Shaakira Vania

20-something year old traveller, coconut lover (Seriously-anything coconut), and Libran. I recently made the cross-continent move to Amsterdam and spend my weekends exploring the country, meeting new people and telling myself I will finish a book every month (a promise I'm yet to keep). If I had to sum myself up in three words they would be: quirky, curious, and meme-lover.

12 realisations every expat in the Netherlands can relate to

There’s a saying that goes, “celebrate the little moments because one day you’ll look back and realise they were big moments.” It doesn’t exactly roll...

Afrikaans and Dutch: the differences and similarities

Afrikaans and Dutch — what is the connection? Are these two languages as similar as they're rumoured to be? When my cousins were younger, they...

In the Netherlands, rules are rules (but only when it’s convenient)

When did it become cool to break the rules? Okay, rhetorical question since the people who break the rules are always seen as the...

Always an expat, never a local: an international’s attempt to integrate into Dutch life

I'm a South African living in Amsterdam. Here's why I'm still waiting to feel like a Dutch local. When I first moved here, I was...

What’s in a (woman’s) Dutch name?

"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose wo-" *old record scratching sound*. Wait a minute. This opening line sounds awfully familiar. That’s...

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