Posts by Emma
Here you will find the author’s posts. Musings on the things life brings our way. Together with simple tips for watercolor, writing, and healthy living.
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Obesity, listening without judgment
Obesity, listening without judgment. Okay. My BMI is slightly above 30. I already talked about it on my previous page. So I have an obese body. The word alone feels heavy. Not that I am an exception. Apparently, 50% of the Belgian population is overweight, and 20% is obese.
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Travel blog about Lake Balaton
Travel blog about Lake Balaton We spent ten days cycling around Lake Balaton in Hungary. In this travel blog about Lake Balaton, I share our experiences and tips. We also stopped at various places during the journey there and back to go on cycling trips and discover new surroundings. From quiet cycle paths and authentic…
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Tips for Western America
Roadtrip Western America Discover the story of our roadtrip through Western America in june 2026. Discover what we saw, experienced and find lots of helpful tips voor your upcoming trip to America Emma
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Give blood, save lives: but who still gives blood?
Give blood, save lives. But who still donates blood? A lifetime of blood donation Recently we donated blood again. Four times a year, the Red Cross organises local blood collections in municipalities all over Belgium. Something my husband and I have been doing since our young adult lives. Sometimes interrupted by life itself, but always…
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Dutch vs Flemish reality shows: patterns and clichés
Reality shows unraveled: the difference between the Dutch and the Flemish If you, like us, regularly watch Dutch and Flemish reality shows such as B&B Full of Love, Winter Full of Love, First Dates, Meester Visser, Behind Closed Doors or Ik Vertrek, you eventually start to recognize patterns. In fact, you would think you’re doing…
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Together with the cafés and restaurants, the daily special also disappears
Together with the cafés and restaurants, the daily special also disappears Wishful thinking Together with the cafés and the restaurants, the daily special has also disappeared in our village. However, I had always thought that, once we were retired, we would go out for lunch more often. Not having to cook, getting outside, having a…
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The curious logic of bullshit jobs
The curious logic of bullshit jobs When work makes you wonder Lately, I’ve been reflecting on a book I stumbled upon in the library: Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. The title struck me because it put words to something many of us have quietly felt but rarely say out loud. So let’s explore the curious logic…
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Customer service a game you can’t win?
I treat customer service like a game of Stratego these days. Not for fun, but out of self-protection. Screenshots, e-mails, file numbers… Every promise, every date: my game pieces. Every employee on the line is a new move. Sometimes you hit something, sometimes you just go back to start. It’s frustrating. It’s exhausting. But it…
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If you have to, you have to. Toilet crisis or not.
If you have to, you have to, even if finding a toilet in the city is an undertaking You rarely think about it. Until a simple walk suddenly becomes a calculation and the city no longer invites you, but sets conditions. If you have to, you have to. Toilet crisis or not. This text is…
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My first watercolor course
My first watercolor course From Pinterest inspiration to urban sketching Getting started with watercolor can be exciting. Follow my journey from inspiration on Pinterest to a real course and creative urban sketching. For years I had collected countless watercolor inspirations on Pinterest, but I had never actually held a brush. One day I went to…
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New Year’s letters: a Flemish tradition full of memory and family
New Year’s letters: a Flemish tradition full of memory and family Did you know that the ritual in which children recite a New Year’s letter is a Flemish custom and tradition ? Even in the Netherlands it has fallen into disuse. Nowhere else are writing, reciting, family and emotion so strongly intertwined as in our…
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Winter circus and memories in Ghent
Winter circus and memories in Ghent Tasty mezze in Ghent After the panel discussion about hearing loss we attended to recently, we took a long walk through the city. We wanted to go to the Turkish restaurant Ankara, Oudburg 44. Nowadays you can hardly get anywhere in Ghent by car, and actually that is not…
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Two quicksilvers staying with grandma
Two quicksilvers staying with grandma Two quicksilvers staying with grandma, a few days of creative work! This week I have two grandchildren staying over. They run around the house, everywhere at once, laugh loudly and disappear again. I try to keep track of where they are, but it never works. Their haste is contagious, but…
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Children of successful parents
Children of successful parents What is it like to be a child of parents who have achieved everything? Read about pressure, fear of failure and finding your own way. Don’t look at the parent, but at the child “A famous name often resembles a coat, which, made for the father, is too big for the…
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About street vendors, phishing and hacking
About street vendors, phishing and hacking Stay alert and protect yourself From physical street vendors to phishing emails to hackers: discover tips on how to spot unwanted sellers. Learn how to keep digital scams out. Street vendors Everyone knows them: street vendors, or door-to-door salesmen who try to sell you anything and everything. In our…
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Creativity against fear
Creativity against fear About fears and phobias: do you sometimes suffer from them too? Everyone has fears from time to time. This is normal, human and often even healthy: fear protects us, makes us alert and helps us make choices. But phobias go one step further. A phobia is an intense, irrational fear of something…
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Women through time
Women through time Discover the indispensable role of women in the Plantin-Moretus printing works in Antwerp. See how their strength, collaboration and flair still inspire today. Exhibition Plantin-Moretus Books have always had a special place in my life. As a child, they were expensive and precious. Literally and figuratively. Because they were expensive, we didn’t…
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Make a watercolor
Start painting slowly: learn watercolor and urban sketching techniques, create a warm color palette and draw your first creative sketch.
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What Being Generous Really Means
What being generous really means Being generous is more than giving gifts. Discover how small, sincere gestures of time, attention and kindness make a huge difference. Find out what being generous really means. What do we usually understand by generous? When you think of being generous, you probably think of giving. Something tangible. Take a…
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Healthy eating starts today
Healthy eating starts today Every time is a good time to start eating healthily Have you, like me, been wanting to lose a few pounds for a while, but you keep putting it off? Believe me: Any time is a good time to start eating healthily. You don’t have to wait for Monday, a new…
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Travel blog about Lake Balaton
Travel blog about Lake Balaton We spent ten days cycling around Lake Balaton in Hungary. In this travel blog about Lake Balaton, I share our experiences and tips. We also stopped at various places during the journey there and back to go on cycling trips and discover new surroundings. From quiet cycle paths and authentic…
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Tips for Western America
Roadtrip Western America Discover the story of our roadtrip through Western America in june 2026. Discover what we saw, experienced and find lots of helpful tips voor your upcoming trip to America Emma
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What does slow travel mean? Tips for travelling more consciously and calmer
Slowing down along the way Why doing less can make your travel experience richer How do I actually want to travel? The month of May has begun. Plans are made everywhere: flights are booked, lists are made, destinations are chosen. But we rarely ask ourselves: How do I actually want to travel? Not where to,…
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Give blood, save lives: but who still gives blood?
Give blood, save lives. But who still donates blood? A lifetime of blood donation Recently we donated blood again. Four times a year, the Red Cross organises local blood collections in municipalities all over Belgium. Something my husband and I have been doing since our young adult lives. Sometimes interrupted by life itself, but always…
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Watercolor for absolute beginners
Watercolor for absolute beginners Why watercolor is accessible to everyone. I’m convinced that anyone can get started with watercolor. Provided you know the basics a bit, you will soon get something nice on paper. However, that doesn’t mean that everything will be beautiful right away. Like the work above, which is quite nice but not…
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Escapism in religion
Escapism in religion I wanted to write a text about escapism in pilgrimages and religion. Religion as an escape, so to speak. But when does religion become a search for meaning, and when does it become an escape from reality? Mystical experience at the Convento dos Capuchos When you walk around in the Convento dos…
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Dutch vs Flemish reality shows: patterns and clichés
Reality shows unraveled: the difference between the Dutch and the Flemish If you, like us, regularly watch Dutch and Flemish reality shows such as B&B Full of Love, Winter Full of Love, First Dates, Meester Visser, Behind Closed Doors or Ik Vertrek, you eventually start to recognize patterns. In fact, you would think you’re doing…
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Together with the cafés and restaurants, the daily special also disappears
Together with the cafés and restaurants, the daily special also disappears Wishful thinking Together with the cafés and the restaurants, the daily special has also disappeared in our village. However, I had always thought that, once we were retired, we would go out for lunch more often. Not having to cook, getting outside, having a…
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How to manage time and money after retirement?
How to deal with your time and money after retirement? Many people wonder what they will do with their time and money when they retire. Save more? Or use their saved money? Why does almost no one touch their savings once they retire? An honest conversation. To make this topic tangible, we follow a conversation…
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The curious logic of bullshit jobs
The curious logic of bullshit jobs When work makes you wonder Lately, I’ve been reflecting on a book I stumbled upon in the library: Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber. The title struck me because it put words to something many of us have quietly felt but rarely say out loud. So let’s explore the curious logic…