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!