I have been creating content since before I can remember. Luckily for us, I do remember the most important milestones in my content-creating career and have published them here.
I have included written pieces that have been published, blogs that I have created, as well as some freelance work.
To say that I am passionate about social media and content creation is an understatement. I pride myself on being able to create content for diverse audiences, in a multitude of tones and by capturing different voices to fit the intended audience.
I hope you enjoy what I have created so far, and don’t hesitate to contact me for questions or quotes!
What are the students going to do on King’s Day?
King’s Day is fast approaching and, for those internationals who don’t know what this is, it is more than just a day off. On Thursday the 27th April, the Netherlands will honour the birth of King Willem-Alexander on ‘Koningsdag’. Although festivities are held all...
Dragshow Eurovision Lip-syncing Contest is coming to Maastricht
Last Thursday, the Eurovision Lipsync Contest (ELC) came to Maastricht. Drag queens from all over the world gathered at international student organisation Kaleido to decide who will represent the Netherlands at the finals of the European competition in late September...
OPINION: I grew up in the rape capital of the world. Here’s why the Leiden rape sentence wasn’t enough
Having spent all 23 years of my life in South Africa — often dubbed the world’s rape capital — reading that the Leiden man who raped and assaulted students was slapped with only a four-year sentence is devastating. As a woman in South Africa, being catcalled...
Here are 5 great Dutch novels — that are fully translated in English!
Reading lets you travel during a time of travel bans and allows you to meet exciting new people, regardless of social distancing. Seeing as lockdown in the Netherlands has been extended to the 9th February, and a curfew will be in place as of tomorrow night, what...
“Bubble Barrier” fights plastic pollution in Amsterdam’s canals
Not only is Amsterdam at the forefront of international tourism with famous museums like Van Gogh and Anne Frank’s House, but it seems that this city is also the vanguard of pollution-tackling innovation. Here’s all you need to know about the world’s first rubbish...
Van Gogh’s hidden painting unveiled after a century of private ownership
Lockdown, winter weather, and windmills: these are the words that come to mind of late when one thinks of the Netherlands. This small country normally conjures images of tulips, Amsterdam’s cannabis scene and, of course, Dutch art masters. It is no surprise, then,...
GROW: Dutch design studio lights up the future of agriculture
While the whole world still holds its breath in the hope that 2021 will see the return to “normal” life, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde is lighting the way to an artistic future of sustainable living. Daan Roosegaarde, founder of Studio Roosegaarde, has been dubbed a...
Amsterdam and the world’s first condom shop: let’s talk about (safe) sex and Condomerie, baby!
When talking of sex — and the Dutch do that a lot! — one cannot ignore the practice of safe sex, consent and open-mindedness. It is no wonder, then, that the first speciality condom shop in the world originated in… you guessed it! Amsterdam! As we know, there are many...
Performing in a pandemic: how the Dutch National Opera and Ballet has evolved during coronavirus
As the leading organisation for the performing arts, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet is an internationally appreciated institute and a true cornerstone of Dutch culture. Without being able to fill the auditorium or encourage visits to performances, it is easy to...
Finding meaning in the madness: breaking down 10 Dutch idioms
What do monkeys, loose teeth and drastic haircuts have in common? Well, they all feature in the most bizarre and humorous Dutch idioms, of course! Trying to find literal meaning in these words will have you “running around like a headless chicken”, so below is a...
Platform providing protection for Dutch sex workers officially launched
Yesterday, a Dutch website called Ugly Mugs NL was launched — which will hopefully elevate the security of sex workers in the Netherlands to the next level. The Netherlands is a forerunner of legalised prostitution in the EU. With open attitudes toward sexuality and...
The Netherlands breaks records with world’s largest canal lock
Last Wednesday, King Willem-Alexander officially opened the world’s largest canal lock in IJmuiden. Congrats on getting that one into the history books! With over 500 metres in length and 70 metres in width, the new zeesluis is designed to allow modern cargo ships to...
A mosaic map colours life into Delft history
When one thinks of street art, graffiti images on walls or random sculptures along walkways most readily come to mind. Rarely does this concept bring to mind mosaics, mini-sculptures or intricate ceramics. The ‘Ceramic Map of Delft’ (‘Keramieken Kaart van Delft’),...
Dutch Organisation ‘Help for Animals from Ukraine’ is saving furry lives
An outreach initiative called Help for Animals from Ukraine was launched by animal organisations around the Netherlands that teamed up to provide aid for Ukrainian pets. These pets have owners who are unable to care for them at present, need help keeping up to date...
Suspected Van Gogh thief thwarted during attempt to steal Monet painting
At around 10.30 AM on Sunday, August 15, two thieves armed with guns attempted to steal Monet’s ‘De Voorzaan en de Westerhem’ (1871) from the Zaans Museum. The Zaans Museum, located at Zaanse Schans, houses cultural-historical and regional collections examining the...
Concealed Cupid uncovered in iconic Vermeer masterpiece
The artworld is in shock after the restoration of one of Vermeer’s most famous works exposed a painting of a full-length Cupid hanging on the wall where previously there was nothing. Even more shocking is that evidence now confirms Cupid was likely painted over by...
Take out treats or printed books? Dutch book sector struggling due to paper shortage
Tourism, entertainment and restaurants are the industries that most readily come to mind when discussing the impact of COVID-19 regulations on the Dutch economy and society as a whole. The latest, and most unexpected victim, however, is the Dutch book sector....
Fallen painting leads to discovery of new Rembrandt masterpiece
As one of the greatest artists not only in Dutch history but throughout the world, Rembrandt van Rijn is still making headlines 352 years after his death. A new artwork by the Dutch master has been discovered. Yep, you read that right. Known famously for the iconic...
How the pandemic pushed sex workers into the shadows
When it comes to progressive attitudes around sex, Amsterdam shines as the forerunner of tolerance and pride. Since 1999, the Netherlands has held bragging rights for being the first country to legalise prostitution as sex work and regulate the sex industry with local...
The naked truth about the Dutch ‘Vegan Streaker’
Few are more passionate and devoted to animal rights activism than the Vegan Streaker. Peter Janssen strongly believes in ending the intensive livestock industry by any means necessary, including through violent activism, anti-animal cruelty demonstrations, and even...
Stolen Van Gogh painting remains missing after suspect arrested
How many people does it take to steal an invaluable Van Gogh painting? Just one, apparently. A 58-year old suspect has been arrested in relation to the recent theft of two paintings, one of which being an early Van Gogh. On March 30 2020, Vincent van Gogh’s The...
Women artists given permanent prestige in the Rijksmuseum’s “Gallery of Honour”
As home to many Dutch Art Master’s collections, and situated in the heart of Amsterdam’s cultural district, the Rijksmuseum is once again at the forefront of the art world with its latest endeavour to display works by women artists in its central “Gallery of Honour.”...
Mechelen, Belgium
14 October 2022 - 17 October 2022 I arrived in Mechelen to drizzle which turned to a very steady downpour as we walked to Anja's house carrying my travel suitcase behind me. I didn't have a raincoat- who doesnt bring a raincoat to Belgium in Autumn? I decided to...
Breda, Netherlands
12 November 2022 After visiting Breda for the day, the phrase that keeps running around my mind is "I am going to live here. I went to Breda yesterday with a friend I made on a FaceBook group called 'South Africans in Maastricht'. Her name is Candice and we...
Delft, Netherlands
19 November 2022 I am sitting in the CHCO Chocolate Company Cafe in Delft and am so grateful for the respite from the freezing cold outside. Besides having the best hot chocolate spoons that I fell in love with on my visit here with my Mom last year, this place is...
Aachen, Germany
14 November 2022 Today I took a trip to Aachen which is an hour by bus from Maastricht. Our tutorial this morning was rescheduled to Wednesday morning and none of my friends could join so I thought why not, I may as well take a day trip to Germany! The bus ride...
Düsseldorf, Germany
26 - 27 November 2022 I visited my first Christmas market ever in Düsseldorf and wow, what a magical visit it was. Candace- a South African friend who I met in Maastricht through a Facebook group, and who I went to Breda with, was my travel companion for the...
Cologne, Germany
3 December 2022 The detail and effort that people put into the Christmas markets here are absolutely inspiring. The markets in Cologne were wonderful. The German Christmas markets in general are incredibly impressive. Christmas markets that I've been to actually...
National Restrictions ‘Put Down’ Animal Shelters
Ignoring the news is becoming impossible: nearly every channel confronts us with coronavirus headlines connecting the world by one conversation. Even social media feeds are filled by posts from celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger urging his Instagram followers to...
Who is this “Kathryn” girl, anyway?
I suppose that I could imagine a more inventive opening sentence of my first ever blog post, but I think this line is funny and ironic, so this will have to do. I don’t know exactly where to start, so I’ll be cliché and ‘start at the beginning’ (queue anxiety at...
Paramedics in pandemics: always on-call during COVID-19
‘We need to be thankful that we have a safe, warm home surrounded by loved ones’ is the general response people like me get when complaining about the lock-down and the pandemic in general. By ‘people like me’, I mean anyone not living in a township, on the street or...
“I’m (conflicted about) Lovin’ It”
What is the secret ingredient in this Crunch Burger that makes it so addictive?" is my standard line of thinking every Tuesday as my family sits down for our take-out night. I’m sure we aren't the only ones whose fast-food intake has increased during the pandemic (we...
Confronting Cuties’ Critics
I finished watching ‘Cuties’ on Netflix. I watched the whole film. Before doing that, my mind was made up that Maïmouna Doucouré’s film Cuties (Mignonnes in French), which aired on Netflix in September, promotes paedophilia, child-sexualisation and child pornography....
“Covid caused my rare disease”
Every one of us has felt the impact of COVID-19 in some way, be it through first-hand infection, losing jobs and family members, or simply having to sacrifice in-person interactions. For Kayleigh Chapman (23), however, this pandemic has impacted her in a very rare and...