Thoughts on RaDonda Vaught case, white privilege as an immigrant or "expat", General Q&A/Update

American expat living in Amstelveen, Netherlands. Mother to one sweet baby boy. Registered Nurse, passionate about climate change and health disparities. My spouse, who is a Dutch citizen, convinced me to move here after a devastating wildfire season in California. My husband has always spoken of a magical childhood growing up here and we wanted to give our son the same.

[@Mash4096]

You're giving these negative commenters way too much attention. I think you're doing great and you're learning everything fast. I'll be waiting for your next videos!

[@DenUitvreter]

I agree that the word 'expat' implies privilege, but you can't just project American concepts like 'white privilege' onto the Netherlands. A black American expat has the same privilege. Fact of the matter is that in general there are two kinds of immigrants. People who are supposed to have something to offer to the Netherlands and therefore get a tax cut, many not very white software guys from India lately for example, and immigrants who need something from the Netherlands. The reason for immigration is the difference here, not the colour. There symmetric migration between countries, and assymetric migration. From one counry to another, from a poor country to a rich country, from a low educated country to highly educated economy, that makes for different migrants in general and nothing can change that.

[@adapena7050]

I love your videos! I moved to the Netherlands 10 years ago. And I also like the weather, I mean, I don’t mind cloudy or rainy days, in fact it makes the few sunny days feels very special and almost surreal.

[@ronaldmethorst]

Dear Ellen, I have worked and lived in America for years and have experienced in various states of the US how narrow-minded and sick the people are and the system is. I have never experienced such a money horny and aggressive community as in the US. You have to watch out for everything and if you do something "wrong" you will be immediately charged by a lawyer. It's not about justice for them, it's about how much money they can take out no matter how many lives they have to destroy. A friend of mine came back of the states after working and living there for a long time and he said to me that the biggest insult people could give him was to call him an American and that is verry, verry sad because the most do not know better.

[@mariaanzaldua7339]

Ellen,I love your attitude about getting "ingeburgerd" in the Netherlands. I was born and raised in Amersfoort. went to the US in 1967.Living in Texas now.I am76. The longer I live in the US.the less I understand the way people nearly have to work themselves to death with little of no vacations nor good healthcare here. I hope you will take the good and the bad in The Netherlands as I have tried to do here. your attitude is great,much love !

[@TonBoon]

I am dutch and love your channel, it makes me conscious about things that are totally natural to me. Haters gonna hate, so ignore them.

[@chubbymoth5810]

It is really shocking to have a nurse who admitted to their mistake and will probably have had a terrible sense of guilt sent to prison. That really sets a bad example for any other nurses to admit to mistakes. This case will cost many lives in the US. You gave a clear Californian accent, which is always a bit slower than the East coasters have. I kinda like it. You also make sense to me, that helps. No doubt the whole slow process of emigrating will give you a headache or two, eventually it will probably work out with your skill set. You also mentioned going to study again. Well maybe that is not a bad idea at all. It is relatively cheap in the Netherlands and there are many courses in English. The somewhat dreary winter months will be over soon. With some luck we'll have a warm summer this year and otherwise you'll learn to curse the rain like the natives, which will help you practise those horrid glutaral G's.

[@yvonnebirch6026]

As an Amsterdammer now living in dry California I love to watch vlogs coming out of my home country. Vlogs or videos , what is the difference ? To see the rain and how green it is makes me homesick. This must be a difficult time to be a nurse. I hope you find your way in the Netherlands. Thanks for sharing 💕🌷

[@jeaninevanlente3520]

I love your videos. I am Dutch and moved 14 years ago to Canada. You are doing wonderful, it took me 3 years to feel content here and 5 years to truly understand the cultural differences and be totally OK with that. I am still Dutch, but I now see it as an enrichment to be able to chose the best out of both worlds. Wishing you all the luck and happiness in your live in the Netherlands. Holland is a great country to live in.

[@ExpatEllen]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@yvonnebirch6026]

It took me 2 or 3 years to when I emigrated to California. So very homesick ! I didn’t come for the country but to marry my American husband.

[@albertdoddema4926]

Hello, I’m a Dutch male, aged 61, and consider myself progressive, open minded and somewhat leftish on the political spectrum. And with that I mean the Dutch political spectrum. I follow a lot of immigrants that share their experiences on KZbin. I admire their (and your) courage for taking such a big step in the unknown to leave their ‘normal’ life and try to create a future in the Netherlands. I notice a lot of mixed feelings, on one hand, enjoying the rights and freedoms this country has to offer, on the other hand the differences in culture that has to be endured to feel comfortable here. I think you are doing a great job in trying to assimilate in this country. There’s a lot to learn about the Dutch way that will make your life so much more pleasant to live. Just surrender to the flow and don’t take everything too serious. Good luck on your journey and I apologize for poor grammar on my behalf. Tip: Try some Indonesian food (toko), may be it will let you forget your Mexican cravings. 😜

[@vexisonline]

I'm enjoying your videos, it's always good to get some perspective on things I might not have thought of myself and find your voice rather calm and friendly. I think it's totally understandable the you're feeling homesick, it's only been a few months, I'm not really sure you can settle that quickly after moving to a different country anyway. There's a lot of expat channels that are probably equally enjoyable for you, and might make the transition somewhat smoother. Best of luck and I'm sure you'll complain about the weather like the rest of us, given time ;)

[@CptFarlow]

Hi Ellen! I always love seeing your new video pop up in my feed. My girlfriend and I will be visiting the Netherlands in a few weeks and I had hoped to send you a message to see if you were interested in getting coffee with us, but it seems YT has removed the direct-message feature. We found a couple of other American immigrants to chat with and learn from because I strongly desire to emigrate to the Netherlands for many of the same reasons you did. I've been learning Dutch for about two months now, and even started taking one-on-one tutor lessons. It's going quite well. If you desire I can recommend a couple of good books to help you learn Dutch. Best of luck in all of your endeavors.

[@NotJustBikes]

The best burrito are at the Burrito Maker: maps.app.goo.gl/RkhmSnGxKxgbz5Ch6 It's pretty far from Amstelveen, but if you're in the canal ring, check it out.

[@neeleonhelemaalniet]

This guy is everywhere!

[@ExpatEllen]

Yes but last place I would expect him to be is on my little 1K subscriber channel lol. Shook!

[@NotJustBikes]

@@ExpatEllen whenever a burrito is needed, I will be there.

[@lindaraterink6451]

wow that's funny I find your voice actualy very calming.

[@MiguelJW]

I really enjoy your video’s! I hope you find your way around and become a nurse in Netherlands too! Watch out when walking the streets with your kid. They drive fast crazy and ruthless in Netherlands!! 🧡

[@accidentalgenius8252]

Thanks for the video, I really enjoy them!

[@frankdenbiesen7694]

F... PAUL! It's a pleasure looking at and listening to you! And hope you'll feel more settled soon and brilliant insight you gave into healthcare problems from nurses' perspective. 👍

[@RoelvandenBergWillemWasbak]

When Dutch people say don't go outside we Dutch people are going outside. most of us go against the warnings because we love bad weather. Filming the thunderstorms. Loving the Winds. The Northsea is great when the winds are really heavy. I love it too because i work outside 6 days a week. so rain, snow, ice, sunshine i have to go trough it all everyday. I find thunderstorms fantastic. I love cold weather. the colder it is the better it is.

[@angelavm84]

Lovely to see one of your videos again! Love to see your journey documented & hope your positive experiences will soon be the only ones that matter. 😉

[@valentijnwesterveld4483]

I like your videos and your story(s). I hope you feel welcome in the Netherlands. 😊

[@TASTYFOODSandEATING]

Great for sharing my friend.

[@wagelink]

Thanks for your answer (in a video also). When you are capable of biking with one hand, you are pretty skilled. There are a lot of foreigners who think that it is scary to do. So skilled. And something to be proud about. Going to an other country (even with a husband) is a huge step. And I admire those who do it. Funny that you named the 'rust, reinheid en regelmaat'. It was something my mother learned after WW2. But it is still very useful as specially when there a lot of choices. Keep it simple and try to find what fits you and be happy with it. Thats what I try to do.

[@sanaissa9195]

Ellen! I miss you so much and love how you take negative comments. I laugh because I’m thinking “these ppl have no clue how cool this chick is and they’re the sad ones”. I hope to be able to visit you and your beautiful baby boy one day!!!

[@nfboogaard]

Thanks for posting, it's nice to hear you're enjoying the weather because there's more where that came from haha! Don't give negative comments another thought. For what it's worth I think you have a soothing, lovely voice. Regarding immigrants of color, I follow a few black youtubers that just got here and they say they feel alot more welcome than in other countries they stayed in or even originated from (US). So your experience might not differ that much from other immigrants. Have a great weekend, I will be visiting the tulip fields in Lisse, I bet you would love it too 🌷🌷

[@Mrevolva]

yeah, the weather is all over the place! liked the video again! dont worry you are lovely

[@MrJankert64]

there are always haters out there. i call them losers, because if i do not like something for whatever reason, i just turn it of...... problem solved. i have no room for hate in my live... great vid. welkom to the Netherlands, hoop everything will go as you hoop for. do what you have to do, and after that, try to make a little adventure every day, with your beautiful child..

[@marcovtjev]

Biking and Wind: keep an eye out for high rise buildings. Even with moderately hard wind, close to high rise buildings there can be a wind tunnel effect that can knock you off your bike.

[@jackvandersluis1723]

Keep the faith Ellen, you and your family will survive! And you're not a vampire if you're not or too much sun light, here in the Netherlands you're not the only one! Being a nurse is hard but I hope you will try! when you don't try you will never know, but I understand it's hard! 🤗👍

[@ehekkert]

Paul got the correct response.

[@hummel3479]

Hello Ellen, about the door. If you have to pick up a package at your front door just turn the key to lock the door while it is open. So the door cannot be closed by your son or the wind. I hope you know what i mean. And here in Roermond (Limburg south of the Netherlands) we have a Mexican restaurant called El Sotano.

[@lisakottier5604]

Great that you have a bike yourself! I also had the issue of carrying to much stuff with you when doing groceries. My solution: a Steco Monkey backpack holder, which you can attach on the back of your bike. So handy!

[@eddys.3524]

Nice video again, Ellen... About Mexican food, many years ago we had a "Mexican" restaurant in the city where I live and I loved to eat there. But there are so many ethnic restaurants that, I guess, it makes it hard for some to survive. Because there is no obvious Mexican community in the Netherlands, Mexican food isn't very likely to get wide spread and the "Mexican" food you can get is likely to be adapted to Dutch taste. I hope you'll find a good replacement for Mexican food... E.G. try Indian cuisine one day (Not Indonesian which is nice too).

[@lowie267]

Your do it great believe in your self 👍👍

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

I find your voice soothing. And yeah, Mexican food, I had a friend from Mexico and she knew very well how to make a decent burrito. She said a lot of it comes down to the different types of ingredients that are not grown here in Europe. You could off course import that, but even something as simple as corn flour, what they use in Mexico is of strands of corn that just don't exist in Europe. Maybe they are not even trading the seeds to protect the heritage, who knows. Is corn flour in the US not imported from Mexico, or is that particular corn actually grown in the US?

[@ronaldmethorst]

I didn`t had the time yet to watch it all but, hahahahaha I find you verry funny and I like your voice and smile!😂😂😂goodbye Paul.

[@ronaldmethorst]

I was not aware of this case but it is an absolute shame how this woman has been treated. A typical case where a hospital does not take its responsibility and shifts it to a nurse. In 1993 I broke my neck as a result of a traffic accident on the 10 between Banning and Beaumont. I was taken to a hospital (private clinic) because I was a foreigner and foreign insurance companies were not recognized. After 24 hours of first aid they kicked me out and emptied my credit card! $15,000!!!! The nurse who helped me had worked 18 hours straight that day and night. It was this nurse who did not want to leave me on the street and took me to my condo in Palm Springs after her long shift. These kind of nurses sooner or later make mistakes because they are forced to work ridiculously long days, the do this not for the money, but they are born for it, out of humanity. And this nurse falls victim to a system that is rotten through and through and has nothing to do with justice. Convicted by a non-professional mindless jury who are forced to set an example without realizing that the cause lies with the fatigue of the nurses on duty. The nurse who helped me also stated that if she did not work the hours imposed, she would immediately lose her job. Very, very representative of the states and one of the many reasons I've never stayed there and never go back, not even for a vacation. ronald. Ps, I would definitely let RaDonda nurse me. And worst of all, it hasn't been considered how many lives she's saved during her career. It really makes you puke.

[@ExpatEllen]

I'm so sorry for this awful experience you had. If you truly fractured your neck, you would have certainly needed more care than 24 hours! There were many times I felt personally comprised when discharging patients that I knew where not ready to go home. Me too, I would think RaDonda would actually be the safest nurse on the unit now! Thanks for watching. :)

[@willemmantel7176]

Lol. Waiting for the supermarket home made Mexican food test. 😂 Enjoying your first impressions of the Netherlands.

[@vincentbols3546]

be welcome. It is logical that everything does not go the way you wanted, but that is a learning process. keep smiling and have fun. cry a lot, that's all part of it. but enjoy. it takes longer than usual, wait. will come. the netherlands has so much to offer...too much. grab your freedom your life and get out there. together with your family. put pressure on the authorities that have to arrange papers. you'll get there. Do not be afraid.

[@miran4471]

Haha ☔🌦️⛈️ love it! ❤️

[@Marianneduetje]

Dear Ellen, don't loose courage. There will be nasty people who enjoy putting otters down. Just ignore them. Your voice in fact is very soothing . Give it time.

[@neeleonhelemaalniet]

Haha love the comment about your voice. I mean: Just ignore these comments! Or laugh at them. You're doing great!

[@ari197]

I'd start thinking should I bike or not if the wind blows faster then 15 Km/h .. specially if you know you'll be bringing your kid or some stuff .. pay attention also on the wind direction .. side wind is the most dangerous ..

[@michellezevenaar]

Buy a voetenzak for the buggy, it will make things easier in colder months. Its like a fitted weatherproof sleeping bag for the buggy.

[@florisvansandwijk6908]

Ellen, I moved my family over 10 years ago from the city to the country side, within the Netherlands, and my wife is only now getting used to the change. So 3-4 months is nothing.

[@angelavm84]

>You< moved the family instead of the >family< moved? 😅 And your wife went along with that? 😉

[@florisvansandwijk6908]

@@angelavm84 I may have forgotten the word "with": "with my family"

[@jpdj2715]

As to the RaDonda Vaught case, Dutch law is different in several ways that should lead to different outcomes. Some concepts of Dutch law and I'll conclude with my opinion on the case - I did not study law but live in a context with law degrees abound. The NL doesn't have jury trial, so a case does not rely on a lawyer's theatrical rhetoric abilities and charisma to win a case. American court rhetorics as depicted by "Hollywood", to a Dutch person are so stupid that someone might say, "I did not do it" and then the opposing lawyer could ask "did you say 'I' ?", "did you say 'did'?", "did you 'it'?"in order to conclude "so you said I did it." All Dutch judges are highly educated and selected. As things can go wrong there are levels of appeal courts up to the Supreme Court (Hoge Raad). And there's peer review at each level. "Sitting" are the judges, "standing" are attorneys and lawyers/solicitors/barristers. That all said, I would argue that some 80% of lawyers and the like is not top-class, inexperienced, or even downright incompetent and getting proper access to the fairness of our legal system may be difficult for a "naive" person. The top 20% of lawyers/solicitors/barristers is generally found in the law firms working for big (rich) corporations and very wealthy individuals. Their strategy can be to drag a case for years with the potential liability as an accounting number in the client's financial records - in the meantime racking up their bills and the expenses at the side of the opponent. Then it becomes a matter of which side has enough money to sit through the entire proceedings of years and hope to win the case. The general principle of our laws is based on "reasonableness and fairness" in judgement and we generally do not have a "positivist" but a "principle-based" law system. Positivist means you have to explicitly write code for any situation (use case) you may need to cover with your law in the future. In the US, congress may need to write 10,000 pages of health care "law", when here that might be captured in a couple pages of principles in Dutch law. In cases where, say rates, changes are related to cycles in politics or the economy, we have "frame laws" and "general measures of government" that outline and define the principles and then cabinet/minister may update what is inside the "frame", like those rates. While some democracies have "trias politica" where three (trias) verticals generate a separation of powers (politica) that should guarantee fairness, the Netherlands has three in some parts of law and two in another (the "belastingtoeslagenaffaire" - tax allowance affair - drives this painfully home and makes every sitting legal professional in the administrative law vertical a priori and prima facie suspect). The reality of trias politica is that in all these democracies, the public servants and office holders form an invisible power - often called the fourth power - that influences the other three. The Netherlands has no political appointments in the public servant vertical. As to the RaDonda Vaught case, I would argue argue that, here, the leading principle is that every employee can make mistakes and this is in all cases the liability of the employer, both in internal and out-of-pocket costs. The exception might be, if criminal intent could be demonstrated, but in our "reasonableness and fairness" based culture that is hard to prove in this case. In our legal system's philosophy or principles, as a medical client with every treatment and consultation steps into a contract with a medical professional without being aware of that, they (clients) should understand that we distinguish "result contracts" versus "effort contracts". We would consider services delivered by a garage or plumber as stemming from a "result contract" while the medics are considered to work from an "effort contract" starting point. Even as long as the medics do their stinking best, success/result is never guaranteed and errors are human and can happen - is the vision on the reality behind all this. And so when medics make mistakes, these are called "kunstfout" (art mistake) - this stems from the time when the medics still felt that their profession was not based on their own "science" but was an "art" (geneeskunst - healing art - today is called geneeskunde - healing skill/science - in Dutch). The fundamental question beyond the Vaught case then is, between employee and employer, how to deal with medical actions/proceedings/small-tasks that will kill the client when a human error is accidentally made. In big-corporation-IT you may see a "four eyes - four hands" principle applied when changes - designed and rehearsed in test environments or shadow production environments - need to be taken to live production systems where a typo can helix (*) up a corporation's vital IT. What if you have to set a morphine drip? What if you have to inject insulin? What if you have to administer, say, the digitalis medication to a client in a hospital bed to treat their atrial arrhythmias. Does one person do this? Or is there a peer who looks over your shoulder and hands as would happen in that IT situation? Each of these extremely basic examples can OD/kill the client. And not properly executing this makes the employer culpable. Then there is the question how many hours an employee can remain focused. Science informs us that someone that worked about 8 or 9 hours has the acuity of a person who drank three beers. So if an employer makes a habit of holding their employees hostage for more than, say, 9 hours, including breaks, maybe in raising the expectation of promotions to the person that makes the most hours, then they already are fully culpable as to employee mistakes by doing so. If they then, for cost savings, decide that 4-eyes/4-hands is not necessary, they double their culpability. And let's face it, if you are driving your car and try to participate in a conference call, then some organizations would forbid this and the chair of the conference will throw you out of it. Irrespective of the country you are in allowing you to make/answer hands-free calls in your car. Along these lines, making your employee work 9 hours is already debatable with respect to their personal health and safety, e.g. when they have to commute back home - and that should be a liability to the employer. Hiring ad interim staff or project managers that boss employees around does not discharge you from such responsibilities and liabilities. Being a legally naive doctor in a hospital does not exclude you from the not-material professional side of your profession. You see, under Dutch law and jurisprudence, the prudent sitting people may judge that Ms. Vaught is guilty (she did it) but not culpable and that her employer is liable, guilty and culpable. Now you, with access to the 80% mentioned above, not the 20% (**), try to find a lawyer that would come up with this reasoning without having shown them this piece. I would "wish you luck" at that. As I use the term "client" rather than "patient" I have to add that today's Dutch medical protocol is somewhat like: you call the doctor (**) and their question 1, "are you about to die?" - if not then go away, and question 2, "have you already tried paracetamol?" - if not, you had no right to call the medics in the first place. You see, you can define an extremely thin protocol and then build statistics that report you never make mistakes. When nobody doubts the validity and relevance of your protocol. (*) a helix is a screw (**) the 80%-20% is probably too friendly to the profession - in the grey are between the 80 and 20, there's a group that is not in control in their processes (and finances), (court) timelines, strategy, tactics, communication, even when they are the best in law and jurisprudence. (***) as they generally do not hold a Ph.D. they are not a doctor in the academic sense. Which means the word has an etymology, fine semantics, in English (as well as Dutch) of "to doctor" (to try, to experiment, to fumble, likely with negative results) - too many mistakes in the family make you loose trust and patience with the entire professional group. After all, a patient is someone you keep waiting, but a client is someone you take care of.

[@ExpatEllen]

So much knowledge in this comment, thank you so much for taking the time. I read it all.

[@icearrow3202]

Now that you live in The Netherlands you should watch the Eurovision Song Contest and cheer for your new country. I believe it is quite entertaining. Also, if you are able to get a dutch citizenship , could you travel to other countries of the EU without passport or you have to be born in an european country ?

[@Captiv8ingChaos]

That's so weird.. i applied for the partnership visa two weeks ago and was accepted after 12 days. iND broke a record for them I guess.

[@BrazenNL]

I don't think this will ever change in the US as it only cares about profit and punishment. Everything has to make money, so let's not try to rehabilitate people, or protect workers, or teach people, or … As a Dutch person, I can't see America as a society as people only care about themselves. Of course this comment is generalizing, but just look at what Amazon is doing right now with the union that is forming.

[@loedeman]

For Mexican food: maybe you should visit La Cucaracha in Zwolle (not connected to them, just love their food)…

[@pjotrh]

Hi Ellen, Id just like to say that i visited California multiple times and did many roadtrips there in the last 10 years (i had a chance to combine work and vacations multiple times). While indeed there are many problems, especially with homelessness, which in particular made my time in LA rather shocking, overall it is a stunning place at the same time. I loved my stays in SF and san diego areas, and the national parks of sequoia, yosemite, big sur and joshua tree are some of my favorite places [and my profile pic is actually at Lake Tahoe]. Yes there are problems, but I also want to emphasize its beauty. If anything it is that beauty, which makes it hurt so much that these problems are not being dealt with. I think it is important to highlight that duality, because some of the YT comments seemed to get a bit harsh on LA and California.

[@ExpatEllen]

You are right it really is one of the most beautiful places and Yosemite alone will take your breath away. The wildfires got so close to Lake Tahoe last year and I was so worried I would never see it in the same glory ever again. The diversity in landscape and climate is perhaps the best in the world. It was amazing that I could drive only 3 hours, snowboard and come home to warm 20 celcius weather in just one day. I had a wonderful childhood growing up in California and I still have positive things to say about it that I can discuss more on my channel. Thanks for watching.

[@pjotrh]

@@ExpatEllen just to be 100% clear, i didn’t mean ur comments, but the comments being left by ppl on the videos.

[@henkkelderman4182]

He’s so cute

[@emilychambers6700]

Sista EA in the house

[@ChrisMcCandless77777]

WoW I loved when you start speaking Spanish, great go on with it 😍💪 About real Mexican food you are in the wrong corner of the Netherlands. Here the names of the best Mexican food restaurants in Enschede ( Twente ) Caballeros, The Foodclub, Saloon make a weekend trip to the east of the Netherlands. You are welcome 😘

[@ronaldmethorst]

Sorry, had to scroll down a bit more, and I was write about you being objective, the dutchies will keep on following you. I know i will.

[@albertlay8927]

We do like Mexican food. The supermarkets are a good indicator for what people like. After all, supermarkets only sell what people buy, and since there is a pretty decent selection of Mexican stuff, we must like it. I know I like it. The problem is, that we don't have enough Mexicans/Latino's here. On the subject of hospital liability: I think here in NL we are too far on the other end. It is very hard to get your right when the hospital has made a mistake. You really need to go a long way.

[@corneliusantonius3108]

💙💛

[@ronaldmethorst]

Dear Ellen, the nurse who helped me, nursed me in Palm Springs for 4 more weeks, my company allowed me to compensate her with 10.000 dollar witch was for a single mom nurse an enormous amount as gratitude,(she never expected this, it was after the 4 weeks) she was crying of joy and happiness because now she could pay of a lot of her debt. After some time I heard before I wend home that some bureau took her car because she wasn't on time with her payments, as gratitude a payed the last terms and gave her her car back, now she has re-married a Dutchie (old colleague from my old company) and lives in a nice place in Westlake Village. True my old colleague I make Shure that she gets every year a nice big bouquet of flowers at the day she nursed me and brought me home. These nurses make al the differences, she helped me regardless because I needed help, and because of her I recovered wel (RaDonda is such a nurse). I am verry happy for her that she found al the love she deserves, and if I hadn't been married then I would have asked her to marry me. And if I am honest, you look now a lot like her back then 29 years ago. If I think of her (RaDonda brought the memory back) I get the same warm feeling as if I am waiting for her to come and nurse me. The same feeling I get with my wife who I've been with for 43 years. I wish everyone this happiness. Ronald. Omg what sentimental.

[@lebell79]

there's another solution to the voice problem: play the vid at a higher speed so the pitch goes up! :D

[@ronaldmethorst]

That's weird, the most positive commend deleted for no reason?

[@NeoOnyx]

Ellen, the comment about your voice is a personal preference, I think. But to comment on that is a bit of a jerk move 🤨 Personally, I really like listening to you speak, because you just sound like a normal person, being yourself and down to earth. As a Dutchman that just feels natural. Apart from that, you are a gorgeous woman, so watching your video’s is very pleasant 😊 Hopefully the IND comes through with your work permit soon (just keep calling them) and you can apply for a hospital job. God knows the hospital staff in the Netherlands needs all the help they can get. Keep up the video’s! 🙂👍🏻

[@ExpatEllen]

I recognize your username and have developed a fond association to it in my mind because of all the encouraging comments you post on mine and other immigrant's videos. Thank you for that, really. Is Neo your real name? Can you please tell me where you live in Netherlands and maybe something about yourself if you don't mind?

[@ExpatEllen]

I don’t think people are seeing that i’m responding to them… trying to figure out how to tag

[@NeoOnyx]

​@@ExpatEllen Hi Ellen. Awwww, that's so sweet of you to say. Yes, especially on social media I try to encourage instead of criticize (there's too much of that already). Because I find it very brave to move to another country and culture, I'd like to 'help out' whenever I can. You've probably seen comments of me on Stacy's and Jovie's channel. Nice to see you got into contact with them, because I can understand that there's going to be a moment where you feel homesick and rather lonely. Then it's important to get another person's take on their experiences. I'm not really a person to talk about myself (in public), but I'm a married guy from The Hague (born and raised). I'm a website owner and designer (of 20 years already) and a digital artist. If you're curious about my art, you can check it out on Instagram at @byonyx2020. (No, My real name isn't Neo (although that would be cool), Neo and Onyx were the names of 2 of our cats, who sadly passed away last year, at 17). The attraction I have (as so many other Dutch ppl do) with expats/immigrants is that they make me look at my own country through fresh eyes. I think I have learned more about the Netherlands from them than I've learned in school. Also it's surprising how my pride for this country is renewed, listening to expats, because since I don't know any better, it's easy to take things for granted. I watch many expat video's and also from couples that moved here from another country. If you married a Dutchman, you do have a big advantage, because he can teach and show you the Dutch way and help you learn the language. For others, for example a couple from Russia or Africa, they would have to learn everything from scratch. I feel the best way to integrate is to learn the language. I'm aware that most of us Dutchies speak English, so there's no pressure, but wouldn't it be nice to partake in a conversation where most of the people are speaking in Dutch, getting the jokes and the nuances? The Netherlands is full of clubs, for hobby or other insterests and usually they can be found quite near to your house. It gives you something to do, meet new (local) people, make friends and it makes you feel more settled in. That could be something that might help with the homesickness, to find something for yourself. Sorry that I'm rambling a bit (when I start typing, I can go on and on ;-) I Hope to see you in your next video :-D

[@NeoOnyx]

@@ExpatEllen I got tagged tho. Whenever you reply to a comment, the person is automatically tagged and a notification goes to their e-mail, which is how I saw you replied.

[@gijsbertuslaurensvandevooren]

Popocatepetl delivers at home.see if you got them in your city

[@jospieters5214]

Hi Ellen, I was thinking. May be Paul Devlas misinterpreted your intonation. I myself like your tone. To me it shows thoughtfullness. You appear to be intelligent, not someone who blurts out something, but always express a well thought out opnion. , like the RaDonda Vaught case. Thank you for that. I really do appreciate it. By the way: is RaDonda a coloured woman?

[@ExpatEllen]

Thank you 😃 I don’t think my voice is that bad either but whatever. No RaDonda is white.

[@Emma-zm2us]

If you ever go to Eindhoven you should try Mis Amores. It’s a super good (real) Mexican restaurant and they make their own tortillas. 😎

[@Emma-zm2us]

And i heard Los Pilones in Amsterdam is super good too but I haven’t been there yet. ❤️

[@Bowwow30]

Aaahw, Jack at 1:40 is so sweet. And I have always thought you are a vampire! Now I know for sure, since you admitted it.

[@hunchbackaudio]

I think when more Mexicans come to the Netherlands their food will follow. That’s how we got all the Indonesian, Surinamese, Turkisch etc. restaurants.

[@qixxor2075]

If you have good neighbors, that you trust, give them your frontdoor keys. As to nurses going to jail, is just insane. Thank god, you are in a less insane judicial system. As to Mexican food, it’s horrible here. You can make your own though, Albert heyn has a Mexican section, we make a decent fajitas! Thanks for your videos, I enjoy them immensely. Once lente (spring) starts you will feel less homesick. Also leave Amstelveen! There are better places to live here.

[@rfrhattem4581]

Ellen, you are doing great!! White privalige is sadly a real thing for the whole NW European countries. Not so much to be white alone is a 100% free pass, also the fact you come from a "rich' country USA/ Canada/ NW Europe / Australia gives you a 10 x times better headstart. The Netherlands is not a Walhalla compared to the US. Some things are better in the States others are not. As long the positives outnumber the negative ones you doing fine!! Try to adapt the livestyle here without ignoring your own heritage, i keep saying. Can't wait for the next clip!

[@sfoyogi8979]

get a lockbox and put it outside in a hiding place... then you have a key accessible if you lock yourself out.

[@JerrySpark]

Being an ex-pat as a Dutch in Milwaukee for a couple of years, these videos are very entertaining to me. Your husband probably explained you, what the Dutch's worst criticism on normal interaction with Americans is. If you are not genuine, then do not smile ... anyone can tell (not you specifically, everyone). We Dutch really hate the "fake smile", "how are you ?" "I 'm fine thank you (no I am not)". After three years I really was missing (yes missing) the rude attitude of waitress(es) in The Netherlands. I was not always agreeing with my friend in the U.S., (especially regarding politics) but this was more a result of the lack of exposure to foreign cultures on their side. Is someone to blame for that, if not given the opportunity ? As Obama said, "If I was only watching Fox News, I was probably not voting for myself". Anyhow, no matter what some of these comments say, you are doing fine. Be genuine and make an effort to learn Dutch (yes I know you heard this before), then you are solid in this tiny country.

[@alcidesforever]

Some dutch people dont mind the wind when biking, in fact, they embrace it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH7Mn6qcYtCFoqM 😂

[@thyme3605]

That plastic over the stroller is the most dangerous thing I’ve seen, the kid breathing in CO2…😢

[@ThirstyTunaTaco]

Tip... Buy fietstassen a.k.a. bicycle bags for on the back of your bicycle. You can stuff a lot of groceries in it. :) Unless you use a swapfiets.. In that case.. I unfollow you :P :)

[@ElMariachi1337]

Don't worry, you can complain about the Dutch weather, we basically do it all the time: when it rains it sucks, when it's cold it sucks, but when the sunny days start there is too much sun and it is too hot. We Dutch just like to complain even though we have a pretty good life most of the time. A funny video about surviving the Dutch weather: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6SQfINupLWXrMk

[@jeffreyheidstra74]

hi again lol welll I have bean to many psuchotherapists nefor but so far no luck so ijust going to life on untill i break down i buy some time i find little liyyle bit of happiness ibefor i got ill with sleep apmeu i was a taxidriver for healthcare patients i dont think you got it in the U.S So its a taxi driver that takes patient gr far or nearby to threpists ppeople with cancer blimd or visual impared or with people going to ad from dyalisthey mosyly are not in a good mood but at the end of the drive i help yhm out dee tehm smile that is my good feeling Jeffrey

[@nuuwnhuus]

I've never wondered about windspeeds when cycling lol, now I'm wondering whether it is because you're closer to the coast or because I grew up with a bike. There has to be an authentic Mexican restaurant somewhere right? Like I can imagine a lot of them being shitty Dutch versions, because that's what we do. But surely there is a Mexican with a passion for his food/culture somewhere in this country. If you do happen to find a good restaurant I'd love to know, Mexican food always looks so incredibly tasty. The nurse thing put me off from clicking on the video at first because I had no idea what it was about, but I'm glad I clicked. That's messed up though, you don't have to be a genius to see that this is going to lead to more disasters.

[@jasperbenus8440]

I like you

[@blindbrick]

Is it a privilege to call yourself an expat? Who is preventing everyone else from calling themselves an expat?

[@Bowwow30]

Okay Paul Devlas, Ellen is who she is, including her voice and looks ( I guess you do like those). Fortunate for you, there are millions of other videos to watch on here. Let Ellen be who she is.

[@ronalddolman2654]

9:35 Just the level of sheer bias that this question exudes!? Please know that, contrary to what the questioner and his minority of like-minded people think, you don't have to defend yourself against these kinds of insinuations in the Netherlands. We are well aware of our history and actions, but at the same time want to move forward together in harmony. Unlike a small group of people, who did have enjoyed all the benefits of this country, but now somehow feel superior to the rest of us and believe they are entitled to rewrite history.

[@mentos93]

Don't worrie about calling yourself an expat. Its common for people coming from richer countries to call themself expat wich has nothing to do with a skin color. People from asian countries like japan, south korea and singapore are expats too while some eastern europeans like romanian are referred as immigrant too. so that comment just seems to come from a race baiter. Also i wouldn't use terms like people or color here since its more comon to refer to people from their nationality like japanese or nigerian, moroccan for example.

[@H1SCOTTY]

The next one who thinks he needs to criticize your voice you can direct to the Dutch cult band DoeMaar (song Doris day), who were singing in the eighties there’s a switch on your “television”. 😂

[@janvandruten1123]

Strong woman no doubt👍

[@fredverkerk838]

you have a nice voice , the are trols

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

You hate sunshine? Just wait for midsummer when there is only about 7 hours between sunset and sunrise and the dusk and dawn periods are really long too. You won't be able to live as a vampire then.

[@ceesjanmol]

(flauw...) You double triple-check? So... That's like... Six times?

[@ShipSpottingNederland]

Mensen zouden wat meer in het Nederlands mogen reageren onder de video's, zo leren we de taal nooit natuurlijk! 😂

[@TheEvertw]

Prosecuting nurses for honest mistakes is so dumb. This will only lead to people being left to die until they or their relatives have signed a document waiving all their rights. American greed is destroying the USA but also the world.

[@ExpatEllen]

So true. The typical American "solution" to just throw people in jail.

[@bramvalkenburg5655]

The fact that you looked like you felt guilty because of your 'white privilege' made me a bit sad. The fact that certain abilities (like being able to communicate with us Dutch natives) seem to be 'white privilege' is beyond me... Abilities have nothing to do with skin color. It might have something to do with the culture of the immigrant and his/her background but nothing more. Not all Polish immigrants are able to communicate here properly for instance and they are white. The better word for it would be culture privilege. I'm not making the statement that white privilege does not exist at all. Just don't touch someones competence and call it white privilege...

[@SAMUDRAMAC]

You don’t have an ugly voice Ellen. The thing is that, like a lot of Americans, you growl, talk in the back of your throat. That sounds bad. Just keep your voice more at the front of your mouth. You’ll sound much better. The growling sound awful, Btw, just change your door for another typen gave onechtst I need to lock from the outside. I lived alone for a while and was afraid to lock myself out, which actually happened. So. Lock change.

[@williammccoy7127]

Nothing annoying about you voice ,that guy needs to go somewhere else,if he thinks that.

[@ronaldmethorst]

Dear Ellen, I have been following you for a few months and yes you are an open book but that is what makes you so beautiful, your smile is mesmerizing. You will be an amazing "Dutch" mother raising the happiest child in the Netherlands. Just be patient. And it's exactly what Stacy said, get your driver's license and make your own friends, with your social skills that shouldn't be a problem at all. And as for your career, as soon as you master the Dutch language, you need a shortened course with your experience and you work in IC. And once you get used to a truly free country, you'll never want to go back and you'll never be homesick again, just be objective! I wish you all the happiness and good health in our beautiful country, ronald.

[@ryanmarfleet5929]

Ellen love your videos. It's so cool that you live In the Netherlands I use to live in Amsterdam and noordwijkerhout the dutch people are so cool and kind I miss Holland I've been back in britian for 18years and I miss Netherlands so much