"Anything is possible in this world. All you need is desire and action."

Anca Moldovan is Events Department Coordinator at ROMPRO, a pharmacist by profession, working in the Quality Assurance Department of one of the largest pharmaceutical corporations, where he is responsible for verifying and approving the release of medicines in the EU and non-EU markets.

What made you come to the Netherlands?

I chose to settle here for a complex of factors. First of all the job opportunity I took and to develop the family's cosmetics brand in the Dutch market.

Before leaving Romania, did you feel informed about what was waiting for you here? Did you have any pleasant surprises or the opposite? What do you wish you had known or had available that could have made the process easier?

Before I left Romania, I started to learn about the Netherlands, both the living conditions and the rules and customs of the society. I received a minimum of information through a specialised agency and had both pleasant and not so pleasant surprises that I discovered along the way, getting to know the people here, especially the Romanians.

How long have you been here? Have you adapted well to the new culture? How was the process and how long did it take? How long did it take you to feel at home? What problems did you face or are you still facing?

I have been living in the Netherlands since May 2018 and so far I think I have adapted quite well, but the process is far from over. So far the most important thing has been to meet Dutch people, expats and especially Romanians. The Romanians were the ones I learned the most information from. As for problems, I would call them challenges: rules, laws, taxes, opportunities, language barriers.

Anca Moldovan

What do you still find difficult to understand about Dutch culture? 

One aspect I come across on a daily basis is about how the Dutch form social bonds with expats. I still haven't managed to understand what determines certain social boundaries that keep relationships at perhaps too shallow a level.

What has changed in your way of life since living here?

The most noticeable change is that I use public transport (at home this almost never happens) and I really enjoy it.

How do you see the relationship with other Romanians and the preservation of the Romanian identity abroad?

It is essential. First of all, I needed people to guide me in the "new waters" of the Netherlands. From a social point of view, it's much easier to have people around me who have already been through the same experience here and who speak my native language. Plus, it's a very nice feeling of belonging to the Romanian community.

Why did you choose to get involved in the Foundation's work and what would you like to achieve through your contribution?

Getting involved in Rompro came naturally because, first and foremost, I wanted to make friends and meet new people. Secondly, in Romania I have always been in an active, voluntary environment, and I consider it a very good way for my continuous development, while making a contribution to the society and community I am part of.

What do you like to do? What profession have you chosen and why?

I like dynamic, creative and artistically inclined activities. I find a lot of satisfaction in the stages of generating ideas, exploring creativity and at the same time turning them into reality. It's a feeling, hard to describe, when I have contributed to the creation of a concept that later becomes a tangible reality. It gives me great satisfaction!

I chose the profession of Pharmacist because one of my dreams is to become a perfumer and develop a beauty brand, which I work on every day.

Would you like to tell us about a funny, interesting or maybe not so pleasant event that you experienced in the Netherlands?

As soon as I arrived in Rotterdam, where I chose to live, I looked for the famous markets where goods are sold in the port. All the internet pages and google maps pointed me to Markthal, Rotterdam's famous market. After experiencing the futuristic market, I went outside, where there was a huge market (the real market, which is not for tourists - only on Tuesdays and Saturdays), which I didn't even notice at the time, although Markthal did raise some questions. I didn't see the market, by the greatness of the smaller market 🙂

What are your plans for the future and how will you put them into practice? Do you consider Dutch society to be a good environment for them? If not, what would be the obstacles to their realisation?

On a personal level, I want to learn Dutch at a fluent level. Professionally, in the medium term, I want to grow the Loftiness brand and bring our products as close as possible to Dutch people and expats here. Not knowing the language, there are many details I still miss and being in a country where everyone speaks English, it's not very easy to learn it.

It is an environment that offers opportunities on so many levels. The economy is very healthy, the population has very strong purchasing power and the state institutions are incredibly supportive when it comes to doing something. They seem to want to make your life easier.

Do you have any advice for people thinking of emigrating to the Netherlands? Or would you like to convey something specific that you couldn't through the answers above?

I think it's very important to clearly establish your 'why' or purpose for moving to the Netherlands and to research rigorously to find out if it offers what you are looking for. There are opportunities on everything from development/career/business etc, but there are no dogs with pretzels in their tails. There are also aspects that in Romania we consider absolutely normal and essential and here they are missing or happen totally differently.

Your motto or a quote that motivates you.

Anything is possible in this world. All you need is desire and action.

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