Yulia Hess is the director of International Newcomers Amsterdam, the one-stop-shop service centre for highly skilled migrants and international professionals and their families. She’s mastered corporate law in the Netherlands, has a list of things tourists should not do but admits she is still not Dutch enough to make enough time for hobbies.

How did you end up in the Netherlands?

I was born in the former Soviet Union, and later moved to Israel. I went to school there and studied to become a lawyer. We moved to the Netherlands as a traditional expat family 18 years ago, because my husband was offered a one-year contract to work as a dentist in Leeuwarden

Like many expats, we came because of a contract, but decided to stay because of the quality of life.

One of the things that convinced me was, strangely enough, parents picking up their children at midday from the school next door to where we lived to have lunch at home and bring them back to school. This was such a stark contrast to the hectic pace we were used to.

How do you describe yourself – an expat, lovepat, immigrant, international?

That’s complicated. I’m not a big fan of labels. But I’ve lived longer in the Netherlands than anywhere else so I think I consider myself Dutch with an international background. My family roots span all over Europe, and my friends live all over the world.

How long do you plan to stay?

This is my country so I’ll probably give the same answer as any Dutchie. This is the place where I live. I’d like to spend winters someplace where the sun shines more often, but that’s not an option right now

Do you speak Dutch and how did you learn?

When, after a year in the Netherlands, we were able to take over the dental practice where my husband worked worked, as a lawyer I wanted to read and understand all the contracts – which were in Dutch of course.

So this was when I realised that I have to master this language and understand how everything works. After two years in the Netherlands I have passed the NT2 II exam, started taking law courses in Dutch and eventually completed a master’s degree in corporate law in Dutch at Utrecht University.

But for me, mastering the language was essential not only for professional integration but also everyday interaction. Living in a country without speaking its language isn’t something I can imagine possible.

What’s your favourite Dutch thing?

I admire the Dutch approach to life – the aesthetics of the streets and houses, how things are organised, and most importantly, the emphasis on balancing work and personal life. There is this thing that I am still not very good at, but people here create time for their hobbies. They do not live to work, they work to live and that is something I admire. Its a good example and something for me to strive for.

How Dutch have you become?

I consider myself to be quite integrated. I read Dutch papers,follow Dutch news in Dutch, go to Dutch theatre performances and take interest in Dutch politics. And I work for the city of Amsterdam after all. But I still don’t like cycling in the rain, don’t maintain an agenda for my social activities, don’t like planning in advance and I am still spontaneous in my invitations. And I do not eat broodjes for lunch.

Which three Dutch people (dead or alive) would you most like to meet?

To the outsider the Netherlands may project a traditional, picturesque image of tranquility with windmills and tulips, but to me it is a nation of innovation, progressive thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.

It’s tough to choose just three, but I think I’d probably lean towards Baruch Spinoza, the rationalist philosopher whose ideas on ethics and reason have had profound impact far beyond his time

Then I’d go for Johan Thorbecke, for his role in shaping Dutch democracy and laying the groundwork for our political landscape and finally Aletta Jacobs, the first Dutch woman to attend university, who became the first country’s female doctor and a prominent advocate for women’s rights.

What’s your top tourist tip?

The Netherlands is amazing but don’t bother with the top five in any tourist guide. I have lots of don’ts. Skip the crowded Dam square, don’t visit the red light district in Amsterdam, don’t stay at a hotel in the city centre, but in Zuid,West or Oost. Don’t go to Giethoorn –it is so touristy. There are lots of other places to go.

Friesland, for example, is full of lovely villages The one thing I’d wholeheartedly recommend: explore beyond the obvious. Take that ferry to Amsterdam Noord, get lost in Oud Zuid, drink biertje on a terrassje.

Tell us something surprising you’ve found out about the Netherlands

The commitment to agreements! When we had just arrived we did not have any furniture so we went off to buy things. We found this great sofa in a shop. So we said we wanted to buy it but that we could not take it away immediately..

We said we would be back in two or three days. “That’s fine,” the man said. We asked if we had to pay and he said “no”. So we asked if the sofa really would be waiting for us in three days – after all, he did not know us – and he said “yes, we have an agreement”. And of course it was!

An afspraak is an afspraak. [An agreement is an agreement]. You can make arrangements and you can trust the fact it will happen as agreed. This trust and reliability I really appreciate in the Netherlands

If you had just 24 hours left in the Netherlands, what would you do?

I’ll go back to places where I have had really nice memories, like my home. Then there is the Vondelpark where I started running and it is the place I go with my son if he wants to talk to me. And then, another cliche, the Albert Cuyp market and the Pijp district.

During coronavirus, when everything was closed, the Albert Cuyp was sort of open on a Friday afternoon and it became the place to go to to meet people and eat. The context was not great but it had atmosphere. It is a place which helped us to get through coronavirus and I’ve loved it ever since.

Yulia Hess was talking to Robin Pascoe