Tag: Personal Growth
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🇳🇱 Tussentijd 🇬🇧 The In-Between
I find myself between two worlds. No longer in Singapore, not yet home. On a quiet island, I rediscover what it means to simply be, to drift with the wind and the waves, and to enjoy a moment where nothing needs to begin or end.
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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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🇳🇱 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.
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🇳🇱 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.
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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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🇳🇱 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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🇳🇱 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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🇳🇱 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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🇳🇱 Hoe is het nu met … Femke 🇬🇧 Catch up with … Femke
🇬🇧 Expat Life Singapore – How is Femke doing? Last November, I interviewed her when the initial period of adjustment had just passed. She saw Singapore as a stepping stone to further worldly adventures. Returning to the Netherlands was definitely not something she saw herself doing in the coming years. Curious about how Femke is…
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🇳🇱 IJsjes in Juli 🇬🇧 Ice Cream in July – Expat in Singapore
🇬🇧 July, the month that I associate with summer, ice creams, and long evenings outdoors in the Netherlands. As an Expat Singapore I find this period is characterized very differently. And now, I am about to discover how children in India experience July. I suspect that ice creams and travels are not part of their…
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🇳🇱 De trailingspouse en de droombaan 🇬🇧 The Trailing Spouse and the Dream Job
🇳🇱 Expat Singapore – Voordat je het vliegtuig pakt als partner van een Expat, knoop dit in je oren: JE VINDT GEEN DROOMBAAN IN SINGAPORE! PUNT! De Singaporese overheid is steeds zuiniger met het verstrekken van werkvergunningen, Singaporezen eerst, en de (inkomens- en expertise) eisen om daarvoor in aanmerking te komen worden steeds strikter. 🇬🇧…
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🇳🇱 Een parallel leven 🇬🇧 A parallel life – Expat in Singapore
🇳🇱 In 24 uur switch ik van Singapore naar Nederland. Ik loop in ons huis rond alsof ik hier altijd gewoond heb, in mijn stadje wandel ik alsof ik nooit ben weggeweest en ik knuffel met onze hond die net zo enthousiast is als altijd. 🇬🇧 In 24 hours, I switch from Singapore to the…
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🇳🇱🇬🇧 Mean Girls – Awareness
🇳🇱 Het is Internationale Vrouwendag en ik voel me niet senang in vrouwenclubjes, vrouwennetwerken en de term PowerVrouw doet – ondanks dat ik ooit een hele waardevolle training met die titel gevolgd heb – de rillingen langs mijn ruggengraat glijden. Hoe dat zo? Daar sta ik vandaag op deze ‘bijzondere’ dag uitgebreid bij stil. 🇬🇧…
SingaporeandMe 