{"id":13987,"date":"2023-12-18T12:44:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T11:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wcfv.nl\/?verhalen=tan-from-brazil"},"modified":"2024-11-14T15:18:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T14:18:44","slug":"tan-from-brazil","status":"publish","type":"verhalen","link":"https:\/\/wcfv.nl\/en\/?verhalen=tan-from-brazil","title":{"rendered":"Tan from Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The experience<\/i> <\/i>of…<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Tan from Brazil<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Function<\/h5>\n

PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research.<\/p>\n

Country of origin<\/h5>\n

Brazil <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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<\/h5>\n
In the Netherlands since<\/h5>\n

Nov. 27, 2022<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Favorite word
<\/strong>Data<\/p>\n

Favorite snack
<\/strong>Salty licorice<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Share<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Tan came to the Netherlands with few expectations and has since recovered from the initial culture shock, embracing the cycling culture. However, he still marvels at the many narrow staircases.<\/p>

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Why did you choose to come to the Netherlands?
<\/strong>I also considered working in France and Germany. I finally chose the Netherlands because of the good working conditions and the opportunity to work with specific people I have always admired. <\/span><\/p>

Did you experience a culture shock?
<\/b>Absolutely. I think it’s part of moving to a new country. When I first left Brazil, it was the middle of summer, and when I arrived in Holland, it was the middle of winter.
The difference in weather was striking. People here tend to spend more time at home in winter, so it took me a while to get settled and get to know new people. But by the time the days get longer in spring and the sun starts shining brightly, everything changes. This period is great and everyone just wants to be outside enjoying the warmth. I don’t think I was used to the seasons determining the daily routine so intensely. That’s the biggest difference I felt when I came here. <\/span><\/p>

Have you also worked in other countries?
<\/b>I did an internship in Ushuaia, Argentina, during my undergraduate studies.
Going to remote places as a biologist to collect data is an activity that is very similar around the world. There is also not much room to innovate when doing this kind of work. But one striking difference is the availability of resources in terms of funding and equipment. The ability to fund large projects leads to having state-of-the-art equipment that may not be common in other locations. <\/span><\/p>

Before you came to the Netherlands, you may have had ideas about what your life would be like here. Did Holland meet your expectations?
<\/b>I had very little idea what it would be like. The only image I had was through blog posts and videos on social media. Work-life balance is always pointed out and it is really true that people in the Netherlands have a healthy balance. People are indeed direct with their opinions, but that doesn’t translate into rudeness. People here are generally very friendly and casual, and serious when it’s time to work. The architecture and surroundings are beautiful (and quite flat, so you can often see far into the horizon). I am also always amazed at the skinny and tall buildings with narrow staircases all over the country. The weather can be inclement, but summer is usually pleasant. <\/span><\/p>

What have you worked on (or are still working on) to feel at home here?
<\/b>I think the main goal is always to build a wider social network and have more fun with different people. I also took a Dutch language course. Even though everyone here speaks good English, all infrastructure and public communication is done in Dutch. So having access to these communication services makes life easier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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”People here are respectful<\/span><\/strong> and will respect your independence by assuming you don’t need help if you don’t ask for it.<\/em> ”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Netherlands has a housing crisis. Was it difficult to find a house?
<\/span>This is probably one of the biggest challenges of moving to the Netherlands and it was quite difficult to find a house here. I was lucky that one of my colleagues had a room that I could rent for a while and I managed to rent my own apartment only after living here for two months. I think there is no shortcut for this problem and you should prepare for it before you arrive. <\/span><\/p>

With everything you know now, would you choose Holland again?
<\/span>Yes. I think the political situation is not the same as before, and declining motivation may affect this choice for many highly educated workers. But these factors were not the reason I chose the Netherlands in the first place, so my original opinion still stands. <\/span><\/p>

Do you have any tips or advice for others going to work in the Netherlands?
<\/span>Find a temporary home before you arrive and don’t underestimate the time it takes to rent a house here. Enjoy the cycling infrastructure because it is great. <\/span><\/p>

In closing, can you share with us a few “words of wisdom” in Portuguese?<\/span>
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“Quem tem boca, vai a Roma”.<\/em><\/span><\/p>

It literally means “He who has a mouth arrives in Rome,” but it says something about being open-minded and not being shy about asking questions and asking for help when you need it. People here are respectful and will respect your independence by assuming you don’t need help if you don’t ask for it. That doesn’t mean they won’t do it. But if you need help, you need to be clear about it. So communicate when necessary and always make everything clear. That is also a good way to open up to the people here and they will do the same.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Related information:<\/strong><\/h4>