As everyone here knows, I live in the Netherlands. And then, of course, you think; "Ah, the Netherlands. The land of tulips, windmills, and wealth!". Well, let me quickly help you out of that dream. The Netherlands is indeed the country of tulips, windmills, and rain. A lot of rain. We are in such a period again that I would forget that there were sunny days here, or do they even exist? Nowadays, I wake up every morning with the idea of ​​introducing a bill to make sun exposure a legal requirement. The government in the Netherlands is very good at making the most nonsensical laws. So why not for the sun? Just a little sunlight, is that too much to ask? But no, instead we are stuck with constant rain, not just a little rain, but a lot of rain. It soaks everything from my socks to my mood. And that's not good for my mental well-being!

Slugs & Snails

And I haven't even mentioned the snails yet. Yes, snails. Those little slimy creatures that turn your normal garden into a real disaster area. Our beautiful strawberry plants, for which we have invested blood, sweat, and tears, are now mercilessly devoured by these hungry creatures. Every evening and morning we have to fight the battle and unfortunately admit that these hungry bastards have won. Of the many beautiful red strawberries I have seen, I could eat just 1. My partner was able to eat one and we all had to throw the rest away, half eaten by those nasty slimy bastards. Really, for every snail where we now put salt, even very animal-unfriendly salt, then come back. It just seems like we're being colonized by those bastards. This is war! I swear. That one strawberry I managed to save so far, that's a hell of a lot less than a child learning to count for the first time!

Not The Promised Land

But let me not dwell too long on the salt shakers and snails. There are more Dutch things to complain about. So that you finally understand that the Netherlands is certainly not the promised land. On the contrary. The absurd costs for groceries here make me feel like I'm about to be liquidated every time I walk to the checkout. Nowadays, just getting the essentials seems to require selling your kidneys on the black market. And then you decide to be smart and grow your vegetables, but you are still attacked from the back by the snail brigade. You would almost think that nature here simply hates you.

Special Features Of Our House

If you thought that would be all, then I have to disappoint you. No, there is more. In addition to the rain and the snails, we also have the pleasure of a negligent landlord. Our house has the special feature of a beautiful thatched roof ... which leaks because almost all of the thatch has fallen off over the years. And our landlord simply ignores this problem, even though we mentioned it so many times already. I don't want to think about what the wooden roof structure under the thatch looks like now! To make it extra special we have wooden window frames that rot away from the outside, which is of course causing troubles on the inside too. Five years ago the painter repaired it and also said that it was the last time he would repair it. It all had to be replaced. As you understand by now, this is also ignored by our landlord. And yeah, you get it all this also causes a moisture problem, and moisture causes mold and mold causes health problems. We have raised the problem with the landlord again and again, but he seems to be in just as much of a hurry as the average tax authorities that have to pay back money, or an average government that has to admit that they have done something wrong. You got it, nothing happens!

The Housing Market

Then we have gradually arrived at the pinnacle of all misery. We can't go anywhere. The Netherlands has a housing market that looks more like a bank account of someone on social assistance benefits than a functioning system. With a shortage of at least 400,000 homes and a decade-long wait for affordable housing, you might as well enjoy your leaky roof and 80% moisture in your home. If you thought everything was well arranged in the Netherlands, you now know that it is different. A housing shortage of more than 400,000 homes, a new load of asylum seekers of around 25,000 people who are imported every year, and more than 31,000 homeless Dutch people wandering around. Great arrangement, right?

The Netherlands Seems To Be Drowning

Many of these problems are not easy to solve, but the sun may be able to alleviate some of this misery. If it finally stopped raining, the snails might go back to their own home underground, that way our strawberries might get a chance and we could finally enjoy strawberries again. And not entirely unimportant, the moisture at home would certainly be less dramatic. Unfortunately, it seems that the sun has given up on the Netherlands. The Netherlands seems to be drowning in the rain, it seems to be time to book a last-minute trip to Spain to enjoy a cocktail on a beach. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this can become a reality in the short term ... so I'll put on the raincoat again in a moment to take Skipper out.

At Least: We Still Have A Roof

So there you have it. The country that everyone thinks is perfect. It's wet, our groceries are bankrupting us, and the snails have come to colonize us, and having a dry roof over your head is an urgent problem. Let me look at it somewhat positively: at least we still have a roof over our heads. It may be a leaky roof, but it is a roof.

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