Love, Hate, and What I Ate

How (Not) to Pass a Driving Exam in the Netherlands as an Old Fart in a Mid-life Crisis

I have a driver's license! And it's been twenty years in the making. As a teen, I was learning to drive because that's what teens are supposed to do. I could never afford a car, but at least I could respond to those cryptic

Love, Hate, and What I Ate in March 2024

In this blog post, I have a new favorite cocktail, I'm on TV, Marina Abramović is at the Stedelijk, and I suck at driving.

Love, Hate and What I Ate in February 2024

In this post, I go to Sweden, finish a song, subscribe to a podcast, and do a thing.

Love, Hate, and What I Ate in November 2022

Hi there! It’s been a while. To dust off this corner of the internet, I’m starting a series of posts highlighting notable things (well, notable to me) I loved, hated, and ate in a given month. Yes, I know it's already Christmas! But work's

Remote work

One month in Portugal: a mid-life crisis experiment in being an urban nomad

When everybody was backpacking through Asia, I worked in broadcasting. When co-living spaces in Indonesia became a thing, I was busy moving to Western Europe. I used to couch-surf, but haven't done it since 2014. So, was an entire month on the road too ambitious?

Rotterdam

I was interviewed for VisitNetherlands... and there was food!

NBTC is currently running a campaign where they show different places in the Netherlands through the eyes of local photographers. And I was one of them! 🎉

Virtual Beer Podcast Featured

Personal branding and 11 years of blogging, with Dainahara Polonia

Dainahara Polonia is a veteran in the world of online content. She started blogging 11 years ago! Nowadays, she also operates a content marketing studio.

Virtual Beer Podcast

Should you become a streamer, with WDWRM

Vlad Smolyakov (a.k.a. WDWRM) creates video content for brands by day and live streams on Twitch by night. He's also a street photographer and a musician.

Newsjacking the Bern

Amazon's cringe-worthy attempt at using a viral photo of senator Bernie Sanders at Biden's inauguration prompts a dive into meme culture, newsjacking, and the legality of it all.

Virtual Beer Podcast

Photography challenges and finding community, with photographer Chelsea London

Chelsea hosts a 52-week photography challenge you might have heard of.

Netherlands

Holland outside Amsterdam: A day in Haarlem

I teamed up with I Amsterdam and Visit Haarlem to give you ideas for a fulfilling day trip to this beautiful city.

Food

Stuffed Dried Plums – a 14th Century Recipe

An epic crowd pleaser and a conversation starter from the Serbian royal court! Apparently.

Virtual Beer Podcast

Deeper conversations + Kickstarter tips with Miguel Luis (So Cards)

Good conversations start with the right questions. But in this case, also, a Kickstarter campaign.

Virtual Beer Podcast

The creative process + tips for better audio with Oliver J Hughes

When is the right time to pivot as a creative? Can you use YouTube to help with that? You are the process, and that's perfectly fine as long as you position your microphone right. :)

Food

Quince, and why you should love it

Quince looks kinda ugly, old, and primitive. But then you cook it, your entire house is perfumed, and the flavor of the fruit becomes purely magical.

Virtual Beer Podcast

Travel industry after corona + WFH tips with Cate Misczuk

Cate is an American freelance writer and content strategist based in Utrecht, Netherlands. In this episode, we're sharing our tips for working from home, creating novelty, and staying stimulated during the lockdown.

Photo & Video

Best photography apps for your iPhone

Your mobile phone can be a really good camera or at least a great addition to your photography toolkit. Here's a list of different photography or photography-related apps I use on my iPhone 11 Pro.

Food

Cardamom shortbread cookies with ruby chocolate and pistachio

Ruby chocolate has been the talk of the foodie town for a while. Here, I paired it with cardamom to enhance its flavor, shortbread, so I can dip it in tea, and coarsely chopped pistachios to balance it all out!

Reviews Featured

Going Nuud

I tried a cool new deodorant which you apply only a couple of times per week and it’s better for you AND the environment.

Rotterdam

Buying local produce in Rotterdam: RECHTSTREEX review

Rechtstreex is a website that enables you to order local groceries from the producers around Rotterdam - within the 50km radius from the city.

Food

Balsamic-glazed new potatoes with chorizo

When it’s cold and wet, you need comfort food. This is, for me, the ultimate fall dish. It has potatoes to keep you satisfied, it has chorizo and its spiciness to keep you warm, it has balsamic vinegar to surprise you, and it’s swift to whip up on a weekday.

Lifestyle

Five tips for freelancers with anxiety

I’m self-employed, and I have anxiety. Here’s what you can learn from that!

Food

Where does it come from? Koch, semolina sponge cake

The word koch is German, and it means cook! BUT YOU DON'T COOK THIS CAKE, YOU BAKE IT!

Food

"Farmed Today" review: Can we go back to eating seasonally?

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that recently I opened a box full of fruits and veggies in my stories. It was all in-season, locally sourced, and provided by a new player in the food box field - "Farmed Today." So, can we go back to eating only seasonal stuff?

Food

Homemade Nutella!

A blend of homemade hazelnut butter and melted chocolate. YES.