“Rotterdam is not as big as Jakarta but it is cozy and warm. There is a lot to do here, especially for artistic and young people. For example, there are many cinemas here,” says Debora from Indonesia. She came here in 2022 to study. “I just wanted to study abroad and here it was affordable.”
Her choice of study first took her to other cities, but she didn’t feel as at home there as she did in Rotterdam. “I feel more comfortable here. It feels like there is more room for people like me. In the other cities, people weren’t as open to international people. You notice that already by the way they talk. Here, for example, everyone talks English. So here I feel welcome.” And she is!
She has also thought about even bigger cities like Amsterdam. “Perhaps to work. But every time I visit Amsterdam it’s so touristy.” So she likes to linger in Rotterdam for a while longer. “Maybe I’ll stay here like this for another six or seven years. Connect with people some more, find some work and see where it takes me.”