Rooms For Rent

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s made the BBC news website, as well, so I figured I’d mention it again. Plus, it never fails to amuse me. The Netherlands has a shortage of criminals — or at least a shortage of ones who are caught and sent to prison — so we’re [...]

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A Matter of Perspective

Looking at my blog stats today, I saw that someone got here after doing a search for “utrecht living depressing”. How sad! I’m pretty sure they didn’t find what they were looking for here, at least I hope not. I love Utrecht and don’t find it depressing at all. Quite the opposite!
I know some people [...]

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Rock the Vote

Go vote for Pamela and Jarno (couple #5) here, so they can have their dream wedding. Such a sweet story and once they mentioned hanging out in Union Square — I spent a lot of time in and around Union Square while living there — I was hooked. Well, I would have voted for them [...]

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Expats Everywhere

My fondness for alliteration became evident to me back when I was a magazine editor. Obviously, I view blog titles much the same way I used to view subheds — a good excuse to use some quick alliteration.
Anyway, enough with the random rambling. It’s time to share some link love. If you look closely at [...]

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Music With a Kiwi Flavor

If you live in Amsterdam or Utrecht, or anywhere remotely near the two, go see Ryan Prebble this week and next. He’s a fantastic musician from New Zealand, playing a blend of blues, funk and experimental. I’m definitely going to see him next Wednesday here in Utrecht when he plays U Rock! Café, and I [...]

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Gefeliciteerd!

I’m not sure if he actually reads my blog that often, but if he does, I’d like to wish my dad a very happy birthday today. In his honor — since I can’t be there to cook him a big fancy dinner as I used to do — I went wandering around town taking photos. [...]

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Teacup Humans

I’ve had a variety of ideas of things to blog about, but then I got some sort of stomach bug this week and my plans went the way of the mice’s. I’m feeling better now, but it was a mental struggle just getting one Trippist post done today. I’ll hold off on the deeper thoughts [...]

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Acht Jaar

Today marks eight years of samenwonen bliss for G and me. Well, we weren’t officially living together, but after a bit more than a month of dating and getting to know each other, we sort of made it official on this date. Eight years later, I couldn’t be happier.
To celebrate, we decided to grill some [...]

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Old Cloth

Between curiosity about the city I’m now living in and research for Trippist, I’m frequently learning new and interesting facts. Today’s discovery is that the lapjesmarkt (fabric market) that I’ve gone to on any number of Saturdays has been there on Breedstraat since 1597. 1597! Caravaggio was alive and painting then!

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Things I’ve Seen …

I’m assuming this is a small, portable grill, painted like a football (soccer ball) in the classic Dutch orange. I saw it yesterday sitting on it’s lonesome on the terrace along the Nieuwegracht.

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