Livenews
We live, and that's news
Winning
Jun 22nd
Being Dutch means that you forget how hard it is to win. The only exception to this rule, happens to be the coach of Russia.
Mistake.
May 29th
The choice to move to Holland this year to study Communication- en Information Studies has been a mistake. No matter how this might influence my future for the good, or how many revelations I might encounter later because of it, I shouldn’t have done this.
When I was in Milan last year, still working fulltime, I realized I wanted to study again. Journalism seemed like a great idea, but I wasn’t even allowed in the pre-masters, since my bachelor’s degree was in a completely different field. So I ended up studying what I am studying today. To summarize, I feel like I realized back then I had an itch on my back, and I thought just scratching my back randomly somewhere would make it go away. I now see I have been scratching in the wrong place.
This year has been difficult for more reasons than I want to write about, yet the number one reason is obvious: being away from the love of my life. Next to that, it has been extremely difficult to work at university for courses that I know I will never in my whole life give a shit about. Ever. Yes, it’s had good sides. I’ve been able to get back in touch properly with my friends and brother, and I’ve created a sort of normal life again. But if I count the moments of loneliness, of anger, of doubt, of sadness, I should’ve made a different decision. What I should have done, I can’t answer. All I know is that for the first time in my life I realize I have made a wrong big decision. Now I can only hope that I will learn from it.
Don’t get me wrong, I am finishing what I started. I just felt like answering a question only I have been asking.
Why I lived in Barcelona
May 14th
24 hours from now my plane will land in Amsterdam. Last weeks here in Barcelona have been unbelievable great, and I’ve got this mixed feeling: I’m happy to go back, but I’m sad to leave.
Almost four years ago, I visited Barcelona for the first time. Just one day, together with friends (including Niels). At the end of that day, while watching the fountains in Montjuic (now my backyard), I decided to live in Barcelona once. Tomorrow exactly 1 year and 4 months ago, Niels and me moved here. I had three personal objectives: learn spanish, learn to play guitar and do sports. Haha. The last thing never happened, of course. My spanish didn’t improve in the first six months, but now (especially the last months) I can say that I speak Spanish. Not fluently, but good enough to have conversations. And then the guitar – that has been a success. I enjoy it a lot.
But I got a lot more from Barcelona. I made new friends, and experienced another way of life. Ah, the Barcelona life. The people in this city managed to create a society that doesn’t scare me. A society that I actually want to be part of. Of course BCN has his bad sides. It’s very easy here to just party and don’t care about the rest of the world, for example. And it’s expensive to rent an appartment. But in total, this city is the greatest in Europe. That’s of course just my humble opinion.
Since I’m leaving now, I’m going to miss everybody here. Some Australian, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan and a hundred Venezuelan friends. Yvell and Hieke, my flatmates, where amazing. They made the transition very smooth after Niels left, and continued to give magic to this appartment. I’ve been really happy here.
On the other hand: I’ve got a lot of things to look forward to. I’m going to move to Utrecht, in an appartment with Tom and (once again) Niels! Really nice… Also, it will be nice to spent more time in Holland than just one week. To have time with all the nice people that I know there. And of course, the weather. HAHAHAHA. No really. Holland is beating Barcelona weather for over a week already. It’s crazy! Now let’s hope it will continue this summer…
So – adios and hallo.
Yes!
May 4th
YES YES YESSSSS! I think it’s the first time ever since those weather-things came on LiveNews that the weather in Holland is beating the weather in Barcelona! Ha!
Take that, Ewout!
BaseBall.
Apr 21st
7 O’clock. The sun was shining in its April come-on-it’s-still-Holland-way. Somehow we’re all in Haarlem, with gloves in hand. Or a bat, from time to time. Just from time to time. There was some crazy running, some crazier screw-ups, lots of opponents running the circles we were trying to prevent them to run. I stood in outfield long enough to mow the lawn with my cool shoes, be tempted to stare at the beautiful skies behind me, but not doing so, because you don’t want to be that guy when a ball comes, and I had at least three world-changing ideas. I also caught some balls now and again.
With a more realistic view, developing over long and stubborn years, I am becoming more and more aware that the marathon is far far away, and these are my moments to enjoy. After recently seeing images of my black and balloon ankle from a year and a half ago, I am enjoying it even more.
We laughed, we played, we screamed, we cried a little and celebrated tiny victories.
We lost, 24-2.
May 15
Apr 6th
All good things come to an end. And sometimes that’s the start of something better. Yesterday I booked my ticket to move back to Holland. It’s kinda weird to know that I’ll just have 5,5 weeks left in this beautiful appartment in this beautiful city. One day I’ll make a movie about my life here.
I’m really looking forward to moving back to Holland. I already have a place to live. It will be in one house with Niels & Tom. For sure that’s going to be crazy…
Today.
Mar 31st
I can’t sleep much lately. My head is exploding with thoughts, worries and doubts. Today, nothing will be certain. No future will be for sure. Today, I am not sure I will finish this piece of shit year. I am not sure I will apply for a masters. I am not sure if I will live in Holland next week. I am not sure if I want any more academic smarter-than-thou bullshit. I am not sure what to do. I am not sure I like life in this country. I am not sure if I should just pick up a camera and seek a future in that. I am not sure if I am a quitter if I do. Today could be an epiphany or a bad mistake or a shitty day. The funny thing is, even if the outcome will be the same, the perspective on it could be different.
Advice.
Mar 26th
While I was quite sure I was managing elegantly with my first gear, rolling downhill and causing a considerable breeze by how fast my paddles were twirling around, I got passed by a six year old girl, playing with a purple football. She was on foot.
If you ever want to slow down your life, just break the gears of your bicycle, so you’re stuck in the first of five gears permanently.
Snow.
Mar 22nd
It is snowing again today. That’s the weird thing about Holland, you can experience all weathertypes possible in one day. It doesn’t really matter much though, I am just being a studying nerd these days. With just a little fun here and there. On the one hand, I am hating it. This whole year I’ve been learning things I hadn’t asked for at all. This can make me feel so boring that it is ridiculously hard to not just run. Run run and shake off the responsibility of it all. I keep on reminding myself that I went into this year fully knowing that it would suck. But there is a part of me that wants to kick against it. A part of me that wants to yell at the clouds and the rain/snow. That wants to run and take my love to a beautiful island. A part of me that wants to get lost and act stupid. That wants to kick the next ass which has a mouth belonging to it that tells me ‘Oh you get to see your girlfriend every three weeks? That’s not so bad!’. A part of me is having difficulty with doing the things I promised myself I would. Because I always tell myself and others (when I am having a preachy moment) that life can’t all just be fun. That we need to sometimes fight a bit to achieve something bigger/nicer/holier or better. For you and others. I just hope I’m right.
No worries. Just a case of the pre-exam blues.
Quote
Mar 11th
Most funny turn in a serious MSN conversation ever… Just a reminder for me to know that I’ll never understand women… In Dutch, I’m sorry 
Ik: “maar je vind me wel een stukje minder aardig he?”
Zij: “Aardig? dit heeft echt geen flikker met aardig temaken. en ja misschien ben je wel wat minder aardig. nou ja daar heb ik het toch nooit om gedaan, vanaf moment 1 vind ik je vooral onbeduidend, spannend, interessant en natuurlijk heel lekker, maar niet aardig”
PorCal.
Mar 1st
From sunny Portugal to sunny California. It will never seize to shock your system. After some amazing days in Portugal with the whole family, it was time to work a little bit here and there. After having I think the earliest wake up time of my life (3:15) I ended up hopping planes in New York, to fly on to Los Angeles. It has been a year since I’ve been in America, and you renotice many things. A lot of big people. A lot of loud pleasant talk. A lot of muscles. A lot of baseball caps. A lot of cool. A lot of a lot of.
It was a strange experience to see my old city from the plane, land next to it, and move along, without entering. Many memories showed themselves, then disappeared as quickly. Except in my dreams, I’ve been having NY-related dreams.
California has been amazing. Sunny weather, a relaxed crew, lots of reading in between work. From national park to secluded place to plastic LA. From the car I could see surfers in the water, and I had a fart of frustration, being so close to a surf. But then soon enough, it disappears. Thinking about the fact that I am actually in Cali, listening to Jack, looking at the ocean, and feeling the sun on my face. It’s always hard to explain this job properly. I don’t know, I think I’ll never enjoy the actual posing. Literally. But everything else, everything else is just amazing.
Tired
Feb 22nd
Men I’m tired. Just arrived in Holland. Saturday Switzerland. 8th of March back in Barcelona. A lot of nice things ahead. But first sleep…… I’ve got a song in my head though. Need to finish that song one day. It keeps me up at night. No I’m not drunk, I’m just tired and happy. Goodnight
No internet for Ewout
Feb 15th
Argh! Worst case scenario! Crisismanagers all around! Yesterday around 12:00 our ADSL line stopped working. It’ll probably take untill this afternoon before I’ll be reconnected. Of course you question how it’s possible to post something on Livenews without internet: well, it’s through an open wireless line with Signal Strenght: No Signal. Very nice. For everybody who doesn’t know how important an internet line is for me: I own an internet company. So please feel sorry for me… I think I’ll start to read a book. Or make a drawing. Or I could go for a walk in the park. Have some coffee somewhere. Wow, there is a lot of things one can do without internet.
Fat-tax: Dutch problem-solving
Feb 12th
Argh, it’s one of those days that I need to make a statement. So here I go.
This morning the news came that the Dutch Healthcare Council thinks it’s a good idea to put extra taxes on unhealthy food products. They say it will make people more responsible for their own health. It’s one of those ideas in line with taxes on cigarettes, extra healthcare costs for smokers and fastfood junkies, and the brandnew tax on dutch flight tickets.
It looks like The Netherlands are moving in the direction of paying for freedom. This means that things that the government thinks are not good for you or the society, will become more expensive. That may sound like a legitimate thing to do, but it isn’t. The thought that people will become more responsible when they feel their choices affect their financial situation, is just crazy. It’s thinking in the wrong way. It may lead to a situation where money becomes our most important and only value. Assuming that that’s not the case already, of course. It’s suppressing people’s own responsibilities. In the end, the reason why we shouldn’t eat unhealthy, smoke, drive or fly too much will be no more than a financial one.
Creating awareness by putting taxes may be the most stupid way of solving problems I’ve ever heard of. Because it doesn’t solve anything. A false suggestion, a cheap façade for more tax income. And beyond the financial issue: when did we stop accepting that people make bad choices? Everybody does. It’s like death and taxes.
Barcelona best love city
Feb 11th
The British say it, so it’s true: Barcelona is the best city for romance. Better than Florance, Paris, Prague, Madrid, Amsterdam etcetera. That’s at least the result of one-of-those-researches. Read the Reuters article here.
So far the uninteresting news on this monday morning. A short update then: I’m working my ass off, I’m tired and I’m alive. I’ve got a lot of work to do before the 21st of february. Because at that date I’ll fly to Holland, because two days later I’ll be driving to Switzerland. And yes, that sounds like a logical route to me. Anyway, I’ll be heading to Switzerland to ski down some mountains for a week, and after that I’ll be spending a whole week in Holland again – for business and meeting friends. So a lot of travelling comin’ up. But I’m really looking forward to it: I’ve got to check out Marius’ new crib in Amsterdam, and Janwillems’ new crib in Utrecht, and Niels’ and Toms’ new crib – also in Utrecht. Seems like everybody moved to a new place… In the meanwhile I’m signing my next year-contract with the owners of my flat here in Barcelona. No moving around for me… Not yet… Not now… Maybe later…
I wish everybody a very happy newweek!
Creu Coberta
Feb 7th
Apparently I’m living at Europe’s longest commercial street! Ha! I didn’t know. For everybody who is interested in my neighbourhood: I just found a website today that’s about my street: creucoberta.com. Very funny. The website is not so up-to-date, but at least I’m living in a street with a website! Another funny fact: our neighbourhood is named “Hostafrancs”, wich comes from “Hostal Franc”, which means “Free Hostal”. And that’s really funny, because all our guests refer to our appartment as a free hostal – it’s even written on our wall
Finally.
Feb 6th
I am now officially living in Amsterdam. This is better than just having keys to a place in Amsterdam. I actually use the keys now. I have a bicycle here too. I used that yesterday. I realized I don’t know this city at all, so wherever I need to go, I am following the tram-tracks. I even stopped here ‘n there at a tramstop and said ‘ding’ but no one hopped on. So I am not an actual tram. You learn a new thing everyday.
Now that things have finally returned to some form of silence, I am understanding that these past months have been a bit too much. I already knew it, but now I can feel it. I hope that now will be a time for friends and family. One question though, could you all hold on to your health for a while? That would be great for me. Yes, just stay healthy so I can relax a bit, yes? This is something new, reverse selfishness.
