“Germany!” Julan says with conviction when asked which country he would play for if he became a famous soccer player. “That’s where the cool players are—and they’re good.” His answer makes sense, because he was born in the German capital Berlin in 2016. In 2009, his mother and father moved from Rotterdam to this big city. The plan was actually to stay for three to six months. “But it ended up being ten years,” says Julan’s father.
Julan doesn’t remember much about his time in Germany, because he moved to Rotterdam when he was only 3 years old. Nevertheless, Germany remains important to him. “We still go back to Berlin often,” says his father. “It’s still a piece of home.” That’s why 8-year-old Julan still feels deeply connected to our neighboring country. For example, he still loves German food. “Bratwurst!” he exclaims enthusiastically. But Julan now eats more than just bratwurst, schnitzel, and sauerkraut.
More cultures and flavors
He now lives in the multicultural Bospolder neighborhood in Rotterdam. And there he discovers many more different cultures and flavors. “I now also love roti and sushi!” he says with a big smile. At school in Bospolder, Julan is in a class with children from all kinds of countries. “From the Netherlands, Turkey, Suriname… and many more,” he sums up. “But I’m the only one who was born in Germany.” He enjoys being among children from different backgrounds. “You can learn things from each other. Maybe a few words from those countries or something else from that country.”