@freemo I’ve been watching a new channel on how awesome the Netherlands is, called “Not Just Bikes”.
Is it really such a “modern utopia”? What’s your take on it? Things you love vs hate, that sort of stuff.
Also if it is truly that great, how would you suggest getting your foot in the door for academic/research/programming work? I know I’ve got a while to go on my PhD, but I’m thinking this may be a place to consider in the next few years.
Thanks for input you have! :)
Woo, that was familiar! Part of my city is in that video! :D
(Nah, not gonna tell which one. ;) )
@trinsec @zpartacoos @freemo That's awesome! I'm pretty jealous after Freemo's response tbh 😩
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As a world traverler I can say Netherlands really is the utopia they say in a physical sense, that is, sights, sounds, infrastructure, etc. The gripes I have about the Netherlands, which arent enough to push me away, lie in politics, law, and taxes. Though I will admit if you want a country with cities and suburbs as nice as the netherlands it will cost everyone in taxes. So at least with the netherlands I can say the taxes you pay get used on, mostly, good things.
Some things I have noticed that really cause the netherlands to stand apart:
Cleanliness. There is virtually no trash blowing in the breeze (outside of maybe Amsterdam, and even that is minimal). No disgusting smells, and very few places that seem rundown, even despite the fact that most buildings are so old. The place is cleaner than any country I have seen, by several orders of magnitude. Simply crossing the border can be a shock when you get used to it too.
Infrastructure. Trains and buses go everywhere, even to remote areas. You will literally never need a bike or a car if you dont want. That said the infrastructure for bikes is insane. They have parking garages dedicated to them everywhere, more roads for bikes than cars, and the bike lanes are carefully constructured to go through beautiful areas. You can be biking through a town and feel like your in the middle of nowhere since they try to line it with woods and grass where possible.
Technology. They use tech to make their infrastructure even better. For example at train stations and in public it is very common to have "robotic" bathrooms. That is, after you use it the doors lock down and robotic devices come out of the walls and clean everything, walls toiley, everything, automatically. Also there are toilets that literally rise out of the ground, usually just urinals, during the night when people are drinking at bars. There are also perminant public urinals everywhere as you walk, so it is quite nice.
@johnabs @freemo second this