Expectation vs REALITY of moving to The Netherlands from the United States

When moving abroad, the expectations don't always 100% line up with reality. Join me in this video for some of the fun reality checks that I had as an American who moved to the Netherlands! In particular, I share my experiences of living in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Many of you are aware of my love for coffee and have asked to buy me a coffee over the years, so here's a link: buymeacoffee.com/dutchamericano
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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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[@sophialouiza]

What I as a Dutch person see with a lot of foreigners who come and live here, they expect that they can speak English everywhere and always. Please people be respectful if you move to another country and learn the language of that country. Try to learn Dutch if you move to the Netherlands. Just because we Dutch can speak English doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to learn our language.

[@martijnspruit]

And understanding and speaking Dutch is also the key to really getting to know Dutch people, instead of staying acquaintances.

[@tirzanieuwenhuis-kruiver946]

@@Hollybobolly123je hebt helemaal gelijk, als engelssprekend is het bijzonder moeilijk om nederlands te leren want veel nederlanders schakelen moeiteloos en zonder te checken of het wenselijk is over op engels. Ben ik zelf ook schuldig aan ontdek ik steeds vaker. Sorry! Het helpt bij mij als je zegt dat je je nederlands aan het oefenen bent.

[@nourahnielson6204]

@@tirzanieuwenhuis-kruiver946 Did you explain that to the people who talked back in English to you, I think no one would not be happy to just talk Dutch to you.

[@dikkiedik53]

For my English speaking friends... wouldn't it be nice to learn a new language that is the closest to your own language? that is Frisian language. The second closest language to English is DUTCH! So it must not be that hard to learn for an English speaker. At the same time that's why Dutch are so good at English. It are a kind of sibling languages, belonging to the West-Germanic languages, together with German (the Nord variant). The largest problem is when we see words written and don't know how to pronounce them... fun example the Dutch woord (no typo) "eiland" is pronounced practically the same as the English word "island". So my advice to you "listen carfully" you will probably understand more than you estimated up front. Have fun learning and communicating.

[@sophialouiza]

@@Hollybobolly123 That is true indeed. A lot of Dutch people tend to switch to English when they hear that Dutch is not your native language. It is indeed hard for you to learn our language this way. To all the Dutch: laten wij Nederlands blijven praten tegen degenen die proberen onze taal te leren en niet veranderen naar Engels :) Laten wij ook geduld tonen jegens hen! :)

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

After finding out that Amsterdam is too expensive, you choose to move to the 2nd most expensive city. 😄

[@DutchAmericano]

Now when you put it like that...

[@Wolfe1966]

Rotterdam is more expensive then Utrecht

[@HerrFinsternis]

Had to look that up and surprisingly Utrecht only hits the number 12 spot when you look at price per square meter, and Rotterdam isn't even in the top 25. But otherwise Utrecht is probably the second hardest place to find a house in the Netherlands.

[@AnymMusic]

TECHNICALLY less expensive 😂

[@peterang6912]

​@@HerrFinsternisif you want more for your money , you need to live in the village and not in a city..

[@PH61a]

Hi Ava. About the different kinds of cheeses in the Netherlands: I think you're wrong. There are many, many different (probably hundreds) kinds of Dutch cheeses. Go to a special cheese shop (like the one in Twijnstraat) and you'll find out. Lots of regional cheeses too.

[@azxctr]

Yep! Also, the weekly markets usually have cheese sellers on them. One of my favourites is gras kaas, made from the first milk of cows going outside. Very very delicious, you'll start finding them around may/june.

[@jhgylugkfhfhlgf]

Had to jump in the comments to state the same. Judging Dutch cheese by what you find in a supermarket is really wrong as they will have a very limited selection; and then most of their cheeses tend to be pretty bland so more people can eat it (albeit without enjoying it as you can with a nice piece of farmers cheese for instance). Heck, my kids won't even eat supermarket cheese; as they are used to cheese from a cheese seller on the market. Farmers cheeese is a particular delight for me, as it's taste will differ between farms, based on the soil around, the grasses the cows have fed on and minor differences in the cheese making process. As stated above: try a specialized cheese shop (or seller at the market) and find out!

[@martijnspruit]

And many cheeses are regional, or farmers cheese. So whenever you're somewhere in the province, away from a town, go and visit a farmers market of farmers shop.

[@martijnkeisers5900]

So true!

[@dirkmunk8352]

Indeed, there are many different kinds of Dutch cheese. However, many of them fall into the Gouda category, even if they taste very different. To start with, Gouda cheese has at least seven different age categories, not just three. Very young is almost white and very creamy, extremely old is very hard and brown with a very strong taste. Most cheese you see is industrial cheese, the supermarket variety will be very blend. However, there are very good industrial cheeses as well. Industrial cheese is mostly made form pasteurized milk. Farmhouse cheese usually has more character because it is made from raw milk. And then there is cheese with cumin, or cheese with cloves. There is Edam cheese. Go to a real cheese shop (not one for tourists) and try a different Dutch cheese every time you go there.

[@robertvermaat2124]

No variety of Dutch cheese? Ava - whaaaat?? 😳😳 I'm very sorry for you that you have not yet experienced this. Maybe go to a market (or a specialized cheese store) instead of a supermarket, you'll find a plethora of yellow Dutch cheese varieties. Really!

[@cindyloch5463]

I agree! Vraag in een kaaswinkel (of boerderijwinkel) eens om wat uitleg over verschillende nederlandse kazen. Meestal vinden ze het heel leuk om je te helpen iets bijzonders te vinden en kun je ook proeven voor je koopt. De smaken zijn ook veel rijker/voller. (Ook bv geiten- of schapenkaas of kazen met verschillende soorten kruiden erin). Bij de supermarkt koop je alleen kaas voor op brood ofzo, als je geen tijd hebt om naar een speciaalzaak te gaan. Er gaat vast een nieuwe wereld voor je open!

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

The variety of dutch cheeses does exist but you'll need to go to a specialty shop going by the common term "kaasboer".

[@jannetteberends8730]

It used to be colder in the Netherlands. Just check how often the 11 steden tocht was organised in the last century. The canals were frozen for the whole winter regularly. It’s also getting hotter in the summer. Some time ago I realised that we started to used ventilators in the nineties. Before that nobody had one. And now people are contemplating an airconditioner. There is way more cheese. There is komijn, leerdammer, Frisian clove cheese, grass cheese (the first mik of cows go outside), edammer, goat cheese, sheep cheese, and so on. An fake emmentaler. Just go to a specialised cheese shop. And try oude boeren kaas.

[@nfboogaard]

Ohh try Tynjetaler, it reminds me of Swiss cheese, very nice!

[@Wolfe1966]

​@@nfboogaardIt's based on Swiss cheese

[@robertvermaat2124]

Canals frozen for the whole winter? When? I'm 60 and I never experienced that here...

[@jannetteberends8730]

@@robertvermaat2124 winter being end December, January and part of February. You don’t remember? Maybe you’re from a city where they are ‘spuien’ the canals, like in Amsterdam.

[@alteregotje2491]

There's also a lot of other types of cheese with different herbs in them. There's even cheeses that look orange or green because of it.

[@rolandvos]

Although you are often right about special Dutch customs, I have to contradict you when it comes to cheese. Young, mature and old cheese is a very short description. In addition to Gouda, the Netherlands has Edam cheese, farmer's cheese, Leiden cheese, Kerhemmer, Frisian nail cheese, Nettle cheese, Nut cheese, Limburg cheese (Herve cheese), Leerdammer, Maasdammer, 20+ Cheese, many types of cheese spread. I have certainly forgotten many species in this list and most species have various categories.

[@timzel]

Species 😭

[@kamion53]

Frisian nail cheese: (Friese nagelkaas) is cheese with cloves. It isn't cheese where the cheesemaker clipped his nails in.( yuck)

[@gordonwallin2368]

Wow, the list sounds like a Monty Python skit!😁

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

Netherlands used to have those winters, where the nature water froze over and you could ice skate to work. Climate change has turned our frozen season into more wet season

[@Treinbouwer]

Dat is wel in de kleine ijstijd, dus rond de gouden eeuw en dus al eeuwen terug.

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

@@Treinbouwer de kleine ijstijd zou nog lopen ware het niet voor de klimaat crisis.

[@manicantsettleonausername6789]

Enjoyed this video and the combined format at the beginning!

[@user-Dutchie]

Go to a cheese shop you can get a lot more types

[@H1SCOTTY]

Or the market stalls just because supermarket cheese often isn’t made in a traditional way but with artificial rennet. For some good so their cheese is vegetarian. But like Old Amsterdam cheese you pay for eleven months or more of ageing and in fact it’s aged in a few months

[@margreetanceaux3906]

C’mon, Ava - there’s an enormous variety! Leidse kaas, Friese kaas (both with spices, and very traditional), Limburgse, schapenkaas, geitenkaas, Amsterdam, etcetera etcetera. And of course my favorite: Doruvael, from the surroundings of Gouda, but certainly not a Gouda cheese. And please don’t offend the farmers, who make artisan cheeses with an individual flavor.

[@petervandieren]

Not a wide variety of cheeses? Besides the three flavours (ages) you mentioned, there a stages in between. You should also try cheeses with herbs. Like komijnekaas, brandnetelkaas or, my favorite, sambalkaas and many others.

[@Badbeat]

As a Dutch person I must say the full social calendar some people have can be somewhat awkward. Call me an anti-social introvert, but if someone I don't get to see a lot tells me the next available moment they have is in 6 to 8 weeks time, I move on. For something like a birthday, concert or festival, sure it makes sense to plan. But for a social visit it just feels like they have better things to do.

[@kirstenmc68]

Aaayyy! You have to do a deeper dive into the Dutch cheeses ! 😅

[@LaurenRyan]

I see you putting more b-roll into your video as you talk about subjects.. it looked great! Well done (:

[@jeremyoliviervoice]

Great video Ava! Reading the comments is definitely interesting. I remember people talking about the seriousness of the birthday calendar. Here in Korea, things are also very cheap during the day-to-day. However, not as many vacation days and work-life balance. Always events and fun things to do. Social life in Korea is up to you.

[@jbird4478]

You just have to plan free evenings for the spontaneous things. Then if someone invites you for something on that evening, you just "no, I'm planning on doing nothing that day." That's perfectly normal.

[@jeffafa3096]

We actually do have a lot of different types of cheese in the supermarket, but usually they are not found in the same aisle as the Gouda cheese (or any other "regular" cheese brand, like Maaslander). Things like Mozzarella, Feta, Brie, Camembert etc. can usually be found near the salad spreads (the Johma salads). But, for the true Dutch cheese experience, you should visit the weekly Farmer's markets. They always have a cheese stand, and the variety is very big!

[@jaila2806]

I love your vids... but honey, don't diss our cheese like that! 😮😋 theres such a big variety! My favourite is 'gras kaas' 💚

[@DenUitvreter]

Cheese in de supermarket? That's not the measure of cheese.

[@erikmulder2574]

I am Dutch and yes, I do plan my free time. But in that plan I have days free of planning to be able to do some spontaneous stuff and get some “me” time. Larger cities are expensive when it comes to housing, smaller villages normally are more affordable when it comes to rent. It also has more housing with gardens, nice to grow your own food like herbs, veggies and fruits. A lot of people growing older choose that lifestyle where the young ones like yourself prefer the social hectic of a city.

[@atropatene3596]

You never have someone come in through the backdoor, yell "volluk!" and then just having an awesome evening with them? Because that happens all the time where I've lived. And that's Noord-Brabant and Noord-Holland (not the cities)

[@gordonwallin2368]

Wow, what a fun video. I grew up in a Dutch farming community in The Fraser Valley of British Columbia, and they were SO organized-but fun too. They were rather "Scandinavian" looking. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@snelly4939]

@gordonwallin Why.

[@reuireuiop0]

In the past, like, before 17 century, there was lots of trade and interchange between Scandinavië and the Netherlands. Check out Hanze League, but already before that, and not only the Vikings but also regular trade, up to Roman times. The Frysk language still exists today in our little Quebec, Frisia in the North West, sounds a lot like Nordic languages.

[@stefangrobbink7760]

Snow and ice have certainly become more rare in the past decade, and our local climate has already warmed by 2 degrees. For coming winter though, the predictions are that it's going to be a cold one. And if it is, expext a lot of people to skate on the canals as soon as the ice is thick enough.

[@umitdolap1733]

About 30 and plus years ago we would have freezing winters almost every year. Skating to work was a common practice back then. Around the 1990s the climate became warmer and warmer up until winterdays had an average temperature just below 9C.

[@hanfranssen]

Another amazing video. So funny to hear how you see at it. Regarding the cheese however, don’t go to the market go to a cheese shop and let them explain what they have and taste Teh huge amount of different cheeses. You will be surprised I’m sure

[@danielmantione]

Ik zou zeggen, weersta de verleiding om kaas in de supermarkt te kopen en ga eens naar de markt. Koop een stuk oude brokkelkaas, komijnenkaas, Weydelijner en ze hebben vast nog wel iets dat ze kunnen aanraden. De meeste kaas in de supermarkt wordt met geïndustrialiseerde processen gemaakt, namelijk grote hoeveelheden en goedkoop. Persoonlijk walg ik als ik op mijn werk de koelkast open doe en er ligt weer een pakje jonge kaas van de Albert Heijn. Zit geen smaak aan. Dat wil overigens niet zeggen dat alle supermarktkaas slecht is, je kunt best wat kopen in de supermarkt. Beemsterkaas of Primadonna uit de supermarkt smaakt best goed. Het verschil tussen industriële processen en de kazen die met liefde gemaakt zijn is evenwel niet te missen en daar moet je echt de supermarkt links voor laten liggen.

[@roberthoekstra9962]

Do you go out and about in the country? Visit smaller cities as well? Watching their beautiful old city centers? Like Amersfoort (my city) is beautiful, if I may boast a bit haha. I love your videos on your experiences you have living in the Netherlands, keep up posting lovely content like that😊

[@Treinbouwer]

Er zijn ook hele leuke dorpjes.

[@chrislaarman7532]

I think Ava and her partner visited Terschelling last year. Wasn't that even where they proposed and accepted to marry?

[@wopperconpalta5356]

Also usually countries try to level their prices between most places here in europe. NL is basically one bit city infrastucture wise but still sitting in the middle of that city is one huge farm and foodfactory. Also for exotic foods that will be brought to europe, Rotterdam harbor and Schiphol airport are usually the best biggest hub. Its hard to imagine a cheaper way to get food to the average supermarket then here in the Netherland.

[@WindmillChef]

Counting down, 12 more days! American born, I grew up in The Netherlands and returned to The US at age 22 to live my adult life. In 12 days I am coming to Holland (Thanksgiving week), returning for the first time (since 1984) with my children (and daughter's husband), I am going to show the country to them. To say that I am excited is quite the understatement. Even though there are several "prove you wrong" comments about Dutch cheese below, I agree with you. In Holland there are all these different cheese names and makers and there's a variety of differences, most of them are largely of the same cheese type with similar texture and color. Many Americans who watch this video may raise an eyebrow and be puzzled when you said that you are so busy and "booked" with social activities when you work 40 hours/week and have lots of days off but I recognize this completely. In The Netherlands people socialize differently and perhaps more than Americans do. When I was a kid in Holland I used to go over to a friend's house after dinner, just to watch TV, to do nothing essentially, I could do this 'doing nothing' perfectly well at my own home but, no, I went over to a friend. More over, this may have been a friend who I had just seen 5 days earlier, not a "catching up" type of thing. Of course I would call the day before: "Hey, can I come over tomorrow night" because that's what you do in Holland. But the socializing did not need a reason or an event. As I have been pre-booking and purchasing tickets ahead for museums and things like that (trying to behave like a good Dutch person) I too am surprised how reasonably priced things are. On Thanksgiving night we are going to eat dinner in a restaurant in Delft (called Le Vieux Jean), this is a very high scale restaurant where I apprenticed as a Chef 40 years ago! I looked them up on-line and looked at some menus and I was dumbfounded at how cheap prices are. It is not inexpensive but In The US, today, a comparable restaurant would cost 70-80% more. I am mentally ready for the possibility of some shock, while I think I know the country and tell my kids that I know the country, 40 years is a long time, a lot of change happens and I may be visiting a country that I grew up in and I don't know at all but KZbin videos of all sorts have done a good job, I think, of shaping an image for me. HOLLAND, GET READY, I'M COMING BACK HA, HA!

[@jurrienvanrooy7469]

Enjoy your stay!

[@WindmillChef]

@@jurrienvanrooy7469 Dank je wel. Voor mij de day is morgen, minder dan 24 uren weg! Practicing my Dutch, hmm!

[@Wernerrrrr]

Great story, hope you had a good time!

[@RudieVissenberg]

Ouch you really hurt my feelings there. Have you every been to a cheese stall at a market, a good one? They have dozen of cheeses and go to several of them then you can choose between hundreds.(remember, a good stall always lets you taste😉) The supermarkets have limited choice, in general. A lot of them are not produced in the Netherlands although they are called 'Gouda cheese'. Do as the Dutch and go to the markets where they can tell you which farmer produced the cheese and you can choose bio, vegan and low salt/calories (burk) cheese.

[@reuireuiop0]

Absolutely ! Supermarkets are useless die buying Dutch cheese. They got all kindsa fancy foreign cheeses, but choice in Dutch cheese, nopes. Like you sai check out a prime cheese stall on the market, or a specialized Dutch cheese shop ( likely to be expensive, though,)

[@donaldotrumpie8067]

Nou dan ga eens naar een mooie sauna, mijn zus werd bijna gearresteerd in de VS omdat ze met een vriendin ook 24 jaar oud naakt in de sauna zaten in hun hotel....en echt 3 oude kerels hadden de politie gebeld ha ha . Ik wist ook niet dat naakt in de sauna verboden was in de VS..

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

In the Jack Nicholson movie, The Last Detail, Heineken beer is touted as very special, a real treat. At the time of the movie, Heineken was the most consumed and most common beer we had in The Netherlands. And rather cheap, too.

[@arturobianco848]

Hi Eva yup the cheeses all look the same but there is plenty of subtle variety's just not in the Gouda but also between the diffent ones. But yes they are all pretty much "hard" cheeses even the "herb" ones.

[@TheSimArchitect]

My experience is very different than yours, but I came on a very different context, though. Happy you integrated well.

[@WPGinfo]

Variations in dutch cheeses are SMALL, esp. with mass produced cheese you buy in supermarkets. However there ARE variations that are SUBTLE esp. in genuine 'boerenkaas' = Cheese produced by farmers themselves. Flavors vary from location to location / farmer to farmer.Look around, taste and pick the cheese you like best.

[@BobWitlox]

What happened with the cheese remark there? Haven't you tried the different types of cheeses? Goudse kaas, Beemster, Maaslander, Leerdammer and so on... all very distinct flavours. So it's not just aging.

[@eddys.3524]

Nice video, Ava, which raps some of the aspects of living in the Netherlands up quite well.. About ice skating... well, that's more an image of the past and even then it wasn't quite regular. But since AWG really became noticable, skating on Canals has become a rare event. Climate in the Netherlands has become warmer. Say, 40 years ago temperatures above 30C were rare, once or twice a year on average with peaks seldom reaching 35C, nowadays it's more than 5 to 7 days a year with peaks clearly above 35C. And cheese? Well, it ain't that simple as you paint it.. Being true in most supermarkets, there is a lot more variation and regional cheeses available in the Netherlands. BTW I liked thge black/white cat, appearing a couple of times.. could have been a separate line in your story... Looking forward to your next video... and enjoy life.

[@jwenting]

nothing to do with AWG (which doesn't exist) but with natural cycles, as well as people glorifying the past.

[@alamunez]

@@jwentingFound the wappie! 🎉

[@robinbraamhorst1410]

Eva!, you forgot we also have komijnenkaas! Witch is really jummie on a white slice of bread!

[@erikabee3498]

Hey Ava, I noticed the same black and white cat twice, on the streets. I Quess it is your cat. 🥰 And it is not always true that we Dutch people can't sponaniously meet each other. It often depends of having a family or not. In my student time I had a group of friends that I could call to come together the same day that I wanted to party. Even on a wednesday, or thursday. Often at least two or 3 of the lads said yes. And if not...I would almost meet some acqaintances I knew. Good times too!

[@jasper265]

The ice skating story isn't that far off. It is, however, describing the situation from a couple centuries ago (and even then only a part of the year). There's a definite link between our weather and the ice skating expertise, though

[@wopperconpalta5356]

Kinda right about the cheese variaty when compared to southern europe, but the best dutch cheeses you dont mention: Kruidnagel kaas (frisian clove cheese) and Leidse kaas (Cumin and caraway seed cheese). Tried them?

[@rientsdijkstra4266]

Amsterdam, Utrecht, Den Haag and Rotterdam, and a whole lot of smaller places in between, such as Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Alphen aan den Rijn, and dozens of other towns, actually form one large metropolis, that we call the Randstad (rimm city), which in seize is comparable to Los Angeles, or 2/3 of New York. Our salaries are marginally lower, but represent much more whealth because so many things we don't have to pay for (or very little)

[@andremeijer2]

Hi Ava, there's als cumin cheese. It's not very famous abroad. Maybe there's a reason for that, but for me it's one of the most delicious cheeses.

[@nfboogaard]

On the planning, I'm sure you already had christmas with the in-laws planned a month or two ago, is that different as well from family plans (like thanksgiving) in the US?

[@Whaloroth]

Goat cheese, soft cheese, fresh cheese. And sure basicly young medium and old. But there is an insane variety of them, herbs, type of milk, how ages, etc. Amsterdam and utrecht so the number 1 and 2 on the expensive list and the cities expads flock too.. And doing things last minute spontanious, sure that happens, you do need a large circle of social contacts to do so and innitiate. So summer day, sit on a terras and app your friends if they want to join and : voila spontanious social moment.

[@hortehighwind8651]

I live in Utrecht and am trying to find a slightly bigger apartment but it’s hard search 😅 These prices are crazy nowadays.

[@PietjePuk1234]

41 days (Holiday + ATV) os a really good deal! Legal lowest limit is 20 days. So you have more than double that, Yay! 😊❤

[@jurrienrelker]

You should definitely try Edammer Cheese. And Komijnenkaas.

[@RFGfotografie]

Awesome video

[@DutchAmericano]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@MYoung-mq2by]

Hmmmm, the cheese topic isn't quite right. There are a lot of cheese speciality shops where they also sell nuts, etc, and sometimes wines, and various snacks too. Not to mention the cheese stalls at the local farmers markets. The supermarkets generally also have a section with special cheeses, separate from the tall fridges. The young to old Gouda varieties are for everyday, grab-a-sandwich style eating which is definitely in the DNA of all Dutchies. This does not mean that the other entertainment/gourmet cheese necessities don't exist alongside said tradition. Very much so, in fact!

[@wingedyera]

As dutchie, I fully support the Netherlands joining Scandinavia, rope in Scotland as well.. I like it.

[@jokami1051]

The last point is mainly a "Holland" thing... out in the provences we're more relaxed about that stuff...And about the cheese, try "Limburger" for a change if you can get it... 😅

[@lani2023]

How much is a 1 or 2 bedroom in Utretch?? Do you pay rent upfront for the entire year or is it monthly? I know some places have that weird quirk of yearly (yikes!) rent. How pricey are utilities and internet? Thank you so much for these great videos. Id love to see you do one for a fictional American student looking at applying to University of Utretch/University College of Utretch and living there!

[@edwardeduardus7398]

Eva, always love ur vids: Love to see ur experiences in NL and feel free to criticize too as Dutch do to you in a healthy matter. Something want to ask: Do you want to give an opinion (make video) about Dutch Parliament elections coming up. The campaigns and the way done compared to US? Maybe talk with Dutchies and other nationalities, how they think about "Our/their voting system",

[@sanderdeboer6034]

Wrong about the variety of Dutch cheeses! I agree there aren’t that many in most supermarkets, but there are hundreds of varieties, usually found in specialty cheese shops. But even in larger supermarkets like AH XL there is a large variety. And in supermarkets in specific regions like ‘de Beemster’ or in Friesland you can find specific cheeses in the local supermarkets.

[@kamion53]

it quite a while I visited the States, I thought the fodprices were pretty low. but that could be for rather unhealthy food, while healthy food could be quite expensive. I know nowadays there are socalled "fresh food deserts"

[@lani2023]

Even the unhealthy foods have increased in price. Politicians and the owner class often call it inflation when in reality it's garden variety price gouging. No American fast food company or grocery store is going out of business and their balance sheets have been showing record profits since the end of lockdowns. It's insane.

[@edwardeduardus7398]

Finding cheap housing in NL: Get out of the cities of Holland / Utrecht: It might be better if you go to those small places and as long as there is good public transport nearby to the city you work, its already bit better to find nice accommodation. Jump every morning to the nearest train station on ur bike (free exercise) if needed. Still the housing shortage has skyrocketing prices here and worldwide.

[@Centurion101B3C]

Hm, As to cheeses in the Netherlands; Have you tried spice & herb cheeses? Komijnekaas (cumin-cheese) Nagelkaas (Clove Cheese) and....Best of all! Brandnetelkaas (Nettle cheese). Brandnetel (nettle) is supposed to be the healthiest edible plant that is so prevalent that it is not even agriculturally cultivated and is considered to be a (noxious) weed which can get you a very unpleasant rash and itch welts if you are not careful however, when carefully handled and properly prepared it is actually quite tasty and VERY healthy. There have been summers (or periods of the year loosely defined as such) where I would rely on the free supply of Brandnetel to make Brandnetel stamppot, brandnetel-soep, brandnetel 'copitta' (sinacopitta using nettle instead of spinach). It combines very well with chream-cheeses as well. There is even Brandnetel wine and several varieties of Brandnetel bier. Returning to the subject of cheese, Brandnetelkaas. Try it!

[@chrislaarman7532]

The association of the Netherlands with Scandinavia may make sense. In a way, we seem to constitute the southernmost tip of Scandinavia. However, I couldn't describe it. Besides, "many" Dutch people seem to have emigrated to Norway.

[@Jila_Tana]

Expectations are that the tax benefit for expats will be gone next year. Lets be honest, that tax benefit (first 30% of income, not taxed), isn't necessary for expats. An expat coming to the Netherlands, is someone that brings skills that are in short supply. So for example a PHD in Physics, such people earn at least twice the median income. They don't need a tax benefit. People that can afford to visit a restaurant twice a week, do not need a tax benefit. Tax benefits should be applied to people on a minimum income, not those who don't have trouble paying 1500 Euro a month on rent. Such benefits are party to even higher pricing in rents, so much so, that someone who was born in Amsterdam, can't live there due to pricing. Our capital should not be a city of foreigners who enjoy a tax benefit and thus able to pay these absurd rents.

[@atropatene3596]

ASML can pay those benefits themselves and still make billions in profit.

[@Centurion101B3C]

Oh and Sambalkaas, Pepperjack can't possibly hold a candle to that and since there are at least 100 varieties of Sambal.....You get the drift! Selamat Makan!

[@timzel]

Not me having an actual sink in the bathroom but always choosing to wash my hands in the kitchen :")

[@PieterBreda]

Housing problems have been around for decades. Amsterdam as well as Utrecht are incredibly expensive. Cheap only exist in the east of Groningen provincie and some parts of Limburg.

[@Vanoux2007]

Only one weather difference in The Netherlands; In winter the rain is colder than during the summer 😂😂😂😂

[@stiglarsson8405]

Its this, one have to get lost to find one self!

[@dramklukkel]

I found a brand of Gouda in LA called Finlandia. LOL

[@novafalcosmith]

What are some good priced cities to live in NL

[@martijnkeisers5900]

Soooo many different cheeses! U miss out on a lot if u didn't try 😢

[@HermanJongeling]

Dutch students don’t life in shared rooms with shared utilities on a campus. They rent small apartments in the cities with an university, preferably in the city center. So don’t expect cheap housing in those cities.

[@Dawwwg]

You didn't make a vlog about your Berlin trip did you ? I just got back from there; what a great city and lovely people; 4 million inhabitants, but they still greet you in de streets ... W...T...H... !!!

[@amggma7832]

There are many, many different (probably hundreds) kinds of Dutch cheeses. + planning jour free time is not that common thear are a lot of spontainius things we do

[@ronaldderooij1774]

You have to look at specialised cheese shops or cheese farms to enjoy the hundreds, maybe thousands varieties of cheese the country has on offer. And even then you will not have the full picture. For example I ordered 60+ very young cheese in a cheese shop that was only on special order (minimum 10 kg!). Delicious! You have some discovery to do! As for the Netherlands being Scandinavian, well, that is partly true, especially in Frisia. But, it would be more correct to say that the Netherlands is more or less like Germany. You can't erase 1500 years of common history easily. Only since 1450, the Netherlands and Germany started to diverge (The county of Holland declaring war on the Hanseatic League).

[@dodec8449]

Are you also going to make a video about the upcoming elections?

[@palantir135]

Don’t call it Dutch weather. Here in the south of the Netherlands the weather is usually dryer and warmer than where you live. Limburg has different weather too.

[@mkgriffioen]

The Netherlands is 1.5 the size of the state of Maryland. 42,000 km2 (26,000 sq.miles) with now 18 million inhabitants. We are one of the most densely populated and smallest countries in the EU. In France and Spain you can rent everything from castles to chicken coops outside the really popular areas. Finding a place to live is terrible, especially for the Dutch themselves.

[@jazzdirt]

Dutch, I have a 40h contract, work 70h, and I still can't afford a 2 room apartment in Utrecht. I'm originally from Utrecht... I really want to move back there... but haven't been able to in over 25 years... So someone moving to the Netherlands and organising an apartment in Utrecht in 3 months, kinda annoys me...

[@atropatene3596]

Brandnetelkaas, komijnenkaas, sambalkaas, pestokaas, friese nagelkaas, I could go on. Also, I lived in the north of Noord-Holland and stuff would freeze over practically every year. I skated to my grandma's house on the ice and did large tours with my dad. And I'm only 37 years old, so this isn't ancient history. It just hasn't happened a lot in the last 20 years. Hmm, I wonder why. Also, I do spontanious stuff all the time with my friends. Just last night 2 of them came over without warning and we had fun playing cards. Just had to pop to the store cause I didn't have any wine. I know you mean well and all, but these North-Americans moving to de randstad and then announcing to the world what this country is like based on their incredibly limited vision is getting so tiring.

[@mikevanderbruggen4397]

You just mention stuff that's added to cheese. It is kind of true the variety of Dutch cheeses is limited compared to other European countries.

[@atropatene3596]

@@mikevanderbruggen4397 right but then we only have one kind of cheese here. She said three, which I assumed meant young, belegen and old. If you count those as different kinds, then the additions count as well. If we use your definition we have 1 very dominant kind of cheese. Edited to add: aside from the cheese semantics, my other points remain valid.

[@marcelrombouts8607]

You're so right about the uniformity of the cheese. There's young, old and what lies in between to discover, but no noteworthy regional twists beyond that. Old Amsterdam? Old Alkmaar? Beemster? Milner? Who cares? What's on sale? It all tastes like Gouda.

[@andymill8552]

When you only go to the supermarket you are right. When you go to a good specialized cheese shop (or the market) you are quite wrong 😉

[@Harry_PP030]

Good luck with the recovery of your taste buds, there is a world of taste before you if they work properly!

[@rolandboerhof9391]

Finally some immigrant, no offense, from the US saying that we don't have a cheese culture! Indeed 1Type in 3 variations: young, medium, old. Incomparable with even Belgium or Germany, let alone France, Italy or Spain.

[@jjsmallpiece9234]

Why would you think the Netherlands is part of Scandinavian Europe? Dutch weather is mostly about 4-6hrs behind UK weather with westerly weather patterns being the most likely

[@wisecat.]

The problem is that people's social calendar is full because people can't say no to social activities. Just learn to say no and you'll have more time to yourself. I can highly recommend it.

[@maryannecomment3302]

The housing shortage is even worse today. Not only in Amsterdam or Utrecht, but everywhere. And the prices are way too high. It is difficult to rent a place, but also to buy a place, especially if you also have to register there as well. Holiday homes are cheaper, but you are not allowed to register yourself there as a citizen. I would not recommend someone to come unprepared to the Netherlands. There is a variety of Dutch cheeses. You need to find the right place to find it.

[@lordsleepyhead]

Lol there are actually many more variations of Dutch cheeses but you have to go to a cheese monger to get them. How about try a Rookkaas or a Blue Wolvega?

[@MaxiMe-et4zs]

😱you are wrong about cheese go to the markt or specialty shop there are so many cheeses. Yes its jonge, medium and old but there is also boeren cheese, farmers cheese, j/m/o. All taste different.

[@wopperconpalta5356]

There might be (seem?) some rythm for when its wet, but id say most of the pattern you spotted in these years is coincidence. Every month can be the wettest of the year in reality, maybe with the exception of april.

[@hildelouisevrijs774]

About the planning Ava, I don’t recognize that at all! We never plaaned social things accept for a party…… And we had people in our house, without planning, nearly every evening! You are a city-girl! A lot of places have other habits and about cheese, you are completey wrong! There are more than fifty types of cheese!❤️Hil

[@citizenkane4831]

From a Swede (yes scandinavian) That coment "if you ask someone to do something spontanius. That is borderline rude" I will remember that. There are one thing the Netherlands aren´t so god at. And that is making beer. It is the Belgiums that are good at making beer

[@Finnec123]

Dane here. The Netherlands and Scandinavia are often regarded (by outsiders) as pretty similar. That may be true to some degree regarding the structure of the public sector and social security. But the more I hear you talk about your life in The Netherlands the more I realize how different we are. But I certainly wouldn't mind being Dutch, except for one thing: The housing problem. The other day I read there's a lack of 400 thousands homes! Mr Rutte (The Prime Minister of The Netherlands, who's now leaving his job) obviously hasn't been able or willing to do something about it. The housing problem in The Netherlands seems horrible. Sorry. Edit: Scandinavian/Nordic countries aren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

[@sutreB]

Denmark is often is often has been hold as example how it should be by immigration scepticians. Sweden is an example of how it it becomes if we keep on going like this.

[@SKRWildfire]

Im still searching and waiting for over 4 years on an apartment in my area....

[@robertvermaat2124]

Sociale huur? 8 tot 10 jaar is geen uitzondering.

[@andyhorvath6630]

I’ve watched a lot of your video’s and I do like them very much but sometimes I do have to disagree with you. I’m half Dutch and half Hungarian, so I have some experience from the inside and the outside. The housing situation and pricing is indeed ridiculous, but isn’t that the situation in all big cities? London, Paris, Milan, Rome, Berlin, Budapest, Wien (cities I know) are all equally expensive; what do you pay for a 2 room apartment in NYC? And then you went for an apartment in the centre of Utrecht (Oude Gracht?), probably one of the most expensive places in the Netherlands … The talk of the weather in The Netherlands in KZbin video’s always annoys me; yes, it can be bad and rainy and it can also be good and nice. I bike to work every day and I have never had to put on my rain suit this last year. Caught a few drops, but as we say over here: you’re not made of sugar. I actually skated to work in Amsterdam from my home in the polder and I’ve skated on the Utrecht canals in the winters during my studies. But winters today aren’t what they used to be. I’ve grown up with ice skating; from the time I was three I stood on skates and from the age of 8 I used to go my own to the ice skating rink several times a week in winter. I’ve looked it up, there are more than 750 different kinds of Dutch cheese available in the Netherlands, a lot of them local I presume, but still … You can’t base your opinion on your experience in your local supermarket in the city, my local supermarkets (about five, at walking distance, I also live in a city) have at least 10 varieties and most of them in the ages of jong, jong belegen, belegen en oud (and even very old). That alongside the variety of other European cheeses … And the popular stating of the Dutch planning meetings with friends weeks in advance and not being spontaneous; that’s also totally not my experience of having lived in various parts of The Netherlands, but perhaps I’m a person that attracts friends that are equally spontaneous as me … Sorry, but i can’t agree with this video

[@autygris1]

Do they not have universal healthcare in the Netherlands?

[@Ferry554]

Netherlands had lots of strong winters 20 years back....ice skating was very common...now it is exception because of climate change...

[@Paul_C]

Oh well, the problem with the social calender solves itself as you grow older. The circle gets smaller the older you get.😂

[@AnymMusic]

Good gauge for A'dam I'd say is "can you afford to live in NYC?" Yes? Then you are be able to afford Amsterdam.

[@braddavid902]

I thought health insurance was free in Netherlands?

[@bierjip1]

There are different cheeses though....

[@nfiles]

But you forgot the jong belegen and extra belegen! :p

[@florisvansandwijk6908]

and overjarig

[@H1SCOTTY]

Graskaas, noten kaas, komijnekaas, geitenkaas, kruiden kaas, rauwmelkse kaas, boerenkaas, Hüttenkäse genoeg Nederlandse kazen.

[@ericdere]

Cheese on pancakes is a bit like pineapple on pizza

[@JoTummers]

It's a pity that expats seem to think that Amsterdam is the only place to go. If you look for a place outside the Randstad, prices are much lower. I rent a 2 bedroom apartment for less than 600 euro's a month. In Amsterdam, you get a toilet for that amount. 😁

[@winwinmilieudefensie7757]

Even as a vegan those cheese comments hurt my feelings😂

[@IesKorpershoek]

Go to a cheese store and you will be amazed. We have hundreds of cheeses.