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Blog: wordgeyser Topics:expat, netherlands, family and life expatsblogs
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Category Archives: Inspiration and Reflection
Transitions: Life’s Waiting Rooms
The carpeted floor beneath my bare feet pitches gently and I realise the ship has left the placid calm of the harbour, cleared the rocky promontories encircling its entrance, and moved out into open water. The movement is almost imperceptible, … Continue reading
A Sense of Place: Genetics and Travel
Have you ever traveled somewhere and felt instantly at home? Or arrived in a new place and felt a sense of disconnection you couldn’t put your finger on? I’m sure we all have, but why does it happen? I’ve arrived … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, Travel
Tagged ancestral DNA, canada, connections with physical places, D4-7 allele gene, DNA profiling, familiarity of places, family history, feeling connected, feeling connected to a place, genetic, Genographic project, humans as DNA carriers, National Geographic Society, the expat gene, the migratory gene, the travel gene, Vancouver
17 Comments
Dutch Delights: The Magic of Winter Days
The first snow day of the winter and in its wake the dreary, endless days of the Dutch fall are forgotten. Day after day of leaden skies, like a dirty, heavy, sodden blanket thrown over the country, dripping constantly, suffocating … Continue reading
Posted in Advice for New Arrivals in the Netherlands, Expat Experiences, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands
Tagged finding joy, james Joyce the dubliners, joy in nature, making memories, memories of snow, snaow days in holland, snow days, snow days in the netherlands, snow in new orleans, winter in Holland, winter in the netherlands
19 Comments
James Brownhill: Moving Forward
A year ago James Stephen Brownhill was tragically killed, alongside his climbing partner and friend, David Evans, during an ascent of Mont Blanc. A peak previously climbed along with others on different continents. A year in which everyone who knew … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges
Tagged Chamonix, Climbing, climbing deaths, climbing Mont Blanc, Frendo Spur, James brownhill, James Brownhill Memorial Fund, James Stephen Brownhill, JBMF, loss of a child, moving forward with loss. coping with loss, remembering loved ones
3 Comments
The Expat Good Samaritan: Cultural Attitudes to Caring
Whether you’re a serial expat moving from country to country with the huge machine of a global company, working in a foreign country under your own steam or emigrate from one country to another, there will be times when disaster … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges
Tagged caring in the community, cultural attitudes to caring, expat caring, helping other expats, looking after others overseas, responding to others in crisis, the good samaritan, what to do in a crisis
2 Comments
Versatility: Something We All Need
It seems I am Versatile. A startling and unexpected revelation to someone who has spent much of the past month deliberately under the radar. This is the time of year when awards are awarded (think the Baftas and the Oscars), … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges, Writing
Tagged adventures in expatland, Adventures in Integration, blog awards, Drie Culturen, expatcalidocious, Expatlogue, Find My New Normal, Gidday from the UK, I was an Expat Wife, In Search Of A Life Less Ordinary, perking the pansies, postcards from across the pond, The Unexpected Traveller, versatile blog awards, What About Your saucepans?
6 Comments
Mental Sabbatical: A Time to Step Back
After the New Year and a return to the Netherlands from visiting friends and family, I did something inconceivable only a few months previously. I decided to take a step back from life, review it and decide whether anything needed … Continue reading
The End Day of the Year
The end days of the year; the hiatus between Christmas and the start of the new year. Strange days with a dreamlike quality, slightly out of focus and removed from the reality of day-to-day routines. A sense of anti-climax after … Continue reading
Creative Detox: Using Writers’ Block to Refocus
I hold my hands up. I’ve been struggling with what I can only assume is writer’s block these past few weeks. Not in a hand wringing, anguished kind of way, rather an intellectual curiosity as to why the creative juices … Continue reading
Through the looking Glass: Spinning Plates
Wondering where yours truly has disappeared off to, yet again? Or has the dismal absence of blog posts driven you to pastures new, assuming wordgeyser is finally wordless? Well, dear friends, I have neither disappeared or been wordless. The words … Continue reading
Somewhere Between Anna Wintour and Citizen Kane
The next great adventure and literary project? A concept and vision which first appeared on my horizon at the beginning of September. A dream graphic designer, Simone Branson, has nurtured since her late teens. The product of a British father … Continue reading
Pylons and Pianos Unrelated?: Not as Much as You’d Think
Sometimes you read an article or catch something on TV that stops you in your tracks and makes you wonder about life. I had two experiences like that yesterday which (on a small scale) blew me away. The first was … Continue reading
Posted in Dutch Culture, England and Things English, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands
Tagged Department of Energy and Climate, design and tecnology, electrical pylons, Energy, incubate festival, luke jerram, Netherlands, nurturing the spirit, play me I'm yours in Tilberg netherlands, Pylon Design Competition, Royal Institute of British Architects, Technology, Tilburg
10 Comments
Cultural Insensitivity 9/11: When Journalists should not have an Opinion
Monday morning, getting started on the week. Catching up on emails and media coverage getting a feel for what’s happening in the world. I subscribe to blogs sent automatically by email. It’s a professional interest if you will, seeing what fellow … Continue reading
A Century of Posts: A Bit of a Milestone
Tah – dah!! Drumroll, cheerleaders and ignition sequence for fireworks . . . It’s with surprise and a bit of a shock I realised today that this is the 100th post I’ve written. One hundred posts, published, read and commented on; … Continue reading
Mont Blanc: In Memorium
In memory of James Stephen Brownhill 30 September 1988, Sheffield, UK – 1 July 2011, Frendo Spur,Chamonix, France I have written about James, his family and his life elsewhere, this page is to quietly acknowledge their loss, and … Continue reading
Vices or Virtues?: No, the 7 Links Project
Like many people I start the day by checking my emails, social networking sites and online global newspapers, at the same time rehydrating with a large cup of hot, steaming tea. Part of this ‘starting the day’ process involves reading … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Writing
Tagged 7 links project, adventuresinexpatland, Blog, blog challengs, count only sunny hours, expat friends, expatcalidocious, finding my new normal, learning a new languge, learning Dutch, perking the pansies, the singing warrior, trailing spouses, Tripbase, Writers Resources
6 Comments
A Period of Solitude: Why We Sometimes Need One
I haven’t posted for a while as sometimes life necessitates taking a step back, pulling up the drawbridge and keeping yourself and family safe in the Ivory Tower. Protected, for a while, from the devastating whirlwinds of sadness, loss, fear, … Continue reading
Every Parent’s Worst Fear
If you’ve been anywhere near newspapers the past week or so you can’t have failed to have noticed the untimely deaths of many young people. I wrote only a few posts back about the sister of Missy’s best friend, killed as … Continue reading
Posted in Expat Experiences, Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges
Tagged Chamonix, climbing deaths, death of a child, death of british climbers on Mont Blanc, deaths on mont blanc, French Alps, grief of parents, james brownhill climber, james brownhill sheffield, Mont Blanc
5 Comments
When the Netherlands is Perfect: The Gentle Grace of Holland
It occurred to me this morning I’ve never said much about the everyday beauty of the Netherlands. I’ve sat and typed through the long dark days of winter, made miserable by the relentless rain, howling wind and a chill factor that … Continue reading
Turning Points and Defining Moments
A bit of a change of pace for this post. I got to thinking the other day – always a dangerous pastime – about how many twists and turns there are in life. How its course can hinge on a single decision and the … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges
Tagged crossroads in life, defining moments in life, facing life challenges, how to deal with life crisis, inspiration, life's challenges, looking for guidance in life, Religion and Spirituality, turning points, turning points in life, when life doesn't work out as it should, when life falls apart, when life goes off track, when life turns upside down
4 Comments
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer
Day twenty-one of a thirty day blog challenge, two-thirds behind me and one-third to go. I should be feeling wonderful but sadly I don’t. I’ve hit that wall where it’s too much effort to take a take the next step, … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges, Writing
Tagged becoming a better writer, benefits of blog challenges, challenge of writing, how to keep blogging, lonliness of the writer, self-esteem, struggling to write, writers block and how to resolve it, writers finding inspiration and encouragement, writing, writing momentum
7 Comments
The Perfect Palette – The Netherlands in Spring
When the sun comes out in the spring, there is no more beautiful place in the world than The Netherlands – this from someone who struggles with the weather here after more than ten years living in the heat, humidity and dramatic … Continue reading
The Art of Thinking
In my opinion thinking is a much underrated pastime, often confused with indolence and idleness by those who do not allow their thoughts to roam freely and often. I can recommend doing nothing but thinking as a wonderful way to … Continue reading
The Ultimate Blog Challenge
Oh shoot, now I’ve really gone and done it. I’ve signed up, registered and will make have to make myself accountable. Why do I always get gung-ho on an idea only to wake up the next day with that hangover-like … Continue reading
Fear and Indecision: Unlocking Painful Emotions
This morning I find myself in a mad mood, not at all conducive to creative thought. If I started to vent I would end up looking bitter, twisted and in need of immediate psychological help. This does not sit well … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration and Reflection, Personal challenges, USA, Writing
Tagged dealing with suppressed emotions, Deep South, Expat, expats and feelings of loss, fear of writing, homesick for new orleans, missing new orleans, New Orleans, Writers Resources, writing about pain, writing about painful emotions
1 Comment
Wassenaar White-out
I’m done with the snow and you can cancel Christmas too. We woke up this morning to the wonderful light and deep quiet of a new snowfall, a real magical winter wonderland. Like an idiot I’d promised Harry I’d drive … Continue reading
Posted in Christmas, Thanksgiving and Holidays, Expat Experiences, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands
Tagged Christmas, December in the Netherlands, driving in snow, Expat, loving snow, serenity of snow, snow days in the netherlands, snow in the netherlands, Thanksgiving and Holidays, traffic delays in snow, winter driving in the Netherlands, winter traffic in the netherlands
1 Comment
Dog Days and Birthdays: November in the Netherlands
Some days you get out of bed feeling you can’t make the effort, then you do and the day takes off in ways you don’t expect. I’d psyched up for another day of rain, mud, and the company of equally … Continue reading
Posted in Family Life, Inspiration and Reflection, The Netherlands
Tagged back to nature, Dogs, English Springer Spaniel, finding calm in solitude, inspiration, joy of nature, life balance, Netherlands, nourishing the spirit, november in the netherlands, reconnecting with yourself, serenity in nature, solitude, Sporting-Gundog Group, weather in the Netherlands
1 Comment
wordgeyser 
Lest We Forget: All War Crimes Should Be Punished
Twenty years ago war erupted in the former Yugoslavia. It was shocking, terrifying and reminded us the atrocities of World War II weren’t relegated to history as we’d hoped. The war in the former Yugoslavia brought it home that neighbour … Continue reading →