NB: to understand this entry, it would be advisable to read the previous one.
At the Bank
As I told in the previous post, we had found a nice flat to rent in Almere Centrum.
So, we went to the nearest bank to make an appointment [een afspraak maken/marcação] for the following day. We needed to open an account, so that we could transfer some money from Portugal. We needed the money to celebrate the renting contract and pay to the real estate agent.
After arriving there, we were told to wait in the living room for a while and then we were called to enter in a private room.
We said we were Portuguese and wanted to open a bank account [bankrekening openen/abrir uma conta bancária]. They asked for our passports. "We don't need passports. " I said a bit confused. "We are EU citizens. We have European ID cards." "In that case, could you wait a while, please? We need to check them". The gentleman left the room and came back after a while. The ID's were fine.
"Are you working here?" Papers on the table. So far, so good.
"What is your address? Do you live in Almere?"
"We want to. We found a very nice flat in the centrum of the city. We would like to open an account, so we could pay to the real estate agent and finally sign the renting contract. "
"Without an address in the Netherlands, it's not possible to open an account."
Can you imagine the stress?
...
After a couple of months living here, some people asked me "Do you speak already Dutch? " or said to me "You must speak Dutch by now.", as if it was the only thing I would need to learn or have time for. Besides of the fact Dutch isn't an easy language.
I generally answered " I also need time to adjust myself to a new country and another mindset, new laws and new habits, without family or old friends around to help me. Time to find solutions for the issues that come up everyday. It's not only the language that I need to learn and to have time for."
In this case, for example, we needed an address to open a bank account, but we also needed an account to transfer the money and sign the renting contract. We were no students living at the University, we weren't living in a flat owned by a company, we weren't living here with relatives or friends. So, we hadn't another address to give to the bank.
...
We went to the City Hall in that same afternoon and we made an appointment for the following day.
...
At the City Hall
After we explained our dilemma, they asked for our international birth and marriage certificates, a copy of the renting contract and to fill some paperwork. We made another appointment to give them the documents. However, the renting contract was only signed by us.
We also filled a form with questions similar to these ones:
Wat is uw naam? [Qual é o seu nome?/What is your name?]
Wat is uw voornaam? [Qual é o seu nome próprio?/What is your first name?]
Wat is uw achternaam? [Qual é o seu sobrenome ?/ What is your surname?]
Wat is uw nationaliteit? [Qual é a sua nacionalidade?/ What is your nationality?]
Hoe oud bent u? [Que idade tem?/ How old are you?]
Wat is uw geboortedatum? [Qual a sua data de nascimento?/ When were you born?]
Waar bent u geboren? [Onde nasceu?/ Where were you born?]
Wat doet u? [Qual a sua profissão?/ What is your job?]
Wat is uw adres? [Qual é a sua morada?/ What is your address?]
Wat is uw postcode? [Qual é o seu código postal?/ What is your zip code?]
Getting the renting contract...
Afterwards we went to the bank and finally we could open an account, transfer the money [geld overdracht/ transferência de dinheiro] to the Netherlands and then to the landlord's account.
We made another appointment with the real estate agent to have the contract signed for both parties and finally the key!
Meanwhile, my husband got the City Hall's permission so that the removals team could park in the street and I was again in Lisbon doing exactly the same thing.
A couple of days later, we went to the City Hall to give them a copy of the renting contract signed by both parties, the landlord and us.
 |
| From Almere (III) |
At the Bank
As I told in the previous post, we had found a nice flat to rent in Almere Centrum.
So, we went to the nearest bank to make an appointment [een afspraak maken/marcação] for the following day. We needed to open an account, so that we could transfer some money from Portugal. We needed the money to celebrate the renting contract and pay to the real estate agent.
After arriving there, we were told to wait in the living room for a while and then we were called to enter in a private room.
We said we were Portuguese and wanted to open a bank account [bankrekening openen/abrir uma conta bancária]. They asked for our passports. "We don't need passports. " I said a bit confused. "We are EU citizens. We have European ID cards." "In that case, could you wait a while, please? We need to check them". The gentleman left the room and came back after a while. The ID's were fine.
"Are you working here?" Papers on the table. So far, so good.
"What is your address? Do you live in Almere?"
"We want to. We found a very nice flat in the centrum of the city. We would like to open an account, so we could pay to the real estate agent and finally sign the renting contract. "
"Without an address in the Netherlands, it's not possible to open an account."
Can you imagine the stress?
...
After a couple of months living here, some people asked me "Do you speak already Dutch? " or said to me "You must speak Dutch by now.", as if it was the only thing I would need to learn or have time for. Besides of the fact Dutch isn't an easy language.
I generally answered " I also need time to adjust myself to a new country and another mindset, new laws and new habits, without family or old friends around to help me. Time to find solutions for the issues that come up everyday. It's not only the language that I need to learn and to have time for."
In this case, for example, we needed an address to open a bank account, but we also needed an account to transfer the money and sign the renting contract. We were no students living at the University, we weren't living in a flat owned by a company, we weren't living here with relatives or friends. So, we hadn't another address to give to the bank.
...
We went to the City Hall in that same afternoon and we made an appointment for the following day.
...
At the City Hall
After we explained our dilemma, they asked for our international birth and marriage certificates, a copy of the renting contract and to fill some paperwork. We made another appointment to give them the documents. However, the renting contract was only signed by us.
We also filled a form with questions similar to these ones:
Wat is uw naam? [Qual é o seu nome?/What is your name?]
Wat is uw voornaam? [Qual é o seu nome próprio?/What is your first name?]
Wat is uw achternaam? [Qual é o seu sobrenome ?/ What is your surname?]
Wat is uw nationaliteit? [Qual é a sua nacionalidade?/ What is your nationality?]
Hoe oud bent u? [Que idade tem?/ How old are you?]
Wat is uw geboortedatum? [Qual a sua data de nascimento?/ When were you born?]
Waar bent u geboren? [Onde nasceu?/ Where were you born?]
Wat doet u? [Qual a sua profissão?/ What is your job?]
Wat is uw adres? [Qual é a sua morada?/ What is your address?]
Wat is uw postcode? [Qual é o seu código postal?/ What is your zip code?]
Getting the renting contract...
Afterwards we went to the bank and finally we could open an account, transfer the money [geld overdracht/ transferência de dinheiro] to the Netherlands and then to the landlord's account.
We made another appointment with the real estate agent to have the contract signed for both parties and finally the key!
Meanwhile, my husband got the City Hall's permission so that the removals team could park in the street and I was again in Lisbon doing exactly the same thing.
A couple of days later, we went to the City Hall to give them a copy of the renting contract signed by both parties, the landlord and us.
6 comments:
WHEW!!! YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY mastered the ability to sort through all the details of the language and social context of the language dearest...that is SO DIFFICULT TO DO! BRAVOOOOOO!!! Anita
Sandra,
É curioso que lendo há palavras que se chega lá por semelhança com o inglês mas falado deve ser bem difícil!
Admiro-a. Vou tentar aprender algumas palavras com os seus deliciosos postes sobre o encontro de duas culturas.
Beijinhos e bom fim de Domingo! :)
bem parecido com o alemão! sei que a pronúncia é mais aspera!!!!!!!!! por isso talvez mais difícil de pronunciar!!!!
desejo-te boa sorte!!!!
por cá as coisas estão tão más que dá mesmo vontade de nos irmos embora!
vou tentar aprender com os teus posts!! bigada!
bom carnaval!
Rosa
Eu sei, Rosa, eu sei. Tenho lido analises que me deixaram literalmente branca e quase que ia caindo (senti-me fisicamente mal). Estou com muito medo do que ai vem. Sim, porque crise alimentar ja existe. Ja ha muita fome no nosso pais. Temo o aumento da violencia, sobretudo junto dos mais idosos quando vao aos correios buscar o vale da reforma. Temo a miseria instalada e dificil de debelar.
Obrigada pelo teu comentario e as tuas palavras de forca!
Beijinhos e Bom Carnaval! Por aqui, nem o sinto, pois vivo na parte Protestante do pais.
Ola, Ana!
Desculpe responder ao seu comentario so agora. Obrigada pelas suas palavras!
Pode ser que esta partilha permita responder a algumas duvidas de como sao as coisas por aqui.
Quando comecamos a considerar a hipotese de sair do pais, visitei varios blogues a procura de experiencias contadas na primeira pessoa. Houve informacao que procurava e nao encontrei.
Por outro lado, estou a sentir que e o momento de contar como se foi desenrolando este processo, as vezes, doloroso.
Bjs! E Obrigada pelo apoio! :-)
Dear Anita :-) Thank you! You know how important your support has been to me! Veel Kusjes!! :-)
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