Are you someone who makes more decisions based on the Head, or on the Heart?
I'm more of a Head kind of person. And I'm trying to live more by the Heart. Trying. Because sometimes this is pretty difficult.
Or maybe the Head is better in some situations anyway?
Sigh.
July 30, 2011
July 29, 2011
Simple pleasures
Today was my last day at work for the next two weeks, which always means a long list of stuff to finish and leaving as little work as possible for the colleague who will cover for me. When I walked in to the office it turned out that all our systems were down. When this happened the last time (only last month, grrr) it took all morning for them to bring everything back online.
Cue short panic to think of how I was able to finish all that work - not a good start of the day.
The whole day has gone differently than expected. By the end of the working day my plans for tomorrow had disappeared and later my dinner company had to leave unexpectedly.
The good part? More dessert for me! I'm never a huge fan of desserts, but for tonight I made marinated strawberries (in a French liquor which has been in my cupboard mostly unused for much too long) with lime-flavoured mascarpone. Leave both in the fridge for an hour or so.
Yumm. Really really nice.
Cue short panic to think of how I was able to finish all that work - not a good start of the day.
The whole day has gone differently than expected. By the end of the working day my plans for tomorrow had disappeared and later my dinner company had to leave unexpectedly.
The good part? More dessert for me! I'm never a huge fan of desserts, but for tonight I made marinated strawberries (in a French liquor which has been in my cupboard mostly unused for much too long) with lime-flavoured mascarpone. Leave both in the fridge for an hour or so.
Yumm. Really really nice.
July 28, 2011
Practically Perfect
Tonight I read this article: how do you find your passion? And keep it alive?
Apart from some of the other things in there, I'm taking on his last challenge: to blog. Because, why am I not writing here anymore? More than 6 years of at least monthly writing has changed to ..... silence.
So, I am going to use this place as a type of online memobook - writing about things I see happening; things that I want to know more about; things that make me think; things that inspire and challenge.
I don't know what you will get to read (if anyone is still reading). I don't know what the result will be (if any).
That's not the point. I think I need to start putting down ideas and get them out of my head.
To be continued.
Apart from some of the other things in there, I'm taking on his last challenge: to blog. Because, why am I not writing here anymore? More than 6 years of at least monthly writing has changed to ..... silence.
So, I am going to use this place as a type of online memobook - writing about things I see happening; things that I want to know more about; things that make me think; things that inspire and challenge.
I don't know what you will get to read (if anyone is still reading). I don't know what the result will be (if any).
That's not the point. I think I need to start putting down ideas and get them out of my head.
To be continued.
December 13, 2010
LaLa#4 - Bubbleissues
Vervreemdend. Drie dagen na de dansvoorstelling LaLa#4 is dat het woord wat me nog het meeste bij blijft van deze voorstelling.
Vervreemdend in geluid. Vervreemdend in beeld. De openingsscene is bijvoorbeeld een alleen dansende vrouw – maar van haar zie je alleen haar benen. Haar bovenlijf wordt volledig opgeslokt door een verzameling ballonnen bij elkaar gehouden door een donker omhulsel. Maar de bewegingen fascineren. Achteraf licht de maakster van de voorstelling toe dat ze juist sterk visueel is ingesteld – en dat de voorstelling dus juist probeert sterke beelden neer te zetten.
Deze sterke beelden blijven de hele avond terugkomen. Ook door dat gewerkt wordt met media die je niet verwacht bij moderne dans: een gedeelte wordt volledig beheerst door een groot videoscherm.
De voorstelling bevat meerdere onderdelen die niet allemaal bij elkaar lijken te passen. De verschillende dansstijlen maken het soms lastig om te blijven begrijpen. De mooiste stukken zijn die op een luchtbed – het lijkt wel alsof de dansers zweven, alsof ze in een zwaartekrachtvrije ruimte zijn zo vloeiend zijn hun bewegingen.
Niet de meest makkelijke of voor de hand liggende voorstelling dus, maar delen ervan zijn fascinerend juist vanwege het gebruik van sterke beelden in combinatie met krachtige dans. En het heeft mij nieuwsgierig gemaakt naar ander werk van LaLa.
LaLa#4 is nog een paar avonden te zien. Maar je kan natuurlijk ook naar een volgende Blind Date theater voorstelling gaan om nieuw talent te ontdekken!
Vervreemdend in geluid. Vervreemdend in beeld. De openingsscene is bijvoorbeeld een alleen dansende vrouw – maar van haar zie je alleen haar benen. Haar bovenlijf wordt volledig opgeslokt door een verzameling ballonnen bij elkaar gehouden door een donker omhulsel. Maar de bewegingen fascineren. Achteraf licht de maakster van de voorstelling toe dat ze juist sterk visueel is ingesteld – en dat de voorstelling dus juist probeert sterke beelden neer te zetten.
Deze sterke beelden blijven de hele avond terugkomen. Ook door dat gewerkt wordt met media die je niet verwacht bij moderne dans: een gedeelte wordt volledig beheerst door een groot videoscherm.
De voorstelling bevat meerdere onderdelen die niet allemaal bij elkaar lijken te passen. De verschillende dansstijlen maken het soms lastig om te blijven begrijpen. De mooiste stukken zijn die op een luchtbed – het lijkt wel alsof de dansers zweven, alsof ze in een zwaartekrachtvrije ruimte zijn zo vloeiend zijn hun bewegingen.
Niet de meest makkelijke of voor de hand liggende voorstelling dus, maar delen ervan zijn fascinerend juist vanwege het gebruik van sterke beelden in combinatie met krachtige dans. En het heeft mij nieuwsgierig gemaakt naar ander werk van LaLa.
LaLa#4 is nog een paar avonden te zien. Maar je kan natuurlijk ook naar een volgende Blind Date theater voorstelling gaan om nieuw talent te ontdekken!
December 12, 2010
Snow!
Winter was well and truly here last week. The city looked gorgeous, under a white blanket of snow.
I'm now hoping we will jump straight into spring.
[But with the current forecast for the week, and the fact it is only mid-December, I guess I have to either suck it up or emigrate]
December 05, 2010
Hauschka
on the beach
Originally uploaded by macchi.
At the beginning of September, I spent a weekend on the Dutch island of Vlieland. It was for me the first time to go there which was a good reason in itself. But the main reason was the Into The Great Wide Open festival. Fantastic weather, great atmosphere and some really good music. We've already booked accomodation next year! (now to get the tickets for the festival itself though...)
Anyway, why write about this now?
I just stumbled across a fascinating string of video's from one of the most surprising performances at the festival - Hauschka. He does amazing things on the piano. In fact, things you would not dream of doing to your own piano!
Have a look at this:
It's only making me more excited about the prospect of possibly having a piano in my house as well sometime in the next few months. Looking forward to playing again!
November 28, 2010
Deja-vu
Coming back to this blog after 6 months is kind of interesting. I guess over the past years it really has become kind of a diary, where I talk about the things I'm busy with and think about.
Yesterday, I wanted to use 'The Future' as a new tag. Or so I thought. It turned out the tag already existed and I used it a couple of times in the years before. In one post I talk about the prediction a friend made about me starting a PhD in the next few years. Hmm. In an earlier post I talk about finally having found a 'goal', having found an answer to the dreaded question 'Where do you want to be in five years from now'? Funnily enough, I've been asking myself that question lately but the answer that came up a few years ago wasn't included now. While I know it is something that is very important to me. Due to recent events I just need to become more creative in realising it. One to consider again I think.
A few minutes ago, I again thought I used a new tag, 'Africa'. But there it was also! This time about a previous IDFA-post, which has clearly been a constant over the last few years.
I find it quite interesting to read back, and see what I have been busy with over the past few years. And reading all of that, I don't think much has changed. Even if I do feel my life has changed (or is changing) since then....
Yesterday, I wanted to use 'The Future' as a new tag. Or so I thought. It turned out the tag already existed and I used it a couple of times in the years before. In one post I talk about the prediction a friend made about me starting a PhD in the next few years. Hmm. In an earlier post I talk about finally having found a 'goal', having found an answer to the dreaded question 'Where do you want to be in five years from now'? Funnily enough, I've been asking myself that question lately but the answer that came up a few years ago wasn't included now. While I know it is something that is very important to me. Due to recent events I just need to become more creative in realising it. One to consider again I think.
A few minutes ago, I again thought I used a new tag, 'Africa'. But there it was also! This time about a previous IDFA-post, which has clearly been a constant over the last few years.
I find it quite interesting to read back, and see what I have been busy with over the past few years. And reading all of that, I don't think much has changed. Even if I do feel my life has changed (or is changing) since then....
The danger of a single story
This weekend I've been reading about Africa, through a friend's blog and her adventures there over the last few weeks/months. In one of her most recent posts she talks about Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I have never heard of her, but am now intrigued to read her books. Especially after listening to the following talk, with a message so true.
November 27, 2010
The future?
Dongguan/ New South China Mall
Originally uploaded by macchi.
One of the highlights of IDFA was seeing a showing of Utopia in Four Movements. A special screening with live narration from the director and live music by a band as the images were playing.
In four chapters, it talks about different interpretations of utopia - not so much the search for an actual location but efforts that people have made in the past to move towards a utopian world. Examples used were Esperanto, mass political movements but also the inventor of shopping malls. Did you know he originally envisaged malls as a community center where people would be together and share - and not just to shop/consume/buy?
An example of shopping malls into the extreme is the South China Shopping Mall in Dongguan, China. I was there last April and wandered around this building - the largest shopping mall in the world - in amazement. It was a ghost town.
Not only is it an example of a shopping mall gone wrong, but also of the realization that continuous investment and continuous economic growth might actually not be possible.
Tim Jackson explains this on TED:
How to write
The title of my last post - again a month ago - and the final paragraph of that same post, talk about inspiration.
Because of the things I'm doing. Because of the people I'm meeting. Because of the conversations I'm having.
For the past 1,5 weeks I've been on a break from work. Much needed as it has been - again - far too busy and hectic for my own good. [Everytime I go back to work after a short break I resolve to keep my work schedule in check and to keep the work load manageable. I still haven't figured out a successful method to do that. Does anyone have a foolproof suggestion?]
For several reasons I decided to spend these short two weeks at home, and not travelling to Berlin, Spain or even somewhere further away. And I'm loving it!
I spent three days at IDFA, seeing 10 incredibly different documentaries from all over the world:
* about people surviving in a tough environment
* about people trying to change their life but failing
* about people trying to change their life and succeeding
* about decisions - by governments, by large companies - changing the fate of communities
* about forgotten parts of the world
* about places we all know
* about the past
* about the future
I also had a friend from abroad visiting for a week, just after she had broken up with her boyfriend. It was fantastic having her here for so long (usually it's just a day or two we have to catch up) even if the reason wasn't so nice. It also meant many discussions on relationships and what we want out of life.
During this time I've been slowly reading Stones into Schools - a sequel to the earlier book Three cups of tea. It follows the endeavours of an American with his team of Pakistani and Afghan men to build schools in the most remote places of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Like the first book, it really shows how you can make so many things possible in an environment which seems without hope. Amazing stories.
It has also been good to not be at work and to not be distracted with all the chaos surrounding it.
So now I'm staring at my screen trying to think how to write down all the stuff that's spinning in my head. Without actively spending time on it - though I had planned to - I think I have a better idea of what's ahead. And I'm excited about it. But there's more and I want to do something with it.
But maybe I should just let it spin for the moment, and see what happens....
Because of the things I'm doing. Because of the people I'm meeting. Because of the conversations I'm having.
For the past 1,5 weeks I've been on a break from work. Much needed as it has been - again - far too busy and hectic for my own good. [Everytime I go back to work after a short break I resolve to keep my work schedule in check and to keep the work load manageable. I still haven't figured out a successful method to do that. Does anyone have a foolproof suggestion?]
For several reasons I decided to spend these short two weeks at home, and not travelling to Berlin, Spain or even somewhere further away. And I'm loving it!
I spent three days at IDFA, seeing 10 incredibly different documentaries from all over the world:
* about people surviving in a tough environment
* about people trying to change their life but failing
* about people trying to change their life and succeeding
* about decisions - by governments, by large companies - changing the fate of communities
* about forgotten parts of the world
* about places we all know
* about the past
* about the future
I also had a friend from abroad visiting for a week, just after she had broken up with her boyfriend. It was fantastic having her here for so long (usually it's just a day or two we have to catch up) even if the reason wasn't so nice. It also meant many discussions on relationships and what we want out of life.
During this time I've been slowly reading Stones into Schools - a sequel to the earlier book Three cups of tea. It follows the endeavours of an American with his team of Pakistani and Afghan men to build schools in the most remote places of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Like the first book, it really shows how you can make so many things possible in an environment which seems without hope. Amazing stories.
It has also been good to not be at work and to not be distracted with all the chaos surrounding it.
So now I'm staring at my screen trying to think how to write down all the stuff that's spinning in my head. Without actively spending time on it - though I had planned to - I think I have a better idea of what's ahead. And I'm excited about it. But there's more and I want to do something with it.
But maybe I should just let it spin for the moment, and see what happens....
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