New life across the border
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Anneleen Arnout and Dries Raeymaekers. Photo: Bert Beelen.
Making contact with neighbours is easier than in Belgium. Nijmegen is a great place to raise children. The beautiful autumn days last longer here then in Saint Petersburg. Three couples talk about the advantages of living and working in Nijmegen - and about what they miss.
In April 2017 Dries Raeymaekers and Anneleen Arnout, both lecturers in History, relocated from Antwerp to Nijmegen. ‘We love the ferries here.’
Dries Raeymaekers has been commuting between Belgium and Nijmegen since 2012. He used to rent a room in the City on the Waal, and spent three or four nights a week here. When Anneleen Arnout completed her PhD and also found a job at Radboud University, the couple moved to Bottendaal.
Do you like living in Nijmegen?
She: ‘In Nijmegen you can really see the seasons unfold. In spring, there are flowers everywhere, and in the autumn it’s a glorious display of colours. In the winter, it gets dark early and it feels more like we are living in a small city, because there isn’t so much to do.’
He: ‘We sometimes miss the bustle of the big city. In Antwerp, there are trams and people live closely packed together. On the other hand, there is more nature here. My lungs are much happier since we moved (he laughs).’
She: ‘We like to go for a walk in Kronenburger Park, on the Veluwe, in the Ooijpolder or on the island in the Waal. In the summer we cycle a lot. We love the ferries here, and we’ve discovered a great ice-cream parlour in Gendt.’
Do you notice any cultural differences?
She: ‘Yes, lots! The Dutch tend to be more positive and more open. In shops, restaurants, elevators and trains, people talk to each other. We also find it easier to make contact with our neighbours than in Belgium.’
He: ‘Sometimes it gets to be a bit much. In shops we often get comments like: ‘A Belgian, how nice!’ Of course it’s meant well, but sometimes you don’t need to keep on hearing it.’
Do you mostly interact with Dutch people or are you more into the international scene?
He: ‘As Belgians, we’re not foreign enough to belong with the internationals, but we’re not like the Dutch either. Because we speak the same language, people assume we understand everything. In conversations about Dutch TV shows, for example, people don’t bother to give us any context, even though we have as much trouble following what’s going on as other international colleagues.’
What do you miss most?
She: ‘The food! This is something the Dutch have less time and attention for. At the cafeteria, they call a grilled cheese sandwich with mozzarella a sandwich ‘deluxe’, but it doesn’t seem particularly luxurious to us. And I miss Belgian bread.’
Do you plan to stay in Nijmegen?
She: ‘Dries has a permanent contract and we like working here, but you never know what life may bring.’
He: ‘We could easily go back to Belgium. Our social life is still largely there, but for now, we’re happy here.’
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Nearly fifteen years ago, the Kimels moved from Saint-Petersburg to Nijmegen. ‘Our older daughter usually answers in Dutch.’
In a suburb in Malden, the TV is set to a Russian channel. The Russian national football team is beating the Czech Republic 5-1. This draws a smile from Professor of Experimental Physics Alexey Kimel, who’s worked at Radboud University since 2002. Two years later, he was joined by his wife, physician Olga Anisimova, and their oldest daughter. The family later relocated from Nijmegen to Malden.
What are the biggest cultural differences?
He: ‘In the former Soviet Union, it was perfectly normal to say to the speaker at a conference: ‘You’re talking complete nonsense!’ In the Netherlands, people tend to see it as a personal attack.’
Do you go back a lot?
She: ‘We always go back in the summer and at Christmas time, sometimes more often.’
He: ‘I often have to go to Russia for my work, and I usually do my shopping via the Internet. Actually, I probably spend more time in the centre of Saint-Petersburg or Moscow than in the centre of Nijmegen (he laughs).’
What about your children?
She: ‘Our youngest, who was born here, attends primary school De Komeet in Malden. Our older daughter goes to school in Nijmegen and does athletics. So do I, in the recreational group.’
He: ‘We speak Russian at home. Our oldest daughter usually answers in Dutch. Some things are easier to explain in Russian, others in Dutch.’
What do you miss most?
She: ‘The rich cultural life. When we are in Saint-Petersburg, we always go to an exhibition or a show.’
He: ‘I’m jealous of my colleagues who can teach in their mother tongue. In Russian, I can say so much more and I understand the students better. Sometimes I wish I could spend more time in Russia, but we had our reasons for coming here.’
Do you plan to go back to Russia one day?
She: ‘Our parents are getting older and need our attention. But going back is complicated. There are things I really miss, but we also had good reasons for coming to the Netherlands.’
He: ‘Russia is not an easy country to live in. Everything can flip 180 degrees from one day to the next. So far, I think Radboud University is the best place in the world to work: I have great colleagues from all over the world. And another thing: In Saint Petersburg, the autumn is the most beautiful season, but it only lasts two or three weeks. After that it’s one cold, grey, depressing winter. Luckily, autumn lasts longer here (he laughs).’
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More than twenty years ago, Philosophers Christoph Lüthy and Carla Rita Palmerino exchanged respectively Basel in Switzerland (via stopovers in England, the US, Italy, and Germany) and Rome in Italy for Nijmegen. ‘We’ve watched the city become more attractive over the years.’
Dean Christoph Lüthy and Professor Carla Rita Palmerino met in 1996, at a “conference for fanatics” in Scotland. ‘Christoph already knew he was coming here,” says Carla Rita. “A year later, I also found a job in Nijmegen.’
When did you decide to settle here?
She: ‘Christoph and I both have a background in philosophy and history of science and Radboud University is the only place in the world with a Centre for the History of Philosophy and Science. Not long after we moved, our first child was born, and Nijmegen turned out to be a good place to raise children.’
He: ‘It also helps that we don’t have a common place to go back to, because we come from different countries.’
What was your first impression of the city?
He: ‘Nijmegen is a very friendly city with the cheerfulness and pragmatism so typical of the Netherlands. We’ve watched the city grow more attractive with the years. LUX appeared, Plein 1944 underwent a transformation, and for two years now, we have had the Spiegelwaal: a strong symbol of Dutch efficiency.’
She: ‘I missed the background noise of Rome. Christoph sometimes asked me whether I could hear the birds singing, but I was used to filtering out the noise.’
What language do you speak among yourselves and with your two children?
He: ‘Italian. We wouldn’t get far with Swiss German.’
She: ‘It’s always been our common language.’
He: ‘I seduced her in Italian (he laughs).’
You’ve lived in Nijmegen for a long time. Have you become a little bit Dutch in the process?
He: ‘May I say something a bit philosophical? I really enjoy putting down roots in a country, learning to function well, and speaking the language, but without experiencing the total identification of being a citizen of this country. This ironic distance I have from daily life, this is something that as an intellectual I would like to have towards my life in general.’
She: ‘I, on the other hand, feel Dutch in many ways. But I do struggle with the fact that I can’t vote in parliamentary elections.’
After twenty years in the Netherlands, do people sometimes still view you as foreigners?
He: “Interestingly enough, despite our ‘migrant background’, we aren’t viewed as members of an ethnic minority. Maybe because we come from so-called ‘holiday countries’.’
She: ‘My accent immediately betrays my Southern European origins, but the Dutch like foreigners who speak their language well. What I do hear a lot is ‘You come from such a beautiful country. What are you doing here?’”
He: ‘To which we answer that we feel at home here.’
Partners get help in looking for a job
Radboud University wants international employees and their partners to feel at home in Nijmegen. This is why the University launched a dual career service two years ago.
All Radboud University vacancies in English now mention the fact that an international employee’s partner is entitled to help and guidance. New employees are informed about the dual career service in an e-mail and shortly with an app. Willemijn Nijboer: “Everyone is welcome, but so far, we’ve mostly been approached by academic staff members.”
Dual career officer Nijboer uses an orientation form to find out about her clients’ background, work experience and wishes. Based on this information, she suggests specific solutions. “I don’t look for vacancies myself, but I might, for instance, give them a list of international companies that hire expats. I point clients to training courses, networking events, and the option of having their CV checked. I also tell them they can follow a short Dutch course at Radboud in’to Languages.”
In its first and second years, the dual career service helped respectively 29 and 32 people from all corners of the world. When advising her clients, Nijboer takes their origins into account. “Americans don’t have a problem commuting an hour and a half for a job in Amsterdam, while Belgians and Germans experience this kind of distance as much longer.”
From the feedback she gets, Nijboer knows that 12 of the 29 clients in the first year have now found a job. “The real figure may be higher,” she says. “But what’s more important is that the new employee and his or her family feel welcome, supported, and at home in Nijmegen.” After all, not everyone who visits the dual career officer is looking for a job. “I often get questions about children,” says Nijboer. “Things like: What are the advantages and disadvantages of the International School in Arnhem?”
People who only plan to stay in Nijmegen for six months also appreciate practical tips on language and cycling courses, tax surcharges or child day-care. “I sometimes get asked funny questions,” says Nijboer. “Like ‘Which dog walking service would you recommend?’ Or ‘Where can I buy cheesecloth?’ It’s really fun to find answers to these questions!”