I was going through my wallet the other day and I was a little bit surprised at how many cards there are in there that I've accumulated since I've been here. From top to bottom:
1.) Dutch bank card - I opened up a dutch bank account recently. I don't really use it yet, but I'll need it once I get a job :-)
2.) Health Insurance Card - Health insurance is required here. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it's not nearly as expensive as back in the States...I believe every insurance company has to offer the same coverage at the same prices, and no one can be turned down for the basic coverage.
3.) Verblifsdocument - This is what we call a "green card" in America. I'm a card carrying immigrant :-) This card says I can stay until March 31, 2010, at which point I'll apply to stay for another year. Next year, the process should be much simpler and cheaper since they've already got all of my info on file. As long as my situation doesn't change, I shouldn't be turned down for any reason.
4.) Delft Library card - You actually have to pay for library cards here, but it's not very expensive (28 euros for 6 months or a year or something like that). Still much cheaper than buying my own books. It's a lovely library right in the city center and they have a good selection of English books. So I think it's more than worth it.
5.) Albert Heijn Bonus Card - Albert Heijn is one of the main grocery store chains here in the Netherlands. This card works just like an Albertson's preferred card or a Ralph's Rewards card - I like it, it gets me discounts and it's free :-)
And for a general update on how things are going, I'm still looking for a job but I'm making progress on the language front. I've registered with the city of Delft for their integration program. They subsidize courses with local schools so that I'll be able to prepare for the exam at a much cheaper cost than if I were to do it on my own.
We were told that if I plan on staying in the Netherlands indefinitely, then I'm required to take the integration exam within 3.5 years of my arrival here.
There are two options for this exam: The Civic Integration Exam (Inburgeringsexamen), or the State Exam (Staatsexamen).
According to IND's website, "The State exam is an examination at a higher level than the integration examination and provides access to higher professional education or university."
I was advised to opt for the State Exam since the integration exam doesn't exactly require a very high level of Dutch to pass. With this option, I should be able to speak and understand at the B1 level upon completion of the course.
Once I take the course and pass the exam I'll be given a diploma that says I can speak Dutch at this level. It is my understanding that this will help later on when looking for employment that requires knowledge of the Dutch language.
So, I've taken an initial evaluation exam so they know where to place me, I have an orientation on August 19th, and I will be starting classes in September.
I suppose I should post more often to avoid these loooooonng entries :-)
