Dutch Culture 101: Exams you need to pass & other requirements to stay in the Netherlands

When you move to the Netherlands from the US as an American, you need to take a few tests and complete other requirements for your visa. In this video, I tell you about the aspects of Dutch culture you need to know to be considered officially integrated into the Netherlands and Dutch society (AKA inburgering).
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I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!
Blog website: www.dutchamericano.com
Instagram: DutchAmericano
Get in touch: [e-mail]
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[@Unzepe]

Waterschappen are older then the Dutch republic/kingdom. The oldest and still operating one was found in the 13e century.

[@richardbrinkerhoff]

I relocated to the Netherlands in 1974. As an American I didn't need a visa, just needed to report to the foreign police the first week. I did that an got a stamp in my passport saying I was exempt from having to report weekly. My first week I also found a job and was issued a work permit without any problems. My only obligation was to report once a year to the foreign police to get my residency permit renewed. After five years, I had a permanent residency permit and was allowed to vote in municipal elections. In 1997 I decided to become a Dutch national. No need to prove I was fluent in Dutch or knew about Dutch culture, government or history. I filled out several forms, inquiries were made by the police if I had a record and I requested and received a certificate of good behavior from the city of Haarlem where I lived. A short while later I received notice that it had pleased her majesty the queen of the Netherlands to grant me Dutch citizenship. Except for a small fee for the certificate of good behavior, it cost me nothing. A year later the situation was much different, getting a work permit was very difficult. I had the good luck of coming here when I did.

[@argenieuwenhuijzen2557]

There was the ‘verrechtsing’ and rising xenophobia in that period :-(

[@MrAestas]

Ohh, yes, I remember well. It was that beautiful era when this part of Europe was still a social democracy

[@mvogel66]

MrAestas, the more stringent immigration laws were instated by a social democratic minister! So no reason to glorify a social democratic past era...

[@mvogel66]

@@argenieuwenhuijzen2557 , dit heeft weinig te maken met 'verrechtsing' want de inburgeringswetten zijn gemaakt o.l.v. een PvdA-minister!

[@tomvanaarle2622]

@@mvogel66 What are you talking about? The change the poster is talking about came about in 1981 in what was called the "Minderheden Nota". That policy was part of a constitutional reform started by the previous government van Agt I (1977-1981). That particular government coalition consisted of two political parties, CDA and VVD. Not a single social democratic party in it, quite right wing actualy.

[@macmartin86]

The birthday cake thing in the Netherlands is really simple: It's YOUR birthday, and YOU want to celebrate that with other people, in turn people will want to celebrate it with you, but they will expect cake, same goes for when someone else has a birthday, they'll want to give YOU cake and celebrate together with YOU.

[@Dutchbelg3]

Hey Ava, I am pretty sure you crushed your inburgerings examen! They need to keep you in The Netherlands because we like you (We = 18500 people that pretty significant, no?) Please keep making videos because I like your style and humor. And you are a very good observer! Hugs from a fan :-) Lots of success!

[@JanAinali]

So the cake at work seems to be similar to Sweden then. And the benefit is that if you're at a workplace with, let's say, 10 employees in total, you get unplanned cake 9 days of the year and only need to plan it once yourself, whereas if it was the opposite you would need to worry about cake almost all the time and only truly could relax and enjoy it once (provided they even remembered to get the type of cake you like).

[@Pumbear]

I don't think the test asking questions related to directness means that the general population understands or consciously chooses to be that direct. I think what it proves is that the people who make the test understand what foreigners are confused by when they come to our country.

[@jackvandersluis1723]

To hear you pronounce participatietraject is so good, I think you nailed it! Congrats! 👍💥🍭

[@frankgeurts3912]

Yes agreed,keep her🤗

[@TheEvertw]

Absolutely right that being direct is a conscious choice. We can be just as indirect as any "polite" culture, but often just want to get to the heart of the matter, considering "indirect" conversations a waste of time. We like heart-to-heart conversations, where we discuss stuff that really matters.

[@dykam]

Maybe you can, and most will probably after training, but it's absolutely not a given. If it's not something you grew up with, it has to be a conscious action.

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

Before my first foreign trip I had no clue that I was being direct.

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

Dutch people are aware that being direct is part of the culture. But we're not always aware that we're doing it in the moment, because it feels so normal.

[@iNanieke]

Exactly! Also, I only learned later in life that it was a Dutch cultural thing. Up until then I didn't even realize, it wasn't like anyone would tell me "you're so direct!". Also, I would be confused when an English speaker would say "I'm good" instead of "no thanks". I thought, that's not a 'no'.. right?

[@JaccovanSchaik]

I imagine Ava rocking up to the reception, like "Hoi! Ik ben hier voor het Kennis van de Nederlandse Maatschappij examen!" and the receptionist being like "Ja hoor, erg grappig. Jij bent gewoon Nederlands." Your Dutch is flawless.

[@RH-ro3sg]

I have to agree her pronunciation is _very_ good. I can only hear faint, barely noticeable traces of a foreign accent if I'm really, really focused on hearing it. But even then it's with the knowledge that she's a foreigner. From the samples I've heard, it's well within the range of native accents.

[@mahumia]

I know right?! There is hardy any accent, at all. I'm so impressed :D Makes me wonder if Ava also comes across the issue a lot of my foreign have: when they try to speak Dutch in order to practice/get used to it, Dutch people immediately switch over to English as soon as they hear the accent. Which is meant in a good way (oooh, don't worry dear, no need to give yourself a hard time with our language, we speak English too), but not helpful :')

[@Kira-zy2ro]

her english even sounds like a dutch girl sounds when speaking english!

[@AppleCore360]

As a Dutch woman. Can confirm, directness is something we take pride in, we teach our kids to be good at and do on purpose. And we'd prefer it if you are direct back. We like it, it's much more efficient

[@vanderquast]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing this information :)

[@bollewillem1]

Even terzijde; je kast staat scheef. Als je de kast rechtsachter iets hoger zet met iets duns dan zullen de deurtjes gelijk hangen.

[@Chrisbit1]

I just found out about this channel and I love it !!!, please more videos

[@IesKorpershoek]

I really enjoyed your video.

[@carlosmulders2823]

Er van uitgaande dat je geslaagd bent, van harte gefeliciteerd !

[@jurgenrusch4041]

Hi Ava, I agree with the feedback of several viewers: definitely not all Dutch persons are aware of their directness. First off, the degree of directness greatly varies from 'de Randstad' to the southern provinces. I know it, being from Noord-Holland and living in Noord-Brabant. Secondly, as others wrote, the makers of that course/exam are aware of it. Not necessarily all Dutch. I agree with many others: your Dutch is super good and clear. For sure you have passed the exam, of course you have. Loved your video and looking forward to see another one.

[@mz8194]

Your pronounciation is very good. For the rest I agree with all the positive comments you get on your vlogs. We are happy to have you here.

[@frankgeurts3912]

Goede uitspraak 🤗its really good

[@eddys.3524]

So wonderful to see a new Video from you, AVA ! I always enjoy watching them and even for me, a Dutchie myself, I sometimes learn something about my own culture. I have no doubt that you've passed the Inburgeringsexamen. You're a bright woman and you can do that. The Visum will be no problem. I was pleased to hear you giving some examples of the type of questions you had to answer in those exams. I also have no doubt that if you one day would choose to become a Dutch National, filling the requirements will be a piece of cake. And since you seem to master Dutch : Ik hoop dat je binnenkort weer een mooie video maakt over een van de merkwaardige kanten van Nederland. Greetz, and please let us know whether you passed the exam...

[@margreetanceaux3906]

Your report is hilarious! Thanks!

[@hansdevries2898]

Watching your vlog i was somewhat amused to see you sitting in front of the painting "The Cat" by the dutch painter Bart van der Leck. It is a rather famous example of a dutch cultural phenomenon: the period in art called "De Stijl" that produced such painters as Piet Mondriaan and Theo van Doesburg, and architect Gerrit Rietveld. And Van der Leck of course. Talking about dutch culture: that cat is stellar example...

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

The place I learned that I am direct was when I went to Brazil for the first time. I noticed that everyone there thought I was extremely rude. It took me a while to figure out why (this was before the internet). Before that time I wasn't at all aware that Dutch people are direct, or infact before I knew that there are alternatives to being direct. It was just not something that I had ever thought about. You need a frame of reference before you can really think about something. After my trip to Brazil I had to think about a lot of things that i'd never considered before.

[@benbermusics]

Hi Ava, so much joy in your eyes when choosing your topics and giving your insights in front of the camera! Made me smile as well. About the directness: I guess your conclusion that the Dutch are very aware of this trait because it is part of the exam doesn't hold. It is all about the more internationally oriented Dutch people knowing what foreigners experience when visiting us. So THEY know that is something you have to deal with and may look upon as strange or rude. So they make this a topic for the training and the exam. A vast majority of my fellow Dutch civilians isn't aware of that at all. They just think it is 'normal', or don't think about their directness at all. About the choice for values freedom and equality... this is very much driven by the (political) need felt to be quite specific to people coming from cultures or religions where convictions and beliefs question these values. These newcomers get this in their face. Example of being direct an clear... 😊 So on average, no surprise there for a progressive usa citizen, but for others it serves more like: 'You cannot say we didn't tell you.... now behave!" Stuff for intercultural discussions and dispute....

[@lactobacillusprime]

Wow your Dutch accent is very good! Kudos! I think I have to agree with you on the 6 hour course on Dutch values being kind of a weird high-pressure cooker thing...

[@Roman500]

Wow your Dutch is so good!

[@70ed81]

I'm positive you passed this exam😃,.....Convinced of it😉,.......The way you pronounce those subjects people have to do in Dutch,.....that said it all👌in real good Dutch the way it sounded,......No more explanation needed,....Je bent Ingeburgerd Ava,......Congrats!😁😉

[@jurrevandermeer4857]

So cool to see Bart van der Leck's 'The Cat' in the background😂

[@armandofbls]

That’s great that they have those tests to make sure people are assimilating properly..

[@riablaakman8795]

Like your videos. And I like your reproduction of The Kat by Bart van der Lek!

[@AmyBronkman]

in the Netherlands there is a song that is often sung for people who have a birthday. Nederland (Duch). oh wat zijn we blij, oh wat zijn we blij, niet omdat die jarig maar om de vreterij. Engels (English). oh how happy we are, oh how happy we are, not becausenot because its ther birthday but because of the treats.

[@Dutchbelg3]

About being direct: Dutchies are not doing it by mistake.. surely not! Dutchies prefer to be direct! NOT trying to be rude and don't care but just we have the opinion this is the best thing to do in a conversation. To be crisp and clear. We don't like to cover the facts, for us it is a form of being honest and being grown up to deal with the facts. I do think we have a thicker skin than the Anglosaxons ;-) It's a consequence of our egalitarian society and we built a way of subtle nuances with it to show we are not try to bully. And it is not a one way traffic of "shoot and the other just has to absorb quietly ;-) You are encouraged to fire back :-p

[@moniquevandermeer6567]

Dankjewel. Het was weer een plezier om jouw video te bekijken en te beluisteren. Je zou een succes zijn in een talkshow! (Of was je daar ooit al eens en heb ik dat gemist?)

[@vincentvanstigt2926]

hi eva, My work involves a big international aspect and the big lesson learned there was that we dutchies are to direct that can be considered rude. we are not aware of being direct, but we have got lots of feedback of being direct by other nationalities. thats why we know about our directness. NL is known by it's international trading troughout history. when working with americans I sometime use the phrase; Please be as blund as you are comformtable with, we dutchies thrive on that kind of directness (works all the time). kind regards, Vincent

[@robverbree4768]

It is always a "feest" to watch!

[@bartcox274]

Thank you. Yes: some questions are very weird / subjects don't make sense. You made your point: if someone brings you a cake or invites you why should it be right / wrong? At some ''inburgerings''questions native dutch people don't know the answer: who cares: do what you like as long as you don't hurt someone. The ''inburgerings''education program could focus on avoiding money traps, social issues, healtcare/helpseeking, participating in networks, further education.

[@erikmulder2574]

Good to see another video, missed your contributions in the last weeks. You must be busy. Your Dutch sounds really good, are you at C level? Just curious. 🤷‍♂️

[@jpdj2715]

Directness - as we grow up in it, it's part of how we are socialized and "consciousness" will deepen with the climbing of our years. Also, there are big cultural differences between regions in the country - north/south, west/east. I would rate The Hague/Rotterdam more direct than anywhere else in "Holland". It's lso a social class thing and an educational level thing. The directness sometimes comes out once frustration levels have risen high enough. What's more important is that we do not take ourselves (and others?) too seriously so when somebody is direct to us, then it generally does not escalate into a dangerous conflict - which is where "late or new arrivals" should assimilate more in order to retain peacefulness in this overcrowded country.

[@vogel2280]

Hey Ava, you do know that over half the people in the Netherlands live below sea level? The Waterschap keeps your feet dry, they determine the water table of ground water. Too high and farming equipment and cows get stuck in the mud, too low and plant-based soil gets digested making the land drop even further below sea levels, reaping havoc on building foundations in the process.

[@BaRtJuHh083]

As a dutch guy it really put a big smile on my face when you said we know that we are direct. Yes we do know it and im glad we are. We dont do it to be *ssh*les we do it because its just clear and to make sure there are no confusions also its more effecient to just get to the point instead of driving around it. Also in alot of cases its less painfull if you say it right away instead of having to talk around it and hurt the other person any way. Some thing just hurt no matter how you bring te news. Also i would like to add that your dutch is really good i would believe you are dutch. I have a french guy living next door to me he is an okay guy but he lived here for 23 years and i still really have to decode what he is saying. Ps i hope you past your exam but i think you did because if they dont let you stay im not sure they would any one stay here considering your understanding of dutch culture Keep up the good work I would be proud to call you a dutch american or american dutch you can pick👍🏻

[@eelcovenema2052]

Nice video

[@RH-ro3sg]

Never knew you actually were required to take these exams if you just want a visa.... I knew about such exams but I thought you only needed to take them if you wanted to apply for Dutch citizenship. Seems I was wrong about that. I don't think the exam necessarily shows that the Dutch in general are very aware of their directness, just that the _test creators_ are. After all, it's their job, they're supposed to be able to clearly convey such cultural differences to newcomers, and therefore would need to be aware of such differences. That said, I think most Dutch in fact _are_ aware of it, so in that sense your conclusion is correct, I think. And evidently, no-one could properly integrate here without knowing about _beschuit met muisjes_ . Knowledge of such a quaint custom of course is fully as important as respecting those _other_ core values of freedom and equality :) (/sarcasm)

[@DidierWierdsma6335]

Hey Ava you should do a whole video in Dutch but with English subtitel's of course for all of you're English speaking audience just an idea😊 Other than that a great video keep up the great work👍 En Ava en jou vriendin ik wens jullie nog een prettige dag.

[@CasperEgas]

Jouw ;)

[@citizenkane4831]

Love your vlogs. About that cake or inviting someone for dinner at your place. It seems like the same rules apply to the Benelux countries as to the Scandinavian countries (or at least sweden) compared to the US. The same goes to when people are specifically derect to other people. We are also fully aware when we are that. Like if someone is standing to close to you in the bus. We don´t start a long conversation about the weather and tossing around the subject about your are breathing into my neck. It´s just a simple blunt MOVE! That should be clear enough without offending anyone

[@pjotrh]

The lunch break seems important… ;)

[@johnalexander8682]

Hi Ava, nice story again! But... my eyes kept getting drawn to your light- green closet doors constantly, which don't line up. If you slide a coaster under your cupboard at the front right, you will see that the doors are aligned parallel again. 🙃. With love, John

[@gordonwallin2368]

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@gordonwallin2368]

I wondered where you've been, missed you. (I grew up in a Dutch farming community, and worked on their farms, also my first wife and I stayed inAmsterdam in 1976 and loved it.) So there's my connection to "Holland".

[@JacobPlat]

I despice waterboarding!

[@rpfs2691]

I would recommend getting Dutch citizenship. Which requires you to either have been married to a Dutch person for the years or to have lived here for five. Though the marriage option might be preferable because it'll allow you to retain your US citizenship. Should you wish to remain a US taxpayer.

[@jimjungle1397]

When I went to Europe as an American student, many European countries required a student visa before arriving, but the Netherlands allowed Americans to apply for a student visa after arriving in the Netherlands.

[@moturist1]

Hi Ava, that exam must have been 'een eitje' for you, I'm sure. As for learning the Dutch language; seems to me you're getting quite proficient and comfortable speaking it. How about your reading of Dutch books? I assume you're past Jip & Janneke by now, although I enjoyed reading them to my kids (and other books by Annie MG Schmidt), simply because her use of the language was so great, clear and inventive. Did you know that we use the term 'Jip en Janneke taal' for simple, clear language without beating about the bush? I wonder if you have been introduced to the work of Marten Toonder yet? His semi-comicbooks about 'Heer Bommel en Tom Poes' are really worth a try if you enjoy inventive language and a portion of society criticism with a good deal of tongue in cheek humor. Quite a few of the words and expressions he invented became part of everyday Dutch, like 'minkukel', 'denkraam', 'kommer en kwel', 'verzin een list' and many more.

[@janmango4692]

When you talk about a "visa" (Dutch: "visum") you actually mean a residence permit ("verblijfsvergunning"). This may be confusing for some of your viewers, because a visa is only for short stay (max. 3 months), i.e. for tourism. Most (not all) nationals of countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland need a residence permit for a longer stay. The "inburgeringsdiploma" is one of the requirements to be granted a residence permit for indefinite time ("EU langdurig ingezeten derdelander").

[@jimjungle1397]

When I was a student, I had a student visa and a resident card.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I know that Dutchies are direct. I don't know when I am direct in the eye of the beholder. I might know, evaluating myself later. But really, the fact that from that exam question you can infer that it is a conscious decision is a mistake. There is a difference between knowing the culture and doing the culture. The latter is by definition a subconscious process.

[@Guytaryn]

An organic coffee with a pinch of canella and a drop of honey ☕️

[@jangoedbloed2141]

Hello, a comment not related to this video. I have been looking at videos from expats on KZbin for some time now. What strikes me as odd is that there are virtually no videos about life outside the big cities (randstad). The Netherlands is so much more, and I'm not talking about the tourist stuff, like giethoorn or even the zaanstreek. No the provences that make up the borders of the Netherlands. If you would go there, you would see a whole different side of our country. Talk to people actually living there. I think you have a lot of friends, maybe they know people that live in rural areas. It would be interesting to see what expats feel in those parts.

[@wisecat.]

You know, in the land of the water such as the netherlands they do not include a swimming exam for foreigners who wants to live here as part of the inburgering/participatie whatever. They obviously should cause you'll not believe how many foreign people yearly drown cause of the lack of swimming skills. In NL children learn to swim at a very very young age and get at least 3 certificates. Why do foreigners not have to do this. Maybe in their country it isn't custom to learn swimming. That makes it more essential.

[@mikepictor]

I am moving in 1 month (in my case a a skilled worker with the 30% ruling). This is very interesting. I am planning to work towards citizenship, but everything in its time.

[@Harry_PP030]

You already have advantage with your last name. Half of the people in Volendam has that name 😄

[@Basic190]

@@Harry_PP030 😂😂

[@mikepictor]

My parents came from the Netherlands. I have cousins there.

[@Harry_PP030]

@@mikepictor do they sing a lot?

[@Harry_PP030]

Perhaps i should explain this: lots of people in Volendam sing, so if they would live there they probably sing, or are related to an artist there.

[@iNanieke]

To be fair, I only learned later in life that being direct was a Dutch cultural thing. Up until then I didn't even realize, it wasn't like anyone would tell me "you're so direct!". Also, I would be confused when an English speaker would say "I'm good" instead of "no thanks". I thought, that's not a 'no'.. right?

[@HenkJanBakker]

Directness is part of the culture and we are *very* aware of it. And just like foreigners we can be offended. But mostly its not intended as nasty so we welcome this constructive criticism. Rudeness will be met with strong STRONG wording.

[@IesKorpershoek]

Directness is a way to get straight to the point. No beating around the bush.

[@01jvsvijay]

Have you met Jason from Not Just Bikes?

[@Paul-iq6pw]

2:22 "... and our relationship is not going anywhere ..." I am sorry to hear that! Oh wait .... 😜

[@theselecter]

Ik hoop dat je als Amerikaan goed hebt geleerd hoeveel keer Nederland in Marokko past. Die vraag kreeg een Peruaanse vriend van me ook tijdens de inburgering. Als Nederlander heb ik de test gefaald. Dit was 10 jaar geleden dus ik verwacht dat het nu wel goed is. Toch? :p

[@chrislaarman7532]

Interesting! - And obviously I do hope that you have passed the exam, Ava! :-) These two topics "freedom" and "equality" appeal to me, as they aren't as clear-cut as they may seem. Freedom: there is freedom like "being allowed to", probably the description that most of us can agree with. However, there also is freedom like "being able to", which is the politically left-leaning view. Example: everybody is free to buy a "great" (big, beautiful, nicely situated) house, but few people can afford it. A left-leaning government may provide ways for the less fortunated to get their dream-house after all. Equality: there may seem little discussion possible about equality. But how about nationals ("club members") and foreigners (not "club members", therefore excluded from membership benefits)? How about the gay? (Are children entitled to have a father and a mother, or should they be exposed to the chance of having two same-sex parents?) How about religion: should the rules of your religion precede over worldly laws? Even if these religious rules should tell you that you are superior to others (non-believers, women, the mentally disabled, different race)? How about abortion: should an 11-year old rape victim be forced to bear a child (because it's an unborn human, no matter whatever the future for both mother and child), or should her case outweigh the unborn's? If you should be non-binary (gender-wise), should you have the best or the worst of two worlds, should you have to opt for one side? If you are on a waiting list for, say, a donor lung, should you be treated equally as people with the opposite smoking behavior? - Just some examples of aspects of "equality"... Water boards: the "waterschappen" happen to be the oldest Dutch democratic institutions. Their origin may be described as the authority to keep the water level(s) in a polder to everybody's satisfaction. - Incidentally, this is another case of "equality": should those with a greater stake have a greater say? (And how about copying that to national government: should the wealthy have a stronger vote?) I do appreciate questions like these being raised and the different views at least touched on, but I don't think that there exist a single universally and perpetually correct answer. (Yes, I'm a lawyer by study.)

[@ingridmaubach4450]

I like your cat picture so much! Have you painted it yourself? 😻

[@jurgenrusch4041]

Hi Ingrid, please see Hans de Vries his comment explaining "The Cat". I learnt something there. 👍

[@ingridmaubach4450]

@@jurgenrusch4041 ooo yes, how interesting, in the Kröller Müller museum 😃

[@Gelre1542]

Het klopt inderdaad dat veel Nederlanders zelf niet zouden slagen voor het examen van de inburgeringscursus; het gebruik van de in de cursus aangeleerde taal voor verbinding, gelijkwaardigheid en begrip, wordt hier botweg genegeerd, want: anglofiele reflex. Betrapt?

[@jobkramer1359]

based on your video's I would have given you a free pass on all elements.

[@Paul_C]

You should watch the video Greg Shapiro did. Both his book and videos are hilarious.

[@jonsworld7082]

we should change the beschuit met muisjes to oliebollen something whent so wrong there :/ and to the last question....yes to all, bake me a cake, take me out to dinner and yea a happy birthday would be nice...

[@gijsvanlieshout]

You let us know whether you aced it? Hope so!

[@hanfranssen]

I love how you go through in this. And i think it’s kinda crazy. Because i got some of those exams and i can tell you they are just stupid as you point it out very smoothly 😉. But i would love having you as our queen, and yes it was actually a thing. Sometimes I’m a bit ashamed to be Dutch. But I’m confident that you will pass this. Maybe you will think this is hilarious as it is making. Fun of this system. I get the feeling you as a linguist will see the fun in it, and I think you speek enough dutch to see what is happening in this video. Have fun and see you soon, i love your video’s ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYi0lpeEpJaLo9U

[@TheBrownieQueen]

Are there many international grocery stores in the Netherlands? From your other videos it sounds like there's not the same level of international cuisine as the US in terms of restaurants, but is it possible to even get ingredients to make things at home?

[@slaapt]

There are a bunch of international grocery stores. They range from various East European to Asian to South American. As for restaurants, you have a international choices in every town with more than 10k people living in it. The more people, the larger the number of options ofcourse, but if I wanted I could order various Asian, European, African, South American (mostly Surinamese), or American dishes. You might not be able to get specific dishes you are used to getting where you live, but there definitely is a load of options.

[@moldar81]

As a gay person, I wish I have a dutch partner because I have no idea what you're talking about haha I'm still learning about the culture and will Wageningen for 2 weeks in Feb. Thanks for the video.

[@johnveerkamp1501]

LEUKE FOTO VAN DE KAT !!

[@moshemordechaivanzuiden]

I think that your initial idea was correct. The Dutch are NOT aware of their directness. Some foreign psychologist must have put this into the test. I'm an 11th-generation Dutch person living outside of the Netherlands for 30 years and I still wouldn't call myself direct. The word we might use is: eerlijk: honest.

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

Explain to me how the crown princess is equal to any of us?

[@foxvoss1420]

I think those exams also about being familiar with those values. For people from western countries these are not unfamiliar values, but people who are used to live in repressive or orthodox religious countries it might be a big culture shock. So to be able to live here you must at least understand how the average Dutchman thinks.

[@damouze]

(Hopefully) fun fact: the waterschappen en hoogheemraden are actually the oldest democratic institutes in the Netherlands. I have no doubt you aced your exams. If you get any swag, just point them to your videos ;-).

[@slaapt]

Even funner fact: waterschappen aren't just the oldest democratic institutes in The Netherlands. They are the oldest existing democratic institutes in the world.

[@TheoBerkhout]

I think Dutch know when they are direct But they mostly do not realize that some foreigners can interpret it as rude.

[@chrislaarman7532]

Quite. :-) And there's a sort-of opposite: I remember (from decades ago) Dutch employers rejecting foreign applicants for not looking them into the eye. Due respect taken for being clandestine (I had Google translate "achterbaks".)

[@DickVeerman123]

If i remember correctly the waterschappen election is one of the oldest still governing elected boards in the world. It was implemented because no matter who was the current leader its always important in the netherlands to have dry feet Edit: cant find a source for the world wide claim so maybe im remembering it wrong. A form of the waterschappen has been officially around since 13th century and before that it was a local matter discussed by neighbours so maybe thats why you can vote on it if you live here for a couple of years

[@HenkJanBakker]

Citizens voting for this only started in 1992.

[@ArjanvanOlphen]

Like your videos a lot but please level the cabinet in the corner properly? It distracts me from your story. :D

[@piepkwiep4312]

Ik wilde net gaan inburgeren maar: "U kunt zich momenteel niet aanmelden voor een Nt2 examen. Excuses voor het ongemak".

[@RogierYou]

I have a t-shirt: " I am nog arguing but just explaining my point of view" " I am Dutch" 🙂

[@chrislaarman7532]

I must remember that one! I must still have some blank T-shirts and transfer-sheets somewhere. - You remind me of what Herman Finkers said he bought for his wife as a souvenir from Aachen (D): a T-shirt stating (translated): "Please speak slowly. I'm blond."

[@bboogers3069]

Idd you pass your exams?

[@VulcanOnWheels]

Know you will pass or see yourself as having passed already.

[@Quetzietse]

Yeah, being direct is part of the culture and we are aware that it is. I don't see how that is contradictory. Americans are also aware that they are gung-ho about guns. There is this grey area ofcourse in which we are aware of our directness but not 100% on how it is going to be interpreted by non-Dutch. Assuming we are 'unaware' of our 'directness' seems a bit infantalizing.

[@siccodierdorp6947]

Language test question one: pronounce 'participatieverklaringstraject' End of tests

[@curacao11]

:-)

[@Hephaestios01]

I think the question about a princess being gay would be a good example of values. If the person that stands the highest in the social hierarchy can be gay without the population seeing a problem with it then that would be a perfect example of a shared social value. The same way that having a black or female president would. It doesn't say much if your neighbour can be secretly gay in their home but it does say a lot if the king or queen publically can without a problem. for people that come from countries where that is not excepted even the notion of the "ruler" being gay would cause outrage. i think that might be why this unrelatable example was used in the course.

[@Dutch1961]

In general a Dutchie will never invite a co-worker for dinner unless it's also a friend. We tend to separate our business life and private life. We do talk about our private life at work but we don't let enyone into our private life until we've established a relationship as friends.

[@sleutelbergen8678]

Waar is vosje?

[@tonzelle2720]

The "waterschapsverkiezingen" are the oldest democratic elections in the Netherlands, older than the actual nation

[@sandereijsink1285]

Directness is a behavior of Hollanders and not so much of Dutchies from the east, north and south of the country. I find the Hollanders rude as a dutch citizen. But after your time in the Netherlands you are aware of that.

[@Frahamen]

Of course if you're from a Schengen Area country you don't have to do anything to live in the Netherlands

[@strati5phere]

I feel like this kind of thing isn't really taught to Americans in America.

[@pebertje]

Hi Ava.... I have read through the questions of the integration course... I am Dutch and I believe that the average Dutch person does not pass the course hahahahaha ... 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@peterketel1982]

Het is niet zo vreemd dat de onderwerpen vrijheid en gelijkheid zijn gekozen. Spinoza (1632-1677) was een grondlegger van deze maatschappelijke waarden. Verdiep je in het werk van Spinoza en je hebt de aard van het beestje in het snotje. Passeerde het vermaledijde beurtbalkje dat zovele inburgeringskandidaten hartverscheurend laat balken, omdat zij niet weten wat dit is, weer de revue?

[@HenkJanBakker]

[@johnhendriks4085]

Deze zogenaamde inburgeringsexamens zijn een beetje vreemd voor mij. Ik ben Nederlander, woon hier en ben hier geboren. Ik heb een goede opleiding. Ik ben historicus en heb vele jaren lesgegeven. Ik heb deze examens wel eens geprobeerd en wist niet alle antwoorden. Maar het is goed om enige algemene kennis te hebben over de maatschappij, cultuur en geschiedenis. Maar niet alle Nederlanders hebben dezelfde algemene kennis

[@derpeek]

Liked this video. To be fair a lot of native dutch people would not pas this exam... Ik know it is a bit emberrasing.. About the Amalia example. It is not An Evert Day example but IT is a good example because she has a high profile. If even the the queen of the Netherlands van be gay why should an ordenairy boy or girl can't be gay. Its a good example. Then the waterschap verkiezingen. They are the oldest democratic body's in the Netherlands, some even dating back 800 years. Yes people could vote for the waterschappen even they could not vote for the national government..

[@frankvanleeuwen2943]

Dat is pas een einde....😆

[@marcusfranconium3392]

Your officialy integrated when you start complaining about foreigners .