Hi, I'm David 😀 A Californian in Amsterdam. I make videos about life in the Netherlands (as an American), the Camino de Santiago, and lifestyle.
But at the end of day...I'm exploring "happiness" and what makes a good life.
Have a story to share? I'd love to hear about it:
📥 google form - bit.ly/lifeinthenl
📧 email - [email protected]
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I've enjoyed your video mate. But mate, you have a financial background and you know precisely that you can't compare different macros across completely opposite countries with completely opposite bank balance sheets and so on. I mean cmon.
Wonderful content, David. Thank you.
Dutch law says you need first 3 writeups (Warnings) and even then labour laws still on your side.
You can always sign an agreement before starting work.
That Dutch "being normal" sounds pretty much like our "Law of Jante" in Scandinavia. I, as a Dane, moved to Germany when I was 19 back in the 80's and was surprised how the people my age were identifying very much through the parameters described in this clip about the US, but very soon learned that there was another kind of people too who didn't :). People from Hamburg will know that it very much followed who were the supporters of either HSV or St. Pauli.....
I worked 8 years for a company and was laid off. They had structural reorganizations every 18 months, and at round 6, my ticket popped up ( age just over 50, so another age group ). These were mass-laid offs with a minimum of 50 people company wide. In order to fulfill this criterion and the age distribution requirement, younger persons were hired beforehand. In order to prevent replacement within the company, job openings were hidden for those concerned. Your story hold true; I got 6 months of garden leave, and about 1 years gross salary. However, this was a lump sum within a year, and taxed against 58%. Most of the elder employees that lost their job faced a long or permanent period of unemployment. The management of this company was USA, and shareholder value was ( and probably still is ) their main concern.
How long did you stay to gain 9kg? That was shocking.. since you seem(too me) to be a person at least semi-conscious about dietary decisions.
I used to idealize America so much when I was a kid. And nowadays I'm so happy to live here in Czechia. We work 40 hours a week, typically have 5 weeks of holiday, we can stay at home for four years when a child is born and healthcare is mostly free... Just these last couple of months... I started going to therapy - it's free. My daughter is hyperactive so we went for psychological assessment, neurological assessment and some more doctors... We didn't pay a thing. I have problem sleeping, so I had multiple overnight tests to figure out what's wrong... Again, it was free. When it comes to guns, it's super strict what you need to do to get a licence for a gun, so not that many people have one (around 3%) and public shootings are very rare here (we had one last year and the entire country was shocked). Here in Prague grocery store is always two to five minutes of walk from you tops. University education is free even on the most famous universities. Credit cards are not a norm here, on the contrary, if you have a credit card, you might not get a mortgage etc as you clearly are unreliable with finance. And the list goes on. But the division of people is here as well. That's caused by social media, Meta's ones mainly. How they work is they will show you content from very same-minded people for some time, to let you think everyone thinks like you and that your opinions are the only and correct ones. And then they will show you content from people on the opposite side of the spectrum so that you go and fight with people in discussions because when you do that, it means that you're spending time on their service. They took it so far, that they caused genocides and wars, yet no one does anything about it because goverments are mostly full of elderly people who don't understand tech. Well, but that's a whole nother topic. Anyway, I'm happy to live here. Great video, thanks :)
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❤❤❤❤vielen Dank für dieses schöne Video, auch dass du so offen über deine Gedanken sprichst 🫶. Ich werde im September den portugiesischen Weg gehen. Und ich denke, dass ich diese Variante nehmen werde 🥾🥾. Viele Grüße aus Deutschland 🇩🇪
Another thing: In America you may make more money BUT you're also paying out a lot more for things like college, healthcare, etc. In America you don't get your money's worth for the high taxes that you pay. Instead the corrupt government uses that money for funding wars and lining the pockets of American politicians many of whom are involved in insider trading in the stock market. In Europe, you may be paid less but you get more than your money's worth because over there college, trade school, health care, etc. is cover by the taxes.
I LOVE the European mindset and way of doing things. They are truly enlightened. Americans on the other hand are ignorant and BACKWARDS.
Coming to drop a like, view and a comment to here as well after seeing this great video on a reactor's channel. While I don't agree with everything you said, your stances and viewpoints were all very understandable and well thought out. Great job <3
Yet many of your fellow American ppl think paying tax is a bad thing 😂
Well Amaricans don't get a lot back for paying tax, we Dutchies get a lot more value back for the tax we pay
in america you work like a slave, cause you are one. just with a house and car. and no free time.
I'm 14. I took a Spanish class this year, and even though I didn't click or understand the language, I did notice one thing; how truly messed up the U.S. is. A year ago, I thought the U.S. was the best place to live, that places like Japan, both Koreas, and Russia were completely horrible and unsafe countries to live in. But I've come to learn that's not the case. America is split and judgmental, calling people names, fat shaming them, using the worst humor, decreasing intelligence, becoming more and more dangerous, and so much more. People say "AMERICA, MY FAVORITE COUNTRY!" and hang our flag outside their home, but really, I think that at the moment I'd like to live almost anywhere but here. I'm afraid to be myself, as the generations go on all I see are worse and worse people, I see kids getting addicted to drugs and alcohol in middle school, I've gotten sexually assaulted once (and yes, I mean it in the serious way, not the way karens use it), I'm actively seeing the destruction and declining of the U.S. population. We're falling apart and it's scary. We have no respect for nature, we dirty up everything we get our hands on, we make every traumatic thing a joke, depression, anxiety, and abuse rates are skyrocketing, neglectful parents are everywhere (90% of my friends have or had abusive/neglective parents), so much is happening. After hearing about different cultures, I looked more and more into other countries and now I see just how horrible and unhappy we are as people. Other places are so nice and clean with happy people, something you rarely see here. If you disagree with me, please, please do research, and help the U.S. be what we founded it to be, happy and free. Truly free.
Americans could be smart enough to stop there bad habits and addictions that cause this country to suffer but they choose not to figure out ways to do so. Americans will always choose the wrong choices to make things worse.
Great videos 👌
I JUST FOUND MY FAVORITE KZread CHANNEL YES, I'm into meditation, traveling and I'm moving to the Netherlands this year.
🙌🙌 best of luck on the move and enjoy!
Really refreshing conversation. Almost 20 years in the states and still in touch with the Dutch culture. The work -life balance in the Dutch culture is second to none.
Thanks, glad to hear it was refreshing for you
Same in Scandinavia. I think the top 5% in the US pump a lot of money into this silly "Socialist Countries" lie just to keep the other 95% as slaves :) Statistically an average American is worse off than an average EU-member, both financially and in their work-life balance.
Dont judge the USA by Calfornia.
Let’s also keep in mind that we are a nation of over 330 million people with individual states rights. We are not or at least shouldn’t be a centralized federal government. We are individuals in the best sense. A national healthcare run by the federal government would be a disaster. Example? Social security, Medicare and Medicaid. Yes, we do have free healthcare that costs working Americans a large part of our hard earned income. Too much fraud, corruption, waste and abuse.
This is a very skewed and misinformed video. Your perspective is a bit clouded. And No. In Europe you don’t have free healthcare. Taxes are so high and wait lines and etc. Mass shootings? The left includes gang related shootings as mass shootings so that is also misinformed. Europe is currently under mass stabbings and excessive crime from mass immigration. Nordic countries are no longer the safest in Europe or happiest. Violent gangs from Africa, Haiti and other countries that are terrorizing citizens. London is being over run by radical islamists. Scotland is now governed by a far woke left racist individual and recently passed a thought control hate law. Germany’s crime rate has exploded over the past 10+ years. France especially Paris has been overrun with crime and stabbings. Amsterdam has been overrun by stabbings and crime because of mass immigration. It is t all roses and cream in Europe and along with high taxes and less freedoms I’ll stay here in the USA. We aren’t perfect but we continually get better.
affordable health care and you come to the Netherlands? yeah you did that wrong lol but i guess compare to the US its a steal for you. and we have max 25 days free days from work not even a month. Affordable living is not the case in the Netherlands at least not anymore. but at least you like it here that's good. If i had the money i would move to China a country i would love to live in or visit at least But learning mandarin is pretty hard. but it must be hard for you to learn Dutch as well. well in 5 years you should be able to speak dutch somewhat at least. none of that is going to happen anytime soon.
I Hello David. I watch you on KZread
I Hello David
I have watch you on KZread
Hello David
I have medical insurance that pays everything
Is it necessary to speak Dutch to work in the Netherlands ?
I watch your on KZread
Hello David, I am 66 years old. I live in Illinois, USA
That's like when I moved from Seattle to Cyprus. Slow life, they have a cypriot saying, "siga siga” (σιγά σιγά). A concept of taking things easy. It's an attitude found in Mediterranean cultures.
I can imagine life in Cyprus to be even slower 😄
@@hidavidwen it's haha doing government stuff, maintenance, or even lab work is slowwww 😆. I'm applying for work, and also traveling to the Netherlands soon. I travel between Jordan and Cyprus because of the visa thing. I'm Jordanian.
Great video! Would love to collaborate on a video about vipassana if you are interested.
Thanks! Big fan of meditation but not focused on meditation videos, appreciate you reaching out 🙏
The way you tell it it almost sounds like the Swedish way of life, lagom
Ahh there are many similarities !
Thanks for the video, it has a lot of great information and perspective. I am living in the Bay Area now and am considering moving to Amsterdam so your opinions are even more valuable since you know the Bay Area plight.
🙌🙌 best of luck wherever you go. And thanks
I worked for a company who was going through a restructure and they had covered all the legal details exceptionally well unfortunately. They had even stated that they would pay for any lawyers to look over the contract. We also went with a group of 1-12 people that were being fired. In the end they offered me a signing bonus of ~5000 euro's and because I had only worked there for a year and half I only got paid 1600 euro ontop of that. And because they wanted to make sure that the UWV didn't have much of a case against us they relieved us of active duty after telling us we were going to be laid-off. The most frustrating part for me is that there was no layoffs in the management who probably cost considerably more money then we did specially as our CEO traveled all the way up to Friesland from Rotterdam. Instead the people who did the actual work get fired rather then the people who bare the responsibility for the company's well doing. I think a lot of the people who did the management genuinely abused the company founder who was an exceptional good guy who really didn't want to do any of this, he just trusted them and went with their advice. It's a real shame I lost that job, as it was walking distance and my collegues were absolutely some of the best I've ever had. I earned enough money for someone who lives in the north of the Netherlands. And with that job I contributed towards society in a way that I couldn't in other jobs. I currently work at a different company who was glad to pick me up. I ended up having time off from december all the way to februari which was fully paid which I must admit was the most relaxing time in my life. Totals: ~ 2,5 months paid leave 1600 euros for working 1,5 years for the company 5000 euros signing bonus. And a referal from the company of my capabilities. Thankfully I am an ITer and I could afford the luxury of not searching for a job until January, but it came in the same year my mother died which still weighed heavily on me. 2023 wasn't a pleasent year for me.
The "doe narmaal" is incredibly misunderstood internationally. It is used when people act how they would normally not act. Or when someone does something that could get them in trouble. Not when someone dresses differently or gets good grades. And for some weird reason i keep hearing it online
I would like to add that in the netherlands excilence does not exist. As long as it is not math where every single anwser can be checked and is either right or wrong, you will not get higher than an 8. This is the case for classes like dutch, english, german, french, biology, ckv and social studies. So you are often getting a 6 out of 8. Often when you have to write an essay the teacher will just kind of feel like giving you a 6 or 7 and when you ask them what is wrong they give vague and ambigous anwsers
Everything has pros and cons. Maybe it's harder to fire someone in Netherlands, but this has a lots of cons: potentially higher taxes (processing complaints from former employees by government offices or courts costs), potentially lower salaries (companies have to include extra "cost" of firing), potentially fewer investment and job opportunities (e.g. tech companies prefer lower-tax lower employee right countries like US, China, in EU Poland or Estonia is often chosen). And in those countries it's also pretty easy to be prepared for being fired: just save some of your salary for the rainy days, don't spend it all.
Thanks for sharing. Everything does have pros and cons
pff as a dutch guy i never ever had an agenda lol
I love this video. I am an Asian who will graduate in the U.S.. I feel really exhausted. I really want to move to the Netherlands.
Thanks 🙏 and I hope you find time and space to slow down and relax
I was driving around France and got into a car crash and broke my leg. A doctor ran up and healed me for free instantly. Afterwards I was in the US and broke my leg again , A doctor threw a tomato at me !! and charged me for it !
This is a treasure of a video. It's totally well explained. I'm using the tools you mentioned to search for housing in Tilburg, gonna start a master's program. Thank you for this!
You’re welcome and thanks! Glad to hear 🙏
Foreigners that lived in Amsterdam and think they know Dutch cuisine. Bizar
Nr 1. Learn the language in the country you are living in. Nr 2. Learn the language in the country you are living in. Helps you a lot when you come in that shitty situation in search of a new job. All in all our social securiaty system is not that bad, most of the time.
Errr..... Most companies in the Netherlands provide health care, but you have to the premium? Is that something for expats? Because normally, YOU yourself are the one getting your health care insurance from health care insurance companies. It has nothing to do with the company you actually work for. Base health care is the same for everyone, and extra packages depend on the health care insurance companies. Discounts based on large groups/organisations are not allowed anymore, IIRC. Or did I understand you incorrectly at 7:46? Also, unemployment max time is NOT 38 months. It's 24 months. No matter how long you worked. This is the same if you're laid off because you've been ill for 2 years, or if you're fired because of other reasons.
Thanks for sharing. Yes you're right, I made the correction that it's 24 months now (in the description/comment). With healthcare, I meant to say many companies have contracts with health insurance companies. And employees can choose to go with them
@@hidavidwen ah, I hadn't seen the correction 😀
I think it is accustomed to wear shoes inside because of the clean streets together with the frequent raining to drain out the majority of the dust and dirt. That said, I grew up in a home where we take our shoes off when entering the house, I also believe it is very respectful to do so.
Ive lived in Spain for 10 years and I can say, YES the variety of stuff (even things like toilet paper) in US supermarkets never ceases to amaze me
I am a European who'll come to the US, can you recxomend me the best brand of toilet paper? My butt needs the best
Rudeness is in the ear of the receiver. The Dutch are very rude. You cant say it wasn't rude if people hear it as rude, and are hurt and offended by it.