Category Archives: Expat Life

Jazz And Sinterklaas

Posted on by

I’m listening to the Duke and Coleman Hawkins -Moody Indigo and Limbo Jazz- while working, and this thought just crossed my mind that I know two wonderful men who deepened my love for jazz. One was my dad who taught me about his connection with jazz while I was just a child. My mum never liked it and so my dad would end up sitting in his car parked in front of our home to listen to his favourite tunes. Just sitting in the car listening to jazz was a great adventure to me when I was that little girl so I would often ask him if I could come along and join him.

Having to ask him, slowly vanished over the years and twenty years later I would just sit there with him listening, each drawn into our own world, staring at what was going on around us. Not saying a word just enjoying that very moment. Not as often as in the past, since I moved out when I started my study in Amsterdam but still it was always our moment together. I wanted to pay him my last respects by playing some jazz at his funeral, ‘of course’ I wasn’t allowed to…

Yesterday I received a sweet eCard with a typical Sinterklaas scene from a friend, bless him for remembering half of my roots while they’re so different from his. Tomorrow is Sinterklaas evening so to all my Dutch friends: have a wonderful Sinterklaas. Last year I received a kilo bag of delicious Kruidnootjes covered in chocolate. This year I decided to bake them myself because I shouldn’t forget my roots and I’d like to celebrate just because I can *hehe*. I looked up the recipe and will bake a few batches to give to my Dutch friends here in London.

It’s been a typical wet English day with a sun peeking between the clouds every now and then, but I don’t mind, I have jazz to enjoy while in my head I’m dancing to ‘Limbo Jazz’ and I have a relaxing baking session to look forward to tomorrow or perhaps tonight.

For those Dutch out there who wish to do the same, the recipe is below.

My sky earlier today… while I tried to bask in the sunshine

Speculaaskruiden:

Grounded nutmeg [2 g], ginger [1 g], cardamom [0.5 g], white pepper [1 g], cloves [2 g], and cinnamon [15 g]

Kruidnootjes:

Flour 185 g

Baking powder 1 teaspoon

Brown sugar 85 g

Speculaaskruiden 15 g

Pinch of salt

Butter, refrigerated 125 g

Mix flour, brown sugar, speculaaskruiden, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the butter bit by bit and knead into a firm dough. Leave it to rest for half an hour. Heat oven: 150 C/310 F. Use baking paper or a greased baking tray. Form small balls of dough [+/- 1 cm Ø] and place them on the tray, not too close to each other. Bake for about 20 minutes then leave to cool. If you like you can dip them in melted chocolate…

Et voilà, there’s your homemade Kruidnootjes *hehe* Have a good weekend!

Ain’t I lucky!

Posted on by

I didn’t get much sleep Monday/Tuesday night because I had one of my work fits again so I stayed up till 04.00 in the morning to finish a website for my wedding photographer friend in Scotland. I had an appointment with the dentist at 10.45 who is situated at the High Road. Since last week I have been working on business cards for the glove company based on the design I did for their eCommerce website. I sent them a quote along with my terms and conditions translated from ‘lawyer Dutch’ into ‘lawyer English’ language thanks to the skills of MvdM. He translated my version while I was at his place for lunch to discuss business, last week. I’ll design the bi-monthly email newsletter for his stock photography company! *yay!*

Back to yesterday: while I walked down the High Road I passed a large window covered with several posters and one particular poster caught my eye although it wasn’t very clear what the place was about. The poster referred to having business cards printed so I wondered if it was a print shop. I noticed another poster which said that they were looking for a part-time graphic and web designer. I still couldn’t figure out the deal so I went in and asked the woman at the desk if she had a price list after I asked her about foil print and spot UV varnish. She couldn’t answer my questions but a guy came from behind the partitioning wall. He must have overheard my conversation using jargon that the woman didn’t understand.

He answered my questions and offered me a generous discount on the business cards. I told him I’d moved from Amsterdam just over two years ago and that I’d never noticed this place before. He asked me something in a weird language that I somehow recognised: I understood what he was saying but I thought I misheard. Then the penny dropped, it was South African so I answered him that I was good. Too funny… He asked if I’d seen the sign on the door about the web designer and if I was interested. I told him I was but I explained that I really should send him my CV so he could have a proper look at it. I did show him the website that I had been working on all night and several others.

The conversation went really well and both of us were extremely enthusiastic about the whole thing. So today I will go over there to discuss a quote for the business cards, give him my CV and show him my portfolio.

Ain’t I lucky!?

I tell you I was extremely hyper yesterday when I got home… And the cool part is that I found out that this place is part of a social plan organised by the borough I live in to develop local businesses. So, it seems I have finally found my way into the local community. Even if I wouldn’t get this freelance position I still have found a good printer who’s only an eight minutes walk from home. I know it sounds weird but I finally start to feel that I’m settling in in a way. This opportunity will open so many doors for me and not just business-wise also social-wise and I’m really excited about it! The Universe has wicked ways of showing me that patience will be rewarded *hehe*

Latest update: I’ve got the job, I’m now their official graphic and web designer, all freelance and with a steady flow of work coming in. I think that calls for a tiny celebration *hehe*