7 MORE Culture Shocks from Americans Living in The Netherlands

7 MORE Culture Shocks from Americans Living in The Netherlands
This week, we are taking you on a tour of the Leidse Hout Park and talking about more of the culture shocks we've experienced during our time living in The Netherlands. We've been living in The Netherlands for almost a year and six months now, and truly enjoy our lives here. As we become more comfortable living here, a few things have taken us a bit more time to adjust. We've compiled a list of 7 more culture shocks we've experienced personally. We believe that these culture shocks aren't necessarily positive or negative, but more different than our lives in America.
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Dutch Cuisine
03:59 Breakfast and Brunch Culture
06:24 The Netherlands is more than Amsterdam
08:47 Dutch Following the Rules
11:24 Leidse Hout Park
12:15 Telling Time in Dutch
13:50 Giving Birth in The Netherlands
18:04 How Happy People Are
20:11 Wrap Up
Our first culture shocks video: • 7 Culture Shocks from ...
If you like our video please subscribe for more food, travel, and life as an expat! / tandtgodutch
We're Tracey and Travis, an American couple who just moved with our Miniature Husky, Tabasco, from our home in Houston, Texas to the city of Leiden, The Netherlands. Our goal is to be interesting people, which is reflected in our channel. We appreciate all of your support on this crazy awesome journey!
The vlog continues on Instagram! Follow us @tandtgodutch
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#expats
#thenetherlands
#cultureshocks

[@MichelBaek]

GO BACK TO making more great videos. And for special breakfast you can make it yourself like you made your bacon pancakes. There are special foodstores for your food demands. About Dutch people not following rules, you are aware Americans ain’t angels right? For having kids, having less pressure and have a healthier and happier life you are in the right place. P.s. give Tabasco a hug for me. ❤️❤️❤️

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Americans are probably worse lol! We’ll for sure give Tabasco a hug. Thanks for your continued support!

[@Michiel-777]

The rules for time are like this: There are 2 'train stations': Half (..:30) and heel (..:00). The train only stops at those two stations. The halfway station is half of the way towards the next destination. So that is why it's always refering to the next hour. The first 15 minutes we look back to the last station we left (1 over 2, 5 over 2, 10 over 2, kwart over 2). After the first 15 minutes are over we don't look back anymore, but are looking forward to the next stop. So half 3 is our next 'train station'. So after the first 15 minutes we want to know how many minutes until we arrive at that important train station. So if it's taking us 11 minutes before we get there, it's 11 voor half 3. After we have left the station 'Half 3' we feel homesick for 14 minutes and look back to that wonderful train station called 'Half 3'. After 15 minutes we have finally dried our tears and we have become excited for the next stop, which is... 3 uur! So every time from ..:45 onward we want to know how many minutes it takes to get to our next destination: so kwart voor 3, 14 voor 3, 10 voor 3, 5 voor 3 etc.) It's helpful to picture an analogue clock and not a digital one. It does make sense, but it does take the will to want to understand it. But I do understand if you've not grown up with this system, it is confusing. Just keep practicing and you will make it your own.

[@wolterrutgers372]

Dat heb je goed uitgelegd.

[@LaPingvino]

In Hungarian the reference points are on the quarter hours! 😂😂😂

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Indeed, though I think the main difference is that in English time is expressed in half hours passed the whole, while in dutch it's expressed in half hours before the whole. Switching to the digital expression will be understood by most adult dutch though. So rather than "vier voor half vier" you can say it's "zesentwintig over drie". That will leave you with merely the problem of understanding the time when asking a dutch person.

[@Freya76]

That is a very nice way to explain it

[@BlacksmithTWD]

@@LaPingvino So what about 13:08, instead of 8 passed one that's 7 before a quarter passed one?

[@jackvandersluis1723]

So love you're thoughts about our little but also big country! Good vlog! 👍

[@noabakker3848]

About the food thing. It's better to make the food less spicy because you can always add spice yourself, you can't make it less spicy once the dish is done.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

True, much easier to add than take away!

[@hannyluedeking3858]

Go to Texas and speak Dutch you live in the Netherlands

[@hannyluedeking3858]

And with this woman I can't eat . He accept

[@hannyluedeking3858]

Why she speak so much

[@hannyluedeking3858]

What you tell about my country is not the netherlands . You don't know what is the Netherlands

[@vincenttayelrand]

Rules are more like guidelines here - and obviously ridiculous rules should never be obeyed anyway. On a side note, the difference between Dutch and German rules (I live on the border) is always fascinating to observe - In the Netherlands everything is pretty much allowed which is not strictly forbidden while in Germany everything is strictly forbidden which is not allowed by law. As for the handhavers - many of them aren't exactly the cream of the crop and I have a hard time taking them seriously.

[@FGG850]

Hey Bert, sinds wanneer zit jij naar expats te kijken? :)

[@mavadelo]

And who determines whatt is "obviously ridiculous"?, rules might have reasons you don't know about, might prevent you from dangers you don't see. We have seen the past years what happens when people don't obey rules THEY find ridiculous.

[@ohhi5237]

we saw it 1944 too@@mavadelo

[@mavadelo]

@@ohhi5237 1944... anything special you are referencing? or just a random WWII year? And "we saw it"... your avatar does not see 80-90 year old person.

[@mariannevanloenen5334]

I’m 100% Dutch, but the way we traditionally tell time really doesn’t make much sense when you have a digital clock. It does help when you are telling time from the hands of the clock (easier to spot that the minute hand is five minutes before the mid below then 25 after). So when you want to practice telling time in Dutch, do not wear a digital watch, or look at your phone…) You can also get a simple wooden clock we use to teach children to tell time If someone tells you time in Dutch, translate it to how the hands of the clock are, then to digital only if you need that to make sense of it😇

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s such helpful information, thank you!

[@jamesdavis-ford6882]

I don’t know exactly how or why the algorithm presented your channel a few months ago. I guess it’s figured out that I’m learning Dutch, who knows. Or it’s read my mind and knows that I’d like to live abroad someday. I wanted to briefly say that I enjoy your channel and your approach. Happy New Year from California and wishing you both the best in 2023!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Happy new year to you! Thank you for watching!

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Having a baby in The Netherlands: As I live in Belgium and my sister lives in The Netherlands, we actively compared notes when we were having our children. Both countries have an approach that seems vastly different from the US in that new mothers get A LOT of time off and support and childbirth isn’t as costly as in the US. In The Netherlands home births are a bit more usual than in Belgium and a lot of places will actually sell ‘home birth kits’. This is not a thing in Belgium, so my sister got me one just in case I happened to go i to labor and wouldn’t be able to get to the hospital in time. The kit contained everything you might need in an emergency: a sterile mat to lie down on, sterile scissors to cut the chord, wipes, you name it. It gave me a safe feeling to have that box underneath my bed. I’l expand more on Belgium as it’s basically ‘next door’, very similar yet still different. In The Netherlands, Kraamzorg and your GP basically take over, keep an eye on things and will refer you to wherever you need/might want help. In Belgium it’s more hospital-oriented and feels more regulated but you do have a lot of options to deviate from the ’standard’. It is usual in The Netherlands to get in touch with a midwife who will take over most of the prenatal checkups and prepare you for your birth, liaise between you and the hospital for a lot of things, tell you if and when to contact your GP or OB-GYN etc, and you will get ‘Kraamzorg’ after the birth pretty much as a given because yes, if the hospital birth goes well you will go home within hours after the birth. The ‘Kraamverzorgster/Kraamverzorger’ will keep an eye on you, help out in the home etc for several days and it’s very much a collaboration between Mom and the carer. In Belgium it’s pretty much standard to stay in hospital for five days post partum, and your GP can give you a prescription for a hole carer, who is then in large part paid by your medical insurance. That carer will do household chores. Your GP will also offer you to prescribe physiotherapy which again, will be largely paid for by your insurance. You’ll also be taught exercises by a physiotherapist in the hospital, to do at home. That physiotherapist will see you every day while you’re in hospital. There are lots of volunteer organisations you can call upon if you have questions on breastfeeding, baby care, self-care etc and they will help you get help whenever you need it without judgment or shame. Someone from ‘Kind en Gezin’ will always contact you and visit you within days of your return home to weigh and measure your baby, do some tests, ask you how you feel and advise you during a short visit. After a few weeks you will be expected to go to them, and they’ll keep monitoring your baby UNTIL IT GOES TO PRESCHOOL AT 2 1/2 years old. That includes shots for measles etc. ‘Kind en Gezin’ is a place every mother/parent goes to for their baby’s monitoring, whether rich or poor, and they aren’t just that. They will also step in if they notice there is something amiss in terms of child welfare, can send social workers to your house, etc. But nothing to be afraid of, like the things I hear about CPS being sent to your house would potentially mean in the US. They also keep lists of the licensed childcare places you might want to make use of when you return to work (although not all of them, mainly the ones affiliated with them). Once the child starts going to school, the CLB takes over (Centrum voor Leerlingen-Begeleiding).

[@trentfowler2888]

My goodness, you have gotten super popular (or I haven't commented in a while, I watch EVERY video)! Best takeaway here was to get out of Amsterdam. We vacationed in June for two weeks. My wife booked us a hotel in Utrecht. Best move ever. We visited everywhere! We walked 125 miles in two weeks. I really wanted to spot you in Leiden but no luck :). We had an okay time in Amsterdam but I really could have skipped it. Since we're trying to learn Dutch and I was constantly saying how "weird" things were we just started saying "raar" instead. Love the channel! Happy New Year!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Happy New Year to you! Thank you for watching our videos so loyally. That’s incredible how much ground you covered while you were here! Did you have any favorite cities or things you saw?

[@trentfowler2888]

@@TAndTGoDutch We loved Utrecht for being so central. We liked Leiden and Delft a lot. I hope it is obvious we are looking for a place to live. :) I'm sad that we didn't go to Rotterdam (sorry Soul to Soul) or do a lot of the touristy things like eat a Stroopwafel or ride a bike but have promised ourselves to do all of this when we get there! We did have our tenth wedding anniversary in Utrecht. That was the right thing to do. We're basically between you two and Eric and Tammy as far as age and we only have furry children. Two super sized Tabascos :) (best name evah) and two cats. The only thing that is freaking us out is how to get the animals over there since they are not "carry on".

[@TAndTGoDutch]

How exciting! It’s been such a great move for us, and we hope it’ll be just as awesome for you! ❤️

[@SoultoSoulTravels]

Another enlightening video, Tracey and Travis! You guys look like superstars rocking your leather jackets!❤❤

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Y’all are too sweet! ❤️❤️❤️

[@tante_Ique]

I love your reactions. As a dutchie it's refreshing and sometimes confronting to see the Netherlands through your eyes. About the Dutch food cuisine... If my home made meal is more tasty than from a restaurant I will not go to a restaurant. If I go to a restaurant I want to eat something I can't make or too time consuming to make at home for my liking. Tracey, when it is 3.30 pm we are halfway 4 o' clock so "half 4". 3.19 is "19 over 3, not 11 voor half 4" 3.20 is "10 voor half 4". 10 minutes is generally the maximum we put before or past a half hour. About the rules... I follow them. If you're not supposed to eat in the bus I won't eat in the bus. If I spill something my jeans can be washed in the washing machine but the next passenger can be wearing clothes that have to be cleaned at the dry cleaners. I'm looking forward to your next video. 👍

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much! We generally cook 3 meals a day at home, at least 6 days a week. But completely agree, if it’s too time consuming, we’ll generally go out for dinner. Perhaps we need to immerse ourselves more in Dutch cuisine and put our own stamp on it. We appreciate you taking the time to watch!

[@Michiel-777]

Het is echt wel 11 voor half 4 en niet 19 over 3! Ik heb dat laatste echt nog nooit horen zeggen en het is officieel ook echt fout Nederlands. Zodra het eerste kwartier voorbij is kijk je naar het volgende belangrijke punt op de klok en kijk je niet meer terug. The rules for time are like this: There are 2 'train stations': Half (..:30) and heel (..:00). The train only stops at those two stations. The halfway station is half of the way towards the next destination. So that is why it's always refering to the next hour. The first 15 minutes we look back to the last station we left (1 over 2, 5 over 2, 10 over 2, kwart over 2). After the first 15 minutes are over we don't look back anymore, but are looking forward to the next stop. So half 3 is our next 'train station'. So after the first 15 minutes we want to know how many minutes until we arrive at that important train station. So if it's taking us 11 minutes before we get there, it's 11 voor half 3. After we have left the station 'Half 3' we feel homesick for 14 minutes and look back to that wonderful train station called 'Half 3'. After 15 minutes we have finally dried our tears and we have become excited for the next stop, which is... 3 uur! So every time from ..:45 onward we want to know how many minutes it takes to get to our next destination: so kwart voor 3, 14 voor 3, 10 voor 3, 5 voor 3 etc.) It's helpful to picture an analogue clock and not a digital one. It does make sense, but it does take the will to want to understand it.

[@giliorr2263]

@@Michiel-777 it makes sense… just a different kind of sense… like many other things that people from different backgrounds are used to view from different angles, and are shocked or at least get uncomfortable when faced with other people ´s “weird” angle

[@OKO423]

NIce to see the editing advancing. If you need some more tips, just let me know. Always interesting to see(and hear) how people from other countries experience the Netherlands. Here is a tip - in case you haven't been there already - visit the old inner cities of Amersfoort, Zutphen, Deventer. Also ancient buildings with grachten. A lot smaller than Leiden or Delft but I am sure you'll love it. My two cents. Keep on vlogging guys! 🙂

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much! We’re really trying to improve our filming and editing. We’re actually looking at maybe adding a drone to our arsenal this year. Thank you for the suggestions on other cities to visit. We appreciate you continuing to follow our journey!

[@OKO423]

@@TAndTGoDutch my pleasure. I am working as a professional since 1997 in the TV & video Industry. Feel free to reach out with a PM. Concerning the drone: the DJI Mini might be handy, because you - up til now - do not need a certificate to fly with it. Still it can record in 4K. A second hand DJI Mavic Pro will give you more options in improving the image. But you'll need a certificate for that and do a course. Will only cost you around 70 euro's. Concerning the DJI Mini: it is very easy to control but you do have to practice first. And keep track of the European drone rules which might/can be changed each year. Good luck!

[@BlacksmithTWD]

@@TAndTGoDutch Two cities to add to your list: Nijmegen (the parts that were not bombed in WW2) and Maastricht, the two oldest cities in the Netherlands, however there is kind of a friendly dispute on which of those two is the oldest city as Maastricht is older as a settlement but Nijmegen got city rights earlier if I recall correctly. This will also bring you to the traditionally catholic part of the country (southeast), with various consequenses for it's culture and therefore also differrent kinds of sights to see and traditions to observe. For instance traditional 'carnaval' is mainly being celebrated in the southeast of the Netherlands. Dutch carnaval is quite different from Brazillian carnaval though there are some similarities. When it comes to carnaval specifically, Maastricht is the better option to visit.

[@iamsuzanne73]

The breakfast culture is more at home I guess. I never have bread for breakfast. Oatmeal, yoghurt and fruit or milk & cereal. I simply don’t have time to have breakfast outdoors on my way to work. Most dutchies prefer lunch outdoors I think. Have you tried Bagel & Beans? They have some breakfast items on the menu. Brunch is popular on mother’s day, Easter, Christmas and other special occasions.

[@ellend9739]

Ahhh zo leuk , I live in Vancouver Canada and I am Dutch born and when’d to school in the Netherlands! Now have been living in Canada for almost 50 years ! We have fabulous medical here in Canada with hospital care and no fees ! We also get one hear off if you are employed with a company! Father get time off too but not sure how much ! But , one tip if you like to go for a nice Brunch in the Netherlands, go to big hotels. For sure they have buffet and a la carte ! Like the Marriott’s or Hilton’s and Krasnapolski hotel in the heart of Amsterdam ! Good to see you two hope baby will be a reality soon ! I pray for you !😊

[@Haroekoe]

Spot on 😂 . Very recognizable. I live in Rotterdam; recognize some of the areas you filmed. The beach, Delft et cetera. Keep the vids coming.✌🏼

[@charmaine8964]

New follower- Love your video. I'm South African praying and hoping to be there soon. Seeing how happy you are just reinforced my decision. Good luck with your journey!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Aww, thanks so much for being here! Good luck with your journey as well. Such a scary and exciting time. ❤️

[@deheermailmum5036]

Thanks for the observations. Continue to be happy in the Netherlands

[@EMGoudsmit]

Missed you. Vlog though ends my free weekend.

[@hurray1962]

Hey guys Another expat here. I’m totally with you on the food. Everyone has different tastes and, while I do like Dutch food (haring!), I miss the easy access to many types of cuisines. I lived for many years in and around NYC so I was as a bit spoiled but even in the smaller cities you could find different types of food. One thing I think needs to be clarified… so many people confuse spicy with “hot” spicy. While I tend to prefer my food with a bit of a kick (doesn’t quite work with French though 😉) spicy just means a variety of flavors to me. I have a pantry full of Indian, Asian of all kinds, smoked peppers, etc… that I’ve learned to cook with. It satisfies that craving but I also miss running out for some Vietnamese every now no then. Sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do the cooking! (However, ik woon in een klein dorpje…) A big plus for the food here, though, is the quality of everything in general - way better ingredients overall. Oh, and… go Bills 😊

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Yes! We should have mentioned the quality of food in this video (we have in the past.) truly the produce, cheese, and fish are superior here, which makes cooking so much better here. Go Bills! 🦬

[@BlacksmithTWD]

@@TAndTGoDutch What's up with the "Go Bills" ? you mean that in the US the food is of less quality and more expensive? I considered the served food here in the Netherlands to be rather expensive compared to Germany and Belgium. Or was it more a reference to the fact that you simply pay what the figure on the bill says without having to worry about the income of the waiter?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

@@BlacksmithTWD haha no, it is a sports team in the US for the City of Buffalo.

[@robertwemmers8562]

You make me look back at the time i was living in Holland ( Netherlands) in the sixty 's . Baby's where born at home, just call the doctor and nurse. thank you so much , i think the Netherlands is more free spirited than the states in every way . Special in living , working , medical and socializing with everybody. Love this episode from you guys.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much, Robert. Your comment made our day!

[@wilfredprins9718]

In the 70s as well, I was born at home.

[@BlacksmithTWD]

Most babies are still born at home here in the Netherlands i think. though in cases of a higher risk on complications hospital birht is strongly adviced.

[@Thomean]

Nice video! About the timetelling, it actually makes a lot of sense to me. In english it would be half past 4 (to be complete). We do not use the past. Half 4 means that is only halfway to 4o clock. To me as a duchie it makes sense. 14 before half 4 is something you will rarely see in actual use. In my experience only 3.20, 3.25 and the last couple of minutes before 3.30 get used like that. Like it's 2 before half 4. Twee voor half vier, against, achtentwintig over drie. Now I'm gonna watch some more of your videos :)

[@SaskiaHoutmanKool]

I really love your channel! got here probably by watching some of Not Just bikes and the algorythm has drawn me to you. You guys make me more appreciatiave of being born in the Netherlands. Your video of my hometown Den Haag made me proud as well..... It's funny how you think a 45 minutes OV-trip is just a short-amount of time while I think it's a long way to visit a friend haha. On the pronounce of some of our very diffiicult language: the "ij" is most of the times pronounced as the "ei" in Leiden, so Katwijk is supposed to be pronounced as something like "Cutwike". I sure hope you will find some more Dutch friends!

[@marleenvandervos2637]

As a Dutch living overseas, I can now recognise these things in the Dutch culture! Great to see! And so true! Love seeing a little bit of Leiden in the background!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, and for watching!

[@mefeather]

Brunches are a thing at Easter and Mother's Day. So look out for the restaurants in your neighbourghood during those periods. You need to make reservations though, because those brunches are popular. There are some places that get more breakfasty or brunchy things. Van Kinsbergen, Haley's Comet Breakfast Club, John & June's all in The Hague. I think some things like those I named can be found in other cities as well, but maybe not in the city centers but in other parts of cities.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thanks for the suggestions! We love Haley’s, but will need to try the others.

[@tjvanbenthem4333]

And do not forget that some restauranta offer English brunches. Also, more and more supermarkets have the opportunity for breakfasts and lunches. Or at least some sandwiches. Also the number of broodjes zaken is increasing and also there are increasingly more subway stores than a few years ago

[@Iamsanni]

Yes and als English breakfast are available at some (Irish) pubs

[@lintb6030]

Its so fun to listen to your perspective of the Netherlands. 🍀👍

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much for taking the time to watch!

[@porschedoc1]

The Netherlands has as many 2-michelin star restaurants as the US, and ranks 14th in the world…….breakfast culture is a having your breakfast at home…… it partially why there is rampant obesity in the US and far less in NL……So yes, you have assimilated quite well, having breakfast ( boterhammen, no pancakes!) at home! Love your video’s!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you James! We’re saving our euros for a lovely dinner at De Librije. Ah…one day!

[@Freya76]

​@@TAndTGoDutch I did that with my mum and daughter and it was a dream! Yes, the amount of money makes no sense but omg what an experience, soooo beautifull❤❤❤

[@DeDoentje]

Also, apparently I am not very Dutch, when it comes to following the rules. I am a person who waits for a red light on an empty street. I really can't walk through red light. When I am with other people they are surprised that I stop for a red light, while they are walking through. I especially have that with my running group. They run through a red light and they have to wait on the other side for me, because I am waiting for the red light to turn green.

[@stevekinlough588]

Hey T n T, good stuff your doing. I was born in Ireland and lived in the Netherlands for 23 years. My first clash or head on collision was with a Dutch couple who invited me for dinner. I was a no show. No call, nothing. That was a learning curve I'll never forget. However, it was game changing for me. I just turned up all the time and on time....fell in love with the country and the people.

[@eefaaf]

Not only is there more to the Netherlands than just Amsterdam, there is more to Amsterdam than de Wallen, Coffeeshops and souvenir shops selling clogs. The Rijks en Van Gogh may be know about, and channel tours and such, but get off the beaten track of tourist attractions and there are many neighbourhoods that have quite their own character and atmosphere. Even after studying there for years, and visiting friends and relatives, I could be still surprised at times to discover someplace new.

[@laurentiusmetaal2333]

Called the cops on a handhaver once. He jumped in front of my car demanding my driving license. Very intimidating and frustrated fellow, shouting, rude. Called the cops, they were there quick, told him to go and apologized to me.

[@heidigitaar3245]

Brunch is on lunchtime and there are a lot of options if you choose for a good lunchroom or bistro!

[@heidigitaar3245]

In Leiden is have to be local to know where the good restaurants are, in very little streets 3-5 minutes from the centrum. For the Bourgondische lifestyl go to Brabant or Limburg.

[@Iamsanni]

I love going out for breakfast, but I go around lunchtime (before I just take some tea and an orange or something). When I am off. Most places are open from 11.00. I think in general Americans get up more early even when you don't need to ;). On weekdays breakfast together with the family before school or work is pretty common. Not just bread, also yoghurt and fruit and when I grew up porridge. Or you take it with you in the car or train on the way to work. Because then you can sleep longer ;)

[@urbnctrl]

So Handhaving is basically a placeholder of the old "Wijkagent" (neighborhood cop / community police) it is a touchpoint BEFORE you get police involved in the public areas to one, take pressure off of policeforce and 2, prevent escalation of otherwise minor offenses etc. They are usually more familiar with the people in the community and usually there to deescalate a situation before the police shouod be called in, and make sure that the public areas remain respected without having to enforce a more muscleflexing rule of law with police who run the place. Before the blue uniforms - Handhaving and Supervisors, there are the red uniforms which are "streetcoaches" that specifically keep an eye on people on the streets and engage in dialogue with them to provide positive psychological mindstate and steer them away from the criminal path especially youth that hangs on the streets, which is a tier 1 preventative measure. So there are literally levels to it. Handhaving is also referred to as BOAs (special investigating officer) and they are specifically tasked with investigating escalations etc. That operate on a municipal level contrary to the police who operate on provincial and national level. Hope that clears it up!

[@bli2008]

about dutch time: try to think in units of half hour. Telling the times is the minutes closet to the unit. But you can say "het is nu tien uur eenentwintig"

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

Breakfast/brunch places in Leiden: - Lot en de Walvis (breakfast buffet) - Roos - Paco Ciao (I love this place also nice for lunch or dinner (never had dinner there) or cocktails) - Anne en Max - Bagels and Beans - Teds (I think you mentiobed this in the video) - Yoghurt Barn - Vinteage (but I think they changed names now it's called BarBask) very beautiful building/ambiance) And there are many more places where you can have breakfast with or without reservation.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much for the list!

[@qazatqazah]

"Traditional" Dutch food is indeed kind of plain and uneventful, filling but simple: a traditional meal consists of boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables and a baked piece of meat, and some "jus" (gravy) over the potatoes, everything mostly seasoned with just black pepper and salt. There are three things that I should note: 1) Over the years international dishes from Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Surinamese, Mexican, Turkish and other cuisines have become standard options for many Dutch people, but our version is normally a bit simpler than the real deal. 2) There are ever more vegan options that are simply a replacement of the meat of the traditional meal by something that is not meat but that resembles it. 3) Nobody will tell you not to make your own version of Dutch dishes, and to go all out with the spices.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s really good information to know, thank you! We’re interested in experimenting with putting our twist on Dutch dishes.

[@helena19741]

Plus I feel that we handled spices just as a commodity of trade and not something to indulge in.

[@mariannevanloenen5334]

And add to limited spices, even pepper was exotic and pricy, we even have a Dutch saying; gepeperde prijzen (peppered prices) So more eventful cooking wasn’t for the Dutch commoner

[@DenUitvreter]

Traditional Dutch food is indeed "not very good", it's not meant to be. It's just good home cooking and quite good, but nothing to write home about. For 'very good' whe have imported the French and Indonesian cuisine for ages, and Italian, Surinamese, Mexican etc later. Potatoes and vegetables have been bred more bland, which is a shame. But really tasty potatoes with a good gravy from a good meatball, well cooked vegetable, that's good food, especially when you spice the meatball well. It just hasn't the potential to be excellent or fancy restaurant food. Actually white pepper is very Dutch.

[@dutchnintendo94]

about telling the time: I noticed that it differce from where u live in the Netherlands. Here in the province of Friesland we say 4.20 like this: "it is 20 past 4"(het is 20 over 4), But in other areas, like for example amsterdam they might say: 10 minutes before half 5.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s really good to know, we always wondered about that. We learned that particular way in our Dutch course.

[@dutchnintendo94]

@@TAndTGoDutch one thing I have to add to that is. That we do say "5 minutes before/past half 4". I guess that is because 5 minutes is still pretty close to the halfway point. Sorry for making it more complicated haha

[@maryannecomment3302]

A few things. One can have great food in the Netherlands, but the Netherlands are an international food country, that belongs to the Dutch culture as well. And one can have dinner for lunch as well. The Dutch follow the rules more than other European countries, but it depends on the situation. Sometimes the bus driver or somebody else in charge does not want to make a fuss about it. The same goes for the other passengers. They ignore it, if they do not feel like correcting somebody else. In another situation, it can be completely different, when people do correct the person, who does break the rules. Handhaving is assistance to the police, they do not have the authority to act like the police. So they cannot arrest someone or something. If Handhaving cannot control the situation, the authorities decide whether there will be taken more action or not. Ignoring Handhaving is not a good idea, even if they do not have police authority.

[@AlbertZonneveld]

If you want to try some dutch food I would suggest to go to some sea food restaurants and try Dutch shrimp and/or smoked eal as a starter and Sole or plaice as a main. Also now it is winter try Dutch Pie soup (Erwtensoep) which can be a meal in itself. Very typical also is meat skewers (Sateh) which originates from our colonial past in Indonesia and Malaysia. In fact there is a lot of Indonesian and Suriname food in the Netherlands from our colonial roots.

[@ElMariachi1337]

Can confirm: Dutch food is not much of a cuisine. But born and raised in Amsterdam i was happy to live among so many cultures and embrace their food. I hardly eat typical Dutch food at all ... Also funny thing: yes we don't like rules a lot, for example a red traffic light is hardly a red light in Amsterdam however I did notice outside of Amsterdam they stared at me whenever I crossed a street with a red light and I was surprised since that's what I'm used to do but I guess even rules differ from city to city in NL.

[@maartenkos98]

I live outside of Amsterdam, and most of the time I will cross a red light on foot or on my bike. 😲

[@Paul_C]

As someone from the older generation, about Erik's age, we were well on our way to have the same system as the USA. That changed halfway through the sixties when my parents generation decided, 'we can't have our roads turned into parking'. That, and that oil crisis resulting in sky-high petrol prices made the then government to change to a 'more bicycle friendly environment'. It became a mindset, though I still think there are way too many cars here.

[@ffqm]

There were actually huge protests against children's fatalities in traffic and that's when policy changed. 😊

[@toaojjc]

McDonalds used to have breakfast.... Tried it once like 15 years ago. Really dislikes it. Most Dutchies didn't like it.. Guess they stopped serving those.......

[@DenUitvreter]

Yes, that was a close call. The Dutch embraced the bicycle fanatically soon after it's invention and most cycle paths in the country side are from the early 1900's, but what saved was probably that country fell madly in love with the car after the post WWII rebuild. Cars came in such big numbers so fast that people actually noticed how it changed things for the worst and it affected Dutch cultural things very deeply, like sending your children out of the house to play in the street.

[@LindaCasey]

I'm kind of with you on the 'typicaI' Dutch menu being a bit pIain, but stiII tasty and I do Iove the stamp/hutspotten and the bitterbaIIen, snert and (for me, breakfast) uitsmijters. My mom was a pIain cook too .. food was practicaI and fiIIing .. but then, I (Iike the Dutch kids) wasn't obese either untiI I grew up and joined the rest of my American junk foodies. There's nothing better than a dish made by a native cook ... Mexican, French, Greek. I Iike 'hartig'.

[@annetbakker8770]

I am half way down your video and I had so much fun! First of all, Dutch cuisine isn't the greatest, but at my home we tend to mix the cuisine with other like Indonesian (my mother in law was from Indonesia), Japanese (we lived in Japan) and Italian. And have you tried Dutch fish like kibbeling? Very nice. In the south you have traditionally more a food culture. As for the breakfast: the whole idea of having a breakfast outside your home is foreign to me. And yes, the Netherlands is much more than Amsterdam. The rule for don't eat on the bus is for not making the bus messy and keeping it clean. As for the "'handhavers" they don't have much legal autority (unlike police offiers) and for several reasons not very popular. I saw the rest of your video: about time in Dutch, just think of half 10 as "going halfway to 10 o'clock, perhaps that helps. But I think it's great you both are learning Dutch. And about the "kraamzorg" very nice to hear you appriciated it so much. Great video and hope you continue your stay in the Netherlands. There are some nice places to see in the east and north part of the country as well.

[@lolalilolily]

Re Dutch Food, there's a small, homely restaurant in Delft called 'Thuis bij Ladera' which does a lot of traditional Dutch dishes and are rated highly on trip advisor. Don't know if you've been to Delft because I just came across your video in suggestions but it's a city worth visiting anyway 🙂🙂 Enjoyed your video, will watch some more!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much! We haven’t been to Delft in a little bit, but that restaurant seems worth checking out. We appreciate you watching!

[@lolalilolily]

@T And T Go Dutch just to avoid disappointment - the restaurant is closed during the weekend. Also you need to make reservations beforehand, they're very popular and open seats are rare!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s great advice, thank you for letting us know!

[@tummytub1161]

Guys I just stumbled upon you and I am glad you enjoy it here in the Netherlands. If you ever want to discover the Zaanstreek feel free to ask me.

[@jasjakent228]

While my husband (Aussie expat) would definitely agree with you in the Dutch cuisine (or lack thereof), I (Dutch) do have to say that I do love my stamppot rauwe andijvie (with bacon bits and then loaded into an oven dish and covered with cheese before popping it in the oven till the cheese gets slightly crispy) or a bowl of steamy hot erwtensoep. As far as eating on the bus goes... Does munching on a piece of licorice or so count as breaking the no eating on the bus rule?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That dish sounds incredible! We may borrow that recipe, yum! Ha, I don’t think eating licorice would bother too many people.

[@myrrhsense]

Actually McDonalds does have breakfast here. But only untill 11 am. After that they change out the menu boards and there's no trace of there ever having been breakfast options. Edit: it's the same with other places like Hema, Ikea, etc. But you're correct that it's definitely not big here.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Hmm, maybe we just haven’t seen it. Thanks for the info!

[@tjvanbenthem4333]

MacDonald in Enschede, Oldenzaal, Almelo and Hengelo offer breakfasts indeed. I can not speak for all mac's. But those certainly

[@riablaakman8795]

A friend and I have regularly breakfast at Hema, as we are both busy the rest of the day. Occasionally, when breakfast isn't possible, we have a coffee with some pastries at 4. And that is deep in the province at a not so large Hema. And sometimes we go to Bakker Bart. Lots of lunch options, hot and cold. Also check out some discount pages. Through one of them we buy vouchers for 12-uurtjes: f.e. soup + egg + kroket + bread + salad.

[@urbnctrl]

Yes, but most people prefer a bammetje at home before the hit the road anyway and breakfast is served between 7 and 9 😅 before you hop on the bike

[@vanderquast]

1:07 Great to hear, please stay here 😊👍

[@TAndTGoDutch]

❤️

[@janvanleeuwen2535]

Hey Tracey and Travis. About the Dutch food....... I am a 60 years old Dutch man and I totally agree. My absolute favourite food is Indonesian and second Surinamees. And then of course we also have the Chinese food 😋

[@henriettebrouwer8193]

Hachee or red cabbage with lots of cloves and juniperpepper is not bland. Also cinnamon and nutmeg are more "Dutch" spices is my opinion. Curry/kerrie and paprika less "original". Kraamzorg also makes diner, does the laundry , serves thea/ koffie etc. Helps with baby and mother (health physical and mental). I had only 1 of my children home, the others in hospital because twins/ high bloodpressure / after c-section. There are rules when its safe to give birth home, otherwise you wil have te go to a hospital.

[@femsff7090]

Telling time the "traditional way" actually varies per region in the Netherlands. Some will indeed say it's "x voor half y" or "x over half y" and x will usually be 5 or 10, like "tien voor half twee" but you can also say "twintig over één" (strangely though I don't think it's common to say "vijfentwintig over één") or for example "twintig voor drie". So don't fret about it, use whichever is easier. ETA: The reason you can be sent home within hours of giving birth (assuming no complications occurred) is because of the kraamzorg (maternity nurse). They don't only teach you about changing diapers, bathing your infant and breast/bottle feeding and entertain your visitors, but in addition to monitoring the infant's health, they also do medical check-ups with the mother, like monitoring healing, bowel movements, urine, possible signs of infection, body temperature, mental health, restfullness and so on. Plus they generally clean the bathroom (important for healing mother!), vacuum/mop and do laundry for the infant and mother and often help out with other minors in the household so that the mother can either rest or have some bonding time with the infant.

[@mirjamvond1731]

The time thing really only makes sense when you picture a analogue clock with the big and small hands on the time 🙂 In elementary school I actually really struggled when we got to digital time! How are you feeling about the 24h format though, instead of am and pm? Apart from being able to say it in Dutch 😄

[@zanac76]

Dutch people would hardly ever say it is 14 minutes before the half hour. We would usually round down in that case and say it's a quarter past. But yes, we could potentially say it if it would be important to define the actual minute we're living in. But in that case we might as well say it is 16 past. You basically have the following things: 4 o clock, 5 past 4, 10 past 4, a quarter past 4, 10 before half 5 (which is the odd difference between the US and here I suppose. We say half 5 to 16:30, whereas for you that would mean an hour later, 17:30), 5 before half 5, half 5, 5 past half 5, 10 past half 5, a quarter to 6, 10 to six, 5 to six.

[@gerbentvandeveen]

I leave home at 6:00 am to work. The gas station is the place where you can get some food. Greetings from Spakenburg Netherlands.

[@HPBrowningBoy]

So happy to hear your number 3! It is like us travelling to New York and saying, oh yeah I have seen the USA. As for the rule following, I recognize what you are saying and the answer is (for most people) the motto: if your actions are reasonable and don't intrude upon safety or the freedom of others it should be fine. Like your bus example "Why shouldn't I be allowed to eat in this bus if I make sure I don't spill food?". I think it comes from sort of pragmatic thinking we Dutch have embraced over the centuries. Every situation is different and rules tend to get in the way of progress and be too rigid sometimes. For example I've had problems working with German colleagues. Were the Dutch were trying to find a safe solution to a certain problem that needed to be addressed right away the Germans would just go through every rule book they had and if the solution wasn't mentioned, the hierachy kicked in and they would wait for orders from above. Meanwhile the situation only got worse. I can name hundreds of examples but don't want to bore you with them. I do think it ties into number #7 as well. People generally do things that they like as long as they don't bother anyone else. Life gets a lot easier and friendlier if people stick to that one rule.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

Telling the time seems to be quite similar to how we do it in (southern) Germany. A quarter past two is viertel drei - meaning a quarter of the third hour. Now you can easily guess what halb drei and drei viertel drei are meaning. Just look ahead to the next full hour and think of how much of it is gone already.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

There's a better explanation given by mike before my own. He's using the picture of train stations. Adhering to it there are for train stations in German.

[@martinschenk4286]

Yes, that food you are talking about is not our daily food. The Dutch eat geprakte potatoes from Monday to Friday with lots of vegetables and meat or fichs in the evening . in the morning we eat yoguhrt or ckrackers also two sandwiches with sprinkles. At noon we eat 4 sandwiches (or more) with cheese and meat. But we sometimes eat kroketten and bitterballen on a birthday or at the weekend. On Sundays, the Dutch usually eat light food such as soups and toasts. So what you see as our daily food is not it.

[@Skillzvideos]

I live very close to a town named giethoorn you really should go visit it in the Netherlands, this town does not have roads it’s just canal’s and people use boats to go around the town’ and there are many nice restaurants around there

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Oh wow! Giethoorn is on our list of places to visit this year.

[@maanvis81]

A question to T and T: You mentioned that you had good experiences in Tilburg with going out for dinner. Got any goot tips? Because next year september there will be a concert in tilburg in 013 with people from all around the world attending, and they keep asking us Dutchies for food recommendations in Tilburg :). The concert is from a prog metal artist under the name Ayreon for those interested (not that it matters becuase it's sold out for each of the 5 shows).

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We absolutely fell in love with a restaurant called Pig and Rye. The food is top notch, for breakfast and lunch. CARGO bikes and coffee was our favorite cafe. The owner is delightful, and the empanadas were incredible. Hope this helps!

[@saskiapanter]

@TAndTGoDutch lol, the place where they sell anerican food. I tell ya🤣😂🤔. Plus, you're not welcome there if you would come by yourself, and crazy expensive. Loads more affordable good places in Tilburg.

[@nataslived7029]

In leiden you have ‘moksi’ they got nice sandwiches, surinamese(is a bit more spicy) and in Den Haag there are way more different kinds of good foods from different parts of the world 👍🏼

[@TweetyLTWG]

Dutch food is bland, I hear that a lot.But why? My Mother always said, you can’t remove the pepper from the food while cooking, therefor I leave it out, then people can add there own seasoning to there own taste. Ask for it in a restaurant, they have it.

[@ruudvanwuyckhuise6519]

Well done. Love you guys.

[@squarecircle1473]

As a Dutch person, I agree: people reducing the Netherlands to sex and weed or just hedonism is indeed frustrating. Personally, I am very proud of the Dutch contribution to the Fine Arts, as so many of the worlds greatest painters were Dutch. When I visit Amsterdam, I go to look at the work of the masters. When people think the Netherlands (or Amsterdam) is only weed and sex, it reveals them to be uncultured and ignorant. I do not mean to say there is anything wrong with smoking weed, visiting a sex worker, or materialistic pleasures. However, it is an indication of a childish mind to think that, when those liberties are available, that is all people will be interested in doing. The one who thinks that reveals more about themselves than they probably know.

[@enricio]

It's joyful the way you guys present the 'Dutch disappointments '. You will be aware of the fact there are other Americans in Holland also presenting their perspective. If your passport allows you to travel all over Europe you are fortunate cause, there is so much to see in Europe on the nature part, food part and cultural part. It is as if you guys won the lottery. 🥳

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We really did. We’re so fortunate to have seemingly the world at our fingertips. Thanks for your kindness, we appreciate you watching!

[@connorhino7473]

I and all of my friends actualy love video's like this (we're Dutch), they're both funny and interesting at the same time

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

I am Dutch and my typical food that i make myself is. Nasi Goring, Babi Pangang, green and red curries, pasta's, if i have to eat potato's it's baked with garlig ( like the French do), fish and ofcourse lots of vegies and spices. Typical Dutch stamppot i maybe only eat ones a month because my wife wants it and even then i use sambal... My point is that Dutch home cuisine is mostly some kind of mix of international dishes ( or colonial). At least within my group of friends. If you want brunch go to Van der Valk...

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Yum! Sounds like you’re quite skilled at cooking. Love green curry! Thanks for the tip on brunch, we appreciate you watching.

[@playy1797]

Good luck with your IVF attempts, we went through 5 attempts before being successful, it's a rollercoaster of emotions as you may have found out already. You may know 3 attempts are covered by most insurance companies. After that you may want to look around because about 11 years ago there was at least one insurer that offered 5 attempts if you paid for their highest coverage. This still worked out to be cheaper than paying for IVF attempts on your own. I hope you won't need that many attempts to get pregnant.

[@eefaaf]

I used to live close to the Leidse Hout, on the side with the Hertenkamp. Every now and then some of the animals there escaped, mostly rabbits and chickens, and show up on the grass in front or the back of the apartment building. One time it was a cock that escaped, and it would crow at very odd, and inconvenient times, like at 3am (maybe it mistook headlights of passing cars or someone turning on a porch light for dawn?), waking all the neighbours. So, watching from my bedroom one day I saw 4 or 5 of my neighbours trying to catch it. It was like a theatre comedy... the cock wandering off into some bushes, the humans diving in after it, and then the cock popping out 20 meters further along, as if nothing had happened. Hillarious.

[@linda3482]

So funny, your explanation about after birth care is US was literally in a nightmare when I was pregnant. I woke up one night bathing in sweat out of fear. Had a nightmare I got the baby and I had no clue what to do with him. Of course I knew about feeding but how often? My dream baby was crying and I really did not have any clue what was wrong or what to do with him. Btw you are free to choose between home birth or hospital birth even when there is no medical reason to give birth in the hospital. I chose the hospital because in case there is something wrong I prefere to be at the right place already, even though i'm Dutch. Many do homebirth but still more than 50% go to a birthclinic, general hospital or an other medical centrum for delivery even without medical reason. You can even visit the hospital before to see the delivery room ect. You can also ask for local anesthetics if you like. So you don't have to worry about that. Really hope soon your dream come true Btw.. don't mind backlash about things you don't like here. Dutch are the best in complaining about their own country, but it's like complaining about your child, partner or parents. It's all okay if you complain yourself but if someone else does it your annoyed. In reality we all know the Netherland is not perfect and some thing might be better in US ( even though it's only a very few things of course. Most is better here ;-) )because perfect syimply doesn't exist..

[@sylviasmits9275]

I don't know if things have changed mutch in the last 20 years but when I had my ivf child 23 years ago I had to give burth in the hospital. There was no other choise. I stayed for one night and after that I had 10 days kraamzorg. Whit my first child I couldn't stay in the hospital ( there was no medical reson) but I also couldn't go home to rest ( I lived whit my elderly parents) so I stayed in what they called a maternety hotel. That is still a possibility.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s such good information. I had no idea about the hotel!

[@sylviasmits9275]

@@TAndTGoDutch there are a lot of them in all major cities and part of the cost is covered by your healthinsurenc. I know this for sure because my daughter stayed in one in Tilburg 4 years ago when my grandaughter was born. They are called kraamhotels.

[@BeckyPoleninja]

Same in the UK, a nurse will visit you for 10 days at your home after you have your baby. No cost. I have never had insurance, never needed it.

[@annekedehertog6427]

Not the same. In the Nederlands they come an stay the whole day an do everything nesecery in the family. Care for mother and child is the most important, but they cook meals and do the lawndry and diches as well, all the normal chores a houswife does.

[@dabbiedeejee4804]

Nice video’s you make. Dont worry about people saying go home. We would love to trade people like that in for more like you two.

[@Snowshowslow]

Hahaha the pure terror on your face when thinking about telling time 🤣 I get that, it's always strange to change systems and the Dutch one isn't the easiest. But you'll be fine :) We have all also had to learn the English system, so if you say it's twenty-two past the hour, we will understand :)

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Lol! That’s good to know. Thank you so much for finding the humor in our videos!

[@allws9683]

On you 'shock' of little spicy food in the Netherlands (or Europe) : hot spices like chili grow better in hot, humid climates. They serve as an antibacterial and food preservative in hot climate cuisine. Further more spiced food makes you sweat , so it regulates your body temperature in the heat . Now in cold climate spices grow traditionally less well, but food also don't need it that much as preservant. Furthermore fysiologically you should not sweat in cold weather but 'stay warm'. In cold weather your body needs more energy to remain warm. Cuisines in colder climates therefore tend to be more 'bland' in spices. It is meant to keep energy and keep you feel warm, therefore it contains usually more fat, more protein and more carbohydrates . You see that in cuisines over the world. South India eats more spicy than the north and in Indonesia Sumatra, right on the equator, has a clear more spicy cuisine than Java. And in the cold Northeastern China cuisine is also fairly bland, compared to more southern regions. .

[@mdascoota4293]

The grab and go sandwiches are more common in train stations for exemple

[@Rinzwind79]

Sure, I can agree that Dutch food isn't amazing. A good hutspot however is something I really love! I do think a lot of is see rules like the pirate code, more like actual guidelines. Some need to be takes serious and others less so.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Hutspot is super lekker!

[@liavanson8687]

Even the most Dutch young people can’t cook a proper dinner anymore.

[@BaskiHighT]

I can really recommend "Stoofvlees". It's really a Flemmish (so Belgian) dish but that's close enough. It's best with fries. Very tasty, lotsa spices (but not spicy). Very flavorful and delicious:) (OH and, don't get in trouble with handhaving. People hate them and there's all sorts of misconceptions on handhaving because people like to talk them down but make no mistake, they CAN write tickets you'll have to pay and they can most definitely arrest you if you "ignore" them as stated in the video)

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Ooh! Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll have to check that out.

[@1336mg]

Stoofvlees (draadjesvlees = threadmeat) is also Dutch, not only Flemmish. Belgians make the stew with beer, Dutch will use other ingredients. Best to buy your beef from a Hallal butcher. They just have the better tender meat. Like someone already mentioned, Hachee with red cabbage is a tippical Dutch dish. Hachee is almost like a Dutch kind of Goulash. And you can add all kinds of spicies to make it your own. In autumn some restaurants in rural eareas will make a stew of venison.

[@DazarAlor]

Im so glad you guys mention #3. To me it feels like amsterdam is a disney land or a las vegas. Which isnt a bad thing but its over the top. The netherlands is so much more than amsterdam. I love southern netherlands. If you stay in the beautiful Maastricht you can easily visit amazing places in NL, Belgium and Germany.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s a great comparison! We spent a night in Maastricht recently and LOVED it. We are hoping to make a weekend trip soon and film our visit there.

[@henkmarks8856]

​@@TAndTGoDutchI d suggest to visit Delft (home of Vermeer... Well... 17th century)... (to me) the most beautiful city in the Netherlands. You're quite right: Amsterdam isn't Netherlands (at all). Having said that, in the center there are several breakfast places, plus one (I know of) that serves mainly typical Dutch food. I don't know if they survived the lock down period, though. RULES: it seems to me that the general attitude (especially towards traffic code, behavior (no eating, silent train compartments) is that those rules are for everybody else, but not for me. Outside the Randstad (west and central Netherlands) a more common approach is: we don't care much for the rules set in The Hague (government). Anyway... By the number of US expats making vlogs about their stay here, I'd say that we're not doing that badly. Thank you for your effort.

[@rickyatsley2071]

Hi, nice to see your videos, i am Dutch, you are filming in a park in Leiden, that is not nature.Its cultivated by humans. You have to visit once the Veluwe, it is in the province of Gelderland. There is also a video on YT very good made...to get an impression of the Veluwe .I can sent you the link if you want... Nice to see you are very happy here and i hope you can visit many places in the Netherlands, like Overijssel or Drenthe ( also very beautiful) About the food, we Dutch , most of us like a variety of cuisines all over the world, and are blessed with so much different food in the supermarket! Cook it yourself and it taste the best!! And cheaper, so you can spent your money better to something important.God bless you so much...i will subscribe your video's..

[@pierredevries350]

i hope your journey becoming parents is successful and then there is no better place to be than in the Netherlands and you are living in Leiden my amazing home town . I like your vlogs exploring our beautiful country btw i also like soul to soul travels nice to see you become friends. you must look at jovies home she is an American living in Den Haag

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much, we couldn’t agree more about Leiden.

[@cccccc202.]

Wow, I’d miss the Paris Texas platter there (migas with queso/pico/tortilla chips combined with French toast) over there! I had no idea about the breakfast culture differences haha

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Yum! 🤤 🤤 🤤

[@koevoetje]

Glad you like it in the Netherlands.....I gave birth of my babies at home...And I was glad with it...When I was Yong we had more nature to play in....That is what I miss in the Netherlands..

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s amazing, must be such a cool experience to be surrounded by the comforts of your home.

[@fredkempe6043]

Love your videos. I have been watching all of them. Like many others we immigrated to Canada after the war we started off very poor. We never went to a restaurant or on vacation. The only food additives we had at home were salt, pepper and nutmeg. Today we have two spice drawers with well over 50 spices. Yes Dutch food is bland. I don't know if most Dutch would appreciate Mexican or Thai food - like "Where's the potatoes" ?

[@Iamsanni]

We do nowadays. I think people under 35 hardly eat boiled potatoes anymore. More currys and pastas and burritos. And of course nasi and bami, which my grandmother already considered to be 'Dutch'.

[@Nitzpitz]

Most McDonalds do have breakfast. It is served until 11:00 or so. Or try the Ikea 😉

[@RichardRenes]

Well, I can kind of explain why Dutch food (or food in northern countries in general) is more on the bland side... Spices and herbs traditionally do not grow that much here. What we think of spices or herbs are really the plant's systems to try to combat fungi and bacteria. That is why a lot of spices hail from hot and damp climate places like Brazil and Indonesia. In the north, where temperatures rarely reached 30' centigrade, food spoilage was less of a thing, so it didn't need herbs to stay fresh. But, there is nothing that forbids anyone from adding herbs and spices to Dutch food. Add some cloves or nutmeg to your veggies and they will taste so much better. Personally for instance, I will always add a lot of curry powder when making a stamppot, and I will usually pair it with rendang instead of normally stewed beef...

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s great information, thank you for taking the time to explain! I think if we try to view Dutch cuisine as a blank canvas, we can add our spin on it!

[@truusbeurskens9090]

Hi. Great video's. Learn a lot. Want to comment about breakfast. Live near. the Germanen border and there is a breakfast culture. Even in our town(venlo). They called it frühstukken. Woensdag you go to Germanen, try-out. A lot of greetings.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

Just wanted to go downtown... but I can't find my helmet with the cow horns... can't be too far away... Greetings from south Germanen Land.

[@KaasSchaaf666]

about the food, the Dutch food is puritan, so very basic. it is of course true that food from other countries has been intrigued here in the Netherlands, French, Indonesian, Surinamese to name a few.

[@RealConstructor]

The clock thing isn’t that difficult. The English way is from hour to half n hour, so ‘past’ the hour and ‘to’ from half hours. Like 20 past 4 and 10 to 4. The Dutch way is from quarter to quarter, so ‘past’ to a quarter of the hour and ‘to’ from quarter hours. Like 20 past 4 is 10 before half 5 and 10 to 4 is 10 before 4. Half n hours are important here, you can almost everywhere here the church bells chime one time at half hours and the full times at the whole hours. I have no idea but do the churches in the US also chime the time? And do they chime at half hours also?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Its challenging for me, but I continue to practice to get a bit better each time. I’m sure it comes easy for some, but apparently I’m not that person. As for the church bells, I suppose it depends on where you live in the US to hear them. Not sure about the half hours.

[@Semmy27]

The only seasoning the Dutch know is salt and pepper and you r right that the food is not that good. Except for zuurkool once a month in the cold winter days, with a good rookworst from a nice butcher

[@Konaboy]

Moeders restaurant in Amsterdam has great Dutch food in a awesome Dutch ambiance. Try it you’ll love it!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Awesome! We’ll check it out!

[@lowbrowrodeo]

Haha, yes, Ducht food… nothing to write home about. For breakfast or brunch there are plenty of options in Amsterdam of course, but this is something that only started slowly around 10 years ago. Now plenty of places, especially in de Pijp and Oud West. Handhavers are like mall cops, yes, but where are the segways? A good guacamole is rare, as a Dutch person I’m baffled as well. Stick to making it yourself! As my mom lived in Texas and with a Mexican sister in law., I feel you.

[@toaojjc]

Tracy here is hoping you get to experience kraamzorg and giving birth as a normal thing rather than a medical thing this year! Keeping my fingers crossed!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We have round three coming up, so we are hopeful!

[@eefaaf]

Oh, telling times... 'Half vier' is short for 'half of the fourth hour has passed'. In Catalan they even go further: they use 1, 2 and 3 quarters of the hour past. So a quarter to 5 would be called 'three quarters of 5' etc. And 'round or about half past 2' would be '(some) quarters of 3' It's not completely unlike the reason 1.5 is called 'anderhalf', literally 'other-half', in the sense of 'second half', short for 'one whole and the second half'. Although out off use now, 2.5 could be called 'third half'. Still better than the French calling 97 '4 twenties ten seven'. At least when children at school have to do their sums, they have an easy time when the teacher asks them 'how much is 4 times 20 plus 10 add 7?'

[@mdeleeuw6272]

I like the Dutch cuisine. It's simple, but that just fine with me. And it is quite healthy. In the US kale is a 'superfood', here it is just a staple. Also: vegetables steamed or cooked for a short time (like the Dutch eat them) is much healthier than how most people eat their greens. Anyway: the Dutch don't really eat because they like food, but because they don't want to be hungry. At least, that it what it was like until the 1960's/1970's. Going to a restaurant for instance was a very, very special thing until the eighties. Just for the elite, not for ordinary people. That changed with the arrival of cheap Chinese restaurants.

[@dutchyjhome]

Hey guys, yes things are different here, thank Darwin about that! Food..? well You barely described food in your statement about food, I mean a Tompoes is no food but pastries, one eats only at special occasions like birthdays and so. Yes our food is not spicy at all, but there really is no-one that's gonna stop you when you empty a bottle of Tabasco on a Dutch meal. It's really like you said: you could put a bottle of Tabasco on every table and make you food as hot as you want. The Bitterbal is on the edge of being real food. It's actually more of a snack. And Mosterd (Try Dijon Mosterd! ) really is the way to spice up your Bitterbal/ Kroket. Want to taste high quisine Dutch food? Go to resaturant Librije in the town of Zwolle. Now if you still think Dutch food is tasteless after your visit to Librije, there is no hope for you guys left, really. Breakfast you are expected to eat at home. Bread or granola or oats with yoghurt or milk or whatever. So no we do not think it is normal to eat breakfast outdoors, not in general that is. That American Junk food place you are referring to does serve breakfast. It depends which of their branches you go to. If there is no market for Junk food breakfasts since all people eat their healthy breakfast at home, then the local branch of this Junk food place will not serve breakfast obviously. On the other hand, if there is a local market for Junk food Breakfasts, then yes, the local Junk-food place will serve Junk-food Breakfasts. If foreigners choose to stay clueless and only choose to live by stereo types, well that's really their own problem, now is it..? For the Dutch rules are no more than guidelines. If acceptable, and when the Dutch person can see why there is a rule, yes maybe he/she may follow up. When the rule however does not make any sense, than this rule will be ignored collectively. Handhaving people are the lesser and almost police officers but they are not. Handhaving people think they know a lot about the law but in general they know even less than the clueless police officers in general know. There is a major shortage of law enforcement people, just as there is a huge shortage of workers anywhere, and so if one tends to fail in society, one can always become handhaving or police officer. People are not hired being a handhaving person because of your personal qualities or knowledge. One becomes handhaving because one is being put to work. This work puts handhavers under the police and provide them with very little power. They did not do the police academy and so they are in general lower educated than the very little education the police officers have been exposed to. They think they know the law, but in reality their knowledge leaves to be desired.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you for the info about the handhaving, it was explained really well! As far as the cuisine goes, I think we should experiment more at home to put our spin on things. We may actually already have a video in the works on that… The Librije seems like a dream restaurant to go to, and with 3 Michelin stars, it should be. We should start saving our euros now I suppose! 275 euros for dinner plus 115 for a wine pairing. Not exactly accessible to the general public. Have you been? We’re curious to know more about it!

[@dutchyjhome]

@@TAndTGoDutch Librije restaurant..? Well, yes and no. We went to restaurant Librije's Sister in the Old Women Prison in Zwolle. This restaurant is owned by the same owner as Librije itself. It is an enchanting experience to be there. It really takes some time for yourself to comprehend what is happening to you when you sit there and give you the passionate well-founded wine advice, specifically based on the choice of the course to be served. The passion, the craftsmanship, that perfection it is really a thrill to be able to experience that. It should be on everyone's bucket list to experience this at least once in your life! There is also a Librije's sister restaurant in Amsterdam

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Sounds like we’ll be adding to our bucket list for sure. The hotel on the property looks just as dreamy. Thanks for the information!

[@nlx78]

I knew geography in the US is a bit under-educated, it's a big country of course, but with the internet being around for 25 years, I'd hoped people (in general) would do a bit more to explore countries from their home. It's not like there's a new one every day, although I was glad I went to school before the war in Yugoslavia, adding like 5 more countries and capitals ;) But it's great to just plop pegman from Google Maps somewhere in an South or North America, Congo, Lichtenstein or Singapore and wander around a bit. Seeeing every day life and what people live in, does the city have nice planters or just concrete, stuff like that is interesting to see, to me.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That makes sense. We actually started becoming really interested in travel because of KZbin. Hopefully we are doing our part in showcasing how much we love The Netherlands through our channel.

[@frits1954X2]

Hoe laat is het ? Half 4 Nee 15.30 uur

[@gedovanderzee1224]

Love your videos and your channel!! Thank you so much for that. I just love my food to be spicy. And Dutch food traditionally isn't. But if you google heat supply, you can get some really awesome hotsauces to spice up your dishes. I am in no shape or form related to this company by the way. I'm just giving a tip.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We love hot sauce, so we will absolutely check that out! Do you have a favorite hot sauce? We love anything by Bravado.

[@gedovanderzee1224]

@TAndTGoDutch I know they sell Bravado over there! I'm gonna try it out soon. My favorite at the moment is Queen Majesty red habanero & black coffee hot sauce

[@martijn260571]

Love the disclaimer 👍🏻 don’t listen to the haters, they will hate anything.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thanks for the support, we appreciate you!

[@queercastlimburg]

Culinary, the Netherlands is indeed somewhat flat compared to other countries, but that is regional. The southern provinces are different from the north. Breakfast here is indeed not like in England, America or Germany. However, at Van de Valk hotels you can have a very extensive and good breakfast

[@fredkempe6043]

Totally agree with the Van de Valk hotels. On our last trip to the Netherlands we tried to stay at these hotels whenever we could, Great breakfasts. Free car parking and outside of cities. My Dutch relatives didn't understand - why not stay with us and save your money. But my English-speaking wife didn't feel comfortable listening to Dutch all the time.

[@r.a.h7682]

What? Lol germans at bread in the morning too and some breans with sausage in the UK is any better than bread here? Also pancakes in the morning is nothing special, that would be like if we at pannenkoeken in the morning it would be somehow very special?