Richard de Nooy

Author's details

Biography

Richard de Nooy (1965) grew up in South Africa and vowed to travel the world. He didn’t get much further than Amsterdam, where he has lived for the past 25 years. He spends his days writing and translating and staring at the sky, trying to guess where the planes are going. He will be mapping his ignorance of the world’s cities from his desk chair, using his preferred mode of transport; the worldwide web. He hopes readers will excuse his ignorance and help fill the vast gaps in his knowledge with entertaining and enlightening anecdotes about their home towns. Richard de Nooy’s novels have been published in English and Dutch. You’ll find further information on his site www.richarddenooy.com. Photo by Stefanie Grätz

Latest posts

  1. To Rent in Kent — May 31, 2013
  2. The Ålesund you don’t see — May 28, 2013
  3. My Father and the Sunflowers — May 3, 2013
  4. You Vee Double-You Ex Why Zzzzz — April 12, 2013
  5. Wandering Art — March 29, 2013

Author's posts listings

24
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Photo - Jesse Warren

Whenever I feel cocky and think I’m starting to get a grip on the world, I remind myself of China and realise how ignorant I really am. Until about a week ago, I knew the names of three Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I’d read about other cities in articles, but somehow their… read more »

17
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Backpacker in Bangkok

I hate camping. There, I’ve said it. I just don’t get it. Why surround yourself with all sorts of creature comforts – a magnificent mattress, a fully-functioning fridge, a dandy dishwasher, a spacious stove, copious cutlery and crockery, and a queue-free toilet and shower – and then leave all that behind to “get back to… read more »

10
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Red Fort by Helen Moffett

My wife took off to Delhi today. I didn’t. But there’s no need to feel sorry for me, because I get to play one of my favourite games, which is to come up with all the things I won’t be doing in Delhi in the next three days. I usually play this game all on… read more »

03
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 13:56 comment View Comments
The Suriname River at Berg & Dal by Raj Mohan

One of the things I love most about Amsterdam is the incredible diversity of its inhabitants. The city is home to more than 130 different nationalities and a ten-minute walk will take me to the door of restaurants run by people of Moroccan, Italian, Lebanese, Chinese, Surinamese, Japanese, Turkish, Thai, Greek and Fusion descent. The… read more »

27
May
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Rome

I’ve been to Rome. Just once. About twenty years ago. I saw the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Basilica San Pietro. I witnessed the instatement of a new president (Scalfaro). I shared a pizza with strangers at a long table in Trastevere. I was ‘manhandled’ twice (in an underwear shop and a bar). I washed… read more »

20
May
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Jeepneys

Because I tend to get bored quite easily, I like to mix things up, keep them fresh. I was recently discussing this with Elsbeth, my handler at KLM, who usually contacts me at precisely 08:00 on Monday morning to enquire whether I have enough ignorance left for Friday’s blog. And I never disappoint her, of… read more »

13
May
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Calgary Stampede

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you wake up thinking: why is it that I know so little about Canada? Today was one of those days. Having gone in search of answers on the web, I can safely say that Canadians have plenty to boast about, but they don’t. Like a confident… read more »