July 2014: Aspiration at Sky Radio Suriname.
Aug. 2014: Collecting documents for staying permit.
Sep. 7, 2014: Promise of living space paid by Sky in Paramaribo, a furnished apartment nearby the building of Sky Radio.
Sep. 10, 2014: Human Resource Manager at NXP informed about my plan.
Sep. 29, 2014: Request staying permit refused by consulate, because employer statement was missing.
Oct. 9, 2014: Travel to Paramaribo for life meetings at Sky Radio.
Oct. 10, 11, 2014: Visited Sky Radio & TV and meetings with the management.
Oct. 12 ~ 30: Holiday tracking in the jungle of Suriname.
Nov. 3, 2014: Again to consulate for submitting request staying permit. However it was rejected again, because they found the text of the employer statement not correct.
Nov. 7, 2014: Submitted the discharge certificate to my current employer NXP, which makes my decision final.
Nov. 11, 2014: A third trip to the consulate of Suriname in Amsterdam, now with a new employer statement of Sky Radio. The consulate now accepted my request for a staying permit, after that it has been rejected twice because not all documents were correct. The request will be sent to Paramaribo and there they will deal with it further. Received the confirmation by post and I have request number 479/14.
Nov. 18, 2014: Request for the retirement payment starting from March 1, 2015 submitted.
Jan. 7, 2015: The last working day at NXP, my current employer. I return my computer to the IT department and say goodbye to my college’s. I am balancing between sadness and joy. Sadness, because I have to give up working place for ever and will never return. Joy, because I feel free and my plan is now really starting.
Jan. 8, 2015: Desired date for the departure to Suriname. But still waiting for my permit, so I can buy a ticket yet.
Jan. 13, 2015: In Paramaribo the ministry of Work request more documents, like diplomas. Today I made scans of all my diplomas and sent them together with my cv to Paramaribo.
Jan. 21, 2015: The website where the progress of the approved staying permits can be found has been updated. However my number is still not on that list, while some higher numbers have their approval already. An inquiring by phone learned that my waiting time of three months has not been passed yet. In case of an request for work, the case is more difficult. So still waiting and it is not possible to plan the departure date yet.
Jan. 30, 2015: Today I got the confirmation that my request for a staying permit has been granted. This same day I made a reservation for a one-way airplane ticket to Paramaribo. The date for leaving is now finally set at Thursday Feb. 19, 2015. Now there is no way of return for this adventure.
Feb. 16 2015: Today I packed everything what I think I will need in a big bag and an old suitcase. It all fits and there is some space left. Also the list of things to do is now almost marked as ready.
Feb. 19 2015: Leave to Paramaribo
Read further in my blog about my stay in Paramaribo, however it is in Dutch.