“I had big dreams of playing soccer, but I had to let them go,” says Fabio, or rather Fabz, from Ethiopia. He came to Rotterdam at the age of 16 after Excelsior Youth scouted him. “One of the biggest clubs in Ethiopia had a Dutch coach who had worked at Excelsior. He saw me play and introduced me to Excelsior. That made sense to me, because my mother was adopted by a Dutch woman, so I have a Dutch grandmother and aunt here.”
Different people and sounds
He ended up in Zwart Janstraat and rented his first student room in Blaak. That was a different experience from what he had previously had in the Netherlands. “My family lives in Zeeland, so I was used to that. But when I came to Rotterdam, I saw completely different people and heard different sounds than there. It made me feel right at home. I felt like I was part of it instead of an outsider.” The soccer team he joined also felt like home. “Excelsior is a multicultural place with children from Hillegersberg but also boys from Zuid. So I really saw all cultures and with that the core of Rotterdam. Everyone spoke English. So I didn’t have to actively try to feel at home. This team immediately became my group of friends. And at that age, I was on a mission to achieve my dreams. I thought of nothing else but playing soccer.”
Unfortunately, he suffered knee injuries. “And I became a 16-year-old man in Rotterdam; I started relationships… so I had to let go of my soccer dream.“ Yet he stayed and did not return to Ethiopia. ”I only wanted to return to Ethiopia if I had achieved something. And in the meantime, I had grown to love this city. Here, I grew from a child into a man. I had made many friends and connections here. This became and is my home.”
Different energy
He would never want to live in another Dutch city. “Rotterdam has a different energy than the rest of the Netherlands. The culture and history make Rotterdam a hard knock city. There is also a lot of competition between the south, west, and north. But if you make it, there is real love between Rotterdammers. Then I feel a sense of cohesion, for example when Feyenoord wins. That energy is very unique. Everyone is proud to be a Rotterdammer. The food, the carnival, the art, and the music scene are also great; there is a lot going on here. Roffa for life!”
Cold people
Fabz has even embraced the lesser sides of Rotterdam residents. “People here can be cold and direct. I think it’s because of the temperature, haha. Sometimes that’s nice, because it’s not fun when people beat around the bush. And here, people are real. You just have to talk to them and be yourself, then they’re nice. And in Ethiopia, if you’re in a hurry and you see someone on the street, you still have to ask how they and their family are doing, and that takes five minutes. Here, you don’t have to do that, so it’s better here.”
Sharing, positivity, and modesty
He has retained some aspects of Ethiopian culture. “People who have nothing are often grateful and share a lot. So for me, it’s important to share everything, even though I have so little. I also always have positive energy; that starts with greeting friends. Moreover, our culture has a kind of modesty that I have also retained.“ He wears the Gabi, a white robe with colorful embroidery on it. ”Every Ethiopian has a gabi at home. You can use it as clothing or as a blanket. I always have one in my room, in my bed, and I wear it when I’m cold.“
He has now rediscovered his passion in music. “I can express myself well in it. And I’ve learned so much. Now everything I believed in has come true.”