is there anything I can do to report this to the gemeente? this is ridiculous!!

The pedestrian icon encircled in the red is only comprehensible to the Dutch, it seems… tourists interpret it as “walk this way” instead of “walking forbidden”, leading to frustration for everyone

Het is een vreemd jaar geweest. Wat me opvalt is hoe vaak ik de zin “go back to your own country” heb gehoord dit jaar. Ja, in het Engels. Ik ben geboren en getogen Amsterdammer maar heb veel in het buitenland gewoond en spreek Engels, met enkel een licht Nederlands accent dat klaarblijkelijk onder de radar weet te vliegen, met mijn vrouw en vrienden. Men spreekt mij dan ook in openbare ruimtes aan in het Engels. Is ook logisch in een wereld stad, vind ik, dat men er vanuit gaat dat iemand eerder Engels dan Nederlands spreekt.

Maar dit jaar heb ik maar liefst tot 3 keer toe “go back to your own country” naar mn hoofd geslingerd gekregen, en mijn vrouw nog veel vaker. Deze attitude smelt als sneeuw voor de zon, natuurlijk, waneer mijn reactie “naar waar? De nieuwe achtergracht?” Is. Dan is het ineens “haha ja nou ha jeweetweltochofnietdan met die buitenlanders tEgEnWoOrDiG” en niets geen aggressie meer en alles goed bedoeld. Dan wil men …

We’re been visiting the city over the past week and yesterday afternoon (31st) we happened to be walking past Vondelkerk, so I took a quick photo. After hearing about the fire last night, we headed back and I tried to re-create the photo.

Such a great looking building, I hope it gets restored!

I’m not one to go too often to restaurants, but for the times I go, I see more and more common that waiters are asking for tips at the end of the service. I usually feel very uncomfortable pressing “NO TIP” when they’re holding the POS and looking at what I type.

I also noticed that if you leave no tip, on the payment machine, waiters will take an “offended” or “dismissive” behaviour, rushing away or not saying good bye when I leave.

Not to mention tips for making a coffee - 1 euro tip for a 4.20 cup of coffee? It takes literally 120 seconds to make that and I’m supposed to also give a tip?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a tip when it’s deserved and the waiter went out of their way to be accommodating and welcoming.

For now, I’ll continue with rejecting the automated tipping offer and fight this insanity.

A small note: out of where I’ve been, NL & DE are really subpar in terms of waiting & …

Any recommendations for the best place to try it next?

I never thought I’d say this, but I left my own country for New Year’s because of the so-called “fireworks tradition.” It just doesn’t feel fun anymore, it feels like living in a war zone for a few days. With constant explosions, stress, and people getting hurt. This year I spent NYE in Sweden. It was quiet, respectful, and honestly… peaceful. No chaos, no nonstop bombs, no sirens everywhere. Waking up on January 1st without burned sidewalks, broken bus stops, or destroyed mailboxes is sadly a surreal experience.

Then I read the news back home: emergency services that couldn’t even be reached at times, multiple deaths, serious injuries again, and even a beautiful 19th-century church like the Vondelkerk going up in flames. It’s heartbreaking to read the next morning and then hear people still defend this as “tradition.”

I really hope the ban will eventually stick and we move toward a calmer, safer way of celebrating. I’m not against celebrating the new year at all, just against …

My wife and I have lived in Europe for a while now across many countries for work. Hands-down you have the most decent people. There’s a humanity and an intelligence (sans arrogance) that makes every visit to your country a delight. I’m white and my wife is brown, and often our experiences differ because of the way we look. Not so in your country. You see humans. Not sure if it’s the water or the vats of mayonnaise. Either way - Thank you for the fourth lovely visit.