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About Marion
INDO (also as eBook)
"Look, look, an Indo," my parents and other relatives said happily when they thought they recognized an Indo-European in a musician, presenter, or sports figures on TV. Their voices sounded just as pleasantly surprised as when football fans saw their famous football hero. people who preferred to disguise or feel ashamed of their Asian background experienced "Indo" as a swear word, but for people who were proud of their mixed ancestry, it became a badge of honor. [From: Indo]
What is so valuable about the so-called Indian culture and is there an Indian culture? Is it necessary to keep calling ourselves Indo? In Indo, Bloem alternates memories and events, and gives a refreshing, very personal and fascinating look at today's society in which 'identity' seems to be increasingly becoming a point of discussion.
What is so valuable about the so-called Indian culture and is there an Indian culture? Is it necessary to keep calling ourselves Indo? In Indo, Bloem alternates memories and events, and gives a refreshing, very personal and fascinating look at today's society in which 'identity' seems to be increasingly becoming a point of discussion.
A sign of life
She said, "I'm not dying, I'm flying away."
The moment Marion Bloem hears that her sister is seriously ill and will die within a few months, she is unable to continue writing the book about her Indonesian childhood. When she died, it seems as if her sister took the memories with her to the grave. After months of mourning, Bloem picks up the pen again and starts writing A sign of life.
As a child of Indian parents, Marion Bloem grew up taking for granted black and white power, ghosts and wandering souls. At the sickbed of loved ones, she asks them to let her know what it's like there, on the other side. Did she get answers? Bloem had to let go of her Dutch skepticism.
A sign of life is a book about mourning, the fragility of existence and everything that involves death, in which Bloem does not shy away from humor.
The moment Marion Bloem hears that her sister is seriously ill and will die within a few months, she is unable to continue writing the book about her Indonesian childhood. When she died, it seems as if her sister took the memories with her to the grave. After months of mourning, Bloem picks up the pen again and starts writing A sign of life.
As a child of Indian parents, Marion Bloem grew up taking for granted black and white power, ghosts and wandering souls. At the sickbed of loved ones, she asks them to let her know what it's like there, on the other side. Did she get answers? Bloem had to let go of her Dutch skepticism.
A sign of life is a book about mourning, the fragility of existence and everything that involves death, in which Bloem does not shy away from humor.
Her good hand
The complicated, intimate bond between mother and daughter
Melanie, Sonia's mother, has memory problems. 'She really shouldn't live on her own anymore, it's becoming life-threatening,' says the neighbor. As her mother took care of Sonia, she now takes care of her. They have a strong bond, but not without complications, partly due to Melanie's difficult childhood, her Japanese camp past and the period of revolution in which she had to give up many of her girl dreams. Her good hand is a candid, respectful portrait of a brave, colorful woman. Marion Bloem took her own mother as a starting point for this.
Melanie, Sonia's mother, has memory problems. 'She really shouldn't live on her own anymore, it's becoming life-threatening,' says the neighbor. As her mother took care of Sonia, she now takes care of her. They have a strong bond, but not without complications, partly due to Melanie's difficult childhood, her Japanese camp past and the period of revolution in which she had to give up many of her girl dreams. Her good hand is a candid, respectful portrait of a brave, colorful woman. Marion Bloem took her own mother as a starting point for this.
The Java of Bloem
In Bloem's Java, the reader will find not only strong, original stories, but also extremely practical advice for those who want to get to know the rich culture of the main island of Indonesia. Family recipes, a variety of beautiful photos and the personal perspective of the authors make this book a festive quest and an unorthodox guide.
The Sumatra of Bloem
Marion Bloem and Ivan Wolffers travel along the narrow Trans Sumatra Highway over the beautiful second largest island in the world, from Aceh to where the ferry leaves for Java. A journey in time – from the colonial war to the present – full of memories and stories about Bloem's family: her grandmother was born in a fort during the war, and later carried from fort to fort by chain-goers; her father survived a British torpedo attack as a prisoner of war on a Japanese ship and performed forced labor on the death railway.
The Bali of Bloem
For Marion Bloem, Bali has been the island since 1977 where she can relax and write undisturbed. In the thirty-five years that have passed since then, she has seen the island change. Bloem's love for the unique culture, the friendly people and the tolerance that ensured that Bali became a hub of influences, remained intact all the time.
Bloem wants to share her Bali with her readers. The Bali van Bloem contains sixteen stories that she wrote over the years, as well as new pieces. In addition, the book contains a treasure trove of information about history, religion, culture, influence of tourism, the environment, practical advice for those who visit the paradise island, and a selection of family recipes. The photos from the archive of her husband Ivan Wolffers complete this collection.
The personal stories in combination with the informative texts and atmospheric photos give a lively picture of Bali so that you feel, smell, taste and Bali becomes tangible without losing the magic. A must for the enthusiast, the traveler and the armchair enthusiast.
Bloem wants to share her Bali with her readers. The Bali van Bloem contains sixteen stories that she wrote over the years, as well as new pieces. In addition, the book contains a treasure trove of information about history, religion, culture, influence of tourism, the environment, practical advice for those who visit the paradise island, and a selection of family recipes. The photos from the archive of her husband Ivan Wolffers complete this collection.
The personal stories in combination with the informative texts and atmospheric photos give a lively picture of Bali so that you feel, smell, taste and Bali becomes tangible without losing the magic. A must for the enthusiast, the traveler and the armchair enthusiast.
Sawah Belanda
On August 30, 2006, the joint monument of Joyce Bloem (sculptor) and Marion Bloem (writer, visual artist) was unveiled in Park Sacre-Coeur, a park opposite Bronbeek on the Velperweg in Arnhem, Sawah Belanda.
The monument includes a sawa (wet terraced rice fields) with seven granite pages that randomly 'float' over the rice field landscape. The granite pages contain fragments of stories: tales from the mouths of Indian people as written by the author Marion Bloem. Sawah Belanda commemorates the Indo who arose during the colonial era and who came to the Netherlands after the revolution. The art park symbolizes the Indos who now seem to have almost dissolved in Dutch society, who cherish their nostalgic memories, who seem completely assimilated, but have clearly left their traces in Dutch culture. To mark this occasion, this book was edited by Marion Bloem. Joyce Bloem, who is responsible for the realization of the monument, also sponsored this book.
The monument includes a sawa (wet terraced rice fields) with seven granite pages that randomly 'float' over the rice field landscape. The granite pages contain fragments of stories: tales from the mouths of Indian people as written by the author Marion Bloem. Sawah Belanda commemorates the Indo who arose during the colonial era and who came to the Netherlands after the revolution. The art park symbolizes the Indos who now seem to have almost dissolved in Dutch society, who cherish their nostalgic memories, who seem completely assimilated, but have clearly left their traces in Dutch culture. To mark this occasion, this book was edited by Marion Bloem. Joyce Bloem, who is responsible for the realization of the monument, also sponsored this book.
When Your Man Changes
Any treatment to fight prostate cancer has consequences that neither a patient nor a partner can foresee. Is the doctor able to inform you about these (possible) changes?
If your husband changes, it describes in a penetrating and personal way what the patient's partner experiences from the moment the doctor makes the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Writer Marion Bloem interviewed partners of prostate cancer patients, who in most cases shared those experiences with a fellow sufferer for the first time.
Paul Kil, a urologist confronted daily with prostate cancer patients, explains why a treatment is advisable or why not, discusses in the margin the medical aspects of it and the medical support if the disease does come to an end after a chronic course.
This unique collaboration between Bloem and Kil and the candid interviews with the partners of patients provide insight into what prostate cancer is for a disease, what that disease means within a relationship, and how partners have each learned to deal with it in their own way.
If your husband changes, it describes in a penetrating and personal way what the patient's partner experiences from the moment the doctor makes the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Writer Marion Bloem interviewed partners of prostate cancer patients, who in most cases shared those experiences with a fellow sufferer for the first time.
Paul Kil, a urologist confronted daily with prostate cancer patients, explains why a treatment is advisable or why not, discusses in the margin the medical aspects of it and the medical support if the disease does come to an end after a chronic course.
This unique collaboration between Bloem and Kil and the candid interviews with the partners of patients provide insight into what prostate cancer is for a disease, what that disease means within a relationship, and how partners have each learned to deal with it in their own way.
Mosquitoes People Elephants
In Muggen people elephants, her first real travel book, Marion Bloem takes the reader in a swirling stream of stories to Bali and Bolivia, to Australian deserts and swamps in New Guinea, to Africa, Japan and the United States. All five continents are covered in detail. All over the world she meets people with whom a personal contact develops. The often moving and heartbreaking stories she hears evoke all kinds of memories: events from her childhood, love stories, family stories. And so we find all the important themes from her work here again in a very special way, especially the confrontations between cultures and the misunderstandings that can accompany them. Bloem's great zest for travel and life seems to be driven by the search for the roots of her own identity, the identity of an ordinary Indian girl. "She puts her hand on my arm, pulls on my sleeve, looks at me with her black piercing eyes and asks me, 'Where are you from? You're a white woman, but you're black like us."
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