Why the Netherlands is TOO expensive (in 2020) [-sM9yDDsEc4]

So I've been living in the Netherlands for

a while now, and I thought I would make a

quick video talking about some things I

don't like about living in the

Netherlands.

My biggest problem with this country is

the rent is insanely expensive.

So I'm on Airbnb, and if I want to get

myself an Airbnb for the whole month, in

Rotterdam, look how much money I would

have to spend.

Around £2,000.

Cheapest I could find was this one,

£1,652.

And I guess it looks okay, but I still

think £1,650 is quite a lot of money to be

spending on rent when you compare it to

Osaka.

So now I'm looking at Airbnbs in Osaka for

an entire month.

And look how cheap it is.

£700, £800, £900, £600, £500 for an entire

Airbnb.

And looks quite good.

Look at that, £560 a month and you get

this entire place

in the center of Osaka, which is a much

bigger and better city than Rotterdam.

I don't know why Rotterdam has such

expensive rent.

But look at this place.

Looks fine.

Looks great.

And it's only £500.

For a place like this here, you'd have to

spend at least £2,000.

So as someone who doesn't make loads and

loads of money, um, the very expensive

rent here is a bit of a problem.

Oh wow, look at this.

I found an Airbnb in Osaka for £379.

And look, it's right in the city next to

Osaka Castle.

£379 for the entire place.

And look at the pictures.

It looks pretty nice.

So you've got 2 beds, a table, bathroom,

toilet, balcony, and a TV for £379.

And here I am paying for pretty much the

same thing, and it's costing me £500 just

for 5 nights.

So yeah, if my channel completely goes

down the toilet and I'm only making £500 a

month, I guess we know where I'm headed

next to live out the rest of my life.

My next problem with the Netherlands,

living here, some shops— well, not some,

but a lot of shops, including big chain

supermarkets and big chain restaurants—

don't accept Visa debit cards, and that's

what I use.

My banking accounts all use Visa.

Visa debit cards.

I don't have a credit card, I don't have a

Mastercard, I don't have any Dutch banking

accounts.

And if you want to go to some supermarkets

like Albert Heijn or whatever it's called,

or the Co-op supermarket or the Spar

supermarket, they don't accept Visa and

it's really annoying.

I didn't know this when I first got here

and I went to the supermarket.

Didn't have any cash on me because I

haven't been using cash in ages.

Cash is just so old-fashioned and stupid.

I use my credit card— I mean, my debit

card whenever I possibly can.

And I went into the supermarket and I had

everything in my arms and I put onto the

checkout counter and he was scanning and

beeping them all.

And I tried paying with my card and he

said, we don't take Visa.

So I had to leave.

I couldn't take any of my shopping with

me.

And it was so embarrassing.

And it wasn't just that shop.

It was several other shops I went into as

well.

They don't take Visa.

So now every time I go shopping, before I

buy anything or before I pick up anything,

even when I go into restaurants now, I

always have to ask, do you take Visa?

Just to check and make sure.

And a restaurant would be very

embarrassing.

Imagine I went to a restaurant and then we

finished eating and then we have to pay

the bill.

And then I don't have any cash and they

don't take Visa.

What am I supposed to do?

I don't understand how they don't accept

Visa cards.

When I was in Japan, every single shop

that I used my card to pay with took Visa.

Nearly every shop in Germany took Visa.

Visa is an internationally recognized

card.

I don't understand why some shops and

restaurants and supermarkets here in the

Netherlands don't accept it.

It is really dumb.

It doesn't make any sense to me.

And obviously I don't have a Dutch bank

account.

And I don't feel like opening up a

Mastercard account just so I can buy

things here.

It's a bit inconvenient.

It means that I have to go to cash

machines, ATMs, and withdraw cash if I

want to shop at certain supermarkets.

My next problem is I am in the city

central, the center of Rotterdam, and it's

just kind of lifeless.

I mean, look at this road.

Out there.

I can see— I can see 2 people.

Oh, there's a 3rd person.

I'll go outside and I can give you a

better view of what I'm talking about.

And look, my balcony is all wet because it

was raining.

Check if there's people there.

No people.

Now my foot's gonna get wet.

So look down there at the shopping area.

Yeah, you see what I'm talking about?

The shopping area, main shopping area,

hardly any people, and it just makes it

feel like you're living in a bit of a

ghost town.

There's just there's no liveliness to the

city compared to a place like Japan where

there's always music and there's neon

signs and there's loads of people shopping

at any time of the day, any day of the

week.

Even if it was raining in Japan, there'd

be tons of people having a good time

shopping, hanging out.

But here in the Netherlands, in Rotterdam,

I don't know, the streets just look kind

of sad and lonely.

The next thing I don't like about it here

is there's too many lanes of traffic.

So usually when you're crossing the road,

you just have to look out for cars.

In most countries, you just have a road

and maybe a footpath.

But here in the Netherlands, you've got

the road with cars and then you've got the

bicycle lane, which motorbikes also ride

in, which is kind of stupid.

The bicycle lane is supposed to be for

slow-moving bicycles, but for some reason,

people on motorbikes and mopeds also ride

in the bicycle lane even though they're

going almost as far as a— almost as fast

as a car.

And then thirdly, you've got the tram

line.

So in the Netherlands, as in the same way

as Germany, they also use trams.

And trams are kind of weird for me as an

English person because in England we don't

have trams, we just have buses.

I kind of don't see the point of having a

tram.

They're basically the same as a bus.

They're kind of like a weird combination

of a bus and a train.

It's like a train and a bus had a baby and

then it was called a tram.

But to me, trams just seem kind of, kind

of redundant if you have buses because

they serve the same purpose, but then they

also take up an entire lane on the road

with the rail tracks.

So when you're crossing the road, you have

to check if there's any cars, and then you

have to check if there's any bicycles or

mopeds or motorbikes when you're crossing

the bike lane, and then you also have to

check the train tracks, the tram tracks,

to make sure there's no tram coming your

way.

It just makes crossing the road a little

bit stressful because there's so many

different types of transport here in

Rotterdam that you can't just check for

cars.

You've got to check for everything and

you've got to keep watching your back.

Sometimes I daydream and I drift off and I

find myself accidentally walking in the

bike lane And then some angry person

behind me starts ringing their stupid

bicycle bell at me.

So those were my main complaints about

living here so far.

I know they seem kind of petty and

nitpicky, and that's mainly because in

general it's a pretty good place to live

in.

I don't really have any bigger complaints.

All of the complaints I had when I was

living in Japan, I can't really say the

same about this place.

My main complaints in Japan was— were it

was too noisy.

You'd have screaming sales assistants

outside of shops shouting all the time,

and the bacon wasn't good, and the Western

imitations of food was just terrible.

But here in the Netherlands, the food is

great.

I have all of my favourite types of meat

here in the supermarkets.

Don't have any complaints about the

sausages or the bacon or the bread.

So I'm really satisfied with the food.

I can't really complain about the food,

and it's very quiet outside.

If you can listen, I'll open the balcony

again to show you how quiet it is.

See what I mean?

For a city center

That is shockingly quiet for a city

centre, and that's a good thing.

I don't like noise.

Look, it's a helicopter!

Well, that's all I had to say.

I have to pack my things because I'm

leaving this apartment to go to a new

place, which will be a secret.

So sorry, I can't show you or tell you

about where I'm going next.

But after that place, I will be finding a

new place and I'll do an apartment tour,

show you what it's like, blah blah blah.

This place is nice, but it's just a little

bit too expensive for me.

And if I wanted to stay here for a whole

month, it would cost me £3,000.

And for me, £3,000 a month just for rent

is a little bit out of my budget.

So I have to pack my stuff and, um, get

ready because I'm leaving tomorrow.

Look at that beautiful pool.

It's basically really thick slices of

bacon, isn't it?

I love the fat, the whiteness of it next

to the pinkness of the meat.

So pretty.

Okay, I'm gonna take 2 pieces out,

sprinkle some shawarma

powder.

This stuff is great, really flavorful.

And then I think I want some salt as well,

maybe some pepper.

There are people always complaining that I

don't season my food.

I always season it.

Oh wow, it's heating up really quickly.

Sizzling.

No, it's burning!

Oh no,

why is it burning?

How do I turn down the heat?

There you go.

Oh no,

it's ruined!

How the hell?

It's only in there for 10 seconds.

Do

you like it crispy?

It's a little bit black, but that's okay.

Let the smoke go up

into the extractor fan.

Oh, this is so heavy.

Put it down.

It's fine, it'll give a nice smoky flavor.

Smoky.

And

then I'll microwave my rice for 1 minute.

Stop.

Okay, I'm gonna turn this

off now.

Shut up!

I can't stand her.

She's so negative.

She just moans and whines all the time

and nags me,

complains because I don't know how to do

DIY or gardening.

And she just makes me feel like I'm

useless and I got no value as a person.

She's not a nice person to be around.

Oh, a beer is so nice right

I did not plan this meal very well.

A beer and some kimchi.