“At first I thought it was a crazy city with old architecture and the skyscrapers at the same time. But now I am used to it and even promote Rotterdam. I tell people it’s better to go here than to Amsterdam,” says Teona from Georgia. Or Abkhazia, to be precise. Many countries recognise it as an autonomous republic. ‘That’s where my parents lived and got pregnant with me, but they had to flee when the war with Russia broke out,’ she says. Thus, Teona saw the light of day as an ‘internationally displaced person’. ‘It is difficult for me to explain that the address in my passport is in a region where I have never been,’ she says.
Rotterdam, Edinburgh or Barcelona
She grew up in Georgia, but did not stay long. “During coronapendemics, I realised that I could not continue to live in closed borders. I always wanted to study abroad and I found a programme that took me to Scotland, Spain and the Netherlands. I was lucky enough to be selected.” After studying there, she was able to live in all three cities. ‘In Georgia, everyone would want to go to the UK, which is seen as more exotic there because it’s harder to go there.’ Yet she chose Rotterdam. “That felt more familiar. The Netherlands is small and cosy. Every city has a function. It’s decentralised, just like my country. And I like that. I was also able to make more friends here.”
Sunset
Still, she missed certain aspects of Georgia for a long time. “When I was here I missed something, but I didn’t know what. Until I suddenly realised that I am used to a lot of mountains. And then I thought: oh my god, it’s tremendously flat here, I miss the mountains!” Yet she now sees the benefits of that. “Without mountains, you see the sunrise and sunset much better. Even in winter! So now I enjoy that and often watch the sunset by the Meuse.”
Big and small enough
And Teona sees more advantages to the city. “For instance, I like the size of the city. I come from a small town where everyone knows each other. So outside you greet everyone. I wanted something similar. Rotterdam is perfect because it’s small enough to see and greet people outside but also big enough to have your own private life. Because it is so diverse and multicultural and you always see people from abroad, you feel that you are welcome and even from here.”
Respect
Yet she does not yet feel Rotterdammer enough. “It doesn’t feel like I have the right to speak about the city yet. I don’t want to offend anyone either.” But she is busy integrating. “Everyone tells you that you don’t need to learn Dutch because everyone speaks English. The latter is true. But I disagree with the first one. I think you show respect by learning the language. Also, I think you integrate better then.”
Now that she has graduated from Erasmus University, she is looking for a job and wants to continue living in Rotterdam. “That doesn’t mean that I am denying my roots, I will always be connected to Georgia. But Rotterdam is now my second home.”