Sometimes you don’t need to go back home to get a taste of your own culture. An Italian, a Spaniard and a German share how they found a piece of home at the Donders cafeteria, a Spanish lunchroom and the Aldi.

Cristina Lia Fernandez Regueiro (26) is a PhD student in Chemistry

‘I come from Abegondo, a small village near Santiago de Compostella, in the Galicia region. The people working at the Fingerz lunchroom also come from there. When I discovered this – my neighbour is Spanish too and she told me about it – I got on my bike right away. It was before opening time, but they let me in anyway. We have an expression in our region, morriña, which means being homesick for Galicia. It’s what the people here and I have in common. We talk about our home region and about the things we miss, like the sea and the way of life.

Personally, what I miss most is life outdoors: in bars and cafés. Every day after lectures or work I would go to a café to have coffee with friends and talk for hours. It’s not something the Dutch do. I usually come here in the afternoon and it’s enough for me to just order a café cortado to feel at home again. Lots of coffee and a little bit of milk. I don’t like milk, unlike a lot of Dutch people. My colleagues always drink milk at lunchtime; I really had to get used to it.

I may decide to stay on in the Netherlands once I’ve completed my PhD. I could look for a job in chemistry, or maybe even in communications. There are no jobs back home. I’m learning Dutch. No, let’s not speak Dutch now!’

Giacomo Tartaro (27) is a research assistant at the Donders Institute

‘In Italy, eating is a social activity. We don’t hurry, we have two hot meals a day, and we calmly remain seated until everyone has finished eating. Grabbing a sandwich on the go is simply not done. Even after a long working day, I still take the time to cook a fresh meal. Usually pasta. The Italians in my building spend a lot of time together. And when they hear I’m cooking, they usually join me.

I plan to stay in the Netherlands; I feel at home here. But a good salami or a creamy burrata? I haven’t been able to find these here. It means that I savour these things all the more when I’m in Italy. The Dutch are sociable; they’re always up for a chat. And they work really hard. But cooking is not their forte. The only thing I’ve learnt here is pretty much anything can be deep-fried. Still, I wouldn’t dare serve such a fat-drenched meal to my family.

I was born and raised in Milan, and this is my third year in Nijmegen. Every day I have my lunch here in the Donders Institute cafeteria. I usually order a pizza calzone with tiramisu for dessert. And an espresso, because Donders is the only place where you can get real Italian espresso. Just look at this calzone: It’s delicious. A steaming piece of home. Grazie!’

Damian Noga (22) is a Bachelor’s student in Psychology

‘Even when I lived in Australia, I shopped at Aldi. That’s where I do all my shopping. Vitalgebäck, a kind of oatmeal cookie, is something I buy as standard: it’s a real delicacy! And the beer of course, although I drink less than the average German. I came to the Netherlands eighteen months ago for my studies, and I like it here. Dutch people are relaxed, and they seem happier than the Germans. They’re also less formal. Because everyone speaks English here, I felt at ease right away. And with the many Germans on Campus, there’s always a piece of ‘home’ nearby.

At weekends, my best friend and I sometimes go to the Aldi in Kranenburg. The bread here doesn’t taste of anything: much too soft! And I still don’t get the whole hagelslag thing: are you really supposed to eat it for breakfast? I love vegetarian kapsalon, though, and all the fried snacks. These are typically Dutch: every village has at least one snack bar. For the rest, it’s not that different from home. I’ve shopped at Aldi for 20 years, and I continue to do so here. It’s German and cheap: the perfect combination!’

You can find this article also in the Vox special about internationals. The English version is available on Octobre 5th