My name is José Dams. I am from the Netherlands and I am 24 years old. When I was sixteen I lived for one year in New Zealand, attending the local high school. Experiencing a different culture and being completely accepted and immersed in the local lifestyle influenced my academic choices later on in life. After graduating from high school I moved to Amsterdam to study cultural anthropology and development sociology. Within my studies I focussed on the anthropology of development. In the coming year I hope to broaden my knowledge on the economics behind development. I am looking forward to meet beautiful people from all over the world to share this experience with - and live la vita bella!