Saddam is from Azerbaijan. After peregrinations through different European cities, he ended up in Amsterdam. Here he studies Business Administration, Strategy & Organization.
In a few months, Saddam is set to graduate from college. In the meantime, he is also taking NT2 classes with me to get his diploma in Nederlands als tweede taal, programma II. (Dutch as a second language, Program II)
A requirement for university-level jobs here.
In his spare hours, Saddam watches television and listens to podcasts, both in Dutch. On top of that he achieved a 365-day streak in the Duolingo app's NT2 course.
Saddam’s vocabulary is staggering. Every class he stuns me and the group with a gem of a Dutch word, with a slight preference for the somewhat archaic ones.
For example, he can suddenly respond with a phrase such as, “Dat is mij zeer onwelgevallig.” (That is highly unwelcome to me)
To subsequently make grammatically correct and coherent sentences with his elaborate Dutch verbiage is something we are working on.
According to Dutch law, Saddam has one year after his graduation to find a job in the Netherlands in order to keep his verblijfsvergunning (residence permit).
A ‘zoekjaar’ (search year) this is called.
“Not that I ever get invited to a job interview”, Saddam confesses. “It’s because of my name. It scares people off.”
I ask if he has a pet name and suggest to use it in his job applications from now on.
And so Saddam becomes Sam.
Sam is intelligent, sensitive and sometimes quite downcast. He has huge doubts about finishing his final thesis. His Dutch tutor gives him no guidance, he feels. “In Azerbaijan your instructor tells you exactly what to do. An assignment there is a fill-in-the-blank exercise. But she keeps asking what I think… I think nothing.”
I remind him that in the Netherlands, and certainly in Dutch academia, people are specifically trained to think and act independently and to develop academic insights and reasoning. So that they become independently thinking and acting scientists or entrepreneurs or whatever.
Sam prefers straightforward instructions. That’s why he says about graduating, “ik heb er een hard hoofd in”. (I don’t really believe in it)
I press him to persevere. He's almost there! And even if he doesn’t believe it himself, he is definitely capable of independent thought and action. He proved that a long time ago.
For months I don't hear from Sam. Then I get a text. “Hoi Marjan, dit is Sam. Ik heb mijn NT2 diploma gehaald… En ik ben afgestudeerd.” (I got my NT2 diploma... And I graduated)
I knew he would.
Sure, I am Always Talkin’ Food, but I teach NT2 (Dutch as a second language) on the side. Mainly to young internationals who came to Amsterdam for or with love and intend to stay. For privacy reasons the names in these columns are fictitious.
Food Lingo
Pastry chef - de banketbakker
Gluten-free - glutenvrij
Pastries - de deegwaren/het banket
Loaf of bread - het brood
Mama Madina
Madina Mamedova is a pastry chef from Baku in Azerbaijan. After fleeing her country, she landed years ago as a refugee in Amsterdam. From the moment she finally received a work permit here, she went back to work as a pastry chef. In the meantime, she had found out that she is gluten intolerant. The tasteless gluten-free breads and pastries in the Netherlands could not appeal to her. Now she specializes in both Azerbaijani and international gluten-free goods that are all truly delicious. She sells them in Amsterdam through her Instagram account under the name Mama Madina.
Mama Madina, @mama_madina_glutenvrij. Send a DM to order.