“I never take deep breaths here,” says Suelae when talking about the downsides of city life in Rotterdam. “Because then I breathe in cigarette smoke, garbage, or car exhaust.” This is different from the lush rainforests of Antigua and Barbuda, an English-speaking island nation in the Caribbean, where Suelae grew up. She misses home and wants to spend more time in her homeland someday. But for now, her focus is on building a career, and Rotterdam is the right place for that.
From Paris to Rotterdam
In 2018, Suelae moved to Rotterdam to study at the Willem de Kooning Academy. From Paris, where she had previously studied art, she was looking for a place in Europe with good education and affordable tuition fees. The first school to respond was in Rotterdam. A short walk through the city and a visit to the Markthal were enough to convince her. “I didn’t know anyone here and knew little about the Netherlands, but it immediately felt right.”
A piece of the Caribbean in the city
That choice turned out to be more than just luck. Suelae quickly discovered how large and vibrant the Caribbean community in Rotterdam is. “Walking along the Kruiskade and seeing plantains, sweet potatoes, and taro (a type of tuber) on display… it makes me feel at home. The music, the people, the flavors—it makes me feel rooted.”
Warmer than Paris
Compared to Paris, she finds Rotterdam warmer and more welcoming. Not only in terms of the city itself, but also at school. “In Paris, it was very individualistic: you had to figure everything out for yourself. Here, people help you; there is room for connection.”
She actively seeks out that connection: through study friends, workshops, community events, and new encounters. “Rotterdam is so diverse that you can experience the whole world without leaving the city. That’s a real privilege.”
Preserving traditions
Traditions from her native island also find their way into her life here, such as the Summer Carnival. “I never had the chance to participate in my country, but in Rotterdam I can dance, sing, and eat as if I were back home.”