Have we changed since moving to the Netherlands?

[@CloudhavenASMR]

My wife and I will be moving to the Netherlands this year and just want to thank you all for all your amazing content! It’s been super helpful. 💙

[@williamgeardener2509]

Very few Dutch people boast about how many hours they are working. In general if you work too long, the general feeling is that you waste a lot of time that you have to make up for. Telling people that you have to work 90 hours a week is mostly not seen as a good thing. At best people pity you for your slaving to get your work done, at worst people start doubting your career choice and telling you that perhaps a job that you can do in 40 hours is better for you?

[@jeanpierreviergever1417]

Employers of people who work 90 hours a week are either slavedrivers or think that you work inefficiently/are not up to the job.

[@fbabarbe430]

Not only for you but also efficiency. Americans spend lot in chit chat at the coffymachine. A lot of time is spend in gossip and company politics.

[@aislingbooks]

So true. I was recently back in the States dealing with my American bank account. I have duel nationality and use the American account when there, which for me is easier than having to pin for money every time I go. Anyway, this teller was so chatty that my simple transaction seemed to take hours. I was polite because she was actually very sweet. But how annoying.

[@hurray1962]

Another American expat here…. The no. 1 change for me is regarding safety. It’s taken a long time but I don’t feel the need to constantly be looking over my shoulder. It’s not completely gone (and not sure it ever will be) but I think this is a HUGE plus point to living in this country. Every time I go back to the U.S., I am hyper alert. Also, much luck to getting your rijbewijs. Not easy!!! Btw, you guys are awesome 🤩

[@mennovroom5537]

You guys look really relaxed and complacent with life. Good for you. ❤

[@daviddevos3518]

We werken om te leven, in plaats van dat we leven om te werken. Genoeg is genoeg. Maar wanneer je je leven wel helemaal door werk wilt laten beheersen dan kan dat ook. (Maar het is geen sociale verplichting.)

[@B.404M]

Mensen met een 6jes mentaliteit leven zo 😂. Wat een geneuzel

[@gammaraygem]

@@B.404M er zijn 4x meer psychopaten in de top politieke en Ceo baantjes...

[@HexerPsy]

On sick days in the Netherlands: Its legal for your employer to withhold the first 2 sick days, after which you get paid in full. Its to discourage you from taking sick days. However, most jobs are regulated through Collective Agreements between the boss unions and worker unions. Most CAs decide to pay you in full on sick days. CAs also regulate the salary for your position, and every year you get a set raise. CAs last for a few years, sometimes one or two, sometimes four or more. One of the things from my CA for example, is a paid moving day, max 1 day per year, if I am moving to my new address. (So if you are moving on saturday, you tell your boss its friday or monday and you get a day off.)

[@andreathegreat8766]

Is that, reported sick days only paid after a consecutive third day a recent requirement?

[@HexerPsy]

@@andreathegreat8766 No, I belief its part of the Ziektewet (lit: sick law) which regulates what happens if an employer gets sick, setting rights and requirements for both the employer and employee. Law from 1926, but government has ways to update laws quite frequently, in attached 'Decisions' (Besluiten) which clarify rules and are set by ministers, without having to amend the law through government each time. But then Collectief Agreements can change what rules apply within the limits of the law. I think the first 2 sick days can be referred to as 'wait days', and payment isnt required. But that has to be in the CA that applies to your work if it applies at all. I think in 2023, the maximum wait days for self employed people (ZZPer) was set to 1 day. So if you hire someone for a multi day project and they get sick, you dont pay them for missed work the first day. Otherwise, usually you just get paid while sick in the Netherlands. I think, the mcdonalds CA in the Netherlands had 1 wait day back in my student days in 2016 lol. I am butchering the proper translations for these legal terms XD So sorry haha

[@willemnanning2832]

So excited that I found your podcast video's. It's just the conversation you have over your experiences in the Netherlands and the things you either love or don't love that makes me look at me being Dutch. What really pleases me that you being foreign to our habits feel comfortable to stay and talk about it. Keep it up!

[@MableM1985]

Glad he got you a Snuddie! My partner and I both love ours and it keeps our heating bills down.

[@Albert1249]

Very interesting video. Comparing the netherlands to the US. It learns us how its in the US, thanks much for putting this vid out!

[@Blackadder75]

I shop groceries 5 times a week but 7 times a week is also common. I have so many supermarkets around me that it never feels like a chore, it's just an almost daily routine after work, i pop in, grab some stuff, self scan pay, and out.. It can be done in 5 minutes ( sometimes I take longer, when I need a bit more or browse for ideas) Dutch who do it once a week probably have kids and both parents work, they just want to save time. Car ownership has been pretty high since the 1960s-70s so I don;t think that is a factor

[@pintdigitaleproeverij3916]

It's very simple: a contract is a contract. A contract of working 36 hours a week is 36 hours for a reason. It is up to myself and my manager to assess whether I am sufficiently productive during that time or not. And if I want to work more, I do that for myself and for the company, if it is necessary to finish something on time or something like that. Working longer also means paid more hours (or more vacation days), so it's a win-win for the company and for myself.

[@TheTwan85]

Yay more bunchatted! Gonna watch this tonight when I come back from my aunt's birthday dinner 😁

[@ruud2040]

That must be a verry nice aunt or a verry nice dinner or both!!😉

[@TheTwan85]

@@ruud2040 both 😁

[@spoonwinnipeg2021]

Thanks for posting again. I'll try to watch from the office today. Thinking of you both and sending virtual hugs.

[@Hallodaarheyjijdaar]

My parents’ generation (I’m 30) still does one time per week groceries quite often. Also families with kids do that more often, or they order online a lot too!

[@jadehare]

19:06 exactly how I switched my groceries shopping to Sunday and Wednesday to take advantage of sales, but it differs locally from stores and discounts should be higher. Like 50 and higher. 😊 I'm glad more stores are doing this!

[@remcohoman1011]

1:43 still with the colds Michelle/ Try "grootmoeders recept"Grandmothers reciept.. A mug 2/4 filled with water as hot as you can stomach, add a dinnerspoon of (darkbrown) sugar, haf a lemons queezed and fill it up with Beerenburg. Before hat make sure you've had your "got to bed things" done. Put on thickest pajama you have, extra blankets on your bed and where you lie, place beachtowel, wrap your pillow in one aswell.. dribnk the grog and sleep, you will sweat like a workhorse, but you will sweat your flu out in that night.. stay home next day, warmly clothed, bed refreshed washed etc... after that day you will feel better :D

[@DidierWierdsma6335]

Here are 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars Buncharted awesome podcast loved it😊 Keep up the great work👍 En nog een prettige dag toegewenst?

[@petervanderwoude6316]

To make some things clear, working more than 60 hrs per week is simply illegal. 55 hrs per week only a maximum of 4 weeks. 48 hrs per week with a maximum of 16 weeks. If your job requires more hours the boss is obliged to hire an extra person, part- or full-time.

[@buncharted2]

👏

[@KeesBoons]

You're correct, but you probably also know that a lot of people still do.

[@neliz8]

Only the boss will not do it and you "may" work 55 hours. Extra taxes over hours is when the government steals. What are you 12?

[@petervanderwoude6316]

@neliz8 no, I just got my pension first time a few weeks ago, so 67. For that reason I always did time-for-time, 2 or 3 times a 4 week vacation per year 😁

[@DT-wp4hk]

Thank you. A lot of people have started working less while burnout and other sicknesses went up. Lots of alcohol and substances abuse. Depression as well. Domestic abuse and single parenthood as well.

[@itsalwayshalloweenexceptwh5118]

I grocery shop once or twice a week depending on how busy I am. Even when I'm grocery shopping once a week I'm still eating fresh vegetables throughout the week. They stay nice and crispy in my fridge for longer than I was used to (new fridge), and I also batch cook things like stamppot, pasta, soups and stews and freeze them. I eat twice a day and breakfast can be something simple as porridge. I buy more of certain things when they're in season, I've been eating pears lately.

[@bonneharkema2458]

Your Dutch is excellent! I'm from the city of the Baggelhuizerplas and your pronounciation is almost perfect. :) It is a difficult word to learn how to speak but you nailed it. I ride my MTB there a lot and being born here there is the Dutch TT so I learned English and a mouthfull of German and some French as well via bikers. I played guitar in a small band when I was younger so (US) English became my first interest via songs and music. Still play but just relaxed on my own now. Still love it. Much love to you! :D

[@WildGameBoss]

Hee a fellow Assenaar!

[@rudodejong]

Hier nog eentje 😉

[@bonneharkema2458]

@@WildGameBoss Amazing! :D

[@bonneharkema2458]

@@rudodejong This is getting weird! 😯😂

[@andreathegreat8766]

I have to say,living in NL vs. USA, not being required to have an auto (repairs, insurance,etc.) in order to survive,and have a high quality of life is such a luxury!

[@_JoyceArt]

Most managers I've had at the company I work for (16+ years now), were like "I don't really care if you stop work earlier, as long as your work is done.". You build up a trust, 1) if you work for a company that long, 2) they hired you to do a job, they pretty much assume/know you'll do your job. I work 3 in office, 2 from home, the last day before my vacation my manager called to wish me a nice vacation and to tell me to stop working if I felt like it. Another thing here is, when you leave work, and a colleague is still busy-ish, it is often heard "Hey, don't work too late.".

[@schiffelers3944]

7:38 The need to work as much as one can might also be tied to the credit card/debt culture of the USA. Just a thought I had while you spoke about this. Pas op geld lenen kost geld. I don't hear stuff like this from the US like we do in the Netherlands. I might be wrong.

[@tvaandering]

Great podcast. Ten stars. As far as the number of working hours of Dutch people is concerned, that may be correct on average, but men here normally work 38 or 40 hours per week. In my case, this added another 12 hours of travel time per week. Traditionally, women work much less here (caring for children), but they are also slowly working more and more hours. And furthermore, the work-life balance here is mainly due to unions. Thank God they did and do always a good job.

[@Iamsanni]

Gelukkig begrijpen ook steeds meer mannen dat 4 dagen per week wel genoeg zijn. Beter voor de balans thuis.

[@tvaandering]

Alleen tweeverdieners kunnen zich dat permitteren​@@Iamsanni

[@claudial1614]

Ok I JUST got one of those oversized fluffy hoodies as a present for a friend, I hope she’ll like it as much!

[@CaethesFaron]

Love the Halt and Catch Fire reference in the background!

[@martinehuismanlenzen7447]

When Michelle said "eating out " that is called beffen in dutch. Now you know.

[@RobRoordink]

You should be careful with the Dutch word ‘beffen’. It’s the female equivalent of a blow job

[@renate2068]

We mogen niet praten over baffen :) ( woman eating out a man)

[@KeesBoons]

Probably won't learn that one in Dutch lessons. The Latin? word is the more formal term, but you know that one already.

[@MarceldeJong]

@@KeesBoonsonly cunning linguists know that word.

[@KeesBoons]

@@MarceldeJong ;o)

[@MarcKloos]

Travelling to another country - cross the border into Belgium and the roads are worse, bike paths on the main road, trains are running on the left-hand side, houses have blind walls, windows have shutters, telephone- and electricity poles! (Ever noticed in the Netherlands all those cables are underground?)

[@annebokma4637]

You forgot to mention you travel back 40 years in time 😂

[@annebokma4637]

You forgot to mention you also travel back in time 40 years 😂

[@jumpingpiggie422]

Well... worse. Let's just call them "special" roads. As the entirety of our Belgian friends always do things a bit more... a bit more "special" than their grown up siblings up North lol.

[@annebokma4637]

@@jumpingpiggie422 they even go to school in a "special" bus

[@hcjkruse]

We do have lower current wires above ground. For example near Pijnacker.

[@spinshade]

21:12 At my local Lidl this happens every day there are so many times that I just pick up a panini or pre marinated chicken (Toss the chicken in the airfryer real quick and make some nice wraps!) It's crazy how they discount 500 grams of chicken for 0,50 or 0,25 cents. Whenever I get to chance to pick it up I instantly think of a different meal on the spot just because the price is too good to pass up.

[@tic-tacdrin-drinn1505]

"Panini" is plural of panino. Saying 'a panini' is like saying 'a feet' or 'a teeth'

[@andreathegreat8766]

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on to what extent you might feel the Dutch have become less approving of us foreigners and tourists compared with when you originally landed?

[@boynoon]

that are going to be fun vlogs talking about getting a dutch driving license

[@dutchmaster7790]

Actually, it may not. Both have US drivers licences (presumably TX), so if these are still valid, it might make sense (especially financially) to inquire at the "gemeente" if a straight swapout could be in order, or if they require additional tests. Mind, drivers licences here are handed out by the gemeente, but issued by the CBR (Centraal Bureau voor Rijvaardigheid, the central bureau for driving skills). CBR issues only licences for road vehicles (moped, cars, buses, trucks (that's semi's for you 'Mericans), licences for stuff like trains, forklift equipment and others are issued by respective authorities. In the US there's the DMV (Dep't for motor vehicles) which also handles licences IIRC. As said, licencing here is handled by the CBR, but motor vehicle registration is done by the RDW (Rijks Dienst voor Wegverkeer). This Gov't agency determines if a vehicle is roadworthy as build by the manufacturer and thus allowed on Dutch (and by extension European) roads and keeps taps on vehicles as it ages. Any motor vehicle 3 years old and beyond is subject to an annual vehicle inspection, basically for road safety. These APK (algemene periodieke keuring) is conducted by licenced inspectors, mostly car mechanics/garage owners, who themselves are subject to random checking of their rapports by official inspectors from the RDW. If a vehicle doesn't pass inspection, it's no longer legal to drive it and doing so earns you jail time eventually. But before that, the offending vehicle will have been confiscated and probably crushed and you will have some sizeable fines mounting up. ♾ The mandatory vehicle checks are Europe-wide (or at least Western Europe) so the Dutch APK is equal to the UK MOT and German TÜV as the basic standards are interchangeable. Unfortunately, although they technically should comply, former Communist countries now part of the EU still have "issues" 😏 getting their testing standards to those required by Law and as a result, many rollin'wrecks from those states are commonplace on Dutch and German roads.

[@shawnrhyme5831]

Shawn Rhymes here, so far I'm enjoying this video of yours. For the record I remember when the 1st Star Wars movie came out. That ages me a little bit. 😊🎂🎂🎂🎂 Ok enough of that. What you have been saying about employers is so true here in the States, and it's more than just employers. 2 more things for now. I noticed an Ohio license plate on a shelf in your video. Are you from Ohio? I'm planning a trip to the Netherlands next spring, because of the political situation here right now. I'm hoping on being there for a good while, I'll have to wait and see how things go.

[@MsCheeta1987]

Ik haal mijn boodschappen op dinsdag, donderdag en zaterdag. Ik kook op dinsdag, donderdag en zondag voor twee dagen. Op zaterdag gaat de Airfryer aan. Voor 4 personen koken als je met zijn tweeën bent is handig. Je houdt minder halve verpakkingen over. De verspakketten van de Albert Heijn zijn ook fijn vind ik

[@PatQuakernaat]

Weer een leuke aflevering ! I do think dutch people buy a bunch of weekly stuff once a week, such as meat, drinks, herbs, sauces, cheese, cold cuts, dairy etc. However bread, vegetables and perhaps fruit we typically buy fresh every day or every second day. I do think most people in Holland "operate" like that.

[@andrevdende8244]

Sick country that USA. I hope it never gets so bad here.

[@hackman8909]

Doe nou is een beetje aardig. Ze komen uit de VS, hebben vrijwel alleen positieve dingen te zeggen over NL, terwijl er natuurlijk van alles te noemen is wat er hier aan mankeert, en je maakt hun moederland uit voor rotte vis. Waarom? En niet aankomen met nederlandse directheid want dat is vaak gewoon onbeschoftheid.

[@flower_power]

It is correct most dutch people do not define themselves by their jobs. Of most people I know of the sportclub or so, I have no idea what their job is. We talk about other things. If you work so many hours, like 50 or more, when do you sport, see family or friends, quality time with your children, go to the theatre/movie/diner? Even in a hospital people most people work max 40 hours a week. Most people in the hospitals work parttime. They just work in shifts. Everyone has at least 20 days vacation on a 38-40 hour working week. Plus the national holidays.

[@eelco_de_haan]

9:10 even better, when you get ill or hurt during your leave, they convert vacation in sick leave and you get to keep/recouperated you free days. Also the broodje Mario thing I can relate….had the same happen to me…on Mondays closed, it is hard coded after 20 +years 😂 kill for their tuna filled bread roll.

[@ArumesYT]

7:07 What's the point of making as much money as you can, if you don't have time to spend and enjoy it? I only work four days a week. I want to enjoy life while I can in full health! I'm not taking the risk of waiting till my retirement. Because I don't know if I even get there, and if I do, in what condition.

[@buncharted2]

👏👏

[@patricksteunebrink7758]

1 thing about working in the netherland with a real good intense job, we do work 40 hours a week, we mostley drive like half hour, to 45 minuts to an hour everyday, so where many hour away from home, and if you didnt got it finisht that day we alway's say. wat vandaag niet komt komt morgen wel. and we say to make some fun about work. hard werken voor weining nooit chagerijnig, its a though mentality groeten uit sneek haha

[@patricksteunebrink7758]

tongzoenen: another word for it is, lebberen :P have a good one

[@gusknip]

Hele leuke podcast weer! Leuk om te horen hoe jullie veranderd zijn na een paar jaar hier. Ik denk dat het ook terug te zien is in jullie videos. Zoals mijn collega's vaak gekscherend zeggen: Good busy! Go so through! 😉

[@HexerPsy]

25:13 Funny -- America has zoning laws that keep the grocery stores out of residential areas, forcing people to go grocery shopping by car. Thus you rather not go more than once a week - thus everything has to last over a week and more preservatives get added. I have a Jumbo litteraly 300m from my door. Yesterday I went out to buy one load of bread and some desserts for the evening, walking over there. My friends in the USA would never ever only go for bread. I do typically shop for 2-4 days though. Carrying groceries every day is also really annoying.

[@hcjkruse]

You can get per person different style mattresses to adjust to different body types and personal preferences and vary top layer mattresses too. E.g.: memory foam or not .

[@ikkedus6255]

The reason why we as Dutchies don't do weekly shopping is, that in every aria is here a supermarket. In the US you don't see that. It's easy here to go to the store and buy whatever you need in a short distance.

[@peterang6912]

all at walking distant or bike distant

[@spellandshield]

Hetzelfde geldt voor veel plekken in Europa maar the VS is wel wat bijzonders wat dat betreft...

[@FrankDijkstra]

Don't forget that the supermarket is also a nice place to meet people and talk to them. It's a social area

[@IgorEngelen1974]

Based on the description I'm pretty sure i have a similar hoodie. From Oodie? Not sure about the brand anymore. It''s the best thing ever to read books on a cold, dark day. Edit: totally agree on the work thingies. Busy, busy, busy and working on a gazillions things at the same time still doesn't mean you're doing a good job. Multi tasking is a no go for me. It's inefficient and will lead to errors. I'm more a do as much as possible with the least effort kind of guy. It sounds better when it's called efficient 🙂 Edit2: I keep editing 🙂 with you on the cooking. I'm just 10 minutes away from some stores. Sunday i got everything I needed for a fresh chicken soup with plenty of veggies.

[@remcohoman1011]

22:05 I live in groningen north of the provincie, we have AH(hardly go there, not going to do their job scanning ) , Jumbo ( I hate it), Plus, Coop, Aldi ,Lidl, Poeisz, and Germany is close..Where there is Aldi Sud, Lidl, Combi, Kaufland with better prices then Dutch prices. And benzine is cheaper too 1,78 for Super Plus

[@janvanleeuwen2535]

About the work-life balance. Have you seen the vid from David Wen about niksen? He explains things perfectly. BTW, love the podcast 👌👏💪👍

[@jumpingpiggie422]

5 Star rating, liked and subscribed and yanked the bell (already did that ages ago), an A+ and 10/10 Yelp score, would eat out again... (slow wink wink) But seriously, i tend to like this new longer format videos a lot as it is growing on me each episode. Cool to hear a deep dive account of American people who didn't just visited the country, but actually stay longer and getting indulged in the weird cultural tidbits of Dutchland. En misschien een suggestie voor de volgende Word of the Week: Touwtjespringen... :P Keep it up, with the sun on top!

[@vogel2280]

Fact: if you get sick during vacation, those days are (by law) not deducted from your vacation days.

[@Alakablam]

They looked into working from home efficiency, turns out people actually do more work, partly because of this exact prejudice that they do less, talk about shooting yourself in the foot as a company.

[@schiffelers3944]

A thing many notice is that the higher up you go the less they do, and the more they delegate, but also get paid more. My manager would not be able to run the fysical aspect of my job, only the theoretical aspects. It's weird, and that has been a common thread through out my work life, at different places.

[@aislingbooks]

We also don't boast about our degrees and positions, which I hadn't noticed before moving away from the States. I respect my medical professionals here, for example, and they tend to be so extremely competent. Still, I don't treat them as gods.

[@annebokma4637]

Weekendmarket in Dordrecht? Nice find. Didn't know you lived on the other side of the river, in Zwijndrecht myself 😊

[@remcohoman1011]

9:08 I have a fulltime job, but I don't need over the counter medication for the most common of sicknesses...the flu. Everyone knows what it is, and you don't need heavy antibiotics for it. 90% of sicknesses and feeling not 100% can be fixed with paracetamol 1 or 2. Every 4 hours, also during working. Or when you hurt your back lifting something heavy, take 2 paracetamols or if pain is bad, 2 Iburpufen, or 2 of both.. and you be good to go.

[@buncharted2]

i think there’s a misconception of what “over the counter medication” is in the US. we can’t get antibiotics there without a prescription and since the flu is a virus, you wouldn’t get prescribed antibiotics. however, you can get nasal decongestants and cough suppressants at the pharmacy without a prescription and many of them are effective (some aren’t, admittedly) and they can make the symptoms of a cold or flu much more manageable, especially at night when you’re trying to get some much needed rest

[@Iamsanni]

​​@@buncharted2no AC's and healthy walks in nature will cure most of those ;) Otherwise you just phone your dokter in the morning and pick up your prescription meds in the afternoon at the pharmacy.

[@vikingdragon2764]

Health insurance through COBRA was important to me in the States, because I had health problems and without COBRA at that time I would not be covered by insurance for most of my healthcare costs due to preexisting conditions. That was before the ACA.

[@buncharted2]

absolutely but its still not affordable and health care in the US needs to be affordable for everyone, not just folks with good jobs

[@vikingdragon2764]

@@buncharted2 I totally agree with that statement, however when you talked about COBRA you stated you didn't see why anyone would need COBRA, thus my response. These days, when you have the option of the ACA and the fact that insurance needs to cover preexisting conditions, yes, COBRA should not be necessary. I also think that people who get health insurance through their work are gaslit about Medicare for All, because employers in the 🇺🇸 give the benefits of the health insurance as part of their pay. Fact that insurance can be cheaper if everyone is covered, is not beneficial for employers nor the pharmaceutical industry. I had good insurance as it paid for a lot, but I also had to pay a lot of copays for everything from meds to doctor visits. I am glad here in NL you don't pay for Primary Care. And if your health is not as great, I pretty much am through the deductible with mostly my meds and possibly a specialist visit.

[@michaelams]

sick notice is also different . when you say your are sick they may not ask what you have for example , this is by law

[@nickybookz222]

Shopping online once a week. I never go to a supermarket. And this has nothing to do with the east of the country. Here too, in some places you simply have a supermarket within walking or cycling distance. I prefer to have it delivered to my home, no hassle and often cheaper.

[@MarcKloos]

Grocery shopping - that's why American fridges are so much bigger? About sugar - there might be a sugar tax coming for sodas -there already is such a thing in the UK.

[@randar1969]

Always the solution is making bad health things more expensive instead they should make healthy alternatives cheaper. Making things more expensive doesn't matter for rich people like ministers.. And the poor is the group that will suffer again and again.

[@ImausrI]

We allmost allways buy our groceries for a week online at Albert Heijn and use AI to come up with recepies for all the bonus products.

[@YLTxoxo]

I really want you to meet up with the Canadian from Not Just Bikes, who lives in Amsterdam!

[@sunmoonwater8]

❤ hai there , I normal fulltime job in the Netherlands is 38 tot 40 hours a week . Almost in all of my jobs a have been working more hours

[@sunmoonwater8]

❤ i think asswell if you only shop once a week you go out to eat and go for take out and delivery. Or you eat with frieds and family in there house

[@joanneswyckmans5921]

You can put the spotify podcast on youtube through spotify / youtube podcasts, like, linking them, so they automagically appear on both. You know that right?

[@RicePotato20]

Dutchy here. I work 36 hours a week for an employer and 24 from the 36 hours a week i can work at home :)

[@hcjkruse]

In some startups you can work 90 hours a week. A day has 24 hours, and then you still have the nights ... ;). After New Year Some restaurants closes. Some close even at or after Christmas. I stopped doing buy 2 get 3 most of the time. I do use the near expiry date offers very carefully. Same for good to go. My mom did get groceries for a week on a bicycle: basket in the front, child seat and bicycle bags on the back and... two shopping bags hanging from the handle bars. 30 minutes cycling to the city center for the weekly market, Aldi and Dirk van de Broek. We buy syrups and make our own sodas. Public transport outside the Randstad area is a bit lacking outside daytime hours and in the weekends. Also the last train to Deventer from Schiphol airport leaves at 22:30. I Enjoyed a night at Schiphol once becaus I missed te last train by 30s. If you want to visit the Peleponessos or Crete you do want to get a rental car. Also traveling from Drente to Twente and the Achterhoek by train takes a lot of time. By bus is no fun either. Also traveling the Zeeland province by car is more convenient than by public transport. Getting your Dutch driving license takes some time and requires some studying.

[@OprechtLetterlijkBizar]

Will this podcast also be uploaded to Spotify?

[@buncharted2]

yes! we’re on a regular schedule now so new podcasts will release mondays at 17:00 CEST on youtube and the morning after everywhere else :)

[@RealConstructor]

There are 52 weeks in a year times 5 work days is 260 workdays a year, times 8 hours a day is 2080hrs a year. We have 3 public holidays fixed on a workday, Easter Monday, Pentecost Monday and Ascension Day (Thursdays). Then we have 4 public holidays which can be in the weekend or on a workday, like King’s Day, Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. So 7 in total, Im counting 2 of them as a workday holiday. Liberation Day is also a public holiday, but only once every 5 years, Im not counting that one in. We had 260 days minus 5 public holidays is 255 days. I have 49 days off a year according to my CAO, the Collective Labor Agreement for my profession, of which 8 are senior days (because Im over 57), 20 are vacation days and the rest are ADV days (schedule-free days). So in total 206 workdays times 8 hrs is 1648hrs. On the max of 2080hrs it is 20.7% free, so basically I get one day off per week. But I have a 40 hrs workweek contract, which means I can take 1 week off in Spring, 4 weeks vacation in Summer, 2 weeks in Winter, 1 week in Autumn and still got 9 days for the rest of the year. These days I save for non-scheduled events like going to the doctor, the dentist, when the guy for central heating maintenance comes at home, a special home delivery, a family occasion like wedding or funeral etc. To counter argue all the free time, I have to work overtime about 1 week every 4 weeks without pay, to get the job done, but that’s all in the game. I may earn less than in the US, have higher income tax, bit I still prefer to live and work in The Netherlands.

[@peteduch2151]

Ofcourse you changed the netherlands is a first world country

[@reviewerdiogeones5857]

Having worked in the US myself, I recognize a lot of what you are saying. However, observing my American collegues, they wasted soooo many hours on non work related things. Bottomline, Dutch people work less hours, but are far more productive. We value things outside work, not in the least since overtime hours are so heavily taxed.

[@MsCheeta1987]

Het is erg interessant om te luisteren naar hoe jullie denken over Nederland en Nederlanders. Ik wist dat zorgverzekering in de Verenigde Staten alleen zeker is als je een baan hebt. Maar dat veel Amerikanen 50 uur per week werken? Dat wist ik dus niet. Interessant

[@ioeee7563]

Sterker nog: er zijn daar mensen, die gewoon een baan hebben en toch dakloos zijn(!), in L.A. bijvoorbeeld. Ik heb daar vorig jaar een documentaire over gezien.

[@BleepingTom]

2 things about work hours in US: so about half are working 50 hours (or more): and thats why legal drug (ab)use is so prevelant in the US.....Also in Netherlands we have much more rights as workers than in USA where you can be fired on the spot with no good reason... that creates an angst-culture where business-owners take advantage of...In Netherlands, as an employer, you can offer a maximum of three consecutive contracts over a period of up to three years. The fourth contract is then a contract for an indefinite period. During all those contract periodes you CAN fire someone but only for good and fair reasons AND always with minimum of 1 month notice periode. For me the US system is a kind of modern slavery due to the little amount of rights you have...

[@InfiniteCyclus]

Another word we used as teenagers for 'frenching' or tongzoenen is 'bekken'. "We hebben zitten bekken." "We were frenching." Or a common phrase is: "Ik heb d'r (haar) recht op d'r (haar) bek gepakt." 😘 "I kissed 'r straight on the mouth." 😂

[@nathanyellll]

nieuw aflevering ! thanks

[@MarcJagt]

I could think of another thing that changed your life: Safety and guns. What about these issues?

[@mhjmstultiens]

Don't work more, work more effective. Seems both of you are generally living a more healthy life! :)

[@chrislaarman7532]

From the Netherlands to Asia without flying: I'm not up to date, but you may be able to book as passengers on some cargo ships. (I'm thinking of the container and car carrier "loops" between Western Europe and China or the around-the-globe services.

[@Blackadder75]

those take weeks, cargo ships sail slowly, because the fuel costs get exponentially higher if they go full speed and it doesn't matter if it takes a week longer for most freight (if it needs speed, it get's shipped by plane)

[@MeriaDuck]

LOL at the word of the week 😀

[@freddyfrieza6742]

Only Dutch people in the city’s really shop more times a week, maybe some families do them ones a week. But every household outside of the cities do them ones a week because of access and opportunity in time.

[@erikrotjeknor]

I disagree, even villages often have a local supermarket. Not having a supermarket relatively close is extreemly rare in the Netherlands I’d recon over 90% of people has one very close.

[@KeesBoons]

Not true. I live in a small village and most people still don't do weekly shopping. Very few places in the Netherlands don't have a grocery store within 10 minutes on the bicycle. Most people around here who do weekly shopping are the same ones that drive in ridiculously large cars. Must justify their machines of death somehow I guess.

[@rikkyrixt]

​@@KeesBoonsmy parents live in a small town, 6km away from the closest supermarked. They do weekly groceries in their Toyota Aygo 😂

[@Blackadder75]

that does exist, but it is rare. very small villages in Friesland or Groningen or Zeeland might lack a grocery store, but almost none in the rest of the country

[@DutchXFangirl]

It's not even allowed to work 50+ hours every week here in the Netherlands. Companies risk getting a fine to making people work that hard. It's only allowed for a short period.

[@ruud2040]

Alex changed ..He is becomming more and more a nice guy. More dutch..I will not say thats a good thing but.....😉 Good discussion video...🌷🌷🌷

[@frankgeurts3912]

Afcourse change after moving,and towards a new culture

[@Paul_C]

The thing about the dutch, and yes, call it an introspective pov, it is what it is. Combine that with 'everything goes, until it doesn't' and 'finding your limits' you will find the only limit is money. You do what you can afford, because there are no limits. Again, dutch on the dutch 😂

[@peterhendriks4736]

Cars are legally always the guilty party in case of accidents.

[@arjansnoek7257]

Great discussion. But I do feel that as you are selfemployed and have not had a job in a dutch company you are missing some context. Dutch workculture is less hierarchical than outside of the Netherlands. Also working hours are more relaxed. As long as you make your effort in hours and productivity, you can work somewhere between 6:00 until 19:00. With permission you can even squeeze a 36 hours work week in 4 days for short periods. But that are exceptions. Also your employer has nothing to do with your personal health insurance. Until recently it was permissible for an employer to negotiate discounts for health insurance. There are however some insurances that an employer has to have for their employees. Such as work-disabilty insurance. Next to the pension etc.

[@jelle_smid]

Why make our work life balance sound like "in general people dont work hard, well there are people that work hard, but nothing like the states" Maybe the cake gets divided different here, therefore making a living does not require being a slave that has to ask "how high?" when your manager yells "jump!" (Sorry, rant over)

[@Flossie710]

Can also be a plural : 1 tongzoen, 2 tongzoenen. Loved your first guess btw. You Yanks, always so extra ;-)

[@Lord_Juvens]

Healthcare is affordable for everyone, if you can't afford it due to low income you get basically all of it covered by the Belastingdienst (tax authorities).

[@Bramfly]

In the Netherlands of all people working 48% works parttime (70% of women and 28% of men) 😊

[@Maricavdven]

We moved to Norway from the Netherlands. We are Dutchies in Norge. Just living here after four and a halve months is the holiday feeling gone, and it still feels the best thing we ever did. Saying " Med vennlig hilsen" to you'll

[@gerbentvandeveen]

Now it's training for the 4 day's of Nijmegen?

[@gauss850]

Like your videos. Why don’t you make an episode on your social life in NL compares to your social life in the US? Curious to know if it were easy for you to make friends in NL.

[@tarafalk3715]

Who was your immigration lawyer in the US to obtain DAFT? Thanks. ❤

[@andyhorvath6630]

Americans in Europe always say that "the US is so vast", but don't they know that Europe (not the EU) is (slightly) bigger than the US? The US just seems bigger because big parts are virtually empty ... you drive for hours and everything still looks the same (I am definitely disappointed about how towns and cities all look the same, no recognisable own character) whereas in Europe you drive (or take a train or bus) in any direction for a few hours and you are in a completely different country with other landscapes, other architecture, other culture, other foods, other people and another language. I love that.

[@Dutch1961]

There's no such thing as over the counter medication, besides paracetamol, ibuprofen, naproxen and cough sirup because deciding what medication you could take in a certain situation is reserved for medical professionals like doctors. If you're already taking medication for a certain condition they know what other medication they can prescribe that won't affect the operation medication you're already taking. Doctoring yourself could have an averse effect and even be outright dangerous.

[@buncharted2]

paracetamol and ibuprofen are both extremely dangerous when taken incorrectly too 🤷

[@MrPatrickpiet]

@@buncharted2 so is water...

[@remcohoman1011]

9"91 but a sickday isn't vacation !

[@ellyvandenhoven823]

In Holland we work to live not live to work😊

[@FreDo_1961]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@jeroencote5212]

In the Netherlands a lot of manager promote you using the 'gunfactor' if they like you they promote you and if they don't you not get the promotion even if you put in the hours or make process improvements.

[@jasperdevries1726]

I think that is just human nature

[@andreathegreat8766]

Ow about your clothing choices?Have you both become less casual dressers,maybe?Were you both ones to have worn pjs shopping in Walmart back home?

[@Ronnet]

In the Netherlands the corporate "game" is still played. But most people are smart enough to not play it. "Middle management" is a dirty position and few people want to put in the pain to go through it. Especially if the "reward" is upper management meaning your life is now owned by the company. Basically people are perfectly fine getting promoted to senior positions right below middle management. Still receive salaries easily up to 100.000 euros, meaning comfortable living standards, but none of the pressure of the rat race. I see it all the time, people in their 40s and 50s reporting to a 20 or 30 year olds. Those 20/30 year olds come and go (some make it, some don't) but those 40/50 years old living stable, comfortable and most importantly enjoyable lives with no regret of not being "successful" on their career because they're wise enough to understand success isn't exclusively measured in income but also by how many people you've supported in the day to day and how much pride you take from doing so. It really is the secret of happiness and it's only possible because of the "socialism" that supports the economy. People simply don't feel the pressure to win any rat race because basics like healthcare and education are seen as given rights that you don't need to fight for to maintain.

[@HermanCouwenbergh]

Sign Your becomming Dutch is Your sales part 😂

[@lordcucumber7772]

I think Dutch often work to live, and Americans often live to work