Martyn V. Halm's Blog

Typewriter Serial Number Locations

I got addicted to cappuccino when I worked in coffee houses and bought my first espresso machine, a Jura Rio D’Oro with built-in grinder, when I was still living in student quarters at Uilenstede. Later I bought a secondhand Quickmill 820 and a separate grinder, and finally my La Pavoni Professional.

These lovely machines have been made since the early sixties and are popular machines, mainly due to their simplicity. The only electric part is the heating element in the boiler, everyth...

My Corona Diary was getting a bit long, and was nowhere near over, so I decided to break it off after my return from the hospital and document my convalescence.
You can find the first part of My Corona Diary here.
You can find the second part of My Corona Diary here.

FYI, all measurements are Dutch/European. My normal body temperature is 36.5 Celsius. Normal glucose levels are between 5-8 mmol/l. Normal blood pressure for me ought to be 129/85, but I usually have 135/90.

(April 30th) I slept...

My Corona Diary was getting a bit long, and was nowhere near over, so I decided to break it off just before I was going back to the hospital for the third and fourth time.
You can find the first part of My Corona Diary here.
You can find the third part of My Corona Diary here.

FYI, all measurements are Dutch/European. My normal body temperature is 36.5 Celsius. Normal glucose levels are between 5-8 mmol/l. Normal blood pressure for me ought to be 129/85, but I usually have 135/90.

(April 16th)...

My Corona Diary was getting a bit long, and was nowhere near over, so I decided to break it off just before I was going back to the hospital for the third and fourth time.
You can find the first part of My Corona Diary here.

FYI, all measurements are Dutch/European. My normal body temperature is 36.5 Celsius. Normal glucose levels are between 5-8 mmol/l. Normal blood pressure for me ought to be 129/85, but I usually have 135/90.

(April 16th) Its past midnight. Thursday is garbage collection...

FYI, all measurements are Dutch/European. My normal body temperature is 36.5 Celsius. Normal glucose levels are between 5-8 mmol/l. Normal blood pressure for me ought to be 129/85, but I usually have 135/90.

(March 18th) Just to keep people posted, theres a fairly big indication that Ive contracted Corona or COVID-19 shortness of breath, fever so Ill be housebound for the next week or so. I have no respiratory diseases or a weak heart, so Ill probably be all right. I called the hospital...

Even though GHOSTING was published years ago, I still get emails and letters asking when the fifth novel, DRONE, will be published. So, here’s a typecast explanation on my long, long hiatus.

[image error] [image error]

I’ve been using a Storz & Bickel “Mighty” vaporizer since 2016, vaping microdoses of Bedrocan medical cannabis six times a day for my glaucoma. Vaping six times a day was rough on my throat though, despite the vapour not containing solid particles like smoke and the use of a glass mouthpiece I bought separately for increased airflow.

To cool the vapour more and make inhaling smoother, I recently bought a Little Rippa EasyFlow bubbler bong and an adapter to use the Mighty to make a MightyRippa...

[image error]Street writing at Nieuwmarkt Amsterdam on my 1938 Seidel & Naumann Erika S, with the Olivetti Valentine in its case next to my bench. [image error] [image error]Overview of the Olivetti Valentine as I’m wrting the typecast below. [image error] [image error]This machine was Made in Italy. That seems quite obvious for an Italian brand, but from my research it seems that only the first few Valentines were made in Italy. Most of them are from either Spain or Mexico. [image error]The earlier models had the small orange bolt to keep the black metal spools tight...

[image error] [image error]Writing @ Amsterdam Oosterpark [image error] [image error]My ultra-comfy Helinox camp chair, with the Street Writer canvas bag and the Gaston Lagaffe piggybank. [image error] [image error]The 1955 Groma Kolibri @ Vapiano [image error]The 1955 Olivetti Lettera 22 @ Oosterpark. [image error] [image error]Writing examples with stickers and the Gaston Lagaffe piggy bank. [image error]My favourite on the road machine, my 1964 Swissa Junior.