Who’s gonna tell Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc. that I’m ready? 🔥 Subscribe bit.ly/3c6Twts 🔥 Follow on IG instagram.com/damondominique/ 0:00 Why The Netherlands is so intriguing as a country 3:22 3 proseccos deep, I ask two French men in a bar in Jordaan about the realities of the Red Light District 5:26 My GPS somehow reroutes me to a gay sauna, so I had to go in?8:47 Wait so every high school has a plug? And so basically, the British go to Amsterdam and fuck shit up? And what’s this about sex work/prostitution? 12:05 The creative hub that used to be a shipyard (NDSM) where I question how far a society can get when you’re not interested in following the moral code of a specific religion. Basically, is atheism the way to social progress? 14:00 Every country has a funky past, so what’s up with Dutch colonialism? Dutch-American Ila takes on the task of trying to explain dutch colonialism for the internet. Good luck girl. Then she introduces me to thé wonders of Dutch drunk food: FEBO. 18:03 Every morning, I wake up in a whimsical garden in the North of Amsterdam to a wonderful woman named Zita who makes me coffee and talks to me about how the Netherlands has changed over the past 60 years. let’s put it this way: y’all are some prudes. Toedeloe! 24:29 I’m breaking down the official laws on weed, cannabis, grass, etc on the Netherlands government website. So you’re saying I can’t possess weed, but I can use it? Alright Netherlands, whatever you say. Let’s go to a petting zoo in Utrecht to test it out. Have y’all ever heard of mustard soup? 29:41 Three hours into my space stroopwafel and I'm... 31:40 Have you ever played the Sims? OK, so you know what Dutch sounds like. 33:33 Interviews about education in the Netherlands, gay rights, the rise of the right, the controversy over Black Pete 40:34 I go to a gay rave + talk about the use of ecstasy, molly, and MDMA in the Netherlands, and around the world. 44:29 I meet with Bastiaan and Dzifa from the DrugsLab to talk about the other side of drugs - the side of drugs that never gets discussed. 50:32 Zita invites me out to lunch with her friend Kees to discuss how the Netherlands has changed its view on gay rights over the years. 56:20 Think for yourself
I'm Dutch and I feel like it's far more common for teens to be involved in politics and have an outspoken opinion. Not all of them, but more than what I saw elsewhere
@@person318 Sophie, this is very correct. Im from Belgium and Dutch students were way more outspoken than us Belgians ;-) Belgian students just shut up and listen and won't answer a question (only if forced to). Ofcourse as well not all of us haha
The fun thing about weed is Unless it goes bad, you'll deny it has any effect, I remember getting edibles with friends, And we were like did it work? Then one went bad and me and my friend were too high to realise what that meant. Luckily our other friend knew what she was doing.
@@damondominique i think what youre doing is way more progressive , as the gay veteran said thinking and coming up with something from your thoughts is what matters (if thats what he said)
Being born and raised in the Netherlands, I wasn't expecting myself to watch an hour long video about ''my country''. Well, I exceeded my expectations haha. You've painted a very accurate picture of the Netherlands, good job!
As a Malaysian, I'm shooketh because: Under section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, those in possession of 15 gm or more heroin and morphine; 1,000 gm or more opium (raw or prepared); 200 gm or more cannabis; and 40 gm or more cocaine will receive the mandatory sentence of death by hanging.
Can I just say that I really appreciate how you didn't just focus on one demographic. You included different races, sexualities, and AGES. I think that was one that subconsciously surprised me because youtube is very focused on aesthetics ("the young and beautiful") and as much as we don't admit to subconscious ageist biases, they're there. Especially in the U.S. So as someone who does enjoy talking to old people and gets some weird frowns my peers for not having a dismissive approach to them, I found it beautiful that you featured older people in this video because it is SO important to establish respect to our elders but also to not see them as others just because being no longer youthful is frowned upon.
I agree with this so much! I love talking to older folk, and luckily my life experience has enabled me to be fully articulate and comfortable talking to them! A friend and I were talking about this and we were both a bit shook as to how so many people in our generation are so awkward and uncomfortable talking to people who are more than 7 years older than us. And of course, I don't mean this toward people with social anxiety.
In The Netherlands all the elderly do (in politics) is pollute the earth and try to go back to times in which there is much less tolerance towards gays and abortion. And they're overrepresented here so I consider this to be a problem
It's not too rare among affluent old people from what I've seen in my days cycling around and fixing computer issues for people. I think I've seen it twice or thrice among the ~100 older people I visited. They had fairly large houses, like this lady does.
I feel like in Europe we look so accepting and progressive from an outside perspective but in Europe we are still kinda reserved but we are just less vocal about it and there’s undertones of conservative ideas. Like we’re very tolerant of liberal ideas but not always fully accepting.
marco polo yeah I can see that, but I also feel like that’s a step in the right direction. here in the us we’re so divided between liberal and conservative ideas that there’s little to no tolerance for both ends of the spectrum, and that political atmosphere has made it impossible to make any forward progress at all. so from an american perspective (which I know you didn’t ask for, sorry about that), I feel like that tolerance you mentioned is everything and more when it comes to political conversations and coexisting in general.
marco polo you are very correct as my parents are from Europe and I was born and live in the US. I think that in most countries these days many conservative people are not sure how to feel about LGBT people because back in the days they were educated that being gay was a very bad thing. I came out back in the mid 1990s and many of us who came out in those days had a goal of setting a new example of what a gay person was, which was someone who was a law abiding, hard working, honest responsible tax paying citizen outside of our private lives just like everyone else and that we would earn the respect of everyone else over time. Gays in America also tend to protest when we feel that we are being mistreated. We still have a long ways to go and we can't forget the progesses that we have made.
Rosa G I can see where you’re coming from, but I still don’t believe we’re liberal enough. while we have come a long way from, say, 50 years ago, there is still plenty of racism and homophobia within modern day society, especially in homogeneously white countries like the Netherlands or Denmark
When I see comments like this I literally think just about Wetern Europe. Eastern Europe (I could even say all of the Mediterranean) never heard of tolerance😂. Polish, Serbians, Bosnians, Albanians be like who she?
Damon: "I'm not feeling this edible" Also Damon: "humans are not vegan, we should be illegal. Space" This is such a great doc, Damon! It really is enlightening how opinions of progressivness in the Netherlands changes based on age group and depending on the topic.
This documentary reminds me of why I love traveling: finding like-minded, curious, smart, multilingual people who are also FUN and looking to soak up life and don’t make their career the center of their world. They know they are more than that. It’s also why I’ve never felt quite at home in the US. My values align better with European countries and then the brand of nationalism here makes you feel like an unrelatable snob, ungrateful or a traitor for feeling that way. I loved your realizations at the end. I can tell this trip shook you to your core! I think all travelers have an experience that leaves you a changed person and it’s so beautiful!
@@versnellingspookie dat wordt vaak veroorzaakt door het te vaak gebruiken van wiet, of omdat die mensen sowieso al gevoeliger zijn voor paniekaanvallen of angststoornissen of psychoses.
you wanted our thoughts, so here they are: this was such an absolutely incredible video. as much as I am aware of and passionate about these topics that you discussed, my eyes have opened even more. thank you so so much for sharing these views and discussions on these topics that we can learn so much from. please never stop sharing the things that you think the world needs to see. thank you, merci, dank je wel, and all the others... bisous from france/canada
What I really love about this piece, is that you got so many people in front of the camera, showing that everyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, what have you, every PERSON has a valuable opinion on society. You don't have to agree with everything, but you do have to listen. And that's what you did. You listened, you recorded it and you used your platform to spreed it. Great work, Damon. Thank you for that!
The bike thing is prob the truest stereotype about the Netherlands, it’s regular to have at least 1 bike here (I know like 2 people who don’t have a bike and I still find that very weird)
this is what runs through my mind when I'm daydreaming; exploring a country and genuinely experiencing it, realizing life is much bigger than my whole existence will ever be. this was a cinematic experience, thank you for making this video.
This documentary was so informative and professional but made it feel so intimate? Like, I felt like I was watching something on the travel channel, but at the same time it was as if Damon was sitting on the couch next to me sharing some Prosecco and telling me about his latest adventure
Scorsese: Cinema is about emotional risk and the human condition Me: This is cinema Honestly, love the cultural research in this. Anyone can people watch, but this kind of people and experiential research and is another step up.
Honestly, when you do eventually get the opportunity to film with an entire team and have professional camera-men, I sincerely hope you do not lose the essence of these documentaries. They are personal and honest and give a good overview and the authenticity found in your filming and the way you edit and cut scenes and the music; that is you and we love it! Thank you for representing my country ♡
So well made. As a very close neighbor of the Netherlands, living in Belgium i can also add how beautiful the Netherlands is. A joy to drive through and enjoy the amazing landscapes. An openness that really credits their urban planning.
It was sad to hear her racist experience growing up, despite being born there. I cant believe they use the N word like its no problem when referring to blacks! They cant just say "black"?!
@@iqons350 that's true but speaking fluent English does not equal having an American accent. i feel like it has something to do with their educational system but i might be wrong.
We learn English from a young age; British English though so throughout school you’d expect we’d end up talking with a British accent. We watch a lot of American shows, movies, youtubers though and that way a lot of us (e.g. me) ended up speaking with an American accent. Hasn’t got much to do with our school system also considering 9/10 Dutch people do have a thick Dutch accent in their English
So I’ve witnessed Americans full on talking about people in English right in front of them because they forgot that almost ALL the Dutch people speak English...
I am tearing up. I have lived in NL for 12 years and everything you showed in your video is all that I love about it. I went for a walk with my dog after watching it and spoke to my neighbour about it. This place, with all good and bad, is so special. It is this little magical bubble of freedom, where u can be who u want, as long as it does not harm others (although I say that knowing I am privileged in my whiteness). I feel it is my home and I am grateful every day for finding it and want to protect it from bigotry, restrictions and harm. Sending you love and hugs to Paris and if u ever need a place to stay while visiting, shoot us a message, we will be so happy to have u, drink wine and talk all things life 🤗
@@LivinLargewithLCruu Except Germany, they did really well incorporating WWII into their school curriculum (Ok it's a very different part of history, and harder to brush aside, but still, kudos to our German neighbors)
@@Zzzannie What years did you attend highschool? My highschool age was from the mid-00's to 2010, and it was featured in class, but not super extensively, like maybe a few hours in 1th grade, and a few in 3rd grade.
I really loved this as a Dutch person. You did a great job in showing how (a lot of) people here see these 'taboe topics'. Although I am proud of how progressive and accepting the Netherlands is compared to the rest of the world, I still feel like there is a long way to go.
I don't think we have a long way to go actually. I think our liberalism is an arrow that for the most part has reached it's target. Now all we have to do is safeguard it. Wich means that liberalism has now moved into the realm of conservatism. Wich is ironic, because the only thing that even Dutch progressivism could never be accepting of was Dutch conservatism, so how strange that they have now found themselves it's safekeeper. It also leaves the left and youth without any worthy future project though, wich is kinda sad:(
Damon, My first trip to Europe was to Amsterdam. I came back to the USA in awe. I was 20 years old and I could not understand how a country had it soo figured out. America the great? I do love the USA but with just 7 days in Amsterdam I was forced to see just how behind we are as a nation, and how much more fighting and activism is truly needed to get to a better future. Thank you for this inspiring documentary, you really killed it! ...So when do we get to see your magic truffle experience?? :P
This happened to me when I moved to NL from the UK. The shock at how much better Dutch peoples lives are in general and how much better everything works here, I still think about it all the time and I've been here ten years. The one thing that's sadder if you're British is that we did have all the good stuff but we pissed it away. We're the worst.
I feel that!! the US has got sooo much farther to go! haha I actually just posted a bit of my truffle trip LOL but yeah I'd love to see damons adventure with that 😂
@@KarlSnarks Everything really. Social housing, decent livable benefits system, affordable education, the NHS etc etc. We had all of that but we fucked it off for nothing, at least America never had it to begin with.
As a British person, this has really opened my mind. I was planning on travelling to Amsterdam next year but now i’m thinking of going somewhere more lowkey in the Netherlands and learning more about the culture!
I've lived in NL for more than ten years. I don't think it's a particularly liberal place, in fact in a lot of ways it's extremely right-wing generally, it's just that Dutch culture is ruthlessly practical. Many of the decisions they make on prostitution, drugs, euthanasia etc are simply evidence-based and no amount of moralizing will be able to break through their down to earth practicality which cannot help but look at the most sensible evidence when making decisions. In fact, if I had to choose one word to describe NL it would be sensible, in the best possible way. I love it here.
I'm pretty sure the Netherlands used to be way more progressive (for that time) than it is now. We are still progressive tho, it's just that we are a really polarized country.
@@Daniel.............. After WW2 the Netherlands became very progressive, But now the right-conservative wing is rising more and more among younger peoples.
@@heinrichvonschnitzel8600 yes, I'm noticing it, I'm in that group myself. But it looks like it is just a trend caused by some things on the internet. I don't know if those young people will stay conservative, or if it's just a temporary thing.
@@Daniel.............. It is unlikely it's caused by internet since the internet is mostly dominated by progressivism. I think it's just a reaction on Europe's immigration policies and left tendencies. The right-conservatives are not only rising in the Netherlands it's also happening in my country Germany and many others. Young people in Europe are tend to be either very left-progressive or very right-conservative.
@@heinrichvonschnitzel8600 It seems internet just promotes extremism, as almost everyone I see irl memes both extreme left and right equally for their ridiculousness.
the netherlands actually reminds me a lot of where i live: Denmark. to foreigners (especially Americans) were seen as this pretty progressive country where everything is pretty fair you know we have free healthcare and gay rights and you don't see hatecrimes often and stuff but in reality its not that great. casual homophobia, sexism and especially racism is so normalised here. we literally have a word for this kind of racism: hyggeracisme) no matter who you are you will probably hear at least one sexist, homophobic or racist joke at least once a day. it is especially normal in schools. the n-word is used regularly here and even though there obviously are some who think its wrong to say there are a lot of people who don't see a problem with it and you definitely wont really face any consequences if you say it casually here. immigrants is like in the Netherlands a hot topic and a lot of people are also very racist towards immigrants and Muslims in general. my friend whose mom is a Turkish immigrant has been called terrorist, "perker" (a degrading term for immigrants), and has been told to "go back to where you came from" several times. i myself who is a Bisexual teenage girl has faced homophobia a lot, and i have to deal with either being insulted or sexualised every single day. i think the teens in denmark are the ones who are most socially aware, accepting and tolerant but we are looked down upon because "were just teenagers" drinking culture is also really bad in Denmark. you are allowed to drink beer and wine when you're 16 (though you cant buy hard liquor like vodka and whisky) and peer pressure when it comes to drinking is a HUGE problem here in denmark. a LOT of teens also smoke here. and I'm not talking like 18 year olds no I'm talking like 13-16 year olds who smoke regularly (though you have to be 18 to buy it) sexual harassment at workplaces is a pretty big problem here but it is finally being brought up (before basically no one talked about it) but the most annoying thing about it all is that if you bring this up to danes a lot of them will completely deny it and say that its not that big of a deal and that you're exaggerating. edit: okay I'm sorry for the rant but I've been wanting to say to someone for like the longest time. If you read this ILY
I found you through Ashley aka best dressed and I have watched every single one of your videos since. This one did not disappoint in the slightest. Your hard work does not go unnoticed!!!💛💛
Simply, you make me feel intrigued and fascinated by humanity in a time where often, I'm overwhelmingly disappointed and enraged by what individuals are capable of and this is such an uplifting, relieving reminder. Thanks for this-you always knock it out of the park!
First of all as a (gay) Dutchman I have to say your documentary touched all the important aspects of the Netherlands and Dutch society. And I’m so happy that for once when someone talks about the Netherlands or visit the Netherlands they visit other cities or other regions besides Amsterdam. I think the Netherlands has much more to offer than just Amsterdam (a few of my tips are: Rotterdam, The Waddeneilanden, Groningen and Den Bosch and a lot more of course). I have to agree that sadly some of us are racist and Sinterklaas is a racist tradition. I think many Dutch people find it hard to accept that a tradition they love so much. And celebrated every year since they were a child is racist, and that it basically means that they were taught racism since their youth. Every time we’re getting closer to winter and Sinterklaas begins, the debate starts again, and I do feel like we need to change Sinterklaas. It is blackface and is totally unacceptable. Many cities have decided to ban black Pete, and instead only paint their face in bright colours. I think the Netherlands will get there eventually it just takes time. Now I’m going to give my opinion on our colonial past. I totally don’t see our colonial period as a ‘glorious time’. We forced local communities to produce spices for us and we made a lot of money from it. Which of course didn’t go to the local communities but instead was spent here in the Netherlands. Even a part of our railway network was built by money we basically stole from our formal colonies. However I do feel like we talk about it more compared to countries like France, and the U.K. During history class, they made us aware of all the bad choices that were made in that time. Our school system trains us to be critical thinkers and form our own opinions. Nationalism really isn’t seen as a good thing here. Which has it ups and downs. We don’t get to hear everyday how great our country is or all the great things it does in the world (unlike America....). However I am proud to be a Dutchman and I think I wouldn’t want to be born somewhere else. Now I’m going to talk about gay rights. As a gay man I’ve never had many issues (luckily). I think we have great laws when it comes to lgbtq issues, however I still sometimes feel that we are lagging behind when it comes to social acceptance. Like some people say they are okay with gay people, but don’t wanna see it. Or would prefer if queer couples don’t display their affection in public. Sadly some couples even get attacked when they walk hand in hand or give each other a kiss. Btw I totally agree with you we as the queer community should respect our ‘elders’ because they paved the way for our freedom. They gave us the rights we have today. And it’s our duty to fight for our rights when they are taken away from us. Thank you all for reading this, this is actually my first comment ever on a RU-vid video but I really wanted to share my opinion with the people watching this video. Merci beaucoup Damon, j’adore les vidéos sur Paris et les vidéos quand tu parles français, parce que j’apprends les français. Et les vidéos aide moi comprends la langue. Greetings from the Netherlands.
J / Reading your comment I would have to say that I agree on a lot. As a fellow dutchman (I’m a women, but I don’t know how else to say it -_- ... don’t @ me) I think your right on the fact that there is much more to the Netherlands that Amsterdam and the coffee shops. Not to mention that there are more or LESS conservative, liberal, diverse and accepting provinces in the Netherlands. But I do have to say that I didn’t get the feeling of remorseful essence during my history classes. I found that in the Netherlands they glorified the VOC and WIC for the wealth they brought to the country. During my last two years in high school I learned more about ‘de moedernegotie’ than slavery. Which is disturbing on all sorts of levels especially because slavery still plays a big role in today’s society. To get on the topic of nationalism... have you heard Geert Wilders? Wilders is part of a political party in the Netherlands. He’s VERY vocal on immigration and the fact that he thinks the Islam is barbaric... I mean that tells you enough about this non-tolerant creature. I do agree that were thought to be critical thinkers. But I think this is learned more during our higher education. I also agree with you on the gay rights aspect. I thinks it’s awesome that we have these laws in place for people of the lgtbq+ community. However the social acceptance is indeed lagging! It’s an issue which needs to be addressed. This is also my first comment on yt lol. So thank you for writing your comment because it influenced mine :) Salutations des Pays-Bas. Ps: when Damon talked about the ‘nether’ being low I kinda thought he was going to take the Minecraft route. Nether... the Nether as in UNDERground... nope no one just me.. okay.
Wow your first comment on youtube is really interesting congratulations 👏 I travel in Netherlands for the first time in January with a friend, before that I've never really think about visiting your country and in fact I didn't have any cliches in my head. But I was so surprising in a good way!! You dutchs are so open-minded and welcoming :D Your education system seems to be very tolerant and smart, and you confirm it with your comment about the fact that the teacher explain to you colonialism facts. That's the firts time I want to know more and more about a country and a culture! I understand when you say you don't want to live in another country but yours! I like my country France, but I really enjoyed the Netherlands 🇳🇱 Your french is great 👍🏼 Bonne journée 😀☀️
So, i wanted to react to your comment, because i agree with you for the most part and the already posted comments, but i do think there is this kind of illusion around the netherlands, every year like you mentioned we have a continuation of this tradition that is just extremely racist. There are cities that are taking action, but i don't think just changing the color of their skin is going to solve the whole problem. But that is a completely different discussion. What i wanted to say in the first place is about our educational system and our colonial past. I agree with you that we are learning more about the bad sides of 'the golden age'. but we can do it with hindsight, we can look back and say that it was extremely wrong, but at the time it was okay and even good because we were doing it right. i'm not saying i'm okay with what happened, but i am saying that we have a benefit, and we are learning from our past. So we have to give each other time to rectify our past mistakes, learn from them and make sure we teach these facts with the knowledge that we have now, while also learning that things change and what we know now, wasn't always known in the past. I know it's just a little nuance, but it makes a lot of difference. Again, i'm not saying anything that happened was correct, this is just my perspective as a young dutch girl. Also i think that we are raised to think crittically, throughout our lives, and i think these comments show that. Also the people he talked with, loved them, so so very aware. Love it!
Since I dont see any comments that support the otherside of the Black Pete discussion, ill be the one. I do not agree that Sinterklaas is a racist tradition and that it should be changed. It may have been a racist thing when it started but surely that is no longer the case. Like many of you I grew up with Black Pete and untill this loud push back started a few years ago, I did not ever think it was racist nor was I a racist for liking it. My parents didnt raise me to be racist nor did I ever feel different about black people in anyway. In my opinion the people who make it a racist thing are the people that are shouting its all racism, as kids clearly do not grow up racist in masses because of Sinterklaas. And finally if you look at the Dutch Antillies they also celebrate Sinterklaas and enjoy their time. Why do we always have to change everything when a minority of people gets loud about it? Agree or disagree with me but atleast both sides are now represented in some way.
I grew up in Amsterdam, when I started watching this I thought it might be too positive about the Netherlands when we still have a long way to go; however, I was pleasantly surprised. I love that you got Dutch people that were realistic about our situation, some of us (and others that come to live here) paint a picture that is too positive. Big props on the video! Loved it.
great docu! (coming from a dutch person) The only thing I've kinda had enough of is people saying "woo video about the Netherlands!" and then it's just Amsterdam :/ Case in point is that I feel like the city areas of the Netherlands, mainly Amsterdam, do everything just a little more extreme than the rest of the country. With that I mean it's more extreme in both a positive and negative way. Won't go too much into detail, but I would feel more comfortable walking hand in hand with my gf down the street in my little church town (as a lesbian), than doing the same in Amsterdam.
Yeah, I totally agree. Every documentary or video out there about The Netherlands is always just about Amsterdam. And to be honest, Amsterdam is a totally different world than the rest of our country.
This was my issue as well. The rural areas are massively different in their stance on drugs. They are much more "opposed" to drugs. The drug use however, is higher than in most cities
Love this video. I’m a university student in America and right now I’m in the library watching this video and painting my nails, I should probably mention I’m a Black guy, definitely not conservative, definitely not straight student at Liberty University- probably the largest conservative Christian university in the world. Coming here, moving away from my family, I have really just started to realize that you have to live for you and that’s what I admire so much about the Netherlands.✨
This is such a strange thing to say but you're such a succesful human. You're funny, open, eager to learn, kind, approachable, down to earth. So proud you did a documentary on my country and I'm happy you had a good experience.
As a native of the country, The story behind Todeloo is very funny. In the Liberation of the Netherlands from the Nazi Occupation by the combined armed forces there were French speaking Canadian's who were going to the local pubs etc, flirting with women, soldier stuff. However they were not supposed to linger and flirt, the war wasn't over. So most of the time when a Soldier had to go to the toilet (Loo in french) they said "To the Loo" But when they ran into an officer there they had to go and did not return. Hence why the phrase "To the Loo (Todeloo "de" being the dutch version of "The" and sounding similar )" became understood as meaning "goodbye"
This documentary is SOOOOO good like damnn damon you really outdid yourself! I loved how the netherlands have started the conversation about colonialism from a 20th century perspective. How it was portrayed and the point of view from the countries who were once colonies. From personal experience (I'm panamanian) I can say that it was always hurtful to hear people talk about colonialism in America in a romantic way, out of misinformation of course. But seeing them stay in that place bc it was rather easier than accept the truth of what went behind colonialism, was even worse. We should start making things right, retell our history in order to achieve a peaceful future.
Honestly this video is so soothing to watch and shows Amsterdam in a light that is amazing and provocative and open. These topics aren't normally talked about and hearing it so freely is refreshing and honestly, makes me love it
i really mean it when i say that i'll NEVER take your content for granted because it is . just. so beautifully put together !! you're so talented and i love you so much
Oh, another thought I have on drugs is that it should definitely be decriminalized. One of my friends is studying Addictions Counselling and she told me that the best way to help people recover from drug addiction is to have a safe place where they are able to use drugs and then get them help from there. The biggest problem is when people get drugs without knowing what's really in them or using the drugs unsafely (like injecting heroin with dirty needles). People who use drugs are not bad people. I think it is ok to do drugs, but I think we need to be responsible about it, just like with alcohol, and I think it's important to recognize that addiction can occur with any substance. We need to ensure that people are able to receive help if they become addicted to it.
What i have to say is that in Canada it became legal to smoke weed, but yeah... everywhere you go now smell like weed and a lot of people are not smart enough to know that its like drinking and you dont smoke and drive but of course they have like zero cells to remember that
@@Ame-zv5lj Yeah I've noticed that too! I'm also from Canada and it has been frustrating to see people being reckless with weed, thinking it is completely safe. I know some people who have had no problems with weed, but I've seen others where it has become addictive, or they've reacted negatively to it, so caution is good
Love this doc!! And you went outside of Amsterdam and visited Utrecht 👌As a Dutch person with non-Dutch roots, I can really relate to Sarah saying she doesn’t feel like she belongs in her ‘motherland’ and feeling more Dutch. So glad that young (and also older) Dutch voices can get an international platform this way ❤️
thank you for this doc! it’s really really great. as an indonesian, i’ve really never heard any non-indonesian address dutch colonialism. this documentary makes me want to learn so much. thank you, damon. honestly... next country should be indonesia. we’re not all bali lmao. much love ❤️ x
This was a pleasure to watch, thanks for sharing these wonderful conversations, Damon. Zita was a treasure :) And it's always an honor to hear from our older LGBT community. We're at a time where so many were taken too early by AIDs, brutality, etc, and we can't hear what their stories could have been. Such a shame. So thank you, Kees, for sharing your story and helping ushering us into our better future !
@@net_bianca Mannn, you'd be very welcome here. We love all the appreciation our tiny country can get. Hope you get to go! And if you do... veel plezier en vooral genieten!
Bianca van Heusden wow nice, i actually lived in Heusden 10 years of my childhood. Beautiful little town close to ‘s-Hertogenbosch. But you will get a totally different vibe here in the south of the Netherlands than you will get when you visit the Holland region
I can honestly say that as a 15 year old English girl this opens my eyes.I think that when we are experimenting the opinions of others can really effect me aswell as others,I think it’s important to be safe yes,but also be well informed.Thank you Damon for this beautiful video.You have inspired me to aim for more then what is expected of me💜💜💜💜
i just watched it right now and i love everything about it. The fact that its long, the shoots, the conversations, the vibe, the messages, everything. Thank you for making such great content. I STAND THIS!
One of my favorite things about Damon, and I like a lot of things, is how RESPECTFUL he is. He is so damn polite. He has MANNERS. It is so refreshing. And it's the reason people warm to him so easily.
this documentary... IMMACULATE! seriously, the content, you hanging out by yourself, exploring the city, talking to different people.... such a good work you did!!! loved it, keep it up ❤️
omg!! I’m from the netherlands and this video makes me so proud of my country. Its so special to me that people appreciate it so much.. Obviously there are a lot of things that need improving here. But i love that you discussed so many important different topics in this documentary! Keep it up
38:39 Oh lord, the genealogy enterigation. I'm half African American, and if I actually humor them, it gets crazy. Them: Where are you from? Me: The Netherlands Them: Yeah, but where were you _originally_ from? Me: Just the Netherlands. Them: Okay, but where are your _parents_ from. Me: My dad is Dutch, and my mom is American. Them: Wait, so where's your dad from? Me: _The Netherlands._ Them: Wait... so then who's the black one? Me: My mom. Them: But she's American. Me: Uh, yeah. Them: So then where are _her_ parents from??? Me: America. Them: But... she's black. Me: [famous black american] Them: Oh yeah. :O No, seriously, they will _actually_ go that deep. *But wait, there's more!* My white, Dutch dad... *he's a muslim,* and when _that_ comes up, round 2 starts. Them: Wait, your _dad_ is black? Me: No, he's white. Them: But he's a muslim. Me: Yeah. Them: So your _mom_ is black? Me: Yup. Them: Is _she_ muslim? Me: No, just my dad. Them: So then where's your dad from? Me: He's a white Dutchman. Them: Wait, so _he's_ muslim, but your mom isn't? Me: Yes. Them: Are _you_ muslim? Me: No, I'm not religious. Them, visibly confused: Oh... okay then. :| Them, some months later: Are you doing Ramadan?
So refreshing to hear from Sarah as I really relate to her! I was born in Canada but my parents immigrated from Kenya. Most people I know speak the language of their parents but mine didn’t teach me as they wanted me to speak “proper English”. And it’s always been hard for me to relate to people because I don’t really feel like I fit in anywhere, and I kind of feel like an outsider in both communities. So really nice to hear someone with a similar experience for once.
it's so interesting watching this as a dutch person, because a lot of the things discussed seem so obvious to me. like, because i've always lived here i've never realized how special it is that dutch people and dutch society are so openminded.
This was so good. I have never seen a documentary that is so honest and open about the Netherlands. Yeah, it's a pretty liberal place, but only relatively speaking. There are still so many issues regarding casual racism and the general demonising of the 'Other' (based on religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc.) and it's very refreshing to see that you didn't just gloss over all of that for tourist trap x to y. Hope I'm still in Amsterdam the next time you visit!
I miss the Netherlands so much. I’m half Dutch Half American but I live in the US. I haven’t been back to Holland for 3 years now and this video reminded me of why I love going there
i absolutely adored this. i watched most of it the other day and then finished it just now. this is seriously impressive, i hope your getting the pay and eventually the RECOGNITION you deserve for everything you do. you’re seriously one of my biggest inspirations, keep it up dude
Loved all the conversations with the people and their different perspectives. Also good choice of topics you chose to talk about. Keep up the great work
Really interesting listening to those friends towards the middle talking about Netherlands politics. I feel like a lot Americans I know see countries like Netherlands as a utopia. But every country has issues. Just different ones. Because every country has humans. lol
The Netherlands is far from being a Utopia! I think it got this reputation of being a liberal and tolerant place back in the 90s but the country has changed a lot and it is actually quite conservative nowadays. Maybe Amsterdam is a little more liberal but if you go to the other cities you will see for yourself that this image couldn't be further from the truth...
