A meeting of cultures

Dipti Nair
Doha
SAN Lie may have come to Qatar to support his wife, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Qatar HE Dr Bahia Tahzib-Lie, but he has carved an indelible niche for himself in the community through his extensive work bridging cultures in the melting pot that is Qatar.
Born in the Netherlands, Lie belongs to a mixed background family ” a Chinese father, born in Indonesia and a Dutch mother with Scottish roots.
œMy parents taught me and my siblings, in addition to being independent, kind and truthful, to accept others for who they are and to be generous. I believe that happiness does not result from what we get but what we give, ? says San Lie.
It is with these same values that he and his wife are raising their two daughters here.
œMy family and I very much enjoy living in Qatar. Our daughters are fond of their school and after-school activities. They have also made very nice friends. As a family, we take part in a lot of sports and cultural activities where we meet people from different backgrounds. We moved here about two years ago, following the appointment of my wife as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Qatar. I am very proud of what she has achieved, and I am very pleased that the Dutch government is increasingly appointing capable women in senior positions. I very much believe in equality between men and women, and I think the world would be a better place if we were to have more female leaders. It is great how the education of girls is strongly promoted in Qatar. I am impressed to see women here having achieved high ranks in government, medical, cultural and private sectors. Qatar has so much more to offer than some people abroad may think, ? he added.
Lie plays an active part in supporting the various activities of the Dutch community and the Dutch Business Council. He actively contributes to securing and safeguarding the quality of the Dutch language education for Dutch children living here. Hockey, an important sport in the Netherlands, is gaining popularity in Qatar with the Dutch Hockey Club providing training to young children. Lie serves as one of the trainers of the Dutch Hockey Club. He is also actively involved with the Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani Museum for an international cultural exchange project.
œWe are organising, together with the UNESCO Office, a two-year European tour of a part of the immense and precious collection of the museum. We are honoured and privileged that the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani is the patron of the tour. The exhibition titled ?Cultures in Dialogue' aspires to stimulate dialogue among visitors. We hope the exhibition will give people in Europe the opportunity to learn more about the rich history and culture of the Gulf region. The exhibition aims to build bridges of communication that transcend differences and promote a spirit of tolerance and peace among the people of the world. We hope more Qatari organisations and companies will help the exhibition to be a success. ?
Before moving to Qatar two years ago, Lie worked demanding jobs in the financial sector. His work mostly involved working high-profile roles managing complex projects with international banks. œMy experience during those years have taught me to never think in terms of limitations but rather in terms of opportunities, to try to learn from the mistakes you make, and to be passionate about the things you do. I sincerely believe that every individual can make the impossible, possible and that you can find success if you follow your heart, ? he asserts.
With his background and experience in banking, Lie launched the Global Money Week in Qatar last year. The Money Week was launched in Netherlands in 2010 by Her Majesty Queen M??xima to help primary school students prepare for financial independence. Money Week has now grown into an annual global event, with over 150 countries throughout the world participating in supporting the financial literacy of millions of youngsters. During this week, different activities for children are organised including guest lessons in schools, visits to banks, money museums and stock markets. Children are also encouraged to play financial educational games and participate in various competitions.
On moving here, Lie introduced Global Money Week at schools in Qatar with a series of guest lessons for Dutch-speaking children. This year, the Dutch Embassy collaborated with different Qatari organisations to make the Money Week even bigger. œWe shared the joint ambition to gradually reach all primary schools in Qatar. This year 14 schools took part, five international schools and nine Qatari, Arabic-language schools with a total of 1,250 students. I am proud of our 50 Qatari and Dutch volunteers including those from the Dutch Business Council and our Qatari partners. It was great to see children enjoy these classes and to see how the volunteers liked doing something meaningful for the next generation. I hope next year more primary schools in Qatar will participate. ?
San Lie says that both Qatar and the Netherlands are small countries that are open to the sea and share many common traits like being international, innovative hubs and being full of ambitious and smart people. He said that one of his best experience in Qatar was taking a private tour of the Qatar National Library (QNL) a year before the official grand opening.
œQNL is an amazingly designed, breathtaking building. I felt so proud that a Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas, had designed such an impressive landmark for Qatar. QNL not only preserves Qatar's history and culture, but also supports Qatar's population in life-long learning and the transition to a diversified and sustainable economy.
œQatar has a very welcoming attitude, no matter where you go; both the locals and the expats make you feel very welcome and comfortable. I'm also happy that, thanks to the increasing number of Dutch products now available in Qatar, we can now enjoy the famous Dutch poffertjes and stroopwafels here. Still we miss our family and friends and look forward to seeing them this summer. ?