Thinking seriously of hiring an advisor

I need to fill my first tax return here in the Netherlands (as well as in Finland). While it is quite handy with a dedicated software, it is terrible when you need to consider all possible things in two countries. I mean, how many people know what was the exact balance of all their bank accounts all over the world on 1st January 2012.

I was growing more and more frustrated with every new screen. I noticed that I'm probably the exception of exception in all possible ways. However, the Dutch guy had a big grin on his face. He stated, that after seeing all the exceptions I needed to fill in, he will never worry again of being checked upon - as it is ME who the tax officers will be after.

Thanks. Now waiting for the Belastingsdienst to call me for an extensive interview.

Labelless

Discussion in a book club regarding the book "The Expats" by Chris Pavone.

X: "What is then an expat? Are we expats?" 

Y:  "For me expat is somebody who stays in a foreign country with the intention to go back to homeland in few years, like a sent employee."

Y: "Exactly, I don't see myself as an expat either. It's like I am here for good, I speak Dutch, I have a Dutch husband, Dutch children and when I go back to my home country it already feels different. Are we then immigrants? :)"
  
¹ex·pa·tri·ate

\ek-ˈspā-trē-ˌāt\
: to leave one's native country to live elsewhere; also : to renounce allegiance to one's native country 

Politeness to the max

Taking a bus in Helsinki does not require any verbal communication - not with the driver and definitely not with the other passengers. If you happen to feel exceptionally happy and you say "Good morning!" to the driver, he probably just stares back at you without saying anything or completely ignores you. And if make the mistake to talk with the other passengers - well, then you are either drunk or in need of some medical assistance. This is where I have grown.

I took a bus instead of the train from Utrecht station for a change. I stepped in, showed my OV chipkaart and found a place to sit. Things were going smooth. At the next bus station people came in and they all greeted the driver. I was amazed as the thought of doing that hadn't even crossed my mind. My low point was achieved, when a 14-year old boy with too big clothes listening to music stepped in, took his speakers off and loud and clear said "Goeddemiddag" to the driver.

Now everybody (= the bus with 10 people) thinks I'm the RUDEST person in the whole of Utrecht! 

Mission impossible

A meeting with other Finnish girls living in the Netherlands. Within the first half an hour, so many familiar items come up.

X: ".. And have you guys seen, that even in the middle of the winter the small children are not wearing mittens outside?"

Everyone: "Yes, in Finland you would get to hear it immediately if your child is not wearing proper winter gear."

Y: ".. And then - the small kids without helmets biking all over the place, while mom is having also one 1-year old without a helmet on her bike".

I think, regarding the above, a full assimilation to the dutch society might be simply unachievable for foreigners.

Library

An excerpt of a discussion one evening

Me: "I think I should finally get a library card"
Dutch: "Why do you need that?"
Me: "Well, they probably also have some English books there and it would be nice to check the selection and save some money when borrowing books instead of buying them".
Dutch: "Well you should see, which will be actually cheaper"
Me: "What??? Library is not FREE??"
Dutch: "What?? You have a FREE library in Finland?!"

So it turns out, that there is a yearly membership fee for the libraries. While it is around 50 euro's, it's the thought of having to pay that has yet prevented me to get the library card in the Netherlands.

Long time no update

It's been a while since the last post. Sometimes life takes over even the laziest of the bloggers. Instead of long stories, I am going now for a different approach - capturing small bits and pieces of the everyday life. Let's see what happens :)

New year in the Netherlands

My friend is pondering over coming to Amsterdam for New Year’s Eve. I just received a question of how the Dutch people celebrate New Year’s Eve. While my experiences of the Dutch New Year are limited to one, I came up with two main ingredients and the Dutch guy added the third

1. Oliebollen. Lots of oliebollen, with or without raisins.
2. Fireworks. With a healthy disregard of any safety instructions. It’s completely OK to set fireworks on your small street and then take few steps back.
3. Going to a bar before/just around New Year and kiss everyone there. And pay a lot of money for the ticket.

The theory is now there, I will spend my next New Year’s Eve gathering empirical evidence for these hypotheses.