About the Expat Directory
We arrived in Arnhem in October 2003 from Southeast Asia, the Philippines, where my husband and I had been working and living for 8 years. When we arrived in the Netherlands, we knew immediately that the weather would not be nearly close to what we were used to.
We knew, however, that we would find beauty in the peaceful, natural surroundings of Arnhem, away from the pollution of the megacity - Metro Manila - where our children were born. It has not been an easy shift. We were looking for a house to rent close to the Arnhem International School (AIS). Our dream was to find a nice traditional Dutch style house in the area surrounding Oosterbeek, half way between Wageningen and Arnhem Zuid, where work and school were located respectively. Instead, due to the cost and shortage of houses for rent, we ended up in Bemmel, a cosy little village, between Arnhem Zuid and Nijmegen. We learnt to appreciate our three-year stay there as we adjusted to the challenges of the new environment and the different culture we experienced here.
The prime challenge we encountered as a family was where to get information that we could understand.
Recently both Nijmegen and Arnhem municipalities together with the Arnhem Nijmegen Cool Region, have developed interesting and informative websites in English (kindly look at useful links on this website). The Nijmegen Municipality has also opened a new 'Expatdesk'. You can e-mail the Expatdesk at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , call tel. 14 024 (or from abroad + 31 24 329 90 00) or visit their office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 5pm, on Tuesdays from 9am to 12.30 or on Thursdays from 9am till 8pm (between 5 and 8pm on appointment only, please call us first!).
In addition, IRCFORYOU offers an online Expat Directory with carefully selected information relevant to expatriate families who are settling down in Gelderland and who want to make the best use of existing facilities which can support their stay. The resource base is not meant to be a comprehensive repository of information, but a living and regularly updated resource. Suggestions and entries are welcomed and encouraged.
We hope you will find the Expat Directory useful. For suggestions or comments feel free to write to us.
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