Expatica - Non-EU expats adjust to life on the Continent

ExpaticaNon-EU expats adjust to life on the Continent

Pinar Saglam had a good life in her native Istanbul. Still, she wanted to experience living in the West. So when she was offered a managerial position with a bank in Amsterdam, she took it. "My expectations of the western world were that it is so well developed, everyone is so happy," said Saglam. "But from what I have observed, it is not that way." The rhythm of life may be similar whether one is in Barcelona or Beirut but the changes brought about by relocating your life – particularly across continents – can be great. But cultural stereotyping does exist in Europe, as 29-year-old Saglam observes when native Dutch tell her they are surprised that she is from Turkey. "They still have the Turkish worker image from the 1960s," said Saglam, who manages the financial control division at Finansbank. "When I have a chance to talk with people, they say I’m not like what they expect. They say, ‘Are you sure you are Turkish?’"