Olaf lives two expat lives simultaneously as he shuttles back and forth between London, England (where his wife lives) and Eindhoven, Holland (where he works). He does miss family and friends back home in Portugal, but his experiences in the two countries in which he spends his time are enriching his life even more. Read on for a comparison between the different styles of living, different cultures, and different behaviours Olaf perceives in the Netherlands and England.

Olaf

-Where were you born?
Portugal

-In which country and city are you living now?
London, UK
Eindhoven, Holland

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I share a flat with my wife in London but live alone in Eindhoven.

-How long have you been living in England and in the Netherlands?
I have lived in the UK for nearly five years. Recently I have been working in Eindhoven for nearly two months.

-What is your age?
25

-When did you come up with the idea of living in England and in Holland?
I first went to Aberdeen in the UK on an Erasmus exchange programme. Later I decided that I would want to finish my degree in Scotland because of a girl I met there.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not at all as I don’t need one.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Because I am an EU citizen it wasn’t hard at all.

-How do you make your living? Do you have any type of income generated?
I work as an IT consultant and so far it has been extremely easy for me to find a job. It took me slightly longer than a month to find my first job. But now because I have more experience it is really easy. All I have to do is to post my CV online and wait for the phone calls. Recently I landed a contract job in Eindhoven, Holland. Because my wife is still living in London I have to travel back and forth between London and Eindhoven.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I learned English at school so it wasn’t too hard to become fluent. I used to work in the city and had office outings every Friday night. If you choose to go out with your co-workers be aware that you have to keep up with the drinking, and Pepsi/Sprite are not allowed unless you are a girl. If you go out with a large group of people also be aware that British drink by rounds and each person has to pay a round thus it can get very expensive and you are guaranteed to get drunk. One of the ways of avoiding that is to refuse a drink or leave early but that may make you look stingy and anti-social :)

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I miss my family and friends a lot. It would be so much better if I could move them everywhere I go. But on the other hand my life only really started when I went abroad. Whenever I am not working I try to do some traveling.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I will be heading to China next year where I will first learn Mandarin and then will try to start a software development consultancy, selling services to Europe.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I rent a flat in London and that costs me around £950 pounds inclusive of rent and utility bills. Depending on the location where you live the council tax varies from as little as £40 pounds a month to around £120 pounds.

Eindhoven is way cheaper. I am renting a flat for around 830 euros all inclusive.

-What is the cost of living in the UK?
Expensive! London is the most expensive city in the world contrary to what you may see in the statistics. Yes, I have been to Tokyo and wasn’t convinced that it was more expensive than London.

On the other hand, salaries in London are very high and may compensate for the rip off prices.

-What do you think about the Dutch and the English?
The Dutch are really friendly and very helpful. The English are a bit more reserved…

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in England and in the Netherlands?
Everything is available in London and there are prices for every pocket (except for accommodation). You get ripped off on a daily basis in London and that takes some time to get used to. Additionally, life in the capital can be very stressful and if you work in the city you are expected to work long hours with no compensation.

On the other hand life in Eindhoven is easily affordable. Everything is available in such a compact city and the work environment is stress-free.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about those countries?
If you are looking for job in an area related to IT in the UK then www.gojobsite.co.uk and www.jobserve.com will be certainly helpful.