Tag: Living Abroad
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🇳🇱 Ritme of Regels 🇬🇧 Rhythm or Rules
A reflection on rhythm, rules and human nature in Singapore’s MRT, where silence meets salsa and order meets spontaneity.
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🇳🇱 Nog Even 🇬🇧 Now I Still Can
Now I Still Can. So many moments in these last few weeks in Singapore make me say this phrase again and again.
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🇳🇱🇬🇧 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.
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🇳🇱 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.
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🇳🇱 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.
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🇳🇱 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).
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🇳🇱🇬🇧 You’re Welcommmmmmm
Yourrrrr Welcommmmmm Service with a smile and a touch of sincerity — invented in Indonesia, quietly cancelled at KLM.
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🇳🇱 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.
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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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🇳🇱 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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🇳🇱 🇬🇧 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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🇳🇱 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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🇳🇱🇸🇬 “Are you being Served” – Leven in Singapore
🇬🇧“Have reservation?” Before we even settle into one of the many empty seats, the hostess maneuvers herself between us and the desired table and points to the host stand with a sign that says “wait to be seated.” Welcome in “Are you being served” Singapore. 🇳🇱“Have reservation?” nog voordat we ons derrière op een van…
SingaporeandMe 