breakfastatme

2:20 la dee da

2011-01-15T02:15:00.007+01:00

This week started with an esthetically appealing date, namely: 11-01-11.
Right now the time is 2:22, not bad either esthetically speaking.
None of these numbers are special, they're here everyday, never changing to something that is only slightly different.
Maybe that's why they're beautiful.
Or maybe this special order of numbers is what specializes them.
My date of birth is also a bunch of numbers that feel right.
13-02-1986.
Not in the exact order, but if you shuffle them around a bit they make sense.
0123 98(8-1=)76
0+9 = 9, 1+8=9, 2+7=9, 3+6=9
9999
Doesn't mean anything of course but I like to play around with them a bit, looking for reasons of why they might turn out like this and whether it means something, or says something about me.
Perhaps it is a devilish number like 666 but then upside down, with an extra 6!
Perhaps it makes me devilla and people oughta run for me and be scared as I approach them.
I could give a try, if it doesn't work it would at least be a fun experiment.
(That probably will never take place :P)
The time is now 2:37, time to call it a night tonight.
Couldn't make anything big finale-ish of 2:37 and as I kept staring at the time, 2:38 appeared!
And then.... (drum rolls) 3+8=11-2=9 wahhaaaaa magic 9 again!
It's a sign!!!!!

Oh, and a picture I took of my across the madly wild canal neighbors, to prove my devilish spying skills... But it's also kinda nice.(!)

(!)

:)
Goodni(n)ght!

The end of an era

2011-01-07T13:19:00.005+01:00

First of all, happy 2011! It's been exactly a week since newyears so it was about time to blog about the new year so far.

It's been a wonderful, relaxing two week break but now I've gotta face reality again.
Back to the normal life means back to full scheduled days at the uni, work and an occasional babysit.
It also means back to studying the most intriguing form of science there is (to me at least); psychology.
As from monday my eyes will only be looking at the insides of these two books about developmental psychology.

1) Keenan and Evans, An introduction to child development

2) William C. Crain, Theories of development

Since september I've only allowed myself to look at the following few books, introducing me to psychology and statistics, a.k.a. statz.

3) Peter Gray, Psychology

4) Agresti & Franklin, Statistics; the art and science of learning from data (sounds real fun like this huh?)

5) Douglas G. Mook, Psychological research; the ideas behind the methods (a fantastic book)

6) Daniel T. WIllingham, Cognition: the thinking animal

All of them are definitely worth a read, though in the end I got kind of weirdy-eyed from all them letters....

Anyway, this vacation has really been a nice reward for all the studying I've been doing. There were times where I was so caught up in reading, doing assignments and practicing statz that I kinda lost track of everything else going on in my life. Times where I couldn't just let it go for a moment and enjoy some relaxation time with my friends, or by calling it an early night for a change. Times where I felt I needed to read just a little bit more, study a little bit harder or working on an assignment for 4 entire days instead of spreading it out a bit over those 4 days. For the upcoming 4 weeks I'm gonna try to be more efficient with my time and look for a better way to work through the books!

So, another thing, Yoga! Yesterday me and my sister went to a yoga class around the corner of my house, which was great cause it was pooouring. It was just a tryout class in a cute little room and only four people (cause it was pooouring!). We started with a cup of tea and an explanation of the whole yoga/pilates concept. I already knew most things since I've done pilates and yoga before. It comes down to doing a lot of stretching things with your body and try to focus on your breathing while doing that. Sounds a lot easier than it is, and in the end my upper arm felt kinda.... auch. Still, I like to feel those kinda pains, they make me feel I really did something. I'm not sure if I will continue this class since it's a bit expensive for my poor student-being, but I might just join another gym that offers a poor-student-being rate. And if not, I'll wait until the weather improves so I can go out and start running again. I had a dream last night that I ran another Dam-tot-Damloop, so I might just live up to that dream this year... who knows?

And hereby I conclude this blog for the day, salut!

This year round

2010-12-27T12:58:00.008+01:00

Gather round good people, a sum-up of 2010 is about to come together.
The oven is baking my dough balls filled with peanut butter and chocolate.
It'll be good, damn good.

Tonight the new year will pop open, wide open to fill it in with whatever you want.
I choose to fill it in with knowledge, new experiences, creativity and fun.
How exactly I don't know yet, but I want it to be a good year, I know it will be.

So now, 2010, you've been going by quite rapidly.
So many things happened, so many things started, so many things changed.
Moving back to Amsterdam, starting a new studies, running my first Dam tot Damloop, traveling to the Caribbean...
It's all good.

The part I'm most excited about is the new studies. It's something I deeply like.

Gotta go check on the dough balls, it's been about 10 minutes...

They kinda collapsed... After I let my magic work on them, they looked like this.

Butt-ugly lookers, but heavenly on the tongue :)

So, on with the 2010 sum-up.
Actually, the most important parts of the year I've already mentioned.
I am now looking forward to another good year, in which I can expand the knowledge, experiences and fun I've had so far.
So to all, celebrate big, good and make the new year worth it.
See you next year!

Classical Conditioning

2010-11-07T00:40:00.010+01:00

Last night turned out not to be as great as I had hoped it to be. MUSEUMNACHT in Amsterdam; an every year ritual where about 45 museums in the city open their doors until 2:00 AM (remember this post?). Dumb fact no. 1, I forgot to buy a ticket and today when I finally wanted to buy one they were completely sold out. Big Fat Bummer! There was a small solution though, I got to sneak a little peak of Museumnacht after all at Tropenmuseum in tha east side o' town. My friend picked me up at the entrance with somebody else's ticket and together we enjoyed the music of a UK artist called Banjo or Freakout (to me Banjo or Freakshow sounds better though but who cares about one little Dutch girls opinion) within the beautiful surroundings of the "ROOD" exhibition. Listen for ya selves...

Another band I've been starting to enjoy for some weeks now, is The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. It's a Danish band with an alternative-ey sound. The high voice of the lady singer combined with the beat-y, happy music pretty much boosts happy moods. And since they're good enough for Steve Jobs (one song of them was used in an Ipod Touch commercial in 2008) they should be appealing to all of you unknown souls out there. Go listen and watch and enjoy and like. This video kind of gave me a quirky, eighties Blondie - Atomic kinda feeling, likelikelike!

Last but certainly not a least, Johann Strauss! Don't ask me how he got into my head but last week I found myself humming a song from which I didn't know the title OR the artist. The only thing I was quite sure of was that I'd probably heard it from the New Years Concert in Vienna (on TV though, I was not actually present unfortunately). I have absolutely never had any interest in classical tunes but the New Years Concert is kind of holy to me. I try to watch it every year (that is when I am not still in bed recovering from a late-wild-funky-bubbly new years party). I especially like the conductor; Georges Prêtre.

Some people just have a certain appearance that touches me. He looks so friendly, like a sweet grandpa who you want to share stories with in front of a fireplace. This next video comprises both the humming song as well my imaginary grandpa-conductor Georges Prêtre.

So, this classical conditioning I'm mentioning in my blog title is actually a psychological term that can be simply explained like this: a dog hears a bell (conditioned stimulus) and gets a bowl of food (unconditioned stimulus) after. This combination of stimuli is offered to the dog a few times. After some time when the dog hears the bell, he knows the food is coming. This experiment has been done by Pavlov. He measured the amount of salivation the dog produced by hearing the bell and receiving the food. At the start there was no salivation by hearing the bell, and a normal amount when the (smell of) food appeared. After several offerings of both stimuli the amount of salivation had changed; the dogs already started to salivate by hearing the bell, which means they expected the food to appear shortly after that. More to be found about classical conditioning at WIKI for those who are interested.

Classical conditioning fits into my story like this: music and experiences share a connection; a story. Hearing a song during an occasion leaves a mark in your brain that gets re-activated when you hear it again in a different environment. The pattern you went through during that occasion starts to get back to you, lets you relive that moment that obviously meant something to you. It makes it easier to remember. I find that connection to be quite special, it makes you feel that special feeling again from first time you went through it. It can be good, emotional or horrifying, but you cannot change the fact that it's there. For me it's not just songs that make me relive moments, it's also smells. The smell of fall, for example, makes me think of family vacations during the short fall-break we used to have when we were younger. Good memories that sometimes make me sad that those days are over. Of course new good times are still happening and some of them still yet to happen. The old ones though are gone, hanging in the air and waiting to be remembered by you through a song or a smell. Magical.

And with that I would like to conclude this sunday-afternoon blog. I'm gonna go practice my guitar skills a bit more. I found out that even with tons of practicing I do NOT have a gift for that. I always hoped I would but I cannot say that it comes natural to me. If I feel I'm good enough to produce an entire song without mistakes, I'll promise to make a little video and put it up here. Have a good last day of the weekend and until soon.

Ps. This is Jim. He's the cat my friend babysits this weekend. He has three legs and shiny eyes. He runs like the wind and jumps like he's got a Jalapeño up his behind. Anyway, I didn't want to keep this sweetcute kittycat all to myself. Jimbo is also to be found right herrre.

Tests, Tofu and Therapy

2010-10-30T00:38:00.007+02:00

I gotta stop starting every post saying how long it's been since my last update. So from today on, I won't anymore. Lots has happened since (let me check...) september 17! Fall started, to begin with, rather quick in my opinion. One day you're out for a walk on the beach with the warm summer sun on your face and your feet in the (still mildly warm) sea, and then the next day when you wake up you just know everything is different. Rain is pooring, you don't wanna just get up out of bed, your feet are cold again and when you open the curtains the fall has INSTANTLY taken over the world. Well, my world. This change of season used to make me feel soso blue. Gray skies, cold wind and the smell of fallen off leafs seem to be everywhere. But this year I experienced a breakthrough...

While avoiding the statistics book I surfed my way all over the world(wideweb) looking for some Thanksgiving recipes. I fell from one blog into another and as the search continued they got better and better. Of course Thanksgiving is a very US-tradition so I really couldn't ignore the over-the-top-ish pictures of dressed up people (and animals), enormous scary-faced pumpkins and giant piles of trick-or-treats. Somehow that got me SO in the mood to go baking! I instantly lost my gloomy-fall feeling and felt full of fresh fall-energy instead. So... on with the search I'd say. Quite honestly this fall-fever started a few days ago and so far I still haven't find a recipe for pumpkin pie. I got a day left before I need to finish it so tomorrow should be my lucky day.

While postponing the pumpkin for a while I did experiment with some tofu. Having never really cooked it myself before, and never really eaten it too, I thought this should be the time do try it. First thought: heavy shit! First experience: pretty good! Second experience: MUCH (nuts) better! Found the simplest, easiest recipe of all with special ingredient: Calvé pindakaas. Look and cook if you wish.

Peanutbuttery tofu 'n greens

So, with this brainfood I was hoping to be fully prepared for my tests today; Statistics and Introduction to Psychology. Last chapters of the Introduction to Psychology was the most interesting because it had to do with mental disorders and ways in treating them. As a part of this course we had to interview a psychologist about his treatment-methods and just to get an idea of what a working day of a psychologist looks like. I gotta say that it was all quite interesting. Our guy treats people in a 'Freudian" (psycho-analytic) way from a humanistic approach. Psycho-analysis means focusing on the unconscious rather than the conscious. He uses a humanistic approach to get a person to change bad thoughts to good thoughts, which (in the long run) should lead to self-acceptence. I'm not sure it's my cup of tea to work with this method daily, but hearing him talk about the experiences he has had in his career and the daily variation of it did really spoke to me. So... who knows? Maybe the world will meet another Freud(anique) in a few years!

So I think I'm gonna finish up about now, longest post ever! Good date to publish though, october 31st: HALLOWEEN! I made my very first pumpkin pie today (took me long enough, but ok) and it tasted... a little too egg-y. But it was fun to do and hopefully I'll be able to say "I make a pretty mean pumpkin pie" someday ;)

Oh it's november already, 12:42 AM GOODNIGHT!

Statz 4 Life

2010-09-17T22:20:00.002+02:00

Ok, numbers... not sexy!
Graphs, boxplots, stats?
Even more horrifying according to some.
I thought so too, until I saw this:

Changed ya mind now did cha?!
I didn't, but I hope to find a way to cope with it...

My days exist of work, lectures, reading, learning, homework (!!!!!!) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and in between, right after or before I try to empty my schedule for some quality free time...
The last two weeks that pretty much didn't work out at all...
I went to work.
Went to all my classes.
Did all my appointments.
Even went running!
And after all that hard work it left me with...

- piles and piles of books to catch up on
- a workload that keeps growing by the second
- no time for friends and other fun stuff
- rushing rushing rushing on my bike in the friggin RAIN!

And the worst thing is...
There is a lovely place in Germany where a bunch of my Erasmus buddies are having fun together rrrright now, and I'm not there... because I had to sign up for the bigass run on sunday!
So, Berliners, think a little of me while you're there :)
I'll most certainly think about you!

There is one good thing though... I love my vintage black Bally boots that I can wear all the time to jump in the puddles!

:)

Catch me if you can

2010-09-14T22:24:00.004+02:00

Cause I'm so busy nowadays. This week the beginning of my future finally started.
It may sound a little dramatic but that is how it feels to me.
After months of studying, learning, homework, a final test, a failing test, studying some more and a retake on the test...
I PASSED!

A+

Now... this was the key that opened a door for me, THE door actually.
It was the only struggle I had to surpass in order to start studying psychology at the uni of Amsterdam.
And I did, finally!

I couldn't have wished for a better way to celebrate it than my vacation at St. Barths in the Caribbean.
Palmtrees, white beaches, hot humid weather, beautiful views and relaxing...
Being in a position where you can do anything you want but you don't have to...
But being in a place so insanely breathtaking makes you wanna do stuff; explore, go and look all around!
It was a very special experience for me that I will never forget.

And then, leaving the island. What a sad day.
Couldn't stay sad too long though since I knew what was ahead of me. There was even little cheering inside of me.
It was about to start, the thing I'd been waiting for an entire year.
I can't explain why it means so much to me and I cannot even understand why it means so much to me.
Except that it does.

And now... after a week of being an official psychology student (surrounded by tiny little fluttering 18 year olds), I can say that I am finally in a place that I wanna be in. Not in between buzzing 18 year olds, but in a new environment, a new way of life and surrounded by science, biology, philosophy and everything in between!
Safe to say my "in between year" (graduating - working - studying again!) is finally over and things are about to get BUSY.

I'm loving it ♥

WKND RTR

2010-07-04T17:40:00.002+02:00

Weekend retour Amsterdam - Heemskerk.
Fortunately not by train.
Sometimes it's that time a year (month/week/day) that you need to be somewhere.
You have obligations somewhere or,
an invitation you feel like answering.

You hop onto the next best thing that can take you there.
Spend some time at the place that's calling out to you,
and you be kind or helpful or (if needed) mean to the ones expecting you to be that way (or not).

For me it was this weekend.
So I went, I be.
And tonight I will return.
In good health, and feeling glad that I went.

:)

Schoolgirls drift off

2010-06-17T22:50:00.002+02:00

During my days in Dutch highschool I wasn't bored for a minute.
I had fun, I talked, I laughed and managed to get good grades at the same time.
Nowadays things are pretty much the same for me.
I'm taking a math class in advance of my psychology studies in september.
Today.... was the final class (woooo!) before the exam (booooo!).
And then....

We'll have summer, we'll have fun, we'll have a whole new year to finally study something I'm truly interested in.

But back to class, pay attention!
Lots of questions came by today, lots of repeating and explanations.
And then, it happened....

I DRFITED OFF....

Started doodling, started daydreaming, started mirror writing some words....
Lookit!

Might not be all that CLEAR so let me write those words down again here so at least they'll be saved online for eternity!

drow enO
erised enO
thguoht enO

gnirednow enO
erutseg enO
hsiw enO

wonk tub sekatsim ekam ot tnaw I
secneuqesnoc eht ekil t'now I

tegrof evigroF
no evoM
gnol llits s'daor ehT
uoy sreffo llitS
retteb ti ekam ot yaw A

nihtiw morf tcA
esiw ediced teY
seciohc wonK
stuo erongI

eurt eB
laer eB
detnaw reve uoy lla eB
pu worg dnA

doog eht niameR
htiw lla taht ekaT
ssenthgirb oT
kcab kool tuB

That's it for now, cannot seem to find a mirror tool I'm gonna give this a #toodamnbad hashtag.

Draft

2010-06-16T23:24:00.006+02:00

After ignoring it for a while, the truly good times came around.
A sentence that can lead to a beautiful story.
A sentence that is to be left alone to remain beautiful just like that.
No ads. No finishing it with another sentence. Not doing anything with it but leave it like it is.

After ignoring it for a while, the truly good times came around.

It's perfect.

BBMM

2010-06-11T00:34:00.004+02:00

I haven't been listening to Blondie that much anymore lately.
A few years back it was basically ALL I was listening to.
I can really lose myself in music, whenever I need it.
And sometimes, I do. I need.

It's kinda like a drug, a very magical, yet healthy, drug.
Unless of cousre you get caught up in the SD&R&R scene of course and literally lose yourself there...
But nonetheless, it's beautiful, powerful, expressional.
Let's you feel the way you want to feel.
Let's you use it as much as you like.
Gives colour to your life, to your experiences, to the atmosphere.

I can ramble on about music being great for a very long time and push you to listen to everything I like and I love and I get happy about and hope to make you feel the same way...

Won't work.

It's my feelings that respond to the songs I listen to.
It's my ears listening to the words and melodies.
It's my decision to listen to the same songs over and over and over again and enjoy the sometimes very meaningless and random lyrics and decide that after a few years of intense listening to music I still enjoy the same voices.
And it's my choice to keep listening to them in definately.

Ps. And also to ignore others just because.

BTW. This is what I was listening to in....... JULY '07!

CH-CH-CH-CHECK IT OUT!

Florence Firenze Fantastissimo!

2010-05-28T12:18:00.015+02:00

Another may, another reunion, another amazing weekend, another HUGE memory in my head.
It was our... 4th, 5th, 6th reunion????????
I can't even remember!
Let's see, we had:

1. Bruxelles

2. Amsterdam

3. Lille

4. Stockholm

5. Firenze

So fifth it is!
We really should've celebrated this anniversary with some fancyschmancy Italian vino!
Rosso/bianco/prosecco/proschmecco?

Instead, I will dedicate this blog to more of these special meetings through Europe.
Next meeting will be in september in.....

BERLIN! BERLIJN! BERLINOS! BRLN!

Voilá, a visual diary of this last amazing trip that I still can't get outta my head.

Tuscany

Radio Company

Luna

Ponte Vecchio

Tweet tweet studybird

Duomo

Vino e sandwicho

Ponte blackio

Perhaps I will post some more pictures later but this post took me long enough... (3 days) and it's not even great!

The Italian queen and the dum girl

2010-05-13T20:05:00.012+02:00

This post is about me celebrating queensday and about going to a concert of the Dum Dum Girls at Paradiso. If you don't feel like hearing me rant about that for the next few minutes then save yourself the misery and stop reading. If not, carry on, you are the best.
(Addition: also a piccolo part about bella Italia)

It's been more than a week since queensday but I would still like to talk about it a little. Or actually, just post some pics.

Buddieshake

Show your bootie for the queen

Oh, and tuesday I saw some girls from Californ-I-A!
It's a small girlband that produce the perfect amount of noise that I need sometimes.
They have a Raveonettes-ish kind of sound (probably parce que they have the same producer) and they're called: Dum Dum Girls.
Check out my pics and my vid.

Dum Dum Girls gig at Paradiso Amsterdam 11/05/2010

Blur

Dum Dum Blur

Dum Dum Girls from Cali-Forn-I-A!

The Bassette

Après-gig

The concert was nice, really nice actually.
The guy behind me thought so too...
After every song he went crazy, yealling: YEAH! and WOOH! And PHEIEUEUEWW!
And during the songs he was the only one dancing like a maniac, pointing his fingers up in the air...
The concert was really fun, good music, nice sound and everything.

BUT...

It started an hour late,

AND

It only lasted about half an hour.

BUT

Since it was their first show in Holland and they just got a new drummer and the music was actually good I said to myself: Mehh... no big deal.
Because in ten years when everybody's talking about the crazy prices they ask for their concerts because they will be insanely famous, I can say: Ha-ha I went to their first show here in Holland and paid only € 8,-!

But now.... I'm living up to another great happening.
Next weekend I will be in Florence/Firenze with a lot of Swedish friends!
I can't wait to visit Italy again, it's been tooooo long!
The culture, the architecture, the piazza's, the people, the food, the style...
Bene! Buono! Bello!
Perhaps I'll even bring my brandnew shoes to show off my grand sense of style ;)

Nuovo Pattini

I really would like to be able to at least speak a little Italian when I'm there so let me start with the days of the week. Some of them look a bit like their French versions, like lunedi (lundi), martedi (mardi), mercoledi (mercredi)so those are easy to remember.

Monday - Maandag - Lunedi
Tuesday - Dinsdag - Martedi
Wednesday - Woensdag - Mercoledi
Thursday - Donderdag - Giovedi
Friday - Vrijdag - Venerdi
Saturday - Zaterdag - Sabato
Sunday - Zondag - Domenica

Well, I have a few days to practice so I think it'll be tutto bene by thursday!
And now it's time for bed.

Goodnight - Weltrusten - Buonanotte!

Jordan grounds feel good to me

2010-05-04T23:06:00.003+02:00

Well I am home.
These Jordan grounds make me feel good, sosososoososo good!
When I walk in my "hood," when I see my neighbours, when I hear them talk...
It's a place I want to come home to and where I'd like to stay for a very long time!

I broke my promises again about updating more frequently.
And you might not care but I do.
I mostly write for me, and whoever finds that fun to read is just lucky (or am I?).

Last week I went to the Oude Kerk to take a peek at the World Press Photo exhibition.
It was my first time there but certainly not my last, it was beautiful.
Shocking, sad, intense and touching. Contrasts were flying from wall to wall.
This next picture touched me the most, even though I think it shouldn't really be hanging there.
Since this picture is just a portrait from a series and most World Press Photos are news-related.
Still, I found the kid so beautiful that I also felt the urge to take a picture of it (that probably also struck the photographer to take this picture in the first place)...

Taken by: Annie van Gemert, NL

Last year around this period of time I spend a fabulous week on the international grounds of NYC! I feel lucky we decided to go there last year instead of now, with the Times Square drama... While we were in NYC on Queensday 2009, the royal family visited Apeldoorn. While the parade went through the city, a guy drove his car into a statue nearby them, and crashed. He and seven others died because of that. Today, during the annual WWII memorial service at Dam Square Amsterdam, people paniqued because of some guy who started yelling near the end of the two minutes of silence. The guy was immediately arrested.

Youtube is already full of videos from the audience and it's all over TV and the internet.
I was watching it on tv while it happened and with the happenings of last year in the back of my head I kept waiting for something to happen. You hope it won't but yet you expect it, at least I did. Good thing we have a cool queen. Right after it happened they were quickly being guided back inside, but only a few minutes later she came back with her head up like a mom who had to be there for her fellow Dutchies! And so the ceremony continued...

Well, end good all good and that's what I want to end with for now. Just a few more pictures to express my love for Amsterdam (except for the first one, I just think you should see the inside of a tuktuk once!).

tuktuktuktuktuktuktuktuktuktuktuk

Coffee and cake in the narrow streets of the Jordaan @Le Petit Vloer

Saving the best for last, taken on an early morning when leaving for work

Today is such a lovely day

2010-04-17T16:21:00.003+02:00

Waking up with a happy message, a friend of mine got her baby today!
This is my first friend who is now an actual mommy and I feel so happy for her.
It was in my head all day long and I cannot wait to see the little cutie.

After sleeping in a little I went out to the market this morning.
AND IT WAS SUNNY AND WARM AND LOVELY! :)
I've been living in my Amsterdam mansion for over a week now and am loving it.
I walked a few minutes through the little streets of the Jordaan neighbourhood to the Lindenmarkt, and afterwards to the Noordermarkt. On saturdays they sell all kinds of biological stuff like veggies, fruits, bread, fish, meat and a lot more. And every monday IT-crowd is present, cause on mondays it's the vintage goodies market.
And when they're done shopping, they land on an outside terrace to eat huge pieces of fresh-made applepie accompanied with fresh mint-tea or a huuuuge café latte.

But me ain't nothing like that.
Well... at least not entirely.
I love the markets, the apple-pie and the vintage goodies but I actually prefer the real Jordaan people who've been coming to the market for ages (or even centuries!).

They are the people who
- walk together and talking "plat Amsterdams" about how everything has changed over the years, instead of talking with an "AIRRRR" and ride a Vespa
- sit together on the banks on a little square instead of the big square
- drink little cups of coffee with sticky cakes and whipped cream instead of apple pie and mint tea
- know the names of the stores that were located on the Lindengracht and Westerstraat before the hip and trendy yuppeteeyuppies took over the entire neighbourhood
- have lived their entire lives in the Jordaan and do their grocery shopping at the bakery, the butcher and the "kruidenier" instead of Albert Heijn

Those are the people that I love and can't get enough of looking at, just to see what they're doing...
Those are the people that I am happy to call my neighbours...

Those are the people that are pure and truly "Amsterdammers" that I hope to see walking around the city for many, MANY years!

li'l update BIG change

2010-04-02T21:16:00.004+02:00

Hello hello, yes affirmative, I am still alive.
So far for my promises to update more often but it's been one helluva hectic period in my life!
Most importantly: I AM MOVING BACK TO.... AMSTERDAM!
Hip hip, HOORAY!
Today I spent the day moving some of my stuff and doing some typically "moving into your brandnew, flashy dashy apartment" thingies.

Let me show you a little picture to get you a clear idea of the place I'm talking about:

Mansionnière:

Anyway, it's going to look a lot prettier but I won't show that just yet ;)
Gotta give you a reason to come back, BEGGING for more...

(Or, who am I kidding?)

Anyway, I prefer to do short little updates from now so I'm gonna call it a day.
A day.

BYE!

Golden years improving the future

2010-02-27T17:56:00.003+01:00

A few years ago I started blogging. It became an addiction, something I wanted to do all day long. Everything seemed worth posting, sharing. Hoping for others to respond, for their approval. Today I'm not that addicted anymore. When I am really excited about something, I go over it a few times and then decide to post it or not. Sometimes I feel so inspired and I NEED to post. I collect the stuff I want to post, try to make a nice story around it and BOOM, it's online. That happens rarely nowadays. More often I feel like posting but I'm too lazy to put a little effort in it and get it done. I much more hope that it magically happens, just by thinking about it.

I found this picture on my FLICKR account. It's the first picture I ever posted on Flickr. The picture is taken in the summer of 2007 on a vacation in Minnesota. It was a great vacation containing a lot of Starbucks, Route 66, diners, malls and other Utterly Stunning America stuff. It was a summer where a lot of things happened, and where many things started to happen. After that summer everything changed and the year after that and the year after that and probably all the years after that became infected by it.

This photo takes me back to that enjoyable summer, when everyting was still nice and easy. Where things and people were still there, and where troubles were only snall-scaled. When I look back at it I don't know what to think of it. I don't know how I feel about those experiences I went through. They were all new and I didn't know how to deal with them. Those years were both the best and worst of my life. I am now looking for a way of how to close them and start a new chapter in my life. I am happy and excited about it, and I can't wait for it to REALLY start!

Normality VS. Abnormality

2010-02-22T21:06:00.005+01:00

I consider myself an ordinary person.
Extremely ordinary even.
Deep down inside though, I pretend to be very exclusive.
Just not discovered by others yet...
If they'd see what I am capable of doing, creating, they'd go WOAH!
And I'd be famous instantly.

However... so far this didn't happen.
That's dragging me back to reality to tell my story.

I went to an exhibition at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, right across the Bijenkorf.
"Niet normaal" / "Not normal" (what is normal and who decides?)

"What is this norm, and who actually satisfies it? Where do we draw the line? At a facial wrinkle, a depression, at someone who isn’t interested in getting ahead, at a visible prosthetic device, taking pills to improve intelligence, at major cosmetic surgery?"

There was a lot to see, too much actually.
About a million pills, multiple seeds that grow disgusting stuff and a bunch of squeaking baby monkey-persons hanging on the wall, waiting to be fully grown so they could be plugged into the real world like some kind of Matrix-ish creatures.

(...)

Snowflakes are miraculously magical

My stack of people; weird, small, big, ugly, funny... you name it!

Shootmyshoe!

Anybody care for a fullygrown tungsticking gran'? Order here pls.

Also, a statue of Sthephen Hawking, a brilliant man who is mostly known for his work about the Big Bang. After he was diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS) in 1963, he had to change his life drastically. His body slowly paralizing, had to be taken over by an advanced wheelchair. A special communication system made it possible for him to express his findings and theories. His brains still functioning like they always did, just his exterior changed. From normal looking (almost boring) scientist, to disabled, weird looking, and much more interesting legend. It's funny how an odd looking person or object suddenly can become so much more interesting.

Anyway, Stephen Hawking was the perfect example and trophee for this exhibition. His brilliancy spoke for him, he didn't need all the extra's. His abnormality made him famous. That's what attracts people. Nobody likes the average, we're always looking for adventure. Well at least, most of us are ;)

Just a tiny update but that's it for tonight...

Kanelbullar i Stockholm

2010-02-07T12:29:00.007+01:00

January 17 2008.
The day I left for Sweden.
The day my life changed.
The day the best half year of my life started.

For half a year my life was all about snow, parties, talking English, meeting new people, making small trips, learning Swedish but most importantly: meeting new people.

The Erasmus crew in Sundsvall became my friends and not just for half a year.
We've been seeying each other several times since we all went home in june '08.

Brussels - Amsterdam - Lille and now (finally) back in STOCKHOLM.

Wandering through a city I have gotten to know quite well.
Staying at a hostel I've visited once in the spring of '08. CITYHOSTEL
Enjoying the Swedish sweetness at FIKA. (I think that's one of the things about Sweden that I like the most)
Shopping at Götgatan: Monki Monki Monki and Weekdays.
Meeting BEC WONDERS: fashiondesigning, talkative, fun girl from Uppsala.
Meeting with Swedish friends from Sundsvall who now live in STHLM.
And last but not least, partying with the Erasmus crew!

No words to describe this amazing weekend so just see the pictures...
Next meeting will be.... in FIRENZE, ITALIA in may.
Counting the days...

Snygg Gamla Stan

Fötter i snö

Moderna papperskorgen

Nytt skor

Smultronställe

Götgatan - Shoppa med Bec @ Weekdays och Monki ♥

Götgatan - Slussen - Gamla Stan - på kvall

Vänner i clubben :)

Jag vilja tackar allihoppa för jättegöt weekenden. Vi ses i maj!

Puss och kram //

Sinking Ships and flowerbombs

2010-01-16T16:48:00.005+01:00

TITANIC is world famous.
Performed by my mom's local musical-gang, a little less famous.
Still the theatre in Hilversum was almost full.
On the second row we had a pretty good view which allowed me to take some pictures.

First class steward and his stewardesses

Stoker Barret and Radio Operator Bridge

First class dancing

Locked up in a sinking ship

Dramatic blankie style

Congratulatory flowers

That is all for now, until later today... or this week.

Super 8(0)

2010-01-09T21:59:00.006+01:00

How much I enjoyed yesterdays cake... today I was up for another piece.
More of an oversized petit-four really.
Oh.. ohh... here it comes:

80-celebrat-y-cake!

Really good for my superstickysweettooth (and mood)...!
Occasion: grandma turned the magic eight-o.
We celebrated her birthday at the farm where she grew up, and where me, my sister and cousins went every spring when we were young, to check out the newborn lambs!

Leeuwendaal

Sweet nostalgia all along the day, except for the white, snowy surroundings cause we used to go in spring with sunshine, the smell of new grown grass and hoppy happy baby animals.

Ok, this picture is for the spring. Can you smell it yet, underneath the ice and snow?

Li'l lamb

First week and a day

2010-01-09T21:58:00.001+01:00

It's been 2010 for a good week now and it came with a helloffan entree.

Snowstorms... Blizzards... ICY ROADS...!

Beautiful yet horrible and I won't even talk about the temperatures.
It's inhuman almost, it wasn't even this cold during my time in Sweden!
I mean, come on mother Earth!

But I gotta give her a little credit for this weather as well... Before christmas I was babysitting my friends rabbit PLUK again in the city center of Amsterdam. It gave me the opportunity to stroll around in the snow and enjoy the beautiful sights of white and silent Amsterdam (especially East Amsterdam). It brought back a lot of memories from when I was a little girl and we went visiting my grandma... Check it out, this is where she used to live.

Anyway, I love Amsterdam Oost! Multiculti, Artis Zoo, Dappermarkt etc. etc.
I took more pictures that day including a very alternative snowman and the most photographed canal of the city (Staalstraat)!

Around the corner of the Sarphatistraat, heading to Artis

Dappermarkt (100 years old!!!)

Alto Snowman

Staalstraat

But now I'm back in H'town and celebrating mommy's (and secretly also Mr. Bowie's!) birthday so I'm gonna get me some CAKE!

Have a nice evening!

Two thousand three hundred and eighty-sixth Christmas day

2009-12-26T13:24:00.002+01:00

Is it the weather, is it the past?
Is it the time that unwillingly passed?
Is it the future, is it the tree?
Is it the caged bird or just the family?
Is it the radio, is it the air?
Is it the people or am I unfair?
Is it the candles, is it a kiss?
Is it the memories I want and I miss?
Is it the jealousy is it the love?
Is it the distance I feel from above?
Is it just me or is it the world?
Is it imagination or am I just bored?

I don't know, I don't know, I don't know...!

I call this: confusion on second Christmas day...

To be back in Mokum

2009-12-19T16:39:00.004+01:00

I can't believe how good it feels to be back in Mokum!
Watching the lapin and watching the view... I love it.
The weatherforecast expects some heavy snowfall tomorrow, I really hope so cause it will make the view even better. Plus, way more cosy inside!

Road#1

Road#2

Road#3

Pluk

Cold sunday

2009-12-13T18:14:00.006+01:00

It started yesterday evening but today it really felt like winter.
The cold, the clear blue sky, no wind and a lot of sun...
If the sun is there, all warm and bright, it reminds me of Sweden.
No sun, wind and rainy weather makes me wanna stay in bed all day.
Not even the best party, trip or whatever can get me out of the house on a day like that.

Today was good.
Cous' I had pancakes, here :)

More pictures here...