In fact they are not a duo, but a trio: there are altogether three PhD candidates from Maracaibo with the Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Department, and the three of them are inseparable. Today we are talking to Maria and Youseli. Maria: “When I arrived at TU/e, I asked straight away if there were any other Maracuchas. People from Maracaibo have recognizable characteristics: they are all very lively and extravert, and have a similar sense of humor.” Youseli: “Once a week we go out for lunch with a number of Latin American PhD candidates from the university. We stand out there as well: people think we speak a funny kind of Spanish, as we have a specific dialect.”

Apart from the similarities there are differences as well. Maria: “Youseli is very clever and very stable. I decide things hoping for the best, while she really thinks about them. She is also very caring. She always knows how we are doing.”

Youseli: “Maria is a very sweet girl. She has a great sense of humour and is open to new people. She has friends from Jordan, India et cetera.”

Maria and Youseli miss many things from Venezuela. Maria: “We miss friends, relatives, the food and the weather.” Youseli: “What I also really miss, is my car. I just can’t get used to a bike. The first day I was so scared that I walked to university while holding my bike. When we ride to work together we hardly speak at all, because we need to focus on riding our bikes. Especially when there was so much snow, it was terrible.”

The two PhD candidates do think that the things they miss are balanced by what they are getting in return: Maria: “There are better opportunities here, the quality of education is higher and at night a girl can still walk along the street alone safely.” However, there is one thing that both know for sure: during their old age they will live in Maracaibo. (HB)