Thursday 's Birthday

Yesterday was my brother's birthday and because of that he took me and my mother out for lunch. My dad had to work so he couldn't come with us. It was really crowded in town. There almost wasn't a place left to eat, because everywhere the tables already seemed in use. Eventually we ended up in this place called Praag (Prague, like the city) where we had to wait some minutes before there was a free table for us to sit. Both my mother and I chose some bread with goat cheese and other things on it and my brother had some kind of burger, also with bread. It was nice, even though the smoothie I drank with it could have been better. But it was nice to have lunch out in the city instead of just at home. But I didn't like that it was so crowded. It really makes you wonder why all those people are out in town. Don't they have anything better to do? It's the day after Christmas and they all for some reason feel like spending money. If it wasn't for my brother's birthday we would have just stayed home. So we actually had a valid reason be there, but I'm sure most of the people in town that day just didn't know what to do with their time, got bored, and decided to head into town to kill time. Afterwards my brother finally took us to his room where he had only been once himself together with my mother. I'm now the third person to have seen it. My father still hasn't seen it til this day, which isn't really fair, but I;m sure he will see it very soon. The room is pretty big, it's just one big room, with a kitchen in it. So his bed and everything will be in the same room, except for the bathroom which is in a room in the hallway. The toilet he needs to share with other people in the house. But in contrast to in my house, he doesn't really live together with the other people also living in the building. Because he has his own kitchen and bathroom it probably won't feel like they're hosuemates, like I am with the people I live with in Park Wood. I really have the feeling of living together with the four of them, while he probably won't get that feeling. But the room only needs to be cleaned and my has to be painted and then he can move in all his stuff. But all of that should not take a lot of time, so maybe in one weekend he will be done and will be able to move in. I will probably not see the result of all of that until I will return to Haarlem, which will be in June, at least if by then I don't have othe rplans. ;) We also had some acquaintances over to celebrate my brother's birthday. My mother cooked soup and made some fried rice. It was really nice to see all of them again. I still really miss Park Wood and everyone I have come to know, especially Marion, Alice and Clement. I keep thinking of all of you and wonder what you are doing and how you are feeling. I have been so caught up thinking about that sad day we will have to really say goodbye that I completely forgot that we will have that happy day first. The day of returning and seeing everyone again. Thanks for reminding me about that Alice, I'm already looking forward to it. And this time we should even have more dinners and lunches together. Like you said, let's make it the most terrific, brilliant, extraordinary, unforgettable six months of our life! Right now here I have nothing, only friends and family. But apart from that there's nothing here that I need. I don't need all the shops, I got my own, same for all the cinemas where they are playing some movies right now which will also be shown at the Gulbenkian when I come back. I don't miss my university, because they can be so annoying soemtimes when it comes to arranging stuff for me. And it's nice to watch DVD's on my own TV, but we have one that is as big as ours at the library, so I don't need ours either. And living in park Wood I have lost interest in all the channels and TV programmes. And our house... I feel like it's so big right now and so luxurious in comparison to my little hosue in Park Wood that it kind of makes me feel uncomfortable and awkward at times. I also feel I have become so much richer, so full of experiences and new memoeries which I can only really share with the people who have experienced everything with me, because they're the only ones who really understand. Life went on here in Haarlem and at the same time it seems like it has been standing still, 'cause everything seems just exactly the way I left it. Because of that I feel I moved on, gained something new, started a new great life, while everything here just stayed the same. And therefore I kind of feel sad for everything here. Like I made some progress, had the chance for some change and learn new things, and things and people here didn't have that chance and stuck to their old habits. So yes, I'm glad to go back next Saturday. I don't think it would be good for me to have stayed here longer. I can't believe, though, that I'm already here for a week. Time has gone by real fast with all the festivities. I can't wait to go back to my life in Canterbury, my lovely normal life that is all mine. But now I'm off to bed. Tomorrow's Saturday. I think I'm gonna start it with watching a movie, like I used to do. Things like that I do miss a little, even though I can do the same in Park Wood, and I did. I loved that morning waking up and watching Blue Velvet, itw as perfect and made for a real fun memory.

Problems With Internet

We are having some internet trouble so I'm sorry for not posting anything yesterday, I didn't mean to. But anyway, I wasn't quite sure what to tell either since I don't have that much to tell. It was just a nice day having a nice breakfast and dinner and watching both The Fountain and The King, two films I received as a present. I guess the reason that I have not so much to tell or at least don't know what to tell is because I need to tell some things to people personally and can't really put it out here on my blog. It's just that I really miss some people. Today it's my brother's birthday. He's 23 now, which seems to me much older than 22. He said he would take me and my mum for lunch and finally show me his room. I really want to see it. My father has to work, which is too bad, but this weekend he will be with us again all day. I still feel a bit tired, but I didn't feel like staying in bed. I rather sit here in the kitchen, listening to music. Have a nice week!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Today's the day and it's almost over. Tomorrow is the second one and hopefully we will not each as much as we did this afternoon and evening. I made this desert of chocolate cake and ice cream. t was delicious, but made my stomach so full I still feel I'm about to explode. In a couple of minutes Les Choristes will be on TV. I heard the songs are nice and it's all cute and stuff, but that's it, there's nothing really special left. But tonight I will find out for myself if I will relaly like it, or think it's too cheesy and sweet. I'm just a bit tired so hopefully I will make it through without falling asleep. I received lots of nice presents and I'm glad my parents and brother are happy with the ones I bought for them. On thursday it's my brother's birthday. He said he would take me and my mother into town for lunch and hopefully he will finally show me his room where's he is going to move into in January, when all the painting and stuff is done. So the film is almost going to start. I miss so many of you from Canterbry now I'm back in Haarlem. I can't wait to see all of you againa nd here about your stories and experiences of spending time in your own country again. Much love and happy holidays!

Was It A Dream?

Eating out was great. I had a salad with goat cheese as a starter, then had some kind of pasta dish and as a desert a brownie with ice, which was really nicely decorated! Today I've been at multiple supermakets with my mum doing grocery shopping for tomorrow, 'cause it's Christmas. I can't relaly believe it's Christmas already. Everything went so fast. And still Canterbury, it does seem like a dream a bit. The idea that Marion and her sister are still there is weird to me. And Farhad, he's still at my house, doing the things he usually does. Life there goes on while I am here, which is strange. I don't know what I will do when this academic year will be over. It will mean the end of my life in Park Wood. How will I cope, how can I survive? I have no idea. Saying goodbye to everyone will be the hardest. It was even hard right now already, even knowing in about two/three weeks we will be seeing each other again. I've made a desert today for tomorrow. I made a chocolate cake first, cut it into slices and put it in a bowl. In the middle I put some layers of ice and then in the center again some cake. I hope it will be nice. I have to finish it tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do right now, maybe watch a movie. I don't care about regular TV anymore either, like so many before me already didn't. There are so many more interesting things to do and I rather watch a good movie instead just looking at all those channels searching for something interesting, which you probably won't find. I don't have a TV in Park Wood and I don't miss it really. I did watch some TV shows online, but I guess that's just the result of sometimes missing the country I grew up in and the only thing I can really cling onto when missing our daily customs and things only us Dutch people I guess know. Well, tomorrow's the big day. The most wonderful time of the year, or at least for some people it is. Like me I guess, I really like Christmas. It probably won't be a white one with lots of snow, too bad, but it won't spoil the fun. See ya!

My new 'home'

I don't really know what to do now I'm back. When I think about it in Park Wood I don't do that much either, but because you're in a different place little things all of a sudden seems so special. I have to say I miss doing the washing up while looking out the kitchen window. Here I can do the dishes, but there's now window. Also, it's like we're here on our own. Just me, my day, my mum, and my brother. We have neighbours, but we don't really know them. We have friends of the family and friends living in the same city, but we don't regularly see them. In Park Wood I'm surrounded by a lot of people, many of which I know. And even if I don't know them, there's always that vibe of everyone being open for new friendships and a nice little chat. Also, every day there are people coming in to my house. Friends of my housemates etc. So in comparison, everyhting here is different. I can watch TV, but I don't wnat to and I don't feel like watching. There's nothing for me to see on there. And even if I go and watch something like a TV series, why should I, in two weeks I will be gone again. I guess I kind of lost interest in it as well, which of course is better. I now have time to do many other things, like read and stuff. But I do have the feleing of not knowing what to do, which is because there's nothing I really came back for. We have Christmas on Tuesday and other things to come, but right now, I just came back to do what? I guess, just go back to the way my life once was and I have to say that i don't feel like getting used to anything. I arrived and immediately everything is like it was before I left. And Canterbury, it seems like a dream, unreal. I'm confused of where I am. I'm not really aware I left. I don't really realize i've gone away. I don't like that feeling. I want to be aware of things like that. I want to have the feeling I know i'm not in Park Wood, the feeling of ully realizing I came back to Haarlem. Yesterday I didn't do much, expect for going to see My Blueberry Nights at my local cinema, 'De Filmschuur'. But apart from that, I was just at home. Today I went into town with my brother and my mother, which was nice. I wa sglad to leave the house, 'cause I don't want to stay in all day. If I do than I could have better stayed in Canterbury, 'cause there I do go out and stuff. We at least try to make every day interesting by meeting up and arranging dinners or lunch, just to be in good company as much as possible. I forgot about all the annoying teenagers. Those kids who think they're these tough guys and those girls who thing they look hot. It sometimes seems that's all that matters to them. Getting the other's attention. Of course it was crowded because of Christmas. Tomorrow the shops are also still open, so the people who have to buy some last minute groceries or presents, they still can. I watched my brother shop, which always makes me feel so weird. He just buys things, looks if they're nice and when they are buys them. The price is not so much a thing to worry about. He got the money. I got the money too, but I won't ever buy something with a pricetag on it of 100 euros. At least not before having put a lot of thought in it. So it's always kind of funny to me and a bit unfair maybe. He just spends his money, buying things, while I question if something is really worth buying. And most of the time I do choose for the cheapest option and only some times say to myself, you can buy something more expensive, you deserve it today. But i would not buy a sweater of 100 euros, with that much I can buy ten of them or maybe even more when you know where to shop. In a couple of minutes we're going into town to have dinner as a family. I guess to some people eating out isn't something that special, but to me it is. Everytime. And especially with the four of us as a family, we never do that and the last time we did was already a long time ago. Most of the time it wa sbecause my brother didn't really like to eat out, but I guess he does nowadays, as he often goes out to have dinner with friends. But with the four of us, it's a different thing. But i'm just like a little kid you know, like a little kid on Christmas day ;), being all WOW! We're going to have dinner together, how cool and exciting. To me it's really something special, so i'm glad we're going. I forgot the cable to connect my camera to my laptop, so I'm sorry, but no pictures that I made. I thought I brought everything I wanted to bring with me, but apparently I did forget about something. So yeah i do kind of miss Park Wood. Sometimes I almost feel like speaking in English. I won't be surprised when in a shop i'll answer with 'thank you' when i'm at the counter. I also notice I keep referring to Park Wood as my 'home'. I guess that's what it really is right now, 'cause it really is my own little place. My own spot in the universe. When I come back i have to clean, 'cause I left it all messy, because I woke up at 9 the day i left. So i didn't have time to clean up a bit. But it's good I miss Park Wood, because the weeks before, when the day i would leave got closer and closer, I started to miss my home here in Haarlem more and I even started to question if I would still want to go back to Canterbury. But the last couple of days, before going to London etc. that feleing became less and now being back I start to miss my life in the UK, so I'm not afraid anymore I will feel bad to leave Haarlem again, 'cause I don't think I will. Life is good in Park Wood. It's where my life is right now, doing my laundry, grocery shopping, going to my lectures, meeting up with friends. That's my life right there. I guess it really has changed. Anyway, everyone enjoy your dayd off and the upcoming days of celebrating Christmas and the new year!

Flying Home For Christmas

So I'm sitting here at my own kitchen table at home, looking out over our own garden. It's still a bit surreal. The thought that Marion is still in Park Wood is like part of a dream when I think about it. I'm not sure if I'm able to end up writing about the days in London, because Christmas etc. is coming, it's gonna be so busy. And, I'm planning to meet up with you guys and make a visit and then I will tell you all about it in person, 'cause I'm back! Have to say it's even colder here than in London and Canterbury. Came back yesterday. Wanted to wake up at 7 but woke up at 9. Night before Marion, her sister Charlotte, who has a lovely bush of blonde curls, and I had to walk home from Canterbury town after going to see Patrick Wolf. The coach didn't stop at Keynes. So I went to bed maybe at around 3am and I guess I didn't hear my alarm clock. But it was no problem. i would take my bus to town at 10.35. And I didn't have to pack a lot of things, everything I have here at home, in this luxurious 'hotel'. 'Cause that's what it kind of seems like. Looking at everything I feel priviliged to have all these things. Our house looks so big all of a sudden, the kitchen, the garden. Even the water coming from the tap, it's so different. Here it comes running out of it so fast and so much, and in my house in Park Wood it's just a little stream. I have to get used to everything again. I feel like I have walked back into my life of luxury, which never seemed so luxurious, but now it does. I was in London at 2 pm. At something like 3 pm I was at heathrow and then maybe an hour later I sat in a restaurant drinking a smoothie. I had to wait 'til around 5 pm to go and check-in. That ended up being some time later. Eventually my flight was at 9.30 pm instead of 7.40. We had to wait in the plane for an hour and a half before we flew away. The waiting was even longer than the flight itself, which is just 40 minutes. Well... so I'm home. Tomorrow I'm going to have dinner with my parents and brother. Apparently my parents are already married for 30 years, so we're goign to celebrate it a little. It's Saturday, weekend. Life has changed.

I'm Back

I'm back from London. I will tell you all about it in the upcoming days, hopefully. There's so much to tell and I'm not done yet, cause tomorrow I go back to go and see Patrick Wolf in concert. I will go to Alice's place in soem minutes to say farewell. She's going back to Italy. Jan left this afternoon, going to Switzerland to snowboard. Bye bye! I'll be home soon...

I must have been really tired (Made By Fabien)

Next Term, I Promise

I'm so stupid, I went into town and forgot to bring my camera, so I couldn't make any pictures. Maybe tomorrow morning before I leave, but just this afternoon would have been the perfect opportunity. So i owe all of you who have voted to see more pictures from the town. But next term, I promise!

Leaving For London

So...if I don't have the time to write something tomorrow morning then this will be it. This will be my goodbye before I leave for London at 11.45 tomorrow. Apparently Victoria already left, Stuart her boyfriend came to pick up some stuff of her. When i got back from town, Liz left some minutes after I came in. So we had the chance to say goodbye, which was nice. So now it's just me, Farhad and Patricia. So yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow, but I will be back here the 19th. The 20th I will go back to London to go to see Patrick Wolf with Marion and her sister and afterwards head back to Park Wood again. And then the 21 I will go back to London again, but then to Heathrow and go back to my beloved country, which of course I have missed. But today...I have been very busy. I woke up, went to do my laundry, hand in my essay for British Cinema, then printed the summary of my presentation for Documentary Film. We had to also write it in text form and hand it in. Then i went back to put my clothes in the dryer and got back home. There I vacuum cleaned my room and made some break to take with me as I was planning to go into town. Then around 1pm I went to get myclothes from the dryer brought them home and immediately left, because I was already late for my meeting with Marion, Alice and Clement. Like during our first week of lectures and seminars we had lunch at the Gulbenkian. It was really nice, just to have a chat, be with friends. Then Marion had to go to a lecture, Clement had to finish his essay, which he managed to finish this afternoon, so I'm glad he made it in time and Alice had to go somewhere to arrange her chaging of a course for the next term. I went into town not really realizing it was actually one of my real last times in town. Tomorrow morning I might be buying something to eat from Tesco, just to take with me to London, but I won't have time to wander around like i did today. So strange that after all these weeks I still came along some really cool shops and places. I unfortunately didn't bring anythign with me to read so i didn't go to have a drink soemwhere. But I was so busy walking in and out of shops, looking through books of every kind, so much that i wouldn't have had the time even if I wanted to. I just got back and now I'm going to start packing for London and have dinner. Hopefully I got some time left to meet up with everyone else who are goign to Keynes tonight just to have this kind of farewell drink. I;m glad I ran into Veronique today who was already speaking to Alice outside. I think all her housemates left today and they are not returning next term. So she will meet a lot of new people when the new term starts. So yeah, I'm going to get myself ready. This morning I felt so tired walking towards Grimond to hand in my essay. Didn't have real time to sleep very long as I wanted to wake up early to have everything done. Tomorrow I have to wake up early again to be on time at the bus station. So I have to go to bed as early as I can tonight. Well, I won't be posting those days that I;m in London. My laptop I won't be bringing with me. Too much of a risk to carry it around and the chance I might going to use it is very very small. So no use to drag it along with me, so I'm leaving it home. I'll try to write down all my adventures on paper and later type them on my laptop and post them here. See you!

I Like Christmas

I'm about to do my laundry, hand in my essay, print one of my last bus tickets for the National Express and then go back to put everything in the dryer etc. Have to pack for London today, see what exactly I want to do, where to go. Look for some nice places to eat with the help of the really nice guide Clement had bought me when my teapot broke, with all sorts of vegetarian restaurants or places where they serve nice food for people who don't eat meat, including fish. ; ) Yesterday morning I really finished my essay and then sent an e-mail out to ask whoever wanted to come and go with me to the Christmas tree in front of the Registry where they would sing Christmas songs from 5 til 6 pm. Clement couldn't come, because he was still very busy with his essay, but Marion and Alice went with me to have a drink one hour before. Amandine was there as well who was about to have a meeting with her mentor. So we went to Mungos, because Amandine would meet her mentor in there. Marion was apparently very hungry, because she ordered a big hamburger with fries. Alice and I only had a drink, partly because in an e-mail about the Christmas thing they would serve food and drinks. However, it seemed you had to pay for them and the little pasteries they sold were with meat I think. Marion did not come to the Christmas tree with us, she doesn't like Christmas songs or the whole jolly mood. : ) I, myself, love Christmas, because it gives you this nice warm feeling and Christmas at my house is always lots of fun. I can udnerstand that some people find it all a bit stupid, with everyone pretending to be all nice and friendly all of a sudden, having family dinners etc. But I'm alright with it, I just can't wait to wake up on Christmas day knowing one of the coolest days of the year has arrived. Christmas is always somethign I really look forward to weeks before and i guess that's why I eventually always prefer winter over summer, because winter has Christmas and summer...well summer has nice things to like warm weather (if you're lucky) and maybe the chance to go for a trip to another country, but there's no guarantee. Christmas comes every year, so at least I know those two days I will have this very ncie time, whereas for summer there isn't a special time like that of which you can be sure it's going to provide for some best time fo the year. But the whole Christmas thing was quite alright. it was very cold, which you can see from looking at the grass, which is already covered with some ice. It has been like that since yesterday. Alice and I didn't know all the Christmas songs, but it was still a lot of fun trying to sing them. After having listened to some choirs we went back to the library. i had to print my essay and get some books for Documentary Film before anyone else would take them, because we have to do another essay and hand it in the 14th of January, but because of the Christmas break everyone gets to keep their books til January the 16th, including the books that are only to be borrowed for one week. So if you don't get some books now, there won't be any left. At first there were some plans to go out to The Venue. I already said not to be sure, because I was really tired and not really in the mood, but Marion and Alcie really wanted to go. However, Alice later on didn't feel too well, and scared of getting sick, she decided to stay home, not wanting to be sick once in London. So we ended up doing nothing, but apparently at the end of the night Marion was exhausted as well. Walking home to Park Wood I met Penelope who waas going back to the library to finish her essay after having had a short break. She will leave today, so we already said our goodbyes. She will come back in January, so she's staying for the rest of the year like i am, so I will definitely see her again after the break. So I'm going to do my laundry in some minutes. It's gonna be a nice day I think. Wow, tomorrow I will go to London and have a great time and then I will go home for Christmas.

Work, Work, Work

Today I have to put the finishing touches on my essay. I'm more or less done and at least i don't have the problem anymore of having too many words after scrapping some parts which weren't really that important to my essay. So yesterdaywas the lasts eminar for Documentary Film. There were a lot of presentatios, which was good, cause that meant we would spend less time discussing the docuemntaries we wacthed on Monday which can be very exhaustive. Afterwards we met Marion and Claudia outside the library, both of them being done with their essays and other works, and both of them not knowing what to do with their day. So Claudia went to have a drink with Clement and Alice and Marion went into town. I went into the library and instead of working there I just made some prints and then went home to study in my room, which I kind of preferred for the day sicne it was very cold outside and I wanted to be lsoe to the radiator. I didn't have to much time, maybe like two hours so i tried to do as much work as I could. At 7 pm I would go and watch The Chronicles of Narnia which the Kent Film Society were going to screen. With me there were only four other people who showed up, one of them being this older woman with her daughter and a boy, who's just a student and a girl who is apparently chooses the films that will be screened and was here tonight to play the DVD for us. The filmw as pretty cool, I liked a lot even though the story is kind of simple. You already know how everything will turn out and what will happen long before it is showed on screen. Still there was a lot to enjoy, especially Tilda Swinton as the witch. Most of the CGI looked great, especially the little beavers. Really cool. After the film was over the girl showed ous some bloopers from the film and then I went back home. It was still prettye arly, only 21.30 so enough time for me to work on my essay. I almost forgot to right on my blog last night, so that's why I posted til late, after 12. So no more lectures or seminars this week. Friday I will be off to London, very exciting. It's going to be lots of fun. The group I'm ging with, including myself, has been reduced to just four people, Alice, Fabien, Jan and me. But we will still have lots of fun. Fabien, Alice and I will leave on Friday. Jan will come Saturday. Fabien leaves the 17th. Jan will go back home on the 19th, and Alice on the 20th, early morning. I will go back on the 19th as well, but not to home, but back to Park Wood. On the 20th i will be in London again to go to the concert of Patrick Wolf together with Marion and her sister who is coming over from France and on the 21th i will leave to heathrow to catch my plane. Bye and have a nice day!

Almost Forgot To Post!

Officially it's already Wednesday, so because I always speak aboutt he day before I should actually be speaking about Tuesday, has it not been that I still have to speak abotu Monday and it's just some minutes after 00.30. I have been very busy the last couple of hours, working on my essay, then watching The Chronicles Of Narnia, followed again by working on my essay. So what did I do on Monday? Well I did not work in the library, at least not longer than something like 75 minutes, because the airconditioning was way too cold the place I was sitting. Being totally overcrowded there was no room left for me in any of the computer rooms, so I had no choice than to work soemwhere else. I ended up picking a spot at the third level, a really nice spot actually, just the airco which keep blowing cold air, filling up the entire room and giving me the feeling I was working outside. So I didn't stay long and instead decided to work at home in my room. Having preferred the library over my room for the last couple of days, workign in my room was actually quite nice as well and I managed to work as hard as in the library. After working on my essay for a long time and doing some changes and desicion making about my trip to London, I went to the Gulbenkian Cinema to watch American Gangster, which was awesome. When you think about it, it's not the most original story, but it's told so well and has such good characters, that after only some minutes you feel totally immersed in the story. I loved it, it was great from beginning to end and Denzel Washington is great as always as well as Russell Crowe. Because Clement was still tired from his weekend in Paris and Alice had hardly slept and managed to finish her essay, both of them didn't show up at the lecture of that morning. The lecture was quite interesting, but the documentaries we got to watch were very tiring. So that's all i really did on Monday nothing else really important to tell, so I'm off to bed!

Indeed It Is

When it's not raining it is extremely cold and today I feel like freezing. Like Euan said Saturday when I put on another sweater at the train station, 'it's December Danilo.' And indeed, it is. Don't know where everyone was at the lecture of this morning, but I was there. Just no Farhad, Hana, Alice or Clement. Right now I'm at home sitting in my room, because the library was packed. All the computer rooms were completely full. There are of course other places to sit and study, so I went to sit at the third level but only for like 75 minutes, because the airconditiong round there spreads its cold air around the whole room, making it impossible to work comfortably. Yesterday I could easily find a good spot and stayed in the library til closing time at 7. Again, it was impossible for me and Euan to shoot outside. Around 11 it already started to rain and by 12 it was pouring. A bit of rain is alright, but showers like these I do not like at all. Especially when they are mixed with wind and cold weather. I very much prefer a sunshower, but those you hardly get here in the UK. At 2 Euan came to bring me the camera at the library so i could play around with it at home. I didn't have much time to really experiment, but at least I got a good look at how it works and what all the buttons are for. At home I had the same dinner as the Saturday before. I just made a lot of vegetables and kept them in the refrigerator so I didn't have to cook, only warm them in the microwave. This evening I will probably try to go back to the library and work there instead of here in my room. I just like the atmosphere and at least you have the feeling of being away from Park Wood, being somewhere outside instead of locked up in your room. It's no fun to sit here alone working, so I will try to go back at a time when hopefully the place is less crowded. But now I have no other choice than to work from here, so I will. Good day everyone! Adios.

I've Seen Too Many Cats And Dogs

Rain, rain, rain. Yesterday, today... it's cold and wet and windy. Woke up yesterday, got ready to go into town and meet Euan to do some test shots for our film. We met at the West station. Friday he had picked up the camera and the microphone for the sound. We bought a ticket to Chartham station, which is the first station after Canterbury West, and Euan was so smart to get us to buy a return ticket instead of a one way, because it ended up raining cats and dogs which prevented us from being able to film, or at least in some important parts where we together with Clement walked through last time. So the only filming we managed to do was on the train and on the train station. The weather was extremely bad, it was cold and dark, a sky full of grey, no blues or whites. Filming on the train was real cool and noone came to check so we were free to do whatever we want. I think we managed to make some really cool shots and even though the bed weather and we had to stop and couldn't go on filming I had a lot of fun and at least we tried. We made the best of the situation. So we went home earlier than expected. Finally home, feeling cold, I went to take my stuff and got to the library. Why waste time doing nothing at home, when you can study hard in the library. It's my new favourite place to be and i try to be there as much as I can. Working on my essay goes really well. I'm now at the stage of reading everything through and scrapping things, rewriting, adding bits etc. Working at the library is very productive. Because the library closes at 7 during the weekend I could not stay any longer. Together with Marion I walked home. She was going to the cinema with at least Alice and maybe some other peopel as well to see American Gangster but I was too tried and because on Monday it's only 3 pounds I will go tomorrow. And because yesterday we could hardly do any test shots we would try again today, so yesterday I thought let's go to bed early. But today we didn't do anything, because again it started to rain after a slightly sunny morning. So now we have to do the test shots after the Christmas break or this week. Friday I will be going to London already! Tomorrow lecture, library, cinema. I'm now gonna eat my dinner. Bye!

The End Of British Cinema

I will be in town today doing some test shots with Euan for our film. So maybe I manage to also make some pictures for all of you, 'cause you have voted and want pictures of the town so now I have to make some, else there's no use doing a poll. Yesterday I was supposed to go boxing, but apparently there was no session. Don't know why. Maybe if there's still one on Thursday I can go on Thursday for a change, as for Friday I will be in London. Yesterday was also my lasts eminar for British Film. I only have to finish my essay and that will be it. I'm feeling my essay is coming together pretty well. And I have to say spending so much time in the library is very camling and relaxing. It's much better than sitting at home in my room writing. It's not that we talk constantly, but just seeing Alice with me or Clement makes it all the more easy. It doesn't feel like really working when I'm there. And knowing that i will be there every night, makes that I can write my essay without time pressure or stress. i know I will finish it in time, because I have so much of it. No television distraction etc. It's great. But yesterday was the last seminar and because it was the last one, we did something 'special'. The whole course is mainly about establishing what Britishness is and how far you can speak of Britain having their own distinct cinema. So what we had to do was form groups of 2 or 3 people and pitch an idea for a film. We then had to explain what it was exactly what made our film British. The group I was in, with Alice and another girl, we had to do an adaptation or remake. So we did an adaptation of Alice In Wonderland, making Alice journey one in which she comes to learn about Britain as multicultural and not at all the way the film Brief Encounter would have her believe. The group with the best idea could win a box of chocolates. Unfortunately our group came in second, with just one vote less than the winning group, which I happened to vote for, ouch! Well, I didn't really needed the box of chocolates anyway. I was already surprised though, so many people liked our idea, so that was very nice. So after i went to the sports center around 5 and there turned out to be no boxing class, I went to the library instead taking my laptop and books with me. Knowing that Once would finally be in the Gulbenkian, I knew the chance was big that I would end up going at the end of the day even though Alice and Heidi wanted to go on Sunday. So when it was almost 9 pm I looked at Alice and told her I was goign to see it tonight. Without hesitating she said I'm coming with you and before I knew it, Heidi, Alice and I were sitting in the Gulbenkian. The film started at 9.20 and I shall be honest. It was a film i wanted to see really badly, I don't know why, but I guess because reviews were overwhelmingly good and it took so long before I got to see it, that all those things combined made that I really could not wait to see it and was expecting a lot from it. But yes, i shall be honest and even though it was good it wasn't amazing. Maybe I was not totally in the mood for it, maybe it just isn't that good, I don't know but it wasn't Before Sunrise, it wasn't Dare Mo Shiranai, no Me And You And Everyone We Know, no Little Miss Sunshine. And it definitely was no The Fountain the film i was moste xcited about before Once came along. The Fountain was one of the best experiences i've ever had in a movie theatre, it's simply amazing, nothing like it. Critics either way loved that movie calling it the best of all the films that were released that year or were calling it the worst, saying it was a mess. I thought I would like it and was up for the challenge and indeed it was the best. Sometimes when you don't know what to expect about a film you will be completely surprised and overwhelemed when it turns out to be soooo good. With Once I heard the songs before, I knew it would be like one big video clip or modern sort of musical with these two characters making some sweet music together. And even though I looked away everytime the trailer was shown in the Gulbenkian, I could still hear every word making that I thought where and when to expect these short sentences I had heard. At the beginning of the film there's this great shot showing Glen Hansard, that one got to me immediately, making tears want to fill up my eyes. A moment like that i never got after it, except for at the end where a beautiful shot, even though the film is made with so little money, made me grasp for air. The movie is still very good, I love the songs i love the characters. maybe when i see it a second time i will absolutely come to love it. Maybe I was to tense while watching it, totally excited I finally got the chance to see it, expecting every moment to give me this great feeling. One thing that kind of surprised me, because of that, was the comedic aspect of the film, with sometimes kind of strange jokes that provided for some fantasy like scenes. I expected a deep deep love story, like Before Sunset, which it also was i guess, but I don't know, I didn't expect that there would be some moments to really laugh. Also watching Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova was kind of problematic as i really come to see them for who they are. i know they are musicians, not actors, so i never was able to really look at Glen Hansard as playing a character, even though when thinking about it he played his character very well. But still I felt like watching him, this musician. I was still really impressed though, how throughout the film Marketa Irglova really makes you fall for her. In the beginning you're not sure what to think of her, but she really wins you over, really showing me how it's like when a character achieves a thing like that. So yeah, it turned out differently than i expected. I'm less overwhelmed and crazy about it than i thought I would be, even though I would love to see it again today or tomorrow, i really would love to. But where Control also featured a lot of songs, some also shown in their entirety, I felt that one to have so much more beside that, and Once kind of missed soemthing at times it seemed. Still I bet it's really one of the best films this year, but it's just so different than other films and I guess I prefer the more usual dramatic little films, than this one.

My Second Home

Since noone has voted for the option to see more pictures from my house, another poll won't be necessary, because option 3 has won, you want to see more pictures from the town. So yeah, next time i'm in town I will make lots of pictures. Yesterday I again spend lots of time in the library, which has become my second home it seems. First i went to the fourth floor to study. Around 5 pm I would go and watch The Queen with clement and Alice. I came to the library around half past 2. So when Alice and Clement both arrived we went to watch the DVD in the same room where on Wednesday Marion, Clement and I had been watching A History Of Violence. I was surprised that i actually quite liekd the film, only it became rather boring at the end. When the film was in theatres i didnt want tos ee it because i didnt think the film would interest me, since I dont really care about the royal family. But the film is quite good and Hellen Mirren is amazing. But because she looks so much as the real Elizabeth you soemtimes forget you're watching an actress and therefore when she starts crying, trying to be like any other character in a film, i didn't feel really connected, engaged, but distant. At a moment like that I could have had tears in my eyes, like with a different character might have been the case, but because it was as if I was really watching the real queen i kept some distance and didn't really care. But the film was okay, not great, but just a bit more enjoyable than i thought. Afterwards we were supposed to have a meeting with Euan, or at least we expected to have a meeting. Last time we saw echt other, we didn't really make a decision whether we would meet or not. So Clement and I went to the Gulbenkian, but seemed there was some kind of performance going on, and because it was already 7 o'clock, we decided to just go to the general meeting, where Euan would probably be, if we would have a meetign at all. But he wasn't there and because this meetign was going to be boring and just some kind of recap of how things went so far, we left early, which was a bit unpolite, just leaving the room like that, but we had to, we have better things to do. So Clement and I went back to the fourth floor to join Alice who was still sitting in front of her laptop working hard. Clement was the first to leave, as he will be goign to Paris today to attend the screening of his own short film. On Monday he will be back here in Canterbury. So he went back home to have a good night rest. I was the next one to leave. I left around 10 pm, feeling really tired. So i said goodbye to Alice who stayed and would try to do some more work. At home I went to bed as fats as I could after brushing my teeth etc. I'm still a bit tired right now. Today we have our last seminar of British Cinema. Finally. I wonder what it will be like. :)

Alice And Me Hanging Out At The Venue Upstairs (Made By Alice)

The following pictures were made at the memorable Tuesday night at The Venue already some weeks ago. Alice and I were the first to arrive and we waited for the others upstairs. To pass the time we decided to take some pictures. We had not been to The Venue for a very long time so it was time for a comeback and immediately we stayed until 2 am in the morning.

Empty Dance Floor At The Venue Downstairs (Mady By Alice)

Me At The Venue (Made By Alice)

Thank You Sinterklaas!

So yesterday it was December 5th on which in The Netherlands we celebrate Sinterklaas. Normally at home we don't celebrate it anymore, but because it's such a typically Dutch thing, it's fun of course to at least kind of celebrate it now that I'm here and make me just a little bit more homesick. :) My mother had told me she had sent me a package and that it would be a surprise. I didn't expect her to send anything as it's almost time for me to get back for two weeks. So I didn't tell my parents to send me another package. So i was quite sursprised when my mother told me she had sent me something. And yesterday it was the big day and my package arrived, perfectly timed, just ready for the Sinterklaas festivities. I was still home when the box arrived and after signing I immediately opened it. What was in it? A sack of pepernoten, a chocolateletter, speculaas, showergel (two sorts), a calendar for the whole month of December to count the days until Christmas and for every day there's a little chocolate inside :), two sacks of little breads, the DVD of A history of Violence, two bottles of red beets, and an umbrella, because I lost mine in the cab. So a real box filled with gifts. After opening the box and putting everything away i went to the library to anaylze Shallow Grave, the film I'm discussing in my essay. Last night the mvoie finished downloading on my pc, so now i have my own copy on my laptop. So now I don't have to borrow the tape everytime I want to watch it. But I watched the whole film with every now and then a break to write things down. Luckily the film only is 92 minutes long, so I was done in maybe 2 or 2 and a half hours. Afterwards i went to the fourth floor to study in the computerroom. Heidi and Marion happened to be there as well. However I didn't stay too long since Clement came and Marion, Clement and I decided to watch A History Of Violence. The two of them already had plans on Tuesday to watch it on Wednesday and asked if I wanted to watch it with them. So it was a real coinscidence that my own DVD arrived yesterday. Else we could have also borrowed it form the library itself, but it was just cool having my own copy. We asked for the key to the big screening room on the second floor, which is so much better than the viewing room at the third floor, where you can only watch by yourself. There are multiple televisions, but every TV only has one pair of headphones. But the tv on the second floor room is much bigger and you don't need headphones, you can just watch as if sitting in your living room. It's ideal. So we watched the film together, which was extremely good. I really liked how suspense was created. At the end it sometimes reminded me a bit of Kill Bill. After the film we went back upstairs to study in the computerroom. Alice now was there as well. She had to stay home during the afternoon because she put her name on the list of people who would like to earn some money by staying home and open their room to visitors of the university. I didn't put my name on the list as I was not sure if I will be available on Wednesday for a following number of weeks. Marion left early because there was something with her ID card and she was a bit fed up about it and decided to go home. The rest of us stayed but I was the first to leave. I left around half past 10 pm. Clement and Alice stayed. I also met Farhad who was also busy studying and Victoria, her boyfriend Stuart and Come, who were also at the computerroom on the 4th floor. Also Penelope was there who said hi and who some days ago i met again in a very long time. Today i won't be going to the lecture. There will be a screneing of The Queen, but Alice has the DVD which she borrowed from Nicholas. So instead of watching it during the lecture we will watch it on our own time at the library, so today at 4 with Clement and Alice. After I will have the filmmeeting and tonight I probably will be at the library again. Things are going pretty well with my essay right now. Im glad I changed topics, this one is much better. Have a nice day everyone, and vote! There are just some hours left.

Midnight In The Library

I don't know why yesterday was such a nice day, but it was. I also don't think I have ever spend so much time in a library, or at least until this late. Because I ended up staying there until something like 11.30 pm. At the UvA I never spend much time at the library. All I do is pick up books and then leave. One reason because of this is that the library which has most books related to Film Studies is very small. It's just like one room and there are maybe three tables to sit and study. So it's not all that special. There are never a lot of people either. And for some reason i like to study in a library, but only in a really big one. In one you really have the feeling you are somewhere special, somewhere different. A building that gives you the feeling you're really studying hard. And to give me that feeling I need a big library. Kent however has one that's really big. In Amsterdam we can use another library, I sometiems use two more. One of them is pretty big, but as far as I know you can only borrow books from there, meaning you have to enter their catalogue and then go to the counter to pick up the books. You can't get access to the books themselves. So you can't get to look at them first, which is strange because you have no idea whether the book you ask for will be useful or not. I'm not sure if what I'm saying here is really true, but as far as I know you really can't see the books, only pick them up. Kind of ridiculous, I know. But the library here on campus has four different levels and if I'm not mistaken there's also a level all the way down, but I've never been there. But the computer rooms are very big, which is why everytime I'm surprised they are all in use when I get there during the afternoon. Some of these people study hard. And last night I thought there wouldn't be that many people who would stay until the library closes, but there were indeed a lot of people. One reason I stayed until closing time was to hear the bell that rings when they kick everyone out. I just wanted to know how it sounded like, and now I know. It's like the firealarm. So I started my day going into town after having breakfast. I had to do my weekly grocery shopping at Tesco. I only spent like 7 pounds, which is mostly because I went into town on Friday as well and then ended up already buying some groceries. Then after coming back home I stayed in until I had to go to my seminar at 2. On the way towards the seminar I met Simone, I saw Clement walking in front of me, who made me realize I walk kind of slow as the distance between us became bigger and bigger, I met Veronique after she met Clement first. Then as I was talking to Veronique I met Heidi and Fabien passed by us. And then when Heidi left Veronique and I met Alice and then Alice and I walked to our seminar together where Clement already sat waiting for us. Like last week there were presentations. After doing the presentations ourselves the week before now it were some of the other students who ahd to do their presentations. There weren't that many people who showed up, so apart from the three people who did the presentations there were only the three of us and this other guy. I never like it when after presentations they ask, and does someone has any questions or comments? Because I never have any questions or comments. And because I don't have any questions it might seem that I didn't pay any attention, even though I did. I guess it just doesn't always interest me that much that listening to the presentation and seeing the clips really sparks something inside me which leads to me asking something or making a comment. After the three presentations we went on discussing this one documentary about a Dutch family who made recordings of themselves before the start of the Second World War. The film is pretty interesting, but also pretty difficult and exhausting. So after the seminar I felt as if all energy had been sucked out of my body. At 5, Clement, Euan and I would have our meeting at the Gulbenkian, but before I went to the library to get some books. Alice and Clement had to go to the library as well. They first had to go and borrow a book or extent it, because Clement wanted to use the book Alice had borrowed before, something like that. So I went upstairs without them to go and look for some books. After Alice joined me, she went to this other level to study and connect her computer. Around 5 I went to the Gulbenkian where Clement already sat waiting. Euan was there already as well, having just gotten himself some cake and a drink. I was eating my apple and together we discussed our films. Euan had been so smart to all narrow it down to the basis, really setting out the core of our film. On top of this basis we then can put these little details which we will use to confuse the audience and make things interesting. Also he made us really aware of the use of train station and together we came up with some new and exciting ideas. I'm even more excited right now about our film, even more than i was after last Saturday when i discussed the film with Clement. This Saturday Euan and I will try and do some test shots. We can get the camera so we're able to play around a bit and practice. Clement unfortunately can't be there. He has to go to Paris where he will attend the screening of his own short film he made, but which did not get a real premiere yet. So a lot of his friends haven't seen the film yet, which i didn't know, cause he did already show it to me. So i had no idea that i had seen it before a lot of other people. After our meeting I first wanted to go home because I was hungry, so i said goodbye to Euan and Clement and walked in the direction of Park Wood, but then all of a sudden I realised I had promised t help Alice figure out how to add subtitles to a downloaded movie. So then i went to the library afterall. And as I should have know, I couldn't find Alice as she had only told me she would go and sit somewhere comfortable and at a place where she would not be bothered. But because some of the places we usually sit were already taken, you never know where soemone will end up sitting. So I could not find her. Then i just went online to print some things, and because my mother sent me a file I had asked her to send me i had some new books that could be useful for my essay. So i printed out the bibliography and some of the pages of the assignment that are kind of about the same topic I'm doing right now just to get some ideas. So then i searched for books and eventually ended up at the fourth floor trying to get hold of a text that was supposed to be in Cinejournal. As i was sitting behind the computer I decided to send Alice an e-mail about the subtitles and tried to explain her how to do it. Because I had no idea where she was I asked her maybe to meet up the next day. However, some minutes after sending the e-mail someone appeared next to where I was sitting, who happened to be Alice. After her also Clement appeared. Turned out the two of them had been working at the fourth floor as well, also in the computer room where I was, but I just didn't know. So I joined them briefly, trying to explain Alice the subtitles, which for soem reason didn't work. Marion joined us as well, but I decided to go home and have dinner before getting back to work. So i left for something like an hour to cook some pasta, vegetables and tomato sauce to put on top of it, ate everything with a mug of orange juice and then went back to the library around 9 pm bringing my laptop with me. And then I stayed working until 11.30. Clement was the first to leave being very hungry, then later on around 11 Marion also went home. Alice and I ended up being the last to leave and before we walked home we went to see the big tree in front of the registry with lights in it, especially for Christmas. Then we walked home and I went to bed. Today i'm goign to work in the library again. I'm going to take a shower, brush my teeth eat breakfast and then maybe watch Shallow Grave in the library, the film which i will be using for my essay. I will bring my laptop with me, which is much easier to work on. So... everyone have a nice day. It's December 5th, 'pakjesavond', Sinterklaas and zwarte Piet are coming tonight to bring you somne presents, lots of pepernoten, schuipjes and chocoladeletters! Oh, and you can vote. The two options with the most vote will then compete again, until there's one winenr left. So go and vote and I will provide the pictures!

Engagement

I can hardly believe that the Friday of next week I will be going to London. If I wouldn't have stayed for the entire academic year it would have been my last days in Park Wood, in Canterbury. Fortunately I will be back after Christmas break, so I will just return to my room and my housemates. Thursday of next week my second essay for British Cinema als has to be finished. This time choosing rhe right topic seems much harder. I already changed my mind once, but last night I changed another time. I have decided to go and do the, what is to me the most simple topic, afterall. I just can't see how I should be able to really say something about music in British cinema from the 1980s til the present day without having seen and anaysed every film. I could of course take one film from every period, meaning a film from 1985, 1995, and 2005. But then it would be difficult what to do next, would be important to choose films from the same type of genre, the same characters, story etc.? Because in one film the music may really reflect a character's feelings and emotions, but in one of the films from a later period this isn't the case. But this doesn't mean that music doesn't reflect emotions of a character anymore. You can't just make conclusions on just one film. And then again, it depends on the character, the genre, the type of story if music is used that way. Of course you can alayze these films and just say in general what sorts of use of music you see in those three films. But then again what does that say about the use of music from 1980s 'til the present day. you expect some kind of change, a development, with a question like that. So that's why I've changed, I'm now doing the engagement topic as well, yes, the same one you're doing Alice, but I will be speaking about one of the character's from Shallow Grave. This will be much easier for me, 'cause it allows me to cocnentrate on just one character and one film, instead of having to analyze three in such a short period of time. I feel this topic is also much more clear. And at least you don't have to say something about how engagement with character's has changed from British films from the 80s til today. So, hopefully this is the best choice and i won't have to change again. Yesterday the lecture of Documentary Film was about historical documentary with much focus on the Holocaust. I have to ay that's one of my 'favourite' subjects, or you know, favourite is a strange word in this context, so yep, the most interesting. It's because the course I took about representation in media, with the main focus on film, of genocide of last year was really good. I didn't know it would fascinate me that much and I would really come to like it. It brings up all those questions you normally take for granted. So I will probably do my second essay for Documentary Film about a topic related to this. I believe there were some topics about this on the list we could choose from. I spent almost 3 and a half hours in the library yesterday afternoon, straight after our lecture. But now that i have changed topics again it wasn't very useful. Today i will be in the library again after seminar and also propably at the Gulbenkian to speak with Euan and Clement about our film project. In some minutes I;m off to Tesco to do some shopping, not much because i still have a lot of things, but just things like orange juice etc. Bye bye!

Lunch At Alice's

So yesterday we had the big lunch, which was also my breakfast as I decided not to eat anything before, because I was sure we were going to eat a lot. Alice was so sweet to have made two kinds of risotto and also some vegetables with cheese prepared in the oven. Really delicious! We started with soem fresh vegetables that Clement had brought. I really like the taste of carrots without them being cooked. Veronique had brought 'ontbijtkoek', I don't know the English word for it, and Sandra brought some Lebkuchen, typically German cookies which they mostly eat during Christmas. Nicholas had brought some clementines and nuts which we all managed to open with our bare hands. I brought some juice and 'hagelslag'. Veronique and Jan had brought some juice as well and Marion had brought her bottle of Baileys. So we all ended up bringing something with us. It seems that it's impossible to have a Sunday wthout rain as yesterday like the Sunday the week before, it was raining once again and at times it stormed a bit as well. Because of the weather, but also because everyone had to work on essays, presentations etc. we ended up not going into town, but maybe another time we will. Eventually Marion and I stayed the longest together with Alice in who's kitchen we had our breakfast/lunch. We just chatted until something like 5 pm and then the two of us also left to go and work. Today I have been working a lot as well and i will be going to work more once I am done with writing this and sending some e-mails. I was in the library all afternoon after going to the lecture of Documentary Film. For some reason this morning I was really tired and I am still now, but I have managed to repress it. So right now I'm not really feeling tired, even though i know I am. Tomorrow morning I will try and do my grocery shopping just before going to the seminar so afterwards I will be able to go to the library once again. I probably won't have to buy that many things at Tesco, because I still have bread and everythign else. Just need some juice and celementines I guess. Have a nice evening...

Made With Alice's Camera

Some made by Alice, some made by me.

Launch Of December

Lunch in Alice's kitchen to celebrate it's December and Christmas is coming soon. We didn't end up going into town, so the Christmas market we will visit another time. Still it was a lot of fun. A perfect Sunday afternoon...

Change Of Topic

Ah, the famous Norman Bates has left me a message, thank you very much! Also thanks a lot for the link to the concert of Beirut, I'm listening to it right now. : ) So today i'm going to have lunch, or actually it will be my breakfast, because I expect everyone to bring so much food that I can't come in with an already filled stomach. We will be having lunch at Alice's luxurious kitchen and head into town to visit Canterbury's Christmas market, all to celebrate it's December, which to Alice apparently is worth celebrating. Oh, and happy birthday Nelstar, hopefully there are many more to come! I'm getting a bit panicky though about my next essay for British Cinema. Yesterday I went to the library to read the books I had borrowed on Friday morning. I thought it would be nicer to read in there instead of at home. I was all alone so it kind of felt depressing. So therefore I went out, just to have a nice walk to the library and to read the books there without being alone. Unfortunately I realised very quickly that all the books I had borrowed on Friday weren't really usable for my topic, which also made me decide to change my topic. I'm not sure if my new topic will be better, but I really have to try now before it's too late and there really isn't much time left. So yeah, therefore expect me to be busy, so I'm sorry if I can't do any MSN chat sessions or reply immediately to everyones e-mails. I really really loved reading yours Mijke. Your topic for your documentary sounds really cool. Seems like you had more freedom in choosing what you want to show then I had. After going to the library I went back home around 4 with some new books in my backpack for my new topic. Hopefully this one will work out, of not, I can still choose the same topic as Alice which I think is a lot more practical. Arriving at home I also put on another sweater, because outside it was getting a bit too cold. After something like 30 minutes I left the house again, leaving behind the books, to go to the Gulbenkian. Friday after the film Clement and I decided to meet at 5 the nest day so I could explain him what exactly a treatment is and he would show me how in his film he used some shots that were made with a steadycam they had built themselves using an example on internet, an example Euan wanted to use for our film as well. Apparently it was the same site as Clement had seen and when he made the steadycam and used it for his film it didn't really work out that well, so now we're not sure if it's good to try and build one ourselves or just shoot by hand, which will maybe turn out better. butw e can always try both. But yes, I went to meet him at the Gulbenkian to discuss all these things. We ended up discussing a lot, really making everything more clear. We came with some really awesome ideas whcih will provide our film with more clarity and now it will probably make more sense for a viewer, an outsider who isn't as involved as we are. I'm getting very excited for our film, which i think is very original. If there ever is a prize to win for originality, I think we would really stand a chance. Afterwards we walked home and I got back into my house, making myself some nice dinner. Walking home I realised I still had to do my laundry, which caused that i couldn't manage to finish the whole treatment immediately, which i hoped i could. I always have to change money at the Park Wood shop. And once again I made a mistake, thinking you could also put coins of 1 pence in the washing machines, but no, it said 1 pound. So I could not put 10 coins of 1 pence in the machine, which i needed. Therefore ahd to go to the shop a second time to get a 10 pence coin. I already went in before to change 1 pound into two of 50. However this time I was the last person in the shop and they were going to close. Because they can only open the till after someone has bought something I had no other choice then to buy something. I ended up buying a milkyway bar of something like 12 pence. So if anyone wants it, you can have it. i'm not going to eat it. But yep, then i finally could begin to dry my clothes. Later on around 11 pm I went back again to pick up all my clothes, which were dry, but completely. They were just a little bit wet, but not that much though, so no real problem. I guess it's because I also put in some sheets and towels and those are very wet when you put them in which i guess makes it harder for the other clothes to really dry. But after doing that and doing the dishes I finally could go and brush my teeth to go to bed. I was supposed to sleep a bit longer this morning, but when I put on my pc my mum started to talk to me, so now I'm sitting behind the computer feeling all tired. I'm just a little bit worried about the whole essay, even thoug I know eventually it will turn out alright. Thursday of not this week, but the one after, I will be having soemthing to hand in as always. Even if I have to work on it 24 hours the day before I will do it. Have a nice Sunday everyone. I think I'm going to lie down in bed again.

A Bit Guilty

So yesterday I finally did manage to get my essay at the Film Office after I already went by there two times. I got 60% which is very good, so I'm really pleased. Now I only have to do another essay for January the 14th. I already did my presentation of which I only have to hand in my written version 13 Decemeber. I should have gone to boxing class late in the afternoon, and yes i feel a little bit guilty, 'cause I didn't go. The thing is it's on Friday. And every now and then and especially here in Canterbury, I just like to do nothing after a Friday's seminar. Just celebrate it's weekend and set my mind to rest. Before I made my decision, though, I checked my e-mail to see if Clement had replied to a message I had sent him. On Thursday he didn't feel well, so I was expecting that maybe he would not feel too good to go to boxing, but maybe he did, so I told him I would pick him up if he would go and else not. Turned out he indeed felt too ill to go to boxing class, so I know it's bad, but then i thought, okay, I will just go into town and have some fun with me myself and I. If he would have gone then I would have came to pick him up to go to class, but he didn't so then I decided to skip class. Next week, though, is our last lesson, as the Friday after we will be going to London. Before I went into town though, Alice and I had our seminar for British Film. I was happy, I really was. It was a nice seminar, probably the best one so far. I guess a lot had to do with the film which was nice and because it looked like the annoying blonde guy, who's name is Chris and the girl, whoi sn't really annoying, but who talks a lot as well, wouldn't show up, I got myself in a good mood. I thought, good, then we all get some time to say something without the two of them already answering a question before anyone else can. The boy, Chris, after some minutes however did show up. But by then I was already in a good mood, and noone who could break my spirit. So I spoke again, a couple of times. I was very pleased with myself for adding something. One time after watching a short clip Chris of course was the first to immediately start speaking when the lights went on again, which bothered me a bit, because I actually wanted to speak and comment what we saw. But here he was again, before anyone else could even open their mouth. The thing is, the rest of us are just too polite. When Keith, our teacher, turns off the DVD and puts the lights back on, we wait, just let him finish his sentences and then when he finish his question, then jump in and answer. Chris however, immediately jumps in before anyone else can. I knew this would happen, but I just don't like it. And turned out I would have said exactly the same things. So here he was again showing off his 'knowledge' leaving me with nothing. He took away my words, my answer. I would have said that if he would not have answered first. Not cool, 'cause that was my time to shine and he stole my golden moment. Well, of course I don't really care by now. At least I got to say something. But yeah, the seminar was quite nice. I had fun and it seemed less long than it normally is, which is always a good thing. Afterwards Alice went into town with Heidi, they met up at the library. She asked me if I wanted to come too, but I first needed to check if Clement was going to the boxing our not, because if he was, then he would have expected me to pick him up, because I told him i would. But he didn't so then I went to the Park Wood busstop as fast as i could. Still I had to wait like 20 minutes, but which didn't feel like 20 minutes at all. But at the end it did really get cold. I wanted to buy a white T-shirt at the H&M where they had some for less than 3 pounds. However when i got there, they didn't have those in small, so i ended up buying two for the price of one, which was also nice. But these were together 8 pounds. Or at least one of them, the other was for 'free'. Before I went to te H&M, I saw Alice and Heidi, just when I walked into the streets after getting of the bus. It was a real coinscidence to see them there. So I said hi and then Alice told me about the market and one stand that supposedly sold stroopwafels, the typically Dutch cookies. So as Heidi and Alice went into Tesco I took a look at the stand and she was right, there really were stroopwafels as well as typically Dutch pannenkoeken en they sold like little clogs and other stuff like that. I don't know why there was a Dutch food stand, of all the countries in the world they come with typically Dutch cookies and stuff. But for me of course it was cool to see. Hmmm, maybe a good idea to next time take a picture of it. So then after walking down the market I went into H&M were I bought those T-shirts and on my way out saw Claudia, who I had already seen that day before when i picked up my essay. She had just picked up hers as well and had to go to the computer service because apparently her laptop would for some reason not switch on. Clement turned out to be there as well. They both were a little sick, so they decided to just go into town and shop to feel better. They already went to the pharmacy and now they tried other ways to make them feel better which shopping might provide. After saying goodbye to them I went to Tesco to do some grocery shopping. I didn't really need to go, but I though, you know, let's for once not try and save as much money as I can and just not really care about the prices but just by thigns I would liek to buy but normally I don't, because it doesn't fit into my weekly budget of money I want to spend, which is just a bit more than then pounds, with maybe 13 as a maximum. So i thought, let's by pasta, fresh tomatoes, cinnamon and raisin bagels (buy 1 package get one free), some crackers, fruit yoghurt, and a sack of reduced apples. Altogether it was something like 7 pounds, so not that much. After getting back home and made my dinner, which was the pasta with tomatoes, I went to the Gulbenkian to meet up with Marion and Heidi who were going to see Control. Tania, Magali and Amandine were there as well, as well as Marion's housemate David and some other people I didn't know. I was a bit late, which was because before I left my computer decided to play Mr. November by The National, I guess I'm really feeling the song again, because when hearing it again i immediately needed to hear it 3 times more. So then i was bit late, but it wasn't such a problem. the film was really good. Anton Corbijn is Dutch so that makes me really proud. A bit frustrated though that not everyone knew that and thoguht he was just British. Nooooo, he is not. So i don't like it when with the trailer it says, the best British film in hyears, or soemthing like that. I guess it is British because it's made with British money, it's about Joy Division, has British actors and crew and stuff, but still, Dutch director who seems to have a very big influence on his work. But yeah, the film was good. Sometimes really funny, because of the band's manager. But overall i liked that there was this sad atmosphere throughout the movie, which has much to do i guess with the prospect of Ian Curtis hanging himself, which you of course already know, because that's just how he died, it's based on real events. I also liked that it wa sshot in black & white, which really worked for this film and I could not have imagined it differently. Saim Riley was brilliant playing Ian. He was spot on, really becoming the guy. And the coolest thing is, the actors played the songs themselves and Riley sang everything himself and he sounded just so much as Curtis. It really is strange when you realise it's Riley singing not Curtis. I liked that they showed some songs in their entirety. I was just moving my head to the beat, real cool. Samantha Morton was amazing as well, she is one of those actresses who are just tremendously good. Lately all her performances have been outstanding. I guess when you're just good, you just are. It's like Blanchett or of course Meryl Streep, who you can always count on, she will always give a good performance, because that is just what she does. Thus a real actress. Afterwards I went home with Clement and Claudia who went to the film as well, but came in later. The other went for a drink, but I just wanted to go to bed, so i went home. Now I'm going to brush my teeth, take a shower, eat breakfast etc. etc. It's weekend, it's December. Tomorrow it's Nelly's birthday : ) and I will be having lunch with lots of people and head into town afterwards to celebrate that it's December and Christmas is coming. It was all Alice's idea, who today went to London with Cecilia. Her first tiem in london so hopefully it won't rain like yesterday.