Tag Archives: Netherlands

For the absolute, complete, total beginner in ukulele

The ukulele is the quickest and easiest way to make music and connect with others. The first step is getting a ukulele and learning how to play it. Then you can strum, sing, and socialise! Don’t miss the opportunity to … Continue reading

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I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it well. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like.

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Marmie (Birmingham, May 1998 – London, April 11, 2017)

“My cat died last night,” I texted my friend who owns four dogs and two cats in Denver. “I didn’t know you had a cat,” she responded. “I don’t. I gave him away years ago.” I can’t remember when exactly I … Continue reading

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All things Dutch and wonderful

When I first visited a local supermarket in the Netherlands, I complained that the only soy sauce was the wrong kind. The bottle was too small, and the soya sauce was Indonesian. I honestly thought I would starve.

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Utrecht: the Roman city of cyclists

In 2006, I moved to Utrecht, the fourth largest city in the Netherlands, eager to join the cyclists on the streets of cobblestones. For the previous two years I was commuting from Bussum, a village of 10,000, by train to … Continue reading

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Somewhere in time before iPhones

Before the iPhone, the video quality was not high definition. Before the iPhone, I wore a watch regularly. Sure, I always took it off whenever I practised the piano. Here is a video taken before I got my smartphone. It … Continue reading

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The cost of performing and producing your own concert

Every conservatory student is faced with the daunting task of putting together a concert in which he or she performs or composes. When I had to prepare for my “final exam concert” in 2008, I had no idea what was … Continue reading

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Empty your mind with yoga

Empty your mind. That’s what meditation tells us to do. I have trouble emptying my mind. When I do yoga, that’s when I let my mind wander. It wanders off to distant places. It’s a playground of possibilities. I should … Continue reading

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Letting go and moving on

One of my friends recently made the final move to uproot. He writes, “Now that the deed is done I feel a bit weird. I know I made the right decision but I can’t help feeling a sense of loss … Continue reading

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Utrecht vs Maui

UTRECHT VS MAUI Four years lived I in Utrecht city In Maui, nearly three. Twelve time zones apart, That’s only the start, Of how opposite they can be. The Romans found Utrecht in fifty BC, Forty square miles, as flat … Continue reading

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