Sunday 30 September 2007

London And The Tate

We had to wake up pretty early to catch the bus to London. First we had to take the bus downtown and from there we would take the National Express coach. We all were on time at the reception at 7.30. Marion, Clement and Heidi were all there. I arrived at the same time as Marion, so we immediately left. At first I was thinking, but what about Alice. But then I remembered that Alice wouldn't come with us, so we really didnt have to wait for anyone else. It took a while before the bus came that would bring us to the centre. Clement told us there would be one at 7.45, but the first one that came arrived at 8.02. But we still were on time when we arrived at the bus station close to Wilkinson. Anne who came by bike was already there and together we went to get us some information. We also met Penelope who went with us as well and who also lives in Park Wood, even though at first she was supposed to live in the centre in her own room. Eventually that didn't go as planned so she asked if there was still a room left in Park Wood and luckily, there was. The trip by bus took two hours, which wasn't long at all. It seemed much shorter both on our way to London as on our way back. We arrived around 10.30 and started to walk in what hopefully would be the right direction to the Tate Modern. While we walked to the Tate we passed Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben and the Parliament. As we crossed the Westminster Bridge we made our way to the Tate and while doing so met up with Tania, Magali and Amandine, who were also in London but left earlier then us. When we arrived at the Tate there weren't that many people yet. Later on when i saw almost the whole left wing collection of the third floor and passed the first room, it was suddenly crowded. The collection with paintings and some statues was great. There were a lot of different objects made by different artists. A lot of them had to do with surrealism and presented beuatiful art. I like it when a painting makes you think and question the artist's intentions. One of the best experiences was Cy Twombly's Four Seasons. At first I just looked at the four paintings, and already i was really impressed, because they really translate the feeling of spring, summer, autumn and winter. When I walked in the room where the Four Seasons are hanging, I saw Clement standing in with some headphones. I thought that he took those as a guide, so that with every painting a voice would tell some things about the painting shown. But before he walked to the next room he told me to come to him and handed me the headphones. So I started listening and it was this amazing music. Immediately from the very firt note I found myself lost in this great thoughts, images passed by in my mind. It really inspired me and made me think how wonderful this would be in a movie. Like a perfect ending. Someone standing in a museum listening to this beautiful music, without anyone knowing what it is that person hears in that moment. I felt so special listening to these sounds while the people that passed by me had no idea what I was experiencing right there in that moment. The music is inspired by the Four Seasons. It was really one of the best things I've ever heard. But the whole Tate museum reminded me of how much I like to see a museum shown in a movie. Like in The Dreamers, the three characters run through the Louvre like the characters from Bande A Part. And also in Match Point, which I had to think of myself, but which Clement later on made a reference to as well. After I saw the whole collection it was time for a break. I had no idea where the others were. But I received a message of Clement telling me how fantastic he thought it had been and Tania called me, but I couldn't answer, because I was still in a room with the paintings, and you aren't allowed to call. But when I came out I saw Anne so i sat with her for a while. I then went outside to meet up with Clement, as Anne would leave London at 22 and Clement, Marion, Penelope, Heidi and I at 6.30. But when i came outside it turned out the others were already gone. They already went to the fourth floor and were done with the Tate. When i'm in a museum I need to take my time. I need to look at every painting for a couple of minutes before i can move on. Clement wanted to go back to the Tate and I agreed, I also wanted to see more. But first we needed to eat, since I hadn't eaten anything yet. So we went to Starbucks, where, besides good coffe, they also have really nice bread and yoghurt with muesli. Really cool. So we went to sit outside in the grass to eat and take some pictures. Then we went back inside to the fourt floor and attended the collection about Cubism and Fordism. It turned out that every painting that i really liked was made by Picasso. So apparently, of all artists, i guess I do like his work the most. I especially like his use of colour. And it's cool that i do recognize it when a painting is made by him. I'm like hmmm, that's a Picasso, and then it turns out I'm right. But after seeing so many of his works at the Picasso museum in Barcelona, it's not so strange that i start to recognize his style and have become familiar with it. Around 5 pm we walked back to the coach station, which took us some time to find. While we were walking we passed the British Film Institute, so we got ourselves some brochures. i definitely want to go back to go to the Tate and then afterwards maybe a movie. There will be a special screening of the movie Once and both the actors as the director will be there! So I would really like to go. We arrived just in time at the coach station, but we were almost too late. If we hadn't asked some people if they knew where it was, I'm not sure if we would have made it back in time. But if we would have been late, Clement promised me to pay for my hotel room. When we got to the coach Penelope, Marion and Heidi were already there. I tried to sleep on the way back, but I was only able to close my eyes and that was it. Instead of going straight to bed when I got home I decided to mee up with Alice and Sandra who were at Keynes college where they were playing some reggae and ska. It was nice, but the music was so loud that you could hardly hear eachother when you wanted to talk. Sandra wanted to stay, because she liked the music, but Alice wanted to go some place else, so eventually the two of us decided to go to Clement's place and attend Isa's, one of his housemates, birthday party. We couldn't go empty handed, so we bought a bottle of Bacardi as a gift. The party was alright, only problem was that the music couldn't be too loud, because a security guy came by to warn us. But there was some nice food. The girls made a tortilla and their was also some pizza and cherry tomatoes. At 12 pm Isa got a chocolate cake which her friends made. Then they went to The Venue, but I was already to tired to go and party, so Alice and I went home. But it was a really cool day, especially in London. It was a long time ago since I was there, so it was nice to be back and finally also to be in a big city again, because Canterbury, afterall, is kind of small.

Saturday 29 September 2007

Box

To show that I can also wake up early, and I'm not at all lazy, I agreed with Alice and Marion to go to the library at 8.30 to study. We would first meet up at the reception. I was on time this time, but when i got there at 8.30 there was no Alice, and Alice is always on time. And when Clément was the next one to show up, I knew the others were gone already, because the girls had told me that if i wasn't on time, they would just leave. But the thing is, that I was on time, but I thought maybe for them I wasn't on time enough. So Clément and I decided to go without the girls. The library openend at 8.45, though, so when we got there the doors went just open and no Marion or Alice. Then we knew it couldn;t be that they had gone without us and we were the first two to arrive. In the library café we drank a capucchino while reading the texts for the seminar if British Cinema. Clément and Nicholas had their seminar at 9.30 while Alice and me, were in the group of 2pm. So around 9.30 Clément left and after reading the first paragraph I went upstaris to the fourth floor to look for Alice and Marion. It turned out Marion was going to be a bit late so she told Alice. But the both of them had not told me and Clément. After checking my e-mail I went on reading the text which was like 20 pages long. When Nicholas and Clément came back they told us about the seminar and that it was very interesting and that Alice and I had nothing to worry about. Afterwards the others left and Alice and I went to the shop to buy a sandwich which we ate in the building of where we were going to have our seminar. It was cold outside, so we decided to go inside. As the start of our seminar came closer and closer I started to feel a bit nervous, even though there was no reason to be nervous. But I just couldn't help it. The seminar turned out to be exactly how Nicholas and Clément had told us. It was a bit frustrating though. The seminar was really interesting and the questions raised by our professor were really nice. But the thing was each time I wanted to participate in the discussion and I had ready the things I wnated to say, they already moved on to another topic. It was kind of hard, because every time the first thought that came to mind was, but I know nothing about the UK and which films are shown outside our university. But then when the idea of talking about my experiences in The Netherlands came to build in my head, it was already to late. I did say something though, but I'm not quite sure if it was all that interesting. So when the seminar was over Alice was a bit down, like me. But I decided not to think about it to much and i think next week will be better. When I got home I looked for clothes to wear, because Clément and I were going to the boxing class. On Thursday we couldn't, because we had a lecture. But yesterday we had time so we went. I had to go in my swimming shorts, since I had no time to buy a different one. But it looked alright, not weird it all. Same thing for my All Stars, 'cause they're the only shoes I took with me, just two pairs. Clément however had gotten the time to go downtown and buy some shorts after he was done with his seminar that morning. When we got to the sports centre it took a while for us to find it. Turned out you did have to go to the balcony, which to me at first seemed strange. But up there they had the punching bags. We first searched for a room to change and bought a drink, because we both forgot our bottle of water. When we were ready we went upstairs. The lesson had just begun so we could immediately join for the warm up. And after that one of put on the gloves and the other the ones for the defence. It was really really cool and Ben our teacher was very nice, not at all strict or one of those guys who seem to have come straight out of jail. 'Cause in secondary school we had like three lessons in total where we did some boxing and one time a teacher came to give a sort of demonstration. And we had to lie down on the ground in a straight line while he came by to punch us in the stomach one by one, while we were lying there. That was not cool and therefore I never dared to join a real club, because I dont want to have the feeling that i'm in bootcamp. That goes just a bit too far. But it went good and Clément who had never boxed before had fun as well. I'm glad he liked it, as it was my idea to go and do some boxing. So, yeah, next week we definitely come back. Hopefully we can also come at Thursday. On Thursday it's more of a lesson to learn the basics. That day however we do get a lesson by a teacher, which Ben said, is very strict. And it could be that Clément and i have to come a bit late, due to our lecture we have before. So Ben told us to sneek in very quietly, cause aparently the guy from Thursday doesn't like it when people are late. But yesterday went great. After a while you did start to feel it in your arms as they became more heavy. But you just had to go through it and the strange thing is that at one time you feel exhausted and you almost can't punch anymore, but then all of a sudden you can and do a lot of them straight after each other. Afterwards we went home, I took a shower and talked to Anne about London to where we go today, in a couple of minutes. I also sat in my kitchen talking to my housemates as they all were home. It was really cool, I put my laptop in the kitchen for some music and drank some orange juice and lots of water. Then at like 8.15 I went to Marion's house. Because she didn't call Clémet to ask him to come over I started to doubt if there really was a meeting and thought that maybe she had joined Alice afterall to watch Atonement. But when I came by at her house, Alice, Clément ans also Sandra, were already there. We had pasta and some slices of bread with cheese. it was really nice. Later on we met Marion's neighbour, Benjamin from the US and went to his house next door. Alice, Sandra and I didn't stay too long, i was a bit tired and knew I had to wake up early. So we decided to go home and I sent a message to Clément, who had already left because Fabian was stuck in the hosue with people who were only speaking Spanish and Italian, to tell him we wouldn't come with them to eliot college for a drink. So overall it was another interesting day and now it's time to London, so see you! :)

Friday 28 September 2007

Fed Up

After watching the last 45 minutes of Last Days, I went to Eliot college to meet up with Clément. I was a bit late though, like I also was at the first Kent Film Union meeting. We would meet at 6.45, but I think I showed up 7 minutes late. Sorry, but I was still busy doing things, I couldn't help it. But at Eliot College yesterday morning I signed up for one of the auditions for a play of the Drama Society. Clément at first decided not to go, but last night he eventually also put his name on the list, so now we will have the audition together. I have no idea of how it will go, but I guess it will turn out alright. After signing up we went to pay our 5 pounds for the Film society and I also had to pay my accommodation. I was first and everything was okay, but then Clément came to the desk next to mine and started saying he came to pay the 5 pounds for the Film Society. But the woman at the desk didn't get it all. She thought he wanted to pay his tuition fees of some thousands pounds. So we were like, no, it's for the Film Society, but they still didn't get it. Then a guy came and he said the same thing and finally thet were like, oh, then I don't think you guys should play here. So stupid. So on our way to pay we met Simone and she told us we could go to the Kent Union next to the campus shops. So we went and were told we had to go to the Mandela building to pay. We also had to ask about the boxing class, if there was another day to go, because we had class 'til 5 pm and the boxing starts at 4.30. So we got the e-mail address of Ben the guy who arranges everything. Later on I send an e-mail and there's a class also for today he told in the e-mail, so today we're going. But then we went to the Mandela building and the guy there told us we had to have our order number that was given through us online, but we didn't print it out. So the guy made a call and he told us we could print them out at the Kent Union. A guy with long hair helped us. He was the real 'surfer dude' type and spoke pretty strange. I had to listen really close to understand what he said. But he told me to fill in something, but I was convinced that i filled it in before, so Clément and I just decided to do things our own way, since we were the ones who knew what we were looking for. Then we tried to print and a woman came to help us. But for some reason the printer didn't work. So after trying to get or order numbers and trying to figure everything out, they told us we had to use a different computer instead. So we went to the library and eventually decided to just pay online, instead of in cash. So that morning we both were really fed up with everything and I felt frustrated. We both had not eaten anything yet, so we went to the Gulbenkian Theatre. Luckily there was a long cue, because it's very expensive to eat there, so it's better to go somewhere else and because of the long cue we did and went just to the shop. We bought nice sandwiches for not too much money. And for the first time I felt a bit full after eating. The paninis and bagels at the Gulbenkian just aren't enough. Then we had our British Cinema class. The whole lecture room was filled with people. A big difference with Documentary Film. The course seems pretty interesting and raises questions about what you think a British film is and why. Afterwards we went back to Park Wood and later on I met Sandra, Nicholas and Clément at the reception to go to the Film meeting. We get to make our own movie. They will put is in separate groups. We all had to write down what you find most interesting to do. I wrote down, writing, acting and directing. Next week we will meet again and by then we will know to which group we will belong to. Then I went home again and talked on MSN to you mama and papa. Good you both know now how to use MSN! : ) I also spoke to Marya and Hakima. Really cool to have spoken to you two again. I hadn't spoken to you for quite a while. But now I have to leave, else I'll be late again and Alice told me she didn't wnat to wait.

Thursday 27 September 2007

My Mentor Is The Coolest

Tuesday night Marion came with the great idea to head to the library early Wednesday morning to study all day long. I ended up not studing at all, but just coping some chapters of books we needed to read. Well, actually it was Clement who did most of the copying for me, which was really really nice, since I had to meet my mentor James. At 3.15 we met in front of the library, He was a bit late, maybe ten minutes, but I didn't really care. He had sent me a text message saying he would wear a black jacket and white T-short. So as I was waiting I looked at everyone walking by thinking, hmm, no that ain't a white T or yep, that's a white T right there, but no black jacket, or is it? But then finally I saw a guy walking towards the library wearing the exact outfit that was described in the message. And so I met James or Jimmy as I guess friends like to call him. I was really glad to finally meet him in person and he really is a cool guy, very relaxed and friendly. We went to drink soemthing at Darwin college. Overall i did feel kind of weird, because I wasn't sure how to act. he's only 21, but because he is my 'mentor' I had the tention to kind of look at him differently, as someone in a higher position or something. But we talked for over two hours straight. It was really ncie. He told me about his experiences of Amsterdam and told me about some cool things to do in Londona nd Canterbury. He lives at home again, not at campus, but he has his own car with which he drives to university. Today he has his first lecture and he stayed at a friend's house. But he was really cool. He told me he went to Rock Werchter after I had asked him about concerts and festivals in London. It's cool he also seems to be into this rock band, while also liking trance and electro. What most caught my eye was his smooth walk, lol. He wore this really cool jacket. I thought it was real funny. But yeah, I guess I definitely have the coolest mentor. He isn't someone you would expect to go and be a mentor. We definitely keep in touch and if something goes wrong or I have any questions I will ask him for help. We left to Darwin at maybe 3.30 and returned to the library around 6. That afternoon i also had lunch in the Gulbenkian theatre, which was nice, I had a big salad, like Marion and Clement, but which is something we shouldn't do to often, because it can become quite expensive to eat out every day. So from next week I will make my own bread and take it with me in a plastic bag. When I got back in the library, Clement anlready left and he had made all the copies of the books I didn't got the chance to do myself. You see how nice that is of him to do. I will pay you back though! Marion was still there and after she had taken her French book with her we lheaded to Park Wood. i did some quick cooking, which didn't turn out alright, since I had added to much water with the rice. So I had to improvise and decided to throw everything into a pan. Eventually it turned out to be pretty good. At 8 I was supposed to go to salsa, but I really didnt'want to go. Can you imagine me doing salsa? I can't and I don't want to either. So Clement and i decided to just go to Marion's house, who would make us some nice dinner. I had already eaten, but that wasn't a problem, since she made some vegetables. So nothing heavy on the stomach. As a desert we got apple in lemon juice with sugar. She made it in the oven and it was really really nice. Maybe I will try to make that as well one day. Later on Alice came, but we didn't stay that long anymroe since we were all a bit tired. So today I have my second lecture. This time about British Cinema. I hope it will be interesting. At least I don't know so much about British Cinema, so there's not a big chance that the things they will tell I already know. Today I\m going to subscribe for an audition for a play by the drama society. I wodner if it's still possible to subscribe, but we will see.

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Seminar

Today is my weekly day off, but I'm already awake to go to the library to study. Yesterday i had my first seminar. Before going there I went to the library to read. Later on I sat outside in front of the library together with Alice and Clément. The seminar started at 2 pm. I found it to be very different from seminars or 'wergroepen' a the UvA. At the UvA we have just tables and chairs. The tables together form a circle so everyone sits next to each other which makes it easy to discuss. Here at Kent however there are only chairs and every chair has a wooden board, a little piece of wood that can be used as a table is stuck to the side of the chair and put in front of your chair so you can write. The chairs also stand in a circle, but because there are no big tables there's a big gap in the middle of the room, which feels kind of weird and make you feel even more distant to the people sitting across of you. Our professor, Elizabeth, isn't I think really bad, but her classes could be much better. For instance, she started with a clip from a movie, which title she spoke so fast that i'm still not sure which film it was that she spoke of. Also she didn't really mention why she showed the clip and what we should look at in particular. Also she jumped from old movie clips to clips that are very recent and then afterwards she went back to Coalface, a very old little documentary film. So it's all a bit confusing. She's still trying to teach us the various definitions that can be ascribed to the term 'documentary'. But overall it was pretty interesting, but I didnt have the feeling afterwards that I learned a lot of new things. During the afternoon I went back home. I just ate some bread and spent some time in front of the computer. Then it was already time to leave. There was a first introduction meeting of the Kent Film Society I wanted to attend and Sandra wanted to go as well so the two of us met up at the reception. While we were walking to the lecture building we met Hanna. She just came back from the seminar, the same as I had at 2, but she's in group 2 which starts at 4 pm. But she felt very down. She was the only Erasmus student and when asked what she thought documentary is, she only said a very short sentence, while all the other students with their great English, gave great definitions. So I guess it was all a bit intimidating, especially for the first time. She also could not understand everything Elizabeth said. We met Clément at the lecture building and Alice came walking towards us just seconds after Sandra and I had arrived. We all went to the Film Society, but there was one small problem. Me and Clément also were interested in the Drama society and the problem was that the two meetings were both at 6, so we couldn't go to both. Eventually I decided to go to the Drama society while the others stayed at the film society meeting. They showed an introduction film (that's why i couldn't pick up my phone). Besides all the goofing around, they also have three plays that they produce themselves and for which you can audition. Those are the more serious works, while some other things they organise are more for fun and to have a good time. i take the whole thing very serious, so I'm not planning on just joining the society. I will audition and when i get in then I will be part of the society, but else i don't think i want to. It would be a waste of time. The others told me that the Film soceity is pretty interesting. Every Tuesday there's a free viewing and they have their own 'library' with a list of films you can borrow from them. Also you can work on making your own film and they give reductions for things like the London Film Festival. Sounds pretty good to me, so I will definitely join. Together with Alice I went back tp Parkwood. First i bought some fruit at the store, which i ate while we walked and then Clément cooked me some dinner. It was really nice. Just eggs with red cabbage and we ate some bread with it. It was really nice. Then his neighbours came by to drink some wine. One of them is Simone, a Dutch girl, also from the UvA, but to who they also said there was noone else coming to Kent, which is a bit strange. But i had a really good time. i also spoke to Masa from Japan. He told me about Japan and we talked about Hayao Miyazaki. His English wasn't so good, but once he understood what i was saying, I noticed his English was better than I at first expected. But it's still difficult for him to speak English, especially when having a long conversation. Later on Marion joined us and at the end only Marion, Clément and me were left. We just talked and then eventually went to bed. But now I have to go, else I'm late and I don't want to be late cause else Clément has reason to make jokes about me being late, since he won't be the only one anymore. And we can't have that. He's the one who's late not me!

Tuesday 25 September 2007

First Lecture

My first lecture at Kent was yesterday for the course Documentary Film. The course would start at 10 am. Normally we will start at 9 am, but because it was our first lecture it was more of an introduction. Even though we knew it would start at 10 am, we already went there half past 8. Alice needed to go to the bank, but it turned out it was closed. Clement and me would go early just to drink something before class and get time to wake up. We met at the reception first and Clement would have been on time, if he had not lost his keys. So we went to the bank without him. But when we were almost there he called to say that he found his keys, which were lying underneath his matras. They probably fell when he left his keys on his bed. But the bank was closed so Alice and I waited for Clement. To be sure the lecture would take place at 10 and not 9, we went to the lectureroom. There we met Nicholas who also takes Documentary Film course. While the others waited Clement and I went to drink something at the Gulbenkian theatre. Later on I received a message saying the lecture really would start at 10 and that Alice went to the library. After our drinks we went to the library as well and then it was time to go to our first lecture. The lecture was nice, but there were just a couple of things I wasn't happy about. Our teacher or professor didn't have much structure. She just gave us a list of citations of filmmakers who gave their opinion about documentary and what they think documentary really is. She then showed some clips, but why she showed these wasn't really clear. Also some of the clips I had aready seen. I felt it was more about the history of cinema than that it was really about documentary. Because everyone knows that the first couple of films were mostly short documentaries or actualities. Maybe that we will talk more about contemporary documentary in the upcoming weeks, but right now I didn't feel it was really about documentary. I also hoped it would be more about the technique, but it's more analyzing and very focused on theory. After class Clement, Nicholas and I went to the European Office. There we saw Hanna and Farhrad, who als went to the lecture. Noone seemed to be getting real help, either way because Brechje wasn't there or they didn't have the documents you came for. I needed to have the paper which proofs that i have taken part in the English Language course. But they didn't have it yet and I can come back on Friday. With Clement I then had lunch at the Gulbenkian theatre. I must say that my panini was less ncie then the first time I came there to eat. But it was still nice and I was pretty hungry. : ) Because Clement would make dinner and it was Ingmar Bergman week, which means that we were going to watch only Bergman films, he had to go downtown. I also needed a blanket, sicne the one they gave us is very thin and very small. So we went to the centre and bought all the things we needed. After the shopping Clement showed me the park he discovered a couple of days ago. The weather was really good and perfect to spend in the park, so we sat on a bench for a while before we took the bus back home. At 7.30 pm I had dinner together with Fabian, Marion, Alice, Cecilia and Clement who made something in the oven. It was kind of like a quiche and tasted very good. their were potatoes in it and courgette. And I really like courgette! Then we wanted to watch Persona, but there was a small problem. There weren't any Englosh subtitles only French. The movie itself is in Swedish. Alice and i were alright with it, but the others thought it would be better to watch a different film instead. So eventually we ended up watching The Virgin Suicided by Sofia Coppola. I don't know if this means that it's now Siofia Coppola week, but it would be nice since I still have to see Marie-Antoinette. And Alice told me it is very good. Today I have my first seminar group at 2 pm. Luckily I'm in the same group as Nicholas, Alice and Clement. So we wont have to be afraid of all the English people. : )