Hi Ladies!
Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. My name is Caroline and my husband and I moved to the The Netherlands earlier this year (Delft) and we are still adjusting, trying to meet new people and get settled. We really love living here; the quality of life is wonderful but it does come with it's trials and tribulations (don't get me started on the inane bureaucratic nonsense that goes on here!). We came in from Chicago but before that we lived and went to school in New Orleans. My DH is getting his PhD and I'm on the hunt for employment (I finally received my residence permit so I can work:) Anyway, I'm glad I found this site and I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you! Any other buitenlanders here???
Re: Hello! Introduction
Welcome! I'm in NL. I live in Noord Brabant in a small village called Oisterwijk with my Dutch DH and our (almost) 1 year old daughter.
I hope you're enjoying all that this country has to offer. My first year was quite tough, due mostly to the bureaucracy that you have already mentioned, but life has really been great lately.
It took me 8 months too...I received mine last month!
Welcome, welcome! I'm in Spain, not NL, with my Spanish H and our 2-week old daughter. I hate beauracratic crap too, yay! I think we can all relate on that level.
Hi! Buitenlander means foreigner:) My DH is getting his PhD in Mechanical Engineering and so far he loves it. They support the students much better here than they do in the States which helps...it's only for 3 years and then he is done but we hope to stay here long term:)
Ah, so I am one - just in the UK
I did my PhD in the UK, and agree generally about them looking after you. (Only not so much in hte humanities - but that's the same everywhere.) BUt I loved finishing in only 3 years! Why did he choose the NL for his PhD?
Hiya, see my introduction in the post below!
Yes, the humanities PhD take forever in the U.S (5-7 yrs sometimes!). I'm hoping to get my Ph.D in Social History after DH finishes up so my turn will come eventually.
It came in a roundabout way...one of his advisors here in Delft was working at Northwestern and he was collaborating on a research project that my DH was lead engineer on. They needed DH for his background in biomechanical engineering (biosensors specifically) and it was the right time in his career to start his Ph.D. Anyway, they flew him here for an interview, courted him and that was that! It didn't take much convincing...it's a great program, they treat and support their students well and we have enough to live on without me working (that would never happen in the U.S.!)
That's great! Good for him.
What area of social history? My PhD is in social-cultural history (but really, it's nationalism and identity). Even taking into account higher foreign student fees in the UK, it worked out cheaper than doign my PhD where I originally started in the US. I would absolutely recommend it.
Thanks so much! Can I ask where you did your PhD? I'm interested in the same field! (Cultural heritage, nationalism + identity, migration studies ect).
Of course! I did it in the UK, at the University of Wales (hence my screen name!). I think I paid ?7K a year in fees, plus the COL, but that was nothing compared to my top-ten programme in the US, which was $40,000 for tuition and fees alone.
What regions are you interested in?
Hahaha, your siggy is so appropriate for the Netherlands!
Welcome. I'm American living with my Norwegian DBF (and his parents, jealous?) in Norway. We were in Norway for 3 years, then Edinburgh for grad school for 1, and now are back in Norway.
Sorry you got here at an icky time for our board. Just don't be a raging crazy biotch and we're all really friendly - I promise!
Sorry for my delayed response but I'm preparing dinner! I'm particularly interested in european social history, 18-19th century to be exact with a focus on either the UK or the Netherlands. I still have to narrow my focus but I have some time to think about it:) I hope you don't mind if I talk to you about this further sometime...I hope to be in your shoes one day!
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
Don't worry - I've only just logged back on after the kids' naps and all. Of course I'm happy to talk to you about it - I'm a sahm mom now, so miss that sort of discussion!
I'm a focus in 19th-20th C UK - which is probably very over done, but then I'm on a career break anyway. And who knows what I'll go back to once the kids are in full-time school.
Would you consider starting your PhD in the NL while you're there?
Hi! I am also a recent joiner here
I am currently living in the mid-west, but will be moving to NL this spring with my DH and our kiddoes. We are still in the process of trying to decide exactly where we want to live (DH will be working in oud-zuid area, but depending on schools we may end up in Wassenaar).
This board seems to be a wealth of NL knowledge, welcome!
Welcome!
I am an American living in London with my English H.
Bio
Hi and welcome to NL! I'm half Dutch/half American (born in NL) and live in Amsterdam with my half Dutch/half Italian FH. I have much knowlegde about Dutch bureaucracy - I work for a local ombudsman so everyone who has a complaint about the local government can come to us :-)
Wow, we lost a couple of NL-nesties last summer (they moved back home) but it seems like NL is getting popular again! I think we need to schedule a gtg sometime soon!
My food blog
What I'm looking forward to in 2012:
Eating our way through (northern) Italy on vacation
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home DNo worries...I won't bring on the crazies:) Pinky promise.
Wassenaar is a nice area and the school (and people) are lovely. Good luck to you guys and see you here soon!
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog:
2012 Reading Challenge
Now Nesting from Chicago, IL My nail blog: