Saturday 28 September 2013

The most beautiful thing you will see today #2

This video shows the story of Shirley, an elephant which had been a captive for over 2 decades. Finally released from her chains, she is brought to a sanctuary where she will be able to spend the rest of her days. It's here something miraculous happens. Shirley is reunited with Jenny. The two were together 25 years ago as they both were held as circus animals.

Watch their reunion:


Friday 27 September 2013

Bubbles is back!

Hello my darlings!

Today another blog talking about new music. In this case, the music of my partner in crime, the amazing Bubbles!

He's been working on his music for a long time and I've followed his journey and given my opinion along the way. The first serious steps into the music scene was in 2010 when we went into the studio and he recorded some songs. But now he's back and he's doing it much better than he did before. Awesome songs, his vocals have improved so much and his whole look is more professional. I'm very very proud of him and I am sure he will succeed in accomplishing his dream. And then taking me along on his world tour of course *cough cough*

Click here to listen to his new songs and follow him on twitter!


Saturday 21 September 2013

When love is just business

Good night my darlings!

I have just finished watching a documentary from Louis Theroux about a brothel somewhere in America. I find this a very interesting subject. I have noticed that a lot of men find it very normal to call a woman a 'whore' whenever they dress in a provocative way, or even if they refuse to do whatever the guy wants them to do. It happens, sadly. In reality there are so many women who do sell their bodies for cash and we usually pity them or think they have been dragged to the west by pimps wanting to make big bucks. Yes, these girls exist and there are too many of them. But there are also quite a lot of girls who are prostitutes voluntarily.

I have only been to the Red Light District in Amsterdam once. I felt that as a citizen of the Netherlands I should at least know what the hype is about. I felt very, very uncomfortable. It felt so impersonal. It was basically just a cattle market and the girls were the meat being examined by mostly filthy old men who were looking for some 'fun'. These girls looked miserable and it was evident from the look in their eyes; this is just business.
My friend and I were being yelled at by a guy who asked us to participate in their sex show. I was shocked. I wasn't used to being spoken to in such a way and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

While watching this documentary, I realised that it wasn't all as bad as it is on the Red Lights Districts. This brothel actually is a safe place for these girls to work and make money. They are almost actresses, seducing willing men and making them believe in a fantasy. It's just business, but it's business in a safe place.
All these girls have their own stories and their own reasons for doing this work. And watching it brought me some sort of admiration for these girls because they are clever women who don't see this as something permanent but as a necessary evil. They know their boundaries.
I would never be able to be a 'working girl' as they call it. I guess I attach sex too much to love and I can't imagine getting intimate with anyone I don't fancy or at least have a connection with. Call me old-fashioned, but I can't see love and sex as two separate things.

Anyways, if you've got an hour to spare, here's the very interesting documentary:


Monday 16 September 2013

It's called fashion, okay!

I will admit it right away. I am not a fashionable person. I wear the clothes I like to wear and I read fashion magazines, but can only name the big brands. Which already makes me the worse hipster ever. However, I saw this video and I had to laugh because these 'fashion lovers' are so desperate to be accepted and to belong to the inner world of fashion, that they just lie their way through an interview. Take a look, it's hilarious:


I wish you wouldn't return...

I told you to stay away from me. No, don't look at me like that. I'm not changing my mind. Yes! Yes I heard what you said. "I will leave you alone for a few months but I will always come back." I told you we were over. We are too different. This was never going to work out. Just leave me alone.

Yes I cheated on you. But you asked for it. I don't regret anything at all. I don't regret how I went underneath the covers and was warmed up by another's embrace. I don't care that you were waiting somewhere to return to me. If I could I would escape you forever.

I told you that you were not my kind. You were too cold and sometimes I even thought your heart was frozen. Whenever I touched you, I could feel chills going down my spine. And not the good kind. I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry. I just really like your brothers more I guess. Oh don't cry now. You have good sides too! You always manage to bring my whole family together on certain days so we can eat food and laugh about old times. You always make me happy to come home after a long day.

Still, I'm always so happy to see you go. I say goodbye to you without shedding a tear. Therefore it makes me sad and blue, that Mr. Winter, you are near....

Wednesday 11 September 2013

When worlds collide

It's the 11th of September as I'm writing this. We all know what happened 12 years ago and I won't write a long essay about that day. It was horrible what happened and it is sad that we live in a world in which those things are no longer exceptions.

I learned a lot today. I was educated some more about mentally disabled people and how they view the world. The people who we were educated about lived in a world of their own, away from our society. We find them strange and put a label on them because we can't deal with the fact that they're not 'normal'. But what is normal? Who defines that term?

While I was on the train back home I started thinking about this world apart issue. I quickly came to the conclusion that not only abled and disabled people live in different worlds. It appears as though the planet Earth is divided into different worlds and every world has their own definition of what is considered normal. In the Western world it is considered normal to work as a woman even though you have children. In some other countries it is perfectly fine for a man to have multiple wives.
The problem with having all these different worlds in one is that there is bound to be misunderstanding. We all cling on to our own ideas of what is normal and what is not and we judge others if they don't live up to our expectations. It's how hate is born. We don't comprehend it so we condemn it. Simple. We want everybody to live up to our own standards and if it won't happen peacefully, violence will be used.

I am not saying everybody will resort to violence or hate. There are plenty of people who are open-minded. Who won't stop to cross the borders of these other worlds. Who try to understand. The problem is that mostly those who do not open their eyes are the ones in charge. Those who hold on to what they believe in and see it as the truth. They have the power and if they don't have it, they will take it.

I don't believe that with so many people walking the Earth's surface, we will ever find complete peace. It is unrealistic. I just hope that by talking and listening we will manage to get a little more understanding for others. It isn't necessary to agree with others. A little respect would go a long way. And maybe, just maybe, all the different worlds in one will one day come a little closer together.

Monday 9 September 2013

Just a random blog post

Today was the first day of my introduction week for the minor I'm doing this year. I was supposed to do it in Schotland, but because shit happened I had to decide to stay here and so I decided to do Art, Culture and Research. And I think it's been a great choice.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am quite the dramatic type. I love acting, I love performing in whatever way is possible and I love writing and exploring boundaries. So I was quite happy when I arrived at the location this morning and immediately met a group of amazing people. Everyone was open and a little crazy which resulted in a creative environment in which there was no room for shame. We were basically a bunch of strangers put together. "Pair up. One will close his/her eyes and the other will guide you around the field." A simple exercise but one in which trust was vitally important. In the meantime, the guiding person asked questions which were rather deep. An excellent way to get to know each other.

I also loved talking to the teachers. They all had their field of expertise but it was amazing to see how passionate they were. One was all about dancing, another about music and another about acting. I always admire seeing someone have a large amount of passion for what they do. It's very inspiring.

In the upcoming months, I will be put into a group and we'll be putting a performance together. I'm super excited already because I know it's going to be great. I will keep you guys posted about the process.

Basically this wasn't an interesting blog at all, but I just wanted to share it. I promise I will post a cooler blog post soon!

In the meantime, here's why you shouldn't twerk:


Wednesday 4 September 2013

Why we should embrace weirdness

I'm sitting here staring at my notebook in which I'm writing my new story. It's going quite well, but at the moment I'm stuck and am trying to find a way to solve it. Being stuck sucks. Imagine you're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you get stuck somewhere. That would probably be a very awkward and unpleasant moment.

So as I was staring at this blank page before me, I was thinking about how weird it must actually seem to most people that I sit here and make things up, hoping that one day these stories will be read and inspire others to also make things up. Speaking of which, I figure that people must have thought me to be rather weird and strange for my entire life.
As long as I remember, I've been different from other kids. I had no interest in dolls and the only reason I had a Baby Born was because everybody had one. I bought a Furby because it was totally cool back then but nearly threw it out of the window after it talked to me at night. When I did get interested in things, such as my Pokemon obsession, I had a tendency to linger in it for too long. My peers had moved on to the next best thing, while I still imagined that when I grew up, I'd be a Pokemon trainer.

I was the kid who always lived in a fantasy world. Even then I made up stories and would draw whatever popped up in my head. I wasn't a people's person and I much rather spent my time around dogs. I guess I'm still more fond of dogs then of most people. At least dogs can never hurt you.
As I grew older, and my life became harder, I realised that all the colour in my drawings were gone. All the happy words I once wrote were turned into sad ones. I still have those notebooks and it is still heartbreaking to read the thoughts 9-year old me had.

Then I went to high school and I tried to change. I wanted to fit in. I never did and was made fun of. I guess because they did not understand me and I did not understand them. For 3 years I tried to fit in and was only made to feel more like an outsider. It wasn't until those I thought were my friends hurt me so dramatically, that I found people like me. They had been there all along. And even though we had only casually been involved before, they opened their arms and welcomed me. That was when I realised that even when you're different, there are always people like you wherever you go. You just have to open your eyes to find them.

I'm glad I'm done with my teenage years. I'm happy I'm done with fighting to fit in. I'm happy that I found so many people who were a bit different and strange like myself. Who look at the world in a different way. I guess, if we all embrace each other's weirdness, this world would be a better place.

I'm thankful that I dared to open up and be myself. I'm also thankful for the people who have crossed my path since I have done so. Some of them have stuck around for 10 years already and others I have just met. But every single one of them has left footprints in my heart and I hope that we will have many more years of weirdness to share together.

Now I shall stop being all emotional and continue with trying to write my story!