Posted 2 months ago
Posted 3 months ago
“Yesterday my room and I celebrated our first week anniversary.”
In order to attend the Evangelical High School in Amersfoort, I needed a room in or close to the city itself. Travelling up and down from home simply wasn’t achievable, cost and time-wise. Thanks to many friends who helped me look for a room I now have one just outside the city, in a beautiful foresty area, especially now that Mr. Winter decided to come out of hiding. Every tree, every stump, and every path is covered with a layer of snow.
However, I should tell you about the room. It’s considerably small, twelve square meters, with a closet, a cupboard and a sink. The rest of the furniture I was able to buy, or else borrow. Kitchen and bathroom are both in the same corridor.
My neighbour, Peter, attends the same school as I do, and my other neighbour, Cornelie, has attended it some years ago.
And so, with a flower, a picture, a postcard and with a candle or two one can make a small bare space into a cozy, comfortable living area. I do think I’ll be happy here… <><
Posted 5 months ago
Posted 5 months ago
The Netherlands
It’s been a week since I packed my final things and left an empty room in Australia.
It’s been dreadfully cold in Holland. Not like previous years, when it pleasantly froze and snowed, but rainy and annoyingly cold. Like the type of weather that makes you want to stay in bed and watch movies all day. But then every day.
But on to the less mundane. It’s been so good just being home again. Everyday I have so much fun watching my sisters and brother and being with them. It’s very much the same but a lot has changed since I left a year ago. Esther has completely taken over the role of the eldest child. She appears so much more confident and stronger. Carmen has grown lots physically. She’s really not the little girl I left behind, but she’s turning rapidly into a beautiful young woman. And David has also grown. He’s taller but also smarter. He read one of his English books to me, while a year ago he could only seperately identify some letters.
A couple of days ago some of us went for a walk in Klundert. I was taking photos with my mom’s camera of the sun setting over the typical yet beautiful Dutch landscape when we passed a young man walking his 22 week old labrador puppy. David, having become ecstatic at the sight of any canine for the last couple of weeks, hugged the pup and danced it around. When we walked on I noticed he was slowing down and falling behind the rest of us. I turned around and found him fighting back big tears. I held his hand while we walked on and he burst, “I miss my dog” referring to Bailey, whom he left behind in South Africa. As soon as we came home he raced to his room to find his A4 photos of him and Bailey. That somewhat lessened the homesickness.
Such moments are so precious and I’m so happy that I get to experience them.
Posted 5 months ago
Posted 5 months ago
At the New Brighton Hotel in Manly, Sydney. They’ve recently renovated and I’m just loving the patterns and colours I’m seeing.
Posted 5 months ago
Seeing that it’s holiday, I had no rush to get my day started. I sat outside on the balcony, filling out my third Sudoku puzzle for the day when I heard some dead leaves rustling. The balcony is three floors above level ground and I had quite a grand view of my surroundings. My first thought was that a bush-turkey was scratching around looking for insects below. And as there is nothing more annoying than knowing something (or someone) is down there, but not knowing what (or who), I got up and leaned over the railing. To my surprise a young bush-wallaby was sitting below, eating leaves and grass, his ears perched at the sound of my chair scraping.
As I love to be a tourist, I raced inside for my camera to record this memorable moment. I had once before seen a wallaby with her joey from that same balcony, but did not succeed in photographing them then. So I shot away, the wallaby casually posing among the bushes.
When both the wallaby and I seemed to be done, I realised a spider had crawled on my without my noticing. I got a fright and with that definitely chased away the already alert wallaby. I hope it wasn’t a poisonous spider, as I’ve heard many a story of Australia’s wild and deadly wildlife. I do, however, feel privileged I got to experience and appreciate it up close.
Posted 5 months ago
This wonderful man purchased one of my paintings. The artwork “North Coast Sunrise” was part of the exhibition “Faces” which featured the works of first-year students Arlie van Houwelingen, Vera Milda, Katie Lamb and myself. The exhibition coincided with our second-year counterpart, Sally O’Callaghan’s exhibition “Lanterns”
Andy Thompson is now the proud owner of one of my paintings, for which I will be ever grateful.
Posted 5 months ago
I phoned my little brother two days ago. Usually his responses to questions don’t deviate much from yes or no, but this time all I was required to do was listen.
I was told about their airplane trip to Holland, which movies he watched, what gifts he had been given and who he had been treated by. Unfortunately I couldn’t talk with (or rather listen to) him very long as this occurred around midnight in Australia. He lovingly ended the call with an I-love-you and an I-miss-you.
I am thrilled to see him precisely a week from today.
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