It makes me really uncomfortable when a waiter interrupts the conversation every couple of minutes just to check if everything is fine. Here in Berlin it luckily only happens at touristy places that can easily be avoided
I really prefer a more European style of serving tables. I don't like being bothered by waitresses constantly asking me "if everything is still okay" or immediately snatching my plate after I've just eaten the last bite of my meal. It makes me feel like I'm in a factory instead of in a diner or restaurant...
I love the free refills on coffee though, I don't feel stressed about having to tip to compensate service I didn't request then. But as a Dutch man when I went to the US I was just doing a dinner I get asked if I am okay for like 5-6 times. I know it's cultural, I'll let you know if I need anything. And yeah in The Netherlands it can take a while before you get noticed. But what makes me feel annoyed is the expectation of extra money/compensation. It's an unclear transaction. (And yeah, of course I do tip waiters in the US)
European style? Don’t compare The Netherlands to Southern European countries, where service jobs are a profession and they actually serve you. There’s little ‘European’ about the ‘service’ in The Netherlands.
@@tyasbank Same here; love the free refills :-) And I prefer European table service; especially when I ask some one for dinner and I don't want a "who's paying" game. I just excuse myself pretending to go to washroom and pay at the bar.
As a Belgian, I can identify with just about every part of your reverse culture shock, from back when I was working in the US for a while. Especially the part about the health care system. In fact we had a joke among the colleagues that wasn't really a joke - we regularly mentioned "if anything ever happens to me - don't call an ambulance, but a taxi, and book me a first class plane ticket". And that was true for all the Europeans working in the group. It is beyond me how a civilised country can have a "health care" system for their citizens that is so utterly terrifying and has so much potential for total individual financial ruin.
Not only that, but how so many Americans are afraid of a national healthcare system, and convinced that it could “never work” here because we’re a big country. 🙄
As a Belgian, when you're just traveling as a tourist to the US, then your medical bills will be refunded by the Belgian health care system if you need medical attention in the US. You do have to pay for it, so you actually must be able to "pony up the dough", but it will be refunded. That's why it's recommended to jack up your credit limit when traveling to the US. Still, the taxi and 1st class ticket will probably be cheaper...
Fellow Belgian here, I lived in Austin, TX and Mooresville, NC. I ended up moving back to Belgium because even though I love a lot about the US, the social catch net that exists here is a luxury I wasn't willing to give up. It was fine by myself, because I had good employment, but the moment you start thinking about a family where things might not go perfectly for your children it becomes a risk you do not want to take. If life throws you a curveball at the wrong time in your life, it can ruin you. And even though I earn far less here in Belgium, my living standards haven't dropped.
I never felt culture shock when I left my native California and moved to the south of France. However I an obligatory return two years later was a nightmare. I couldn't get back to the EU fast enough. I am minutes from several gorgeous Mediterranean beaches and can be in Spain in under one hour. I chose a charming village surrounded by vineyards. Sixteen years and counting, why would I want to be anywhere else. If I want to go anywhere, a ticket on our wonderful rail system will take me anywhere I care to go.
Yep. Besides, you can be pretty much anywhere in Europe within a day or two thanks to the extensive highspeed railway. No need to drive to a damn airport first. Have croissants for breakfast near Paris gare du nord and "sipping" pastis in Marseille at night. Have a ristretto in Naples and shop in Milan without the use of a car. Myself, I'm pretty much smack in the middle, Ghent, Belgium. London is just a chunnel away.
@@johnmaletic898 I live inner city in the US and don't own a car, and its honestly its a pain to rent a car, if you don't advance book its really expensive, and I have to go to a airport to pick it up and return it. There are car sharing programs, I never bothered to figure them out, they might be easier. I lived in Orlando for a bit and the complete lack of public transit confuses everyone from overseas.
@@bearcubdaycare The main problem I see with those is that they tend to have a very small service area. Every single one I've encountered so far (EU and US, haven't been to Canada) only covered the central city in a metro area, so if you live just next town over you don't have access.
I’m German and I love the „server let’s you have your meal in peace and with a nice conversation, while always looking (but rarely asking) if you need anything“ kind of service. I really felt rushed in US restaurants. It felt like they wanted to throw me out as soon as I finished eating.
In Ameirca my favorite Thai restaurant gave me the bill before I was finished eating. I ate there several times a week, alone, and quick, so they probably were justified. It as embarrassing when I brought my German boyfriend there. But in Germany last week my beverage never arrived and there was no getting the attention of the staff, they were just too busy. So everyone toasted their drinks with me excluded. Finally the owner came, gave me my beverage, didn't apologize (!??!) ...but that's Germany and I'm used to it. I would have loved to have been able to ask for something or mention something but so often in Germany you are alone at your table like an island in a wild ocean. No one is coming for you. One request Germany: Just ask me ONCE if everything is OK or not. Tha'ts all. In Germany they never know why you tipped so low, cuz they have no idea what they could have done to make you satisfied.
@@LythaWausW you seem to have found some of the worst restaurants. I’m sorry for your experience. The only times I had experiences like „no one asking even once“ was when I was in fast food restaurants (Döner, sausage and fries,…).
@@jennyh4025 I can forgive cuz there are always circumstances. I just accumulate experiences between the two countries and it's a strong pattern. (Oh but fast food/imbiss I would never expect feedback on the food, just like I wouldn't at McDonalds.)
As a Dutch person who lived in the US for about a decade, I quickly got used to it. It's rare (outside of very busy tourist areas) they actually rush you, though I can totally see how it would feel that way. They can read you well enough to know when to back off a little, and otherwise it's just quick "I'm ok, thanks!". I never really liked the slow pace in the Netherlands myself because it can be chore to chase down staff, and often it just takes very long between courses when I'm hungry. So given the two options, I'd pick the US way.
I am from Sweden and I was blown away of how helpful many in the U.S was when it came to everyday stuff. They really went out of their way to make me feel welcome, driving me places, inviting me over, getting me stuff. It was truly wonderful and inspiring! When it comes to social welfare politics though, their views could be terrible with very little empathy and readiness to be helpful, and that was such a strange paradox to me. In Sweden, people are generally way more grumpy on the outside (haha), but you can mostly count on that there is an empathetic basic view of humanity and an understanding that we can all get into trouble and need help sometimes, and thus a willingness to pay taxes and stand up for general social safety nets. If you could combine the two - that would be great!
I’m an American living in France. My husband and I moved here in 2017. We love it. I am currently in treatment for melanoma. When I was diagnosed, my doctor filled out a form and I took it to my pharmacy and they logged it in. Everything is covered. I have paid €60 out of pocket. I was a nurse in the states and I love my healthcare here…not only because of the price.
Grocery prices are high because of inflation. The inflatable is actually hogher than what is stated. The Obama administration changed the inflation measurement to make it look lower by removing certain items
I'm an American living in Denmark (been living here for 34 years now). I can totally relate to "reverse culture shock" whenever I go back to visit family in Washington DC and Maryland! My overall impression about the cultural difference between Denmark (as well as other European countries) and The US, is that in Denmark, it feels like people prioritize a feeling of security and safety over economy, and the kind of false "freedom" that is offered in The US. Daily living issues, like getting around (transportation), employment, and other financial issues, and social "fairness" and a lack of poverty make living so less stressful. So yeah, it would definitely be difficult for me to acclimate to living back in The US. Come on up to Denmark if you're interested in cultural differences! It's just around the corner from The Netherlands!
Western Europeans in general don't feel the need to scream out to the world that they are free, they just know they are and quietly get on with their lives.
A YT summarized quite well. In the USA, people value being "free to", whereas in the EU we value being "free from". Free to be healthy vs being free from being sick, freedom to owe a house vs being free from homelessness, freedom to become ultrarich vs freedom from being poor, freedom to kill for your survival vs being free from kill or be killed...
@@billybudd5854 Western Europeans don't "feel the need to scream out to the world that they are free" because of things like NATO, OPEC and the U.S. global military power structure -- ALL of which backs up Europe around the world. So yes Europeans (on the surface) can "get on with their lives" (for the most part) but it's because U.S. is Europe's attack dog globally. Also the U.S. rebuilt most of western Europe (esp. the Netherlands and Germany) with the Marshall Plan. And the U.S. is still very much on the European continent. Which is why Russia mostly leaves Europe alone for the most part. If the U.S. stepped away from Europe and NATO, the dynamics of "freedom" for Europeans would shift greatly!
I've been visiting friends and family in the USA for over 30 years. A common thing was for us to compare things like taxes, healthcare and personal liberties. I was really surprised to find there were loads more rules in the US versus the UK - small stuff like getting a ticket your car being parked on the street on street cleaning day. Everything seems so regimented and proceduralized (😉) sometimes. I used to make a joke of it and refer to the UK as "the real land of the free." I don't do that now because it's not funny anymore.
I waited tables in the Netherlands and our way of doing it comes from not liking the small talk as much. We go out to dinner to have a conversation with the people at our table, no with the person serving us. It is really annoying to constantly get interrupted. As the wait staff is getting paid a fair wage, there is no pressure to get a good tip. Anything you get is an extra but there is not the stress of not being sure you're going to make ends meet. This way they can focus on efficiency, quality and service. The customer also doesn't feel ripped off. A good business can pay its people, otherwise it isn't viable to keep going. Proper wages means staff are more relaxed, not trying to please you every 2 minutes and are not trying to be overly nice. For us, the wave or eye contact isn't awkward, unless you time it poorly. It also means the customer decides when to get the bill, which can be annoying as some people stay for hours. There are ways to get rid off them, by saying the table is reserved from a certain time, but bringing them the bill without being asked is not done. Not better or worse than the American way, just a different way of doing it. I prefer the Dutch as I am Dutch, but I get why people would like the American style.
@escorpiuser I like tipping if its good but I like it BECAUSE here in Netherlands I know its extra. I know its a bit extra for them which I LIKE to do. But I wouldnt like it if I knew it kept them alive...
"we"? Speak for yourself, I am the extravertest extrovert on the planet (level: my favorite anime convention is in Budapest, I fly there every 3 months for it, and one of the reasons its my fav is the free hug line with a 1000 people thats always there, best thing ever xD), I love small talk, I had a whole ass random conversation that lasted 30 minutes (because they wanted to know everything) about my cosplay costume and then Chinese BL novels with a random nice pair of old people on the train to Duch comic con... Small talk good. Convo good. Talking to people good. :D
@@ukeyaoitrash2618 Good for you but that is not how the vast majority of people in the Netherlands are. Doesn't mean that it is a bad thing, society is just based on how most people are. If the majority were like you, it would be more like America. As I mentioned in my initial comment, that is also not a bad thing. It is just a different way of doing it.
@@ukeyaoitrash2618 My apologies if my other comment came across as dickish and blunt, it was not meant that way. The "good for you" opener was a bad move. I tried to be funny, which it wasn't. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, at all. The point I so poorly tried to make was that a large majority of Dutch people are generally more private and introverted. That is not a good or a bad thing, it is just is the way it is. Not being that way is also not a good or a bad thing, it is just who you are. Fortunately, in todays world there are anime cons where it sounds like you would be amongst a majority, also in terms of your interests. It's great that the cons have become so big, they seem like a lot of fun. I wouldn't last an hour at an anime con though. Absolute sensory overload for me. Again, not bad, not good, it is just the way I am. Fortunately, I have the choice not to go and leave that to people who do enjoy it.
When traveling to the US, it is very much recommended to get travel insurance. This is not very expensive. You can also take a “doorlopende reisverzekering “. You pay a monthly fee and then all your trip are covered. This is much cheaper and is very handy, as you are traveling quite a bit.
Yes taking Travel health insurance for a few months or weeks when visiting other countries is very cheap we talk 1-2 restaurant visits cheap ;). I would strongly suggest always taking travel insurace when traveling outside of EU, and especially USA, it's such a small cost vs risk of costs if something happends.
yes, exactly this. Take out a travel insurance. An additional health insurance (aanvullende zorgverzekering) sometimes also covers extra emerency health costs abroad. Read carefully, USA might not be covered.
Did you read the fine print on that one? I checked it when my son was going to the US from NL and surprise surprise they only cover the part of the fee that is at the Dutch price of a hospital and you're on your own for the rest.
@@StCreedyour normal (Dutch) health insurance should cover the portion that is "reasonable". You get the travel insurance (with health care cost expansion) specifically to cover whatever additional costs you make that aren't covered by your normal health insurance. I can highly recommend ANWB for their excellent coverage and support when something does happen when you're on a trip. Their "doorlopende reisverzekering" is quite reasonably priced. Always read the specific terms and conditions to check that unexpected costs you want to cover are indeed covered, though. It always gave me great piece of mind when travelling to countries with more expensive health costs.
Ben heel benieuwd hoe groot onze shock is als wij in juli 2 weken op vakantie gaan naar Californië. Heb nu al veel gelezen en gezien over Amerika en laat het allemaal maar over mij heen komen.
Our daughter and son-in-law moved from Arizona to London in 2019. They will be making their first trip back to the US in March. They love their lives in the UK and have no plans to return to living in the US. They recently enjoyed a visit to Amsterdam. They are coming with a combination of excitement and trepidation.
For American wait staff it would seem to me that getting customers in and out as fast as possible, hence the hovering, quick removal of plates and quickly placing the bill on the table, means they might be able to make more tips that will help pay their rent, since the restaurant isn't paying them a living wage.
Yes, but take your time and eat your food at your leisure. Just nicely say you are a slow eater and they will get the message and back off. They not want to risk their tip.
@@simonledoux8519 As you said, if you are the type who needs more time (dining alone, for example), just ask, and they'll understand. They have to, they're getting the tip based on it. I know, however, how hard that is, cuz you feel their pressure in their body language and speech.
@@LythaWausW So basically I am obligated top pay extra (tip) for having a nice dinner? I am not gonna lie, that sucks and I always hated it when travelling to the US. In Europe it is not rare that you might spend the whole evening in a restaurant, have a nice dinner with friends, order drinks an espressi, maybe later a dessert. And you leave late and drunk.
@@muskelpaulkleber7413 No, that's not how it is. I worked as a server for a while when I was finishing my Master's degree, for a national restaurant chain that only prefers to move the tables quickly on weekend mornings. The reason the wait staff "hovers" is honestly to make sure that everything is going well. First off, Americans complain about everything. Servers have to be around to make sure there are not strange complaints or, secondly, attempts to steal, cheat, or leave without paying. Remember, we mostly serve Americans. Here's the saga of one of my worst experiences as a server: I once had a family of 4, the wife ordered a sweet ham with her dinner, the husband a salty ham. When their dinners came, the wife tasted her husband's ham before she ate any of hers. Then she called me over to the table to tell me we gave her the wrong kind of ham because hers was salty. I explained to her that you can SEE the difference in their hams, she had the correct one, that her taste buds were still reacting to the sample she had of her spouse's ham. She became indignant and insisted I take her plate back to the cook. Yes, a cook who looked at the plate and said, "she has sweet ham, what am I supposed to do?" I said, "taste it and tell me it's sweet." He did just that. I called the manager to the back to tell him that he was going to have to come to my table in about 5 minutes. I knew what was happening. She had eaten that salty ham on purpose. When I took the plate back, and told her that the cook tested her ham and it was sweet, she wanted ALL OF THEIR MEALS COMPED. ALL 4 DINNERS. Written off. I saw it coming. I motioned for the manager. He told them that he could not give them 4 free meals, and offered her a free dessert. She was LIVID. They had not one nice thing to say the rest of their time. At the same restaurant, different shift, I had a table where one of the diners called me over and complained that there was a hair in her meal. There was a hair carefully laying on top of her food, the same length and color as her own. It was interesting, considering all of us servers were required to wear our hair in ponytails, and the cooks working that day were bald. Besides that, one of the people at a nearby table told me they saw her pull the hair out of her head and place it on her food - other people in the dining room do not hold secrets for strangers. Neither do I. I think my manager comped her meal anyhow. These kinds of antics are the reason we "hover" over our tables. You might not be psycho, but that can't be said for everyone we serve.
In Holland we typically dont calculate how much we tip. If you go to a restaurant and its 23,10 we just say make it 25,- and thats it. We often just round it up to the next big number. You give them a tip and on top of that you save the store/restaurant having to deal with change (they're always short on change). If the service is really poor you pay what you're owed and dont come back.
I once understood that if you think the service is poor, or non existant, you give a very small tip of like 10 cent or 20 cent. So the staf knows you're not stingy (or just paying what is owned), but you didn't appreciate the service.
@@StartPlayFinish en daar moeten we mee stoppen! ik ben nederlander en brabander, het voelt als een belediging om mij hollander te noemen, ik woon niet in dat arrogante gedeelte van ons mooi landje weet overigens ook maar even dat de staat bezig is met een campagne in het buitenland om holland uit het systeem te halen door aan te geven dat het nederland is
@@StartPlayFinish praktisch gezien was Holland gewoon altijd de hart van Nederland, daar zaten de grote koloniale bedrijven of tenminste hun warenhuizen. Daar was de meeste welvaart en ga zo maar door.. Als buitenlandse handelaren/reizigers het hadden vroeger over hun (handels)reis naar Nederland dan gingen ze naar "Holland" oftewel de regio rondt Amsterdam, Rotterdam en weet ik veel.. Dat is sindsdien gewoon altijd in het buitenland blijven hangen. Betwijfel of je dat er ooit nog uit gaat krijgen
NL supermarkets also have specialty cheese sections. The reason why the packaged cheese section in the supermarkets isn’t that big is because that cheese isn’t that good. A lot of Dutch prefer the ‘fresh’ cheese
When you showed the dutch cheese section I missed that we also have cheese in 2 different places in most shops. The prepacked cheese you showed but also cheeses in the 'fresh counter' where you can also find some specialty cheeses. Would you still better go the a cheeseshop if you want something special? Absolutely! But I personally don't think we have little choice in cheese in shops like Jumbo and AH.
And also while the Dutch areas take up less space it doesn't mean less variety. In the US, if you have 10 brands, 3 sizes each, (total 30 SKUs) of the same kind of cheese, each one takes up a lot of space. In the Netherlands, any brand is unlikely to have more than 2 sizes and each, there's a handful of brands for each kind of cheese, and each individual SKU is given less space. You can end up with a lot more variety (more kinds of cheese) in a lot less space.
As someone who lives in the Netherlands and has travelled a lot to the U.S., I could relate to all of these things. Whenever I had to go to the supermarket in the States to get a few items, if a coworker was with me, I would ask, “What do you usually get?” then get that one. I don’t want to waste too much time looking over the countless items on the shelves. The sales tax is also another. Whenever I buy something from Target, Best Buy or whatever, I initially forget that the price tag doesn’t include the sales tax which was around 20% give or take. So it’s always a surprise when I pay. The necessity for a car is another thing. You can’t just quickly walk somewhere unless you’re in the center of the city or town. But my biggest and unreconcilable shock for me are the bathroom stalls! These are CLOSED, hence private, wherever you go in the Netherlands. Why are there gaps in the bathroom stalls in the U.S.?!? You can’t do your business privately! 😂
Getting stationed in Japan, I never had culture shock there. Returning to the US after 4 years, it hit me hard. It was depressing. It took me over a year to get over it.
Happy to hear you still want to stay here. I never had the feeling of moving to another country. NL has a strong identity that i love. Born and raised here and i will die here 🇳🇱 😍. Great video. ❤❤❤
Moving to another country is really good for you - it allows you to see your home country for what it truly is, good and bad. And if you decide to stay in your new country you have to accept the bad with the good cos its YOUR choice. Either way a few years away is really valuable - My opinion of course.
Well I can agree with you, though I wasn’t born or raised in the Netherlands, I’ve lived here since my 17th, immigrated back after my Dutch parents had migrated away to live in Kenya , reluctantly to live in the Netherlands at first but now wouldn’t really want to live anywhere else, except maybe another European country. I’ve been to most places in the USA, love visiting but wouldn’t want to live there permanently although some things are better there. ( i.e. taxes are considerably lower, more wilderness and space, larger houses, etc)
@@piccalillipit9211Very true!! Im Dutch, but live in Portugal, for 9 years. Never went back and left mainly for the (bad) weather in The Netherlands. And its too crowdy (always traffic jams etc). I love my new home country and wont go back!
*I FELL DOWN CONCRETE STEPS* last winter in the ice - I had a massive hematoma on my a$$ that required 8 separate hospital visits here in Bulgaria - I dont get free healthcare as I am British - €40 is what it cost me. Last year I had a none dangerous skin cancer removed - €175 start to finish.
It's a bit late now: but next year you might want to get a Dutch health care plan with 'world coverage' (werelddekking) in the additional package (aanvullende zorgverzekering). The cheapest options are just a couple of euro's extra every month. Some insurance companies allow you to get the additional package in january if you already have their basic insurance. You can also get this with your travel insurance
I’ve lived and worked in the US for a number of years. The thing I remember most is that my monthly paycheck was around five times the amount it’s here in NL. You can suffer some hardship with this amount of money (and afford bigger boxes of cereal if you’re into that).
In the US, your Government decided it was more important to spend your taxes on the Military. In Europe, most Governments spend less on the Military and more on it's population's healthcare, because peoples health is very important!
I work as a flight attendant and my favourite passengers are people from the US in general. Because they are so easy to communicate with. It’s important for me to know how you feel and what you need. I feel at home too in the US but you’ve mentioned some things that I struggle a bit with too. Decision fatigue in supermarkets. I don’t want to choose between 10 different kinds of peanut butter for example. Also tipping is a thing. I’m used to it now but eating outside is so expensive ( just came back from New York, now I’m broke 😉) My husband and I discussed moving to the US in the future (as pensionados) but the healthcare system made us decide not to.
The selection in Dutch supermarkets is smaller mostly because the supermarkets themselves tend to be a lot smaller. The Albert Heijn XL in my area is about the same size as the small-ish neighborhood Kroger I frequented when I stayed in the US for a bit, and the selection was comparable. I loved and hated the car culture in the US when I was there. Cars are affordable and they are a great way to get around. But in many cases they're also the only way to get around.
If your livelyhood depends on the tips, you make sure the customer knows you are offering top service. So you keep coming back to the table to see if everything is okay. Here in Belgium (as in the Netherlands) waiters get a salary. Giving a tip is optional. So people give between nothing and 10%, depending on their mood (or generosity) and the quality of the service.
... " so, no we're not moving back to the us anytime soon - we'll stay in the Netherlands as long as the Netherlands will have us". In Belgium they say: "We zien u graag..."
Nice to see you back "home" 🙂 The mentioned issues are the things I already imagined. Plusses and minuses 🙂 Hope you still like to live in Dordrecht. 🙂 It is just so much fun to watch your videos!
About the cheese section example: do they actually have more variety, or just more real estate per variant? In the Dutch store, each package you see is a different variant. In the American store each variant is like 20 items wide and four rows tall. And Dutch stores also have the "speciality cheese" section, which is where most variants are.
the cheese section shown at the US grocery is just shredded cheese. it doesn’t even include the sliced cheese. and there’s a ton of variety, from cheddar, to monterey jack, to swiss, and so on… the similar section in dutch grocery stores does have some variety but it’s mostly just dutch cheese aged differently, which isn’t a common thing in the US outside of specialty cheese
I find eating out in Holland more relaxed than in the US. You can just eat at your own pace and sit relaxed afterwards where in the US I find its more that other people are waiting for a table (also something you dont have in Holland) and the staff wants you out as soon as you took your last bite.
I'm a historian, and I've often told people that the revolution that had a more lasting impact on the United States was not the American Revolution, it was the Bolshevik Revolution. The reason we continue to have the horrible healthcare system we have is because "socialized medicine is communist," whines a certain element in Congress and their supporters. Anything that smacks of communism - AS DEFINED BY THEM - won't get far in the USA. It doesn't matter that it's NOT communist or socialist, they call it that, and that's all that matters. It also doesn't matter that the alternative is inhumane, insultingly evil, or plainly inadequate. They can justify it as somehow upholding their social and religious virtues, without a hint of hypocrisy. They say ignorance is bliss.
What is funny is that universal health care in Germany was introduced by staunch conservative Otto von Bismarck in 1883. So much about socialism and communism.
I was surprised by what you said about cheese in the Netherlands. In France we had a very famous ad on TV that said "La Hollande, l'autre pays du fromage" (Netherlands, the *other* cheese country) 😊. Netherlands cheeses are renowned!
My wife moved here 19 years ago. We could not move me there (DOMA) every time we go back to Long Island, we experience culture shock. This last trip in October, we were shocked at how much more expensive grocery shopping was. We generally go to stop& shop and Lidl when we are there. I missed our Saturday market so much. It seemed as though our budget got drained so much faster than before. And going to Nashville for a week, that tapped us out altogether. That said, we had the best vacation ever. And I did het to go to the Grand Ole Opry twice😊. We were so happy to be able to walk al over our little town of Hilversum. And hop back on our bikes as well.
I always walk up to the cash register if I want to pay the bill in a restaurant in The Netherlands. I have no patience for waiting or the hand-waving thing. (I'm Dutch)
@@EGO0808 no I am for real.. they should bring it to your table, if you go to the cassier yourself you are actally saying.. the waiter let us sit unneccsary and is ignoring us
In (high) offices and hospitals they do have airconditioning rather than opening windows. I do notice the difference too. Nice job, good to watch. It helps us value our country (the Netherlands) even more.
I'm from Spain. If I'm eating, I want to eat. If I'm chatting with friends, I want to chat with friends. What I definitely don't want to do is be constantly interrupted by Miz Chirpy asking "IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT!?" It was - until you interrupted. There's a ton of furniture and decor stores near my house; I like going there to check out the market. Sometimes I buy things, sometimes I note an item that a relative or friend may be interested in... the one store I will not ever visit again is the one where people keep asking "can I help you?" after I've already told that person "no". If you're bored at work, bring a book. Or clean the store, I saw a cobweb and I think I understand why.
We just had dinner this night in a restaurant. About the waitress: she was friendly (it was very busy this night), but in this particular restaurant they keep an eye on you. Empty glas, so they ask you if yoy want more, asking you if everything is oke, and after we were finished, she came and asked us if there was anything she could bring, so I asked for the bill. Ofcourse we tipped her. So it is not always waving hands.
Exactly, if the restaurant is any good here in The Netherlands, the waiters watch you closely from a distance and recognize the signs for if they are needed at the table before the waiving has to kick in.
Same in Germany: When you are ready to order, you close the menue. When your glass is empty, the waiter offers more. When you place your knife and fork at five o'clock on the plate, they can see that you finished your main course and ask, if you wish anything else. No waving needed, at least not at restaurants, where they learned their craft. Besides, waving is considered bad behaviour in a good restaurant. It is ok in a Kneipe.
Service worker small talk is my pet peeve. There are so many places (post office, hardware store, etc) where I stand in line while the friendly checkout person tells the customer ahead of me about her daughter's wedding while I wait to buy light bulbs.
Hey guys, always great to watch your take on the Netherlands! (We've learnt a lot from you, even before we emigrated) We moved here 6 months ago from South Africa & we're now based in Rotterdam (loving it!). Please let me know what that restaurant is you mentioned as we're foodies at heart & would love to try it! 🙂
If I may also put a 'duit in 't zakje'. Rotterdam (& Den Haag) have amazing Vietnamese restaurants called Little V. For us it's more than an hour to drive, so we don't eat there often, but if we are ever in the neighbourhood we always go there!
@@buncharted Good call! Rotterdam-Zuid (South for the non-Dutch speaking part). Try Oliva in the Witte de Withstraat as well. We (my wife and I) are a Canadian/Dutch couple and we travel to the US and Can regularly. Groceries and dining have become expensive in the US since 2021. Don't ask me why. About the Dutch health plan being cheaper: don't forget that the Dutch pay a lot more taxes than the Average Joe in the US. The price of gas, heating, and income taxes are a lot higher in the Netherlands.
@@mennovanrij9334 The Netherlands is about situated at the lattitude of Vancouver. Heating in winter is very nescesary. Driving is also expensive in the Netherlands but luckily distances are small.
@@StephanSpelde Yeah, i can vouch for that. Having worked in the Rotterdam horeca, Little V was a well known place to visit for me and my kitchen colleagues. What i also love is that, next to the staple places who are here for decades the city does has a good share of frequently changing establishments and new concepts. Living in the Oost park since a few years and as a fan of the Indonesian cuisine, i recently discoverer Minang Kabau at the Kralingse Plas. Which has, imho, one of the best quality dishes from that region in Zuid Holland and possibly thé best of Rotterdam. A good second place goes to Samalain but that one is literally across the street from where i live so i do consider myself spoiled rotten when it comes to getting a quick but good bite. And as always, Rijsttafels is a good way to get started when one never been to an Indonesian restaurant and want to familiarize themselves.
Tipping is not expected here in the Netherlands, but if I'm satisfied with the meal and the service, I do give some tip. Usually by rounding the amount, and generally around 5-10%, and I think this is the normal for most of the people here.
Next time your going to the states take a travel insurance, it’s an insurance only for your trip and it will cover medical bills. It’s also not that expensive
I like your posts very much, living abroad is a huge step and i like it that you show us how your experiences are. After a holiday abroad i am always glad i am back home and it doesn't matter how beautiful the visited country was (Costa Rica for example). So welcome back and enjoy the rest of our country (and inhabitants 😉).
I had a house in Utah, built by a California contractor who built multimillion dollar homes. It had through the floor heat, in a concrete poured floor. The heat was supplied via the water heater. When we can, I am going to incorporate that into a home we may be moving to. We had porches where we could keep the ventilation flowing all year round. The house was foot thick prestressed concrete, with a stucco overcoat. I went the whole summer without A/C when the outside temps passed 100F many days. Winter, we had foot thick heat holding walls. These are things I found to be practical. The overall design of the house encouraged us to keep exterior doors open to the covered porches. It sound slime your home in the Netherlands had a similar design characteristic. Our house was 2300 SQF, but our combined temperature, cooking and water cost was roughly the same as a "standard" dwelling at 600 to 750SQF. Your report encouraged me to do some of what worked in the Utah home in Kansas. Thank you for bringing that back to the front of my mind. Our house was not cheap, but the cost of operations almost covered the difference.
As a server; People don't always like to be "bothered" or pushed to consume/buy more. Some places you do have to keep an eye out for empty glasses, ask for refill or if you can take the glass to be cleaned and possibly re-used. But again, most people are there to enjoy 1. the food; they did not want to, or know how to, cook the meals they want to consume 2. their company, they came there with them, it be social or professional. The professionals are the ones you should ask for re-fills, if they want more service, etc. They don't pay for it themselves the company pays. This are simple facts of life and the realtiy of a server. Of course there are minor details like ambiance or service, or the service speaking about the pretty individual servers. And it is not like we don't get tips. Since it is not a must - you know this means something! They really appreciated it. Not social conformity (I call this freedom, and not like the extreme wage-slave work the US implements)
It happened to me but two fold. I lived in Germany for 5 years and also in the Army. When i came back ot too me a couple years to adjust. I still want to go back.
I think the transportation system in the Netherlands is great. We were visiting my aunt in Koedijk and were flying back to the US. I left my parents, who were still eating breakfast at my aunts. My sister and I drove the rental car from Koedijk to Schiphol Airport. However long it took travel was smooth and we seemed to be making good time on our travel. When we got to Schiphol, My Aunt and parents were waiting for us. I was shocked how they took the train and beat us there. I have family all over the Netherlands and could live anywhere and be content. Probably around Vlissengen, my ancestral providence.
I tipped a girl who cut my son’s hair and even though I know tipping isn’t really a thing I still felt compelled to give her something on top of the price of the haircut. I gave her €5 that I had in my wallet. She was so excited and showed all of her coworkers. 😅 Also I love the in floor heating, it’s so much more cozy than a heater . Glad you made it back safely and you didn’t need to use the US healthcare 😊
I’m Dutch although my father is American (never seen him again after I was 5).. on behalf of our King Alex, I have good news you can stay here! Did you pledge allegiance to our flag? Do you promise to keep eating Tompouce and bitterballen? 😂😂❤
As an Australian who has travelled in the US (30 years ago) I can say that no wait staff were nice, friendly or interacted with me at all, in any way, ever. They still wanted the tip. That may have been partly due to my appearance (Aussie tourist equals no money due to seriously casual approach to things like appearance) or my accent, which no service staff or stall holder could understand until I put on a fake American accent. I did love it when 2 girls asked which state I was from because they couldn't pick my accent and I said Tasmania. To be honest, I was getting a bit over the fact I was speaking English but was ignored if I wasn't perceived as American. As to tipping, not generally a thing in Australia (but unfortunately becoming one post Covid), but here you do (and I do) tip for exceptional service or food above expectation. Reward excellence, don't mandate it.
Number 1 can be mitigated by using a "Reisverzekering", just get a "Doorlopende Reisverzekering" for a couple € a month and have some piece of mind when traveling.
I moved back to the Netherlands from the US a couple of months ago, and I do miss the friendly banter, that was my reverse culture shock. I've taken some of that more casual friendliness back with me though and strike up conversations more often than I would have done before I lived in the US. And so far, that's been going fairly well! It helps to be in a smaller city vs. a big city. Another one was the weather. Of course I knew the Netherlands is a lot rainier and overcast than most of the US, but it was worse than I remembered. I do like the faster/more casual restaurants with the more attentive staff. Also, the first few times I tried to go to a restaurant back in NL I didn't make reservations, and that usually means the place will be full, unless it's a tourist area or larger city. People don't eat out here quite as often as they do in the US, so when they do, it has to be more special. Overall I'm happy to be back though, after a decade or so one really learns to appreciate the things we do well in our society.
Well I lived in the Netherlands for 30 yrs *i am a Brit...It was also a culture shock for me At that time the country was almost closed to foreigners we were rarities We however lived near Eindhoven which with Philips was growing into a multicultural city I wouldn't-t recognise it today as it attempts to pull in over 355,000 new citizens, mostly foreigners .I appreciated the way Dutch were so professional as wait staff ,well trained and often speaking other languages than Dutch and English They had decent wages and therefore didn-t rely on tips. It was difficult at first to chat to people when we didn-t speak Dutch...We did notice however that Americans were becoming flavour of the month and wait staff sometimes fell over themselves to be extra nice.. probable knowing the tipping that was common in the USA...Once we learned Dutch however * 3yrs* everything changed and we could have good conversations. Whilst I found the Dutch a somewhat -hard nation I will never regret bringing up my two daughters there They had a magical childhood
Thanks for your kind words about our country and your enjoyment in living here. 1 tiny thing I'd like to mention is that I didn't really hear you talk about how your experience was in traveling in the Netherlands. Compared to the US.
My first full on shock was in 89 after a year and a half in Paris...flew to DC and was hit in a mall, EVERYONE was speaking English...I had just gotten tuned into my thoughts being surrounded by multiple languages being spoken. After 30 years and the passing of my parents I just don't see a need to go back unless I want to have FUN in NYC....otherwise I can Eurostar to London, or go to Carnaval in Venice for some cultural changes with cheaper voyages which means nicer hotels and more shopping!!!
As a German, I love it when I can eat, drink and sit in a restaurant as long as I want, and not as long as the waiter wants. And we have the habbit of "lüften". That means we frequently open all of our windows at once for 5 to 10 minutes to let the fresh air in, and to get the used and smelly air out.
The tipping culture indeed is quite insane in the US, and my experience is that even having a discussion about that with a lot of Americans is impossible. Its so drilled into the culture that they think "but restaurants and such that pay their staff more will go bankrupt" and "staff earns more this way"... Meanwhile.... why isnt this the case then in basicly all the rest of the world... 🤷. Its just a dumb system to let customers pay for the staff (forced) instead of the employer.... ugh. It also causes the whole pushy/clingy waitress/waiter constantly coming by. And lets not forget how dumb percentage based tipping is... The same amount of work gets more tip just because u ordered something more expensive? 😂
As an Army Brat, I lived in Germany because Dad (RIP) was in the military. Returning to the states was indeed a reverse culture shock for me. I had anxiety just going up to buy stamps. Yeah. I had to adjust quickly.
In some countries you have to actually be wary that hospitals don't keep you longer than needed, because they can max out the bill knowing your insurance will pay anyway. It's crazy how different healthcare costs are around the world. Dutch healthcare is pretty expensive, so for most places you are covered, but the US is on another level. My insurance provider specifically recommends extra insurance for three countries: the US, Canada and Singapore. Everywhere else is cheaper or similar enough that it won't ruin you.
One reason for taking out insurance when going abroad is the cost of repatriation. Even if the healthcare you need is affordable, being flown home by air ambulance with a doctor and at least one nurse on board won't be cheap.
I noticed that the system goes to great lengths to discourage walking. I was in Sacremento visiting my brother’s family and went to a mall. The mall was spread out on two sides of a main road and there was no way to cross that road on foot without getting run over. We needed a shop on the other side, we could even see the store but got needed to get into the car to get there!
That couldn't possibly be because the USA is 237 TIMES BIGGER ( look it up, it's a fact) than the Netherlands now could it!!! The US is too big for walking everywhere.
@@rickherrell9451 what a dumb reply, who cares if it’s 300 or 3000 times bigger, that’s not the point! The shop was on the other side of the road, 2 minute walk, but there was no pedestrian crossing to cross the road and that is just so silly. What is the point is that a 2 minute walk is 2 minutes everywhere no matter how big a country is. Think before you comment.
@@rickherrell9451 Who said you had to walk everwhere ? Do you know that the average American walks 1.4 miles a week !!! I walk more than that in day !! You lot are damn lazy.
The last time that I was in the California a few years ago the waiter service was only mediocre...but of course the tips were high. In Spain the service seems about as good...but no tips, so I know what I have to pay before I get a meal, because the price indicated is the final price.
I have visited Europe nine times, almost always the Netherlands. What I notice most about eating in a restaurant is how loud Americans can be as opposed to Europeans. I agree. The whole tipping situation is getting out of control.
I like having some time to decide if I might want dessert after the main course, instead of receiving the bill when the starter is served 🤭 Good to see you back safe and sound! 👍🏻
Both your cereal aisle shot and the wall-refrigerator cheese shot in this video illustrate that while the volume is large, the selection in US stores is not that large. Stores fill up aisles with multiple feet of the same product. So the selection is not as large as you are implying. When you showed the specialty cheese compartment (probably in the "deli" section?) there was more selection, so that part is true. In America, size is important. Bigger is better. So yes, American stores are huge but the actual selection between _different products_ an American will face is not so large.
Hello there, this video got recommended to me by UA-cam. But I think that is due to the fact that I am Dutch but have been living in Ontario, Canada half my life! I had to laugh at the Dutch NOT tipping or very little….They are notorious for that(cheapskates😬) And the supermarkets are the same here in Canada, huge. I went back to Holland in September 2023 after 5 years not visiting my family(they all still live there) and when I came back I thought the same thing! Too much choice😲 Thanks for sharing your experiences and comparisons with the USA/Holland. I enjoyed your video…..I will subscribe. De groetjes vanuit een koud(met veel sneeuw…)Canada🙏🏼🥶👋🏼🇨🇦
Many central heating systems in the US and Canada pull no outside air. Your bathroom fan is the "ventilation system". But the dryness is actually more a result of the cold, than the ventilation system. The air outside at -10C is very very dry. In order to increase the humidity at all requires active humidification of the air. And yes, my hands and lips were all dry and cracked after just a few weeks in Canada.
Re: Tipping, people need to remember that in most of the US bar and restaurant owners can legally pay FAR below regular minimum wage and tips are literally how workers stay alive. In Europe, more liveable minimum wage laws apply to all bar/restaurant staff and service charge is included in the price of the meal, so tipping is entirely discretionary as an additional "thank you" for great service. As a US citizen who cannot wait to go back to the US (24 years in Paris) much of how America does things is, to be blunt, brutally uncivilized, particularly where labor laws and healthcare are concerned.
Great that you made this video.. After your previous video I forgot to ask you your experiences traveling back to the USA. Anyways, It's always great to see family and friends again. Do some of them also visit you here in the Netherlands?
You can take out travel insurance, which costs a few euros per day of your trip or you can choose a continuous one that provides coverage all year round. If necessary, travel insurance will pay the difference between what your Dutch insurance reimburses and the actual costs
my chase card does too, but it's not unlimited, and health care costs in the US can be expensive. you'll easily exceed the limit of what your amex gold card would cover, i'm sure @@highs_and_lows4665
Lived in the UK for 2 years and had to move back to the US and experienced ALL of this. We moved back a little over a year later and DO NOT want to move back. The culture shock is weird, a lot of stuff that I never noticed. The infrastructure is the biggest for me
My experience was, even in a "fine dining" restaurant, the staff did their best to get us out a.s.a.p. Great video as always. And I have a similar picture of my hip. Has been removed now to make place for a total hip prosthetic. Currently in a "zorghotel" recovering from that surgery.
Regarding medical Costs: you could take a separate travel Insurance which will coverage the refund gap between Dutch rates and the much higher rates in the States.
We are expats living in Colombia, South America. ( We add South America to that as too many people from the US think it is in South Carolina 😃 ) We have been here for over 8 years and will never return. When we visit twice a year to see family every time it is a culture shock. We totally agree with your assessments, especially grocery stores, health care, and tipping culture. We need to add one more, which is the gun/crime culture. When we are there no matter what place we are in we always make note of all the exits in case a shooter comes in. Guns are super regulated here and it takes a tremendous amount of effort to legally own one. We feel much safer here in Colombia than in our birth country. Great video!
Welcome home and Happy New Year 2024! I went back to California to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday and immediately came down with that horrible RSV virus. So, I was mostly self-quarantined with the person I was staying with during my whole stay. I have medicare and travel insurance for when I return to see friends and family. Also, Dutch health insurance will reimburse you if you keep your medical receipts. I don't know how much though, as I've only used the medicare system once during the Pandemic when I needed a test done before flying home to the NL. And medicare paid for the whole test, which was expensive... I think $250. I agree with you about the high costs of food and tipping, which gets annoying. Did you also know that the wait staff have to declare a portion of their tips to the IRS? An unbelievable as well as antiquated system for the commonly employed. Other costs, such as gas and clothing, are much cheaper in the States than in the EU. And, yes, service people are friendlier in the States but are also motivated by tips and, well, getting customers seated and gone for a higher turnover and more tips.
our health care here in the netherlands only covers us up to the equivalent dutch costs, unfortunately. unless we want to pay for an add-on (which we don't, haha).
Nice video. One comment about the tipping though. Here in Austria tipping is expected, but it's normally at a much lower rate than in the US. Typically we'll round up to the nearest Euro, or a bit more for a meal. The 10-20% range expected in the US doesn't exist here, mainly because people are paid properly and tips aren't a part of their wage.
English, Poles, Canadians, Aussies, Picts, Kiwis and Americans will always be welcome in our country. Your grandfathers and great-grandfathers liberated us.
Dat je in de VS eigenlijk nooit gezellig lang kan tafelen vond ik de eerste keer zó stom en niet gastvrij. Ik werd er eigenlijk chagrijnig van😅 Oh en de fooi, dat is echt te veel. Hier ronden we meestal af naar boven. Dus als iets €56,- kost maak je er 60,- van ofzo
tipping in the EU is still very much appreciated. it shows that you care and like the service from you coming in, the chefs, the service and you leaving with a great feeling.
When I go out to a restaurant it is mostly with others. That basically means eat and talk. Basically I have no need for the waiter, unless I need something. And I hate the service in the USA, the over friendly people ready to screw me over. 🎉
I came back to the States after 3 years in Japan. People laughed at me when I said I had reverse culture shock, but I did. In Japan every restaurant is seat yourself. I walked into an American restaurant and was stopped and told they would choose where I would sit. It took me a moment to digest that. While taxes are included in all your prices there, so having to figure out tax took getting used to again. I'm American, I'm not stupid, but you get used to a certain way of life and doing things in a certain way. For Japan life is quite organized when it comes to behavior, and you learn fast to follow or be fired (and I was twice from jobs), so to come back to the States was like coming out of prison. Nobody laughs at someone coming out of prison wondering why they can't adjust. ............ Sadly, my life was ruined by living abroad. I was told by 3 temp agencies in 2 states that work abroad doesn't count, neither does education. You're just on vacation. I worked for a book publisher and went to a temp agency working with the publishing world and was told to go work at McDonalds as I had NO work experience. I was asked by another agency if I knew how to use a telephone. Cause being 31 years old, living all but 3 years in America, and spending those years in Japan which likely makes a lot of our phones ... no, no, no, I've never used a phone. What's a phone? In Japan these use smoke signals and just ship the technology abroad. I was also asked in one job if I was really in prison. I guess I don't talk like a pompous git who shows off how smart he is by his world travels, so nobody believed me. It ruined my work life for a decade. I ended up taking dead end jobs, as they were impressed but fancier places weren't. Everyone else thought I lied. I literally have photos, videos, stuff, and was told I faked it all. Of course, when you work at one shit job, you struggle to get anything better, so my life was ruined by working abroad. I don't even put my 3 years abroad on my resume anymore. As for folks who find great jobs coming from abroad, I'm like how: I have 3 temp agencies in Seattle and NYC who said it doesn't count, so how did you get a good job?
I would rather have a private meal then having waiters hovering over me, no matter how friendly they are!
Very Dutch….
and i wanna sit and talk to whoever im eating with awile longer when meal is over even if im in a resaturant. Not stressing out the door
I agree and I would always wonder if are they’re really friendly or are they sucking up to you so they get a better tip?
@@EGO0808 As a dutchy i agree still prefer the private meal though but them i'm dutch.
It makes me really uncomfortable when a waiter interrupts the conversation every couple of minutes just to check if everything is fine. Here in Berlin it luckily only happens at touristy places that can easily be avoided
I really prefer a more European style of serving tables. I don't like being bothered by waitresses constantly asking me "if everything is still okay" or immediately snatching my plate after I've just eaten the last bite of my meal. It makes me feel like I'm in a factory instead of in a diner or restaurant...
I love the free refills on coffee though, I don't feel stressed about having to tip to compensate service I didn't request then. But as a Dutch man when I went to the US I was just doing a dinner I get asked if I am okay for like 5-6 times. I know it's cultural, I'll let you know if I need anything. And yeah in The Netherlands it can take a while before you get noticed. But what makes me feel annoyed is the expectation of extra money/compensation. It's an unclear transaction. (And yeah, of course I do tip waiters in the US)
Some Dutch restaurants also do this, just not all
European style? Don’t compare The Netherlands to Southern European countries, where service jobs are a profession and they actually serve you. There’s little ‘European’ about the ‘service’ in The Netherlands.
@@EGO0808what? LOL, no. There isn’t much difference.
@@tyasbank Same here; love the free refills :-) And I prefer European table service; especially when I ask some one for dinner and I don't want a "who's paying" game. I just excuse myself pretending to go to washroom and pay at the bar.
As a Belgian, I can identify with just about every part of your reverse culture shock, from back when I was working in the US for a while. Especially the part about the health care system. In fact we had a joke among the colleagues that wasn't really a joke - we regularly mentioned "if anything ever happens to me - don't call an ambulance, but a taxi, and book me a first class plane ticket". And that was true for all the Europeans working in the group. It is beyond me how a civilised country can have a "health care" system for their citizens that is so utterly terrifying and has so much potential for total individual financial ruin.
Not only that, but how so many Americans are afraid of a national healthcare system, and convinced that it could “never work” here because we’re a big country. 🙄
As a Belgian, when you're just traveling as a tourist to the US, then your medical bills will be refunded by the Belgian health care system if you need medical attention in the US. You do have to pay for it, so you actually must be able to "pony up the dough", but it will be refunded. That's why it's recommended to jack up your credit limit when traveling to the US. Still, the taxi and 1st class ticket will probably be cheaper...
Fellow Belgian here, I lived in Austin, TX and Mooresville, NC. I ended up moving back to Belgium because even though I love a lot about the US, the social catch net that exists here is a luxury I wasn't willing to give up. It was fine by myself, because I had good employment, but the moment you start thinking about a family where things might not go perfectly for your children it becomes a risk you do not want to take. If life throws you a curveball at the wrong time in your life, it can ruin you. And even though I earn far less here in Belgium, my living standards haven't dropped.
I'm glad I live in Belgium, I don't see what would be so great about the Usa.
Americans are terrified of "socialism" @@sazji
I never felt culture shock when I left my native California and moved to the south of France. However I an obligatory return two years later was a nightmare. I couldn't get back to the EU fast enough. I am minutes from several gorgeous Mediterranean beaches and can be in Spain in under one hour. I chose a charming village surrounded by vineyards. Sixteen years and counting, why would I want to be anywhere else. If I want to go anywhere, a ticket on our wonderful rail system will take me anywhere I care to go.
Yep. Besides, you can be pretty much anywhere in Europe within a day or two thanks to the extensive highspeed railway. No need to drive to a damn airport first. Have croissants for breakfast near Paris gare du nord and "sipping" pastis in Marseille at night. Have a ristretto in Naples and shop in Milan without the use of a car. Myself, I'm pretty much smack in the middle, Ghent, Belgium. London is just a chunnel away.
@@johnmaletic898 I live inner city in the US and don't own a car, and its honestly its a pain to rent a car, if you don't advance book its really expensive, and I have to go to a airport to pick it up and return it. There are car sharing programs, I never bothered to figure them out, they might be easier. I lived in Orlando for a bit and the complete lack of public transit confuses everyone from overseas.
@@Gee-xb7rtThe car share that I joined in Calgary (what the British call a car club) worked pretty easily. That was a long time ago.
@@bearcubdaycare The main problem I see with those is that they tend to have a very small service area. Every single one I've encountered so far (EU and US, haven't been to Canada) only covered the central city in a metro area, so if you live just next town over you don't have access.
@ErinDahlgren I am down in the Mediterranean less than one hour from the border to Spain. Good luck 👍.
I’m German and I love the „server let’s you have your meal in peace and with a nice conversation, while always looking (but rarely asking) if you need anything“ kind of service.
I really felt rushed in US restaurants. It felt like they wanted to throw me out as soon as I finished eating.
In Ameirca my favorite Thai restaurant gave me the bill before I was finished eating. I ate there several times a week, alone, and quick, so they probably were justified. It as embarrassing when I brought my German boyfriend there. But in Germany last week my beverage never arrived and there was no getting the attention of the staff, they were just too busy. So everyone toasted their drinks with me excluded. Finally the owner came, gave me my beverage, didn't apologize (!??!) ...but that's Germany and I'm used to it. I would have loved to have been able to ask for something or mention something but so often in Germany you are alone at your table like an island in a wild ocean. No one is coming for you. One request Germany: Just ask me ONCE if everything is OK or not. Tha'ts all. In Germany they never know why you tipped so low, cuz they have no idea what they could have done to make you satisfied.
@@LythaWausW you seem to have found some of the worst restaurants. I’m sorry for your experience.
The only times I had experiences like „no one asking even once“ was when I was in fast food restaurants (Döner, sausage and fries,…).
@@jennyh4025 I can forgive cuz there are always circumstances. I just accumulate experiences between the two countries and it's a strong pattern. (Oh but fast food/imbiss I would never expect feedback on the food, just like I wouldn't at McDonalds.)
They DO want you out asap so that the table can be occupied again by others so they can get the next tip.🤷🏼♀️
As a Dutch person who lived in the US for about a decade, I quickly got used to it. It's rare (outside of very busy tourist areas) they actually rush you, though I can totally see how it would feel that way. They can read you well enough to know when to back off a little, and otherwise it's just quick "I'm ok, thanks!". I never really liked the slow pace in the Netherlands myself because it can be chore to chase down staff, and often it just takes very long between courses when I'm hungry. So given the two options, I'd pick the US way.
I am from Sweden and I was blown away of how helpful many in the U.S was when it came to everyday stuff. They really went out of their way to make me feel welcome, driving me places, inviting me over, getting me stuff. It was truly wonderful and inspiring! When it comes to social welfare politics though, their views could be terrible with very little empathy and readiness to be helpful, and that was such a strange paradox to me. In Sweden, people are generally way more grumpy on the outside (haha), but you can mostly count on that there is an empathetic basic view of humanity and an understanding that we can all get into trouble and need help sometimes, and thus a willingness to pay taxes and stand up for general social safety nets. If you could combine the two - that would be great!
I’m an American living in France. My husband and I moved here in 2017. We love it. I am currently in treatment for melanoma. When I was diagnosed, my doctor filled out a form and I took it to my pharmacy and they logged it in. Everything is covered. I have paid €60 out of pocket. I was a nurse in the states and I love my healthcare here…not only because of the price.
Best wishes for your good health in future.
Grocery prices are high because of inflation. The inflatable is actually hogher than what is stated. The Obama administration changed the inflation measurement to make it look lower by removing certain items
I'm an American living in Denmark (been living here for 34 years now). I can totally relate to "reverse culture shock" whenever I go back to visit family in Washington DC and Maryland! My overall impression about the cultural difference between Denmark (as well as other European countries) and The US, is that in Denmark, it feels like people prioritize a feeling of security and safety over economy, and the kind of false "freedom" that is offered in The US.
Daily living issues, like getting around (transportation), employment, and other financial issues, and social "fairness" and a lack of poverty make living so less stressful. So yeah, it would definitely be difficult for me to acclimate to living back in The US.
Come on up to Denmark if you're interested in cultural differences! It's just around the corner from The Netherlands!
Western Europeans in general don't feel the need to scream out to the world that they are free, they just know they are and quietly get on with their lives.
A YT summarized quite well. In the USA, people value being "free to", whereas in the EU we value being "free from". Free to be healthy vs being free from being sick, freedom to owe a house vs being free from homelessness, freedom to become ultrarich vs freedom from being poor, freedom to kill for your survival vs being free from kill or be killed...
@@billybudd5854 Western Europeans don't "feel the need to scream out to the world that they are free" because of things like NATO, OPEC and the U.S. global military power structure -- ALL of which backs up Europe around the world. So yes Europeans (on the surface) can "get on with their lives" (for the most part) but it's because U.S. is Europe's attack dog globally. Also the U.S. rebuilt most of western Europe (esp. the Netherlands and Germany) with the Marshall Plan. And the U.S. is still very much on the European continent. Which is why Russia mostly leaves Europe alone for the most part. If the U.S. stepped away from Europe and NATO, the dynamics of "freedom" for Europeans would shift greatly!
I've been visiting friends and family in the USA for over 30 years. A common thing was for us to compare things like taxes, healthcare and personal liberties. I was really surprised to find there were loads more rules in the US versus the UK - small stuff like getting a ticket your car being parked on the street on street cleaning day. Everything seems so regimented and proceduralized (😉) sometimes. I used to make a joke of it and refer to the UK as "the real land of the free." I don't do that now because it's not funny anymore.
Michelle: "as long as The Netherlands will have us"
Oh dear, that means forever! 😄❤️
Yes, we grant Buncharted a lifetime residency, because we don't want to miss you.
hmm.. Should we make them 'honorary Dutch' you think?
They are cute, aren't they? 😁
Geert hasn't said anything bad about Americans so I think they're safe. Lol
Stay as long as you feel like. We like good folks like you. 👍
I waited tables in the Netherlands and our way of doing it comes from not liking the small talk as much. We go out to dinner to have a conversation with the people at our table, no with the person serving us. It is really annoying to constantly get interrupted. As the wait staff is getting paid a fair wage, there is no pressure to get a good tip. Anything you get is an extra but there is not the stress of not being sure you're going to make ends meet. This way they can focus on efficiency, quality and service. The customer also doesn't feel ripped off. A good business can pay its people, otherwise it isn't viable to keep going.
Proper wages means staff are more relaxed, not trying to please you every 2 minutes and are not trying to be overly nice. For us, the wave or eye contact isn't awkward, unless you time it poorly. It also means the customer decides when to get the bill, which can be annoying as some people stay for hours. There are ways to get rid off them, by saying the table is reserved from a certain time, but bringing them the bill without being asked is not done.
Not better or worse than the American way, just a different way of doing it. I prefer the Dutch as I am Dutch, but I get why people would like the American style.
Good comment. On point
@escorpiuser I like tipping if its good but I like it BECAUSE here in Netherlands I know its extra. I know its a bit extra for them which I LIKE to do. But I wouldnt like it if I knew it kept them alive...
"we"? Speak for yourself, I am the extravertest extrovert on the planet (level: my favorite anime convention is in Budapest, I fly there every 3 months for it, and one of the reasons its my fav is the free hug line with a 1000 people thats always there, best thing ever xD), I love small talk, I had a whole ass random conversation that lasted 30 minutes (because they wanted to know everything) about my cosplay costume and then Chinese BL novels with a random nice pair of old people on the train to Duch comic con...
Small talk good. Convo good. Talking to people good. :D
@@ukeyaoitrash2618 Good for you but that is not how the vast majority of people in the Netherlands are. Doesn't mean that it is a bad thing, society is just based on how most people are.
If the majority were like you, it would be more like America. As I mentioned in my initial comment, that is also not a bad thing. It is just a different way of doing it.
@@ukeyaoitrash2618 My apologies if my other comment came across as dickish and blunt, it was not meant that way. The "good for you" opener was a bad move. I tried to be funny, which it wasn't.
I'm not trying to make you feel bad, at all. The point I so poorly tried to make was that a large majority of Dutch people are generally more private and introverted. That is not a good or a bad thing, it is just is the way it is. Not being that way is also not a good or a bad thing, it is just who you are.
Fortunately, in todays world there are anime cons where it sounds like you would be amongst a majority, also in terms of your interests. It's great that the cons have become so big, they seem like a lot of fun. I wouldn't last an hour at an anime con though. Absolute sensory overload for me.
Again, not bad, not good, it is just the way I am. Fortunately, I have the choice not to go and leave that to people who do enjoy it.
When traveling to the US, it is very much recommended to get travel insurance. This is not very expensive. You can also take a “doorlopende reisverzekering “. You pay a monthly fee and then all your trip are covered. This is much cheaper and is very handy, as you are traveling quite a bit.
Yes taking Travel health insurance for a few months or weeks when visiting other countries is very cheap we talk 1-2 restaurant visits cheap ;). I would strongly suggest always taking travel insurace when traveling outside of EU, and especially USA, it's such a small cost vs risk of costs if something happends.
True! Your travel insurance pays the difference between what your health insurance pays and the hospital bill (for the most part).
yes, exactly this. Take out a travel insurance. An additional health insurance (aanvullende zorgverzekering) sometimes also covers extra emerency health costs abroad. Read carefully, USA might not be covered.
Did you read the fine print on that one? I checked it when my son was going to the US from NL and surprise surprise they only cover the part of the fee that is at the Dutch price of a hospital and you're on your own for the rest.
@@StCreedyour normal (Dutch) health insurance should cover the portion that is "reasonable". You get the travel insurance (with health care cost expansion) specifically to cover whatever additional costs you make that aren't covered by your normal health insurance.
I can highly recommend ANWB for their excellent coverage and support when something does happen when you're on a trip. Their "doorlopende reisverzekering" is quite reasonably priced.
Always read the specific terms and conditions to check that unexpected costs you want to cover are indeed covered, though. It always gave me great piece of mind when travelling to countries with more expensive health costs.
Ben heel benieuwd hoe groot onze shock is als wij in juli 2 weken op vakantie gaan naar Californië. Heb nu al veel gelezen en gezien over Amerika en laat het allemaal maar over mij heen komen.
Our daughter and son-in-law moved from Arizona to London in 2019. They will be making their first trip back to the US in March. They love their lives in the UK and have no plans to return to living in the US. They recently enjoyed a visit to Amsterdam. They are coming with a combination of excitement and trepidation.
I haven’t been in the Netherlands for many, many years but I still miss it. It was such a happy place for us.
Thanks 🥰🥰🥰
For American wait staff it would seem to me that getting customers in and out as fast as possible, hence the hovering, quick removal of plates and quickly placing the bill on the table, means they might be able to make more tips that will help pay their rent, since the restaurant isn't paying them a living wage.
Yes, but take your time and eat your food at your leisure. Just nicely say you are a slow eater and they will get the message and back off. They not want to risk their tip.
@@simonledoux8519 As you said, if you are the type who needs more time (dining alone, for example), just ask, and they'll understand. They have to, they're getting the tip based on it. I know, however, how hard that is, cuz you feel their pressure in their body language and speech.
@@LythaWausW So basically I am obligated top pay extra (tip) for having a nice dinner? I am not gonna lie, that sucks and I always hated it when travelling to the US. In Europe it is not rare that you might spend the whole evening in a restaurant, have a nice dinner with friends, order drinks an espressi, maybe later a dessert. And you leave late and drunk.
@@muskelpaulkleber7413 No, that's not how it is. I worked as a server for a while when I was finishing my Master's degree, for a national restaurant chain that only prefers to move the tables quickly on weekend mornings. The reason the wait staff "hovers" is honestly to make sure that everything is going well. First off, Americans complain about everything. Servers have to be around to make sure there are not strange complaints or, secondly, attempts to steal, cheat, or leave without paying. Remember, we mostly serve Americans.
Here's the saga of one of my worst experiences as a server:
I once had a family of 4, the wife ordered a sweet ham with her dinner, the husband a salty ham. When their dinners came, the wife tasted her husband's ham before she ate any of hers. Then she called me over to the table to tell me we gave her the wrong kind of ham because hers was salty. I explained to her that you can SEE the difference in their hams, she had the correct one, that her taste buds were still reacting to the sample she had of her spouse's ham. She became indignant and insisted I take her plate back to the cook. Yes, a cook who looked at the plate and said, "she has sweet ham, what am I supposed to do?" I said, "taste it and tell me it's sweet." He did just that. I called the manager to the back to tell him that he was going to have to come to my table in about 5 minutes. I knew what was happening. She had eaten that salty ham on purpose. When I took the plate back, and told her that the cook tested her ham and it was sweet, she wanted ALL OF THEIR MEALS COMPED. ALL 4 DINNERS. Written off. I saw it coming. I motioned for the manager. He told them that he could not give them 4 free meals, and offered her a free dessert. She was LIVID. They had not one nice thing to say the rest of their time.
At the same restaurant, different shift, I had a table where one of the diners called me over and complained that there was a hair in her meal. There was a hair carefully laying on top of her food, the same length and color as her own. It was interesting, considering all of us servers were required to wear our hair in ponytails, and the cooks working that day were bald. Besides that, one of the people at a nearby table told me they saw her pull the hair out of her head and place it on her food - other people in the dining room do not hold secrets for strangers. Neither do I. I think my manager comped her meal anyhow.
These kinds of antics are the reason we "hover" over our tables. You might not be psycho, but that can't be said for everyone we serve.
In Holland we typically dont calculate how much we tip. If you go to a restaurant and its 23,10 we just say make it 25,- and thats it. We often just round it up to the next big number. You give them a tip and on top of that you save the store/restaurant having to deal with change (they're always short on change). If the service is really poor you pay what you're owed and dont come back.
I once understood that if you think the service is poor, or non existant, you give a very small tip of like 10 cent or 20 cent. So the staf knows you're not stingy (or just paying what is owned), but you didn't appreciate the service.
Het heet Nederland, niet Holland, of anders The Netherlands
@@justincredible. Give it a rest man, nobody cares. Everybody knows what we are talking about. We shout "Hup Holland Hup" at our national teams ffs.
@@StartPlayFinish en daar moeten we mee stoppen! ik ben nederlander en brabander, het voelt als een belediging om mij hollander te noemen, ik woon niet in dat arrogante gedeelte van ons mooi landje
weet overigens ook maar even dat de staat bezig is met een campagne in het buitenland om holland uit het systeem te halen door aan te geven dat het nederland is
@@StartPlayFinish
praktisch gezien was Holland gewoon altijd de hart van Nederland, daar zaten de grote koloniale bedrijven of tenminste hun warenhuizen. Daar was de meeste welvaart en ga zo maar door.. Als buitenlandse handelaren/reizigers het hadden vroeger over hun (handels)reis naar Nederland dan gingen ze naar "Holland" oftewel de regio rondt Amsterdam, Rotterdam en weet ik veel.. Dat is sindsdien gewoon altijd in het buitenland blijven hangen.
Betwijfel of je dat er ooit nog uit gaat krijgen
NL supermarkets also have specialty cheese sections. The reason why the packaged cheese section in the supermarkets isn’t that big is because that cheese isn’t that good. A lot of Dutch prefer the ‘fresh’ cheese
They probably missed the real cheese because they didn't recognize it as actual cheese?
Great to have you in The Netherlands guys, you are more than welcome. It's always nice to see people being happy here.
When you showed the dutch cheese section I missed that we also have cheese in 2 different places in most shops. The prepacked cheese you showed but also cheeses in the 'fresh counter' where you can also find some specialty cheeses. Would you still better go the a cheeseshop if you want something special? Absolutely! But I personally don't think we have little choice in cheese in shops like Jumbo and AH.
And also while the Dutch areas take up less space it doesn't mean less variety. In the US, if you have 10 brands, 3 sizes each, (total 30 SKUs) of the same kind of cheese, each one takes up a lot of space. In the Netherlands, any brand is unlikely to have more than 2 sizes and each, there's a handful of brands for each kind of cheese, and each individual SKU is given less space. You can end up with a lot more variety (more kinds of cheese) in a lot less space.
Fijn dat jullie in Nederland blijven! Jullie zijn toppers!
As someone who lives in the Netherlands and has travelled a lot to the U.S., I could relate to all of these things. Whenever I had to go to the supermarket in the States to get a few items, if a coworker was with me, I would ask, “What do you usually get?” then get that one. I don’t want to waste too much time looking over the countless items on the shelves. The sales tax is also another. Whenever I buy something from Target, Best Buy or whatever, I initially forget that the price tag doesn’t include the sales tax which was around 20% give or take. So it’s always a surprise when I pay. The necessity for a car is another thing. You can’t just quickly walk somewhere unless you’re in the center of the city or town. But my biggest and unreconcilable shock for me are the bathroom stalls! These are CLOSED, hence private, wherever you go in the Netherlands. Why are there gaps in the bathroom stalls in the U.S.?!? You can’t do your business privately! 😂
Getting stationed in Japan, I never had culture shock there. Returning to the US after 4 years, it hit me hard. It was depressing. It took me over a year to get over it.
Happy to hear you still want to stay here. I never had the feeling of moving to another country. NL has a strong identity that i love. Born and raised here and i will die here 🇳🇱 😍. Great video. ❤❤❤
Moving to another country is really good for you - it allows you to see your home country for what it truly is, good and bad. And if you decide to stay in your new country you have to accept the bad with the good cos its YOUR choice.
Either way a few years away is really valuable - My opinion of course.
Well I can agree with you, though I wasn’t born or raised in the Netherlands, I’ve lived here since my 17th, immigrated back after my Dutch parents had migrated away to live in Kenya , reluctantly to live in the Netherlands at first but now wouldn’t really want to live anywhere else, except maybe another European country. I’ve been to most places in the USA, love visiting but wouldn’t want to live there permanently although some things are better there. ( i.e. taxes are considerably lower, more wilderness and space, larger houses, etc)
@@piccalillipit9211Very true!! Im Dutch, but live in Portugal, for 9 years. Never went back and left mainly for the (bad) weather in The Netherlands. And its too crowdy (always traffic jams etc). I love my new home country and wont go back!
*I FELL DOWN CONCRETE STEPS* last winter in the ice - I had a massive hematoma on my a$$ that required 8 separate hospital visits here in Bulgaria - I dont get free healthcare as I am British - €40 is what it cost me.
Last year I had a none dangerous skin cancer removed - €175 start to finish.
I think the 'aren't we happy and chatty' approach from service staff in the US is entirely linked to the tipping culture.
It's a bit late now: but next year you might want to get a Dutch health care plan with 'world coverage' (werelddekking) in the additional package (aanvullende zorgverzekering). The cheapest options are just a couple of euro's extra every month. Some insurance companies allow you to get the additional package in january if you already have their basic insurance.
You can also get this with your travel insurance
I have one off those too the whole year around, so every trip is covered that I take. But it really pays of when something happens
I’ve lived and worked in the US for a number of years. The thing I remember most is that my monthly paycheck was around five times the amount it’s here in NL. You can suffer some hardship with this amount of money (and afford bigger boxes of cereal if you’re into that).
Dutch cities are designed for people, US cities are designed for cars.
That doesn't really make any sense.
We are happy to have you here!
In the US, your Government decided it was more important to spend your taxes on the Military. In Europe, most Governments spend less on the Military and more on it's population's healthcare, because peoples health is very important!
I work as a flight attendant and my favourite passengers are people from the US in general. Because they are so easy to communicate with. It’s important for me to know how you feel and what you need. I feel at home too in the US but you’ve mentioned some things that I struggle a bit with too. Decision fatigue in supermarkets. I don’t want to choose between 10 different kinds of peanut butter for example.
Also tipping is a thing. I’m used to it now but eating outside is so expensive ( just came back from New York, now I’m broke 😉)
My husband and I discussed moving to the US in the future (as pensionados) but the healthcare system made us decide not to.
You'd have to have to legal right to live here.
You exaggerate. No one picks between 10 kinds of peanut butter. They have a brand they like and buy it consistently. The same goes for other products.
@@robertcuminale1212You are missing the point
Having diner in the USA I always feel the need to hold my plate, because a waiter will grab it before I’m finished 😂
No idea what kind of dodgy, high-stress places you go. I have never had to hold my plate. Maybe you are in an unfriendly place.
@@mfratus2001 it's obviously a joke (well anyone with a IQ > 70 will think it's a joke lol)
Glue your plate on the table ! 😅
I think this needs to be commented on: Michelle, your hair looks amazing!!
The selection in Dutch supermarkets is smaller mostly because the supermarkets themselves tend to be a lot smaller. The Albert Heijn XL in my area is about the same size as the small-ish neighborhood Kroger I frequented when I stayed in the US for a bit, and the selection was comparable.
I loved and hated the car culture in the US when I was there. Cars are affordable and they are a great way to get around. But in many cases they're also the only way to get around.
If your livelyhood depends on the tips, you make sure the customer knows you are offering top service. So you keep coming back to the table to see if everything is okay. Here in Belgium (as in the Netherlands) waiters get a salary. Giving a tip is optional. So people give between nothing and 10%, depending on their mood (or generosity) and the quality of the service.
... " so, no we're not moving back to the us anytime soon - we'll stay in the Netherlands as long as the Netherlands will have us". In Belgium they say: "We zien u graag..."
Nice to see you back "home" 🙂 The mentioned issues are the things I already imagined. Plusses and minuses 🙂 Hope you still like to live in Dordrecht. 🙂 It is just so much fun to watch your videos!
About the cheese section example: do they actually have more variety, or just more real estate per variant?
In the Dutch store, each package you see is a different variant. In the American store each variant is like 20 items wide and four rows tall.
And Dutch stores also have the "speciality cheese" section, which is where most variants are.
the cheese section shown at the US grocery is just shredded cheese. it doesn’t even include the sliced cheese. and there’s a ton of variety, from cheddar, to monterey jack, to swiss, and so on…
the similar section in dutch grocery stores does have some variety but it’s mostly just dutch cheese aged differently, which isn’t a common thing in the US outside of specialty cheese
Also happy to hear that you want to stay in The Netherlands! Please stay as long as you both like... het is toch gezellig!
😄
I find eating out in Holland more relaxed than in the US. You can just eat at your own pace and sit relaxed afterwards where in the US I find its more that other people are waiting for a table (also something you dont have in Holland) and the staff wants you out as soon as you took your last bite.
I'm a historian, and I've often told people that the revolution that had a more lasting impact on the United States was not the American Revolution, it was the Bolshevik Revolution. The reason we continue to have the horrible healthcare system we have is because "socialized medicine is communist," whines a certain element in Congress and their supporters. Anything that smacks of communism - AS DEFINED BY THEM - won't get far in the USA. It doesn't matter that it's NOT communist or socialist, they call it that, and that's all that matters. It also doesn't matter that the alternative is inhumane, insultingly evil, or plainly inadequate. They can justify it as somehow upholding their social and religious virtues, without a hint of hypocrisy. They say ignorance is bliss.
What is funny is that universal health care in Germany was introduced by staunch conservative Otto von Bismarck in 1883. So much about socialism and communism.
I was surprised by what you said about cheese in the Netherlands.
In France we had a very famous ad on TV that said "La Hollande, l'autre pays du fromage" (Netherlands, the *other* cheese country) 😊. Netherlands cheeses are renowned!
My wife moved here 19 years ago. We could not move me there (DOMA) every time we go back to Long Island, we experience culture shock. This last trip in October, we were shocked at how much more expensive grocery shopping was. We generally go to stop& shop and Lidl when we are there. I missed our Saturday market so much. It seemed as though our budget got drained so much faster than before. And going to Nashville for a week, that tapped us out altogether. That said, we had the best vacation ever. And I did het to go to the Grand Ole Opry twice😊. We were so happy to be able to walk al over our little town of Hilversum. And hop back on our bikes as well.
I feel like they are more talkative and friendly is because they rely on your tip. I wonder how sincere their conversations are.
Plus those that are self absorbed and love talking about themselves.
I always walk up to the cash register if I want to pay the bill in a restaurant in The Netherlands. I have no patience for waiting or the hand-waving thing. (I'm Dutch)
we do that a lot too, i'm glad we aren't the only ones :)
Same
thats just rude.. you are given a sign the waiter did not do a good job
@@JustMe-sh8ndI surely hope you’re being sarcastic….
@@EGO0808 no I am for real.. they should bring it to your table, if you go to the cassier yourself you are actally saying.. the waiter let us sit unneccsary and is ignoring us
In (high) offices and hospitals they do have airconditioning rather than opening windows. I do notice the difference too. Nice job, good to watch. It helps us value our country (the Netherlands) even more.
I'm from Spain. If I'm eating, I want to eat. If I'm chatting with friends, I want to chat with friends. What I definitely don't want to do is be constantly interrupted by Miz Chirpy asking "IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT!?" It was - until you interrupted.
There's a ton of furniture and decor stores near my house; I like going there to check out the market. Sometimes I buy things, sometimes I note an item that a relative or friend may be interested in... the one store I will not ever visit again is the one where people keep asking "can I help you?" after I've already told that person "no". If you're bored at work, bring a book. Or clean the store, I saw a cobweb and I think I understand why.
We just had dinner this night in a restaurant. About the waitress: she was friendly (it was very busy this night), but in this particular restaurant they keep an eye on you. Empty glas, so they ask you if yoy want more, asking you if everything is oke, and after we were finished, she came and asked us if there was anything she could bring, so I asked for the bill. Ofcourse we tipped her.
So it is not always waving hands.
Exactly, if the restaurant is any good here in The Netherlands, the waiters watch you closely from a distance and recognize the signs for if they are needed at the table before the waiving has to kick in.
Same in Germany: When you are ready to order, you close the menue. When your glass is empty, the waiter offers more. When you place your knife and fork at five o'clock on the plate, they can see that you finished your main course and ask, if you wish anything else. No waving needed, at least not at restaurants, where they learned their craft. Besides, waving is considered bad behaviour in a good restaurant. It is ok in a Kneipe.
Service worker small talk is my pet peeve. There are so many places (post office, hardware store, etc) where I stand in line while the friendly checkout person tells the customer ahead of me about her daughter's wedding while I wait to buy light bulbs.
Hey guys, always great to watch your take on the Netherlands! (We've learnt a lot from you, even before we emigrated)
We moved here 6 months ago from South Africa & we're now based in Rotterdam (loving it!).
Please let me know what that restaurant is you mentioned as we're foodies at heart & would love to try it! 🙂
burro e salvia!
If I may also put a 'duit in 't zakje'. Rotterdam (& Den Haag) have amazing Vietnamese restaurants called Little V. For us it's more than an hour to drive, so we don't eat there often, but if we are ever in the neighbourhood we always go there!
@@buncharted Good call! Rotterdam-Zuid (South for the non-Dutch speaking part). Try Oliva in the Witte de Withstraat as well.
We (my wife and I) are a Canadian/Dutch couple and we travel to the US and Can regularly. Groceries and dining have become expensive in the US since 2021. Don't ask me why. About the Dutch health plan being cheaper: don't forget that the Dutch pay a lot more taxes than the Average Joe in the US. The price of gas, heating, and income taxes are a lot higher in the Netherlands.
@@mennovanrij9334 The Netherlands is about situated at the lattitude of Vancouver. Heating in winter is very nescesary.
Driving is also expensive in the Netherlands but luckily distances are small.
@@StephanSpelde Yeah, i can vouch for that. Having worked in the Rotterdam horeca, Little V was a well known place to visit for me and my kitchen colleagues. What i also love is that, next to the staple places who are here for decades the city does has a good share of frequently changing establishments and new concepts.
Living in the Oost park since a few years and as a fan of the Indonesian cuisine, i recently discoverer Minang Kabau at the Kralingse Plas. Which has, imho, one of the best quality dishes from that region in Zuid Holland and possibly thé best of Rotterdam. A good second place goes to Samalain but that one is literally across the street from where i live so i do consider myself spoiled rotten when it comes to getting a quick but good bite.
And as always, Rijsttafels is a good way to get started when one never been to an Indonesian restaurant and want to familiarize themselves.
Tipping is not expected here in the Netherlands, but if I'm satisfied with the meal and the service, I do give some tip.
Usually by rounding the amount, and generally around 5-10%, and I think this is the normal for most of the people here.
Next time your going to the states take a travel insurance, it’s an insurance only for your trip and it will cover medical bills. It’s also not that expensive
I came back to the USA after living ten (10) years in Rome, Italy, and I had tremendous reverse culture shock.
I like your posts very much, living abroad is a huge step and i like it that you show us how your experiences are. After a holiday abroad i am always glad i am back home and it doesn't matter how beautiful the visited country was (Costa Rica for example).
So welcome back and enjoy the rest of our country (and inhabitants 😉).
I had a house in Utah, built by a California contractor who built multimillion dollar homes. It had through the floor heat, in a concrete poured floor. The heat was supplied via the water heater. When we can, I am going to incorporate that into a home we may be moving to. We had porches where we could keep the ventilation flowing all year round. The house was foot thick prestressed concrete, with a stucco overcoat. I went the whole summer without A/C when the outside temps passed 100F many days. Winter, we had foot thick heat holding walls. These are things I found to be practical. The overall design of the house encouraged us to keep exterior doors open to the covered porches. It sound slime your home in the Netherlands had a similar design characteristic. Our house was 2300 SQF, but our combined temperature, cooking and water cost was roughly the same as a "standard" dwelling at 600 to 750SQF. Your report encouraged me to do some of what worked in the Utah home in Kansas. Thank you for bringing that back to the front of my mind. Our house was not cheap, but the cost of operations almost covered the difference.
As a server; People don't always like to be "bothered" or pushed to consume/buy more. Some places you do have to keep an eye out for empty glasses, ask for refill or if you can take the glass to be cleaned and possibly re-used. But again, most people are there to enjoy 1. the food; they did not want to, or know how to, cook the meals they want to consume 2. their company, they came there with them, it be social or professional. The professionals are the ones you should ask for re-fills, if they want more service, etc. They don't pay for it themselves the company pays. This are simple facts of life and the realtiy of a server. Of course there are minor details like ambiance or service, or the service speaking about the pretty individual servers. And it is not like we don't get tips. Since it is not a must - you know this means something! They really appreciated it. Not social conformity (I call this freedom, and not like the extreme wage-slave work the US implements)
It happened to me but two fold. I lived in Germany for 5 years and also in the Army. When i came back ot too me a couple years to adjust. I still want to go back.
I think the transportation system in the Netherlands is great. We were visiting my aunt in Koedijk and were flying back to the US. I left my parents, who were still eating breakfast at my aunts. My sister and I drove the rental car from Koedijk to Schiphol Airport. However long it took travel was smooth and we seemed to be making good time on our travel. When we got to Schiphol, My Aunt and parents were waiting for us. I was shocked how they took the train and beat us there. I have family all over the Netherlands and could live anywhere and be content. Probably around Vlissengen, my ancestral providence.
I tipped a girl who cut my son’s hair and even though I know tipping isn’t really a thing I still felt compelled to give her something on top of the price of the haircut. I gave her €5 that I had in my wallet. She was so excited and showed all of her coworkers. 😅
Also I love the in floor heating, it’s so much more cozy than a heater .
Glad you made it back safely and you didn’t need to use the US healthcare 😊
I’m Dutch although my father is American (never seen him again after I was 5).. on behalf of our King Alex, I have good news you can stay here! Did you pledge allegiance to our flag? Do you promise to keep eating Tompouce and bitterballen? 😂😂❤
They liked the crompouce, that counts against them. (J/k)
Allegiance to our flag?? We don't do such silly things in the Netherlands
As an Australian who has travelled in the US (30 years ago) I can say that no wait staff were nice, friendly or interacted with me at all, in any way, ever. They still wanted the tip. That may have been partly due to my appearance (Aussie tourist equals no money due to seriously casual approach to things like appearance) or my accent, which no service staff or stall holder could understand until I put on a fake American accent. I did love it when 2 girls asked which state I was from because they couldn't pick my accent and I said Tasmania. To be honest, I was getting a bit over the fact I was speaking English but was ignored if I wasn't perceived as American. As to tipping, not generally a thing in Australia (but unfortunately becoming one post Covid), but here you do (and I do) tip for exceptional service or food above expectation. Reward excellence, don't mandate it.
Number 1 can be mitigated by using a "Reisverzekering", just get a "Doorlopende Reisverzekering" for a couple € a month and have some piece of mind when traveling.
And you can get an insurance for additional costs of health care in foreign countries (=your original country), beyond the costs of Dutch insurance.
I moved back to the Netherlands from the US a couple of months ago, and I do miss the friendly banter, that was my reverse culture shock. I've taken some of that more casual friendliness back with me though and strike up conversations more often than I would have done before I lived in the US. And so far, that's been going fairly well! It helps to be in a smaller city vs. a big city.
Another one was the weather. Of course I knew the Netherlands is a lot rainier and overcast than most of the US, but it was worse than I remembered. I do like the faster/more casual restaurants with the more attentive staff. Also, the first few times I tried to go to a restaurant back in NL I didn't make reservations, and that usually means the place will be full, unless it's a tourist area or larger city. People don't eat out here quite as often as they do in the US, so when they do, it has to be more special.
Overall I'm happy to be back though, after a decade or so one really learns to appreciate the things we do well in our society.
Well I lived in the Netherlands for 30 yrs *i am a Brit...It was also a culture shock for me At that time the country was almost closed to foreigners we were rarities We however lived near Eindhoven which with Philips was growing into a multicultural city I wouldn't-t recognise it today as it attempts to pull in over 355,000 new citizens, mostly foreigners .I appreciated the way Dutch were so professional as wait staff ,well trained and often speaking other languages than Dutch and English They had decent wages and therefore didn-t rely on tips. It was difficult at first to chat to people when we didn-t speak Dutch...We did notice however that Americans were becoming flavour of the month and wait staff sometimes fell over themselves to be extra nice.. probable knowing the tipping that was common in the USA...Once we learned Dutch however * 3yrs* everything changed and we could have good conversations. Whilst I found the Dutch a somewhat -hard nation I will never regret bringing up my two daughters there They had a magical childhood
Thanks for your kind words about our country and your enjoyment in living here. 1 tiny thing I'd like to mention is that I didn't really hear you talk about how your experience was in traveling in the Netherlands. Compared to the US.
My first full on shock was in 89 after a year and a half in Paris...flew to DC and was hit in a mall, EVERYONE was speaking English...I had just gotten tuned into my thoughts being surrounded by multiple languages being spoken. After 30 years and the passing of my parents I just don't see a need to go back unless I want to have FUN in NYC....otherwise I can Eurostar to London, or go to Carnaval in Venice for some cultural changes with cheaper voyages which means nicer hotels and more shopping!!!
Drop by my neighborhood in Brooklyn. You will hear a lot more people speaking Chinese, Russian, Spanish and other languages than English.
As a German, I love it when I can eat, drink and sit in a restaurant as long as I want, and not as long as the waiter wants.
And we have the habbit of "lüften". That means we frequently open all of our windows at once for 5 to 10 minutes to let the fresh air in, and to get the used and smelly air out.
The tipping culture indeed is quite insane in the US, and my experience is that even having a discussion about that with a lot of Americans is impossible. Its so drilled into the culture that they think "but restaurants and such that pay their staff more will go bankrupt" and "staff earns more this way"... Meanwhile.... why isnt this the case then in basicly all the rest of the world... 🤷. Its just a dumb system to let customers pay for the staff (forced) instead of the employer.... ugh. It also causes the whole pushy/clingy waitress/waiter constantly coming by.
And lets not forget how dumb percentage based tipping is... The same amount of work gets more tip just because u ordered something more expensive? 😂
As an Army Brat, I lived in Germany because Dad (RIP) was in the military. Returning to the states was indeed a reverse culture shock for me. I had anxiety just going up to buy stamps. Yeah. I had to adjust quickly.
In some countries you have to actually be wary that hospitals don't keep you longer than needed, because they can max out the bill knowing your insurance will pay anyway. It's crazy how different healthcare costs are around the world. Dutch healthcare is pretty expensive, so for most places you are covered, but the US is on another level. My insurance provider specifically recommends extra insurance for three countries: the US, Canada and Singapore. Everywhere else is cheaper or similar enough that it won't ruin you.
Singapore’s healthcare is top notch world class for a very decent price. It is nowhere near The USA and cannot be compared.
One reason for taking out insurance when going abroad is the cost of repatriation. Even if the healthcare you need is affordable, being flown home by air ambulance with a doctor and at least one nurse on board won't be cheap.
You two are very welcome in the Netherlands, greetings from Groningen.
Aren't the servers extra friendly because it's tip-dependable?
i think it’s partially a cultural thing but yes, that absolutely plays a part in it
@@buncharted My mind would be suspicious of such overfriendliness...but I guess that might be a very Dutch thing lol
US-people are generally very friendly in my opinion. Perhaps waiters try a little extra for more tip money...
The reason the cereal aisle and other things is small is because they don't allow ingredients that are bad for you, which are in most of our cereals.
I noticed that the system goes to great lengths to discourage walking. I was in Sacremento visiting my brother’s family and went to a mall. The mall was spread out on two sides of a main road and there was no way to cross that road on foot without getting run over. We needed a shop on the other side, we could even see the store but got needed to get into the car to get there!
That couldn't possibly be because the USA is 237 TIMES BIGGER ( look it up, it's a fact) than the Netherlands now could it!!! The US is too big for walking everywhere.
@@rickherrell9451 what a dumb reply, who cares if it’s 300 or 3000 times bigger, that’s not the point! The shop was on the other side of the road, 2 minute walk, but there was no pedestrian crossing to cross the road and that is just so silly. What is the point is that a 2 minute walk is 2 minutes everywhere no matter how big a country is. Think before you comment.
@@rickherrell9451 Who said you had to walk everwhere ? Do you know that the average American walks 1.4 miles a week !!! I walk more than that in day !! You lot are damn lazy.
Your welcome! Enjoy living here, be the best person of yourself. And keep creating and sharing your experiences!
Yay, nice to hear ya'll be staying for a while. Plenty left to see and experience! 😄
The last time that I was in the California a few years ago the waiter service was only mediocre...but of course the tips were high. In Spain the service seems about as good...but no tips, so I know what I have to pay before I get a meal, because the price indicated is the final price.
I have visited Europe nine times, almost always the Netherlands. What I notice most about eating in a restaurant is how loud Americans can be as opposed to Europeans. I agree. The whole tipping situation is getting out of control.
I like having some time to decide if I might want dessert after the main course, instead of receiving the bill when the starter is served 🤭
Good to see you back safe and sound! 👍🏻
Both your cereal aisle shot and the wall-refrigerator cheese shot in this video illustrate that while the volume is large, the selection in US stores is not that large. Stores fill up aisles with multiple feet of the same product. So the selection is not as large as you are implying. When you showed the specialty cheese compartment (probably in the "deli" section?) there was more selection, so that part is true.
In America, size is important. Bigger is better. So yes, American stores are huge but the actual selection between _different products_ an American will face is not so large.
Hello there, this video got recommended to me by UA-cam. But I think that is due to the fact that I am Dutch but have been living in Ontario, Canada half my life! I had to laugh at the Dutch NOT tipping or very little….They are notorious for that(cheapskates😬) And the supermarkets are the same here in Canada, huge. I went back to Holland in September 2023 after 5 years not visiting my family(they all still live there) and when I came back I thought the same thing! Too much choice😲 Thanks for sharing your experiences and comparisons with the USA/Holland. I enjoyed your video…..I will subscribe. De groetjes vanuit een koud(met veel sneeuw…)Canada🙏🏼🥶👋🏼🇨🇦
Many central heating systems in the US and Canada pull no outside air. Your bathroom fan is the "ventilation system". But the dryness is actually more a result of the cold, than the ventilation system. The air outside at -10C is very very dry. In order to increase the humidity at all requires active humidification of the air. And yes, my hands and lips were all dry and cracked after just a few weeks in Canada.
This is so spot on! Thanks for making this content
Re: Tipping, people need to remember that in most of the US bar and restaurant owners can legally pay FAR below regular minimum wage and tips are literally how workers stay alive. In Europe, more liveable minimum wage laws apply to all bar/restaurant staff and service charge is included in the price of the meal, so tipping is entirely discretionary as an additional "thank you" for great service. As a US citizen who cannot wait to go back to the US (24 years in Paris) much of how America does things is, to be blunt, brutally uncivilized, particularly where labor laws and healthcare are concerned.
Great that you made this video.. After your previous video I forgot to ask you your experiences traveling back to the USA. Anyways, It's always great to see family and friends again. Do some of them also visit you here in the Netherlands?
yep, both of our parents visited us here at some point over the past year and a half :)
Happy to have you guys here!
You can take out travel insurance, which costs a few euros per day of your trip or you can choose a continuous one that provides coverage all year round. If necessary, travel insurance will pay the difference between what your Dutch insurance reimburses and the actual costs
yeah, it was just expensive to have the travel insurance cover the US and we’re cheap
@@buncharted typically Dutch 😜
My travel insurance covers the US and costs next to nothing for the whole family.
Even my Amex gold card provides me with global medical assistance.
my chase card does too, but it's not unlimited, and health care costs in the US can be expensive. you'll easily exceed the limit of what your amex gold card would cover, i'm sure @@highs_and_lows4665
Lived in the UK for 2 years and had to move back to the US and experienced ALL of this. We moved back a little over a year later and DO NOT want to move back. The culture shock is weird, a lot of stuff that I never noticed. The infrastructure is the biggest for me
My experience was, even in a "fine dining" restaurant, the staff did their best to get us out a.s.a.p. Great video as always. And I have a similar picture of my hip. Has been removed now to make place for a total hip prosthetic. Currently in a "zorghotel" recovering from that surgery.
so true! honestly, at the fine dining restaurants, it's even moreso
ik wens je beterschap en veel sterkte met de revalidatie
@@JustMe-sh8nddankjewel!
You're more than welcome to stay. Heel veel plezier, geluk en gezondheid toegewenst.
Regarding medical Costs: you could take a separate travel Insurance which will coverage the refund gap between Dutch rates and the much higher rates in the States.
Or get a health care insurance supplement with world coverage so that all health care costs are covered.
Always make sure you have a travel insurance with world coverage of medical costs.
We are expats living in Colombia, South America. ( We add South America to that as too many people from the US think it is in South Carolina 😃 ) We have been here for over 8 years and will never return. When we visit twice a year to see family every time it is a culture shock. We totally agree with your assessments, especially grocery stores, health care, and tipping culture. We need to add one more, which is the gun/crime culture. When we are there no matter what place we are in we always make note of all the exits in case a shooter comes in. Guns are super regulated here and it takes a tremendous amount of effort to legally own one. We feel much safer here in Colombia than in our birth country. Great video!
Welcome home and Happy New Year 2024!
I went back to California to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday and immediately came down with that horrible RSV virus. So, I was mostly self-quarantined with the person I was staying with during my whole stay. I have medicare and travel insurance for when I return to see friends and family. Also, Dutch health insurance will reimburse you if you keep your medical receipts. I don't know how much though, as I've only used the medicare system once during the Pandemic when I needed a test done before flying home to the NL. And medicare paid for the whole test, which was expensive... I think $250.
I agree with you about the high costs of food and tipping, which gets annoying. Did you also know that the wait staff have to declare a portion of their tips to the IRS? An unbelievable as well as antiquated system for the commonly employed. Other costs, such as gas and clothing, are much cheaper in the States than in the EU. And, yes, service people are friendlier in the States but are also motivated by tips and, well, getting customers seated and gone for a higher turnover and more tips.
our health care here in the netherlands only covers us up to the equivalent dutch costs, unfortunately. unless we want to pay for an add-on (which we don't, haha).
So there was no snowboarding on Mad River Mountain? 🤣
Yipes, so no skiing, snowboarding, skating or cycling while in the States!
Nice video. One comment about the tipping though. Here in Austria tipping is expected, but it's normally at a much lower rate than in the US. Typically we'll round up to the nearest Euro, or a bit more for a meal. The 10-20% range expected in the US doesn't exist here, mainly because people are paid properly and tips aren't a part of their wage.
English, Poles, Canadians, Aussies, Picts, Kiwis and Americans will always be welcome in our country. Your grandfathers and great-grandfathers liberated us.
Dat je in de VS eigenlijk nooit gezellig lang kan tafelen vond ik de eerste keer zó stom en niet gastvrij. Ik werd er eigenlijk chagrijnig van😅
Oh en de fooi, dat is echt te veel. Hier ronden we meestal af naar boven. Dus als iets €56,- kost maak je er 60,- van ofzo
tipping in the EU is still very much appreciated. it shows that you care and like the service from you coming in, the chefs, the service and you leaving with a great feeling.
When I go out to a restaurant it is mostly with others. That basically means eat and talk. Basically I have no need for the waiter, unless I need something. And I hate the service in the USA, the over friendly people ready to screw me over. 🎉
screw you over?? what’s your waiter going to do? 😄
@@bunchartedthat 'screw you over' was more directed towards the clothing stores... They act like they have skin in the game.
Please eat meat when you want meat and no replacements. It does not make any sense.
I came back to the States after 3 years in Japan. People laughed at me when I said I had reverse culture shock, but I did. In Japan every restaurant is seat yourself. I walked into an American restaurant and was stopped and told they would choose where I would sit. It took me a moment to digest that. While taxes are included in all your prices there, so having to figure out tax took getting used to again. I'm American, I'm not stupid, but you get used to a certain way of life and doing things in a certain way. For Japan life is quite organized when it comes to behavior, and you learn fast to follow or be fired (and I was twice from jobs), so to come back to the States was like coming out of prison. Nobody laughs at someone coming out of prison wondering why they can't adjust. ............ Sadly, my life was ruined by living abroad. I was told by 3 temp agencies in 2 states that work abroad doesn't count, neither does education. You're just on vacation. I worked for a book publisher and went to a temp agency working with the publishing world and was told to go work at McDonalds as I had NO work experience. I was asked by another agency if I knew how to use a telephone. Cause being 31 years old, living all but 3 years in America, and spending those years in Japan which likely makes a lot of our phones ... no, no, no, I've never used a phone. What's a phone? In Japan these use smoke signals and just ship the technology abroad. I was also asked in one job if I was really in prison. I guess I don't talk like a pompous git who shows off how smart he is by his world travels, so nobody believed me. It ruined my work life for a decade. I ended up taking dead end jobs, as they were impressed but fancier places weren't. Everyone else thought I lied. I literally have photos, videos, stuff, and was told I faked it all. Of course, when you work at one shit job, you struggle to get anything better, so my life was ruined by working abroad. I don't even put my 3 years abroad on my resume anymore. As for folks who find great jobs coming from abroad, I'm like how: I have 3 temp agencies in Seattle and NYC who said it doesn't count, so how did you get a good job?