I understand perfectly how important friends from the homeland are. I understand cultural and language differences. I think if Mark was in your shoes, he would feel the same. It is like a safety net. It would be very lonely if you did not have these friends. It is also important to make new Dutch friends.
It's like when you go for a school ride and got to sit next to your best mates. It's an special adventure! I managed to make Dutch friends and I'll talk about it in the next post! Thank you!