Reminiscing about 2010

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, which means that everybody is ready to party and welcoming 2011. Every year, I try to take the time to reflect on the previous year. Since tomorrow will be about partying, the 30th is all about reminiscing to me.

Secret Santa

It looks like there’s another Secret Santa out there for me. I came home to find this present from an unknown sender in the mail today...

SinterKerst with the ONVZ-crew

I’ve already mentioned that I absolutely love the holiday season in my previous blogs. In between Sinterklaas and Christmas I always have a couple of SinterKerst/KerstKlaas celebrations with different groups of friends. Yesterday I had one with my ONVZ-crew which turned out to be another great and fun get together.

Jennifer Ewbank

Jennifer is a participant of the Dutch show The Voice of Holland. Ever since the battle (second round of the programme) people have been bashing her online and in the media. Somehow nerves seem to get to her during the live shows, but she manages to get through the rounds because of the votes by the people.

Got my Mini Cooper… sort of

My dream car is a Mini Cooper (blue metallic just like the photo). Whenever somebody asks me what I want to have (for my birthday, Christmas or in general), my standard answer is always: ‘a blue Mini Cooper, but an Audi TT convertible is fine too’. I never got what I’ve asked for, until now...

World Cup dream shattered

I´m a huge football fanatic and despite of the odds, I had high hopes that the Netherlands would pull the World Cup 2018 in. Although Russia got it as expected, I can´t help but feeling disappointed.

World AIDS Day

Whenever we see the red ribbon HIV/AIDS crosses our minds for a second and we just carry on with our lives. December 1st is the day that we take more than a few seconds to think about it because it's World AIDS Day.

Winter is here!

I've loved winter eversince I was a kid

I can enjoy sitting in the sun, but I absolutely love wondering around when it’s snowing. It’s not that I’m a huge fan of cold, but I sure do like snow. Now that winter has hit the Netherlands, I’m as happy as a kid!

Open letter to mister Bolkestein (in Dutch)

My open letter (in Dutch) to former politician Bolkestein.

You Again

Genre: Comedy
Length: 105 min
Cast: Kirsten Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Victor Garber, Sigourney Weaver and others

IMDb: 5,3

Pho shizzle!

What the pho?

Pho is a real signature dish of Vietnam. Every person of Vietnamese heritage has eaten pho during their lifetime. Come to think of it, I’ve never met a Vietnamese who does not like pho.

'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent'

One of my all time favourite quotes. Think about this whenever somebody makes you feel down.

Journey of a Vietnamese boat refugee

War is not the answer

This year is the 30th anniversary of the first Vietnamese boat people arriving in the Netherlands. The journey of a Vietnamese boat refugee is rarely spoken about, but it’s a journey that means a whole lot for my generation.

Apple mania

Apple's original logo

You’re either a Apple person or you are not. I know many people who have everything that is Apple related and they get rather upset when you’re not such a fan of Apple yourself. It’s like a kind of cult that I just don’t get.

It's all about me, myself and I

Don't overdose your love for yourself!

Don’t worry, this isn’t a blog about how much I love myself. It’s about some people who seem to think that the world revolves around them. I’m not saying that these people are vain and love themselves more than anything, maybe it’s the exact opposite!

Being a godparent

My godchild when she was three

Today is the birthday of my godchild Gia-Hân (aka Noa). Children grow up so fast, she is five already. Besides from being my godchild, she is also one of my younger nieces. Having a godparent is pretty normal for a Christian, but what does it mean to be a godparent?

Shopping season

The holiday season is just around the corner, but in my opinion it’s better to call it the shopping season. I know many people who like to shop, some of them even love it and could add the term ‘shop a holic’ to themselves. I myself am no stranger to shopping and I can perfectly contain myself from spending excessively (if I have to).

‘Where there is love, there is life’

Quote by Mahatma Gandhi

Today is one of those days with huge ups and downs for me. I started the day dreading it and thought that it would never end. But as I the day proceeded, it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. This reminds me that I have to embrace every aspect of life, because that’s just the way life works.

Music is my medicine

© Dr. Tim Lowenstein

I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like music. The extend of love for music defers individually of course. Nevertheless, I can’t help and wonder why music is so important for so many people? In the end it’s just a sound with rhythm that often has words.

That's life

This is a photo that I took in South Africa. It was the view from my house in Blouberg, Cape Town. I often sat on the latch in front of the house admiring this view. Letting the wind clear my mind while witnessing the magnificent sun setting behind Robben Island. So many thoughts came to my mind during those hours on that latch. My friends, my work, studies and just life in general. Where will life take me? How will it look like in the future? Well, that has been over two years ago and I’m still left with same questions.