Hunger for stories: Barbara, from Veneto to Haarlem
Stories are among my main driving forces, since I can recall. Even now that I’m a grumpy almost-old man, I cannot cure my craving for stories. Here’s the story of Barbara.
Author Archive for: Marco Alf
Entries by Marco Alf
THE FUNNY MISTERY OF LE PETIT ROI AND THE DUTCH SELF-ESTEEM
Since I moved to the Netherlands I developed a theory: the autochtones have a lack of self-esteem and they react to this showing how secure and proud of their country they are and how great and beautiful it is.
Spring in the Netherlands is: kids as pavement artists
Walking out the door this morning I played hopscotch, with askew numbers, drawn by childish hand, in pink and green chalk. Right – Pink, Left – Green….
About beauty and why I couldn’t see it in the Netherlands
When you own just 2 cents, you should buy a loaf of bread with one and a lily with the other one”.
Looking for a house in the Netherlands: you’re not doing it right
You are in the Netherlands. Great! You are one step from realizing all your dreams! Well, you think you are but I’ll not be the one to tell you that actually you’re (so) wrong.
About basil and lavender’s roots
Since I became an emigrant, I’ve been often asked where I’m from. I come from Italy, is my answer. Yes, but from where? I totter. From the North. From the mountains. Then I keep talking and I say that I’m from a small village and no, there’s no chance you’ve heard about it before. It […]
How about learning Dutch? Things I hated and loved
I’ve always thought that one of the best things of moving to a foreign country would be to have the chance to learn a new language. Then I moved to the Netherlands. Guess what? Here they speak Dutch.
Home is a place you can tell about…
He was a chubby kid. He wasn’t pretty but with one of those faces with regular features and intense eyes that will always let him find a girlfriend. I would look at him even with please if he wouldn’t have had his ass nailed on the bench. It’s dark, it’s cold and I’m eager to go […]
About migrants that landed but with anchors made of salt, as their thoughts
“They go on with their lives here. I might have realized it just now”.
Are Dutch men the worst lovers in Europe?
Do you know the feeling when you think there’s something wrong with you but you’re actually convinced that the problem is the other person?This is what I felt the first time I experienced the Dutch way of making love. Same story the second time, the third… and pretty much all the other occasions I got the chance to […]