Hello dear reader,
Welcome to my blog Orangesplaash. I am Arwa Lokhandwala.
I am an Indian expat living in the Netherlands. I moved here with my husband in 2008 because of his job, the thrill of discovering something new and in turn getting enriched with the experience.
I am a professional travel and expat writer. I work as the regional contributor for NileGuide, and PocketCultures, writing on expat life, travel and culture related issues. My articles have been published in a host of travel and expat websites including the Lonely Planet. Having traveled extensively in India and Europe, this has given me an excellent opportunity to understand and know different cultures. On this blog, I love sharing my expat experiences, travel adventures and cross-cultural dilemmas besides blogging about expat and travel resources, news and upcoming events.
I believe in living every moment, and learning what life has to teach - an open minded observer with loads of curiosity. This quote by Mark Twain is one of my favorites :
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. "
Connect with me at Twitter or email me at orangesplaash@gmail.com and I would love to know you more!
Thank you for visiting Orangesplaash. Looking forward to having you here again.
Also do not forget to get your FREE copy of the e-book "7 Powerful Tips For A Fulfilling Expat Life", along with our monthly newsletter.
© Orangesplaash, 2009-2010. If you are reading this anywhere but on Orangesplaash, it's stolen. Please, feel free to report back to Orangesplaash about it.
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Hi Arwa,
ReplyDeleteRead your post about getting a driving license in NL. Like you, I came to NL with my husband, he is here as a knowledge migrant. He can excahnge his Indian license for a Dutch one, but what about me? can I too?
@ Anonymous: Hii, thanks for your comment. If your husband has a knowledge migrant category, you are also eligible to exchange your Indian license for the Dutch one. I did the same. My post explains in detail, the steps to do so. Please let me know in case you have any further queries. You can also contact me through email, from my blogger profile.
ReplyDeleteits an absolute fun to read blog of yours, congrats !!!
ReplyDelete@ VedatC : Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that you liked reading the blog posts and enjoyed it. Do keep coming back for more reading! Wish you a great week ahead!
ReplyDeleteHello Arwa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the very useful site and especially for the info about a driving license as a knowledge migrant: http://www.iamexpat.nl/articles/getting-a-driving-license-in-the-netherlands-for-knowledge-migrants.html.!
My situation is a bit specific: I am a knowledge migrant, citizen of an (one of the most recent) EU country, have the 30% ruling already for more than 7 years (since I live in the Netherlands), but I have no driving license yet! Not Dutch, not foreign. But I would like to get one :-).
Do you know if I can still use the simplified procedure if I obtain a license in my country now, i.e. 7+ years after I've been resident in the Netherlands (but still haven't changed my nationality)?
@ Elena : A warm welcome to my blog. Thanks so much for the lovely words, I am glad that you found my blog useful.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading and understanding your situation, I feel that you are eligible under the 30% ruling and knowledge migrant category. But since you do not already have a license, you will have to follow the general license application procedure and the above special rule for exchange of license does not apply to you.
For confirmation of the same, I would urge you to consult your local gemeente.
Thanks for sharing your situation here, I hope this information helps you.
I love your blog. I am a Brazilian expat living in the Middle East, and I am very eager to learn about other expats experiences, here, there and everywhere!
ReplyDeletewww.inaier.blogspot
@ Inaie : Thanks, am thrilled to hear that. Welcome to my blog, its nice connecting with you here. Wish you a great day ahead!
ReplyDelete