Reviewing the Netherlands

[@FOink-jz8hu]

I have the distinct impression you weren't reviewing the Netherlands, but you were reviewing Amsterdam.

[@RadioNul]

Amsterdam is not in the Netherlands?

[@FOink-jz8hu]

@@RadioNul Just one city in the Netherlands, but certainly not representative for everything outside Amsterdam.

[@vogel2280]

@@RadioNul Well, Disney World is is in the USA, but if you speak only of Disney World, are you reviewing the USA?

[@mcj2219]

By this point im not even surprised anymore. Expats/internationals really do live in their own small bubble it seems. Whats so hard about understanding that you cant generalize a whole country based on 1 city. But this guy only lives here for a few years and so is not a native. Is it normal in other countries (like Ireland) to generalize the whole country just by 1 city? Its like Americans saying "Europe" all the time like were all the same

[@bullebakb.v.8622]

@@RadioNul thats right. amsterdam is a themepark for tourists.

[@j.vanderson6239]

The tax you paid is used to repair the bump in the bike lane you talked about within a week

[@JanuzTrance68]

This is a review of living in the city of Amsterdam, not of the Netherlands as a whole

[@reactions1738]

Nice video! One note: I don't think the water tax is (only) for cleaning the canals; probably it's also for keeping Amsterdam and it surroundings dry. The waterways, dikes, etc. are maintained by a seperate government, called "waterschap", and they levey their own taxes. Seeing Amsterdam is basically under sea level, that's expensive. I can't be sure ofcourse, but based on your description, I think that's what the water tax is.

[@DecibelDr]

Exactly. Except for the city center most of Amsterdam is below sea level. You pay those taxes so the city is not under water and stays dry.

[@SVEVelsen]

Well, and in the case of the Waternet taxes: It pays for a constant stream of new directors from the Groenlinks-PVDA party to have a go, get paid big €€€€ then step down a few months later so the next crony can get paid. 35%+ increase because of the crony payments, and the chaos of being run by lefting cronies... NOS ran an article on it last year titled 'Chaos bij waterschap Amsterdam leidt tot 35 procent belastingverhoging'

[@RealConstructor]

@@SVEVelsenThat’s because the Amsterdam citizens are leftwing people and vote for this party every time at the waterboard elections. Basically they vote directly for very high taxes.

[@SVEVelsen]

Got to be honest: It annoys me to a significant degree when a foreigner hangs around Amsterdam for a few months and then 'reviews the Netherlands' despite not having been there at all. (Amsterdam doesn't count, it's our penal colony as a matter of fact)

[@marioprivacy9411]

Yes, a real tourist resort... but I must admit that he is already very 'Dutch' at the end, by complaining like a farmer with a toothache in the rain.

[@henryhill840]

😂😂​@@marioprivacy9411

[@melle4390]

I moved from the Netherlands to Bergen, Norway. Now THAT is a wet place. The mud never has time to dry for f's sake. I'm not saying the Netherlands doesn't get its fair share of rain, because it does, but my god Bergen is wet all year round. I thought I was used to rain and bad weather but Bergen takes it to a whole new level. Go and visit the city though, it's gorgeous!

[@wimahlers]

Lived in Norway for 3 years. 2.5 years in Oslo, 0.5 years in Bergen. Being Dutch myself, it was not bad living in Bergen.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

I guess it is absolutely breathtaking beautiful there. I just can't handle even more rain 😂

[@vogel2280]

To be fair, also in the Netherlands, from Sept 2023 to June 2024 there was not one day it was not raining. It might have been the same freakish weather system affecting both countries.

[@PH61a]

We actually do maintenance over here. Maintenance costs money and takes time: that's why many other countries just don't do it. We also pay taxes for that.

[@DenUitvreter]

Canals aren't filthy. There is a lot of water to manage, it's not like an extra tax, it's the mother of all taxes, these boards go back further in history than whatever democratic institution.

[@Johsebthur]

No matter what indexes you look at: Democracy index, Freedom of Press index, Healthcare Index, Happiness Index, Safety Index, Work-life-balance-index... it's always the same countries that come up on top: Scandinavian countries (especially Denmark and Finland) and the Netherlands. So, perhaps there is a correlation between tax-policies in those countries and there stunning success on those indexes.

[@rmyikzelf5604]

And... lack of religious politics

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

@@Johsebthur less religious

[@erikw8644]

About the rain: if Dutch kids complain about the rain, they get told: je bent toch niet van suiker (you're not made of sugar). And you basically learn to just ignore the rain. Because you have to ;) It helps a lot to just not get bothered by it

[@ronaldderooij1774]

The waterboard tax is the oldest tax in the Netherlands. Probably 1000 years old. It ensures our existence. Yes, it is supplemented nowadays with cleaning the water and making drinking water. I also can assure you that the canal water is cleaned. Before (in the 18th century) the city stank so horribly, than nobody wanted to live there. Horses were a part of it too, I guess. But it was mainly rotting water.

[@vogel2280]

The part about no one wanted to live in Amsterdam....stil don't, not even if housing was free.

[@Aitmesss]

Nice and understandable review after one year in Amsterdam. Now you can see the rest of the Netherlands 😂. And next year a second review of the Netherlands

[@olic12]

I am sorry, but it seems to me that it is terribly entitled to immigrate to a country and not learn the local language. To ask everyone to adapt to you.

[@jsb7975]

​@@helena19741 Well you belong to the one percent who feels like that. 2nd, je mening is nogal bot en blunt geformuleerd. OP Z'N KLOMPE-LOMPE HOLLANDS . Dus dat klopt wel.

[@jolanjump]

true. weg-met-ons cultuur is dodelijk

[@minoreducation2927]

Wondering why you mirrored the view on the old citymap of Delft at 7:15. Fun fact about that old citywall: A little towerpiece and entrance still excist; The Bagijnetower and Eastgate.

[@tuinbuddy3385]

Nearly everything on your good list, has a price. That s why you pay tax.

[@tuinbuddy3385]

The same with construction everywhere.

[@framegote5152]

Funny you put the speed roads and bike lanes are mended on the good list, but put the taxes on the bad list.... Those roads and bike lanes don't get mended for free... We all pay for that. Than you say the tax on water is used for cleaning the canals "but they don't do anything about it" ... but then you show a ditch. THOSE are cleaned (made deep enough and free of reeds) every year, mostly by the farmers, and inspected by Waterschap-(see below)officials, so the land can get rid of its excess of water. Also the Waterschap (for which that tax is used) keeps our country dry. When they don't, the dikes may crumble and break and many cities may have trouble existing. So it's kind of important. The language, well ... as a country we're somewhere between France, Germany and Britain, so our language is a bit of all of them too. That's why we learn all of those languages at school, because it's not very hard for us. Ofcourse not everybody has the ability to learn languages easily here, but many have. You CAN opt out of French and German classes, but you can't of English class.

[@lompos71]

The guy is from Ireland, he probably thinks fairy's will take care of everything 😂😂😂

[@lompos71]

Bla bla Amsterdam, bla bla Amsterdam. Duh i got bored 1 minutes. Please chance the title to : my review of Amsterdam. Im pretty sure you never stepped foot outside de randstad. Go travel an see the real Netherlands

[@letheas6175]

Such an elitist dumb view, how about you appriciate all cities in the Netherlands huh? I bet you've never been outside of the canal ring.

[@knol1969]

You find €120/month al lot of money? How much do you make with your job? And if your monthly income is low you can get funds frim the goverment. Dutch healthcare is in the top 3 of Europe. The watertax you mentioned is for watermanagment and roadmanagment, to keep the land dry, the water clean, sewagemanagment and have nice infrastructure without potholes 😉. Tapwater kost around €1 a cubic meter and thats cheap.

[@bdv1609]

Tax is needed to fund al the public services.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Potholes are more a thirdworld/usa thing... We pay taxes here, so there is money to fix stuff :)

[@daluzsoares]

Man, someone coming from Ireland and having a good time here who would have thought, Ireland is a beautiful place!!

[@buddy1155]

Pro: everything gets fixed straight away. Con: there is always construction everywhere.

[@KraKra-Ah]

My wife is from Hong Kong and she always complains about the public transfer in Holland. It is just a matter of reference. 😅 When we actually consider the train their is always something... I'll rather prefer my car and motorcycle... 😅

[@MrSeine2]

Nice review. Great you're trying to learn dutch. Hope you manage to keep up this learning spirit. The weather is someting special here, when being outside biking, hiking or camping. ;) Never know what to expect.

[@snoepnr1]

Always fun to see the perspective from a non Dutch person to our country. It is funny, you say on one hand if something is broken it is instantly fixed, public transport is good its everywhere! on the other hand its a lot of Tax! yep they need that money to fix stuff that gets broken... and the health system, you do pay for it in Irland but indirect, they use taxes to fund it right. We have very good unlimited acces to health services. Its fair if we all pay our part i guess. And life might be cheaper not living in Amsterdam.

[@saraiahhogendike664]

Many trams, etc. and hence no delays is NOT The Netherlands, but: Amsterdam. Same for road work, etc. Please do not confuse Amsterdam with The Netherlands. I have 1 bus an hour (I live 7 km from a city centre) and if it doesn't show up..... :-)

[@gartnl]

Add together the tax-rate and the quick repair of the cycleway and it makes sense.

[@Chinco_NL]

I love my country too, but you really have to visit the rest of it too. Look up the Hanzesteden, for instance. Kogge. The Veluwe. And So on.

[@viderethevaccinatorfromhol7536]

Amsterdam is not in the Netherlands. There are so many contradictions in your story. We pay a lot of taxes because everything is well taken care of. Like your detour because something is under construction. I'm quite sure that healthcare isn't free in Ireland either; it can't be. Or it's not as good. It's ranked 15th in Europe: "Ireland still has a very underdeveloped primary and community care sector; long waits and unequal access for public patients to hospital care; concerns about poor quality and overstretched hospital infrastructure; and staffing constraints". Compare apples with apples, please. And no, not everyone should move to the Netherlands. 😂 I'm glad you enjoy Amsterdam so much. I liked it way more some 20-30 years ago. Again, it's only one city in the Netherlands. There are better places.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Better get out of Amsterdam, and see the real country, Amsterdam is not safe...

[@leeuwengames315]

1500 words in english come from dutch words so no wonder you can understand some of it

[@LalaDepala_00]

Reviewing the Netherlands based on Amsterdam is like reviewing the United States based on New York or L.A.

[@jsb7975]

Of all germanic languages Dutch is closest to English. 't is wat het is.....

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Ik fok schapen😂

[@gartnl]

The English tend to forget that in fact English is now a mix of several languages, with a heavy influance from the Saksen/Frysian area due to large migration at the end of the first millenium. If it wasn't for the US it would be a minor language.

[@vogel2280]

@@gartnl not only now. English is in it's nature a constructed language. Old aristocracy was speaking Danish, new aristocracy was speaking French, the people were speaking Angles (Germanic), Saksen (Germanic), Gaelic (Brittonic) , Welsh (Celtic). It was impossible to communicate clearly amongst people running the country and between upper and lower classes. A language was designed for all to understand.

[@Pfooh]

Living here for over a year and not learning any dutch at all and no intention to learn it? That's rude and unhelpful. You don't have to reach a high level, but it would help a lot to learn some basics. Not in understanding, the Dutch speak their English just fine, but in attitude. It would also help you to understand that Waterschap doesn't just clean the canals, but exists to keep the Netherlands dry. It's the oldest layer of government, older than the Netherlands itself, and they have their own taxes to avoid ever having politicians to decide between dike maintenance and some fancy new project.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Who is this Fan-kow you English always talk about??? I wonder who that is. He's not Dutch probably. A painter?

[@robverbree4768]

Amsterdam? Come to Monster!

[@williamgeardener2509]

All the wonderful things you spoke about in the beginning are paid for by taxes. It seems to me that you do know how to appreciate the good things in the Netherlands but don't realize that the pothole-free roads need construction as do the wonderful massive trainstations. Or did you think that the roads fix themselves over night?

[@hardyvonwinterstein5445]

Who are you to review a country which took you in as a guest? Go review yourself.

[@kasarabian3274]

Sadly, racists here, racists there, racists every effing where.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Naturally things are on time.... why would they be late???

[@Saarloos1960]

Well, mr.Ireland, do you really think we are not going to improve a bus or train station or other infrastructure because you are here? Seriously. And do not complain about health care insurance: it's reasonable, and if you would have a low income, you would get a monthly discount in return. And complaining about the weather is rather immature , don't you think? There's only bad clothing, no bad weather. Finally, you have not reviewed the Netherlands but Amsterdam. To review a country after a year is also a bit......hmmm arrogant almost...

[@amsw5113]

You're the person sounding arrogant

[@amsw5113]

Wat een misselijkmakend arrogante zeikstraal ben jij zeg hou gewoon je bek

[@Saarloos1960]

@amsw5113 Oh, a tit for tat reaction? I am direct that's true.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

My ears! My ears! HURT! In Dutch or Low Saxon, G / ch or, gh is pronounced like ch, in loCHness, in Dutch, (except in city names that end in sch, that would be pronounced like an S, never a sh), the sh sound is a german/english/frisian thing... german and english sound like sh sh sh sh , and ow ouw ow now, house, mouse, haus, maus , same same.. to us. So vvvvvan with a V, same difference between s and z, as between v and f.. .vvvvvan Gogh CH oh like in dog, and CH [ vvvvvahn] aa like the docktor makes you say "ah"....Gogh with two x CH qas in loCHness there is no K sound like as in "good" in Dutch...you have these sounds in Irish too so use them.. Pleas no more "fen-kow". :) People think you are looking for a Chinese restaurant when you say it like that..

[@jumpingpiggie422]

The same goes for most of the Dutch with their steenkolen Engels, which make my ears bleed to the point i am happier to needle punch my eardrums as that would be way more comfortable. Wat een typisch verheven Oud-Hollands gezeik weer, to expect from every tourist or expat that they are perfectly fluent in speaking Dutch. Also, for next time: Mand!

[@henkhemming6674]

healthcare nowadays is so exspensive because of all the foreigners coming to this country...