What’s SHOCKED us about living in the Netherlands? (Dutch culture shock for American expats)

In this episode, Michelle and Alex count down the top 10 biggest culture shock moments they've experienced (so far, at least) since moving to the Netherlands from the United States. Hear both the good and the bad about their experience over the last 3 months acclimating to life in Holland.
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00:00 Introduction
00:44 VAT
01:35 Eggs
02:04 Cursing on TV
02:53 Apple Pay
03:31 Groceries
04:49 Appointments
05:38 Working Hours
06:50 Sucralose
07:48 Tampons
08:24 Catcalling
09:24 Conclusion
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WHO IS BUNCHARTED?
We're Michelle and Alex, an American expat couple living abroad in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱
In 2020, we quit our jobs to travel the world, and... well, that didn't happen. So in 2022, we decided to make an even BIGGER change by packing up our lives (and our cats 🐈) and moving from Austin, Texas, in the US, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Subscribe for new videos like this every week!

[@buncharted]

We absolutely love living here in the Netherlands, but there have been some things that surprised us about moving here. What are some of the biggest culture shocks you've experienced when moving or traveling to a new country?

[@PPPaRaDoXiCaL]

A ´´culture shock´´ only comes when you know a little about the country.. Learn about our history, how we freed ourselves from the Spanish monarch and became a republic.. A Republic? Yep.. But you have a monarch, how does that fit in? Well, learn some history and you´ll know.. It´s better to understand a country before you go there.. I hope you enjoy the country and take a visit to Maastricht if you have the time to do so..

[@lienbijs1205]

Actually I can't imagine to move pemanently to another country, I got already so homesick when we had to live in Brussels for a year and after every visit to the Netherlands I felt so bad to go back to Belgium, can't describe that feeling but to me it felt like a kind of grieve . I guess it is something in my personality, not because I find the Netherlands a better country or something. I get every holiday homesick after about 2 weeks.The only country where I don't get homesick is Germany, don't ask me why. I experienced this negative feelings also last summer holiday in Italy, it is not a real culture shock but I experienced very scary moments when the bike road suddenly stopped and I unexpected had to cycle together with cars who were crossing me 70 km/ hour while the road at the edge where I had to bike was so bad and full of holes That was in the Garda lake area. I didn't cry since years but there I was crying of being so affraid ,the tears kept coming. Also normally I never fall with my bike, last time was in my childhood but there I unexpectedly fell 2 times at once in the city center of Peschiera del Garda.

[@bjornr1120]

December is about to come.. thats the most shocking experience for people from the usa. 😉😂

[@lienbijs1205]

@@bjornr1120 Oh please, don't start this discussion.

[@filthygreasepipe]

@@lienbijs1205 wacht welke discussie?

[@dennyroozeboom4795]

Actually eggs usually stay good for longer. The reason eggs have a shorter life span outside the fridge in the US is because they're rinsed. The rinsing kills the bio protective layers eggs already have.

[@InWeCome]

I don't know if they last longer in the Netherlands, but the reason they are not refrigerated in the store is to prevent condensation inside the egg on your way home (due to the change from cold to warm). When eggs get condensation on the inside, bacteria can easily grow in them. From the moment eggs are laid until they arrive at the supermarket, the temperature is regulated to prevent condensation. You should put them in the fridge when you arrive at home because it keeps them fresh longer and prevents salmonella from growing.

[@burkhardproksch637]

No that is total nonsense what you write there, that has nothing to do with condensation of water at all. The reason in Europe is that the eggs are not washed as in America. In America, the eggs are washed because they think there are bacteria in the shell that could cause health problems, but you don't eat the shell, you use the inside. But by washing in the States, the natural protective function of the egg is removed and now more than ever, bacteria and salmonella can penetrate the egg, which is why eggs must be refrigerated in the States. In europe, eggs are not washed to preserve the natural protective function and therefore do not need to be refrigerated.

[@annekekramer3835]

@@burkhardproksch637 true. The only reason why you would find eggs in the fridge in The Netherlands is because I don't really have any other place to store them.

[@edwardeduardus7398]

Maybe more factors need to be in consideration: the climate/season you live, , affects also how long you can use eggs and for what purpose: An egg over "expiry date" I won't use for a soft boiled/zachtgekookt egg, but I have no problems after hard boiled to do that when 2 months after THT. No advice, but still alive :D

[@Sharkwhisperer]

9 out of 10 issues are non issues. It would have been interesting to know more about their social life how it is socializing with the dutch.

[@anouk6644]

Most people in the Netherlands spend the money that we have, not what we expect to get. So creditcards are not common here. If we don’t have enough to buy something we save up for it. CC’s are mainly used while traveling (outside Europe) or for online purchases. A Dutch friend of mine married an American woman and moved to the states. It was interesting to see the difference in spending culture. When they wanted a new couch he wanted to wait until they had enough money saved, she wanted to go immediately and put it on the credit card. I wouldn’t like the feeling of constantly owing money (other than my mortgage) and in the end you pay more because of the interest. The Dutch are frugal people.

[@albertlay8927]

Same here. Why get yourself into debts if you can avoid it by simply save money for it and buy it later. Most of the time there is no urgency, maybe when something essential breaks down, like your washing machine or fridge. Some people, maybe most, I don't know, have a saving for these situations (I have). And credit card companies use the highest interest rates legally possible (21%), so it is the most expensive form of debt, so it will cost you more and it will take you longer to pay the bill then saving for it.

[@anouk6644]

@@albertlay8927 Exactly, the ‘in case of emergency’ fund. I have one too :-)

[@tridenteiii8471]

Yes i am frugal!

[@Kyle-mo7bd]

@@albertlay8927 Credit cards don't have to be a means to go into debt. Many people in the US, Canada, the UK, and other places use credit cards for everyday purchases for a variety of reasons, whether that be the security credit cards offer or the benefits in terms of airline miles and cash back. To look at credit cards as simply a means to pay for things when you don't have money is a bit dated and doesn't accurately reflect the true nature of financial products available today (at least in English speaking countries). I'm not doubting that credit card spending can be an issue an that some people needlessly endebt themselves with their uncontrolled spending; I'm also not doubting that some people rely upon credit cards to make ends meet before pay day each month. I just find the Dutch have an almost phobia-level aversion to credit cards like they'll melt the skin on your hand 😂

[@albertlay8927]

@@Kyle-mo7bd Maybe it is because of these benefits that people use their credit card so much and so easily. After all, that is why the CC companies are attaching them to owning and using CC's, not because they just want to be nice. But in the end the fact is that lots of people have credit card debts. I've read, that in the US the total sum of CC debts in 2022 is $ 925,000,000,000. Apparently, there are 128 million households in the US. That means that on average, an American family is over $ 7,000 in debt, just on credit cards. I doubt if most families have the money each month to pay off all their spendings. So they are paying high interest rates over their debts. That is just a waste of money, and that is where we Dutch have a phobic aversion. By simple spending money that you actually have our skin doesn't melt 😉

[@hansd3295]

As a born and raised Dutchman I have never heard or seen anything about catcalling. I am so amazed why this is ranked number 1. I don't live in a city, so maybe this is a local thing?

[@Aelonius2]

Same, though there are some neighbourhoods in cities like the Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam that are more notorious for this. For example the old "Schilderswijk" before all the changes last few years. But it isn't as common as they seem to make it be.

[@D.J.Themeparkvideos]

It happens mostly in bad neighborhoods in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

[@petrwindmeijer7542]

Those are not dutch.

[@deetgeluid]

It’s a Moroccan thing. There, I said it.

[@arturama8581]

@@deetgeluid I second it. In the 60s and 70's (I'm old 😉) it was more common. Especially builders, painters, people on scaffolding, when on break and being bored, they would predominantly whistle, which wasn't threatening at all cause they were far up. But today it's mostly Maroccans hissing and following girls/women. If it comforts our friendly Americans, the average Dutch hate it too.

[@NLKINK]

The only time I get to call my cat Elyot is when he's outside in the evening and we want to go to bed. Usually I fill his metal food tin and I shake it standing in the front door. When he hears that he comes running! That's my only opportunity to go catcalling in the northern part of The Netherlands...

[@aker919]

That's also the only type of cat calling that I experienced in my 5+ years in Amsterdam. My neighbour is doing it around midnight in the summer, so annoying! Catcalling women on the street, I've experienced it in other countries, kinda confused to hear that it's an issue in the NL.

[@Iamdoepi]

Americans seem oversensitive imho @@aker919

[@hvermout4248]

Credit cards are often not accepted, because credit card companies charge large fees to the shops.

[@janalberts7073]

I am 70 years old and never heard or seen catcalling ?? Maybe only in Rdam and A’dam ?

[@ajmavb]

Dit is een verzamelnaam. Ook nafluiten valt hieronder.

[@lioneldemun6033]

My mom, who was thin, tall and blonde, was catcalled in Barcelona in the sixties.

[@divid3d]

i've only visited NL a few times but i've been catcalled a few times when walking around rotterdam. nowhere else though!

[@RookieAssassin]

Definitely not only there unfotunately, been catcalled and harrassed since I was a little kid (I live in Noord-Brabant), also been stalked and sexually harrassed multiple times by men when I was a young teen. The worst thing is, people see it happen and just don't care, even if it happens to a child. One time I got stalked by multiple men when I was 15, at first I just thought it was just annoying, as someone who was already used to that behaviour by then but when they just wouldn't leave me alone, ran after me and hid behind trees whenever they were spotted by passerby, it felt really scary. I asked people for help several times and though one man really tried to help and was really sweet, others literally laughed in my face, said I shouldn't take it so seriously "That's just how men are when they like a girl!" said another man and 2 women said I should be "flattered" I got the attention.. It sickens me when people are like that, it makes them no better than the harrassers.. Now I'm an adult I see how much of a problem it is, when I was a kid I just thought it was normal cause so many people acted like it was.

[@SD-ko4tz]

My daughter gers catcalled since she was 10. Mainly by turks, moroccans and eastern europeans.

[@dutchgamer842]

You can still put the eggs in the fridge, nothing wrong with doing it

[@InWeCome]

In fact you should do that to prevent salmonella and keep them fresh longer.

[@thedude9014]

@@InWeCome nope

[@Sponsorbagel]

@@InWeCome i mean, in the EU the chickens used for eggs are usually vaccinated against salmonella but still not a bad idea i guess

[@simonpowell2559]

England: I never put eggs in the fridge. The wrong temperature to use, never any problem. In fact I was told not to.

[@joost1120]

@@InWeCome If you're living in the US, you should refridgerate them. If you're in Europe, you really shouldn't. Eggs in the US are washed and have their cuticle, the outer protective layer removed. They need to be refridgerated. But in the EU, washing and removing the cuticle is illegal. Putting them in the fridge with the cuticle intact can actually cause mildew growth, which could in turn cause salmonella contamination. So no, don't put eggs in the fridge if they still have their cuticle. It does not prevent salmonella in the slightest, and only increases the chance of contamination.

[@SAMUDRAMAC]

My biggest culture shock as a dutchy are all the shock newcomers have with things we never thought of are totally natural to us. Super fun!!

[@pizzablender]

Some are fun, but the catcalling... no.

[@morespinach9832]

For example? Walking naked into the lake?

[@CrackheadsAreGovermentDrones]

@@pizzablender i have never in my whole 27 years of being a dutch person seen some one catcall a lady. only junkies screaming at random people that they owe them money or some shit xD

[@Scuderia_Fan]

I never heard or seen catcalling once and I am so surprised this seems to be a thing. I am dutch lived in two major cities and a smaller village in the past 50 years of living here.

[@DuBaas007]

Yea can't say i've noticed any catcalling here in my city.

[@purplebox433]

Yes, me neither. I haven't even heard someone complaining about it among my girlfriends.

[@010Rotterdamm0]

But there is tho 😬🤣

[@AndreUtrecht]

well, you're a guy? Like me? Men aren't aware of catcalling... and also not aware that most Dutch women feel regularly unsafe on the Dutch streets. And they do experience catcalling.... I never really see it also but I am a guy.... talk to women and you will know. Especially in the big cities....

[@Scuderia_Fan]

@Andre Utrecht yes I am. But I never saw this happening, never have heard about it, neither did my friends, including women. I am not saying it doesn't happen. Apparently, it does.

[@freonxkipper]

I like it that the habit of making an appointment for everything is considered shocking. My foreign friends simply can't get used to making an appointment amongst friends or family if you want to visit them. However they tend to call me and say: I dropped by yesterday but you weren't at home. "Yes, next time call me in advance so that we can make an appointment" And if I call them to inform them I'll dropping by, They always tell me I can visit them all the time spontaneously. But then you risk coming in vane because they are nog at home or have friends visiting them that I don't like.

[@theBabyDead]

I think they meant business wise. Personal-wise there's a lot of differences between people. I used to hate appointments as well, but as you grow older and get busy, it does tend to help.

[@collectioneur]

It is actually very telling which culture shocks you encountered or found important. Most Dutch people would laugh at the sweetener stuff, because we're not obsessed with that sort of thing and it's just interesting that other countries seem to make such a big deal of it...

[@gbormann71]

@@deebee2603 It doesn't say 'no sweetener,' it says 'no sugar.'

[@TomRockanje]

It's to bad we replace sugar with an artificial one, we really dont need it..I just hate the taste of artificial sweetener..

[@plumdutchess]

@@gbormann71 They're talking about the full sugar drinks, not the diet ones. The normal full sugar drinks still have artificial sweetener in them, as they showed on the Fanta can.

[@royberendsen5782]

On the contrary, the Netherlands is trying to put as little sugar as possible in soft drinks or other foods. For example, in our neighboring country Germany, candy is much sweeter and contains more sugar, and drinks like Fanta have a completely different taste and color because they are put together differently. But to do get the familiar taste of the soft drink you need other additives. In some supermarkets like the Albert Hijen, 1/2 liter cans of Monster energy are also no longer available. This is because the amount of caffeine, taurine and sugar is bad for you. For example, while vacationing the USA I got sick because my digestion could not stand the added flavorings. Compared to the EU standards , the USA has much less strict regulations against ' harmful' substances.

[@tic-tacdrin-drinn1505]

What I find nauseating is saccharine in toothpaste.

[@vincenttayelrand]

Thanks for including both the good and the bad in these vlogs I find them very entertaining and quite educational (its so easy to take your own culture for granted) so please keep them coming

[@buncharted]

thank you so much! we love it here in the netherlands

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

Please, everyone can have air-conditioning if they choose to put it in their homes .I mean Greeks have air-conditioning in their houses, at least all the people i know in Greece or visited houses. Countries like Nederlands don't need them mostly because the Nederlands don't have usually very hot summers

[@kevkef300]

That's not entirely true. It really depends. We had summers that's 35+ degrees Celsius. So yeah, about that AC 😅you gonna need it. I should know, because I'm Dutch as well.

[@margotmargot4426]

@@kevkef300 yea, for 15 days maybe you can resist ... In NL is superhot just before a refreshing storm.

[@haranglouis5252]

lol there is a dude that says you need AC in netheerlands. Dont listen to that guy.

[@verwonderingalom]

@@haranglouis5252like Holland is a Mediterranean country 😂

[@jaaput]

The replies here are focussing primarily on temperature. Just be aware that air-conditioners also condition the air in another important way: they reduce humidity, the air will contains less water. And it is this humidity that makes a moderate 27 degrees in the Netherlands feel worse than 32 degrees in Spain or Italy. Luckily we also have dry hot days, but the humid ones are simply harder to bare. Now an airconditioner is an effective remedy for this, but you can also choose to rely on natural cooling (open windows during the night) and prevent sunlight from heating up your house. I try to do the last, and with our house this is a viable solution, but I can imagine that this will not work in all situations here in NL. So using an airco can be an option, especially when you can supply its energy from solar panels (which will deliver on those moments that you need an airco the most ;-)

[@eddys.3524]

About the appointments.. When you start socializing with Dutch people you will notice that even hanging out is on appointment.. The Dutch are great at time management ;)

[@jpsholland]

Highly depend on were you are. The people in the north are way more relaxed and less agenda an appointment driven, except when is is a business appointment.

[@010Rotterdamm0]

@@jpsholland based of?

[@wards2474]

​@@010Rotterdamm0 why tf u ask for one source and not the other if ur here to be a nerd might as well ask everyone for their fucking source

[@BasTrompper]

fam im the worse dutch person alive, I cant even manage eating dinner every day

[@michaelvanlohuizen]

Credit cards are less of a thing here. Also: you start of with a 👍 credit rating. When you default on payments your rating drops. In the end you might get registered at the BKR. (Credit Registry) once you have paid off the debt you defaulted in, you are unable to get credit for 5 years. (banks etc. are not allowed to give you credit during this time). Because you don't have to establish a credit history, there is no need to get one or multiple credit cards.

[@mariskavandasselaarofficial]

I love watching your video's! It's fun to hear what's surprising to you here in the Netherlands. Maybe it's fun to hear what's surprising to Dutch people when they visit the USA. To me, when I visited the US I was amazed by how big everything is: even street signs are huge. I was also surprised by how friendly everyone seemed. People like to make conversation nearly everywhere and they often ask 'how do you do?' or something similar. As a Dutch person, I actually responded with an honest answer. Later, I discovered it was probably something you weren't actually supposed to answer...

[@dnd_beyond_is_bad7605]

The innocence of this style of response is awesome. All of the tourist areas I have worked in the USA are now coming to mind as I think of reactions from foreigners.

[@robertvaneersel3741]

A bit of a warning here. Dutch directness is usually top of the list for Americans who are new here. Doubly so in Rotterdam (the Westland area is even worse). It takes some time to get used to, but once you do it can become a habit and a reverse culture shock.

[@jpsholland]

Friesland, were nobody talks about, is the worst. Totally different and waaaaay older culture, totally different and way, way older language, other habits. Among the ducht, the frisians are considered direct. If i see this kind of videos, i think the frisians are the most direct people of the world.

[@peterf1]

Yes! I was going to make this comment. To explain (hopefully not over explain) this means if you're mentioning how you might be handling a task... any task... you very likely will get advice on how you should do it 'better.' It's definitely off putting and at first it will seem rude. But the Dutch are indeed polite and formal when appropriate and very warm when appropriate, but this directness on advising you on how to do things better is well intended, but takes a little bit of time to get used to.

[@hansd3295]

@@jpsholland I regularly come to Friesland, have a family living there, but I notice that there is actually no difference. Life is almost the same as here in the polders of the riverlandscape.

[@jaysimoes3705]

@@jpsholland Pretty similar to Zeeland. I dowork for a company in Rotterdam. I do not think they are very direct actually. Not more than what I am used to in Zeeland. The main difference I can see is in Rotterdam more people talk a lot. A lot of blablabla. In Zeeland people tend to be a lot more silent. Hard workers. Rotterdammers talk a lot about hard working, mostly.

[@dnd_beyond_is_bad7605]

@@peterf1 That is interesting because I bet in some areas of the world, like here in the US, that could be considered the sign of someone who is neurodivergent.

[@simdal3088]

Catcalling Rotterdam/Amsterdam.. Foreign populations do this mostly, this is anything but a dutch custom.

[@atropatene3596]

The Fanta one: They do this for two reasons:" 1. Sometimes the production process just requires a different sweetener to make things easier and/or cheaper to produce 2. They have to list their ingredients by percentage. So if your product is 50% sugar, you need to put sugar first as an ingredient. Because many people will look at the ingredient list and go "woah, that's a lot of sugar!" they cheat a little. They put different sugar sources in to get the sweetness that they want their product to have, but they can put sugar 3rd or 4th and just have an extensive list of other sweeteners further down the ingredient list, which they hope people won't notice Why it is happening in Fanta? Your guess is as good as mine.

[@buncharted]

#2 blew my mind. thank you for the response :)

[@LourensRolograaf]

Lot of products will say 0% sugar* *) added . Most fruits have natural sugars and if needed they add some cheap applejuice which is very sweet. Better look at carbs (koolhydraten) where they specify total carbs and sugar content.

[@ehekkert]

​@@LourensRolograaf That is not actually total carb, it is net carb. To get total carb you need add the fibers to it.

[@LourensRolograaf]

@@ehekkert ok but those fibers are not digestable? Also original video complained about sugar specifically. Although i think it is better to get less of all carb-intake ;-)

[@assasain999]

ive never experienced catcalling, it's probably a major city problem in Netherlands, typically immigrants.

[@filthygreasepipe]

Typically immigrants is a little generalizing but I agree with the first part

[@williamgeardener2509]

Catcalling has changed from whistling to hissing "Hey whore" to women and girls. The laws mentioned also include acts of harassment like talking dirty, touching, groping and following women and girls ad nauseam. 30 years ago we didn't need this kind of law, but thanks to the benefits of our "multi-cultural" and "diverse" society they have become a necessity to give women the freedom and safety that once was normal.

[@Dija-says-freePalestine]

Yeah blame it on the immigrants. What else is new! 🙄

[@williamgeardener2509]

@@Dija-says-freePalestine Fun fact: Only Moroccans hiss "Whore" to Dutch women.

[@grootsyt]

@@Dija-says-freePalestine to be fair, as someone who's very pro immigration, it is mostly done by immigrants.

[@blazn0]

With allot of of these I had an reverse shock when I went to the states. Like the tax not included into to the price. Or the lack of debit card use. Also at that time there were more 24 hours open spots in america. As most things in the Netherlands closed at 9pm or earlier.

[@danielthecritic88]

VAT included is a normal thing in most countries outside of the US actually.

[@frasomer2720]

From the video title I thought you are going to speak about Culture things in The Netherlands, but rather you mainly spoke about some country / or and certain cities regulations. Overall, you shared things it's nice to know about. Thanks and good luck for more accurate titles for your next videos

[@gerrittlighthart]

You're lucky you got here recently, the meat replacement options have gotten SO much better since I got here in 2016. There were really very few options at most stores and now there's almost always a good selection, frequently with decent sales.

[@dutchladylover]

About the catcalling. I think the biggest problem we have with it here is in/on the (social) media. Now I don't live in Rotterdam (although near), Amsterdam or Utrecht, am a man and I do know that some women complain about it a lot and that it's mostly in particular areas, but also I've seen way too many video's of foreign women now living in the Netherlands who were actually surprised (shocked even?) that they would walk the streets and not being catcalled, not being asked to marry them, not being harrased in any way at all, that they were wondering what was wrong with them.... And I have plenty of lady friends who I also never hear complain about it when they go out without male presence. Yes they may get an unwanted or even creepy stare, but that's mostly the end of it. Not a woman, absolutely not(!) saying it doesn't happen, but I don't hear women about is as well (outside (social) media) so if it is a huge problem....? I sure hope not.

[@williamgeardener2509]

It has been an increasing problem as a result of our "diverse" or "multi-cultural" society. I remember the time that we didn't need laws to protect women from being harassed. In those days, not even 30 years ago, it was unthinkable that a man would hiss "whore" to any woman that would pass them. We once took pride in being a safe, liberal and tolerant country. Today girls as young as 15 are harassed by grown men when they are walking on the street. And of course, I'm a racist for pointing out that most of the perverts who obviously have problems accepting that women are not sex toys, have a non-European background.

[@jolandafrijlink6103]

I would just laugh them out, reverse psychology works best.

[@williamgeardener2509]

@@jolandafrijlink6103 You also risk that the macho cat calling you or calling you whore, can't handle a woman standing up against him. So they will teach you that women don't talk back, don't dress inappropriately and always show respect to men.

[@AudieHolland]

Okay, I'll just explain it for *everybody,* Dutch, American, Belgian or French. The original dish was called 'patates frites' or 'fried potatoes!' Like the Americans, we tend to call French Fries just fries (friet pronounced as freet). In Belgian, they address the dish as patatten (plural of patat or potato) In France - I don't know, they just call them pommes frites I guess. Pomme is French for apple. Surprise, nothing in the original meaning of 'patat' or 'fries' gives any hint whether they're whole potatoes, sliced, or diced (sorry, it rhymes).

[@arturama8581]

Must be local also, cause I grew up with 'patat'. Never much heard 'friet' around Rotterdam.

[@cibablea]

Fascinating! Thanks for this.

[@evanherk]

An egg is a package prepared by nature which is meant to be sat on for 3 weeks at 37 degrees C by a chicken and not spoil. You can easily keep them for a month outside the fridge and the don´t spoil by bacterial rot but by getting old and drying out a bit.

[@freonxkipper]

My biggest shock in the USA: The amount of food and drinks they serve in a restaurant or diner. Even if you order a "small" portion it's always at least twice as much as I am used to. When I order a soda in the Netherlands I'll get 20 cl or 25 cl. And in some places in the USA you could even get a free refill. Most of the time that enough. When I order a meal and it is served with 115 grams of meat it is quite sufficient. On the other hand it took me some time to get used to order side-dishes separately. In the Netherlands most of the time side dishes are included.

[@Marianneduetje]

I find it very interesting that I see no comments about the tampon applicators. With a little bit of thinking I get the following. It is possible that in the Netherlands we are less hesitant to inform ourselves about our sexual organs. Therefore we might be less hesitant to touch our own V@'s inserting tampons. Furthermore, as you stated, no applicators means less packing materials, less costs for the applicator, less garbage of plastics that needs to be thrown away. Overall cost for purchase and waste are less. But actually I have not seen a whole lot about the subject in magazines and such. (Might be my age, I am 70 years old) (I am basing myself here on a lot I read in a very wide range of social media. As long as in the USA women lose the autonomy over their own bodies, decided upon by a bunch of (old) men, I see the correlation of not wanting those same women to put their hands on their own body parts!) But, I am making a guess here, cannot back it up by scientific research.

[@b.anoniem9007]

I always use those thin clothes doctors use. In fact it is a dirty job, but you've got to do it.

[@heinvanoord2281]

Nice seeing your view on the Netherlands and Rotterdam. We are nearly neighbors as I live on the Noordereiland

[@yuckie3204]

In the Netherlands I was never catcalled at all. In fact, I felt very invisible by the men there.

[@Philyra86]

As a dutchie myself, i put the eggs in the fridge as soon as i get home. It's what we've always done in my family. It keeps them good longer.

[@Sam-ko8mt]

I loved fanta lemon. Then they decided to standardly put aspartame in it instead of sugar. When I was in Greece last year they still had it with sugar, I hate the fact that I can't even get the regular one here.

[@buncharted]

they have the regular sugar version in spain as well - we had it a few months ago and loved it

[@peppermint1358]

Some Asian grocery stores sometimes have the original fanta with sugar! The lemon flavor is also my favorite, I used to get it a lot when I was a teen. I was also really bummed when they added the artificial sweetner, hate that weird flavour and how it coats your mouth.

[@cendellgarcia3408]

Thanks for visiting the country hope u enjoyd it here

[@thomasmurray3920]

The artificial sweetener and sugar combo is common in the US as well, particularly with iced tea, but also some sodas. I first came across this on a domestic airline flight where the Seagram’s ginger ale had both. I summoned a stewardess to get my drink changed from diet, but she insisted it wasn’t. Being able to taste it, I asked to see the can, and there it was in the ingredients. I complained to Seagram’s online, and maybe others did as well, as I no longer see this in grocery stores. Some other soft drinks still do this. On road trips, I always have to check bottled iced tea bottles for the sweetener ingredients.

[@jaaput]

Why do you consider the sweetener as artificial and the sugar not? Do you think the sugar is natural?

[@SamyasaSwi]

@@jaaput Isn't sugar natural?

[@jennatransgirl]

You can put the eggs in the fridge, they stay longer fresh then the reason that we don't put them in fridge in a store is because the way or beter not treated. In the usa the eggs are industrial washed before leaving to the store. That damage the protecting layer on the egg and makes it more vulnerable to contemination of bacteria in the egg.

[@TVMcaffee]

The reason for the sucralose in your regular Fanta with sugar is to reduce the actual sugar content being used and therefore the calories you drink. Also unlike the US we use actual sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (which is a big no no here)

[@calliopemuse6724]

Unfortunately for some people there is an unpleasant aftertaste from sugar replacements. Even stevia is unpleasant for me. The only one I find even remotely tolerable is monk fruit but it is not commonly used.

[@scifigirl7511]

For a person like me who is too thin, tries constantly to gain weight and does not like the taste of artificial sugar but likes to enjoy sweet drinks it is a thumb down xD

[@stephenvanwijk9669]

Buy whole food, cut it yourself. Cheaper, no work with a sharp knife, more nutrients, often you don’t eat additives for preservation.

[@KoeiNL]

So when it comes to eggs, you can refrigerate them and its perfectly fine. The reason they aren't refrigerated in the stores is because they are subject to temperature swings for the entire process up until a consumer buys them. These swings can cause condensation if they are refrigerated on the eggs and bacteria love condensation. So buy the eggs and put them in the fridge at home.

[@Blizzzzzzard_]

i think a lot of these apply to a lot of different parts of Europe and not just the Netherlands and i think this list would be pretty similar if it was another European country. Nice video too, always fun to see non European people experiencing Europe in a non tourist way

[@barrysteven5964]

Agree. I'm English and was thinking a lot of these things equally apply to the UK. I think the USA is different from just about all other countries for not adding tax to the price tags. We don't refrigerate our eggs, we use contactless payments a lot, we we have swearing and nudity on TV, we have a better work-life balance than the USA etc.

[@henrischutte1968]

Eggs: In the EU eggs aren't refrigerated because of a different strategy to salmonella. Here eggs are not washed (in chlorine) like in the US, preserving the natural resistance of eggs against bacteria (see: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJateHhpe95mhqc ). No beeping: I don't only think the beeping is annoying, but also hypocrite: you can kill somebody on screen (violence is OK) but you can't curse (freedom of speech?). The same goes for blurring some body parts. Somebody's guts hanging out is fine, but don't show a nipple. Working hours: Here employees actually have rights. Sugar: By law all ingredients have to be listed ordered by volume or weight. The the sugar listed on the Fanta is the natural sugar from the orange juice concentrate in the Fanta so its not added sugar.

[@hansonel]

@@deebee2603 This. Even as an American I don't understand it. Sex, cursing and nudity aren't OK in the media and are many times censored but graphic violence and gory horror movies (like the Saw movies) are fine....? Doesn't make sense and is completely backwards.

[@olegbarabash9484]

Agree with ignoring the emails. Especially when it comes to real estate & rental. However, the biggest shock for us is planning meeting with friends for months ahead. That's just wierd.

[@wisecat.]

As a Dutch person I try to avoid buying and drink soda's here (or any other product with sweetener) in Netherlands because of the additional sweeteners. I have a movement disorder and earlier this year I had this strange experience with sweeteners especially Sucralose. This sweetener really affects my illness. Even when I take e.g. Sucralose in a fairly small quantity, I get so insecure about my movements. Sometimes I couldn't even walk. When I stop taking the sweetener my insecurity recovers and stops completely. Now the food industry denies sweeteners are bad for your health and that are no side-effects whatsoever. Even my doctors cannot find an explanation for my experience and think it's more pschycological. But I don't think so. I think it really changes something fysically in my brain that makes me insecure. Now I only drink plain water and with result. I dropped nearly 22 pounds. Also saves me money on sugary products.

[@timoord1611]

Chuck McGill moment

[@jaaput]

Too bad there is not a good way to prove your suspicion, assuming that you are able to taste the additional sweeteners. So there is no way of you using them whilst being unaware that you use them. Which would be a requirement if you want to prove this yourself. Of course this will also go for other people when subjected to such a test. Really too bad 😞 As a means of testing one might consider skipping the taste-phase, injecting the sweetener via another way. This could also be done to a reference-group using a placebo. But don't try that at home 🙂

[@jeannettestuckelschwaiger5071]

Used to work in oil company based in The Hague. First shocking experience was when a friend invited me to a wedding party. I was dressed for the occasion. We had juice and wine during the réception. I waited till 8pm still no wedding dinner. Asked the bride's father about when and where we can sit and have dinner. He said no, we have already eaten at 5 pm. So just some juice and a small piece of dutch cheese😅. So much for dutch wedding. one day I need urgently a dentist. But it was sunday. We found one finally. The good dutch dentist told he can fix it but we had to pay first. Another time, my daughter had an accident at school we took her to emergency room at hospital who refused the care. They told us to go to the house-doctor. But then it was after 5pm and the doctor stops his work at 5pm. They have evening meal before 6pm. I like Holland as long as I don't have health issues. I had to go to Belgium once for an emergency-operation. A neighbour of us died in the ambulance at night because he could not reach his doctor after 5pm. It was an appendicit. Apart from these serious health care issues, people are cool. Drugs and prostitutions are allowed socially somehow, they close their eyes. One summer we went to the beach at Scheveningen, lots of families with small children. 2 couples almost were making love, surprisingly no body said anything. We changed the place

[@daphunman]

It is often not necessary to make an appointment at the municipality to collect documents, but the software used by many municipalities does allow this. Incidentally, many municipalities offer to have documents delivered at home, such as driver's licenses and passports.

[@gijsbertuslaurensvandevooren]

We have free airconditioning. It's called a window

[@robertvaneersel3741]

A common Dutch expression, especially when it comes to cars, is: "I don't have airco, but I have arko", meaning Alle Ramen Kunnen Open (all windows can be opened).

[@InWeCome]

that doesn't work when it's 30C outside. Which already happens much more often than 20 years ago. Air conditioners have become much more common in the Netherlands, the annual number sold has quadrupled in the past 6 years. What's still not very common is the types of air conditioners that are built into the window frame, usually from the moment a building gets erected. They are the most efficient though.

[@SamyasaSwi]

Doesn't really work when it's 30 degrees outside

[@ajpetri]

one of my surprises was lack of window curtains in most flats and houses :)

[@carinvandewiel1826]

I would think that guns are not allowed would be the biggest cultureshock... 😁 but no: catcalling!? I once replied, "...if you lay down I'll be back in a minute!" He was the laughingstock of his mates...

[@SamyasaSwi]

They don't seem like the type to carry guns when they lived in the US

[@user-gb1qq4se6c]

Hi there, nice to see my world trough your eyes 😊. Two things: a lot of things (like catcalling) are correct, but only in the Randstad area (the west). In other regions, like in the north where I live, the social structure is way different. The second is the reason why eggs are not in the refrigerator in stores: the shell of the egg is porous. During transport they will get warmer and cool of again in the refrigerator, what can cause condensation on the shell, what will make the eggshell soft. That could cause bacteria (like salmonella) to enter the egg. At home you can put them in the refrigerator (they will not get warm again before consuming). Have a great time here and thanx for your nice video’s!

[@Eener1000]

When I was young in the 90s, catcalling happened, but I also remember girls being very much able to give back and tell off guys, and most guys would accept it and walk off with their tails between their legs when they got told off. It could be annoying, but it was also a learning experience for both genders how to act and react with eachother. It all felt less harsh and more equal. Nowadays it is much more of a problem and I personally don't really know what exactly changed. It is a lot of cultural changes combined that have made this more of a serious issue.

[@citizenkane4831]

The "coffee shops" one droped by when we took interrail trips around europe.

[@renevw5812]

totally agree with the sucralose. That is why we almost never drink sugar drinks anymore.

[@henkvandervossen6616]

Sugardrinks are bad anyway

[@SamyasaSwi]

@@henkvandervossen6616 But they taste so good I hate it

[@anjowiegerinck6539]

In the Netherlands it is not common to pay with cash (more in Germany) and secondly creditcards are not common too, most people pay with debit cards. Dutch culture is to spend money which they have in stead on credit, which is US culture

[@buncharted]

there is a bit of a misconception around US credit card usage. while there are definitely folks with credit card debt in the US, credit cards are more commonly used for purchase protection and to earn points (which can be used for travel or even cash back), and the credit cards are paid off in full each month! some cards, like american express cards, can’t actually hold a balance. they are required to be paid off each month! so they can exist sort of like a debit card, just with extra benefits.

[@palantir135]

I always put egg in the fridge after buying them. They will last longer that way. Put an older egg in a beaker with water. If it doesn’t float, the egg is ok.

[@tristanhermans2535]

Why most sugar-free products still contain sugar is because they are sugars obtained from the fruit itself (if a fruit is used in the production or is the product has to resemble the taste.) So they aren't nececeraly actual sugar. Or it could just be sugar, idk.

[@SamyasaSwi]

They're talking about artificial sweeteners in sugared drinks, not the other way around.

[@DracoTheNinja]

We dutch people dont like being in dept with people. We pay with what we have, not pay later. If you get the idea of paying later you actually dont really have a limit of money you can spend, nothing really stops you from spending so much money until ur in debt.

[@DracoTheNinja]

@@TommyHilfnigga007 yup, thats how you loose money

[@gertvanderstraaten6352]

Patat comes from patates frites which is French for fried potatoes. In the south it's called friet which is pronounced somewhat like the French frites and patat comes from patates I guess. It was French-speaking Belgians that started deep frying potatoes, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[@lioneldemun6033]

I thought it was the ( late) senator McCain 😆

[@Keyboardje]

And they still make *the best!* It's just... Belgian mayonaise sucks LOL

[@22Isolde]

The sweetener thing I would attribute to a difference in legislation. Sweeteners have not been found to be detrimental to health so they do not fall under legislation for allergens or toxins. The idea is that any researched component has an e-number and if you are sensitive you can find it in the ingredient list on the label. Most European countries stress the importance of drinking water in stead of drinking soda and juice. The USA has a very different set-up in legislation with regards to specific components in food.

[@dennisvanulzen]

I think it's because under EU laws you can only have a certain amount of in drinks, think it's to combat diabetes or something. What i do know for certain is that some flavours of softdrinks including Fanta will taste different because again by law the drink needs to have a percentage of the fruit that is labelled on it, instead of having an artificial flavouring in them Saw a youtube a little while ago about this, i'll see if i can find the link In any case i do realise that it's going to be a huge change to adapt to the life here, but don't give up and i hope you'll fall in love with my country :)

[@lukejansen5027]

Sorry to be pedantic - the Dutch word for the fruit ‘orange’ is sinaasappel, as you correctly stated. It doesn’t however mean apple of China - it means apple of Sinai, the place in Egypt/Middle East, where the first oranges to europe came from

[@buncharted]

this is from wikipedia: De sinaasappel komt oorspronkelijk uit China (in de oude vorm: Sina), waar ook de naam naar verwijst. In het Vroegnieuwnederlands komt "appel sina" voor, in het Nieuwnederlands "appelsien".

[@peli71]

In the NL we don’t use “VAT” but BTW (belasting over de toevoegde waarde) which you will see on (almost) every receipt.

[@priscillarijnsburger6662]

the can of Fanta that was turned over to show the ingredients was not the can of sugar free Fanta, the can with sugar free on it had a white border at the top of the can. but I know that companies often put misleading things on their products. I hate it when companies do that kind of thing. that just shouldn't be possible for companies to do. I totally agree with you

[@buncharted]

yeah, i was showing that the regular fanta has both sugar and sucralose in it, which is odd

[@paulvanoort6043]

Sugar free oranges do not exist, so the sugar in the drink comes from the oranges and is not added.

[@mellemeutgeert7869]

"No sugar" is not allowed as a label in the Netherlands because it is not in Dutch. According to EU Regulation 1169/2011, all food products sold within the EU must have labeling in an EU member language. In this case, the labeling is not in Dutch. Additionally, there is a discrepancy in the ingredient declaration where a semicolon is used instead of the required comma (",") as specified by Regulation 1169/2011. This suggests that the "Fanta" product may not have been produced within the EU. There is a possibility that a supermarket obtained it at a low cost from an unofficial source, such as the black market. Sucralose is categorized as a sweetener, rendering its inclusion in the declaration acceptable as per EU legislation. It should not be considered sugar in this context. And the only place with semicolon are the sugar and sucralose. I think the Cocacola company use some kind of standard place holders "like lorum ipsum" By the way, I am from Leeuwarden and have a deep familiarity with Terschelling. I have noticed some omissions in your coverage. Feel free to reach out to me next time, and I can provide you with a more comprehensive view of Leeuwarden and an even better understanding of the exceptional qualities of Terschelling. For me, Terschelling is a paradise, an otherworldly experience. I admire your show and how well you are adapting to this foreign country! It's delightful to see your journey unfold.

[@berylbishop1950]

The reasons that drinks that have sugar in them might also have sweetener is basically: 1. "Value Engineering." Various formulas are tried on "focus groups" increasing the sweetener content until too many people complain and then dial it down a few notches. Sweetener is much cheaper than sugar. 2. Many cans of drink are sold all over the EU and their tolerance to sweetener addition may higher and the population drinking it bigger than the Netherlands. 3. It's made by an US company ...

[@jessica1yale]

When I was there, the tampons actually taught me that I like the non-applicator more! But they’re so much more expensive and so hard to find in the states, at least in the south! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@buncharted]

of course they’re more expensive even though they use less materials… 🙈

[@MartijnMcFly]

Perhaps it is a bit late to respond but here we go: 'Patat' has its origins in the French 'frites patates', literally meaning 'fried potatoes'. The southern part of the Netherlands is calling it 'friet', and mostly above the Rhine river it is 'patat'. The sugar is not about not containing sugar. When you're dealing products that contain oranges, for example, it contains natural sugars. What the label means is that there's no added sugars. Any product that contain natural fruit products, have sugar in them, as the fruit themselves contain natural sugars.

[@nimwey7701]

The term "Catcalling "was a first for me, never even seen or heard anything about it, guess i am gonna look into that. Or maybe it is not so much in the area i live in (Schiedam) Or i am just to old 🤣 btw Welcome to The Netherlands

[@Overwijn01]

I have never heard of it too…probably only a thing in the biggest, most touristy cities? 🤔 Also, I do not think that this is a Dutch problem… this happens in for example New York as well…

[@2012inca]

Catcalling is only in really big cities which we do not have a lot of. I actually heard from an slightly older woman from California where she got cat called every where she went, and had no trouble in Rotterdam at all, might be different for younger women. Her husband said he felt safe letting his wife go alone on the streets at night in Rotterdam. In California he would not feel she was safe. Might also be because guns and knives are forbidden here and much less homeless people. Mass knifings with a kitchen knife is hard to do. Only hunters and people at the shooting range have guns. And some criminals who I believe get bb or air guns rebuilt to real guns, but mostly they kill each other so that solves the problem itself. Schools dont have security and young children cycle alone to school in the entire country safe to do so. The sugar thing in Fanta I dont know, but in Cola Zero they use sweetener Stevia. Stevia can also be dangerous when you drink a lot of coke zero like a bottle a day by yourself. Some people have ended up in hospital with I believe a paralyzed arm and other issues, but that is only for people who are allergic to it or susceptible. Most Dutch people will tell you to visit The Efteling, it is the dark version of Disney, Americans who went there experienced it as such. It is twice the size of Disney in Paris and was voted best themed themepark in the world and was built before Disney existed. It is a huge forest with two big lakes one with boats you can sit in and the other has the third biggest fountain show in the world. A fairytale forest with all fairytales in real life moving figures, a huge man puppet with the longest neck in the world that goes up and down, a real size talking tree, magically dancing shoes and a big toy donkey that lifts up its tale that poops fake golden Efteling coins for people and children to catch as a game and token of memory to Efteling. They also have talking gabage cans that say papier hier, means paper here. Kids go crazy about them and find trash every where, to put in which the garbage can literally sucks up with breathing in. Lost of rollercoasters, cool indoor rides and delicous typical Dutch food. Almost every Dutch child, adult, grandpa has been there. Even if you are not into themeparks it is beautiful nature with two big lakes. They are now building a 25 million euro haunted house to really scare the crap out people, but most tourists are amazed by the theming which they do with much less money than Disney.

[@buncharted]

yes, the netherlands (and rotterdam) are 1000x safer than the cities in the US. thank you for the tip on the efteling! i've never heard of it but it looks super fun!!

[@2012inca]

@@buncharted I live in a small town of 22.000 people called Lisse, so I wouldnt feel safe by myself alone in Rotterdam late at night, with friends I do. My town Lisse is only famous in spring we have the biggest flower garden in the world called Keukenhof which attracts 1.6 million people in 6 weeks. On the other side is another forest and a Castle. Castlefest is held there a fantasy middle ages party with people dressed as knights, ferries witches, Harry Potter and a lot of people create their own fantasy characters and clothes, it is not like comic con with superman, batman, the Hulk none of those super heros.. People from 42 countries fly in to party for 3 days 42,500 people some camp there others go to beach town Noordwijk to stay in hotels. Noordwijk is a nice beach town where Obama once came to stay with hundreds of diplomats and anti rocket missiles everywhere in a majestic big hotel called Huis ter Duin, means House in the Dunes which is actually in the dunes . Noordwijk, Katwijk, Zandvoort and Scheveningen all nice beach towns, the last two the most famous ones in the Netherlands. We often let foreigners say Scheveningen with the hard G in the back of your throat. If you can say Scheveningen the Dutch will be impressed. P.s. Efteling themepark is a 2 day park and has a hotel. Lots of video's by English speaking people on KZbin visting Efteling.

[@markgroothuis8569]

@@2012inca I believe that Castlefest is a must for everyone. One should have experienced it at least once in your life!

[@robcherry6734]

If you think the appointment got your card is bad it could be like ours; our Residence Permits were delivered by a uniformed Border Security Guard ( No sidearm :-)) but we couldn’t’ t choose the day or time, but if you weren’t in you would be contacted to explain why not! Luckily COVID fixed that!

[@buncharted]

WHAT! wow

[@jaaput]

@@buncharted Not per se. It is about important papers that you have to hand-over to the correct person, the legitimate owner. So if the issuing organisation considers this important enough to deliver it via their own, trusted personnel and tell you to be home at a certain time, you simply better be at home. Just like that. Not being their shows disrespect for this organisation (i.c. the Dutch government). Nice going, but apparently COVID caused a break and a change, and we are now stuck with newcomers that are allowed to boss around Dutch officials right from the start. In that way you create people that eventually become *used to getting things done their way*. We have a word for such people, and it is: spoiled. robcherry considers that a lucky thing. I don't.

[@simonevdw90]

I also live in the Netherlands and have learned that you have to put eggs in the fridge immediately after purchase. eggs can't stand going from cool, to room temperature, to cool. that is why they are sold at room temperature and you cool them immediately after purchase.

[@heinmolenaar6750]

Ik heb jaren in een hotel restaurant gewerkt. Daar werden de eieren nooit in de koelkast bewaard.

[@smilingpupp]

about the sugar thing... you showed a normal fanta, it even says so on the can: soda with orangejuice, with sugar and sweetners. the sugar free ones mostly just have sweetners and no sugar

[@buncharted]

i purposefully showed the normal fanta. it’s not normal for it to contain sugar *and* sucralose. usually normal ones have only sugar and the sugar free ones have only sucralose.

[@Ravenleijn]

I been living in the Netherlands for 5 years now and come from the UK, I haven't heard of catcalling and I work till late in the evening, I guess it's because I live in a smaller city in the Netherlands. As for the eggs I still put them in the fridge out of habit, though for me the shock was that here in the Netherlands they actually try and force you to buy the vegan products by making tv adds or approach you on the street. The only thing here that I miss and had in the Uk was a "pay as you go" meter for electric specially now with everything getting so expensive.

[@jaysimoes3705]

A TV add is ""forcing you"? So that opens up a list much longer than just vegan food. No one forces it upon you, in companies you see more and more helathy options in the restaurant.

[@SamyasaSwi]

Force you to buy Vegan? what are you on about

[@frankvandenbosch6527]

I never heard of Catcalling, totally new for me

[@dianakuipers3765]

It isn't a big problem in the netherlands. Some peolpe make it a big problem. There is a difference. Connected to the me too movement. I've never seen these billboards. I'm so glad I don't live in a big city. And I do live in the Netherlands!!

[@dutchgamer842]

So you don't travel to around the country?

[@dianakuipers3765]

@@dutchgamer842 I do, but you know the country is so much bigger then the big cities. There are more places without these billboards.

[@filthygreasepipe]

@@dutchgamer842 waarom praat je Engels tegen een Nederlander? Sorry moet het gwn ff vragen 😂

[@grootsyt]

Het is zeker wel een groot probleem, een vriendin van mij is al meerdere keren geintimideerd in Utrecht, we zitten verdomme in de vierde van het VWO. Dat gaat wel echt te ver als je het mij vraagt.

[@dianakuipers3765]

@@grootsyt En omdat het een vriendin van jou overkomt overkomt het iedereen? Het is vervelend voor je vriendin wat haar ook ovetkomen is. Maar het hele metoo gedoe gaat nu wel eens te ver, de een voelt zich geïntimideerd door een fluitende man de andere moet er om lachen. Verschillende meningen.

[@DataStorm1]

The sugar / sucralose / w/e split, for its "slightly" different sugar... they try to hide the total. Just look a bit lower at the little table on it, where it will tell Carbs and how much of that is sugar, that is standardized by law.

[@ShadowDrakken]

No full sugar soda?! Like at all?! I rarely drink soda, but when I do I CAN'T have the sweeteners :(

[@buncharted]

regular coke and fanta cassis has only real sugar but most other sodas have a mix :(

[@sofiahiy2337]

my mom actually does work after 5pm, sometimes she even has to work at 10pm! but i guess its depending on the job haha!

[@allp84]

US eggs are washed /chemically processed before they land in the store. This is forbidden in the EU. Basically, shelf life increases, by the process, but you need to keep them refridgerated because the natural protective layer at the inside of an egg is compromised.

[@ShadowDrakken]

You can still refrigerated unwashed eggs. It will actually extend their life into several months instead of weeks.

[@ammalyrical5646]

The patat thing. From what I've heard from Flemish people: patatten are potatoes there and they call fries friet. Maybe that helps in understanding where it comes from more. I often enough get frozen fries that have the word friet on the packaging instead of patat.

[@lysannedrop3092]

This is a fierce debat in The Netherlands. Generally said: southern part and the Belgiums say friet and the middle / northern part of the country say patat. The whole discussion is a bit of a hornets net though not as agressieve as the zwarte pieten discussion (stay away from that one). As a not native Dutch person you can say both and it is absolutely fine. Both words are correct after all, it's just a regional difference. People understand what you say.

[@ammalyrical5646]

@Lysanne Drop I know, I'm from the North of the country. 😉

[@sorehmilchtein3360]

Honestly the catcalling is a big city problem. I live in a tiny city, and this is barely an issue here. I got catcalled WAY MORE when I lived in NYC. Things are quite different outside of the big cities.

[@sorehmilchtein3360]

This is not meant to hate on you btw. It’s just hard when people generalize a whole country when living in a big city that cater to and is full of internationals. I’m an American living in the Netherlands for 4 years now. I’ve lived this whole time in a tiny tiny city in the south that gets no tourists. Things are really different here.

[@margotmargot4426]

eggs all over the world are transported with no refrigeration because it's the difference of temperature disrupting the eggs. All retailer and all eggs package tell you to refrigerate them AFTER buying them.

[@jasmingovers4403]

I had no idea we had a catcalling problem 😅😂

[@nimaxwerker]

The longer waiting time and making an appointment with the municipality is COVID related. It was usual that you could pick up your papers after a number of workdays . But that was changed to adhere to the COVID regulations.

[@buncharted]

oooh, that makes way more sense!

[@DeSjeft]

As a Dutch person the catcalling is new to me. I've never heard anyone complain about it or name it as a problem. That does for both sexes.

[@JohnnyJaxmusic]

Yeah so CC's are sometimes declined because it costs stores lots of fees to of a CC payment. But generally, 75% of stores nationwide do accept it. And in the cities that's a 100%. I am a dutch citizen and I only have a CC. Debit cards are accepted everywhere and its indeed cash that's in fact disappearing everywhere. Its a very digital and smart economy

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

Yeah, the soda with artificial sweetener is something recent. I have noticed people just don't seem to care. I have adopted the method of just buying syrups and plain sodawater and make my own mixtures. It's cheaper that way too. In Belgium the adaptation of artificial sweeteners is even worse, it is in literally anything that is even remotely prone to have a sweet flavour at all, like salad dressing, potato chips etc. It is actually not at all healthy, it is proven to actually normalize a higher food intake and the fact it doesn't have the amount of calories it tastes like activates more food cravings for unhealthy foods. There is an eery overlap in countries adopting them and rise in obesity throughout history.

[@dutchgamer842]

Artificial sweetener tastes awful

[@robcherry6734]

Problem is your body reacts to them in the same way as Sugar, so overproduction of insulin which is not needed, so your body becomes lazy and stops producing it (hey, you don't need this!), then you get put on artificial insulin (non-Human) and your body gives up completely as it now has a better supply! Took surgery and a 50kg weight lost to reverse this.

[@dutchgamer842]

@@robcherry6734 I don't even care on how my body reacts to it, it tastes awful, so I won't drink it anyway, light, diet and Zero is all just gross. So won't drink it anyway

[@michellezevenaar]

Unfortunately even syrup has artificial sweeteners in then now so I have to read those labels too. My work around is to get then from a toko. Imported syrup so far doesn't have it.

[@dutchgamer842]

@@michellezevenaar I just get Kool-aid powder instead

[@Potato_Celine]

it's a nice video but dutch people have 9 to 5's to.the city center normaly has the stores close around 6 (clouthing stores and bakerys) but everything else can be open to late espesialy cafe's and restaurants. for the rest it sound accurate. I also think that no sugar tastes weird but we do have it in a lot of store and the special flavors of cola or fanta al have no sugar options but not the normal what I find a wierd thing to have.

[@JohnnyJaxmusic]

So I think the sugar issue is that by EU law sugar itself is forbidden in light / zero, and you cant advertise light / zero if you include sugar. Howver, there are many ways to go around having to add sugar and basically add alternatives that have the same effect on soda but dont categorize as sugar. As you can see, on the back, it says 'Sugar' (not really sugar), but following the colon a list show of all the sweetener alternatives that can be added to add a sugar taste but not be real sugar. I hope it makes sense. There is also a lot aspertame used in soda to reach the same effect.

[@alicia.3740]

I never heard or experienced that catcalling while growing up in the Netherlands. I've seen immigrants do it and it's very annoying. I'm shocked that that's number one instead of, say, people here not carrying guns or the courier personally delivering your package instead of leaving it on your doorstep for anyone to grab.

[@buncharted]

most people in the US don’t carry or own guns (certainly not open carry), and we even came from texas. its true more people in the US own guns than the netherlands and there’s certainly more gun violence, but it’s not something you experience when you’re out and about. and we’ve had packages delivered to our doorstep here, though you’re right that it’s more commonly handed directly to us.

[@alicia.3740]

@@buncharted I see a lot of violent videos from the US, so many young people with guns. If they leave your package at the doorstep you can call the company and file a complaint because that shouldn't be the case, I did once and now they ring the doorbell and give it properly as it should be.

[@mheeswijk]

To answer Your question of the sugar : " Extra labeling rules apply to soft drinks with added sweeteners. If the sugars have been replaced in whole or in part by sweeteners, the product description must state 'with sweetener(s)' or 'with sweetener(s)'. 'with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)' must be stated. The following sweeteners are permitted in soft drinks: acesulfame-K (max. 350 mg/l), aspartame (max. 600 mg/l), cyclamic acid (max. 250 mg/l), saccharin (max. 80 mg/l), neohesperidin (max. 30 mg/l), sucralose (max. 300 mg/l) and Neotame (max. 20 mg/l). When using aspartame, the statement 'contains a source of phenylalanine' must also be stated on the label. Soft drinks whose sugars have been wholly or partially replaced by sweeteners provide less energy than regular soft drinks. The designation 'light' may be used if the soft drink supplies at least 30% less energy than the regular soft drink or if the soft drink supplies a maximum of 85 kJ (20 kcal) per 100 ml." And if you want the read al the regulations about Bringing soft drinks to Dutch market (source) : www.google.com/search?devloc=0&hl=nl-NL&ram_mb=7547&ampcct=5414&gsas=1&lns_as=1&qsubts=1674254659093&cs=0&q=About+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fws.nl%2Fsite%2Fassets%2Ffiles%2F1096%2Fwetgeving_met_betrekking_tot_het_op_de_markt_brengen_van_frisdranken-1.pdf%3Fv%3D53cme&padt=0&ilps=AB_Lh3pL8QO6AooMJdlS9mb_-bmOBr7VNw&rdid=ffda9eaf-88db-4640-b1b1-4dbdae511437&client=ms-android-vivo-rev1&tbm=ilp&source=and.gsa.widget.text&ctx=share

[@richardbrinkerhoff]

I think you encountered more pleasant cultural surprises than shocks.

[@buncharted]

oh absolutely, but youtube wouldn't know what to do with a "pleasant cultural surprise" video :)

[@bentels5340]

Patat: short for patates frites, which is French for fried potatoes.

[@thomasbulte8152]

My biggest shock when going to US (NY & Miami) was the price of bottled water, especially spring water. 😰

[@SamyasaSwi]

Maybe switch to winter water?

[@daphunman]

As for point two, the applicators for Tampons. The Netherlands is indeed apart when it comes to ladies hygiene (I am a man, but I have worked in the sector). The largest producer of ladies hygiene products in the world is Procter & Gamble with Tampax and Always. In the Netherlands, however, the largest is OB and Libresse, not from P&G. These have always been dominant in the market, and have not adopted the innovations that P&G has made. Dutch women (in general) are therefore not used to applicators.

[@buncharted]

this makes a ton of sense - thank you! (and thank you for all of the other insightful comments as well!)

[@keesnoort]

Interestingly i learn something new. When a product says light, diet or zero sugar it can still contain sugar? I didnt know that. It is however pretty obvious that other sweeteners such as aspartaam are used. How do you expect to drink a diet coke without any sweeteners and sugar? It would taste probably quite horrible...

[@buncharted]

it's the opposite! when a product is regular (not light or zero sugar), they sometimes combine both sugar *and* an artificial sweetener like sucralose in it.

[@keesnoort]

@@buncharted ah sorry then i misunderstood you. Ok i wasnt aware this was an unusual thing abroad. I can imagine, if you are not comfortable with sweeteners, you have to take attention every time you buy a regular product.

[@edwinschutjes8878]

Not responding to email or messages asap is not the way of doing things in corporate environments. This happens mostly in government and other bureaucratic type organisations and it is very annoying, also to us Dutch people.

[@Registreur]

The Netherlands probably has the biggest supermarkets in Europe next to Germany. Albert Heijn is big the Netherlands., Czechia and the USA. SPAR is big everywhere, Spain, Austria, etc. Coop is also everywhere. Germany is Lidl and Aldi and are also everywhere.