Hokwerda's Kind by Oek de Jong

Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

Swimming home by Deborah Levy

Drift by Bregje Hofstede

Overcrowded relation planet

Last year, 40 dating agencies in Shanghai cooperated to organize world's biggest dating fair. 10,000 tickets were sold, almost 20,000 people came to the event. The difference in numbers was explained by parents who insisted upon accompanying their children.

With 19,999 people blocking your view, the prince on his white horse might still be hard to spot because reportedly, the atmosphere was far from romantic. Finding true love is serious business!

Upcoming weekend the dating fair will be held in the Expo grounds, where 30,000 people are expected. Parents are discouraged from coming by charging them a small fee. When interviewed, they said nothing could stop them from coming.

How much I would have loved to be there, foreigners are not allowed. Intercultural matchmaking is still illegal as intercultural relations used to be strictly forbidden. Another time.

Picture by telegraph.co.uk

Butterflies talking

"Life isn't the same as it used to be. People have changed. There is no day and night anymore. Violence all over, no respect left." We are in a taxi and get prepared for half an hour of the usual talk about 'nowadays'. Sigh. What is it with old men?

Suddenly his tone changes when he enquires about the state of our relationship. He was 15 when he met his first love, a beautiful girl of 14 from the next village. School had been difficult and he dropped out after Primary. Her family was of good standing and wouldn't agree with their relationship. They broke up, she moved, they lost touch. He missed her badly, kept a warm place for her in his heart. She was the one. Years pass and he got married to a girl with a good income. They had kids. Divorced. And all of a sudden, 39 years later he stands in front of his old love, as if nothing has changed. The beautiful girl from back then. The butterflies in his stomach need less than time to get back to life. They tickle his eyes into sparks, his armpits into sweating, his cheeks into blushing as he talks. And her butterflies answer: take me from here, take me away from my husband who doesn't love me, let me loose 15 kgs for you and be pretty again, let's spend a weekend together, come to my house for Christmas, pick me up in your taxi and take me far far away.

We pass our destination while the driver still rattles on. God has blessed him, given him back his faith, given him a reason to live. And oh my goodness, look at the GPS, we need to make a U turn here, I am loosing myself talking, what will my boss say? Call me when you are around, I will tell you the end of the story, and how we lived happily ever after. Promise that you will call.