The most delightful findings in life happen when we are not expecting them. I had a wonderful surprise when I entered the building of the Amsterdam Stadsarchief for the first time. It is the largest city archive in the world!

I left that Thai massage room with a slight conviction that I had made a mistake. I spent almost the entire one-hour session regretting the terrible pain I was sure I would feel once it was over.

Certain foods can only be appreciated by the ones who’ve been eating them since childhood. Take for example the Dutch candy known as ‘dropje’: it has an odd taste and it is not sweet as one would expect from a candy. I dare to say that no one, except Dutch-borns, actually like it.

I am not a fan of drinking coffee from modern machines. My morning’s best friend is a “Bialetti”. After exhausting ourselves cleaning the apartment, I took a long nap right after. When I woke up, I could only think that a fresh cup of coffee was the only fuel able to lift my lazy spirit.

Last night I was almost asleep, and I reflected on the fact that a journalist’s life is pretty much about pleasing others. How odd is that?

I was moved by a story that I heard yesterday. It was the life of a Venezuelan immigrant who's been struggling to adapt himself in such a hostile work environment. He is married to a Dutchman and they both fought very hard to make him settled in the country.

I had a very sweet surprise at the organic farmers-market. Instead of strawberries, a different seasonal red fruit appeared at one of tents: cherries. And they tasted just like heaven! I’ve never eaten such a delicious cherry in my whole life.

We all grow up being conditioned to analyze people based on stereotypes. Not necessarily in a negative way. It’s just a connection that resonates automatically from our deep-rooted references and we simply cannot avoid it.