MOVING, STUDYING, WORKING, ADAPTING TO THE NETHERLANDS

It was sometime around 2007 when I came up with the idea to move to The Netherlands for a long term. My husband, Dutch, didn’t seem as keen as I was with the idea, despite all his support with the idea that we had back there to study a Master in Holland. We fought against the clock to gather all the documents on time to obtain my acceptance in Utrecht University. I finally get a provisional acceptance some time in 2008, but I needed to improve my English, especially my writing skills if I was to study. Enthusiastic, as I always tried to be when I commit myself to a new project, we decided to travel to Ireland and stayed there for a couple of months so I could prepare myself better for the IELTS, which I did successfully. When everything was ready to move to Holland to start my new studies, I learnt I didn’t get the scholarship, more than necessary to start a new life in a north country. We decided to move still, we had clear that no matter what hurdle we have to face, we will make it.

It was July last year; when the global economic crisis was at its height. With just a few savings, and with almost no knowledge of Dutch language, the decision was risky. Nevertheless, we decided to keep on going, that’s why, after more than ten years living independently, we moved to my mother’s in law house in Nijkerk. The staying at her house was warming and joyful, I should say I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family in law, just perfect to tackle with the homesickness I always feel. Two weeks later, we were moving to our new rent apartment in Leiden, a small place, perfect for two in loved couple.

As soon as we were set down, I began looking for a job, soon I realized the importance to get some experience in the Netherlands, and thanks to a close friend I knew about ACCESS. I went to the interview with many expectations but nervous as well, and luckily, one week later I was beginning my training in THD at the City Atrium (ACCESS office in The Hague). It’s been four months and I have learned many things and met wonderful people. ACCESS has given me precisely what I was looking for: experience and friends. Likewise, UNOY the international organization where I am doing an internship has given me the opportunity to boost all my capabilities.

Aware of the importance to learn the language, I started to study by myself. Then, thanks to the gemeinte of Leiden, I am going to do a Dutch course at Leiden University since January 2010.

Even when it seems unlikely that I can ever study in Utrecht University, all that I have done to achieve my dream wasn’t worthless. It led me and my husband to our most amazing adventure together to discover the colorful Ireland, I improved my language skills, and I realize more than ever, that learning is an endless process and I try to make it always fun. So, despite the hurdles, I didn’t let them put a dumper on my dreams, which was actually live and enjoy the Netherlands, their culture, their language, their opportunities, and more than everything, my husband’s family.

My dream for 2010, aside the possibility to keep enjoying all the good things this country has given me, is to find a good job, a paid job, that allows me to live independently again, and one that gives me the opportunity to be useful for someone, not the boss, but my own people, the people from Latin America, and demonstrate all that I am able to.

Un fin de semana de cine!!

LA SOMBRA DEL CAMINANTE


Last weekend we went to a Colombian film festival in The Hague. Well, technically, we just went to the first day of the festival. We watched two movies; the first one was more a documentary about the life of our Nobel Prize, Garcia Marquez. It was interesting only if you knew about his life and his masterpieces. I enjoyed it but it seems to me, it leaves a huge gap in political life of Gabo. But, in any way, he is first a writer and that is the main reason we as Colombian feel proud of him.

The second was a touching movie; it showed the clash of two stories, if not completely real, very close to the reality many of our fellows have to endure. Two men bear the burden of his bitter past life; one with strength of mind, the other with physical force, both with determination and a glimpse of hope for the future.

The first is missing a leg; the second misses his own forgiveness. I don’t want to tell the story but what I learn from it. Determination, friendship, forgiveness! Only when you endure tough situations you can really understand what is all this about. I am so lucky in life, and most of my friends are too. We complain too often about our lives, but if we just stop a minute and look at the world, the we will realize we are privilege and, instead of complain about our jobs, and frustrated plans, as travels or money that we don’t have, we better use this energy to help some one in need.

It is within the human nature complaining about life, I still doing it, but from other perspective. I am now, more than ever, aware of my position in life, of all that the angels (or however we want to call our supreme power), has granted me. And I am grateful instead of disappointed when I realize the weak hurdles life has given me to overcome.

The characters in the movie hold this strong determination in life that staggers you. They keep fighting and even after they realize the cruelty of the coincidence that brought them together, they are able to give more.

The movie is great; I recommend it to all of you. It’s in Spanish, but has English subtitles, it is sad because it’s real in a way, but it’s our reality and if we turn the back to these facts, we’ll be forgetting our essence.

You can see the trailer in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agqPLUMod24

EL SECRETO DE LOS OJOS

To end, we also watched a really good movie on Saturday: The secret of the eyes. It has been so far the best Argentina’s movie I’ve seen, and I must recognize, they use to make good films…
It has everything: love, comedy, suspense, friendship, and outstanding actors, such as Ricardo Marín. I won't say more because it is really worth to see it, I will see it again for sure, with subtitles, spanish subtitles, to get all the argentine-spanish touch.

The trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcHkTSqeGoU


Finally, we could watch the professional version of 2012 and the only thing that I kept from it was the question: Why did I lose two hours of my time in this movie?

Irlanda, the colorful land of dreams

Just a short glimpse to Ireland.....

As very single story, it has a background. Ireland was the result of several talks, thoughts and dreams. We wanted to go to an English speaking country to improve my English and just live this whole idea to head any place where you don’t know anyone and you have to find your way just by yourself. I never imagined I was going to find one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever been. (I have just been in a couple countries though)










Irlanda is a mixture of colors, of histories, of religions, of struggles. We arrived at late one rainy night. Ireland received us with this tiny rain which can be annoying and magic at the same time. Our first night was not the best prelude to what we were going to live. We found our way near the Liffey River and just couple streets away to the O’Connell street.

Arjan worked and I studied, but more than that, we enjoyed every single day that we walked 30 minutes to get to the office/school. Particularly me, I struggled against the wind every day and enjoy the cool and fresh breeze on my face, listening the music of the 80’s that I never did. I was so lucky to find an amazing English teacher who trains us in the most enthusiastic way. The library’s services were awesome, the MILHOJAS were delicious, the endless parks, the people, the friendly atmosphere, the pintas, smoothly expensive but enjoyable, and of course, the music….

Ireland gave me the best holidays ever, it was a kind of honeymoon we could share with friends we did there, friend who came to visit, and friends we met in the neighbour island!

You can find in Ireland musicians as famous as Bono, and as unknown as the one in ONCE. In almost every street you could hear the young talents with no more than their guitars playing and dreaming!!!

We went East to West and also to the North, to Derry and to the wonder of the Giant’s causeway! What a view! What a dream!

There are no words to describe Ireland, as Gabo would say, living to tell the tale!!!

A holistic approach: Talking about early sex relationships and early pregnancy

I was last week in the play seven, it was more than a play, it was a real story. It was a reading of seven women telling the life of seven real women around the world and their struggle for their rights.
Throughout their stories we could get an insight of how life is for women in Afghanistan, Pakistan , Nigeria , Russia , Guatemala , North Ireland and Cambodia. At the end of the play, we had the chance to meet on of those real women who were personified in the scene. It was Marina Pisklakova, from Russia , she told us a meaningful and simple story that shows a lot of how we, as a society, are approaching all the different social problems we face.
The story was, more or less, as follow: There were three children in the ocean, they didn´t know how to swim and they were sinking. A first man saw them and run to save them. A second man also saw them and went to teach them how to swim. A third guy, when saw the entire scene, rushed away. The two men in the water shouted him wondering where he was going and he answered, he wanted to know in the first place, who throw the kids to the water.
The moral of the story is so full of realities. And the most amazing is that it can apply to almost all the big problems the society is facing. Talking about early relationships and early pregnancy, the first think that I must say is that when addressing sex issues, most of the times the whole society handles a double moral. In Colombia for instance, due to the predominance of the catholic religion, the condom is almost ban, in the understanding that sex relationships are just to create a new life and only within marriage. First to say, this idea forgets about the nature of the human being, but, I don’t purport to go further on this point about religion.
My point is, our society sees the whole sex relationship as a tabu and in this way, the youth is drifted to a storm river where there is not just early pregnancy but also an endless list of venereal illness. When we see a young girl in my country, the most orthodox society will blame her because she should have not had sex in first place. But, did we, as a society responsible for this kid, teach her something about sexuality? Did she find at home any confidence enough to talk about her early love struggles?
Then, if we are to accept this pregnancy as a mistake of her, naturally, we will just throw her to the new world of huge responsibilities and we forget she still a young person, with illusions, dreams, and a life ahead. But, since she did it wrong, our society condemns her to a life where she just have to be a mother.
In the previous story, the first man will help the girl to raise her child; the second guy will do his best to provide a future for her as a woman and for her kid. The third guy instead, will look beyond. He will recognize there is a need to do something for the baby, something for the girl as well, but most important, he or most probably she (gender preferences apart, jeje) will recognize the importance of prevention and an open dialogue of what is the youth facing.

I want to share with my few readers the joy that I felt when I knew that at least one of the countries in South America is scoring quite well in the rise to the Millennium development goals: Chile. The reason: Maybe a woman as a president? Not, Not only that. Perhaps the prolific economic situation? I don’t think that’s the main reason either. Instead, I believe compromise is the key, and not just compromise to gain votes is the next poll. It’s a real compromise with the people and with the future and present generations.

Chile has increased about 500% the attention to the toddlers, creating several new nursery schools in all different cities and locations. Another amazing and controversial step this country and her president have taken is to design a system that allows young mothers to stay at school. Many schools now in Chile count with a nursery school where the adolescents’ mothers can leave their babies while they attend classes. The entire system implied a change. Not just a change in the school itself, but a change in the mentality of the society. There are now laws and there is budget that supports the youngsters in this kind of situations.

The conclusion then is: Yes, if we want, we can! To get some inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsV2O4fCgjk&feature=fvsr
And for the Spanish speakers, a nice song that also shines this reality:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JgWLO9Ca5w