Caitilin

From my experience (20 years in holland as dutch, 6 years in the UK). The english ahve more issues with the Germans than the Dutch do. Especially the younger generation, I mean, its 60 years ago. Give it a break already.

Also, for a good vegetarian restaurant - bla bla in Rotterdam.

gelato

Caitlin - will have to try that restaurant next time we're in Rotterdam. We used to have a fab vegetarian restaurant near us in Rome (Arancia Blu) but it moved far away recently unfortunately.

No idea how the British perceive Germans but that's a real shame if they have a negative view from the war. As you say, it really is ridiculous after 60 years. My dad is married to a Japanese woman and I don't think she gets any flak re WWII. She wasn't even born then! Maybe I should ask her...

Volt61

Why can't she be both?

Family S

Negatives.. I could write a book about it!

Ragga1

Disclamer: below is not the average response, I love Amsterdam in general. But I can't help myself...too hilarious now... in an eyewear/sunglasses shop:

Me: "Hi, I really don't know what kind of glasses to get" (smiling)
Saleswoman: "I don't know either"

Family S

To be honest??
If you fit the "normal" curve and/or you fit in one of the "Dutch boxes".
You'll have a blast.

But if you don't fit in the boxes and you need help?
It's an awful country.
If you have anything that's not in the DSV-IV?
You don't get help.
Does your family crash because of it??
You don't get sick-leave.
Does your child crashes in school?
You can't keep him home.
Home (school) is illegal.
If your 13 year old is suicidal because of school?
And you keep them home?
Your kids are taken away from you.
Are you in pain every day, but it's not in the DSM-IV?
You don't get help. you have to go to work.

So if you fit the boxes, and you're average??
Have a blast!!

But if you(r) (kids) are gifted, spatial learner or have fibromyalgia?
Please choose an other country.....

furkew

I lived there 21 years, and there were far more positives than negatives.

Family S

I live here for 33 years.
But My guess is that you fit in the boxes.
Why did you move to Australia then??

furkew

Because that is where life took me.

21 years in the UK, 21 years in Holland, now its Oz. and as it turns out, I now live in a small town of about 3500 people of which over 50% are Dutch or of Dutch origin.

Family S

Sounds like a great life.
(We can't wait to get to OZ, we're waiting for the SMP's)

It's not the Dutch people that make the problems.
It's the social laws that make it like hell for us.
A child has to got to school, even if there no good school that fits it's needs.
If you have a condition that's not in the great book of conditions (DSM-IV), than you have to pay everything you need to get better yourselves.
With that condition you don't get sick-leave, you just lose your job and haven go on welfare and even there it's a struggle to keep it.
If your kid has a condition that's not in "the book" they crash in school, they have to stay in school and the therapy you have to pay for yourself.
Ï know parents with depressed 12 year old kids that are in financial problems because of this. Or kids on medications they don't need, because the professionals just picked a disease that was in the great book.
And the parents think that the professionals know best.
If you keep him/her at home to make them better, eventually your kids are taken away from you and you'll end up in jail.
And that really happens over here.

But if you don't have these kind of problems over here and you don't mind that your neighbour buys a bigger car the week after you bought yours.
You'll have a blast!!

furkew

Where we lived in Holland it was the same in the whole estate (but I get the impression a lot of places in the UK are the same)

I had a Peugeot 206 & the wife had a Daihatsu Terios and we looked very out of place amongst all the BMW X5's, porches, hummers & Merc's

We didnt even have a boat, horse or holiday house. We were real poor people.

furkew

[QUOTE=Family S;8780023]It's not the Dutch people that make the problems.
It's the social laws that make it like hell for us.
A child has to got to school, even if there no good school that fits it's needs.
If you have a condition that's not in the great book of conditions (DSM-IV), than you have to pay everything you need to get better yourselves.
With that condition you don't get sick-leave, you just lose your job and haven go on welfare and even there it's a struggle to keep it.
If your kid has a condition that's not in "the book" they crash in school, they have to stay in school and the therapy you have to pay for yourself.
Ï know parents with depressed 12 year old kids that are in financial problems because of this. Or kids on medications they don't need, because the professionals just picked a disease that was in the great book.
And the parents think that the professionals know best.
If you keep him/her at home to make them better, eventually your kids are taken away from you and you'll end up in jail.
And that really happens over here.

QUOTE]

We were lucky to have a "normal" life in Holland, so can't comment too much on the troubles you guys seem to have had (and it sounds like you have had it rough). The Dutch system of rules & regs can be very frustrating sometimes, but the Health & Education services were IMO always of a very high standard. I did have the advantage of my wife being Dutch, so she was aways the one doing the organizing of medical visits & schools.

Its for sure far better than down under !!

So you guys are looking to head down under?

Family S

You're right, we have it rough.

Yep we're heading down under.
Just waiting for the SMP's and the elections.
Hopefully we can move there before things really get out of hands over here.
Maybe we'll move to Belgium before we head over to OZ if the visa is to late.

COF

I'd say Dutch weather is slightly worse than the UK. The average temperature is a couple of degrees lower and the average rainfall is similar, if not even higher.

tyr

The Dutch weather is MUCH worse than the UK. Its weird UK has the stereotype for always raining when its really quite a dry country. The east coast at least. Someone from Liverpool may say different.

Also a bit of a problem in Amsterdam at least is that everyone is on their guard for tourists. They're used to foreigners swarming over for drugs and sex so they're a bit closed in against those people. I came to quite hate tourists whilst I was there.