About me

Obviously the (authorised) photo you find here is not me.  It is made by Ricardo Read, a Dominican photographer.

I choose to call myself Amapola to make reference to my Dominican origins.   Amapola trees (Erythrina poeppigia)  blossom in May, giving a bright orangy red tint to the countryside fields.  But there is also another type of Amapola, which is a fragile flower also found in tropical meadows and belonging to the Eschscholzia family.  Commonly known as 'poppies' they vary in colour and are found in different parts of the world (including non-tropical areas).

Poppies by Amapola Blooming

That there are two flowers with the same name and very distinctive characteristics is a metaphor of my multicultural life:  In essence I feel like a robust Amapola tree, but in daily life I am a colourful fragile poppy that longs for deepest roots.  As an immigrant in the Netherlands the reality of multiple identities and languages is inescapable - it can be enriching as well as destabilising and forces me to constantly revise who I am through my creative expression.

I am an open soul who dreams to be an inspiration to others in every aspect of my life.  Writing is another humble attempt towards achieving that.