So I had a chat with my Dutch Neighbor tonight

keithclancy · 13-09-2014 12:46AM #1

So came back from the shopping tonight, ended up having a beer and a chat with the fella next door.

He thinks anywhere else is better than the Netherlands.

It got me thinking ... Did you ever think ANYWHERE else was better than Ireland or there was a specific place that was better than Ireland.

Or do you think Ireland is the best place in the world ?

The Backwards Man · 13-09-2014 12:49AM

What did you buy in the shop?

shruikan2553 · 13-09-2014 12:49AM

Ireland is probably a bit better than Syria, Ukraine or Iraq anyway but they probably dont have property tax or water charges so its pros and cons.

wazky · 13-09-2014 12:50AM

I've heard the Dutch are filthy in bed, can you confirm?

Quazzie · 13-09-2014 12:50AM

keithclancy wrote: »

So came back from the shopping tonight, ended up having a beer and a chat with the fella next door.

He thinks anywhere else is better than the Netherlands.

It got me thinking ... Did you ever think ANYWHERE else was better than Ireland or there was a specific place that was better than Ireland.

Or do you think Ireland is the best place in the world ?

Everywhere is better than Ireland in small doses and if you are there under the right circumstances.

Overall though there is nowhere quiet like the Emerald Isle.

Mr. G · 13-09-2014 01:01AM

keithclancy wrote: »

It got me thinking ... Did you ever think ANYWHERE else was better than Ireland or there was a specific place that was better than Ireland.

Or do you think Ireland is the best place in the world ?

No, actually I quite like Ireland. I think our quality of life and awesome food make it for me. Although there are things about Ireland that I don't agree with, but hey, you will get that in every country.

Although some time I would love to live in the Netherlands (Not Amsterdam) or Germany. Always loved the culture etc over there.

Birneybau · 13-09-2014 01:12AM

Wash he pished?

Sir Arthur Daley · 13-09-2014 01:12AM

What beer were we drinking op?

Drakares · 13-09-2014 01:16AM

I live in Germany at the moment and it is IMO, the best country in the world to live in.

The heath service is unreal, I don't pay a cent for doctor/dentist visits. I don't pay for medicine either, covered by the health insurance, and none of this bollocks of collecting receipts and sending them in.

I pay about 45% tax on my salary, but as a result the services here are second to none. Cost of living is around 1/3rd cheaper than living in Ireland. The economy is in great condition and there is no slave labour bs here.. Internships at my current firm pay around €1,500 a month to people who are currently studying, there is no such thing as "work experience" as a full time job that doesn't pay.

A decent Weissbier is around €3 in the pub and the people are absolutely bang on, despite what anyone might say.

This is of course just my opinion, having done a bit of travelling.

Colinf1212 · 13-09-2014 01:16AM

I would rather still be in highschool in Southern USA as a handsome white star quarterback macking on fine southern belles on the daily.

USA or I'd rather stay here for me personally.

Birneybau · 13-09-2014 01:32AM

Colinf1212 wrote: »

I would rather still be in highschool in Southern USA as a handsome white star quarterback macking on fine southern belles on the daily.

USA or I'd rather stay here for me personally.

Word

thomur · 13-09-2014 01:35AM

Cant beat Ireland.

Sir Arthur Daley · 13-09-2014 01:36AM

Birneybau wrote: »

Word

words

TheBeardedLady · 13-09-2014 01:37AM

Drank wine with two Romanian friends and a girl from Mexico tonight. We discussed corruption, salaries and standard of living. Any complaint I had about Ireland looked petty compared to theirs. Very grateful to be where I'm from the more time I spend away from it.

GLaDOS · 13-09-2014 01:38AM

I went to Holland once, lovely place. He's probably right.

Slicemeister · 13-09-2014 01:40AM

Lived there in Rotterdam myself once. What a ****hole.

If I had to pick a country it'd be Norway, loved it. Bunch of alcoholics, mad baxtards.

crockholm · 13-09-2014 01:42AM

klootzak

Slicemeister · 13-09-2014 01:42AM

Quazzie wrote: »

Everywhere is better than Ireland in small doses and if you are there under the right circumstances.

Overall though there is nowhere quiet like the Emerald Isle.

There's a dog barking outside and its nigh on 2am ffs!

Panthro · 13-09-2014 01:49AM

keithclancy wrote: »

So came back from the shopping tonight, ended up having a beer and a chat with the fella next door.

He thinks anywhere else is better than the Netherlands.

It got me thinking ... Did you ever think ANYWHERE else was better than Ireland or there was a specific place that was better than Ireland.

Or do you think Ireland is the best place in the world ?

Haha! That's Dutch Gold right there!

(I'll see myself out shall I)

Iranoutofideas · 13-09-2014 01:56AM

Lived in Munich for a while. The germans are very nice, exceptionally generous and good craic. Great beer.

My god though do they love their rules. You have no fcuking idea. Everything is by the book and good christ it is a big book.

I couldn't believe the amount of places I went there that had signs in the jacks instructing you to sit down to take a piss. And no I wasn't in the ladies toilets.

Naturally I pissed all over the seat. You have to draw a line somewhere.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 13-09-2014 02:06AM

Slicemeister wrote: »

Lived there in Rotterdam myself once. What a ****hole.

If I had to pick a country it'd be Norway, loved it. Bunch of alcoholics, mad baxtards.

At €12 a pint in Norway, I'll take my chances in Ireland, if I was to commit to the oul alcoholism full time.

Riddle101 · 13-09-2014 02:17AM

You live in your home country your whole life or for the majority of your life, and eventually you start to resent it and start thinking everywhere else is better. I have no doubt that an Irishman recently moved to the Netherlands would feel the same way. I guess you could call it reverse psychology or whatever.

I mean make no mistake about it, I still love Ireland but I would be happy to start a life for myself in another country. If I had the money and the opportunity I would move in a minute.

Oranage2 · 13-09-2014 07:02AM

I can confirm India is not better than Ireland - probably the closest place that comes to hell on earth.

But from other countries I guess It's a case of the grass looks greener.

Reindeer · 13-09-2014 08:07AM

I like visiting Germany. But I find it lacks soul...and spirit...and joie de vivre... and is full of robots pretending to be human. And it's creepy. So, living there, not so much.

Drakares wrote: »

I live in Germany at the moment and it is IMO, the best country in the world to live in.

The heath service is unreal, I don't pay a cent for doctor/dentist visits. I don't pay for medicine either, covered by the health insurance, and none of this bollocks of collecting receipts and sending them in.

I pay about 45% tax on my salary, but as a result the services here are second to none. Cost of living is around 1/3rd cheaper than living in Ireland. The economy is in great condition and there is no slave labour bs here.. Internships at my current firm pay around €1,500 a month to people who are currently studying, there is no such thing as "work experience" as a full time job that doesn't pay.

A decent Weissbier is around €3 in the pub and the people are absolutely bang on, despite what anyone might say.

This is of course just my opinion, having done a bit of travelling.

keithclancy · 13-09-2014 08:22AM

Reindeer wrote: »

I like visiting Germany. But I find it lacks soul...and spirit...and joie de vivre... and is full of robots pretending to be human. And it's creepy. So, living there, not so much.

Indeed .. you need a local "crazy johnny" who got his wheelchair taken off him at 2 in the morning for driving on the bypass and giving the finger to cars.

Pinch Flat · 13-09-2014 08:25AM

Iranoutofideas wrote: »

Lived in Munich for a while. The germans are very nice, exceptionally generous and good craic. Great beer.

My god though do they love their rules. You have no fcuking idea. Everything is by the book and good christ it is a big book.

I couldn't believe the amount of places I went there that had signs in the jacks instructing you to sit down to take a piss. And no I wasn't in the ladies toilets.

Naturally I pissed all over the seat. You have to draw a line somewhere.

I lived I Germany for a while and can vouch for the sitting down while pissing rule. I shared a house and student accommodation with Germans - a bit of a culture shock at 19.

We had a fully stocked beer fridge on each floor of the student res - simply tick off what you've had and settle up at the end of the month. Can you imagine that working here?

Germans I found to be very hospitable - I was living on the south west of the country. And yes generous as well - invited to dinner to meet colleagues families, bar-b-ques etc. would regularly be given gifts of local wine, schnapps etc

But yeah rules rules and more rules. A bit of a shock for a paddy coming from a socially immature country like Ireland but it works. They've for a country that functions well and a good quality of life.

Banjo String · 13-09-2014 08:27AM

I'm gonna take a punt here and go with Australia.

To be more precise, Perth. Great country, Great city. Spent 2.5 years over there, 1.5 of them based in Perth.

I'd go back in a heart beat, though I hear it's gone fierce expensive.

When I was there, I was earning 1800 a week. Rent was 100 a week. The rest was for me.

Grayson · 13-09-2014 08:49AM

keithclancy wrote: »

So came back from the shopping tonight, ended up having a beer and a chat with the fella next door.

He thinks anywhere else is better than the Netherlands.

It got me thinking ... Did you ever think ANYWHERE else was better than Ireland or there was a specific place that was better than Ireland.

Or do you think Ireland is the best place in the world ?

I love the Netherlands. Best thing about it is that if you get bored you can hop onto the most efficient train network in the world and be in half of western Europe a few hours later.

Ignoring the whole "best place in the world" thing, Ireland does have a lot going for it, but it has a lot of faults too. For some people those faults are more obvious than others. It's incredibly hard to get started on a career ladder. Accommodation costs a lot. Travel without a car is a nightmare no matter what part of the country you're in.
These type of things affect some people more than others and I can see why they'd piss some people off.

What things pissed off your neighbour?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 13-09-2014 09:03AM

I've been told by Dutch people that it is a very conservative and reserved place generally. Amsterdam is for tourists, foreigners and druggies, the rest of the Netherlands is very different in every way imaginable apparently.

holystungun9 · 13-09-2014 09:14AM

wazky wrote: »

I've heard the Dutch are filthy in bed, can you confirm?

Shoo, you like de shcatt? Yesshh. Shexxy time.

Grayson · 13-09-2014 09:18AM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I've been told by Dutch people that it is a very conservative and reserved place generally. Amsterdam is for tourists, foreigners and druggies, the rest of the Netherlands is very different in every way imaginable apparently.

I had a friend who lived in various parts of the Netherlands (his job involved travelling around the country). He said the Dutch were German from Mon-Fri. Incredibly hard working, very diligent and followed the rules. They turned into the English on Sat-Sun. Got drunk and went crazy.

Off topic. I really want to know how long it take you to log in? How often do you mistype that?

So I had a chat with my Dutch Neighbor tonight

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