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Patrick Ness' "A Monster Calls"

Warning: spoilers ahead. Read this review on GoodReads here . I didn't know I dreaded re-reading this book until I read the first word. In fact, when I saw the book on the curriculum for my English Literature course I was very happy to have a good excuse to read this beautiful book again. When I turned to the first page, I was excited. While reading, however, I realized maybe I shouldn't have been quite as excited. I realized a lot had changed in the three years since I last read it. I remember feeling happy after I first read the book. Not only did it have a beautiful form with all those illustrations, but it also had a beautiful message. Then, the book felt like a story, nothing more than that. But in the meantime, before reading it the second time, I've had to let go, just like Conor. Well, maybe not JUST like Conor; I didn't have to let my mom go, but still, I had to let go. And, as you will learn while reading the book, letting go is not easy. Not easy at a
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My friend, the moon

When I was little, my parents used to have a car that had two windows in the roof, one above the front seats and one above the back seats. I spent many car-rides trying to decipher the shapes in the clouds and wondering what secrets the stars were holding. Sometimes I would even childishly wonder why the moon was always following me - I might have even called her my friend once upon a time. I don't know when I stopped thinking of her as such - was that before or after we got another car? Would she accept my friendship once more if I asked her? I must admit, I still sometimes puzzle whether she really is following me or not, as naive as it sounds. I truly hope I'll never lose the bit of childish wonder I have nestled deeply in my heart, but at the same time I'm afraid I will. I guess I should really befriend the boom again before it's too late.                                                                                        ~Please watch over me

Eating less meat

Hey everyone, Here I am again, talking to you. About meat. Or actually, about less of it. See, together with some friends I have started eating less meat in the last year. One of my friends has actually been a pescatarian for about three quarters of a year now! I'm really proud of her and just, respect. I don't think I can ever make that step to not eating any meat at all. However, I did start eating less meat. When I actually cook just for myself, I cook without using meat. I will either go for meat substitutes, like vegetarian "burgers" and stuff like that, or I skip the meat altogether, opting for a more bean-based dish. Honestly, the only times I do eat meat is when I eat something someone else made for me. For example, when I go home during the weekends, my parents usually cook and they cook with meat. Why did I start eating less meat? Well, as I said, last year my friends were trying to eat less meat, which made me curious about vegetarian options, but not

Life update, I guess

Hi everyone, Wow, it has been a long time since I wrote a post on this blog.  Almost one and a half years, I guess. Believe me or not, but I have tried to start a new post every once in a while, but it just never seemed right. I never could think of something to write and even if I did manage to write something, I never could make myself hit the publish button. But here I am. I can't make any promises that I will write blog posts regularly from now on so I won't do that, but please remember that I do still realize this blog exists. So, what has been happening in my life the last one and a half years? Well, I'm still studying - almost halfway through my bachelor degree, unbelievable! And I still live in the same apartment. So, no major events in my life have really happened yet, not counting me getting my driver's license (for which you have to be 18 here). But they most definitely will: I am currently awaiting a confirmation on my application to study abroad the fi

Moving out was good for me

Dear readers, This week I was talking to my uncle about my new study and he pointed out that I was glowing. This made me realize that moving out was really good for me. I'm not sure what has been better for me, the act of moving out or the fact that I am now doing something that I really do. Maybe it's a combination of the both. This September I started my bachelor education at a uni in a city 2 hours driving from my hometown. This might not seem like a lot, but in the Netherlands you could be at the other side of the country in 2 hours. This meant I had to move out, in order to live closer to the uni. In the beginning of this year, I was aching to move out. I think I would've gone crazy if I hadn't moved out when I did. I now go home in the weekends. Not only is the train ride very relaxing for me (it's like a ritual), I actually like coming back home. On Thursday evening I actually look forward to seeing my mum the next day and drinking a relaxing cup of tea.

With honour

Hi everyone, Time for a weird story: how I got a fake diploma.Or well, not really, but still sort of. On Thursday June 16th, I got a call that I passed all my exams and would therefore graduate from my secondary school. Awesome! And I got great marks as well, just not enough to graduate cum laude (with honour). Well, whatever, my grades were still great. On Monday June 23rd however, I got another call from school. If I still wanted to graduate cum laude ? Yeah sure. All I had to do was redo my arithmetic exam and score at least 85% for that.  So, I redid that test on July 5th. The only problem was: the graduation ceremony was planned on July 6th, but ,y school would receive the scores of my test on Thursday July 7th. Whoops.. what do we do now? Well, I still got to go to my graduation ceremony, but I wouldn't receive my diploma until the next day. What did they hand me instead? A list of my grades at that point, printed on the same kind of paper as the other d

The Recent Events in Orlando from the Eyes of a Dutch Girl

Dear sweet readers whom I am very thankful for, I felt the urge to write to you today after having processed the horrible things that happened in Orlando this weekend. As Tyler Oakley rightfully pointed out in his recent YouTube video , the people who were shot this weekend were all in places that should have felt and been safe and the fact that they actually weren't safe is so horrible I can't find the words to express. I hope that none of  you lost someone that was very dear to you, but if you did I am very sorry and my thoughts are with you. I know writing that doesn't solve anything, but I still hope it gives a little comfort. Neither Christina Grimmie, nor the 50 people in that gay bar deserved to die this weekend and I truly believe that the world has lost very wonderful people. These people died doing what they loved and/or celebrating whoever they loved and I sincerely hope that wherever they are, they can keep doing this. I hope that they still had a happy