true, I know people who moved to Norway and Sweden. Still some space, nature, not to much traffic, fathers get 6 months off when they (their wife) get a baby (my reference-frame, lol).

I'm good in Holland.. For now at least. When it fluds here I might move to New Zealand; probably one of the prettiest places I've ever seen...

Hang in there guys!

been to Sweden?
lots of Dutch like it ,easy to learn Swedish if you`re Dutch , plus lots of wide open spaces....not many people per sq km...you get 6 mo off there too as the dad...I think actually you and the wife can switch back and forth...they are just lowering the taxes again in february I heard..

As a kid we went to Sweden every summer for years. Fishing, sailing, camping, it was great. I plan to go back there when my boys are a bit older..

The income taxes has been cut for three years in a row now, but that's just a small part of the total tax burden. Running your own company, you have to cough up appr. 32 per cent tax on the salary your lifting, and on top of that at least the same percentage in income tax. And since the welfare state is well past its prime, you have to double up with private pension and health care plans. If our business makes $200.000 a year, what you actually get in the end is closer to $60k...

On top of that - 25 per cent VAT on most things that you buy... ouch.

As for the parental leave, you get 14 days of paid leave when the child is born, and a consecutive 180 paid days that either parent could use. Of course, "paid" is a relative term. I spent around six months at home with each of our three girls, but it also meant I had to live on a third of my normal salary (maximum allowance is about $2000 per month.

(Sorry 'bout the whining, you're welcome here any day, Wouter)

Thanx man. Here you get 2 days of payed absence, even if you get twins. Two days, to go to City Hall and report your new born, that's it.

Ah well, I gues life is rough around the globe. Might as well keep working on our Birds...!