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You are here: Home Life in Expat voices Expat Voices: Tahsin Gunaltay on living in the Netherlands

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30/03/2009Expat Voices: Tahsin Gunaltay on living in the Netherlands

Expat Voices: Tahsin Gunaltay on living in the Netherlands Turkish expat Tahsin Gunaltay would like to see more sunshine, and flexibility in Dutch systems and procedures.

Name: Tahsin Gunaltay
Nationality: Turkish
City of residence: Amsterdam
Date of birth: 10 November 1965
Civil status: Single
Occupation: Computer Engineer / Entrepreneur
Reason for moving to the Netherlands: Accepted a job offer
Lived in the Netherlands for: 19 years

What was your first impression of the Netherlands?
Very rainy, well organised, and the number of cyclists on the streets of Amsterdam impressed me.

What do you think of the food?
Dutch food and eating habits don’t match Mediterranean food habits.
The good thing is that you can find the food of all countries in Amsterdam.

What do you think of the shopping in the Netherlands?
Nice and easy. The variety is not as much as you can find in France or Italy.

What do you appreciate about living in the Netherlands?
An organised society, good quality of life, the cosmopolitan lifestyle, availability  of social and cultural events, diversity, proximity of the Netherlands to other countries in Europe.
Recreation time

Playing football in a friend's garden--Utrecht.  
Tahsin:"We wear traditional clothes 'just for fun' in our leisure time."

 

What do you find most frustrating about living in the Netherlands?
If you need something which is not in their system and procedures, then the Dutch are not flexible. The flatness of the country–I miss seeing the mountains, and the weather.

What puzzles you about the Netherlands and what do you miss since you’ve moved here?
I miss the mountains, rough geography and the food.

How does the quality of life in the Netherlands compare to the quality of life in other countries that you’ve lived in?
Better.

If you could change anything about the Netherlands, what would it be?
Bring more flexibility into the system, and get more sunshine.

Tourist trap
Photo: Gay Pride, Amsterdam 2008

What advice would you give to a newcomer?

Be patient and positive about the country, and start working on building a good network of friends.

 

Joining Expat Voices

If you would like to share your perspective about life in the Netherlands and contribute to Expat Voices, send an email to editorNL@expatica.com with 'Please send me an Expat Voices questionnaire' in the subject line. 

 

 


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