Adjusting to Italy
O yeah! I’m going to be a CEO this summer, leading travelers through Europe. Europe’s my home, my base, and yet there is so much to explore and there are so many differences. I’ve just finished my training week in Italy and body is starting to adjust to Italian time.…
Merchandise on the world’s markets
I always love visiting markets on my travels. From some I come back with a lot of merchandise, from others I return empty-handed, but with a mind full of impressions. Here are three extraordinary markets I found around the world. First up is the market on Greenmarket Square in Cape…
Socially awkward: Russian nights
When in St. Petersburg, do as the Russians do. I was there with a big group of international Erasmus students and we opted for a traditional Russian night in a restaurant. There were exchange students that came from all over Finland and not just the uni where I was staying at…
Culture clash; life in a tribe
One of the young men spoke English. He was to be our guide while we visited the Himba village. Since it is hard to visit an authentic Himba village, we settled for the tourist version of it. These people genuinely live here, but they are used to visitors, questions, and…
Recently read: cultureshock New Zealand
At the moment I, a Dutch girl, live with a kiwi guy in Australia. Since Australia will soon be kicking my ass out of the country I am exploring my options. No matter what, if I want to stay with my boyfriend, we’ll have to build proof of a life together.…
Cultureshock: Taiwan
I’d never been to Asia and as my first ever Asian destination I chose a week in Taipei, Taiwan. I had no idea what to expect apart from the fact that I wouldn’t understand a word people were saying. I loved observing this culture that’s so different from what is normal to…
First settlers down under
Parramatta. It’s not a place many foreign tourists visit, but if you are in Sydney for a longer time, well worth the visit. In 1788 the first English entered Australia right here in Parramatta. Governor Philip arrived with a small group and built the first farms. It all started small, but now it has grown and became a suburb of Sydney.
Focus on culture: the Sabah museum
Maybe April isn’t the best time to be on Borneo. It is bloody hot in the city of Kota Kinabalu. It is so hot that every person I meet feels the urge to make a remark about it. It is the perfect day to go to a museum. Too bad I planned on walking to it. Walking to the Sabah museum turns out not to be a great idea. I walk along a busy road, cars chasing past me. There is not much to admire so keep your eyes on the ground, otherwise you might just drop into one of the holes in the pavement.