How I see the US after living in Europe for 5 years | American Reaction
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- Опубліковано 2 тра 2024
- Thank you so much for watching!! I agreed with a lot of things on this one.
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How I see the US after living in Europe for 5 years
• How I see the US after...
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in the Netherlands, when you get sick during your vacation, you'll get the vacation days back, so you can properly enjoy your vacation.
same in Germany
Same in Denmark
Same in Belgium
Same in Sweden......and probably the same in rest of Europe as well.
@@matsnetz1614 I guess yeah. The countries of europe have taken ideas from each other all the time.
I’m an American. Born and grew up in the US but moved abroad at 35. Spent a couple years in Europe and a couple decades in Asia. I’m now 62. Do I miss the US and it’s two week vacations when I got 7 weeks working abroad? Umm NO. Do I miss busybody neighbors and HOAs? NO. Do I miss gun violence and Road Ragers! NO. Do I miss??? Move abroad and you gain clarity. You break free of the propaganda that we had the highest standard of living, that we were at the top of the high tech lifestyle, that we were a free country with the highest levels of freedom (we are actually #17 in the world. That we are a democracy, we aren’t, the US is an Oligarchy by and for the rich. Live abroad for a while and you start to see how the rest of the world really is.
Not an American here, but I have a friend who moved to Poland for a couple of years because her husband got work here. They have to go back to the US now so she can continue her studies, and she told our group of friends she has so many doubts and feels like Poland is her home, things were so much more chill and easy (apart from communication, she understands some polish, but can't speak it - understandable, even polish people can't speak it 100% correctly lol, I definitely struggle XD) Her mom (I think jokingly) said she would like to buy a house here because it's just so different from the US. And it's Poland, a country that most Polish people complain about 24/7... I hope they will come back one day. :(
he make it sound like europeans/ dutch are not competitive in their jobs, which is a blatant lie...we'r not lazy" we just go to work" ppl BUT we cherish our time off... and the laws overhere protects us from having a "karen" boss emailing or constant calling us when we'r off work UNLESS you have made a concrete agreement about it ...
If you're not native, getting all the possible inflexions of "So, when did your break start?" (It can mean everything from "Already going back to work?" to "Do you work? Like, ever..?") isn't easy 😉
But there's a difference between being competitive at work and being competitive about work when you socialize with other people.
@@jal051 The thing that a Americans can't seem to understand is that being competitive you do with quality not with the amount of hours put in!
If you have to put in 25 hours a week more into something to be competitive you shouldn't even try because it's suicide!
Husein Bolt would NEVER had won a race in his life if he had to practice 60 hours a week and start tired and badly fed each race!
Yes, I think he explained that very bad in his video. He was in a "top four banking" company in the US and is now a UA-camr in Europe and was comparing that to each other?!? Obviously there is less drive and ambition in being a UA-camr and making videos in a park than working in a top bank.
@@Elfo_ I think what he meant was that this girl thought his work at the top four banking company wasn't important enough compared to hers.
I'm not familiar enough with American banking institutions to know why it wasn't considered important enough, but I think that was the point.
Something I’ve been told since I was a kid (and something that a lot of Swiss people grew up hearing) is: « There’s no stupid work; everyone is needed ». And that’s something that stayed with me to this day and that I’m thankful for, especially when I hear about work mentality in the U.S.A!
Adding to that I remember as a child (around 10 years old) in Switzerland I had a chat about work. Not sure how we came on that topic but I remember my brother seeing a trash van and 2 people started loading trash bins into the van and he said: at least I never wanna work as that. And before anyone could react my grandfather smacked him very hard and shouted at him that they do a good work, so they can be proud of what they are doing and my brother has no right to judge them. Different times, different values I guess
@@shanwyn ur grandfather was right... its absolutely an important and needed job ... just imagine working everyday with helping recycling waste and making this planet a better place every day... and in Europe thay are also paid well...
I once heard a doctor say no matter how many lives I save in my career, they will never come close to the number of lives that street sweepers save by cleaning the streets of waste. You just have to look at the number of diseases that have "disappeared" in developed countries thanks to the sanitation of our waste.
@@enki1982 .. ↑ ↑ ↑
I think in the end it adds up to the culture. After my education and moving out from my parents, my circle of friends was very diverse. Some of my friends worked in very blue collar jobs such as electricians and roofers, others worked in banking or insurance. And it was never even a topic comparing workplaces. What matters was the fun you had with people, how well you got along and all that. It was more important how you spend your free time than what 'status' your job was. Of course you aromatically had more friends from your work surroundings simply by proximity but when you were out clubbing or participated in various clubs, you met people from all over doing a lot of different things for work. And usually everyone had the same idea: we work to live, not live to work (of course there are and always will be exceptions). One of my best friends for many years was a lawyer and I always found it fascinating hearing about her work. And she in return was fascinated hearing about mine, just, well, curiosity. I think that's the fundamental difference between the US and most european countries
Oh, so free refill is free and not got to be questioned but free with healthcare there is always someone screaming: "IT IS NOT FREE YOU PAY FOR IT!!!"
Love your videos and style, thanks for creating content.
Good point! I guess that (some) people see what they want to see and ignore what they don't want to see.
Yeah, it's funny how all definitions of the word "free", except for one, cease to exist when the subject is healthcare. Of course, it's funded by taxes that we all contribute to but it's not like americans don't have to pay income tax. They just pay less taxes, in exchange for getting screwed over by their own healthcare system and the medical industry. It's incredible how many people are seemingly okay with outrageous medical bills and insane cost of education, to keep the income tax "low". Not to mention the toxic tipping culture, the absurdly low minimum wage etc. American society is designed in a way that "the higher the income, the better the experience", which is probably also one of the reasons that corporate culture is as competitive as it is. And it irks me when people look at universal healthcare and tuition-free education and instantly scream: "IT'S SOCIALISM!", not knowing the difference between social and socialism.
The American ambition described in the video seems more like slavery... even in Europe people are ambitious and eager for promotion, but working hours are generally around 40 hours a week. For holidays, some sectors even have 5 weeks of summer holidays (7 weeks for the whole year). If by the end of the year you have not "used" all your vacation days you are forced to use them anyway by law, even if you don't want to. Then for sick days everything goes through the doctor and approved by the ministry, so there is no possibility that you'll lose your job, and while you're away other people do your job. If you are away for too long the company can hire someone temporarily until you can come back. And yes you get paid on sick days. When I hear that in America you don't get paid or they fire you because you're sick it seems crazy...
You are right that it sounds like exploitation, it's what you end up with when you allow capitalism to run free without regulations. People, and anything really, will be exploited to maximize short term monetary benefits, with no regard to possible negative effects on society and environment.
Compared to Western Europe in the US the requirements for becoming a police and the amount of training is so much lower.
When the barber has had more training than the cop, I'd be hesitant to call the cops too tbh.
Scary
The thing is, the US can probably be the best country on earth to live in, but thats only if you are rich or at least whealthy. If you are not, its probably one of the worst developed countries to live in.
I know people complain a lot about about the things that are not that good here, but I am super grateful to live in Europe and not the US.
It is not one of the worst developed countries, it is the worst if you are poor, or close to poor.
@@Forodir or middle class. It is only good for the very wealthy.
I hope for your sake that you are not in one of the countries, that the US is pulling down with its insane attempt to hold onto its hegemony and sometimes I fear that effort could bring ruin to the whole world again. Sorry to be so fatalistic. Have a beautiful day! Oh and btw I’m a U.S. American born and raised who does not live there anymore.
I think the real problem with the US is that there are too many extremes from poverty to the super rich.
It's also said that the US is a first, second and third world country all rolled into one.
Out of all the modern countries, the US is the odd one out and not in a good way on so many things that other modern countries take for granted and it's probably because of the extremes nature of capitalism in the US that puts profit above everything else, even the well-being of its own citizens, whereas other modern countries are better balanced with more of a social democracy that are mostly capitalist but with a lot of social programs, which reduces a lot of the extremes that we see in the US.
@@paul1979uk2000
That is completely correct, and it is just sad to see this once Beacon of Hope fall so deep for the greed of a few
Was it 60 hours he said they worked a week? In Denmark, it is only 37 hours a week. And we have up to 6 weeks of holiday which we are almost forced to take.
Everything is wrong with the authorities, yes, and there are so many homeschoolers for the same reason.
Poor Americans. A full restart of the state is needed.
In Germany 36,5 and 40 hrs/week and 4 to 6 weeks vacation days but it depends how old you are and how long you worked for the company. And in Germany it´s a law called Arbeitszeitgesetz und Bundesurlaubsgesetz (work time law/state vacation law and I guess in Denmark it´s the same).
@@AnonymousG3R In Denmark, all permanent residents are registered with their own doctor paid by the public and the hospital is free. Only visits to the pharmacy cost - although there is also support there. And it has nothing to do with the labor market. Even foreigners with permanent residence benefit from it.
But you can live with one job , in US minimum wage aint enough to pay rent and food in any of the 3 143 counties in the country.
Over half of homeless people today are working , study done by Chicago University.
Before US had rent control just for the reason that workers could live where they worked, but if 2 room apartment has rent of $2000 per month in NYC and that if your lucky , you need to live outside NYC and commute to job, to a job in a restaurant .
US cities have made it illegal to park a RVs and Campers over night in city area ... land of the free ?
@@pete_lind Yes, we don't really have that problem in Denmark, even though we don't have a minimum wage at all. It must be the strong trade unions that do it. MacD was once given the choice between the trade union closing them down and them drawing a collective agreement. They chose the latter and are still here.
@@alvinmjensen .. In Denmark the doctors and specialist are in private practice, so they are not public employees, but the health insurance is a public service paid for through taxes, so no paperwork or red tape if you get sick, the payment is only an issue between the public health insurance and the private practice doctors.
It's funny and scary at the same time how you Americans relate the ambitious to the work and money, as if making choices that don't (necessarily) involve making money implies a lack of ambition.
If my ambition is not to make money but something it makes me happier, it means I'm not ambitious or that I'm just different from you? It's banal, demagogic (anything you want), the truth is that time cannot be bought, it cannot be stopped, and most importantly, we don't know when we will run out of it.
Yes it is very shallow thinking to assume the only route to happiness is by accumulating wealth.
It's funny and scary at the same time that Europe expects the USA to protect them while also enjoying free healthcare and social programs. Maybe we should pull out of NATO and let you cunts defend your selves.
I find it interesting as well. I work for a large American owned company and there is no ambition to be found anywhere. Most of the people I deal with don't even have the ambition to do the job they have properly to say nothing of promotion.
My uncle had several hundred people under him. Very important person.
He was a gravedigger.
The gravedigger also maintains the graveyard and responsible for the beatification. Also ringing the bell.
I don't miss the U.S. natural born American, spent 60+ yrs there, living, working. As a 10yr old back in the 1950's, I wanted out, had to be someplace better on this planet to live. All the adults around me, money obsessed, greedy, selfish, hated each other, other Americans, so of course, angry, bitter, depressed, while telling me how great, wonderful America is. Huh???
Anyway, travelled the world on and off since 1977. Needed to find a country that fit my personality. Finally did that, living abroad for last 13yrs, zero desire to return to very toxic USA!
A normal work day for me, as your typical working class slave, was 8-16 hrs. Anything above 8hrs was overtime which I needed to keep up with paying bills. What cracks me up about many foreigners, they think every American has a oil well in the back yard, streets are paved in gold, money grows on trees for easy picking. Once reality hits them, work until you drop for little money, many return home.
Where are you living now?
Out of curiosity where did you settle? There's so many awesome places you could have chosen, but as you say, you found somewhere that suited your personality, for me that was Brisbane Australia, after living in 5 countries.
@@daveamies5031 The Balkans. Australia reminded me of the U.S., it's people, so not for me. Older Aussies I spoke to, told me my observations were correct. As did a 30's Australian couple in Thailand, who told me, they would never go back. But, to each his own.
@@wanderingwarrior5626 The Balkans, Nice, too cold for me, and yes Sydney and Melbourne particularly are a rat race and like the US with the life pressures, that's why Brisbane, after Sydney I moved to Singapore and discovered the benefits of living a more laid back life, I know Singapore is not known for laid back lifestyle but compared to Sydney it was for me, my wife wanted to come back to Australia because it was the only place she didn't feel discriminated against and she's spent most of her life with discrimination, so that's why we tried Brisbane, and it was was more laid back than Singapore and warmer weather than Sydney so it was a win for us. Each city in Australia has a different culture (probably true in other countries too). But I'm glad you found somewhere you're happy, I'll wish the same for anyone else who reads this 👍
I don't know any profession that allow for nearly as much incompetence as law enforcement in the US. Most cops don't know what is required for an arrest, detention or when you are required to ID, and they use that EVERY SINGLE DAY. It's like a baker that doesn't know what yeast is, or a mechanic not knowing how to fill up a car with oil. Any law enforcement in here? Prove me wrong.
There is this nice clip from the NYT where cops from around the World react to US police ... very interesting and revealing
@@karstenbursak8083 I've seen it.
They lied about one thing in that video, though. Police officers are not held to the same standards as other people in any country I know. For example a cop can seize your property, identification, detain or even arrest you on a false premise and not get punished for it. It may not be called "qualified immunity", but it's basically the same thing. In some cases I even think it's correct because of the nature of their work. They SHOULD be allowed to make mistakes, and then we fix it in the judicial system.
But the US has distorted and ruined it, so that it doesn't serve the purpose it was intended to anymore. Distorting perfectly good concepts is, in my opinion, a hallmark of the US. Tipping, patents and trademarks, gun rights, incarceration and punishment, unions, public transport, property rights, the press, voting and democracy. These are all concepts with very positive intentions that the US ruined.
@@AudunWangen
If a Police Officer arrest u on a false premise, he will get punished for sure, at least in Germany and a lot of other European countries. You can not slip that kind of shit. A police officer is hold to the same Laws as a citizen and will often be faced much harsher sentences because he is trained as a Law enforcer.
@@Forodir That is simply not true. Let's say a cop arrests someone where they mistake their identity, because they fit the description by witnesses. They will probably not even get a slap on the wrist, even if they use force to apprehend them.
But if YOU hold someone against their will using force that you suspect stole something from you, and it turns out you were mistaken, you will be in big trouble.
I don't know much about German cops, but I remember one video years back where they beat up some aggressive protestors. It would definitely not go well for you if you donned riot gear and went out to do the same. I believe the cops only had to attend some retraining.
A cop has powers that we don't have, and they also have immunities with those powers. This is extremely prevalent in the US, where holding cops accountable is almost impossible, but it is common in most countries to some degree, sometimes even by law.
In Norway we have separate laws for public officials, specifically chapter 19 §171-173 which deal with neglect and misuse of public duties and powers. That is usually what such incidents fall under when cops use force to arrest someone in their own house, and not §254 (kidnapping), §271-4 (assault) or §268 (trespassing), which would be the case for civilians.
@@KurtFrederiksen It is an American invention, true, but see my comment above. Public officials usually fall under different laws than civilians, and they have different powers and immunities.
I have been a public official myself, and unknowingly broke the law once, so I have personal experience with this. Municipalities are required to have a tender competition when the amount is above a certain sum. I knew that, but failed to see that the total cost would be that high. In the private sector, I could be held personally liable for that kind of neglect, but in this case the municipality would probably pay a fine. Luckily it worked out, since no one else could provide the same service 🥵🫣
The single most important thing for all of us is TIME.
We don't know how much of it we have while in this world.
40 brands of toilet paper ... except when a crisis arrive, like Covid-19, then all of a sudden all of the toilet paper in the USA magically disappear 🤣
I'm glad that we don't get judged by our jobs and political view in Norway. Least we get a chance to show who we are as a person before being judged. For the most part at least.
I hate when people talk about work on parties or whatever. I only talk about work when I actually work, otherwise I'm not the slightest interested in what other people work with nor to tell anyone about my work.
We even DO NOT talk about work when we have a break or lunch!!!
It's amazing the energy that you can transmit on your videos. Thank you very much for your joy
Thank you, I appreciate that. ❤
The concept of "Sick days" is so weird.
No they are not. Here they are 100% normal and works well.
It varies from country in europe. In some contries You partly has to take vacation days - But You have 35 of them.
America might well be the most competitive ~ but what many Americans seem to be missing is that "competitive" does not automatically result in "prosperous" or "rich in opportunity"... you can be fighting a life and death battle for mere scraps every day, but have to live your entire life at the bottom of the food chain. That's how far out of power the average everyday American has been pushed by lobbyism, spin and special interests. Anyone who has worked within business knows, that competition and the Free Market does not at all reward the talented, the hardworking and the righteous (that is actually an old Puritan belief from the early Reformation) ~ it rewards the quick, the ruthless and the callous (Wolf of Wall Street type psyche).
Should be called the divided states
Only united in fear, hate, war!
@@wanderingwarrior5626 I suppose but only their own war cuz the Israel situation they can barely grasp
One thing that saddens me is that in reality they aren’t that divided.
I have some american friends. One is a clear “hillbilly”. Republican to the core and a believing Christian. Drives a pickup truck too. When he was in Denmark for some Vestas training he was amazed of how our society was working with infrastructure, NHS, education and so on. He realised the value of taxes to build a society - to preserve the citizens. Despite being a Republican. He saw the value of 37 hours of work per week, that you can go to the hospital if needed without robbing a bank on the way there.
He saw the benefits of a working society.
@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 Thats amazing however I will still hold they are very divided, the amount of extreme right or extreme left is very high compared to the European counterparts
About comparing jobs: I can only talk about Spain, but it's definitely not a thing in Spain. Of course we know what other people do, and we may talk about each one experience in work, but never about how much people make. If we ask anyone how are they doing at work they will answer about how the boss is stressing them, some anecdote, what projects they are working on. No one here would ask another person how much are they making, nor look down on someone if they know are making less.
It isn't a thing in Spain because nobody has a job in Spain.
Hello Heidi😊 I am an American living in Europe (Italy) and first of all I am pleased to learn that you are expecting. You and your husband are young and Will Be Happy parents of a baby😊
I work for the Italian Automobile Club which is like AAA in the States. 37,5 hour work week with 4 weeks of paid mandatory vacation. Yes mandatory paid vacation days by law (some countries a bit more than that) and the firm must make sure you take them all by year's end.
Sick leave can run up to 6 months depending on the illness with no questions asked besides the medical certificate and can be renewed depending on the situation.
Baby delivery Is free; I understand you will face in the USA around 10,000$ bill just for a natural delivery.
The free soda refills in the USA is practically criminal....they are pushing sugar to make the population obese and diabetic.
Mind you, I love the USA, but I know there is so much that can be improved.
Take care
Have you heard what it costs to have a baby in USA? I don't know how people afford it!
You dont have variety in the US when most of the brands are owned by the same holding companies.
I just got home a couple of hours ago from hospital where I had surgery. The total cost to me is nothing, because the govt is covering it. I remember reading a news story about a woman in NYC who fell between the platform and the train she was trying to board. Her injuries were so bad her thigh was torn open exposing the femur. She was pulled out and laid on the platform by her rescuers. As they were trying to comfort her she was screaming out, "Don't call an ambulance, I can't affford it"
What a sick sad country that is, I am so glad I live on the other side of the world.
Tak! Good work ❤ from Denmark
Haha, being all generous and not even getting a heart emoji from the girl, what a bummer for trying to be the sugar daddy. Sending you a bro hug.
@@My_Op Get help.
Thank you so much!!
@@My_Op you're odd. haha big hug bro.
@@HailHeidi Thanks, most of the time I feel like everybody else is weird and I'm just the only normal person here so I take that as a compliment ;-)
Generally, in the Netherlands, nobody cares what you do, life is not a competition. And those who think it is (BMW and Audi drivers) are frowned upon by the average Dutchman. "Doe normaal" mentality (Act Normal).
Sounds similar to the UK and yes, BMW and Audi drivers, of which there are now many, have a reputation!
Also similar to New Zealand and Australia. Who you are and your values are much more important than your job. It is not uncommon here to find a couple where one is in manual work, while the other is in management.
I worked for a Dutch company and the culture was awful.
Very controlling and confrontational. Opinions were not sought or appreciated, and they set targets for grievances, as there wasn't enough.
@@slayerrocks2 sad to hear. As always, there are exceptions. Also heavily depends on the industry you work in.
I'm in the USA right now.
And yes, my goals are:
1) enjoy yourself.
2) do not get sick.
3) do not get shot.
Best of luck
One out of those three things are possible.
If I answered no to even one of these points, I would leave the USA immediately, because nobody knows what the future holds, and you might always get sick, but then under what conditions, not good prospects.
Here in Sweden I have 6 weeks of vacation but I haven't used it all the last years so now this year I actually have 9 weeks..
😂 same here!
In Poland, when I changed a job, former employer had to refund me 65 days of non-used vacation days 🫠
In german the expression ' ambitious '( ehrgeizig) has a rather negative connotation! ( we don't like ambitious people, cause we fear they will stir up their careers on our backs)....maybe that's a good explaination for our different mindsets ( europeans vs US americans)
In the case of Spain I think it's as simple as avoiding the awkward moment in a group of people if you ask someone about their economy and they are struggling. Why would anyone want to do that?
It'l like living in one big Hollywood movie:"The good, the bad and the ugly" It's actually the title of a western movie, for the record it is a 'spaghetti western' film by Sergio Leone which was from Rome city, Italy and I appreciated this quote honestly.
Good luck with the pregnancy! Hope everything goes well.
Great video! I really appreciate it hearing your view on the US, it's very educational, please keep up the good work! ❤
Free refills on soda are banned in most of Europe because of diabetes and 1 l of cocke has more calories than thr burger and fries. Burger king does have them in my country but i just get a burger so no fries or soda
Its funny, when europeans travel usually you just visit one single country. Sure if you have like 4 weeks to travel and go to like Thailand some do like 3 weeks Thailand and 1 week Cambodia or Malaysia or something. Or when you drive to Croatia you also pass like Austria, Slovenia and you can just stay there one or two nights. Or like go to Spain and do a Portugal detour. But its not like this Instagram travel just so you can make a picture at all the sites with you in it. For europeans getting to know a place and experiencing the culture a bit is also important not just photograph all the major old buildings. I mean you can buy postcards of them anyway. And its also about getting out of your worklife and relax a bit not stress as hard as you can. In the end you need a vacation from your vacation if you travel like americans. Just chill go to the beach for a day or even the whole vacation. You also miss out on all the tiny little amazing details if you just want to see the big thing then go to the next country.
David Wen is great I love his youtube videos! And you missed his lasted video when he get unemployed.
That weird competitiveness combined with the super friendly smalltalk is what's most bewildering to me about the US - so when people meet at parties and they exchange pleasant words and ask what they are doing, it feels like they're secretly checking out each other's position in relation to one another to satisfy their own insecurities, as if one could only be happy about one's own life if nobody else in their peer group had it as nice. I have to say I prefer the impression of nobody around you giving that much of a, about what you do, as long as you greet people on the streets, get drunk with them at the required intervals, and while you do, don't bitch too much about your personal problems, unless someone specifically asks for it (and preferably also shares some of their own). Which is basically life in any central european village.
RE: the homeless issue in the USA.
There are no homeless people in Japan or Singapore. What I consider REAL First World countries.
And yes, there are NO dirty toilets in Singapore or Japan, either.
They are all spanking bright clean --better than the one you have at home.
It's quite safe to be a moped driver in Taiwan. Granmas and teens 14 years old are safe driving small mopeds there.
I have seen it. It's quite nice.
I don't know about Singapore, but there are homeless people in Japan. It is less common, and also more hidden, because less accepted in society, but it does exist. Also, the question is what happe s to people who would be homeless in the west in these countries?
1:23 (and forward) *@HailHeidi* Your mic's crackling like crazy, classic 'bad connection' vibes! I'm trying to tune in with my headphones, but with my ADHD, it's like trying to focus on a blender going off 😕
you have to understand Americans are not stupid in the head❤️ you were raised in a system just like Europeans 😂 love you.
wow heidi congrats to you and your hubby on being up the duff i must of missed it in another video when you said you was preggy
That’s a great point that police schools are too short. they should be long enough to spot the bad apples!
David Wen is a guy we want to have in The Netherlands. Educated, thoughtful and working, 1. Only one thing to say about food: read the labels. If there's anything mentioned you don't understand or recognize, don't buy it. 2. Free drinks. Do you think they're really "free". Are Americans known for giving things away for free, like healthcare? 3. Work culture. Well they can get fired at any moment for any reason, or no reason at all. Nice!
Sick days are a weard concept in the netherlands.
When you get sick it can be upto 2 years untill you can loose your job.
When you sre sick, you sre sick.
It doen not Translate into a certain number of days you are alowed to be sick
Exactly.
Ehhh, by law you are compelled to work on your recovery and, very important to know, you have to do what still lies in your capabilities… it is NOT that you can just stay home for 2 years… not cooperating means you might loose your salary pretty quickly and also can be fired in some months time.
The difference between the US and Europe when it comes to work is such an interesting thing. Where one person has the view “I live for my work”, the other says “I work to live”. The mention that you earn more money in the USA is something that many people don't really understand, since you have to earn more there in order to have the same life as in many European countries. Medical care is a good example. What costs hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the USA is usually cheap in Europe. Many people have compulsory insurance, which may be a strange concept to outsiders, but when I have to go to the doctor everything is paid for, whether I have a cold, a broken leg or cancer, and the insurance doesn't really cost much. The idea behind it is simple: "If you live well then you work well." A funny thing, I'm currently on my summer vacation, 3 weeks (15 days), in the winter I'll go again for a few weeks and I know that when I go back to work my job will still be there and my colleagues will take care of mine part of the work taken care of, just like I take care of their part of the work when they go on vacation, completely normal concept here.
In the US, especially in the suburbs, you'd still need a car to go to a store two blocks away as there's no infrastructure like sidewalks and such to support pedestrian traffic.
And two miles? That's a bikeable distance here in Denmark :p
I deleted my question because you already answered it in the video, but congratulations 🥳
Hiya. You're pregnant? Wow! Have you saved up the money for it already? That's fantastic! That IS what you call a 'Planned Pregnancy' in the United States, isn't it? Stay safe. All the best to you.
If you haven’t saved up the money for the pregnancy and lovely child to come, do come to Europe and the governments will look out for you. 💞
a quick question for usa citizens.so i have diabetes and had a wound in my right foot and got treatment at local hospital in finland that cost below 15 euros per appointment for about 2 months at first 2 times a week.how much would that been there?
Always look forward to your uploads. Good luck with the pregnancy and I wonder how much the delivery will cost. I went to the pharmacy today and got my prescription medicines, insulin lasting six months, needles for the syringe also lasting six months. 400 pills for my blood pressure an 400 pills to keep my acid balance down. All of this cost me the equivalent of 11 dollars. Yes 11. It's called solidaruty and the rumour that our taxes here in Sweden are sky high is totally wrong. Why anyone choose to live in the US is beyond me. And yes, the US is a police state!
we are getting family visit from Viet Nam to Norway next month.. in their 5 week vacation.. my uncle who is in charge of planning their stay here, decided to put in a 3 week roadtrip... puts things in perspective when you hear 10 countries in 2 weeks..
I have been very sick for 1 year due to a covid-infection but I have been fully paid the whole time. Then I was being reintegrated for another year. Meaning during that year my work hours started at 50% and were slowly raised to 100% while I was also granted a particular employment protection considering my needs and health restrictions. Still being fully paid. Now I'm good and able to provide 100% workforce (or even
more). I'm neither a social case nor impoverished.
In the UK the NHS has a phone service ( 111 ), to get advice and help with any medical issues, you call them and describe your symptoms they will diagnose you and either tell you to go to pharmacy, or hospital, if you’re having a serious issue they will dispatch an ambulance to you.
Bottomless refills of surgery drinks - health is the first thing I thought of
I'm an American turning fifty this August. Realized that my worldview and desired lifestyle isn't compatible or encouraged here. Started going back to school at the beginning of this year (March 2024), to educate myself for a new career. Hope to re-invent myself abroad and to hopefully get a job teaching English as a second language overseas. I have a five year plan in place, and God willing, I'll be living elsewhere by the time I turn fifty-five. Life's too short to stay here and work myself to the grave while struggling to survive.
Oh wow, good luck! I hope your plans go perfectly! 💜
Congratulations Heidi on your pregnancy, stay safe and keep posting
There are no "free" refills. It just means that other things are more expensive to pay for it, it's not like the restaurant owner is paying out of their own pocket to give you free stuff, it will always be paid for in other products. Why do so many people fall for this, it's like the cheapest marketing trick in the book. In the end, you just end up paying more for all the people who are greedy and have to have 8 cups with their meal. And in incentivizes you to be unhealthy and drink more than you actually need to. I struggle to understand why would anyone think this is a good thing, maybe just the convinience?
“One block” alway also can mean insane huge blocks compared to Europe. Tho the “only 2 toilet paper choices” is more a Netherlands thing being so small, other countries have like 5-6 brands.
It was an exaggeration. On average we have about 4-5 brands which all have different varieties, only the local corner shops might have a limited choice.
Just a couple of weeks ago my son had some problem with his eye. We tried cleaning it ourselves, but nothing helped, so we went to the ER. The nurse cleaned his eye properly (he somehow got fine sand in his eye that scratched it a little), called the appropriate doctor, who looked it over and wrote prescription for a salve. All together the visit cost us nothing. Even parking was free, since we got back to the car before parking fees would start. Only expense was the salve, which was something like 5 euros.
I have lived for five years in Houston and this was the time of my life. Enjoy this time very much. I working for the oil-industry. Watch the documentaires by Michael Moore. The are very funny and compares Europe with America. Greetings from the Netherlands ❤
When you travel at a speed like that you won’t be able to pick on the things what traveling also is about… not only see “the pictures” yourself but also…
See and feel how people live on other parts of the world. How their life is and how they are around their kids/elderly. How they work and leisure. What their culture is about and how that relates to yours. Think what you want to take from that with you in your life etc. etc. Living in the moment while you’re there.
On the subject of looking down your nose at people due to their occupation: I am an educated man. I have a Masters in History From another country, in my 3rd language. But due to the lack of jobopportunities, I reverted to my study job which was caring for elderly with demntia. When asked about my occupation I have sometimes noticed the slight tinge of disapproval or even pity by my answer. In those cases I have ON OCCASION resorted to the phrase: "yeah I make sure that people with media degrees don't have to worry about the well being of their grandmothers..." harsh, I know. But the back pedalling that ensues is priceless...
My boss told me last week I need to apply for my summer vacation soon. I put in 4 weeks but since I have 30 more work days of payed vacation to claim and can only save 20 workdays to the next year, I put another week in. So five weeks of summer vacation this year. I also have to take two weeks of vacation over Christmas since Christmas and new years is mid week this time so only 2 days are being used each week. A bit of a difference to living in the US I guess.
I'm from the EU and I can't understand what's so great about living in the US. To me, it sounds like a nightmare. I've been to NYC twice and I really enjoyed my holidays, but with your work, health and firearms culture... I consider myself super lucky to be European 🇪🇺
Ok then we will pull out of NATO and see how long your social programs last jackass.
These videos are an eye opener for many US expats. When are you doing a trip down under? It'll be a huge culture shock to be in an English speaking country that benefits everyone not just the rich.
Well considdering all the things you mentioned previously about the us vs europe it’s going to be intressting to get your perspective giviving birrh and raising a child in the us.
Don't believe in free drink, nothing is free. You can be sure they build the price of the drink into other price for example food.
Can someone explain me what the difference between ER, insta care and urgend care is, please? 5:25
Yes, sick days is a crazy concept, one I've never experienced. Working in UK I always took my full entitlement of holiday days but would not have felt happy about staying home sick if I was not genuinely ill or infectious. It sounds like in USA they are considered as an entitlement that can be consumed, whereas taking your actual entitlement of holiday is seen as being somehow disloyal.
Would love to move and live in Europe, hope you're having a great day and new sub.
I experienced free refill in two places in Germany… one was at Subway. And the other, quite recently, at Five Guys.
Limited sick days is… sick.
The last and so far only time I met someone who was afraid of the police was when I met someone from the Central African Republic. That was here in Germany, and when we went on a midnight walk (as Germans are wont to do, especially in their early 20s :D) he joined us. At one point, while walking along a dark country road, we heard a car approaching and we saw its lights around a corner, and that guy made to hide in the bushes by the road, and he was almost shocked when we didn't join him, when we didn't even understand what he wanted to do. And he went, aren't we afraid that it might be the cops? No, of course not. I'll never forget that moment, because… while I had been aware that cops in some african nations had a less than stellar reputation (to put it politely), it's still a different thing to get such a visceral (if second-hand) demonstration of this fact.
6:35 That is not drive - that is panic to loose your job. You don't need to ruin yourself / your health to earn enough to live. People in Europe have other priorities like family, feeling good, hobbies and not making a career. What use is a career and earning much money if you don't have the time to enjoy it. People in Europe like to make a career, but not when loosing the options to enjoy life. Working 60h/week happens maybe for a business manager in a high up position. Standard in Germany is 37.5h/week. Above is paid overtime.
11:20 Not only trust Americans not their own police, people out of other countries choose not to visit the UISA because of mass shootings and trigger happy police. Countries are warning their citizens not to visit the USA because of the raising violent radicalization in the USA.
2:06 Amazing that you have a pasta sauce brand specifically for people who are pregnant.
Europe is very diverse, it's very difficult to generalize things, especially groceries. I'm from Romania and when I go to super/hyper markets here - which usually are Western European companies - we get a lot o variety and I really like it. Sure, you spend a bit more time the first time you go there (and maybe the next few times), but after a while you know the products you want (brand, type, quantity) and you just throw the product in your cart immediately, no time lost. It really puzzles me when people complain about having a choice.
Unlimited drinks to my mind are a way to increase there profit of the restaurant because they for sure won't make you a gift. All people, especially the people who don't drink very much, pay for some few who drink a lot and the costs will be allocated in the prices. That's nonsens.
The most vacation days in Europe is Austria, with 25 days annual leave and 13 public holidays, 38 days in total. No matter how shitty your job is. All 27 EU member states have as a minimum 20 vacation days and 12 public holidays. Everyone takes their full annual allotment, even your shitty boss. There is no "not taking", they will make you take them.
If I was going to drive to a mall in Moscow, I could have a massive selection of stuff but this Azeri minimart is 150m from my apartment so I rely on it for basics. Uber is dirt cheap here so I don't own a car. Gasoline is about the same price it is in the US and the most basic cars with automatic cost around $22k, but lending rates are upwards of 17% because of the war
About the many choices.
There is research about it and the more options people have in a decision the less content they are in the end with their actual choice.
It's very weird to me how I keep hearing people say that forming and stating opinions of others is competitive... it's not. Competitive behaviour is based around action, trash talking or denigrating an opponent or colleague isn't being competitive it's being judgemental. Striving to achieve or create something before another does is being competitive. Of course there is this supposed thing called "competitive behaviour" which is probably why it gets comfused... trash talk can certainly be used to "game" an opponent into feeling less and therefore get an advantage but such activity is a sign of the weak and insecure or the megalomaniac... after all "what Peter tells me about Paul tells me more about Peter than it does about Paul, and labelling such activity as "competitive" is ridiculous and it certainly feels to me like that is a very USA sort of thing. Another great video reaction Heidi.
Didn't know you were pregnant!! Congratulations! Love your content❤
My last vacations where in Italy we stay there for almost 3 months and end to skip visiting rome and the noth west because of the lack of time
can you save vacation days from a year to another? in the US
in Sweden i have 32 vacation days, I must use 20 days a year, that means i can save the rest for next year.
up to a max 35 saved (+ the years 32 new days) If not used they are payed out an februari salary.
i can exchange vacation days that are saved, above 25 days, to my retirement scheme. (ten max per year)
60 hours a week is an insane work schedule, especially when you might not even get any vacation time (which you lose if you get too sick to work at any point) for the first year and only 10 days per year after that. In the UK 40 is the standard amount for a full time worker who gets 28 days per year holiday (vacation) and unlimited sickness which doesn't effect your holiday entitlement. Also we don't get a bunch of mass shootings every year.
Informative and interesting
With my company, we don't have sick days. Just PTO. I have mine maxed out, just in case I get laid off or get sick. I've never used it for a "vacation". If I get laid off, I can use the PTO to give me a few months before I get desperate looking for a job.
Recently i was asked if i wanted to go visit the US and the guy (probably an US youtuber of some sort) looked shocked when i said "visiting the US? No thanks!"
Morning T.
A friend offered me a job, 3500 a week.
I live in England earning about 800.
It took about 3 nanoseconds to refuse.
The holiday / vacation thing in the US is crazy. My whole work team, including my boss and our head of department here in the UK live for our holidays. Next week, 3 of us in our team of 5 are on holiday abroad. There is more to life than work. 🏙️ 🍹 ☀️
(Norway) I have 25 vacation days (If I am sick during vacation I will get those days back) (that I am forced to take) 4 3 day sick leave a year that I can use before I have too even see a doctor if I am sick and if I recall, my country have one of the highest level of holiday day's in the world.
Here in Spain ? If you get sick and can't go to work? When do you get paid for being on sick leave?
Social Security: Useful Information
In general, the payment is made by the company as a delegated payment with the same frequency as salaries. In cases of common illness or non-work accident, payment between the 4th and 15th day of sick leave is the responsibility of the employer; from the 16th onwards, payment responsibility will be the INSS or the mutual insurance company. And you always have your month on vacation even if you are on sick leave for several months justifiably...regards
9:11 Americans being so much in "work" mode that even the vacation is structured like a job.
American worker: I am sick
American employer: GAWDAYUM... ok take your sick days and if needed your vacation days. Please be back by last month
Dutch (and most other Europeans) workers: I am sick
Dutch employer: Gawdayum, better stay home, we see you when you are better again, take all the time you need.
American worker: I would like to have 2 weeks off for holiday in 3 months
American Employer: Best I can do is Jan 2045
Dutch worker: I don't really need my vacation this year, shall I just continue to work?
Dutch Employer: Heck no, you take your holiday time, if not we will tell you when to take your holiday time.
(Of course both examples are highly simplified but technically correct)
In Sweden work is one of the things people ask about of course, but it's more important that you work than what you work with. At least in the circles where I grew up. You work hard, you do your best and then you go home and have your free time. That's what it's all about. Contributing to society and helping each other out, indirectly, is a core part of Swedish culture.
Here in sapin we tip in relation to how nice waitress wass, and maybe the kitchen workers when the tip is spread between all employees. We have lots of brands to choose in the supermarket too but mainly regular sizes.and school shootings maybe 1 every 10.000 in the USA.
At least here in Barcelona where I'm from the homeless situation is getting out of hand too, but people often has family near so mostly are immigrants, can be a bit uncomfortable if wou watch the news becaus increasing unsafe feeling. But way far too what you got there. I hope USA becomes a better place not "geat again" but truly what nice people deserve.
I’ve watched a lot of videos about the differences between living in Europe and living in the USA. I live in the Netherlands where I was born and raised. I talked to lots of people from different countries all over the world, including people from the USA and some friends who moved to the USA. What I find extremely disturbing is this: I’ve had a lot of bad luck in my life. I made some poor decisions too, but I never hurt anyone. I’m a good person. However, if I was born in the USA, having made the same mistakes and then all the bad luck that followed, I probably would’ve been dead 15 years ago. And even if I would’ve been lucky enough to survive my extremely poor medical conditions at the time, I wouldn’t have been able to afford a house, a place to live in, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for an insurance and/or my medical bills. I’d be a one legged homeless man, begging for food, no money to see a doctor or a psychologist, unable to find a proper job. My only hope would have been to have family or friends willing to take care of me in literally every possible way.
Fortunately I was lucky enough to be born in the Netherlands. I always kept a roof over my head. In fact, I have a beautiful house. I don’t have a lot of money, but it’s enough to live a normal life. I can eat, I have enough money to buy everything I need and I can even save a bit of money to buy myself some nice stuff every now and then. I work as a volunteer to help and talk with people in need, based on my personal experiences from the (recent) past. I’m not even sure if there’s an English word for it. Google Translate doesn’t seem to know (for the Dutchies among us, ik ben wat men noemt een ‘ervaringsdeskundige’). Since the amputation of my right leg and a subarachnoid haemorrhage four weeks later, which was almost exactly 10 years ago now, I just never get sick. But I do need to see a prosthetist frequently and my overall health isn’t great, so I do go to a hospital every now and then to check my lungs and my heart and my blood and I never have to worry about needing to pay anything, because, like every other person in the Netherlands, I’m obliged to pay for my health insurance, which is approximately 150 dollars per month. Added costs for me are approximately 400 dollars per year. So for say 2,200 dollars per year I can go to the hospital for as many times as are needed, call an ambulance whenever I need one, I can see a psychologist for a limited number of times per year. And all of this used to be a lot cheaper. A lot of Dutch people are complaining, because prices go up and not EVERYTHING is covered. We used to have ‘free’ dental care, but since 2006 that’s no longer a part of the basic healthcare system we have. This was and still is a political issue that many people feel very strongly about. Lots of Dutch people feel that our healthcare system is becoming too expensive. But in the video we all just saw we could see two examples of medical procedures that did cost $10,000.00 for one person and $20,000.00 for another. Those were examples of procedures that nobody here needs to pay anything for!!! Well, like I said… roughly $2,200.00 per year, but that’s for basically everything you need to do in a year. In a bad year I could potentially be given multiple treatments for a total of half a million dollars and I would still only need to pay the obligatory 2,200. But I digress…
I just wanted to point out that I have a good life and there’s basically nothing left to be desired (okay, ‘free’ dental care again would be nice) for me in the Netherlands. But had I lived in the USA, I’d most probably would have been dead for almost 1,5 decades, or I’d be ‘living’ on the streets in a state of unstoppable and indescribable agony while my leg would have been infected and increasingly necrotizing. I can’t even imagine what it would make me do. That is… if I could have done anything at all. Imagine the costs of treatment when there’s absolutely no way to work for your money. It’s a scary thought. The land of the free is not so great and certainly not so free if you’re a bit unlucky and you can’t afford to stay alive. 🤔
I’m terribly sorry, but since this turned out to be a much longer comment than I was expecting it to be, I might as well add another small thing here.
In the section about option paralysis in American supermarkets it is implied that we can only choose between two types of toilet paper. And though we don’t have the option to choose between a hundred different brands, we do have quite a lot of different bum cleaning products. Just staying with the TP, there are usually 10 to 15 different options to choose from. You see, we do care about these things as well. A couple of months ago I was visiting someone and much to my embarrassment nature called. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had no choice but to wipe with a beautifully printed row of Euro bills. An oddly compelling feeling of comfort. 😖🧻💶💶💶🤤
And coffee?!?! Again, there are actually quite a lot of options and different flavours in our supermarkets. Of course, most supermarkets in the Netherlands are a lot smaller than most supermarkets in the USA, so it would be silly to cram in a thousand different brands and flavours of coffee and fill up a quarter of the entire store with just coffee. HOWEVER, if you’re a coffee freak, a coffee connoisseur, you spent the equivalent of say $2,600.00 on a coffee machine that can not only provide you with the very best cup of coffee, but also irons your tie and shines your shoes while you scroll through the menu on the display (just kidding - nobody wears ties here), then there are specialised shops in a lot of our ‘larger cities’ (‘large’ is a very relative concept here compared to the US) where you can get all sorts of coffee from all over the world. If you want the earthy flavour of Brazilian dark roasted coffee beans, produced only by the Tubarão tribe, fertilised using very specific and secret techniques from ancient times by their ancestors, costing about $600.00 a pound, packed in old dried leaves with a poignant scent of authenticity, you can totally buy it. But not in a supermarket. The real coffee enthusiast knows where to find that delicate blend of coffee beans and total madness. Believe me, I knew a couple of them.
And for all of the above you could say the exact same thing about other products. Cheese, all sorts of alcoholic beverages, there are even stores where they basically sell nothing more than mustard and vinegar. I personally hate both mustard and vinegar, but apparently there are thousands of different flavours and I probably hate all of them, but plenty of people drive for many miles to get their favourite bottle of vinegar in my hometown, Nijmegen.
We have it all. Nothing is too crazy. Peanut butter shops, condom shops…, you name it, we have it. But, again, NOT in your regular Dutch supermarket.
I feel the need to apologise. Once I start writing I find it extremely difficult to stop. If you made it to the end of this comment, I want to thank you for your patience and perseverance. 🧡🧡🧡
I'm glad to hear some people are fighting for change. The US really needs healthcare and a minimum wage sorted out at some point this century.
I'm from Germany and I visited the US for work a couple of years ago with my boss at the time. One week in New York, one week in Washington D.C. - it was really nice!
I was even able to navigate a little in Washington D.C. on foot because of Fallout 3! 😄 The distances are wrong in the game, but in general directions of where the monuments are and finding that street with a bunch of museums worked out. I hear German owned supermarkets like Aldi and Trader Joe's are increasingly popular. So maybe the shopping situation will also get better.
i live in germany and the supermarket is at most a little over 1 km away but i drive there too, because i olny have enought time to go shopping once a week so i buy a bit more and it would just not be possible to do it on foot.
You guys are having a baby ???
Congrats !!
Just move to europe so it doesn't cost 25k to give birth, and living cost might be less then in the US, healthcare and food wise
I dropped out of highschool at 16-17 years old, I joined a center that is specialized in one single type of degree for around 5k euros (that I didn't payed, it was free for me because I didn't have a degree yet), I left after 20 months with a degree in computer science, now I work for myself for around 2k a month
Dont forget that with youtube you are also actually getting decent "pay raises" with sub/view count going up :D
I'm German and need to say not the first time I hear that. I have some friends from US, most of them are soldiers / former soldiers stationed in Germany. They told me a lot about living in US. When I was a kid (born in the 70th) we thought in US everything is better and living in US would be great. That was the picture we got presented. First time someone told me about the real live in US I did take it for real and though this person wants to fool me. Over the time I got a lot job offers in US but I rejected all. All my friends from US, these former soldiers quit the army and they are still living n Germany. Non of them wants to go back, they are saying: it's save, you dont have to worry too much about getting older, your kids get a good edjucation...
I'm considering going down the path you are on for a career because I'm sick of the same things you are sick of. My job doesn't allow me to use the skills that I'm naturally good at, and it's boring/exhausting to me. The problem right now for me is that I'm super busy right now, and I don't really know what all I need to do to move in that direction. When I started my current job, I always signed up to work overtime, or to stay a few hours late to finish something, and I would look down upon those that only worked the bare minimum. Now after having been there for 8 years, I no longer want to work overtime or go above and beyond. I can see that they don't really care about the employees even though they say they do. I have since switched to only working the required overtime periods, and doing the bare minimum, and I'm so much happier in my life because of it. I see so many people working more than they need to because they need the money to support their lifestyle. Every time I see these people going above and beyond, I always see how unhappy they are, but they don't understand that they are caught in the trap.
This is so real. 💜🫂
I think one of the big differentiating features of the US compared to some other more "Socially Developed" countries is the degree to which a person has basic right, and to which degree a person needs to "Earn those rights".
In the US it seems that to a large extent the "Rights" a person has needs to be earned, financially.
I truth, this is often the case elsewhere as well, but it is the degree that America implements this system of "User Pays Human Rights" that is abnormal.