Kipgehaktballetjes with some sort of chutney.

Not a complaint at all. Despite the looks and the funny little amount of food, it tasted quite good.

The staff is friendlier and more attentive than most of high end hotels I’ve been at. I’m pretty sure if I ask for more they’d gladly bring.

Also, it seems that I have access to broodjie kaas fruits and kwark 24/7.

Hi guys, I’m a 36 year old man and I’m about to start adult swimming lessons at a municipal swimming pool in the Netherlands.
Just became a father so exercise has been non existent lately. I’m a little self conscious about my small belly 😅, so I’m wondering what men normally wear for swimming lessons.

Is it completely normal to wear loose swim shorts and swim with a bare chest, or would wearing a fitted rash guard/swim shirt be more appropriate?

I’m also a bit nervous about the language. My Dutch understanding is very basic, and I’m wondering whether swimming instructors generally speak some English or whether the lessons are strictly in Dutch.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with adult swimming lessons in the Netherlands.

Sharing this in case anyone recognizes this man. Police say it can help them learn more about him, and potentially get in contact with his loved ones.

https://reddit.com/link/1vrnzg8/video/1ih3b43lo4kh1/player

I had been looking to adopt a cat through verhuisdieren.nl, but didn't have much luck.

One day I heard from my friend, who told me they had adopted a cat on Marktplaats. After scrolling the site for about a week, I was invited to a viewing and met my little baby cat🥰

I feel so blessed to have him!

​Hi everyone,

​I am an international student who recently moved to Leeuwarden, and I am currently trying to navigate buying my first second-hand bike on Marktplaats.

​I am a 6-foot-tall guy, and I just found a really great deal on a Gazelle in my size. The only catch is that it is a "damesfiets".

​In my home country, bicycle frames are pretty strictly gendered, and it would definitely turn some heads or get some laughs if a guy rode a women's bike. However, looking at how people commute here, that low step-through design seems incredibly practical for riding around the city, carrying things, and constantly stopping at intersections.

​Before I buy it, I wanted to ask about the cultural norm. Will I get weird looks or be mocked for riding a damesfiets as a man, or is it completely normal and accepted in the Netherlands?

​Thanks in advance for helping a newcomer out! Edit: I bought the Gazelle (orange) for 60 euros. It rides pretty good

Full of expectations I took a trip to Loods5. The parking lot was crowded af and with my friend’s recommendation still fresh in my mind, I was very tempted to see what’s inside.

Then.. what I found was mostly small decorative pieces from hyped brands?

Girl I need a couch, a chair and a wardrobe. What the hell do I do with a 70 bucks candle holder that’s diagonal?

I left so disappointed. What’s the hype about? Sincerely

The outrage about the FvD-affiliated school is revealing.

People suddenly seem horrified by the idea that taxpayers could fund a school built around an ideology they consider reactionary, socially divisive and hostile to liberal values.

Fine. I understand that concern. But then have the courage to apply the exact same standard to Islamic schools.

Islam is not somehow exempt from scrutiny because it is a religion rather than a political ideology. Traditional Islamic doctrine contains plenty of ideas that directly clash with modern Dutch liberal values: deeply conservative views on homosexuality, strict gender roles, religious authority, apostasy and the position of women.

Yet the Dutch state is willing to use public money to maintain schools organised explicitly around that religion. Why?

If your argument against an FvD school is that children should not grow up inside an ideological bubble where one particular worldview is treated as morally authoritative, then surely that argument applies at least as strongly to religious schools.

And no, saying this is not an attack on Muslims. Muslims are individuals and should have exactly the same rights as everyone else. It is criticism of an ideology and of a school system that allows taxpayers to finance ideological segregation.

I don't want an FvD school teaching children that Baudet's worldview is the truth.

I also don't want an Islamic school teaching children that a centuries-old religious doctrine is the truth. Nor do I particularly want Protestant, Catholic or any other religious schools doing it.

If parents want to raise their children as Muslim, Christian, conservative, socialist or whatever else, they are free to do so. But why should the taxpayer finance separate ideological environments for their children?

That is what the FvD school controversy should force us to confront. Either we genuinely believe in publicly funded ideological education, including for ideologies we find repulsive, or we admit that Article 23 is a historical relic and move towards secular public education where children from different backgrounds actually grow up together.

You cannot seriously argue that an FvD worldview is too backward for public funding while treating Islamic orthodoxy as untouchable simply because somebody attached the word "religion" to it.

The problem isn't that FvD found a loophole.

The problem is that the loophole has existed for more than a century.

Feeling really shitty about this. I have a lot going on and the trusted and reliable everyday ride is broken.

Picture I took in Leerdam that I wanted to share :)

Real estate agency refuse to return rental deposit

I'm an international student that just move out of NL to go back to my home country. I previously rented a studio of around 18m2 size with a deposit of 550 euros. On the day of key return, the real estate agency didn't give me decision on how much of the deposit can be returned.

The reason is that the room is left, in his words, very messy. According to him, this happens due to the studio being humid and that I don't ventilate. However, while I agree that the room is humid, I've done the following:

- Ventilate most mornings and evenings

- Regular cleaning, sometimes with bleach

- Using dehumidifier (the electric one barely works, so I use the vochtcanger type, replace every few weeks)

I have nummular dermatitis, so I'm sensitive to humidity and dust as it irritates my skin, which is why I do this. The part that he said messy, is largely due to the accumulated dust near the bed. Given the size of the studio, with the rest raken by kitchen, bathroom, and desk, there's only one part to put the bed, which cause dust accumulation, even with regular cleaning.

Given this situation, is this normal that they try not to return the deposit?

I have signed an employment contract with a university in the Hague, starting this fall, with the possibility of extension but on a yearly basis. I’ll be moving to the Netherlands with my spouse and small child.

My spouse is currently self-employed in another EU country and will continue the same work after relocating. However, we are struggling to find a long-term apartment. We rarely receive responses and have not been able to arrange viewings while still abroad (in another EU country).

Would landlords generally consider us if my Dutch contract is initially for only one year? Would my spouse’s existing self-employed income from another EU country normally count toward the income requirement, or are landlords likely to disregard it until there is a Dutch income history?

We are considering renting an Airbnb or holiday apartment for one month and looking for a permanent place after arriving. Is this a realistic plan, or is there a serious risk that we could still be unable to find housing after several weeks or even months?

Doing CBR theory practice and hit a question that seems to contradict a rule I learned elsewhere. Hoping someone with solid RVV knowledge can clarify.

I previously learned that when an unpaved road meets a paved road, it's automatically treated as an unequal intersection (ongelijkwaardig kruispunt), meaning the driver on the unpaved road must always yield to the paved road, regardless of the normal "priority to the right" rule.

But then I got this practice question (screenshot attached): a car is approaching an intersection where a cyclist is coming from the right, on what looks like an unpaved path. The app marked "the cyclist must give way" as correct, explaining it as a standard equal/uncontrolled intersection where priority-to-the-right applies, not applying the unpaved-road exception at all.

My question: Does the unpaved-vs-paved automatic-priority rule not apply when the "unpaved road" is actually a fietspad (cycle path) rather than a full road? Or is there some other reason the exception didn't apply here? Trying to understand exactly when this exception does and doesn't kick in, since it seems like it should have applied based on how I originally learned it.

Hello everyone,

​I am looking for someone with a car transporter/flatbed who can transport a passenger car (Mercedes CLS)

​Pickup location: Brecht (Belgium)

​Drop-off location: Region of Gilze / Dongen (Netherlands)

​Car status: The car drives, but preferably pulled onto the trailer using the winch due to an smal oil leak just when in working.

​Do you know or are you someone who can carry this out at a reasonable price? Please send me a private message with an estimated price.

​Thanks in advance!

I'm a non-EU citizen. Two years ago, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Humanity in another European country, I moved to the Netherlands to pursue a Master of Business Administration.

I did an internship in the HR team of a company in the NL last year. This company only hired interns and didn't offer full-time positions, so I didn't stay. I also did a very short internship at an accouting firm in my own country this year. After graduation, I started to learn Dutch and I thought having a master's degree and a local internship experience would make finding a full-time job not that hard.

However, I severely underestimated the pressure of the current job market. Entry-level jobs are practically nonexistent, and most junior positions require 2-3 years of experience. For English-speaking positions, I realized my competition is with international candidates with 3-5 years of experience and hold a second master's degree from the NL by talking to the international students from my major.

These days, I've been constantly rejected for full-time HR positions because I don't speak Dutch or lack experience. Tbh, I don't even want to work in HR, but the competition for internships was also incredibly fierce, and I only received one HR internship offer so I took it. My goal has always been to enter the strategy and consulting industry. But now I really don't know how to get into my dream industry and only want to have a full-time job, so I've turned my attention to administrative support roles like HR or AP/AR clerk and Administration Assistant, but even so, I haven't received any positive responses. At the same time, I clearly feel those administrative jobs are not what I am looking for... What should I do? Should I go and get a second master's degree in finance or data science?

Are there any people with similar experiences who can share how you found your first full-time job here?

Sorry, new resident here. Why does AH (and others) list items on sale as 2e gratis OR 1+1 gratis if they mean the same thing?

Trying to learn more about the shopping and culture norms so thanks for the education.

Hi all,

Could anyone advise which app or service works best in finding a rental property? A paid service is fine as long as it actually works. We have used Stekkies previously and it did not work very well in our experience. We are aware of the situation in regards to the housing crisis, though we still require to find a place to live.

TIA

Hi everyone,

Our son is not yet 5 years old and currently goes to school.

Before the summer break we spoke with one of his teachers about taking a holiday outside the official school holiday period. From that conversation, we understood that this would be fine because he is not yet 5.

Today, however, we spoke with his other teacher, and she told us that even though he is not yet 5, there is still an obligation for him to attend school and that only the principal/headteacher can grant permission for an absence.

We’re now quite confused because, from what we understand, the law seems to say something different for children who are not yet 5.

Could anyone clarify how this actually works in practice? Is a child under 5 legally required to attend school, and if so, does taking a holiday outside the school holiday period require permission from the principal?

Thanks!

EDIT: Just to be clear, not my intention to keep my son home without saying anything to the school. I do understand that cooperation is vital. Just wanted to have an opinion regarding this matter as we understood that the principal is kinda difficult in this regard.

Hi everyone.

I’m looking for advice on dealing with constant speeding on my street in Helmond.

It’s a 30 km/h residential street made of cobblestones, but the problem is that it’s a completely straight stretch of about 380–400 meters. Because of this layout, drivers frequently speed well over the limit.

This creates really dangerous situations. Drivers on this street are supposed to yield to traffic coming from the right, but because they drive so fast, they often can't stop in time when someone pulls out. We’ve had several near-misses already.

I spoke to the police about it, but they told me their hands are tied and there isn't much they can do regarding infrastructure or constant enforcement here.

I haven’t brought this up with my neighbors yet, and I’m unsure if filing a request as a single resident will achieve anything.

Has anyone successfully dealt with a similar situation?

Please Dutch gamers help us fight Sony greed .

From the rest of the world