What moving to the Netherlands is really like! Week in the Life of an American in the Netherlands
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- čas přidán 12. 02. 2022
- In this video, I give you a little glimpse into a very average week in my life in the Netherlands as an American. Of course, when you're living abroad, no week in your life is truly average! This is what it is like for me being born and raised in New York City and now living in the beautiful Dutch city of Utrecht.
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I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!
Blog website: www.dutchamericano.com
Instagram: DutchAmericano
Get in touch: dutchamericanonl@gmail.com
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We always have nice weather here, nice rain, nice hail, nice fog, nice sleet, nice ice rain, nice wet snow, nice thunderstorms. Nicest weather in the world, and cheap too, it's all secondhand English weather. :)
Indeed. And I was wondering why she was wearing a scarf. It is actually really hot for a February.
beter gezecht kut weer xD te warm bagger weer xD enz
I'm from the Netherlands and moved to the US back in 2011. We decided to move back home this year, because things are getting a little too crazy over here for our taste, especially in the state we're living in. It has been a rough decision because we'll be leaving a lot of great things behind, but I've been watching some of your videos over the last couple of weeks and they made me look forward to moving back home a little more. So, thank you. :-)
I'm from the US and my family has decided to move to NL as well because of how crazy the US has gotten
As a Texan who hopes to emigrate to the Netherlands (and hopefully become a Dutch citizen one day!), would you be open to discussing more about what attracted you to the US? Also, what were your favorite/least favorite things about living in whichever state you live in (if you’re comfortable sharing that to an internet person haha).
@@zacharynolan9553 We moved here due my wife's work who's a scientist. Back in 2011, the US still seemed to be really invested in education and science. Sadly, over the years it became clear that this is no longer the case, especially in the state we're living in. The state government is making it harder and harder for my wife to do her work, because universities and professors are "evil". So when a job back home opened up, we decided it's time to move back.
What I really like about the US is the amount of space you've got. It will take quite a bit of getting used to living in the Netherlands again which is way more crowded. I love the diversity of the nature and the animals in the US and the weather is better than back home too (we're currently in the south of the US). We also met some amazing people, who I will definitely miss. Some of my least favorite things are the health care system (it's beyond broken and ridiculous), the amount of guns (we accidentally ended up in an active shooting last month, which was crazy), the politics (with the two team sports mentality) and that there's no real feeling of a society. It feels like everyone is just out for themselves. Obviously, people will help out their family and close friends if they can, but it feels like a lot of people don't care about their society as a whole. I know the Netherlands has its fair share of issues too, don't get me wrong, but overall I think people are more open to the idea of helping people they don't know (for instance by paying taxes that go towards social programs).
You REALLY should visit Het Spoorwegmuseum. It's great, nostalgic fun. My BFF lived very near to it for years. When you smelled coal burning, and heard the ( unbelievably loud) train whistles, You knew there was a big historic steamtrain rolling again. Impressive machines, even for non-railway-geeks. Though, truth be told.. don't be surprised to see small groups of middle-aged men, bent over a 'special' coupling between two historic wagons.. mesmerized by the technology.. A bit.. erm.. ' odd' :P
So nice to see you becoming so happy and that you've learned to cherish the little things in life...
Your happiness is due to the fact that you are open to the Dutch language, the Dutch culture and the Dutch norms and values and so slowly but surely you are becoming a true Dutchy. And the more of a Dutchy you are becoming, the less of an American you'll be; In speech, culture-wise spoken and norms and value wise spoken. Your sharp foreign edges are getting more an more soft and round and mellow and blending in is more and more going to be less of a challenge. Well done! you're a fine example of becoming a successful integrated person in The Netherlands
As an older retired person with a Dutch partner, the residency rules are considerably relaxed. For instance, I don’t have to learn the language though I am struggling to do so. I’m not needing a job, of course, so that makes a big difference too. The experience is completely positive . . . except for the weather. I’m a California girl and life on The North Sea is gray, windy, wet, and cold most of the year. Thank goodness for airplanes in the winter!
@@fvefve12 the water at the Dutch beach is . . . COLD!
The point of the birthday cake question is that in the Netherlands (contrary to some other countries maybe) you are supposed to bake or buy a cake or similar on your birthday and share it with your family, friends and colleagues. Maybe not with your neighbor, but that depends on your relation with your neighbor.
In any case, you would not wait for someone else to bake a cake for you. Of course when your neighbor really likes you they could still do that, but it is not part of the traditional procedure.
at timecode 1:19 (when utrecht is displayed) you also show a museum, its called Sonnenborgh and is de Utrechtse sterrenwacht (space/star observatory)
I grew up in Utrecht. The spoorweg museum and het Wilhelmina park were places that often visited. Nice to see they still look like I remember them 😍
Utrecht sure is a beautiful place to be! This morning my wife and I went for a cup of coffee in Rhynauwen, (I didn’t see you there!😉) and it was only a 15 minutes ride on our bikes. And enjoying the sun shining through the trees was a real blessing! I sure hope the two of you will enjoy our city for many more years!
Nice video again. A suggestion for a upcoming topic. How do you stay in touch with your family and friends in the US. How are they experiencing you moving to the Netherlands? Did they pay you a visit? I imagine it can be difficult to be thousands of miles away from your old life.
Would never move to a place like this, to many BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN AMERICA TO SEE OR MOVE TO🥰🥰🥰🥰
I love your vlogs. Big hugs from Norway🌸
'Countryside': dat huisje is denk ik een 'spoorwegwachtershuisje'. Vroeger werden bij elke overweg de spoorbomen met de hand bediend. Degene die dat deed heette 'spoorwegwachter' en die woonde natuurlijk aan de spoorwegovergang. Er zijn er meer in Utrecht, en eigenlijk overal. Leuke huisjes. ('Broei' verstond ik eerst niet, de uitspraak eindigt niet op een i maar op een j: broej.)
I was born in Utrecht. This is such a great video that makes me a little homesick… even after being gone since 1996. I rode my bike through all those streets… You can take the man out of Holland, but you can’t take Holland out of the man… it’s very evident during the Olympics! So many comments from fellow Dutch expats!
Well, as long as you don't miss the obligatory clog dance workshop and windmill climbing...
;)
Don't forget "Caring for Tulips" and "Turning your Cheeses".
Be right back signing up for all of these right now-mandatory or not!
And how to gut a herring!
The "coffeeshop etiquette workshop" is not mandatory, but definitely interesting
Hey Ava, Just so you know my birthday is July 18th and I like chocolate brownies and pecan pie! Just so you know :-) Weekends are the right time to do fun things like art-house movies and museums! That's why I love living in a city! This weekend we did a sleep over in a hotel in Ghent and today we did the Museum of Contemporary Art (SMAK ) in Ghent where there was an exposition on Pop Art. So the usual Americans like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein but also their Belgian and Dutch counterparts :-) And had a beautiful dinner :-)
What do you think of Valentines celebrations in the Netherlands? It's a bit like Haloween :-p Non existent :-P
Thanks for the update Eva, nice vlog! 🙂
Love seeing how your videos are getting better and better.
Well, you're still moving in to the new place, kind of, so plants are a necessary step.
That's exactly what the girlfriend says 😆
Your video reminded me that I need to buy some plants too, thanks. And thank you for this lovely happy week of your life. 👍
Nice to see that you enjoy Utrecht so much.
Taking a walk during a break is pretty normal. Specially when spring finally breaks out some parks seem to have a rush hour during lunch time.
Nice vlog agian Eva..
I love to see you video every time!!!
Visit Delft, it’s amazing. I’m English and he’s Dutch, but I love Dutch culture. There are some amazing places. Vlaardingen is also a great place to visit for walks, cycling and trips for the whole family.
Always nice to watch.
Born and raised in Utrecht. Worked 20 years at the local energie compagnie.
I saw you walking true the korte Smeestraat. I remember hanging the round signs on the walls about 25 a 30 years ago. They represent the job of the owner of that building at that time.
Pretty close to the Wilhelminapark is the Rietveld Schröderhuis. Worth a visit.🙂
Great video. You have an easy going speaking style.
I know the Wilhelminapark very well. I work nearby and my coworkers and I walk there during lunchbreaks regularly. A perfect place to eat my whole wheat and cheese sandwich.
Absolutely!
Long term UK resident here. Pretty sure most people would say cinema and not movies.
subscribed after watching this video.
Excellent and informative.
Danke.
You have a very photogenic face.
Das kino.
Hi Ava so if you enjoy a stroll in the park and nature in general ,I recommend you to take a 20 minute bike ride to de Bilt take the Utrechtseweg on left side until you reach vd Valk hotel you can enter the forest and enjoy nature even better than the park.Loved your video as always bye Ava.
Good to see you,Eva!I like that boekenkast!What are some of The Netherlands' independent filmhuizen? 'tHoogt, Springerhaven I remember from Utrecht.What musea have you visited?Isn't there a draaiorgel museum in Utrecht?very best wishes!
So funny running into you in the park this afternoon. Next time I buy you a cup of coffee :-)
I see you love the aesthetics of The Netherlands - as do I! At least the old city centres; they do have areas of horrible high rise blocks of flats too
Living the dream, congrats!
Satisfying video...a s always >!
I went to that museum. Still have to edit the video
Hi Ava! Nice to see another video. You briefly mentioned the "Spoorweg museum".. This museum is housed in the former Station Maliebaan. and it has a lot of dutch railway history.
Yeah. Don't go there! Dat is voor NERDS, gevaarlijk. Vooral OnTraXs in September is een no-go. Niet bezoeken! Ik weet het, want ik ben er vaak geweest!😊
@@gertarkema9857 Ava looks a bit nerdy to me, so she can safely go there :LOL:
@@gertarkema9857 I have been there when there was "Winter Station." Sang in a choir, doing Christmas carols. Ines Leijen is a Dutch musician who does fun things, she led the choir.
@@iamTheSnark Dat is alleen maar een dekmantel, maar ik zal in september aanwezig zijn, om onwetende Nederlanders te beschermen 😃 That is only a cover-up! I will be there in September to protect innocent Dutch people!
It's fun for children too. My coworker visits it multiple times each year.
Have you been to Camping Ganspoort, LEEN, WT Urban kitchen or De zagerij? They are close to Broei, om the other side of the train track.
I saw you walking by the canal in Utrecht 5 minutes ago. I was surprised. I want to say hi but I don't want to cut your talking with other lady. So hi from here.
The inburgerings exam is IMHO plain silly. When they were newly introduced we, a bunch of Dutch people, made an online version and roughly half of us failed. It had some really silly questions such how long a train ride between two random cities would take and where to go for some specific pregnancy related thing. Hardly relevant for most people and if it would become relevant you'ld ask around and find out. Also questions where the 'right' (politically correct) answer was obvious but had little relation with reality.
The language demand is in itself reasonable, though I think proper English alone should be perfectly fine too, but the rest of the demands are completely pointless.
Hehe, yes. And I feel that way about the test for American citizenship too 😆
Learning the Dutch language just makes it a lot easier to live in the Netherlands without having to depend on others. And it helps with the job prospects (depending on the environment you desire to work in)
I remember a question from the exam about the little dividers you put on the conveyor belt at the supermarket to separate your groceries from those of the person in front of you. I'm Dutch and at the time I had no idea what those things are called. Then I learned it's 'beurtbalkje'. I call that the silliest word of the Dutch language. 😅
@@penwithoutasword9459 I doubt A2 level dutch is going to make much of a difference. Maybe if you want to become a 'vakken vuller' at the supermarket or stand at a production line in a factory it suffices, but it's pointless for anything beyond some basic instructions and nowadays virtually everybody knows English. At least the statistics say so and I want to believe so. Reality is a bit less rosy with many people unable to have a real conversation in English.
@@silentwilly2983 A2 is definitely not enough. Ideally B1 or B2.
Hallo. I'm not familiar with Utrecht (other that having gone to a high school in Brooklyn named New Utrecht), but I did live in De Kwakel for a year, and have very fond memories. Something my kids really enjoyed was feeding the water fowl in the small canals (sluiten?) in town. We'd never seen so many tame geese and even swans coming up onto the grass to be fed. I wonder if you could do a video of the close relationship the Dutch have with their animals, both domestic and wild.
Sloten - means both small canals as wel as ‘locks’ as in door locks, not the waterway type….. confusing, isn’t it 😁
Thanks for sharing, Looks like a beautiful park and town. Are the movies in the original English? I visited Germany once and the lion king was showing but dubbed in German
Utrecht is cetainly a nice City...when i was 5 or 6 years old our family did visit an(upper class) collegue of my father at the Oude Gracht..the house was huge(everything was huge when i was at that age) The interior of the house was in a kind of tropical colonial style...not that strange because it was from the Palm family...
Ik durf te zeggen dat je buurman het niet erg gaat vinden als je voor zijn verjaardagen taart bakt! 😎
En bedankt voor het mooie verhaal.
I don't know if it's still a thing now, but it was a year or 2 ago when my wife had to do her inburgering was the ONA (oriëntatie op de Nederlandse arbeidsmarkt). If that's still a thing and you already have a job you may be able to get vrijstelling/exemption.
I moved to NL last year and just had my participatieverklaring 😄 you have 3 years to do it, the gemeente has to send you an invitation for it. Also, since 2022 it's free, so that's nice and I guess I'm lucky because I did move here a year ago 😄 now I have to do the rest of the inburgering but I want to get NT2 so let's see 😊
Well if you have a museumkaart visit the railway museum. It is worth it I can assure you.
I love your “work-week”. How do you manage that? I try to achieve that, and in about 40 years of work i am not even close to how your work-week looks
By the way? I think your whole series would be considered course material in the participation course. I kid you not. Would not surprise me if you were to find out the course leader is a fan of yours.
Have you visited the Sterrenwacht?
Happy to know that you found out on time, would be a shame to lose a great person like you. You live in Utrecht, you drink coffee, have beautiful long hair and you are intelligent! Just an idea, visit the Leidscherijn park. I know you have to go by bike, but it’s as large as the city center of Utrecht
That's a great tip, thanks! Have to check it out!
@@DutchAmericano It's actually called the Maximapark (Leidsche Rijn is the Residential area). Although it's big, half of it's area are actually sport parks. While you're in that neighboorhood: also visit the Castellum Hoge Woerd, it is a kind of replica of an old Roman fortress. On you're way back, go by the Park de Hoge Weide. It contains an nice lane of tall trees :)
If I wouldn't know, I'd say you almost have a Gooisch accent. Maybe I should check some of your other vids to make sure ;)
Didn’t even know you had to take a inburgerings course for just a visa.
Broei sounds so much more fun than spoken in correctly Dutch.
You will find the Trinity Church close to the Wilhelmina Park. Yes, that is its name.
I think Dutch people (or other non-native speakers, especially speakers of Germanic languages) who speak English will always tend to stay 'going to the cinema' instead of 'going to the movies' because it kinda makes more sense to them. I guess the thought is that they watch movies, but that 'going to the movies' is not what they actually do, because the movies aren't the place/building they are literally moving to, while the cinema is. So, probably the main difference here is that native English speakers will refer to what they're going to do when they go some place, while non-native English speakers will refer to the place or building itself. However, I think that this is one of the few specific examples of when this happens, because it doesn't happen in every case. 'Doing groceries' or 'going for groceries' could be the translation non-native speakers would use, based on their own languages, instead of 'going to the supermarket', but I'm not entirely sure of that. In Dutch, people would go to 'de bioscoop' (or 'de cinema' in Flemish Dutch), which means the cinema, not the movies. But on the other hand, 'boodschappen doen' (literally 'doing groceries') is the preferred approach over 'naar de supermarkt gaan' ('going to the supermarket'), because it's shorter in speech (allthough they're both used).
Pathé unlimited is also a good option for regular movies
Yes, indeed! I should look into that too 😍
@@DutchAmericano I don't know how it's in Utrecht, but in Eindhoven the Vue cinema is sooo much better the Pathe cinema, they have the "Vue movie pass"
How was the movie? It's nominated for an oscar for best foreign movie and best original screenplay.
I'm in prison at the moment, so I would appreciate a cake ! And I applaud your taste in countries ! (and books :)) 😘
Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada
Afaik a participatieverklaring is just a form stating Dutch standards you need to adhere to (which you probably already do, if you're from a free Western society). If you already do, then just sign it and send it in. I don't think you need a 150 euro course for that.
Ava! Do I detect the occational Dutch accent in your English? ♥♥♥♥♥
I love Utrecht
Utrecht (Ultra Traiectum), is an old Roman frontier fort on the (old) river Rhine. South of Utrecht, occupied Germania, North of it, free Germania... So it has been a city for an awful long time.
The sun is out. It is warm. Why are you wearing a scarf? There has not been snow in The Netherlands for over a year.
Happy Valentine❣sweetheart
I thought it was interesting that in The Netherlands',on your birthday,jij trakteert,you are expected to bring something to share with colleagues,like Bosche Bollen!Speaking of parks,do you know the Laage Vuursche and Maatseveense Plassen?How come no one is wearing a mask?
Maarsseveense.
Yoiu should bring a visit to the telelscope you cna see in your you tube.
That was a bummer, when you did start talking about inburgering, was already cheering yes she did become dutch....
But it was for the visa 🤨
I can apply in 3 years for that, so it's not far off! 😃
@@DutchAmericano 🥳🥳🥳🥳
sort of off topic but don't those lower levels by those canals flood constantly?
Those canals are very old. The water level is regulated so it always remains the same.
No they don’t, we keep the water levels on a fixt level. The use pumps to get the water lower, because its about lower than sea level. They are severe pumps 😉
The Dutch engineers are masters at maintaining a water level that is constant year-round
thanks, i always wondered about that
@@kenttaylor2568 My friend lives near the lowest point in the Netherlands. No, it's not Lelystad or Almere. Rotterdam (Alexanderpolder)
How was the movie?
What’s on the menu for a Dutch brunch?
May I ask what you do for a living and how you managed to move to an EU country? From what I’ve researched online, it’s extremely difficult for a non-EU citizen to immigrate to the EU.
Nobody here goes to the cinema, we go to the film or bios(coop) 😀
The are a fair amount of Brexit refugees that speak real English who will refer to the cinema as the place to go to. I guess she knows some.
“Just wondering whats in it” 😂
😀It's Broei, not Brew-ii
Participatie verklaring: Declaration of participation ;)
Does EVERYONE, children and adults, in The Netherlands speak English fluently (C1 or C2 level)?
1:45 Countryside? All I see is buildings. You should really go out of the city more often. 😉
Sometimes you say words in Dutch that some of us don't understand. It would be nice if you put it in English also. Or showed it on the screen. 🙂🤷🏻♂️
My niece is married to an American 🇺🇸, which has turned out great (two kids and wonderful in-laws).
He came here (to Scandinavia, Denmark 🇩🇰 and Sweden 🇸🇪) to study and has graduated from university twice. Two grads. Very intelligent guy. Was on the roster for a phd but no luck.
My youngest nephew was engaged to an Argentinian 🇦🇷 girl. That unfortunately fizzled out. He's living in Paris now and has a French girlfriend. Hope that sticks. 🙂🇫🇷
Speaking of the young ones, they have so many opportunities nowadays. Going and finding love all over the world. 🌍❤️
A couple of god tips for when I move there.
I think they raised the language skill level to B-
Wenn you go back to the USA?
Oh.. these dutch letters... got already some problems with them
she's cute :)
Thanks to climate change there are dry and even hot days in the Low Countries. Some 30 years ago, the summer in the Netherlands fell on a Wednesday: once a year. There was rain every day.
What about the summer of '76? Seriously, it should have been a wake-up call then.
Not true.
Absolutely not true
@@Paul_C I remember this summer very well. I went to the swimming pool every day for months and months!
@@Paul_C is that the summer where I started curling up like bacon?
Might be where a lot of us are developing melanoma from, unfortunately.
Verklaring = statement/declaration..
I wonder how many Dutch people actually know their neighbours' birthday.... I surely don't and I know no one who does.
This is... such a good point...
I wonder how many Dutch people actually know their neighbors...
@@moladiver6817 Most do. I find it strange to not know my neighbors.
@@Whistler4u Yes, it's normal to know your neighbours, but their birthdays?
@@Whistler4u Depends where you live. In the city it's not common to know your neighbors. I lived in quite a few places and while I was usually able to recognize my neighbors (mostly from picking up packages) many people just keep to themselves. Knowing my neighbor's birthdays never even entered my conscious mind. Let alone baking a cake for them. 😅
0.O
87th
Part of being able to stay in the Netherlands is doing a test which includes knowledge about the royals? How disgusting. I'm from Limburg (yes it is the Netherlands too!) and I was educated by my parents to reject the monarchy. Catholics were once deemed second class citizens in their own land - with the protestant Orange bastards wielding this apartheid. So it is interesting to know that the inburgerings-test is still Holland centric. I think a strong Dutch characteristic is to not put up with BS. So in reality a real Dutch person would wipe his arse with the participation papers. But yeah, good luck passing it. At 150 euros it seems to me to be yet another govertnment scam.
De Volkskrant is a very leftist newspaper. I use it as tp.