Here are two things that we’ve run into here that don’t make all that much sense to us. One, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV in the States) – or the RDW, as known in the Netherlands, and secondly, the lack of use of credit cards.

Waiting for our turn at the DMV equivalent, drinking a cup of complimentary espresso. Not bad!

Today we had to drive to Rotterdam to prove that we live in the Netherlands, after we’ve already proved that we live here and have proof with our residence card. But we had to drive an hour plus to take our paper and another paper to show proof that we can be here and get our car out of customs. But we didn’t get our car out yet – we have to wait until tomorrow for our highly paid consultant to bring over the Title document that we shipped with the car, directly to the RDW. Once they receive this document, they’ll issue Dutch license plates which will take another 5 days. Everything takes more time than necessary and no one really has an answer as to why this is so. They just say, it isn’t possible. And so we wait. And wait. We paid another fee to register our car here but this leads to my next hmffff… ( I”m sure it’s like this for foreigners coming to the United States DMV as well, yet it just doesn’t feel all that foreign to me.) 

When you want to pay for something, in the States you can use your credit card. Here, they don’t really allow you to use a credit card. Everything has to be from a debit card with a PIN attached. Or, I just haven’t figured out how to use a credit card yet, but I don’t think that is the case. However, you can load separate money on your debit card to act as a ChipKnip – which I think is more like a credit card, but I’m still not sure. Hopefully someone will explain it to me and I’ll be able to park with my ChipKnip card. I don’t understand why they don’t allow credit – it’s just not possible! And if you’re a foreigner, it’s really not possible to pay but with cash! Crazy, right? Or just different?  Hmmfff…

You can’t use a credit card to pay! Normal!