This was not my first time in Holland, nor will it be my last. The main attraction of this visit was to meet up with my friend and her partner who’ve recently moved there.

Making Cranes

Did I mention that said friend is getting married soon? No? Well, the happy couple are planning lots of creative things for their reception party. One of them had us folding 323 origami paper cranes in the week that I visited.

The final goal is 1,000 though. Why this number? The couple are incorporating many cultures into their celebration, Japanese being one of them. In Japan, if you fold 1,000 paper cranes then it is believed that your wish will come true or you can cure an illness. It is also a symbol of friendship and peace.

While I do not know the specific wish that my friends are wanting to make, I would ask that if you are physically sound enough to be able to donate bone marrow or even just some blood then I’m sure there would be some grateful recipients out there, one of their family members included. Some time out of your day could lead to years added on to someone else’s life.

Painting Vincent

Someone whose life arguably finished far too early, albeit for different reasons, was Vincent Van Gogh. In case you didn’t know, I’m a massive fan. Vincent took a lot of inspiration from Japanese artwork, replicating their prints and imbuing his own work with the essence shared. This is clear evidence of this within his colour palette and subject matter (apologies for the blur).

It had been one of my dreams, for several years, to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. On the 13th of March 2024, this dream came true. It was like seeing a familiar friend after a long absence. There were numerous self portraits showing the evolution of his style and life.

I got to see many of the classics that I have grown to love and admire, as well as a few new favourites.

To be quite frank, I’m not going to say anything more about the Van Gogh museum because I think that it should be on everyone’s bucket list and don’t want to ruin it for you. If it’s not on there then I’ll just have to visit you and drag you there myself. What a shame that I’d have to go again…

Stroopwafles

Nothing to do with Japan but everything to do with Holland. Apparently you’re supposed to balance them on the top of your mug (with a hot drink in it) and allow the heat to melt the inside. This has been tried and tested by yours truly and let me tell you, it was a treat!