I traveled around the Netherlands. these things shocked me

[@undistortedX]

Kind of strange that an American guy makes me proud of being Dutch. Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind you of great things that seems so common if you are part of it. Thanks for visiting The Netherlands JP!

[@Tsass0]

As a Kiwi, I love the Netherland, I spent a year there. U have a truly wonderful country.

[@undistortedX]

@@Tsass0 Must be the Abel Tasman connection

[@JaapGinder]

Exactly my thoughts!

[@andrewcoogans471]

As a soon-to-be German citizen I do really have a soft spot for our tall and direct Dutch neighbours. I love visiting and even when I fly back to the UK (my original homeland) I like even just changing flights in Amsterdam for a quick taste of the Netherlands, and seeing the amazing views of the country from the air!

[@lulu98769]

I don't know how any Dutch person can think they're not VERY well off. Almost every other country on this planet has it worse, bar maybe 5 or 10 countries.

[@boombat2225]

As a Dutch person, I was not prepared for the "I'm talking significant distances" followed by "I'm talking 15-20 minute walks" I just feel bad for American unwalkable cities...

[@JaNouWatIkVind]

😂

[@liamoconlocha3264]

​@doomed-y3sthat just means no parole

[@GUITARTIME2024]

My American city is sunny most days. I can walk lots of places. Enjoy your grey skies (I had 7 yrs of that).

[@liamoconlocha3264]

@@GUITARTIME2024 I knew you had to find something positive, do you also enjoy the inner cities of large cities where the orphans of wealth survive? The inequality, the low taxation for the wealthy, the running of the cou try by zionists? That's just a start..

[@0oDaan12o0]

I was literally just typing out this exact comment. 15-20min is barely a light stroll, not a significant walk by any means.

[@klaus2t703]

German here. And I'm happy to have the Netherlands as a neighbor. I hope we can revive the European Soccer Championship spirit. You were great guests.

[@MarcFromNijmegen]

As a Dutchman I enjoy Germany a lot. And I love our friendly rivalry when it comes to the football. Germans songs making fun of the Dutch are a guilty pleasure of mine. "Holland ist die geilste Stadt der Welt" as the 257-ers sang.

[@twanvorstenbosch]

thnx so nice of you that you say that , im Dutch (not into football/soccer) but im happy and proud to have Germany as a neighbour , i visit Germany nearly every weekend (going to the Nürburgring) and i really love the German people , they are always friendly and helpful when needed , often people say that the Germans dont have a sense for humor , well my experience is that the Germans do have a great sense of humor , me and my German friends are always joking around , joking with each other and joking about each other, always great fun , i just love Germany and the German people Big Love from the Netherlands ❤

[@LalaDepala_00]

We love Germany too.. I have German grandparents and many people here have German family/friends. Will be visiting myself soon.

[@BabzV]

The feeling is mutual. Warm greetings from the Netherlands. 😊🌷

[@royvankan2723]

Germany is a very beautiful country with also very friendly people and Top Class nature, food, beer and wine!!! We love to visit Deutschland and the Germans love to visit die Niederlande!!

[@warlord1981nl]

The Netherlands obviously has freedom but it is not a "just do whatever" freedom but rather a highly organized freedom where you can do whatever you want but time, place and manner are important so that you are not bothering others. That time, place and manner is usually codified. Thank you for visiting us and I am happy you had such a good time! :D

[@datapper]

This! Like the Japanese we have a certain hidden code, but here you can do whatever you want basically (within the norms), just make sure you are not a bother to others cause obnoxious people in public are getting frowned upon. As the saying goes: "Doe normaal en je doet al gek genoeg."

[@mcj2219]

Autistic country basically. Yes its safe and all but if you need to make rules for the most miniscule things & want people to care about those, you make us autistic. Oh and im Dutch btw

[@deKampeerwijzer]

@@datapperTranslation: act normal, that's crazy enough. Famous Dutch thing to say.

[@peterjohan6183]

I don't know what you're talking about, but I've done what I wanted my whole life and I still do. I don't give a damn about all those ridiculous social rules. 😉

[@warlord1981nl]

@@peterjohan6183 either you are blissfully unaware of what you are actually doing or you are a tokkie...

[@jdijkstra8115]

"a pretty significant walk like 15-20min" had my laughing out loud. Great video.

[@Ohne_Silikone]

😂 I have been living and adapting in Germany for a while. Last weekend we went on a sunday stroll with the kids of about 15 km.

[@punk4rockorz]

​@@Ohne_SilikoneThat is 3 hours at least. Not really a stroll but sure, I also go on half a day walk in the forest with my kids. Doing a picknick and whatnot.

[@kailahmann1823]

​@@Ohne_Silikone walking 15 km sounds more British - they *really* walk huge distances. Dutch and German people would take a bike for this (and the lazy ones a car).

[@Ohne_Silikone]

@@kailahmann1823 why is it that British people always need to be better by pulling others down ;-). But concerning the Dutch you are right. They seem to be more economical like that. Who can blame them if you consider they have about two bikes per person on average. They also have a very flat landscape.. for the most part.

[@kommissarkillemall2848]

@@kailahmann1823 well. that's a load of cowmanure.. the biggest multi-day AND the biggest 1-day walking events ( the Nijmeegse 4Daagse and the Airborne March ) are in The Netherlands, and we have more 80- and 110 kilometer-KennedyWalks and LDW, s than else in Europe.. Maybe educate yourself about walking-culture befor dropping bull-claims like this ?? Personally i do the 4x50 Km at Nijmegen, the 40 Km at Oosterbeek and several Kennedy's a year apart from about 20 other organized walks a year... and you ?

[@MarkDDG]

13:07 in Amsterdam they have a problem with drunk tourists that fall into the canals and drown, so the city decided that drinking in public in Amsterdam is not allowed anymore. This doesn’t mean you can’t drink in public everywhere in the Netherlands though. In some places it is allowed, and in others it isn’t.

[@voyance4elle]

that makes so much sense :)

[@Wazaarbazaar]

Yup, some places is just better to forbid alcohol! But at 85% of the Netherlands u can drink a beer or whatever on the street and nobody cares

[@claudiavalentijn1457]

On AT5, our local tv station, a British guy was interviewed and he said (with this thick British accent): "You guys should put up fences around the canals, because we keep on falling into them." 😂😂😂

[@stephenc2035]

The restriction is mostly around the "red light district" in amsterdam and city centre around tourist areas. Cannibus is also not allowed to be smoked outside. Other areas of Amsterdam (where i live) there arent those restrictions except around playgrounds. But smoke isn't allowed there either.

[@HaraldSeiwert]

Exactly. We’ve had a lot of trouble in Amsterdam mostly with drunken tourists. So the city had to introduce some “don’t drink in public” zones.

[@jmroose7749]

There is a reason the Dutch are happy… I’m an American who now works in the Netherlands. I went from 50 hours per week working and 2 weeks vacation to a 40 hour week and 36 days paid vacation…as well as extra holiday pay in May. Which is standard here.

[@abcxyz123]

As a Dutchman I still feel many people are not, also looking at the politics. But it's def different than in the US, the level and manner of unhappiness

[@zeikerd]

36 days off is not standard, 25-26 is standard.

[@willemvanoorschot5507]

True, and even then we are very productive. Less hours of work, but very effective. Enough free time, vacation and nice working conditions make happy, healthy and hard working people. Win-win.

[@tommmmiii]

@@zeikerdhe probably means standard bank holidays plus paid time off combindd

[@SuperDvane1]

25 verlof 12 adv 40 werken 38 betaald zo kom je aan die 12 extra,betaald ze dus wel zelf.

[@TheXshot]

I've never been harassed by people smoking a joint. Drunk people on the other hand... Also; most Dutch people don't smoke weed, especially on the street. It's usually the tourists.

[@Wazaarbazaar]

Ahum... i guess you dont know what ur talking about haahaha Er zijn juist zat nederlanders die wiet roken 😅😅 Ook op straat, like me haha

[@HansJongstra]

I could not agree more. In my surroundings nobody smokes weed at all. The weed smell you get in Amsterdam on the streets are from tourists. That is understandable because you may not smoke in hotels.

[@51bikerboy]

I would say 90 to 95% are tourists!

[@petrwindmeijer7542]

And weed is still forbidden by law.

[@klontjespap]

@@petrwindmeijer7542 yes, but the tolerance policy used tolerates up to 5 grams on a person without any persecution it's up to the cop to decide whther they're going to let you walk right away or confiscate your shit if you choose to let them take it, it means a dismissal of any further legal action or finement (under 5 grams) on your person, on the grounds that you acted in good faith for the best interest of the public and neither party really seeks to escalate the situation where there is no real need for it when complying. the tolerance policy even goes for small amounts of hard drugs considered fit for personal use (0.5 grams). but seeing as they need to have a reason to stand you down in the first place, what was that reason? public use of hard drugs may still be written up as some kind of public disturbance/nuisance if they catch you in the act, but if they hold you up for something else that eventually not ends up to be true, they can't really write you up for having the drugs on you in and by itself (under the condition you part ways with it when demanded, that's the crux of the sepot) as for driving: under the influence of weed back in the day there were not that many repercussions for driving stoned , but these days, they'll test your ass when driving stoned and they'll suspend your license , they got a lot harder on that one over the years, a friend of mine wasn't allowed to drive for 2 years after a couple of those a couple of years back

[@joop7856]

It's not often that I hear someone from the states talking good about the Netherlands. Thank you for making me feel proud.

[@TruusvanEs]

Daar heb je geen Amerikaan voor nodig als het goed is, trots zijn op je land.

[@AiIiena]

11:10 „I‘m never gonna forget how happy I was“ this is so real. German here - I lived in the Netherlands for 2 years and I cannot stress how true that statement is to me. The Dutch way of life is just something else and I definitely intend to go back one day. I’ve never been happier in my life - despite normal stressors in the mix like work, politics, mental health. Just a different baseline level of being content and happy. Ps: like many people say, it’s fairly easy to get by with English but I also do recommend learning dutch, as it’s a beautiful, rich language and makes getting to know and being part of the culture and mindset so much easier.

[@Sanquinity]

Learning the Dutch language is definitely recommended. When we talk our native language there's a certain kind of banter and use of phrases and sayings that's a part of our every day speech that we simply can't do in other languages. Sure most of us can converse in English just fine. But because of those things it's harder to truly connect with others when they can't speak Dutch.

[@saskiakarels4184]

​@@Sanquinityik moest banter even opzoeken... en dat is best wel raar want ik heb het veelal over 'enjoy' en ik vind het heerlijk om mensen een beetje op te vrolijken... banter-banter-banter... daar gast een roze panter

[@Sanquinity]

@@saskiakarels4184 I would define banter as "general vocal interaction with people you are familiar with. Be that friends, family, or people you have a casual connection to." Like I've noticed that I do indeed talk a bit differently towards my Dutch boss compared to talking in English towards a few coworkers who can't speak Dutch.

[@bterwijn]

"Can't drink in public" "People smoking marijuana everywhere" You seem to have spend too much time in Amsterdam tourist spots.

[@user-yx9pd9bv5q]

To be clear: you can *not* smoke a joint in public. It happens, but it’s not allowed.

[@APEXPR3D4TOR]

@@user-yx9pd9bv5q i smoke a joint when i go on a walk outside nobody cares people are still friendly just do it late in the evening when all the kids are off the street

[@bterwijn]

@@user-yx9pd9bv5q If you are not fined when smoking a joint in public, then you CAN smoke in public. But that is not even the point I was making. Thanks for you contribution anyway.

[@CasparSG]

​@@user-yx9pd9bv5q Smoking marihuana is allowed everywhere in the Netherlands, except for (parts of) some cities. It is prohibited to sell it (but you won't get in trouble buying it) and it's illegal to own it (but you are allowed to use it). This ridiculous system falls down like a house of cards when you learn that none of these laws are regularly enforced, except for the local prohibitions, and even for those you usually get away with a warning, as long as you're not a black, queer or female-presenting person. What does happen is, if someone is involved in a traffic accident, or caught stealing or vandalising or something worse, the possession of so-called "soft drugs" will be added to their charges. Also, if people own over five plants, or if they have over 5 grams of hash or 15 grams of weed on their person, the laws are suddenly enforced again. I'm pretty sure I was taught all this in highschool. But I used to do a lot of drugs in high school, so maybe the teacher just thought it'd be good for me, personally, to know all this.

[@dwg8084]

​@@bterwijnThe reason you cannot drink in public is because of people being a nuisance when they are out drinking in public. On a terras the person serving you is responsible for taking your keys and making sure you are not being a drunken nuisance. The owners and servers are there to keep everything on rails and are required to act when it's not. Ps. You can drink on some public beaches and on the train.

[@marcelrenes2435]

Dutchie here: A vew years ago, the company I worked for went bust. I had no job for 5 months. But I got 70% of my original salary to give me the time to look for a new job. This is often taken for granted in my country. But that's for me the best example why we have a good life. Yes, I pay more taxes than in the USA, but if I get sick or lose my job, my government will support me.

[@harryvanrijn6366]

And we never have to worry about our health insurance in that case

[@starbase218]

It’s a double edged sword. Opportunity does not come without the chance to fail. It’s why, in the USA, you have both success and failure side by side. But we have the “maaiveldcultuur”, which means that if you stand out, and want something different, that might not be appreciated.

[@rebekkavandenbrink8273]

I think we should definitely look through foreign eyes at our own country more and appreciate what it is we have!

[@Nokaflai]

Americans actually pay more for all things we take for granted. Federal + state taxes + health insurance will be more than taxes in NL

[@harryvanrijn6366]

@@Nokaflai But our health insurance is not tied to the employer, everyone has it. And the cost per Capita is half compared to the USA with a better outcome in life expectancy and child mortality rate. But we don't kill children after birth like in some states according to trump.

[@blondkatze3547]

I`m glad Joel that you had so much fun with our lovely Dutch neighbors. The Dutch agree with the Germans in so many things, we also love the coffee and and tea culture. Are direct and say what we want. Love our free time and enjoy it.Cycling, walking , swimming, fishing on the canals, etc. Lovely Greetings at our Dutch neighbors from East Frisia near the North Sea coast.🙂💞

[@J.Schenkel]

Greetings back: Germany is for us dutchies a beloved holiday spot too!

[@Kelektroid]

Big wave to our German neighbours! You have way better bread and kuchen tho! In June I was travelling with my campervan through the north of Germany, little bit below Hamburg walking my dog in this huge forest and I see an old man coming towards me on a bike. He shows me all the mushrooms he found and even gave me some. It was the best start of a two months adventure 😍 That man made my day and he taught me about those mushrooms and how he likes to eat them most. He spoke about his grandchildren and village life. He spoke in German and me in bad German and some English and we understood each other fine. A magic experience for me since I'm a solo traveller and I don't have much human contact during the day.

[@fredvankempen2177]

> The Dutch agree with the Germans in so many things Except during soccer, that's when the gloves come off!!

[@rubentadema4824]

🇳🇱🫂🇩🇪

[@jurrienvanrooy7469]

I’ve always loved our German neighbors. Lovely people, they don’t beat around the bush either.

[@MMijdus]

When you are born in the Netherlands like me you never realise how good we have it here. You experience/ story is an eye opener. And the way you tell it makes me feel so lucky. Thank you for doing this bro! 🍀

[@joranvanolphen9892]

Good to hear our country has left you with such positivity. There is soo much to explore in the Netherlands. Each corner and each region has something cool or interesting to offer. Hope you’ll come back here soon and be amazed.

[@VickyRussell-122]

I'm British and came to the Netherlands on a six month contract. That was 50 years ago and I'm still here! 😂

[@macdieter23558]

Yeah, the border controls to Great Britain can take some time, especially after the brexit!

[@hideouspatje]

Lol... you made me chuckle....thanks for that!​@@macdieter23558

[@VintageCR]

@@macdieter23558 i get your humor but you do realize our guy here, imported into the Netherlands around 50 years ago (on a 6 month contract), the fact is, he could have left after 6 months but he didn't. which says something. maybe im too direct idk, im dutch so you can blame my background.

[@Lagiacrus1996]

​@@VintageCR Yes we understood this, thank you for explaining 😂

[@VintageCR]

@@Lagiacrus1996 im sorry okay🤣🤣 i cant help myself sometimes

[@terryslipp3148]

My daughter and her husband and young children moved from Canada to the Netherlands about a year ago. They live in Eindhoven and sold their car before leaving Canada. Have really taken to the bike culture and did not buy a car after arriving in the country. They are so pleased with the people, nature, farming, etc. They went there for a work term but are now taking about buying a house. They sound as excited as you do when talking about the Netherlands.

[@willvangaal8412]

Dankjewel Terry voor de lieve woorden .

[@atropatene3596]

I lived in Eindhoven for 10 years, until about 6 years ago (I live in a nearby municipality now). In the past. 15 years or so the city went from a car centered city to a very bike friendly one. It's been great to witness. Your daughter chose wisely!

[@atropatene3596]

@@AitchBee01 how old are your children? Mine are 4 and 6. By the time they want their own home, plenty will be available. How many boomers do you know who are living in a family home?

[@mvdh877]

i live about 30 minutes drive from eindhoven

[@vogel2280]

@@AitchBee01 But is that really a caused by a gianormous amount of foreigners....or is it caused by municipalities just not giving out the required amount of permits for building homes? On average it takes ten years for a contractor to get a building permit...it is just ridiculous incompetence where the formalities are getting in the way of the goal.

[@maikee72]

I want to thank our good German neighbours for the kind things they said about the Netherlands 🇳🇱 ❤😊

[@DeniseSalmon-lw3eh]

o dear Nederlanders! Ik hou van Nederland! American here, who has had the best good luck to live in The Netherlands for almost 4 years. The quality - of the food, of the transportation, of the social organization etc. etc. etc. - is so superior to what I knew all my life in the US. You feel it when you walk down a street in any Dutch town - how confident, secure, and "at home" all the people are. I'm glad you got to visit, Jps, and I hope you come back for a longer stay

[@nilsacorsino-cruz8546]

I have been in Rotterdam for the past 8 yrs and love it! People are very nice, direct and friendly. I feel at home. Beautiful country and well organized. ❤❤❤❤

[@Joey-ct8bm]

A very different city for the Netherlands. A little more carbased and very modern.

[@emwharton]

American here. Living in Amsterdam and Haarlem for 20+ years. Really enjoyed seeing my chosen home through your eyes.

[@jurrienvanrooy7469]

Haarlem ❤️

[@TheSuperappelflap]

What is it with Americans and Amsterdam, its honestly the worst place to live in the entire country lol

[@franco7905]

I’m from Cologne, and here you can drink alcohol in public everywhere. The problem, however, is that on weekends the streets are full of broken glass and trash, because people come from all over Europe to get drunk here. And they don't do it in pubs and bars. You've seen the mess in Cologne yourself. You have one of the best and most informative channels on KZbin. You are very thoughtful and curious about everything you see. Respect. We need many more people like you in today’s world.

[@bramharms72]

Yeah. In Amsterdam it was mainly the English binge drinkers that led to things going to far. When flying became cheaper than a trainticket in England they started to fly here on Friday evening and leave when they sobered up on Monday or Tuesday it wasn't funny anymore for most people. I'm not saying it was only them (because I'd be a raging hypocrite if I did) but they tipped it way out over the edge. And truth to be told, we have some festival's and holidays where we go to far ourselves. In most cities the prohibitions are only in the city centers. And if you sit down in a park with your mate and have a quiet beer with your lunch nobody will bother you, as long as you bother no one else.

[@Typecast-L]

Yeah, Dutch guy here, we had that exact problem. Not anymore. I gotta admit, I was reluctant at first when they decided to ban drinking in many public areas. But years later, I have seen the change firsthand; it turned out great. It feels much safer, with fewer annoying drunks and the trash, like broken bottles, they cause on the street, and those that are publicly drunk stand out a lot. While it is generally prohibited in busy areas like tourist spots, shopping centers, city centers, and public transport stations, many parks and other public spaces are more relaxed about drinking, with specific areas often designated where it is allowed. The rules are usually enforced more strictly in places where public order needs to be maintained. Of course, even in restricted areas, any terrace, bar, restaurant, etc., can serve alcohol just fine, so the impact it has on people is quite limited, while the benefits are quite tangible.

[@Sanquinity]

@@Typecast-L I remember how as a teen I used to go to the nearby forest to a clearing with a small grass field. A group of 15~20 alt teens would gather every Friday evening to chill and drink together. (Back when the legal age for light alcohol was still 16.) Technically it was not allowed, but the cops told us "just don't cause trouble for other people taking a walk, don't litter, and we'll allow it." So we did. We were always friendly to people taking a stroll/walking their dog, and always made sure to take all of our trash back home with us. And if anyone decided to not do so the whole group would berate them as we didn't want to lose our favorite drinking spot. :P

[@MYoung-mq2by]

The drinking in public thing is largely because too many foreigners/tourists don't know how to behave themselves. Besides that, from my personal perspective, I find walking around with a bottle in one's hand to be very distasteful. It's about having "manners". There's a time and a place for everything and the open street or pavement/sidewalk is not a place to be taking swigs from a beer bottle or can. This is actually more the rule than the exception in Europe. Drinking while chilling in a park is absolutely fine. It's very much about the location and occassion. Just don't go walking around drinking in public. That's not okay. Edit: sentence added

[@andreadee1567]

True.

[@Yvolve]

It really depends on where you are if it enforced as well. In parks it is often allowed if you behave, although some have specific signs banning drinking in public. Amsterdam is very strict overall, which I think is good. I absolutely agree it is distasteful to walk around with an open beer, drinking while walking around.

[@brgel]

Not really true. Drinking in public is allowed in most places outside city centers. Littering is not. In almost all parks in the city you can drink

[@MYoung-mq2by]

@@brgel For me it was specifically about the walking around while drinking. Drinking in parks I don't have a problem with.

[@merightin]

I'm Scottish, lived in Nederland for a good few years.... I only miss mountains.....there is a phrase: God gave men a place to live but Nederlanders had to make their own

[@PdZ2012]

Dutch people are very direct. They don't beat around the bush, especially in my hometown of Rotterdam. I struggled when I went to countries like the US, Ecuador and Thailand, for example, because people say one thing, but might mean the opposite. I hate that! So this is definitely something I appreciate about my country.

[@TruusvanEs]

Inderdaad. Ik heb een Surinaamse man. Na al die jaren krijg ik daar nog steeds een punthoofd van. 🤣

[@AndreUtrecht]

Dutch people should listen to you. They often have no idea how good things are organised here. They take things for granted and mostly complain ....

[@satanmitdengeilenbarthaaren]

Taking things for granted and complaining? Reminds me of my German hometown near the Dutch border 😂 It's always a really nice experience when I use the public transportation in the Netherlands. Ten times better than our system...

[@NLJeffEU]

Talk to the average Dutch person about the Netherlands and you will be convinced that we live in a kind of north korea 😂

[@Me1le]

If we didn't constantly complain we would stop trying to improve things. Complaining is core to dutch innovation.

[@EyesOfGehenna]

Yeah, complaining has become ridiculous. A lot of people here do not realise how good they have it.

[@abcxyz123]

Sure. But we could do so much better in our politics and beyond😂 the complaining is usually not well targeted tbh

[@ruawhitepaw]

The reason for not drinking on the street is different from the USA. In the USA, they try to shame drinking and make it hidden. "Out of sight, out of mind". But in the Netherlands that's not the point at all, people are open and honest about the fact that people drink, it's normal and accepted. The real reason is public safety; they don't want random drunk people hanging around and being a nuisance.

[@voyance4elle]

that's so understandable

[@Wizz15]

I believe this was also the reason mushrooms got banned, too many accidents with tourists. And ofcourse it doesn’t make sense to ban something that could grow in your garden without you knowing it, but in general public safety is a big reason behind these rules.

[@JohnBlutarski]

​@@Wizz15Yes, there were a few incidents, but in hindsight (got it from the Jellinek site) those hardly had to do with paddo's. And all kind of psychedelic truffels can still be bought nowadays

[@Wizz15]

@@JohnBlutarski Ah fair enough, I just remember a lot of stories of people jumping from bridges and buildings around that time, I thought that was related. Although if memory serves me right that was under Balkenende, who was a bit conservative anyway (anti drugs).

[@peterkralt2478]

Actually by lnational law it is not prohibited to drink in public, it is local community laws that can assign a ban on drinking in public in parts of or the whole town or assign designated areas where it is allowed. In most towns it is just in the centre where it is banned accept for terrasses or the immidiate facinity of a legit sales point like for instance a mobile fastfood vender if he has a permit to sell beer then you can drink it there in public if he provides a facility to consume the products he sells on the spot and a facility to dispose the empty packaging without littering

[@WickedDandelion]

Not drinking in public was brought in because many tourists were doing it and it lead to some pretty ugly anti-social behavior and rampant littering. So they just said "OK - no more drinking while out on the street" and it worked!

[@macdieter23558]

Eff around, we´ll find out!

[@kjeldschouten-lebbing6260]

Its not true though, thats just an APV (city-scale) thing, not a general law.

[@WickedDandelion]

@@kjeldschouten-lebbing6260 It started in the cities, particularly R'dam,, A'dam & E'hoven because of the football hooligans getting drunk before during and after their matches. It was expanded. The additional motive for A'dam was speicfically the type of tourists that were coming to the city.

[@Pfooh]

Exactly. It's also only in certain areas. In most of Amsterdam, you can drink in public, only not in the city center.

[@the_oslovian]

Hehe! I am a six foot tall Norwegian lady with a Dutch partner, it's the only place in the world where I frequently feel a bit short. Borrowing my mother in laws bike is also the first time in my life I have not been able to reach the pedals, long legged lady! My partner i 6, 3 😂 We also love the public transport system. Our record is 13 trains in a day! Lots of short trips from one city to another visiting friends 😊 Come to Oslo and visit our cafes and get honest people next time 😉 Send me a msg and I will serve you dinner. Netherlands have no nature 😂 I Oslo you can take the subway for 20 min and be in the forest 👍 Ahh.... Brotjes! We are good at that too. I totally love Holland, but we are even more happy. Haha

[@gokai976]

Having grown up in The Netherlands it’s very interesting to hear your perspective on things. When you mentioned a significant walk, I thought you were talking about a walk of an hour or longer; 15 minutes is considered a short walk here (and in most other European countries as well I imagine). As for the drinking in public, it is allowed but can (and is) restricted as per municipal rules, so some municipalities have stricter rules than others! Personally I’ve spent multiple summers with friends drinking out in parks and on the streets and it’s never been a problem, so long as you’re not being a nuisance of course.

[@joyceschouten8727]

Glad you enjoyed our wonderfull country. As Dutchies, we like to complain a lot, but we really do have it very good over here.

[@possessedsinner]

en zo is het

[@Edwin--]

Don't tell everyone, is a national secret! 😉

[@dragonbitchy]

@@possessedsinner Je moet toch af en toe gewoon even ergens over zeiken kom op nou.....😉

[@TruusvanEs]

Het gaat meer over realistisch zijn. Onze verzorgingsstaat staat onder druk door verkeerde beslissingen en de EU en de toekomst zal dat ook uitwijzen. Beter doorzeuren dan het gevaar negeren.

[@harm7602vicount-Visconti]

Seeing your video, makes me proud to be Dutch. If you live here you get to ‘bash’ it a little, but the appreciation you spread actually makes me look at it differently. I lived in Israel for four years, and got homesick. I forgot about that. Makes me happier to be here, with all faults included😉👍🏻 Thanks for your open and enthusiastic video. I subscribed.

[@scarba]

I’m Scottish, and I feel I should have been born Dutch. My favourite country.

[@anahill2366]

We love the Scots over here! Much love from Utrecht :)

[@scarba]

@@anahill2366 I used to go to the Netherlands three times a year. Not been to Utrecht yet though. I’ve even been to Texel :)

[@anahill2366]

@@scarba The islands are cool, I hope you enjoyed your visits! Utrecht is kinda Amsterdam without tourists lol.

[@scarba]

@@anahill2366 sounds perfect 👍

[@anthonyllido9720]

@@anahill2366 Utrecht is called BABY AMSTERDAM

[@destiny035]

It's called The Netherlands. Holland is just two provinces, North and South Holland.

[@henlofrens]

well in his defence he never left those provinces lmao

[@benne_drakenpancer]

In Germany we refer to "Die Niederlande" as Holland synonymous too, despite knowing pretty well it's just the provinces. But I guess it's all infamous vrouw Antje's fault advertising in Germany with the slogan “Käse aus Holland" (Kaas uit Holland / Cheese from Holland). 😉 I actually live relatively close to Limburg and visited Zeeland regularly over the last years. Though the sluggish autosnelweg is a total culture shock coming from the Autobahn every time. And it has gotten worse over the last few years due to even more tedious speed limits.

[@TheSuperappelflap]

There are other places in the world that have decent public transport, but that is mostly in metropolitan areas. For example in Japan. What makes the Dutch public transport unique is that it is covers almost the entire country, even small villages in rural areas have a bus that comes twice per hour, and in the most remote places there is a sort of bus-taxi service that you can make an appointment with to pick you up. But 80% of the country has regular bus and train service. My small town doesnt have a train station, but there is a bus terminal that has 8 stops, each with 4 buses per hour going in different directions. Larger train stations have a train departing from each platform every 5-10 minutes. You dont even need to look up the schedule, you can just walk or bike to the train station and you can hop on with minimal wait times. The goal for the transport company is to have 95% of the trains run on time, and its above 90% every year. We have also invested a lot into upgrading and rebuilding train stations in recent times. The reason they look so new, is because they are. Billions of dollars have been invested into that. Just below 6'2", 183-185cm, is exactly average for men here. Im the same height lol The fried snacks, you are supposed to eat them burning hot, thats how Dutch people do it. Your mouth will get used to it.

[@TheTwan85]

Small correction: you are generally allowed to drink in public in the Netherlands. It's just certain cities and locations within cities that have restrictions to this rule because of tourists being a nuisance in those places 😅 I.e. in the Amsterdam city center it might be restricted but in a random street in Haarlem or Tilburg you're fine. Loved this video! Hearing about your culture shocks and seeing people realizing how good we have it in the comments is why I follow a bunch of expats. Sometimes it's important to get an outside view of your own situation because you're too close to it yourself.

[@ManumanuHappy]

Unless there is a party in the city it would be very unusual to see someone walking around sipping beer. Dutch people like to sit down and touch grass while drinking.

[@Gnomelotte]

You can drink a beer in public in Haarlem/Tilburg while the cops are around ? Because I've seen people do that here in Utrecht, and the police will come and pour their drink straight into the trash can.

[@PGraveDigger1]

@@Gnomelotte There's certain areas within Utrecht where it is illegal to consume alcohol in public. These areas can be found on the website of the municipality. It's mostly the city centre, the area around the main train station, most parks and some streets where a lot of students live. In about 80 to 90% of Utrecht it is completely legal to consume alcohol in public.

[@TheTwan85]

@@Gnomelotte here in Tilburg you can, but it depends on where you are. I.e. there are parks where you can't drink alcohol, because addicts like to gather there and drink all day, which intimidates other people from using the park with kids. So the general rule is you can, unless specified differently.

[@Gnomelotte]

@@PGraveDigger1 I see, I honestly had no idea, I just asumed it counted for the whole city, heck for the entire country even. Interesting, I have to look this up. (Not that I really plan on going out and drink alcohol in the streets now. 😀) 👍

[@dereknewbury163]

The Netherlands have always been a model for us Europeans, for openness and keen application of common sense. It is true that, as with the rest of Europe, they are struggling with some aspects of immigration, with a slow right - wing drift, but it is still a very sane country,

[@baronmeduse]

Demolishing more houses than will ever replace them and causing a housing crisis is hardly 'common sense'.

[@-_YouMayFind_-]

@@baronmedusewhat do you mean?. We do not just demolish houses. Company buildings are brought down to be made as appartement complex. So we are trying to get more homes from what we already have. We just have a migrant crisis also because there is a large elderly population. Our government is going to call out migrant crisis soon. It just means that we can not handle more at this moment. We do have shortage of 400.000 houses

[@michalovesanime]

​@@-_YouMayFind_-we demolished a lot of social housing, you can look that up..we also sold a lot of land and housing to (foreign) investors. And Rutte ignored a lot of issues. He was proud of having no vision and it showed. Housing crisis isnt just a Dutch thing. Its a global issue. Goverments dont control as much as they used to. They sold a lot of the instruments to fix things to capitalists, who drove up prices because they obviously are in the housing market to maximize profit. Oow and we tax social housing corps extra. Weird system which really messes with the abiliy for them to build more affortable housing

[@baronmeduse]

@@-_YouMayFind_- You'll find that 95% of renovated buildings are apartments for richer people, with about 5% token social housing (which they usually welsh on anyway). The real crisis is in social housing, but 25 years of right-wingery here in NL has destroyed it. Yes, the migrant crisis has not helped, but they knew the issue existed beforehand.

[@TheNillaa]

The housing crisis is layered and complicated but one real thing is is that a lot of social housing thats up for renovation gets demolished and is replaced with less units in the same price range. A lot of municipalities don’t reach their social housing targets and thats one of the big problems. Instead they build luxury apartments or single family homes. I’m still living in a student house and will be living in rooms no bigger than 20m2 until i’m at least 30 years old because thats the age a which i may stand a chance on the waiting list for social housing in my city. In my eyes thats more of a management problem than a migrant problem. If they just build the right type housing it wouldn’t be this bad.

[@blotski]

Having watched you travel around parts of Europe including Manchester where I live, I am bowled over by how open minded, open hearted and adaptable you are. You fit in, blend in and embrace your surroundings in way I don't think I've seen any travel vloggers do to the same extent. Seeing you have a Sunday lunch in the Northern Quarter and a pint in a country pub was great and I can guarantee you were the only American tourist there both times. Not that I think of you as a tourist to be honest.

[@budapestkeletistationvoices]

Guys, you left Europe.

[@ikbenhet1976]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices dude… Europe is the continent, they did not leave that… the Island has not drifted off… they have left the EU, the European Union… that is something different

[@Lilygirl283]

Exactly, ​@@ikbenhet1976

[@blotski]

@@budapestkeletistationvoices OK. Let's follow through on your logic that the UK left the EU so it is no longer part of the continent of Europe. Therefore your logic is that you have to be an EU member in order to be European. The creation of the EU was gradual but let's go for 1957 with the foundation of the EEC. So before 1957 did the continent of Europe not even exist? When it did were only Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg European? Did European history and geography begin in the middle of the last century? Was your country Hungary not a European country until 2004? Was Poland? Do you believe that Romania wasn't a European country till 2007? Same for Bulgaria. Can you answer the question what continent they DID belong to? If any EU country leaves (or is expelled) in the future will they cease being part of the continent of Europe and join the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Serbia etc in a mythical place that belongs to no geographical continent? A kind of geographical limbo. I hope you can spot your mistake. And that was a longer answer than your comment deserved.

[@Random-oz7dc]

Honestly you are one of my favorite “american european reactor” You just observe society and dare to think how things work and thats very good :) Would love to see you visit my country Belgium (only a short train or bus ride away from the netherlands) Bruges and ghent are in my opinion one of the best cities for european medival architecture, you should do a reaction video to it :))

[@PinkMonkey246]

Thanks for reminding me of how lucky I am to be Dutch! I'm glad you liked your time here and I'm looking forward to your return

[@55jhjhjkjk]

and in addition i agree with your conclusion at the end. As a Belgian i also find that our Dutch Northern neighbours are about the friendliest and open minded people in Europe

[@balaenopteramusculus]

❤

[@Wizz15]

Since I’m a Dutch person who lived in Antwerp for a while, I was going to say the Belgians are more polite, well-spoken (in better command of the Dutch language) and ofcourse your accent makes everything you say easy to listen to. Nothing like our more harsher northern accents. So don’t sell yourself short, neighbours down south! I very much enjoyed my time away from the rest of the Dutch! (Maybe your beers helped against any kind of homesickness)

[@KeesBoons]

Living some 15 km from the Belgian border, I don't think we're that different. There is more difference between the Dutch living in the Randstad and around where I'm living, than between the Flemish people and the people around where I'm living. Appreciate your point of view.

[@Wizz15]

@@KeesBoons Yeah I think this is fair, I’m also from the southern regions of the Netherlands, and there is a bigger difference between south and north Netherlands, than there is between south and Belgium (and Germany). Our dialect is half German and I got taught Dutch by a Belgian, so definitely a lot of overlap there. 😛

[@KeesBoons]

@@Wizz15 The German influence was even bigger when I was young. Used to watch children's TV on the ARD and ZDF all the time, together with the BRT at the time.

[@billharmicar8742]

About the height of the Dutch. I'm 6'2 1/2 and I didn't feel average. What I did notice is that the Dutch women were tall (taller than women in SOCAL). I've spent a lot of time in the Hague, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. If there was ever a chance to relocate to any of those cities I would be there in a second. You can't get Kapsalone in Los Angeles!!

[@wilfreddv]

I'm 1.92m and still often feel short. Also, it's kapsalon, and it's available all over the country :)

[@EdwinHofstra]

​@@wilfreddvI think it's available throughout Western Europe by now, though you may have to go to a grillroom/döner kebab/shoarma to get it.

[@PropagandasaurusRex]

"You can't get Kapsalone in Los Angeles!!" You just found your purpose in life.

[@dvs3308]

Thanks for loving The Netherlands!! Happy to hear! I always say to my family and friends: "we live in 1 of the best countries in the world".

[@starbase218]

“As the finishing touch, God created the Dutch” ;)

[@crankshaft99k85]

@@starbase218 THE DUCH CREATED GOD, after the 6th day. God, is just a placeholder.

[@Strikkyy]

Loved this video! I myself am from the Netherlands and I really enjoyed you explaining what you loved about our country :)

[@Gjappy]

Hello from the Netherlands! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit so much. :) The Netherlands is divided up in 12 provinces with each their unique culture. Which makes each city also a different experience. It seems to me you mainly visited the bigger cities. Because to see coffeeshops everywhere is exactly in these places. The further the city is from Amsterdam the less coffeeshops there are, actually. I'd think most Dutch agree that smoking weed is just as bad as a general smoking habit. But locals usually don't do it themselves a lot. About drinking in public; it is not allowed to a degree. It's a law set in place to prevent loitering drunkards, accidents and crime. But it does allow you to drink in a cafe, restaurant, or some controlled public places. The Dutch police is pretty lenient anyway, as long as you're not a danger or nuisance to others. They didn't mind that I held a small party on the beach for example. As long as we kept it down and threw away the trash after. Then again, we have this 'samen uit, samen thuis' mentality. Even if your friend (or the friend of your friend) gets drunk and totally wasted. You'd take them home, make sure they're okay. Make sure anyone is happy before and after. I think overall we like quality in anything; from the products we buy to our coffee breaks, the special beers, our savoury food and clear communication. Making a lot from a little country, you made me happy to be Dutch. Thank you for your visit and insights! :)

[@CrusterfunkShenanigans]

locals don't really smoke outside, because why...but I can assure you a lot of Dutch people do smoke loads of greens!

[@DougBrown-h1n]

I figure drunks are much more of a pain in the butt for society than stoners.

[@nickkuiper32]

They are. No fights in coffeeshops (the real coffeeshops where you dont go to for the coffee ofcourse), but almost a guarantee for cafe's/bars/clubs

[@lux_moto]

Right, alcohol makes a lot of people aggressive, cannabis hardly ever. Besides that, alcohol is a hard drug that does a lot more damage to the body. ( Not suggesting that cannabis is completely harmless.)

[@frisky003]

A real American " a significant walk , 15 to 20 minutes." That is about 2 km or so , you guys over there in the USA take probably the car to get some bread at the end of the street

[@bnice1374]

They can't buy bread at the end of the street in most cases. They don't have supermarkets in between housing in most places.

[@bnice1374]

Tbf you are not allowed to do either in public. It's just that the police tend to go after people who disrupt the community and pot smokers tend to not really cause much problems where as drunk people do.

[@Phiyedough]

When he said about getting bread off the side of the street I was wondering if he brushed the dirt off before eating it!

[@tonnekevankan7512]

Thank you for your vieuw on our country, although about the housing problem(crisis) , that's not the case. IMO It is caused due to neglect by several governments and neglect + mismanagement by housingcompanies . Many people need housing and are waiting for years now. On top of that , also immigrants want a house of course , adding to this huge problem , where there's no solution for many years to come.For many young people their lives has come to a stand still 😶 Just saying.......( to give you some info)💕🤗

[@martynnotman3467]

Im British and I walk about 70km a week. I tried to walk to a hotel in the US once and it was actually impossible to do the (less than a mile) distance on foot. Had to get a cab!

[@BrazenNL]

2:46 _"a pretty significant walk […] 15 to 20 minutes"._ Tell me you're American without telling me you're American.

[@terryross1754]

I'm a Brit who lived 30 yrs in NL. Many visitors do not realise that NL customs and laws are heavily based on religion and freedom. Other laws (e.g. no weapons or drinking in public) are based on negative data and public support. Too many drink-related incidents. NL is densely populated, and some care is needed to keep the peace.

[@arjanpetersen]

Do you know we have an acronym for drinking in public? A "BVO'tje". Basically having a beer while in transit to the pub. It is a law indeed, and we know that but police will almost never reinforce it. I never had any issues with it.

[@User_29765]

Almost no dutch person is actually religious nowadays

[@arjanpetersen]

@@User_29765 which is a massive plus

[@wilfreddv]

​@@User_29765a large portion is still religious, at least on paper. Even the religious people act very secular, though.

[@User_29765]

@@wilfreddv ask them. Not even on paper are a lot christian

[@rickmulder6729]

Great video! Nice to hear that the country left such a positive impression with you:) If you ever return or want to explore a different area of the country, definitely Veluwe (in the province of Gelderland) is a beautiful area, but totally different from the seasides and pastures near the west. It has more relief (for the Netherlands) with lots of trees and a nature reserve, called the Hoge Veluwe, which is absolutely stunning and it has a very rich history.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

Not drinking on the street is probably an Amsterdam thing because of all the tourists visiting. They treat Amsterdam as an amusement park or as a whorehouse. In most places, you can do whatever you want as long as you keep it safe and clean. Next time, visit Brabant. Way less weed and more alcohol 😂😂😂 The villages are very nice, especially in Zeeland. So much history and, of course, some of the world-famous sea barriers that keep us safe. Engineering wonders.

[@TheCloggydoggy]

There is no drinking on the street in many parts of Eindhoven. Den Haag has no drinking on the street in the city centre and on Scheveningen boulevard. 🙂

[@on-the-pitch-p3w]

Aha, Brabant. Isn’t that where all the laboratories are where the chemical drugs are made. You are famous for the excellent quality of the drugs, but it is a bloody shame you Brabanders throw all the waste in the woods and parks 😂🎉🎉🎉

[@TheCloggydoggy]

@@on-the-pitch-p3w I am NOT a lompe-boer Brabanter! I lived in the region for 3 1/2 yrs and was very glad to return to the part of NL that I loved. The people there are lovely, even though they were not 'my sort of people'' You are obviously a troll, because, if not, you would have KNOWN that the chemical plants are NOT in Brabant but in another province. 🤪

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

@@on-the-pitch-p3w i never saw one 😂

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

@on-the-pitch-p3w Well, at least the streets are clean 🤷‍♂️

[@markylon]

I feel sorry for Americans that have never experienced outside of the USA

[@origami83]

ignorance is bliss.

[@shoelacedonkey]

Honestly though the US is big and diverse enough that it isn't surprising that some people haven't visited another country yet. You can fit the Netherlands more than 16 times inside of Texas, and that's just a single state... Culturewise they *are* missing out though.

[@Data2.0]

@@origami83And wisdom is divine.

[@Youssratje]

Nederland is een blessing !

[@jasper46985]

Ohw wow.. this actually makes me a proud Dutchie, thanx dude! Nice to hear you loved it!

[@basdebruin2355]

You’re welcome JP. Don’t forget we’ve our issues as well. Despite those issues, good to hear that you were happy here. Don’t forget, you are not allowed to smoke a joint in public but that’s very hard to controle. Alcohol is more or less on the same level as dope but much easier to control. Hope to see you back here in the Netherlands.

[@Denkthetniet]

What a nice video buddy! Very nice to hear you’re final opinion after having visited the Netherlands. Especially as someone who followed the build up to you finally going there! Much love from Haarlem, the Netherlands

[@mjwemdee]

I'm a Brexit refugee now living in the Netherlands (Middelburg in Zeeland). I moved here from Devon, a particularly beautiful part of the UK; I still miss its countryside and stunning coastline. As far as landscape goes, the Netherlands cannot compete, but this tiny country more than compensates with its beautiful towns and the 'samenleving' - the society and the way the Dutch behave and interact with each other. They may disagree constantly with each other, but there is always a sense of mutual respect and a realisation that everyone is responsible for the way the country works. They literally built the land they walk on, and their public and private spaces are maintained very carefully. This comes from what they call 'poldermentaliteit' - a collaborative ethos that centuries of fighting the force of the North Sea have taught them. They are also amazingly internationalist; outwardly welcoming (most were shocked by the surge of Geert Wilder's party into their politics) and curious and engaged in the rest of the world. I wish my own country would take a few lessons from the Dutch. I'm not surprised you had a good time here, JP. Come back soon!

[@elainemorgan5629]

If most were shocked by the success of Gert Wilders, who voted for him?

[@mjwemdee]

@ The Dutch voting system is one where coalitions rule. There are many political parties around the table, all vying against each other to make up the 150 seats in the Chamber. Geert Wilders party had more votes than each of the next four parties, but that doesn’t mean that he had a majority in the country. And he has to dilute his own political wishes in order to form a coalition (he was even unable to become Prime Minister!). Don’t make the mistake of thinking the Dutch system is like the two-party hegemonies you find in the US or the UK.

[@bvdheide1975]

I live in Amsterdam and I didn't know that drinking in public is not allowed. I think it's just a policy to remove drunk tourists / or to make them go home. I never heard of it being a problem.

[@nrohtsroh]

Correct, it’s forbidden inside the city, thanks to the British tourists. For years they were consuming, alcohol, plus drugs, plus mushrooms and possibly other stuff, puked all over the place, made trouble and more.

[@omoerbeek]

In general you can drink in public, although some cities have declared some locations as "no alcohol" as a result of too much trouble with drunk people. In that case their should be signs saying that.

[@HolgerJakobs]

Unfortunately they were (are?) missing at some places, so tourists are caught by surprise.

[@LalaDepala_00]

​@@HolgerJakobsBut if you are tourist and didn't know, they will give you a warning and that's it 99,99% of the time. Unless you are rude and arrogant, then you might get in trouble a bit.

[@henrischutte1968]

On the other hand it is not in our culture to drink alone. Drinking alcohol is strictly a social activity. This might sound a bit prejudicial, but a person drinking alone is often looked a bit down upon or seen as embarrassing. You might see groups of people enjoying the weather in the park while having a beer together, but you'll rarely see someone sitting on a park bench solo having a beer unless they are homeless.

[@corjp]

Thanks for your kind words , we like it when visitors enjoyed our country and our history among the rest of Europe as it is now.

[@Sarah_b_curiouser]

Thank you so much for getting out of the Randstad tourist traps and seeing the Netherlands. The nature here is wonderful. And I agree. The food is great, especially compared to what I could get at the typical grocery store in America. I've lived here for 2 years now, just outside the Veluwe. I feel so at home and at peace here. I'm really glad you enjoyed your visit!

[@brotheramos1613]

Next time, take the train from Amsterdam to the deep south and visit Maastricht!! You will enjoy the whole travelling experience and the city. We are from the Netherlands living in Brabant and visit each year a few big cities. We love to visit Maastricht.

[@wanneske1969]

Zealand is beautiful too

[@damius1980]

Visit Valkenburg, Gulpen, Vijlen, Epen(ijsje eten), Vaals. Maastricht is very nice, but don't disregard the surrounding area.

[@moladiver6817]

Indeed Joel and not just Indonesian food but definitely also try Surinamese food on your next visit. I mentioned it before but these cuisines are unique in Europe. We got all the 'regular' cuisines too of course. Turkish, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Chinese, you name it but the other two oh man. Every Dutchman out there grew up eating nasi goreng, satay with peanut sauce or Surinamese roti. This food is just as normal for us as spaghetti and pizza. But do some research before you actually go and grab a bite somewhere because there definitely are differences in quality. As always, go where the locals are. Hope to see you on another Europe trip soon!

[@stefantegethoff5523]

I recommend you visit Vienna sometime in the future. The coffee and Coffee House culture there is also very special. Also the Viennese food is great. Glad you liked your visit to the Netherlands (and Germany)!

[@on-the-pitch-p3w]

Vienna? This video is about Amsterdam 😂 ❌❌❌

[@martynnotman3467]

I second Vienna. Its a lovely city.

[@EdwinHofstra]

Glad you enjoyed your stay. Just a quick one on nature. The green you see around cities are fields and meadows, intersected with ditches to drain the water out so they don't flood, and rows of trees to break the wind so the top soil doesn't blow away. The higher the dryer, so in Holland you'll see lots of ditches (sometimes every 10m) and tree rows mostly around the circumference and along roads (to keep cars and trailers from being blown off them), and in the East of the country there are far fewer ditches and more tree rows. They're cultivated lands, not Nature. They are historical, though. There's an area just South of the major cities where the ditches have followed the same grid pattern for two millenia! Some of those are the very ditches that were already used in Roman times. Back then they were just dry ditches used to mark the extend of your field and to keep the animals in. Cows don't dig ditches. The water came later, when we kicked the Romans out. We're very proud of that, and of the clever way we did it. You see, back in WWII the Dutch resistance went underground, kinda like tulips, but way back then, we went underwater! And the Romans really hated wet feet, what, with their open sandals and all, so they left. Our forests are (re)planted and the heath is maintained by grazing our sheep there. But there is still real nature in the Netherlands, just don't look for it in the usual places. Look in or around the waters. The Slufter would be a prime example.

[@monikadeinbeck4760]

if I planned on moving to Europe the Netherlands would be on the top of my list. It's such a nice little country, culture and economy and infrastructure top notch, and it's very central, Germany, UK and France around the corner.

[@chimoinu]

2:14 ‘not a single train was late’ 😂😂😂 I love your enthusiasm, all dutchies will disagree tho 😂😂😂 but then again, complaining is our national sport 😊

[@r.v.b.4153]

The Dutch will only remember the one train getting too late at their destination/stop after taking ten trains that arrived in time

[@ifer1280]

I commute to work by train; I've only had a delay over five minutes once in the past month. That's very good! Of course our very densely used network is vulnerable to disruption, but we're still doing better than Germany and they aren't even close to our level of rail use.

[@Obi-J]

A really good public transport tip I learnt when visiting Amsterdam: if you ever get lost(which can happen very easily in Amsterdam) then just jump onboard a tram! All the routes will(eventually) take you back to the main terminal outside Grand Centraal station. You can buy daily/weekly tram passes for a very reasonable price that allow you to hop on and off the trams as much as you want.

[@DavidPaulMorgan]

on one work trip, the no 2 into town was diverted before Kerkstraat - and before I knew it, I was at Centraal. A happy accident, because walking back through town, I discovered the America Bier Temple pub. Also, love the choice of bier in In de Wilderman" bar. just love visiting ([cough] and working!!) Amsterdam.

[@erikzurcher5528]

So much praise, I feel my cheeks glow and turn red! You should come more often. 🙂

[@Wizz15]

Why not just stay? It wouldn’t be the first American to make that trip, but judging by the way he describes it here, I think he would fit well. And as he said: France, Belgium, Germany, the UK or even Scandinavian countries and Denmark are nearby if you want to go somewhere else. And ofcourse go south if it gets too cold.

[@VlankeBla]

Thanks for all the compliments, I like your enthousiasm. It's good to hear what is nice about the dutch and the country, because a lot of us tend to be condescending about ourselves. Good to hear the positive things.

[@benjaminbernhardt5775]

German here. I like that the clishees about Dutch and German people are literally the same haha :D

[@EvelyneSpasojevickok]

Yess it is. Hahaha

[@jan-matthisweng4437]

Regarding Indonesian food for those who don't know: Indonesia was a Dutch colony until WW2.

[@EdwinHofstra]

To top it off: Indonesian ricetable has been declared intangible cultural heritage in the Netherlands. The Indonesian minority is one of the most recognized in the country.

[@jan-matthisweng4437]

​@@EdwinHofstraAnd here in Germany we're currently fighting with the Turks about to whom the Döner Kebab rightfully belongs. Funny how things can turn out even with "hard stuff" like colonialism and migration! :)

[@SuperPassionflower]

@@EdwinHofstra "indonesian ricetable" in fact was a Dutch invention from colonial times when Indonesia was called Dutch Indies (Nederlands Indië) ; intended to get the Dutch who freshly arrived there acquainted with the great variety of the Indonesian (local) dishes in a convenient way.

[@EdwinHofstra]

@@SuperPassionflower Partly correct. The 'Indische Rijsttafel' evolved as a culinary common ground for people of mixed European/Indonesian heritage. Their descendants are the primary curators. The blanda's who were stationed in the East temporarily, and their descendants are more a support body. The navy also plays a part in keeping the tradition alive.

[@SuperPassionflower]

@@EdwinHofstra I'm such a descendant. interesting point, the navy. they are famed for the nasi goreng tradition for the troops as far as I know.

[@Jan_Koopman]

You consider a 15 minute walk a long walk? 😂😂😂 Up to 15 minutes is a short hop. 20-35 minutes is a *walk* 40+ minutes is a long walk

[@daanwilmer]

That depends on who you ask and how much they like walking. A friend of mine would look at a 10 minute walk and take their bike instead.

[@funwithmyswedishdogs]

I take my dogs for a 1 hour walk everyday and besides that a few more walks of about 20 minutes. Dutchie of course. O, and btw I'm 75 yo

[@EdwinHofstra]

In Germany, a stroll through the park, is two hours through a landscape that isn't flat. 😉

[@deKampeerwijzer]

If I visit my mother-in-law in Amsterdam, I walk from Central Station to Amsterdam West. That's 40 minutes, 2,7 km. I can take the tram but instead I walk back too. When shopping in Amsterdam, I'm on my feet for hours and easily walk 8 kilometers.

[@Jan_Koopman]

@@deKampeerwijzer, I personally wouldn't do *that*, but I can totally feel you

[@ericasimpson3209]

Great summary! For such a short trip you really experienced a lot of the culture and food and while it’s only a snip you should make every Dutch person proud of their country! Plus your dad and I really want to visit now! ❤ mom

[@schiffelers3944]

Sweet. It ain't perfect here but it seems to be very close compared to other places.

[@sodem13ter32]

I like that you stated the general happiness in the Netherlands. Im from the Netherlands and I went on a holiday to Ukraine (before the war started off course) with a buddy and one of the things that struck me most was the lack of happiness and laughter. Go to any social place in the Netherlands and youll hear people laughing. I feel blessed being born in our beautiful country. If you visit us again and you enjoy music then you should visit a music festival! We have the best parties

[@WilfredZweverink]

Thank you for this, we're always very critical of ourselves too, and being told we're rude, which is kind of true for some, but not all. It's great to hear you enjoyed yourself in our little corner of the world. Come back soon.

[@jonkerswilm]

while it´s not allowed to drink or do drugs in public, i guess it´s mostly frowned upon when you´re walking around in busy areas, maybe being annoying in that way it´s frowned upon. but getting a few beers and some weed and take a nice spot in a park or somewhere more quiet or with more space nobody will bat an eye.

[@cfjooijevaar1]

I am Dutch. We have in our country an American lady who makes videos about her life in The Netherlands called Ava. A comment of mine on one of her videos goes for your reaction on our country too. "The Dutch do not need to die, according to you; they already live in heaven!" The same Ava also said about us: I wonder why the Dutch are always complaining about high taxes, Don't they see what benefits they are getting back for that money?

[@Treinbouwer]

Omdat het leven zo duur en het belastingsysteem zo krom is dat de middeklasse amper meer overhoudt dan de armen en keer op keer van de rijken met macht en media-aandacht te horen krijgt dat ze niet deugen. Elke keer als ze de rijken aan willen pakken of een van hun idealen willen verwezelijken, doen ze iets waar juist de middeklasse kei hard door geraakt wordt. Sinterklaas, het meest geliefde feest, met name onder de arbeidersklasse: je bent een rassist als je daarvan genoten hebt met die zwarte Pieten. Subsidie voor elektrische auto's en zonnepanelen is er alleen voor wie de kosten voor kan schieten en op kosten van ons allen ergo: geld van de armen en middeklasse voor de rijken. Nu beginnen de middeklasse en de mensen in de sociale huur ook van de saldering te profiteren, dus dan moet de regeling eruit want dat is te duur. Dat terwijl dat daarvoor juist door die groepen werd betaald: geld van de armen naar de rijken. Hoe meer je afhankelijk bent van de overheid, hoe moeilijker die communiceert, terwijl juist mensen met weinig opleiding bovengemiddeld veel van de overheid afhankelijk zijn en kleine fouten hard worden afgestraft. (Zie toeslagenaffaire) De winsten van bedrijven gaan omhoog door met migratie arbeidstekorten te dichten, maar bij wie wonen die mensen die geen woord Nederlands spreken en wiens loon wordt bij overschotten verlaagd als ze er al niet uitgeflikkert worden? De mensen in de arme wijken en in steeds hogere mate die uit de restanten van de middeklasse die door dit beleid al bijna niet meer bestaat.

[@arturobianco848]

Hehehe you do know when a dutch guy is really unhappy? He stops complaining.

[@BabzV]

When you become complacent things stand still, complaining helps keep people sharp.😉 (the government)

[@yamuis]

Ava hosts the channel Dutch Americano.

[@baronmeduse]

It's not from taxes. Taxes are what happen when the government redeems money they already spent, for cancellation (fiscal space). The Dutch economy is shunted to the large foreign account, this is why the government thinks it's okay to continually cut spending.

[@Zeitgeist6]

2:21 you were lucky my friend. As a frequent commuter here in the Netherlands, trains are late quite often. Usually not extremely late, but 5-10 minutes isn't out of the ordinary. Which can be really annoying if you have to switch trains.

[@greyvandegraaf5246]

If you use Amtrak, 5-10 minutes late is early.

[@Locomokipkachelfantje]

Ya and then run to make the next train. Only to find it already left. Or is just closing the door and starting moving. "Nooo..." *start crying 😢

[@Zeitgeist6]

@@Locomokipkachelfantje This. Saw it happen today even.

[@r.a.h7682]

Dit is niet waar.

[@ycrep1993]

It seems like that, but on a larger perspective our train system is really really good

[@markuserikssen]

It's so nice to hear these positive things about my country from an outsider perspective. I sometimes take things for granted, like our public transport, biking, directness, etc. We certainly have our issues in this country, but this puts things into perspective. It's not all perfect, but we're still a great country.

[@thejaramogi1]

Yes, in the Netherlands, public drinking is restricted in some areas, especially in cities like Amsterdam. These rules were partly introduced due to issues with unruly behavior and excessive drinking among tourists, particularly from the UK, who caused disturbances in public spaces.

[@ThysRoes]

So happy you liked your visit! Cars are nice to get out of the city, to get around rural areas, or to move from the edge of a city to another city. Cars are not great to move around inside a city, only if you're hauling stuff.

[@ThePolaroid669]

not sure 15-20 mins is a significant walk to a dutch person.

[@hsoubirac]

Im from Amsterdam and i do drink in public. Buy a beer and sit on the canalside and enjoy. Never a problem. I have seen police approaching people who are drinking on the same spot for a while and are totaly drunk. But if u dont let it go that far u re okey

[@pvanamstel2381]

Thanks for your video, always nice to watch a foreigner being enthusiastic about our country. It's good you balance it with short remarks on drawbacks the Netherlands has, like the housing crisis. I can add traffic jams and crowded & frequent delays on public transport. Having said that, the Netherlands has world class bicycle infrastructure. Suggestion: rent a bike, make a trip from Haarlem to Den Helder (use the convenient 'knooppuntroutes' to navigate). From Den Helder take the ferry to Texel. From Texel you can do island hopping. In summertime there are bicycle/pedestrian ferries between the islands at the North Sea: Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling. In Groningen, enjoy the 'eierbal', it's like a huge bitterbal, but better tasting.

[@jennybeer5269]

Nice talk about your experience in the Netherlands. You nailed it! The Dutch are very friendly except on their bikes! We love our bikes and go around town and nature enjoying our rides. The Dutch are bikers in the regular daily routines, and some are cyclists on weekends, wearing their jerseys, helmets and skinny bikes. Cars are not needed, we are living here for 4 years now, and we do not miss a car. Even on trips out of town, we take the bike on the train.

[@Nisse1978]

So glad you liked it. Always love a expat opinion on what they like and don’t like about our little lovely country. I feel lots of Americans are warming up to the idea that America is not the end all be all and there are different places in for eg Europa where life is great, maybe even better then the states. Thanks for your kind words!

[@balaenopteramusculus]

JP, great to hear you had such an awesome time! Come back any time! FOOD: I find it hilarious (as a Dutchman) you were so impressed with our food. It is okay, I guess. Then again, if you ever find yourself in Italy, Greece, Spain or France or tons of other places, you will be BLOWN away. Good quality and amazing taste! DRINKING / SMOKING: Technically you are allowed to smoke and drink everywhere - except when there is a local ban against it, which will be the case in tourist destinations because of .... uh ... certain tourists. Most Dutch people will just not drink in public anyway. Except for bars and parks of course or sitting along a canal. It is kind of frowned upon but I have done it tons of times especially when I was a student. Same for smoking. I would not do it around too many people because I don't want to bother them. HAPPINESS: It is true the Netherlands scores really high on the global happiness index and we have an excellent life work balance. That said, you were there in summer / holiday, I think. So that would make a difference I think? And you were very happy yourself as well. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Especially very very good in the west ("Holland"). I have lived most of my life without a car and without a care in the world. Also pretty good in the rest of the country, but you would need a car more over there. Biking and walking is awesome everywhere.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I agree that southern European countries have a better tasting cuisine. The quality of the ingredients though, is the same in the Netherlands.

[@katiekarakondis3348]

What would we do without street cafes?!❤from Greece

[@DanDanDoe]

Yeah whenever I’m in Italy I’m amazed by the flavours. Dutch tomatoes are often very watery, and then in Italy tomatoes are like actual fruits with a distinct flavour. It can take a bit more effort to find as flavourful ingredients in the Netherlands, especially if you only buy at supermarkets.

[@Aviertje]

Worth noting regarding public drinking is that the Netherlands is very densely populated. People who buy booze from the supermarket not only tend to become loud public nuisances that bother other people, but they also tend to leave a mess behind because they just don't care about cleaning up after themselves. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone, but there is a very obvious relationship between alcohol and becoming a public nuisance. Thus, it makes sense to have public drinking be limited to terraces: people who sit down at a terrace not only want to spend a bit more money and enjoy the atmosphere while supporting local business, but they are typically also not the types to become a nuisance. And if they've had too much to drink, the establishment can just cut them off. All in all, this adds a layer of social checks and balances on the consumption of a substance that is very commonly a source of personal addiction and communal disturbances.

[@sntxrrr]

Dutch city sizes might be less shocking to you if you see the 'squircle'' of Amsterdam, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Utrecht and neighbouring cities as a small megacity with lots of holes and lacking a single municipality. We call that area the "Randstad" (edge city) since about a 100 years ago it was noted that from the air these cities seem to form a ring around a green (agricultural) heart. The Randstad has a total population of just over 8 million so it depends on your definition if it is a megacity or not.

[@DBinitiate]

The funniest thing about hearing how the trains all were on time is that, to us dutchies, the public transportation is one of our biggest gripes. Especially during fall and winter, the trains are/were terrible.

[@Redsub555]

Normally you could just drink alcohol everywhere outside, but nowadays a lot of trouble with people who come to the Netherlands and ruin everything. That is why you are no longer allowed to drink in most places, you have to look at the signs where you can or cannot drink, that is the rule. Greetings from the Netherlands 🤟

[@divid3d]

I've always found it amusing how much I've seen dutch people complain about the NS - and don't get me wrong, I've had some journeys go totally sideways and take hours longer than expected, so i know it's not perfect at all times - but overall I've found the transport in NL to be incredible. so comprehensive, comfortable and easy to use. the novelty of being able to go all over the country so easily without a car was just amazing for this Australian. I've visited a few times and went to dozens of cities/towns, and travelled onwards from NL to both belgium and germany via train - all super easy to plan and do. love travelling within the netherlands and can't wait to come back and see the rest one day. agree with a lot of what you've said in this video too. great people, great place to party, great food... dammit, i want to go back now!

[@twanvorstenbosch]

oi , you're always welcome to visit the Netherlands again Big Love from the Netherlands ❤

[@divid3d]

@@twanvorstenbosch dankjewel 💙

[@twanvorstenbosch]

@@divid3d no worries and i wish i was in the position to visit Australia , i would love to go to Australia rent a car and travel around in your beautyfull country

[@divid3d]

@@twanvorstenbosch haha, me too! takes a long time to see such a large country. i haven't seen enough of it myself either.

[@htimsid]

So nice that you enjoyed your visit to this country. We enjoy your videos!

[@jacksonteller1337]

The main difference between the two is the US has 39 people per square kilometer, we have 533. That means that if we used our car the way you do we would have to stack them on top of each other.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

As a now Danish Public Pensioner, I worked 37 hours a week with 6 weeks, Paid for Vacations. We had originally 4 years paid Un-employment Support as an Insurance (It became backed from the State, though a private Insurance), but some years ago it became reduced to 2 years support, if loosing your job.

[@leeverink32]

It alway amazes me that tourists think they no The Netherlands when they did tot even go out side of Amsterdam.

[@indifairey9131]

Wel he did Zandvoort, Haarlem & Utrecht lol But yes I think the same. Why always Amsterdam, there is so much to explore and you'll even get a better experience then staying in Amsterdam. All tourists stay west. It's comparing New York with Charleston (SC) or Lanesboro ( Minisota)

[@janvanhouten2699]

thank you for nice words

[@petervanderbent9551]

I think walking around with a beer in the Netherlands and Germany isn’t a thing anyways. It is not really a sociable accepted thing to do. It is the same as with coffee. We sit down and drink.

[@gillesiachelini2082]

You haven't ever been to cologne, have you? "Not a thing"? funny.

[@satanmitdengeilenbarthaaren]

? It's very normal here where I live.

[@JohnBlutarski]

In Berlin it really is a thing

[@DanDanDoe]

Yeah, drinking alcohol out in public is a bit “tokkie” behaviour, and I think I generally only see alcoholics and homeless do it. And occasionally university students, but those are basically functioning alcoholics anyway.

[@nuuwnhuus]

I've never felt out of place for having a drink outside. But that's in the east of the country so maybe that's different. 🤷🏻

[@maplelafe7671]

A Dutch person only knows how good he is in the Netherlands when he has been abroad. And many people still complain because they know it was even better than the way you look at it now.

[@bertusverberkmoes4249]

I don't understand how foreigners can find a coffeeshop earlier than they can find a bakery but they always seem to do so.