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🇳🇱 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…
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🇳🇱 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.
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🇳🇱 Turbulentie 🇬🇧 Turbulence
Breathe in, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Hold, one, two. And calmly exhale, pffffff. Focus on my voice. You’re okay, you’re safe. I’m awkwardly leaning over the empty middle seat, my hand resting on the soft, full belly of a woman I don’t know. Meanwhile, we’re bouncing through the sky at considerable speed.
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🇳🇱 Kwetsbaar 🇬🇧 Vulnerable
Is it vulnerability or discomfort that I feel? I’m sitting on a metal stool, a pineapple juice in my hand, while auto-rickshaws, scooters, and cars honk incessantly in front of me. I try not to make eye contact. I’m here alone, everyone is looking at me, and everything is hitting me full force. But when…
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🇳🇱 In de pas – 26 jaar moeder en zoon 🇬🇧 Falling into Step – 26 years of Mother and Son
The tall body and I walk in single file, not quite in step yet. I became a mother at 25, almost 26, to this grown man. It’s still extraordinary. Nearly 26 years and three kids later, I’m used to the idea. But being the mother of a grown man is another kind of discovery. Together,…
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🇳🇱 Hoe is het nu met …. Véronique 🇬🇧 Catch up with … Véronique
Véronique joined me on my balcony in February 2024 to share her Singapore story (Interview ‘24). At the time, she had been living here for just under six months. When I asked if she had ever visited Singapore before deciding to move, she laughed and said, ‘No never, and never anywhere in Asia either.’ Now,…
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🇳🇱 Trump is een hond 🇬🇧 Trump is a Dog – CNY Singapore
🇬🇧 Trump is a dog. And just to be clear, that’s not merely my personal opinion. It’s a fact. On Saturday, January 29, 2025, the new lunar year begins: 2025 is the Year of the Snake. And, serendipity or not, the Snake and the Dog have no natural compatibility. 🇳🇱 Trump is een hond. En…
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🇳🇱🇬🇧Condo Rent in Singapore – Take it or leave it
🇬🇧 With growing disbelief, astonishment, and irritation, I read the response to our proposal to extend the lease of our apartment. Not long ago, I pointed out to a friend his Western perspective on business and his negative judgment of the other’s sense of etiquette. And now, I catch myself falling into the same trap.…
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🇳🇱 Daar zijn we weer 🇬🇧 Here we are again – Leven in Singapore
🇬🇧 Singapore feels so far away, like a different life. Will these two worlds ever merge when I’m back in the Netherlands? Or will it remain a parallel universe that I can only bring to life through photos? 🇳🇱 Singapore voelt ver weg, als een ander leven. Zouden die twee werelden ooit in elkaar kunnen…
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🇳🇱 De impact van verwachtingen 🇬🇧 The impact of expectations
🇬🇧 Expectations, desires… there’s no month in which they play a bigger role than December. Yet, in reality, expectations and desires shape our experiences all year round. Whether they truly influence the outcome one-to-one, I’m increasingly beginning to doubt. 🇳🇱 Verwachtingen, verlangens… er is geen maand waarin ze meer spelen dan in december. Maar eigenlijk…
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🇳🇱 🇬🇧 Singapore’s Afsluitdijk – St Johns and Lazarus Island, Life in Singapore
🇬🇧 Today, Lazarus Island and St. John’s Island are on the agenda, both part of the Southern Islands. We have visitors from Friesland, and the male half is eager to spend a day on the water. In Fries I would say: “Dat regelje wy fansels graach foar him.” (Translation: “We’ll gladly arrange that for him.”)…
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🇳🇱 Helperssyndroom – Leven in Singapore 🇬🇧 Helper Syndrome – Life in Singapore
🇬🇧 On Sundays, Singapore transforms into a vibrant festival. I love the energy and hope to see that life is good for those who work so hard here. But wouldn’t it be wonderful if that hope turned into certainty, supported by collective responsibility? I’d happily do a TikTok for that. 🇳🇱 Op zondagen verandert Singapore…
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🇳🇱 Foto’s, kaders en de illusie van perfectie 🇬🇧 Photos, Frames, and the Illusion of Perfection
🇬🇧 I love photos. They take me back to cherished memories and moments. But the magic of the analog photography era has faded. Where we once carefully chose a single moment to capture, we now take hundreds of images, often creating an illusion of perfection. How do we find the balance between living in the…
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🇳🇱 Seizoenen, geuren en kriebels – Expat in Singapore 🇬🇧 Seasons, Scents, and Stirrings: Life in Singapore
🇬🇧 While the first snowflakes are falling in the Netherlands, Singapore’s rainy season brings thunder, downpours, and Sinterklaas. Meanwhile, our condo is being spruced up Singapore-style, and I’m preparing for our return to the Netherlands – about life in Singapore, dreaming, and making plans without jitters or blues. 🇳🇱 Terwijl in Nederland de eerste sneeuwvlokken…
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🇳🇱 Buren 🇬🇧 Neighbors – Life as an Expat in Singapore
🇬🇧 Expat Singapore: Better a good neighbor than a distant friend? What makes a good neighbor. And are neighbors more important than distant friends? In this blog, I share my experiences in the Netherlands and Singapore and how strong communities contribute to my sense of home. 🇳🇱 Leven in Singapore: Beter een goede buur dan…
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🇳🇱🇬🇧 Namaste Nakamanda
🇬🇧 Vacations come in all shapes and sizes. And so do vacationers. You might think that the type of vacation attracts a particular type of tourist, but that’s only partially true. Where there are people, there are stories. And where I am, those stories are woven together and expanded. 🇳🇱 Vakanties zijn er in alle…
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🇳🇱 Tradities & Expatleven 🇬🇧 Traditions & Expat Life – Exploring Singapore
🇬🇧 Traditions – there are many of them in Singapore. And they’re celebrated on a grand scale, both within individual communities and collectively. 🇳🇱Tradities, er zijn er veel in Singapore. En ze worden groots gevierd, zowel binnen de eigen gemeenschap als collectief.
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🇳🇱 Expat in Singapore – #ZwaarLeven 🇬🇧#ToughLife – Expat Life in Singapore
🇬🇧 #ToughLife! In all my blogs, where I dive into the many facets of expat life, I simply can’t leave out this side: the part filled with frequent travel, indulgent foot massages, endless (hawker) dinners, a pool and gym just steps away, and of course, those first-class world problems that are OH SO essential to…
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🇳🇱 🇬🇧 Dependant – Expat in Singapore
🇬🇧 Administration Saturday. Not the most relaxing activity. A lot is at stake, and to top it off: I am as an Expat in Singapore (a) DEPENDANT 🇳🇱 Administratie zaterdag. Niet de meest ontspannen activiteit. Er hangt nogal wat vanaf, en daar komt nog bij: ik ben als Expat in Singapore (een) DEPENDANT oftewel, afhankelijk?!
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