| Martin is an Irish expat who has been living near Leiden in the Netherlands for the past seven years. Here he talks about things like what life is like for him and his wife there, his thoughts on learning and speaking the language, his take on the amorous frogs on his property, his tips on adjusting to local rules and culture, and his favorite activities apart from trying to start a family. |
 Martin |
-Where were you born?
I'm a thoroughbred Irishman through and through.
-In which country and city are you living now?
I'm living near Leiden, in the Netherlands.-Are you living alone or with your family?
-How long have you been living in the Netherlands?
This month I've just passed the 7 year mark. Yikes.-What is your age?
Mentally I'm not so sure, but according to my legal documentation I'm 30.
-When did you come up with the idea of living in the Netherlands?
I was working in Ireland at the time, and decided that a year or maybe two in another country would be a nice change. The Netherlands itself wasn't the specific target, anywhere I could find work and settle would have done me. Belgium and Switzerland were both very nearly my destination.
My decision was cemented when the company I worked for closed down in February 2001, I stepped up my job search and I was working for a global logistics company in Holland by April 1. Fool's Day, aptly enough.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Nope, not in the slightest, the benefits of EU citizenship.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
At the time everything was arranged for me by the company, but the regulations have changed now and it's up to each individual to organise this privately.
There are dozens of insurance companies offering all types of comprehensive cover to suit almost everyone's needs.
-How do you make your living in the Netherlands? Do you have any type of income generated?
I'm working in Business Intelligence, a 'relatively' new slant on the relationships between IT and Business.
I came here originally having been recruited in Ireland by the company in Holland, and I'm now in my third position here, the last two of which were found by the usual methods of contacting agencies here in Holland.
My girlfriend (now wife) came without a job and was working within 2 months, this again was through local agencies.
-Do you speak Dutch and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I do, but it hasn't been easy. On the one hand the language is a difficult one, sounds and structure are quite different to English, and on the other, in the Netherlands, especially the Randstad cities and surroundings, people switch to English very quickly to assist you. So you rarely have the 'sink or swim' situation that one needs to really grasp a practical use of language.
As example, my wife doesn't really speak it at all and has no greater difficulty than I do in day to day life.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Very rarely. We are lucky in that 'home' is less than 90 minutes flight away with daily scheduled flights. So that's not an issue, communicating through the internet also makes things so much easier.
My favourite recreational activity is doing as little as possible! Socializing, and relaxing as much as possible. My wife and I are in the midst of trying to start a family which, as it turns out, takes up way more time than I ever imagined!
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Ideally we would move on from the Netherlands within three years. 'Where to' is unknown, a lot depends on the economy in certain places and the housing markets.
Business plans, Mmmmm, I’m working in IT and business for 11 years now, and while it helps keep a roof over our heads, it's not my ideal occupation. Things will change hopefully, watch this space!
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We originally rented an apartment, but the cost of a private sector rental was frankly, insane. After 12 months we bought a larger apartment which cost us less than the rental. We stayed there for 5 years before buying a house, complete with white picket fence, and copulating frogs.
We live in the Randstad area, so costs are high, within a good reach of any of the major cities you will face a cost of 300,000 euro at least for a 3- or 4-bedroom house.
Be prepared to pay for space.
-What is the cost of living in the Netherlands?
I find this hard to gauge, it has certainly increased significantly over the last 7 years, yet is lower than my only other real reference, Ireland.
Taxation is high, yet you can see the results of this better than in other countries. Infrastructure is of a high standard.
You can expect to pay about a third of your income on housing.
-What do you think about the Dutch?
In the Randstad, the locals are very used to expats, and they are just a feature of their daily lives to them. They don't get treated very differently than locals I believe.
The only exception here is language as Dutch people in this area are very quick to accommodate expats by speaking a good standard of English.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in the Netherlands?
Positive – You can be almost totally anonymous. Negative – You can be almost totally anonymous!
You can be very private in the Netherlands, something that is not always the case in Ireland. This has its downside though, as it's very easy to become quite isolated if you are here on your own.
Dutch adults do not make new friends readily.
Customer service as we may know if from other countries is non-existent, yet the services themselves that are available are remarkable.
Personally, I could list off 1000 negative things but that would be petty, and an unfair reflection.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in the Netherlands?
- Be prepared to experience what you may see as rudeness.
- The Dutch are direct, in the way they do business, speak, drive, and even socialize.
- Bring your thick skin with you and you should be just fine.
- If you are told that a rule or a procedure applies to you, don't waste your energy trying to circumvent it. This will only frustrate you and slow down the process further. The Dutch have rules and they stick to them, period. This is how a country 4 times smaller than Ireland with a population 4 times greater runs so smoothly.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about the Netherlands?
I've been here so long now I don't really need to find 'emergency help' information, people will always give you lists of sites that tell you what is what.
Here are a few you won't hear about, but are priceless:
http://www.babelfish.altavista.com for roughly translating those crazy sounding words in your early days.
http://www.easyjet.com For when you've reached breaking point with the locals and need a weekend away. Trust me on this one.
http://xbox4nappyrash.blogspot.com The solution to all of mankind's problems, or maybe not. My own personal trying to conceive/infertility blog.
