“I want to open up my own cat cafe and animal shelter. The cafe will be a place where people can cuddle with the cats and they can order cake, coffee and tea. When you exit the cafe you will have to walk through the animal shelter. That way people can meet all the other animals and maybe even adopt one. The money I make with the cafe I will use to buy food for all the animals. I made the first design when I was 7 but every time I have a new idea I write it down in my notes. I’m 9 so all I have to do now is wait until i’m a little older and then I can start.”

“For two years we were dating other people. We would give each other relationship advice and that’s how we became really good friends. After I had broken up with my boyfriend his parents invited me to go on a holiday to the south of France with them to make me feel better. A few days later we fell in love. Today we are celebrating our four-year anniversary by taking a walk in the rain.”

“Exactly here is where I met my husband 40 years ago. It was my birthday and together with a friend we just bought bikes on credit. We wanted to try them out so we decided to go to the park. In the park there was a group of boys and we got to talk. All of a sudden one of the boys started teasing me and took away my bike key. He told me that if I wanted my key back I would have to come and chase him to get it. He was handsome and nice so I did not mind one bit. After that day we became a couple and a few years later we got married. Unfortunately, my husband passed away about a year ago. Life without him is very hard and I miss him every day but I’m a blessed person. I have had a wonderful marriage.”

“I was two years in a relationship while I was in love with someone else. Not a day went by without thinking of him. A few months ago I decided to end my relationship and now I finally get to be with this person. The love I have for him is so intense that sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming.”

Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990) is seen as one of the best street photographers of the Netherlands. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam currently has a big exhibition of his work and they’re organizing a photo contest in honor of Ed’s work. I was asked to be an ambassador of this photo contest. I took this photo last year at the Central Station of Amsterdam and selected this to be part of the contest. The reason for selecting this photo is that it reminded me of one my favorite portraits of Ed (Google: Ed van der Elsken, girl in subway). The assignment of the contest is to capture the interaction between you and the person you photograph. To enter you have to share (before May 1st) your photo on Facebook or Instagram and use #deverliefdecamera, #fotowedstrijd and @stedelijkmuseum. The winning photographers will receive a spot in the Ed van der Elsken’s exhibition in the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam.

“I love women but I was never successful in marriage. However, I have always been successful in business. The first hotel I owned was nearly bankrupted when I bought it so when I took over, I knew I had to come up with a smart plan to get the hotel booked. One day I was reading the newspaper and I noticed many men and women placing advertisements to find someone to marry. These advertisements were immensely popular and many people would find a suitable partner because of it. The words people would use to market themselves were so catchy and genius. I figured why not use the exact same format but change just a few words. Something like: ’‘Hotelroom is looking for an attractive guest.” The next day our phone was ringing non-stop and the hotel was fully booked.“