Corkonians Abroad: I left one port... and moved to another

Where are you from in Cork, Joanne?

I grew up in Monkstown village. It’s a special place, as anyone from Monkstown will tell you.

One of my sisters is living there now and my mum moved to Carrigaline a long time ago.

I loved watching the ships coming and going growing up. So, I moved from one port to another…

Where do you currently live?

Now I live in Rotterdam in The Netherlands.

The city has a population of more than 650,000 and is home to over 180 different nationalities.

The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, and the world’s largest seaport outside of Asia, and covers an area of more than 40 kilometres!

The city’s motto is ‘sterker door strijd’, which translates to ‘stronger through struggle’ and says a lot about the city. The people here pull up their sleeves and make it happen! Whatever ‘it’ may be.

When and why did you move there?

I moved here about nine years ago with my partner to build a career in the shipping/maritime sphere.

I had decided fairly early in my working life that I wanted to stay in this industry, but to grow and develop, I needed to move.

It was a choice between Singapore and the Netherlands. But let’s face it, Rotterdam was close to home.

It was a stage of my life where a lot of our friends were getting married. I didn’t want to miss one hen party, one wedding. The first two or three years I was over and back every month.

I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I love a good wedding!

What is life like in your new home?

Life feels easy over here. Settling in went surprisingly smoothly.

They are so used to different nationalities moving here that the process was already mapped out for me.

How might you spend your weekends in Rotterdam?

The weather here starts to warm up from the end of March, so I’d definitely go for a walk, cycle, play tennis.

Then sit on a terrace with a small beer (you can’t get large beers over here!) or a wine, followed by dinner in an Asian restaurant. The Indonesian food is really good here.

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live? What are the main differences from Ireland?

The best thing culturally about The Netherlands has got to be the cycling culture. You ‘bike’ everywhere, and there are cycle paths everywhere, and none of them end in a ditch!

I heard that donkeys years ago they implemented a law here that no road could be built without a cycle path. Genius! The Dutch really think ahead in that respect.

They are always building for a future they may not even be around to see.

It took me about a year and a half to start cycling here, and when I finally bought my first second-hand bike for €40, I felt like such an eejit for avoiding it for so long.

At the beginning, I was so impressed with public transport that I’d take a metro and bus to work for a journey that took (no joke) ten minutes by bike.

As for different cultures, I think the Dutch think that we Irish are weirdly polite. Our instinct to say sorry is a bit alien to them.

It’s not that they are rude as such, it’s just not in their psyche.

I keep reminding them not to mistake kindness for weakness…

Tell us about your line of work/career?

I manage communication and public relations for shipping companies and maritime-related organisations. I set up my small business six years ago.

Tell us about your thoughts on opportunity - and how the different parts of the world might offer more opportunities?

In my experience, entrepreneurship is embraced and encouraged over here.

Businesses, shops, restaurants, and pubs pop up and down here all the time. Closing down isn’t seen as failure. It’s seen as ‘you took an opportunity and a shot, now it’s on to the next thing’. You have nothing to prove to anyone.

Similar to Ireland, education and professional development is also really encouraged here.

When I first moved here, I did a Masters in Corporate Communication - the government had a system to cover almost half of the costs.

Are there any wider societal issues that you see in Ireland that aren’t a problem in your new home? Or vice versa?

I’m seeing a decline in the cities here. There are less police on the streets and I wouldn’t be walking around on my own late at night, but maybe that’s the same in a lot of European cities these days.

It’s funny, the Dutch think their medical system is crap - I think it’s amazing, I’ve heard of Brazilians, Spanish, and Indians who’ll go back home to visit the dentist or doctor. Madness!

What has been your most memorable moment in your new location so far?

I love entertaining family and friends when they come to visit. The city is really modern and has a totally different vibe from the more quaint and busier streets of Amsterdam.

Only a few visitors have braved the naked sauna so far, but I’m working on a few more candidates.

Second to cycling, water taxis are the best thing about this city.

You can also do a hot tug in the inner river, which is basically a wood-fired floating hot tub. Definitely something to experience once!

With Aer Lingus cancelling the Cork to Amsterdam route, I really hope another airline picks it up, or that KLM put on bigger planes and make it a little more affordable to get here!

A big highlight is the interconnectivity from here - you can drive or take the train to so many places in Belgium, , , Switzerland, Austria, and you can keep going to Italy and Spain, etc.

Any special mentions to friends or family back in Cork?

Having a big family and the best friends means Cork and Ireland will never be too far away.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would the ideal day for you?

That’s easy! It’s all food-related.

Breakfast with my mum (soda bread, eggs from Thadgh, pudding, smoked rashers).

A catch-up walk with friends / sisters, somewhere in West Cork for a swim (maybe followed by a hot chicken fillet roll).

Chipper or Chinese for dinner

When you live abroad and come home, all you really want to do is see family and friends and eat some good hearty Irish food… and a Chinese.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

The sense of humour. We think we’re hilarious. That’s coz we are, like!