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Archive for December, 2006
Christmas.
Dec 24th
It is Christmas Eve tonight. When I was walking back on my own to the bus after not seeing my grandmother (she forgot I was coming and went to a mass inside the hospital) I was tempted to slide into the commercially induced depression caused by these days greatly loved by many and intensely hated by few. I chose not to let it get me. I started thinking of 2006, another thing we all tend to do in these weeks. I dove into the Archive of LiveNews and read all words written here in 2006, actually intending to sum up some things, but that’s not necessary. I just relived the whole year.
I sit here on Christmas Eve alone yet not lonely. I realize that so many are now at this moment surrounded by family and love. I am so happy for all of them. What will 2007 bring? A new course, maybe. A new thought planted itself in my brain a few days ago, and I enjoy it there.
No, life is too gorgeous to let myself get down on the one evening that I should be.
Merry Christmas to every soul in the world, whatever these days mean to you.
Nog 29 dagen
Dec 17th
Nog 29 dagen voor ik naar Barcelona vertrek. Dat lijkt nog best ver weg. Maar dan nog betekent het nu al losweken van mensen en omgangsvormen waar je gewend aan bent. En ook afscheid nemen van heel veel onbelangrijke dingen. Zoals Nederland. Alhoewel ik altijd Nederlander zal blijven in hart en nieren, weiger ik mijn ziel uit te leveren aan de populistische politiek. Aan de Geert Wilderssen, Rita Verdonken, Wouter Bossen en alle andere Postpimse Lijsttrekkers.
Daarnaast weiger ik akkoord te gaan met het Nederlandse elan, het Nederlandse “doe maar normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg”, het Nederlandse poldermodel, de Nederlandse grijze middencultuur, het Nederlandse gedoogbeleid, het Nederlandse geloof in consessies doen, de teloorgang van KLM (moet ik zeggen Air France?), de teloorgang van TPG Post (wat is TNT?!), de teloorgang van Koninklijke Olie (Royal Dutch Shell met een Brits meerderheidsaandeel), de teloorgang van Philips (waar is de moed gebleven om je te profileren?!) en ga zo maar door.
Laten we wel wezen: ik heb heel makkelijk praten. Ik ben een (vooral jonge) rijke Europeaan met een leven wat hem toelacht. Maar juist dat geeft me de plicht verder te denken dan het leven van de door mij te verwekken volgende generatie. Een meerjarige afweging te maken tussen goed en kwaad. Tussen milieu en economie. Tussen geloof en ongeloof. Juist in de tijd dat niets meer hoeft, val ik voor mijn gevoel in de valkuil die me dwingt tot een keuze. En op dit moment is die keuze: weggaan uit het land dat me beperkt. Naar Barcelona. Niet omdat het daar beter is, maar wel omdat daar geen Nederlandse mentaliteit heerst,
Alle liefde naar iedereen die zich onterecht aangesproken voelt, en ook naar degenen die zich terecht aangesproken voelen. We zullen de kennis die we nu hebben moeten gebruiken voor het opnieuw uitvinden van vuur, het wiel, etcetera. Ik hoop ooit nog wat toe te kunnen voegen. En u?
Summary
Dec 13th
Jetlag Old Friend Fun London Ale English Breakfast Too Much Luggage Too Little Time No Battery Left On Laptop.
NY.
Dec 6th
I am sitting with my butt on the floor, cleaning out my life, drawer after drawer. My living in Brooklyn is coming to an end. Although I was away for a long time, these last few months I have been at home here. Keys I recognize. Walking in streets, knowing without looking where to turn right to enter my building. My bad shower that might be freezing whenever it choses. My no-bed. My wall with pictures from my favorite photographer and one of my own. My MetroCards. My unfinished dreams.
I am cleaning out my life, drawer after drawer. Finding things that mean nothing, other things that mean the world. Or at least they did at some point. Finding things I forgot about, finding things I was actually looking for, finding things I didn’t want to find and finding four nailclippers. I always lose those bastards, turns out they’re all hiding together. If all goes normally, I will fly this Sunday. The pile of things I will throw away is growing. I realize I am a nomad, I could hold on to things, but where should I leave them? There is no use. Memories are in the mind.
I am cleaning out my life, drawer after drawer. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
Thank you.
Dec 1st
…ACDC, Acda en De Munnik, Aerosmith, Air, Alanis Morissette, Andre 3000, Anouk, Anthony & the Johnsons, Apollo 440, Architecture In Helsinki, Arctic Monkeys, Armand van Helden, Astrud Gilberto, Athlete, Audio Bullys, Beach Boys, Beady Belle, Beasty Boys, The Beatles, The Beatnuts, Beck, Belle and Sebastian, Ben Folds, Ben Harper, Black Eyed Peas, Blind Melon, Blink 182, Blof, Blur, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Brahms, Brainpower, Bruce Springsteen, Bush, Busta Rhymes, Cardigans, Carla Bruni, Celia Cruz, Charlie Lownoise & Mental Theo, Chemical Brothers, Chopin, Christophe, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Cody Chestnut, Coldplay, Counting Crows, Crash Test Dummies, Crazy Town, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Cure, Curtis Mayfield, Cypress Hill, Daft Punk, Damien Rice, Dandy Warhols, Daniel Johnston, Dave Matthews Band, David Bowie, David Gray, De La Soul, Death Cab for Cutie, Deep Dish, Deftones, Dido, Dilated Peoples, Dispatch, Dizzee Rascal, DJ Bobo, DJ Tiesto, The Doors, Duran Duran, The Eagles, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Emiliana Torrini, Eminem, Energy 52, Everlast, Extince, Faith No More, Faithless, Fatboy Slim, Five For Fighting, Foo Fighters, Frank Sinatra, Franz Ferdinand, Gabriel Rios, The Game, Gangstar, Gigi D’Agostino, Gilberto Santarosa, Gnarls Barkley, Goldfrapp, Gorillaz, Gotan Project, Green Day, Gregory Isaacs, Guano Apes, Guns ‘N Roses, Guru, Guster, Henry Salvador, Herman van Veen, The Hives, House of Pain, Incubus, Intwine, Iron Maiden, Jack Johnson, Jaqcues Brel, James Blunt, Jamiroquai, Jason Mraz, Jay-Z, Jazzmatazz, Jet, Jewel, John Coltrane, John Legend, John Lennon, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Jorge Ben Jor, Juanes, Jurassic 5, K’s Choice, Kaiser Chiefs, Kane, Kanye West, Keane, Kosheen, Krezip, KT Tunstall, Lange Frans en Baas B, Lebbis en Jansen, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Live, The Living End, Loofus, Marcy Playground, Marilyn Manson, Massive Attack, MC Solaar, Metallica, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Missy Elliott, Moby, Moloko, Nada Surf, Nakatomi, Nancy Sinatra, Nelly, Neptunes, Norah Jones, The Notorious B.I.G., OAR, Oasis, The Offspring, OMC, Osdorp Posse, Outkast, Paul Oakenfold, Pearl Jam, Pete Philly & Perquisite, Pink Floyd, The Police, Prince, The Prodigy, Q-Tip, Queen, Queens of the Stone Age, R.E.M., Racoon, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Rammstein, The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Regina Spektor, Robbie Williams, Robert Miles, The Rolling Stones, The Roots, Saint Germain, Semisonic, Sergio Mendez, Shawn Mullins, Simon & Garfunkel, Slim Thugg, Snoop Dogg, Staind, Stephane Pompougnac, Stereophonics, Sting, The Streets, The Strokes, Sugar Ray, Supertramp, System of a Down, Theo Eastwind, Tim Buckley, Train, Travis, U2, Van Dik Hout, Van Morrison, The Verve, Vivaldi, The Wallflowers, Weezer, The White Stripes, The Who, Will Smith, Wir Sind Helden, Yann Thiersen, Zero 7, Zuco 103 and ZZ Top amongst others, for always staying with me, wherever I travel. For making me feel at home in countries I’ve never been in before. For making me smile when I am feeling like shit. For making me look like an idiot while singing along to you no matter where I am, even if it is only that one song, while the rest of what you made sucks. Someone told me recently that feeling at home is a state of mind, one I could never reach without all of you. Thank you. And if I ever lose my music, at least now I have a good idea of what to shamelessly illegally download.
