Six Things We Missed About The Netherlands (And Three We Didn't)

Six Things We Missed About The Netherlands (And Three We Didn't)
After a few weeks of being back home after our trip to the USA, we are taking some time to discuss all the things we missed about The Netherlands (and a few things we didn't.) In our conversation, we put together a shortlist of the things that the Dutch do way better than the United States. We also talk about a few things we think the Dutch could improve on.
Our USA home visit videos: • Visiting the US
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Public Transport
02:02 Toilets
02:51 Cost of Clothing
04:15 Fruits and Veggies
05:45 Cell phone costs
07:10 Customer Service
08:51 Healthcare
09:41 24 Hours
11:38 Aggressive Advertisements
13:40 Closing and Kings Day
Please subscribe for more food, travel, and life as an expat if you like our videos! / tandtgodutch
We're Tracey and Travis, an American couple who just moved with our Miniature Husky, Tabasco, from our home in Houston, Texas to the city of Leiden, The Netherlands. Our goal is to be interesting people, and you'll see that reflected in our channel. We appreciate all of your support on this crazy awesome journey!
The vlog continues on Instagram! Follow us @tandtgodutch
We aim to release videos every Sunday.
See all of our Videos about The Netherlands: • 5 Things we've learned...
Music: Bensound.com

[@maartjewaterman1193]

I have been watching your vids for quite some time now and came to the conclusion that the two of you are America's loss and our gain. I hope you will keep on having a good life in our tiny country. Lots of love from me.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you Maartje, we appreciate your kind words and your support. People like you make the transition moving over here much easier-thank you!

[@vanollsum]

Hh dat is zo verwelkomend, precies zoals we zijn!!! Het is goed om te zien dat mensen van buiten ons land, onze cultuur beter wilt leren kennen

[@normadesmond6017]

Love watching the both of you. Find it fascinating how different the culture of the Netherlands and the US is.

[@vanderquast]

Glad you are back, look forward to your new Vlogs about living in The Netherlands 😊

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much for watching- stay tuned for our thoughts on King's Day!

[@ageoflove1980]

I actually like the customer service in The Netherlands. I mean, yeah, its definitvely less friendly over all, but much more real. When you do connect with somebody, its just more sincere. After 10 days in New York i started to feel a bit uncomfortable how increadibly friendly everybody was because it was so over the top, it felt you know.... I almost had the urge the say : "No worries, you'll get your 20%, just be you for a second please..." When my son ordered a diet coke this waiter was like... OMG im sooooo sorry, we only have diet Pepsi, I hope you wont mind??? And we were like.... dude chill out, its not your fault that we try to order something you dont serve, why do you apologize for that? In The Netherlands they wouldnt even comment on it and just give you the Pepsi... :D And im not even getting into the business practice of basically a company outsourcing their wage to their customers.... Just go to the kitchen, get my plate and my drink, thats literaly your job, your boss should cover that, why is that my problem?. And if you dont feel like a chat or whatever, fine, and no, I dont need to know your name because I probably will never see you again after this meal....

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Totally agree- it's still such a culture shock to us after having that be our norm for over thirty years. We are adjusting though. We're finding it quite nice that we can have a conversation and not be interrupted multiple times- it's very enjoyable.

[@eelco_de_haan]

feels like your "employer for the time of a meal" which would give you the same boss employee hierarchy with the same behaviour, as now they depend on you to voluntarily raise their wage to at least minimum. i would even bend backwards if that would determine if i could pay my rent or not! i rather have the occasional confrontation with the wrong person in the wrong job, than having people not reasonably able to make ends meet. people tend to get depressed from only serving, people need to feel worth. which in my opinion, you achieve workwise with giving at least, as a bare minimum, a sufficient wage to live.

[@askatraveller]

Thanks for this video! Stay connected. Greetings from Sydney Australia!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you so much for watching! We appreciate you!

[@roelskiunplugged1134]

Welcome back! Most towns have some small shops that have nighttime opening hours. Look for avondwinkel. However, don't expect a full size grocery store.

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

And it's expensive than the regular store!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Yes, we've seen a few of them around Leiden! They are very pricy, so it's just about us getting better about planning for sure. Thank you so much for watching, we appreciate you!

[@TTTzzzz]

Nice that your back.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We're so happy to be back. Thanks for watching!

[@wimschiphorst8541]

tip for next time. If you have a Dutch health insurance, this also reimburses the medical costs in America. Or contact them first to inquire. If reimbursement is made, that is the reimbursement that is stated in the Netherlands. Now prices are generally higher in America. That is why travel insurance with health costs is recommended. The latter pays the remaining amount.

[@therealdutchidiot]

Is this also true if you're not a citizen? Because as a Dutch citizen I have used this in the US, and it was fine (not for lack of trying to bill me personally as well).

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thanks for the tip- we'll certainly look into it. We appreciate you watching!

[@michaelvanlohuizen]

This is true, just make sure you always contact your insurance first.

[@Aviopic]

My daughter is professional skydiver working all over the world, currently Puerto Rico all on Dutch insurance. Never a problem.

[@Bastiolo48]

@@TAndTGoDutch Yes, always get a travel insurance. They are very cheap but well worth it. I once had an accident on holiday, but because I had Dutch health insurance and a travel insurance (the latter only cost like €12 for a week-long holiday), it was all covered by my health insurance. Even the added travel costs of extra facilities I needed were covered and my possessions that were damaged in the accident.

[@markmoret3652]

Thank you, welcome to the Netherlands. Hoop dat jullie je hier welkom voelen.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Bedankt, Mark!

[@HylianTom]

Thank you for the advice regarding clothes. We’re planning an eventual move, and while carefully considering what possessions to bring and what to donate/sell/trash, we kinda took clothing for granted. Now we know: when we move over, we’re stocking-up to bring over wardrobe items that’ll last. (Dank je wel!)

[@GrefTek]

Oh you had to mention the toilets. I’ve made the mistake once to go to a bathroom at a gas station while traveling from Seattle to Pendleton OR. I never seen anything like it before or ever since.

[@AndreFonseca_pt]

When traveling from the Netherlands to outside of the EU I always use Airalo or GigSky traveling data plans. The former normally has better prices. They offer super convenient traveling eSIM that provide you with only data. You just need to install an app to check and activate the plans. And if you have a phone that supports multiple (e)SIM cards, like a modern iPhone, you can just use it along with your current SIM. Usually you can get 10GB for 25USD. It’s not super cheap but for traveling is quite good. The Netherlands is quite in the middle when it comes to mobile data costs in the EU. There are countries with even lower prices (like some Nordic ones). But other like Portugal are quite expensive, especially when you factor the average wages. It was a bless when free roaming was introduced inside the EU a few years ago. I still remember having to go through the hassle of swapping SIM cards when crossing the border.

[@jsb7975]

Hi both ! If you live in a city over 175.000 pl. the bigger supermarkets close at 22.00h but then there are nightshops as well....

[@iamsuzanne73]

Enjoy kings day today! Make sure you pick up some orange tompoucen 🧡 just go outside into the city and you will find plenty activities. People selling stuff on the streets, live music, food stand etc Looking forward to see/hear your experiences with this festive day!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We had such a nice time on King's day. Stay tuned for our video this sunday!

[@Iamsanni]

Hi, like your videos. Did you consider growing minth? I have a plant outside and It survives winter all the time.

[@nuuwnhuus]

Lol I've streamed some stuff before from the states that included commercials. You're not wrong 😂 those medicine commercials are amazing in the worst way possible.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

They really are- after not seeing them for 6-7 months they were even more cringeworthy!

[@jackvandersluis1723]

You're absolutely correct, customer service in our country can be better but we are working on it! So good to see that a lot of things we do a little better but we also need approvement! Good vlog! 🙂

[@TAndTGoDutch]

The cultural differences between the USA and here are a little bit of an adjustment after 30+ years of it being the "norm" for us. We're learning, and we try to go into every situation open and with understanding. We appreciate you taking the time to comment, it's always nice to hear others perspectives!

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Karen!

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Warm and friendly? You mean servile....

[@ru802000]

Welcome back to our small country ! People from the US are always welcome ! The one thing I love in the US with its slightly different in Holland is that people have genuine conversations with people they do not know. In the Subway of new york people would just ask about our language. We even found somebody with the same heritage as us in the subway in new York, since our heritage goes back to a country that does not exist anymore that is pretty amazing. Have fun and stay safe !

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you very much for your kind words. It's always nice to feel welcomed. Your experience on the subway in New York is awesome- there are so many stories like that and it is so nice to hear. Thank you so much for watching, and for being so nice. We really appreciate you.

[@pauldevlas1512]

Listening to you guys (I am a Dutch male living in the US - Marin County, California just north of San Francisco) and I often am confused if you are saying something about the US or about your experience in the Netherlands. It would be much more clear if you would start the sentence with: "In the Netherlands ...... "this" and in the Netherlands ....... "that". I hope you understand what I mean. For the rest, I love your KZbin channel and the way you present it using both of you presenting the commentary together!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That’s great feedback, Paul. Thank you very much. We appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment!

[@didibrant7326]

Looking at your beautiful dog, if she came from USA, was there any long quarantine time before coming to Holland? Also, when you moved was there a certain amount of weight of your belongings you were allowed to transport? Have you made any video on those things?

[@bramharms72]

Other channels have pointed out that us dutchies are very appreciative when people show they're making an effort at learning the language so maybe, when contacting services you can cheat a little by starting out with a few pre-learned Dutch sentences and some excuses for just having started Dutch lessons. 9 Times out of 10 the dutchie on the other side will switch over to English themselves, but it gives them a moment to compose themselves and it also makes the switch of language seem like their own choice.

[@therealdutchidiot]

Very much this. Say a "broken" goedemorgen, and the switch is pretty much guaranteed, because they don't want to deal with broken Dutch. It's them choosing to at that point, it makes life easier.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Oh absolutely, we always try to greet in Dutch whenever we go out and about, and generally, once they hear us struggle a bit, they'll switch over to us. We like the idea about the little "cheat" phrases though- thank you for the tip!

[@Marc-fr6ls]

I Like your channel. I am from the Netherlands. We are direct and perhaps rude. That was an eye opener for me. What do you think about no hierarchy? Except 1 thing; the boss makes the decissions.

[@jiskamemelink]

And here was me thinking that the thing you would miss most during your time in the US, would be Tabasco 😅. Bit surprised about the fruit and veg but I guess that may depend on where you are in the US. It takes some getting used to that stores aren't always open, but I like it because it is like a rest period or break from busy lives. You just have to do a little bit of planning ahead.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Haha, I guess we assumed that was a given about Tabasco. I think next time he'll be joining us.

[@marcusfranconium3392]

Customer service , is more to the benefit of the customer they dont pay to have to talk to the waiters. or servers. they are there for the family and or having a nice evening out . During my old navy days we where in fort lauderdale and we all got so pissed off on how every 5 minutes a waiter/server would come by asking if we wanted something , a group of 60 eating at a restaurant that want to have a nice evening after a 6 month tour and exersize , not beeing able to talk or enjoy the evening , all stood up after the 15th time in lest than 30 minutes a server came of we where good. we collectevly stood up payed for the meal and drinks we never got to enjoy and scolded the servers that anoyed us the most and walked out before even finishing the starters.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Definitely understand your point of view and why that can be frustrating. After that being the "norm" for 30+ years, it's certainly an adjustment for us, but we're getting used to it. We appreciate you taking the time to comment, thank you for watching!

[@martineo9638]

I was wondering, I always hear Americans about going to urgent care, where here 90% of the time we go to a General Practinioner and if needed they advise you to go to a specialist. Urgent care we mostly use for accidents, heart attacks and things like that. The real serious almost life and death things. Dont americans have a general practitioner?

[@Pinerocks]

Customer service is definitely the best in the US. We could certainly learn a few things here in the UK!

[@Semmy27]

Have fun on Kings day and there are little markets where people sell their stuff

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We're looking forward to it! Thanks so much for watching.

[@eelco_de_haan]

yeah customer service is also a bit circumvented due to our directness! and with flat hierarchy it also levels a bit the "customer is king" thing. which is indeed a bit awkward to outsiders, as when the shopkeeper got a bad day you probably are going to notice it ;) which can lead to some spicy argumental conversations, when i.e. an evenly "dutch" customer also has the urge to be transparent of his/her feelings towards that "hork" shop owner. i had a few discussions due to situations like that, when shopping. but it's the norm of communication i am used to, so it even doesn't always register in the conscious memory of my day. i would snap back with something like "hey you are the one that wants to sell, i just as happily purchase at the next store!.....so you going to be nice or what?" and not because i am angry, but because i really don't want to waste my time with a shop owner projecting his bad day on me. due to the fact i don't need him to like me and i only want to do a transaction, i don't take it personal. as it probably hurts him more in the end, eventually costs him income. maybe that is also a very dutch way of thinking, never lived for an extended time outside the netherlands, so i don't know. but i guess you have covertly become more direct yourself due to society around you after a year . wonder if your family notice any change in way of communication after living a year as dutchies. :)

[@rhmdutchman1550]

if you have Dutch health insurance you can get a extra insurance for the USA at a reasonable price

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thanks for the tip! We appreciate you watching!

[@mentos93]

If you want to learn the language faster one thing you could do is putting stickers around the house with the dutch name of items on it. Using dutch subtitles on english media with netflix also helps alot and try to speak a bit in every day life. This is how a friend from the UK learned it within a year so i'm sure you can do it too :)

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That's such a great idea. We're starting our first Dutch class today- we're very excited. Thank you so much for watching.

[@dragonspirit76]

@@TAndTGoDutch Another thing that really helps is Duolingo, for me I am learning Spanish on it, and it has done tons for me.

[@tutaphafanjumpa1429]

สวัสดีคะมารับชมด้ยวคะ♥️

[@Ozymandias1]

If you live in a city in The Netherlands you can get by with public transport. If you live in the countryside you need one. Gone are the day when every village had shops now people in the countryside shop for groceries and other stuff in larger towns. And it's difficult to use a bike to transport your shoppings back home. And public transport stops after midnight or even before so you can forget about going to a late music concert. And it doesn't go anywhere so if you work is at an industrial zone it might be hard to get there, especially if you work night shifts. Cars are also useful for vacations to other countries, the trains only go so far plus'll you see all the pictoresque small villages that way. All reasons why there are over 5 million cars in the Netherlands.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Those are all really good points, we're very lucky to live so close to a train station, but yes, in those instances we could see needing a vehicle. We've been in a greenwheels once, which wasn't too bad, but we could see that getting expensive after a while too. We appreciate you watching, thank you!

[@Dutchbelg3]

The reason (imho) for US citizens to get used to an 24hr economy is the very strict and crazy working behaviour ... You can not miss work with the risc to immediately lose your job.. Employers can fire you at any time so the job is a holy institution. Dutchies grew up on much stricter closing hours of all shops! Nowadays there are supermarkets and food shops keeping open till 9 in the evening... When I grew up (in a city!) shops all closed up at 6 pm ! Sunday rest was untouched. So modern times are so much more a practical situation than I was used to ;-) I think we don't want the American situation at all but more like a balance with some shops open (night shops but not the crazy expensive ones that already exist).

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Definitely- the work-life-balance is lovely for those who work in the shops and services. It is nice that there seems to be one day a week where the shops stay open later. We've had to plan our shopping a bit more, but it's worth it so everyone has a chance to relax and spend time with their loved ones.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

My wife is from Houston and we were there in January. If I didn't already hate driving, a few days on Houston's roads would have been enough to turn me against it. How a city that is so centered around car culture can have such bad roads...It's beyond me. That said, they're making some huge strides, with more protected bike lanes, parks paths, expanded light rail, and a much improved bus system. I want to try it sometime, but I think I could actually bike from the Heights to the Downtown on mostly off-street paths. But, then, they've also got some of the most violent and aggressive driving I've ever seen...and I live near Washington D.C. (and have spent time in Boston). I saw stuff that turned my hair white(er). Thanks for the video. I stash all this info away in my head as I slowly try to convince my wife we need to move to Europe. I'm hoping we'll be able to do a 90 day stay somewhere (Portugal? The Netherlands? Germany?...I don't know) in the next couple years to test the waters.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Oh gosh, Houston roads (and drivers!) are a nightmare. We definitely don’t miss our car and are loving the public transport here. Moving to Europe has certainly been an adventure, if you have the chance to do it (even for a short period of time) it can be eye opening. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and for watching!

[@Pannekoek.]

Kingsday!!!!!

[@shawk1132]

I did not love coming back to all the billboards in the U.S. I didn't make it to The Netherlands when I was in Antwerp in 2021 (covid lockdown related). However, driving around Belgium and rarely seeing obnoxious road signs bombarding the scenery was a blessing.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Definitely! A culture shock for sure!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

23 Euros a Month not a day!

[@jpdj2715]

My cell phone plan, per month: - unlimited (voice) calling within the NL and from the EU to the NL; - 120 minutes (voice) calling from the NL to the EU - 8 GB mobile data in NL and EU (may actually be 10 GB) Of course, if you can voice-call someone via WhatsApp that counts as "data", not voice and if you do that over your home, or e.g. a bar's open, Wi-Fi then it does not reduce your mobile data reserve. €16/month per person with two people in the household with the same provider

[@nuuwnhuus]

I believe KZbin allows you to put a little text over a certain section after the video has been up. Might be nice to flash "month" for a couple of seconds there.

[@buddy1155]

About healthcare in the US it is easy, now you live in the Netherlands you can get a "continuous health insurance abroad", (mine is €10 a year) when you are in any foreign country your costs are 100% covered.

[@davidc.w.2908]

@@buddy1155 You might want to check that before you visit some countries. Not all are included and when I had that type of insurance, the USA was excluded because of the higher medical expenses.

[@buddy1155]

@@davidc.w.2908 I just checked, my insurance covered all countries except for countries with colour code red.

[@williamgeardener2509]

11:38 Aggressive Advertisements: I can remember a conversation I had with an American who didn't understand that we do not have a culture where you sue people for the most insane reasons and that it's not even necessary to sue someone when you were in an accident. Your wages still get paid, your insurance covers your medical bills. Only self-employed people who don't have any insurance might need to sue, but their compensation won't be comparable to what Americans get. No one became rich because they were hit by a car.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

It’s so refreshing! Thanks for watching.

[@dutchuncle3310]

Going to the US, it’s probably a good idea yo have Dutch a ravel insurance including healthcare. Might be a bit of hassle to claim excessive bills ( it gets evaluated, but necessary visits ( a real diagnosis) or accident, no problem. Something like a 1000 dollar bill for a headache treatment with paracetamol, unlikely to get paid.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Great idea, we will for sure look into that before our next trip. Thank you so much for watching!

[@HaKi1950]

Is your husky going to stay that small or is it going to get bigger?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Hi Hans, Tabasco is actually full-grown and is almost 6 years old. Thanks for watching!

[@ramonvdelst]

On Kingsday morning try to go to a local bakkery/grocerystore and get yourselves some delicious Oranje Tompouce!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Sounds like a great way to start the day. Thank you so much for watching!

[@vogel2280]

Actually, there is a law that strictly prohibits consumer-adds for drugs. The distributor might ever loose their license.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That's good to know, the US could definitely benefit from laws like that. Thank you so much for watching!

[@bertkassing8541]

Koningsdag (King's Day)!!! Just wear Orange!!!!! And drink a lot and have fun!

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We're very much looking forward to seeing (and filming!) how King's Day is celebrated. Thanks for watching Bert!

[@jboreel1936]

Dear T&T, part of the problem about the expensiveness of clothes is that in the Netherlands VAT is 21% on non food items, already included in the price. VAT on food items is 9%, one of the highest in Europe.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Good to know, thank you so much for the information. Thank you also for your continued support of our channel. We appreciate you watching!

[@susannehansler7279]

Have a great kingsday, try to watch our royal family celebrate the day in Maastricht on the tv to Thank you also for the insta link. 😘

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Great idea to watch the royal family. Thanks for the insta follow! We appreciate you!

[@stijnvanderveken]

When we travel outside the EU we put our phones on airplane mode, so no one could bother us. Whatever they might call you for, there is a 95% chance your not going to be able to help them. We turn off the mobile internet and only allow wifi. We tend to plan our holidays so we don't need internet when we are there. Nice to see your slowly converting in real Dutch people, next time your visiting the US you'll be stunned and outraged by the differences 🤣🤣

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Haha, we're planning on another US visit later this year, I'm eager to see our feelings after two US trips! Thank you so much for your continued support of our channel.

[@frankgeurts3912]

Public transport nr1,i guess

[@cccccc202.]

You cuties! 🥰

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Miss you guys!

[@JaapGinder]

About the customer service here in The Netherlands: it depends on the restaurant or whatever bar / café you are. Plus: during all the corona lock downs a lot of personel was fired or resigned. For a lot of horeca (HOtels, REstaurants, Cafe's) it is very deifficult to find new employers now, they even p[ay them more now then before Covid. As a Dutchie I also have certain thought about some restaurants etc. , but mostly you will be served after waiting a little time. That is normal here. It is not good to let you wait for more than 10 minutes. I leave in those cases. Besides that, the prices here are including service, so a tip is not necessary, but is appreciated. Why? Because a waiter is paid a normal wage, here they don't live on the tip money they get. About rude behaviour: not done here, you always can complain about that, in shops, restaurants, market etc. But beware: maybe they don't understand you our vice versa. I did not really understand what yopu meant with people saying 'that is not possible'. (around 8:35). You don't give an example.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

That's a very good point about the corona lockdowns. We've only been here since September, so we've only really experienced time hear during lockdowns and post-lockdown. We're certainly okay with waiting for service, and we always try to leave a tip if our service is good. As far as the "this is not possible" the most recent examples I can think of are dealing with DHL (they claimed to have rung our doorbell to drop off a package, but didn't, and refused to bring the package back until a few days later) and with IKEA (an item we purchased was out of stock, no one contacted us, and two weeks later we followed up, were told that they couldn't contact us when it was back in stock.) Small frustrations, compared to the big problems in the world.

[@JaapGinder]

@@TAndTGoDutch well DHL sometimes is a real pain in the ***. They do ring your bell, but instantly walk away. I have that too, but I catched the guy, because I was right behind the front door. I still remember his face. Lol. Yeah, IKEA.... Just for the fee they charge you for home delivery, you van rent a car to pick it up yourself. The 'not possible' to give you a message when an item is in stock, surprises even me.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Ha, we've heard that before about DHL. Glad we aren't the only ones. I think if we shop IKEA from now on, we'll head to Delft, which is our closest. We appreciate you taking the time to respond, thank you!

[@robertvaneersel3741]

Is it true that if you have a pet in the US your rent is higher? Did you bring your dog when travelling to the US?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

For some rentals, yes, there's typically a pet deposit you need to pay, plus an extra charge each month. We didn't bring Tabasco back with us this time, but next time we visit the US again, he'll probably come along- we missed him too much! Thank you so much for watching.

[@seaofseeof]

13:55 aw an Indian ringneck! The feral parrots make Dutch cities so much more fun.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

So interesting! Thank you so much for watching!

[@TTTzzzz]

Nobody thinks about the King on 'King's' Day. It's just a great excuse to drink and eat too much, wear orange, act stupid, and have a lot of fun. Something like carnival.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Ha, good to know. We're interested to see what the celebration looks like. Thanks for watching!

[@Marc-fr6ls]

Look on KZbin for " doe maar normaal, dan doe je gek genoeg."

[@cactusgamer2186]

My dear friends, Europeans work, they don't live at their jobs. Sundays are church days. Most Americans don't know how to relax, life is hectic, stressful, you run yourself ragged, angry, frustrated. Enjoy yourself.

[@itllbe]

'Cost of clothing' + 'Cell phone costs' = TandTRDutch. Have fun on Kingsday. Wear something orange, go in the park and buy something secondhand from someone on the rommelmarkt and eat your orange tompoes's. Itllbe a blast.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Haha! We're very much looking forward to our first King's Day here. Thank you so much for watching, we appreciate you!

[@patrickvanmechelen7724]

The Netherlands is a dividend in provincies,Brabant and Limburg are more relaxed than all the other provincies.When you go to Brabant you have to visit the Efteling,it's great.

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

Yeah the adds, commercials in the US are super funny and 5 min long it's ridoculous. And the billboards for a lawyer every 2 miles...that's so foreign to me. About Kingsday in Leiden. I just checked online what the programme is. There are different events where you need to buy tickets for. But there are also free stuff like op de Lammermarkt (at Molen the Valk near central station!) there will be live music, dj's, acts and also stuff for children. There is also de vrijmarkt at Tesselschadestraat (at Lage Mors) just people selling their junk. It's like a garage sale but at this day everyone is allowed to do it (this is typical on Kingsday only). Expect a lot of food stands everywhere not necessarily healthy though and a lot of orange, flags and a lot of drunk people! Fun fact; Dj Armin van Buuren is born and raised in Leiden and he still lives here and when I was younger he always played (I don't know if this is the correct term for a dj in English) for free in Leiden during kingsday. This year he is with radio 538 in Breda so no Armin. I am very curious about your Kingsday experience. Just wander around.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Thank you, that's so kind of you to research! We are very much looking forward to our first Kings Day here. We'll for sure be filming- so stay tuned! Thanks for watching.

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

@@TAndTGoDutch it was no problem at all I was curious myself 😇

[@daluzsoares]

You are both beautiful people, put on an orange shirt and go to Utrecht and mingle with the people!!!🤗🤗

[@TAndTGoDutch]

You are so kind, thank you! I think we'll be keeping it to Leiden, but we're excited to see how Kings day is celebrated here. We appreciate you watching!

[@j.l.boekestein3201]

King's Day isn't complete with a glass or Oranjebitter and eating a tompouce (and getting a terribe mess :) )

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Great advice- any excuse to eat tompouce is a good one! Thanks for watching!

[@KootFloris]

Mmm, American clothes may also be less sturdy, fall from your body after one year, as regulations are way slacker, and profit maximization must bigger. Fast fashion is also a big polluter.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Oh sure, absolutely! We try to avoid brands that make more fast fashion, like H&M. We’d much rather spend a bit more (however, we rarely pay full price) on clothes that will last years.

[@bli2008]

customer service "sometimes" lacks? you still don't dare to say "all the time". btw, I'm in the Philippines on holiday and I got unlimited data prepaid for 15 days for 6 euro's, my wife got for 30 days incl. text and voice and 40 gb for 16 euro's

[@TAndTGoDutch]

We've actually had some really great experiences here, so no, it doesn't happen all the time for us. It's just an adjustment, and totally different from the US. As far as the phone data, text, and voice, that's a fantastic deal. We appreciate the info, thank you so much for watching.

[@2012inca]

Of topic but might still be interesting for you to know, we have a Dutch man who is called the Iceman his name is Wim Hof. He seemed to have some sort of superpowers, so doctors in hospital did all kinds of tests on him and confirmed what he said was true. He taught his Iceman method all over the world to thousands of people, so everyone can learn. In the US for example they have Wim Hof Iceman method teachers organize Iceman gatherings. He started breaking records with the Iceman method staying in freezing cold water for a very long time without getting cold and maintaining healthy body temperature. Sounds crazy but doctors in hospital did test on Wim Hof and other people who used the Iceman method and confirmed this. They injected Wim Hof and other Iceman method practioners with a virus of which normal people get sick, they didnt get sick. This is all documented on video in a documentary people can see on KZbin. The doctors in the hospital found people who practice to he Wim Hof Iceman method can control their immune system and therefore can control diseases. Wim Hof said people thousands of years ago people didnt live in houses but in the cold outside 24 hours, so they all had the ability and needed to control their body temperature and immune system to survive in cold temperatures. In later years people started to live in warm houses so this ability was no longer needed and became dormant in people, but with the Wim Hofman method thousands of people across the world have reactivated this ability. If one believes it or not is still interesting to see the Wim Hof Iceman documentary in which doctors test him and where you see him swim in a lake under the ice for a very long time without getting cold and maintaining healthy body temperature. I believe even people in the army were interested in using the Iceman methods. There are lots of video's about him on KZbin being interviewed and a documentary about the iceman Wim Hof as well. There are groups around the world that come together and practice the iceman method. I believe Wim Hof went viral when he climbed one of the biggest mountains in the world in freezing cold temperatures in just shorts and a t-shirt, later he did it again with a large group of people. Other mountain climbers who they met on the mountain were flabbergasted to see people in shorts and t-shirts climbing a freezing mountain. Normal people would have frozen to death, he didnt because he can control his body temperature at a healty level and also controls his immune system. All this is documented on video and in the iceman documentary on KZbin, interesting to say the least for me and seemingly for many people across the globe. Wim Hof is very down to Earth no show off. He discovered this after his wife died of a disease, he got depressed and wanted to find out why she died. What started as a sad story ended in a worldwide movement to make people healthier and helping doctors and hospitals along the way.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Very interesting! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@paulc8799]

Yeah, no. I wouldn't fit in American clothes and the style is not my thing. American jeans just do not fit me, 27 (male) waist is a no-no in states. Regarding the sevice, that is an double edged sword. Let's say the service might be better, just it is a front, they don't really care if the food isn't what you expect...

[@lichtdoos]

Hi T&T in comment on your video to make you feel less worse.. Dutch public service is the worst in Europe, your bad experience has nothing to do with your US heritage. Take the train to Antwerp or Breda in the south of the Netherlands and experience the difference. In my experience the south is always more relaxed no matter the country you are in the world. You from texas so you will understand :-)

[@Qwerty2OG]

IMHO you don't have customers service in the USA, but customers servants..needing to bow to every whim of a customer. Or the customer is always right BS

[@DutchLabrat]

About consumer service: If for example you order a coffee and you get a reasonable(...!) amount of reasonably tasting coffee for your money that is a business contract fulfilled, endoff. If you want to pay a person to by nice to you that is a different industry.... People in the service industry are you know, people who react to other people the way people do. Be polite and nice yourself and most will be nice and polite to you. US service personnel sorry to say to me are spineless bootlickers and as fake as a three euro coin.

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Service between the two countries is different, absolutely. And sure, sometimes, there is a feeling of the person assisting you not being genuine in the US, that's very understandable. Once you've lived in one way for 30-plus years, and you move to a place where it's different, obviously it can come as a culture shock, but the more time we're here, the more we adjust. It's not necessarily a bad thing, as most of the time the service here is way more efficient. Thank you for sharing your point of view and taking the time to comment. We appreciate you watching!

[@vanollsum]

You ve gotta know I really dislike the US government and its crave to be the best country in the world, speaking for my really small country, yet a great country...wich made the world match its curiously growing frontier culture.. what do you want me to know so I can see the US is worth living there for a few years.....

[@rmyikzelf5604]

You are both still soooo American.... why would you need to go to a store at 2 am?

[@TAndTGoDutch]

Lol. We ARE American. There are numerous reasons for needing to shop in the middle of the night, although we never really did when we lived there.

[@dutchyjhome]

This is The Netherlands, and Dutch is the main language here. Do not think you can get away with English every were and out of respect for the Dutch one learns Dutch ! It is so unbelievably without respect to expect everybody to understand English and talk back to you in English as well. It may not be that obvious to you, but English, just like German and French are foreign languages to us ! Where on earth did you get the attitude from to even go live in a country you do not speak the local language of (at least the basics) and that you expect this Dutch society to switch to English at your command..? Really...?, you guys have been living under a rock the last few years or what? There is the correct way in doing things and then there is the wrong way in doing things: At home for the 2 of you: the USA in your case you'll start learning Dutch until you master this language enough to not bother anyone local with your foreign language English. Then you take a grand course in The Dutch Culture, and Dutch Architecture and then, but only then you may want to consider to go and expat for a while here until you go back definitely. So preparation, preparation, preparation, and of course preparation. Any other way is wrong and will lead to bad service, and bad experiences for you. Your little lango USA-English my friends is NOT I repeat NOT the base of all lango's and especially NOT for Dutch, and that also goes for your little USA culture and more USA things. Since USA English is NOT a base for any lango, as far as I know, we safely can establish the fact that you are factually in an entire different country. Think about this a minute and then how about this: I go to the USA and I do not talk English, but I do expect to silly Americans to understand Dutch and of course for them to talk back to me in Dutch as well.... Think about this one minute. Does this sound reasonable to you? How long does it take for the service at any restaurant in the USA to turn sour ? Depending on tips yes or no? This my friends goes beyond money and goes down to plain old respect. And the lack of respect you guys have shown to the Dutch and the very little effort you've put into actually learning Dutch. You guys actually expected to get away with it and NOT learn Dutch to begin with ! Do you really think we have not seen this all before...? Those freakin' Americans coming to The Netherlands, you know avoiding to learn the local lango... being the Big American here... but always finding out, sooner or later, that we have had it with these people with their haughty and stupid attitude. Look nobody actually told you this but: You are a guest in this country; start acting like one ! And stop bothering us Dutch people with your own incompetence and learn Dutch or leave !

[@jboreel1936]

I think this is a most awful reaction. Everybody knows that English is the modern "lingua franca" for a lot of people, liķe Latin used to be in Classic times.

[@dutchyjhome]

@@jboreel1936 And yet not just everybody speaks a foreign lango. So wanna go that way? Fine let's continue diesem Gesprach in Deutsch ! Dann sind es nicht nur die Niederländer den sich mit eine Fremdsprache bedienen mussen, aber auch die Amerikaner!

[@jboreel1936]

Everybody in the Netherlands is taught English at school.

[@dutchyjhome]

@@jboreel1936 And yet Dutch is the local language!

[@hendman4083]

@@dutchyjhome And yet h ere you ar, posting comments in english. 🙄

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Cheaper clothes.... a) wrong stores in NL..b) child labour suppliers