Being brought up in a third world country till the age of 18, can limit your perception of the world as opposed to other kids who grew up outside the Middle East. The only thing that helped me escape the well, was the travel bug in our house, which took us around the world almost every holiday. I used to love travelling and getting to know about the different cultures and people, and I thought I had seen it all, until my family moved to The Netherlands.
Moving to The Netherlands, as well as studying in the UK at the age of 18 really made me realise how much of a third world child I was. Here are the top distinctive changes that I faced as an expat moving to a new world:
Transport
In the Middle East, the concept of public transport is almost non-existent. If you see people walk about in that heat, that would be a miracle it self. Middle east is composed of wealthy people and is home to primarily four wheelers and limousines (also golden Ferraris) on the streets. People rarely take public transport there and everyone drives in their luxurious four wheeled cars.
That completely changed when I came to Europe. The Netherlands is known for its cycle culture and is very environmentally clean and friendly. The use of cars and motorbikes is looked down upon. It was a huge culture shock to see CEOs of big companies going to the office on cycles. From travelling in cars 24/7, I had to take buses, underground trains, and also walk a LOT! (Sounds weird but, try walking in 55 degrees C).
Exploring the streets on foot with a map – being a true expat traveller (Photos: Khyati Rajvanshi)
Culture Shock
Coming from a country where drinking, dressing “provocatively” (not covering the shoulders and knees), smoking, or making contact with the opposite sex was not acceptable, I moved to a country where all of the above is second nature. The Netherlands has almost every illegal thing legalised in the country, thus it was shocking for me to see people doing whatever they pleased to do so. One of the shocking things I experienced was local cable channels selling girls at night, which in other countries is about selling products late night.
Weather
One thing I absolutely loved about moving to The Netherlands and the UK was the weather! After spending 13 years in the Middle East, I have developed negative feelings towards sun and the heat. I never experienced the season change and only dreamed of seeing snow. But when I moved to the other side of the world, I finally got to experience all seasons! Spring, winter, summer, autumn and even got to see snow for the first time!
From spending a 40 degrees Celsius Christmas, I was actually spending a white christmas with my very first Christmas tree! Best experience of my life. It is funny how little things that are taken for granted by so many people can change your world.
Although I have adapted the first world country way of celebrating Christmas, I still carry my Middle Eastern habits of celebration.
Religion and Society
Coming from a very conservative country, I was quite surprised to see how liberal the society was in Holland. The locals did not believe in closing the curtains in their houses, and were quite open with sexuality and body matters. Holland also has several churches that could be rented for several purposes. For example, there is a church that has been converted to Gandhi Centre, where the Indian community gathers for several special occasions and activities. I went for a Bollywood movie night in the church one weekend and found it quite unique to see films in a church.
Lifestyle
One of the funniest thing I noticed in Europe was the preference of beer or other drinks over water. Every time I travel around Europe, I get cheaper beer and coca-cola than water – and in more quantity! Another thing that was new to me was the daily consumption of alcohol and smoking. After few weeks of living in both Holland and UK, I was able to conclude that Dutch and British people have iron livers. Another fact that I concluded was that Dutch love wine and beer (after all Heineken was born there).
I can honestly write a book on how different these two worlds are that I lived in. Over all, I enjoyed every single moment in every single country I lived in. Each place has its ups and downs and I believe in embracing both to help me grow as an Expat traveller that I am.
Happy Traveling! x
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