Friendly people, great cheese, a plethora of things to do - these are only some of the things that American expat Christopher enjoys about working and living in Utrecht in the Netherlands. Read on for some of the things he doesn't like so much, what he does for a living there, and some tips on adjusting to expat life in Holland.	Christopher Stephens

-Where were you born?

Queens, NY, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?

Utrecht, Netherlands

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I'm living alone. (Thank God)

-How long have you been living in the Netherlands?

It's been 5 months already.

-What is your age?

24

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

I was given a chance Oct 07 to work abroad for 1 1/2 years. Factors that helped my decision.....Euro vs. Dollar. Ha....not really, one regret from college I always had, was that I didn't do any abroad studies, so I'm glad this chance came around.

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

My mother is British, so I just applied for a British Passport :0)... As for a working permit, not too bad.

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

Ha....I just got insurance last week...... I applied Oct 07. Horrible.

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

I work for a Dutch bank called Rabobank, in New Jersey, part of this program is to work at their main branch (Utrecht, Netherlands).

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

I don’t speak the local language (Dutch), but I don't think it’s mandatory to learn it fluently since the majority speak English. I think it’s always good to at least know the basics such as manners, asking for directions, reading menus, etc. NEVER first ask someone "Do you speak English?" It's pretty offensive.

As for observing local customs...Dutch people have a way of bumping into you and not saying "Excuse me" or "Sorry" but it's not big thing out here, so don’t take it personal. If you do...ha... you'll look like the crazy one. The best advice I can give, is GET A BIKE, you'll need it, first step of becoming Dutch :0)....Oh, and say bye to your purly white lungs.... EVERYBODY smokes... I say at least 98%. (I think they are going to ban it by July 08 though.) It gets annoying when you're trying to enjoy your dinner and you have to smell smoke.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

There are times I get homesick. Being from New York, everything is fast paced. So I'm use to getting things done within a day or two. Out here it’s pretty interesting, because they treasure life, so there’s no rush to get things done. In New York, if you send a pair of pants to the dry cleaners, the fastest you can get it back is the same day or the next there. Here it will take at least 4 days. Nobody is really competing against each other. Another example is the barber shop. In New York, barbers make the most money Friday nights and Saturdays. Saturday morning they usually come in around 9am because he knows people are trying to beat the crowd. In Holland, my barber doesn't come in until 2pm on a Saturday.

As for recreational activities, Netherlands have so many things to do. In Utrecht, it's cool because you can do everything in the "Center". I usually shoot pool, go bowling, Laser tag. Wow, Laser Tag or Laser Gaming is the best out here in Utrecht. It's way better than New York's, you have sound effects, ramps to run up and down. It's really cool.

The cool thing about Utrecht is the fact it's a small town, so you can ride just about anywhere and find parking. In New York, you would have to take the train to the city, because you won't find too many parking spaces. In Holland, there’s always a place to lock up your bike. The best advice I can give, is GET A BIKE, you'll need it, first step of becoming Dutch :0).... Other than that, there’s a lot of cool bars to burn time out. I personally kind of get tired of the bars because of the smoking.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

I do plan on travelling all over Europe since everywhere is pretty much 2 hours from Holland. As for business plans, I've been working on a T-shirt line...and a poetry book.

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

Right now I rent an apartment, it's €1050 a month, thankfully it's covered and I just pay taxes on it. Housing isn't cheap, it reminds me of Manhattan.

-What is the cost of living in the Netherlands?

Ha...Everything is expensive when you convert Euros to Dollars. No but yes things are pretty expensive here, I think. And of course American imports are really expensive... small box of Lucky Charms...:::drum roll::::: €11.

-What do you think about the Dutch?

The locals are really nice. Friendly. Ha, some stare though, I think it's because there aren't too many Black folks in my area, so some stare like I'm a new invention. But overall, extremely friendly.

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

Positive: The people are friendly. The canals are beautiful. The Cheeseeeeee is GREAT. Easy to be romantic (nice flowers). The history of Utrecht or Holland is pretty interesting, the fact that so many things about NY is Dutch (due to the past). For example NY fav baseball team... Yankees, are from 2 Dutch common Names... Yan......Kees.... pretty interesting.

Negative: Certain things move at a slow pace. The weather! (Usually gray and raining.) The chance of getting your bike stolen is pretty high. The smoking in restaurants.

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

Carry an umbrella. When you purchase a bike, don't get nothing fancy. Majority are ugly though. But the most important thing is THE LOCK. Get a good lock. Other than that, keep an open mind and enjoy your stay. Oh, and don’t get caught taking pictures in the Red Light District.

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

Ns.nl---> Website for the train system, it comes in handy.