Increase in foreign internships in Suriname
Interview with apprentice Elske Sorel

The number of on-the-job trainees from the Netherlands has increased in the last couple of years. Elske Sorel is one of our recent Dutch apprentices who’s staying for ten months and has been working in Torarica for five months now. She’s from the hotel school “Hoge Hotelschool Leeuwarden” and decided to write her thesis in Suriname. Read about her experiences in Torarica.

Why did you choose Suriname?

In the beginning I only knew that I wanted to go to the Caribbean. At school we have area meetings with all the places you can go to, like Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Jamaica etc. Suriname was new this year. First I thought of going to Aruba, but when I heard that there were so many students and that I was not chosen for an internship at Aruba, I decided to go to Suriname. It is a totally new experience for our hotel school and even for me. I am sure that this is a much more interesting place to go with a lot of different experiences like the different cultures, food, people and a beautiful surrounding.

What does your traineeship-program look like?

I am working on a project concerning the Store. This means a total research of the current situation of the Store including the purchasing, receiving, storage and issuing of the products. At this moment I am finished with the research about the current situation and I am making Standard Operating Procedures, which need to be implemented from now on.

What was your first impression?

My first impression was very positive, this because of the way I felt and feel myself at home. In hotel Torarica as well as in the country itself. The people (employees and other local people) are interested and willing to help you. I think I adapt myself very well and fast, that is what makes the total impression also positive.

What is the main difference between Suriname and the Netherlands at work?

The main difference is concerning the knowledge and tools at work. The people here have to learn the knowledge at their working place, because there is no education concerning the hospitality in Suriname. So while they are working, they are also learning. Another thing is the lack of tools to develop fast. This is not strange, because the Netherlands is more developed and can spend more money on the hospitality industry. The way of working here is less stress full and less hectic.

What about the cultural and social differences?

The main difference is that the people in the Netherlands are a lot more individual. Everybody lives on their own. In Suriname everybody is more familiar with each other; family, neighbours and friends. When there is a party here, you can go with somebody, without a specific invitation. You are just welcome.
Another thing is the diversity in cultures living together. Very typical are all the different kind of restaurants and food and for example the synagogue and mosque near each other. Not to mention all the different cultural holidays and celebrations.

Do you also recognize similarities?

The language of course and a very funny thing is, at this moment the radio and bars are playing a typical Dutch song (Frans Bauer with “Heb je even voor mij?”).
In the Netherlands we have also a lot of different cultures, but it is more separated. You see also a lot of young people who have lived in the Netherlands for years for their study or work and who went back to Suriname. These people take a lot of the Dutch culture and way of living with them to Suriname.

What do you do when you are off work?

A very nice thing is that I am off every weekend, so I can spend a lot of time with friends. In the beginning I was a lot with Dutch students, but at this moment I am with the people from here. It is nice to see how the people are living here and that is also a reason why I am doing my internship in another country. I go out on Friday and Saturday and try to see as much as possible of Suriname with trips and tours. I do a lot of sports and enjoy the sun!

What is your advice to students who are considering coming to Suriname?

Take the change and make a real nice time of it. Suriname is a country with a lot of opportunities to experience and more people need to know that.
It is not only a good way of developing your knowledge concerning your study, but also good for your personal development.