What's wrong in Rotterdam...this is not right!
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- After 2 months of living in Rotterdam Netherlands this is the one thing that I think is wrong...really wrong and needs to be fixed. Also a few things that as an American living in the Netherlands you really get right compared to the united states. Life in the Netherlands is becoming the best experience of our lives, really. There are defiantly pros and cons of living in the Netherlands BY FAR more pros BY FAR! How can you not be happy living in Rotterdam and loving the Netherlands? Life is good in Europe even better in the Netherlands!!
I agree about those electric rental scooters here in Rotterdam; they are pretty annoying. But I would be horrified if someone would pack my groceries for me. A job like that could never be a good career choice for anyone. The salary has to be not much above minimum wage and the person doing this job will not learn from this experience: it is just working hard while remaining below the poverty line. Jobs like that are glorified slavery and I wouldn't wish to be confronted with this kind of injustice every time I get some groceries.
Well before it were scooters it were bikes that were are over the place... I think the trend is moving faster then regulations can keep it.
Packing groceries all day is considered demeaning. If you have some elderly person having trouble to pack, the cashier will help out, but others are considered to be capable to load up stuff to buy and having the hands to bag it themselves. I guess it also has to do with the quantity of goods people buy. You won't see the freight truck amounts being rolled out you might see in the US, so having someone to pack will not lower the waiting times for others much. You may also see people with a handful of groceries being offered to skip in front by people with loaded carts. Don't know how common that is elsewhere, but it certainly never happened in China.
@@chubbymoth5810 Letting people skip go in front of you if quite common here in The Netherlands, I see/saw it often and do it myself too. But to let someone go straight to the head of the line I have seen very rarely. Nowadays a lot of the supermarkets have self-checkout so standing in line for just a few items has become less common.
So many people working very hard and staying below the poverty line also in The Netherlands and we still buy products made in sweatshops all over the world......(of course we don't see them, so there is no confrontation, makes live better I suppose). ;)
@@joopdevries2657 Poverty in The Netherlands? There poor people but to call it poverty as in comparing it to the US or other countries without social safety nets I think is in insult to actual poor people like those living on trash dumps in India or Mexico or having to live from less then a dollar per day.
I would hate it if others would pack my groceries for me! And flowers are available the whole year around.
As for the graves, the Netherlands is a very densely populated country. And it has been that way for a very long time. We haven't the space for so many graves. It's as simple as that
There is a good reason we don't have people who are putting our groceries in bags. We can do that ourselves 😁. Another reason is that we bring our own bags. Plastic bags or paper bags are available if you need one but the stores are prohibited to give the customers a plastic bag for free. It's one of the ways to keep nature as healthy as possible.
well, if you do home delivery then they do that for you)))
Actually the companies renting out the scooters have been urged to solve the issues you describe. It was in the Dutch news about a week ago. They are on to it, as they have the details of the people renting them. They are now instructed to make a photo of where they leave the scooter. Or at least one company is approaching it in that way.
Totally logical that there are no employees at the end of the line to pack your stuff, we do it ourselves, and no ten lines open in the supermarket is to save some cost as a supermarket. Of course, we can change this in the Netherlands if we start paying less salary just as the USA is doing with their people in the supermarkets or fast-food restaurants. So we wait 1 or 2 minutes longer in the line and we do it ourselves instead of looking how somebody else is packing...
The packing people are usually a side job for teenagers and they earn money through tipping. They get more money on tips than Dutch teens who work in the supermarket on minimum wage. I think it is especially convenient for elderly or disabled people.
@@halapunjete Personally, I wouldn't want to go to a society where someone is ready to help me everywhere. Regarding tip money, I can imagine that it is nice for young people to earn something. But with my 53 no longer packing my own groceries? I wouldn't want it myself.
And if you really need help with packing your groceries you can just ask someone from the shop or just another customer will gladly help you, for free! Even with a minimum wage at least they are doing a meaningful job with a growth potential and they actually learn things and they get a workout. Nothing to learn from filling grocery bags. And older people filling shopping bags for other people, which I see often in the US is so undignifying and disrecpectful.
@@jurgenolivieira1878 It's the way you look upon it. If I see a person at 70 years old making some extra money, he has my total respect, even in the supermarket. Slowly, the United States will fall behind when it comes to their own people compared to what we in Europe get in return from our governments. The US system has been and will continue to be number 1 in military affairs. That costs taxpayers a lot of money. Rich know their way to avoid the high tax, Middle class can lose everything if there is a series of health problems while we in Europe, and I am mainly talking about the Netherlands, we get a lot back from the government. We pay a lot, but we also get a lot. With exceptions our older people do not have to work anymore they can really retire.
@@EricvanDorp007 Eric I couldn't agree with you more but I stil don't think it's a sign of a healthy socieity when the elderly (who have already paid their dues to society) are obligated to take such jobs just to make ends meet. And if people were earning living wages they wouldn't feel the necessity for such jobs. I don't fault anybody for wanting to earn an extra buck but it's just that it's often not a voluntary or innocent let's "make some extra money on the side". It's usually a case of pure necessity because even with the other 3 or 4 other jobs they can't make ends meet or there is no safety net or suplements for under living wage pensions. And it's not even just a few people...
Since you like the trains so much, I think you might like to know that the German railways offers one way tickets from anywhere in NL to Germany for €22. Great for a weekend trip. I went to Austria with one of these.
Your intro on Soul to Soul Travels is one of the best.
Very flashing, yet clear .
Like a very short refreshing shower .
There is a big (soccer based) rivalry between Amsterdam (Ajax) and Rotterdam (Feyenoord). Go out and ask a "Rotterdammer" about Amsterdam.
Both cities are often referred to with the old landline telephone prefixes. A true Rotterdammer won't say "Amsterdam" but say "020" instead. And it is 010 for Rotterdam. Or like the famous Rotterdam poet, Jules Deelder, said : The only good thing about Amsterdam is the train to Rotterdam.
Even as an outsider from Denmark, the rivalry of Amsterdam and Rotterdam is heard through the Gabber music scene - Euromasters' "Alles Naar De Klote" comes to mind & "Amsterdam, Waar Lech Dat Dan"
Something tells me there's a "Hey hey, Feyenoord!" track somewhere (just from memory there was a hardcore track which I have been unable to find since that era of the 90's - early 2000's Gabber)
It's all I really know.. I can only compare the rivalry between Feyenoord and Ajax as the rivalry between the two Danish soccer teams, Brøndby and F.C. Copenhagen. Soccer is not for me. Just commenting on the possible harshness of the football teams :)
It's more than just soccer though, it's also the thing you see in a lot of countries that people don't like their capital when they're not from it (and vice verse), especially when they're from the second biggest city 😁Don't mind going to Amsterdam every now and then, never liked the accent though :P
@@B0K1T0 I can subscribe to that comment on liking the capital of the country I live in - I rally dislike the dialect over there and in general always get the most money of the available pot that is to given out from the government. I often consider the Zealand / central Copenhagen dialect as an entirely different language from Danish and one that has been butchered to be almost hard on the ears to listen to.
I bet they are lovely people over there. But they are more Swedish than they are Danish as time goes on.
Actually the question what a Rotterdammer enjoys most about Amsterdam is NOT from Jules Deelder but refers to a song by Tom Manders 'Weet je wat een Rotterdammer het mooist van Mokum vindt'.
@@allannyholmnielsen5559 lol I got you bro, probably only person here who know what you're talking about in these comments xD. Heyyyy DIMITRI?? JAOO?
By the way, love your vlogs. They’re quite refreshing for Dutch born inhabitants. It gives you a new perspective on things we take for granted. Keep up the good work and happy birthday to Tammy! 😊
Thank you! I'm a dutchman, so it's nice to hear an American speak well of our country. You are such open and positive people! It's a great contribution to understand each other's cultures better. Thank you for that!
We had this problem in Groningen, but now they have limited the licenses for the (two) rental companies and made the companies responsible for the parking behaviour: they may only be parked at designated places, and the company must enforce this with their clients.
I absolutely love your vlogs! I am taking steps to move abroad. I haven't figured out if I want to live in Rotterdam, The Hague, or Amsterdam. It will depend on me being able to secure a job and/or which city appeals to me more!
Why those cities? If you would find a job in Rotterdam or the Hague and you realy want to live in a city there is also the option for Breda and Tilburg, to name a fue. My son lives in Tilburg and works in Rotterdam and he commutes by train in 30/40 minits. Breda is even less far from Rotterdam. They are beautyfull and less expencive. And there is Delft, between Rotterdam and the Hague, a beautyfull historic city. It might be worth your wile to brothen your surche a bit
with the groceries, after the checkout, put it back in your cart and move it 2 meter further. You can pack at your ease. And also bring an extra empty bag from the fruit/vegetable section to separate your meat from the rest (in case the meat package is leaking)
I’m super intrigued about the cremation/funeral services you mentioned, and how those of us in the United States being taken advantage of. Please, please, make a video about this to your channel. Aside from that, keep the Rotterdam/Netherlands videos coming, they're a treat!
Totally understand your frustration about the electric scooters, the other day i read an article in the news that they have plans to fine the people that leave them in places where they're not supposed to park them, would have posted a link to the article, but can't find it atm.
edit: personally hate them, as a hobby photographer they are destroying the view.
Great videos! Love the content! Quick question: WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION to MOVE to Rotterdam? (I used caps just to make sure my comment stands out, and wouldn't get lost) Why The Netherlands of all places? 😃 Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Thanks a lot! Keep up the good work!
Use the AH app on your phone. Take from shelf, scan and bag. At the end you have one transaction: the paying at self service station.
There is a bit of rivalry between people from Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It is mostly tongue-in-cheek, but there are people who take it very seriously.
A bit ? It's more than that 🤪
we do not have so many people on probation here that have to have a job.
no felons to pack our groceries here for a starving wage.
edit: the scooters are a new thing, they are working on it to make it better like 10 free minutes for a good parking job.
and fines for a bad parking job.
I bet it will be better soon.
You're absolutely right about the rental scooters. I understand that the companies behind it are aware of the problem and are taking action by requiring people to take pictures of where they left the scooter and how it is situated. People who park the scooter properly get a bonus as I understood.
I used to live in Rotterdam as a student. What I miss most about it are the people. Never felt as comfortable as there going to a pub or a cafe alone and just meeting new people. Picked the worst time, though the whole city center was getting built up and was essentially one huge construction site in the early / mid 90's.
I'm very stringent about packing my bags at the groceries, heavy stuff first, frozen stuffs in a seperate bag etc.
I once almost knocked someone out because he kept packing my stuff the wrong way and he just wouldn't stop "helping" me.
My groceries are packed by A.H. each week. And delivered at home. 😁
Hi! Love your comments and comparissons about the US and the Low Lands. I work at the public transport company GVB in Amsterdam and more than often I get send out to remove an electric scooter from a bus or tramstop because some jerk parked it on the stop so the people can't get in or out of the tram or bus. But I believe they are also working on that issue on city council level.
In busy areas, like the beach and the city center here in The Hague, there are special parking zones for rental scooters. Works quite well but still idiots may park them in front of your door.
Enjoyed your video Rotterdam is my favourite city 2!! The only metropole in NL. I recommend you to visit Groningen once. Its the biggest city in the north of NL and where i live! Its a beautiful vibrant city you will love it!!
You’re so right about the scooters parking. It’s even not just the scooters. In some narrower streets you can see 4 or 5 bikes ‘parked’ (= flung) on each other to the facade in such way that people in wheel chairs cannot pass. A sad show of ignorance. I will never figure out the psychology behind it. In general Dutch are compassionate and like to show good social behaviour, but for one reason or another they (we) need quite some lessons in how to actually perform well in this…. So unfortunate. Love your vlogs!
it's not ignorance, it's just an utter lack of interest in other people.
Too many people (and it is getting ever worse) think the entire universe revolves around them and them alone, and that as long as they themselves have what they want everyone else can go to hell.
Just leaving your bike (or whatever) in random places where it hinders others is just a symptom of that.
Used to be it was sticking your chewing gum on a park bench or lamp post when I was growing up in the 1970s (and I was taught to not do such thing, most children were at the time but not all) but it's now got very much worse as more and more children are taught no respect for others and their property whatsoever.
Hey Eric, In Antwerpen you can see several shared options: There are the e-steps (2 small wheels a steering bar and a plank to stand on) , e-scooters (the electronic version of a Vespa) and there are e-bikes. Most of the e-bikes need to be placed in a rack to check out on the paid service. E-scooters also have there designated parking spots. But the e-steps are just dumped usually at any place and yes that's a nuisance ! They are in many cases rented by teenagers that don't care a lot.. (OK generalisation here.. sorry)
Or by teenagers, who's parents haven't bothered to teach them how to behave in public?
Rotterdam is absolutely beautiful! There's so much to do, so much variety, really love it. And it stands out in the Netherlands. As for the scooters, I think they should just assign spaces for them to park them. Something exclusive for these and then when someone who rented taps out the scooter confirms it is ok. If it's not then you get a fee to pay. If it is moved after it was parked, the last person to rent is not to pay the fee that way at least, so it is not encouraged by whoever wants to screw around to do so.
Here in the north of the Netherlands, on the country side, we still have more regular check-out lines then self- check-out lines. It is a big city thing I think.
As far I can remember New Yorkers call Chicago 'The other city'. lol Here in Germany there is the reluctance between Cologne and Düsseldorf. Nice to know that our neighbours cultivate the same (not so serious) antipathy between two major cities. ;-)
Electric scooters really can get annoying not only the parking but also if they do not use the bike lanes.
What I hate about the Netherlands (of many things) is... you can't go to a toilet without PAYING for it... even in a KFC restaurant where you just bought a few meals for about 30 euro, they still expect you to pay an additional euro to take a leak.
I have never in my life payd to pee at a KFC or any other restaurant in the Netherlands. More often I have encounterd this problem in Germany espacialy at gasstations along the autobahn. Very annoying if you have to pee realy bad and you don't have any money on you
Really true, those scooters. We live about 10km east of Rotterdam in a smaller place called Krimpen aan den IJssel, and the scooter problem here is the same as you tell. But as already mentioned in the reactions, the scooter companies are urged tot do something about, and when not, they can lose their license.
I was in Rotterdam for about a week 3 years ago and didn't see the electric scooter problem at the time. However that very same problem exists already for decades with bikes. On narrow footpaths you get three or four bikes parked next to each other and there's absolutely no way around it apart from walking on the road.
I have chosen to be burried on a nature cemetery; there graves are never cleared and I like the idea of not leaving my body in a box in the ground. Is that an option in the US?
I totally agree with you, dumping scooters issue everywhere is a big issue. (not just in Rotterdam)
I believe the scooter rentals are aware of this problem and want to tackle this problem now.
The idea is, everyone who is renting a scooter has to make a picture of the scooter with the license plate of the scooter were its parked and sent this picture via the app to the rental for approval.
If they do not comply with this they get a warning and eventually will get a financial penalty for this and kicked out of the rental service.
You can also bying a graf but mostly not in the big city's ....if you dont buy then after 10 years the graf is gone
hmm, here in Belgium you also rent the grave slot for a specific period of time, and after that they are cremated and you can get a nametag put next to the cremation area. But our space is as limited as it is in the Netherlands. (an exception is made for older graves and children's graves)
We go to the jumbo..Ours has a selfscan.....Were we go you can scan you own shopped products....You put them direct in you bag or bags. YOU GO TO THE CASH REGISTER TO PAY..Sometime they have to check your bag..Sometimes not...So you have your shopped products already in your bag or bags..
Great vid. I'd love to learn more about funerals and cremations.
There is a big fued going on between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It mainly has to do with the competing soccer clubs
For scooter problems, in Paris, when rental biking companies came to the city, it was a huge mess, there was no regulation. A lot of bikes were parked eveyrwhere in craziest places. The city decided to solve this problem and they did good. Now, only selected companies can operate in Paris and have some obligations: to maintain correctly the fleet (so users can expect a ready to use bike) - price fixing is not totally free - and especially they MUST be parked in dedicated areas - bike parking. There is a GPS and it knows where's the bike exactly. So the user cannot lock outside this area. Since then, it's way better!
Also about scooters, cities are beginning to implant parkingspaces (obligatory) (at least in Brussels)
You are right , they dump these scooters every where.
Remember heavy stuff goes in the bag first and then the lighter stuff on top. You could actually buy a grave forever in the past but the cemetery has to expand alot every time so they stopped doing that. I personally don't park like an arse when parking a scooter and I believe Go-Sharing is going to do something about the bad parking so if you dont park right you can get fined. no idea what other scooter sharing are doing about it.
You should use the self checkout everytime possible, the cashiers are just too fast and there is no space at the end of the register for the products
What does the ink on your arm say?
The funeral industry is a lot different over here in holland. It is much more normal to keep things close to home. When my dad died a few years ago i washed and clothed him myself with my sister. The neighbour made the coffin and we made the urn ourselfs and his body stayed on a cooling table in the garden patio for viewing and that till the cremation. i think its an important part of the mourning or grieving process. Anyway i know its a lot different in the usa but i find it fascinating and would love to hear your take on that.
Horrible. I wouldn't want anyone to watch my dead body! If you don't remember what I looked like alive, don't bother looking then. We place a picture on the closed coffin. Besides, the at home thing was done in my family, before they could afford the funeral home. Since at least four decades we don't do that anymore, nor anyone in our circles. Perhaps you live in a specific area of the country. Glad I don't die there. Most certainly I wouldn't want my kids to wash and cloth me. It's an idiot custom anyway. Just keep the remains in the cooler and it won't stink. The coffin doesn't mind what I wear.
Your pet peave is mine aswell. I'm handicapped and sometimes are hindered by the way these scooters are left. I take a photo, use Facebook or WhatsApp to allert the rental company. They know who used it last. With enough complaints because of that customer that person will not be able to use the rental scooter anymore. It is a new problem and both the rental companies and various cities are aware what the problem is and are trying to find a solution.
Wondering how you feel about biking in the dead of -20c winter. They do get them.
On the back of the crooswijk cemetary there is still the old entrance with the original gate beautiful painted green now original it was black.
There are bats 🦇🦇 on it
The graves being temporary has been a reality for Europeans since the middle ages. You can look up ossuaries to see what our ancestors used to do with the bones.
The only country I'm aware of where groceries are bagged for you is the US. Most countries in Northwestern Europe prefer their groceries as cheap as possible, which means as few workers as possible, which means no baggers.
Waitrose in the UK bags your stuff too. Being dutch, I feel very awkward when they offer this service
So awkward looking at a person who bags my groceries.
Some supermarkets in Spain do it as well, maybe most.
And those that don't tend to throw piles of free plastic bags at you.
Actually, I had the opposite experience in an American supermarket. There was an army of cashiers, with just a few handling a customer. I felt ashamed that an obviously old (latino looking) lady bagged my groceries. In a much slower speed than I could do myself, but that did not bother me at all. On my way back to the B&B, I wondered about her situation/motivation having this job. Should I have given her a tip?
Yes, she can't make a living probably, of what she earns there.
There is another cemetary near by it's catholic i don't know if you can visit it.
Grocery bagging tip: Always put in heavy things first
Bagging your groceries means you groceries will be more expensive, they don't work for free.
I personally loath e-scooters, because they are being parked just about anywhere. Thankfully usually through their websites (of the e-scooter suppliers) you can lodge a complaint.
I live in a 2 mile radius of u, you are on a journey to get to know us. you are not halfway there.. I recognized the neighborhood Liskwartier i think
Do you have a problem that disables you from packing your own stuff? No , in the Netherlands we don't have a checkout/ grocery wrap person . I'm not accustomed to that and it would be very strange to me if that should happen. The Dutch 'Do normal, i can do that myself', mentallilty issue?
You should visit the Oud-Kralingen cemetery, it's very special and historic.
A lot of the differences you mention come down to space and higher minimum wages. The Netherlands is small and densely populated. Space is at a premium. So for instance we can't afford to give out burial spots in perpetuity. It also means stores must be more compact, and because everyone has to be paid a living wage, they can't afford to pay people to just stand around and bag groceries for people who could easily do that themselves.
American society is geared towards ease and comfort for those who can afford it, but the Netherlands is too small, densely populated and egalitarian to provide everyone that level of comfort.
Those scooters are a scourge. I live near Markthal, the scooter situation there is horrendous.
What are the requirements for American citizenship to live in Rotterdam?
Vandaar Amerikanen bijna geen grond meer hebben voor begraafplaatsen
I also think that we choose for cremation in the Netherlands more, compared to the US.
As for the groceries not being bagged by an employee of the supermarket, I just would not want that. I have a specific way of bagging my groceries to make it easier to unpack at home.
sounds like you've been hanging out with my wife...lol
oh man those scooters. i live in Leiden they just park them in the smallest alleyway, block it halfway
Wrt the electric scooters: this is a temporary problem. These things are relatively new here, there will be laws/regulations soon(ish) to take care of this. If you’d travel to another European city (like Paris, or Stockholm, or even Berlin) you’ll be amazed by the number of electric scooters (the ones where you stand upright, not the Felix ones in R’dam) that are dropped, parked, lying around everywhere. So our scooter problem is a relative problem, but I agree they are annoying, both on the road and on the sidewalks.
When I was an adolescent in the sixties I worked a weekend job at Albert Heijn packing groceries for the customer. Times change.
Since you have worked in the funeral business, I thought I would explain a little how it works In the Netherlands.
We don’t have funeral homes but a ‘uitvaartverzorger/uitvaartondernemer’ which would be translates best as funeral caretaker. The main difference is that they don’t have a place of business where you as next of kin go to, but they come to your house. Usually a few hours after the person has died and after the doctor has come to determine the (cause of) death. They help you plan and choose the different options and will take care of everything, like which coffin, transport, flowers, funeral centre or church, plan the funeral service, obituary and notificationcards to send to family and friends (mourning card). As a family you can choose to help wash and clothe the body of the deceased or they can have someone else tondo everything efor you. I don’t know if that is possible in the US. It may sound eerie, but there is actually something sacred about it. You can also choose to have the coffin with the body in the house or they are brought to a mourning centre until the day of the funeral service (for a wake or close family to say goodbye in a more private setting). The service is usually held at a funeral centre/crematorium, a church or a chapel, but nowadays you could also choose other venues (theater, restaurant) or outside. I hope this helps a little in understanding how we do these things here.
you dont see that here in the south with the scooters and parking.. i advise you to take a trip to limburg
hi haha Rotterdam vs Amsterdam is always a thing ,the competition between those cities most come from the soccer between those clubs, I my self was born in Rotterdam and I don't have that at all lol and the flowers yes it the flower capital of world over here and you can buy them any time of the year . go sometime to intratuin Rhoon just go with the metro its great ,I. hope love it here !
I own our own family grave (two inhabitants), which was bought by my parents about 50 years ago and it’s forever ours. Right now my father and my youngest son rest there for 25+ years. Whenever needed we’ll let the grave be cleared of those remains, so the next generation (us) can rest there. I think this is nowadays the way things go, due to the lack of space in our graveyards in the Netherlands. Most people don’t even “own” a grave anymore, but rent it for a period of ten years after it will be cleared for the next random occupants. Lot’s of graveyards won’t alow owned graves anymore, due to the shortage of space. That seems all very unworthy for the deseased, and it wasn’t like that 50- years ago, but nowadays it is. Lot’s of people choose to get cremated anyway, because it’s less expensive for the relatives left behind, and after you left this life you won’t notice anyway ;)
Four and a half years ago my father died and we buried him in the grave of his grandparents. My father paid the burial rights for as long as his father died (until then my grandfather paid for the grave). We let the grave ‘schudden’ (shaken), like we call it, and let the bones of my father’s grandparents, who were buried in the.top and middle layer, reburied in the deepest, third layer. Because in every grave three people can be buried. My father was buried in the middle, second layer. And we bought the burial rights for 15years. For every burial in the same grave, the 15 years starts again, minus the years payed for the last burial. Last August my mother died, now four weeks ago, and she is buried in top, first layer. We had to pay 4 years of burial rights so the burial rights of both my parents end at the same time now. After 15 years we can decide to keep the grave and pay again, or give the grave back to the church. The burial rights are €100/year per grave. So for my father we payed €1,500 upfront and for my mother €400. My brothers, sister and nephews are paying for the burial rights for my grandparents from my father’s side of the family. We took those burial rights over from my father when he died. On my mother’s side of the family, there is no grave of my grandparents anymore. The majority of the children decided (don’t know what my mother decided) not to keep the grave after 15 years. Their bones were moved to the charnel house on the graveyard.
Thank you so much for the reply, I always love to learn how things are done in another country.
@@SoultoSoulTravels i can echo top comment, my father still has a permanent place in the cemetery where he was born with the rest of his family. but its almost full and i woulnt be able to get such a contract anymore. many get cremated now, theres just not enough space.
We also buy a lot of flowers in wintertime! ;-) You will find out...
You fail to mention how much it costs just to buy a bag of groceries in the Netherlands, unless you are swimming in money, it takes about a day's pay to fill one or two bags for many. In the States, you can overflow the back seat and trunk of a Honda Accord with groceries from Wal-Mart and fill the gas tank for under $200 - so what's that 175 Euros?
Funny that you like Rotterdam that much. Im from South Limburg , and when i was around 5 we moved to Rotterdam/Ijsselmonde. I hated there, everything! Now i live for so many years in Alkmaar, what i like so much. Little country, but so big difference from south to nord 😅😅
May I ask. What does the tatoo on your arm say?
Sure…it says, “Saved by faith through Jesus Christ” thanks for watching. Have a great day!
No to grocery baggers in the UK too, you can ask if you are unable to, but it just seems lazy otherwise
Your neighbourhood Bergbolder (I live there) is notorious for scooters. I think its because the avarage age of residents there is 25-35. A lot of people without kids. Also there is not enough car parking space availabe so some people rather rent a scooter for small errands than lose their parking spot. ;-) Still Bergpolder/Blijdorp is really one of the best neighbourhoods in Rotterdam if you ask me.
did you tried some typical Dutch food ? Like our amazing stroop wafels or salted salmiak-drop or "Hollandsche Nieuwe"
Isn't there a requirement that people need to be living in the Netherlands for at least three consecutive years, before they are allowed to try licorice / drop?
@@gardenjoy5223 no, never heard of that story, it is on the shelves of any supermarket and any manned gas station, but to much of it is very bad for your blood pressure. I found out the hard way, I'm now on blood pressure medication But I was a Dropaholic . but moderate use of drop is okay, ever tried (salmiak-drop) very salty but for me no more alas kind regards Hans
@@hanspijpers2100 I was joking, Hans... Licorice seems to be an acquired taste. To not get our guests screaming in horror and fleeing the country, they might need some time to adjust and like it here, before they try anything as advanced as licorice.
Wishing you good health and enough licorice in moderate use :)
Your "uitvaartverzekering" will cover any costs associated with preparing the corpse for burial or for cremation. This applies for the actual funeral services which can be elaborate or simple. If there is a family grave then the burial and blessing arrangements are agreed with the curator of the church. These costs will usually be charged by the diocese since burials within the precinct of the church graveyard are no longer allowed by law unless the grave is "owned" as a pre-arranged family plot. More likely than not the burial or cremation will be arranged with the local municipality. Depending on what you have agreed in the "uitvaartverzekering" then costs can be high or quite reasonable.
There is a reason for graves are limited in the number of years, although you can renew the contract. The reason is we do not have such space compared to the US.
You don't have to do a all that praising in the beginning. Just start the complaining right away, it's the dutch way. Your points are valid too. I saw one parked on a mini roundabout.the other day. The company picks those scooters up if they stay in the same place for a while but that takes time. Rotterdam is a great place to live. Always liked it there but it wasn't pretty, these days it looks great. So congrats on your new space.
yeah i also agree with the scooters... the last years the hype gets too big and i hope there will come some rules for the parking locations. About the graves...i guess its due to lack of space here in Holland...
2 Things to consider about about the funeral situation are 1) Space. The US has a lot more space/land available. We'd probably be living on gravesites if we never emptied the graves. 2) People here are a lot less religious, and many don't believe in the ressurection. So there is no need to preserve the remains. On a sidenote; If electric scooters are a pet peeve, I'm guessing you've never encountered a bierfiets yet?
Haha, the reaction of the Amsterdammers was very predictable. There is a century old rivalry between the cities. They have a completely different character. Actually I love both cities but I am also happy I live in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Please, do not forget to visit Arnhem and Nijmegen. Two cities, 15 minutes from each other but ofcourse also with a lot of rivalry between them.😀
My parents have maintained graves for several people by just sending a small automatic annual amount to the graveyard authority. In exchange the grave will be maintained beautifully. Once there is no one left who cares any more, the grave is cleared. I think there are still graves for my grandparents, even great-grandparents. Once my Mum stops paying - she's 100 now - I or my siblings can take over or decide not to.
I love the way the Dutch have shopping setup to be very efficient. and to be able to go every few days and not have to make gigantic buys which usually bring waste.
btw the mayor has been chosen as the BEST IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR
Parking the rental scooters all over the place is a known (new) problem that the city is trying to tackle. It will probably take at least a year before regulations are in place.
Rental electric scooter are a pest since last year.
US is just addicted to cars. Still we complain about trains being dirty or late.
If you 'own' the grave area for eternal, how do you handle 100k graves in say 50 years? wouldn't you run out space?
Other thing, the client is not the king here in the Netherlands so you pay for service but you have to be very polite and friendly talk when you want to complain even if you are right, otherwise they do not take your complain very serious, if you do not speak the local language this experience could be even more difficult, awkward and frustrated even when they speak and understand English
One bag from grocery store is normal. No need for baggers.
Have been trying to read your arm for several video's now. Please free me from my agony: What does it say??? In which language and what does it mean (to you)?
Never heard of the phrase pet peeve. Understood pet pee... Learned something new today. Fun! Totally agree that it is annoying to park those scooters where-ever.
Oh dear, you got in between a soccer war! Feyenoord of Rotterdam against Ajax of Amsterdam, basically Rotterdam against Amsterdam. No joking about such serious business ;)
Haha, that’s funny. About the graves. You say something like: you rent a space (grave) for a period and after that period, “when you don’t re-opt” your remains ….. etcetera. But how can you prolong your contract when you have been dead for that period of time?,
Your relatives pay for the grave obviously. And it makes a lot of sense. As one of the most densely populated countries we simply don’t have the space for everyone to have their own burial plot. And graves are not for the dead, they are for the living, to grieve and remember their loved ones. So it makes sense to give up the grave for someone else, when after many years there are no loved ones anymore who visit the grave. A little sad, but practical
The part on the funerals, people "buy" plot rights (grafrecht) by the 10 years, usally after 20 to 30 years the grave can leagaly be removed if the space is needed.
Oh yes, very very anoiing those scooters. They should indicate dropzones where you can park those or don't allow the rental meter to stop. The other day there was one in front of my garage. Called Felix and they would move it they said. It took 2 days!!!!
You might also like to take Metro E to Den Haag. I think there's a stop not to far from where you seem to live.
4:33 what you said about renting and having the grave forever this shows us how BIG the US really is. and the Netherlands not so much. Also lots and lots of cremations.
But it also has become a problem in certain parts of the US. It think it was related to Louisiana and flooding. something about coffins and floating... I'll leave it at that.
Would love to know what you think of an other CZcams channel: Ask a Mortician
Wait, there is actually someone packing your stuff in the US? 😆
you bet...lol
@@SoultoSoulTravels On our trip through the US we brought our own 'big shopper' bags, the big ones for multi times use. We placed them in the cart at the register and started to pack and sort out our stuff. Should have seen the face of the young man who wanted to bag...
When you want to see speed difference, compare the cash register at US Walmart with a Dutch Aldi.