Life
(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.
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…
’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.
The unstable Japan life
This morning, while scrolling through X, I saw a rather alarming post. From now on, in order to become a Permanent Resident (PR), you first need to have held a 5-year visa. Previously, a 3-year visa was sufficient – and since that’s most likely what I’ll receive at my next renewal, I had already mapped out a whole plan in my head. As soon as François and I have been married for three years (another requirement you have to meet), I would apply for PR. That would be two years from now. But with this legal change, that will only work if they immediately grant me a 5-year visa this July. And the chances of that are slim.
Almost there
The countdown app on my phone says 13. Just 13 days to go until I fly to the Netherlands. “Could you maybe pick me up from Schiphol?” I ask my brother. “My flight is on March 3, so I’ll arrive on March 4…” He corrects me: “No, if you’re flying to the Netherlands, you arrive on the same day, because you’re flying against the clock.” I panic. “Oh, shit! Did I also book my hotel for the wrong…”
2016
Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to 2026. Wow, time really does fly. 2016, a year that in my mind is still one of the best years of all time, is already a decade behind us. The day before yesterday I shared a few Instagram stories with photos from that year, after scrolling through the photo album on my phone. “I was so cool in 2016,” I wrote, with a touch of melancholy.
Toeps Rewind 2025, part 2
The year is almost over again, so just like every year it’s time for my year in review! In the previous part, you could read about how François and I tied the knot, how I made a whirlwind trip to the Netherlands, how I worked on the Prikkelplanner, and how I navigated my way through bureaucracy and visa issues. How did things continue? You can read all about it below!
Toeps Rewind 2025, part 1
The year is already coming to an end, so that means: Toeps rewind! Last year ended with my wish to simply take it easy for a while. Just sit behind my computer building websites. So instead, I released a planner together with Cynthia, started writing a whole new book, and oh right, we also got married!
Zero-tolerance at the JLPT
Yesterday I took the JLPT, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. This Japanese language exam tests vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening, and is offered at five levels. N5 is the easiest, N1 the hardest. After passing N4 more than a year ago and skipping the exam last year, it was finally time for N3. Was I ready? No, not really. I’d been a bit too busy with my new book and barely had any time to study. But I’d already paid, so I thought: let’s give it a shot. It’s multiple choice, so maybe I’d guess everything right.