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Friends of Wester-Amstel: Monique Lindeboom

We are very excited to introduce you to Monique Lindeboom, the newest member of Wester-Amstel’s communication team. While she may have only recently join us, she has already fallen in love with our beautiful estate, charming group of volunteers, and the overall ambiance of Wester-Amstel.

 

Monique is the newest member of Wester-Amstel’s communications team and has already helped tremendously during the reveal of the Wester-Amstel tulip. In addition to years of journalism experience, Monique is also a communication consultant and the founder of BeautyJournaal (a digital platform regarded by many of its readers as the “NRC of beauty sites”).

 

How Monique ended up Wester-Amstel is quite special. She was looking for new experiences and she just so happened to walk by our gate at the perfect moment.

Taylor Blades: Can you tell us a bit about yourself Monique?

 

Monique Lindeboom: I’m 58-years-old and I’ve lived in Amsterdam for nearly 38 years now, and it is the only place I want to live in The Netherlands. I spend half the year in Amsterdam, and the other half along the Dutch coast, in Bakkum. It's my getaway, where I like to work and walk along the beach and through the dunes. I have a 19-year-old daughter who is currently travelling with a friend on Interrail through Southern and Eastern Europe.

Photo (M.Lindeboom): Monique enjoying the grand reveal of the Wester-Amstel tulips.

Taylor: That sounds like an absolute dream! How did you come across Wester-Amstel?

 

Monique: I live pretty close to Wester-Amstel and I enjoy walking around this area. This past March, I was walking past Wester-Amstel with a friend. We saw a little sign saying there was a jazz concert going on. So I said, “Okay, you know what, let’s go in!” I had no idea what to expect, but it was so much fun! It was so cosy, all the people were nice, and the music by Ronald Snijder was fantastic. I got to talking with Herma and she discovered that I’m a journalist. She told me that Wester-Amstel needed someone for communications.

 

Taylor: That sounds like an absolute dream! How did you come across Wester-Amstel?

Monique: Exactly! And I had just come back from five weeks in Ibiza, working remotely and I had just decided I wanted to do other things besides my work. It’s like it was meant to be, because I wanted to do something next to my work, some volunteer work, with a different environment and different people… and then this showed up right in front of me! I love it.

 

Taylor: What do you do for work?

 

Monique: I'm a journalist. I've been one for 25 years or so. I worked at local Amsterdam newspapers. I’ve worked for all of women’s magazines in the Netherlands. I’ve worked in television. I was in radio, BNR news radio, for a year and a half.

 

I went from general journalism, into something very specific - fashion journalism. Then I stepped into the world of beauty and cosmetic medical beauty and, guess what, I’m still here. I have also been the editor of BeautyJournaal (an online platform) for 13 years. After all this time, I still love it. I'm fascinated with why people do this. Why do they want to change or enhance their beauty? What is behind it all? What is behind all of the products? The chemistry. All of it.

(Photo: A sneak peek at the homepage of BeautyJournaal.)

Taylor: Wow, what a journey! So you are the person we should approach for tips, tricks, and knowledge.

 

Monique: Certainly, but let’s keep talking about Wester-Amstel. It’s a very beautiful place, everywhere you look. I also love the history of the building and the community that keeps the estate thriving. The way people work for it. The love they have for this place and for each other. It feels like a warm nest.

 

Taylor: You’ve only been here for about two and half months, but how are you finding things so far?

 

Monique: Well, because I was a journalist for a local Amsterdam newspaper, this type of work isn’t new to me. Dealing with the press, for example, since I am part of the press myself, is pretty straightfoward. It isn’t too difficult for me to write press releases or maintain contacts. I’m used to interacting with many types of people, so I feel comfortable with it all.

 

Taylor: So it sounds like you are having a nice time then! That is really great to hear.

 

Monique: I love being in this historical setting. I adore this whole area. Ever since I moved from the inner city to this part of Amsterdam, I walk so much. I always knew these houses were here, but I never imagined that one day I would be doing something with them. So, you know, it’s prefect.

 

Taylor: I think that is certainly one thing about Wester-Amstel, which you mentioned earlier, it really pulls you in. The historical atmosphere, nature, and people. It is just so beautiful.

 

[A discussion around clean beauty ensues]

 

Monique: There's really a connection, as far as I'm concerned, between the world of beauty and the beauty of this estate, and what it does to you. When you are walking its grounds, you relax. It gives you a feeling of comfort and well being. And this is very important to me, in the world that I’m in, because the most beautiful people are the ones who radiate a certain kind of energy. You can tell if they are at ease with themselves, if they are happy with themselves. And for me, being at Wester-Amstel and seeing the happiness of the people who work there. The joy they have being in the gardens, in the park. For me that is beauty too. Feeling good…

 

[A discussion about what kind of great content we can create for Wester-Amstel begins]

Taylor: What are your favourite spots at Wester-Amstel?

 

Monique: I recently sat in the Victorian Tea Pavillion with Søren and I loved it. But, of course, I’m also very fond of the little pond with the floating statue in it. I really enjoy walking around there. There was also one time, when I was cycling on the other side of the Amstel River, and I saw Wester-Amstel. It was just sitting there and I remember thinking, “What a gem it is.”

A picture of Wester-Amstel's Victorian Tea Pavillion
(Photo: The Wester-Amstel Victorian Tea Pavilion)

Taylor: Do you do any gardening yourself?

 

Monique: No, not really as I live in an apartment in Amsteram. There is a bit of land surrounding my little vacation home along the coast, but it is mostly made up of forest and dunes. I do my best to keep the plants on my land as healthy as possible by pruning them regularly. A lot of birds live here, but also squirrels, martens, and foxes. I really appreciate these types of natural habitats.

 

I grew up in Flevoland. As a young girl, I was always out and about, going into nature. I would collect plants, looked them up in my plant books, and then dry them. I made quite a few herbaria. I still have the plant books.

 

Taylor: What a lovely memory. On that note, I will ask my final question. What do you hope to contribute to Wester-Amstel through your volunteer work?

 

Monique: Well, I’m a very practical person. Wester-Amstel needed help with communications and that is something I can help with. I know what to do and I can do it pretty fast. Other than that, I just really enjoy being a part of this community and being able to help introduce more people to Wester-Amtel and its history.

 

Taylor: Well thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with me. We are very excited that you have joined us.

By: Taylor Blades