Moving to the Next Level

I am finally done with my intensive Dutch courses. We had our last exam on Tuesday and I am happy to say that I did pretty well. I don't really have much problem with Reading, Listening and Writing but Speaking is another story. Can you blame me if it is totally unnatural for me to pronounce words that seem to come out from the deepest crevices of my throat? However, one thing I appreciated about the course was their emphasis on writing and speaking. After numerous grammar exercises (loads of writing exercises), I could say that the Dutch language is not very logical at all. Immediately after the exams, I had lunch with some classmates and proceeded to the centrum. We indulged ourselves by buying several English magazines, just enough to keep us happy for the three day short break. Afterall, we deserve the respite after going through this 30 hours a week program. Now I am just enjoying the break, staying up late and waking up late as well. Starting Monday I will move on to the next level. We will maintain the same group except for two people who did not do well in the exams. The next program will have less hours, 20 hours per week to be exact. By July or early September we are expected to take the inburgering course (integration programme) exam given by the local council. Should I pass, then I have fulfilled my obligation as a new immigrant of this country. Of course getting a Dutch citizenship is another procedure. I should take another exam (which includes the Dutch language) in order to apply for citizenship. However, this is not an immediate concern of mine as I still have a few years to decide if I want to apply for a Dutch passport. Furthermore, the immigration policy of the Dutch government seem to be changing from one year to another. Now they are even considering not to allow dual citizenship anymore. If this is the case, then I have a lot of thinking to do. Afterall the only obvious reason for me now to consider switching to another passport is the convenience of not having a Pinoy passport (and all the hassles that come with it). But applying for a visa has been part of my travel experiences for the last 20 years, and I have learned to accept this fact--some not very pleasant experiences but for the most part bearable. One thing is for sure, I will always be a Filipino no matter what, and changing my passport will not entirely erase this identity. I know that I still have a long way to go to be fully integrated in this society. Language can be a very isolating factor. I know I still have a lot to learn, just enough to express myself, to understand and to be understood, but I am slowly getting there. I have learned a lot during the last 12 weeks and at least now I can make some sense on what is going on. Unlike when I first moved here I was totally clueless (thank goodness that the Dutch like to speak English!) Attending the language program has definitely somehow eased up (even for a little bit) this sense of "isolation". Sometimes I even find myself grasping for English words or pausing briefly to think if my English spelling is correct. Scary, he.