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Braavos36399 Posts
Here are my impression from living in the Netherlands. Honestly 90% of my time is spent on the internet anyway so the other 10%...
Apparently Utrecht (the city where I live in) is ranked by the BBC as one of the world's happiest places to live.
1. Biking
Everyone bikes here. Look at this shit. I never biked often before, always took the subway in NY or drove. Now I bike everywhere. I ride a "female" bike and apparently I go too slow. That's OK, my Chinese biking genes are firing up and I'll be weaving in and out of traffic like Trinity in the only good part in the second Matrix movie in no time. Here is a picture of me riding a bike. I've almost died twice even though the laws are super favorable to bike riders (no helmets tho wtf?). I have yet to name my bike, accepting suggestions.
2. Weather
It rains here all the fucking time. Apparently its entirely normal to just ride a bike in rain for 20 minutes to get places. I imagine it's going to get really cold. This really isn't important to me because I don't go outside ever anyway.
3. Food
OK here is what I miss most about NY. In NYC there were like 20 places open 24/7, 5 of which were very good, all delivery range that I could get food from at like 4am. Not the case here. Restaurant and delivery is expensive. Some of the local food is pretty good though, I like the farmer's cabbage (this weird mashed potatoes style green stuff) and somehow the bread here is amazing. I also ate these sweet ball things that they normally eat at New Years, those were good too. Why is the bread so good? I don't understand. Maybe the bread in the US was just shit and this is normal bread, not some next level yeast infused with cocaine.
4. Places / Social
OK admittedly I haven't been outside much, my free time is spent watching ESPORTS and playing games. I have been to the Utrecht city center a few times, and it seems nice. There are no cars and lots of young people (I think this place is the equivalent of a college town). After not being an "internet person" at all at the start of college, years I think I've finally accepted that I'm an introvert who only goes out like twice a month and I'm OK with that. I get plenty of virtual socialization through the Internet, it's just so tiresome going outside. This is probably where my mom asks where are my grandkids?? Where are they?? Well dunno what to tell you mom, moving away from the thousands of compatible NY women probably didn't help that. Arranged marriage time??
5. Entertainment
There's no movie theaters here and they only play the biggest movie releases. For instance I like see movies like this one and Europe just doesn't have these. I'm going to fiend on movies so hard when I visit the US. However, I do watch a lot of sports and movies online through entirely legal means because it's much easier to find entirely legal sources for those entirely legal things here.
6. People
Everyone is so nice and seemingly content. Maybe it's the universal health care and basic human rights, like gays can marry and there's no debate about it?? Crazy I know. It's hard to describe but everyone seems to just be content. Not like overtly happy, but content. I've heard that there's a more European mindset about life and happiness that doesn't revolve around rat racing to get more money like the US, which has its good and bad... on the one hand you have people who are happy but on the other hand there's less creativity and innovation and "American dream" success stories. Either way it produces less depressed people probably but less NBA basketball players and actors.
6.5 People Part 2
Everyone is tall. I'm like 5'7-5'8 (172cm) and everyone is taller than me. I'm also the only Asian for miles, every time I see another Asian dude I wanna chest bump him and be like "yo lets get some mooncakes and eat them with chopsticks bro and then take a math test." I want to say the people are more attractive but I'm not sure if that's actually true or whether it's just the fact that there are very few obese people like there are in the US. I think it might be because everyone bikes everywhere and that's entirely more exercise than most Americans get. Biking to and from places is like an extra half hour of cardio every where you go.
7. Dutchness
What a troonrede, indeed. Personally I like King Willem-Alexander, I call him KWA for short, like an airport. He's the first King I've known since George, and frankly I like KWA better, he's much more hands off and we totally wouldn't have had a colonial rebellion if it was him instead. Everyone speaks English here and often their grammar is better than those in the US. I don't think I'm ever going to learn Dutch, though I might learn a few key phrases, like "I only know how to say this in Dutch" and "where is the nearest bus station" and "are you open to dating men who are shorter than you". I have eaten some traditional Dutch food, I have not yet worn clogs, visited a windmill, or attended a football match. I probably will eventually.
8. Miscellaneous differences
Service based industries in the US seem to be nicer in general. Since theres not really a tipping, customer-is-always-right culture in Europe the service is different. It's not necessarily bad, just more tepid, ie you won't feel the waitresses are flirting with you like every American restaurant. Also lots of laws here just make sense, and that's sad that I have to mention that as a difference between here and the US.
That's all for now, my life is not that exciting. I will be attending Blizzcon, MLG Columbus, and DreamHack this next month. I will miss HomeStory, which I am quite sad about. I will probably attend an EU WCS in Germany at some point so Kennigit I'm coming for you.
TLDR: Netherlands is different than New York, read my blog you lazy illiterate
 
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Korea (South)11232 Posts
On November 05 2013 20:54 Hot_Bid wrote:
6.5 People Part 2
Everyone is tall. I'm like 5'7-5'8 (172cm) and everyone is taller than me. I'm also the only Asian for miles, every time I see another Asian dude I wanna chest bump him and be like "yo lets get some mooncakes and eat them with chopsticks bro and then take a math test." I want to say the people are more attractive but I'm not sure if that's actually true or whether it's just the fact that there are very few obese people like there are in the US. I think it might be because everyone bikes everywhere and that's entirely more exercise than most Americans get. Biking to and from places is like an extra half hour of cardio every where you go.
you still have a long way to go
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About food, you're probably in the worst country in Europe when it comes to that (I'm preparing to be flamed but let's be honest two second here...). And american bread more or less sucks yeah.
Nice blog anyway, don't go out too much, you might catch that throat disease they call a language over there 
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Bikers are the gender-confused vehicle of inner-urban society. They are constantly unsure if they are pedestrian or vehicle oriented and feel they are entitled to be on either the sidewalk and road without any regard for the trafficking laws. They have some sort of superiority complex with their two-wheeling no-pollution mobility and speed. They don't stop for no one. It's not as bad as when I was in Dublin, I think the crosswalks are there to add some flair to the city; every mother-funker crosses whenever/wherever/whoever they want.
Are you mad that nothing is open on Sunday? I ran out of food on Saturday and so my Sunday meals consisted of butter and a variety of flat-surfaced foods, there's only so many ways I can melt butter...
Do you have to pay for your television? Even if we don't have any TVs or radio in the house, we still have to pay for it. It's like 20 euros a month: so aggravating.
Please take more pictures
I should do a blog like this!
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5 Stars just for the TLDR haha, glad you are enjoying the 10% of your life that is outside.
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Nice to see you enjoy the bread, it is indeed amazing (and only 10% cocaine).
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Zurich15365 Posts
Alright kennigit no excuses anymore.
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Germany767 Posts
On November 05 2013 21:06 Torte de Lini wrote:
Bikers are the gender-confused vehicle of inner-urban society. They are constantly unsure if they are unsure if they are pedestrian or vehicle oriented and feel they are entitled to be on either the sidewalk and road without any regard for the trafficking laws. They have some sort of superiority complex with their two-wheeling no-pollution mobility and speed.
Are you mad that nothing is open on Sunday? I ran out of food on Saturday and so my Sunday meals consisted of butter and a variety of flat-surfaced foods, there's only so many ways I can melt butter...
Do you have to pay for your television? Even if we don't have any TVs or radio in the house, we still have to pay for it. It's like 20 euros a month: so aggravating.
Please take more pictures
I should do a blog like this!
dude I forget it's Sunday ALL The time and then it's bread and butter or pasta with hopefully spare pesto time :D There's a few places that are open though. the Edeka in the Friedrichstrasse for example ^^
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Smix
United States4549 Posts
5 stars
i'd like to think u started writing this after i asked you how the netherlands was
hehe
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On November 05 2013 21:08 Liquid`TLO wrote:Show nested quote +On November 05 2013 21:06 Torte de Lini wrote:
Bikers are the gender-confused vehicle of inner-urban society. They are constantly unsure if they are unsure if they are pedestrian or vehicle oriented and feel they are entitled to be on either the sidewalk and road without any regard for the trafficking laws. They have some sort of superiority complex with their two-wheeling no-pollution mobility and speed.
Are you mad that nothing is open on Sunday? I ran out of food on Saturday and so my Sunday meals consisted of butter and a variety of flat-surfaced foods, there's only so many ways I can melt butter...
Do you have to pay for your television? Even if we don't have any TVs or radio in the house, we still have to pay for it. It's like 20 euros a month: so aggravating.
Please take more pictures
I should do a blog like this!
dude I forget it's Sunday ALL The time and then it's bread and butter or pasta with hopefully spare pesto time :D There's a few places that are open though. the Edeka in the Friedrichstrasse for example ^^
YOU MUST SHOW ME!
This weekend, I finished my last boiled egg during dinner and I was stuck with olive oil, butter and some sliced cheese (Germans love their cheese!).
I'm around Oranienburger Straße, so I can definitely trek there!
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On November 05 2013 21:06 Torte de Lini wrote:
Bikers are the gender-confused vehicle of inner-urban society. They are constantly unsure if they are pedestrian or vehicle oriented and feel they are entitled to be on either the sidewalk and road without any regard for the trafficking laws. They have some sort of superiority complex with their two-wheeling no-pollution mobility and speed. They don't stop for no one. It's not as bad as when I was in Dublin, I think the crosswalks are there to add some flair to the city; every mother-funker crosses whenever/wherever/whoever they want.
Are you mad that nothing is open on Sunday? I ran out of food on Saturday and so my Sunday meals consisted of butter and a variety of flat-surfaced foods, there's only so many ways I can melt butter...
Do you have to pay for your television? Even if we don't have any TVs or radio in the house, we still have to pay for it. It's like 20 euros a month: so aggravating.
Please take more pictures
I should do a blog like this!
Here in Belgium it's easier if you know neighbourhoods with Turkish/Moroccan shops you can always go there on sundays, they're always open(unless there's a wedding ^^)
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Please do chest bump the next asian you see and eat mooncakes, also a write up afterwards 
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On November 05 2013 21:06 Torte de Lini wrote:
Are you mad that nothing is open on Sunday? I ran out of food on Saturday and so my Sunday meals consisted of butter and a variety of flat-surfaced foods, there's only so many ways I can melt butter...
Actually since like half a year or a year or so most supermarkets are open here in Utrecht, edit: on Sunday lol! So that's nice
Fun read Hotbid!
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Braavos36399 Posts
I have two serious questions:
1. Does viewing this windmill in person have any advantages over just looking at a picture of it online for 2 minutes?
2. Do older windmills serve any purpose other than historical decoration?
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Hot_Bid you are a lovely person, thanks for this little blog thing.
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Korea (South)11232 Posts
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On November 05 2013 21:19 Hot_Bid wrote:I have two serious questions: 1. Does viewing this windmill in person have any advantages over just looking at a picture of it online for 2 minutes? 2. Do older windmills serve any purpose other than historical decoration?
Heh, that windmill has an organic butcher in it. So:
1. Windmills in action are pretty impressive, especially if you are in the top of one. So that's the only advantage I think.
2. Sometimes they are still used for useful purposes like pumping water or grinding grain, but I think those are kept alive for more nostalgic/cultural reasons. It is fun to buy flour at a windmill though!
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Netherlands45349 Posts
the only asian for miles
u lie
our bread is mwah, its not actually that great but America's bread is really bad.
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On November 05 2013 21:19 Hot_Bid wrote:I have two serious questions: 1. Does viewing this windmill in person have any advantages over just looking at a picture of it online for 2 minutes? 2. Do older windmills serve any purpose other than historical decoration?
Hey man,
I live just down the street from that mill and:
1. Yeah because you should see it up close, smell the wall and hear the wood crackle (dunno if that's a word).
2. This isnt a working mill anymore but a biological butcher.
If you wanna go out sometime too a party PM me, we will show you around :D
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EPT
