4.00 am, everything remains dark outside and every day I wake up this time to get ready for work. Sometimes it is frustrating waking up this early but when I think about life, I must do it. When the whole world is almost sleeping, I take my dog out for a walk so that later she doesn't feel bad, besides she needs to go out from time to time. There is a connection between darkness and loneliness, I really feel alone at 4.00 am and don't feel motivated at all. It's like I am forced to accept my current situation. Who else do I see when I go out with Gigi every day? People like me who start working the early shift run towards the bus and train station. Sometimes we don't get what we desire, and we always have to compromise with everything that reminds me I am compromising with the situation every day.
The sun rises while I work, almost every day I watch the sunrise from the 15th-floor highrise window. That moment seems like the mighty sun showering blessings on the earth. The gentle rays of the sun spread across the city and sometimes the rays broke through the clouds. It looks so beautiful and I enjoy the moment while working.
Yesterday while working when I saw the magical moment of sunrise, I tried to take some photos. From the 15th floor, the whole of Almere city includes Amsterdam and Lelystad city. Almere city is flat, the ground level is below the sea level because once upon a time this area was the sea. Now, this is a small city near Amsterdam that has no significant history. People just live here.
The sky was red-orange yesterday, and a lot of windmills I saw from far away. The sky was clear and colorful. This was not a usual scene, after all, only some lucky early birds can experience such beauty.
The view from the window was exceptional and magnificent. Because not everyone can experience such kind of view always where you can see ships, yachts, port areas, cityscape, and windmills all together. I took some photos to show you how Almere city looks from the top...
Work-life is okay, not so bad. I came to an understanding that the jobs in the HORECA sector are like that, minimum wage and fewer facilities. Besides 90% of Ukrainians don't get a good job here, they get minimum wage jobs only. Salary will never be increased for us; for the people from Ukraine. People say that you should be grateful that you are able to work here and earn some money, what else do you need exactly because Government is giving you almost everything.
Seeing the work culture here, I question myself every day how I am gonna chase my dreams and desires here. It seems almost impossible to me because most of the time locals don't have answers to our questions. Or maybe because Almere is a small city, we don't have many opportunities. Also, another fact is I can't move to another city, if I move, I have to be all by myself because I am registered with Almere municipality so I have to live here.
I don't understand the tax system here and how to apply for tax deductions or tax returns. The process is complicated and whenever I ask people for help, they say we don't know how the tax system works for the Ukrainians though the tax system should be same for the everybody. I find the entire process very complex and I am looking for help to understand the process. There is a lot of calculation that is beyond my thoughts and understanding. I guess in the future I will tell someone to do it for me. I also need to check if my employers are paying me properly or not, it seems a bit sketchy to me after seeing my last paycheck.
I think I made my life complicated, my overthinking issue always increases my stress level. When I don't think much, my life seems easy and I feel good. But when I start thinking deeply, I quickly become frustrated and demotivated. Things would be a lot easier if I lived in Ukraine. Life was manageable in Ukraine before the war. Here every day I am consuming the shock of the culture because the culture is very different here and I feel small, tiny human here who is trying to find a space for herself.
I always think if my life was like this bright sunrise, I think if my future was bright and stable, then life would be so easy for me.
Every day I wait for a better and stable future...
Thanks for reading... See you soon...
Love
Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thought easily...
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All images used are captured by the author...