Expats Trapped In The Netherlands Welcome Engish Language Podcasts

Podcasts are the latest local delight for expats in the Netherlands.

For expats feeling isolated, lonely and depressed due to the anti-socialising rules of the virus's unprecedented threat to normal life, podcasts in the Netherlands are providing welcome relief. For non-Dutch speakers, they’re the best way to keep in touch with up-to-date news on the government’s attempts to limit the pandemic, as well as a good way to stay informed about the more enjoyable aspects of living in this quirky country.

Dutch News is recommended for its current affairs and updates and, for those hoping against hope this world-wide emergency will result in grass-root changes, the storytellers on Creatives for Climate may well inspire the local expat community. If the ‘ins and outs’ of life in the Netherlands are of interest, Here in Holland will make depressed expats laugh as well as cry, and for those interested in the ‘how and why’ of the Netherlands, the History of the Netherlands podcast refers to Amsterdam as the ‘world’s most influential swamp!

For casual viewers, Broadcast Amsterdam contains everything from film reviews to culinary conversations and interviews and, for foodies forced to cook for themselves, Amsterdam Kitchen is a must. Movie buffs should head for Amsterdam Film Show and its interviews with movie-makers, showings of rare films and run-again international hits.

Physical distancing can be very disturbing, especially for expatriates stuck long distances from their friends and families back in the home country. Add to this the psychological effects of not being able to go out, even for a short break, plus the fear of becoming infected and perhaps not recovering, and services such as the above podcasts can literally be life-savers for expats not used to being alone 24/7.