Between Here and There

Our hosts Sergei and Jordan dig into what language actually does to you when you live somewhere foreign — how it creates belonging, marks your otherness, and forces a kind of presence that your native tongue never demands. Dispatch 002: Lost in Translation.

Dispatch 001. Welcome back! We are giving our podcast a fresh start:The first edition of the Expat Dispatch approaches the concepts of belonging and identity felt by many who arrive in a new land.For information, please visit our page: https://www.expat-dispatch.com

The first season of the Expat Dispatch Podcast has come to an end. In half a year we recorded 15 episodes, 13 of which were with fascinating guests from all over the world: 11 countries and 5 continents. A map of listeners is even more mindblowing: countless countries from all inhabitable continents. In the FINALE Tina, Sergei, and Dmitry share their personal and professional journeys throughout this season, together with their observations and conclusions. It was such a valuable experience to be able to dive into the unique life stories of each guest and to see their path to and in the Netherlands, all their struggles and joys. This was not about success stories (as we considered doing in the beginning) but about people. We wanted to create a sense of community and in that, we believe, succeded. We didn’t follow the prepared questions and structure, improvising and trying to catch what our guests wanted to share. That’s why we haven’t just focused on the Netherlands but also spent a decent amount of time comparing it to the guest’s places of origin and the places they lived in before. Not all interviewees are staying in this country anymore, but for us, it was important to pick up and document their voyages at particular moments in time. We tried to catch as many perspectives as possible, and it didn’t matter if they came here to work or to study, to have some fun or to settle down. Will there be a continuation? We don’t know yet. After all, in that half a year we’ve found new jobs and changed places. Most of our guests were a friend of ours (and sorry for those with whom we didn’t have time to record an episode). If we will continue we also need to see the demand that you want this. That’s why we are asking you to leave us reviews and rankings on the platforms that you use, or even directly reach out to us. Share what you’ve enjoyed the most and the least. And finally, if you value what we’ve been doing, consider becoming a member on Patreon. Just by paying 4$ per/month (and cancel anytime) you’ll help us to understand if can continue because each month of editing and hosting the podcast costs at least 60$. Find the link in the bio or type in: patreon.com/ExpatDispatch. We express our deep gratitude to all the guests and listeners. Stay tuned (hopefully) and listen to the bunch of cool stuff that’s already out there.

In our 14th and final guest episode of the season, hosts Sergei and Dimitry talk to Adriana. Being born and raised in the US, she has a multicultural background with a Colombian father and an American mother. We explore her choice of the Netherlands over Italy and other Nordic European countries, emphasizing a preference for a more relaxed lifestyle and better opportunities. There is a decent amount of comparison between the differences in the US and the Netherlands in this episode. The episode also discusses graduate studies and the challenges faced by international students. Adriana shares her ongoing struggles and journey in searching for a job and PhD positions in the Netherlands since her dream is to become a good teacher. This episode includes a fascinating dialogue about the great multiculturalism of our master’s program and Adriana's travels, such as an adventure in Pakistan and an exploration of traditional weddings with hundreds of guests. Don't miss out as we offer insights into Adriana's life that transcends borders, seeks security, and celebrates diversity.

In this thought-provoking episode, Sergei and Dmitry sit down with Jessica, a landscape architect from South Africa, to delve into her unique urban perspectives. We start by exploring the differences between Cape Town and Johannesburg, shedding light on how these cities influence their residents' social lives and lifestyles as Jessica offers valuable insights into their contrasting dynamics. Her experiences with a German company operating in Saudi Arabia, lead to discussions on the evolving culture and global integration of that Gulf country, along with the challenges of reducing car dependency for sustainability through improved public transport. An intriguing twist comes when Jessica recounts a brief job stint in Amsterdam, driven by a compelling counteroffer from her previous employer's CEO. We explore urban forestry master planning and her fascination with the complexity of city systems and concepts. We also delve into the complex issue of gentrification, citing case studies from Cape Town and Rotterdam, where Jessica shares her admiration for Dutch urban design, emphasizing its diversity and innovative planning. Join us for this insightful episode, as Jessica guides us through her life journey, offering valuable insights into ever-evolving urban landscapes that shape our lives.

After some break, we’re coming back with the last few remaining episodes of this season! In our 12th episode for the first time, we talk to two guests at the same time. The reason is that Artemiy & Polina are married and have always been on their journey in the Netherlands together. Coming in 2021 to pursue a master’s at the same university but in different programs, they knew from the beginning that they wanted to stay in that country. However, after graduating they encountered numerous issues on a job hunt journey: they share their struggles on the job hunt (both for the market and academic jobs) while presenting some of their valuable experiences. Even the Dutch knowledge at a sufficient level did not help them by the time we were recording a podcast. Hopefully, Polina has already found a job to secure their stay in the Netherlands for at least one more year! Tune in for this enticing episode where our guests also share plenty of insights on contemporary major topics, which end up in a full-on discussion on Dutch domestic politics! P.S. For our Russian-speaking audience, we wanted to recommend a list of Telegram channels of emigrants and useful resources for many countries in case you consider a relocation https://yetanother.notion.site/9b7ca5372b774260bf76aeee3159c199?v=3e0960ba80df4400b30302e1fc1f0617&pvs=4

In our 11th episode, we are finally talking to the first local! Even though Joeri was born and raised in the Netherlands, he has a cosmopolitan mindset and can relate to the expat community. Inspired by his Indonesian grandfather’s travels, Joeri has already spent some time living in South Africa, Indonesia, and Peru and he is not planning to stop, as he sees himself as a lifelong traveler. He highlights that life is a battle between fear and dare. Dive into some unique insights on socio-political topics and the Dutch perspective on foreigners in this country. For the first time, we don’t touch on any career-related topics. Our guest’s stories in this episode are both instructive and funny, such as running the whole marathon without any practicing in advance. And don’t think that we promote forbidden substances in any way, we are just open for our guests to share any of their experiences.

In our 10th episode, Sergei and Dmitry talk to a special guest: Susanna, an Armenian who was born and grew up in Russia. She was learning languages from an early age and first moved to Italy. But after spending a year there, her perceptions of the country shifted greatly. She realized she didn’t want to live there, so she compiled a list of potential countries to move to, and the Netherlands topped the list. Although Susanna wanted to work in IT, she didn’t see herself as a developer. Instead, she pursued a career as a UX writer. So she dedicated a year to networking and gaining experience in UX and related fields. In this episode, Susanna delves into the reasons why she never felt that she truly belonged in her native lands (both Russia and Armenia). Fortunately, in the Netherlands, she met many international individuals with similar experiences and stories. It's there that she finally felt she can truly be herself. Yet, Susanna also discusses some challenges of living in the Netherlands, such as the difficulty in making friends with locals. Don't forget to give a listen to Susanna's own podcast: Content Design with Friends (https://open.spotify.com/show/1cO9aECFuuO7L2Er1bdAeV)

In this episode, Sergei, Tina and Dmitry welcome our university friend Kasia to listen to her post-graduation journey. She reflects on our university days, on combining thesis with the job search, her current job and short term plans for the future. Kasia shares her secrets of developing and maintaining her social web, teaches us basic Polish and shares her travel plans to Latin America.

In this episode, Sergei, Dmitry, and Tina talk to our Costarican friend Carlos. He shares his story of dropping everything behind in his home country, moving to the Netherlands to pursue a master’s, and changing career direction from engineering to logistics together with some of his main life perspectives. Staying for over half a year in a hostel before finding a proper apartment, sending over two hundred applications, and working night shifts in a hotel before landing a current job, Carlos’s way in this country was far from easy. But after winning a startup challenge he left many worries behind and now can share the importance of strategic and positive thinking with relief. As a hidden gem, Dmitry shares his recent way of getting a job in the Netherlands with a completely different approach from the one that Carlos had.