Your experience of culture shock in the Netherlands

matadornetwork.com/abroad/13-american-habits-lost-amsterdam/. My recently published story on Matador pretty much sums up my experience in moving from Southern California to Amsterdam five years ago.

Hi,

Living in a foreign country you do not have to worry much, because you have under your control your personal valued life to do what is write for you to achieve your goals and I call it personal freedom and opportunity, which you do not have it here in the Netherlands (looks like you have, but it is pure illusion and brainwashed).

How do I deal with that here in The Netherlands? my advice for you is, do not ever trust at least 99% of the people who are living here in the Netherlands, because they self are living in uncertainty and they never dare to admit it, if you wish to ask something which you do not know and want an honest answer, ask the same question to at least 10 people and by seeing the differences of each answer, you can make up your mind then, or you must be very lucky to find a person to honestly answers your question, or try to ask to the law officials,  because somehow they feel like to give you the right answer, it depends on kind of official, higher official more efficient answer you get.

If you are an honest and good and peaceful human being, then I advice you to look forward for your future and carrier to have a better life in any other country in the world where you feel yourself independent and no one stands in your way of your personal life to tell you what you must do and how to live your life and what is good and not good for you and obey what been told to you as here in the Netherlands, like a bird in a cage powerless and hopeless to fly and decide how to live her life the way she (the bird) feel good and just. When you find out it will be too late to get back all the years that you spend here under false promises and being deceived all those years. Choose any other country to make a good future but  NOT here in the Netherlands, except, that, if you do not have self confidence and you are lazy and you want just to survive does not matter how and you accept to be obedient and obey your master.

John

Hello

For info some posts unrelated to this thread, talking about Cultural Shock you've experienced, has been removed.

Please do not argue on other members opinion, we expect each and every one to tell us how they witness their life in Netherlands.

Regards
Kenjee

I lived 13 yrs in Holland.  People there don't know the meaning of respect .If you are kind, they will call you naive . They will take advantage of your kindness. If you are quite,  they will put you down. So all those years , i learned to act the way they do to survived. They have this cold attitude that almost don't care. They don't go to the streets to protest if the price or tax has risen .They are just accept everything what the government will. What a boring folks.btw,  i migrated to other country.

Hello Angelsergio,

Thank you, at last I see someone with common sense, understanding, anti evil, see the differences between hypocrites and righteousness, I agree everything you have experienced in the Nederlands, I did the same and see not only what you saw but worse then that. Most people they do not see or they ignore, because they are cheap and lazy and not knowing how to take responsibility towards others and themselves and manage their desire in their life by their own, in my experience also I noticed very strongly that the way the people live here in Holland is not what human suppose to live the way they live, unfortunately as I see here is to be obedient and do what told without complains or they will let you suffer, because they have the power in their hands and you are powerless.

I compare this, as follows: the farmer and his animals in the farm, farmer is the government officials and most of the citizens different animals and the farm is the Netherlands, as long as the animals produce product they will be taken care so they can just survive, being under experiments as well and if they do not obey for the benefit and economize of the government or cooperate and share their profit and work on benefit and cuts on behalf of the government, they will face with threats and you can not do anything about it, except by accepting their propositions which benefit them most and you have the remaining small part and you then must consider it as winning case and walk away without any complains but thanking because you are taken care and be able to survive. I also call places with this kind of living behavior under control of the government officials, a professional psychiatric center.

Not my experience at all, Angelsergio. The Dutch have some quirks, but there are lots of nice ones in the mix if you give them a chance, come with the right attitude, and refuse to play the victim. Did you bother to learn any Dutch when you were here? Or make any Dutch friends? If not, you may not be in a position to be so judgemental about an entire nationality.

Wordgeisha
I did went to school to learn the language. I have bachelor degree in my country.  And i speak the language well and have diploma.  I am not arrogant and have big mouth as them. I have the right attitude coz i was raised with class. Birds of the same feather flock together.  goodluck , they are your kind. Btw,  i am not interested about your experiences in Holland. This post is about my experiences,  and experiences of friends from higher life backgrounds.

Are you serious? what do you mean by saying to me, come with the right attitude and refuse to play the victim? If I was you, I prefer using my common sense, for my activities, rather than using nonsense activities and tell some one what to do....This is what I call judgmental!!!
Secondly: you are asking me if I have bothered to learn ANY Dutch when I were here or make ANY Dutch friends? Please read carefully and read what I have to say to you, I have learned the Dutch language in the first 11 month when I just arrived here in Holland and I also have been interviewed in several radio stations in the air, about my good attitude and behavior, I have been asked so many questions about where do I know all what I know and where did I learn all what I know, they could not believe when they saw and hear all what I have done before I came to Holland, they had so many questions to me to give them an advise about their problems and I sis comfort them and they were thankful to me because of the positive effect of my advice on their lives.
Thirdly: I even helped two extreme different individuals, one who was in psychiatric center as mentally sick patient and the other who's husband was a lawyer and having two beautiful daughters, she was also became mentally unstable to control herself with her husband and could not enjoy and have that wonderful family feelings, because there are very few families here who are together like a normal human being suppose to be, I have help the one who was in the mental hospital in 3 days time, by the way she already was staying living in the mental hospital for about more then 5 long years, and she have given my name to the doctor in the mental hospital that she have found a very nice and understanding man and that she is very comfortable with me and safe, the 4th day after I met her, I got a telephone call, some one ask me if I was Johannes, I asked the man who he was and what is the reason of his call, he said he was the doctor of the mental hospital and if I know a woman called Bernadet (which was her name) I shocked because if anything was happened to her outside the mental hospital, I would be hold responsible for her, so I have asked the doctor again, if he had a good news or bad news, he said he have a good news, so I was relaxed and he the doctor asked me to visit him, he wanted to talk with me and I did, he asked me what have i done to Bernadet? I asked him what do you mean? he told me that in the morning he send her home, because she was completely cured and mentally in top condition, I was happy then and the doctor asked me if I want to work in the hospital, to keep the story short, I refused, we shack hands and I left, two days later she came to my house with her mother and father to thank me.
Furthermore, I have made much more friends then you ever be able to make here in Holland, even the minister himself "Ed Nijpels" I do not know if you heard about him or not, you may ask some so called your Dutch friends, who is Ed Nijpels? they may have heard or still know their own minister in the passed, he have now higher position in North Holland, he use to be a friend of mine during when he was minister and we together went out for dinner many times. I can tell you more and more about my life here in Holland.

By the way I also help the other woman named Maiette with two daughters and her Lawyer husband and he get know me as well, she became one of the most relaxed and understanding woman eall human, where I helpt her also to follow the psychology school and get a diploma so she can easily get a good job and she did with success, I can tel more about her and how was her situation and how was after. I want to stop now writing all about me and what I have been through here in Holland. How good do you speak write and read Dutch now? Any ways have a nice day

Hi everybody,

For the well being of the Forum, please calm down, we are not here to start arguments.
It's a very interesting topic and we want it to keep going so It would be much appreciated if we can respect each others' opinion please.

Note that it would be really great if we can avoid posting generalized comments on such topics, guess this is how we end up with lots of disagreements !

Can we please get back to the topic now

Priscilla

***I have been 30 years here in the Netherlands*** I am steel waiting my chances to spend most of my time outside the Netherlands, now I have been very long time here as I was deceived and be lied with so many promises to come here and work for a Dutch man, it is a long story to tell you all my unfortunate experiences here in the Netherlands, I have lost all my rights and I can't do anything now except waiting for couple of years for my retirement, so I can feel myself a little free to manage my own life and live a happier life than all those 30 years here in The Netherlands. As I said if your intention is for survival then you may try to come to Netherlands, but if your intention is to live and make career and live your life the way you wish and surrounded with honest and sincere people, than my advice for you is better try any other country to find a job and live your life the way you prefer.
Of course there are nice and sincere and honest individuals here and there, but they are not much and you have nothing on them. This is my opinion I wanted to share with you, it may sound like a Hollywood films, but you still free of course to make your own choice, I am honest and saying what I mean and I mean what I am saying and not as many people here in the Netherlands *******

Dear me, some sad responses here.  If you have the means to support yourself, Holland is like any other country in the world, it's what you make it.  If you don't, then it's really no different to anywhere else in the world, there's no such thing as a free lunch.  You need to integrate into the country, not sit at home wondering why everybody is against you - they're not.

In general, my experience of 40-years is that the people are OK, friendly and straight speaking; the country has practically everything you'll ever need, you just need to reach out and integrate.  The most important piece of advice I can offer is to learn the language, don't be afraid to make mistakes.

the transportation card (OV-Chipkaart) make me shock. It is so troublesome. Maybe it is better if they change the name.

I agree with you nana00nana absolutely. OV Chipkaart? it is very troublesome. Not maybe, but it is necessary to change this absurd name OV Chipkaart.

Sorry, I'm struggling here.  What's the problem with OV-Chipkaart?  Why is it troublesome?  It's an abbreviation of "openbaar vervoer" (public transport), Chipkaart is self-explanatory.

1. to buy "abonnement" you can't use the machine. why?

2. then after you buy the "abonnement" in the website (by filling your data bla bla bla)  you still have to go to the machine for activation. Why?

3. Let say today, 1 March, you bought the "abonnement" and you want your "abonnement" active from 7 March. Then between 1 March until 6 March you CaNnot use the ov-chipkaart normally. Why?

4. When you go by train on 4 March your ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Then when you ask the officers over there, nobody can explain this problem. Why?

5. But if you insist to use the train, you will get fine by the person who check your ov-chipkaart inside the train. And she also cannot explain why the ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Why?

And some other stories of the other passengers....


please compare to other countries. They have an easier way.

nana00nana wrote:

1. to buy "abonnement" you can't use the machine. why?

2. then after you buy the "abonnement" in the website (by filling your data bla bla bla)  you still have to go to the machine for activation. Why?

3. Let say today, 1 March, you bought the "abonnement" and you want your "abonnement" active from 7 March. Then between 1 March until 6 March you CaNnot use the ov-chipkaart normally. Why?

4. When you go by train on 4 March your ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Then when you ask the officers over there, nobody can explain this problem. Why?

5. But if you insist to use the train, you will get fine by the person who check your ov-chipkaart inside the train. And she also cannot explain why the ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Why?

And some other stories of the other passengers....


please compare to other countries. They have an easier way.

Oh dear, sounds like you had a bad time.  To be honest, I've only used it a few times and never had any problems.  I shall ask my daughter later.  It's not much better in the UK, only certain train-stations have the machine to pick up your card.

nana00nana wrote:

1. to buy "abonnement" you can't use the machine. why?

2. then after you buy the "abonnement" in the website (by filling your data bla bla bla)  you still have to go to the machine for activation. Why?

3. Let say today, 1 March, you bought the "abonnement" and you want your "abonnement" active from 7 March. Then between 1 March until 6 March you CaNnot use the ov-chipkaart normally. Why?

4. When you go by train on 4 March your ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Then when you ask the officers over there, nobody can explain this problem. Why?

5. But if you insist to use the train, you will get fine by the person who check your ov-chipkaart inside the train. And she also cannot explain why the ov-chipkaart is denied by the machine. Why?

And some other stories of the other passengers....


please compare to other countries. They have an easier way.

The answer is simple: your ov chipkaart will  be active on march 7 because YOU set it up that way, you cant use it for that time.

I traveled almost daily with the train while I was in the Netherlands and I used dagkaarten. On the ticket its says I can travel after 9 am. So if I want to go at 8 am it doesn't work and I have to wait one hour.
The "toegangspoorten" is to check in and out: check in on the moment you will arrive on the platform to catch a train and to check out when you are leaving the platform. I don't see any problems.

But we are drifting away from the thread. If you feel the need to discuss this further I suggest to open a new tread in the section "transportation".