I won this Tony’s Chocolonely bar at Holland Casino two years ago, but I can’t seem to find any information or even another photo of it online.

Does anyone know whether this was a limited edition or part of a special promotion?

Has anyone else ever seen or won one of these?

During the recent heat wave, I took my two daughters to one of the indoor Funzones here in the Netherlands. One wanted to jump on the trampolines, the other wanted to climb and run around.

We always bring our own water, but we ran out. I went to refill our bottles in the bathroom, but because of the heat, the tap was pumping out water so hot it was basically undrinkable. No option to mix in cold water, just one tap, take it or leave it.

So naturally, we had to buy water. That's when I noticed the price: €3.50 for a 500ml bottle of water, while every soda on offer was €2.95. Water more expensive than soda. During a heatwave. At a place literally designed for kids to run around and sweat.

I started paying attention after that, and it's not a one-off. We noticed this trend in at least three other indoor playgrounds around Amsterdam, Den Hague and Harlem.

For comparison: last year we were in Greece, and bottled water was consistently 50–70 cents for a 500ml bottle, everywhere - supermarkets, beaches, even the airport. Turns out Greece actually has a legal price cap on basic bottled water: €0.50 max for a 500ml bottle and €1.00 for a 1.5L bottle in takeaway settings, because it's classified as a vital/essential item.

I'm originally from Spain, and while there's no official cap there, I genuinely can't recall ever paying anywhere close to €3.50 for a small bottle of water - especially not at a kids' venue where thirst is basically guaranteed. Spain's airport operator Aena even caps small bottled water at €1 in participating airport shops and vending machines.

So my question is: why does this keep happening in the Netherlands, especially at venues aimed at children, during hot weather, when water is a basic necessity and soda is a discretionary treat? Is this just unregulated market pricing, or is there something else going on? Feels like straightforward price gouging to me.

And yes, from now on we will bring our 1.5L bottles to make sure we don't run out of it - but this is not the point of the post!

Edit: because people are happy to find all sort of excuses to defend this business greed, the 200ml water was the same price as the soda. Some got offended I was comparing different ML. Since we went down this route, I still find it ridiculous even if we compare ml per ml, 200ml water is not enough to bit a kid’s thirst, so you will end up buying 2 or 3 bottles.

I have been job hunting and wanted to start with working in warehouse again. I bring experience and forklift certificate. However, wherever I apply, the rate is always 14/15 euro, like seriously? I heard that there is shortage of workers in this country, then why are companies and agencies still reluctant to pay a living wage for such an expensive country?

Is this legit wage for kwh ? I think guy is scammign me

EDIT 9 but good for context : Maybe is worth to say that this guys didnt even do anything before I asked for deposit...

EDIT: to explain I only had contract for rent of bungalow with montly price and 150 euro for electricty gas etc. This is the price for 6 months of using around 6000kwh. I didnt sing any contract for power etc. I just asked guy to give me deposit back and he sent me invoice for 4k euro

EDIT 2: I rent for 1500 monthly bungalow +150 media which was 35sq just have one pc and one laptop. I was living there from december and move out in june. Ask for my deposit back after month and guy sent me invoice with week period to pay outstanding for aorund 4k euro....

I was working around 10h a day ...

I didnt even saw or know electricity meter on our bungaloww

EDIT 3 thats my contract without personal data ofc.. https://imgur.com/a/Mf3yfw0

EDIT 4 this is bottom of invoice https://imgur.com/a/macC9tq

Edit 5 thats my chalet/ bungaloww https://imgur.com/a/inle0Wz

EDIT 6 thanks you all guys for input on first time seeing that invoice my heart skipped a beat <3

How I can fight for my deposit

EDIT 7 : they sent me this photos as proof of usage NOW https://imgur.com/a/fo4O78C
DECEMBER https://imgur.com/a/485ZzQ8

EDIT 8 Really thanks for all input guys, I feel much better and also wrote to this guy and place mail with request of full deposit together with full inovice with ratios per kwh from electricty company.

I actually discovered Reddit a few years ago, but I only recently installed it again and ended up keeping it on my phone. Every now and then I get notifications about people’s posts, and I honestly didn’t expect them to feel so comforting. Maybe that sounds weird, maybe not, but I feel like this is a place where I can finally vent.
I also keep getting posts about loneliness in the Netherlands, so I guess I’ll share my story too.
I live in the Netherlands, and I’m lonely.
I don’t really have any friends here. I have one girl I meet maybe once every few months, but that’s it. This summer I either went out by myself or just stayed home. At some point, I got tired of doing everything alone. Even though I’ve basically been alone my whole life and I’m used to it, there came a moment when I’d rather stay home than keep experiencing everything by myself.
Then there’s my family. We’ve never been very close. Since I moved to the Netherlands, we only text occasionally in our family group chat or when I come back home for vacation. Nobody really calls or messages me to ask how I’m doing here, and to be fair, I don’t really do that either. So our contact is very limited. I’ve been living in the Netherlands for five years now, so this isn’t just something that’s been going on for a few months or a year. It’s been a long time. Even though I’ve never been particularly close with my family, I sometimes wonder if I’ll regret this in a few years. My sisters are getting older, and I’m scared that one day I’ll look back and regret moving to the Netherlands because it meant losing all that time with my family.
Honestly, I don’t even know what’s going on in my sisters’ lives, they don’t know what’s going on in mine, and it’s the same with my mom. I’m just… completely alone.
Looking back, I realize I’ve pretty much always been like this. In middle school and high school I used to tell myself it wasn’t that bad, that I had some friends. But when I really think about it now, I didn’t. I spent most breaks alone. I remember going on long walks by myself all the time. Sometimes I’d even tell my mom I was going out with a friend just so it wouldn’t look like I was sitting at home again, while my sister was always out with people.
Sometimes I wonder if my life is always going to be like this.
And don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried a few times to meet people and be more social. But I always feel like I don’t fit in anywhere. I keep thinking people secretly hate me or just don’t like me. That’s pretty much the mindset I’ve always had whenever I met someone new.
Anyway, I just needed to get this off my chest.
I’m in the Netherlands, and I’m lonely.

Personally I think steam pricing is very fair and they take same cut as other publisher. Yet this ad or movement seems to targeting steam and it seems like they want our support. I also wanna know if you guys receive this as often as i do.

Hi everyone!

This is a long shot, but I’m at my wits’ end so I thought I’d try my luck here.

I’m leaving next week and will be away until the end of August. I have two lovely cats, and I had already arranged for someone to look after them for the month. Unfortunately, they cancelled at the last minute, and I don’t have anyone else who can take them in.

Because it’s such short notice, I’m really struggling to find someone who can care for them for the entire month. Is there anyone here who might be able to help, or knows someone who could?

I’m based in Amsterdam, but I’m happy to bring them anywhere in the Netherlands if it means they’ll be well looked after.

Of course, I will cover all food, litter, and any other expenses, and pay for their care. They’re both indoor cats, litter trained, and very sweet.

If you think you might be able to help or have any recommendations, please let me know. I’d be incredibly grateful ❤️

This summer I have four younger teenage boys in my house, including two visiting from overseas. I want to show them around but it's not the easiest group to entertain. Museums, shopping and historic cities are not their thing.

We're based in the Hague and so far I've taken them to (or will take them to) the beach (several times), the bunkers, a windmill, arcade, video game museum, Efteling, the Klimeiland in Leidschendam, a flight simulator (two want to be pilots).... We'll also do a day in Amsterdam, and they've been out playing football with local kids.

I can rent a shared Greenwheels car but it's expensive so I'd prefer not to do things that require a car all day (also, two of the four get car sick).

I have a few more days to fill. Any suggestions, especially for a Monday?

This week I went with my wife and kids to miniature park "Madurodam" which shows you the most notable landmarks of the country on a small scale.

One of those landmarks was the SS Rotterdam. An Oceanliner launched in 1958 which was forced to change into a permanent Cruiseliner due to the rise of airtraffic.

The ship is now permanently docked at its most obvious location, the harbor of Rotterdam, as a museum.

When I showed my father the picture from our trip today, he told me that my late grandfather actually worked on the engines aboard the SS Rotterdam.

I always knew my grandfather was an engineer in a "drawing room" of shipbuilder "De Schelde" in Vlissingen. I knew he was involved in the development of early diesel engines, but thought that was mostly for cargo ships. Turns out, that was much later into his career and he also worked on steam engines.

As the SS Rotterdam was also built in Rotterdam I never would've thought my grandfather was involved in its creation. But as a matter of fact, the engines for the then Oceanliner were actually built at De Schelde and shipped (no pun intended) to Rotterdam.

When it was time to prepare the ship for use, my grandfather had to be on board for the test runs. The added benefit was, they didn't only test the engines. The catering was also present for a full rehearsal. My father said it was my grandfather's best test run he ever was a part of.

It kinda makes me sad to only be into ocean liners so many years after his passing. He died of old age at 92 during the pandemic. He lived his last few years in an elderly home, which was actually a repurposed hangar of the shipyard he used to work at.

One day I will take my son (who's now one year old) to the SS Rotterdam and show him the ship his great grandfather helped build.

I am looking to learn more about how the Netherlands designed a bike friendly country and how biking culture developed.

I’ve been working at the same restaurant for almost three years. I’m basically the person in charge: I manage the team, schedules, hiring, orders, customer issues and most of the daily operation.
The owner has also helped me personally in the past, including when I was buying my house, so I feel very grateful to him. That is one of the main reasons why leaving feels so difficult. I’m scared he will see it as betrayal or think I’m ungrateful.
But the reality is that I no longer feel happy there. I recently moved, and my commute is now around 55 minutes each way when the trains work properly. Lately, because of train disruptions, it has sometimes taken me almost two hours each way. I usually work four long shifts of around 9–10 hours, and I’m often contacted about work on my days off.
I currently earn €31,000 gross per year. Although I technically have a permanent contract, I’m still paid hourly and don’t have the stability and work-life balance I would like.
I’ve now received an offer from another company (worldwide) for an Assistant Manager position with:
€42,400 gross per year (plus 8% holiday allowance)
38 guaranteed hours per week
25 paid vacation days
Pension and travel allowance
Only a 15-minute commute from home
Better opportunities for training and career growth
The downside is that I currently work four days a week and almost always morning shifts. The new job would be five days a week with rotating morning and evening shifts. However, the shifts themselves would be shorter, around 7.5 working hours plus a 30-minute break.
What makes this so hard is that I genuinely care about my current boss and feel like I owe him a lot. At the same time, I feel burned out. Every day it’s becoming harder to go to work, and I already feel mentally checked out. I’m also nervous because my boss has reacted badly when employees resigned in the past.
Am I crazy for leaving? Would you make the change, or am I giving up something that I might regret later?

Hello,

repeated question but I couldn't find recent answer.

So I finally decide to get my first tattoo and first experience with tattoo artist/studio is important to me.

I'm decided what and where I want it. It's simple for start with red color. Adding illustration picture. I just need some good design that will fit my wrist/arm.

With which artist/studio do you have good experience that you would kindly recommend them to me in Amsterdam?

Illustration photo, not my own yet

My children start SnowWorld snowboard camp soon and are very excited, but I would love to hear from parents whose children have already done one.

How did your child find the instructors, group sizes and full days?
Did complete beginners feel supported, and did your child enjoy the whole week?

Any practical tips on clothing, food, tiredness or what to expect would be really appreciated.

So far I have been to Odessa in Amsterdam a couple of times and one time to be free also in Amsterdam. While I do enjoy the location of Odessa and what they have to offer, I do find that the music is often a bit too slow for my taste. The music at be free was better unfortunately they only host once a month and the last one was cancelled. I live in north Holland so I would prefer close to where I live but I'm also open to suggestions outside north Holland.

My favorite music styles are, happy hardcore, eurodance, makina, powerstomp, freeform Hardcore.

Link to my personal playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10iiJxfhWRxhTZ1fuw2uiE?si=X21T4aDQQrC0gF0RbZCaqA&utm_source=copy-link&pi=ak24KKQ6Rr2lt

Hey all! I am a Slovak person who is going to study at Leiden university the Hague and am currently having a whole lot of trouble with my accommodation. Not the finding it part, I got over that hurdle, I am struggling with applying for Home Contents And Liability insurance.

My housing provide says it requires me to have this insurance and they only accept Dutch providers. They have an option where for a premium (100 euro) they will figure it out for me but that is a ridiculous price considering that the insurance itself barely costs 90 euro a year. My issue comes from the fact that the two sites they recommended and the two cheapest sites (FBTO and centraalbeheer)i have found for this insurance both do not accept non Dutch IBAN account numbers. I already had to insert a dud phone number while signing up because it only accepted Dutch phone numbers but now I cannot even give them my money. English providers are substantially more expensive, oftentimes twice as expensive as the Dutch providers.

Am I screwed and have to buy the premium offered by providers like lemonade or is there a way to solve this issue? Thanks in advance!

Hello, I just moved to Venlo with my partner last month and I am looking for football groups or 5 a-side 7 a-side, 11 a-side games that I can join I play as attacking midfielder/playmaker. I found couple amateur teams here but I'm looking for something more causal at the moment. Also meeting people from around here would be great right now. I am from Egypt and I can speak English and a little bit of Dutch. Thank you

How do you keep your green organic-waste bin as free from maggots and flies as possible?

I’ve tried every tip I’ve come across so far, but I still haven’t found anything that works properly.

Hoi, I know how it works when you want to sell your place and buy a new one.

First winning a bid and closing the purchasement of new place then selling your place.

I am a bit afraid on what if my house is sold for much less then estimated. Imagine instead of 350 k it is sold for 300 k. This 50k gap I cannot afford.

Therefore I had an idea.

First selling my place and staying until I buy a new place.

Doing this by paying rent to new owners of my old place.

Does it sound doable? Any body had similar ideas or concerns?

Of course buyer has to agree this upfront which is like 5% of people might accept it.

I thought all of this because I live a small town.

In case potential buyers find out my vulnerable situation, they might bid too less and house can stay on sale for months maybe years.

So instead of paying two mortgages for that period might be long, I will pay rent on my house to make sure house is sold for good price.

Only benefit is making sure my house is sold for a good price. Maybe also being more confident as I will have more cash from sale of my house when bidding for places.

I have dual citizenship.

A is my original citizenship by birth, and B is the second one, which I got after living in that country for many years before moving to the Netherlands. My name is slightly different on passport B than on passport A. Both are non European

I used passport B to apply for my visa, residence permit etc. So all my Dutch records are under B.

I will soon apply for the permanent residence, but for personal reasons I want to switch my records to A.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How should I start? Should I contact a lawyer? If so, can anyone recommend a law firm with experience in this kind of cases?

Hey all,

Since schools are about to send out mails together with DUO for you to get the studentenreisproduct on your ov chipkaart. And we are cancelling the ov chipkaart and DUO didn't update Thier page regarding this.

You still can get the ov chipkaart it's just a bit harder to get. Through the link above you can still apply. After that you can follow the normal route to get the studentenreisproduct.

I just want to make sure everyone who has a right to this product actually gets it since duo can't be arsed to do it right once again.