Allemaal Utrechters is a series of interviews with people who moved to Utrecht from another country. We ask them about their background and their impression of Utrecht, revealing the true diversity of our city. The ‘Allemaal Utrechters’ series is a collaboration between DUIC and Culturele Zondagen, and has been made possible with help from Stichting Dialoog and the Municipality of Utrecht. We hope to showcase every nationality in Utrecht.
See below for the interviews in English. Check out DUIC.nl for the interviews in Dutch.
Chad
Didier Lalaye
“In the Netherlands, it’s okay to go to work or a nightclub wearing a pair of old jeans“
Jordan
Yasmeen Smadi
“I’m scared to bike in the city, so I walk everywhere“
Mali
Bouba Guindo
“Everyone will be welcome in Mali once the problem of terrorism is over“
Slovakia
Lucia Mikušová
“I try to get the best out of both countries“
Belarus
Wladimir Maschagiraw
“Authentic Dutch villages are pure fairy tale“
Burundi
Yves-Faustin Nahimana
“I’d rather say I’m a student than a refugee“
Cuba
Alex Rodriguez
“Despite all the problems, I created some great moments“
Serbia
Matija Lukić
“I discover all kinds of new places biking to work“
Uganda
John Kayongo
“Lots of our problems would just disappear if we danced more“
Guinea
Boubacar Sylla
“I hope someone will help me to bring my sisters here“
Malaysia
Sudhan Balakrishnan
“Home is anywhere we’re together“
Croatia
Nikola Horvat
“I never imagined that there was a country where I would fit in so well“
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Esmir Mujkic
“ll the cultures you encounter here make life richer“
Sweden
Maja Nylén
“Utrecht is quite conservative in terms of gender.“
Gambia
Sanna Manneh
“I worry about the cold winters“
Eritrea
Saron Tesfahuney
“There’s so much more to me than being a refugee“
Malta
Tom Borg
“Utrecht is the place where I feel most at home“
Zambia
Sydney Sinkamba
“Utrecht could learn a lot from Zambian football“
Lebanon
Nesrine Leene
“Hummus comes in more flavours here than in Lebanon“
Kinshasa
Theresia Kambale
“I think I’ve seen everyone who lives in Utrecht walking past thanks to my job in the ‘chip strip’“
Egypt
Munir Il Emam
“In the Netherlands, I learned that everyone is equal“
Pakistan
Rana Bilal Siddique
“I’m not recognised as a Muslim in Pakistan”
Norway
Vegard Sivertsen
“The Santa Lucia pizzeria is one of Utrecht’s hidden gems”
Ukraine
Tanya Leeuwen – Skrypka
“Kanaleneiland is like my home town in Ukraine”
Malaysia
Annabilla Rahmat
“It’s getting easier to discover new places in Utrecht”
Palestine
Najuan Daadleh
“Utrecht is paradise on earth in the summer”
Acajutla
Tony Perez
“A Dutch merchant navy officer rescued my mother and me from El Salvador“
Somalia
Rashid Abdi Ibrahim
“Opening the Garoodi Supermarket in Lombok was the best decision I ever made”
Argentina
Julieta Talamoni
“Not standing out was the norm in Buenos Aires”
China
Caicha Zhou
“When I was in China, I missed the Buddhist temple in Zuilen”
Bulgaria
Peter Kostov
“The start-up culture in Utrecht is so cool”
Yemen
Faris Alqubati
“Kanaalstraat is like being back in Yemen”
Sierra Leone
Babah Tarawally
“My life was in jeopardy in Sierra Leone”
Thailand
Sarratuya Tiew
“Looking down at the busy crossroads from the Bijenkorf feels a bit like being at home”
Czech Republic
Darina Kalinova
“My move to Utrecht has made me a better person”
Morocco
Imane Alhaddadi
“It’s a privilege to combine two cultures into your life”
Iceland
Helga Gardarsdottir
“My children cheer just as loudly for Iceland during the World Cup”
Tunesia
Yosri El Ouni
“I have a bitter-sweet relationship with Utrecht”
Switzerland
Martin Zemp
“Leidsche Rijn is a good place for my girls”
Japan
Kanako Imai
“Leisure time is less important to the Japanese than to the Dutch”
Afghanistan
Ali Savari
“The people living in and around Twijnstraat are just great”
Senegal
Yassou Diouf
“I miss Holland, éven when I’m in Senegal”
Curaçao
Junny Brejita
“My friends called me the night-time Mayor of Utrecht”
South Korea
Binna Choi
“Bringing the museum quarter to life”
Belgium
Robi van Geenhoven
“A big Utrecht party for people from within and outside the LGBTQ community”
Canada
Miriam van Meijeren Karp
“We get flowers from the Christian community on nearly every Jewish holiday”
Portugal
Ruben Ramos
“It wasn’t all that warm, but the pavement cafés were packed”
South Sudan
Manizha Koditri
“I removed my children from a school in Overvecht”
Tajikistan
Manizha Koditri
“Gezellig was one of the first words I learned and it certainly applies to Utrecht”
Estonia
Tiina Rootamm
“Overvecht reminds me of Estonia”
Lithuania
Justina Damauskaitė
“Being homeless in Utrecht isn’t that bad”
Greece
Andreas Kallipolitis
“My style as a graphic designer has changed since I moved here”
Nicaragua
Oscar Mendoza
“I want to make an effort, because the Dutch make an effort for me too”
Australia
Claire Allen
“I discovered the nicest place ever biking through Leidsche Rijn”
Brazil
Ocimar Ferreira
“The hardest part of learning Dutch was the Utrecht dialect”
Ireland
Kathy Bassett
“On St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll find me dancing in O’Leary’s Irish pub”
Suriname
Carry-Ann Tjong-Ayong
“I’ve translated two Miffy books into Surinamese. I wanted a good future for any children I might have”
France
Karine Berard
“I was doubly proud during the Tour: proud of France and Utrecht”
Bangladesh
Gopal Dey
“I wanted a good future for any children I might have”
Romania
Ovidiu Opris
“My creative friends and I have thrived in Utrecht”
India
Rohan D’Sa
“In India, only poor people bike to work”
Ecuador
Alexandra Batallas
“I had my own hair salon in Ecuador, and I’ll start again here”
Italy
Irene Ciampi
“Boot camps in Italy were competitive; in Utrecht they’re fun!”
Chile
Francisco Urzua
“Wittevrouwen reminds me of Santiago when my father was young”
Hungarian and Romanian
Andrea Schouw Naphegyi
“No one has ever been married in the Wood Chapel in Máxima Park”
England
Will Falkowski
“Somebody asked me out on my first night in Utrecht”
Turkey
Serdar Biyik
“After my first Meetup gathering, I’d already made a new friend”
United States of America
Laurel Cunningham
“Quite simply, I no longer want to be associated with the USA”
Austria
Barbara Schröter
“Today I became an official Utrechter”
Liveria
Bright Richards
“I wore clogs the first three years I was in the Netherlands”
Northern Ireland
Lindsey Reid
“You see more and more cultures on the streets”
Iran
Melody Deldjou Fard
“The cultural sector is still too one-sided”
Finland
Anna-Liisa Toivonen
“Utrecht is throwing off its cosy image”
Bolivia
Sylvia Ortega Azurduy
“Pass on the Utrecht mentality to Bolivia”
Aruba
Jermain Bridgewater
“Utrecht’s always been really supportive”
Germany
Nicole Immler
“Utrecht could use a bit of humanism itself”
Taiwan
Ying-I Huang
“Leidsche Rijn is a cocktail of Friesland and my village in Taiwan”
Ethiopia
Mekdes Belachew
“I always thought I’d marry a Dutchman”
Spain
Alba Fernandez Andreu
“It takes time to befriend a Dutchie”
South Africa
Chad Davies
“People make it too easy for me”
Macedonia
Ana Trajanovska
“Utrecht locals aren’t that different from Macedonians”
Denmark
Martin Boisen
“Utrecht needs to get its house in order before developing any further”
Indonesia
Vara Cantor
“In Jakarta, I had a secretary; here, I was a cleaner.”
Iraq
Monir Goran
“Intellectuals were a threat to the regime, me included.”
Syria
Tamer Alalloush
“We’re no longer refugees; we’re new neighbours”
Venezuela
Pablo Castellanos
“Student life is the shit; it’s all downhill after that”
Poland
Tomek Szugzdzinis
“The mainstream can take a running jump”
Peru
Jesús Portal Collao
“It was so cold the first time!”