Impressions of reality

Beat Streets article on self-actualization

2011-11-06T19:20:00.000+01:00

www.beatstreetsmagazine.blogspot.com

Asian series

2011-04-18T14:36:00.001+02:00

Ann Timmermans, Asian series, some samples, 2011

New Beat Streets magazine edition

2011-02-13T00:25:00.000+01:00

Beat Streets magazine focusses on the effects of music, street artist JR, The Yesterday's new quintet and soul food.
Check it out :Beat Streets magazine

Cd Cover design Koen Dalini

2010-12-08T16:49:00.002+01:00

CD Cover Design Tyfus

2010-12-08T16:45:00.000+01:00

Cover design Ronso's album Thanatos

2010-09-13T22:53:00.002+02:00

Landscape art @parkartistica Ghent

2010-08-09T01:21:00.000+02:00

Clair de Lune

2010-08-02T05:00:00.000+02:00

Streets ahead of the ordinary

2010-08-02T04:29:00.001+02:00

Faile, work on wood

FAILE(1999) is the Brooklyn-based artistic collaboration between Patrick McNeil

(b. 1975, Edmonton, CA) and Patrick Miller (b. 1976, Minneapolis, MN). The two friends met in high school and later on kept in touch whilst attending art school.

The duo created A Life in collaboration with Japanese filmmaker Aiko Nakagawa who left FAILE in 2006. A Life expresses the interaction with its environment, the deterioration of artwork caused by exposure to the elements. The detritus of the city wall was a constant inspiration …

They changed their artist name into Faile, an anagram of A Life. The trio started focusing on street art by means of large-scale screen prints, wheat pasting and stenciling recognizable pop culture images. During the early years of their career Faile’s artwork was marked by assemblage and dynamic experiments in public urban spaces.

Street art was only featured in a few galleries in New York, in spite of its history of graffiti and its status of the city of contemporary art.

Faile’s style and characteristic culture-driven iconographical language make their work very recognizable. Socio-political themes, criticism on society, consumerism and mass culture in addition to both sacred and profane cultural influences (the use of religious artifacts) are depicted in their projects.

FAILE’s recent work is marked by the consistent juxtaposition of dualities (love/hate, violence/beauty, peace/war), recurring themes which are represented by recognizable visual elements.

Their work is characterized by a certain ambiguity which allows the viewer’s open interpretation in order to be able to relate to the work. Their creations’ meaning is open and emphasizes the audience’s interactive experience.

In addition to the common street art media, they chose a wide array of media ea sculpture, architecture, multimedia, music, design and books in limited edition.

Faile and twenty one other internationally renowned artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Takashi Murakami were invited to show their work at the Spank the Monkey exhibition (2007, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art). This show was crucial contribution towards the institutional acceptance of street art.

A year later Street Art(Tate Modern, 2008), a group exhibition featuring street artists Blu, Sixeart, JR, Nunca and Os Gomeos included Faile’s work. Thanks to this exhibition Faile was able to reach a large public. Their work increasingly received more media attention.

Street art embraces hip-hop aesthetics, fixes its eye upon to the masses expression in an attempt to regain and embellish the urban environment. Contemporary art shouldn’t be restricted to museums and galleries but be available on every corner of the street.

Article written by Ann Timmermans, published by Beat Streets magazine

Some links for art lovers:

http://www.blogger.com/goog_1541520144

http://www.faile.net/

Less is a bore, Yareah art magazine June 2010

2010-06-15T08:44:00.001+02:00

Fascinating forgotten female ones facing fate

2010-05-13T16:46:00.002+02:00

Life's worth

2010-04-15T07:02:00.001+02:00

Article Michael de Brito

2010-03-26T08:58:00.000+01:00

I discovered Michael de Brito and felt he is a true master.
Michael, an American artist of Portuguese descent, depicts family scenes in kitchens, mainly featuring his gran and sister. His pieces breath an air of genuine, personal inspiration. More information on his art and life can be read on www.michaeldebrito.com.

The importance of talent above academical training(Yareah magazine December 2009)

2009-12-17T08:01:00.001+01:00

The heart of the matter: spirited reflections on art( Yareah December 2009)

2009-12-17T07:59:00.000+01:00

Godchildren

2009-11-26T14:37:00.003+01:00

I have become a godmother. My brother in law asked me to become the godmother of his newborn daughter and I felt honoured to be asked. It does feel special because you're instantly bonding. My own godmother and godfather have always played a special role throughout and in my life and will continue to be closer to me than other relatives.

Lost in Nanjing 2

2009-11-05T17:49:00.002+01:00

The second part of the Lost in Nanjing series. Still looking for the Nanjing mountain...

Lost in Nanjing 1

2009-11-05T17:44:00.002+01:00

China was one of the very few places where I constantly got lost. Normally I have a visual map of a city inside my head which I can consult at any time, but I think it was just blocked there.
Anyhow, after getting a lost many a time, we decided to film our adventures.

Being mobile

2009-09-10T12:11:00.004+02:00

Being mobile seems to be a necessity in modern day Western life.
Many think it is awkward when you haven't got a car. I haven't had one for a long time and could easily do without.
However I confess it's quite handy to do some shopping or to fetch plaster boards. On the other hand I do love public transport and riding my bike.(when it isn't freezing) I got home every time after a night out, either by night bus, walking or by bike, and wouldn't dream of driving a car at that time.
Practically every one is in the possession of a mobile phone, the convenient small gadget. It is a great invention but I could also do without. It limits your freedom and broadens it at the same time.
What I wanted to express is the realization that we have so much luxury, we sometimes take material items for granted. Instead of appreciating them, we ache for more and feel unhappy if we can't obtain the best, the newest, the most expensive. Lost the freedom money can provide, and in with the cages of desire.
I feel fortunate.

Chinese impressions

2009-08-26T07:53:00.002+02:00

This photo shows a girl in Yutsi Ancient City, an old village which has been preserved. It's surroundings are currently used in many films.
The girl is sleeping. I have seen many Chinese sleep in the daytime, which I grasp as the temperatures rise quickly.
However, I saw many shop keepers and employees napping when they were supposed to be working, policemen slumbering in their police car and even at the entrance of the police station, taxidrivers snoozing at noon, table attendants dozing off in between shifts, ...
The most peculiar sight was a young man catnapping while sitting up on his mopet in the middle of the cycle path.
It all adds to the charm of China.

I like Chinese

2009-08-19T18:06:00.002+02:00

The world today seems absolutely crackers.
With nuclear bombs to blow us all sky high.
There are fools and idiots sitting on the trigger.
It's depressing, and it's senseless, and that's why...

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're always friendly and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
There's nine hundred million of them in the world today,
You'd better learn to like them, that's what I say.

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
They come from a long way overseas,
But they're cute and they're cuddly, and they're ready to please.

I like chinese food,
The waiters never are rude,
Think of the many things they've done to impress,
There's Maoism, Taoism, I Ching and chess.

So I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their
yin and yang-ese.

I like Chinese thought,
The wisdom that Confucious taught,
If Darwin is anything to shout about,
The Chinese will survive us all without any doubt.

So I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
They only come up to your knees,
Yet they're wise and they're witty, and they're ready to please.

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
Their food is guaranteed to please,
A fourteen, a seven, a nine and lychees.

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese,
I like their tiny little trees,
Their Zen, their ping-pong, their yin and yang-ese.

I like Chinese,
I like Chinese...

Birds

2009-07-12T20:30:00.003+02:00

When I am waiting for a bus or a train, I tend to do one of the following things: read, draw or look at what or who ever passes by.
That's when I often find myself enlightened and touched at the sight of one or more birds joining me in my quiet reflection. Those early morning encounters make my day.
A large variety comes my way: squirrels, sparrows, gulls,jackdaws,...
They all cheerfully come close, in search for some food, watch you and then fly off.

I invite you to take a look at the picture in close up, those 4 birds are so cute they make my heart melt...

Sculpture

2009-05-15T11:50:00.003+02:00

This is a Paris sculpture. I must admit I have always been fascinated by and had an interest in paintings and graphic work. By seeing more sculptures, I am now quite fond of them.

Claudel,who was a pupil of Rodin, is one of my favourite classical sculptors as her artwork touches me deep within. Her technical skills were excellent, a reason why she made most of Rodin's feet and hands. Married Rodin fell in love with her in his 40-ies when she worked at his studio. Unfortunately the lady had a hard life, due to Rodin's love for female beauty.

The elongated work of Alberto Giacometti is very typical and fragile. I love his brother Diego's tables, lamps, chairs, doorknobs, as he incorporates art in functional items as furniture.

Henry Moore's reclining figures are an example of modern sculptures which evolved from heavy, classically fabricated pieces into light modern artworks. These late modern reclining figures are also used in his graphic work, rich in contrast and form.

Picasso made a whole range of clay plates and pots and other sculptures. His Chicago Picasso is something to take a closer look at. Picasso’s reputation as a major 20th-century sculptor came only after his death, because he had kept much of his sculpture in his own collection. Beginning in 1928, Picasso began to work in iron and sheet metal in Julio González’s studio in Paris. Then, in 1931, with his new mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter, he left his wife and moved to a country home at Boisgeloup, where he had room for sculpture studios. There, with Marie-Thérèse as his muse, Picasso began working on large-scale plaster heads. He also began to make constructions incorporating found objects, and until the end of his life Picasso continued working in sculpture in a variety of materials.

Dalì's bronze space elephant is an example of surreal, fantastic thinking, portraying an elephant on elongated, thin legs, re-inventing the animal. Among his oeuvre are his famous series of clocks. His autobiography La vie Secrète (The secrete life of Salvador Dalí), tells us how, as a child, he made a model of the Venus de Milo because there was a picture of her on a pencil case: this was his first attempt at sculpture.

Anish Kapoor, an Indian born Englishman, is one of the most influential sculptors of this generation. He has held exhibitions in major museums all over the world and is renowned for his simple, curved works. Somehow his pieces do not lift my spirits.
Contemporary sculptures...

Classical, Roman and Greek works don't do it for me. There is something about marble I do not like. I personally prefer bronze or stone pieces which aren't too abstracted.

Grave

2009-02-23T12:00:00.005+01:00

.

I have always been fascinated by graveyards, but not because of morbide fascination. I believe they are a source of information, art and reflection.
Many personal stories and historical issues can be told by looking at the names,text, photographs and dates.It is also interesting to see the differences in the final resting place of people of different religions.
Art can also be found in these places: sculptures, architecture, literature, ...
The most common reason most people go to graveyards is for reflection. Reflections on your own life, on others', on the meaning of life.
As it is quiet and peaceful, it is a very good place to meditate in or to have a walk in.

les dessous de Ginette

2009-01-24T15:10:00.003+01:00

At Christmas we were exploring the delights of Paris in the cold.
As genuine tourists we spent a lot of time in the museums,at Père Lachaise, Montmartre and heated terrasses, sipping red wine.

While walking in Montmartre, early in the mroning, I passed this café. Of course I had to take a picture of it, as my mum is called Ginette.

This one is for you, mum!

Doorman

2008-12-14T12:40:00.003+01:00

This doorman stood outside in Camden town a few months ago.
As I was waiting for my partner who was buying a lot of records, I stayed outside on the doorstep and had a lot of fun photographing people.

Installation view Arnoevoo 2008

2008-12-12T18:15:00.001+01:00

arnoevoo 2008

2008-11-26T22:30:00.005+01:00

The artwork you can see below this message, will be exhibited during Arnoevoo 2008 in Bredene.
The exhibition starts this week end and ends the 20th of December.

Work

2008-11-18T20:54:00.002+01:00

Kids

2008-10-18T21:33:00.002+02:00

As you know I haven't gor any kids. Nevertheless I do like (some) children. Especially the children of our dearest friends. Every time I see them, I try to take some pictures. There are several reasons why I do so. Because it would be a waste not to,as they grow up so fast. Because I like them. Because they would surely like to see them when they get older. Because I like taking pictures of them.

This picture features the daughter of our friends who live around the corner. She loves being photographed and poses as a real model.

Braque

2008-10-06T17:03:00.006+02:00

It is time to post an item about Georges Braque, one of my favourite artists.

Why do I like his artwork so much?
First of all, because he invented and developped Cubism with Pablo Picasso, which is a major accomplishment and very important in art history. And simply amazing in that time.
Secondly, because he wasn't just an artist who followed others in their style or subject.
And last but not least: simply because I like it.
His paintings tend to be kind of dark. I discovered some samples of his graphical work, as you may admire above.

As usual, I add some biographical information from the Guggenheim site:
Georges Braque
b. 1882, Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France; d. 1963, Paris
Georges Braque was born on May 13, 1882, in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France. He grew up in Le Havre and studied evenings at the École des Beaux-Arts there from about 1897 to 1899. He left for Paris to study under a master decorator to receive his craftsman certificate in 1901. From 1902 to 1904 he painted at the Académie Humbert in Paris, where he met Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia. By 1906 Braque’s work was no longer Impressionist but Fauve in style; after spending that summer in Antwerp with Othon Friesz, he showed his Fauve work the following year in the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. His first solo show was at Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler’s gallery in 1908. From 1909 Pablo Picasso and Braque worked together in developing Cubism; by 1911 their styles were extremely similar. In 1912 they started to incorporate collage elements into their paintings and to experiment with the papier collé (pasted paper) technique. Their artistic collaboration lasted until 1914. Braque served in the French army during World War I and was wounded; upon his recovery in 1917 he began a close friendship with Juan Gris.

After World War I Braque’s work became freer and less schematic. His fame grew in 1922 as a result of an exhibition at the Salon d’Automne in Paris. In the mid-1920s Braque designed the decor for two Sergei Diaghilev ballets. By the end of the decade, he had returned to a more realistic interpretation of nature, although certain aspects of Cubism [more] always remained present in his work. In 1931 Braque made his first engraved plasters and began to portray mythological subjects. His first important retrospective took place in 1933 at the Kunsthalle Basel. He won first prize at the Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, in 1937.

During World War II Braque remained in Paris. His paintings at that time, primarily still lifes and interiors, became more somber. In addition to paintings, Braque also made lithographs, engravings, and sculptures. From the late 1940s he treated various recurring themes such as birds, ateliers, landscapes, and seascapes. In 1954 he designed stained-glass windows for the church of Varengeville. During the last few years of his life, Braque’s ill health prevented him from undertaking further large-scale commissions, but he continued to paint, make lithographs, and design jewelry. He died on August 31, 1963, in Paris.

Longislandicetea

2008-09-25T16:08:00.003+02:00

In one of my favourite cocktailbars in town, after the first cocktail. The first one was a huge coupe of strawberry daiquiri for me, a cosmopolitan as been drunk in Sex and the city for my metropolitan friend and a beer for the male friend.
It is always nice to try something new, at least I think so. In a restaurant I always read the menu completely before choosing after a second scanning of it.
Long Island Ice Tea... A drink I had seen being drunk in several movies. I thought it would taste like an ice tea with a bit of alcohol in it. My partners in crime felt like having one too. the first sip was simply horrible: alcohol all around. It did not taste like the refreshing ice tea I thought it would have been.
After 2 sips we were already drunk. My friend ordered some tapa's. This cocktail took us hours to consume.
And I won't be having it again.

Couple

2008-09-13T11:01:00.000+02:00

London

2008-07-20T11:44:00.002+02:00

Each year we trip to the big city of London for a few days in the metropole.
Initially we went there to see the English grandfather and stayed in his Essex house, where we experienced the real English everyday life. During the daytime we took the train and metro into London.
Unfortunately Grandad is no more but his wife Monica still lives there. She 's the one who gave us English tea, cookies and English meals. Monica is a strong woman who knows what she wants and has a big heart.
We continue the every- year- London-tradition for her in the first place. She has moved to Hornchurch where she lives closer to her son. We book the Eurostar and our hotel( a package deal at the travel agent is always cheaper and better quality) and off we go.
A couple of days of museums, charity shops, English supermarkets, pub visits, Fish & Chips, Sausage & mash, pies and English Breakie.
The day with Monica always is a feast. We are happy when we see her and she feels the same. I'm glad she can see us (and we her) at least once a year.
So hurray for the upcoming citytrip

Louise Bourgeois

2008-07-06T12:47:00.004+02:00

Female artists are in the minority. Have a closer look at art history and you will be surprised to find a few female artists. Unfortunately it hasn't got anything to do with their capacities.
The reason is pure patriarchy, focussing intensively on the males. It has been the same with authors, politicians, judges, doctors, ...
Fortunately Louise Bourgeois does her thing in art history. This elderly lady makes contemporary art, creating installations and scumptures. Her main inspiration is her childhood.
I was impressed by her enormous spider at the Tate.

Louise, do ya thing, girlfriend!

If you care to know more, here's her biography:

Louise Bourgeois was born on December 25, 1911, in Paris. As a teenager, Bourgeois assisted her parents in their tapestry-restoration business, making drawings that indicated to the weavers the repairs to be made. In 1932, she entered the Sorbonne to study mathematics, but abandoned that discipline for art. In the mid- to late 1930s, she studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, Académie de la Grande-Chaumière, École du Louvre, Atelier Fernand Léger, and other Parisian schools. In 1938, Bourgeois married an American, the art historian Robert Goldwater, and moved to New York. There, she studied for two years at the Art Students League and was soon participating in print exhibitions.

After moving to a new apartment in 1941, Bourgeois began to make large wood sculptures on the roof of her building. In 1945, her first solo show, comprised of twelve paintings, was held at the Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York and her work was first included in the Whitney Annual (later the Whitney Biennial). In the mid- to late 1940s, she worked at Stanley William Hayter's printshop, Atelier 17, where she met Le Corbusier, Joan Miró, and other Europeans exiled by World War II. In 1949, she exhibited works from her Personage series in the first show of her sculpture, at Peridot Gallery in New York.

In 1951, Bourgeois became an American citizen. Continuing her mode of abstracted figuration instilled with psychological and symbolic content, she remained stylistically distinct from New York School developments. She did, however, join American Abstract Artists in 1954. In the 1960s, she taught in public schools and at Brooklyn College and Pratt Institute in New York. She would continue to teach at colleges and universities during the following decade. In the late 1960s, Bourgeois's imagery became more explicitly sexual as she explored the relationship between men and women and the emotional impact of her troubled childhood (her father had had a ten-year affair with her governess). From 1967 until 1972, she made trips to Pietrasanta, Italy, to work in marble.

With the rise of feminism and the art world's new pluralism, her work found a wider audience. In the 1970s, she began to do Performance [more] pieces—among them A Banquet/A Fashion Show of Body Parts (1978), in which she wrapped art historians and students in white drapery with sewn-in anatomical forms—and expanded the scale of her three-dimensional work to large environments.

The first retrospective of Bourgeois's work was organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1982–83), and her first European retrospective was assembled by the Frankfurter Kunstverein (1989). Bourgeois was selected to be the American representative to the 1993 Venice Biennale. Her collected writings were published in 1998. In 2000, three thirty-foot-high towers by Bourgeois, commissioned by the Tate Modern in London—I Do, I Undo, and I Redo—were featured in that museum's inaugural exhibition. Many of her large-scale works have been exhibited as public art, including three spider sculptures installed at Rockefeller Center in New York in 2001 under the aegis of the Public Art Fund.

Bourgeois's achievements have been recognized with, among other honors, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts (1973), membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1981), a grand prize in sculpture from the French Ministry of Culture (1991), and the National Medal of Arts (1997). Bourgeois lives and works in Manhattan.

Summertime

2008-06-29T14:31:00.002+02:00

The summer is in town. I feel, like most of us, the happiest when the weather is fine.
I would happily live in France for example. (preferably part time) Nevertheless Spain would be a little bit too much for me, as the heat paralizes you in spring and summer.
Don't get me wrong, I really like living in Belgium and I would miss my loved ones too much. (unless I would take them along with me)
But I do have a dream... A dream that one day my house is set in a rural environment... that one day I would milk my goats to make goat's cheese... That our chickens would lay eggs... and my tomatoes would grow easily...
And I will make it come true, not wait for it to overcome us...
Now a rural dream is wonderful but it can get a bit too isolated. Therefore friends and family would come over for meals(goat's cheese, tomatoes and eggs) and we would continue to go o citytrips.
Ideally you would be able to swap between your city home and the rural mansion.
Well, I'd better get cracking on renovating this small city home to make sure I earn some money on this house in a couple of years in order to have some money for the rural setting.

Reflections

2008-06-08T10:08:00.005+02:00

Lately I have been focussing on creating acrylic paintings in black and white. I have always been fascinated by black and white, be it for clothes, art or house decoration.
Right now I m on the way of producing an entire collection in these 2 colours. And I like it because it opens perspectives and my style has altered too.
I tried to get into the canvascollection and was selected by 2 SMAK curators. They gave me very nice remarks on the 3 artworks I had shown them. It's always interesting to get criticism from others and this was a special opportunity as you normally don't get to speak to curators easily.
Reflections was selected. You can see the work on the site of the canvascollection. http://labo.canvas.be/content/reflectionsseries

Dearest mum and dad with sign boards

2008-03-01T09:17:00.004+01:00

As Jasper Johns is fascinated by signs and sign boards, I am as well.
These dearest are my mum and dad, whom I can not thank enough for everything they have always done for me.
Believe me when I say I wasn't the easiest kid to get along with nor the one that behaved well.
Luckily I got over it and realized what my parents mean to me.
What I mostly appreciate about them is that they are the best people I know. This said being as objective as possible.
They are always willing to help anyone, are honest (this is becoming a rare characteristic), are tolerant, are strong, empathic and very huggable.
They aren't traditional, think freely and aren't materialists. They love travelling, a good laugh, preferably accompanied by an enormous bowl of ice cream.
I want to take care of them when they get older because I simply want to.
I could never repay what my parents have done for me.

In the eye of the beholder

2008-02-24T10:14:00.005+01:00

An eye can tell you so much about its owner.
Luckily for muslim women, of whom some only have their voice and naked eyes to communicate with others.

Eyes can provoke an immediate shiver of dislike, a cold apathy even a suggestion of mental illness or criminal behaviour.

For example Hilary Clinton seems a cold, non-empathic businesswoman to me, partly because of her eyes but also the unsensitive sound of her voice, which cuts right through my bones.

On the other hand, eyes can immediately give you a warm, trusting impression of honesty, altruism, sympathy and friendship.
Eyes can give away a lot of information, be it the emotion of its owner, his/her personality, whether you agree or not or the will to communicate or not to communicate.

This isn't restricted to humans, as other animals also express a lot by these communicative parts of the body. If I keep looking at my parents' dog, she(I refuse to refer to her as it) will bark, for whatever reason. Maybe because she would start to feel threatened.

I sometimes seem to observe people(eg at lunch at work) without even realizing it.
Kids do so too. They instinctively go towards people with the kind of eyes they believe they can trust.

Friends

2008-01-02T19:18:00.000+01:00

Friends are rare and you should treasure them.

In life, you sometimes befriend someone who, later in life, isn't crucial in your social experiences anymore. This may occur for various reasons and one shouldn't feel guilty about it. It is only human.

Why can't everybody become a close friend? Because you are too much alike, because one is too insane, because of lack of interest, dishonesty, little things and big things.And because a friend 'd better be a splendid person.
I am very happy to say I have got true, lifelong friends.

On the picture you can watch my eldest friend. We became friends on a school trip to Brazil(at the age of 14 and 13)and we shared a hotel room in Rio De Janeiro. Now, 14, almost 15 years later we are the best of friends.
We grew up together and although I had many a puberal problem, we often undertook trips to Antwerp or Brussels.
We went out together on many occasions, an input for hilarious stories of our adventures in the big world.She knows my family and they know her. She even knows all the pets we have and have had.

Now, this friend has always been there for me, cares from the bottom of her heart and is awesome.
I'm lucky to have such friends...

Food for thought

2007-10-18T09:52:00.000+02:00

Now here's some food for thought.
Although I am generally an optimist, I do tend to be over critical and care about (too)many things. Maybe I sometimes go in too deep.Although being sensitive can't be an evil characterization.
For example: when I see an old lady or man who clearly experience the disadvantages of an old day, I get emotional. I'm moved by many elder people. They look so fragile. I just want to hug them.

On the other hand I worry too much. I can't stand opportunism and ego-centrism.

Now, I do realise the world and its inhabitants are full of it. I simply don't grasp why there are people who use others to get what they want. Of course those "obnoxious" individuals(can they be callled that?) take, take, and take and never give. If they would give anything in an enlighted moment, it would be futile and not from the heart. I'm not only talking objects here, I 'm also referring to giving affection, warmth, a hug, ... .

Concerning ego-centrism: I can be self- centred too. Anyone can be.

Nevertheless I believe it is important to give, to live- fully-, to love and make clear you love.(That's what my dearest brother taught me)
Self-reflection is crucial to become less ego-centred. If you don't reflect on yourself, you have a big chance to hurt others out of stupidity or to be driven by all your own lusts. Egocentrism abuses, uses and hurts. It is so important to take other's feelings into account. To think before you act. Materialism isn't likely to bring happiness.

Now I'm quite stubborn. I won't be fully open or extraverted when I'm talking to ego-people. Why you'd ask? Well, why would I bother uttering personal feelings, actions, histories, when I am positive they are not heard. And soon forgotten or totally twisted in their minds. Let's call it self-protection.

Now, I 'm not likely to become a depresssive because of these findings. I look for the good in people and compliment them on these positive marks. But yes, I am disappointed in others who are lust-driven and don't care about the rest of the world, who only occupy with their narrow-minded, small self and utter stupidity.

Ow, I'll never become a Buddha with all this anger and irritation...

2007-09-27T19:10:00.000+02:00

Let's say I love travelling by bus, train or metro for that matter. I admit I am verbally agressive in a car, I do tend to get lost in a tram rail resulting in a hospitalisation and I fall over my own pants. Beside all this, I appreciate the "peace and quiet" in the means of public transport, the speed compared to traffic jams, a toilet in a train, ... . What I do miss, is the trolley with snacks and drinks that used to pass in an intercity train. I take a bus, a train and another bus to go to work. During those 4 hour trips(retour) I love reading the free newspaper Metro, doing some crosswords and staring outside. It can be meditative. On the contrary sometimes: in the morning there are some groups of utterly puberal pupils who make the whole train tremble with the loudness of their voices and make everyone sigh by shouting the most ridiculous things. Above that, I sat next to one of those puberal kids who was extremely flatulent. Bweirk. But I do love travelling at ease, by train, bus, tram, plane, skytrain or riksha.

Cloudy skies

2007-09-20T20:27:00.000+02:00

I have always been fascinated by clouds. I used to look at them as a kid and see ships, monsters, elephants, etcetera.
In the morning, at sunrise, I now see enchanting views of pink clouds with grey shadows in a blue environment.
I never forget to look at the sky. Let's say: I just love watching clouds and would recommend it to anyone to meditate for a moment.(and stars, the moon, the sky as a whole)

This picture was taken at the seaside in Spain. I grasped my camera to record the moment. The wonderful shapes make me dream.

Sweetiepies: Dawnie and Jennie

2007-08-29T19:43:00.000+02:00

My dearest sweetiepies have done it again! They are now performing a parody on 2 stars. I wonder, I wonder who they are imitating?
I must admit I know everything about the blackhaired VIP. The blond one doesn't interest me, but I know for a fact that Lebbercherrie luuuuurves her.
I was in in London 2 weeks ago, where I noticed that the sensation-eagerness and the paparazzi- obsessions bloom as never before. I am a bit astonished, since it isn't like that at all in Belgium. And the reporters do go quite far...
But Dawn and Jennie too...

One of my (many) favourite cockatoos

2007-08-23T18:43:00.001+02:00

Not only one of my most appreciated animals, I appreciate them aswell as conversation partners.
I simply adore interacting with these beautiful but most of all very intelligent parrots.
The 2 on this picture are a couple who had been living in the cellar of a Swiss woman in Spain, until she decided to get rid of them.
Thus I got to know them a bit better and fell in love... I gave them fresh sunflowerseeds, hot peppers, berries, almonds, ...
Aren't they cute?
Ow yes, I do have a question for my very critical readers: who's the male and who's the female in this picture? And why is that?

till death do us part

2007-08-12T12:49:00.001+02:00

I took this picture at an American cemetary.
If you consider the thousands of people who simply disappear because of political conflicts or war, you might want to turn into a true pacifist.( if you weren't beforehand, that is)
I regret the yearning for power and money that is inherent in many a human being.

Candle of light

2007-08-04T23:00:00.000+02:00

This picture was taken a while ago, after having eaten a stew and freshly made French fries after a hard day's work.
The model in this picture is my partner who had pleased me by preparing this lovely meal and making the house look neat and cosy.

Buddhism

2007-06-22T09:14:00.000+02:00

Although I consider myself to be an atheist, I have warm feelings towards Buddhism.

There are 2 schools: the Theravada(= teaching to the elders) and Mahayana.

The Theravada school is an earlier, less "corrupted" form of Buddhism than the Mahayana schools found in East Asia or in the Himalayan lands. The Theravada school is also called the Southern school because it took a southern route from India, its place of origin, through Southeast Asa: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

The Theravada doctrine stresses the three principal aspects of existence:
dukkha(stress, disease, negativity),
anicca(impermanence, transience of all things)
and anatta(insubstantiality or nonessentiality of reality).

Dukkha is created when you try to hold on to experience, states of mind and objects that are constantly changing.
Anicca reveals that no experience, no state of mind , no phisical object lasts.
anatta is the understanding that we can't say "this is me", "this is god", "this is the soul in this changing world".

Gautama Buddha spoke of 4 noble thruths that could liberate any human being realising them:

1. Dukkha: All forms of existence are subject to dukkha
2. Cause of dukkha: Dukkha is caused by tanha(grasping)
3. Cessation of dukkha: eliminate the grasping and dukkha will cease.
4. Truth of the path: the eightfold path eliminates grasping/dukkha.

The eightfold path:

1. Right understanding
2. Right mindedness(right thought)
3. Right speech
4. Right bodily conduct
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right attentiveness
8. Right concentration

Right can also be complete/full.

The ultimate end of Theravada is nibbana: extinction of all grasping and thus all suffering.

The Mahayana school, the Northern school, travelled north into Nepal, Tibet China, Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam and Japan.

I love travelling around in Buddhist countries. There 's a lovely charming atmosphere because Buddhists are peace-loving a, laughing and giving on most occasions.

I'm intrigued by its philosophy because it does create happier people/ feelings and a more profound morality.(
hence the criminality rates in Buddhist countries)

I collect Buddha's but I am quite picky. My favourite one is a large wooden Buddha from Bali that I discovered at a flea market.

Iduna

2007-06-21T08:33:00.000+02:00

This cat is the first cat of our dear friends.
She used to eat freshly made pasta and drank water from the bottle.
Now she 's only allowed to eat diet food. I have catsitted on her and her cat friend a few times.
Now I'm a real animalhugger(except for snakes and lions and.. and....). Iduna is quite difficult to befriend.
The times I did succeed, she got me by biting or scratching me.(I m still traumatised)

About this picture: she was sitting on shelves near the fire and a lamp.

I am so glad my catties are such sweet little huggers.

Myanmar

2007-06-17T10:17:00.001+02:00

Mount Popa, where we wanted to see the temple complex high in the sky.
I decided to wear my green longhi I bought in Yangoon. When we came out of our B&B, people started laughing. Yes, they laughed at me. Apparently I had bought a longhi which was used for the teacher's uniform. hahaha. I wore it anyhow.
We drove to Mount Popa in a small jeep-like car with open backside, in which we were seated with 10 to 15 other people and their accompanying shop supplies.
As the temples were on a mountain top, we had a lot of staircases to climb.Mais was being sold at the bottom of the stairs. we wondered why.
We discovered why some steps further on. Hundreds of monkeys lived on these stairs and were being spoiled with mais.
They were so aggressive they sometimes attacked the village and stole food from the poor people, entering their homes and messing them up severely. it took us some time to reach the temples.(puf puf, water!)
We saw a beautiful panorama and lots of disco light bouddhas. We headed back because we didn't want to miss our ride back. Half way back, I spotted 2 fluffy monkey babies playing with each other, tumbling and jumping. They were soooo cute, I instantly eeked and halted for a few seconds. Suddenly, i heard a frightening "Oaarer", from the monkey mother who was next to me and clawed at me with enormous sharp nails. My eek turned into a aaaa, help!
Luckily I was wearing my ridiculous longhi, it saved me from getting hurt. My partner saved me from this mean beast by (shooing it away)

My favourite Dutchman

2007-06-09T22:21:00.000+02:00

is the guy on this picture. In order to be a little mysterious, I'd like to ask all of you to guess what his name is.

Mu favourite ladies

2007-06-09T21:49:00.000+02:00

are the funniest, gifted, intelligent and caring Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Barbed wire

2007-06-08T19:48:00.000+02:00

Feeling trapped...
Knowing you can't escape must be the overpowering, depressing thought in jail.
Don't get me wrong: I grasp the function and importance of penitentiary institutions.
Nevertheless I think it is wrong and useless to lock up people without any guidance or therapy.
This system creates more frustrated feelings instead of a positive new beginning.

What I do object to, is the existence of death penalty.

Imprisoned

2007-06-07T20:52:00.000+02:00

A while ago, I visited an old prison that is now open for visiting.
It definitely made an impression.
on the ground level, you could go into the visiting cells, in which you could hardly move around. Inside of those you heard the voices of prisoners who spoke about their experiences inside that old building.
passing the surveillance area, you could see a large hallway surrounded by cells.
I took my time inside this treasure of "getting in their shoes".
it was certainly worthwhile!