Originally from Gibraltar, Kelly now lives in Almere in the Netherlands with her partner. This lively young lady shares parts of her expat life in Holland and offers her thoughts on things like learning the language, the cost of housing, and Dutch attitude.	Kelly

-Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Gibraltar, a small British overseas territory in the south of Spain.

-In which country and city are you living now?

I'm now living in Almere, the Netherlands.

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I'm living with my Dutch partner.

-How long have you been living in the Netherlands?

It'll be 2 years in September (I moved here in September 2006).

-What is your age?

27.

-When did you come up with the idea of living in the Netherlands?

I moved here to be with my partner as he already had a permanent job in the Netherlands. Before that, I was working in Oxford on a temporary contract and we'd both decided that we didn't want to live in the UK. Just before I moved here for good, my partner was offered a year's contract in Taiwan so we lived there for a while before moving back to the Netherlands.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

No, as I have an EU passport. I did spend several months chasing after paperwork, though, thanks to the incompetence of the civil servants working at the Amersfoort City Hall, who found problems with pretty much every document I showed them. I didn't get my EU verklaring sticker until January 2007 and had been wrongly told I couldn't work in the meantime...

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

I managed to get this done quite easily and quickly as I arranged it via my partner's company.

-How do you make your living in the Netherlands? Do you have any type of income generated?

It took a while for me to find a job as I was told that I couldn't work while I was waiting for my EU verklaring sticker, so I didn't really put much effort into my job-hunting until after my appointment with the IND. If only I'd known that the staff at the city hall had given me the wrong information..!

I found my current job as a scheduler for a media services company, Chellomedia, via Adam's Multilingual Recruitment. I worked as a temp for a few months and then was offered a contract by the company itself last summer. I've been working there ever since.

-Do you speak Dutch and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

I speak and understand Dutch reasonably well, though I still wouldn't consider myself fluent. My partner's parents don't speak any English so I had a steep learning curve! I learnt the language through self-study and spending lots of time listening to Dutch speakers and reading the free newspapers on my daily commute to work.

People often say that you don't need to learn Dutch as most Dutch people speak English but I don't agree with this statement. First of all, not all Dutch people speak English (especially the older generation). Secondly, not all Dutch people who claim to speak English speak it well. While some speak it almost perfectly, many others are either too shy to speak it or are not comfortable with their level of English to have a long and detailed conversation. Which is fair enough. Why should all Dutch people be expected to speak perfect English?

I find that life is a lot easier if you know the language and it's easier to make friends and understand the culture better if you speak Dutch. Expats who only live here for a year or two can certainly get by with just knowing English but those who are here for the long run might as well learn Dutch.  

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I do miss my friends and family but not as much now as I did when I first moved here. Many of them live in the UK now so they're just a short flight away. My mum comes to visit quite often and we phone each other every other day. What I really miss, especially in the summer, is hanging out with my friends on the beach or enjoying a nice meal or drink at the waterfront marinas. 

-Do you have other plans for the future?

I don't have any plans to move away, even though there are days when I wish I could get away from it all! As far as my career is concerned, I'm happy where I am right now, though I would like to go back into freelance translation in the not-too-distant future (I used to be a Chinese>English translator when I was living in Taiwan).

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We bought a 2-bedroom house in Almere a few months ago for about 170,000 euros. If you're willing to commute a little each day and live outside the Randstad, you can find affordable housing. House prices here are certainly more affordable than in the UK or in Gibraltar, where a 2-bedroom apartment can cost at least £250,000. Before that, we lived with my partner's parents for about a year and half, which is something I wouldn't really recommend doing as it can put a strain on your relationship.

-What is the cost of living in the Netherlands?

The cost of living here is about the same as most Western European countries. When we moved back from Taiwan, we were amazed at how much more expensive things are in Europe, especially food and entertainment. Housing is relatively affordable in the Netherlands and water and electricity costs less here than in Gibraltar. Food costs are quite high but you can find cheaper alternatives at Lidl and at the various food markets. Travelling with the train is less expensive than in the UK, especially as my company refunds all travel costs.

Going out for a meal is a luxury as it's generally a lot pricier than in the UK or Gibraltar. You can either eat at a snack bar or fast food restaurant or pay a small fortune at a restaurant. There is little 'middle ground' when it comes to dining; there are very few cafes or places which serve 'pub meals' (hardly surprising as the concept of the pub meal is very British). We tend to eat at home a lot because of this. 

-What do you think about the Dutch?

I find the Dutch are quite opinionated and honest (sometimes a bit too honest), which can be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. They can give some good advice when asked for it but they will also not hesitate to comment on your sense of fashion or what you're eating for lunch. While they can be friendly at the office, they very rarely want to meet up outside of work time and are very hard to get to know. Most of my friends here are other expats as they are the ones that seem more open to meeting new people and making new friends. The Dutch seems to prefer to keep a very close circle of friends, mostly people who they've known since childhood. 

Foreigners are generally tolerated, although those of Muslim background tend to be discriminated against and are always a popular target in the newspapers. Dutch people seem to be a little less interested in learning about the customs of foreign residents than other people I have met but they don't tend to be racist or xenophobic, just uninterested.  

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in the Netherlands?

Positive : The public transport system is miles better than in the other countries I've lived in (despite the occasional wisselstoring), there is a better work-life balance, the countryside is beautiful on a warm sunny day, and you get a nice kerstpakket ('Christmas package') from your company at Christmas.

Negative :  The weather, people can be very pushy and inconsiderate (especially on public transport), taxes are among the highest in Europe, there is a lot of anti-Muslim sentiment in the newspapers, the supermarkets are not fantastic, and Dutch cuisine is nothing to write home about. 

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in the Netherlands?

It might take a while to get used to living here but it can be a nice enough place to live once you start meeting people. Even if you find it hard to make Dutch friends, there's a huge international community living here (mostly in the Randstad area).

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about anything the Netherlands?

Dutch Word of the Day - An excellent resource for those who are learning Dutch. 

A Touch of Dutch - One of my favourite blogs about life in the Netherlands. The author writes some very informative (and funny) posts about the various aspects of Dutch culture and language.

Doe Maar Gewoon - My own blog about life in the Netherlands. It's quite new so there's not much content yet.