Month: December 2025

Chinese Cinderella was the last book I read this year, and it is also one of the best. Six Crimson Cranes is another favorite; as my husband recently pointed out, both books are Chinese (although Six Crimson Cranes also contains Japanese elements). I guess the way these authors think and write is simply very appealing…

A few days ago, I went to Amsterdam with my mother. We wandered the streets, looking for a cozy cafe for a quick coffee and maybe a lunch. On Kaizersgracht, we spotted a place called Bagels & Beans. It was in one of those charming old buildings with multi-pane windows – the kind that make…

A few weeks ago, I wandered into a small bookshop in Amsterdam and I came across this book (see above). I’m working on improving my Dutch, especially in psychological sciences, and this author is a clinical neuropsychologist. It felt like the perfect combination for me, so I decided to give it a try. As expected,…

Recently, I attended a writing workshop (in Dutch!) and the given theme was ‘celebrations’. At first, I thought I had nothing to write about – I had not really taken part in any celebrations for quite some time. But then it struck me: maybe that was exactly what I should write about. I began thinking…

Fair warning – this blog contains many spoilers! Keep going if you have already watched or if you do not intend to watch the following movies: One of the things I love about the Netherlands is that you can get a cinema membership that lets you watch ** as many movies as you want ** …