Interview: Naomi Hope Nielsen

 Naomi Hope Nielsen is a Danish Indonesian girl who is currently studying in Indonesia. She is the youngest of 3 sisters and is currently 15 years old. Her mother is Indonesian while her father is Danish.

How is your relationship between you and your grandparents?

"My grandparents and I are very close. Even though I don’t see my Danish grandparents a lot throughout the year, when I am with them, we are super close and always joke around together." 

What is your favorite memory of you with your grandparents?

"My favorite memory of me with my grandparents would be one of them taking me to an amusement park called Tivoli during the winter and taking me out to eat a traditional Danish meal, flæskestej. It was just a nice time where we could walk around together and enjoy the view." 

Do you often meet your grandparents? 

"I meet them every summer, and sometimes in the winter. It’s not a lot of time, but enough for us to bond and share memories."

 What is your parents' relationship with your grandparents? 

"My parents are also close with my grandparents. They want to take care of them and have us spend time with them whenever we can."
Are you aware a lot of grandparents/elderly people in other countries are not treated well?: "I guess because I have such a good relationship with my grandparents, I am unaware." 

What do you think about the way Western grandparents/elders are treated in other countries?

"I think it’s unfair sometimes. It makes me really sad because just like parents, grandparents want what's best for you."
Why do you think grandparents/elders are treated that way in those countries?: "Often times teens and young adults don’t give the time for their grandparents because it isn’t ‘cool’ or ‘worth it’ because it’s ‘boring’. It’s as if they think they have better things to do."

If you had the power to change this, what would you do?

"I would advocate the importance of respect towards the elderly and explain how grandparents sometimes ‘don’t have much time left’. I know that sounds pretty harsh, but they have to accept that it’s hard to catch up on the past 15 years when they’re lying on a hospital bed, ready to breathe their last breath."

What advice would you give people who have bad relationships with their grandparents/elders?

"Spend as much time as you can with your grandparents because they want to know what’s up with you and they want to bond even if it doesn’t seem like it. Make most of the time you’re with them and treat them well. Don’t neglect them."