January

Janus Head - In Greek mythology, Janus was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnants in modern culture are his namesakes: the month of January, which begins the New Year, and the janitor, who is a caretaker of doors and halls. (from sublimethings blog)

That’s a good concept to start off with. And work on the God given day of Sunday. What a pity, I say. What will they do if they run out of the Sunday as well? Will they come up with a small day in between? The Somday. We’ll be forced to work on the Somday to make up for all the in-between-mistakes of IT or solve any other issue that cannot be dealt with on a normal working day… Anyhow, the good news about it was that we ended up the week with a team dinner at a Lebanese resto. Had some good mezza’s, though didn’t trust the raw lamb. Mistrust anything raw that made sound once and just sits on your plate! Or bring on more wine. That we did. Talked about not having a speech and about news on tv. Like on the 72-year old mother. I’m happy she’s still getting some. Water pipe was needed to keep the conversation going after this one. Then we remembered youthful drunkenness stories of party, disaster, joy and faith no one will notice what you’ve been doing one night before. Few of us standing went for some other beers at Leidseplein. Though the tram should have come, it didn’t. Every one else gave hope on it. I walked home for a change. Very refreshing, especially since I was off the next day.

I’m drumming my evenings away and building condition on Enter Sandman. It’s so damn difficult to keep up the toms going again and again throughout.. how does Lars do it?! He’s so strong and beautiful. I think I’m in love.

We’re having parents over for dinner. I’m not sure why we always end up having some conversation that embarrasses one of the persons at the table. It must be a family thing. Always one. Or the other. The beauty of it is that you almost never know whom the next one it’s going to be. Hopefully not you. In a starting family it’s always good you don’t think yet.. or you don’t realize, like when you’re 2. We went to visit friends who already have 2 children. One of 2 and one just born. The kids don’t even know what their parents are up to.. the one who can play, plays with the iron.. he could come over to my place – loads of ironing to do! Then he plays on with everything else that moves, while our friend shows us the newly acquired bed that moves around to accommodate different sex positions. We retire to the living room, my Russian friend is cooking again big time, it always feels like home and Sailorboy always feels like too much whiskey. Modern couples drink too much whiskey and red wine – hi and her respectively. It’s a couple disease. When you’re out in public you drink cocktails and beer. But we all know what you drank last night ;)

Monday is the Quiz Monday. Quiz Monday is the Monday you embarrass yourself in public for all the years you partied hard instead of reading a book or two. Unless you’re with your friend the Walking Encyclopedia. Then you really get a chance. The more smart friends you have, the better. So we actually got to the point where we were winning on general knowledge questions. Until we failed big time on the TMF music round. Then we realize we also need stupid friends who just dumbly watch the garbage on tv nowadays. We’ll do better next time!

The highlight of the month was shopping in Paris in between a training session and a train back home. Back home to Amsterdam, ‘cause I’ve celebrated 3 years of being here. That’s a lifetime! That’s something to remember.. about when I started this blog.. oh stop being such a sentimental fool! Just want to say: I’m still lovin’ it!!

To celebrate once more, I went to an Amsterdam Klezmer Band concert. Brilliant Dutch music with a Jewish twist and a hoopla-hoopla feeling swarming around ‘til your clothes get wet. The orchestra was so close to us and their shiny shoes so kitschy, we were one big family and a Balkan-Western nation. Good tunes, good vibes! I want more!

What have I been doing in 2010 – a comprehensive list of a person’s life - II

The concerts I’ve been to:

Part 1 – What I Didn’t Like, What Inspired Disgust and What Made Me Wonder

• § Tin Hat @ Muziekgebouw – I kind’o liked it, but almost fell asleep, damn!
• § Thievery Corporation @ Melkweg – too many artists with too many samples
• § ARNO @ Paradiso – 2 brilliant songs, but the rest not really my thing..

Part 2 – What I Liked, What Inspired Lust and What Made Me Happy

• § Gogol Bordello @ Paradiso – gipsy punk in my jumping shaking groove shoes!!
• § Tracing Tracy @ Sju in Utrecht – jazzy friends with talent!
• § Midlake @ Bloomendal – best location for concerts ever with past-tense Indian and ballad fighting and loving times
• § Faith No More, Fun Loving Criminals, Dan le Sac, Uffie, Balkan Beat Box, a lot of reggae and some other crazy bands @ Dour festival in Belgium J
• § Kid Koala @ Melkweg – just brilliant!!
• § Underworld @ Heineken Music Hall MANIA, after which we tried to enter to Trouw, across and other venues – all closed, so took a Punjabi taxi home to have the wisdom teeth removed the next morning – a night to remember
• § Shantel @ Leffinge, Belgium – another Maniac night on Balkan grooves
• § Gipsy Bands – Kochani & Taraf de Haidouks @ Brussels, Belgium and the belly-shaking diva were absolutely charming, Unza time! With the band coming into the public and fluting our ears away, love this music!!

God Please Let Me Be a Mars Volta Drummer!!

I’ve seen a great performance of Mars Volta at Paradiso one of these nights. Some weird people the voltarists. I had the impression they were just about to the point of getting in my mind. But I let them out there with the funky ‘70s magical clothes. Really big heads, even bigger than my curly hay pot when I style in a lot of Tony & Guy volume shi’. Looked like they even had the halo’s from Jackson 5 or something.. not a normal band, definitely!! Besides, the crowd on the scene was bigger than my reunited family. I mean, they could barely fit on stage – 7 people or something?! From the top location me and sailorboy were at, I could see some belly and keyboards, maybe not 2 persons at all. However, I could really notice the rocker giving a shake to some piñatas for instruments.. wtf?! I couldn’t get that sound.. luckily he was mastering a computer, so must have had a purpose in the band.

But the drummer! He’s so brilliant! I mean, I suppose the entire band is something else.. but drum was really too good for my ears.. I could just fancy it in my mind forever.. like those old fashioned video’s where you get to see the main character in a spotlight, drumming volume off and hearing some romantic tune on the background.. I don’t remember time passing by, I can only hold it still on the sounds of the drums.. No idea when we left, I just remember telling something to sailorboy about wanting to be a drummer and he suggesting there’s a good place to train it nearby the house.

Oh God pleeeaasee let me be a Mars Volta Drummer!!

The Presidents of The United States of America

Ne intalnim la Leidseplein care cu care, ca niciodata nu-s toti.. si mergem in cautarea restaurantului indonezian.. pe una dintre stradutele supraaglomerate de restaurante din jur. Suntem 3 baieti si 3 fete, eu sunt cea mai tanara pana la 50-shi cel mai batran si mergem sa vedem The Presidents of The United States of America, ca au fost copilaria mea si tineretile lor. Dar inainte, bagam un indonezian.. n-am stiut niciodata ca e asa ieftin – gen 7 pana in 10eur. Nici daca vrei nu poti sa dai mai mult de 12eur.. cat 3-4 beri LoL. Mi-am adusa minte ca betivii calculeaza costul de oportunitate in beri, cat un cocktail, na! Ah, nici asta nu era bine! Cat juma de carte! Cat un makiaj ieftin, cat un Vogue Italy sau un strippenkaart.

Nici nu stiu ce pot sa mananc la indonezian. Fac un rezumat din cemananca ceilalti si imi comand ce-si ia cel mai de incredere. Ce condimentat e, mai vreau o bere! Si radem de un tip ca cica cei care nu spun g-ul ca si can dar scuipa, da mai ushor, au coeficientul de inteligenta mai redus – spun studiile. Iar eu inocenta – ah, eu am auzit ca in sud vorbesc asa. Hahaha, zic ei, daaa! Exact! De acolo vine asta!! Da, mersi, zice el si se uita la mine de parca ar vrea sa-mi frece o farfurie indoneziana peste freza. Radem, glumim, da mai si bem – mergem la Belgica, ce mirare, un bar belgian unde poti bea bere belgiana. Da noi ca olandezii tot pe Heineken o tinem.. vedea-m-ar prietenul meu acuma! El numai bere belgiana ar bea toata ziua..

Se consti tuie ceea ce se numeste “pushculitza”. Fiecare pune 50eur de bautura si distractie. Si banii se dau mai departe, sa mai ia unu-altu cate un rand. Fiecare da cu randurile de bere. Am terminata ici, hai sa vedem si noi concertu. E full din nou in Paradiso!! Rockereala. Muzica tare, chitara tare si visele din copilarie la maxim pentru mine.. imi aduc aminte de printre primele video-uri de la Mtv. Eu sunt generatia Mtv. Acuma s-a stricat totu, da inainte era asa frumos sa te uiti juma de zi la Mtv – chiar dadeau muzica, acuma numai reality show-uri.. pff… Deci hai cu rockereala! Unu dintre noi descopera can u-i place muzica.. cum, frate?! Da atunci de ce ai venit la concert? Pai nici n-am ascultat ce mi-ati dat voi linkuri, da am zis ca e gemelli cu voi!! Ce idiot!! Zice alalalt! Ai dat si bani, fraiere!! Alta data sa te uiti, ca daca imi place mie nu-i o garantie – vad, zice primul..

In fine, ne place, ne place! Concertul se termina, sunt si ei ushor obositi, sunt batrani oamenii, da tot in aceeasi formula! Noi nu chiar, asa ca mai bagam niste beri la alt bar, tot cu banii din pushculitza. La sfarsitul serii mai raman 5eur de toata pushculitza si se cara fiecare pe la casele lui..

Celebrating and more

Suppose you buy a house, you need to celebrate, right?! How often does it happen?! I hope often enough, I’m already in the mood for something bigger! LoL My banker says I need to keep it for at least 5 years for it to be profitable, he’s my guru, unless I win the lottery..

Day 1 – Private party with my sailorboy down in our crib. Wine, good music and swimming involved, no victims, but laughters.

Day 2 – Goodbye party at Van Puffelen bar-resto. Pretty coolish place, I (p)resume. No need for tears, no over-reacted animal dance, I leave early. Drinking and socializing done, no overalcoholic feelings noticed, studying needs to pop up later the evening.

Day 3 – Studying done at the uni and partying continued at Stefan’s place. We didn’t get to celebrate buying the house, so serious drinking needs to be spotted on the table. Good family times with a lemon twist.

Day 4 – You figured out the mix – house–person-house-person celebration. It logically needs to be fed up by bubble bath and champagne for my sailorboy. He’s taking off the corporate world, going Down Under to find what’s lost and new – new adventure for him, cake and drinks for me.

Day 5 – So follow the logic?! Yes, it’s something for the house – a new espresso machine. A red Francis Francis! And I go mad on it! Must be the best thing in the house! Well, ok, we’re going to score it all in one day – we’re up for some more delicious impressive stuff. So me and my sailorboy go figure out the sweet dark taste of food. It’s no screwed-up metaphor!! It’s really eating in the dark. Imagine the darkest black and no tiny light whatsoever. Imagine finding your food in that – it’s damn hard, I tell you! You’re putting wine on you, or water, you don’t find out til you tasted it, anyhow. You get too much of that chunky fish out of the sudden, while you can barely find one small potato in the plate you’re already thinking it’s like 15inch smth. You’re sniffing around like some dog while trying to decently use your fork and knife while chasing some peas.. the neighbour has given up eating, he smokes some cigarettes and decides that’s no fun. We giggle in the dark and mix up drinks and flavours. We go on mixing it in Paradiso. Mr. Oizo is on. The beats meet the master and Prodigy, Daft Punk, Madonna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and most mad combinations you’d ever think of are smacking me up! The French non-duo is hitting it off like fire on water, I mean vodka on fire, I mean…. It’s insane! It’s madness! It’s mr. Oizo!!

Paaldansles and Gotan Project

A wonderful lazy weekend morning, lovely! Ugh to spoil it, I’ll need to start studying.. well, oh well, exciting’s coming up soon, as I need to go to my first paaldansles.

In case you didn’t know, paal means pole, dans means dance and les means class, you put it all together and you get a magical pole dancing class. Shouldn’t be that difficult, you’ve all seen it at least in films.

I get lost in Amsterdam.. I’ve been living for a while here and I still get lost. No one ever heard of that street. I hope it’s not that kind of promiscuous place where men get mermaids on the dish. I finally get there – it’s an improvised salsa dance hall. I wonder how they salsa around the poles – that should be the new move!

Anyhow, we get it on, I manage to hang! Ok, now how do I do to roll around the damn metal thing?! Oh, ok, you can also do it around the rolling ones, they roll by themselves, but now we need to learn the real exercise, be technical! How much for the rolling one, lady, I think blood is going to come out soon from my arms. Being a bimbo is no easy thing, I tell you!

Excuse me, these women are professional, one of them was world champion and pole dancing is a very good sport. I can tell by the pain in every little muscle. I think I discovered new muscles!! Besides, I need hand and arm intensive care! But then when I’ll make it, baby, I’ll show you pleasure! LoL.

I got a brand new set of bruises – one of the size of China – I can bearly see half of my foot from the bruise.. oh, well, whatever, the night goes on to Gotan Project concert in Paradiso. This is really good!! Suppose the trick is to always expect less. But they showed intensive video’s on the screen behind, tango dancers and chemical music. Awesomes!

The Kooks

I’m so excited!!! About the Kooks and about the fact that thousands of people are going to say my name (= Wanna) at the same time. (Singing along.. do you wanna.. do you wanna..). It’s one of my fetishisms.. it feeds me chemicals and joy!

We’re making jokes about eating at McDonals and then I see he stops the car at MC!! McDonals! I haven’t eaten there in months, maybe even years.. man, this is no sexy thought! We’re laughing with the cheeseburger smile about stories on smoking and quitting and think about songs we’re going to hear. This keeps the spirit up until we hit the crowd inside. Jeeeeee!! Where do all those people come from?! Not Amsterdam, I tell, that’s about the size of the size of the crowd you’d have if they gave iPhones for free in India.

That’s the line for hanging your coats at the wardrobe. My friend end goood campanion, liet me gieet in frant, so we won’t miss the damn concert. That was Buchi freestyling to the front with the cheekiness of a monkey. The same went for the toilet – use another entry, get in first! The recipe for success. Then stand in line for beer with my civilized Dutch friend – but that’s worth it!

I like people with hats trying to look like the Kooks.. and then it came – Do You Wanna… but also magical sounds from their beach, my ipod, their lives, my love, their nights of fun, my night of joy!

N.E.R.D.

Second attempt to ride the bike – I get lost 2 times. That should be fine for a starter, right?! :)

I meet some long-time-no-see elementary school friends – Anca and Ana with their husbands. We have a dinner served by an Egyptian at an Argentinean restaurant where I can bet the meat is plain Dutch. I tour them the classical – Red light district. And then I go on -

Hey, sister, have you heard of Heineken Hall?! No, what’s that? Oh, then drop it.. I just wanted to know where it is.. nevermind. I’ll check it on 9292 (that’s the site you check how you get around in the Netherlands).

Ok, I get there, but where’s the damn thing?! And how big is it anyway?! Is it supposed to be next to the Ajax stadium?! 5 persons asked out of which 2 were standing in front of it and had no idea it was IT – I got there. Yes, smartass, I also didn’t know it was IT, but at least I found out.. In the meanwhile, is calling Anna coming from her way from The Hague to Amsterdam. She some how didn’t have her GPS on, so she needed to rely on her once-worked-in-Amsterdam skills. And it was just fine. – are you there yet? – are you there yet? In the meanwhile I was getting the damn chips for money. I always think it’s a joke. Have you ever played with plastic chips when you were young? Pretending they were real money? And thinking one day you’d have the real money?! Well, now I have the real papers and coins and I give them away for plastic chips at any festival or concert which comes on – I’m such a player, reminds me of my childhood, my friend.

How do you see from upstairs?! Better then? We find the perfect spot and then we shake our blue jeans.. no I think Anna has a skirt. She’s the skirt Amazon, I’m the pants Diva. I fancy us having our dancing duo – we can give you the polka, the jam, the funky and the soul dance. We’ll pole dance and we’ll break-dance for you tonight. N.E.R.D. is brilliant!! 

Next day, I can only hear – Sooner or later………….