http://forum.expatica.com/index.php Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:13:23 +0100 5 http://www.expatica.com/i/gate/exp-logo.gif http://forum.expatica.com/index.php http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=115344
I must say I find the idea absurd. Your average biker can't go anywhere near the speed of a scooter.

I have been almost hit dozens of times. The weight, speed, and pollution differential between bike and scooter should really force scooters into the main road.

]]> Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:57:50 +0100 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=115344 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=115182 Interesting stuff... shows a part of Thailand I've never come across, but isn't actually very nice at all. A trailer plus all the 8 episodes, 4 parts per episode.
http://www.youtube.com/user/suirside1

Doing a Google, I see the show has apparently caused quite a scene in a few western countries involving embassy/government officials with corruption and scammers running rife and Thai government officials angry at the way Thailand has been 'exposed'... this isn't the Thailand I know and hope I never see, though, reflecting on some experiences, may be I got away lightly.]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:51:56 +0100 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=115182 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=104786 What a beautiful f*cking day. Wed, 07 May 2008 13:03:49 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=104786 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114920 ?]]> Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:24:51 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114920 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=112246
And after 'No' answer they also continue in english that their colleague who is busy in another call speaks well if I can call again then may be he/she will talk.

And after the second answer I remember talking to them for 15 minutes without any problem.

So I thought what the heck why not to change the question like this "Do you speak 'little' bit english?" And this gives the receiver a confidence and I always get yes as answer, so now I don't have to deal with 'No' answer anymore that means I don't call again .

But the point here is that dutch people speaks english well but they don't acknowledge it and if we comfort them then they speak english fluently..its like a power they have and they don't know unless someone reminds them.

Not to forget they only listen to English songs and know the lyrics well.

Well, whatever it is I respect dutch attitude as a whole and they are the best in Europe at speaking english after UK average wise (well just my assumption). I was in Germany recently and I found them even worse .

Lets share our experience in this compare to other countries in EU. I know this is redundant thing but there was no thread entirely for this subject.
Hope you guys will cooperate.

Cheers,
]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:54:22 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=112246 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114876
http://www.grieppandemie.nl/English

Foreigners and vaccination
You are not a Dutch citizen, but do belong to one of the groups to be summoned for vaccination? If you are seen by a doctor in the Netherlands, you will be summoned for the New Influenza A (H1N1) vaccination jab.

Hint: It has nothing to do with citizenship, and everything to do with residency and health care coverage. However, I guess it's more than predictable that the government would turn something as banal as a flu vaccination into a message that's antagonistic and ridden with little-man-syndrome feelings.

No wonder Amsterdam is becoming less popular as a business destination.]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:49:28 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114876 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114872 A poem I wrote in a poetry class while living abroad. Now share with more expats.


We are taught to love our own country
yet not any one else’s

We are taught to trust in a selfish god
or go to hell unsaved

We are taught not to know
yet act in a way that seems perfectly correct

We’re living in a perfect place for parties and fun
But not so good for knowing

We are taught to believe that we are god's chosen
so that we can show no respect to others

We kicked off the primitive struggles against nature
that actually gave rise to human

And are throwing bombs from the sky
Of a boy that barely knows they will explode

Everybody walks with a big head on the neck
With minds brought up to be arrogant and ignorant the same time

We are taught to believe our own-ism makes the country rich
but doesn’t make people lazy and fat

We are all the luckiest ones on earth
but our earth may finally not be

We are taught to bear "That is what I am" and "I do what I want"
unaware that through making changes we improve

And “life is to enjoy” a floating logic
Correct today, but tomorrow maybe not

We are experts in making judgments about things
That we do not really know

We have poor understanding of diversities
Unless this time we are the minority

We may easily forgive the poverty of a family
yet scorn never spares that of a country

Look,
Someone is wearing the empire's clothes today

And he is in deep fear
of being executed by a bomb in the bedroom

A mother that hardly understands why another mother
wants her lost son back so badly

But there is no way that
This province become a new country

We sing hymns to the god
In a world of our own

Seeking in our own land
His blessing

Black eyes, blue eyes
All are beautiful stars in the sky

Golden hair, dark hair
We are just as human as each other.]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:50:14 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114872 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114729 our building we live in has not got any fire alarms and one of our neighbours keeps his motorbike in the shed with the rubbish (this is classed as a fire hazard in the u.k.) and i was wondering are the fire regulations the same here in holland? i cant find what im looking for on the gemente website - does anyone have the answers?
thankyou very much for any help with this :-)]]> Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:15:01 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114729 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113840 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:35:28 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113840 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114784 London Underground Staff Vs Elderly Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u804C65q_Jk

He's since been suspended...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...don/8310436.stm]]> Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:04:12 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114784 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113886 Just thought I'd give it a try... ]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:19:45 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113886 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=104417 http://forum.expatica.com/Expatica-Feedback-Forum-f214.html

Thank you,
admin
====================================

Expatica’s Discussion Forum Guidelines

Welcome to Expatica.com’s discussion forums. These forums are for you to discuss anything pertaining to your life abroad.

We ask that you respect each other and follow our guidelines, detailed below.

FOR NEW MEMBERS
We expect all new posters to show respect for other posters.
We encourage you to make the most of the forum while keeping in mind that it is a community which depends on the goodwill and responsible behaviour of its members. Do not make postings which are deliberately intended to upset other participants, start inflammatory arguments or interrupt discussions. Should you choose to display this sort of behaviour, Expatica or its moderators may intervene.

FOR EXISTING MEMBERS
Please treat new members with kindness and respect.
If a new member asks a question that you or someone else has already answered, please direct them to the relevant thread. If you can’t, please ignore the question and let someone else answer it.

FOR ALL MEMBERS
Expatica expects all posters to show respect for each other. We encourage you to make the most of the forum while keeping in mind that it’s a community which depends on your goodwill and responsible behaviour.

The most important thing to consider when posting a comment is: would you say it to someone’s face? If you feel that you might say something you regret, agree to disagree. You can’t convince everyone of your opinion.

Post intelligently. We ask that you consider the value of your posts. Your fellow posters and Expatica welcomes thought-provoking and insightful discussions, so long as all parties involved show mutual respect.

Don’t flame other users. Do not accuse another user of being stupid or anything synonymous with being unintelligent. Insulting others is a useless way to convey your argument. Should you choose to abuse, you may be issued a warning to alter your post. More than two warnings will result in your profile being deleted.

Don’t be a troll. A troll is “someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.” (Wikipedia) If this is your goal, you’re not welcome here.

Respect your moderators. Our moderators are dedicated volunteers that only want to create a good environment for the rest of you to discuss. Expatica supports the moderators and grants them permission to enforce these guidelines and conditions within the forums they moderate. Showing public disrespect for them is not acceptable. If you have comments about a moderator or their actions, email me at jami.davis@expatica.com or PM "admin". Posting public comments about a moderator and his/her actions will be removed.

If you have general feedback for Expatica, email jami.davis@expatica.com or post it in the feedback section of our forums: http://forum.expatica.com/Expatica-Feedback-Forum-f214.html
If we feel your feedback is not presented in a respectful manner, we will remove it.



Expatica or its moderators may delete or edit any posts containing or linking to the
following:

* Racist, sexist or homophobic comments
* Making sweeping generalizations, using phrases such as “all _____ are so-and so”
* Trolling
* Slam-posts of any kind, including anything starting with “you are _____” (followed by an insult of any kind)
* Abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, or threatening language
* Photos containing nudity, unlawful use, or verbal abuse
* Comments which contain defamatory statements or personal attacks on other participants
* Personal details of any other person (including phone numbers, real names and email addresses)
* Postings made under another person's name
* Pornography of any kind
* Commercial advertising, including (but not limited to) spam and for-profit ventures
* Posts containing inflammatory or unlawful material or references.
* Entire posts in a language other than English. Phrases or words will be tolerated, as long as they serve as an accompaniment to English text.
* Slandering a company’s name or services
* Multiple posts

Warning system
If you chose to ignore these bulleted conditions, a moderator may choose to delete a portion of the post, or the entire post. You will also be issued a warning. If you are given more than two warnings, your profile will be terminated. It’s pretty simple: treat others as you would like to be treated, and you will have no problems.

Locking threads
If Expatica or the moderators feel a thread has grown out of hand, we reserve the right to either split or lock the thread. A decision to do so will always be in the best interest of all users.

Expatica will allow only one username per user. If we find that you are using more than one user name, we will ask that you choose one and we will remove the other. If you continue to create and user more than one, and we have already warned you once, your IP address will be banned.

References to other sites will be allowed at Expatica’s discretion.

If you find any of these terms and conditions unreasonable, then we are not interested in
hosting you. Please find another forum that will better suit your needs.

Expatica.com takes no responsibility for content that users post in these forums, nor do we endorse or represent the opinions of users. In cases where the law has been broken, Expatica will notify the proper authorities if appropriate.

As a user you agree to any information you have entered being stored in a database. While this information will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent, the webmaster, administrator and moderators cannot be held responsible for any hacking attempt that may lead to the data being compromised.

The IP address of all posts is recorded to aid in enforcing these conditions. As a user you agree to any information you have entered being stored in a database. Expatica and its moderators cannot be held responsible for any hacking attempt that may lead to the data being compromised.

The Expatica community and its related functionalities and services are free of charge. By becoming a member you accept that Expatica may send emails with announcements and special offers to you. Please note that we will never give away your email address to 3rd parties; all email you will receive will be sent by Expatica.

Portions of this document were inspired by Ignatzmice Studios. We thank them for their insight.]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:20:35 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=104417 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114357
One thing I've noticed over the years is that the clog channels always stay in the same place. It's the English speaking ones (BBC, Discovery, NGC, etc.) that they mess with.

I would have contacted the Sky guy for a dish years ago, if it was allowed to put one up where I live So, I'm a long suffering, reluctant, UPC customer. Curse them to hell.
]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:19:06 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114357 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114135 ]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:44:25 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114135 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=112008
I really do not understand. Did you have any similar experiences? What's your thoughts about it?]]> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:40:57 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=112008 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114144
so much for a good night's sleep....]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:26:23 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=114144 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113677
If you are willing to be featured, please let me know at: thisismyamsterdam@gmail.com

Thanks!]]> Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:07:53 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113677 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113965
I came home from work today to find an Intakegesprek inburgering letter in the post. To be held in 4 (working) days time. First of all I can't believe that they give me so little notice to rearrange my life to 'pop into the Gemeente' to discuss my eligibility for exemption, but mostly I can't believe they contacted me yet at all! I just recently received my FIRST notice to renew my visa. I haven't been hanging around the country avoiding being inbuggered for 5 years, I haven't even had the time to start thinking about how I go about it! I've been too busy working stupid hours and trying to get myself settled and feeling normal living here.

To top it off, I'm told if I don't show up (without re-arranging my appointment) I will be fined. Nice to know that if I was on holiday or never received the letter I would get a random fine that I would have to pay, then fight for a refund. Oh, and I can't make it anyway, so will have to re-arrange. Maybe if I had had some more notice, but 4 days is just too unrealistic! Not everyone has the flexibility to drop everything at such short notice.

And what sh!ts me the most is that the first I heard of this inburgering business was on this forum! There had been no mention in any of my IND appointments. They only cared that my partner was earning enough money and didn't seem to find it necessary to discuss the the fact that I will be expected to assimilate (as an Australian I was exempt from all the pre-entry hoo-har)

I really just wanted to rant today. Has anyone else received their notice such a short while after arriving (i.e. under 18 months), or is this completely normal..?]]> Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:29:01 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113965 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113517 & disgraceful...

CHEATER CAUGHT IN THE ACT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z21f6DFAMjI]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:33:23 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113517 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113883
I am a dutch citizen, however I grew up in the USA from the age of 1 to 23, at which time I moved back to the Netherlands. I had at that time a green card.

It is now my greatest wish to move back to what I consider my home town in Virginia where I grew up and where my son was born ( yes he is a US citizen )

My problem is due to the fact I have now lived for 17 years in NL. My green card is no longer any good as far as I can tell.

Has anyone else ever had this problem or advice over this?

thanks
Marcel]]> Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:09:30 +0200 http://forum.expatica.com/index.php?showtopic=113883