After a little break, new year - 2011 - break, I'm returning to continuing my stories, now, Im telling you my story about my life in Netherlands.
Well, I was telling you about my frustration about live up north, in Harlingen and work in Amsterdam
Well, my job, my colleagues, it was a new life in this point, starting to me, all very exciting, I was very happy about it, but not happy with my personal live, living in Harlingen, starting to be very disappointing with my relationship.Everyday I was waking up praying my life will change for something that I like, I believe many of us waking up hoping it.
Well, during I guess 6 months, almost one year I was hoping my personal life could change, until one day my ex got completely insane, fed up and went to company I was working in Amsterdam and made a huge scandal to everybody in the company, said terrible things about me, how horrible I was as I 'didn't want' to get a job just around Harlingen etc, etc, etc... of course all his point of view, and how he was feeling.
It was a big thing to the company management and I could understand it until the day the HR called me and fire me up. This was a big damage for this almost nothing relationship, but I did manage to don't look thing in such a bad way.
I've try to find a job just around Harlingen, but it was almost impossible because:
1 - my dutch, I could speak a few dutch but most companies found not enough to work.
2 - Harlingen is a inner country village, so not many business going on around there
3 - funny enough, happened exactly what is going on to me now (very difficult to find a job in Brasilia), 'well specialized' 'why you don't go to live in the main cities, there definitely you can find something for you'
Well, I found my destiny was get married and have kids, nothing else to me there.
I thought about it, but something inside me was going against this decision, it was not for me, I'm too much independent to agree to this 'destiny'!
Then I returned to Brazil completely sad and destroyed, thinking I did try, but it looked like it is not for me there. But I think I told you before Im very persistant, so after a few month I returned to Netherlands to try for the last time. And this time it was the worse time, the relationship was completely dead.
Then I got crazy and sent my CV to Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam to the biggest cities in Netherlands and yes, I received some really good offers in these cities to move there to work there, but my visa was completely connected to my ex and he was completely against move out Harligen to help me, for him the best solution was I become a mother, once more I was sure he was not the man for me.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Continuing my stories in Netherlands
After a little break, new year - 2011 - break, I'm returning to continuing my stories, now Im telling you my story about my life in Netherland.
My life there was quite OK, the only problem for me and my ex boyfriend was that I was working in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a world apart in Netherlands, my feeling there was has not much about the Dutch way to be, more traditional; Amsterdam is very much, at least, seems much more liberal, open minded.
For me, living in Harlingen, small village situated in a very traditional area in Netherlands, and work Amsterdam, a very liberal city there, after a while it was a shock!
And emotionally it started to do a damage on me
I mean, I'm not exactly the sort of girl that can live well satisfied in a small village, I was trying to adapt myself to this reality but it was hard for me, specially living practically alone as my ex was going to work on the sea for 3 months; I knew people that I could enjoy myself with, but all them living around or in Amsterdam.
It was a tough time for me, I had love and money but in some ways very away from me - love yes, but my ex was 3 months away, working - money, yes, but I needed to drive everyday 2 hours to work and I wasn't live close to work, in Amsterdam!
Working in Amsterdam, feeling the atmosphere there and most of my workmates living there I started to feel pretty tempted to live there, I suggested it to my ex, and the answer was pretty rude ' It is much more expensive to live in Amsterdam ' and I tried to argue about the benefits to live there etc...
Then start my final nightmare there :(
My life there was quite OK, the only problem for me and my ex boyfriend was that I was working in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a world apart in Netherlands, my feeling there was has not much about the Dutch way to be, more traditional; Amsterdam is very much, at least, seems much more liberal, open minded.
For me, living in Harlingen, small village situated in a very traditional area in Netherlands, and work Amsterdam, a very liberal city there, after a while it was a shock!
And emotionally it started to do a damage on me
I mean, I'm not exactly the sort of girl that can live well satisfied in a small village, I was trying to adapt myself to this reality but it was hard for me, specially living practically alone as my ex was going to work on the sea for 3 months; I knew people that I could enjoy myself with, but all them living around or in Amsterdam.
It was a tough time for me, I had love and money but in some ways very away from me - love yes, but my ex was 3 months away, working - money, yes, but I needed to drive everyday 2 hours to work and I wasn't live close to work, in Amsterdam!
Working in Amsterdam, feeling the atmosphere there and most of my workmates living there I started to feel pretty tempted to live there, I suggested it to my ex, and the answer was pretty rude ' It is much more expensive to live in Amsterdam ' and I tried to argue about the benefits to live there etc...
Then start my final nightmare there :(
Monday, 15 November 2010
More addapted to live in Netherlands
Continuing: I've shacked myself and thought he is not here and you need to do something for you here and of course he will also get the benefits of it.
He had a car and I could drive with my Brazilian drive license for 6 months so I got the car and started to drive around. Most jobs for me as non Dutch speaker just English speaker are in Amsterdam, mainly all them are down south Netherlands.
It was a good feeling of freedom! Especially to drive in another country, Netherlands, basically I was crossing the country by car! :)
Also as everything by this time, took me a while to get used to drive in Netherlands, but I loved specially cross the dyke from Harlingen to the next province . As I already said I was living in Friesland up north Netherlands.
The dyke crossing was between Harlingen, Friesland to Hoorn, Noord Holland, another province. It was a very good kick for me to cross it to then drive to Amsterdam, listening good music and drive, I can say always was a magic moment for me, a very very beginning of a day. :) Always I was listening my good morning music of Orbital, Halcyon, just writing now reminding these moments, I missed it a lot:)
He had a car and I could drive with my Brazilian drive license for 6 months so I got the car and started to drive around. Most jobs for me as non Dutch speaker just English speaker are in Amsterdam, mainly all them are down south Netherlands.
It was a good feeling of freedom! Especially to drive in another country, Netherlands, basically I was crossing the country by car! :)
Also as everything by this time, took me a while to get used to drive in Netherlands, but I loved specially cross the dyke from Harlingen to the next province . As I already said I was living in Friesland up north Netherlands.
The dyke crossing was between Harlingen, Friesland to Hoorn, Noord Holland, another province. It was a very good kick for me to cross it to then drive to Amsterdam, listening good music and drive, I can say always was a magic moment for me, a very very beginning of a day. :) Always I was listening my good morning music of Orbital, Halcyon, just writing now reminding these moments, I missed it a lot:)
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Adapting to the new life
How was the process? I was still living in UK, my British visa was just about to expire, all my stuff still in UK and suddenly I received this propose to move to Holland to live with him, so I didn't think twice, move from UK to Netherlands. oh didn't go back to Brazil first, no I wasn't miss Brazil, I was hungry for a new life and I was in love in a way I never felt in my life before.
Then start my surprises about my new life there, I thought my ex boy should be living in a small city, but no, it is a village, Harlingen by the time just had 10.000 people living there.
Another surprise, it is not all Dutch that speak good English, most of them can understand and speak, but depends of their educational level, mainly around the big cities, all them can speak and understand, but in Friesland, the province I've moved to live, not many people could speak and understand and I didn't speak any Dutch. Friesland is not the most developed province in Nederlands and they speak another language there, some told me it is a language, some told me it is just a dialet, it called Friesen.
OK, at least doesn't sound so different and strange like Mandarin, but still a language I couldn't speak and understand. Bit in case I got my partnership visa to be there and the government basically obliged you to go to a Dutch course to learn the language and their culture habits, what I found quite good for the people that lives there and for the immigrates to adapt to the country.
Ah, I must tell you one thing I forgot to tell, my ex boy was a maritime engineer of the biggest container shipping line in the world, so 2 weeks at home and 3 months in the sea. First time he told me, I didn't think was so bad as I could feel I wasn't so in love anymore and a lot of time alone and I love to be on my own.
But the first trip was a really bad experience; first: I was in a different world for me, second: the language issue, I still waiting for the Dutch course of the government, third: it was a simple thing, I was missing him a lot, as I was very fragile and I couldn't go somewhere to meet him for one day.
Then start my surprises about my new life there, I thought my ex boy should be living in a small city, but no, it is a village, Harlingen by the time just had 10.000 people living there.
Another surprise, it is not all Dutch that speak good English, most of them can understand and speak, but depends of their educational level, mainly around the big cities, all them can speak and understand, but in Friesland, the province I've moved to live, not many people could speak and understand and I didn't speak any Dutch. Friesland is not the most developed province in Nederlands and they speak another language there, some told me it is a language, some told me it is just a dialet, it called Friesen.
OK, at least doesn't sound so different and strange like Mandarin, but still a language I couldn't speak and understand. Bit in case I got my partnership visa to be there and the government basically obliged you to go to a Dutch course to learn the language and their culture habits, what I found quite good for the people that lives there and for the immigrates to adapt to the country.
Ah, I must tell you one thing I forgot to tell, my ex boy was a maritime engineer of the biggest container shipping line in the world, so 2 weeks at home and 3 months in the sea. First time he told me, I didn't think was so bad as I could feel I wasn't so in love anymore and a lot of time alone and I love to be on my own.
But the first trip was a really bad experience; first: I was in a different world for me, second: the language issue, I still waiting for the Dutch course of the government, third: it was a simple thing, I was missing him a lot, as I was very fragile and I couldn't go somewhere to meet him for one day.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Get out Asia, goes to Europe - Netherlands
Well lets change our route to the past - 2003 to 2006 - Netherlands, some people called Holland.
I've lived there for 3 years and I know the respectable, right way to speak the country's name is Netherlands, proper Dutch way, Holland is just part of the name of 2 provinces of Netherlands, Zuid Holland and Noord Holland. And I've learned you must respect the culture of any country and in case in Netherlands they are restricted to it.
Well, my beginning of life in Netherlands, I moved there mainly because I met my Dutch ex-boyfriend in my last moments in UK, and we got madly in love and he suggested me to move there to live with him and I was so in love, I thought 'why not?'.
How did I meet him? I was in a pub with my Finnish friend Kat there and suddenly I saw this incredible good looking man coming in! I never saw such a handsome man in my life, he couldn't stop to look at me and I couldn't stop to look at him.
I've just published a picture of us in Harligen, the village we lived in Friesland, one of the provinces up north of Netherlands. This picture is a moment we were happy, because later on...
Many people told me that was a insane thing move to Netherlands to live with him, but when you are so in love is very difficult to think straight, now I think about and it was a damn insane thing to do, but I did; in a few months I was there living with him. A new life, a new country, new everything.
I need to say that is not being easy to write about these years in Netherlands, not because Netherlands, but because the relationship with this ex boyfriend.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Continuing telling my travel stories in Asia
Yeah, continuing my travel stories in China. Honestly I do have that much, in Asia I already had been in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, all great trips. Why didn't I travel more in Asia? No interest. I was already live in China, it was enough for me.
And me and this ex-boyfriend Ronan loved to go to different towns in China, to explore as Changzhou was for us by the time quite a boring town, nothing to do. He could drive and had a company car, so why not? I really like this adventure spirit that he had by this time, maybe still have.
I was living in Jiangsu province, with a few interesting town to visit like the first capital of China, Nanjing. Nanjing is quite close of Changzhou about 100 km far, and you go there you can feel how China is a old country. Around the city has a stone mur, like a small version of the Great Wall, to protect the city from the invasions, of course it was a long time ago, like it was in Beijing, but for the Chineses, Nanjing is well know by the Japanese attack during the second world war and they don't have good memories about it, one of the reasons still now as days they don't like much Japaneses.
Nanjing after Shanghai it is the biggest town down northeast. I need to explain that has a business route in this region after China opened up your economy; it is Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzou and Nanjing, the cities points that produce a lot of main products and export them.
My next step around it was Suzhou. In Suzhou had one the main fabrics of Apple Computers, I never had been there, but I would like to, most of the Apple Computers and accessories are fabricate there and exported to US to sell.
Apart from it what can I say about Suzou? It is China he he he. But has not much to say about the town, for me it is a smaller version of Shanghai, I think maybe soon both cities will be one city as they are very close to each other.
Suzhou has Chinese temples, what have in most Chinese towns, it is impressive how Chinese temples are the main attraction for western tourists, well, they can be attractive but you have much more there about Chinese culture and they don't bother themselves to investigate.
Well I've been in these 2 towns Nanjing and Suzhou more Nangtong and another ones all in Jiangsu province. Ah another that I found a great major city of China was Beijing, the capital of China.
Its a big city and for myself there you can be in contact with the old China. It is funny because when I arrived there I felt so comfortable in the city without a particular reason, after I though " it is the capital of China, maybe the reason I feel so good here can be because I'm from the capital of Brazil?!"
I did a small research about it later and the architect of Brasilia Niemeyer was communist by the time of the construction of Brasilia and he had been in Beijing during this time and maybe had be inspired by a few features of Beijing to Brasilia?
The Tiananmen Square is an amazing place in the center of Beijing when I first came there straight away remind me the a place in Brasilia, a Praca dos 3 poderes, also in the center of Brasilia.
Another thing that really remind me Brasilia, it is the sense of space, very similar to Brasilia. I was missing so much this sense of space in Changzhou and specially in the big Shanghai.
So naturally I loved Beijing!
And me and this ex-boyfriend Ronan loved to go to different towns in China, to explore as Changzhou was for us by the time quite a boring town, nothing to do. He could drive and had a company car, so why not? I really like this adventure spirit that he had by this time, maybe still have.
I was living in Jiangsu province, with a few interesting town to visit like the first capital of China, Nanjing. Nanjing is quite close of Changzhou about 100 km far, and you go there you can feel how China is a old country. Around the city has a stone mur, like a small version of the Great Wall, to protect the city from the invasions, of course it was a long time ago, like it was in Beijing, but for the Chineses, Nanjing is well know by the Japanese attack during the second world war and they don't have good memories about it, one of the reasons still now as days they don't like much Japaneses.
Nanjing after Shanghai it is the biggest town down northeast. I need to explain that has a business route in this region after China opened up your economy; it is Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzou and Nanjing, the cities points that produce a lot of main products and export them.
My next step around it was Suzhou. In Suzhou had one the main fabrics of Apple Computers, I never had been there, but I would like to, most of the Apple Computers and accessories are fabricate there and exported to US to sell.
Apart from it what can I say about Suzou? It is China he he he. But has not much to say about the town, for me it is a smaller version of Shanghai, I think maybe soon both cities will be one city as they are very close to each other.
Suzhou has Chinese temples, what have in most Chinese towns, it is impressive how Chinese temples are the main attraction for western tourists, well, they can be attractive but you have much more there about Chinese culture and they don't bother themselves to investigate.
Well I've been in these 2 towns Nanjing and Suzhou more Nangtong and another ones all in Jiangsu province. Ah another that I found a great major city of China was Beijing, the capital of China.
Its a big city and for myself there you can be in contact with the old China. It is funny because when I arrived there I felt so comfortable in the city without a particular reason, after I though " it is the capital of China, maybe the reason I feel so good here can be because I'm from the capital of Brazil?!"
I did a small research about it later and the architect of Brasilia Niemeyer was communist by the time of the construction of Brasilia and he had been in Beijing during this time and maybe had be inspired by a few features of Beijing to Brasilia?
The Tiananmen Square is an amazing place in the center of Beijing when I first came there straight away remind me the a place in Brasilia, a Praca dos 3 poderes, also in the center of Brasilia.
Another thing that really remind me Brasilia, it is the sense of space, very similar to Brasilia. I was missing so much this sense of space in Changzhou and specially in the big Shanghai.
So naturally I loved Beijing!
Friday, 15 October 2010
Talk a bit about music then back to my trips
As I said in the last post, I guess I have it because since I know myself as Raquel, my life has a strong connection with music.
If you've checked my link that I've posted in my last post, you got in touch with the music style I produce; has many experimental electronic musicians that work on this style, experimental electronic music, for instance the one that I love (errerrhh can't say it, remember?!) I like a lot
HIS MUSIC
Amon Tobin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amon_Tobin
And has many more that are in this record label Ninja Tunes
http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/artists.php
And has another one Warp Records
http://warp.net/
These 2 record labels are the best ones to find out more about experimental electronic music and of course check out Amon Tobin, by the way, he is from Ninja Tunes record label and ah he is Brazilian!
I would like to show a bit of my music here, but my music is interconnect with some moments of my life and would like to post it in amother post to be able to explain why the music is so strange maybe, different maybe.
Funny enough, I compose music for my pleasure, not to earn money (if it comes, very good!); as many call, is it a hobby!?
So I would like to explain and discuss with you my hobby - music :)
If you've checked my link that I've posted in my last post, you got in touch with the music style I produce; has many experimental electronic musicians that work on this style, experimental electronic music, for instance the one that I love (errerrhh can't say it, remember?!) I like a lot
HIS MUSIC
Amon Tobin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amon_Tobin
And has many more that are in this record label Ninja Tunes
http://www.ninjatune.net/ninja/artists.php
And has another one Warp Records
http://warp.net/
These 2 record labels are the best ones to find out more about experimental electronic music and of course check out Amon Tobin, by the way, he is from Ninja Tunes record label and ah he is Brazilian!
I would like to show a bit of my music here, but my music is interconnect with some moments of my life and would like to post it in amother post to be able to explain why the music is so strange maybe, different maybe.
Funny enough, I compose music for my pleasure, not to earn money (if it comes, very good!); as many call, is it a hobby!?
So I would like to explain and discuss with you my hobby - music :)
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