Moving from the Far East to the West has certainly been an interesting experience for Malaysian expat Mei Ching, who works as a registered nanny in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Here she shares a bit of what it's like to be a non-Western foreigner in the Netherlands, what she enjoys about the country, and some practical facts and figures relating to finding a job and living there.	Mei Ching

-Where were you born?
In Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

-In which country and city are you living now?
Arnhem, The Netherlands

-Are you living alone or with your family?
With a Dutch host family at first but moved in with my Dutch partner after my contract ended.

-How long have you been living in the Netherlands?
1.5 years in The Netherlands

-What is your age?
22

-When did you come up with the idea of living in the Netherlands?
I wanted to au pair in a country where English is not the first language. I narrowed it down to France, Belgium and The Netherlands as the other countries do not allow non-EU/American/Canadian/Australian citizens to be au pairs. My Dutch host family found me online and the rest is history!

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Yes. It was difficult finding a family willing to go through the pre-departure visa (MVV) process. It can take 6 months and costs 430 euro (an additional 188 euro is required after arrival). In the end, it only took 2 months so all was good.

I'd heard stories about how hard obtaining the partnership (2nd visa- after my au pair permit expired) visa was (some had waited years, only to be turned away and had to finally leave the country) but I got the approval after just 4 weeks! Gathering the documents is time-consuming and expensive but I guess it's the same everywhere. The partnership visa cost 830 euro.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
No. My host family arranged an au pair health insurance visa for me. However when I had to switch my permits, it was very dificult getting a Dutch healthcare provider to cover me as they required me to already have a residence permit in hand (which I could not get until after approval).

-How do you make your living in the Netherlands? Do you have any type of income generated?
Yes, I now work as a registered nanny. It's very difficult finding a real job, mostly because I can't speak Dutch and have yet to complete my degree (positions not requiring Dutch are usually quite high up). I plan to finish my degree next year or the year after.

-Do you speak Dutch and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I speak a little and can understand quite a lot. I will attend a Dutch course later this month. I think it is very important to speak the language when you're in a foreign country. It can be hard in The Netherlands because everyone speaks English. Also as I obviously look foreign, I notice that I get better service if I speak English as bad Dutch makes me seem uneducated (and therefore am in The Netherlands -'what a paradise oh!' to escape my "oh-so-poor-dreadful" life back home.)

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course, but it's not something I think of constantly. I do miss going out and enjoying the finer things in life. I also feel like I'm missing out when it comes to friends, education and all that.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Yes, I plan to be fluent in Dutch, finish my degree and win the lottery, haha.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We're renting an apartment now and we pay 650 euro/month. It came with nothing and we had to paint and do the floors ourselves but the location is great. Public housing is cheap but you have to be on it for years before you actually get a place. We ended up going to a private housing agency instead after waiting a year.

-What is the cost of living in the Netherlands?
Cheaper (dollar to dollar). Taxes are incredibly high but you also get a lot back (student allowance, cheap university tuition, etc.). Wages are lower.

-What do you think about the Dutch?
Not bad. I sometimes get iritated by all the "Ni hao's" I get (I'm not from China). And most of all, I despise comments such as "Awww, Malaysia can't be so bad, can it?" It makes me want to scream back that quality of life in Malaysia (as long as you're middle class and above) is heaps better than it is in The Netherlands BUT I want to stress that not all Dutch people do this. Some are nice.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in the Netherlands?
I like how the Dutch don't care much for prestige and luxury. I like the efficient public transport and I like how ... wholesome life is here (e.g. during the weekend, my boyfriend and I go cycling or walk in the national park or go on a picnic somewhere... people in Malaysia would LAUGH at that but it's nice!) .

I don't like how non-Western foreigners get treated, how foreigners are treated with suspicion (thank God I'm not Middle Eastern and/or Muslim!) , how there are so many rules (social rules and others).

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in the Netherlands?
Learn the language and be like the Dutch (meaning don't care about anything and always stick up for yourself - they respect you more this way!).

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about the Netherlands?
http://www.9292ov.nl (great public transport site)

http://www.marktplaats.nl (Dutch ebay)

http://www.expatica.com