News

The Book Gifting Challenge: What’s the First Thing to Make You Laugh

April 19, 2021
Well, now everyone is in Lockdown. So I thought: "Oh, well. I'll have to approach the fabulous celebrities one on one. With social distancing!"  And I came up with a hook: I'll interview the Dutch celebrities and ask them "What is the first thing in the book that makes you laugh out loud?" Right away, with America expert Laila Frank, I did not get the result I was expecting. In fact, it kind of backfired. Making it all the more hilarious! Got 60 seconds? Watch the video:  

Greg Shapiro Presents THE ZOOM IMPROV WORKSHOP

April 15, 2021
After the success of my HOW NOT TO ZOOM 'video conference mini-show,' a client asked: “Could you lead one of your classic improv workshops via Zoom as well?” And I said YES. Or more specifically, “YES AND.”   The Zoom Improv Workshop starts with: - Introducing yourself to your team in a whole new way. - Sharing WORST practice in video conferencing. - Showcasing Special Skills. And it builds up to: - Allowing yourself to be an expert, based on virtual backgrounds assigned to you at random.

1 Year of ‘HOW NOT TO ZOOM: a Videoconference Mini-Show

April 13, 2021
It was April, 2020 when I got a phone call: “Could you do 10 minutes of comedy about video conferencing for our weekly video conference?” I said YES. And it was such a hit, I developed a new videoconference mini-show called HOW NOT TO ZOOM, aka “Sharing WORST Practice.” Pretty soon, I was asked to do longer sets of 30-45 minutes - including a tailored powerpoint show. No problem.

Book Presentation Greg Shapiro + Great First Review

March 22, 2021
Presenting Greg Shapiro's third book, THE AMERICAN NETHERLANDER: 25 Years of Expat Tales. The first copy was given to reviewer Michael Hasted of ARTS TALK MAGAZINE. Watch as Shapiro gives Hasted approximately 30 seconds to read the book before conducting his interview.

My Dog the Recycling Dog: Black Labrador Retrieves Plastic Soup

March 7, 2021
When Covidiots trash Amsterdam Vondelpark, my dog is there for the cleanup. Meet Olive, the Black Labrador. She is never happier than when she's Retrieving. So I've trained her to fetch plastic garbage - especially floating plastic garbage in the water. Vondelpark is her favorite place to do it. And lately, there's no shortage of Plastic Soup. 

Greg Shapiro on NPO Op1: Commenting as Trump

February 17, 2021
At one point, Charles Groenhuijsen said "We asked ourselves at the production meeting - when the tide started to turn to Biden - 'What must Trump be thinking?' Luckily we have Greg Shapiro to tell us tonight." SO I commented as Trump. Watch the reactions of Charles, Carrie ten Napel, Laila Frank, Jeroen Pauw & Ali B.

GREG SHAPIRO: FATBOY FOR A DAY

February 16, 2021
I love Fatboy stuff! Did you know they're based in Den Bosch, Netherlands? I found out when I got the call: they needed a host for their annual retailer event - this time via Livestream.  Well, the show went great. And the livestream only froze up twice (!) 

GREEN CRED MAKES DUTCH RED IN THE FACE – my final column for HELLO ZUIDAS

February 4, 2021
There are so many Dutch achievements in the area of duurzaamheid that you’d expect Dutch folks to show more national pride. And yet - when it comes to national pride - the Netherlands has been described as ‘the least chauvinistic country in Europe.’ Maybe that’s partly why the ‘Netherlands Second’ video was such a hit here. Dutch mentality is like: “We don’t need to be first. …But we are definitely better than the rest.”

HAPPY SINTERKLAAS! NL: ‘DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!’

December 3, 2020
The following is an excerpt from Shapiro’s third book THE AMERICAN NETHERLANDER: 25 Years of Expat Tales, available internationally. HAPPY SINTERKLAAS! NL: ‘DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!’ Dutch culture is famous for its pragmatic solutions to thorny social problems. …And then there’s Zwarte Piet....
Show more
Loading new posts...
No more posts