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The current population of the Netherlands is around 17.4 million people, but the amount of bikes in the country exceed 22.5 million – that is, 1.3 bicycle / person. And today, I finally got my first! If you manage to survive 1,5 years without the most important possession in this place, you’re officially Bear Grylls.How did I do it?I simply borrowed it in times of need. In fact, one time I even… Read More
A lot of people told me that it’s not going to be easy. “Dutch people are cold and distant – they might be tolerant, but that does not equal acceptance. You can try as much as you want, but getting friends will always be the difficult part. Integration is hard, even if you learn their moedertaal1, you’ll still be a foreigner in their eyes.”This was the kind of “encouragement” I got when… Read More
The most valuable moments in our lives come when we would least expect them. When I was younger, I remember begging to the Devil to rob me of my soul; Free of charge.To give it away, and to not get it back; was the goal. I prayed every single night, in hopes that I could get rid of my ability to feel, which seemed to be the cruelest curse at the time.Well,… Read More
How to Party With a South-American 101 Born to Be Wild: Latino EditionIt all started with another expat guy, Don Huán; who decided to hit me up and ask if I want to join his Birthday Party tonight, though It was the first time I would meet him.Since I barely had any social life, I didn’t have to think twice. What could go wrong, right? I arrived to his house around 8,… Read More
Taking the leap of faith will either make you or brake you. In this case, however, it happened to be both. #2 – Nothing Stays the Same Good times take place over bad ones. Friends walk away, making space for new ones. You find love, then you lose it.Everything changes.When I moved here, I knew no one, couldn’t speak a single word in the language, had no idea how to cook for… Read More
Starting everything from 0 has both its sweet and sour side, but we must keep in mind a universal principle:There is no substitute for experience. #1 – Friends, First and Foremost Once you realize that you don’t know anyone (and nobody knows you either), the question starts to manifest itself: How am I going to socialize?It’s easy to get friends from school, work or being introduced to others through people you already… Read More
Yeah… “Bar”The place where the night was supposed to start turned into the place we happened to end. A sudden buzz shook my phone in the middle of a calm Thursday afternoon; as a clear sign for possible, yet unexpected pleasures.Luckily that was exactly the case, it turned out to be invitation from a kind female fellow whom I have known for no more than 24 hours.“Hey, we are going out tonight,… Read More
The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, not even in the Netherlands Just like everywhere, there are legal obstacles in the beginning when one wants to settle down in a new place. Permissions, insurances, identification papers; all the necessary documents which are crucial to start a New Life.There is an assumption about where one wants to get work, one will find work. Today the Dutch reality crushed that belief into a thousand… Read More
Road to a New Life 