Derek was my cousin. To be precise, he was the eldest of the Van Buerle cousins. Both of us were born in Malaysia, and I guess Derek has been around my life forever. We were not the type of cousins that saw each other often. My Dad worked for the United Nations so we lived … Continue reading Vale Derek Van Buerle
Memories
Christmas – a global marketing feast!
If there is one holiday in the world that has a sweeping impact on everybody, it has to be Christmas. What unifying theme inherent to Christmas makes it one of, if not THE most awaited time of the year? This seems to be true regardless of race, social background, creed, or religion. Is it the … Continue reading Christmas – a global marketing feast!
A ROUND UP OF MY WEEK
This week I’ve had the pleasure of working on some very interesting and diverse client projects. I love it when everything starts to fall together, and clients start to notice the difference in their businesses as a result of working with Dragon Sisters. Speaking of business, the new venture of Van Buerle Enterprises is just … Continue reading A ROUND UP OF MY WEEK
A Unique Friendship
Maria Angeles is my oldest female friend. My father, a Dutch Eurasian and her father, a Spaniard, worked for the United Nations and were both posted to Jerusalem. No, they were not military observers or troops, they were permanent staff of the United Nations. We met at Schmidt Girls College, a strict convent school run … Continue reading A Unique Friendship
An Update from Australia
I'm writing this one especially for my Spanish friends to give everyone a quick catch up on what I've been up to since leaving Ecija on the 27th June. Big shout out of thanks to Arnaud for the lift to Cordoba railway station. I had to dash off on that particular date because I was … Continue reading An Update from Australia
My Princess – 21 Today
On 26th May 1994, in the beautiful city of Darwin, amongst cool tropical breezes and gorgeous pink bougainvillea plants and frangipani scented air, a little precious bundle was born. At 3.20 in the afternoon a little girl came into the world. She was a very special girl, a princess! My Princess - a wonderful gift … Continue reading My Princess – 21 Today
Living in the moment
When I was a child a year seemed like an awfully long time. It was an unbearable wait till Christmas rolled around each year. At boarding school the terms seemed to drag on interminably whilst I counted down the days until school holidays. I think that's pretty normal for kids, approaching life with gusto, keen … Continue reading Living in the moment
The joys of a real letter
My definition of a real letter is one that's handwritten, popped in an envelope and finished off with a paper postage stamp featuring something eyecatching and unique to the country of origin. Here in Ecija it's not possible for me to buy a supply of stamps for Australia and just wack them on a letter … Continue reading The joys of a real letter
Ratatouille
Ratatouille. Those unfamiliar with the word may struggle with pronunciation and wonder what on earth it means. Several may think of the Disney movie where the main character is a rat. It would be logical to surmise that the word somehow has something to do with rats. Definitely not! I love ratatouille. I adore the … Continue reading Ratatouille
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY
It's already Australia Day but, where I am, here in my little flat in Ecija, Spain, rugged up in 4 layers of clothing with the heaters on, it's not yet the 26th. I am however reflecting on my journey to becoming Australian. I wasn’t born in Australia, but then again, neither were so many others … Continue reading HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY