Life lessons
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Being Lonely…is a choice we make
Ever since I came to the Netherlands, I started interacting with expats, about how they feel being in this country. Each one had a feeling of pleasure and pain. Interestingly for everyone, leaving their homeland was a big decision and it mattered a lot to them. Each one came with hopes and dreams about their new lives and they all had a unique story to tell. Despite the excitement of living in a paradise, I was amazed, people still felt isolated. They felt pretty lost without friends and family and no job in hand. This was true not just for women but also men who were trying to settle down…
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“What and How” of the Netherlands
If you know some simple things about this non-complex Dutch society, life in the Netherlands becomes pretty easy even if you are an expat. Some simple things caught my attention in my integration journey which I believe my readers should know to help them get the real feel of the “what and how” of the Netherlands. The birthday tradition- Age 1 year or 101 years, you are a celebrity for that one day. Show pride that you were born and celebrate in whatever way possible with friends/family outside or at home. To tell you the fact, if you are at job, you bring lots of food and cake to serve…
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Reminder that resonates
When I came to the Netherlands, I experienced people being very accommodating and compassionate. They did not make me feel like an expat but within a few days, I realized it is not going to be that rosy every time. I got my children enrolled in a Dutch school. The teachers and the school director were remarkable. They welcomed the foreign community very well. My children were smoothly introduced with the fellow kids and teachers ensured that they integrated well with the school system. Time passed by, and my children kept going to school, but I could not help with their schoolwork. In fact, I could not even understand what…
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The Discomforting weather
It was October 2010; the memory is still fresh in my mind. Packing our bags for the Netherlands, my husband was telling me that when we land there, we will have to buy a ‘bakfiets’. He was warning me that I would have to put my two boys in it and drive them to their school with me wearing a warm winter coat, warm head cap, gloves in my hands and amidst the thick snow on the roads I will have to push my feet fast on the paddles to reach school on time. I was quite keen to know what he meant by bakfiets? I contained my curiosity thinking…
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Embarking on a new journey as an expat
Amidst the dark clouds, I felt myself taking turns full of new aspirations, hopes and dreams. I could feel a ray of hope seeing the silver lining behind each of these clouds. A new sensation was emerging within my heart as if I was setting off for a new journey. Was it going to be my final destination? Several questions were running in my mind. Very natural to someone like me- almost ten years and I have been moving and hopping countries hoping that we would settle down somewhere but no it was not that easy. My husband is an IT professional roaming across the globe and I by choice…