2 years after Russia invasion: "Even birds whistle differently in the Netherlands"

Alina knew almost nothing about the Netherlands when she left Ukraine 2 years ago. "I didn't want to leave my family, even though the conditions in Ukraine were bad. When my best friend told me she had one spot left in her car, I knew I had to take that chance for a better life. But I only knew the Netherlands as the land of cheese, windmills and tulips."

Alina cannot remember everything about her arrival in the Netherlands. A relative of Alina's lives in Hellevoetsluis. She was able to go there. "I had a lot of stress and was worried about my family. Everything was different in the Netherlands; the houses, the people and the clothes. Even the birds whistle differently in the Netherlands."

The first few months were difficult for Alina. She felt lonely and had many worries about her family. "Working was my way of coping with stress. I worked in an ice cream shop soon after my arrival. It was very special that my employer hired me. I didn't speak Dutch and didn't know the culture at all. I had a 0-hour contract, but worked full-time. That way I forgot for a moment how many worries I had."

During her work in the ice cream shop, a lot of Dutch was spoken. "Dutch really sounds like a mixture of all kinds of languages, just like in the computer game 'The Sims'! I didn't understand anything in Dutch." In the game "The Sims", you create a virtual character and create his/her life path. Sims are known for their own little language. "In the beginning, it was hard to connect. I wasn't emotionally ready. I saw people drinking coffee and getting ice cream with no worries. I wondered if I would ever feel that again. My colleagues were really sweet and after a while I was able to open up to others."

Although she cannot get used to some things, Alina is doing better now. Dutch and Ukrainian culture are very different. "I never get used to a cheese sandwich. In Ukraine, I had lunch with a hot meal." But there are also many great things about the Netherlands, Alina believes. "In the Netherlands there is a different mentality. I see women without makeup and high heels while in Ukraine that is almost unthinkable. I think the Dutch care less about what others think of them. I like that. Besides, the Dutch celebrate everything. From Sinterklaas to the king's birthday. That's really great!"

A highlight during Alina's stay in the Netherlands was receiving a scholarship. In Ukraine, Alina studied media production/journalism at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. "My passion is actually graphic design, but that was not possible in Kyiv." In the Netherlands, Alina decided to take a short course in graphic design at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam.

After she finished this course, Alina wanted to continue her studies in the Netherlands. "Students are taken seriously here. You are allowed to ask questions and be critical of the teacher. I enrolled in the bachelor's programme in graphic design at the same school." Thanks to special rules for refugees from Ukraine, Alina did not have to pay more tuition than a Dutch student. "Otherwise, I would have had to pay more than €10,000." In addition, Alina applied for and received the

Van Beek scholarship

Alina does not yet know what she will do in the future. "I was always very much into planning. But the war changed my life. I'm going to finish my studies in the Netherlands. But I'm not going to plan my future anymore." Alina does have dreams: "I want to see more of the world, I want to tell my story about what is happening in Ukraine and maybe someday go back to do my part in rebuilding Ukraine."