Magic flute

// September 7th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // life, photography

Magic in your life, hitch, play and fly. A flute maker finds you on your way – after a long night of  sleeping cold along the highway – and he brings you further. You allow it, you surrender to the magic of the moment and you meet … your love.

She was dancing in the moonlight – in front of the bonfire on the tones of the flute you received, the flute that ‘has a life on its own‘ and that ‘will take you on an adventure’. Together you started a story that appeals and inspires, a story that truly can be called the magic flute trail…

Thanks – and I will never forget the beautiful Kira smile.

Clowns Everywhere

// June 2nd, 2008 // No Comments » // blog, life, photography

There is so much to write, so many things have been hapening lately. Been away to Denmark, there is a new collective photo-website, I am helping to organise an (un)conference on hospitality exchange, have been on an adventurous trip to Enkhuizen (fun!), friends are visiting from all-over, work is steady and the house in full progress. And then there is also a new movement for Apathy… More to come soon!

Space for Movement

// February 20th, 2008 // 5 Comments » // blog, life

So much movement in so little time, it is like when sun and rain team up and show light in all colors. Slowly it builds up and bang it is there, right here, and I am in the midst of things, holding it in my own hands, realising it, fulfilling it.

A new job and at the same time a renovated house. Suddenly the base I had been working on is here, under my feet, above my head, it surrounds me, it carries me. No more nonsense, suddenly I have a house and a job, both with permanent contracts. And it doesn’t even frighten me.

Lots of work still needs to be done, but there is time and space to turn it into more than just a fulfillment of a promise; it is more than a dream that finally becomes true and a planning that becomes real. It is a space that opens up. A space for even more movement, that carries, facilitates and enables.

Happy Rain

// January 22nd, 2008 // No Comments » // life, Observations

Rain. We have that a lot in Amsterdam. Recently winters haven’t been that cold as they used to be. Instead, there is just rain.

So it rained for the past days. Also during the weekend. But it didn’t seem to effect life negatively. I noticed almost everyone smiling, as I was walking in the rain to the Albert Cuyp market.

In “So long and thanks for all the fish” Rain-man is accompanied by rain. All the time. So he had described 231 different types of rain in his little notebook. (“And he didn’t like any of them…”).

During my twenty minute walk I went through types 47 to 51, “vertical light drizzle through to sharply slanting light to moderate drizzle freshening”. I only got wet a little.

I sang most of the time and many other people I could also hear singing or simply whistling. Rain, an underestimated source of cheerfulness?

“The clouds want to be near him, to love him, to water him”, Douglas Adams writes about Rain-man.

Back in Amsterdam

// December 28th, 2007 // No Comments » // hospitality, life

City of bike-lanes and water, my small town, I am back in your streets again, smiling. It took me five years and some months, but I am surrounded by ‘my own’ four Amsterdam walls and roof-top. Por fin! Yes!

I am back loving it, I feel this is where I (well… for the moment at least) ‘belong’. There are no palmtrees here like in Barcelona, and the beach is pretty far away (1,5 hours by bike…!) but it remains one of the better places in Europe to live. And what matters most: I feel at my place and happy here.

From where I live (for now, it’s a temporary place for half a year), I bike to the center in 15 minutes. At the same time it is on the edge of town, close to the Amstel river. It takes me five minutes to be in nature, cycle along the riverbanks, to feel space or to wonder around in the forest.

So, you know how it works: feel free to come along and please stay as long as you want. Just send me a nice pigeon before you come and clean the dishes when you leave.

Life-cycles

// July 11th, 2007 // No Comments » // life, travel

Periods come and periods go. It is the life-cycle of our planet and its nature, which we are part off. It is so obvious and forms such a big part of our lives that especially men tend to neglect and forget. But it is here and it affects us all in the end. So it affected me, or shall I rather say my computer?

Over 3 years it served as a ‘true’ companion, a friend and a budy. Always there when I needed it and always helping me to experiment, whether it was for the purpose of writing, hacking, traveling, photography or keeping iın touch wıth friends and family, it served its purpose very well.
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Celebrating Bern

// April 10th, 2007 // No Comments » // life, travel

In Bern I have been treated very well. I just love the place. Not only have I been welcomed very well in Bern – I stayed with very good people who embraced me as if I had always been living with them – but also has it been the city where I’ve celebrated my birthday. And my birthday has been celebrating with style.

Of course, this day could not have gone by without talking to family and friends. On this blog and my Dutch site I received many nice congratulations. Also have I received phone-calls from all over the world. It was great to be in a place where I could hear some news today from almost everyone.

Tomorrow I am on the road again, to Munich. I will stay there over the weekend. In Munich I’ll take a couple of days off – it’s time for a short break…!

Clearing The Future

// January 22nd, 2007 // No Comments » // life, travel

This Sunday was the day to visit my Grandparents in Zeeland. I wanted to see them before I would set off to travel. It was over 5 years ago we met the last time.

I also went for a walk and while walking I saw beautiful clouds in the sky, they gave me some fresh showers but they also let the sun in. They appeared, and cleared. Future, present and past in a short day; all made clearer.