Blog
Hi, I’m Toeps and I’ve been blogging since 2004. About my adventures, about things I think things about, and about my life as an autistic person. (And between 2012 and 2016 also about the world of models and photography, on my then platform Fashionmilk.com, which you may remember from the top model recaps.)
This blog has brought me many wonderful things: friends and girlfriends, a trip to Disneyland Paris and even a book. These days I mostly write about my life in Japan, where I live.
A not-so-secret tunnel
Opening shot. “Hi everyone! Today we’re riding a very special train that travels through a SECRET TUNNEL underneath Tokyo!” Insert a Google Maps graphic with the route of this mysterious train drawn on top. Shot from inside the train: “We’re entering the tunnel!” Cut to Kamakura. Close-ups of hydrangeas. Shot of me in my purple dress. “Want to see more adventures in Japan? Like and follow!”
Autastic fantastic
“Will your new book be available in English too?” many of you have asked. And yes, that’s definitely the plan! There’s just one small technical problem. Or maybe not. Either way, it’s been on my mind.
(Help needed!) Netherlands, fall edition
It had already been my plan for a while to come back to the Netherlands this fall. Usually, my trips to the Netherlands are a net positive, both in terms of happiness and finances. Yes, it’s expensive, but in the Netherlands I’m also able to give talks and trainings, do shoots, and promote my books more effectively, which pays itself back in the long run. A few weeks ago I had already looked at tickets, but when I checked again on Saturday, they had suddenly become a lot more expensive…
Life isn’t always that autastic
“You sleep a few days a week in your little office in Hachioji, right?”
– “Yeah, it works great for us!”
This is the story I tell in interviews, to friends, but also to myself. I give François space to watch his movies and make noise, while I decompress and calm down. So everything was going great. Right?
Every day I’m hustlin’
I’d be such a great influencer if I turned everything I’m about to share in this blog into separate posts. “Autastisch Leven audiobook now available!” “Apartment for sale!” But nope, it’s another chaotic, thrown-together mess à la Toeps, because after just a week and a half there’s already way too much to tell.
Orenji
Did you all have a lovely King’s Day? I did! Yes, even in Japan, Wim-Lex’s birthday was celebrated. On Saturday, I visited the Dutch café in Kokubunji for an evening with Dutchies, faux Dutchies, kapsalon, and bitterballen. On Sunday, I went out with a group of girls to take photos. Orange photos, that is…
Moving plans
“Geez, Toeps, can things never just be calm for once?” Ha, no. I’m Toeps, and I always need a project to sink my teeth into. It’s usually a project that improves my life, so that helps, but calm? No, that’s not really my thing.
Switchings
I always find switching gears difficult. So when I returned to Japan after seven weeks in the Netherlands, I already knew I was going to struggle for a while. I had been doing so well in the Netherlands.
Come together
Over the past two weeks, you gradually heard less from me on social media. My outfits became duller, my hair lost its shine, and my cooking skills were regularly replaced by microwave meals. In short: I was tired. But there was a good reason for that…
Easter egg
Did you know it’s better not to use song lyrics as an epigraph in a book? You’re usually allowed to quote small parts of a text – that’s called the right of quotation – but the quote has to serve a purpose, not just be there for decoration, which makes an epigraph a bit questionable. So when I wanted to include a line from a Taylor Swift song in Autastisch leven, and preferably not have Ms. Billionaire’s legal team come after me, I had to come up with a creative workaround. An easter egg, to stay in Swiftie terms.
My new book Autastisch leven has officially launched!
Hooray, my new book Autastisch leven was officially released yesterday! The book launch last night at bookstore Broese in Utrecht was a big success, but before that…
’tismthedamnweek
What a week. Or actually two, since it’s been a while since my last post on this blog. It was on my to-do list almost every day: write a blog. But other things kept taking priority. Book-related things, mostly.
Workweek
After taking some time last week to land quietly in the Netherlands (not an unqualified success), this week the hard work began: three lectures, three shoots, and a radio appearance. In the meantime, I put the finishing touches on my new book, for which I received two proof copies, and ate pizza with my family for my father’s birthday. And somewhere in between, I even found time to drop off a few Vinted packages.
Culture shock
Yesterday I was waiting for the bus in Delft. The hotel room where I’ll be staying for the next seven weeks has rather ugly lighting, so I had decided to buy a cheap lamp. This one. At Ikea. From The Hague, Delft isn’t far; seven minutes by train. After that, I’d still need to take the bus for another eight minutes. After four years in Japan, I’m so used to excellent public transport that I was surprised there was only one bus every half hour to Ikea. On the weekend, no less. Anyway, I waited twenty minutes for the bus, which was neatly listed on the board at stop I. Another 15 minutes, another 10 minutes, another 2 minutes… And poof! Bus gone. It simply never showed up. The next bus would come in half an hour. Or not – who knows.
Autistics should just stay home?
Imagine you’re autistic and you want to go to the Efteling (a famous Dutch theme park). Yes, it can be pretty intense sensory-wise, but your family is going too, and you genuinely love the Efteling. Fortunately, there are facilities you can make use of. For example, you don’t have to stand in long zigzag queues but can wait elsewhere instead. The Efteling also offers a €2 discount on your ticket, or €5 off per month on a subscription. Nice! That could have been the end of this blog. But this is the internet, so of course people are upset.