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.

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...

What’s in a Dutch male name? Part 2

All good sequels have a decent amount of time between them. Just think about the years between each Harry Potter book/movie, each Twilight book/movie,...

Moving to the Netherlands for the first time: difficulties with language, orders and groceries

I am learning Dutch. I say that with a small, proud smile, even though in reality I’ve completed one Dutch course that is apparently...

C’est la corona: the positive side of the pandemic

Going through a pandemic has changed life as we know it — but perhaps the realisations we've made from coronavirus haven't been all bad?...

What’s in a (Dutch male) name?

Learning and pronouncing Dutch names can be a struggle. "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose would smell as sweet" —...

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