Netherlands vs Russia // Thoughts on Amsterdam, colonial past, public transport & immigration issues

[@andgainingspeed]

Above all the other things that I like about this channel, I admire Natasha's honesty in not leaving out anything that might be considered negative. From the mildly irritating to things that spark fear, it's all part of the journey. Looking forward to other places in Europe on the channel as she works out where she is going to land for an extended stay. Hoping Vienna is on the list.

[@gillesspony4264]

Exactly..and any time, she has the intelligence on reflecting on it, analysing the pros and cons in a very humane way!

[@willemdederde6669]

although i am a friend of many russians . . i dont agree. The Dutch people are not the same at all and no city is the same as well. It is like comparing Moscow with magadan ore whathever . . . Just be welcome in Holland . . .

[@lizakroberts]

Yes. I second this! 👍

[@js70371]

All she does is talk about negative things when it comes to Russia. She leaves you with the impression that there is not a single good thing about Russia at all - I’m pretty sure this is exactly what the CIA pays her for through their NED front organization which she is connected to in Georgia

[@michaelqdlap]

​@@js70371Why would the NED be a threat when Russia is already a beautiful democracy?

[@zam1am]

First law of the sausage: one does not talk about what's in the sausage.

[@692ALBANNACH]

Spices and a high percentage of fat that is about it.

[@richardhltrp1791]

@@692ALBANNACH but he is talking about the "about" part ...

[@donquixote1502]

Hahahaha

[@VladislavBabbitt]

True. Also beware the Indonesian peanut sauce if you have an allergy to nuts.

[@SnaxDesAvions]

same goes for the frikadellen lol

[@holyfetzer]

While the Netherlands have a colonial past, Russia has a colonial present

[@SnaxDesAvions]

that is well said

[@Dylan011235]

and what is the problem?

[@forkless]

Which still does not excuse either of them. That said, at least the Netherlands tries owning up to their past.

[@gttgnn]

Russia colonised in the past too. Most russsian territory, not to speak ussr, is the result of colonisation of European and asian territory Read some history

[@Dylan011235]

@@forkless Europe brought progress to the colonies, they should be thankful for that.

[@kevinfarrellUK]

There is a saying ‘travel broadens the mind’. You are living proof! A traveller will also see things the local people take for granted or even stop seeing, and the traveller can remind us. I love to see and hear your thoughts. Your education is our education, so long as we keep our eyes, ears and hearts open. ;))

[@pevaso-9392]

mooi gesproken:)

[@kevinfarrellUK]

@@pevaso-9392 bedankt ;))

[@Dreyno]

Trees are painted white for a reason. It prevents sunburn and sun scald which causes bark damage and allows pests and diseases into trees. You will find it in countries with very hot or very cold climates or both depending on seasons. In more temperate climates like the Netherlands, you won’t see it as much.

[@2nd3rd1st]

Yeah it's called tree-whitewashing, it's done with none toxic paint.

[@FrickFrack]

Good to know! I always thought it was to make the tree trunks visible at night so cars wouldn't crash.

[@scillyste]

It is a lime wash which deters harmful insects and animals attacking the tree.

[@rodrigojds]

i live in the south of spain and ive never seen trees painted white like that

[@Dreyno]

@@rodrigojds It’s not traditional everywhere and it also depends on the tree species and climate. If your trees are doing well and never have issues, you don’t start painting them. If you have trees that are prone to disease etc. it becomes normal to do it. I have seen a small orange orchard in Valencia with white painted tree trunks but I agree it wasn’t common there.

[@mirka]

Main difference between Moscow and Amsterdam is: there is only one Moscow in the whole Russia, while there are many cities in Netherlands with comparable standard of living. It goes for every developed country: living in the small village/ countryside is as good as living in the capital (or better).

[@manofsesame3024]

Actually in developed countries, country side or suburbs are more preferred locations for well off people to live while downtown areas are usually left for the homeless

[@mirka]

@@manofsesame3024 True,

[@philippfin6473]

Main difference is amsterdan as dirty as shit an became an morrocan shithole

[@bimmebeau]

Depressingly there are more Moscows than you can shake a stick at: two in Alabama, Ohio and Wisconsin, and one each in Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia< There is also a Moscow in Ontario, Canada, in Kerala, India, and East Ayrshire in Scotland. Of course, they've always been a bit Bolshie in Scotland.

[@dimegu8615]

undoubtedly, the fact that your streets look like a garbage dump and that you suffer from uncontrolled immigration is one of the indices of "development" that Russia envies Holland 😅

[@jumpingMS]

Keep in mind the area you visited is mostly just tourists and not entirely representative of the country as a whole. As a Dutch guy with Indonesian ancestor, I'd say the way we reflect on the "golden age" is not black and white. We celebrate successes and acknowledge the advances made by taking advantages of other (still ongoing process recently our king apologized in Indonesia for example). A while back this meant that statues relating to individuals related to slavery were moved to museums. So that part of history is not forgotten, but not celebrated. However we take pride in advances made in watermanagement, setting up the first stock market, art and ship crafting of that time. Cultures that integrated after WW2 are now part of Dutch culture. You can find Indonesian ingredients in most supermarkets, however it also took 1 generation for both the Dutch and the Immigrants to adapt to another. Currently there is a lot of polarization around immigration. As reported crimes are perpetuated by a majority of non-Dutch decent when compared to % of the population. It's a complex situation where North Africans came here and worked hard but a portion of their 2nd and 3rd generation children are caught in between 2 cultures. More recently with disturbances in the middle east like Syria and other disrupted areas this mix is changing, but foreigners are overwhelmingly represented in the media in relation to crime. Which does not represent all migrants, but it influences the polarization. Nowadays most migration is related to either highly expertise jobs, like IT, engineering etc. or practical workers like machining specialist. Foreign students are the second largest group of foreigners here.

[@larsrademakers6070]

Another thing the dutch are proud of is that during some of that time, the little oll netherlands was the global superpower, eventually needing brittain and france to work together (for once) to bring down our power, but werent able to conquer it.

[@larsrademakers6070]

Oh and money... money was at the very least back then a reason to be proud. The amount of money they got from trade and probably theft/war, was ridiculous

[@troypast3589]

Amsterdam is indeed a tourist city but enjoyable, nonetheless. Try visiting Delft if you have time for a more relaxed visit, or Rotterdam if you want to see a city busy at work.

[@carelgoodheir692]

@@troypast3589 Or Utrecht, my own favourite, if you want to see a city centre that makes Amsrterdam's seem recently built.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@larsrademakers6070 Yes, and that came from free trade in Europe. 60% of the entire European merchant fleet was Dutch. The income from the colonial trade was peanuts. War was a huge cost, theft was not really the Dutch style.

[@MauriceEscargot]

I've been following you for at least 4 years now and it's so fun to see you visiting my city!

[@jamegumb7298]

Better to sit in Hilersum, close enough, far enough, equally close to Utrecht.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@jamegumb7298 I like Utrecht!

[@MrAronymous]

@@jamegumb7298 Yeah but the downside is you'd have to be in Hilversum.

[@bearpawz_]

@@VladislavBabbitt Me too!! Every time I go to the Netherlands, I stay in Utrecht. Such a beautiful, friendly city!

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@bearpawz_ I did a 3-week cycling and camping trip in the Netherlands when I was 15. I really enjoyed it. I am from Canada. They recommended we sew a Canadian Flag on our rucksacks whilst in the Netherlands. They were right.

[@Blackadder75]

Dear Natasha you are a true gem.

[@richardcoughlin8931]

Dutch is the main language in Suriname. 60% speak Dutch as their first language and another 20% to 30% can speak Dutch even though it’s not their first language. So language assimilation is not an issue for people coming to the Netherlands from Suriname.

[@comrade916]

Language is not an issue, but crime is a very BIG issue! Go to A'dam zuidoost or Rotterdam and be prepared to be mugged.. Especially, during the evening hours.. Oh, how the Dutch now regret their welcoming of Millions of Muslims, blacks, etc, etc... So happy not to live there.....

[@briggs5534]

of course. when the official government language is dutch, one has to learn it in order to function in the society. (many in Angola and Mozambique speak Portuguese because it was that country's colony) ...

[@comrade916]

@@briggs5534 I can assure you that thousands of immigrants in Holland speak horrible Dutch. Thousands know nothing about the history. Know nothing about liberal democracy. They have no affinity with the country and have lived there for decades. Their only reason is economic.

[@richardcoughlin8931]

@@briggs5534 My point relates to language only, not cultural or social assimilation. Obviously, all immigrants are going to face issues of assimilation, but understanding the language makes it easier than being dropped into a society where you don’t understand what’s being said or how to express yourself.

[@andrewruddy962]

I agree Rich, nice one. Thank you for posting. Seattle.

[@danielhetorilla8177]

It is nice to have someone that can talk reasonably about Netherlands. Kudos to you for the reference about the guy that lost it and spouted lies about immigrants eating dogs.

[@ggir9979]

Tourists are ruining Amsterdam. The rest of the Netherlands is very clean, every time I go to Amsyerdam I am always shocked by the garbage laying around.

[@timweddington3193]

The first time I was in Amsterdam was in the 80s, it was full of trash then too and had far fewer tourists. And with each subsequent visit I noticed the same thing. Also, I was told repeatedly by locals that it is not the tourists that leave trash everywhere. Having said that, you are right about the rest of the country. So clean and lovely!

[@ChristiaanHW]

the worst part about the trash (like seen in this video) is that it's mostly just people's laziness to clean up, if there's a bench to sit on there's a trash bin close by, so when you're done sitting and eating just take two steps towards the bin and trow it away like a civilized human. or the people that trow their fast food packaging from the car. for f sake it's a car it doesn't hurt to keep that trash a couple of minutes longer inside the car and dump it in a bin or the trash at home. people should care for the public spaces like they do for their own home. take those 2 extra seconds to clean up after yourself.

[@raik4987]

Amsterdam is dirty and clean, with red carpet at the same time.

[@johnarmstrong472]

​@@ChristiaanHWHmm... imagine what their home is like 😫

[@Li-Fu7]

It's not the tourists, that's just me

[@mnblkjh6757]

russia never used the word colonized, it subjugated many countries for so long they barely speak their native languages

[@timmommens901]

Hear Hear

[@VeK-jg7dx]

А сколько народов не говорят на своих языках из-за Британии ?

[@johngggg]

@@VeK-jg7dx none, all still use their native language

[@BackToNaturalFood]

@@johngggg Gaelic is an immidiately example but im sure there exist many around the world.

[@AlBarzUK]

⁠@@VeK-jg7dx Brit’s tried to rid us of Welsh but they just wouldn’t lie down and forget it. We eventually capitulated and let them keep it. Probably because tourists liked to have their photo taken beside the very long railway station sign at Llanfairpwllwynghyllgogererychwyrndrobwyll-llantisiliogogogoch.

[@markmuller7962]

I don't think the African immigrants comes from the former Dutch colonies, the cross the Mediterranean coming from all sort of African countries

[@florianmeier3186]

@@markmuller7962 Partly yes, partly no. Compared to Germany black people were already much more present in the Dutch streets in the 1980s. That was clearly related to colonialism. What we find now is a mix of that and recent Immigration from elsewhere.

[@JohnComeOnMan]

About midway through this video I was tempted to reply in a critical way about a few things you said, but I'm glad I didn't. By the end my overwhelming impression is that it's valuable, and likely difficult, to share your experiences as rawly as you can so we can get an accurate sense of a Russian's view of these new things in the west for you. It's always helpful to get an honest take from the outside that we may not be able to see very well. No need to sanitize. Interesting video...thanks!

[@michaelqdlap]

Which part were you going to be critical about?

[@oberpenneraffe]

The houses in Amsterdam are not "crooked" they were built intentionally to lean forward to ease hoisting goods. It's difficult to transport goods up the narrow stairways.

[@andrewruddy962]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing and posting.

[@DenUitvreter]

All non colonial goods, the VOC had it's own warehouses, the big money came from all these individual merchants dominating the whole European trade.

[@mfbfreak]

Some lean forwards yes, but there are plenty that lean sideways. Those defintitely weren't meant to do that. I've had a relative who lived in one for a short while - walking up the stairs was dizzying because the steps were level but the 'corridor' was not straight.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@mfbfreak Luckily the walls were very close for support and the stairs steep so the experience was over quickly. Those are all build on poles. Some not enough poles for this many centuries, some were build too heavy, too few windows, a lot got rotting wooden poles because of too low water levels. It's when they get exposed to oxygen the problems start. They do exchange those poles with concrete ones, but that of course is a huge operation, not fun besides the money it costs. Many also have a "good lean", the floor isn't level but no structural integrity problem, so of course people leave it that way.

[@richkroberts]

Thank you for the informative video Natasha. You are certainly very self-aware. As someone from Detroit, I understand how you must feel when people criticize the place where you’re from. Keep traveling and living your life. You are a good soul.

[@MarcoSwart]

It's possible to be at the same time ashamed of some atrocities in colonial times and be proud of some achievements during the same period. History isn't an American movie.

[@bobbo11357]

As an American I wish we could leave NATO and the brilliant Europeans can defend your continent yourselves. We have wasted far too much time, wealth, and attention on arrogant countries that have chosen to ignore the threat at their doorstep for years. They are quick to the U.S. to spend more helping Ukraine when you lag behind us.

[@PeterHansen-l8s]

@@bobbo11357Did the European also eat the Americans pets? It’s one big Barbecue in Europe, it’s raining cats and dogs. And by the way, we already have a concept of a plan!

[@wandeling127]

​@@bobbo11357Europe has given far more than the US. 98 billion vs 187 billion (feb 2022 - jun 2024) Don't spread propaganda nonsense

[@MarcoSwart]

@@bobbo11357 When the US invoked article 5 after 9/11 Dutch troops joined Enduring Freedom.

[@timweddington3193]

@@bobbo11357 Your comment just drips with ignorance. First, let me say I am American and have spent a lot of time in Europe as well. Second, there are few countries more arrogant than our own. It is on display all over the world when observing American tourists. Third, we haven't spent more helping Ukraine than Europe...do some homework...don't just trust the perpetual lies of Trump. Also, Europe does not ignore the threat of Russia...just ask anyone from Finland, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic countries. Poland and Finland spend more of their GDP on defense than we do. NATO is a critical part of our security infrastructure. It was the primary vehicle through which we prevented Soviet Imperialism and continues to be today with Russia. Truly...if you get out of your American bubble and actually take the time to learn what is happening in Europe, you would know the truth.

[@jamegumb7298]

Gelderse worst: "I don't know what it is made of." Made of Gelderlanders of course. Right there in the name. Do not ask about the Jodenkoeken.

[@nick.caffrey]

🤣

[@anahill2366]

lol

[@wouterke9871]

Insider joke, for those who aren't inside the club of Dutch

[@thevoid5503]

Evil chuckle 😂😂😂

[@jorisvanamsterdam5763]

What's inside a negerzoen?

[@pineconey]

Natasha, I think crowded doesn't equate to dangerous--easier pickpocketing, maybe, and perhaps you find it anxiety-inducing, but not dangerous. Empty streets are the thing to avoid in bad neighborhoods. Glad you're having an interesting experience!

[@TMMReznor]

Aye, Netherlands is one of the safest countries in Europe.

[@SamiNami]

@@TMMReznor Yes but Amsterdam is a tourist city with lots of pickpockets.

[@carelgoodheir692]

I saw that in Las Vegas! We accidentally got into the streets behind the Strip casinos, the streets used by delivery trucks. There wasn't a soul to be seen and that was the most unsafe I ever felt in the US.

[@rafierafie8834]

If you are referring to what she says at 1:40 at first I thought she said it was crowded and dangerous. When I listened to it again I heard that she actually said crowded and diverse.

[@johnellanios9717]

White-Painted trees : probably "Lime" to discourage pest-Insects from climbing tree-trunk :) .

[@thomasesau2376]

To answer your questions from many older videos, you have become the best perspective of how russians think. Change will come, but it will take time. So thank you for your humor, and your insights. Your time is not wasted.

[@paperthinpizza]

**Clarification** I was one of the people who commented "Welcom to the free world" in your last video. Please understand I only meant that regarding the Russian government's views on LGBTQ people. I saw you meeting other people in the LGBTQ community and I was happy you felt welcomed and had fun at the Pride events in the last video. I wasn't trying to disrespect Russia as a whole, I was thinking specifically about Russia's backwards views on gay rights. I didn't mean to offend you. This was another great video! Keep doing what you're doing with these videos, it's very important! Have a wonderful day!

[@piccadelly9360]

That means a democracy, when we talk to each other and clarify things, well done, that is desirable for politicians too

[@paperthinpizza]

@@piccadelly9360 modern technology has created a new trend where most people seem incapable of using more than one sentence to try and communicate their thoughts. I think that's because most people now have much shorter attention spans thanks to technology. Since people understand that we live in a world with exceedingly shorter attention spans many people now only communicate with a few words and maybe a couple of emogis. This leads to massive amounts of misunderstandings and miss communications. So now people have lots of micro-communications throughout the day but I find that it's rare to engage in deep meaningful conversations. This goes for all ages. Not just the young people. My old friends have also lost their attention spans to social media and technology. It saddens me.

[@AngryOlive_]

Such a high quality video. I am very impressed. I really enjoy seeing your perspective. Thank you!

[@peterpan7903]

Can only repeat it. Try not to take everything too seriously, try to have fun. And sometimes do something you never do, like going to a restaurant in the evening. It's not as nice on your own as with someone, but it's better than just putting something in the microwave in your hotel or room.

[@silvermine2033]

As someone who travels a lot for a living, this is very true!

[@bazzakeegan2243]

Travelling solo is best!

[@rosen9425]

That can be expensive as hell tho even if it's not a fancy place. Just a takeaway coffee is €5. Last time me and my brother made the mistake of going to McDonalds it was €30, like damn what type of joke is this!? 👀

[@peterpan7903]

@@rosen9425 Then you should go to Zurich and go to a normal restaurant. You'll see how cheap Amsterdam is. I assume that in Amsterdam you can get a reasonable dinner for one person for 50-80 euros. And sometimes you can afford that.

[@rosen9425]

@@peterpan7903 Switzerland!?! That's a different league on it's own. I'll just exchange these unnecessary gold bars I have laying around first before going or something sheesh

[@markbernier8947]

Natasha used the line "eating dogs and cats in Springfield" --- This made me laugh, I didn't realize this line had spread so far and so fast

[@HershelLacey]

Many people have the internet.

[@markbernier8947]

@@HershelLacey == Yes, but I didn't realize so many people cared about USA politics

[@Palimbacchius]

@@markbernier8947 Everybody *has* to care about US politics.

[@ChristiaanHW]

@@markbernier8947 it's not that we care about US politics. the media likes to keep an eye on it because they have to fill the news with something, so we get to share in the joke that is US politics. believe me most of us are laughing at the orange candidate and are shocked that someone like him can even run again to try to become POTUS.

[@HershelLacey]

@@markbernier8947 they do. Especially if we become a dictatorship.

[@normancarbajal5154]

Thanks for the tour and your thoughts Natasha! 😍...

[@Alejandro_ip99]

I'm so glad to see you happy and enjoying your traveling, my best wishes to you Natasha.

[@porterbrass]

Natasha! Your new life! Joyful. Starting to see that “western” smile again. 😅

[@Jacques.dAnjou]

Nice that you finally visited my country. Remember you are always welcome to come back 🙏

[@krzysztofj1993]

Russia and than Soviet Union was pretty good at colonizing: Siberian nations/tribes, the Baltic nations, Poland, Gerogia, Armenia just to name a few.

[@yabby6550]

Yes, the colonies do not need to be behind the seas.

[@timweddington3193]

She is well aware of that. if you watch all of her videos, she is candid about the failings of her homeland...

[@msitso]

We Chuvash (and other 150+ ethnicities in Russia) are still under colonization and Russification in Russia. But Russians don't use the phrase “Your nation doesn't exist. Lenin created you” against us. because Lenin's father was a Chuvash😂

[@krzysztofj1993]

@@msitso Russia will never recognize ethnic minorities. They call their country "Russian Federation" where minorities are being ripped off their natural resources, forcefuly russified and sent to wars as cannon fodder.

[@SamiNami]

Thank you for also talking about the negatives, it's more valuable than the positives (we already know most things are good). I loved the video :)

[@jeffmcdonald4225]

Never complain about someone's home when you are a guest.

[@nelsoncespedes1629]

Correct

[@IoRoberto]

please, don't link everytime immigration to colonialism, the major groups of strangers in Amsterdam are Turks , Poles and Moroccans, whose countries were never colonized by the Dutch

[@skabuoy]

Bapao is Indonesian, which used to be a Dutch colony.

[@geezer2tech154]

"They're eating our dogs and cats in Springfield" Touché Natasha! 😆

[@silvermine2033]

20,000 foreigners invaded a town of 58,000. I don’t think Russia would allow such a thing!

[@deanosaur808]

@silvermine2033 is that cat and dog population? 😅🤣

[@DeannaAllison]

A very interesting video and it was so good to hear your impressions as a first-time visitor. Also it was really interesting to hear you talk about Russia. Thank you!

[@a-kindred-soul7937]

How nice you visited my city of Amsterdam. A pity I didn't know that you would come, otherwise we could have met. I would have liked to show you around. But you did that by yourself and your impressions, from a Russian perspective, are very interesting.

[@rackets001]

I literally just yesterday had that thought about the wild grasses and flowers. Where I work in a government building in Texas, we have literally an entire football field (soccer pitch) sized grass area that is maintained by ground crews, cut and watered weekly, yet it is on the back side of the building that literally nobody uses!! I thought, "why not just throw some wildflower seeds on it and let nature do its thing?" It would save all the pointless work of the mower guy, not to mention the thousands of gallons of water that are wasted every month!

[@Dreyno]

Mower guy is probably glad of the job. But yeah. The U.S. seems to waste an inordinate amount of water growing grass where it shouldn’t be.

[@solconcordia4315]

You've got to remember that this rather useless activity greatly contributed to the GDP of the U.S.A. I've come to love the potholes on our roads. Just imagine how many cars' suspension systems are inflicted damage by a pothole in a single day ! Williamsburg Bridge 🌉 was a higher-GDP producer than the Brooklyn Bridge because the Williamsburg Bridge had to be *COMPLETELY* built afresh even though it's younger than the Brooklyn Bridge.

[@ChristiaanHW]

in the (not so distant) past they used to trim/cut the green spaces a lot more here in The Netherlands. but letting it become more "wild/overgrown" is way better, so they started to let nature be nature (within reason of course). it saves money, less maintenance means less costs. it also makes the place more biological diverse (better for insects etc), and it makes every green space their own, instead of having everything look like the rest.

[@TheErichos]

@@ChristiaanHW It's purely for the insects, they are declining

[@woutmoerman711]

​@@solconcordia4315great economic insight! It is indeed how this works and why GDP isn't the only important statistic to lookbat

[@JunkerOnDrums]

Suriname is an old Dutch colony - located just north of Brazil. I visited the country in 2005 - and Dutch is the language. There were many of African descent, since the Netherlands had slavery in the not so distant past.

[@bernhardneef7996]

Natasha, I honor your true vision of Amsterdam and Russia. You got a very realistic view of all this already at a very young age. Well done my dear!

[@MostHigh777]

11:53 Perceptive and honest... another good report.

[@c128stuff]

As a Dutch citizen, I really like your observations. Not just the honesty, but also the nuance and well thought out critique.

[@hauer54]

Excellent video / report... as a Dutch resident, I just want to point out that The Netherlands is more than Amsterdam. Thank you, Natasha & I wish you well on your journey(s)!

[@mfbfreak]

Absolutely true. Amsterdam is by far the most busy and chaotic city of the entire country, with the most tourists. It also has the most fun underground culture and queer stuff, but the overcrowded nature of the city makes it so the city's laws and regulations get stricter and stricter every year. It is also - and that might surprise people - not a great city to cycle through, because of the many traffic lights in the area within the ring road. Many other cities have wider cycle paths with fewer traffic lights. At least not great to dutch standards - it's of course much better than cities that don't have physically separated cycle lanes at all. Cycling in Amsterdam is slow but safe. Outside of the ring road you'll find more modern city planning and easier cycling, but those are generally not the areas where you'll be as a tourist.

[@nas4apps]

Amsterdam was a melting pot with a very diverse population in 1600! Jewish immigrants from Portugal and Antwerp (fleeing discrimination), French Protestant Christians (Huguenots) arrived a bit later, Protestant English populations in the 17th century, many different groups from German lands came to dig the canals as economic migrants, very many seafarers arrived through this largest port city of the 17th century, groups from all around the world through the colonies - and many departed to migrate elsewhere: North America and the Dutch West Indies, South Africa and New Zeeland, Australia, southern European countries and I am sure also to Russia. Poland, Germany and Russia have small city neighborhoods from the 17th century with Dutch architecture as Dutch shipbuilders and other skilled workers came to assist local construction: ships, bridges, waterways, mills and sometimes buildings like their own. A lot of this was all to and from Amsterdam. This results in a city with a very open and 'liberal', tolerant, culture. Also, in terms of the second world war, unfortunately and horribly, due to a German - civilian governance (not a military one), the Jewish population in Amsterdam was hit very very hard: about 90% did not survive this time. We see the internationally very popular Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam as a reminder of the local tragedies. And I just watched a KZbin video with a Russia Georgia person discussing Amsterdam as quite an interesting place. .... Success with your exciting and freedom loving lifestyle, travel the world!! And share it ... ;)

[@Peo_Sahlin]

So, immigrants behaving badly, what a surprise... NOT!

[@casio007]

You are welcome in Czech Republic, Prague. If you haven't been there already.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

Is Slovakia better than the Czech Republic? Is Bolivia better than Peru?

[@gary-pz9or]

Prague is by far one of the most beautiful cities.

[@whimaway876]

Had a bad time in czech republic. Very badly ripped off by taxi driver, worst train journey ever (overbooked and scary), Prague people unfriendly. Won't be back.

[@fixcz]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@whimaway876Sorry to hear that :(. You should watch some Honest Guide (YT channel) videos before visiting Czechia/Prague. They will teach you how to enjoy it without all of that you have experienced. Taxi drivers are a bit issue when it comes to tourists in Prague, but it got a lot better in the past 10 years or so. And to be honest, in the most cases, it’s faster to take public transport in Prague. And when I need a taxi, I just use Uber or Bolt. It’s cheaper than common local taxis and you just open an app in your phone. Trains are just trains like everywhere. It depends what train did you take… If it was a commuter train heading to some small village, I can imagine (in terms of rolling stock) but most of our trains are sort of standard and ok for Central Europe region. On the most trains here there is no seat booking available, so you just buy a ticket and find a place to sit or stand. There is no limit for number of sold tickets. When it’s a rush hour, it can get crowded but that’s like everywhere else. If you need a quiet and larger space, you can buy ticket to first class, it’s not much pricier than the second class. The most overcrowded and also one of the scariest trains (in terms of rolling stock) I took was in Japan, not in Czechia :). And the people? We Czechs (and for Prague it apllies twice) are sometimes a little bit cold when it comes to talking to strangers. But I think we are always trying to be helpful, at least I’m trying when I’m asked. Well, hope you will give us another chance someday ;).

[@sasan727]

Interesting fact: in 2023 there were people with 174 (!) different nationalities living in Amsterdam

[@comrade916]

Congratulations.... How many rapes, muggings, and murders???

[@ArmouredSP]

As a Dutchie my favorite thing about Amsterdam is the Rijksmuseum and the moment when I drive out of Amsterdam again

[@Andrei-gt7pw]

Awesome video Natasha, you are a joy to listen. Your sarcasm although a bit rare is lovely, I would love to see more of it.

[@2212db]

Most of the major European countries have a colonial past. UK, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Nederlands, Italy, Turkey (not specifically European) It was just something that everyone did hundreds of years ago.

[@erosgritti5171]

Every country in the world has had a colonial past. Only some more successfully than others.

[@Ge0rGi.]

@@erosgritti5171 in europe only the western europe has had a colonial past ; the eastern europe never had...

[@ChristiaanHW]

@@Ge0rGi. Eastern Europe did have it own colonialism, best example: Russia, it colonized everything east of the Urals and it "colonized" most of Eastern Europe. it was just more difficult for Eastern European nations to do. the western ones are located on the Atlantic so they could "easily" step into a boat and sail the seven seas. the eastern ones had to traverse the Baltic Sea and then dodge the navy's of the west to get out to rule the seas, or they were stuck in the Mediterranean. they also had the Russian and Ottoman Empire's that kept them busy protecting their land, so they didn't have the spare manpower to go around the world and look for profitable ventures.

[@Ge0rGi.]

@@ChristiaanHW I knew you are going to say Russia😂 Rusia is not really Eastern Europe,it’s Asia. If Russia was Eastern Europe,Romania ,Bulgaria,Poland are Western Europe. Eastern Europe never colonised anything;Russia took those Asian countries around them.

[@ChristiaanHW]

@@Ge0rGi. the part of Russia between the rest of Europe and the Ural mountains is considered part of Europe and it's the most Eastern part, so it's Eastern Europe. just like Armenia and Georgia. Poland is officially part of central Europe. but it all depends on how you define European, and how much different area's you use. west, central, east, north, south, Balkan etc.

[@waynegouin939]

Hi Natasha. Where I grew up it was all white, no people of color none that I knew, none in my school. My father was a bit racist. Colored people jokes. I knew in my heart racism is bad. I'm 66 now, and it is my opinion that diversity is good. Regardless of origin, beliefs, gender, or sexuality, everyone deserves equal treatment. I'm happy to see your confidence. I think you are brave. Thank You. Enjoy your exploring travels.🐦✌️

[@philyvo]

Hi Wayne. Being this open and honest about your father’s way of coping with racism in the past makes me want to say: I think you too are brave. Acceptance starts with looking ourselves in the mirror and/or looking the generations before us in the face. Like you put it: everyone deserves equal treatment. A wonderful adage but I believe it will still take a few generations of hard work in order to truly become this enlightened. I believe we are on a sliding scale at this point in time. It has always been like this in past times so I don’t believe were ’lost’ per se. Democracy is a vulnerable ‘entity’. Met vallen en opstaan (falling and rising). I’m a 53yo male from The Netherlands, I’ve been living in Amsterdam for app. 30 years but grew up around Eindhoven - up till recently Philips, now mainly ASML - in the southern part, Noord-Brabant, of our small country (plus some five years from age 9 to 14 in Northern Italy). And yes indeed, like Natasha mentiones/states: Amsterdam is very diverse, it does have a very diverse population but it’s not the ‘friendliest’ of places compared to many other parts of The Netherlands. ‘Amsterdammers’ (especially the well off highly educated ‘import’ people not born in Amsterdam earning high salaries and mainly caucasian people - like myself, except the well off part :) are seen as (quite) arrogant, exposing (some might say: oozing) ‘self privilege’ people. That’s why many Dutch people ‘Amsterdam mijden als de pest’, literally: will avoid Amsterdam like the plague (and might prefer The Hague ;-). Also: it’s too crowded, especially the (still small, it will never get any bigger :) city center, mainly because of tourism. ‘Een vloek en een zegen’, a curse and a blessing. That plus ‘Gentrification Galore’ and lots of highly paid expats (this goes hand in hand) and with that far less social cohesion mostly due to the short term (5 to 10 years) jobs. I’ve lived in four different so called ‘stadsdelen’ (boroughs more ore less) since 1996 and with that I’ve had the opportunity to experience the city from as many viewpoints: the city changed a lot. But that’s what cities do: they’re living organisms. Add to all this the fact I grew up in a village, that’s my blueprint so I guess I will never feel totally ‘at easy’ in our capital or any big(ger) city for that matter. And yet, up to this point I never left. The inexplicable attraction of a thriving, ever-changing city 🙂 Even though Amsterdam nowadays app. has 950k inhabitants but double the amount of people during high season (tourists, dagjesmensen). So, 950k might not sound as a lot in comparison to let’s say London or Moscow for that matter but it’s quite simple really: Amsterdam is relatively small as a city, there is simply no room for expansion. As I’m writing I’m wondering why I’m telling (you) all this since my motivation for leaving a reply was telling you (once again ;): I think y o u are brave! Let’s all reject fearing the unknown and embrace diverCity 🖖🏽🦜 ;) Take Care!

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Nope no racism against Blacks just against Whites

[@stevereuter6013]

Along with learning the primary language of the country that people immigrate to, I believe that it is equally important for immigrants to assimilate to and appreciate the culture of the country in which they currently live.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

This does not apply to Canada, though.

[@alexmandelli3994]

Especially if it's based on freedom, equality and mutual respect :)

[@LibertyBooksAZ]

Thoughtful, well-curated and professional video! Love the maps and other information you provided. Thank you for allowing us to see you stretching your comfort zones bit by bit while practicing self-care and using good common sense. You're amazing Natasha!

[@cilibalint3169]

Russia is still a colonial power. The Russian Federation is basicly Russia and all of it's colonised territories.

[@olgert75]

В вас говорит банальная зависть и психологическая травма жителя постколониальной страны, которая потеряла свои колонии, не завидуйте!

[@NatashasAdventures]

@@olgert75всё правильно говорят

[@olgert75]

@@NatashasAdventures Нет, оправдывают свои преступления, тем, что мол в Америке негров линчуют/в России тоже колониализм

[@olgert75]

@@NatashasAdventures И потом, кому как не тебе знать, что Россия выравнивала разницу в развитии своих национальных окраин за счет русского народа, это империя наоборот, Голландия беззастенчиво грабила свои колонии, и богатела, а Россия обирала русских и вливала колоссальные деньги во всякие там грузии, узбекистаны и прочие прибалтики, вытаскивала дикарей из родоплеменных отношений в цивилизацию. И дикари не простили русским этого. Надо было наоборот - оставить дикарей в резервациях, 3 класса образования, и право танцевать перед туристами в своих этнических перьях за 50 рублей, а Россия дебилам, которые еще в 1930 году за юртой в ямку срали и жопу подтирали верблюжьей колючкой, национальные академии наук и киностудии строила.

[@cilibalint3169]

@@olgert75 Haha, my country used to be colonised by Russia

[@MiSt3300]

nice, I was waiting for you tu upload!

[@MiriamPendleton]

Calling Russia ill at this moment in history is a really good description. I hope Russia gets well so that you could return if you wanted to.

[@VeK-jg7dx]

Чем она больна ? Тем, что всяких гомиков не принимает ?

[@asierlanchodiego7203]

What a shame, Amsterdam! Litter all over the streets, people bullying and harassing you on the tram... As a Westerner, I have to apologise for such discomfort she has encountered during her short visit: I completely agree that we need to keep improving when it comes to tourists, above all. Coming from Russia and Georgia recently, the culture shock must have been brutal for her, and I'm not surprised. Since you have mentioned it, yes: the Moscow metro and I think the St. Peterburg metro, too, literally fall into the "underground museum" category in my mind. I would love to visit them one day! 🤗❤

[@2011andresme]

people tend to think that all the countries that were part of the USSR get united as a free will but it wasn' true, some of them were forced to form part ot the soviet union

[@DENVEROUTDOORMAN]

Almost all was

[@shooster5884]

I am enjoying your personal journey in the Netherlands and your thoughts and feelings expressed.

[@Sappho123]

The population of Amsterdam in 2024 is 1,182,000. That's one million, one hundred eighty two thousand people.

[@Arafingol]

Thanks!

[@jcdeklijn]

You went to AH, Albert Hein, the most expensive supermarket chain in the Netherlands. Next time look for LIDL, ALDI or PLUS. Then youi dont spend €20 but only about €15. Love your video's and hope very much that your are and gonna be OK

[@johnellanios9717]

Thank you Natasha : you are doing very well : Bravo ! [ from Greece] .

[@elmaranirra]

Always be safe Natasha and take care. God bless

[@deanperry4274]

NATASHA the production quality of your videos and your command pf the English language has become so good over the time since you started making them. I look forward to seeing each one. PEACE AND SAFE TRAVELS TO YOU

[@northguy2367]

You do a good job of showing Westerners how Russia is not such an alien place.

[@timweddington3193]

I am happy for you and us Natasha. This trip represents that you are getting closer to your ultimate goal. Also, we benefit from your unique perspective and can join you in your exploration of new experiences and cultures.

[@anthonyfowler8634]

Thank you Natasha your perspective is valued.

[@ChielKooijman]

It's fun to see you exploring the city where I've lived my whole life. A shame about the unpleasant interactions you've had, those can really ruin your day. I think most Amsterdammers know not to extrapolate those experiences to whole ethnicities or foreigners in general, as the more xenophobic parties are not very popular here (and in other bigger cities) compared the rest of the country.

[@richardwarnas4293]

You always tell it straight up, that is what i like about you…love your video’s!

[@xx-vp1ib]

Everybody walking in the background looks so relaxed. Even happy!

[@PaulFellows3430]

Another great video Natasha. In addition to the Netherlands and the UK (which you mentioned), other European countries that used to have colonial empires include Belgium, Portugal, Spain, France and - on a much smaller scale - Germany.

[@piter127]

...France, Italy.

[@taand4725]

Denmark

[@bumblebee9337]

Russia was a colonial power. Alaska and a tiny enclave in Ethiopia.

[@jurrekieboom2208]

German colonial possessions between 1880-1914 where rather large though. More than Belgium and Portugal for sure.

[@Ula-Ka]

It still is. Nobody joined russia willingly.

[@rackets001]

6:28 The white paint at the bases of trees can serve several purposes. Prevent sun scald and splitting bark in certain trees at certain times of the year, also lime (white) can prevent insect infestation that may damage the tree.

[@VladislavBabbitt]

Good to know. Thank you. I also thought it was to prevent traffic accidents at night.

[@johnthompson6374]

I always thought it was for the visibility of the drunk drivers at night. Peace/JT

[@VladislavBabbitt]

@@johnthompson6374 I thought that too. Even if they are not drunk.

[@human_isomer]

Yeah, it's in the category "what grandpa still knew", or "forgotten knowledge of the past". Btw., it may also serve as a protection against urine, not only from dogs.

[@perkarlsson9087]

I might remember this wrong - but I've heard that some insects that can harm the trees gets confused by the bright color. Because their instincts tells them to search for dark shapes, not bright shapes, when they want to find a tree to lay their eggs in. (they usually land on the ground right next to a tree).

[@ChrisKruiz]

Thanks, Natasha: Your open mind helps me to overcome my shame for (still) enjoying Paustovski, Pushkin, Lermontov, Kabalevski, Mussorgsky and the many, many other Russian artists. I hope the future will bring a free and tolerant Russia.

[@West-rn-showvn-ist-chick]

Ugh.. Natasha.. you are so naive.. Live in a western country with huge numbers of illegal migration from 3rd world countries like I do.. you will definitely either change your mind or you will ignore it until you are a victim.. like I was!

[@dougsrepair1060]

We love having the opportunity to visit the streets in Amsterdam. Nice to see you getting out into the world with travelling. Stay safe, stay healthy. We enjoy your vlogs and viewpoints.

[@martintonian8574]

You have a good analysis Natasha. What we Dutch were proud of is that we sailed the world across the seas and traded in all kinds of articles and not on the colonization itself. The problem is that good and bad changed over the centuries. You can not judge the past with the knowledge of today. That there is a lot of aggression in the city by hopeless people is the reason that many live outside the city

[@Dreyno]

Places with huge tourism numbers and outside dining always generate some litter. It will be cleaned every night and sometimes during the day but if you have people eating outside for 12+ hours per day, a certain amount gets on the ground. It’s something once for d in lots of countries. A random town will be spotless but the cities with tourists always look dirtier.

[@JohnBlutarski]

True. But Amsterdam has a serious garbage problem, which is acknowledged by the city councel

[@Dreyno]

@@JohnBlutarski It’s the amount of tourists. The Haag is clean. Leiden is clean. Amsterdam people aren’t inherently dirtier. It’s tourism.

[@lb9029]

@@Dreynoif you go by that theory, then areas of amsterdam without tourism (yes there are quite a lot) wouldn’t have that problem. But the problem manifests in those areas too (source: I live there). Just not as bad as the city center, for sure. But compared to other cities I lived in, it’s definitely more messy in amsterdam, and I can tell you some shocking things about it (have you ever heard of people throwing their trash bags out of the window, and they’d be left hanging in trees?)

[@Dreyno]

@@lb9029 Then what is the reason? I have been in different parts of Amsterdam and didn’t notice anything particularly bad.

[@lb9029]

@@Dreyno I dom’t exactly know, never read research on it. If I’d have to guess, a combination of a) tourism, b) youth and some other people hanging on the street because they don’t have anywhere else to go and littering the place (very common here), and c) antisocial behavior (used to be common in bijlmer, later on also in eg Noord) where people simply throw out their trash (literally)

[@DarrellHayward]

For of Natasha has a good mind n you just keep to yourself ty for keeping it real ty for sharing my beautiful spirit family of Natasha ❤️ 3

[@zenpro8164]

overall great report, I always enjoy your videos Natasha, thank you

[@conorpp1]

I have travelled extensively and I can tell you that every city in the world has some people that are unpleasant, have mental problems, use drugs or are involved in criminal activity. However, it is a minority. You should always be aware of this fact and stay alert, but you should not worry and just enjoy yourself. Honestly, my desire for you is that I would like to see you enjoy yourself a bit more and be happy.

[@LuukvdHoogen]

I was already exited for an entire video of your observations in my country and I am now looking much prouder at our flowerful streets, fenceless parksand helpful bus drivers. You are so good at expressing small feelings and details. this time when you talked about the multicultural society, and how it impressed you apart from one scary moment I thought: That is such an apt description of the whole political situation here: We are mostly proud and in support of it,just sometimes there are also uneasy moments. :) Look forward to your next oberservations

[@lodjaboy]

I found your impressions and commentary very interesting. I think what rubbed you wrong about the post that you shared was the patronizing tone. I like your honesty.

[@geoffh2560]

Lovely to see you exploring Amsterdam Natasha, despite a few challenges along the way.

[@ypey1]

I just ate my dog, now its time to relax and watch your video!😅😅

[@692ALBANNACH]

Ohio ?

[@bumblebee9337]

Liar. It was someone else's dog.

[@692ALBANNACH]

@@bumblebee9337 Be nice there are enough dogs for everyone.

[@donquixote1502]

Ok CATch you later.

[@timweddington3193]

🤣🤣🤣

[@zaqqwe697]

Different ethnicities have different crime rates. If country needs immigrants it should open door for groups with lower (or at least equal) crime rate than themselves and shut down door for groups with higher crime rate. Siple as it is.

[@Paul-yh8km]

You get crazy people on buses and trams wherever you go. I've come across a few in the UK. Sometimes people are just having a bad day and let off steam. But it's a part of life, people drive cars because they don't want to be a part of the full spectrum of life, warts and all!

[@rosen9425]

You are 100% correct. Immediately purchased a car after a bus driver tried to kill us pulling g's in a roundabout like he was a fighter pilot. I haven't even thought about setting one toe on a bus ever since. I know where he got his so called training and how that stuff works. 👀👉It doesn't! old people were spinning in the air doing snowboard tricks with their walkers. Total maniac being allowed to even operate a shopping cart. "Government subsidized", let's just call it that. Haven't even involved the general public yet!

[@WillLlamas]

Somebody is happy as heck. That may be the best photo I've seen of you.

[@solconcordia4315]

The pigeon 🐦 made a deposit. 😂

[@pohanahawaii]

🌺 Natasha, speaking of learning a new country's langage, *your usage of the English language is awesome!* The way you express yourself is far superior to even many native speakers who were born in America 😅

[@aliancemd]

I’ve been to Amsterdam a few times and usually trash is left around by tourists, not locals. People from other areas of Netherlands were claiming that Amsterdam is not Dutch because of how touristy it has turned, especially with people coming to get stoned out of their brains

[@tony_two]

Great video Natasha! Enjoy Europe!

[@hansbreslau8119]

I would visit the rural Netherlands first and then go to Amsterdam. Because Amsterdam is partly a tourist trap.

[@PolferiferusII]

I am in poverty, but were I to ever visit Italy, a friend I grew up has a clan on his mother's side that are right on the border with Switzerland, where they have lived mostly self-sufficiently on a farm complex for 300+ years, farming and hunting. Were I to ever afford a trip (not likely, as I'm so old now and still just getting by), he said to visit. My point being, it is, in many respects, better if you are lucky enough to stay with a family of a friend. Obviously, your trip wouldn't include hitting all the big sites, but would be a very different, but potentially more worthwhile and fulfilling one, from a more locally intimate, if perhaps overly-insular, cultural standpoint.

[@lb9029]

You mean the city center and old west and south areas. Many people live outside those areas in Amsterdam. Greets from an outside area, where no tourist would want to be found dead :)

[@MarcelVolker]

Or one of several smaller cities like Delft, Haarlem or Leiden which have all the same nice things as A'dam but none of the tourist hordes

[@kaz0245]

Interesting video. I am not an expert on colonialism, but to some extent I would say most Western European countries have had some colonies in the world at some point in time. Some countries had more colonies than others, and the Dutch did have some larger areas of colonies back then for a long time time. Using the binoculars of colonialism, one can say Russia has also had some colonies during the time when they expanded eastwords and southwords, like some Asian countries f.ex. like Kirgistan, Kazakhstan and the countries in the Caucasus like Chechnya. I don't think Russians think of this as colonies, but more like brotherly nations bound together. However, I would argue this is colonisation as well, Russians just don't sail overseas to colonise. With the breakup of the Sovjetunionen, Russia hasn't used the time to reflect on their own colonisation like the museum you visited in Amsterdam. Therefore these aggressive Russian started wars against Chechnya in the 1990'ties, Georgia and now Ukraine are waged from Russia.

[@anahill2366]

Thankyou for visiting our lovely country.

[@asan1050]

Thanks for posting this video Natasha

[@tammo100]

Bapao is Vietnamese and the rice with meat you bought is Chinese-Indonesian

[@TomasPetkevicius94]

They keep the vegetation wilder because it lowers pollution in the city to some extent. They do the same thing here in Lithuania.

[@johnnyboy-f6v]

I disagree. They keep it 'wild' because they (local authorities and councils) can save money by not employing people to keep it tidy.

[@tomcampbell3513]

very articulate and interesting observations on a wonderful city