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In conversation with Jane Stephenson- Coach, Counsellor
Happiness, success, and satisfaction come to those who understand the meaning of it and have the capability to chase it. This is what I learned in an interview with Jane Stephenson. As she went into flashback sharing her expat story, she opened gates to her past starting from 1987. Jane came to the Netherlands with a job as a finance professional and no social contacts. There was also no internet or mobile phone facility in place. This made things extremely isolating for her. Her apartment did not have a telephone so she had to use the payphone on the corner of the street. As she reflected on the olden times, she…
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“I am not yet finished! It is actually just the beginning” – An interview with Jaqueline Maria Costa De Menezes (Actress and Bilingual Teacher)
I met Jaqueline for the first time in the international school where my boys studied. She had a typical Brazilian accent. As a teacher, she seemed just perfect. She was wonderful with the kids. She had a charm that nobody could ignore. One day, I read about her upcoming performance in a theatre and I was surprised that my son’s teacher was an actress. Another day, I stumbled on her profile on social media to vote for her candidature for Mrs. Netherlands Universe. That was intriguing but for long, I did not get to know Jaqueline any better. I was curious to know her expat story. Finally, we connected on…
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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…