Living in the Netherlands for 2 years. Do I Want to Leave?

[@dpashutskii]

Do you live in the Netherlands? What is your experience?

[@dasja9966]

Living in Zwolle for over 30 years now. I like it, it's big enough to not be as socially controlling as a small rural village, but not so big that it feels unpersonal. Easy acces to nature is a big plus for me too. That said: if you grew up urban it might be too slow paced. You probably know, but if not, check out 'kattegat' in Zwolle. It's a creative hub, were you might be able to connect with other creatives.

[@dpashutskii]

I fully agree, and I enjoy living here very much. It was just some thoughts I had about urbanism but I am not sure if it's better at all. Kattergat is awesome! I visited their festival last year.

[@annemabrie2287]

Born and lived there my whole life, turning 20 in a month. I want to study, but I can't because I live in a small town (universities are 2+ hours with public transport) and I don't have the money for it. I can't move out because of the housing prices and because my parents aren't rich enough to buy an apartment for me or anything like that. I feel stuck and don't know what to do in life besides working the minimum wage job which I'm doing right now. The new "langstudeer boete" from the new parliament isn't motivating in the slightest too. I want to study. I want to work on myself. But I can't.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

Sorry to hear that you're having a hard time making friends. It shouldn't be. You have to push the Dutch a bit sometimes. We will open up to everyone. But it is really a two-way investment.

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Also, learn Dutch

[@dpashutskii]

Don't worry! I just think I don't put effort into this, to be honest. I don't have much free time xD Will definitely push Dutch more!

[@JJimsky]

@@dpashutskii succes kerel!

[@BetterSeeSal]

Its a one way committeren, you have to do everything. Or you have enough money than you have friend enough. I was born in the netherlands. And when i can leave, im gone.

[@Bruintjebeer6]

It is far more difficult to make friends in the east of the country I'm Dutch and grew up in the Randstad( Haarlem Amsterdam etc.). My Forster daughter is living in the East of the country for the last 10 years. She had problems ,asking friends as well. They have to know you before they let you in. The pace of life is slower there as well. It all takes time. It helps when you become a member of association life where you can meet people from you neighborhood or village/ city. Amsterdam is so big and diverse with people from so many countries that it can be difficult to make friends there as well. It very anonymously. People in appartement blocks often don't know there own neighbors The reason I live in a small city near the coast.

[@LetsMeetAbroad]

Great video Dmitrii! What a coincidence, I am actually going to film my 4 years in The Netherlands video today haha

[@dpashutskii]

Haha, wow, amazing. I am looking forward to it! PS We should finally meet for coffee ☕️😅

[@darrenthompson3003]

First of all, I enjoyed this video, and especially the scene of the beach in Scheveningen! Although there is a shared language origin with English, the word order in Dutch (as well as German) is significantly different and is very difficult to grasp. The saving grace between Dutch and German is that German is a case language, meaning that words in German change form or add different endings based on their role in a sentence. Changing the subject of a sentence in German from singular to plural can change virtually every word in the sentence. Whereas in English you add an "s" to the singular subject noun to make it plural. Ok, oversimplified, but generally true. With four cases in German, even the word "the" becomes a nightmare of options. German is like learning a language as in "machine language" with 16 versions of the word for "the". Four genders (masc, fem, neut plus plural times 4 cases = 16 versions). So in summary, Dutch is indeed a little closer to English than German is. But the Dutch word order is not the same in most instances like English except in very simple sentences. The other issue with an English speaking person learning Dutch is the sounds of the Dutch language. This is significantly different than English. Some letters have no equivalent in spoken English, like the letter "g". This makes a sound more like the "ch" in loch, the Scottish word for lake. The rules for vowel sounds are also very different. You can find videos about how to pronounce "g" and "ui" and other vowel sounds. Maar de Nederlandse taal is niet gemakkelijk. But I think that overall the Netherlands is a great country if you can afford it and you don't need warm weather all year long.

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you! I loved walking on the beach in Scheveningen and our area, Kijkduin. I still miss it a bit. Word order is one of the biggest struggles for sure. I already get used to it in simple sentences, but complex ones are painful 😂 But Dutch is indeed easier than German. I started to learn German a while back (I was planning to move to Berlin a long time ago), and it was definitely harder, especially with all the cases. I am actually fine with the "G" sound. I like it a lot; I just enjoy different cool sounds that don't exist in English or my native language. I was practicing it a lot and even got a few praises from Dutch people when I say: "Groningen" 😂

[@Be-Es---___]

Scots are better in pronouncing Dutch. 😅

[@inge-9280]

I came from Zwolle, now I live in Nunspeet… nearby.. 20 min driving 😁

[@dpashutskii]

Oh, nice! I often cycle to this direction.

[@julisnow9495]

I've been living in germany for 10 years, now considering moving to the netherlands)

[@dpashutskii]

Make sure to start learning Dutch already! I think if you speak German and English well, it should be easier.

[@julisnow9495]

​@@dpashutskii That's exactly what I'm doing! It's true, especially German helps tremendously. I've been learning Dutch for 6 months now, so far only on my own, but I can already watch videos and understand quite a lot and reading is even easier. Never happened as fast with other languages! Of course, I also need lessons to start speaking.

[@Kup1208]

Loving your videos, showing a very realistic pov of an expat/immigrant. As someone that hopes to one day move to the NL, its rly great. Thanks

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you so much!

[@mauricej8747]

From now on only speak Dutch, Dutchies appreciate that even if you make mistakes. No mistakes no learning...

[@dpashutskii]

Dutch people switch to English immediately haha 😜

[@jsb7975]

You choose your words very wisely, which means you DO have a feel for language ! Concerning the Dutch language : Just find the simularities between English and Dutch. Many, many words are closely related. ('t is wat het is 😉)

[@dpashutskii]

Yeah, it helps, for sure. Also, I was surprised to find tons of words in Russian that are the same as in Dutch.

[@digitaldion]

Thanks for another great video Dmitrii. I have been living in the Netherlands for almost a year now! Time flies! I remember watching your videos when I was planning our move - they are so helpful and balanced. You also have a real sensitivity to the possibility of diverse and different experiences and expectations. I can concur with you, our experience in the Netherlands has been great. It also works well for us. We live just outside of Amsterdam and we absolutely love life here. Thankfully, since we come from South Africa, the language is less of a challenge. Although, I did attend some formal Dutch classes earlier in the year, and my wife and our son will do the same. It really does help to be able to understand and speak Dutch. Well, enjoy beautiful Zwolle, and thanks for the great video! Success!

[@dpashutskii]

It's such a pleasure to read this. The reason why I make videos, so happy they help! Oh yeah, that's really nice that you can learn the language better. I have South African friends and they told me all about your language. I didn't even know that Afrikaans was so close to Dutch before. Which Amsterdam satellite did you choose? I am just curious to learn about them. Already know a lot of good things about Amstelveen and Hoofddorp.

[@Ivar-V]

On my way bro! Learning Dutch slowly. Love biking and an egalitarian culture that prioritizes work life balance and social safety nets.

[@dpashutskii]

Right on!

[@jackdunn3235]

It's not egalitarian at all. The dutch are very unwelcoming...research more. And make sure you know what you are moving to.

[@MartinWebNatures]

Nice video 😊 Keep them coming 👍

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you! Will do!

[@alexanderalraheb]

As someone who is neither Russian or Dutch, who moved to Russia then to the Netherlands after war, i really enjoy your content and videos, Keep them coming !

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you!

[@MH15501]

Je moet je achterband ff oppompen.

[@dpashutskii]

hahah. Exactly my thoughts when editing the thumbnail. I already inflated it :D

[@marfru]

I've been living in the Netherlands for 10 years now. I'm Spanish and the country has a wonderful green environment, weather could be better also as food. But the annoying thing of NL is that you pay for everything. Might stay for some more years... but might consider with my partner to sell everything and move to sunny Spain in the far future (maybe 5 years who knows). Great videos by the way!

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you! But you have to pay for everything in any country, right? Can you suggest an example of things you don't need to pay for in Spain?

[@mikhaildavidenko3841]

I don't leave there, but I really want to move. Southern California is really meh for me

[@dpashutskii]

It would be great to have you here! :)

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

California, maybe we should switch lives. 😂

[@mikhaildavidenko3841]

@@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536 Moving to California from Russia was my dream, but over the last few years, I've come to hate this place. The work-life balance is the worst, with employment being at-will, and medical insurance is tied to your employer-otherwise, it’s 10 times more expensive. In SoCal, the sun is SOOO intense you can’t even be outside during the day. Even if you are not made out of sugar being outside during the day is miserable because there is almost no shade, you just walk/bike on frying pan made out of asphalt. The housing crisis here is nothing like what you'd find in the Netherlands. And the car dependency? It’s a giant paywall on just being a human. You literally can’t go and buy groceries without a car, even if the store is only 3 km away, because you won’t want to walk or bike down those noisy roads. And I won’t even bring up anything political-it’s a total shit show here compared to almost any European country.

[@tnickknight]

Ever been to New England, a lot more like Europe. Boston, is a very nice city, and very international

[@MusicheadRick]

​@@mikhaildavidenko3841 just go to Oregon.

[@kaine2724]

I am wondering what is your online business?

[@dpashutskii]

It's just a bunch of experiments right now from content creation to SaaS products. I recorded a video where I go through this more in detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4CaiZh3edpnq5osi=Dli8T_2JrAIpsTID

[@monkey_D_ray]

as an native dutch person looking to leave the Netherlands i see the country changing slowly into a country of " you will own nothing " meaning everything is getting zo expensive and the coming tax reforms will make it hard for anybody to save or invest a decent amount of money its fine to come here as expat and have tax breaks for a couple of years and the leave again but for native people who life here i would say try to work here and live abroad. P.S the sentiment about expats and immigrants is changing. most people are sayins vol = vol meaning we are full. younger here cant get houses because of the influx of migrants, expats and dumb goverment policy.

[@dpashutskii]

It's not just the Netherlands. The whole world is like this right now. Gen Z is having a tough time everywhere, and the Netherlands is far from the worst case. Housing is a complex issue, for sure. But closing borders for expats won't solve it. I'd argue it'll lead to much worst economy.

[@monkey_D_ray]

@@dpashutskii agreed, but as for the coming changes for box 3 for my personal finance situation in going.

[@dpashutskii]

Yeah, but we still don't know how it'll look like.

[@monkey_D_ray]

@@dpashutskii you can be sure that it wil cost you. I saw that they have problems integrating the changes so 2027 maybe to early but my bet its coming.

[@deheermailmum5036]

enjoy your stay and try to speak Dutch all day long and do not be afraid to make a mistake

[@dpashutskii]

Yep, that's the biggest barrier so far.

[@k-jellrl]

Moving to Zwolle was an amazing choice! In my opinion in the top 3 best-vibe cities in the Netherlands. And being quite central in the country, u are able to go anywhere very easily

[@dpashutskii]

Nice! Which are the other two cities you think are top?

[@k-jellrl]

@@dpashutskii I personally live in Assen, but saying that would be biased (even though its great here haha). The other 2 would probably be Groningen and Utrecht!

[@dpashutskii]

I haven't been to Assen yet. But Groningen and Utrecht are absolutely fantastic. They are probably my two favorite cities, too. I think I am a bit too old for Groningen, haha, but Utrecht would be my choice number 1 if I ever decide to move.

[@k-jellrl]

@@dpashutskii I get that Groningen part yeah, its for the most part a student city. Again that's why Zwolle is such an amazing place since it's great for anyone, students as well as families, and even just people working there

[@crystal314]

I have been living here for 9 years. For the first 7 years it was very nice, but for the past 2 years I am trapped in the "middle class trap" meaning my annual salary is too high for government help but too low to enjoy life comfortably. The inflation really impacted me and my husband and it's very hard for us to lower our fixed costs because prices skyrocketed. That's why we are selling our house and move to another country at the end of the year for better life and venture. I'm not gonna lie, I will miss the Dutch directness, the autumn (I am an autumn girl), welfare state, and the "freedom" feeling I have that I don't have to explain things to people (people here don't care about your business). But I am excited for the sun, the spontaneity, the cheaper cost of living, and the good food of where we will move to!

[@wepes7291]

It will be hard to found a country with so many benefits as in the Netherlands. Albania maybe?

[@crystal314]

@wepes7291 if you're looking for benefits, Netherlands is the place to be. It's a welfare state.

[@dpashutskii]

I am curious: Which country did you choose? Judging by my friends living all over the place, it's even worse in other countries if you work in a local market. In many "cheaper countries," the salary is so low that people in big cities are closer to poverty than to the middle class. That's why I try to never rely on country dependence and try to build something or find a job that will allow me to work and live anywhere. This way, I can be highly flexible. If I feel trapped in a "middle-class" trap, I can move to Asia or Eastern Europe and live comfortably until I increase my income. I'd guess Portugal or Spain?

[@crystal314]

@dpashutskii We'll be moving to one of the countries in Asia. And yes, we'll be working remotely. Most countries in Asia have their jobs and properties secured for their citizens, which I totally respect.

[@dpashutskii]

Oh yeah, that's great! Asia is always on my mind, and we lived there for 4 years: it was amazing. I definitely go there again at some point.

[@Dafoodmaster]

A friend of mine is learning Spanish using "Dreaming Spanish" which is a 'comprehensible input' method. She's started earlier this year and she's just watched her first movie in Spanish!! No subtitles, no dubs, nothing! Comprehensible input is very promising and I think you may be able to find some CI method for the Dutch language as well. Good luck, nice video.

[@dpashutskii]

Thanks for sharing, I've never heard of it. I'll check it out.

[@peterschoemaker9]

Thanks for this interesting video to watch! I wish u the best! And u can always go to a cafe to try making friends, there are enough in Zwolle!😊

[@dpashutskii]

So true!

[@MrSaikathalder]

good advice

[@dpashutskii]

Which one? :)

[@wimschoenmakers5463]

Maybe someday you even will own a good and cheap car, and not that Tesla crap.

[@dpashutskii]

to each their own ;)

[@nathanyellll]

i want the netherlands not san diego

[@dpashutskii]

Not sure how it's related to San Diego 😅

[@nathanyellll]

@@dpashutskii i live here.

[@dpashutskii]

Ah, got it! Come visit Holland! :)

[@nathanyellll]

@@dpashutskii i will be back in march to see apartments. Thank you for the videos. stay grinding ❤️❤️❤️

[@RadicalDad]

We are tolerant right up to our front door. This is Dutch tolerance. You have to learn Dutch , if the foreigner want to be accepted here. If you do not care about the Dutch language or want to feel accepted in your neighbourhood .. , than you have to make more money , so that you can give a f about this. So you can live independent . Or you live in a “ghetto “, where also more migrants live .. than it’s easier for you , to not speak dutch and live incognito. But it is a big plus for learning Dutch , if the foreigner live outside the Randstad. Because there are not so many migrants living outside the Randstad than inside.

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you for your perspective. I understand the importance of learning Dutch for proper integration and acceptance within the community. It definitely encourages you to learn Dutch faster while living in less expat-populated areas. For the first year in The Hague, I didn't even think about it that much.

[@anong1470]

Hi Dmitri, here is a little tip for learning Dutch. A big part of learning a new languague comes down to learning where to say words within a sentence. Dutch and English are mostly the same in that regard, meaning that if you speak English, you only need to know the translation of English words to be able to speak Dutch pretty fluently. Just by learning Dutch words and then falling back on the grammar you already know because you speak English you will be able to converse in Dutch really quickly. I think this is a major reason why Dutch people generally speak English so well. Focus on learning Dutch words and you will naturally learn to speak the language because you already speak English, the technicalities of Dutch grammar rules can be learned after that, but you will already be able to speak with Dutch people comfortably. Dutch, English, German, Danish (and other Scandinavian languages) all come from a very small linguistic area in Europe, so as natives of these countries we tend to learn these languages pretty easily, largely because of what I said above. Good luck! Example: English: I have a house in Zwolle Dutch: Ik heb een huis in Zwolle

[@dpashutskii]

Dank je wel voor de tip! It's pretty much what I am doing rn. But I'm even already getting used to the second verb, which goes to the end of the sentence in simple 2 verb sentences. For more complex sentences, I decided I'd figure them out later.

[@Deku20235]

Nice that current people are enjoying their stay herem but tbh we can't support much more with our housing problem. 😅 You lot are raising the prices for native dutch people, making it impossible for a normal person to buy a house.

[@dpashutskii]

Yeah, it's a complicated matter. The housing crisis is a mess for sure, and of course, expats have some influence on this. But without expats, many companies can't fill their vacancies, especially in tech, which might lead to more economic degradation and even worst conditions than current economic crisis. I think there is no easy answer here.

[@ruudvanwuyckhuise6519]

Fine honest review. You're very welcome over here. Oh yes, I too live in the east, the west is too busy for me. I love the environment of Apeldoorn.

[@dpashutskii]

Thank you very much! Apeldoorn is great!

[@willemdederde6669]

I think it is too crowded here with 18 milj. on a poststamp. So, all students, all etc. Leave after 4 years . . to keep it ok here.

[@dpashutskii]

It's pretty bad for the country if students are leaving the country after the graduation.

[@willemdederde6669]

@@dpashutskii Imagine . . if they all stayed . . It's just overloaded here and we like to stay Dutch . .

[@tnickknight]

The negatives, the taxes, the amazingly expensive public transport, enormous fees even to own a small car. Rentals for families almost non existent. The Netherlands has an enormous amount of non Dutch living in the Netherlands, but has little to no contact with them. Speak perfect Dutch and your still and outsider. The infrastructure is second to none, , but nothing else. The Dutch think they are better at everything, when in fact they tend to be behind on most other things. The unnecessary bureaucracy will great any new immigrants. That's the real Netherlands.

[@dpashutskii]

There is maybe some truth to your words. But it's a matter of perspective. It's always a choice to see good things or to see bad things and be negative. In my experience, people who constantly see negative things will never be happy, no matter where they live. On the other hand, people who tend to see good in the world are always happy, even in the worst 3rd world countries. I am coming from a country where 90% of people are sad and angry all the time and they blame anyone but themselves. I lived in some Asian countries, where people have 1000 times worse conditions than here in Europe, and people are still happy.

[@RadicalDad]

We have a saying , we zijn tolerant tot aan onze voordeur . Dat is de echte Nederlandse tolerantie . Jij mag lekker met blauwe haar rondlopen buiten in een jurkje , als je maar niet in mijn huis binnen komt. Beetje een woke / anti woke benadering.. Ik denk dat je je cirkel van invloed moet gaan vergroten en gewoon meer activiteiten moet gaan doen om met meer mensen in contact te komen. En eigenlijk , moet daarin weer je eerste motto zijn , dat je het voor jezelf de activiteiten doet en daarvan geniet en niet om de contacten met mensen.

[@tnickknight]

​I am very successful in your society. Most of my comments are not opinions but actual facts. I have lived in other communities. Germany, Ireland, Poland , and am giving people an honest opinion. But don't worry. I know that Dutch think the problem must be me, because the Netherlands are the best in the world, anyone disagreeing is clearly wrong or does not have enough experience. Too funny ​@@RadicalDad

[@tnickknight]

​@@dpashutskiiI am not comparing The Netherlands to poor Asian countries, it to other similar countries.

[@dpashutskii]

Opinions are not facts.