@JordanGreenYT Man, you already lost me at point #1, the biking. Most foreigners talk about that, they all live in a city though. I live in a rural area and I definitly need a car. And my routes are the same by car or bike. Public transportation isn't good enough to get around. So yeah, doing (almost) everything by bike is great, when you live in a city.
@@dustylong We bike from city to city too. There's even bike highways. Keeps you healty, it's quick, no pollution. It's not just cities, everyone bikes, also everyone in rural areas.
Tip for devrosting bread: buy sliced bread and just take out the amount you want, lay the slices seperately on a plate, wait 15 minutes and it will have the texture of freshly baked bread. Never put it in the microwave though, that really ruins it!
Seconding this but I wanna add an additional tip: thaw it inside a lunchbox or plastic bag or something if you’re forgetful. Bread that’s thawed in open air will start drying out within 30 minutes, but I’ll take hours for that to happen in a lunchbox.that way you’ll still have edible bread if you get distracted and remember the bread an hour later
I do microwave my slices of bread. Works fine. 4 slices, 1 minute. 2 slices, 30 seconds. Get it out and let it damp out. Fresh bread. I do that every day.
If you want to make the defrosting process even faster, put two slices against each other like a tent. Don't forget them though, because this will also dry out the bread really fast if you leave it out too long.
@@tabby5555 When I still lunched from lunch box, I just made lunch with the frozen bread and let it thaw in the hours before lunch. It kept the cheese/meats nice and fresh too. The slices you want thawed quickly can be put on the radiotor or in a very low heat oven. Toasting is also always an option.
I live in the Netherlands for 43 years, never had a soggy bread after it had been out of freezer, you got too put it out on 23:00 before morning, that bread will not be soggy. It will be on temp. Ready to eat and fresh. Try it
I always put it in frozen into the fridge, to preserve energie and keep it there for as long as it takes to eat it all. And it has never been soggy, it's a fresh as the day it was bought.
@@rudib-5304bread doesn’t belong in the fridge. That does make it go bad quickly. Just let it defrost at room temperature and it’s perfectly fine. No toasting required.
On using an app for communication: 1) sharing media works across platforms, across countries. iMessage works only between iPhones. 2) messages didn’t use to be that cheap. 3) group chats are used a lot, can’t do that with just sms 4) network effect has landed on WhatsApp unfortunately. I also use signal and telegram.
Jordan. I Would love to see you start streaming regularly again. Your live streams got me through some really rough times and I still re-listen to them from time to time. Congratulations on your new life in Europe!!!
Jordan. I Would love to see you start streaming regularly again. Your live streams got me through some really rough times and I still re-listen to them from time to time. Congratulations on your new life in Europe!!!
With a bike, you can take shortcuts in places where cars can't go. In a city a car can take about an hour to get on the other side , while you can do the same distance in 15-30 min with a bike 😊 🚲
Jordan was literally walking in heaven in this video, everything is so bright! Also on the WhatsApp topic, we use it because texting (SMS) is quite expensive in Europe compared to WhatsApp which is free as long as you use Wi-Fi (I'm pretty sure that's the reason).
To add to this, whatsapp runs on a iphone or android device, iMessage/facetime is apple only, and a lot of the market here is also android phones which makes it a hassle if you only use facetime/iMessage
@@JordanGreenYTalso whatsapp was introduced before there were only android and iOS. It was cross platform, free to use and supported multimedia. iMessage and the blue/green bubble discussion isn’t a thing here in Europe since WhatsApp is the standard. So if you have a cheap android phone you still will be able to communicate with everyone else with the same features.
The greeting each other and saying “eet smakelijk” when you see someone eating has to do with acknowledging the other persons presence, part of being a member of the community (family/friend-group/gym goer/villager etc). This is a part of Dutch society that stil is deeply ingrained in rural parts of the country, but less so in the bigger cities especially in the randstad.
It happens in the randstad too. I do it all the time and hear it a lot too. Maybe not so much in city centres, but outside of that and in surrounding towns it’s pretty normal in my experience.
I live where the borders of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet. And in all those countries it is perfectly normal to say bon appetit, mahlzeit or smakelijk eten to someone eating outside. Just basic decency.
I freeze my bread and take out what I need. It's never soggy or wet. Of course you should not defrost it in a microwave. That ruins the bread and turns it into a soggy sponge. Just leave it out of the freezer (in a plastic bag) for 10 minutes and it's as good as new
@@keeziwalks I try do it in Amsterdam & Haarlem but half the time people just look at me confused as if they're supposed to know me, so i do it less and less 😂
I live in Denmark. Our bicycle standards are the same as in the Netherlands. Bike lanes every where and bike and pedestrian roads/bridges. I move to a small city, no need for a car. A lot of money saved. We eat a lot of ryebread here, and it is perfect for freezing. Toaster not needed. These greetings you mentioned is also valid here (in Danish off course). The good evening the two guys told you, did have a sub meaning in the situation. The sub meaning is, "(we are leaving now) and have a good evening. Whe also wish "velbekomme" (may it become you well) to people eating, including strangers. It could be someone sitting on a bench, eating a sandwich. You sit down on the bench too, and you just say "velbekomme". It is simple politeness.
I've heard Dutch people say "Goede bekomst" (may it become you well) after the meal, like 'good luck digesting that' or something... even as a Dutchie I found that weird hahah.
We used to say: “smakelijk eten” before the meal and after we often said “moge het welbekomen “ to which my father used to add: “en even later uit u stromen.” Which means ( by lack of better translation): May it become well and pass you through shortly after.
@@nfboogaard We have some lovely weird sayings, i like describing a meal (in good company) as "goed binnen te houden" ("easy to keep down", meant as a cheeky way of saying it was nice while sounding like you thought it was okay at best) 😂
The bread doesn't get molded if you put it in a wooden bread box. It'll dry up after a while. I figured, to me, that's the best compromise of keeping it lasting and enjoyable.
You shouldn't defrost your bread in a microwave.. that's how it gets soggy. When i take my bread out of the freezer, an hour later it will be having a crispy crust just like the day i bought it. No soggy bread at all. You should also take the bread out of the bag it was frozen in if it contains ice crystals. Those will defrost and sog you bread. Just take the bread out before these defrost.
I'm an introvert too and I've found that the greetings actually help. Because they're sincere you can acknowledge the other person but at the same time keep up your social boundaries. "Have a good day" is all that's expected of you, I use a tone that's friendly but short, look at them near the eyes and then turn away again, shutting down the interaction. (A rare follow up question can still send me to the top of the nearest tree in seconds though, which is no mean feat for a guy 2 meters tall weighing 120 kilo's) It helps that I live in West Friesland where a curt nod is viewed as boisterous exuberancy.
About greeting people (or perhaps I should call it to acknowledge their existence in a friendly manner) in the Netherlands: I guess not everybody does it, but it is my habit to do that. I don't do it when walking in the street, but I mostly do it when entering or exiting some place like a shop or someone's home. I think it's just basic courtesy and it helps creating/maintaining a pleasant atmosphere.
Facetime is only available on iPhones and a lot of people in the Netherlands use an Android phone because Android phones are cheaper then iPhones. And Whatsapp can be used on both phones no matter if you have an Android or an iPhone. I have never had frozen bread getting soggy while defrosting them unless while defrosting a complete loaf of bread while it is closed so you need to open the bread bag while defrosting.
Whatsapp can also be used when reception is bad as it can be used on home or office wifi networks. Although phone reception is good virtually everywhere in the Netherlands, typically in buildings you may experience trouble. The other thing is that for international calls it is much cheaper. There is a free roaming arrangement within the EU which means they cannot charge the caller international fees. However, if you receive a call while being outside the country that may be expensive.
While I also don't have a car and do almost everything with my bike and or public transport there is a third method if you get your license. I am not sure if these are available where you live, but in and around a lot of cities there is the possibility to subscribe to a care share/rent. I am subscribed to Greenwheels, which allows me to rent a car (several are stationed all around my town) at a fee of just 2.30 euro per hour and to that they add a charge per kilometer (0.29 cents with my subscription). This does not always make sense for longer distances but can come in quite handy when you have to do the groceries tat are to heavy for a bike or go to a store that is not convenient to go to with public transport
55 year old dutch person; never had the need to get a drivers license. Last time I was between jobs a placement recruiter jumped on me and It was not an issue that I added a condition that work needed to be within biking distance.
About the bread. You can still have fresh bread if you take out a few slices a few hours before you plan to eat them. You just need to remember to put them in a sealed plastic bag to defrost! Then they won't be soggy at all, I guarantee you that. I even make my lunch that way. I just put butter + something else directly on my frozen bread, another one on top (so they don't stick together) and them put them in a zipper bag. Then when it is time for lunch I have fresh bread every day. It's great! Greetings from a Dutchie in Norway.
I'm Dutch and the main thing I get from Americans is that, most of the time, they have no options than to use a car. Whereas in The Netherlands you do have other options. I have a car and a bicycle (also a motorcycle but that is more for fun), public transportation is everywhere, so I have many options to get around. I live in a medium sized city (by Dutch standards), I mostly get around walking and biking, because everything is near, there are 4 grocery stores at 3-10 minutes walking distance, my work is a 15 minute bicycle ride, most of the city is within 20 minute bicycle ride and that is thousands of places, shops, theaters, bars, restaurants, government buildings, sport facilities, the Professional football club stadium, swimming pools, farmers markets, museums, all kinds of businesses, train- and bus-stations, schools, parks, anything i might possible need is within walking/biking distance. I only use my car for destinations outside the city or when I need to transport something heavy (IKEA😀), or when it is really bad weather. I don't use public transportation at all, but if i would need it for some reason, let's say my car is in the shop or I sell my car, then it's also available and it gets me anywhere i want to go. I think that is that is the big difference with the U.S. the options, that being said, you can use your car to do everything in the Netherlands if you want, but often that is just less convenient.
Pro tip on the freezing; Freshly baked bread that's still slightly warm before you put it in the freezer. And have you noticed the weight, of Dutch breads? Dense, heavy, and with crispy crust. It s actually a 21st century thing, for the bread to get so incredibly good. Yet, I think it still triggers an association of being something they d have in the Middle Ages on festive days.😍
Hey Jordan! Great content! I like videos about foreigners living in the netherlands. Please upgrade your audio recording. I like the wind in my hair, but not so much when hearing it when i watch videos ;-)
Outside of the big cities, cars are somewhat more essential, even in the NL, but even there, the bike culture often saves the second car in a household
Tip on frozen bread: Divvy it up in your normal portions in which you use it and put those portions in the freezer (I use paper lunch bags and that works fine). Let the bread thaw naturally in the bag when taken out of the freezer. It'll be like over fresh. Actually, it so appears that bread gains in nutritional value when having been frozen once. We Dutch are generally fairly frugal, so we have a dislike for wasting food.
Another advantage of a bike: no traffic jams, free parking. When I go to work, it’s 8 to 10 minutes by bike. Would I drive a car, the distance is about the same, but much more traffic lights and due to traffic jams it takes about 10-12 minutes, and then finding a parking spot (sometimes even paid).
Freezing bread in a No Frost Freezer will prevent freeze burn and will keep the bread tasty and crisp for a very, very long time. Also, don't defrost it before you put butter and whatnot on it, or else it will turn dry within minutes.
If you take a couple of slizes of bread out of the freezer and lay them open anf flat 9n the counter they will not get wet when they defrost but will tast very fress. You don't need to toast your bread when it comes out of the freezer.
Once a co worker of mine did not believe me that i would be faster going to work on my bike then she going by car. So i told her that we would both going to work the next morning on the same time leaving from my place. I was just pooring my next cup off coffee when she arrived with her car. Now this only goes up for short distances About 5 to 7 kilometers
I don't freeze bread, because I buy bread whenever I want to eat bread. So I eat it fresh. I have two groceries around the corner, so I don't have a refrigerator let alone a freezer. In the USA you shouldn't eat the local bread, since it contains so much preservatives... I noticed that many Americans have allergy problems.
Cycling is healthy transport. Not only because you stay fit, but also because you don't have any particulate matter or exhaust fumes. As a 70-plusser, I use the OV-fiets and, once or twice a month, the shared car in addition to the bike and public transport. With that combination, it is nonsense to still have a car.
don't defrost the bread still inside the bag you bought it in. just take out the slices you need from the bag in the freezer, and let it defrost. or perhaps better yet, don't let it defrost and just add your ingredients of choice on it while it's still frozen, put it in your lunch box and bring it to work. it's especially good if you have something that's best kept cool, like cheese. even if you make a cheese sandwhich in the morning, and don't refrigerate it at work, it'll be perfectly thawed and only recent brought up to temperature come lunch time.
Hey Jordan. Welcome to the Netherlands. Your girlfriend and her family will guide you through the Dutch way of living. You're doing great as far as I can tell. Especially in the gym, you can make smalltalk. It's a social place. Not a showoff place 😅 By now you know, you can talk American/English without any problems. Just start an conversation. And for some extra info. I'm a 61 years old Dutch man, born and raised in Den Haag. And I still don't like the weather 😒 Just saying. Enjoy life in the Netherlands 👍
I used to freeze bread in the UK. Now I freeze it in the Netherlands. It doesn't go soggy. Of course, the real dutch thing is to buy just as much bread you need for the next day or two, and to buy less of it but more often.
Texting was very expensive in the past (calling to a lesser extent), also Iphones have less marketshare in Europe versus the USA.. therefore WhatsApp became the dominant mode to text and (video)call. Nowdays texting cost almost nothing but do to network effects everybody still uses WhatsApp.
I think greetings in spaces like a dressing room is just a matter of acknowledging the other is there. It would be impolite to act like someone isn't there just because you don't know him, ignore him. So you acknowledge the other's presence by saying hi and bye, "I did see you" is basically all it means.
You would really need to also explain why the car goes in a round about way: - safety, it's to seperate the cars and trucks from other traffic especially bicycles - noise polution, having the largest flows of cars and trucks not in the area where people life and work reduces that by a lot
One of the reasons “we” use WhatsApp is because using that you can have cheap (non SMS) messaging between all phones iPhone and Android. In the past SMS messages were pretty expensive. Then the dataplans got cheaper and cheaper so using messaging based on data was the way to go. And as I said, cross platform is a big plus.
Long ago, say 20 years, phoning was quite expensive. But when mobile phones became regular, the price of calling was high. You would pay by the minute. So texting was used, but it costs you for every message you send. After Whatsapp got in, you could phone with your internet, even see people when calling. So after this became the mainstream making telephone call became obsolete as well as texting. So now you get phone minutes and texting for bottom prices, but the market was already lost to Whatsapp. And for international calls outside the EU Whatsapp is always preferred, because phoning outside the EU will cost you an arm and a leg.
When I'm buying bread, I take it home stick in the freezer and the next day I just take whatever I need for the day. Leave it on the countertop for 15 minutes and you're good to go!
I used to bike to and from work, 7,5km to and 7,5 from, total 15km per day, 5 days a week. For me that came out at 2500 calories per week. An entire day's worth of food i'd bike away. Dieting? No mate, i could easily afford an endulging weekend and know i wouldn't gain weight.
Acknowledging people in the street not only leads to building community cohesion, it also discourages the never-do-well part of the society from actually doing bad because they get the feeling of being recognized as present at a certain time in a certain place making them rethink their (planned) actions. This while the interaction is normal in the society and not something to be able to take offense to so they normally cannot take it out on the person without even worse consequences..
Hoi! Yea you prob seen alotta eldery and pensioners on bikes, especially now with alotta e-bikes when it's not too cold and in the weekend, says enough about savety while biking. We have nice quality bike lanes in nature too. E-bikes are being sold more then normal bikes in the Netherlands nowadays, bit expensive tho. I have an e-Scooter.👍
In my opinion public transportation has become much to expensive. The time that public tranportation was cheap, was during the time that all transportation was a part of the gouvernement. Trough the years the public transportation became commercial enterprises, that really increased the prices unfortunally I drive a fairly small car a "Suzuki Alto". And with this car for daily use i'm even off cheaper than when i would pay daily for the train or bus. One more tip about the frozen bread. When you take it out of the freezer in the evening, you will have perfectly the same defrosted dry bread in the morning. So no "sogginess" there. If you let a few slices of bread defrost, it will be no soggy anymore in about 3 of 4 hours.
Jordan, I'm dutch and have lived in the U.S but now I live in the Netherlands again. I would love to meet you and get advice on life because I'm currently at a big low point in my life. let me know
wishing each other good morning etc, means donot be afraid i mean well. with so many people on a small piece of land it is like open hands, as we dit in the middle ages to show i donot have a gun.
the use of whatsapp is also because it works on multiple OS and multiple carriers whits across europe, before roming was a thing, really worked well. and now its less usefull but it stuck. Also before it was sold to alphabet it was a dutch company.
Think I would have preferred to see you going along on your bike. There are UTubers who have done it - I would imagine you have to strap a band round your head - many helmets already have a rear view camera for safety reasons.
I have been using Telegram at first. But all my family and friends use WhatsApp. I also use Line with a girlfriend in Bangkok. Line is mostly used in Asia. I eat my bread within a few days. The bicycle highway between Kaatsheuvel-Tilburg-Breda is very handy. Right now GLOW light show in Eindhoven is happening.
I'm dutch but I go almost everywhere bij car . Or I walk if it's a no more than 20 minutes walk If have 2 bikes but didn't use them for more than 10 years I now a lot of people who never ride a bike So not every dutchie is the same
Just in case you do decide to do a video like this on a bike in the future I would just like you to know you are not allowed to use your phone when biking and can get fined if caught
greetings entering/leaving places feel normal to me, I'm Peruvian and have been living here just over two years. it's just politeness. entering a small business and going "I want/need a..." or "give me a..." out of the blue is just rude.
Goedemorgen, goedeavond, weltrusten, hoi ik ben thuis,eetsmakkelijk, doeiii ik ga ff weg,enz enz,is ook een teken van respect, is heel normaal in Nederland .zo wordt je opgevoed 😊
Well, welcome to the Netherlands. I'm sure you'll find some more things that you can add to your menu of things we do different (and often more sane) here in Europe in general and the Netherlands in particular. Just keep in mind that the Dutch (in whatever fashion you choose to define that) are generally gregarious and relatively pleasant, but they have little time and capacity for what they see as ignorance and stupidity or things that waste our time unpleasantly. We like things organised and tidy, but we also reserve the right to fill that in in our own way. We work to live and celebrate our life and not the other way around,. That is, to celebrate work, status and accomplishment in order to provide ourselves with the purpose to life, is generally not our way. When we talk we're not interested in your work and your achievement in that, but we are interested in who you are and not in what you are, unless we have a distinct need for your professional involvement.
the reason you're experiencing the outwardly friendliness is because you're in brabant which is the friendliest province of the netherlands. 80% of the nethertlands is not like that trust me, dutch people are pretty cold
I disagree with you. Born and raised around Vught / Den Bosch. Standard look is: 'heb ik wat van je aan of zo?'. People are friendly because OP is from abroad and people love having someone from so far away that still feels very familiar, because he's American...
I think you shouldn't overthink the social niceties. For example, as a Dutch person I know that American culture has a way that literally everyone starts a conversation: "how are ya?" It's not that they are asking how you are feeling or what's going on in your life, but they're just opening the conversation, so most of the time, a "hey there" or whatever seems to be a valid response. Similarly, I find that Americans are very heavy-handed with expressing gratitude for literally everything. People will throw "thank you so much" at others very easily to mean 'goodbye'; I've seen my fair share of cops ticketing people in videos and somehow that sentence pops up more than it should. Some of it is perhaps a habit, but all around, you'll find that various cultures just have these weird warts that are just different or unique. Worth noting for the Dutch culture is that we are a country which is very direct. Foreigners tend to equate this directness and shortness with rudeness because we don't throw in a dozen 'how are you' type social niceties while discussing a topic nor hesitate to point out something you did wrong, but it is actually more of a way to show our respect: we do not want to waste your time when it is obvious you are just here to buy that one part, and similarly, pointing out what you did wrong is meant to help you understand how you can prevent making the same mistake in the future. Essentially, the Dutch are on the entire opposite end of the spectrum compared to the culture that is common in places like India, where it is common for people to never say no (because disrespectful) and who will tell you whatever they think you desire to hear even if it is not true or correct... but which to those individuals unfamiliar with the culture and mindset can lead to a lot of struggle, suffering and frustration. No disrespect to anyone from such cultures, btw; it is just how things seem to work over there! I've seen a graph from some sort of sociology/psychology paper once that plotted countries/cultures on these sorts of factors (which I wish I'd saved because I've never been able to find it again), and the Dutch were definitely on the more extreme end in one direction whereas many other cultures (the majority) lean more towards the other direction. Back then it opened my eyes and shed light on my ability to 'offend' people so easily in chatrooms and indirectly helped me learn how to deal with conversations better since I was finally able to understand in broader strokes why people got argumentative or stopped talking to me seemingly out of nowhere..!
a lawsuit? we don't do that here for anything someone says. Facetime and imessage is just for Apple users. Whatsapp can be used by everybody regardless what brand of phone you use. About salutations ... when you enter a room (e.g. a waiting room at the doctors') we say "goede morgen" (or what time of day it is then) if there are people there. Not to everyone individually, but in general. The same when we leave, not really expecting anyone to answer. It's just a way to ease the tension, I guess. But you walk a lot for someone that doesn't like walking. Why don't you find yourself a bench in a park or so when you make a video. That way you can set your camera for the best lighting and less back ground noise. And you can ride your bike to that place as well. 😃
Something BIG is coming to my Instagram soon. Click the link to follow me so that you don't miss it! instagram.com/greenxjordan/
@@JordanGreenYT that's actually a great course you made
@JordanGreenYT Man, you already lost me at point #1, the biking. Most foreigners talk about that, they all live in a city though. I live in a rural area and I definitly need a car. And my routes are the same by car or bike. Public transportation isn't good enough to get around. So yeah, doing (almost) everything by bike is great, when you live in a city.
@@dustylong We bike from city to city too. There's even bike highways. Keeps you healty, it's quick, no pollution. It's not just cities, everyone bikes, also everyone in rural areas.
Tip for devrosting bread: buy sliced bread and just take out the amount you want, lay the slices seperately on a plate, wait 15 minutes and it will have the texture of freshly baked bread. Never put it in the microwave though, that really ruins it!
Seconding this but I wanna add an additional tip: thaw it inside a lunchbox or plastic bag or something if you’re forgetful. Bread that’s thawed in open air will start drying out within 30 minutes, but I’ll take hours for that to happen in a lunchbox.that way you’ll still have edible bread if you get distracted and remember the bread an hour later
I do microwave my slices of bread.
Works fine.
4 slices, 1 minute.
2 slices, 30 seconds.
Get it out and let it damp out.
Fresh bread.
I do that every day.
works like a charm. they'll be slightly cool which makes the bread feel even fresher imo
If you want to make the defrosting process even faster, put two slices against each other like a tent. Don't forget them though, because this will also dry out the bread really fast if you leave it out too long.
@@tabby5555 When I still lunched from lunch box, I just made lunch with the frozen bread and let it thaw in the hours before lunch. It kept the cheese/meats nice and fresh too. The slices you want thawed quickly can be put on the radiotor or in a very low heat oven. Toasting is also always an option.
Dutch here, 38 years old, cycled my whole life, never needed a car, keeps you fit.
I live in the Netherlands for 43 years, never had a soggy bread after it had been out of freezer, you got too put it out on 23:00 before morning, that bread will not be soggy. It will be on temp. Ready to eat and fresh. Try it
I'll have to try that! I appreciate the advice 👍🏾
It is good advice. Just take bread out in the morning and put it in a separate bag. 😊
I always put it in frozen into the fridge, to preserve energie and keep it there for as long as it takes to eat it all. And it has never been soggy, it's a fresh as the day it was bought.
@@rudib-5304bread doesn’t belong in the fridge. That does make it go bad quickly. Just let it defrost at room temperature and it’s perfectly fine. No toasting required.
On using an app for communication:
1) sharing media works across platforms, across countries. iMessage works only between iPhones.
2) messages didn’t use to be that cheap.
3) group chats are used a lot, can’t do that with just sms
4) network effect has landed on WhatsApp unfortunately. I also use signal and telegram.
Jordan. I Would love to see you start streaming regularly again. Your live streams got me through some really rough times and I still re-listen to them from time to time. Congratulations on your new life in Europe!!!
Jordan. I Would love to see you start streaming regularly again. Your live streams got me through some really rough times and I still re-listen to them from time to time. Congratulations on your new life in Europe!!!
With a bike, you can take shortcuts in places where cars can't go. In a city a car can take about an hour to get on the other side , while you can do the same distance in 15-30 min with a bike 😊 🚲
This guy is lucid. High IQ and EQ
I am very impressed by the obsevatory skillls .and fluent thoughts. Thank you for being a inspiration.
Jordan was literally walking in heaven in this video, everything is so bright!
Also on the WhatsApp topic, we use it because texting (SMS) is quite expensive in Europe compared to WhatsApp which is free as long as you use Wi-Fi (I'm pretty sure that's the reason).
Ah, that makes sense 👍🏾
To add to this, whatsapp runs on a iphone or android device, iMessage/facetime is apple only, and a lot of the market here is also android phones which makes it a hassle if you only use facetime/iMessage
Whatsapp is older than cheap unlimited calling/data. And from before an EU uniform tariff. Easy communication without borders.
@@JordanGreenYTalso whatsapp was introduced before there were only android and iOS. It was cross platform, free to use and supported multimedia. iMessage and the blue/green bubble discussion isn’t a thing here in Europe since WhatsApp is the standard. So if you have a cheap android phone you still will be able to communicate with everyone else with the same features.
Sprang capelle it looks like
The greeting each other and saying “eet smakelijk” when you see someone eating has to do with acknowledging the other persons presence, part of being a member of the community (family/friend-group/gym goer/villager etc). This is a part of Dutch society that stil is deeply ingrained in rural parts of the country, but less so in the bigger cities especially in the randstad.
It’s not only a Dutch thing, I think they say these things in whole Europe. Bon Apetit❗️
It happens in the randstad too. I do it all the time and hear it a lot too. Maybe not so much in city centres, but outside of that and in surrounding towns it’s pretty normal in my experience.
it even happens in Amsterdam all the time so would say its pretty common anywhere in the Netherlands
its still common everywhere, also in big cities.
Brussels here. Bike culture in the Netherlands really is on another level.
I live where the borders of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet. And in all those countries it is perfectly normal to say bon appetit, mahlzeit or smakelijk eten to someone eating outside. Just basic decency.
I live in Brabant and you are right. It is just common decency and ackowleding someone.
Also saying gezondheid or bless you or similar to anyone sneezing near you. Same mindset, different cause. Did both on the train just this evening.
I freeze my bread and take out what I need. It's never soggy or wet. Of course you should not defrost it in a microwave. That ruins the bread and turns it into a soggy sponge. Just leave it out of the freezer (in a plastic bag) for 10 minutes and it's as good as new
In little places we say hello when we passing another in the street also when it is a stranger
Elevators, locker rooms, small shops, it 'breaks the ice' as Dutch say.
I do it in Amsterdam
@ 👍🏼👋🏼 it can always.
Moi!
@@keeziwalks I try do it in Amsterdam & Haarlem but half the time people just look at me confused as if they're supposed to know me, so i do it less and less 😂
I live in Denmark. Our bicycle standards are the same as in the Netherlands. Bike lanes every where and bike and pedestrian roads/bridges. I move to a small city, no need for a car. A lot of money saved.
We eat a lot of ryebread here, and it is perfect for freezing. Toaster not needed.
These greetings you mentioned is also valid here (in Danish off course). The good evening the two guys told you, did have a sub meaning in the situation. The sub meaning is, "(we are leaving now) and have a good evening.
Whe also wish "velbekomme" (may it become you well) to people eating, including strangers. It could be someone sitting on a bench, eating a sandwich. You sit down on the bench too, and you just say "velbekomme". It is simple politeness.
I've heard Dutch people say "Goede bekomst" (may it become you well) after the meal, like 'good luck digesting that' or something... even as a Dutchie I found that weird hahah.
We used to say: “smakelijk eten” before the meal and after we often said “moge het welbekomen “ to which my father used to add: “en even later uit u stromen.” Which means ( by lack of better translation): May it become well and pass you through shortly after.
@@nfboogaard We have some lovely weird sayings, i like describing a meal (in good company) as "goed binnen te houden" ("easy to keep down", meant as a cheeky way of saying it was nice while sounding like you thought it was okay at best) 😂
The bread doesn't get molded if you put it in a wooden bread box. It'll dry up after a while. I figured, to me, that's the best compromise of keeping it lasting and enjoyable.
You shouldn't defrost your bread in a microwave.. that's how it gets soggy. When i take my bread out of the freezer, an hour later it will be having a crispy crust just like the day i bought it. No soggy bread at all. You should also take the bread out of the bag it was frozen in if it contains ice crystals. Those will defrost and sog you bread. Just take the bread out before these defrost.
Or take out the slices you need and lay them in a single layer. 5 minutes and they will be fine.
I'm an introvert too and I've found that the greetings actually help. Because they're sincere you can acknowledge the other person but at the same time keep up your social boundaries.
"Have a good day" is all that's expected of you, I use a tone that's friendly but short, look at them near the eyes and then turn away again, shutting down the interaction. (A rare follow up question can still send me to the top of the nearest tree in seconds though, which is no mean feat for a guy 2 meters tall weighing 120 kilo's)
It helps that I live in West Friesland where a curt nod is viewed as boisterous exuberancy.
About greeting people (or perhaps I should call it to acknowledge their existence in a friendly manner) in the Netherlands: I guess not everybody does it, but it is my habit to do that. I don't do it when walking in the street, but I mostly do it when entering or exiting some place like a shop or someone's home. I think it's just basic courtesy and it helps creating/maintaining a pleasant atmosphere.
Greeting is just being polite and respectful. They see someone and not a nobody. Big difference.
Jordan: check de channel: NOT JUST BIKES for the most in-depth knowledge about the Dutch bike infrastructure 🤓
yeah it is a brilliant channel for urban infrastructure and specifically on cycling, I watch it all the time too.
Facetime is only available on iPhones and a lot of people in the Netherlands use an Android phone because Android phones are cheaper then iPhones.
And Whatsapp can be used on both phones no matter if you have an Android or an iPhone.
I have never had frozen bread getting soggy while defrosting them unless while defrosting a complete loaf of bread while it is closed so you need to open the bread bag while defrosting.
Whatsapp can also be used when reception is bad as it can be used on home or office wifi networks. Although phone reception is good virtually everywhere in the Netherlands, typically in buildings you may experience trouble. The other thing is that for international calls it is much cheaper. There is a free roaming arrangement within the EU which means they cannot charge the caller international fees. However, if you receive a call while being outside the country that may be expensive.
If you defrost frozen bread, it wont be wet or soggy at all, it will just go back to like it was before you froze it.
While I also don't have a car and do almost everything with my bike and or public transport there is a third method if you get your license. I am not sure if these are available where you live, but in and around a lot of cities there is the possibility to subscribe to a care share/rent. I am subscribed to Greenwheels, which allows me to rent a car (several are stationed all around my town) at a fee of just 2.30 euro per hour and to that they add a charge per kilometer (0.29 cents with my subscription). This does not always make sense for longer distances but can come in quite handy when you have to do the groceries tat are to heavy for a bike or go to a store that is not convenient to go to with public transport
55 year old dutch person; never had the need to get a drivers license. Last time I was between jobs a placement recruiter jumped on me and It was not an issue that I added a condition that work needed to be within biking distance.
About the bread. You can still have fresh bread if you take out a few slices a few hours before you plan to eat them. You just need to remember to put them in a sealed plastic bag to defrost! Then they won't be soggy at all, I guarantee you that.
I even make my lunch that way. I just put butter + something else directly on my frozen bread, another one on top (so they don't stick together) and them put them in a zipper bag. Then when it is time for lunch I have fresh bread every day. It's great! Greetings from a Dutchie in Norway.
I'm Dutch and the main thing I get from Americans is that, most of the time, they have no options than to use a car. Whereas in The Netherlands you do have other options. I have a car and a bicycle (also a motorcycle but that is more for fun), public transportation is everywhere, so I have many options to get around. I live in a medium sized city (by Dutch standards), I mostly get around walking and biking, because everything is near, there are 4 grocery stores at 3-10 minutes walking distance, my work is a 15 minute bicycle ride, most of the city is within 20 minute bicycle ride and that is thousands of places, shops, theaters, bars, restaurants, government buildings, sport facilities, the Professional football club stadium, swimming pools, farmers markets, museums, all kinds of businesses, train- and bus-stations, schools, parks, anything i might possible need is within walking/biking distance. I only use my car for destinations outside the city or when I need to transport something heavy (IKEA😀), or when it is really bad weather. I don't use public transportation at all, but if i would need it for some reason, let's say my car is in the shop or I sell my car, then it's also available and it gets me anywhere i want to go. I think that is that is the big difference with the U.S. the options, that being said, you can use your car to do everything in the Netherlands if you want, but often that is just less convenient.
Pro tip on the freezing; Freshly baked bread that's still slightly warm before you put it in the freezer.
And have you noticed the weight, of Dutch breads?
Dense, heavy, and with crispy crust.
It s actually a 21st century thing, for the bread to get so incredibly good.
Yet, I think it still triggers an association of being something they d have in the Middle Ages on festive days.😍
about bread, you donot have to freeze bread, you can buy fresh bread every day. You can even order bread ahead and pick it up before 6 oclock
Hey Jordan! Great content! I like videos about foreigners living in the netherlands. Please upgrade your audio recording. I like the wind in my hair, but not so much when hearing it when i watch videos ;-)
Outside of the big cities, cars are somewhat more essential, even in the NL, but even there, the bike culture often saves the second car in a household
With bread what I typically do is - I package the bread in containers on a per day basis for the freezer. Much easier than freezing the whole loaf.
Tip on frozen bread: Divvy it up in your normal portions in which you use it and put those portions in the freezer (I use paper lunch bags and that works fine).
Let the bread thaw naturally in the bag when taken out of the freezer. It'll be like over fresh. Actually, it so appears that bread gains in nutritional value when having been frozen once. We Dutch are generally fairly frugal, so we have a dislike for wasting food.
Especially with the canal in your way.
Another advantage of a bike: no traffic jams, free parking.
When I go to work, it’s 8 to 10 minutes by bike. Would I drive a car, the distance is about the same, but much more traffic lights and due to traffic jams it takes about 10-12 minutes, and then finding a parking spot (sometimes even paid).
Freezing bread in a No Frost Freezer will prevent freeze burn and will keep the bread tasty and crisp for a very, very long time.
Also, don't defrost it before you put butter and whatnot on it, or else it will turn dry within minutes.
If you take a couple of slizes of bread out of the freezer and lay them open anf flat 9n the counter they will not get wet when they defrost but will tast very fress.
You don't need to toast your bread when it comes out of the freezer.
I am proud that a briljant openminded young man like this .sees our true quality .
He has Orange DNA
Once a co worker of mine did not believe me that i would be faster going to work on my bike then she going by car. So i told her that we would both going to work the next morning on the same time leaving from my place. I was just pooring my next cup off coffee when she arrived with her car. Now this only goes up for short distances
About 5 to 7 kilometers
I don't freeze bread, because I buy bread whenever I want to eat bread. So I eat it fresh.
I have two groceries around the corner, so I don't have a refrigerator let alone a freezer.
In the USA you shouldn't eat the local bread, since it contains so much preservatives...
I noticed that many Americans have allergy problems.
Tip for defrosting bread: slice it up before freezing and defrost in the toaster - taste like fresh. It's not very energy efficient though.
Cycling is healthy transport. Not only because you stay fit, but also because you don't have any particulate matter or exhaust fumes. As a 70-plusser, I use the OV-fiets and, once or twice a month, the shared car in addition to the bike and public transport. With that combination, it is nonsense to still have a car.
Ja, in Kaatsheuvel alles met de fiets en bus en in de Efteling met de trein!!!
"Bedankt voor het kijken en tot de volgende vlog!! Houdoe!!!"
Your video made me laugh! Welcome to NL :)
don't defrost the bread still inside the bag you bought it in. just take out the slices you need from the bag in the freezer, and let it defrost. or perhaps better yet, don't let it defrost and just add your ingredients of choice on it while it's still frozen, put it in your lunch box and bring it to work. it's especially good if you have something that's best kept cool, like cheese. even if you make a cheese sandwhich in the morning, and don't refrigerate it at work, it'll be perfectly thawed and only recent brought up to temperature come lunch time.
Tripod; not just a safety hazard. It also carries a 90 euro fine...
you get it 👍
Have you visited the "Efteling" yet?, by the looks of it you're at biking distance...;)
Hey Jordan. Welcome to the Netherlands. Your girlfriend and her family will guide you through the Dutch way of living. You're doing great as far as I can tell. Especially in the gym, you can make smalltalk. It's a social place. Not a showoff place 😅
By now you know, you can talk American/English without any problems. Just start an conversation.
And for some extra info. I'm a 61 years old Dutch man, born and raised in Den Haag. And I still don't like the weather 😒 Just saying.
Enjoy life in the Netherlands 👍
With frozen bread ... Put it in the microwave for 29 seconds and you have warm bread, like it was freshly baked. Delicious 😋
You're ruining your bread mate, let it thaw from normal room temperature and it's even better 😉
Great video!!! 👍🏻
I used to freeze bread in the UK. Now I freeze it in the Netherlands. It doesn't go soggy. Of course, the real dutch thing is to buy just as much bread you need for the next day or two, and to buy less of it but more often.
Texting was very expensive in the past (calling to a lesser extent), also Iphones have less marketshare in Europe versus the USA.. therefore WhatsApp became the dominant mode to text and (video)call. Nowdays texting cost almost nothing but do to network effects everybody still uses WhatsApp.
I think greetings in spaces like a dressing room is just a matter of acknowledging the other is there. It would be impolite to act like someone isn't there just because you don't know him, ignore him. So you acknowledge the other's presence by saying hi and bye, "I did see you" is basically all it means.
You would really need to also explain why the car goes in a round about way:
- safety, it's to seperate the cars and trucks from other traffic especially bicycles
- noise polution, having the largest flows of cars and trucks not in the area where people life and work reduces that by a lot
One of the reasons “we” use WhatsApp is because using that you can have cheap (non SMS) messaging between all phones iPhone and Android.
In the past SMS messages were pretty expensive. Then the dataplans got cheaper and cheaper so using messaging based on data was the way to go. And as I said, cross platform is a big plus.
Microwaving frozen bread (slices) back to it's original state can be done you know :P I do it daily, works totally fine, no soggy bread
Long ago, say 20 years, phoning was quite expensive. But when mobile phones became regular, the price of calling was high. You would pay by the minute. So texting was used, but it costs you for every message you send. After Whatsapp got in, you could phone with your internet, even see people when calling. So after this became the mainstream making telephone call became obsolete as well as texting. So now you get phone minutes and texting for bottom prices, but the market was already lost to Whatsapp. And for international calls outside the EU Whatsapp is always preferred, because phoning outside the EU will cost you an arm and a leg.
When I'm buying bread, I take it home stick in the freezer and the next day I just take whatever I need for the day. Leave it on the countertop for 15 minutes and you're good to go!
I used to bike to and from work, 7,5km to and 7,5 from, total 15km per day, 5 days a week. For me that came out at 2500 calories per week. An entire day's worth of food i'd bike away. Dieting? No mate, i could easily afford an endulging weekend and know i wouldn't gain weight.
It's the same in Poland: bikes, Whatsapp, frozen bred and smacznego ( have a good meal) :)
The bread in the USA lasts even longer than that. I've seen bread be fine for a full month in California
Acknowledging people in the street not only leads to building community cohesion, it also discourages the never-do-well part of the society from actually doing bad because they get the feeling of being recognized as present at a certain time in a certain place making them rethink their (planned) actions. This while the interaction is normal in the society and not something to be able to take offense to so they normally cannot take it out on the person without even worse consequences..
Hoi! Yea you prob seen alotta eldery and pensioners on bikes, especially now with alotta e-bikes when it's not too cold and in the weekend, says enough about savety while biking. We have nice quality bike lanes in nature too. E-bikes are being sold more then normal bikes in the Netherlands nowadays, bit expensive tho. I have an e-Scooter.👍
In my opinion public transportation has become much to expensive.
The time that public tranportation was cheap, was during the time that all transportation was a part of the gouvernement.
Trough the years the public transportation became commercial enterprises, that really increased the prices unfortunally
I drive a fairly small car a "Suzuki Alto".
And with this car for daily use i'm even off cheaper than when i would pay daily for the train or bus.
One more tip about the frozen bread.
When you take it out of the freezer in the evening, you will have perfectly the same defrosted dry bread in the morning.
So no "sogginess" there.
If you let a few slices of bread defrost, it will be no soggy anymore in about 3 of 4 hours.
Jordan, I'm dutch and have lived in the U.S but now I live in the Netherlands again. I would love to meet you and get advice on life because I'm currently at a big low point in my life. let me know
I used to visit a friend there in the 80’s.
wishing each other good morning etc, means donot be afraid i mean well. with so many people on a small piece of land it is like open hands, as we dit in the middle ages to show i donot have a gun.
Oh, now I see it. Kaatsheuvel, not Tilburg. I was wondering why it looks so familiar.
Whatsapp was free when texting still cost money
It grew into the culture that way
the use of whatsapp is also because it works on multiple OS and multiple carriers whits across europe, before roming was a thing, really worked well. and now its less usefull but it stuck. Also before it was sold to alphabet it was a dutch company.
What books have you been reading recently?
I'm an American and ever since I was little boy my grandma would always freeze our bread
Think I would have preferred to see you going along on your bike.
There are UTubers who have done it - I would imagine you have to strap a band round your head - many helmets already have a rear view camera for safety reasons.
I buy half a loaf of bread. I finish it within 3 or 4 day’s so I don’t have to freeze it.
Ik eet een brood per dag, mijn zoon ook.
@@Howsmekowdendan ok
I have been using Telegram at first. But all my family and friends use WhatsApp. I also use Line with a girlfriend in Bangkok. Line is mostly used in Asia.
I eat my bread within a few days.
The bicycle highway between Kaatsheuvel-Tilburg-Breda is very handy.
Right now GLOW light show in Eindhoven is happening.
Fantastic!!!
I'm dutch but I go almost everywhere bij car .
Or I walk if it's a no more than 20 minutes walk
If have 2 bikes but didn't use them for more than 10 years
I now a lot of people who never ride a bike
So not every dutchie is the same
Just in case you do decide to do a video like this on a bike in the future I would just like you to know you are not allowed to use your phone when biking and can get fined if caught
greetings entering/leaving places feel normal to me, I'm Peruvian and have been living here just over two years. it's just politeness. entering a small business and going "I want/need a..." or "give me a..." out of the blue is just rude.
Goedemorgen, goedeavond, weltrusten, hoi ik ben thuis,eetsmakkelijk, doeiii ik ga ff weg,enz enz,is ook een teken van respect, is heel normaal in Nederland .zo wordt je opgevoed 😊
I only eat bread from the real baker (warme bakker).
Never have soggy bread. I also store it in the freeser.
Define soggy! American 'bread' is as dry as bad cake, and can only be eaten when toasted. When you try to bend it, it crumbles... yuck.
Awesome content
I appreciate the love bro!
@ np
Don't you dare ride on the the walkway with your bike ! 💣
Maybe he meant car-free streets or something. Then there is no "road", only walkway where bikes are allowed too.
The reason whats app is popular is because text messaging used to be very expensive.
I think Jordan bring back Mr. Simply built different👀👀👀👀
This Netherlands, right?
Well, welcome to the Netherlands. I'm sure you'll find some more things that you can add to your menu of things we do different (and often more sane) here in Europe in general and the Netherlands in particular. Just keep in mind that the Dutch (in whatever fashion you choose to define that) are generally gregarious and relatively pleasant, but they have little time and capacity for what they see as ignorance and stupidity or things that waste our time unpleasantly. We like things organised and tidy, but we also reserve the right to fill that in in our own way. We work to live and celebrate our life and not the other way around,. That is, to celebrate work, status and accomplishment in order to provide ourselves with the purpose to life, is generally not our way. When we talk we're not interested in your work and your achievement in that, but we are interested in who you are and not in what you are, unless we have a distinct need for your professional involvement.
the reason you're experiencing the outwardly friendliness is because you're in brabant which is the friendliest province of the netherlands. 80% of the nethertlands is not like that trust me, dutch people are pretty cold
this is honestly true as someone who has family and friends in almost each part of the netherlands.
this is honestly true as someone who has friends/family in each part of the netherlands
I disagree with you. Born and raised around Vught / Den Bosch. Standard look is: 'heb ik wat van je aan of zo?'.
People are friendly because OP is from abroad and people love having someone from so far away that still feels very familiar, because he's American...
@@ThysRoes I mean, it's a stereotype in the netherlands that people from brabant are generally more "warm" and outwardly friendly
Basically true. But gelderland and Limburg are also friendly. Groningen, zeeland, N holland, Z holland are more distant.
I think you shouldn't overthink the social niceties. For example, as a Dutch person I know that American culture has a way that literally everyone starts a conversation: "how are ya?" It's not that they are asking how you are feeling or what's going on in your life, but they're just opening the conversation, so most of the time, a "hey there" or whatever seems to be a valid response. Similarly, I find that Americans are very heavy-handed with expressing gratitude for literally everything. People will throw "thank you so much" at others very easily to mean 'goodbye'; I've seen my fair share of cops ticketing people in videos and somehow that sentence pops up more than it should. Some of it is perhaps a habit, but all around, you'll find that various cultures just have these weird warts that are just different or unique.
Worth noting for the Dutch culture is that we are a country which is very direct. Foreigners tend to equate this directness and shortness with rudeness because we don't throw in a dozen 'how are you' type social niceties while discussing a topic nor hesitate to point out something you did wrong, but it is actually more of a way to show our respect: we do not want to waste your time when it is obvious you are just here to buy that one part, and similarly, pointing out what you did wrong is meant to help you understand how you can prevent making the same mistake in the future. Essentially, the Dutch are on the entire opposite end of the spectrum compared to the culture that is common in places like India, where it is common for people to never say no (because disrespectful) and who will tell you whatever they think you desire to hear even if it is not true or correct... but which to those individuals unfamiliar with the culture and mindset can lead to a lot of struggle, suffering and frustration.
No disrespect to anyone from such cultures, btw; it is just how things seem to work over there! I've seen a graph from some sort of sociology/psychology paper once that plotted countries/cultures on these sorts of factors (which I wish I'd saved because I've never been able to find it again), and the Dutch were definitely on the more extreme end in one direction whereas many other cultures (the majority) lean more towards the other direction. Back then it opened my eyes and shed light on my ability to 'offend' people so easily in chatrooms and indirectly helped me learn how to deal with conversations better since I was finally able to understand in broader strokes why people got argumentative or stopped talking to me seemingly out of nowhere..!
You didn't like walking you said..
I wonder, how many kilometers did you walk??
And Welkom in Nederland 😇
a lawsuit? we don't do that here for anything someone says. Facetime and imessage is just for Apple users. Whatsapp can be used by everybody regardless what brand of phone you use. About salutations ... when you enter a room (e.g. a waiting room at the doctors') we say "goede morgen" (or what time of day it is then) if there are people there. Not to everyone individually, but in general. The same when we leave, not really expecting anyone to answer. It's just a way to ease the tension, I guess.
But you walk a lot for someone that doesn't like walking. Why don't you find yourself a bench in a park or so when you make a video. That way you can set your camera for the best lighting and less back ground noise. And you can ride your bike to that place as well. 😃
a car is at least a few hundred Euros every MONTH
The bread topic really blew up in the comments 😅
Hate to break it to you….you became Dutch
Welcome brother
Wet bread after defrosting ?? ... never had that.
8:54 Yeah it's very normal here indeed.
You don't say hello, hey or i'm home in the u.s. when coming home?
Did you also visit the rest of the Netherlands, or just stayed in the slum areas of the Holland provinces?
Haven't seen much of the Holland provinces yet, but I definitely want to- along with the other provinces.
Everything outside the Randstad and Heerlen noord is 👌
Slum areas?