King’s day

My 9yo son interrupted his mother when she spoke about kings day. He saw me getting irritated as she was teasing me that he was my king too. “I don’t have a king! Nobody can be my king!” I grumbled. My son jumped in “Mom, I’m gonna quote dad on this. Why is the king … Lees meer

Ameland

I’m 54 Been driving for 34 I have driven all over the world Often drive too fast Never ever ever been stopped by a cop Until today In fucking Ameland A flippin Wadden island With one street 16 cars 100 cows and sheep Horses all over And two cops I have not seen one other … Lees meer

Ied

Oprecht. Het was lang geleden dat ik met Moslim vrienden het einde van Ramadan mocht vieren. Het zit hem tussen nooit uitgenodigd worden en mezelf heel selectief en niet echt uitnodigbaar opstellen. Maar in Ierland belandde ik toch in een Ied samenkomst van de Ghambiaanse gemeenschap in Ierland. Familie is niet altijd bloedverwant. Samen eten … Lees meer

What’s there to rethink?

The name of the conference in Dublin was “Re-thinking anti-racism Practice in Adult Education” and from the getgo I wondered what we would be rethinking? Why would I rethink anything that has to do with racism? What’s there to rethink? Then I walked into the intro-session -fashionably late and looking handsome doing it- and met … Lees meer

At the airport

Curacaolanean security guard is adamantly friendly: “Take off your jacket, your belt and your shoes” “My shoes as well?” “Yes sir. You’re wearing boots, so those have to come off” Shrugs Takes me four minutes to unlace my boots and off they go into the scanner Sho nuff, they get flagged by that static person … Lees meer

Ukunwa diegwu

My Nigerian barber stopped cold mid-cut, to admire a girl who was walking out of the barbershop. I had seen her in the mirror, sitting behind me with her boyfriend. He was speaking to her incessantly, but she was looking around at the other men in the shop, like a lambchop in a skillet factory … Lees meer

War child

Bel gaat Tommy of zoiets zegt een naambordje dat bengelt aan een touwtje rond zijn hals. “Dag meneer ik ben van warchild en we zamelen geld in voor kinderen uit Ukraine die getroffen zijn door de oorlog en het moeilijk hebben. Erg allemaal …” Ik ging toen maar los met speech over mensen die op … Lees meer

Dream enormous, achieve huge

If your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming the right dreams If you’re the smartest person in the room, enlighten the rest of the room If you’re in the minority in a room, you represent the majority not in the room I live by these ‘ifs’  I was born in Suriname (formerly colonized by … Lees meer

Vreemd meisje voor de deur

Als ik het huis uitloop staat er een meisje bij de buren voor de deur. Ghanees Volle tas op de grond met allerlei spullen erin Bosje bloemen steekt bovenuit. Maar ik kan zien dat ze gestrest is. Telefoon in d’r hand alsof ze iemand niet kan bereiken Buren natuurlijk kerk, dus ik denk ff checken … Lees meer

Blessings

Some will say this is idolatry, but they will happily plunge into a murky river or wash their faces with stale shady water dripping into a basin, from the stalactite growing underneath the plumbing of an old, very, very old ancient building, and call that blessing. I call this being washed by my mom at … Lees meer