“I visited I Rotterdam for work, and I fell in love,” says Ole from Nigeria. In his homeland, he already dreamed of studying abroad. In Germany he found the best opportunities for that, so he lived his dream there. He stayed in the country for 18 years before moving to Rotterdam after visiting the city for a few days and falling in love. “There are so many different cultures here, and people are very warm and open,” he said. That felt different in Germany. “There has been progress in Germany in recent years, but there is still a gap between the Netherlands and Germany. People who look like me in Germany still have to think twice before identifying themselves as Germans. Sometimes they do, but then they are sometimes questioned. I didn’t have the self-confidence to do that. People in Rotterdam do; here, people from migrant backgrounds hold their heads high and are part of society. I wanted to feel that way too; I want to be next to people, not below or behind them. Actually, I wanted to feel more at home.”
A community and language make a home
And he feels that for three years now in Rotterdam. “For me, home is where my heart is, and where I have a community that makes me feel welcome.” It has been challenging for Ola to find connections with people here. “Also because I don’t speak the language. But also because there is a limit to the openness of people here. Getting into people’s inner circle is difficult. Many here have their friends from childhood and are a bit suspicious of making new friends so it takes a long time, you have to be really patient for that. You can’t expect to get friends right away. You also have to make an effort to create a community you want to be in.” And that’s what Ole did. He attended many events like concerts and festivals to meet people. And now he is also learning Dutch. “I think I can understand the language now much more than I can speak it,’ you laugh. ‘That’s another challenge.”
Nigerian or German?
Just because he feels at home in Rotterdam does not mean he forgets his homeland and its culture. “I am, of course, just a Nigerian. And they support each other. So when I see other Nigerians, I will support them too. Although I also lived in Germany for a long time and I also feel German. Sometimes I really look at something with German eyes. But now that is also becoming Dutch. That fits in with the globalisation we live in now right?” You can see his Nigerian roots especially when you visit Ole at home. “Then there is a lot of food in front of you. I got that from home: when you have a guest, you prepare a feast. That means not a little bit of food, but different kinds of food. That piece is still in me.”