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I lived there for 5 years, I really enjoyed the place, and should be going back to work there soon.
I found the whole "Zwarte Pete" thing a bit offensive,(not pointing any fingers, just imo) having spent my formative youth growing up around Brixton's black community, Hema actually sells stuff for that occasion, and Hema have branches here,a friend of mixed race origin writes papers regarding women of colour in the Netherlands, and she told me Hema is part of the same 'conglomorate' as Selfridges,Hema has UK branches now, and she said she was trying to do something to highlight this to the shareholders, it also appeared (only from an outsiders perspective) that the Moroccan community is quite looked down upon in general, so my only issues were race related.
Taxes are high as well, but you do see the benefits implemented in infrastructure, unlike Southern Cyprus where I lived for a year before I got to The Netherlands.
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@JWestland
As a Dutch person, now living in Norn Ire what strikes me is that the Dutch as a tad more precise &rule following in general. Roads are better. Standards of building are better. Cities are generally cleaner. (but do lock your bike very, very well). There's less open corruption than in Norn Ire (don't get me started....) and less corruption overall.
But this adherence to rules comes with disadvantages: Here you can still get a ticket on the train, and you are usually let off for minor things. In NL however you can't pay with cash anymore, it's a 35 euro fine if you have no ticket on the train, and there's f-all flexibility on anything. Cos...rules are rules.
It works both ways I guess, sometimes it's nice that things are a bit "looser" & more technologically advanced than in NI , sometimes it's a pain.