Beautiful, blonde, stylish, slim, funny and she writes. If I were a man, I would know what to do. Marion Pauw tells me her nice addresses. I want to go to everything she attends.
Work
I actually always write at home because I have to work ergonomically. I have a setup with an ugly, responsible chair with supports in the right places and a very large computer screen. So unfortunately, I can't settle in romantic spots to write, because I have to pay for that with incredible pain in my shoulders and neck. In the past, I literally lay on the couch in a sort of banana shape to write. Until one day I woke up and couldn't move my head anymore. And that has always remained my weak spot. My vertebrae sometimes go in all directions. That's why I've also become a fanatical athlete to develop a so-called muscle harness. The moment I finish a manuscript and only have to correct it, I can work nicely outside. Then I hold a sort of work safari. I start in a café around the corner, take a half-hour walk through Vondelpark, and then go somewhere else for lunch.
Sports
About three to four times a week, I try to exercise. I lived in Aruba for a year where I had a personal trainer. She taught me exercises to do strength training at home. I do my exercises to music or in front of the television.
On Koninginneweg is Hot Flow Yoga. It's slightly different from Bikram Yoga because it's a bit less warm and there is no stinky carpet. It is run by two former ballerinas. They give very nice classes, a great combination of stretching, strength, detox, and meditation. It's around the corner from my house and it really has to be, otherwise I won't go. That's why I also bought a basic set of weights for home. If I have a lost half hour, I quickly do some exercises. Or I go running in the park.
Restaurant
At least once every two weeks, I go eat at Balti House. A restaurant on Albert Cuyp, with the best Indian food in the world. My favorite dish is Chicken Tikka Bhuna and they also have delicious red wine, for 15.50 euros you get a bottle of Bushman. And also so nice, because it’s not hip at all, you can even go there in your pajamas if necessary.
Lunch
I am a big fan of Le Pain Quotidien. I always go to the one on Cornelis Schuyt or in Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam. The salad with quinoa and hummus and beet caviar is my favorite. I am always very focused on healthy eating. My kitchen cupboard is full of superfoods, I mainly eat fish and vegetarian and take a lot of supplements. For 75% I eat super healthy and for the rest a lot of chocolate, fried potatoes and the occasional steak.
Weekend away
My boyfriend has an apartment in New York that we like to go to. Our bikes are also there so we ride around the whole city. Every day we buy a super healthy smoothie at the Juice Generation or we eat at Pure Food and Wine. They only have raw food, but at almost haute cuisine level. And I drink a glass of wine with that. Of course. If you don't have an apartment available, Parker Meridien is a lovely hotel. They have a gigantic gym in the basement and an indoor pool on the rooftop terrace. Everything is exactly as you want it. High, soft beds, you can choose from five different pillows and you walk straight into Central Park.
Because I come to New York quite often, I have seen all the tourist attractions. I prefer to go to the Trapeze School, especially in the summer that's amazing. On top of a roof, you learn, indeed, to trapeze jump. When I go out with friends in the evening, we sometimes go to a karaoke bar. All the guests who work on Broadway come to sing after their shift. That's incredibly beautiful. Of course, I also sing a note along. I absolutely can't do it, and I really have to have had a drink for that.
Shopping
I prefer to shop in Amsterdam. There are so many great Dutch brands, like Anecdote. I recently bought a very nice woolen suit there. When I wear it, I always get a lot of compliments. Dante 6, another good brand. And Scotch and Soda of course. Furthermore, I love Zadig & Voltaire. I find everything they have beautiful. I fell in love with a beautiful coat there, then I stalked the store every day until it was on sale and eventually bought it. I am not a born stylist. Sometimes there are days when I think: hooray, I am hip. But most of the time I don't manage at all. And when I write, I actually always wear sweatpants.
Shoes
You can picture me in Supra sneakers. Every year I buy a new color and this year I bought black. I also love high heels but think it's a waste to spend 800 euros on a pair of shoes. In New York, I go to Stuart Weitzman, they have beautiful shoes that are not exactly cheap, but you can actually walk well in them. I once bought a pair of heels at the Albert Cuyp market, above that I wore a sexy dress and a Chanel necklace. Everyone thought I was wearing a designer outfit. I really prefer to travel than to buy a pair of Gucci boots.
