"I would like to know that more and more Romanians will feel motivated to get involved, no matter how little, because a little goes a long way, so that we will be able to carry out even more projects that will reach more categories."
Mihaela Niță has been part of the Foundation's marketing and communications team since May 2016. She manages the content on rompro.nl, and together with Ghio Coste, the Foundation's web designer, contributed to the redesign of the website.
What made you come to the Netherlands?
I never intended to emigrate, but because I knew my partner at the time, I came for him.
Before you left Romania, did you feel informed about what to expect here? Did you have any pleasant surprises or the opposite?
I didn't research it thoroughly, I read very little and otherwise wanted to discover without being influenced by the information available. There were several pleasant surprises. Right from the start, I had a pleasant impression of the order and cleanliness of the public space compared to the situation in Romania.
Less to my liking was the fact that, at the time, in the small town I lived in, all the shops closed at 6pm and nothing was open on Sundays. It was the first culture shock, being used to being able to buy anything, almost at any time, in Romania.
How many years have you been here? Have you adapted well to the new culture? How did the process go and how long did it take? How long did it take you to feel at home?
I've been here for eight years. I wouldn't say I've adapted to the new culture, but rather adopted those things or customs and values that I resonate with. It was harder at first, because we moved quite often - which was great, though, because I got to explore three different provinces. It wasn't until our third year that we settled in and then I really started to feel at home.
What do you still find difficult to understand about Dutch culture?
The fact that even in the interaction with family and friends there is less spontaneity, compared to the way social relations are conducted in Romania. People like to schedule their social life into their agenda.
And, as I said above, I find it hard to accept that in a country where the population is predominantly atheist, religion still has an important say in the policies that determine how retailers do business.
I find it equally hard to understand that every time there's a reason to party (carnival, King's Day, fairs, etc.), I see people who are already drunk early in the morning (no, not from the night before). Or that, in some places, after six in the evening, everything is deserted and the place looks like a ghost town.
What has changed in your way of life since living here?
Apart from cycling more, I have learned to be more relaxed, because in Romania we lived on the fast-track. For example, in the first few months after coming to the Netherlands, I still used to do my shopping in a hurry, to put everything on the conveyor belt quickly to make room for the next customer, until one day someone said to me with a smile "Rustig aan!", so since then I have adopted this saying.
How do you see the relationship with other Romanians and the preservation of the Romanian identity abroad?
Until I discovered the Foundation a year ago, I had no contact with other Romanians in the Netherlands, although I had a few attempts to socialize with some of them in the beginning. I find it important to coagulate a community and promote our interests, though.
The Romanian language is the only element of identification that I want to keep, but otherwise, I do not strive to keep any Romanian customs.
I admire our crafts and I respect people who preserve traditions, but for me, cultivating Romanian identity is no longer a priority, because I no longer perceive myself as strictly Romanian, even though, legally, I am only Romanian. However, after interacting with so many cultures, I feel more like a citizen of the world, and less defined by what Romanian means.
Why did you choose to get involved with the Foundation and what would you like to achieve?
I got involved because I liked the Foundation's motto ("together we are better") and because I resonated with the proposed objectives.
We are a non-profit organisation and everything we have achieved so far has been done thanks to the dedication of all the volunteers who have contributed so far.
I would like to know that more and more people will feel motivated to get involved, no matter how little, because a little goes a long way, and we will be able to carry out even more projects that will reach more social/professional/age groups.
What do you like to do? What profession have you chosen and why?
I have a degree in philology, a degree in foreign languages and, in Romania, I have worked as an interpreter, but also in advertising production, among others. Since I have been in the Netherlands, my work has been predominantly in the field of translation, editing and subtitling.
Would you like to tell us about a funny or interesting story you had in the Netherlands?
For the first six months after I came here I took the train from The Hague to Heerlen. Because I didn't know the language well yet, I didn't understand that it was announced that the train was going to split up and that, from a certain place, the front carriages would go in one direction and the back ones in another. So I stayed quietly in my seat, even though the whole carriage had emptied.
That would have made anyone else wonder, but because I kept hearing the names of cities repeated over the loudspeaker, I moved on. It wasn't until I got to the end of the line in Maastricht that I realised what had actually happened. Luckily Maastricht and Heerlen are not that far away though.
What are your plans for the future and how will you put them into practice?
I'm toying with the idea of opening a creative workshop at some point because I feel the need to do all sorts of creative things. I make personalised decorations out of paper for birthdays, I've also experimented with textiles and all sorts of other materials.
Your motto or a quote that motivates you.
"The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace."
