I was just looking around on Google Maps and found this awesome mosque. Are there more illusions like this you know of?

Spotted in Amsterdam-Oost.

Edit: aan de overkant van de straat blijkt een geel exemplaar van dit bord te hangen.

Edit 2: Ik heb het aan de gemeente Amsterdam gevraagd en jullie zaten allemaal FOUT!

Hun antwoord:

“Het bord is een proef van de gemeente om snelle fietsers naar de rijbaan te verplaatsen. De proef onderzoekt de veiligheid en verkeersdoorstroom door fietsers van het fietpad te halen. Hiermee word onderzoek gedaan naar het fietsgedrag in de stad.”

Tja, ik snap er niks van. Zitten er dan sensoren in die palen? Ziet eruit als een doodnormaal verkeersbord. Hoe weten die fietsers dan dat ze naar de rijbaan moeten? En waarom is die proef al vier jaar bezig? Zeer onbevredigend.

Edit 3: raadsel opgelost. Het is inderdaad kunst, van Teun Castelein. https://www.teuncastelein.com/totems

Seems like a Monday bell to me.

Visiting for a few days with my son (18), stopped for lunch at a cafe near Albert Cuyp market. Young man (20s) enters and compliments my sons hair. Just a quick “like your style” comment. That was it, nothing major, but I truly believe it meant everything to my son.

He’s been suffering from anxiety, and is currently reinventing himself in many ways. So, thank you to that young man. Your kindness means everything. What a different world we’d be living in if this was the norm!

This is stupidly expensive for a 1-day return to Den Haag 🫠

I’ve been living in the Netherlands for about 5 years now, and I can’t shake the feeling that the country used to be much cleaner.

Lately I see more and more trash everywhere — along highways, near residential areas, even in places that used to feel spotless. NS trains also seem noticeably dirtier than before. It’s surprising, especially in a country that has always been known for being organized and environmentally conscious.

Am I imagining this, or have others noticed the same shift?

I’m genuinely curious what people think is happening. Is it budget cuts? Population growth? Changing attitudes? Or are we just becoming less mindful about shared spaces?

It makes me reflect on how we treat public areas and nature. These spaces belong to all of us — and once that sense of responsibility fades, it shows.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve been trying to look objectively at our household finances and I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the overall direction of costs in the Netherlands…

Between:

• Some of the highest fuel prices
• Expensive parking permits and paid parking
• Some of the highest energy costs (plus the upcoming limitations on solar energy!)
• Ridiculous childcare expenses barely making it feasible for the second parent to work
• Property-related taxes (OZB, waste, water boards)
• Highest airport taxes on flights in Europe
• And now the recently approved changes in Box 3 investment taxation

…it feels like the cumulative pressure is growing significantly and not sure I can handle this anymore. It feels like no matter how hard I work, and try to grow some wealth, I’m constantly punished for it.

Individually, each policy might be defensible. But when combined, the total burden on working households seems substantial.

I’m genuinely curious:

• Are others feeling the same squeeze? If so, how …

Recently I’ve noticed more and more hate toward expats/foreigners on this sub, and I’m honestly wondering how we got here. Can’t we realise that fighting each other leads nowhere? We all want a better life, and our frustrations should be directed at real issues—like the lack of efficiency in how public money is spent or corporate greed—not at each other. We need one another. We should look more into the real problems in society and try to solve then instead of blaming expats.. (as europeans, we should not forget our history otherwise we might go back there again)