thats exactly what happens in the USA! In two years employ @ a Shell Self-Service Gas/Petrol Station with a Convenience Store i took one day ill-without pay and was grilled why i couldnt notify firm 24 hrs in advance ! How on Gods Green Earth would i anticipate being ill ? Huh ?Im not lazy-far from it ! We also have a working population that is possibly only 12% Union-thats it !That would be 88% Non-Union ! I could be Fired/Sacked for any minute reason.Im what is called an At-Will Employee! Basically im a Sub-Human with no rights whatsoever ! Vacation/Holiday Pay? Forget it ! Ive not had time off for myself since i lost my job to long-term lay-off and consequently Firm went Bankrupt ! That was 2008 ! Its now 2019 ! Eleven yrs.And the real kicker-i work three (3) part-time jobs! Im constantly told i got it better here-than anywhere else in the World ! And i want any benefits in life-i must be a Socialist-go figure ! And to add to all this,im 65 yrs young-im not exactly living a life of----La Dolce Vida !
I started companies in both places, and for an employer it can be killing to have a sick employee, because you pay double (hire a replacement). Since people are generally the highest cost in a business, this can actually drive companies over the edge (esp. small ones), which will cost other people their jobs too. Just trying to nuance the "firing people for being human" here.
@@JoviesHome No, contrary to popular belief, employers do not get salary costs back from the UWV. On the contrary, if you as an employer do not do enough to re-integrate the employee UWV will fine you. But you *are* legally required to continue paying sick employees at least 70% of their salary for two years. Many companies insure themselves against this but that's not cheap either, and premiums will rise of you are unlucky enough to have more sick employees. For more information see this (Dutch) page: ondernemersplein.kvk.nl/loon-doorbetalen-bij-ziekte/
I am Dainsh but moved to The Netherlands as a 21 year old. I have habits such as taking the bike more, eating more fried stuff, eating less pig meat, really enjoying nature more, taking public transport everywhere and apreciating no traffic on the road
Having lived in the US for almost nine months, I can say that the quality of life is higher in The Netherlands than in the USA. First thing people say is that salaries are higher in the US, but good lord, the prices are so much higher too. Groceries for a 4pax home cooked dinner? Count on a good $60. And that's not going to be all that great. Health care costs? Yeah lets not go there. Work ethic there is a remnant of slavery. Work goes above everything. 10 days vacation a year, if at all. List is long, but yeah. Most of it is mentality. NL calms you down.
Growing up Dutch I was always taught that using antibiotics risks the basteria becoming resistent to that antibiotic so I've always seen taking one when it's not necessary as a pretty selfish thing.
Same here in Germany. Though the biggest problem is actually antibiotics which are used in meat production. It's a little bit more regulated in the EU than in the US, though.
@@swanpride the meat In the usa is garbage compare to Europe. Also they wash their chicken clean with chlorine. Forbidden in Europe. America got one of the world's most worst food quality.
do (normal healthy) people go to the doctor for a cold or flu? never did, never thought of that. as far as i now no need for pills, just take some more rest.
One time when i was like sick for 2 weeks. I had a stumach flu and a airway infection. Thes days they can even do a quick bloodtest to see if its a virus of a bacteria so he could give a antibiotics if it was needed. Turned out as a virus. No medication needed except the paracetmol
@@eddybeijer3554 depends on how serious it is. If you have actual flu you're so sick you wish you were dead. You're also quite incapable of going to work as you're too sore to do anything except shuffle between your bed and your toilet every once in a while.
In the next 100 years a big epidemic of people being resistent to every antibiotic existing will happen, so that's one of the reasons the Dutch Healthcare system has so many steps before prescribing any antibiotic. For me, as a medicine student, it really haunts me to know this future and to hear how other countries are not doing their part :(
It also happens to animals and I don't think that's a good thing either, I mean antibiotics are really a gift to human kind but we do need to appreciate the immune system too since it's also a scientific marvel.
@@ervie60 I also think that is the route to go in the future as an alternative to antibiotics, but a lot more research and trials need to be done to implement it in our own healthcare system.
I have to correct here. "Resistance" to antibiotics is not about you, the human or "host" but about the pathogens (bacteria). The problem is people not finishing the course. After the first dose, part of the bacteria bugging you are killed, each time you take a pill, another wave of these buggers die. If you compare the pill with a knock-out blow then the first pill kills the weak ones, and each next pill kills part of the buggers that managed to survive the previous blows. This means, if you stop too early, the surviving buggers are the stronger ones. Do this too many times and of e.g. staphilococci in your body, only MRSA survives - very dangerous. The problem with medicine men (aka doctors or MD) is they did not study microbiology and biochemistry properly. They overlook, generally, that the buggers can hide where the medication does not arrive (e.g. nerve cells/tissue, cavities in joints) - so prescribe too short. The problem with patients is impatience (they stop too early). The generic Dutch approach to prescribing ABs is not "light" but a broad spectrum that matches symptoms (~gut feeling).
According to my dad, when you have a cold it can either be bacterial or viral but there's no way to tell in the beginning. So most Americans (although other cultures/countries do this too, not just Americans) would rather start the antibiotic "just in case it's bacterial" without thinking of the consequences of bacterial resistance.
@@JoviesHome Hi Jovie, are you sure that's what your dad meant? Because of according this Dutch site www.artsenzorg.nl/actueel/art/861/verkoudheid-8-feiten-fabels (point 6) that is a fable. However, what can happen in addition to your cold, you can also develop a bacterial infection in your mucous membrane of the respiratory tract because of a compromised immune system. That can lead to pneumonia, but these cases are rare and what you said there's no way to tell in the beginning.
@Jovie's Home Of course, the biggest culprit of bacterial resistance is the animal-based food industry. This happened also in Europe, but rules are now stricter in the EU than in the USA. That's one of the reasons you can't buy meat made in the USA in Europe.
@@JoviesHome So I am sorry for your American style Thanksgiving-, Chrismas turkey dinner :) (Aldo, I know you can't make an American style turkey dinner. You have explained this in a previous video, our ovens are too small ;) in Europe.)
I don't think OD'ing on antibiotics is necessarily an "American thing" because I am American and I actually avoid using them unless I have a legitimate infection that requires them....which my doc will assess. I think this antibiotic obsession is a hypochondriac thing lol I know some mom friends that always ask their doc for them and it's just crazy that a doc would just give it to them because they asked.
Love your channel ! I currently live in the USA and have been contemplating applying for a masters program in Utrecht and your channel is helping me make a decision ! Thank you for being so thorough
Hi Jovie, First things first: that little interaction you had with your kid really added some flavor to this video. Funny how that works. It changes the perspective of your stories. Speaking of perspective: one of the things I like about your experiences, stories and shifting insights is that it really changes my own perspective on this country as a Dutchman. It sometimes even makes me feel privileged to have been born and raised here. Apart from what happened these past few years in the USA, I fully recognize the greatness of that country. The USA ' was' - I'm sorry to say - a great leader of the free world. And we do have many reasons to be grateful to the USA. And yet .... being part of this drizzly spec of dirt ... it's not so bad. You really teach me to appreciate it more in spite of some odd quirks. Thank you! And please keep going.
I love how much you love to live in the Netherlands 😃 you are almost more dutch than I am :) well at least you are a lot more aware and appreciative, we are used to living this way
When my coworker is ill I appreciate they stay home.. I really dont want to get ill as well. For me when I feel a cold or flu coming up, i start taking paracetamol and using double multi vitamins a day... so it will be a vitamin boost. Mostly it works and i dont get ill 😇
That last point on Dutch employers I've felt up myself whilst working here in the Netherlands. I work in an International Organization and I've experienced the most magnificent work environment ever (will probably be in the future as well). It was an unbelievable shock for me compared to my home country (a 3rd country) where 'incompetents wear ties'. A very short story to make you understand my point: I came in the Netherlands in 2017 and I was moving around with my bike using my smartphone as a GPS. One night, I went in an Italian restaurant where I met with my boss and another colleague. They both came by the colleague's car. Unfortunately, whilst I was going there my smartphone dropped from my bike and the screen was cracked. When we finished dinner I couldn't remember my way back home and my boss offered to take my bike and ride it back to my home, whilst I would be returning with the colleague's car and we would met there!! Unbelievable. And my boss was an A4 Step 5 level in the organization (i.e high manager) and now he is a Director. I had many similar stories throughout the years. What a great man and a leader and an unbelievable work environment.
Hi! I´m from Sweden and our culture is not that different from the Netherlands in many respects. I´v been working in management a lot of my working life and I just feel I want to expand on a few of your habits. :-) 1: Staying home when sick. It is just not for your own sake to get better or maybe not doing the best you can when at work. It is much more about not spreading the flu or whatever. It is better to stay home and avoiding to spread it and ending up with the whole office on sick leave. :-) 2: Time management. If you are late for a meeting you are wasting everyones time, not just your own. Let us say you are 10 minutes late for a meeting with 5 people you actually waste 10 minutes times 5, That is almost an hour of wasted time. Having said that I´m a sinner too and can be late or go to work sick sometimes. I just wanted to expand on the mindset behind the "rules". Luvya and really enjoy hearing about your experiences in the Netherlands, witch is one of my favorite countries in the world.
The point about antibiotics is crazy to me. I'm Dutch and I think I had antibiotics once when I had an infected wound. I kept walking around with this wound at a summer camp and even went to a doctor there and he told me: just wait out this week and make sure it doesn't get much worse and then get your antibiotics after the summercamp at your own doctor. So I just got my salve and bandage renewed every day and had a fantastic week. After that I got my antibiotics and I was fine afterwards. I think I was like 14 at the time.
Another typically Dutch habit is to take the time to admire a friend's new purchase. "When are you coming over to see my new carpet/curtains/dog kennel/smoothie maker?" Or: "Are you at home? I want to come over to show you my new e-bike/summer hat/hair cut"! You'd better make sure you ooh and aah in the right places or you could really offend your Dutch friend.
So, I guess in the US, of one employee gets sick, the whole company will be sick in no time? Yes, they might be all coming to work but what good is that if everyone is sick? I've had jobs where people were sent home when they were sick because the boss didn't want the rest of his employees to get sick too. That makes a lot more sense than to have a lot of people show up for work when they are too sick to do anything. And fighting the cold you got from a virus with antibiotics? Don't they know the difference between viruses and bacteria in the US? I like the way most businesses are run here. It often improves things as the people who do the every day work often know best what can be improved. And those same employees can warn the management early on if the management comes up with a bad idea. In a previous job I had a manager who had sometimes 20 ideas in a week. He would come out with a new idea to improve our work and tell us to start doing that. As soon as he walked out we often said to eachother: let's not do that. Not to be disrespectful but because we work there every day and we know a bad idea if we see one. And in the Netherlands we can do that.
I really like watching your videos. I actually have a blog where I've written some of my experiences having lived in one place and then another. I currently live in Chile, but moving back to either Holland or Belgium as soon as I can leave. I've lived in 7 countries (so far).
1 Eat seasonal foods and cook more 1:02 - 2:51 2 Dutcher (cheaper) spending 2:51 - 3:38 3 Calling in sick 3:38 - 5:43 4 Using paracetamol/tylanol (and not an antibiotic) 5:43 - 8:53 5 Planning way in advance 8:53 - 10:47 6 Separating trash 10:47 - 12:-48 7 Walking places 12:-48 - 14:22 8 Feeling more equal in the workplace 14:22 - end As a dutchie, I must say I feel like habit 3 is not Dutch at all, yes we do have better "rules" in place for you to be able to call in sick and everything, but I believe there are more than enough Dutchies who will still work when they're sick as long as it's not anything intense. But that might just be me.
and yet it happens. Employers just find excuses, have the arbodienst proclaim the patient fit to work, and then fire them for refusing to work or for not meeting performance criteria.
The more that I watch your videos & other videos about The Netherlands culture, the more that I get confirmation that once the ban is up & I'm able to move there, the more I'll feel at home there than here in the US. I love their culture. Also do you film on your phone?
About the workplace, Still back in my working days back in NL. I had to buy a lot of stuff for the company, and if i was fast to place the order, i could get a pretty good rebate for the company. Now none of the people i needed to sign for it was in. So i stepped into the biggest boss's office, and quickly told him about the situation, putting the order on his desk to sign it. He hardly understood what i was rapping about, and asked me: "How do i know i'm not sticking my neck in a noose ?" . Me: "that's why you hired and pay me, to get the best deal and to keep your head out of the noose." (he signed and got a great deal!) Point beeing, not everyone can know or do everything, a company needs everyone to do his/her thing, and in that manner, everyone is evenly important, from the big boss, to the janitor.
seems to me that your life is more balanced and healthier than the one in the states. Apart from the dutch way of over scheduling for meetups, all the points raised seem great to me!
There's one funny habit I learned when living and working in Paris. It was customary to greet everyone in the workplace personally and giving them a hand, like you have not seen them for a while. This happened, I think, because we were all team members but I found, to my surprise, that when I was introduced to other employees , afterwards I was supposed to shake their hands, too. In the beginning it took a long time but one gets used to it and I reduced the procedure from half an hour to ten minutes. In The Netherlands you just can say "goedemorgen!" and that's fine, basically it is just to let people know you are present at the workplace. I really love your video's by the way. They are perspicacious (isn't there a simpler word?).
I think the difference between the USA and the netherlands is summed up in: living to work vs. working to live. And living more in balance with the environment, food sources and others....more social. Socialism vs capatalism I guess.
Please remember The Netherlands (and Scandinavian and other countries) are not socialist at all. They have social policies yes, but do not confuse "democratic socialism" with "social democracies". They have very little in common.
Hi Jovie I'm John from Ireland I was born in England I lived in America for 11 years but never quite felt safe in USA I watched a video were you were saying that you felt safe I Holland more than usa you can take your kids out in Holland and not have too worry about not hearing gun shoots and so on I notice a lot more Americans that I've talked before in Ireland the y say they love the warmnt ove the Irish people and so on and also the Dutch people are also very friendly wish you all the best look forward too your next video John o Leary
People plan differently. Some long in advance, some very spontaneously! We separate trash quite a lot in Sweden. A first sorting at home, any contaminations at the plant! It works! 😊
I think the healthiest way to look at management is that they have the last say (aka. they are the ones that ultimately decide what happens, or how things will be done ~ and in the end will also be the ones held responsible). But they are humans too, they don't know everything, can't think of every idea, so having a healthy relationship with your employees and benefitting from their strengths, knowledge and ideas seems like a logical thing to do, the more information you have the better decision you can make in the end.
You can find the Dutch seasonal foods ranked on environmental impact here. It is in Dutch: groentefruit.milieucentraal.nl/?prod=&month=oktober&labela=A&labelb=B&action=searching
Must be very stressfull with a working culture like that in the usa when you scared of getting fired if your ill or for if they dont like your ideas or for no reason at all.
I’m glad you brought up cities like Boston and New York as “exceptional” American experiences. I’m Dutch but have lived in the US for many years, and now I’m in Boston, where I do feel like things are a lot more European. I’m really glad I get to walk everywhere, take the train, and not feel like I have to own a car. I lived in Minnesota before this and my life there was a lot like what you described your previous American lifestyle to be like. We had to drive everywhere, among other things.
Don't worry, it will happen one day that a serious illness will occur, law of averages with Murphy putting his oar in as well. ( if it can go wrong it will go wrong. )
I never really understood why American doctors always immediately give a prescription for the strongest antibiotics, but I guess patients have to get rid of the virus or bacteria immediately to go back to work or else they will lose their job and income. Even though that might not be the best solution in the long run considering the fact that those viruses might become resistant to the antibiotic.
Hi Jovie, I wanna say: I enjoy your video's so much. I have a ton to catch up to watch because I just resently I discovered your channel. Is there a vid where you did a Q & A about yourself, your story why you came to the Netherlands ?
You got a chuckle out of me when you said “House Arts” lol! ......and , yes, my mother (from Holland) always has Paracetamol in her purse when she comes to visit. 👍
I have the exact opposite experience when it comes to being sick. I would come in the office in the US and everyone would be like, WHY are you here? Spreading your germs, making everyone sick? And I would be like, well I'm not that sick, I can still work, I don't need to stay in bed all day. And I feel like in The Netherlands it's much more appreciated you're still coming in even though you don't feel well.
So spot on! especially the paracetamol and planning way in advance! that annoyed me before but now I'm totally adapting it! - living and working here for 3 years
Ha,ha, The paracetamol thing! My wife is Polish and it is also very common in Poland to quickly give antibiotics. She however is still not much of a paracetamol believer after 12 years but she is used to it now:Dutch doctor's rarely give antibiotics, when you have a cold, first fight it at home with paracetamol and rest...after a week or two you see the doctor :)
Right IF you can get an appointment that is..with the amount of money you pay for the health insurance it's insane.. Remember never to fall sick on a weekend 😬😬😬🤪🙄
@@MS-lw3rz In the Netherlands: voor een bezoek aan de huisarts of de huisartsenpost geldt geen eigen risico. Voor een bezoek aan de spoedeisende hulp van het ziekenhuis wel. ... Alles wat de huisarts voorschrijft (zoals medicijnen) of aanvraagt (zoals een bloedonderzoek), wordt wél verrekend met je eigen risico.
I agree. I enjoy the video's a lot and even we dutch people can learn from it. I truly love the part when one of your kids came in and just kept it in the video. It really gives a feeling of visiting you.
The function of a fever is to get rid of the virus. You can also increase your body temperature by exercising which has the same effect. and a lot more pleasant.
The things like coffee or a dinner, don't get to be planned too much in advance. A couple days to within a week usually is fine :) Definitely not a month or two. Some bigger appointments/events, they usually do require some planning.
Re: separating trash, it is not necessarily better to let the individual people do that, there are a lot of people who will just put everything in one bin, no matter what. So in the end, that means the plastics/glass/compostables are contaminated with trash that doesn't belong there (ie plastic with the food scraps or paper with the glass etc) and likely unusable. So it might be better to do it at the plant so it's for sure not contaminated. As for antibiotics, I saw a lot of comments already, they are highly regulated because of the superbugs that will get resistant. I believe we're on our last (or second to last, something like that) kind of antibiotic right now, so if we don't find another one things like pneumonia will get very deadly very soon. The use of antibiotics is even more regulated in the farming industry. If an animal has been given antibiotics its milk or meat cannot be used in any way, and they test this very strictly, at every farm, every day when they pick up the milk. I recently read an article about how people at a hospital got infected with bacterial and fungal infections they got from the park in front of the hospital. Turns out, gardeners and crop farmers can just use all kinds of anti bacteria and anti fungal things. Those are freely available in garden centers. It's terrifying for me to think that very soon a simple infection is just not treatable at all.
The, in my opinion, excessive use of antibiotics ties in with not being able to call in sick from work as much. Knock whatever ailment you have out asap to avoid getting fired because of missed time. I have lived in the USA now for 15 years, coming from The Netherlands and I still bring back a good amount of Paracetamol from The Netherlands every time I visit. It works way better for me then the tylenol thats available in the USA for some reason.
To add to taking a sick day, when you take a sick day your salary will continue so it is not a lost of income. Besides that people in the Netherlands have at minimum four weeks of paid leave and are obliged to take at least a continuous two weeks of leave every year.
Habbit nr 5 does not count for every one of us, dutch people... But you make a good point, at least for me! I like to plan in advance... still that would not go months ahead. Mostly (if I'am not busy) I can plan for a meeting within a week. I can't give you other moments, I speak just for myself.
It's funny about separating trash. In my village alone there is only 2 municipalities that have to separate the trash. Where I live they don't care. But 20 minute bike ride to the municipality where my mother lives she have to separate the trash. And my sister who lives also in the same village but different municipality. Also have to separate it. It works weird in the Netherlands. Some have to separate it others don't. Doesn't really make sense
seasonal food is pure logic. in winter its cold so u need more calories to stay at temperature then in summer, so in winter availeble groceries having a higher carb level.
Reminds me of the american employer who put up a note to his employees that doctors notes was not accepted. Because if you can get yourself to a doctor you can get yourself to work. That was the reasoning.
I never understood why there arent sidewalks every where in the states. In mississauga or Toronto we have them every where. So walking is great. When i was in Pennsylvania i wanted to walk and i was pushing a stroller but with no sidewalks i couldnt go out of the hotel for a walk. Only in the downtown core areas could we walk.
Your comment did remind me when I was in Singapore. As being Dutch I wanted to walk to the downtown area. No sidewalks. So literally every 5 minutes a taxi stopped for me asking if I wanted a ride. The most annoying walks I had in my live ;)
I’ve never heard of a doctor in the states giving someone antibiotics for a cold. I’ve only been given antibiotics when I had a urinary track infection or a bacterial sinus infection.
Sickie Australian for a 'Snipperdag' 10 a year no questions asked. A 'Soda' is called a Soft Drink and in the Netherlands in the 50's a Coke or a 7 Up was only on special occasions for me it still is.
@3:40 😉 Just something I noticed, showing "3" with your hands....Most people I know do it with their thumb, index finger and middle finger, but Americans do it with index finger, middle finger and ring finger. 😃😄 1 : index 2 : index and middle 3 : thumb, index and middle 4 : all fingers, no thumb 5 : all 5 fingers
I don't think that's an American thing. I'm Dutch and I do it like that too. It's more comfortable because that way I can hold down my pinky with my thumb.
A couple of things: Whenever I was sick, I still went to work simply because I knew how hard it would be on my colleagues to stay out. However, when THEY got sick, like you said, they'd be out for 2-3 WEEKS at a time which to ME was taking far too much advantage of the so-called being sick days. I agree, that there is no class distinction between management and personnel, but the Dutch sure do like to 'vergader' a lot. Er MOET vergadert worden. 😜
In the Netherlands it is illegal to fire someone who is on sick leave. About the drug prescription, using anti-biotics unnecessary has the dangerous side effect of bacteria becoming immune to anti-biotics. In some countries those bacteria already exist.
I worked both in the US as well as in The Netherlands (started companies in both places), and I think what you are describing may be partly due to you aging but certainly due to culture as well. And at-will employment of course. I also noticed a difference between cities and rural areas and between north and south in the US. So it may not be so clear-cut as it seems.
We lived "next door" in Belgium for a couple of years back in the late 1980s, and then my folks lived in Den Haag for a couple of years in the early 1990s -- and quickly learned that some of what we'd come to consider "European" ideas & behaviors were actually quite a bit more localized. (I say this looking back; there may be more commonality now.) Listening to you talk about sorting disposables & recyclables, the extensive use of public transport (and the extensive *availability* of decent public transport), walking & cycling, the attitudes in the workplace... all brought back LOTS of fond memories of the time I spent visiting my folks there. About the only thing I didn't like was that in addition to holding back on antibiotics (NOT a bad thing), the medical philosophy was also to hold back on painkillers, sometimes in relatively extreme cases. We knew several embassy staff & expats who, when staying in a hospital, were practically begged for painkillers by other patients because they knew "Americans always have painkillers" -- this even happened to my mother in a clinic (she came out the loser in a minor scuffle with gravity). That said, I think the entire family would be more than happy to relocate back there if circumstances allowed -- at the drop of a hat. :-)
Oliebollen are one of my FAVORITE foods in NL! But I like to start eating them in November (or as soon as there's a little stand outside in the shopping center) 😂😋
The Paracetamol treatment only works if you can safely call in sick. Which, in the Netherlands (and I think in most countries in Europe) you can. And the main reason antibiotics are so popular in the US is the antibiotics lobby pushing it so hard. There's not enough money in Tylenol to make its lobby that strong. In the Netherlands medicine lobbying is a lot less. And the insurance companies keep an eye on expenses. They do have a strong lobby. Paracetamol saves them a lot of money.
I have to agree with you on your 8 habits, it must be in my Dutch blood. Here in the USA most every one drives because of the distance to every thing. This is why so many people here are over weight it is a problem.
I think we can learn so much from each other around the world, we should really travel and live in other countries more to really learn how things go around the different parts of the world, but of course with caution.
Indeed! By visiting and living in other countries we can learn what they have/do better than other countries. No place is perfect but we as people can always learn and grow from our experiences. Are you planning on doing an Erasmus year somewhere?
@@JoviesHome I agree, every place has good things in their own way, I don't have anything planned yet, but I will talk about it with my study coach for sure.
If you are a health professional, you should know you should only use them when you have a bacterial infection right? You will also damage your own immune system (microbiome and stuff) when you use that stuff too much....
Lady, so glad to hear you saw the benefit of taking anti-biotics only in heavy cases but let me tell you: You don`t need paracetamol for a simple cold or flu either. LOTS of sleep, enough hydration, rest and fresh food is the best prescription for a quick recovery. Paracetamol might seem pretty harmless compared to antibiotics but, (together with other medicines) they put a big strain on the Dutch drinking water quality. (Paracetamol stays in the urine, gets flushed into the toilet and collects in the drinking water system where it is very hard/costly to filter it out.) Even so, it is mostly a painkiller and doesn`t really help the body recover from a cold or flu. This being said, it`s interesting to hear somebody`s view of this tiny, sometimes awkward country!
I live halftime in France. Antibiotics and all other kind of medication is prescribed way too often. Every household has a small cabinet in the bathroom stuffed with medication. And also the dosage is much higher. I am sure that the Dutch attitude is so much better for your own body. So I would like to say to other expats: be open about it, think it over and don't be upset with your doctor.
It is shocking to me that in the USA people go to work when they are sick. Not good for anybody, not for yourself (your own health), not for your colleagues (their health) and in the end not even for your boss, as for sure your performance will suffer under it. I would even say it can be dangerous to yourself to ignore your sickness and go to work. Probably a major factor why the average age in the US is lower than in the Netherlands.
I just discovered your videos, and I think they are great. It’s like discovering my country al over again. But I have to say, I’m shocked about the working regulations in the US. I don’t think it’s oké to bear raid of ones boss, or to be afraid to get fired if you say something another doesn’t like. (Well, if you call sick every week, I guess that will be a very good reason to fire you, but if you have a contract it won’t be easy to do). You should work to live, yes, but you should not live just to work. There has to be a balance. But that said, thank you for the way you show me my country.
Ooof yea I still need to get used to actually being sick and not going to work being fine. Its NUTS to think otherwise now that I see how it is here, but its a HARD habit to break... It happened a few days ago actually, I had an icky cold, which i thought might get better, so i hadn't contacted my boss in the morning the day before, so at night, maybe 6pm or so, i thought about contacting them, but my boyfriend said, really? you're going to contact them in the evening to mention? but then in the morning he asked how i was doing and i said, eh, i mean not good but... and he said, then just call out, you're sick. Whereas, in america its not uncommon (at least where I worked) to maybe text the boss in the evening to make sure you didn't wait till right before work in the morning to call out, and it was honestly expected over waiting till morning.. And another agreement on the workplace, I do work at a small (very small) grocery store, but my boss is super approachable, really down to earth and isn't sitting on a throne all high and mighty, working just as much physically as us, at the same time doing all the office work on top of that, so honestly, a great work ethic, and it's funny because every time they want to try and take some time off, everyone always tries to be extra available for them, 1. because they're just so nice, and 2. because gosh darn it, they earn it! (and i super agree on in America, when someone from maybe another store or office comes in, and the boss pushes us even harder to do work that is NEVER done anyways, and is completely new to us, because THEY don't want to look bad when they come, so they yell at us when we have no idea what to do, like please, maybe do YOUR job on a daily basis like you should and you won't get so uppity about someone coming over, don't put it on us! )
The 9th habit you picked up living in the Netherlands is: complaining about the weather (one of your earlier videos). That really shows you are living here and have become one of us :D :D
Another enjoyable video -i noticed 2 more habits you seem to have picked up: No curtains - let in as much light as possible and nothing to hide- and houseplants!😍😁
yeah right -i realized that when i watched a later video! i live Holland! i lived there when i was young and hope to live there again- but first i have to go back to the states for a while. before we make that move, although i ‚ ll be at a seminar in Doetichem next weekend ☺️. can you tell me which if your videos talk about the whys of you being in Holland in the first place ?
don’t answer my questions-i found the answer while bingewatching your previous videos! (Q&A) you are quite accomplished and i have to say that whenever you pronounce the dutch words it’s surprisingly spot on ! how many languages do you already speak ? I never thought that dutch is that difficult, in fact it’s really close to english, one just has to allow one‘sself to speak it!😄 I also have to comment on your remarks about the so -called honesty of the dutch and generally the western europeans! after having lived in the States for near 40 years , THAT was a cultureshock, the things people will tell you unsolicited!!! I always say i‘d rather people be fake polite/nice than real mean. i completely agree that being kind and diplomatic is a focus skill i enjoy. And not everybody in Europe lack those graces. On the other hand, i also like that people here have opinions and thoughts.
When I am sick and my doctor suspect I have a bacterial infection, he always makes me have a quick blood test that within minutes says if it really is something worth treating with antibiotics, or if I'd better just go home and relax. Don't you do that in the US?
I live in the US and my doctor does antibiotics has to be warranted. If it is not any doctor that I have had has had no problems saying fluids and rest and when something is prescribed starts at the lowest dosage.
Congratulations! You're really becoming Dutch, (I'd like a video of you Dutch spoken, even a short one). And where in France? (yesterday I came back from Paris and a village nearby)
I hate taking any kind of medicine, even paracetamol. I sometimes go a whole day having a headache because I don't want to take paracetamol. I know that is bad but like I said I hate taking any kind of medicine. And staying home when you are sick is better. Because you take time to get better. When you keep going when you are sick you stay sick longer. But that is just my opinion.
I agree! When you keep going, you do stay sick longer!! Your comment reminds me of when I had my first (emergency) c-section with Leo. When I left the hospital after 3 days, I expected to receive an opioid pain killer to take home with me (this is standard procedure in the USA after c-sections). But the doctor told me "take Paracetamol every 6 hours". I was like WTF, I just had major surgery 😳😫. But they explained that I need to take it easy and let my body heal. Pain is a signal that I'm pushing myself too hard and could be causing more damage. So when I feel pain, to slow down, lay down, rest. Instead of taking pain killers that take away all the pain and causing more issues down the road. We're humans, not machines and sometimes need to stop to take a break. Thanks for watching Antje!!!
I really love you video's and try to watch them as soon as they are out. And you do it at a good time. It's koffietijd when you release them most of the time.
i would love to move to the Netherlands. I am American I have lived in Germany FOR 12 YEARS: I love the Dutch culture: i do not speak Dutch. Is this a problem IF i move there
Yes I heard Joeyjag saying the other day that he in the US would go out to eat 4-5 times a week!! Wow whe go about once every two or three weeks and I already think that is a LOT. And I think cooking is so much fun !! And tgat calling in sick is Dutch..... i don’t think so. I think it is more a personal thing. In my working life I didn’t miss 1 day. And now i am severely ill I hate to do ac’ sick day’ although I maybe shoukd do most of the time. I only skip things that I literally can not but I will always try whatever I can although I actually can’t. Oh and I love to seperate and recycle my trash. I don’t know why but I think it feels so rewarding to do it. I get really extreme in that. And we in NL are rather late with that because our friends in Austria already did this 20 years ago.
Yep, me too, like Joey! We were going out to eat soooo often. But now cooking/baking is my hobby and I love sharing that with my kids too. The calling in sick is maybe not just Dutch, but European (although I've only lived in NL in Europe so I can't speak about other countries). It's just so frowned upon in the US to call in sick even if you have a fever, snot dripping from your nose, etc. Basically if you can walk, you can work. And in NL/Europe it is much more acceptable to go to the husiarts, be told to stay home for a week, and be allowed to do that without repercussions. But I see what you mean about it being a personal choice - certainly, some people will do it much more often than others. Great to hear that you are as crazy about recycling as I am 😂 Big hug Laura!
#3 In the Netherlands you don't risk being fired for being ill. A country that fires people for being human is not a country I would want to live in.
thats exactly what happens in the USA! In two years employ @ a Shell Self-Service Gas/Petrol Station with a Convenience Store i took one day ill-without pay and was grilled why i couldnt notify firm 24 hrs in advance ! How on Gods Green Earth would i anticipate being ill ? Huh ?Im not lazy-far from it ! We also have a working population that is possibly only 12% Union-thats it !That would be 88% Non-Union ! I could be Fired/Sacked for any minute reason.Im what is called an At-Will Employee! Basically im a Sub-Human with no rights whatsoever ! Vacation/Holiday Pay? Forget it ! Ive not had time off for myself since i lost my job to long-term lay-off and consequently Firm went Bankrupt ! That was 2008 ! Its now 2019 ! Eleven yrs.And the real kicker-i work three (3) part-time jobs! Im constantly told i got it better here-than anywhere else in the World ! And i want any benefits in life-i must be a Socialist-go figure ! And to add to all this,im 65 yrs young-im not exactly living a life of----La Dolce Vida !
@@chrischolewa9104 In The Netherlands you will still be paid if ypu are ill.
I started companies in both places, and for an employer it can be killing to have a sick employee, because you pay double (hire a replacement). Since people are generally the highest cost in a business, this can actually drive companies over the edge (esp. small ones), which will cost other people their jobs too.
Just trying to nuance the "firing people for being human" here.
Hi Ron, thanks for your feedback. Were you not able to reclaim the salary costs for your sick employee from the UWV?
@@JoviesHome No, contrary to popular belief, employers do not get salary costs back from the UWV. On the contrary, if you as an employer do not do enough to re-integrate the employee UWV will fine you. But you *are* legally required to continue paying sick employees at least 70% of their salary for two years. Many companies insure themselves against this but that's not cheap either, and premiums will rise of you are unlucky enough to have more sick employees. For more information see this (Dutch) page: ondernemersplein.kvk.nl/loon-doorbetalen-bij-ziekte/
I am Dainsh but moved to The Netherlands as a 21 year old. I have habits such as taking the bike more, eating more fried stuff, eating less pig meat, really enjoying nature more, taking public transport everywhere and apreciating no traffic on the road
Having lived in the US for almost nine months, I can say that the quality of life is higher in The Netherlands than in the USA.
First thing people say is that salaries are higher in the US, but good lord, the prices are so much higher too. Groceries for a 4pax home cooked dinner? Count on a good $60. And that's not going to be all that great. Health care costs? Yeah lets not go there. Work ethic there is a remnant of slavery. Work goes above everything. 10 days vacation a year, if at all. List is long, but yeah. Most of it is mentality. NL calms you down.
Growing up Dutch I was always taught that using antibiotics risks the basteria becoming resistent to that antibiotic so I've always seen taking one when it's not necessary as a pretty selfish thing.
Good point. Same can be said for sick people going into work and infecting everyone else. Just stay home and recover, come back when you're better :)
Also, if you give your body some rest and some time to recover, you actually get better sooner.
Same here in Germany. Though the biggest problem is actually antibiotics which are used in meat production. It's a little bit more regulated in the EU than in the US, though.
@@swanpride the meat In the usa is garbage compare to Europe. Also they wash their chicken clean with chlorine. Forbidden in Europe. America got one of the world's most worst food quality.
@@JoviesHome Also, america's habit to grab for broad spectrum antibiotics at the slightest whim is why there are more and more resistant superbugs.
We work less ours a week in the Netherlands compared to the US but with the same productivity. We're just more efficient
And way, way, way better organized.
Probably more efficient precisely because of fewer hours…
Thats what the Swedish think about us.
Most colds are a virus ,antibiotics won’t do anything at all
Only if you’ve have a bacterial infection it will work!,
Dutch nurse
Yep, and it will make you resistant for antibiotics at the end
do (normal healthy) people go to the doctor for a cold or flu? never did, never thought of that. as far as i now no need for pills, just take some more rest.
One time when i was like sick for 2 weeks. I had a stumach flu and a airway infection. Thes days they can even do a quick bloodtest to see if its a virus of a bacteria so he could give a antibiotics if it was needed. Turned out as a virus. No medication needed except the paracetmol
@@eddybeijer3554 depends on how serious it is.
If you have actual flu you're so sick you wish you were dead.
You're also quite incapable of going to work as you're too sore to do anything except shuffle between your bed and your toilet every once in a while.
In the next 100 years a big epidemic of people being resistent to every antibiotic existing will happen, so that's one of the reasons the Dutch Healthcare system has so many steps before prescribing any antibiotic. For me, as a medicine student, it really haunts me to know this future and to hear how other countries are not doing their part :(
It also happens to animals and I don't think that's a good thing either, I mean antibiotics are really a gift to human kind but we do need to appreciate the immune system too since it's also a scientific marvel.
Agree on your points and YAY for medical school! You've chosen such a noble and giving profession, thank you for that!! 😚
Look east; fagen!
@@ervie60 I also think that is the route to go in the future as an alternative to antibiotics, but a lot more research and trials need to be done to implement it in our own healthcare system.
I have to correct here. "Resistance" to antibiotics is not about you, the human or "host" but about the pathogens (bacteria). The problem is people not finishing the course. After the first dose, part of the bacteria bugging you are killed, each time you take a pill, another wave of these buggers die. If you compare the pill with a knock-out blow then the first pill kills the weak ones, and each next pill kills part of the buggers that managed to survive the previous blows. This means, if you stop too early, the surviving buggers are the stronger ones. Do this too many times and of e.g. staphilococci in your body, only MRSA survives - very dangerous. The problem with medicine men (aka doctors or MD) is they did not study microbiology and biochemistry properly. They overlook, generally, that the buggers can hide where the medication does not arrive (e.g. nerve cells/tissue, cavities in joints) - so prescribe too short. The problem with patients is impatience (they stop too early). The generic Dutch approach to prescribing ABs is not "light" but a broad spectrum that matches symptoms (~gut feeling).
I never understood the American obsession to get an antibiotics treatment for a viral infection. It won't work.
According to my dad, when you have a cold it can either be bacterial or viral but there's no way to tell in the beginning. So most Americans (although other cultures/countries do this too, not just Americans) would rather start the antibiotic "just in case it's bacterial" without thinking of the consequences of bacterial resistance.
@@JoviesHome Hi Jovie, are you sure that's what your dad meant?
Because of according this Dutch site www.artsenzorg.nl/actueel/art/861/verkoudheid-8-feiten-fabels (point 6) that is a fable. However, what can happen in addition to your cold, you can also develop a bacterial infection in your mucous membrane of the respiratory tract because of a compromised immune system. That can lead to pneumonia, but these cases are rare and what you said there's no way to tell in the beginning.
@Jovie's Home Of course, the biggest culprit of bacterial resistance is the animal-based food industry. This happened also in Europe, but rules are now stricter in the EU than in the USA. That's one of the reasons you can't buy meat made in the USA in Europe.
@@JoviesHome So I am sorry for your American style Thanksgiving-, Chrismas turkey dinner :)
(Aldo, I know you can't make an American style turkey dinner. You have explained this in a previous video, our ovens are too small ;) in Europe.)
I don't think OD'ing on antibiotics is necessarily an "American thing" because I am American and I actually avoid using them unless I have a legitimate infection that requires them....which my doc will assess. I think this antibiotic obsession is a hypochondriac thing lol I know some mom friends that always ask their doc for them and it's just crazy that a doc would just give it to them because they asked.
I can completely relate to all of these 8 habits! I'm also an American mama in the Netherlands. Great video Jovie.
Thank you Susan! Have a lovely day!
Love your channel ! I currently live in the USA and have been contemplating applying for a masters program in Utrecht and your channel is helping me make a decision ! Thank you for being so thorough
Heyy I'm curious did you do it?
Hi Jovie,
First things first: that little interaction you had with your kid really added some flavor to this video. Funny how that works. It changes the perspective of your stories.
Speaking of perspective: one of the things I like about your experiences, stories and shifting insights is that it really changes my own perspective on this country as a Dutchman. It sometimes even makes me feel privileged to have been born and raised here. Apart from what happened these past few years in the USA, I fully recognize the greatness of that country. The USA ' was' - I'm sorry to say - a great leader of the free world. And we do have many reasons to be grateful to the USA. And yet .... being part of this drizzly spec of dirt ... it's not so bad. You really teach me to appreciate it more in spite of some odd quirks.
Thank you! And please keep going.
I love how much you love to live in the Netherlands 😃 you are almost more dutch than I am :) well at least you are a lot more aware and appreciative, we are used to living this way
Thank you!! It's good to appreciate what we've got (and in NL we've got a LOT!) Thanks for watching and supporting my channel - I appreciate YOU too!!
"Dutchified" die houden we er in! 🙌🏻
When my coworker is ill I appreciate they stay home.. I really dont want to get ill as well. For me when I feel a cold or flu coming up, i start taking paracetamol and using double multi vitamins a day... so it will be a vitamin boost. Mostly it works and i dont get ill 😇
That last point on Dutch employers I've felt up myself whilst working here in the Netherlands. I work in an International Organization and I've experienced the most magnificent work environment ever (will probably be in the future as well). It was an unbelievable shock for me compared to my home country (a 3rd country) where 'incompetents wear ties'. A very short story to make you understand my point: I came in the Netherlands in 2017 and I was moving around with my bike using my smartphone as a GPS. One night, I went in an Italian restaurant where I met with my boss and another colleague. They both came by the colleague's car. Unfortunately, whilst I was going there my smartphone dropped from my bike and the screen was cracked. When we finished dinner I couldn't remember my way back home and my boss offered to take my bike and ride it back to my home, whilst I would be returning with the colleague's car and we would met there!! Unbelievable. And my boss was an A4 Step 5 level in the organization (i.e high manager) and now he is a Director. I had many similar stories throughout the years. What a great man and a leader and an unbelievable work environment.
When you're sick in the Netherlands, it's preferred to take sick leave, instead of infecting your colleagues.
Or making critical mistakes due to fatigue.
Chantal de Greef . Sneezing in their hands and just rub them on their jeans..🤭
It’s just smart to plan ahead because everybody has a busy life! Planning ahead makes for more people actually making it to the party!
Hi! I´m from Sweden and our culture is not that different from the Netherlands in many respects. I´v been working in management a lot of my working life and I just feel I want to expand on a few of your habits. :-)
1: Staying home when sick.
It is just not for your own sake to get better or maybe not doing the best you can when at work. It is much more about not spreading the flu or whatever. It is better to stay home and avoiding to spread it and ending up with the whole office on sick leave. :-)
2: Time management. If you are late for a meeting you are wasting everyones time, not just your own. Let us say you are 10 minutes late for a meeting with 5 people you actually waste 10 minutes times 5, That is almost an hour of wasted time.
Having said that I´m a sinner too and can be late or go to work sick sometimes. I just wanted to expand on the mindset behind the "rules".
Luvya and really enjoy hearing about your experiences in the Netherlands, witch is one of my favorite countries in the world.
We also share alot of the same sounding and meaning words
The point about antibiotics is crazy to me. I'm Dutch and I think I had antibiotics once when I had an infected wound. I kept walking around with this wound at a summer camp and even went to a doctor there and he told me: just wait out this week and make sure it doesn't get much worse and then get your antibiotics after the summercamp at your own doctor. So I just got my salve and bandage renewed every day and had a fantastic week. After that I got my antibiotics and I was fine afterwards. I think I was like 14 at the time.
Another typically Dutch habit is to take the time to admire a friend's new purchase. "When are you coming over to see my new carpet/curtains/dog kennel/smoothie maker?" Or: "Are you at home? I want to come over to show you my new e-bike/summer hat/hair cut"! You'd better make sure you ooh and aah in the right places or you could really offend your Dutch friend.
So, I guess in the US, of one employee gets sick, the whole company will be sick in no time? Yes, they might be all coming to work but what good is that if everyone is sick?
I've had jobs where people were sent home when they were sick because the boss didn't want the rest of his employees to get sick too.
That makes a lot more sense than to have a lot of people show up for work when they are too sick to do anything.
And fighting the cold you got from a virus with antibiotics? Don't they know the difference between viruses and bacteria in the US?
I like the way most businesses are run here. It often improves things as the people who do the every day work often know best what can be improved. And those same employees can warn the management early on if the management comes up with a bad idea.
In a previous job I had a manager who had sometimes 20 ideas in a week. He would come out with a new idea to improve our work and tell us to start doing that. As soon as he walked out we often said to eachother: let's not do that. Not to be disrespectful but because we work there every day and we know a bad idea if we see one. And in the Netherlands we can do that.
I really like watching your videos. I actually have a blog where I've written some of my experiences having lived in one place and then another. I currently live in Chile, but moving back to either Holland or Belgium as soon as I can leave. I've lived in 7 countries (so far).
1 Eat seasonal foods and cook more 1:02 - 2:51
2 Dutcher (cheaper) spending 2:51 - 3:38
3 Calling in sick 3:38 - 5:43
4 Using paracetamol/tylanol (and not an antibiotic) 5:43 - 8:53
5 Planning way in advance 8:53 - 10:47
6 Separating trash 10:47 - 12:-48
7 Walking places 12:-48 - 14:22
8 Feeling more equal in the workplace 14:22 - end
As a dutchie, I must say I feel like habit 3 is not Dutch at all, yes we do have better "rules" in place for you to be able to call in sick and everything, but I believe there are more than enough Dutchies who will still work when they're sick as long as it's not anything intense. But that might just be me.
I'm late but let me reassure you that in the Netherlands we have a good system that protects employees. Firing sick people is illegal
There is the exception of long-term sick. Just a few days ago there was an article about it in the news.
and yet it happens.
Employers just find excuses, have the arbodienst proclaim the patient fit to work, and then fire them for refusing to work or for not meeting performance criteria.
what? So americans really do take antibiotics for everything, don't recicycle and go to work sick? Y'all are wild
11:50 reclycling! Stuff in, stuff out. (And in the correct dumpster!)
You made a very good point about antibiotics and paracetamol!
The more that I watch your videos & other videos about The Netherlands culture, the more that I get confirmation that once the ban is up & I'm able to move there, the more I'll feel at home there than here in the US. I love their culture. Also do you film on your phone?
About the workplace, Still back in my working days back in NL.
I had to buy a lot of stuff for the company, and if i was fast to place the order, i could get a pretty good rebate for the company.
Now none of the people i needed to sign for it was in.
So i stepped into the biggest boss's office, and quickly told him about the situation, putting the order on his desk to sign it.
He hardly understood what i was rapping about, and asked me: "How do i know i'm not sticking my neck in a noose ?" .
Me: "that's why you hired and pay me, to get the best deal and to keep your head out of the noose."
(he signed and got a great deal!)
Point beeing, not everyone can know or do everything, a company needs everyone to do his/her thing, and in that manner, everyone is evenly important, from the big boss, to the janitor.
Jap. So muss das sein!
seems to me that your life is more balanced and healthier than the one in the states. Apart from the dutch way of over scheduling for meetups, all the points raised seem great to me!
There's one funny habit I learned when living and working in Paris. It was customary to greet everyone in the workplace personally and giving them a hand, like you have not seen them for a while. This happened, I think, because we were all team members but I found, to my surprise, that when I was introduced to other employees , afterwards I was supposed to shake their hands, too. In the beginning it took a long time but one gets used to it and I reduced the procedure from half an hour to ten minutes. In The Netherlands you just can say "goedemorgen!" and that's fine, basically it is just to let people know you are present at the workplace. I really love your video's by the way. They are perspicacious (isn't there a simpler word?).
But - at a Dutch birthday party you not only congratulate the 'jarige job', but everyone else in the room, too!
@@JohanHerrenberg Yes, that is a weird custom. I think it is because you do not know who is who. I try to only congratulate direct family.
In my country Scotland we still call them Paracetamol , and the Dutch rock , ps stay out the bike lane.
I think the difference between the USA and the netherlands is summed up in: living to work vs. working to live. And living more in balance with the environment, food sources and others....more social. Socialism vs capatalism I guess.
Please remember The Netherlands (and Scandinavian and other countries) are not socialist at all. They have social policies yes, but do not confuse "democratic socialism" with "social democracies". They have very little in common.
Hi Jovie I'm John from Ireland I was born in England I lived in America for 11 years but never quite felt safe in USA I watched a video were you were saying that you felt safe I Holland more than usa you can take your kids out in Holland and not have too worry about not hearing gun shoots and so on I notice a lot more Americans that I've talked before in Ireland the y say they love the warmnt ove the Irish people and so on and also the Dutch people are also very friendly wish you all the best look forward too your next video John o Leary
People plan differently. Some long in advance, some very spontaneously! We separate trash quite a lot in Sweden. A first sorting at home, any contaminations at the plant! It works! 😊
I think the healthiest way to look at management is that they have the last say (aka. they are the ones that ultimately decide what happens, or how things will be done ~ and in the end will also be the ones held responsible). But they are humans too, they don't know everything, can't think of every idea, so having a healthy relationship with your employees and benefitting from their strengths, knowledge and ideas seems like a logical thing to do, the more information you have the better decision you can make in the end.
I use your videos explaining what being Dutch also means - to my friends over there in the US.... I see your transition...
I'd love to see that Pinterest board with seasonal food! Anybody else? 🙋🏻
Oooh I might have to make a Jovie’s Home Pinterest and share it here!?!
@@JoviesHome That would be lovely ❤️
You can find the Dutch seasonal foods ranked on environmental impact here. It is in Dutch:
groentefruit.milieucentraal.nl/?prod=&month=oktober&labela=A&labelb=B&action=searching
Must be very stressfull with a working culture like that in the usa when you scared of getting fired if your ill or for if they dont like your ideas or for no reason at all.
I’m glad you brought up cities like Boston and New York as “exceptional” American experiences. I’m Dutch but have lived in the US for many years, and now I’m in Boston, where I do feel like things are a lot more European. I’m really glad I get to walk everywhere, take the train, and not feel like I have to own a car.
I lived in Minnesota before this and my life there was a lot like what you described your previous American lifestyle to be like. We had to drive everywhere, among other things.
I am 22 and never had any antibiotic. I am super healthy and almost never get sick.
good for you.
Same. Might have been sick 2 times last 10 years or so. Even in other EU countries it's so much worse with flu shots at the doctors
Don't worry, it will happen one day that a serious illness will occur, law of averages with Murphy putting his oar in as well. ( if it can go wrong it will go wrong. )
@@semboersen2632 The flu jab is commonsense, the 1918 "Spanish Flu" epidemic killed more people than the total WWI combat and civilian deaths.
I never really understood why American doctors always immediately give a prescription for the strongest antibiotics, but I guess patients have to get rid of the virus or bacteria immediately to go back to work or else they will lose their job and income. Even though that might not be the best solution in the long run considering the fact that those viruses might become resistant to the antibiotic.
⬆⬆⬆ Exactly right. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jovie, I wanna say: I enjoy your video's so much. I have a ton to catch up to watch because I just resently I discovered your channel. Is there a vid where you did a Q & A about yourself, your story why you came to the Netherlands ?
You got a chuckle out of me when you said “House Arts” lol! ......and , yes, my mother (from Holland) always has Paracetamol in her purse when she comes to visit. 👍
I have the exact opposite experience when it comes to being sick. I would come in the office in the US and everyone would be like, WHY are you here? Spreading your germs, making everyone sick? And I would be like, well I'm not that sick, I can still work, I don't need to stay in bed all day. And I feel like in The Netherlands it's much more appreciated you're still coming in even though you don't feel well.
It would depend on where you work (like in a social workplace, horeca and shops it wouldn’t be appreciated...),
So spot on! especially the paracetamol and planning way in advance! that annoyed me before but now I'm totally adapting it! - living and working here for 3 years
I’m glad to see that your move to the Netherlands has helped you to grow as a human being.
Ha,ha, The paracetamol thing! My wife is Polish and it is also very common in Poland to quickly give antibiotics. She however is still not much of a paracetamol believer after 12 years but she is used to it now:Dutch doctor's rarely give antibiotics, when you have a cold, first fight it at home with paracetamol and rest...after a week or two you see the doctor :)
Right IF you can get an appointment that is..with the amount of money you pay for the health insurance it's insane.. Remember never to fall sick on a weekend 😬😬😬🤪🙄
@@MS-lw3rz In the Netherlands: voor een bezoek aan de huisarts of de huisartsenpost geldt geen eigen risico. Voor een bezoek aan de spoedeisende hulp van het ziekenhuis wel. ... Alles wat de huisarts voorschrijft (zoals medicijnen) of aanvraagt (zoals een bloedonderzoek), wordt wél verrekend met je eigen risico.
I like how positive you are, Dutch ppl can learn from that btw!
I agree. I enjoy the video's a lot and even we dutch people can learn from it. I truly love the part when one of your kids came in and just kept it in the video. It really gives a feeling of visiting you.
The function of a fever is to get rid of the virus. You can also increase your body temperature by exercising which has the same effect. and a lot more pleasant.
The things like coffee or a dinner, don't get to be planned too much in advance. A couple days to within a week usually is fine :) Definitely not a month or two. Some bigger appointments/events, they usually do require some planning.
Re: separating trash, it is not necessarily better to let the individual people do that, there are a lot of people who will just put everything in one bin, no matter what. So in the end, that means the plastics/glass/compostables are contaminated with trash that doesn't belong there (ie plastic with the food scraps or paper with the glass etc) and likely unusable. So it might be better to do it at the plant so it's for sure not contaminated.
As for antibiotics, I saw a lot of comments already, they are highly regulated because of the superbugs that will get resistant. I believe we're on our last (or second to last, something like that) kind of antibiotic right now, so if we don't find another one things like pneumonia will get very deadly very soon.
The use of antibiotics is even more regulated in the farming industry. If an animal has been given antibiotics its milk or meat cannot be used in any way, and they test this very strictly, at every farm, every day when they pick up the milk.
I recently read an article about how people at a hospital got infected with bacterial and fungal infections they got from the park in front of the hospital. Turns out, gardeners and crop farmers can just use all kinds of anti bacteria and anti fungal things. Those are freely available in garden centers. It's terrifying for me to think that very soon a simple infection is just not treatable at all.
The, in my opinion, excessive use of antibiotics ties in with not being able to call in sick from work as much. Knock whatever ailment you have out asap to avoid getting fired because of missed time. I have lived in the USA now for 15 years, coming from The Netherlands and I still bring back a good amount of Paracetamol from The Netherlands every time I visit. It works way better for me then the tylenol thats available in the USA for some reason.
To add to taking a sick day, when you take a sick day your salary will continue so it is not a lost of income. Besides that people in the Netherlands have at minimum four weeks of paid leave and are obliged to take at least a continuous two weeks of leave every year.
And your holiday leave accumulates even when you are out on an extended sick leave!
Habbit nr 5 does not count for every one of us, dutch people... But you make a good point, at least for me!
I like to plan in advance... still that would not go months ahead. Mostly (if I'am not busy) I can plan for a meeting within a week.
I can't give you other moments, I speak just for myself.
It's funny about separating trash. In my village alone there is only 2 municipalities that have to separate the trash. Where I live they don't care. But 20 minute bike ride to the municipality where my mother lives she have to separate the trash. And my sister who lives also in the same village but different municipality. Also have to separate it. It works weird in the Netherlands. Some have to separate it others don't. Doesn't really make sense
seasonal food is pure logic. in winter its cold so u need more calories to stay at temperature then in summer, so in winter availeble groceries having a higher carb level.
Another great video! Thank you so much! I know how much work this type of content takes even though you make it look super easy 😀
Thank you so much ♥️ it’s a labor of love. Thanks foe watching and commenting, I really appreciate you Heidi!
Jovie's Home same!! 🤗
Reminds me of the american employer who put up a note to his employees that doctors notes was not accepted. Because if you can get yourself to a doctor you can get yourself to work. That was the reasoning.
I never understood why there arent sidewalks every where in the states. In mississauga or Toronto we have them every where. So walking is great. When i was in Pennsylvania i wanted to walk and i was pushing a stroller but with no sidewalks i couldnt go out of the hotel for a walk. Only in the downtown core areas could we walk.
Your comment did remind me when I was in Singapore. As being Dutch I wanted to walk to the downtown area. No sidewalks. So literally every 5 minutes a taxi stopped for me asking if I wanted a ride. The most annoying walks I had in my live ;)
I’ve never heard of a doctor in the states giving someone antibiotics for a cold. I’ve only been given antibiotics when I had a urinary track infection or a bacterial sinus infection.
Wow, Jovie, you have become Dutch fast.
Antibiotics don't work against viral infections like flu/cold as you should know. ;-) They only work in case of bacterial infections.
Sickie Australian for a 'Snipperdag' 10 a year no questions asked. A 'Soda' is called a Soft Drink and in the Netherlands in the 50's a Coke or a 7 Up was only on special occasions for me it still is.
So it should be. Far healthier for
ones gut.
@3:40 😉 Just something I noticed, showing "3" with your hands....Most people I know do it with their thumb, index finger and middle finger, but Americans do it with index finger, middle finger and ring finger. 😃😄
1 : index
2 : index and middle
3 : thumb, index and middle
4 : all fingers, no thumb
5 : all 5 fingers
I don't think that's an American thing. I'm Dutch and I do it like that too. It's more comfortable because that way I can hold down my pinky with my thumb.
When you are sick your sick, stay home and get better. It's not like you enjoy being sick!!!! No fear to get fired for that!!! ♥️
A couple of things: Whenever I was sick, I still went to work simply because I knew how hard it would be on my colleagues to stay out. However, when THEY got sick, like you said, they'd be out for 2-3 WEEKS at a time which to ME was taking far too much advantage of the so-called being sick days. I agree, that there is no class distinction between management and personnel, but the Dutch sure do like to 'vergader' a lot. Er MOET vergadert worden. 😜
In the Netherlands it is illegal to fire someone who is on sick leave. About the drug prescription, using anti-biotics unnecessary has the dangerous side effect of bacteria becoming immune to anti-biotics. In some countries those bacteria already exist.
I worked both in the US as well as in The Netherlands (started companies in both places), and I think what you are describing may be partly due to you aging but certainly due to culture as well. And at-will employment of course. I also noticed a difference between cities and rural areas and between north and south in the US. So it may not be so clear-cut as it seems.
Chickensoup. Nature's antibiotic.
At least it makes you happy.
For real? For my job I called in 3 times sick in +6 years (1 of them sickness 2 of them injury related, couldn't walk or lift my arms) (dutch also)
We lived "next door" in Belgium for a couple of years back in the late 1980s, and then my folks lived in Den Haag for a couple of years in the early 1990s -- and quickly learned that some of what we'd come to consider "European" ideas & behaviors were actually quite a bit more localized. (I say this looking back; there may be more commonality now.) Listening to you talk about sorting disposables & recyclables, the extensive use of public transport (and the extensive *availability* of decent public transport), walking & cycling, the attitudes in the workplace... all brought back LOTS of fond memories of the time I spent visiting my folks there. About the only thing I didn't like was that in addition to holding back on antibiotics (NOT a bad thing), the medical philosophy was also to hold back on painkillers, sometimes in relatively extreme cases. We knew several embassy staff & expats who, when staying in a hospital, were practically begged for painkillers by other patients because they knew "Americans always have painkillers" -- this even happened to my mother in a clinic (she came out the loser in a minor scuffle with gravity). That said, I think the entire family would be more than happy to relocate back there if circumstances allowed -- at the drop of a hat. :-)
most seasonal food for me.. oliebollen on new years....!
Oliebollen are one of my FAVORITE foods in NL! But I like to start eating them in November (or as soon as there's a little stand outside in the shopping center) 😂😋
@@JoviesHome I eat them all year around whenever I want. Its not that hard to make them yourself :)
The Paracetamol treatment only works if you can safely call in sick. Which, in the Netherlands (and I think in most countries in Europe) you can.
And the main reason antibiotics are so popular in the US is the antibiotics lobby pushing it so hard. There's not enough money in Tylenol to make its lobby that strong.
In the Netherlands medicine lobbying is a lot less. And the insurance companies keep an eye on expenses. They do have a strong lobby. Paracetamol saves them a lot of money.
I have to agree with you on your 8 habits, it must be in my Dutch blood. Here in the USA most every one drives because of the distance to every thing. This is why so many people here are over weight it is a problem.
I think we can learn so much from each other around the world, we should really travel and live in other countries more to really learn how things go around the different parts of the world, but of course with caution.
Indeed! By visiting and living in other countries we can learn what they have/do better than other countries. No place is perfect but we as people can always learn and grow from our experiences. Are you planning on doing an Erasmus year somewhere?
@@JoviesHome I agree, every place has good things in their own way, I don't have anything planned yet, but I will talk about it with my study coach for sure.
If you are a health professional, you should know you should only use them when you have a bacterial infection right? You will also damage your own immune system (microbiome and stuff) when you use that stuff too much....
Lady, so glad to hear you saw the benefit of taking anti-biotics only in heavy cases but let me tell you: You don`t need paracetamol for a simple cold or flu either. LOTS of sleep, enough hydration, rest and fresh food is the best prescription for a quick recovery. Paracetamol might seem pretty harmless compared to antibiotics but, (together with other medicines) they put a big strain on the Dutch drinking water quality. (Paracetamol stays in the urine, gets flushed into the toilet and collects in the drinking water system where it is very hard/costly to filter it out.) Even so, it is mostly a painkiller and doesn`t really help the body recover from a cold or flu. This being said, it`s interesting to hear somebody`s view of this tiny, sometimes awkward country!
😂
Being from Arizona, do you miss Tex-Mex and Mexican food? Green chiles roasting in the late summer?
yeah nr. 5 I hate. But as a Dutchman it is totally swimming upstream. Yet I will never plan noting more than 3 days in advance. GO SPONTANEITY!
Great video Jovie! I'm wondering is there are any meal delivery services in the Netherlands? It sure makes a difference here in the US to have that.
We sure do George! You can order food from every corner of the world just about everywhere in the Netherlands ;)
5:55 Laughed my head off!!!!!
You've not become that European yet, you still add ation to transport. 💋💋
yoo Jovie, keep on grinding... keep husstling your youtube game up.. doing great! 😎
Thank you so much, your support means so much!!
@@JoviesHome aah thanks girl! ❤
I live halftime in France. Antibiotics and all other kind of medication is prescribed way too often. Every household has a small cabinet in the bathroom stuffed with medication. And also the dosage is much higher. I am sure that the Dutch attitude is so much better for your own body. So I would like to say to other expats: be open about it, think it over and don't be upset with your doctor.
It is shocking to me that in the USA people go to work when they are sick. Not good for anybody, not for yourself (your own health), not for your colleagues (their health) and in the end not even for your boss, as for sure your performance will suffer under it.
I would even say it can be dangerous to yourself to ignore your sickness and go to work.
Probably a major factor why the average age in the US is lower than in the Netherlands.
A doctor giving anti biotics against a virus infection??? where did he get his papers??? The Bingo at MacDonalds??
I just discovered your videos, and I think they are great. It’s like discovering my country al over again. But I have to say, I’m shocked about the working regulations in the US. I don’t think it’s oké to bear raid of ones boss, or to be afraid to get fired if you say something another doesn’t like. (Well, if you call sick every week, I guess that will be a very good reason to fire you, but if you have a contract it won’t be easy to do). You should work to live, yes, but you should not live just to work. There has to be a balance.
But that said, thank you for the way you show me my country.
So good
Ooof yea I still need to get used to actually being sick and not going to work being fine. Its NUTS to think otherwise now that I see how it is here, but its a HARD habit to break... It happened a few days ago actually, I had an icky cold, which i thought might get better, so i hadn't contacted my boss in the morning the day before, so at night, maybe 6pm or so, i thought about contacting them, but my boyfriend said, really? you're going to contact them in the evening to mention? but then in the morning he asked how i was doing and i said, eh, i mean not good but... and he said, then just call out, you're sick. Whereas, in america its not uncommon (at least where I worked) to maybe text the boss in the evening to make sure you didn't wait till right before work in the morning to call out, and it was honestly expected over waiting till morning..
And another agreement on the workplace, I do work at a small (very small) grocery store, but my boss is super approachable, really down to earth and isn't sitting on a throne all high and mighty, working just as much physically as us, at the same time doing all the office work on top of that, so honestly, a great work ethic, and it's funny because every time they want to try and take some time off, everyone always tries to be extra available for them, 1. because they're just so nice, and 2. because gosh darn it, they earn it! (and i super agree on in America, when someone from maybe another store or office comes in, and the boss pushes us even harder to do work that is NEVER done anyways, and is completely new to us, because THEY don't want to look bad when they come, so they yell at us when we have no idea what to do, like please, maybe do YOUR job on a daily basis like you should and you won't get so uppity about someone coming over, don't put it on us! )
The 9th habit you picked up living in the Netherlands is: complaining about the weather (one of your earlier videos). That really shows you are living here and have become one of us :D :D
😂True!! I'll add that to the list for next time. Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Wow. I'm quite shocked to be honest. Can't imagine living without these Dutch habits.
Another enjoyable video -i noticed 2 more habits you seem to have picked up: No curtains - let in as much light as possible and nothing to hide- and houseplants!😍😁
😂Thank you Gail! But unfortunately this was filmed at my aunt's house in France! Guess she's more Dutch than I am 😂 Thank you for watching!
yeah right -i realized that when i watched a later video!
i live Holland! i lived there when i was young and hope to live there again- but first i have to go back to the states for a while. before we make that move, although i ‚ ll be at a seminar in Doetichem next weekend ☺️.
can you tell me which if your videos talk about the whys of you being in Holland in the first place ?
don’t answer my questions-i found the answer while bingewatching your previous videos! (Q&A) you are quite accomplished and i have to say that whenever you pronounce the dutch words it’s surprisingly spot on !
how many languages do you already speak ? I never thought that dutch is that difficult, in fact it’s really close to english, one just has to allow one‘sself to speak it!😄 I also have to comment on your remarks about the so -called honesty of the dutch and generally the western europeans! after having lived in the States for near 40 years , THAT was a cultureshock, the things people will tell you unsolicited!!! I always say i‘d rather people be fake polite/nice than real mean. i completely agree that being kind and diplomatic is a focus skill i enjoy. And not everybody in Europe lack those graces. On the other hand, i also like that people here have opinions and thoughts.
When I am sick and my doctor suspect I have a bacterial infection, he always makes me have a quick blood test that within minutes says if it really is something worth treating with antibiotics, or if I'd better just go home and relax. Don't you do that in the US?
Laila Ulvseth Blood tests are expensive here, so no.
I live in the US and my doctor does antibiotics has to be warranted. If it is not any doctor that I have had has had no problems saying fluids and rest and when something is prescribed starts at the lowest dosage.
Congratulations! You're really becoming Dutch, (I'd like a video of you Dutch spoken, even a short one). And where in France? (yesterday I came back from Paris and a village nearby)
Love watching your vids 💋
I hate taking any kind of medicine, even paracetamol. I sometimes go a whole day having a headache because I don't want to take paracetamol. I know that is bad but like I said I hate taking any kind of medicine. And staying home when you are sick is better. Because you take time to get better. When you keep going when you are sick you stay sick longer. But that is just my opinion.
I agree! When you keep going, you do stay sick longer!! Your comment reminds me of when I had my first (emergency) c-section with Leo. When I left the hospital after 3 days, I expected to receive an opioid pain killer to take home with me (this is standard procedure in the USA after c-sections). But the doctor told me "take Paracetamol every 6 hours". I was like WTF, I just had major surgery 😳😫. But they explained that I need to take it easy and let my body heal. Pain is a signal that I'm pushing myself too hard and could be causing more damage. So when I feel pain, to slow down, lay down, rest. Instead of taking pain killers that take away all the pain and causing more issues down the road. We're humans, not machines and sometimes need to stop to take a break. Thanks for watching Antje!!!
I really love you video's and try to watch them as soon as they are out. And you do it at a good time. It's koffietijd when you release them most of the time.
Glass, paper, plastic/metal, veggetable stuff, rest. I got six garbadge cans now…. oy gewalt..
i would love to move to the Netherlands. I am American I have lived in Germany FOR 12 YEARS: I love the Dutch culture: i do not speak Dutch. Is this a problem IF i move there
Yes I heard Joeyjag saying the other day that he in the US would go out to eat 4-5 times a week!! Wow whe go about once every two or three weeks and I already think that is a LOT. And I think cooking is so much fun !! And tgat calling in sick is Dutch..... i don’t think so. I think it is more a personal thing. In my working life I didn’t miss 1 day. And now i am severely ill I hate to do ac’ sick day’ although I maybe shoukd do most of the time. I only skip things that I literally can not but I will always try whatever I can although I actually can’t.
Oh and I love to seperate and recycle my trash. I don’t know why but I think it feels so rewarding to do it. I get really extreme in that. And we in NL are rather late with that because our friends in Austria already did this 20 years ago.
Yep, me too, like Joey! We were going out to eat soooo often. But now cooking/baking is my hobby and I love sharing that with my kids too. The calling in sick is maybe not just Dutch, but European (although I've only lived in NL in Europe so I can't speak about other countries). It's just so frowned upon in the US to call in sick even if you have a fever, snot dripping from your nose, etc. Basically if you can walk, you can work. And in NL/Europe it is much more acceptable to go to the husiarts, be told to stay home for a week, and be allowed to do that without repercussions. But I see what you mean about it being a personal choice - certainly, some people will do it much more often than others.
Great to hear that you are as crazy about recycling as I am 😂
Big hug Laura!
Jovie's Home Recycling sisters !! 😂😂😂😂