A long rant about the second Covid-19 wave in the Netherlands
Jan 18, 2021
As October 2020 rolled in and the number of Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations continued to rise, it was quite clear that the Netherlands
2020: My year in music
Jan 1, 2021
Music is one of the biggest joys of my life. In 2020 it was also a source of profound comfort and, in addition to whatever little I managed to read,
The story of my integration tests (Inburgeringsexamen)
Aug 23, 2020
Wij melden fraude altijd bij de politie We always report fraud to the police Warned a notice stuck to one of the pillars in the waiting area of my
The library during the lockdown
Jul 12, 2020
On the evening of 13 Mar 2020, I received an email from the library announcing that all branches of the library would close temporarily. A couple of
Sort-of-quarantine Diaries, Day whatever: The Haircut
May 23, 2020
The Netherlands has begun taking first tentative steps towards reopening after the Covid-19 lockdown. Since last week, the so called “contact
King’s Day in the time of a pandemic
May 3, 2020
A few years ago, when we were relocating from my company-provided temporary accommodation to our apartment in the last week of April, we were told
Quarantine Diaries, Day 35
Apr 19, 2020
(Posted 20 Apr 2020, 21:09) 20:00 I was due to fly to India to meet my parents next week. Once the lockdowns began in Europe and India, the airline
Quarantine Diaries, Day 34
Apr 18, 2020
(Posted 19 Apr 2020, 23:50) 20:39 Our energy provider sends us a monthly report detailing our usage of electricity and gas. It tells us how our
Quarantine Diaries, Day 33
Apr 17, 2020
(Posted 18 Apr 2020, 21:49) 19:05 Centraal Station was eerily quiet. All the shops inside were closed (save for one to-go grocery store), no
Quarantine Diaries, Day 32
Apr 16, 2020
(Posted 18 Apr 2020, 13:02) 20:05 Walked past Westerpark and saw this portable electronic sign dissuading people from visiting… …and keeping
Quarantine Diaries, Day 31
Apr 15, 2020
22:00 Completely forgot to wash my hands after returning home. Don’t think I touched my face. Still, the horror. 😱 21:00 We now do groceries once
Quarantine Diaries, Day 30
Apr 14, 2020
Toilet paper and hair clipper shortage will soon be joined by chalk shortage in Amstedam. Our courtyard and pavements are full of children’s chalk
Quarantine Diaries, Day 29
Apr 13, 2020
15:00 Sudden temperature dips notwithstanding, it felt late enough today to wash, dry and pack away my two mufflers1. While folding them, I was
Quarantine Diaries, Day 28
Apr 12, 2020
(Posted 13 Apr 2020, 20:25) 19:00 On the way back from my evening walk, I saw a group of teenagers trimming each others’ hair with an electric
Quarantine Diaries, Day 27
Apr 11, 2020
(Posted 12 Apr 2020, 23:39) 12:15 I didn’t check today, but two weeks ago, our local Saturday market was still operating. While the majority of
Quarantine Diaries, Day 26
Apr 10, 2020
(Posted 12 Apr 2020, 23:02) 21:00 We finished watching the 4 episode mini-series Unorthodox on Netflix. It offered us an intimate look into the life
Quarantine Diaries, Day 25
Apr 9, 2020
21:18 Tall buildings in Amsterdam are beginning to light up their windows in the shape of a heart. Quite possibly in support of healthcare workers
Quarantine Diaries, Day 24
Apr 8, 2020
Dutch swear words are all about diseases. I haven’t personally had abuses hurled at me recently, but if this podcast is anything to go by,
Quarantine Diaries, Day 23
Apr 7, 2020
13:20 Our collective resolve to stay indoors is beginning to fray a little. Life is still very far from going back to normal but I certainly saw
Quarantine Diaries, Day 22
Apr 6, 2020
20:00 Managed to stick to the food time table we made yesterday. Definitely eases a not so insignificant cognitive load during a working day. 15:00
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