"An orderly spirit lives in a orderly...home! Nothing to worry about, but Chiel just likes everything cleaned and in its place. Objects have their own spot in which to be before bed. And you can only work at your desk when your bed is made. Like we said: nothing to worry about."

"If you see a blond guy cat crawling on the supermarket’s floor, half hidden behind a display or seated between a pile of fruit with a bunch of bananas on his head.. It’s probably is our Peejee.. Hunting for big bargains and small prices. His freezer is stuffed with hunting trophies. At least 47 packages of butter. Which he really likes. Don’t forget to check the E.D. Peejee!"

"Pavi is always good for a laugh. 1. She likes to joke around. 2. She starts laughing when she’s nervous. During a security training they gave her the following tips.. 1. Control your laughing! Or 2. Calmly explain to the gunman that you are a nervous laugher. Pretty laughable these kinds of training."

"Next to being an expert bean counter, Paul is also a fully certified first-aid responder. Everyone can feel safe with Paul nearby, for example on a camping site, where he loves to hang out on the weekends. Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to camping he goes!"

"

If you like really want to make Belinda happy just invite her for a swim around Prinseneiland. Preferably during summer, because cold water isn’t really her thing. Make it quite a few laps too, because when Belinda gets bored she starts building dangerous structures with random stuff. Due to this hobby she successfully cracked an iPad and lost multiple keys on her keyboard. Well.. as long as nobody gets hurt.

"

"Traveling on a tight budget, or maneuver a 3 seater through a narrow stairwell? Micah is your guy! He doesn’t get lost in impracticalities. Hard to believe that this mellow fellow once played guitar in an extreme metalband! That’s the kind of music they play in Hell’s waiting room. Rock on Micah!"

"Some people remember everything—obscure nursery rhymes, a striking little number you wore eight years ago.. Ingeborg is like that. Which comes in handy if you’re stuck in the urban jungle (she used to be a girlscout), but annoying when she has to make you a poem with Sinterklaas."

"Let me tell you about the birds and the bees.. Maudi can do that like no other. She’s buzzy becoming a beekeeper. Really? Really! You know, those dudes with a big hat and a pipe, that talk to bees. Words sweet like honey she whispers, bzz bzz.."

"Noel is a genuine folk singer. It’s purely a domestic profession though. After 7 or 8 ragged versions of Guthrie and Dylan songs the jury gives him the verdict. Woof woof woof woof woof.. ! No Noel, that doesn’t mean ‘we want more’. It’s Doglish for ‘take a break Flop Dylan and give us food.. FOOD!’. Don’t give up Noel.. Practice make perfect."

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"If you find yourself next to our coffee machine on a Monday morning, you’ll find that Arie always has the best stories from his weekend. Maybe they’ll be about a trip through Amsterdam by boot; maybe they’ll be about karaoke singing in the local pub or the “rijsttafel” dinner he got himself invited to. Double espresso with a bit of milk, please!!"

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"Eva is the baby in the family but she certainly doesn’t act like it! She got her degree in Food Science & Technology and now she’s an accomplished connoisseur and knows everything about flavour charts, natural ingredients and nutrition. And to top it off, she dressed as Katy Perry for New Year’s Eve!"

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"Gum, anyone? You can skip Marijntje. Talking with gum in your mouth, gum stains on the asphalt, stuck under a table – nothing’s worse than that! But that’s the only thing, besides that life’s one big rainbow."

"Our man in America might look like a stiff Dutch guy at first glance, but as soon as the music starts, his hips begin to sway and he fills the dance (or office) floor with the finest Latin moves. Mambo Americano!"

"When Sophie grew up in Venlo she sometimes crossed the meadows to school on purpose. Maybe that’s why she dreams about crossing the USA or starting a travel agency in Argentina with her brother. Very handy to have a notebook next to your bed to write down your dreams."

"Henk Jan was once a calendar model but he quit all that when he got the chance to become Tony’s Chief Chocolate Officer. He’s forged ahead with plans to create a world of 100% slave-free chocolate and has drafted all of Tony’s family members to help."

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"Everybody has their secret wishes. Heather’s is a complete white bedroom with nothing in it but a big bed with white linen. Call it perfectionism, call it utopic, but it guarantees a good night’s sleep. But watch out with that milk yoghurt passionfruit bar, Heather!"

"It’s a good thing we have a desk disco every six months at Tony’s, because Ruben is an expert in cracking word jokes all day long. Bad jokes, some people call them, but they just can’t appreciate the art of it. Don’t let them put you down, Ruben!"

"Maybe it’s because she lives on a houseboat, but there are few things that make Melassi (nickname, not a spelling mistake) happier than baby animals. Piglets on Insta or cygnets in the wild, she can’t get enough. Uhm, sorry.. cygnets? Let’s look that one up."

"\r\n"

"Bas goes out looking for adventure. Always armed with a camera and an impressive amount of camera accessories – lenses, tripods, you name it.. Quite handy if you climb Macchu Pichu or the Kilimanjaro, or go cage diving with great white sharks. Say cheese!"

"As a self-proclaimed nerd Anne-Wil willfully (probably because of the second part of her name) wants to know how everything works. Everything? Yes, everything. So it doesn’t surprise us that she’s allowed to fly an airplane and that skydiving in a wind tunnel is the only thing left on her bucket list."

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"No Tony without a nickname and Annabel has the most of all: Bel, Bellie, Bells, Belleboos… just Annabel is fine as well. Having that many nicknames comes in handy when you need her because she likes to daydream when no one’s watching. Bella! Phone!"

"Ask Diara about her plans for the future and they all involve cake. What are you going to do this weekend? Cake. What do you want to be when you grow up? Cake. Of course she means she wants to become a cakeshop-lady. In Ghana, if possible. Formidable!"

"\r\n"

"There’s people that don’t want to be disturbed in their sleep, but they’re peanuts compared to Sylvia. Her baby boy gets away with it, the rest have to fear for their lives. She doesn’t even have to wake up to swat mosquitos, yikes!"

"Even though Chloé is the youngest of four and therefore, and we quote, a bit of a princess, she’s not one to sit back and relax. Roll up those sleeves, boy-o! And then we’re not just talking about her brown-green detox drinks or her cauliflower risotto. Whappa!"

"It’s pretty impressive when Wasken lifts a football out of the Haarlemmervaart with his feet. But secretly, he is a sore loser: pretends to forget the score, pulling shirts, says “hats off” if the sun’s shining.. Good thing he’s such a sweetie otherwise!"

"Arjen is our resident DJ. He plays just about everything, from ska to pan flute music. When we don’t really dig his selection, we do let him know, but very, very carefully. Arjan has a black belt in karate and can (so he claims) break a pile of wooden planks in half with one hand. At the office, he keeps himself pretty happy."

"With three daughters, Frans is Tony’s ladies’ man. Cheering at the pool, haggling over green bean prices, and he can braid hair like nobody’s business. But every once in while he goes off with his friends to watch a Belgian cycling tournament — after all it’s all about balance."

"From Hoofddorp to South America, Kirsten travels around. On foot, too, jogging crisscross through Westerpark in Amsterdam — for fun! You better do something if you work in a chocolate factory!"

"Carline’s life is like a musical journey. As a child she wanted to sing in a girlband. As a teenager she was droppin’ bars for the school paper. But nowadays she would like to write songs for musicals. With lots of word jokes in it. Something like “Beauty and the Beatboxer’. What’s that?! Ahhh.. It’s the smell of Broadway."

"Since January 2013 Ivan has been fidgeting in his chair, two-stepping to lunch and answering the telephone with, “Alaaf” (??). Ivan is a genuine Brabander – he flips for carnival! But don’t worry – he’s in just as merry a mood when he’s got his costume on as when he’s got his everyday shirt on."

"Cutting in line is an art form, as we know. Step by step, leaning forward, looking away a bit.. Marijn knows what it’s all about. There we go, put the shopping bag in the way. Who’s next?"

"\r\n"

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Tessa can give people the impression that she’s not interested in their stories. Tessa never wins a staring contest. Tessa seems to follow an invisible fly now and then. What’s going on here? Well.. she has a tic and rolls her eyeballs compulsively. So remember, you’re not a bad story teller. She simply doesn’t only have eyes for you.

"

"Dawdling, you gotta love that expression. Ben hates it, though. Not the expression, the act. Combination of long legs and impatience, probably. So walking up ahead on holiday, his son jogging behind on the way to school and 'flat tiring people' on the underground. Also a great expression."

"When you’ve got a craving for something really yummy, Sanne’s your go-to girl. She’s famous for her amazing cakes. And when she’s not standing in the kitchen, she goes running or traveling to some far-away place, such as to Zanzibar. When she’s not hard at work, she’s training for a race. Hup, two, three, four"

"What do you call a white fourty year old who likes to blast old skool hip hop? Ynzo! He even does a little dance. No C-walk or B-walk, a T-walk! Red and blue together. Peace out."

"Did you know that Marieke once took a course in interior styling. Her house looks picture perfect / designer-magazine perfect. A little designer chair here, a little bouquet of wild flowers a well-chosen coffee table book there. If you ever want to make Marieke happy with a bouquet of flowers, you’ll need to keep one thing in mind – she loves all flowers, just not yellow ones"

"\r\n"

"What would it be like if you’d say ‘yes’ to everything one day? Michelle (usually a very responsible type) likes to think about this. Sleep in late? Yes. Miss appointments? Yes. Helicopter flight with a stranger? Yes! Do it, Michelle, do it."

"When you come over to Twerrel’s parties you won’t find the standard things you’d find on a Surinam party. Sushi, a Thai buffet, a gigantic pan of paëlla for 80 people.. no prob for Twerrel. We’ll be there next time aswell, ok?"

"Powertools, a man can’t do without them, really. Not that you actually have to do anything with them. Just hold them, once in a while. Bzz bzzz. Paul does use them: bike shed here, shelves against the wall there.. Scullery, dining table. And then praying it breaks down again. Bzz bzz!"

"

Young Shannon was quite something. She carved her first spelling lessons into the neighbor’s car, which they didn’t appreciate. Spoilsports. Things like this are all in the past. Nowadays, she’s way too busy with her cat hobby. She owns a cat teapot, a cat sweater, and even a cat tissue box holder! Together with her cat she dances to golden oldies like Otis Redding and The Beatles. That’s some serious cat love for ya. Miaow!

"

"Nothing that relaxes Henk like a good action movie. Bit of of a rumble, explosions, preferably with a guitar-driven soundtrack. Bassie and Adriaan versus the Baron, but on midlife crisis level. Lights out, cell phoned off, the show is about to start!"

"There’s not much to do when you’ve got songs in your head. Especially when it happens all the time, like with Dorien. Michael Jacksons entire oeuvre comes along, a different song every day. Singing out loudly seems to help, but isn’t always appreciated.."

"Some call it crafts, other handiwork, Eveline calls it fröbelen. You know, just doing your thing, making stuff. Pottery, fixing old furniture, getting wild with the sewing machine. Maybe even a bee hotel on the balcony. Good idea!"

"What's for dinner tonight? Something Joost likes to think about 'Cause choices, choices, people! He has a hard time in restaurants, because after a lot of consideration before ordering, he's still regrets his choice in hindsight a lot of the time. By the way, did you know no one rivals his potato peeling skills? True story."

"Ayahuasca. We had to look it up and look at Chris questioningly. It's a spiritually psychedelic brew from the Amazon. Chris would like to try it sometime. Perhaps because she can't pick form her 35+ tea flavours, but probably out of sheer curiosity. Would you like a cookie with that?"

"Freckles on her nose diddle diddle di Valerie can teach you! How to eat a hardboiled egg while showering for example. Or that you can use regular dishwashing soap in the the dishwasher. Organise a foam party, right now!"

"The world is divided into people who open their bag of crips at the top, and people who open the bottom. The fact that people exist who do it the latter way is baffling to Ewoud. And let's not even discuss people who eat a cookie the wrong way round! When we crack open a chocolate bar with Ewoud, we're always careful to start on the right. Just to be safe."

"\r\n"

"Do you recognize this? Intending to shake someones hand but it turns into a high five? 4 clumsy kisses instead of 3? If the answer is yes, changes are you've met Amber. Love it. And another kiss coming your way."

"Melissa’s Italian American background is something she wears with pride. And something she’s not shy to tell you about; loud, straight forward and with a strong NY accent. Favorite subjects are family and good cooking. Italian, of course, cosa ne pensi?"

"Psst, wake up! It happens that Nea wakes her kids in the middle of the night to come and look at Mars or Jupiter. How cool! Or to sled in fresh snow, or swim in a lake – the latter only in the summer of course."

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One time, in the Tuscany hills Tim prepared a Michelin Star worthy meal on just a camping stove. He lit candles, pulled a cold bottle of pinot grigio out of his backpack and looked deep into his girlfriend’s eyes. This situation was far too good to be true.. so, with a quick blow from his elbow, he knocked over the pan. Romantics.. they can be clumsy now and then.

"

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"

How many artists are still out there.. undiscovered and unknown to the public? Those who do brilliant things indoors. Take Eleni for example.. In front of a mirror she turns into a comedian who plays her imaginary audience like a piano. In the shower she sings Amy Winehouse songs in a way that’ll bring tears to your eyes. So c’mon Eleni, don’t hesitate and take the stage!

"

"

An old soul in a young body.. That’s how he’s often been described. But Umut lives in the now and is very successful doing so. Having inner discussions about social issues from different perspectives or writing short stories and even books. A peux sérieux? Not at all.. Umut’s word plays are the best!

"

""

"Put Hilary Clinton, a blond beach babe, a debate champion and a pole dancer in a blender. Mix it up around 15 minutes and what do you get?.. An Abby Noel! A logical combination in Abby’s universe. Pretty arguable of course. But try to tell that to a top debater like Abby Noel."

""

"Don't get us wrong, Marleen is not lazy. But, when a vase is in front of the tv, you can see through the flowers just fine you know. It's very efficient to always have a notepad at hand to update your to-do list. \"Moving vase\" for example. Check."

"Who hasn’t wanted to pet an Opossum? So soft and fluffy! Stray dogs and cats also deserve petting. That you can get bitten doesn’t bother Sanne. Everybody needs love! And sometimes, a rabies shot."

"\r\n"

"It's not like Sabrina is looking for contests, the contests find her! And she wins EVERYTING. Grocerypackages, a bicycle, clothing, skiing trip for 8, a trip to Moroco. She's very good in making up slogans...or maybe no one else is competing? We're not sure."

"

Picture this.. there he is.. at a prestigious concours in Russia with a huge cake in the shape of formula 1 car plus racing track.. The temperature is way too high so the whole thing collapses. It’s tattered and there’s only a half hour left to fix his masterpiece. But he nailed it. Countertop squeaky clean and everything hunky-dory. Cool as Fonzie our Bas. K.

"

"Ever heard of the three R's? Most people need them. Rest, refreshment, regularity. Not Quintin. He is more like, very impatient, a little dirty and bored easily. He prefers the three B's. Yup, beer, bitterball and barbecue. "

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"As a little boy, Ywe was read the riot act on a regular basis on account of him always getting punctured tyres on his bicycle. Caught a little too much air, bumped the sidewalk, racing to complete his paper route the fastest...and it's still going on now, with his daughters in the carrier cycle. 'Faster dad, faster!'"

"Working in the big city sure has it’s benefits but all that nitrogen! Sometimes Tristan closes his eyes and starts building a new home in this Arcadian landscape. Fresh air, lots of green, chickens and a pig.. Splendid! Clap your hands three times to drag Tristan back to reality. But let him have a daydream now and then."

"Even though Bas regularly has a new gadget (at this moment a super cool retro PDA), you can’t make him happier than playing an old fashioned game of Portal 2 on the PS3. Single player, ‘cause those 12 year old kids put up too much of a fight. It has to be fun, right?"

"Always a laugh with Naomi. Especially because her laugh is so joyfully loud and contagious. You can find her easily in any bar because of it. It's always quite a distraction whilst freefalling in a rollercoaster, as is her shiny hair, blowing in the wind."

"Sometimes you see Mike in front of the door throwing his leg in the air. Are these yoga routines? Is he kicking an invisible football? Is it a compulsive neurosis? None of that. Mike always loses his stuff. That’s why he taped his electronic key to his ankle. Very handy Mike! Big problems need big solutions."

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"Back in India Nikhil was part of the national curling team. There was no ice so they practiced on the tiled floor of a nearby shopping mall. When Nikhil shattered a window display for the third time he run off. He started a new career as a bartender on a cruise ship. So, he knows how to make a good Bloody Mary. Chin-chin!"

"So annoying when keys do that: you know you put them in your coat pocket, but they’re not there. Not again, Laura sighs. In the messy drawer? No. In your purse? No? Still in the door? Thankfully not. No, they’re in your coat pocket, exactly where you looked before."

"As a child Derk Jan dreamed of playing for Ajax. Posters of Marco van Basten on his bedroom ceiling and constantly kicking his football.. in the backyard. Not a place where new talent gets discovered. Or your neighbour has to be a talent scout for Ajax. Derk Jan’s neighbour wasn’t. The chocolate branch, then.. A different ballgame but he’s a key player!"

"You know those people that are always soft spoken, kind and inconspicuous, who get REALLY fanatical with games? Jolien is like that. Preferably with fast, not to complicated games like Qwixx or rainworms or old skool stuff like RUmmikub or Yahtzee. Or Party & Co, or 30 Seconds! Just make sure you're on her team."

"Daan likes a joke or two. Didn’t always turn out right in the past, with uncomfortable silences as a result. These awkward moments can still keep him awake at night. When this happens he puts on his favourite slippers and sneaks to the kitchen for a calming piece of fresh mango. Yep.. that’s the life of a comedian."

"Rijk likes to crochet stuffed animals. ‘No need to mention this on the website’ he said. But hey,.,. talents like this deserve a spotlight. Crochet is pretty masculine, right? And there’s nothing wrong with Rijk’s masculinity in the first place. He jumps out off a helicopter on top of a mountain, skis his way down and he has a beard. What a man!"

"Vergeetachtigheid is het niet, maar Marloes’ spullen liggen vaak niet op de plek waar ze horen te liggen. ID-kaarten, pinpassen, OV-kaarten (ooit 2 keer in 1 week aangevraagd), sleutels.. Gelukkig geen belangrijke zaken – verjaardagen en namen gaan prima."

"There’s one in every group of friends.. The reliable guy who’s always the cashkeeper during nights out, has to take care of holiday bookings and is always the designated driver.. That’s Jerome for you. But he doesn’t mind. He likes to be in charge of things. And then afterwards a well deserved IPA in his old rocking chair. Cheers!Money Box-er"

"Are you familiar with the term 'Bleeker-noise'? No? W're not surprised, because it's the name Arno's friends gave his musical tastes. It started out with some very upper class punk, but became more and more extreme - and annoying. The height of Bleeker noise was a self-recorded cd with organ music, where the organ caught fire during the last song...not too bad for someone who listened to ABBA as a kid."