Last week I had to go to Den Haag to get my new passport.
And it seemed like that day was a day to rip me off.
First the bus driver ripped me off twice:
He stamped one strip too many - should have been 2 strips but he stamped 3.
Then I notice the time indication on the ticket was not correct. His stamp showed that it was 10.30. And why it was not correct? Because at 10.30 I was still on the train to DH. And it was the 11.07 bus. So I was ripped off 30 minutes.
In the Netherlands, when you use the strippenkaart for a public transport, there is a certain limit of time you can use the same 'strips' thus you do not have to pay again for the second trip. In my case, for 2 strips I am allowed 1 hour to use the public transport. Now because the time-stamp mistake, I had to pay again going back to town from the embassy although it was very well within the 1-hour period. It did not take more than 30 minutes to get my passport from the embassy.
Secondly, I was ripped off at La Place. For this story, see my Zielig Maaltijd post.
Way to go, Holland.
Lang leef de ripping-off of foreigners.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Zielig maaltijd of arme me???
This was my lunch during my day-out in Den Haag. Mixed grill.
Well, the only mixed thing was my feeling. I remember thinking, "That is all I get? Four pieces of sad-looking meat and a couple of fries? Poor me... can't even get a decent lunch."
I bought this meal at La Place, V&D for 7 euro (with discount coupon). The normal price should be 9 or 9.50 euro - could not be sure because the coupon and the board at the restaurant said different things.
I had expected more from this 7-euro meal. At least a bit of garnish - salad or veggie or even sauce - would be very much appreciated.
I felt so ripped off.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Trick to solve your blocked-wc problem
Once my wc was blocked. I tried everything I could think of before finally resolving to call the plumber (loodgieter). Asking for a 'service-man' in the Netherlands is not always as easy as it sounds. In Indonesia, you pick up your phone and the man will say if and when he can come. If he can't, we just call the next plumber we can find. It does not work that way here. If you're living in a rented place that most likely you can only call one designated plumber or else you bear all the risk - you have to pay for the plumbing job and if the plumber messed up, you are responsible for this.
Anyway, the plumber called me back and the first thing he asked was if I had a basin in the toilet. I said yes and he asked if the basin was also blocked. I said no then he said that there seemed to be something blocking the water flow in my wc. Then he asked if I had a trashbag. Now... what a strange question coming from your plumber. But I played along and said yes. He asked me to get one and fill it up with water to the size of a soccer ball. I even asked him again if that was what he said. He confirmed and gave me another strange instruction. I had to put the toilet brush inside the trashbag and push the bag-brush combo into the wc. And albeit having a funny feeling about it, I did just that.
First try... nothing. Second try... nothing. I told him that it did not work. And he replied, "Did not work? Hmmm..." So I said that I would try again. This time I pushed a little harder then I flushed the wc... and, voila.... it worked.
So I told him that it worked and that my wc seemed to be working properly again. I said thank you and he wished me a good day and the conversation was done.
If you ask me how I solved my blocked-wc problem, I'd answer with the phone. :)
Anyway, joking aside, I learned a good trick to solve this problem myself for the next time.
Something we could try in Indonesia if it happens???
Created at 10.32 local time.
Anyway, the plumber called me back and the first thing he asked was if I had a basin in the toilet. I said yes and he asked if the basin was also blocked. I said no then he said that there seemed to be something blocking the water flow in my wc. Then he asked if I had a trashbag. Now... what a strange question coming from your plumber. But I played along and said yes. He asked me to get one and fill it up with water to the size of a soccer ball. I even asked him again if that was what he said. He confirmed and gave me another strange instruction. I had to put the toilet brush inside the trashbag and push the bag-brush combo into the wc. And albeit having a funny feeling about it, I did just that.
First try... nothing. Second try... nothing. I told him that it did not work. And he replied, "Did not work? Hmmm..." So I said that I would try again. This time I pushed a little harder then I flushed the wc... and, voila.... it worked.
So I told him that it worked and that my wc seemed to be working properly again. I said thank you and he wished me a good day and the conversation was done.
If you ask me how I solved my blocked-wc problem, I'd answer with the phone. :)
Anyway, joking aside, I learned a good trick to solve this problem myself for the next time.
Something we could try in Indonesia if it happens???
Created at 10.32 local time.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Something about hygiene that we should learn from
This is one of the things I like most about Germany. Along the highway in Germany you can find this:
The use of this public toilet requires you to put in a 50-cents coin and in return you will get a coupon worth of 50 cents that you can redeem in the restaurant where the toilet is located. So it's clean (automatic cleaning which lasts about 27-28 seconds) and free. Something we could really learn when providing public toilets.
Created at 14.57 local time.
The use of this public toilet requires you to put in a 50-cents coin and in return you will get a coupon worth of 50 cents that you can redeem in the restaurant where the toilet is located. So it's clean (automatic cleaning which lasts about 27-28 seconds) and free. Something we could really learn when providing public toilets.
Created at 14.57 local time.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Dutch insecurity?
Are the Dutch people insecure?
This question has probably unconsciously been nagging on the back of my mind. And even more so ever since I keep getting unwanted phone calls from insurance companies.
A few weeks ago I started getting calls from unlisted number. It turned out that the calls were from 2 insurance companies. They were offering me an uitvaartverzekering. The literal translation would be funeral insurance and indeed it is an insurance that covers a part or the whole part of your funeral. And I thought, "Jeezzz... a funeral insurance? What a strange insurance. Are they wishing me dead or so?" Sure I've heard of life insurance, car insurance and travel insurance. But what kind of insurance company offers you a funeral insurance? I have never heard of it until now in the Netherlands. How those companies got my phone number is still a mystery to me.
Today as I was having dinner with some Dutch people I know, again I came across another type of insurance available in the Netherlands. The lady I was having dinner with told me about her experience with WA-verzekering or wettelijke aansprakelijk-heidsverzekering.
Every week she goes to an elderly house to do a voluntary work. There she visits an old lady and does things for her (have a talk, clean up the old lady's things, etc.). And one day she when she was cleaning up the old lady's drawer, she found a vitamin bottle (from one of those brands like century, etc.). It was light and when she shook the bottle, there was no sound. So thinking it was an empty bottle, she threw it away. On her next visit, the old lady told her that she kept her paper money in that bottle and that there was 110 euro worth of money there. My acquaintance was of course a bit shocked. She then gave 110 euro to the old lady and called her insurance company asking if this incidence was covered by the WA-verzekering. The insurance company said it was and a few days later she got 110 euro back from the insurance company.
From this story I gathered that the WA-verzekering covers incidents that makes the insured person liable to a third party.
This story also triggered my curiosity again as to whether the dutch people are really insecure.
I decided to google the types of insurances they have here in the Netherlands.
And yes, this country loves insurances. They have insurance for everything.
According to UNIVE website, there are 8 groups of insurance for an individual:
1. Insurance related to your health:
This question has probably unconsciously been nagging on the back of my mind. And even more so ever since I keep getting unwanted phone calls from insurance companies.
A few weeks ago I started getting calls from unlisted number. It turned out that the calls were from 2 insurance companies. They were offering me an uitvaartverzekering. The literal translation would be funeral insurance and indeed it is an insurance that covers a part or the whole part of your funeral. And I thought, "Jeezzz... a funeral insurance? What a strange insurance. Are they wishing me dead or so?" Sure I've heard of life insurance, car insurance and travel insurance. But what kind of insurance company offers you a funeral insurance? I have never heard of it until now in the Netherlands. How those companies got my phone number is still a mystery to me.
Today as I was having dinner with some Dutch people I know, again I came across another type of insurance available in the Netherlands. The lady I was having dinner with told me about her experience with WA-verzekering or wettelijke aansprakelijk-heidsverzekering.
Every week she goes to an elderly house to do a voluntary work. There she visits an old lady and does things for her (have a talk, clean up the old lady's things, etc.). And one day she when she was cleaning up the old lady's drawer, she found a vitamin bottle (from one of those brands like century, etc.). It was light and when she shook the bottle, there was no sound. So thinking it was an empty bottle, she threw it away. On her next visit, the old lady told her that she kept her paper money in that bottle and that there was 110 euro worth of money there. My acquaintance was of course a bit shocked. She then gave 110 euro to the old lady and called her insurance company asking if this incidence was covered by the WA-verzekering. The insurance company said it was and a few days later she got 110 euro back from the insurance company.
From this story I gathered that the WA-verzekering covers incidents that makes the insured person liable to a third party.
This story also triggered my curiosity again as to whether the dutch people are really insecure.
I decided to google the types of insurances they have here in the Netherlands.
And yes, this country loves insurances. They have insurance for everything.
According to UNIVE website, there are 8 groups of insurance for an individual:
1. Insurance related to your health:
- Zorgverzekering (health insurance)
- Collectieve zorgverzekering (collective health insurance)
- Jongerenverzekering (health insurance for young people)
- Autoverzekering (car insurance)
- Motorverzekering (motor insurance)
- Bromfietsverzekering (electric bike insurance)
- Fietsverzekering (bike insurance)
- Klassiekerverzekering (for cars that are at least 20 years old)
- Reisverzekering (travel insurance)
- Autohulppakket (for if you have accident with your car)
- Caravanverzekering (caravan insurance)
- Kampeerautoverzekering (camper insurance)
- Watersportverzekering
- Inboedelverzekering (to insure the things in your house)
- Woonhuisverzekering (to insure your house against damage)
- Hypotheken (mortgage - I don't know why it falls under insurance)
- Woonlastenbeschermer (for example if you are forced to sell your house)
- Kostbaarhedenverzekering (insurance for things you consider priceless)
- Gezinsongevallenverzekering (related to accidents that happen in private environments)
- Tijdelijke ongemaksverzekering (temporary inconvenience insurance)
- MijnGemak (a sort of service offered by Unive)
- Rechtshulpverzekering (insurance for when you need legal aid)
- Aansprakelijkheid particulier
- Pensioenen (retirement insurance)
- Lijfrente (for if you want to retire early)
- Uitvaartverzekering
- Overlijdensrisicoverzekering (to help those you leave behind when you die)
Created at 23.53 local time.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The dutch and their elderly...
In the Netherlands it is very common for elderly people to live independently of their children.
This is a clip about the dutch and their elderly.
This clip is meant to be a humorous portrait of how one pays a visit to his elderly. There is some truth to this clip. At least two people I know do exactly that when they visit their parents - read the newspaper or use the mobile phone. But in this case the parents do not always just sit and do the crossword. And then in the end of the visit everyone will act like it was gezellig/leuk (a pleasure/fun).
The first time I witnessed this I thought that they were being impolite to their parents and I felt so bad for the parents. We come there and the parents give us drink, cakes and dinner/lunch and all we do is just read the newspaper. That does not feel right. But then again this is the phenomenon that occurs more and more often nowadays in many parts of the world.
Created at 22.43 local time.
This is a clip about the dutch and their elderly.
This clip is meant to be a humorous portrait of how one pays a visit to his elderly. There is some truth to this clip. At least two people I know do exactly that when they visit their parents - read the newspaper or use the mobile phone. But in this case the parents do not always just sit and do the crossword. And then in the end of the visit everyone will act like it was gezellig/leuk (a pleasure/fun).
The first time I witnessed this I thought that they were being impolite to their parents and I felt so bad for the parents. We come there and the parents give us drink, cakes and dinner/lunch and all we do is just read the newspaper. That does not feel right. But then again this is the phenomenon that occurs more and more often nowadays in many parts of the world.
Created at 22.43 local time.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Gratis geiten af te halen
Ik moest gewoon lachen toen ik de advertentie las...
I just had to laugh when I read the advertisement...
One day I was just so bored that I decided to surf marktplaats to see if there was anything interesting. I surfed to dieren (animals) and put gratis (free) as a search term. Who knows... maybe somebody is offering a free puppy. Then I came across this advertisement. After my disbelief subsided, I just had to laugh. Someone was offering free goats because he was moving out to another place (I wonder if he had a farm or the goats were pets). Yes, free goats with horns and all that. That is something we would never really hear of in Indonesia. You might get a goat from someone you know, but somebody offering free goats to anyone who wants them is not exactly common in Indonesia.
I know the Dutch like free things but free goats... this is quite unusual.
Hmm... I wonder if the advertiser could really get rid of his goats. If not, i wonder what would happen to the goats.
Note: Marktplaats is a very well-known website in the Netherlands. Ask any Dutch person and chances are he/she will know about this website and has probably even used it.
I just had to laugh when I read the advertisement...
One day I was just so bored that I decided to surf marktplaats to see if there was anything interesting. I surfed to dieren (animals) and put gratis (free) as a search term. Who knows... maybe somebody is offering a free puppy. Then I came across this advertisement. After my disbelief subsided, I just had to laugh. Someone was offering free goats because he was moving out to another place (I wonder if he had a farm or the goats were pets). Yes, free goats with horns and all that. That is something we would never really hear of in Indonesia. You might get a goat from someone you know, but somebody offering free goats to anyone who wants them is not exactly common in Indonesia.
I know the Dutch like free things but free goats... this is quite unusual.
Hmm... I wonder if the advertiser could really get rid of his goats. If not, i wonder what would happen to the goats.
Note: Marktplaats is a very well-known website in the Netherlands. Ask any Dutch person and chances are he/she will know about this website and has probably even used it.
Created at 16.01 local time.
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