Week 41 Stormy and wet
Granddaughter Georgia came to visit. As with most visitors, she found it very relaxing and slept for 12 hours! The Travellers Weary Body grabbing the chance for a good sleep.
All too soon, packed up and off to Amsterdam to stay with Ben before heading off to Croatia - ah, just so young and daring!
Around the farm...
On Thursday, we had everyone present except the Work Experience lad - makes for a Full House, with barely any room at the table.
Stormy outside and suddenly no electricity! One of our clients was late and he showed us a video of why the power went out.
It only took an hour to repair, which surprises me. All the gas and electricity pipes and cables are underground, so this doesn't happen very often. One of the branches of the fallen tree must have been the culprit.
On scones and other edibles
My Man in France tells me that he took home some countryside mushrooms on his latest foray with his bicycle. Like the corn from last week, the mushrooms also turned out to be inedible! His story reminded me that we have a client who also collects mushrooms from the forest - he says he knows what to eat and what not to eat, but we're not so sure. We think he is always on the lookout for "magic" mushrooms - perhaps My Man in France has gone the same way?
We took some packets of Scone Mix to My Man in France when we were last there. It seems he has been impressing the locals with his "Scones Anglais" - without letting on that they are from a packet! One of the French kids has now asked how to make them...
Which brings me to this: my Son-In-Law is a brilliant scone maker but even he had trouble when they visited here in 2010. We think it was something with the flour - probably needing extra baking soda. Anyway, it just became "too easy" for me to use the packets since then.
In 2003, I took Mum to (my favourite) teahouse in Olinda, up in the Dandenongs. (it infuriates me now, that I can't remember the name). They had great scones! I wonder if they still do?
Sadly, I don't have a photo of Mum from that day, but I did find one of Ben and Georgia...(compare photo above).
I digress.
Given the dilemma of MMiF with his Grand Scone Deception, I resolved to have another go at making real scones - just to prove that it can be done!
Still not as good as the Olinda variety, but it is lousy weather here and it gave me a chance to show the kids how to make them! Little Dutch kids eating scones and potato cakes!
IKEA Kitchens
Over the years we have installed several Ikea kitchens. The Eritreans managed to destroy a couple of doors - water damage - I don't think they were used to running water.
Anyway, we went to Ikea in Groningen and the doors were from an old (out of stock) model. So they said they would find some and send them to us - which they duly did, free of charge! Great service and every bit as good, if not better, than any pro kitchen installation.
I am expat
Some time ago, my daughter Cheryl told me that we know someone involved with "I am expat" in Amsterdam... I haven't made contact yet - I think it is someone with the delightful name of Bea Honey.
I quite often find interesting stories whilst browsing their website.
How much do you know about the Netherlands? Here is a list of useful facts and statistics: (from 2015/16?)
(edit - remember decimals use a comma and thousands use a dot!).
Democracy
Head of State: King Willem-Alexander
Type of state: Constitutional monarchy
Seat of government: The Hague
Capital: Amsterdam
Voting: not compulsory
Province - Provincial capital
Groningen - Groningen
Friesland - Leeuwarden*
Drenthe - Assen
Overijssel - Zwolle
Gelderland - Arnhem
Utrecht - Utrecht
North Holland - Haarlem
South Holland - The Hague
Zeeland - Middelburg
North Brabant - s’Hertogenbosch
Limburg - Maastricht
Flevoland - Lelystad
Geography of the Netherlands
Forested land: 11,1% of total surface area
Arable land: 21,96% of total surface area
Total land surface area: 33.948 square km
Including water surface area: 41.526 square km
Belgium borders: 407 km
Germany borders: 556 km
North Sea coastline: 642 km
Population of the Netherlands
Population: 16,5 million
"Non-Western" non-natives: 1,8 million
“Western” non-natives: 1,44 million
Immigrants: 143.000
Countries of origin of immigrants: EU countries and returning Dutch citizens
Emigrants: 116.000
Countries of origin of asylum seekers: mostly Iraq, Somalia and China
Income & Labour stats
Average income (in euros): 31.000 net
Labour force: 7,714 million
Unemployment: 320.000 (4,5% - March 2009)
Number of job vacancies: 200.000 (decreasing)
Income distribution: 25,1%
Population below poverty line: 10,5%
Public debt: 45,5% of GDP
Other stats and figures
Number of households: 7,24 million
Average life expectancy: 78 years (men) and 82 years (women)
Average age: 38,7
Religion: 6 out of 10 persons profess to being religious
Healthy to very healthy: 81%
Population density: 481,7 people per square km
Cars: 383 per 1.000 people
Walking in dark (perception of safety): 81%
Prisoners: 112 per 100.000 people
Daily smokers: 32%
Broadband subscribers: 4,1 million
Internet users: 15 million
Happiness level (quite happy): 55%
Happiness level (very happy): 40%
Not proud of their nationality: 23%
Very proud of their nationality: 23%
Will fight for country: 69%
Trust people: 54%
Household with TV: 99,42%
Mobile phones: 72,24 per 100 people
Age at first marriage: 30,7 (men) & 28,3 (women)
Average size of households: 2,3
Birth rate: 10,53 births per 1.000 people
Death rate: 8,71 deaths per 1.000 people
Divorces: 39,3 per 100 marriages
The taxation system (forecasting changes)
The new Dutch government is planning on putting a new tax system in place in 2019 - if the Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst) can handle it.The current Dutch tax system
Currently, there are 4 tax brackets in the Dutch tax system and the percentage of tax you pay depends on your earnings per year.
If you have a yearly taxable income of up to 19.981 euros, then you fall under the first tax bracket and will pay 36,55 percent in tax. The next bracket concerns those earning 19.982 euros up to 33.790 euros. In this case, the tax applied is 40,8 percent.
In bracket three, the same tax, 40,8 percent, is applied to earnings of up to 67.071 euros. Those earning above 67.071 euros fall under the last tax bracket and pay 52 percent of their earnings in tax to the Dutch tax office.
Proposed Dutch tax system
The incoming Dutch government wants to move to a system with only two tax brackets instead of four. In the proposed tax system, the first three tax brackets will merge into one, and those earning up to 68.000 euros will be taxed 37 percent. Those earning above this amount will be taxed 49,5 percent.
The new system is especially beneficial for middle to high-income earners, as those on a middle-income can profit from lower tax rates for longer, and high-income earners see a reduced tax rate.
Employers also see an advantage to the proposed system, as employees with a higher income are less likely to ask for a raise.
Realising a two-bracket system
In order to realise such a tax system, the Dutch government is looking at increasing value-added tax (BTW)(GST) to cover a net decrease in tax of five billion euros. This will mean a price increase for groceries and energy bills, but how much is yet to be disclosed.(BTW, this is already at 21% !!).
Other measures, such as cuts to tax deductions for mortgages in the Netherlands, are yet to be decided upon.
This one gets touted every now and then. Interest payments on mortgages are tax deductible - it was introduced after the war to encourage people to (re) build. It's about the only thing I have seen people get upset about - ie. when they talk about removing it.
From the Newspaper
- A huge gas reserve has been found near the Frisian island Schiermonnikoog. It will take years to get all the permits sorted out.
- Another energy proposal has been put forward by a Frisian company. They propose building "floating solar panels" in an array some 30 kms long - along the coast of Friesland - protected by lagoons. It would provide enough power to supply every household in Friesland.
- If Amsterdam people let tourists stay at their house, they have to be registered...otherwise a €20,500 fine. Not sure what the reasoning is, but we think it is to do with Airbnb, taxation, fire safety.
- Many local councils have decided not to use poison to get rid of weeds, particularly between much-used tiles and bricks. But, it is proving to be much more expensive. In Rotterdam alone, the cost has risen from €1.3 million to €2.9 million. Hot water and brooms/brushes are some of the alternatives.
Ken, was it Miss Marples in Sassafras or maybe Pie in the Sky in Olinda. Can recommend both.
ReplyDeleteCheers Don