荷蘭教育推廣協會
Holland Education Association in Taiwan
Daily life
When you enter the Netherlands, you may suddenly find yourself thinking about many things that were taken for granted before, such as finding a house to live in, buying insurance, checking whether you are allowed to work in the Netherlands, and becoming accustomed to using another currency. At the same time, you may also have some daily questions, such as how to buy a mobile phone, how to send a package home, how to clarify traffic rules, etc.
Daily expenses EIU's latest global living standards survey shows that the standard of living in Amsterdam is moderate compared to cities such as New York, London, Paris and Beijing. According to past experience, the cost of living and studying in the Netherlands for a year of foreign students is between 700 Euros and 1,000 Euros per month, covering daily expenses, payment of rent, and payment of registration fees and tuition fees. Basically, it is recommended that you prepare enough funds. It is not easy to find an additional source of income after arriving in the Netherlands. You will use one third to pay the rent and another third to purchase food. You can also find pubs (commonly known as eetcafé's in Dutch) that offer cheap and delicious meals in many cities, but the cheapest way to eat is to cook and start your own meal. The remaining one-third will be spent on books, transportation or other expenses.
Dutch housing assistance application
Law and order
According to international standards, the Netherlands can be regarded as a country with good law and order with few violent incidents and low street crime rate. The police are generally friendly and helpful. If you need to contact the police, do not worry about poor language communication, because in the Netherlands, the police will always find someone who speaks your language to assist with translation for free. In an emergency situation such as life-threatening or criminal acts are taking place, you can call the police, fire brigade or ambulance by dialing 112 directly from any phone for free. At the same time, it is necessary to purchase insurance after entering the Netherlands to protect the safety of your belongings and accidental damage.
General information on purchasing insurance can be found on the following websites:
★ https://www.students-insurance.eu
Questions and Answers on the Dutch Medical System
Typical Dutch thinking model:
The Netherlands is a country that encourages "self-help" in everything. The Dutch, who are very independent and organized, use their abilities to handle and solve most things as much as possible. They will take shopping bags to the supermarket to purchase, weigh their own vegetables, repair various things by themselves, and even in the eyes of the Dutch, the best way to treat a cold is to take more rest instead of taking medicine right away. Another characteristic of the Dutch is the courage to express their ideas, they will not hesitate or reserve. You will find that even if you speak your heart directly, you will not easily offend the Dutch. The flat land of the Netherlands also reflects the mentality of its citizens. Dutch society does not operate in a bureaucratic manner. For example, Dutch teachers will not weigh students thousands of miles away, and at the same time they really play the role of guide in student dialogue. You will soon be in the countryside and be familiar with everyone's usual idioms. Some typical Dutch thinking patterns: ★"Everyone is born equal" ★"Concentrate on accomplishing one thing at a time" ★"This is Dutch hospitality (that is, pay for each)" ★"The idea of every individual It’s all important" ★"It’s crazy enough to behave normally."
Leisure and entertainment
The Netherlands is more diverse than you think. There are too many leisure and entertainment activities in the Netherlands. You can choose to stroll around the town, take a boat trip on the canals or lakes, lie lazily on the beach, or go hiking in the woods and hills. You can go to www.holland.com to find out which activities you can participate in. In the Netherlands, entertainment is never too small. Many international superstars regularly perform in Dutch stadiums or other smaller venues. Parkpop, held in The Hague every June, is Europe’s largest free jazz music festival. At the same time, musicals and theater performances are also very popular in the Netherlands. In addition, there are more than 1,000 museums in the Netherlands waiting for you to explore and discover. You can get more information from the Dutch websites www.concert.nl and www.museumserver.nl.
food
Dutch cuisine is not particularly well-known worldwide. In fact, there is no tradition of cooking in the Netherlands. The Dutch only eat one hot meal a day, usually dinner. The breakfast is simple, usually with cheese, ham or toast coated with jam. Most people have a sandwich for lunch with soup, fruit or salad. Dinner is potatoes, vegetables, accompanied by meat or fish. Therefore, the Dutch traditional diet is very economical. However, in recent years, the Dutch have begun to try exotic cuisine, and gradually pay attention to food. You can find a variety of exotic ingredients in general supermarkets, including pasta, rice, curry, etc., and many restaurants also serve international dishes.
religion
There are various religious beliefs in the Netherlands. Although many Dutch people declare that they have no particular religious beliefs, you can still find many places of worship in Christian or Catholic churches, mosques, synagogues, and Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism in India. Christianity, introduced through Christian missionaries around 1600 years ago, is the oldest religious belief in the Netherlands.
Transportation The land of the Netherlands is not large, so you can almost reach all the places you want to go by taking public transportation, without the need to drive. Although train and bus fares are not cheap, the cost of driving is much higher than that of public transportation. If you often take the train, consider buying a train discount card, which can save you a lot of money. The Dutch railways are densely covered and extend in all directions, providing the most frequent and convenient commuting service between cities. Especially in cities in the western part of the Netherlands, they can be easily reached by train no matter day or night. It is recommended that you use the Dutch travel guide website (English website www.ns.nl or Dutch website www.9292ov.nl) to plan your itinerary before you leave, so that you can find the fastest way to your destination.
How to renew a Taiwan driver’s license for a Dutch driver’s license
bicycle
In the Netherlands, a bicycle is an indispensable means of transportation, especially when you live in a city, the bicycle allows you to travel around in the most convenient and affordable way. Most Dutch people, regardless of occupation or status, own a bicycle. Buying a second-hand bicycle is far more economical than buying a new one, but remember to at least buy a sturdy lock for your car. Sometimes the price of a big lock is even more expensive than a bicycle!!
Useful links in life:
1. Netherlands NS National Railway http://www.ns.nl/pages/index.html
2. Connexxion bus route http://www.connexxion.nl/
3. MAP 24 (Find the road and check the address) http://www.nl.map24.com/
4. Dutch translation website http://www.freetranslation.com/
5. Dutch Bank of the Netherlands http://www.abnamro.nl/nl/index.html
6. Dutch learning website http://www.learndutch.org/
7. Museum related information www.museumserver.nl
8. Arts and Cultural Events Information www.concert.nl
9. Self-help travel website www.9292ov.nl
10. Netherlands Tourism Agency www.holland.com/uk