Auteur: Maaike Klerkx
-
🇳🇱🇬🇧 Chiang Mai – September
With the promise that Chiang Mai would be a kind of mini-Bangkok, we set off north full of expectation. But that vibrant energy, that touch of je-ne-sais-quoi, was nowhere to be found. In the days that followed, we kept asking ourselves: is it the city, or are we the ones missing something?
-
🇳🇱🇬🇧 Déjà vu
A forgotten notebook sparks déjà vu of old packing lists. Three years on, new treasures and priceless experiences shape the real baggage of expat life.
-
🇳🇱🇬🇧 Here to stay
Many expats arrive in Singapore with a temporary plan that lasts for years. Live as if you’re here to stay – study, work, connect and truly invest.
-
🇳🇱 Uit de kast 🇬🇧 Out of the Closet
A closet clean-out turns into more than just piles of clothes – it’s about letting go, laughing at old choices, and wondering which version of yourself still fits.
-
🇳🇱 Van venkelworstjes tot matcha latte 🇬🇧 From Fennel Sausages to Matcha Latte
Morning church bells, pigeons cooing, overheated shopkeepers, fennel sausages, and matcha in town — sometimes it takes the smallest details to remind you: I am home.
-
🇳🇱 Chinatown Singapore – voorbij de spiegeltjes en kraaltjes 🇬🇧 Chinatown Singapore – beyond the trinkets
Discover the real Chinatown Singapore – a historic district where culture, history, and modern life meet. This blog shares its origins, hidden gems, and insider tips to explore beyond the tourist paths.
-
🇳🇱 Hang de vlag uit 🇬🇧 Hang Out the Flag
Singapore turns red for SG60, celebrating 60 years of independence with parades, fireworks, and community spirit. Under the theme Majulah Singapura and the song Here We Are, pride shines — just don’t hang the flag with the dirty laundry.
-
🇳🇱 Big Brother, 5 SGD en mijn geweten 🇬🇧 Big Brother, 5 SGD and My Conscience
Found: 5 dollars. Watched: by a camera. Dilemma? Apparently. A small story about integrity, awkward choices, and my personal Big Brother (who never knows where his money went).
-
🇳🇱 We komen toch! 🇬🇧 We’re coming after all
When everything feels unpredictable — from the weather to the world — sometimes the only forecast worth trusting is this: good days ahead.
-
🇳🇱 Saligia Máxima – geen gewoon sprookje 🇬🇧 Saligia Máxima- not just a fairytale
What begins as a fascination with Queen Máxima’s expressive mouth unfolds into a surreal tale of mimicry, power and performance. Who’s real, who’s fake — and are we all just playing along in a script called SALIGIA?
-
🇳🇱 Royal Albert en Van Dik Hout 🇬🇧 Royal Albert and Rough Timber
Turning 52 in Singapore, I find myself thinking not just about birthdays, but about grandmothers, fine china, and the families we come from. A reflection on two very different women who helped shape the woman I am — and the grandmother I might one day become.
-
🇳🇱 Kwartjesweek 🇬🇧 Coin-Dropping Week
Huh, het is al vrijdag, constateerde ik gisterenochtend. En een paar seconden later: ik heb helemaal geen blog gepost. Niks, noppes, nada blogachtigs op papier gezet deze week, en sterker nog: ik heb er ook geen seconde aan gedacht. De week is voorbijgevlogen, ik ben erdoorheen gedanst. Heerlijk. En zelfs het vertrek van dochterlief, niet…
-
🇳🇱 HDB | Van kampong naar high-rise community 🇬🇧 HDB | From Kampong to High-Rise Community
Discover the story behind Singapore’s iconic HDB flats — from kampongs to high-rise communities. Learn how public housing shapes local life, promotes social cohesion, and what expats should know about this unique system.
-
🇳🇱🇬🇧 You’re Welcommmmmmm
Yourrrrr Welcommmmmm Service with a smile and a touch of sincerity — invented in Indonesia, quietly cancelled at KLM.
-
🇬🇧 Sri Lanka: Lush Greenery and Rich in History and Culture
Travel along with me in this fifteen-day journey through lush, green, and story-rich Sri Lanka.
-
🇳🇱 Sri Lanka: Weelderig groen en rijk aan geschiedenis en cultuur
Reis mee met mijn vijftiendaagse rondreis door het weelderige, groene en verhalenrijke prachtige Sri Lanka.
-
🇳🇱 Een vleugje Europa in Singapore – Tiong Bahru 🇬🇧 A Touch of Europe in Singapore – Tiong Bahru
🇬🇧 Finding a European vibe in Tiong Bahru, Singapore, and uncovering the subtle mental tricks of cognitive dissonance that help us call a new place ‘home’ 🇳🇱 De Europese Vibe in Tiong Bahru, Singapore — en de slimme mentale kunstgrepen van cognitieve dissonantie die me verrassen in mijn nieuwe thuisgevoel.
-
🇳🇱 Thuis: Een Gevoel, Geen Plek? 🇬🇧 Home: A Feeling, Not a Place?
What makes a house a home? During a workshop with expats, we explored how home is more than just a place—it’s about people, memories, and familiarity. My own move in Singapore challenged my assumptions, proving that home is a feeling that evolves.
-
🇳🇱 Van horizontale oase naar verticale speeltuin 🇬🇧 From a Horizontal Oasis to a Vertical Playground
Oh, what a week it has been. Leave it. That became our decision after countless failed attempts to get our landlord (or so we were led to believe—more on that in a future blog) to cooperate. Luckily, our search for a new home was successful. Our horizontal oasis on the West Coast has now been…
-
🇳🇱 Een meesterlijke les rijk rekenen 🇬🇧 A Masterclass in Creative Accounting
A Masterclass in Creative Accounting Over the past year, I’ve made thousands of Singapore dollars. The dependant business is booming. I’m earning back my independence in a way that defies all logic. The loss of a paycheck is thus softened.
SingaporeandMe 