Category Archives: Expat Life

Bless Me!

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I’m always surprised how easy it is to start taking certain things in life for granted. And as soon as that hits me I feel ashamed because I should be grateful for what I have and count my blessings instead. I had a tough Wednesday night this week when I was reminded again of some very unpleasant moments last year. And since I wasn’t made to feel welcome by all the harsh remarks that were made, I ended up running out of the house in tears. I had to get away from the ghosts for a few minutes and called MvdM. to get things off my chest while I wandered around the area. I stayed out for 45 minutes, it was cold and freezing that evening, but I didn’t really notice.

After a really bad night, I woke up the next morning feeling extremely down and not in the mood to make any changes that would contribute to my near future. I ended up communicating with two people who are the closest ones in my life at the moment. And after some time when I took a short break, making my first mug of coffee in the kitchen that day, it suddenly hit me while I stared at the kettle waiting for the water to boil. I was thinking about my conversation with MvdM. the previous night and about the conversation that I was having with JB. I felt embarrassed and wondered what the hell happened to my willpower and why I still allowed someone to control me like this.

Instead of judging the situation or myself, I started thinking about all the amazing gifts I had received over the last few weeks. A beautiful Valentine’s message, wonderful words of appreciation left by my readers, phone calls from friends across the Canal and from Scotland, encouraging emails, a bright sunny Sunday so I could go out and enjoy the scenery and satisfy my photography addiction, the foxes that I saw nosing each other out in the middle of the night only a few metres away from me, lunar eclipses, birds singing at dawn, an ex-colleague but most of all a dear friend telling me he misses me, trees blossoming and JB. showing me a different perspective and the right angle that morning…

I managed to snap out of it because JB. reminded me to put myself in a better place, which was the greatest gift someone could’ve given me that day. I wrote an email to a recruitment agency that MvdM. had suggested to me: set up by former colleagues of his. He had gone there to have a chat with them that same Thursday morning. A few emails later I was invited for an interview on Friday at ten which lasted for almost two hours. That, is extremely unusual over here but I had a great time talking to this woman who had also been a recruiter in Amsterdam for a few years up until some months ago. She has given me extremely useful information and advice and I felt that finally someone had taken time to listen to me!

Since yesterday I already have three inspiring options through this agency, with three awesome [design] companies here in London. Both design companies work with Dutch clients and being Dutch is a major advantage in this case since the Dutch clients prefer to communicate in their own language. One of these clients is based in Amsterdam and it means I would have to fly and work there on the project for a few weeks. The third job option is a well-known charity within the UK and international. So I will be busy over the weekend finishing some portfolios in PDF format which will be send out to these [design] companies on Monday.

I will start freelance but two roles have the potential to become a full time creative directors position… The universe is smiling at me again, so please let me not forget how to hold on to this feeling this time, but if I do, don’t hesitate to remind me! *hug*

Can you hear him sing?

Spring Arrived?

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While I read about the winter in the Lowlands which has been cold and below zero at some point, the weather over here has been really odd this winter… I was sitting in the lounge watching a show on TV last week. I had the window open because it was sunny and not cold at all while I heard a familiar sound all of a sudden. It was the sound of screeching hungry baby sparrows [of the common house sparrow]. I had to listen again because I couldn’t believe what I heard since it was still January and way to early for baby birds. But I wasn’t fooling myself; I kept hearing it every five minutes…

In the UK the drainage pipes are placed on the outside wall of the old Victorian houses and when I look out the kitchen window I can see one in the opposite corner of the neighbour’s house. Last year while I was doing the washing-up in the kitchen I noticed something flying about from the corner of my eye. Two sparrows were busy flying back and forth from the garden to the nest that they had built right behind the main drainage pipe in that particular corner. Both were taking turns feeding their screeching babies for weeks and it was fun watching them doing their thing. But that must have been in April or May and definitely not in January.

Then last Saturday I had to go out and collect something at the pharmacy on the high street and while I walked down there I noticed some beautiful bright yellow daffodils that were planted near a tree in my street. The mild conditions of this winter definitely must have confused plants and birds. I guess I’m not the only one who noticed since two days ago it was actually mentioned on the BBC news later that evening. Climate change is a big issue here in the UK and a regular topic on TV shows or the news. It doesn’t really surprise me since I’ve seen the effect with my own eyes.

Let’s hope there won’t be a spell of cold weather in the next few weeks, it would be awful if those tiny baby sparrows won’t survive…

© Rex