May 14, 2012 at 8:00 pm in Crossposts
Last weekend, I read a short post on another blog about how life would be so much easier if Google could just tell you how to be happy. As more people who were brought up on the Internet and search engines come of age, I expect we’ll start seeing an increasing amount of that sentiment. Read the rest of this entry →
May 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm in Travel
Last week I returned from a very successful trip to London which made me wonder, “What makes me so darn amazing at going on and fully enjoying city trips?” I went over the things I do to prepare for a trip and the things I do once I’m at my destination and decided I might as well share them, because I know many people find holidays of any kind, but especially short getaways, stressful to plan and sometimes even hard to fully enjoy. (And if you’re not interested in general tips, I give some London-specific tips at the end of this post)
January 27, 2012 at 9:00 pm in Feminism
[This post and the links in this post contain images and text which can be triggering to victims and survivors of sexual abuse and rape.] This week, Project Unbreakable came to my attention. Grace Brown, a 19-year old woman from New York, started photographing survivors and victims of sexual abuse who are holding up signs with things their attackers said to them during said abuse. She began posting the pictures online and soon people asked if they could submit their own photos. Read the rest of this entry →
January 16, 2012 at 6:30 pm in Perspectives
I am writing this in the last hour of my life as a 28-year-old. In 45 minutes, I’ll turn 29 and enter my 30th year of life*. It’s funny how nothing has turned out the way I envisioned when I was younger. Read the rest of this entry →
January 12, 2012 at 8:00 pm in Crossposts
While I was supposed to be putting the final touches on a presentation on Sunday, procrastination on Twitter led me to the trending topic “Kamervragen PVV.” The PVV is the Dutch Party for Freedom, which is headed by Geert Wilders. This man and this party, to me, represent everything that is wrong with my country (well, perhaps not everything, but quite a lot). I’m generally of the opinion that engaging them in any way legitimates them, which is the last thing I want to do, but today I just can’t keep quiet.
“Kamervragen” (chamber questions) are instruments with which Parliament can keep tabs on the government and developments in society. Any member of Parliament can ask ministers or the prime minister questions about anything at any time, and these questions need to be answered within a 3-week period. When the PVV asks questions, you can be quite sure they’re absolutely ridiculous. Today’s questions did not disappoint. Read the rest of this entry →
November 15, 2011 at 3:30 pm in Crossposts
This Saturday marked the arrival of Sinterklaas in The Netherlands. Sinterklaas, a holiday celebrated on December 5th, has long been The Netherlands’ biggest gift-giving holiday. In the weeks leading up to it, the figure of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas, historically associated with the Bishop of Myra) arrives in the country and, in the nighttime, visits people’s homes to leave little presents and special seasonal treats. Sint, however, does not travel alone: he has a large entourage of Zwarte Pieten (Black Peters), characters dressed in colorful 19th century costumes and (wait for it) blackface. Read the rest of this entry →
August 30, 2011 at 2:00 pm in Persephone Pioneers
This week, the University of Groningen announced that their biannual Aletta Jacobs award would go to former Health Minister Els Borst. This award has been awarded by the university since 1990, to Dutch women with an academic background who lead the way in emancipation and are role models to other women. But who was Aletta Jacobs, and why Els Borst? Read the rest of this entry →
August 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Food
Instead of the banana blondie post I promised (which will happen at some point, I promise), something a little different. Last Friday, I had the opportunity to buy two pounds of fresh strawberries for two euros. Read the rest of this entry →
July 15, 2011 at 1:00 pm in Movies
One of the big upsides of living in The Netherlands: we’re among one of the first countries to screen the Harry Potter films. It was no different with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, which I saw at the midnight premiere in The Hague Tuesday night. Curious about what it was like? Just click through. (Spoiler free – for the movie, that is, not the books and plot – I promise)
July 13, 2011 at 9:00 am in Food
As I wrote before, some of the many things I love are my American patriotic apron, cooking, baking, and the Dixie Chicks. This weekend marked another moment where all these things came together in a perfect storm of fun and deliciousness, this time in the shape of lavender shortbread. Read the rest of this entry →
July 12, 2011 at 6:00 pm in News in Europe
Once again, it’s time for the weekly European news roundup. The Euro is still in the dumps, there’s a lot of stuff happening in France, and (in happy news) a woman was found alive after having been lost in the mountains in Spain for 18 days. Though I strove to include the most important and up-to-date stories and sources, there’s always a chance I missed something. If so, please share in the comments. Read the rest of this entry →
July 11, 2011 at 3:30 pm in Food
My love for cooking while rocking out to the Dixie Chicks in my fabulous American apron continues unabated. Last time I promised you a post about Dutch pancakes. Today I make good on that promise. Read the rest of this entry →
June 30, 2011 at 9:30 pm in Books
Way back in April it was announced that Stephen Fry would be stopping in The Hague on his book tour to promote his new autobiography, The Fry Chronicles. My friend Anne and I jumped at the chance to see him live and immediately reserved our tickets at the theatre where he would be speaking. Last night, that magical moment finally arrived.
June 28, 2011 at 6:00 pm in News in Europe
Once again, it’s time for the weekly European news roundup. It’s a little shorter this week and nowhere near as comprehensive as usual, so I would like to invite you all to share important stories that I missed in the comments. Read the rest of this entry →
June 27, 2011 at 5:00 pm in Food
There are many things I love, for example my U!S!A! U!S!A! patriotic apron, cooking, baking, and the Dixie Chicks. A perfect morning is when all these things come together in my kitchen.
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