We’re back from Iran, and the question ‘how was it?’ is very hard to answer.
It was big. It was beautiful. It was historical and ornamented and elegantly decorated. It was sandy, and rocky. It was crowded and polluted. It was tacky and vegetarian-unfriendly and sweet. Hospitable. Hot. Organized. Amazingly friendly.
It was everything I expected it [...]

Gepost in: English, Iran, Middle East, Personal, Visual
Geen reacties » | 17 mei 2010

I’ve been back in the Netherlands for quite some time now, and it’s been nice. Nice to know how things work, nice to know how to get things done, and nice to not to be laughed at for strange habits that don’t fit with how other people do things.
But today, today I realized I’m still [...]

Gepost in: English, Life, Personal, The Netherlands, Typical...
4 Reacties » | 15 april 2010

I know a lot of people get married because they feel they have met ‘the one’, their ‘soul mate’, or even ‘their other half’. I’m not one of those people. Walid and I love each other, but our marriage is mainly a practical affair: staying together when you are from different countries requires a lot [...]

Gepost in: English, Injustice, Personal, The Netherlands
7 Reacties » | 1 april 2010

Nog één keertje dan, over dat huwelijk van ons:
Een interview dat Daisy Mohr afgelopen zomer met ons afnam in Beirut voor Radio Nederland Wereldomroep:
Nicolien Kegels trouwt Libanese vriend op Cyprus.
(Of het ook beluisterbaar is op de site weet ik niet.)

Gepost in: Lebanon, Life, Nederlands, Other author, Personal
Geen reacties » | 7 januari 2010

I have a typically Dutch fear, or maybe I should say a fear typical for Amsterdammers: I’m afraid that one day I will accidentally drop my keys in the canal.
Now you may have been to Amsterdam and think: that’s ridiculous! I mean, how often does one actually get close to a canal? And even if [...]

Gepost in: English, Life, Personal, The Netherlands, Typical...
6 Reacties » | 21 november 2009

- Every time I look out of the window, I see gray clouds
- I already know exactly when, where and at what time I will have tea with my friend… 3 weeks from now
- When I see a Hummer on the street I no longer expect it to have a Saudi or Qatari number-plate
- When we walk into a [...]

Gepost in: English, Life, Personal, The Netherlands
3 Reacties » | 15 november 2009

WHAT I WILL NOT BE MISSING
- The daily electricity cuts
- The honking cars
- The clouds of cigarette-smoke in bars and restaurants
- The chaos
- The homophobia
- The honking cars
- The screaming of ‘Taxi! Taxi!’ when I walk by
- The unbelievably slow internet-connections
- The racism
- The roofs that are not built to prevent rain from entering the house
- The construction rage
- The speculation about ‘when will the next civil [...]

Gepost in: Beirut, English, Internet, Lebanon, Life, Personal, The Netherlands, Typical...
8 Reacties » | 24 september 2009