Professor Patrice Perreault of the Faculty of Science and his wife Marisol supported the Spanish Amaya when she swapped Puerto Rico for a job at UAntwerp. ‘As expats, we are well aware of how important it is to have help in the beginning’, says Patrice.
When they moved to Ghent in 2016, Canadian Patrice and his Mexican wife Marisol discovered that a new start in Flanders is not always easy. ‘Back then, I spent a year working as a postdoc at Ghent University. We thought we would quickly find an apartment to rent, but that turned out to be very cumbersome. As a result, we stayed in four different Airbnb’s for a total of four weeks. This was not convenient with small children. And it also cost us an arm and a leg.’
‘Of course, most people can’t make themselves available for a whole day like my wife did last year, but if you can help a newcomer with tips and practical information, that’s already worth a lot.’
Patrice Perreault
They returned to Belgium in 2019 after Patrice was offered a position at UAntwerp. Meanwhile, they are having a great time here. A house in Antwerp, nice friends, good schools for their two sons: everything is going well. Last summer, Erika Leunens of the International Staff Office asked them to show Amaya, who was starting a job at the Dean’s Office of Medicine and Health Sciences, around Antwerp. They did so without hesitation. ‘Correction: my wife did so without hesitation’, Patrice laughs. ‘She didn’t have a job at the time and was happy to take Amaya under her wing. Helping people is in her blood: she was brought up that way and also does volunteer work here in Belgium. The fact that, like Amaya, she is Spanish-speaking was of course an advantage.’
Sons became friends
To spare Amaya the same financial hangover they had suffered, they offered her their spare room during the initial period of her stay. Their youngest son of six appeared to get along very well with Amaya’s son, who is a few years older. And Marisol and Amaya also became friends. ‘Those two spent whole days out and about together. To the thrift store, to Ikea, apartment hunting, etc. Marisol helped her buy second-hand bicycles and showed her around Antwerp. I looked after her son from time to time, so he didn’t have to tag along all the time.’
Two weeks later, Amaya moved into a rented apartment. She was extremely grateful to the couple for their help. ‘Marisol and Patrice gave us a warm welcome in those first days and were kind enough to give us shelter during the corona crisis’, Amaya says while thinking back. ‘Even before my departure I was in touch with Marisol. She made the move a lot more pleasant and the whole experience less drastic for my son and myself.’
Language barrier
For Patrice, it is all very recognisable. He, too, was confronted with many practical problems a few years ago and was very happy with the help from Erika Leunens and the International Staff Office. ‘Erika was able to enrol our children in our school of choice. The language barrier alone would have made this difficult for us, since all communication was in Dutch. It was the same story when we wanted to take out an insurance policy. Tips on how to get things affordably are also indispensable. After all, as a foreigner you have to start from scratch: that can easily cost a fortune.’
He can only welcome the support of a personal international guide. ‘Of course, most people can’t make themselves available for a whole day like my wife did last year, but if you can help a newcomer with tips and practical information, that’s already worth a lot. We are more than happy to help again.’
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