Articles/New Canadian

New at PERC

Holland/Canada: my experiences

For the people whom I have not met yet: Hi, my name is Malou and I am from Holland! As a Dutch student/volunteer, I am staying in Canada to improve my spoken and written English. I started my journey by following an ESL (English as Second Language) course. After a couple of months I decided to take a different direction. I decided to dedicate my time to an organization deeply concerned about the environment, which to me is important.

While I am still in my orientation period, I already feel energized about being here and supporting PERC. During my time at PERC, I hope to achieve greater environmental awareness, as well as learning new skills and meeting people who feel the same way! Peace and environment have always been subjects that are dear to my heart. I am committed to making a difference in the world. As a young girl growing up, I always dreamt of working for an organization who wants to make a difference.

I was born and raised in Holland. During my stay in Canada I have noticed some differences between both countries:

Meeting new people is very interesting for me. I am fascinated to see how people get along amongst different races and cultures. In Holland we struggle to see the beauty in every human being and culture. People in Canada seem to be very friendly. In the beginning I wondered if it was ‘fake’ and ‘exaggerated’. However I now see that people here are genuinely friendly.

Holland is well known for the many bikes that people use to travel. I believe that almost every person owns a bike, whether they use it often or not. Taking the car in Holland is not always a good option since the roads are busy and traveling by bike goes faster, especially in the cities. Of course, riding a bicycle is very environmental friendly and since gas is very expensive in Holland it is also economical. I always take my bike, except when I go far. I never have problems with parking!

I find that the people in Holland are willing to become more aware of the environment. We do not have as much green and space as in Canada so we must be mindful of environmental issues such as how to use electricity in the best way. Besides that, the government supports making Dutch citizens more aware.

In Holland we also have to separate our garbage. Each home gets a big garbage bin which is divided into two sections: regular garbage and compost. Just like in Canada we have to separate and recycle our paper, plastic and glass. Let’s say that you are a "lazy" person and don’t separate them or you put plastic by mistake with the compost, you will learn your lesson fast: you will get a BIG FINE!

Another example is in the grocery store. In Holland we are not as customer friendly as in Canada where the cashiers put your groceries into bags. We do it ourselves and there are no plastic bags available so we have to be creative: either bring a box or pay for every plastic bag. I always bring a box with me that I can fold and use over and over again.

As you can see, Holland is a country where the general population is very aware of the environment. I look forward to learning more about how people in Canada operate, because in the end we can all learn from each other.

Here are some facts I learned while being here in Canada/PERC: Just for fun.

· PERC, pronounced as PURK, means in Dutch: ‘boogers,’ so every time I say the word ‘PERC’ it is sort of funny for me.

· ‘Going Dutch’ in Canada means when you go to a restaurant: everybody pays for themselves (background: Dutch people are knows to be cheap. I call it ‘frugal’).