Zinzy Waleson Geene

I’m in Albufeira, mixing a family visit in with my desire for a silent retreat. A big apartment with ocean view and a pool, I can’t ask for much more.

I’ve been to Albufeira a few times before, but now that I have no travel companion distracting me, my attention focuses on the sharp dominance of British tourists. Pasty white skin (often visible in too great a volume) that doesn’t seem to ever tan. “You can pay in pounds” signs by the cigarette stand. Beer at 8:35 in the morning. An entire street of restaurants showing the game.

I keep looking for local life. Where do people live among all these hotels, where do they shop, where do they eat, where do they go to the doctor, how do they get around town, where do they do their laundry?

Well, someone is ready for their first vacation in 14 months.

Good start of the day

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Hanging out with Vanessa could not have been easier and more fun. Joining the Omek community has given me access to such beautiful, brilliant people from all over Africa. What a fitting wallpaper for the time stamp.

My daughter doesn’t mind the filth. I suppose we’re both feeling a bit bored today. I might go see Blink Twice later.

My first time at Shiraz Jardin des Vins is less awkward than I would expect as a sober person. The friendly waitress knows what’s up: Coca Cola goes in a wine glass.

Said goodbye to Erik Vermeer yesterday. I’ve had a transformative experience working with him. “If you want to do something but you’re scared, do it scared.”

There’s something endearing about the simplicity of being a man of quotes, especially since he’s one of such complexity.

I gave him “Doppelgänger” (a misspelling I refuse to repeat). Into the endless mirror world, the perpetual, dialectic nuance, is where our conversations often led. Naomi’s writing seems fitting. I hope I’ll see him again.

Finally got my hands on a copy of this beautiful book by my name sibling Zindzi. Beautiful day in de Bijlmer to buy it. Can’t wait to dive in!

Yesterday, Lemonade and I got to meet puppy Ted. While I normally consider Lem to be the petite one in the canine dynamic, it was adorable to watch her engage with a puppy. A puppy who, because of his hip downtown Amsterdam lifestyle, rarely engages with other dogs. He was very shy, and took hours to even begin considering that he could get near Lemonade without her pulling out a knife.

Unrelated: great paella to boot!

A visual compendium to my commitment to bad weather. Greetings from Amsterdam, where it’s 10:24 and projected to hit 31 degrees Celsius later today.

Took Lemonade to the park for playtime with Norman and Hovis. They make easy friends. Their parents kept commenting on Lemonade’s eyes. Made me think of this photo.