Honest Review: Living in The Netherlands (As A South African) | Living Abroad Diaries
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- čas přidán 25. 05. 2024
- Helloooo everyone!
It's been four months since we moved. Here are my thoughts on how it's been so far. I hope you enjoy it!
Intagram: / marte_barnard
xoxox
On the weather, even for the Dutch, the last 5 months have been unusually wet. And 'normally" we have a 'hot' spell in late April of middle May with temperatures rising to 25+ degrees C for some days in a row, but this year it hasn't happened yet. Anyways, in a week's time I'll be off the the south of France to enjoy hopefully some better weather! Bur realistically, you can't have good weather years if there isn't the odd bad year inbetween. Just bad luck for you to date...
As for socialising, just a bit of a tip: please slow down your speaking ! It is said, that the Dutch understand Afrikaans easier than the other way around. But your high tempo isn't helping. And no offence intended if you did that already, but have you socialised with your neighbours yet, of with the staff or the bars/restaurants you and your husband visit? Since you like your sports, have considered joined a "vereniging" on running, or climbing? The social hours in the bar afterwards can reward you with lots of friends... Sport in the Netherlands doesn't end with the end of the physical efforts!
Hello! No offense taken!
I can understand and read perfectly fine, but stringing together my own Dutch sentences is tricky. And I try to speak Dutch, not Afrikaans, to learn quicker! Thanks for the tips ☺️
Seems to me you should pick up Dutch faster than English speakers because the Afrikaans background. Simply refuse to switch to speak English because Afrikaans is your mother tongue. If they switch English you need to switch to Afrikaans immediately... teach them Afrikaans and Nederlands is the same just from about 200 years ago. It should shut them up instantly.
For mountaineous areas you could visit the ardennes Belgium/Luxembourgh within a 5 hour drive or go to the Harz in Germany within 6 hours. Nature is scarce here. It's a fact. But both the Dunes along the coastline, the islands and the Veluwe should be able to give you some semblance of escape ;) enjoy!
Well done! Especially your conclusion: it's not just what you experience, but more importantly how you deal with it (with setbacks)!
For anyone emigrating to another country, building a social network will take the most energy. But that social network will also (be able to) help you the most when things get tough! This will be easiest with people from South Africa, because you have the same frame of reference; you share the same background. With other expats you share more the same goal, what you want to achieve in the Netherlands. Then you will see that a greater diversity of people or groups of people (nationalities), will offer more opportunities and more possible solutions. With people from South Africa you are still in the same bubble and share the same solutions. You also share the same (South African) people and that group will always be smaller than the group of other expats.
The Dutch are more reserved and don't have the same problems you/you face. But if you, like you, show that you want to make something of it (learn Dutch) then there will be few people who do not want to (can not) help you if you have a question for help :-) For example, ask me!
Also: if you live closer to the coast, you have more sun hours and less rain.
And, check out the Ardennes (Belgium/Luxembourg) for nature and climbing :-)
Thank you for this really amazing comment, especially for the tips on spots to visit 🥳 really appreciate it ☺️
Good vid again. Regarding the weather, we have seen exceptionally bad weather in the last half year. Normally we do have our share of rainy days but not so much as these months (since November last year).
It’s a bit more, but because of climate change we have been used to warmer spring. The rain of the last weeks are also more short and heavy than like twenty or fourth years ago.
Winter is more and more becoming fall, and that’s the weather I’d really like, we would’ve had at least a week of below zero Celsius temperatures.
My daughter's boyfriend is originally South African. He has had Dutch nationality for a few months now. He's from Johannesburg. He has told me a few times that life there is simply dangerous. He lived in a gated compound with a large fence and cameras. He and his parents and his brother and sister actually fled to the Netherlands when his parents (highly educated) could get good jobs here. His grandfather still lives there and he calls him every day. He himself really never wants to go back.
Unfortunately Johannesburg is the worst place to live, anyone in South Africa will tell you that! Cape Town is a lot better. I’m glad he and his family found a safer place to live (and bonus, a nice girlfriend!) :)
Hey Marté, it's good to see you both are getting settled. 👍
Like you said, there will always be challenges and changes in life.
We have to adjust and make the best of it.
Wishing you both all the best. Love your vids, btw.
Greetings from the Hague 👍
Great. Freedom and feeling safe are extremely important in life.
My upstairs neighbors are from South Africa as well. Great people, much improved from the people before. We've had drinks and made plans for a braai (I have a garden) once summer actually arrives this year! 😅
Nice that you visited my home town Den Haag (The Hague). Yes, the Netherlands has beautiful beaches (just not nice beach weather) and Scheveningen is one of them.
Scheveningen has a nice marina with many dining options around the harbor. A large boulevard with restaurants and many beach bars, there are also many small eateries on the Pier. So you're in the right place when it comes to dining options.
Hey Marté! About the weather, of course you moved here in the most miserable month of the year, January. :p You'll see that the rest of the year is much better, even December at least has Christmas decorations going for it. Also regarding the cost of cars, have you looked into renting instead of buying? There are several flexible and affordable plans available and even if it doesn't entirely work for you, you could use it to find out what kind of vehicle best suits your needs.
And this winter and spring have been wetter than most. Echo of El Nino in Europe.
As to cars; one of things that amazed me is that though the Netherlands 'only' has about 550 cars per 1000 inhabitants, it has one of the highest car densities per km2. Apart from the micro states that is.
Some 230 cars per km2. Just imagine that
That’s crazy!! How is that even possible 😜 I need to do some research hahaha
@@martebarnard cars are on its own already expensive, for instance BPM is a tax on top of a original price of cars compared with other countries.
Half of the gas prices are taxes (45,6%), you’ll pay “road tax” (wegenbelasting) if it’s a fuel car depending on weight and sort of gasoline it uses. And insurance of course.
@@martebarnard One thing most Dutch people do when buying a 'new' car: buy 'second hand' but not quite. Look at the 'just about new' section of the 'occasions' (used cars). So a few months old max 1 year, only a few thousand kilometers. Many of these will be cars dealers used for 'test drives' by prospective customers or one-day loans if an owners regular car gets a maintenance service. But these cars, by an offical dealer, are pretty sure to be 100% OK. And, of course, for price it makes a lot of difference if you want a BMW, Audi or Benz rather than say a Volkswagen Polo. These so-called premium cars are foremost premium at prices. Japanese and South Korean cars (KIA, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, etc etc) are a lot more reasonably priced and have a far better 'not breaking down' record. Just saying...
You are right, it's time for the summer, icecreame, sitting on a terras drinking a beer, BBQ etc. Groetjes.
Well I think you prepared yourself really good before moving to The Netherlands! You got a mature view on your life and I like it! I moved from the Netherlands to Belgium (And now you might tell me: Ehhm that's barely a change..) Butttttt... It actually was! So I definately can relate to some of your points. Being less connected to your closest family and friends is a real thing. Experiencing a gap to the local community is another especially because I work remotely in European territory. Less colleagues to connect to. And there is a difference in culture, words, way of life. More than I expected. But I got used to all that pretty much and now I am already over 20 years in Belgium/Flanders. Good luck and lots of fun living in the Netherlands!
ik ben Nederlander en luister vaak naar "Radio Bosveld" die praten Afrikaans en dat kan ik voor 99% verstaan,dus waarom Afrikaners vaak doen of Nederlands een soort van volstrekt onbekende taal is...ik heb geen flauw idee waarom. "Die appel val nie ver van die boom nie" zou je toch denken
Ek hoor jou, maar om na ‘n soortgelyke taal te luister en verstaan (wat ek kan doen met Nederlands) is heeltemal anders as om self te moet praat in ‘n onbekende taal. Die sinskonstruksie verskil baie. Probeer dit iewers, dis nie so maklik soos ek gedink het dit sou wees nie 😉😊
@@martebarnard was nie moeilijk nie 😂🤣
@@henkhemming6674 i think you are missing my point 😅 but I’m glad you can understand as they are sister languages :)
Afrikaans is grammaticaal makkelijker dan Nederlands. Daarom is het voor ons makkelijker dan voor Afrikaanse mensen. Maar gewoon proberen en veel oefenen wees niet bang om fouten te maken.
Depending on what interests you, there are lots of great events in the Netherlands all year round. Get informed, you will hardly have to be bored for another day.
You can also buy a good car used. You could also consider sharing or renting a car.
The Netherlands is a small country, which is why nature is not as grand as it is often in much larger countries. An advantage is that our small size allows us to quickly visit foreign nature. Where I live, I can reach the Eifel or Ardennes within an hour by car. Furthermore, within an hour in Cologne or Brussels, for example, and within a few hours in Paris or London.
Try to speak Dutch as much as possible, even though it is not the easiest way, especially in the beginning. For example, I have been to England many times for my work. Despite not being a native speaker by far, I kept finding myself dreaming even in the English language within days. That was because I simply didn't hear anything around me other than the English language.
I guess that you'll have a better chance of "infiltrating" is to drop the "expat" term. Natives tend to be really spooked by the term, because it implies you'll be disappearing again when your assignment is over. If you aren't here on a foreign assignment, and you're are planning to stay there for years to come, you are an immigrant and you need to own that. That way locals will find it easier to invest in their relationships with you.
Good point! I don’t really ever use that term other than in CZcams videos 😜 my parents lived in the Netherlands for six years and they gave the exact same advice. Thanks for the tip :)
@@martebarnard It might be a generational thing then, but I have been a proud immigrant in two different countries for the past 28 years.
@ 8:45 far away from S.A. but still in the SAME TIMEZONE ! yep......
He Martė, maybe you got this tip earlier but hiking/mountainbiking is very nice in the Belgian Ardennes and Luxembourg.
Have fun.
If you want see Dutch nature I would recommend Nationale Park de Hoge Veluwe. Also the Waddeneilanden and the Waddenzee are defintiely worth the visit.
Natuur in Nederland bestaat niet meer ,in dit aangeharkte parkje. Alles is gepland en aangelegd.
Oppassen voor wolven!
Yeah. the adjacent 'Planken Wambuis' is great as well, Posbank ... OMG the Posbank. The dikes in the riverlands are great, for example Nijmegen to Tiel. Orrrrr .. Montfoort Oudewater Linschoten along the waterfront, orrrr, de along de oude Rijn in het groene hart.
All of this is best on bikes of course. Do they have nice bikes yet? Go used bike IMHO, 7/8 speed internal gear hub or 8/9 speed derailler, can be had for 200-400 euro from bike shops.
There are no mountains but the light and the skies are often beautiful. Painters know. What I understand it is all the water, the flatness and that in the middel of the country lies IJsselmeer, the former Zuiderzee. It reflects the light. Mostly in spring, summer and autumn. Long greyness in winter can be depressing.
I am so sorry you had a death in your family! It must be very hard not being able to be there with your family during that time. I am impressed by your video editing skills! And you are a busy attorney while you make time for this! Absolutely amazing. I have also been here for 4 months. I am closer to family here than I was in SA. I've seen my sis 2x! She lives in the UK. Parents have passed. I have other family who also emigrated to other countries. I left little in SA regarding family, yet a few good friends. Regarding the "infiltrating" the dutch... I think be careful of thinking that the Dutch are a certain way. We've made good Dutch friends, and it came forth by being really open-minded and vulnerable. It came by me telling them I'm so sorry I seem so strange I realise I must look quite stupid and then I explained I just arrived (back then I was here for 1 month only). The result of this was us being invited for tea. And I got to learn how the Dutch drink tea! 😂 It left a very big impression on me. I drink my tea differently now. So just ... Think less of it as infiltrating the Dutch and more of just being transparent and having things flow from there. Speaking as much Dutch as possible! I love the Netherlands. It is more my home than South Africa was. I recently got diagnosed with cancer here, also. I've been in such situations that I really needed the very best to fall back on. It is through being in such a situation and yet to see how lucky you are to be here that it kicks in. I'm sure it is different for everybody, but I saw in this short time being in a difficult position just how much being here has counted in my favour. I've had to communicate in Dutch in so many and frequent ways and settings and due to the need to rise above I believe it has actually benefitted me. My oncology surgeon wrote in my medical file that I also speak good Dutch😂 If you're backed into a corner and determined to come out on top then it speeds up your learning, I guess. Ik ben dol op Nederland. Ik heb alleen maar thuisgekomen. Dat is hoe ik me voelt over Nederland! Oh I wanted to mention you can ask your huisarts to test your Vitamin D levels if this is a big concern for you. They will help you and might even refer you to a dietician or psychologist if you are having a battle to get your levels normal. My doctor tested my levels and thankfully it was normal. My iron levels did drop though which could either be due to eating less meat here or perhaps due to the cancer as I am anemic now, but my medical team is on top of it.
Wait until the Dutch summer. 33 to 35 degrees Celsius and very humid. Dutch houses are not made for the enormous heat and there is no air conditioning. The houses then feel like a Dutch oven.
This…sounds like a future challenge 🤣🥵🔥
@@martebarnard Happens usually 1 or 2 times a summer. Just the normal precautions: ventilate (open windows) but only in the morning when the air is still cool, lower the blinds on the windows where the sun shines through, reduce your bed coverings to just linnen. If you're currently renting a home the owner may not allow you to install an airco unit, but if allowed make sure the unit can heat too. From late September to early May it can really reduce your gas usage. Use the CV only when it gets really cold.
Got airco here, so not all is lost!
You must live in a nice neighborhood. Where I live used to be a nice neighborhood until foreigners took over.
Now it's a mess with shootings, police in the street every day, fights and so on.
Interesting to see that the language-barrier from your experience will be different from the reverse : as a Dutch it is fairly easy to read Afrikaans (no problem at all)
So it must be harder to read and understand the other way around ?
Tip : if you dive in Dutch history of art, you might begin to feel an appreciation for the gloomy weather (especially during autumn)
Dutch art and architecture is a very distinct feature of taste and surroundings.
At least in many
historical areas and towns...
Good luck to you 🌹⚘️
Hello! Thanks for the comment :)
I have no problem understand or reading Dutch. I’m just very slow and aware of myself when I need to create sentences from scratch - the structure differs from Afrikaans quite a bit!
Thanks for the tips, I’m a huge art appreciator so this aligns perfectly ☺️
@@martebarnard Just try and be not shy! Dutch directness from whoever you're talking to will jump in when it was (unfortunately) incomprehensible or up for interpretation 😀
This year's weather has been miserable, even for Dutch standards. I think I can count the days where we've had clear skies for multiple hours on one hand. The last few years saw prolonged dry spells with lots of clear skies, but this year's been really miserable in that regard for some reason. Just so you know this isn't normal (hopefully).
Hi Marté, love die updates. Waar doen jy die Dutch klasse. Ek sal eintlik meer wil gesels ons maak reg om soontoe te gaan. Lekker dagie
We renovated a typical 1930's house not too long ago. Downstairs we kept the cental (gas) heating intact, but all bedrooms upstairs are now heated/cooled by AC.
Up until perhaps 20 years ago there would be a few hot days a year, but now heatwaves can sometimes last for weeks on end. And that's no fun.
Hii Marté, have you been to the (South) of Limburg yet? In case you want a bit of a change of scenery where it's a bit less flat haha! Also it's very close to the German and Belgian borders. :)
No I haven’t yet, but I’m glad you’re sharing this recommendation, thank you! If it has something close to a mountain, I’ll go as soon as possible 🤣🫶🏻
@@martebarnardit has hills we call mountains
@@martebarnard If you are here, don't just walk or drive a car, but go ride a bike. That way you'll see that not all of the Netherlands is as flat as the coastal provinces or the more northern ones
how do you guys find your house?? im from here and cant even find a house here
Compared to many, if not all, other countries, nature in the Netherlands consists relatively of planted and fenced central reservations. The Veluwe, the Biesbosch, the Peel, etc. are no more than postage stamps in an overpopulated country.
Hi, I am so sorry about your loss en aspecial to hear you got (almost) robbed! What a frightning experience!
Conc the weather: Like mentioned by others you started in january which is absolute the worst month to start. It will get better.
I for myself has lived in central Amerika for three years late '80-ties. Then we didn't have the "luxury" of internet. But, that did gave me (us) the experience to really BE away. Perhaps you could try in 6 months orso (when you've settled in) to reduce the use of that: talk to your direct family, but both of you: give yourselfs a real chance "...to be away from South Africa" i.s.o. cherry picking and in doing so getting sad.
Talking about South Africa: that was you at 8:14, jumping? Realy? A woman like that WILL manage to handle the Dutch AND the weather that comes with them. "Believe you me". Easy.
Greez and a warm welcome (back?) to this small country to both of you (so small, we decided to set sail to find new places centuries ago 😉).
Hello! Your comment made me laugh and smile, thank you ☺️
And thank you for your advice, I think it’s really valuable and I’ll be mindful to focus on really being away from SA like you said.
Yes, that is me cliff jumping 🤣 best comment of the day hahaha!
It’s good to be back in het kleine landje 😉 fijne avond!
You will never be really at home somewhere if you don"t learn the language and engage with the locals. It does take some effort especially if you live in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Den Haag where most expats live. So despite a busy social life, if that is mainly based on expats, you will always stay a guest. If you think that is enough it is fine ofcourse, if you want to grow roots you will have to do more.
Well then, great news that I live in Noord Brabant 😉 I would love to grow roots, but learning a new language of course takes time.
Maar, ik ben op les en vind Nederlands heel leuk te leren (I hope that’s right 🤣)
@@martebarnard Your Dutch is great and where you live is not only a great environment to get to know the locals but also - relatively - close to a more varied landscape, namely "de ardennen" in Belgium.
Wow , it so weird that you now feel so safe now because living in NL. I lived in 11 countries and never felt unsafe. SA must be so bad
Mmm, SA gets a bad reputation (understandably). About 1% of the population is actually dangerous and make life unpleasant for the other 99% who are decent, normal people.
Real bad.SA.
Nature? Go to the Veluwe there is a lot of wildlife. Wild boar, red deer, wolves so running won't be a problem...😂
LOl, you speak so fast I am getting a headacke to follow you 🤥 but its nice to hear you both get along sofar ! Not joking: Dutch is to be mend to speak slow.
You so much look like Petra Kvitova
See youll there soon... lol
Do you ever take an breath?
🤣 I edit them out hahaha. Never knew I spoke quickly. Now I know 😜
@@martebarnard Editing out the breaths drives me a bit crazy -- makes your video seem jumpy.
Speak Afrikaans ..Ik like that .hh I can understand .
Hm . . . en we zitten al zo vol hier . . . ook nog reclame maken....
For an expat, it makes sense to vote for your home country.
But for an immigrant, it makes no sense at all. You left that behind.
I have family, friends and investments/interests in South Africa, so I vote for all those reasons :)
Voting is b.s., why wouldn't they have canceled it by now? Because it works for them.
Voting it only agreeing to 4-5 years more of the same and worse.