DutchInLaw

Happy Meal, Michael Buble on the radio- "...and I'm feelin' good." I'm currently perched up in the second floor of Macdo's, watching the world go by. A few blocks away is the humanitarian office where I start work today. Tomorrow, starting at the refugee office. Even if both are volunteer jobs, they sound overwhelmingly my style. PR and communication work, carrying my camera and notepad around, and making a difference. "Op mijn lijf geschreven" as they say here. Obviously no high salary, just volunteers' recompense, but cool work, I think. And maybe next year I'll find a paying job that is just as cool. I'm curious about all the different things I'll be learning; refugee events, anti-poverty meetings, community videos. Fascinating to be able to make a difference in this region, in ways I couldn't have seen a year ago. My experience and portfolio are def going to grow along the way. The fact that I can bike to work here is also a...

Today was the day I chose for the first half of the NT2 exam. Partly because it fit conveniently in an agenda full of other events like job interviews, weekends, and a friend's wedding. Partly because it was my own anniversary! It seemed fitting to celebrate my (Dutch) marriage with a Dutch exam that would bring me one step closer to belonging here. Back in the winter I decided for sure I wanted to take this big exam. The NT2 is short for  Nederlands als tweede taal , meaning Dutch as a second language (not that it was my second - I think it was my fourth or fifth.) I was already at a decent level of Dutch, but it was time to go for something more. Choosing the NT2 was practical - I have to pass some language or inburgering exam with 3.5 years of moving here, if I intend to stay. At 90 euros for the exam itself, it was also surprisingly inexpensive (at least, compared to the hundreds we have to pay for my residency permit.) Last but definitely not least, I knew studyin...