"Here Comes Sinterklaas, Here Comes Sinterklaas" (...On a Horse, By Boat, From Spain)

Forget Santa Claus, the holidays have come and gone.
Oh haven't you heard?
Round these parts (Netherlands and parts of Belgium/France), early December is reserved for the celebration of the beloved Sinterklaas.
That's right friends, jolly old Saint Nick indeed has an origin story, and his name is Sinterklaas.

He rocks the signature beard but a more "Saintly" (i.e. pope-ish) looking red hat compared to Santa's simple night cap. Oh, and naturally Sinterklaas comes from Spain, rides a steamboat to the Netherlands and rides a white horse to travel around. That's nothing compared to Santa living in the  ice desert of the North Pole, flying through the air in a sleigh with reindeer hauling his load.

That beard though

He's Santa's original, more serious counter part who visits children to leave them gifts - but only if they're good. North America has prettied up the narrative where Santa basically writes your name down if you're bad and maybe gives you coal. Whereas Sinterklaas has no issue calling out children with a good spanking to keep them in line, or he might even take you back to Spain as punishment (which, based on weather considerations might not be such a bad thing #vaycay).

Holiday traditions are interesting that way - not really making complete sense yet we have an affinity for whichever version we grow up (and perhaps continue) to believe.

Where Sinterklaas takes a "dark" interesting turn, is the manifestation of his helpers or elf-counter parts. Labelled "Zwarte Piet" (Black Pete), the helpers have "dark complexions" ... okay so they look like black people. Now whether this is because it's a call out to colonial slavery, African/Muslim cultures living in Spain at the time, or innocent "chimney dust" from delivering presents - it's an interesting aspect of the tradition and one which remains even in these #moderntimes.

Zwarte Piet caricatures vs. Mary Poppins chimney sweeps.
Let's be real, that's more than a little chimney dust and some of those fros are bigger than mine!

I was on visiting the Hague, when little did I know, it was Sinterklaas parade day.
Hmmm, pleasant pageantry right? Not quite.

Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piets at the Hague

Dutch tradition includes dressing up in "black face" in tribute to "Zwarte Piet". I was surrounded by adults AND children dressed up in full flair and celebration. It was such a trip to be thinking "if I were somewhere else this would NOT be okay" yet everyone else was so cool, calm, collect about it. Even if we're talking chimney soot on your face, that's a bit different from a face evenly toned to a darker colour and a wig to clearly highlight a contrasting ethnicity/race. #justsaying


Here's an interesting CNN digital short (15 mins) exploring why the Netherlands continues the use of the Black Pete caricature or catch Al Jazeera "The Stream" (social media panel, 30 mins), another program on the topic. (Take them for what they are based on various perspectives)


Whether you're up in arms over perceived racism or see it as harmless children's story - it's a manifestation of culture, none the less. I've talked to Dutch friends who are on both sides of the fence. and regardless of where you're from or your traditions, the holidays are indeed a time for celebration, thankfulness and togetherness.














Togetherness in the form of a class gift exchange - for 3 hours. In true Dutch form we sat in a circle the whole night while we opened, treasured and stole small gifts! (Thank you Miriam and Krista) It was a great and memorable moment with the Groningen NOHA crew in addition to 3-course dinners, courtesy of our Dutch classmates (Thanks Matthijs). Happy holidays and safe travels to everyone!

Fancy Seeing You Here

(Country Count 4/10)

Usually, leaving home is always a little bittersweet.
It’s a long, drawn out, introspective “we out” to great friends, a fun city and temperaturemental weather (see what I did there?). #Montreal.

But what’s also secretly fun is the potential to see old faces and personalities from bygone years - a blast from the past, if you will. So far I've had the opportunity to meet up with some amazing people who prove that some relationships can stand the test of time (and that awesomeness is forever and ever, Amen)

Courtesy of Yuri Kuzmin 

Amr & I, Groningen

How we were
So whenever I say “I live in the Netherlands”, people automatically assume I’m in Amsterdam and not Groningen (throwing my brother under the bus and running him over). That’s why to my thrill and delight an old friend decided to pay me a visit! Amr and I are buddies from secondary school in Kuwait and the last time we saw each other was easily sometime in 2006 (ah!). Amr juuust so happens to live in the Netherlands too and took the initiative to come up and visit when he discovered I was tucked away in Groningen. I’m proud to say that it was motivation enough to encourage him to visit the Northern Netherlands for the first time. #winning

Comparing notes on childhood friends, debating the success of a class reunion and accounting for the last nine years was our visit in a nutshell. In our excitement to catch up, I recounted my globe hopping to-date and was struck by Amr's exclamation, "That's so you". 
Amr, himself, has always been super smart (ahem Pharmacology PhD), motivated and full energy and while listening to his story, I too felt like he was at his natural fit. This was a precious moment to notice that as much as we grow there are some aspects of our personalities which persevere - which to me is a comforting thought in the midst of so much chaos and change.

Morgan & I in Brussels

What we've become
What about uni? Those were days back in chill and cozy Eastern Canada. And I was definitely more scared, confused and questioning life choices than I am right now. Remembering those moments takes me back to the first friend I made. Morgan and I were roomies for a bit and friends long after – and we've also done a bit of travelling in and around Europe, where, YES she just happens to be from and currently be working :D . I spent a beautiful day in Brussels (and Belgium brings my country count to 4) with Morgan, catching up, demolishing Belgian waffles, regressing to our undergrad selves and planning holiday adventures. I also had the bonus pleasure of seeing my old Montreal roommate who happens to be in Brussels now too! #smallworld

#noshame

I always had this sense of the super mature, put together person I would be by the time I finished uni and started working. Morgan and I have both worked professionally in our fields and are both doing Master's degrees to move forward in our careers (although she's working AND studying at the same time, #champ). It's interesting to see how like-minded friends from that era can become and even though distance separates, you meet again at similar phases in life.

Brussels city centre

Little Man Pee statue, Brussels

Where we hope to be
It’s so rewarding to trade stories with old friends and kind of realize how far you’ve come through someone else’s eyes. It’s really humbling to have a patchwork of friends all over!

With some people it doesn't matter how often you see them, they'll always be missed. With my family I constantly replay my childhood but more than ever I lack the daily, routine moments. These are gaps like the silence of shared understanding, the comfort of a hug or the satisfaction of an unintended rant. The intangibles we take for granted.

Dad & I rocking selfie mode, Groningen

That’s why I was pumped for my dad’s little transit detour to Groningen this fall. For a full 24 hours Groningen, university and this life of short conversations and texts, weren't just some narrative I'd managed to keep consistent for the last six months. We went to the market (I could sleep there), uni, and around town.  

Thanks to my dad, the question and mindset of "What next?" has always been rooted in my mind. Looking up, ahead and forward to prepare for the next step. I remember moments after graduating from my Bachelor's degree he was poking my in the ribs saying, "So when are you starting your Masters?" Between taking time off to get #backtobasics in Ghana and establishing my career in Montreal, it's been quite the journey. From positively believing I'd never be at that point to now where I can hear hear his echoes of, "Just go for it and do you PhD!", he's always had my back and a belief in my ability succeed.

I look forward to much of the same experiences with the NOHA classmates as friends I'll keep along the way. I'm sure our time together will come back to haunt , inspire and prepare me for whatever comes next.

A debt of thanks to these people and to this time.
"Until we meet again" - (my brother literally says this every time we speak)

Echte Nederlands (or, Typically Dutch)

If you’re living in Europe and you’re not travelling, something's not right.

I'm literally talking planes, trains and automobiles to get anywhere you wanna go.

Map of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been #blessed with an insane train network which connects the entire country from small village to big city. I only ever took the train in Canada from Montreal to Ottawa (2 and ½ hours) and only if it was on someone else’s dime #employed. 

But here, the first thing I actually did when I arrived in Amsterdam was hop straight on the train to get to Groningen.

The beauty of the Netherlands is also its size – in that you can generally go from North (let’s say Groningen) to South (let’s say the Eindhoven) in 3 hours. Not too shabby considering a plane from Montreal towards Western Canada lands you somewhere in Winnipeg/Saskatoon i.e. places few people recognize.

It’s been really wonderful taking the time to visit around this beautiful country on some short day-trips to see more of what makes the Netherlands what it is - I’m about to go all #travelguide below, so brace yourself:

Rotterdam harbour

Rotterdam – By Design

Rotterdam is a port city and the biggest cargo port in Europe. #knowledgedrop 

The beautiful city was basically decimated during World War II and thus, had to be rebuilt from scratch in some instances. Best believe the Dutch went all out on this endeavour, and now the city displays some of the most interesting architecture in the country.

The city boasts the MarketHall, a locale with apartments, office space and an indoor market underneath. The landmark cube houses are an additional sight to marvel the structural design creativity.

Rotterdam is further a booming metropolis with as much culture diversity as Amsterdam

(#reliablesource, my friends from Rotterdam J)

Rotterdam - MarketHall

Rotterdam - Cube Houses

Utrecht - Street performer

Utrecht – Beauty at the Centre

My reflections on Utrecht is biased, purely because it was actually sunny the day of our visit. As with most modern cities, the architecture is stunning, but Utrecht is all about the well kept-secrets at its heart.

A prime landmark is the old inner-city and its unique canal structure. The Oudegracht canal runs deep through the centre and has a lower level for terraces and sun streaming.

Great weather and the echo of soul warming voices ringing out made for the perfect #lazysunday.

Lorena and I enjoying the Utrecht sunshine!

Utrecht Canals

Utrecht City centre

The Hague (or Den Haag) – Humanity's House

Den Haag is home to many main and official Dutch government offices, international embassies and UN offices. The city has made a name for itself in international law and human rights and hosts the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Humanity House plaque

From a humanitarian perspective, Den Haag has great significance as a locale that upholds the values and rights which ensure that human suffering is acknowledged by the global community.

As most historic cities do, Den Hague features many museums and I had the pleasure of visiting one such – the Humanity House. It’s a coffee shop, a meeting place and venue which exhibits and uncovers the realities of humanity’s struggles.

At the moment, the museum is hosting an interactive exhibit on life as a refugee. In this touching experience, you move through the migration sequence of leaving home and venturing into the unknown and a new life, whether you were ready for it or not.

Loved this exhibit, and at this exact moment so timely to the heightened attention facing refugees not only the Netherlands, but across the world.

Script from Humanity House exhibit

Have I not convinced you to come visit already?!
Know of any other interesting places in the Netherlands/Europe?

The Name of the Game (or Fußball)

(Country count 3/10 - Germany)

Capture of our apparent photo-op in Dutch paper.
Rough translation "We study hard but we party too"

Let the record show that I am indeed such a diligent and serious student that it shines through in all aspects. 

Case and point: I've been in the Netherlands just long enough to have my 15 minutes of fame (in a language I don't speak or understand, no less - "heel leuk!").

For the record we were minding our own business between classes, convinced that our lack of eye contact would ensure we never made it into print - no such luck.

So time rolls, lectures come, assignments go and the schedule mostly sticks. You volunteer, "get involved" and wind up as a program committee rep for your class. #keener









Who knew that being a rep meant more than just showing up for class? My fellow reps and I had the opportunity to participate in a Network-wide discussion about our program, which just happened to be held in Germany!

Bochum city centre entrance

For all of 24 hours we would visit our sister school in Bochum, Germany.

Brilliant

A chance to see a new country AND reunite with some wonderful people from Poland!





GERMANY! 

Germany, or "Deutchland" if you prefer ... What did I actually know about about this country?
We drove on the German "Autobhan" highway ... Volkswage



n cars ... "Das Auto" (which means "The Car" in German-doesn't have the same ring to it). 

Bochum is a small (not Groningen small) town near(ish) the Dutch boarder. Speaking in clichés, what I know of German culture sadly extends to beer, sausage (and apparently kebab in Bochum) and rules. But lest we forget, dear friends, that Germany further owns in all things football (soccer) related.

Vfl Bocum Game

Thankfully, out of our Dutch rep group, one of us was obsessed with football and the other two were willing to follow. Bochum's home team, VfL Bochum, was playing 1. FCK (strange team name, I'm aware) in a knock-out, cup competition, DFB-Pokal Second round. 

(It's called "research", always good to appear like I know what I'm talking about too).





The actual concepts of being in Germany and live football, European style, were entirely foreign (ha!) concepts to me. Standing room only on the home team side, we jostled in with the rest of the crowd where the atmosphere was so far beyond basic fans boys/girls. In between the drumming, chants, boos and sighs, you could spot an entire community that knew and loved their team. Couples holding their breath before a corner kick, buddies sharing a beer, grandparents embracing their families after the one and only goal of the night (go home team!). 

While all I could pick up was what sounded like early Christmas carolers singing "fa-la-la-la-la" (definitely NOT the case), the energy that flowed throughout the stadium was undeniable. For not feeling a moment of 90 minutes on my feet, it was the best I could have hoped for at my first European game.

Love for the home team

Bochum was a short and sweet trip and after a night out with friends and "official" business in the morning we were back on the road (Autobhan!) to Groningen. With promises made to return soon, it hopefully will be the first of many visits to Germany.With studies, other commitments and practicing the tenants of the 3Cs (cool, calm, collect) I might not always be able to travel as much or as long as I'd like but its always possible to create a memorable moment or two. 

No Money? No Problem! - The Free Cafe Groningen (or Charity Begins at Home)

Before moving to the Netherlands for school, I would sit on my bed and imagine that life as a "Grad Student" meant:

Someone else's books, I don't wear glasses
Photo courtesy of ncf.bg

   - Attending "academic" lectures (like it's my job) 

   - Claiming a designated seat at the library

   - Having "a chat" with my professors at every opportunity

   - Commenting on every single assigned reading 

We can just #fail that list right away.

When you actually care about something, it's nice to be all about it at certain times, but it's definitely not a regular state of being.

What I didn't really bank on was the engagement aspect of being a student (again). 

My perception of school was like a looping playlist of "read, research, write" - even on shuffle it wasn't very captivating. #realtalk

In a  humanitarian action program, which was all about connecting with people to address the needs of those suffering, it really should be beyond just theories and "what ifs" scenarios. While it's easy to focus on the big #s, the large scale disaster and the widespread suffering, it's also important to come back to basics. 

Being a "Humanitarian" shouldn't just be a label for a project thousands of kilometers away -  it's a commitment to helping people wherever you are.

(Throwback: Eye roll as I can hear my mom saying "Charity begins at home" as 9-year old me insists that any sort of helpful alliance with my brother was in fact not a good idea.)  

It was highly unlikely that the UN or European Commission were going to start a development project here, anytime soon...

But where was the community involvement?
Where were the social groups organizing to combat some big, oppressive, sexy issue?

Enter "The Free Cafe"

Courtesy of The Free Cafe Groningen

We all know the statistics - billions are going hungry while there IS in fact enough food to feed the global population. Further, tonnes of food goes to waste after "best by" dates or when we've decided we're over it and it's headed for the bin. Bringing it closer to home, we see food discarded every day at local markets, restaurants and within our own households.

Instead of feeling defeated by this, the group at the Free Cafe felt empowered to come together and create a community space where everyone is welcome to share thoughts, ideas and a free meal - sounds good right? (nom!) Improving the access to food by participating in local "food saving" and eliminating the need for money the group does its part to provide for the community, purely on a free/voluntary basis. 

While they currently operate once a week out of a donated space, this operation has ambition! The group is planning an expansion to a solo facility; created, operated and shared on the basis of sustainability. Instead of trading in money, the members want to engage the community in sharing their time, skills and experience to strengthen broader community ties. Moving beyond food, the collective hopes to provide programs and workshops based on community needs and available expertise, again, all with the idea of free access. 

Groningen is becoming home to a growing refugee population and hopes are that the Free Cafe will become an additional venue for diverse people to gather and interact in true community style. Whether you live here in Groningen or want to set up a similar project where you live, you can (and should!) connect with the organizers for more info. 

"Why should I care? What's in it for me?" 

During my Comms/PR degree we were trained to hear and internalize these questions before communicating anything (to ensure relevance of information) - but sometimes I wonder if in action it should be, "How can I contribute? What's my purpose?" When our focus is largely on personal gain (in any dimension), it can be difficult to merge this idea with a sense of community. I hope that by being a part of this initiative and dissolving the line between professional gain and personal fulfillment I'll be better at a future career in meeting community needs and attain a greater sense of belonging, respectively.  

Do you volunteer or know any local groups that take a unique approach towards community issues?

Sound off below in the comments!

TedTalk of the the Free Cafe by organizer Ivanka Annott 

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my biiike (or Signal before you pass the Dutchie on the left hand side)

Groningen, NL (courtesy of Commons Wikimedia)

Ohhh the Netherlands, how I love this place.

I’m definitely starting to settle into living here with each day that goes by.

Groningen is a smaller, perhaps lesser known Dutch city (within the international circles) – so chill and textbook of how I imagine Europe in my head.

Cobblestone streets, café’s, open markets (the best, I love ittt, we found all sorts of interesting non-Dutch food varieties - like Plantain - nom!).

But it rains, it rains a lot, it rains like winter never ends in Canada – in an unpredictable and generally constant manner.

Oh and

BIKES, bikes EVERYWHERE.

"The Dutch love to bike," will probably be the understatement of my time here.

One cab driver even told me that the ratio of bike to people in Groningen is about 2:1!

Not just one or two - MANY bikes
(Courtesy of departmentfortransport.wordpress.com)

It’s almost like watching a school of fish all follow each other in perfect rhythm and time.

On the street,
On the side walk,
In opposite directions while a car (with the right of way) is trying to sneak past.

(Four-way stops are a thing of beautaaay)

Without helmets (for shame!)

With attachments on the front or back for carting along infants.

I didn’t realize what an important part of the culture it is but it’s endearing to see it embraced so widely.

In Montreal I lived pretty centrally and liked the idea of walking (hate/hate relationship with the metro), and a 20/30 minute walk was decent - nothing to write home about.

But in the Netherlands? People will offer to give you a ride on the front/back/basket of their bike to avoid the idea of having to walk for even five mins.

I cast this idea off as ridiculous, it was a brisk 15 mins between home and the university/city centre.
I could handle that, easy.

But then something happened, a combination of peer pressure and laziness spontaneously collided into a perfect storm (exaggerating. but it was definitely cloudy and gray) when a friend going home for the weekend said, “Here, take my bike.”

Internal thought bubble:

And ride it?

With all these other people whizzing past?

Without getting hit by a car?

Or hitting someone myself?

Be responsible for it so that it doesn’t get stolen?

Ummm ok!

New bike - Dutch status confirmed

So after “walking it” ½ way home like a coward, I turned down a quiet street with not a soul to be found and hopped on.

I learned how to "cycle" (two wheels, official) in San Francisco, green and black Toys-R-US bike, my bro cheering me on when the training wheels came off.

I HAD this. No fear right?

Once I got going, the wind in my afro (you can all relate right?) it was incredible to be in the flow, in the stream, keeping pace with all of these other strangers and moving so deliberately.

And now I’m accustomed to a certain lifestyle –
A non-helmet wearing (my Dutch friends promise I'll never gain my respect back if I do), hand signalling, bell ringing lifestyle.

Brand spanking new bike! That I only fell off of twice in the span of "test-riding".

Assuming no accidents it'll be a great semester!

Two Dutch friends riding ahead of me while casually balancing suitcases

#dutchlife indeed.

In Your Head & On Your Feet (or RADOMSKA)

(Country count 2/10 - Poland)

So barely three sleeps into being in the beautiful Netherlands, I was jet-setting off to Poland for a 10 day vaycay adventure in Warsaw. Sounds great in theory right?

Except it was technically an assignment - a school assignment, with 140 other classmates!

The humanitarian program I’m doing, starts off with an “Intensive” week-long session of “Humanitarian 101” in an attempt to bring us all up to speed on the basics of the discipline and to “steady” us for the program ahead. 

Everyone doing the program from participating universities joins (Ireland, Sweden, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland), which is handy because everyone ends up doing a semester abroad at one of the OTHER partner schools. It’s basically a week long meet & greet/party with wonderful people from all over the world who have the same basic interest in humanitarianism and doing good (I’m not biased at all!).

We do all of this against the scenic backdrop of Warsaw, Poland – but actually (+1 for country count). I’m not gonna sit here and type like Warsaw has always been a prime destination of mine but it truly exceeded my expectations of a post-Soviet era city.

A few of my fabulous classmates and I went down a few days early to actually explore/enjoy the city before the Intensive Program (IP). It was such a beautiful combination of new and old, embracing the destruction and creation that the city endured during Nazi/Soviet occupation. 

Classmates in Warsaw!

Łazienki Park, Warsaw, Poland

We saw the house where famed scientist Marie Curie was born - that's right (#knowledgedrop) she was born in Poland before moving to France to settle with her family.

We were told off for rolling on the grass at Łazienki Park, the biggest park/palace in the country.

"Old Town", Warsaw, Poland

We toured the "Old Town" which holds the heart of historic Warsaw. 

We ate at a "Soviet-era" milk bar which still serves the type of meals people ate back then - economical vegetables, potatoes, soup (nom-na-nom-nom!)

The Intensive Program (IP) was focused on teaching us about humanitarian basics and was framed around the upcoming “World Humanitarian Summit” in May 2016 in Turkey. This was a really powerful and productive way to get us to think about different themes in “Effectiveness”, “Innovation”, “Risk Management” and “People-Centred Response”.

All these buzzwords basically point out that the way forward for humanitarian response is to focus on the people who need help most, creation of new, sustainable and timely ways to deliver aid, and preparedness to reduce the impact of crises.

The IP was also a chance to meet some big players in the profession including the likes of Anthony Val Flynn, Directorate General of the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (a mouthful, I know!) (ECHO) - a major funder of humanitarian aid. We were also joined by many other speakers with field and management experience from the United Nations' (UN) agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). 

(These links are indeed a "hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink" to read up if you're interested in these organisations!)

Escaping shell fire attacks (NOHA IP 2015)
Courtesy of NOHA Warsaw

By far, the most interactive and memorable aspect of the IP was the “Field Security” simulation training. Lectures aside, historical perspectives laid down, it was time to become a fearless, humanitarian “badass” and see if we could hack field life. Thanks to PortArthur Poland, field training specialists, for putting us through the effective obstacle course!

Kicking butt in self-defense (NOHA IP 2015)
Courtesy of NOHA Warsaw

We learned how to make DIY tourniquets (one trainer swore he got them as holiday gifts for family, so watch out!), and rolled through vehicle ambush, self-defense and hostage-taking scenarios. Take a look at our hostage-taking below:

Hostage taking scenario (NOHA IP 2015) - courtesy of NOHA Warsaw

It would be a stretch to say that I came full circle by the end of the week (amazing as it was), but I definitely felt a shift in terms of thinking about how to be effective and make a real impact in this field. Egos and heroic ambitions aside, I’m motivated and optimistic to be surrounded by people (veterans and newbies) who question and attempt to flip the industry on its head.

If not full circle, I feel as though I'm nearly halfway - at a point where the possibilities for change, improvement and impact are within reach. It was a memorable team bonding experience to tie together all of the theory and discussion about what it means to be a humanitarian - in your head and on your feet.

NOHA IP 2015 - courtesy of NOHA Warsaw

0H for 10

It’s the afternoon on a perfectly warm and beautiful day in a bright European city, drinking a café latte in the sun while reading something equally impressive and in line with the picture in your head.
Maybe in my cracked out, jet lag dreams (also anyone who really knows me know it’s tea all the way) – it’s really 5 AM, pre-dawn in Groningen, a quaint little town in the northern part of the Netherlands.

Holiday? Nope
Quarter-life crisis? Maybe

Forget a steady job that pays cash money, forget Canada and its six month-long winters – I’m moving on to greener (windmill filled) pastures.
I’ve been in this idyllic European town for all of 24 hours for the start of a Master’s program in Humanitarian Affairs.

In a “not so long” story I started doing some development work after uni (as documented in my Under African Skies blog), become enamoured by the social welfare field, got an awesome job in Montreal working in federal government health research at McGill University, cozied up to some amazing humanitarians (Dr. Kirsten Johnson of HumanitarianU) and steadily decided to make moves into building myself up to have a career in this area. Easy right? Right.

My life and background has been extremely varied and I’ve been fortunate to experience beautiful people and places and hope to continue to do so. Growing up across Canada, Kuwait and Ghana has truly opened my eyes to the diversity of cultures that shape who we become and the challenges/opportunities that people across this world can face. The field of humanitarianism (in conflict and natural disaster) strikes a chord for me because at its basic level (layers of political agendas aside), it’s about people (despite the barriers that we believe separate us) sacrificing, surviving and striving for greater equality and freedom. I respect these people and hope to better understand the systems, organizations and nations that determine our reactions and responses to such crises.

As in my previous experience (Under African Skies) I am the absolute worst on reflecting on life/experience/change after the fact. I resort to the standard “It was interesting – it was great – good times” and could easily be describing going to a 3-day music festival (Osheaga shout out!) or living in the Middle East for 10 years or … washing dishes or something so far away from “Interesting, great or a good time.”

Needless to say writing has always been therapeutic and a natural way for me to be sincere and reflective about my life experience, more or less in real time.
For my famjam and friends all over, I wanted to create a space to feed your curiosity as well as give myself a place to direct people if ever I’m asked “What’s up? What’s new?” (just joking, I’ll be happy to copy/paste my blogs into chat boxes or read them verbatim if that seems like a more personal touch ;))

This blog is called “0H for 10” (0/10, 0h410) for a few reasons:

-         I’ll be talking a lot about life which at the moment will consist of my program/living in Europe – two areas where I don’t know jack. My stats are lowww in this area, but that’s alright because 1) I own it, 2) that’s part of the whole learning process. Things like #dutchlife, #dutchstyles will happen, let it be.

-          My goal over this process is to visit 10 new countries by the time I finish this program (2-ish years). And yes I’m going to count the fact that my program basically demands that I be in the Netherlands, Poland AND Ireland so I get three freebies - just let me have this people, I did pitch for NEW places so I have my work cut out for me. So country count is technically 1/10 at the moment. I’ll start putting my country counts at the start of future posts. #winning

-          Lastly, in order to maintain some shreds of sanity/regularity, I’ve decided to post (roughly) every 10 days (nyahaha “0H” the word play working in my favour). So minimum 3 times a month (***future me is kicking herself). This also puts the pressure on to be a somewhat interesting human being, augh it’s been so long since that’s been required, but I’m up for the challenge.

Thanks for reading and interested to hear any thoughts!