King’s Day, 27 April: when some of my colleagues – royalty journalists – follow the Dutch royals closely today, during their visit to Tilburg, and many other Dutch people celebrate a day off, I sit at home behind my computer working. Not always to my delight, but necessary. I am working as a royalty journalist for a foreign press agency, and being the only one who knows Dutch, I have to be available at about any time on days like this. You never know what happens, as we unfortunately have seen in 2009. And the media world is working quicker and quicker. You can’t come up with something “new” hours after it happened.
Unfortunately, as I’ve always loved to be there. The last time was 2012 in Rhenen and Veenendaal, when after the festivities I opened my laptop and worked from the MacDonalds. In 2013 I was in Amsterdam, but didn’t see much either, because I was working in the press centre most of the time. Maybe when they ever celebrate very close to my home again. I hope so. One thing I really don’t miss is the way you’re being rushed from press area to press area. Sometimes through the waiting audience, that of course are not always happy that they have to step aside and might loose their great spot. And of course all the waiting for the royals …
Nowadays I switch on the TV in the morning – luckily the visit starts only at 11am since a few years. I might just leave the house for a short while tomorrow morning, before TV starts. As I want to have something tasty, like a nice orange cake, to eat. I had a look in the supermarkets, but it is all tompouce and profiteroles (or big versions with lots and lots of cream) … and the only cakes I really don’t like are these.