As a kid I was obsessed with Egyptian hieroglyphics. I wanted to learn to read them and could more or less write my name in them. Something about using tiny images instead of letters fascinated me. Little did I know that ten years later we'd be using loads of images this way. Let's face it: emojis are modern days hieroglyphics. Nine-year-old me would have loved them. Seventeen-year-old me just made a big mess with them. Now ninteen-year-old me is here, trying to save the day and her online conversations with these four, my favorite emojis!

When Noor from Noor's Place showed us the emojis that described her best, we saw cherry blossoms and balloons and hearts and nail polish. You won't see those here, because there's one big difference between Noor and me: she's fluent in Emoji and I'm more like that confused tourist who's desperately looking up words in a pocket dictionary... It took me ages to find out that the eggplant emoji isn't just an innocent eggplant in Emoji and since this discovery I have slight trust issues with the new language of our generation. Who says my friends won't misinterpret my emojis?
This here is exactly the reason why I stick to these four: the one with happy tears, the big smile with a bead of sweat, the winking one that sticks out its tongue - and a cactus. Let me explain.

You know how everyone uses 'LOL'? I don't use it at all. LOL doesn't just mean 'laughing out loud', it's also the Dutch word for 'fun'. Very appropriate, but also slightly weird for me to use. Instead I use this emoji. All the time. It's by far my most used emoji.
I'm on of those people who show their emotions when they read, so chances are that I will be laughing out loud for real if I send you this one - or at the very least I'll be trying not to fall of my chair laughing in the middle of class. I don't just love sending it, I also like to receive it. It lets me know that I made someone think one fun and happy thought that day. In a way it lets me know I did something good for someone else. Did that sound weird? Probably, but I'm hopping on the positivity bandwagon, so let's just make it our goal to see as many of this emoji as possible!


Ever had an online conversation with me? In that case you'll know I use this one a lot. Not as much as the previous one, but still A LOT a lot. This one is my attempt at getting a way with dumb remarks. Dumb actions. Dumb everythings. I'm one of those people who yells 'hi' at someone on the other side of the subway station, then realizes it's not the person I thought they were. I'll tell you how I embarrassed myself in front of this total stranger and end my story with this emoji. If I didn't get one of your jokes, you'll see this emoji. If I have no idea what you're talking about, you'll see this emoji. And if I realize I've said something really stupid, you'll see this emoji. If I send you this one, you're allowed to facepalm at me. Go ahead, I know you want to.