There are always “one day…” in the stories. A little turning points in the storylines. So, one day….

Sani is a young coffee roaster I met in Fuku, from Indonesia, working in Berlin as a barista. The time I met him, he started his own small roastery with his small machines he’d invested. Whenever people came in Fuku and asked him what he does, he pointed a round sticker on the coffee grinder at Fuku counter, and said “I roast the coffee. That’s my sticker!” with a big smile on his face. (Yes, I have his stickers too!) So, ladies and gentlemen, here is the story of the young coffee roaster I met, one day in Amsterdam. 

Thank you, Sani for your coffee and nerd moments! So glad to seeing you back to Amsterdam!

Get beans from @madsancoffee 

I think being a nerd is not all about being a professional, nor being proving something. 

Mélanie is a dedicated runner I know, often see her with her beautiful smile after her running. Because I don’t have the habit of running in my daily life, I‘ve thought people who runs have some goals, achievement like going the marathon race. But seems like, it is a bit different with Mélanie. Seems, it’s really in her life to keep her calmness. To build some habit, and keep the habit in health. In this over-stressed, over-socialized world, we all could learn how to “run” long way.

Thank you so much, Mélanie for sharing! So nice to have time together, always!

Get inspired by Mélanie @melanierel

What catches your eyes when you walk around in the city?

I fell in love with one picture during the photowalk I joined. It was a black and white photo, just one building in it. When the photographer of that photo walked in, with his warm smile, I wondered about him and the picture. The “alone-ness and the connection” in the picture, where it comes from? So, here it is. I went to Rotterdam to see the photographer, Jorri to see his city. Let’s see wha we can see through his lenses.

Thank yo, Jorri for taking me to see the wonderland, within the city!

Get inspired by Jorri @jorri_photo

What we eat goes into our bodies. So the foods didn’t ended up into our bodies, where they go into?

Andres - Roots, Rice & Beans creates the tasteful vegetables and the foods from their farm in Amsterdam West, where they use the compost they’ve made with the ”food wastes“ which they collect from the local restaurants and the cafes in Amsterdam. I’ve seen them collecting the “coffee waste” from the cafe, and got curious. So I visited their farm for the vegetables and now I’m fan of their vegetables. Now days, we are more careful with foods, what we put on our plates, especially about the sustainability.  How about the foods, which didn’t ended up on our plates? Let’s put it on the table to talk about it.

Thank you, Andres, for sharing your knowledge and time with me! It was truly full of nutrition for my mind and heart!

Get inspired by Andres @rootsriceandbeans | https://rootsricebeans.com

What and How we preserve the moments?

I have wanted to sit down with Nuno to listen to his “geeky” stories since I met him during the photowalk. He gave a lecture about his project of making a battery for Polaroid. Although I didn’t understand much about his project (because of my lack of knowledge), I got so inspired by Nuno bringing his experiences and knowledges to make A BATTERY for just one Polaroid. Maybe making that battery, the Polaroid matters to only him in this world, but that’s exactly why I have this podcast to hear about that. Also Nuno is now one of my favorite photographer that somehow I feel like I’m not alone in the world about how I feel about myself and the world, when I’m looking at his photos. Let’s step into his world.

Thank you Nuno, for so much joy listening and talking with you! I couldn’t stop giggling!

Get inspired by @nuno_das_fotos | https://nunocruz.photo | You are not alone zine

What do we find when we are in the outside of our own cultures? 

I feel talking with Katie is one of the journeyes that we all can go far and deeper. The light on that path is the intelligence, curiosity, joy, and her warm smile. I’ve met Katie for her study, the cultural psychology. As the person who is in the different culture from own, it‘s been always interesting to talk with her, to ask her, and to hear her thoughts. So, I’m excited to be able to share a bit of what we talk almost all the time. Let’s explore with us.

Thank you, Katie for always always generous to answer my questions and thoughts, and enjoying time together! 

Get inspired by Katie @kt_micl

Da, da, da, daaaaan! Here we are again! 

It’s been three months since I started this podcast. 3 months, 15 episodes, 15 nerds! (We don’t count me as a nerd yet.) I knew I would love doing this, but I didn’t expect this much. So, this is a little bit of my side, how it’s been for me.

Thank you so so so SO much for everyone who had the coffee with me, and all the people who tuned in from the all over the world. 

Talks Around the Coffee Cups @talks.around.coffee.cups | Chië @chloeplants

I have bought a textbook to learn Chinese, decades ago. (and felt it’s impossible to learn!) 

Mike has been my (very very VERY patient) Dutch teacher nearly a year now. Interesting about us is that he has been in Taiwan with speaking Mandarin Chinese fluently, and me in the Netherlands with my little Dutch. Just as opposite. We often talk about the East Asian language, cultures, as well as Dutch (Europe) cultures. It’s really interesting that we are someone who are something “between” the totally different cultures and languages. Let’s see the language which I felt like “impossible to learn”.

 *Another virtual coffee meeting!

Thank you Mike, for such a fun chat, and always being so good teacher!

How to be the top in the category? Make your category!

James is a London-based cyclist, who is simply “one and only”. He has challenged the endurance cycling races with his Brompton, which is small folding bicycle. He just finished another endurance race, so of course I wanted to talk with him about it! Oh, you know, I wonder what people who make Brompton think about what James does, sometimes.

Thank you James, for taking me along for your adventure, and making me laugh so much talking about it!

*This is my first “long distance coffee, aka virtual coffee meeting”! 

Follow the adventure  https://www.jameshouston.com | @jim_london

Well… I don’t have any stories to tell…. Really?

Fouad is the witty, warm-heart storyteller, I absolutely enjoy talking with. He has also guided many people to tell their stories in the Netherlands and abroad. For me, there are something magical about him, like whenever I need a little bit of the space for catching myself, somehow he’s appeared with the coffee. I can feel his heart in his words, always makes me smile, laugh, sometimes tears, and get me back to my life again. Here is the story for you, everyone.

Thank you, Fouad for letting me touch the beauties of storytelling!

Share stories @flakbir