Clippings

Short story November 2004 Friday 05 November 2004 Three times a week Mrs. Vlas went to the Daycare Center for Adults. Not that she thought it pressing need, it was more for the emotional well being of her daughter. With her mother taken care of she could re-enter the job market without feeling guilty. That’s why on this Wednesday at 9:00 A.M. Mrs. Vlas entered the daycare recreation room. Half an hour later she rode the Interliner (commuter bus) from her town in North-Holland (the north-west province in The Netherlands) to Friesland (the northern province), to Leeuwarden (the capital of Friesland). More...

How is Holland?

column Wednesday 15 September 2004 An American mail friend asked if I would write an essay on The Netherlands for a newsletter. “How is Holland?”, she asks me with interest and I let my thoughts wander.

How is Holland? When I think of Holland I often think of money or, rather, the lack thereof. In all honesty, I think we live in a poor country. Take our neighbourhood: A fun, lively, and beloved section of town with lots of kids, but this summer the abundance of weeds almost literally was a thorn in the eye to many. Sure, one day the exterminators arrived with an environmentally friendly substance, but they didn’t remove it all and after they finished their job the weeds again shot up like a rocket. More...

An hour on Gulper Mountain

column Sunday 15 August 2004 Nearly every year we spend a few days in South-Limburg (the southeast province of The Netherlands), and it always is a treat to be there. The landscape is never boring and keeps surprising us. This year, again, we are in Limburg and stay in our very own trusted little hotel where the living is good. At night time, after dinner, we always go for a walk, because the meals in this hotel are good but rich, so we need to walk and climb, for our village in Limburg has many steep roads and hiking trails. More...

Dear William

Letter, April 2004 Saturday 10 April 2004

April 2004

Dear William, 

I’m writing this letter while the rain hits the windows and the wind shakes the trees in our street: this is Holland. Oh, how I would love to be in Florida now, sitting beside the pool at our motel and letting the sun shine upon my face. More...

This is America

Column Sunday 15 February 2004 It won’t happen very often that I’m writing a column in a motel room in Starke, Florida, USA. This is my second visit to the USA, this time together with my youngest son. This interesting, fascinating country. The part of Florida we are staying is not the most beautiful area. However, we’re not here for the landscape, but to visit our pen pall William, who has spent the last seventeen years on death row. More...