From Bulgaria to the Netherlands

I MASTERdam

Bozhan is building up his life in his new geographical basis. With enthusiasm and optimism. 

Name:  Bozhan Chipev

Age:     25

From:   Sofia, Bulgaria

To:       Amsterdam, the Netherlands

For:      Master in New Media

1. Why Amsterdam?

“I came to do my Master’s degree in Amsterdam, because it’s the best education in terms of value-for-money. It is cheaper than the UK, and better than in the Scandinavian countries, at least in the field of New Media.”

Balcony view

2. Your academic interest.

“My academic background is quite diverse – I completed a dual BA degree at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) with Journalism and Mass Communications as one major and Political Science and International Relations as the second. After graduating I ended up spending a year as a junior reporter in a large print and web media outlet in Bulgaria, which sparked my interest in technology and new media.”

3. The hardest thing to get used to in the new city.

“Nothing has really been hard, as people in Amsterdam are very accustomed to foreigners and communicating in English with them. Perhaps the toughest part is dealing with the government administration, and especially the tax authorities, who are forbidden by law to communicate in a language other than Dutch.”

4. People of the city in 3 words.

“Tolerant. Direct. Biking.”

5. What you miss the most from your country.

“Life is easier close to home. There are all kinds of safety nets – friends, family, less bureaucracy. Maybe what I miss the most is the sense of belonging, the feeling that I’m at home, and not in a foreign country. Because as open and tolerant as Amsterdammers are, they can often make you feel as an outsider, even if it’s not on purpose.”

6. Your new habit.

“Oh, there are so many of those. Biking is the main one, but also having only bread and cheese for lunch, or always carrying an emergency jacket in case of unexpected torrential rain.”

7. What do you find the most impressive thing about the Dutch culture.

“The fact that they are literraly conquering land from the ocean and creating new space from themselves out of nothing. The Dutch singlehandedly invalidated one of the many emblematic Mark Twain quotes: "Buy land, they're not making it anymore".”

8. Your career plan.

“I’m currently working in Marketing for a German startup company based off of the RockStart accelerator in Amsterdam. The plan is to continue getting experience in the field. Ideally, I would like to travel and work/live in different places around the world, but if I “only” get to stay in Amsterdam, I will be a happy man.”

9. Your thoughts about going back home.

“Although I realise that Bulgaria needs all the Western-educated young people it can get in order to improve the socio-economic situation in the country, I would rather continue my life and work abroad.”

10. Your furthest dream.

“My most far-fetched dream is to start an online business that can be headquartered anywhere (or nowhere), allowing me to both make a good living and not rooting me to one particular city or country.”

11. What you will keep forever after Amsterdam.

“The skill to ride a bike in heavy rain and wind while holding an open umbrella. If I ever learn it, that is.”

Restart in Amsterdam

Master in the Netherlands

               Despina is a sweet person, who knows to try hard, to start responsibly from zero and be motivating  for friends and people around her. She decided to change her life, choosing Amsterdam for studies. So, for the first time in her life, she bought a one-way ticket.

Name:   Despina Christodoulou           

Age:      24

From:    Piraeus, Greece

To:       Amsterdam         

For:      Master in Human Resources & Internship

1.      Why Amsterdam?

"For studies. For the high educational level and the cheap tuition fees. Amsterdam is definitely a mosaic of nationalities. I love it".

2.      The best thing to do with company.

" Picnic in the parks …when the weather is sunny… Amsterdam is a green city and has lovely parks like Vondel park or Amsterdamse Bos".

3.      The best thing to do alone in the city.

"Cycling and running at the parks!!!!"

4.      What do you see from your window?

“A canal, ducks and business buildings.”

5.      What did you find impressive about the courses in the University of Amsterdam.

“Interesting topics I have never done before like Diversity in Organizations or Cross Cultural Management.”

6.      The song linked to your life in Amsterdam.

“Lost in Amsterdam-  Pavlov Stelar. It reminds me of my fist days in this city…”

7.      A taste you will remember.

  “Cheese pesto !”

8.     A new habbit that you loved.

“smoking in the rain”

     9. 3 to 5 words for Amsterdam.

“Picturesque, wooden, humid, multicultural, the area of Jordaan”

10.      Yourself living in Amsterdam.

            “active, evolving”

11.  Something that you will you keep for ever.

“the change that I made in my life in this city”

God save the Queen's Parties

April, the 30th, 2012. Queen's Day. After Queen's Night. In Amsterdam.

From Utrecht, we took the train to Amsterdam Zuid. Before getting on the train, before arriving at the train station, you could tell that today is a bright celebration. Queen’s day. Orange day. Believing in monarchy or not, it is a celebration. People just need opportunities to gather and celebrate after all… From how I felt it, it is not that much the Queen they celebrate. It is togetherness.

Almost everyone was dressed in orange. Orange-painted faces, painted little Dutch flags on chicks, girls with orange tights, orange T-shirts and orange mood…

In the market someone could find not exactly but he wanted, but things he would never thought of buying before… Among many precious, old, useful or not things, kids were selling home-made cup cakes, lemonades, orange-juices… The independence of the kids in this country is exceptional. You could admire the creativity and courage of little kids that had set their own performance in small places around the Vondelpark. A little girl dressed traditionally Spanish, was dancing flamenco. Some children were playing the violin. Each one alone. Two girls with afro-hair were dancing hip hop with a little stereo playing music. Some little girls had set up a puppet house. Little boys break-dancing. Trampolines. Drawings. Kid’s performances out in the park… I was thinking about all those children who don’t even dare to leave their mother’s hand…

Adults were like kids too. Same enthusiasm. Large companies sitting on the grass, playing various musical instruments, drinking, eating, laughing, dancing. An old couple was sitting next to each other smiling at the people passing. So adorably tender. Many couldn’t resist taking picture of them. People in balconies. People having lunch and playing music right out of their house door, in the street. Balloons.

Crossing the Vondelpark, towards the city center, there were parties all over. Improvised. On every bridge of the canals. In narrow or wide streets. On boats. Different musics popping up in every turn. Feeling lost in the crowd, the rhythms and the city was success. It was like time didn’t matter for a day. Nor ethnicity, age, maps, looks, work, stress, worries, debts, deadlines, exams… That’s togetherness.

Amsterdam - ''Solidarity to the people of Greece''

 On the 18th of February 2012, Greeks living in the Netherlands, Dutch and people of other nationalities gathered at Beursplein in Amsterdam to express solidarity to the people in Greece. Most of them were students, coming from different cities of the Netherlands.    Solidarity calls and united voices must be louder than ever. 

''We stand on the same side with the people of Greece.     We demand the bail-outs and the ‘rescue’-plans to cease immediately and the Troika (EU-ECB-IMF) to leave the country. We demand the Greek government to step down immediately and all the responsible for the crisis to be prosecuted.

We want austerity to stop all over Europe and the rights of the people to prevail against the profits of the bankers''.

 

Society belongs to people. Not to banks. 

                                  

                                   Thank you Amsterdam