'Stranded' in The Netherlands

Hoi allemaal!

Hoe gaat het met jou?

Getting through something new or being that 'new thing' itself is never easy. How eyes look at us as something different might be hard to be unnoticed, and how people treat us differently, might as well be difficult.

The Netherlands, well known as the land of the tulips, is something very far far away from my mind. I lived in Indonesia as a little toddler, all I thought was playing, sleeping, screaming, singing and dancing. Having the chance to live and study there, never ever crossed my mind before.

Destiny cannot be denied. One day, my dad was asked to live there for a couple of years. First, it was very hard having a long distance father-and-daughter relationship. We went chatting through video chat, and I, as his little girl, always talked to him everything I thought of. We usually have the night prayer together through the video chat, and it was very rough that times.

Years flied away; and afterwards, my dad invited me, my mom, and my little brother to live together with him. I didn't really understand about 'being new' that times, all I  knew was the blond-and-brunette-haired-kids walking down the road; I actually didn't really mind seperating away from my classmates and got very excited. I mean like, meeting the blue-eyed-kids, how was that not cool enough?!

We literally went there; in a little city named Enschede. It was very quite and peaceful; you won't find any kind of traffic jam. We lived in the second floor of a townhouse, the preparation for me to go to a new school also went smoothly.

Then went the day I was going to the class for the first time. It was a national school, so we didn't use English there. You know what the problem was? I never spoke and understand Dutch before.

Everyone was staring at me as the principal brought me in. I sat next to a beautiful brunette little girl, who is still my friend right now, and I didn't speak anything that day; they wouldn't understand me anyway.

I was considered as a naughty little kid. I literally kicked little boys away, and make problems with many seniors. Although I don't speak Dutch that time, I don't know why the little me was so brave and careless about the world; and I kinda miss being that kind of kid. Little kids fearlessly live in their imaginary world and just didn't care about people's opinion. Why don't adults just do the same and stop living in pressure?

Slowly but sure, the teachers could handle and control me. They took me to a private class every after-school-hour, and taught me slowly about new Dutch words I should learn. My classmates also talk to me with basic words and got the way I learned; they didn't force me but coached me indirectly. As a result, I could understand Dutch in approximately one year!

How the people there has a way of thinking, has some positive sides in my opinion. They don't do the 'work over family' things. When it's time to go home and leave the office, they just go home. And when they're with their family, business and work things should be asided.

People usually use bicycle there; which is enviromental friendly. I remember how my dad usually take me to the forest regularly; we cycled there and faced cows; peacocks. What an awesome experience, something I don't find here in Indonesia, the place I live now.

About the school, they don't force children to learn. They coach. I mean, the teachers used games and stories as medias for the kids. They don't make them to memorize deep theories or learn complicated boring math; they used the tricks children will like. For the history, they make it as an interactive story telling where children were taught to be courageous with their related questions. And for the math, they also focus on the story that makes the children think and count. With colorful and beautiful drawings; children will be more engaged and be more excited to study.

I was not afraid to ask that times; and express myself those times. I went into a story telling competition; I sent letters and drawings to a national magazine. They support us and our ideas; and once my teacher said that talents are God's gifts. I know I was not that talented, but I got confident by how they didn't break our mentals into pieces. 

I could feel the difference of kids in Indonesia and in the Netherlands. Little ones in the Netherlands are not afraid to perform. When there's a stage and someone is asking the kids to sing or dance, no one will resist it because performing and expressing themselves was always a pressure!

 I am very shy and quiet now, but do you know that I sang and danced like a fool in public places before?

About friendship, I am always amazed by how sincere and welcoming the Netherlanders are! At the first few months, I was a loner, but thanks to my teacher people started talking and interacting with me, the black-haired-asian-kid. How their parents also warm-heartedly talk to me; always made me feel loved.

They have a cultural 'Koningin's Dag' day, which means Queen's Day. It was the birthday of their previous queen named Queen Maxima. Everyone will be wearing orange that day, and people go to the centrum, the center of big events, to sell their recycled or unused things. More about centrum, there's a traditional market which only opens on weekend days, for limited hours. I always loved the fish and chips there!

In the Netherlands, they have four seasons : zomer, winter, herfst and lente. It means summer, winter, fall and spring. It sometimes take a while to adapt from one season to another, but the diversity makes it colorful; we have different experiences and perceptions through every season. Different themes, different point of view.

 For example, the spring was being interpreted with 'getting newborn again' because of the eggs that hatches during the spring. Summer is getting related with long vacation and having fun. Different spirit every season made me excited to welcome the new one and I never got bored!

How I love how God 'stranded' me there, and how I love how much I learned from being an outsider. Not every start of something new might be okay, not every start migh be a 'smile'. Sometimes, it's just the motivation and the will to fit in that counts. As long as we try to start first, people will approach us and things will just go. 

Just as simple as that. :)