5 things the United States obsesses over, and the Netherlands... not so much.

5 things the United States obsesses over, and the Netherlands... not so much.
Guns: The United States has a strong gun culture and a significant obsession with firearms. The Netherlands, on the other hand, has much stricter gun control laws and a relatively low prevalence of gun ownership. The Dutch society places a greater emphasis on public safety and the idea of living without the constant concern of gun violence.
Money-focused lifestyle: The United States tends to have a more materialistic and money-driven culture compared to the Netherlands. In the US, there is often a strong emphasis on financial success, accumulation of wealth, and the pursuit of the "American Dream." In contrast, the Dutch society places a greater emphasis on work-life balance, social welfare, and overall well-being.
Hyper-competitiveness: Competition is ingrained in various aspects of American life, from education and career to sports and personal achievements. The Netherlands, while valuing personal growth and achievement, has a more cooperative and collaborative approach to many aspects of life. The Dutch prioritize egalitarianism and maintaining a healthy work-life balance over cutthroat competition.
Fear-based lifestyle: The United States, due to various factors like media influence and historical events, often has a culture of fear and heightened security concerns. This can manifest in personal safety anxieties, concerns about crime, or fear of terrorism. In contrast, the Netherlands has a reputation for being relatively safe, with low crime rates and a society that promotes a sense of security and trust.
Fast-paced lifestyle: The United States is known for its fast-paced, work-driven culture, where people often work long hours and prioritize productivity over leisure time. The Netherlands, however, has a more relaxed and laid-back lifestyle, with a greater emphasis on work-life balance and taking time for leisure activities, hobbies, and spending time with family and friends.
Moving to the Netherlands from the US can provide a different perspective and allow individuals to experience a lifestyle that is less focused on these particular obsessions. The slower pace, emphasis on well-being, and reduced worries about guns and personal safety can contribute to a sense of peace and overall well-being for those who make the transition.
0:00 Intro
1:28 Money
4:27 Bigger the Better
9:40 Being Competitive
14:22 Image Looks
19:37 Guns

[@bramharms72]

There's lots of things us Dutchies obsess over like: Soft rain, heavy rain, rain with sleet, rain with wind, rain with wind and sleet, rain with mist, rainstorms, spring rain, autumn rain, rain and sometimes even a lack of rain.

[@Elisabeth121-uk6pc]

😂🤣🤣 yep

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Love it!😊 Eric

[@mariaslokker1841]

😂😂😂

[@jeroenklink9855]

Dont forget to complain that it is to warm when summer is 2 day's old.

[@Wielie0305]

Hahaha true

[@ingeborgsvensson4896]

I'm a 65 yo Dutch woman who had a very happy and successful life so far. But if I watch a US movie about high school and they choose 'most likely to succeed' they always mean which student is going to make the most money. And that is such a weird concept to me. If I look back and think of the times in my life I was most happy were usually the times when I had the least money to spend. My life has been extremely successful and I achieved almost everything I wished for but none of it had anything to do with money.

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

Waarom heeft u een Scandinavische naam?

[@ingeborgsvensson4896]

@@MargaritaMagdalena Vernoemd naar oma. Waarom heeft u een bijbelse naam?

[@MargaritaMagdalena]

@@ingeborgsvensson4896 Het is een screenname die ik heb bedacht voor op het internet.

[@kkemp221]

My parents learned me, if you can't appreciate the small things in life you don't deserve the big things

[@NLKINK]

I live in the northern part of The Netherlands (Drenthe) and I have spotted quite a few Dodge Ram pick up trucks lately. While they actually fit (just) on the rural roads they do not fit between the lines of parking spaces. The owners don't want their precious pick ups damaged or scratched so they often take in two parking spaces. It's annoying.

[@annemarel]

I've lived in the US (also Texas) for a while for my ex-husbands work, and it struck me how superficial this society is. Wouldn't want to go back, even if I'd get paid for it 🤣 It's exactly as you've described. If you look at it, it's all based on fear; fear for rejection, safety, not having enough, ... Who wants to live like that?!

[@dutchyjhome]

Yes indeed, it feels all so desperate....so outrageously hysterical attempt to not to drown in this consumerism and fear, fear allover, there are so many really scared people out there in the USA, I mean on a daily basis.... man that will melt your brain. It is common for soldiers to come home from the battlefield from a combat situation, having PTSD.... But if you ask me, all those permanent scared Americans walking around caring guns, they also suffer from PTSD as well. In fact the convincing majority of the people in the USA may suffer from PTSD.

[@thomasbarchen]

I grew up in Houston but got the hell out of there 25 years ago and never looked back. I need an ocean to keep me apart from the US.

[@IliaKemp]

Sounds horrible!

[@ingeborgsvensson4896]

Old joke: Dutch guy visits his cousin in Texas. Everything turns out to be enormous in size. My god you house is huge, he says. The cousin shows him his big truck, the Dutch guy is baffled by the size of it. The cousin want to show him the swimming pool behind the house but as they approach it the Dutch guy slips and falls in the pool. In blind panic he shouts: don't flush, please don't flush!

[@thomasbarchen]

@@ingeborgsvensson4896 You must have just made that one up or?

[@joostvanlinge263]

Yes, it is very hard to obtain a legal gun in the Netherlands and Europe in general. But keep in mind that that those guns are for sports; no one wants a gun to protect his family against his neighbors or his government.

[@aislingbooks]

And I believe you'd be arrested here too if trying to do so. Am I right?

[@gstar1084]

@@aislingbooks You are allowed to use proportional force during a home invasion. That's a very strict criterium. If someone invades your home with a gun and threatens to shoot you, you can fire. If an unarmed non violent burglar enters your home you can try to detain him, but you better not use a weapon. In practice the police will do a quite thorough investigation after you shoot someone. (It's up to the police/DA to prove a suspect shot someone, the presumption of innocence. However it's up to you to prove, that you where truly in danger if you claim self defence).

[@aislingbooks]

​@@gstar1084 - thanks for clarifying

[@NinaW1n]

@@aislingbooksThe gun should be in a bolted safe, seperate from the bullits, so it should not be just laying there for the grabs, so even when someone is entering your house its not that you can easily get your gun and shoot them. But having said that, a few years ago there was a case when a jewelery store was robbed, the wife heard that her husband was being attacked, she shot the robbers with an illegal gun that they had bought after a precious robbery, the robbers died, the wife was nót proscecuted for shooting the robbers because it was an emergency, but her husband (who survived) was prosecuted for owning an illegal gun. He did not get a very high punishment if i remember correctly because the family had suffered enough already ofcourse.

[@Blackadder75]

@@aislingbooks you won;t be arrested if you are trying to buy a legal gun here, it;s just that the criteria to get a legal gun here are 1000% stricter

[@gilles111]

We had some monstertruck festivals in NL. Nowadays they are less popular as there has been a very serious incident with such a car in Haaksbergen in 2014. At the incident a monstertruck ran into the people watching the show, 3 people were killed and 28 people were wounded. Since the incident there are much less festivals, as Dutchies weren’t into monstertrucks at all from the beginning.

[@StevenQ74]

We did have the official "Monster Jam" shows a few times in Rotterdam and Arnhem, next year Monster Jam will be in Arnhem again in may

[@gilles111]

@@StevenQ74 As far as I remember, those shows were never sold out. But good for the fans to have the show return.

[@FoxInClogs]

If the Dutch are competitive, it's about who can get something for the lowest price. 😋

[@annebokma4637]

You mean to say you can't get it down to zero euro? 😂

[@aislingbooks]

🤣🤣🤣

[@IliaKemp]

Oi!!

[@RocRizzo]

I heard that it was the Dutch and the Scottish who invented copper wire. a Dutchman and a Scotsman saw a penny on the ground, and both grabbed it at once.

[@IliaKemp]

@@RocRizzo 🤣🤣

[@Quincypatty]

So funny (and true) to watch your channel as an Dutch expat living in Texas! 😂 thanks!

[@aislingbooks]

My youngest Colorado son just had a birthday, and his older brother bought him a bucket of bullets for the AR-15 rifle his Iowan in-laws gave him as a gift. I was shocked, to say the least, though I know he's responsible and only uses it for sport. Still, OMG. I feel more and more the foreigner when I return and revisit my homeland.

[@peggygraham6129]

Live in Ireland now for 17 years Most of this is also true here.If I could describe US culture in one word it would be "superficial".

[@aislingbooks]

And the Irish culture not?

[@gardenjoy5223]

@@aislingbooks No. Rather straightforward. Much like the Dutch. The Irish are known for their hospitality and its not fake.

[@aislingbooks]

I've lived and worked in both America and Ireland, my Irish roots being through my grandfather. So, please don't stereotype. I love both cultures, and yet neither are perfect. I've seen a lovely friendliness and charitableness of both as well as the flipside. And, yes, the Irish have it too. I can also say this for the Dutch, as I'm a resident here in the NL and have been for many years now. Basically, we're all part of the human race, the good, the bad and the ugly. 🙂🙃😇

[@annedenhaag3511]

I have worked for a Big Four company and I have met many Americans who came to the Dutch branch for 3-4 years. And although I have not kept score, I think at least 50% of them decided to stay in The Netherlands (or Europe) after these 3-4 years. Reasons given: (1) better work-life balance, (2) not so much 'keeping up with the Jones's' as in the US, (3) less materialistic and (4) overall a better quality of life.

[@robertsteinberger5667]

I had 30 holiday days at Cargill in the netherlands

[@RealConstructor]

@@robertsteinberger5667I have a technical job in construction, but an office job here in The Netherlands. And I get 49 (including 8 senior days) vacation days a year. 13 of those are payed monthly in my salary, so one and a twelfth days per monthly wage. I can buy them back if I need them, if not, I have a higher salary. We have a reasonably good CAO (Collective Labor Agreement). Americans should try it.

[@marcusfranconium3392]

Dutch opbringin mantra was and is for generations of children the 3 "R" Rust ,Regelmaat , Reinheid , Rest , Regularity , Cleanliness . If you eat the same amount of food , at the same times you dont over eat or are tempted to eat huge amounts . The same benefit of having dinner at 5pm-6PM Your body gets the chance to digest the food before sleeping putting your body in to complete rest when sleeping .

[@Blackadder75]

my grandmother lives by those rules and next year she will celebrate her 97th birthday.....

[@pintdigitaleproeverij3916]

Another beautiful video! I wonder if the Dutch mentality is not so much about comparing what you have with the neighbors, as about the question that everyone asks whether you really need to have a big car. The usefulness of things is the question. Why big dishes if you can't eat it? Why get a 10 when a 6 is ​​enough to pass. In general, I think that the Dutch are not so quick to compare themselves with others, but are much more likely to maintain their own reference.

[@aislingbooks]

It had always been my plan to get my PhD after taking a long sabbatical teaching internationally. But when readying myself to do so, a close Dutch friend took me aside and asked what my plans were afterward. 'Do you need it for work?' she asked. 'Or is this a move to feed your ego?' I had to confess the latter and never ended up pursuing it. If I had needed the PhD for work, which these days you actually do to teach at the university level, I would've done so in a heartbeat. Yet, at the time, I would've had to involve myself in an exhaustive and costly process that included unpaid travel overseas, which I wasn't ready to do. Now, do I regret this decision of mine? I can honestly say that I don't. By slowing down and living and working within my means, I've allowed myself to experience more creativity and live a quality of life without all the stress and hassle I would have been undergoing just to feel better about myself amongst my peers.

[@Blackadder75]

@@aislingbooks I have the intellect to obtain a PhD, but not the self discipline to achieve that. I don't mind anymore that i haven't achieved everything I 'potentially could' I can still enjoy reading somebody else's PhD research or scientific publication when my intelectual side needs some stimulation. That my daily job is on a lower level is ok, as you say it prevents a lot of stress. The world keeps turning without me inventing a cure to cancer

[@arranchace1306]

@@Blackadder75 I had a high intensity high paid job on a HBO level in the telecom for our well known dutch telecom provider from when it was still a state controlled compagny till a few years ago. I was fed up with the overtime, workload and the general direction the whole sector was taking in work/life balance, so i quitted my job after i making more and morte overtime hours and it was expected that you do so, even got negative remarks of my manager when i wanted to take it a little more slow due personal reasons so i desided to quit, and complete switched career into a field that coulnd't be more opposite, and now work in a kind of Museum in a kind of technical function, bit hard to explain what i do.. still getting my bearings too, in how diverse it is. Pay maybe little less, but i love this job, and wished i made this change years ago, and funniest is many old co-workers really envy my current job. I think this is what is the dutch mentality, My Mother had a saying You work to Live, You dont live to work, and those words, now that i getting older making are more and more sense to me. We strife more for personal happiness in life, over flaundering wealth, and our society due to our way of thinking also allows us have have way less crime, for most people here is no reason to choose for a career in crime just for survival and be even able to raise their kids. But then.. i am dutch... so i know more enough topics about the Netherlands i am more as capable off to complain about ;-) like we all dutch have mastered.. Ain't the weather extreme nice for the time of year.. think its too hot, dont you agree, but damn that rain yesterday did sucked, and the wind was kinda chilly, and dammit i forgot to bring my coat and today i brought my coat, and i just could wear a tshirt.. I hate Dutch weather...

[@GewoonFrieda]

Your video's make me realise that I couldn't or wouldn't ever live in the USA.

[@aislingbooks]

What Eric and Tammy are discussing here is 'oppervlakkig' yet deeply imbedded in the general culture. Remember that America is vast, its states huge and its populations often totally different from one another in their overall geographic and cultural perspectives. I come from a long line of immigrant families on both sides as well. America, in fact, is a nation of immigrants whether by choice or brought over indentured or enslaved. Even the native Americans have mixed cultures in their DNA depending on where their tribes hail from. Some have more French, others more Asian and still others more Spanish mixes in their bloodlines. For someone in Europe to say that they would never live in the USA is a personal preference, of course. Yet, it's also shortsighted, as there is so much incredible beauty in the land, so much culturally rich heritage to take note and be proud of as well as being ashamed of. Yet, you can also say this about the Dutch; and I'm thinking of the VOC in particular.

[@IliaKemp]

Absoluut niet.

[@AlexGys9]

Question: if people in the USA are judged based on their looks, how come so many of them are so horribly dressed? I mean cargo shorts, gym clothes, baseball cap, sneakers, shorts and t-shirt with some awful print, ....

[@catharinaforbes-boeren82]

Exactly what I saw in Californië.

[@aislingbooks]

🤣🤣🤣 Might it have something to do with the fact that the current population of the US (2023) is 400,000,000 +/- people? 😜

[@MacXpert74]

I was thinking about that too. I often have seen comments from Americans that say people go outside and to the supermarket dressed in baggy clothes or in their pajamas, and how it used to be so much better several decades ago. You don’t see that here in the Netherlands. People will at least dress normally when they go outside. I think part of the reason for it has to do with there being a wider range between poor and rich people in the USA. Although we also have poor people here of course. But most people will try to stick to a reasonable standard with how they dress in public.

[@Blackadder75]

@@MacXpert74 MBO teacher here... Every year we have a few students whom we have to explain that it is a nice idea to shower a bit more often and change clothes, and not wear your baggy sweatpants into class , but maybe get a pair of jeans. So i think the problem does exist in the netherlands, just not so often

[@jaspermooren5883]

​@@Blackadder75yeah but those are 16-17 year olds, and even then a very small minority. I think there is a big difference between that and the prevalence in the US. I remember being in Hoboken, New Jersey (we stayed there during our vacation in New York, it was like 15 min via metro to go to Manhattan, but half the price), and when we went there to the supermarket I was kinda shocked how many people were there in not a lot more than pijamas. Like 20% or something. This was pretty late at night, but still. In the Netherlands seeing 1 35 year old in pajamas on the street (even at 2 am) would be very noteworthy, and people might check out if everything is ok.

[@TheEvertw]

Dutch Motto: Good is good enough (Goed is goed genoeg -- used to be my company's motto) American Motto: Everything worth doing is worth overdoing.

[@SwirlingSoul]

Actually Eric, if you do go shopping in your PJ's, and they KNOW you at your store as a regular, they'll definitely ask if you're okay, or if you need help. (at least here in Drenthe I'm sure that's the case. not sure about the bigger cities.) They'd probably help you too.

[@bepsnet]

Dit wilde ik ook schrijven, in PJ zie je hier geen mens over straat lopen of je krijgt even met een dokter te maken.

[@aislingbooks]

In mijn tijd hier heb ik een paar mensen uit het Midden-Oosten in hun pyjama zien winkelen zonder dat iemand anders er iets over zei. We deden allemaal gewoon ons eigen ding. Toch vroeg ik me af of ze zich daadwerkelijk realiseerden dat ze nachtkleding droegen die niet bedoeld was voor dagelijks gebruik. Toch kon het mij schelen? Nee hoor ... haha

[@pjotrh]

PJs yes, but I did notice over the C. word years, that people would show up a lot more in their comfy ‘only-at-home’ clothes. And I definitely spotted a few sweatpants with hidden under the jacket, pj tops back then.

[@philkleingeld949]

I used to be a tour director for American coming over to Europe for their holdays. (How to see Europe in 7 days ;>) I noticed another obsession, Eric and Tammy, and that is 'numbers'. 'Phil, how many stones does the Peace Palace have?' 'How many languages do you speak?' Who is the owner of all those castles along the river Rhine?'. 'How many compositions Mozart wrote?' 'How much money do you make? (A tabu question in Europe!' 'How many sheep in Scotland? How many this, how many that'. Maybe a subject why this is?

[@jurgenrusch4041]

I fully recognize this. Somehow, but I might be wrong, I think this falls under the "the bigger the better" topic. Because, once you know that Palace X had so and so many stones, you can compare it with Palace Y and say "oooh, but Palace X had more stones" (or less, whatever). It goes without saying that the topic 'number of stones to build the palace' could in fact be almost any number of items. Or size, or length or volume etc.

[@philkleingeld949]

@@jurgenrusch4041 Of course I did not know the answer to the question how many bricks there are in the Peace Palace in The Hague, so I gave a ficticious number with the remark 'Feel free to start counting but we leave in 5 minutes.' ;>)

[@AxeGaijin]

The Netherlands: More bycicles then people. 'merica: More guns then people. Also, another thing in the US is car culture, and going everywhere per car, even for short distances. Mostly due to car centric infra structure and urban planning.

[@bikinginboston]

Exactly!

[@liesbethvansilfhout1255]

That makes my home country a save place to be ❤

[@jeffafa3096]

Funny thing is, you can actually use the car centric infrastructure that is already there for bikes and pedestrians instead. Simply close off the road to cars, make them go around. You'll see people cycling and walking, and kids playing in the street within days. It's really easy to implement too, people just have to be willing to change it.

[@mavadelo]

When it comes to competition I think the Dutch mainly only get excited for football, Speed skating and since a few years of course Formula One.

[@yvonnebirch6026]

I was a fun video guys ! You were very generous to point out some obsessions in your home country. ThingsI have wrestled with as a Dutch woman living here. One thing I don’t totally agree with. At least not in my personal experience. I see kids, grown ups too. in pj pants an all manner of sloppy outfits, out and about. Of course I live in a seaside town in no Cal so it is somewhat relaxed here. On my trips back to Amsterdam I always felt I had to dress up like I used to when I lived there. That was over 40 years ago though. The world has changed a lot since then. May be America is so extreme because everything is more extreme, even nature is more extreme. The American West, New Mexico, the desert of Nevada, Death Valley. It is all huge ! And very beautiful I have to add. In general though I have to admit the `Netherlands has a better quality of life. I wish I had appreciated that more when I still lived there. 🌷💕🌷🇳🇱🌷🇳🇱🌷💕🇳🇱

[@yourimoggre]

America is so different… but… We have those self made vehicles too! You have to see “Ter land, ter zee en in de lucht” (By land, by sea and in the air)

[@mkeizer8134]

Courageous of you to talk about some of these issues. Most Americans try to avoid them because it's to polarizing. Is it they don't like to discuss? Most of us do like to discuss.Guns: in Florida today you can even carry guns concealed. I am also flabbergasted about ads, news and fast talking (because Ads every 3 minutes!). Compare news on BBC or ARD and NPO. Sure there is more to talk about, thanks for now.

[@aislingbooks]

I was ghosted by some of my family for discussing things during the Trump years. Still, I hope this fool never gains impetus again.

[@Wielie0305]

Hahaha, this one made me laugh a lot! Tammy’s reaction after Eric’s comment “Money equals happiness” said it all for me 😃. Not to mention the love thingy. It’s universal I guess… Oh boy, we can complain! It’s in our nature… Dutch card game? Maybe ‘klaverjassen’?

[@dutchangle229]

US inherited the adversarial system from England. Nederland has a cooperative system. Makes all the difference where it comes to that competition thing. Historically, when it comes to keeping the sea or river out of your house, cooperation works a lot better than competition.

[@aislingbooks]

I absolutely agree with this. So why is this so hard to do? You have to be willing to give a little to have a proper give and take balance.

[@NinaW1n]

In the Netherlands you can only own a gun for sport shooting, absolutely not for self-defence like in the US. Besides the rules you already mention you also have to keep it in a locked safe, seperate from the bullets, you can only transport them from and to the shooting club you are a member of and there are some other rules as well. But the main thought about it is: you only use it for sport so there is no need to have it laying around the house ready for grabs.

[@oscardeklijne1]

Wederom een hele leuke en interessante aflevering. Dank jullie en ga zo door!

[@aislingbooks]

I know that Eric and Tammy love to joke around a lot, and they are humorous. But when they get serious I actually enjoy their conversations better ... well, like this one. What Tammy touched on when she bravely disclosed her growing up years and being told that she couldn't get fat was a message I've also struggled with all my life, as I'd been raised on-stage and before the camera. This is no longer so, but her words hit home. And when she admitted that she'd be struggling with this issue all her life, I could totally relate. The problem with such an attitude imprinted especially on young girls is that it sets them up to have struggles with eating disorders (ED) and other body-oriented mental and physical issues that can be unhealthy and easily lead to unrealistic expectations, depressions, and, in some extreme cases, like the singer/songwriter Karen Carpenter's, death. Dying to be thin is a real thing in America. And ED issues are so prevalent that IMO they should be openly discussed and not taken lightly. I was confronted with this issue time and time again with secondary school children during my early teaching years in America. And it's so sad that it breaks your heart.

[@tetaomichel]

Complaining is a way to get rid of those negative feelings. But the best follow up is a smile.

[@jorgkuijt4735]

In the Netherlands we have a saying: "Doe normaal, Je bent al gek genoeg..¨ ( Act normal...you are already crazy enough...)... Love your content :)

[@aislingbooks]

I agree, and there is something calming about this Calvinistic adage. On the other hand, when I first moved to the Netherlands, I was again working in the secondary school system while learning Dutch and better learning to integrate into its society. And teaching on this level, I observed that, unlike my American students, these learners tended not to want to excel above their peers. Rather than being motivated by my attention and praise, they would often cringe when I openly admired their work. My solution was for more group work, which I observed them being more motivated by and having more fun with. For me this was truly a cultural eye-opener.

[@FoxInClogs]

Is this aimed at Eric? 🤣

[@aislingbooks]

@@FoxInClogs - hahaha

[@ritaboes]

For me there are a lot off misconceptions about the "act normal" statement. For me ( and a lot off people I speak with) this statement just means, " no matter what if you work in sanitation or you are a CEO your good as you are". So no need to overdo anything. 😊

[@lowbrowrodeo]

As a Dutch person I loathe this saying. I love it when people express themselves in a colorful out of the box way

[@charlescorbee9498]

We did have monstertruck events in the past. Unfortunately also one with a deadly accident (multiple victim’s including children) After that we don’t hear of new events

[@EdwinMartin]

An important reason that the Netherlands is so moderate is because Calvinism made a big mark on this country. And of course the Second World War. I remember my grandma not letting us throw away food, so you never cook more than needed.

[@bertschalk1798]

Wow....that was a fun video again with lots of "deja vu" moments and even a "love overload" 😅😅😅. Keep it up folks 😍

[@protectorh9167]

Nice to see that you have fun about the differences, so you can enjoy both cultures.

[@nancyruest7471]

I’m from small town New Hampshire too.😂 I laughed so hard to see the inclusion of the school bus derby!!! Thanks for that reference. It made my whole week!

[@dennisverhoef1564]

Been to Monster Jam show in Gelredome station Arnhem several times. They even had shows in Rotterdam some years ago. Next Year they will visit Gelredome again on May 11th and 12th.

[@s.b.907]

About the money thing, for me it is true. At my company there is a job opportunity which would mean a big raise. Was told the manager thinks within the company I would qualify most. So now I am thinking about this. And not about the money but how it would effect my life, if it really is a fit for me, would I want the extra stress, etc. The raise would be very nice of course, but last reason to apply for this job. I am already well within my means.

[@KramerEspinoza]

From my time in Texas I described it as follows : “Groot is mooi, veel is lekker.”

[@basvanderwerff2725]

the cardgame you mentioned is probally klaverjassen?

[@jeffafa3096]

The name of the card game is "Klaverjassen". It's my favourite card game!

[@jamesdenton3725]

23:20 In Germany the "obtaining the permit to possess a gun" part is actually the "easy" part (Waffenbesitzkarte), much harder is "obtaining the permit to *carry* a gun" (Waffenschein).

[@teotik8071]

There is a Monster-Truck show going on in Hamburg right now (23.+24. september).

[@emielhuisman9242]

I saw the part of the schoolbus demolitions , we also got that in the netherlands (not schoolbus, but vans or cars). It's very popular in the east part of the netherlands. here there called, Car rodeo or micro bangers or unlimited bangers. they also got a special arena to do that, it's in Emmer compascum nearby Emmen. These mostly guys are really nuts. just look at some youtube footage!.. But's a lot of fun to look , I like it. did some racing myself there in de past!.. So i think thats not really an american thing!.. Like what you do and say on your channel.

[@picobyte]

I've watched that bus demolition derby. It was great 👍

[@markschattefor6997]

Well if image is such a huge thing in the US explain to me the "people of walmart" pictures/videos. I'm very curious.

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

lol lol lol lol lol…. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year!! 😂😂😂😂 Eric

[@markschattefor6997]

@@SoultoSoulTravels Eric, I'm waiting for an explanation/excuse for all those stylish individuals who enjoy their freedom in the land with the most cleanest brains on the disc. They must be at least in the top 10, close with North Korea, competing with several islamic dictatorships. Maar alle gekheid op een stokje, wellicht weet Tammy het antwoord.

[@lindaraterink6451]

it comes down to practicality for Dutch. We like a big house, but is it worth it? Living in a big house when your old? Is it worth all the cleaning? Is it worth all the maintenance? I'd rather have a small house easier in upkeep, cheaper in the long run more money to spend on memories good times etc. Same as with cars, a big one doesn't fit in the garage, you can't park it anywhere, more expensive in gas parts tax. Smaller car is better.

[@mattgiant8836]

Great video again, hilariously funny you guys are

[@aislingbooks]

You are funny - like George and Gracie ... hahaha

[@nieksalomons]

I used to be a delivery-driver here in The Netherlands. My distributing-area was north-Netherlands. In Flevoland they have big villa-parks surrounding a golf course. Those people living there are really competitive, pretty sad really. I brought one week one guy a big Weber-BBQ, next week an even bigger one to the neighbour. The next week I brought the biggest one to the next neighbour. Same goes for saturday afternoon shopping at Albert Heyn, you will get stuck behind people who have too big cars to fit in the small parking-zones, it's hilarious, that's the time to go by bike. On the looks-section I would just mention that here in The Netherlands it's pretty easy to spot the foreigner among fellow Dutchies: it's the one wearing sweatpants in the supermarket. I would never wear pyama for outside, never! Guess you forgot one more topic Americans obsess about being religious, which is not a thing (thank god, lol) in the Netherlands, most of the country is secular, religion is on the fringes off society, while in USA it is, I think?

[@sirquasi]

I think religion is actually widespread in the Netherlands: there are plenty of Catholics, Protestants and Muslims. Some of them are actually quite strict in their believes (look at the bible belt). However since freedom of religion is a very important pillar of Dutch society (it has been since the 16th or 17th century) it is respected if you have your own believes. In Dutch society religion is however a very privat issue. You don't see a lot of people sharing their religion in public and pushing your believes onto someone else is frowned upon. It's fine if you practice your religion as long as you don't bother other people with it. Since Dutch society is very liberal it is however also quite normal to debate religious themes.

[@Blackadder75]

@@sirquasi we still have some religious people, but they are a minority. (my dad is a minister (dominee) I know all about it. the churches have been losing members for 60 years now. 95% of the catholics are never inside a church, except for weddings and funerals. In my family (protestants) , only 1 child out of 3 is religious and when I look at at my extended family it goes down to 10% And we are a family of preachers..... (historically) My dad is 10 years into his retirement, but he still leads church services multiple times a month, he keeps working as long as he enjoys it, because so many churches don;t have a pastor anymore. He is asked all the time. It really dies out, and if you see a growing church (those still exist!) it's because those who are left are clinging together , because it's more fun when you join a larger community. Religion can still be very important for some people, but their numbers are shrinking

[@danweldanny5039]

Was weer een leuke video. Prettig weekend

[@vinniekay0967]

When you say the dutch are on everage more moderate.. We have a couple of sayings/expressions for this: "Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" & "Beter je hoofd beneden het maaiveld te houden" Look it up! 😉❤ But seing you guys self reflecting on American society and general way of living, since moving here. Is mabe the most satisfying on following your channel, for a lotta your fans. ;) Over here, wanting to achieve Status is often (NOT ALWAYS) due to people been insecure or not havin' had that much luxury earlier in life.. Great episode again.. I could talk these topics for hours and hours with you guys hahaha

[@aislingbooks]

Me too - hours and hours. I've never commented more ... hahaha. Years back I married a Dutchman with mutual interests and hobbies, like public education and music. Yet, shortly after my coming here he'd left teaching to enter the IT world and build his own business while I initially struggled with my limited income as an international educator, having left solid employment in the States in an educational environment that was backstabbing and unhealthy for me both mentally and physically. Thus, I came here with limited funds and attempting citizenship before marriage. This for me was a real stuggle, as I was evaluated by the Dutch government purely financially, ending in a five year struggle with an immigration lawyer to obtain citizenship. Marrying in-between helped, but this wasn't why we ended up marrying. So, yes, the Dutch are VERY capitalistic minded. And yet they are also socialistic, which I find a nice blend. But I believe the Dutch government, and society here in general, can do much better. I'm always hoping that our government and culture will adopt more of the attitudes of the Scandinavian countries than those of America when thinking of a well-run society. After all, you can't have good plumbing if you don't fix its leaks.

[@vinniekay0967]

The 'American style' made it's entrance in the Netherlands indeed. Are you still living here? @@aislingbooks

[@aislingbooks]

Jazeker 😁

[@vinniekay0967]

'Nice to 've met and converse with U thru this awesome channel' @@aislingbooks 😄

[@TregMediaHD]

Drinking a half litre of paulaner now. . However the schuim i get when i recieve my half litre Weizener, is always questionable bij de kroeg. like could be a quarter of my glass .. it always is a struggle

[@inge6280]

Haha, I might smile though, if I saw you walking in the shop in your pyjama’s. Go for it!

[@nvr6859]

As a little kid, like 40 years ago I went to a Monstertruck show in the Ahoy arena. Loved it. My ears still hurt :D About image and cars, I once bought a decent sized car and a friend said to me, why would you buy such a big car (it wasn't) you can't park it anywhere and it is far too expensize to maintain :D

[@ffqm]

It's actually an achievement you found somebody that owns a gun in the Netherlands. I'm 48 now, lived here most of my life and don't know anyone who does. 😅

[@hondjevandebakker20]

When I would being served that kind of big portions on my plate, I would instantly lose my appetite.

[@Dutchbelg3]

Well some of that "American" culture has dribbled also into our local societies... It is just not so prevalent and most people do not think it is cool... Fake boobies, driving big trucks, trying to earn big numbers , live big and "show money" is considered marginal and superficial. ( American readers... don't worry we West Europeans have other pity petty sides too just different 😜) I am happy Tammy and Eric you have noticed the differences and took on the Dutch behaviour that you like 🙂 There is competition in the Netherlands too but maybe on a lower level. We trying to keep it fun and relaxed 🙂 About these eating competitions... that's something we dutchies can not appreciate .. what is the fun in just spilling food and trying to kill yourself by inflicting a heart attack ???? There are monster truck shows once in a while but they are rare. Demolition derby's are also rare (I guess Dutchies don't like to waste stuff..)

[@amyloriley]

About those Dutch café card games: there are many card game variants, all over Europe. Maybe even all over the world! Most of them are variants on so-called Trick Taking card games. You have a random hand of cards, aces to kings. In turn order, each player throws a card on the table. Then, highest number wins. That player takes the cards on the table, and puts them in front of them. That heap of cards is called a Trick, and scores are kept for the highest tricks, lowest tricks, or whatever score keeping the game requires. Some games require to play in teams, all against the dealer, free for all, lots of variants and systems. Nearly all these games also have a Trump suit, a suit of cards (hearts, spades, clovers, clubs) that is worth more than any other card. So if spades is the trump suit, a two of spades counts as a higher number than an eight of hearts. One of these games you might once have played (or tried to) is Hearts, which came to Windows computers from the Windows 98-era up to the Windows 7-era. In a sense, you could argue that hearts is the trump suit of the game, though with extra game-specific rules attached. Important cultural bit about these games is, there are many house rules to these games; there is often not even an official way to play these games. Here in Belgium, and I don't know if this is true for the Netherlands but I wouldn't be surprised, house rules are all attached to cities and municipalities. Like, if you go play a game in a café in one city, you are supposed to play that city's house rules. But if you then go to a city a bit further, you are supposed to play with that city's house rules. "In Tongeren, 10 points wins the game, each trick is worth 1 point. In Bilzen, 12 points wins the game, each trick is worth 2 points, but having 0 tricks is worth -3 points." And so on... You can find a list of trick taking games, probably incomplete with all the possible variants, at Wikipedia. Different language wikipedias often list different variants, as some variants aren't say, played in English speaking regions.

[@schiffelers3944]

The competitiveness also ties in with bigger and better/more/faster - it is all about these rushes. Puritanism, perfectionism, Hyper is a thing we could place infront a lot of the labels we got as humans by human nature when it comes to American culture/Americans. Like competitiveness, but life is not just about winning. Wasn't slap fighting a thing from Russia, that went global?

[@catharinaforbes-boeren82]

Loved this honest video, compliments, I read all the reactions too. Say hi to T&T from me too ! Have a great weekend.

[@martiekr]

Life Motto in the Netherlands: "Doe maar gewoon, je bent al gek genoeg", "act nomal, you are already crazy"

[@gardenjoy5223]

It's actually a bit different. "Doe maar gewoon, dan DOE je al gek genoeg". "Act normal, then you behave crazy enough." It's a detail, but quite a significant one. If they use your form towards you, I'd seriously think about going to a psychologist!

[@janlaarman236]

One of the most striking differences between 🇺🇸 and Holland is caretaking for the sick and needed. W' re not doing all things right, but compared to the states it's a huge difference.

[@user-yv1ql6lb5z]

There is a yearly monster truck event in Arnhem

[@gert-janvanderlee5307]

Around here there are people with guns too. But they are more sports guns. Like you see in the winter olympics in the biathlon. Those people are members of a schuttersgilde, a medieval militia for local policing and defense. But that's shooting in a friendly competition and it's more about the historical traditions.

[@user-ue7vd1cw6w]

I loved your '5 things the US obsesses over. and the Netherlands not so much'. Your way of bringing the subjects: great! Your humor: great! Your selfreflection: great! I just saw the shooting at the Erasmushospital. In your town. Would you react on that? Maybe it is to early because of the high level of emotons, Furthermore, keep on placing your videos; I love them.

[@itomg]

Great video again! I do wonder though how these obsessions evolved historically. I have a rough idea about why and how firearms and the laws concerning them came about. But the obsession to be better, bigger and so on, what's the story behind that? For us it's simple: I''m not better than anyone and nobody is better than me. It's that simple.

[@AnaryaVhargon]

Helloooo favorite couple!! You know, I never understoot that whole gun thing, must be because I'm Dutch [born and raised] or that I hate war, the army etc and everything around it, so yeah, also weapons. Great and very entertaining video again and Eric, Tammy needs way more loving *winks*.

[@ewoutpols9017]

i always share my beers with my friend. that way we can drink more different kinds of beer. so...no...in that case bigger is not better. 2618 different beers checked in so far 🍻

[@meekema3353]

I.ve been to monster jam at de De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. I was good fun.

[@kubrabenelli9117]

Looking at one of the photos it seems that prizes/awards are bigger in North America.😅

[@miltron]

I live in the US, and was quite surprised at your observation about people here being overly concerned with having the "right" clothing. I am 71, and cannot recall ever fussing about which brand or style to wear. Clean and practical is all that ever mattered to me with clothing. I am now curious - what outfit to you wear to the US in order to fit in? The clothing you are wearing in this video would never make me think twice about you being in some kind of Euro "costume".

[@CamiloSperberg]

You've definitely not gone to a trekkertrek or soapbox / flugtag competition here, fun as hell and probably invented in Europe because I can remember them from as long as I've lived. There is a certain competition going on, but it is mostly just fun. There is also a "doe normaal" mentality present which basically it about not bragging or be too ostentatious, this influences life a lot.

[@jooproos6559]

I hear you always talk about Albert Heijn as a shop.But there are a lot other shops who are cheaper than Albert Heijn.!!And NOT in any way less good !

[@ane-louisestampe7939]

"Small is beautiful" Peace and love from The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen Harbour.

[@Dutch-linux]

we got tracktor pulling ... bigger then monster trucks 🙂

[@bikinginboston]

Great video! Love the channel. Appreciate all the advice you guys give. Hoping to be in the NL this Spring. I'd add, that many of the issues you mention are the result of a society whose standard of living is in decline and, according to a 2018 Rand Corp study, $50 Trillion has been stolen from the 99% by the 1% over the last 40 years. With both political parties bought, US citizens are in a very desperate place.

[@willvangaal8412]

You are welcome in the Netherlands , ms our mr Bikingboston .

[@Blackadder75]

@@willvangaal8412 not really, we don;t have space. Syrians, Ukrainians, Americans... our country is WAY to small to welcome them all.. I am waiting for 10 years on a house. I still don't vote for the despicable alt right parties, but I can understand why people do.... It's just impossible to keep growing the population on this small area of land. We should shrink the population. So I want our political leaders to only accept war victims , and make policies to decrease the number of foreign students and economic refugees. 'but we need them for high skilled jobs!' Let's educated our own population better then, we can do that, we have excellent universities

[@eobi-edobi4275]

great video again guys, i remember when is was in the US, a small town in nebraska, i stayed there for a couple of days, one of the kids has a lot of Q, what is the drinking age ( 16? WOW ) is pot smoking realy legal, ( yes WOW awesome ) etc, what is the legal age for guns. ( you cant buy guns that weird man, dont have safety there ) was funny back then.

[@harrybruijs2614]

The bigger the better also seems to applie for people. Competiveness, but still when you drive the score up, it is poopooed about. The cardgame probably is Klaverjassen

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Bragging and vanity are a big no-no here... traditionally... Modesty is the thing..

[@Greyhound53200]

Agreed. But when 'we' excel in any field (sports, art, music, science etc.) you really can observe our 'national pride'. That's pretty much explainable because The Netherlands is one of the world's smallest countries, so if you are Europe's or the World's best that's quite an achievement.

[@fiskurtjorn7530]

2:11 I'm obsessed with language. If you stand "in front of" this pile of money, are you visible in a picture standing a. in front of Rotterdam Central Station? or b. behind Rotterdam Central station? 6:15 That's funny. In TV series you see people buy (just) a slice of pizza. I can't recall someone buying a whole for one person. while I order a whole large pizza at the local pizza place for each and every one at my house. 7:50 My neighbor has a huge and loud sound system. Therefore I don't even have (nor need) a transistor radio of my own.

[@nfboogaard]

14:14 Ohh snap she went there 😂😂😂 Tammy has the best jokes, hands down 😁

[@gardenjoy5223]

There is one thing about the Netherlands that I, as a Dutch person living abroad, do not miss: the constant traffic jams. And that With a good public transportation system. And if there's anything I do miss, it's the good public transportation system. Yeah, well, there are of course people, who now would like to point out why it is not good, but try comparing it to almost every other country in the world and the Netherlands are in the top of having it good. Oh, and I do love the sweets: the Dutch candy, the cakes, the desserts... Miss 'em So much :(

[@user-uy3dd2ii2w]

Je kunt wel merken dat je niet meer in Nederland woont het Openbaar vervoer is zo slecht geworden soms rijden er geen treinen dagen lang of is er geen buslijn meer dus dat was even een Nederlandse update.❤

[@gardenjoy5223]

@@user-uy3dd2ii2w Waar woon je dan? Dat treinen en bussen uitvallen kan ik me enkel voorstellen in dunbevolkte, afgelegen gebieden, waar deze gewoon totaal niet rendabel waren.

[@wealthlifejourney]

Its funny and had a giggle with your "tootsiens". Stereotype Americans just naturally expect people from other places in the world to know where Texas and California is located, and that we should just actually care when we are more obsessed over attending the latest live concert or enjoying a Friday afternoon borrel with friends.😅 I know there is New York (-sad that it's no longer the initial Dutch name btw)on the east, Miami in the south and Los Angeles in the west. Nothing else. Blissfully ignorant, and more worried where I can profiteer from korting on my quality but tasty cheap Rose wine that I want to enjoy this weekend😂😅🥂 proost! Very entertaining to watch you!❤😊

[@aislingbooks]

Hahaha - you sound like one of my old HBO students who loudly objected to any Friday HW assignment. 'No way!' he said. 'It cuts into our pub time!' 😅

[@TheBab63238]

Do you feel unsafe in Rotterdam because of some explosions in the drugs-scene?

[@schiffelers3944]

As always - loved your energy and interactions in the video. Paid with love aka in natura (barter). In the Netherlands we have moments of knife incidents, the frustrations and psychological instabilities are human. Restrictions allow for certain freedoms to exist. Traffic laws as example. It all depends on which freedoms are seen as more important, a collective vs an individual. You are considerate to the enviroment you are part off. That is what the social rules and laws serve as purpose in a society/civilization. Guns are made for killing, even if accidental. A knife is more than just for taking a life, and there are just in ways like guns different types of knives, some specific or better for killing or butchering. A gun/rifle is either for hunting or shooting. It is designed to be leathal and kill. The cat of my childhood neighbors got shot by a bb-gun by a person that didn't want cats in their garden. That cat died from internal bleeding, which took a time, and the owner had no clue what was going on until the cat had passed and the vet did an autopsy to find out what had happened. One of the reasons I don't let our cats out, they are indoor cats. Near where I grew up as a child there once was found a body hacked in pieces, this turned out to be a butcher, and his wife and daughter used his own knives on him. With a butter knife this is harder to do. We can kill people with our bare hands, even on accident. Why fighting is bad, and only a last resort. Wie het niet met woorden aankan grijpt naar (fysiek) geweld. Zinloos geweld Nederland (founded 1997) & het Lieveheersbeestje. I mean we had our problems also, we still have problems. Loverboys; 1995 became a public concern, but also do to the minor ages at that time. It still exists up to some points. Think Andrew Tate the toxic Alpha Male/bro. We have the same/similar probelems, but compared; ours are micro as American are macro. We also do some things different in how we deal with them.

[@aislingbooks]

Very well said. Thank you. We had so-called 'loverboys' at our middleschools too until the admin finally cracked down on them. Het was vreselijk om te zien hoe jonge meisjes werden bedrogen door deze gepimpte charmeurs. 😒

[@schiffelers3944]

@@aislingbooks En toen kwam Andrew Tate. Bij hem moest ik hier meteen aan terug denken.

[@rotflol6666]

thatr pyama shopping is frowned up even here! No Walmart crazies here!

[@deborahmacrae8299]

I find your observations about Americans obsession with image interesting. There seems to be a huge paradox here. Obsessed with their image and yet there is so much obseity. And so many people wandering around in sportswear. Europeans wear sportswear in the gym or when exercising outdoors, not to do the shopping. Europeans also tend towards quality not quantity when it comes to clothes.

[@CrownRider]

When we visited the west of the USA in 1995 we thought the people in rural areas were not too fancy with clothes. We saw the US change a lot in that regard in the last decades indeed. In the Netherlands we were brought up in a way to be negative towards guns. Only two kinds of people here wear guns; cops and villains. So if you see someone with a gun, and it's not the police, it must be a.......

[@koevoetje]

How older you get the more you understand that you need money..But love,free time and time with ones you like and love is the most important........

[@Peter_Scheen]

As for the second amendment, it is about a "well organized militia" that is allowed to have weapons. It is not about individuals. It is the NRA that pushes the freedom of guns. As a Dutchman I cannot fathom the fact that children in schools have special drills for when an idiot starts shooting. This gun fetish is simply something that I do not understand.

[@hikefishcook6796]

Kids 16 17 and 18 year old of my sister in law where on vacation in the Netherlands... and did not wanna go back to Boston 😂

[@drekruizinga8696]

Question: In the US (by Law), you can own a gun for defence isn't ? So my question is: Why do they sell Asssault riffles ?

[@bdgza]

In case you need to overthrow the government.

[@peterkralt2478]

Becase that just happens to be a name, a rifle never assaulted anyone or any gun for that matter!! People do or don't!!! And they can do that with any weapon, scissors, screwdriver, car staplegun or table leg!

[@palantir135]

The Dutch are competitive at speed skating.

[@schiffelers3944]

I would say for most of the 5 items the Dutch mentality; *doe normaal dan doe je gek genoeg* is part of the differences. The way we look at life, with our Dutch comfort so to speak. It could always be worse, most of the times. Even rock bottom can go deeper if you dig your own grave. Also we care about quality of life - why we have euthanasia laws. We work to live, we don't live to work. It's all these differences. Still is weird how American don't seem to go for this thinking they got it all and better. US execptionalism/superiority (complex) that is part of the US culture and propaganda's. But we also Americanized, a lot over the decades after WWII, movies and entertainment, music, internet and social media.

[@winterswijk1970]

I really enjoy the video Eric and Tammy!!,, ❤😘Tammy 😘❤. 👍👊👊

[@davygabriels7971]

One thing that surprises me when watching documentarys, for Americans measurements always have to be compared with something physical. For example, if someone is told: this is 100m, that is the length of x schoolbusses, etc... Here we just say: this is 100m. Period. Maybe it has something to do with the use of their old fashioned imperial system instead of our metric system.

[@janeising3585]

I think you mean the cardgame "klaverjassen". Oh boy this is among the players a big thing!

[@RogierVoet]

They have monster trucks but they are a bit smaller than in the states.

[@Capibaro]

I love this video. My takes response on your points: 1) money; here it i snot about money. But the opposite is true. If you have a lot of money that is ok, but if you flaunt it people will hate you. Instead of praising you for your success. People will see you as a jerk. Furthermore we pay a lot of taxes so there is a huge social safety net. I understand the value of that but it reduces ownership and maybe even entrepreneurship (I am central right leaning politically) 2) Oversize me: I am always amazed at how big the cars are and actually everything is in the US. Onze in New orleans me and a friend ordered a sea food Platter. We were expecting fresh seafood. We got seafood but all was battered and you could seriously feed 6 people of each of our plates. We ended up secretly putting most in a bad we brought not to offend the restaurant staff (so they thought we finished more or less our plates). In hindsight they must have thought we were craze as no real person could finish a plate like that. But still like that all those things show ambition. 3) Competitiveness: I cannot really comment on this. I am competitive to a fault. I just learn't (being Dutch) that being so open about it is maybe socially not the best thing to be extravert about. I think we are also competitive, but maybe harder for people from abroad to disect. It is more hidden/nuanced. 4) Image: In my experience it matters a lot where you are in the US. It differs a lot. I also find it hard to comment on this, but as a teenager there is definitely the same vibe. Maybe not only in appearance. But isn't it something that disappears when you get older. You and your network value you for your personality instead of what you have or how you look. Must be the same in the US? 5) Guns: I kind of understand that you really don't want the government to be at your kitchen table and decide what you do or own. But this is so culturally different. It is really wear here. Personally i find it very dangerous for everyone to have guns. Think it is human to sometimes have a red waze before your eyes. If you add guns it can get very dangerous.

[@riesffthe8792]

You guys make me laugh so much. I can say a 1000 thinks about this subject, but i leave it at my opinion.😂

[@Dr.BenjiBuddy]

A common thing we say in the Netherlands is "I don't live to work, I work to live". Work is only a part of my life to pay for bills and trips. Once that's covered I'd rather have a few more hours of free time to enjoy life with my girlfriend and dogs, than to work those extra hours for a little more money. As for getting a gun in the Netherlands, only hardcore criminals have guns. I've never heard of a regular citizen owning a gun.

[@wm7195]

Once an Italian compared an American cup of coffee to a lake in which he could drown. An Italian espresso is really tiny.