Jenny from the Block

In the spring of 2009, I posted an ad on the internet in which I offered a room for rent in my apartment. I had just decided that I would go traveling through South America for six months (which eventually became an internship in New York) by the beginning of 2010. Therefore, I needed someone, preferably an exchange or PhD student, to live in my apartment during my absence.

I received an e-mail in June 2009 from an Anthropology PhD student from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Her name was Jennifer Long (hereinafter J-Lo) and she was coming to the Netherlands for one year to study Islamophobia and Nationalism in Rotterdam. My first thought was: ‘’A Canadian doing her PhD research on a controversial topic in Rotterdam. Why and how?”

Intrigued as I was, I replied to her message and we soon started an extensive exchange of e-mails; firing all sorts of question at each other. I soon learned that she was affiliated with the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam and that she was coming to Rotterdam to gather empirical data for her research through interviews with people living in the Rotterdam community. I also learned about her Dutch heritage (her mother moved from Maastricht to Canada at the age of nine) and she even made an attempt to write to me in Dutch. Her genuine openness and sense of humor made me soon realize that I had finally found my new roommate. Especially after she made the comment: “I think you've established yourself as not-being-an-axe-murderer via email.”

J-Lo would eventually become my roommate from September 2010 until last Friday. Her presence in my apartment and in Rotterdam did not go unnoticed. On her first day in town she managed to get her first e-mail contact by walking straight into the Islamic University of Rotterdam. This became the beginning of many research related activities over the course of a year, like teaching English to Turkish women, teaching immigrant women how to cycle, having frequent meetings with neighborhood organizations, volunteering at the neighborhood center, helping out at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam, volunteering as the Miss Tour de Bergpolder-Liskwartier (not sure how this fit into her research) and many other activities that I probably forgot to mention here. By the time I got back from New York she was speaking Dutch like never before and she told me that she was even conducting some of her interviews in Dutch. I was literally amazed…

In the end, J-Lo taught me a lot about the community projects in my neighborhood – especially through her must-read blog – as she was involved in nearly all of them. Besides being an enthusiastic researcher, she turned out be an amiable and fun person to live with. She also proved herself to be a reliable housekeeper during my stay in New York (even managed to keep my precious plants alive).

Last Saturday she returned to Canada to complete her research and write up her dissertation. Before she left, I told her jokingly that she should come back after her graduation and run for major of Rotterdam. She laughed and raised her fist angrily saying: “Aboutaleb you’re going down!”

Relaunch

The past few weeks I have come to realize that New York is not the only place worth writing about. Writing about my life in Rotterdam may seem less appealing or exciting, but that should be no reason for me to stop writing all together. In fact, I have come to appreciate Rotterdam even more after spending months in a city with, let's be honest, many imperfections and contradictions. Another reason for the continuation of this blog is the pleasure of writing about things I have a particular interest in. The many positive reactions over the past six months have also encouraged me to continue writing. I was a bit hesitant at first, but the relaunch of this blog could perhaps be the start of something interesting. The new template of my blog indicates a fresh new start. The phrase 'Big Apple', however, remains in the title, as it has become a significant  feature of my blog. Furthermore, the phrase, I believe, can be used as a metaphor for many things (think of: life, the world, the universe etc.). At least that's what I think.

Besides making up for lost time with friends and family the past few weeks, I have spent most time looking for a job. With no income and hardly a euro left in my bank account (thank you Greece), my first job became to find a job (I apologize for the frequent use of the word job). I soon decided to apply for welfare after realizing that it would take some time to find something. During my intake interview at the public employment service (UWV Werkbedrijf) I was told that I would be placed in a project called DaadWerkt. The aim of this relatively new project is to narrow the gap between young unemployed people and employers through a two-month internship consisting of training, coaching and schooling. Participants of this  internship are expected to find a job by using the Internet, at least four times a week and three hours a day, in a nearby employment service. In return, the interns receive a remuneration which is slightly higher than a welfare income. I did not really know what to think of this project, but I decided to go for a unprejudiced approach. I also needed an income. In other words, I had no choice. 

It is my second week in the project and I have slightly become more aware of the effects of this economic crisis. Today we had our first round of introductions and I was quite surprised by the stories of people who lost jobs they had for years. I also heard some stories of highly educated youngsters who were struggling to find a job in their field of specialty. As I heard these stories I almost felt embarrassed to tell everyone that I quit my previous job for a six-month internship in New York (actually six months of traveling in S. America). The same stories also illustrated that most were highly motivated to find a new job and some were even starting their own business. One lady was starting her own online lingerie shop. Another spoke about starting a youth center. Some also spoke about occupational retraining through the project. These positive signs convinced me that this project may bear fruit for young people who are willing to work. It has also encouraged me in thinking that the municipality of Rotterdam is working towards a better future for every 'Rotterdammer' willing to work. Of course, there are the stories of people who are not willing or in the position to work, but that could be the topic for another blog.

As for my future, I am in the lucky position to start working again at the Erasmus University by next month, although on a part-time basis. In the meantime, I will have to find another part-time job. Hopefully with the help of DaadWerkt...