Reading Time: 3 minutes As a writer, you’ve got no excuse not to write – unless you have four toddlers crawling around your living room, creating havoc. I suppose that I can be forgiven for not writing because firstly, it really is a hobby, and secondly, I’m spending most of my time cancelling appointments, and worrying about the rest […]
Reflections (2) – Lockdown
Reading Time: < 1 minute LOCKDOWN A particle so small, shaped like a crown. A disease threatening to bring us down. And yet, in the distance, I find hope, a brilliance. I will march on into the daylight, I will endure and fight. Togetherness from you, is what I need, And on your love and compassion, I feed. The […]
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Outside World
Reading Time: 4 minutes Little did we know that being enclosed within the confines of our kitchens and living rooms, we would miss a wonderful world out there. Don’t you just? My thoughts go out to those in complete lockdown. As for the rest of us who still manage to get out and about, beware – our time could […]
Jair Bolsonaro – The Plonker From Brazil
Reading Time: 4 minutes I’ll be honest and say that I actually missed Jair Bolsonaro, president of Brazil, enlightening us on the importance of being ill. I spend half my time trying to understand how the Dutch ministry for health manages to convince us that the pandemic is showing signs of stabilising whilst, at the same time, publishing figures […]
In Need Of Sense And Responsibility
Reading Time: 4 minutes The situation is scary because the enemy is invisible, and although not everyone is sick, we are all affected. We must all take our responsibility. I have studied enough biology at school and university to know what a virus is and how it acts. The PhD I obtained in 1999, although mainly focusing […]
Le Meilleur Des Mondes
Reading Time: 2 minutes L‘armoire hermétique s’ouvre lorsque le réveil sonne. Sept heures. Mardi – je dois porter le costume trois pièces, couleur bleue, et la cravate verte. La garde-robe le sait et, sans hésiter, me présente les vêtements, le tout soigneusement enveloppé dans du cellophane. Je vérifie l’autocollant vert qui est encore intact. Le costume n’a pas dépassé […]
The Power Of Books
Reading Time: 3 minutes The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village. […]
Heerlijke Nieuwe Wereld
Reading Time: 2 minutes De vacuümverzegelde kledingkast ging open toen de wekker om zeven uur ging. Het was dinsdag – tijd om het blauwe driedelige pak met de groene das te dragen. De kledingkast wist het en presenteerde me zonder aarzelen de kleren, allemaal netjes verpakt in cellofaan. Ik heb de groene sticker gecontroleerd die nog intact was. De […]
Piangendo Per Te, Italia (Pleurant Pour Toi, Italie)
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alors que l’Italie se verrouille un peu plus, il semble que les italiens soient piégés dans un autocuiseur qui est sur le point d’exploser. J’essaie de penser à autre chose en regardant des vieilles émissions, sur YouTube, me rappelant ma jeunesse. Ce n’est pas de la nostalgie, mais cela me fait oublier mon cabinet dentaire […]
Piangendo Per Te, Italia (Crying For You, Italy)
Reading Time: 3 minutes As Italy locks down a little more, it seems that the Italian people are being trapped in a pressure cooker that is about to explode. I try to think of other things by watching videos of old comedians, on YouTube, reminding me of when I was young. It isn’t nostalgia, but it makes me forget […]