you are no threat to their personal well being they do not care.

[@raffaguitars]

maybe we should stop calling it inter-racial and name it inter-cultural, we are all part of one race, the human race..

[@marcokruijsheer9947]

😂

[@chrisoneill3999]

So Americans are OK when they want your money. Otherwise, not so much.

[@situationsixtynine8743]

1: Americans should stop sexualizing the human body 2: interracial marriage was never prohibited in the Netherlands 3: the Dutch don't like acting different than they are 4: dessert used to be a thing back in the days but it got less and less common in many households 5: most nations recognize humans as humans and not economic cattle, a healthy workforce is crucial for the economy.

[@BlackMoridin]

As a black Dutch libertarian you lost me when you used the Q shaman as a screenshot for "racist" he's not a racist. Also about interacial dating, the Dutch part of the Caribbean has been part of the Netherlands for over 600 years. So there have been black Dutch people as part of the culture for litteral centuries. That's why interracial dating is nothing special

[@blinkybillist]

If you say that Q shaman is not racist, then you will be accused of being white supremacist, regardless of your skin colour - the world has gone stupid.

[@pietervanderzwaan4295]

600 years lol then the dutch were practically the first in america lets make it 400 and then you're right.

[@BlackMoridin]

@@pietervanderzwaan4295 400 then whatever you get the idea 😉 Ik schreef dit om 4 am me4 een bakkie op

[@pietervanderzwaan4295]

@@BlackMoridin its okay everyone makes mistakes.

[@caliberto5087]

Americans? America is a continent, not a country.