Robert Volkerts

September 4th 2010

The Immediate Future.

So this short and stout article should serve as a rough depiction of what I am and will be doing with my work in the immediate future.

For starters I just shot the second cover of Pets Talk Magazine, which should be on news stands and everywhere magazines are sold shortly. That was a great pleasure to do, and me and the model in question have made plans on doing shoots together in the future, which should be interesting.

Next on the docket is this piece that I started working on shortly before I left on my Eurotrip. Now this is something I haven’t done in quite a while, and that is a shoot complete and solely put together by me. The model did not have anything to do with the setup and/ or planning of the shoot. So in other words, this shoot is mine. Haven’t done that since the Ballerina shoot coined “Sub Rosa” which was roughly two years ago now.

Now contrary to “Sub Rosa” this one is not a set, nor does it have a story or message behind it. This one is merely an exercise on aesthetics.

In short without giving too much away it’s sort of a mixture between vintage and couture. It’s a small and simple exercise in contrast and misplacement. I think it will look great once it’s done. Due to some short comings with the location, the shoot kept being moved around some, but hopefully within 2 weeks or so it will be done, and you will be able to see it.

There’s also a wedding coming up, which I don’t do much of, but occasionally it’s nice to get crazy and do a wedding. So I have one coming up, I don’t know exactly when, but I’m patiently waiting for the wedding planner to give me a buzz and hook me up with some details.

I have also undertaken something I have never done before. There’s a rap group on the island which is breaking out, and they are about to setup everything they need to tackle the international. With that I mean, an official website, posters, sponsors, the works.

With this comes the dire need for photographs, and they have made me their official photographer. So on a monthly basis I will be spending time with these individuals, and making everything from behind the scenes photos, to photoshoots, to live concert and show photos for them.

In a way it’s a steady photography gig, much like my work for Pets Talk. So now I have two things which are happening on a steady monthly basis with photography. Not bad.

Pretty soon, once I have some material and more detailed information, I will write a decent article informing you all of this rap group and our work together.

Very soon I will be having my first meeting with the folks over at “Landhuis Bloemhof” to talk about my very first exhibition, which I’m not sure when it will take place, but this preliminary meeting should shed some light on the project, and of course my progress with this will be chronicled in full on my blog, so keep an eye out.

Once I am done with my vintage / couture shoot, I will start work on my way overdue project coined “Mr.Bojangles” which has been in the making for about a year now, maybe more. This is going to be a set, completely cooked up in my crazy brain, and it will have a large fantasy element with it. So it’s not going to be grounded in reality, and it will have plenty of crazy eye candy and crazy otherworldly stuff in there. But the story of this set will revolve largely around subversive topics and taboo. In this case, prejudice and anger. Also to a degree, child abuse. So it will be a interesting project to tackle, but it is one of which I am very passionate about, and have been for a while now.

I think it will work out, but don’t expect to see the fruits of that labor anytime soon, as it’s a big project, that will take much planning, money, time and effort. Not to mention equipment which I don’t own yet.

Speaking of which, I am currently saving hard towards saving up for new equipment, including camera, lights and lenses. Also some handy stuff to have in and around photoshoots. So wish me luck, and please be patient, as all of this can take some time.

And well strewn about in the middle of all of what I just mentioned of course, are your little shoots for individuals here and there. Everything from pregnancy shoots, to couples, to people who wanna look cool.

As for travels, like I said in this! article, it looks like Aruba in Novemeber or December of this year. So book now if you want to shoot with me then.

So that is the 411 on what’s going on with my work right now.

Cheers.

Posted at 12:55pm and tagged with: Photography, one column,.

September 2nd 2010

Shadow With An Appetite.

Those corners that you can’t see in
They have an appetite
The dark is hungry
And it is not afraid

You walk by, your mind heavy with concern
Daily, your nine to five kills God
Your eye for an eye, leaves you in the dark
In the dark and vulnerable
To the teeth
The razor

Smile in the sunshine
The elderly smell of Vanilla and butterscotch cookies.
They smile with no teeth, and when they do smile with teeth
It’s a falsehood.
They have lost their pearls long ago
Lost them to the fire of youth

They have also lost their marbles
They have lost them in the shade
They have given them up to shadows

Shadows they could not shake
Shadows that would confound beliefs
Shadows that would strike calm and collected
Shadows are everywhere

There’s a reason our eager fingers flick at light switches
There’s a reason we shudder at the thought of basements and attics
There’s a shadow sailing within us, sailing towards shore
They look for birds, they listen in for sharp sounds
The shadow wants to eat, fish, crabs and your soul

When you receive fist, give embraces
Laces out.
Shadow assassin in my heart.
Fire shooting from my eyes
My throat an oil lamp
My finger tips are flares
My tongue, a sulfur chip
My spine a rocket ship
My my mind a distant planet

You. Astronaut.

Fly.But.Beware.Of.Shadows.

Posted at 4:17pm and tagged with: Poetry, one column,.

August 31st 2010

Tattoos. Adorn them.

1 note

Tattoos.

Shunned by society, loved by many of this generation, and I’m sure they will be loved even more by generations to come.

I personally think that tattoos are one of the most wonderful artforms out there. Yes, I said it. It’s an artform, and it’s beautiful.

To me, it’s like my body is my diary. I capture essences of phases I go through. I interpret, and put them down. They reflect everything from the places I’ve been, things I’ve seen, feelings I felt, songs I loved. All of it.

Sometimes they are an encouragement. A boost. They make things easier.

I feel that tattoos should be adopted by the general public. They have been around since before society, and they will outlive society. I’m sure.

They are symbolic and they bring us one step closer to individualization.

Some people are afraid of them, because they fear that they will wake up one day and regret their ink.

That is nonsense. It’s a decision you made at one point in your life, and it has left a physical mark on you. How does that differ from other decisions you once made?

Some people make decisions that end their lives. Others make some that change their lives forever. Decisions are very powerful, and they often have repercussions that cannot be undone. How is this different from a tattoo?

At least with tattoos you have a bit more control over your decisions. You get to make what you want of it. No regrets, just reminders.

There is no sense in regret, regret in and of itself has no value, no weight, no time. It does not exist, yet it is something so many people experience. Believe it or not, regret is a state of mind. Never regret, because every step you ever took, was towards making you who you are now. Why regret that?

People not being hired because of tattoos? I think that is ridiculous. There is one exception, if the tattoo offends people, say you have a swastika, or a foul word, or a violent image, that may turn people off and offend others. I have no trouble at all with people putting these tattoos on their body, I mean it’s all about expression. So they can go ahead and do so, but when they are denied work because of it, they must be prepared to accept this.

If your tattoo does not offend, if it’s animals, and flowers, and beautiful things, all it can do it flatter your business in my opinion. People will ask about it, ask to see it, and people will connect with your employees on a personal level, easier. It’s a topic of conversation, and people love to see beautiful images, whether it be in a magazine, or on your skin.

Let go of fears, and embrace who you are, and share that with others. They might learn from it.

I myself plan on tattooing most of my body. Everything except my face and privates. I love tattoos, and I love the meaning behind them. I think they add so much to a person. I already have two arms completely full of wonderful, luscious ink, and I plan on getting more next year.

I wrote this article because I feel this little bit had to be said. Drop the taboos. You can come up with a half a million arguments, all of which will be shot down the day you become worm food. When you die, which one of those arguments will hold up? None.

And especially not the one where people go “It’s against God’s will to do that with your body, you won’t go to Heaven when you die.” To those of you who say that, I say this; “How would you know? Have you died, gone to Heaven or Hell, made a documentary about it all, with physical evidence and all, and came back to life to educate the world on your find?” The answer ladies and gentlemen, is a swift and simple “No.”

No one knows what happens when you die or where you go.

What I do know is what happens while you’re alive. And all I know is that I will make damn sure, that as as much of the comings and goings of my mortal life, will be determined by me. I will do what I want, when I want. It is my right. I am alive, much like you, for a little bit. We don’t know how much time we have. Why settle for others wishes and demands? What makes the more than you to decide how you look, what you wear, how you speak, how you walk, how you pray…

Is it because they have heavy pockets? Is it because they are well known, powerful, respected, feared even?

You put a bullet to their heads as easily as you put one through mine. Their shit stinks profusely like mine and yours. They have fears, desires, and they wake up sometimes, thinking they are so absolutely small and insignificant that it will take a hell of a microscope just to acknowledge their existence. Why comply someone who is a bag of shit, piss, meat and bone like you?

There is no reason.

Your life, YOUR life, is reason enough to do whatever it is your heart desires in this life.

Tattoos. Want ‘em? Get ‘em.

My left arm.

Posted at 6:54pm and tagged with: Rambling, one column,.

August 29th 2010

My Expendables Review

Just so we can start this review off on the right foot, let me first say that I saw this movie, I think, 2 weeks ago, and am just now writing the review. Why is this you ask? Because I simply forgot that I saw it.

Yesterday someone asked me if I had seen it, and told me they had not seen the review on my blog so they thought they would ask about it, and well…it struck me that I did see it, I had to double check my blog to see if I really hadn’t written a review for it yet.

With that being said, this movie is the most forgettable piece of work. I mean wow. It’s no joke. It’s almost like I blacked out for the duration of the movie.

It’s not a bad movie, no no. It’s action packed, you have a chuckle here and there. It’s alright at most. Worth going to the movies over? No. Rental? For sure.

So what does this movie do right?

It pays homage to the action movies of the past, with outrageous stunts and a ridiculously simple storyline. And of course action and gore galore.

What does this movie fuck up?

Plenty. First off, I did not like the special effects. There’s a healthy amount of blood in this movie, what’s the problem with it? Well…it’s CG. Not tomato sauce, or strawberry jello. It is computer generated blood.

At some point there’s a dude on fire. Also computer generated!

Whatever happened to stunt men? Whatever happened to red ooze and green slime?

Same thing ruined “Alice in Wonderland” for me a little bit, I mean c’mon…CG horses?! Hollywood cannot afford real horses anymore?! Man things have changed considerably since Hidalgo, Seabiscuit and Braveheart then.

Same thing ruined “Drag me to Hell”..CG everything. I don’t know how you can do a throwback to old action movies, where pretty much all the good stuff is computer generated and fake.

It takes so much away from the movie.

I can actually open up a big can of worms here, but I choose not to.

I will leave it at: “People depend on technology and the ease thereof, that they forget that the easier, more modern route is not always the way to go.

I mean look at the 3D fad! Hollywood loves it, they are going head on with 3D. Have you heard, or seen the rage, and pure hatred that is pouring out from everywhere across the world about 3D?! How people don’t want it, how they promise to not watch TV anymore when it’s all gone 3D?

What about the articles about how dangerous 3D is for our eyesight. And yet 3D gaming, 3D TV, 3D movies, 3D newspapers and magazines. Oh yes, it’s all coming.

Guys, part of why I loved the action genre so much was that because when a body exploded on screen it would literally be a bag of ground beef, some ooze, food coloring and God knows what else, would actually explode, and you know what? It looked far more real than the Toy Story gag they pulled on us here in this feature.

Now this is a little thing, but it surely knocked plenty of points off of the movie.

Also some cheap jokes here and there, not doing it for me. And of course the story is well…shitty.

They are moving ahead with a sequel so you know, I am looking forward to it, but this time, it is going to be a rental.

With a summer laden with team based action movies, the Expendables falls short of delivering something solid, or even delivering some competition with others like A-Team and The Losers.

Personally, this summer, when it comes to team based action flicks, A-Team and Predators take the cake.

Expendables, this movie has earned its title in full.

5/10

Posted at 9:23am and tagged with: one column, Reviews,.

August 27th 2010

Aruba is knocking on my door.

It has been almost a year since I have visited the one and the only happy island. And they have seriously started missing me.

Now I was planning on coming down in September 2010, but there has been a change of plans as so much has popped up here, and I have so much I need to get done, that it is almost impossible to go there in September.

So…I have some good news and some bad news for all of you.

Let’s start with the good news first.

I am coming to Aruba. When is this you ask?!

Well this will be in either November or December. And that is a sure thing.

The bad news?

It will be more play than actual work.

My latest vacation to Europe really shed some light on how over worked and stressed I really am, so I have come to really appreciate the value of some good time off.

So if I am going to take one trip to Aruba this year, I will not spend that trip working 18 hours a day as I have done in the past.

But I will do some shoots, but I will be very particular about the shoots I end up doing there.

I am willing to do 3 shoots there.

I accept booking as of right now. You can book a shoot with me 5 minutes from the time you read this article, but you will have to make a down payment of AFL. 150.00 to confirm it. Without this down payment, the shoot is not confirmed. The first 3 clients to make their down payments first, have a shoot with me.

You can make these down payments through paypal, or through bank wire.

If you’re interested in a shoot by the end of the year when I am in Aruba, e-mail me so that I can give you the information you need to make your down payment.

You may cancel up to 48 hours before the photoshoot. If you cancel on me within the 48 hours before the photoshoot, I keep the down payment.

So that is the news I have for all of you in Aruba who wish to shoot with me at the end of this year.

For all of you who don’t make it for the end of this year, we can try for next year, as I fully intend on visiting a bit more next year again as I have last year.

Want to shoot in Aruba near the end of the year?

Contact me through e-mail [robert@robertvolkerts.com] -or - through Facebook.

Posted at 1:05pm and tagged with: Photography, Travel Plans, one column,.

August 26th 2010

The Pale Blue Dot.

So today I thought I would share my favorite piece of text with ya’ll. I don’t like quoting or sharing or any of that debauchery, but in this case I think it would do everyone who is not familiar with this gem, some good.

So without further a do, the best piece of text I have ever laid eyes on, and I like to think of this piece of text as the pure, undeniable truth. This is 100% truth. It does not get any more real than this.

Let me set this up real quick, this piece of text was written by Carl Sagan, which is one of the better intellectual minds to ever come from our species. And this was his comment on the very first picture ever taken from our planet from the orbit. This was a while back so the picture wasn’t much. All you could really see on it was a pale blue dot, suspended in a sunbeam.

This is what he had to say about this photograph. This gives me goosebumps every single time.

I hope you take away from this what I have. For I have taken so much from this.

From this distant vantage point, the Earth might not seem of particular interest. But for us, it’s different. Consider again that dot. That’s here, that’s home, that’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.

Posted at 11:54am and tagged with: Rambling, one column,.

August 24th 2010

Animals come first.

I am as of last month, the official photographer for The Dieren Bescherming’s very own “Pets Talk” Magazine.

This is a highly informative, and an absolutely necessary new addition to paperbacks available on the island. It’s absolutely free, and you can pick it up where most magazines are sold.

The first issue just came out where I did the cover, and all the photos related to the cover article. This first cover was Ilvia Gustina on with her lovely pets, and the next issue is going to be an other celebrity which I won’t name now, but I have a meeting with him soon to talk about concepts and so forth.

Every celebrity, in every issue, talks about his/ her experiences with animals, and get to the bottom of issues they wish to tackle, that are related to animals and animal rights here on the island.

This island has a serious lack of respect and appreciation for our fellow animals. They have pets, sure, but that’s only because it has become the norm for the family structure. Everywhere you look, families have pets, because it’s “normal”.

Every TV show, most movies, people have pets, and now it has even become so that animals have become a fashion accessory. Chihuahuas in bags, wearing Prada. It’s fashion, it’s normal and it’s cruel when you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.

We live on an island where it’s not strange to hear someone say “Oh please! It’s just a dog - or - insert animal here!”

This I cannot and will not stand and/ or tolerate. I’m doing my part by helping this magazine and its cause in any which way I can, and so should you, let’s support this cause and grow together as a species.

This magazine is chock full of information on how to treat your animals, and whether or not you’re ready to take on the responsibility of a pet or not.

Even if you feel that you’re good to your animals, and you feel like a true animal trooper, pick one up! It’s free anyways. At the very least you’ll learn something new.

At the very most it could change your perspectives on everything.

So welcome me with applause and fanfare by picking up your copy of Pets Talk today!

Let’s take a step forward towards being a respectable and humble society today.

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
—Ghandi

“Our task must be to free ourselves…by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”
—Albert Einstein

“Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.”
—Thomas Edison

Posted at 2:04pm and tagged with: Photography, Previews, one column,.

August 23rd 2010

My Eurotrip. My Opus.

So here it is….the long awaited article covering everything that was my Eurotrip.

Let’s start with the basics.

On the 20th of July 2010 I went to Europe on vacation, and I arrived back on the island on the 7th of August 2010.

I went to the following places.

Rotterdam
Amsterdam
Groningen
London
Countryside of London
Stonehenge (one of the seven wonders of the world)
Bath

I shopped, saw a whole many things I honestly didn’t think I’d see, some of which I wasn’t aware existed, met new people, saw old friends, bonded with family, got inked, got pierced, made possible business contacts and discovered possible business ventures and last but not least, I bore witness to wonderful art. And of course, by default, soul searching and deep contemplation.

Even now as I am about to embark on this article, and reflect upon my trip, I still feel raw about it. It’s almost like a dream, like I never went, and I’m still overwhelmed by all of what I did, and saw. But if I don’t write this now, God knows when I will.

And for all of you who have been hoping, praying and anticipating that I took a shitload of pictures on my trip..I hate to disappoint, but I didn’t take a shitload of pictures on my trip. I took a few sure, but not all that many. Why?

Well, because this was my first actual vacation in 4 years. All other “vacations” I took, was work related, I took time off to do shoots either here or somewhere else.

And this trip was all about exploration and familiarizing and expanding horizons. We were always on the move, seeing things, debating, discovering..

If I were to stop all the time to take pics the way I like to take pics, that would have slowed me down way too much, and I could not have that, so I did take some pics, but not all that many, simply because I wanted to enjoy my vacation as much as I possibly could.

I did plenty of filming though, I did that on the go.

So here goes nothing, undecided and incomplete, I embark…

Now what I will do is write as much in a nutshell as I possibly can my trip from start to finish and then through bulletpoints, name random things I think, feel or experienced on my trip. Because I cannot possibly but all this in a single coherent article. Only way to go is with bulletpoints on this one.

So!

I arrived in Holland, and the first things that struck me about this place was the weather and the greenery. It was sunny out, but it felt like I was chilling out in the AC, which I must admit I rather enjoyed. And the greenery was awesome! I’m a big fan of nature and all this, so I absolutely love the feeling of a big city that has greenery wherever you turn. So that was something I definitely loved.

I immediately loved the place, had a good feel to it. It has a very laid back feel to it. Very easy…

So I was with my cousin Danny in Rotterdam, he picked me up at Schiphol and we went to his place, which was a really nice apartment right across the street from a park. I thought that was absolutely fantastic. His neighbour grows apples and grapes! I was in a really nice Twilight Zone for a bit there.

He just became a father a few weeks prior to my arrival, which was awesome! So I met his beautiful baby, and I got to see his girlfriend again after quite a while. We immediately went out walking and exploring the city. Trams, skyscrapers, trains, funny cars, cafes, hobbyists, couples, different faces, ages, ethnicities, stereotypes. One thing in common, it was all, really really wonderful.

I got blisters my first day. Thanks Converse.

The following days it was all about museums, galleries, eating here, eating there and you guessed it…more walking and walking and walking.

London!

Damn. What a place. Take me there like yesterday please!

Ferrari’s driving around like you would see Toyotas down here. Landmarks. Busy busy, so hustle boy hustle!

I had a blast. I shopped. Eeeeekk! Way more than I was supposed to..but I like my new threads cuz they make me look like a fly guy. Yessir.

I know how to travel the underground. I read maps. I get from A to B like a big boy now. Give me a cookie. Two? Okay.

The countryside of England was a dream. We ate fresh veggies from the yard, now THAT was a treat. Walks in the forest, little cottages, woah it’s a deer! Crows?! Where!? A fox!

The London Zoo! Is that an Okapi? Giraffes are really that big? The Gorillas are asleep, piranhas are bigger than you think, I’m surrounded by birds, fresh cherries and berries, it’s an aardvark and a pygmy hippo-hippo…hip-hop anonymous, bugs!

Stonehenge? Really!? It’s not that huge…but Christ! how did those monumental boulders get there, and why here, why that big and heavy, why that shape!? Why am I standing here, at the Stonehenge!? Miles away from everything I have ever fathomed, and here I am…Stonehenge…

A place called Bath….it’s the most fantastic place…ever..google it.

Oh would you look at that…I have the best ink ever!

Woah, is that a new piercing? Yes.

Groningen! 3 hours in the train, really!? Hi friend whom I haven’t seen in 8 years, how have I missed you.

Why is there baby shit in your house?! Say what!? You’re gonna be a daddy!? Drinkfest. Shitfaced.

I was in love and then she was taken from me..

I am back home.

Bulletpoints.

The people in Europe, I love the way they eat. Here we eat big meal for lunch, big meal for dinner, big meal as a midnight snack, and then we shit a lump of butter and our blood turns to monkey grease. We die. There, eat light all day till you are satisfied. Super healthy fresh bread, with super healthy veggies, fresh fruit, fresh flowers, fresh attitude serving you fresh everything. And you are active as hell there. Walk here, bike there. Lovely. Healthy by design.
I like the fact that everyone minds their business. You can burst aflame and run nude proclaiming Hitler as the Messiah, good luck getting anyone to look at you. I walk with my cameras and my gear and my video camera, no one cares, I laugh my obnoxious laugh all over, not a soul stirs. My big holes in my ears, my inked body..ho hum…just another meat bag. In a place like that…I feel like I am a ghost. And I love that. I am left alone to my devices. To study people, to sit in the park and just chill, and meditate and ponder to my heart’s content. I can be a fly on the wall there, whilst here I am a freak that people simply cannot take their gaze off of. The fact that I exist is a strong taboo.
Art is an integral part of every day life there. A very prominent cog in the big machine that is Europe. Don’t believe me? I saw a Picasso next to a parking lot. Buildings adorned with art. Art shops, artists on the streets filling the alleyways and subways with gorgeous soulful music. They breathe life into this concrete behemoth. I was overwhelmed with art there. I feel like I have something to give there. My little pebble of creativity has a place in the world. That trip has taught me this. I have a place.
There are amphibious buses. They drive you around the city, and then they drive into the water and become a tour boat. Boom! Awesomeness.
They have mosquitoes as big as wasps. Scary.
Friendly people, openminded people, interesting people. They do exist.
My next trip up will not be all play and no work. I have made sure of that.
The French are hardcore drunks. Rubianonan bai kassss!! =D
History is as prominent as art there. Everywhere you turn you are faced with things that have been there long before your grandmama’s grandmama. That is overwhelming. Funny thing is, you turn around and you see something far more modern than you have at home, and you realize that you are standing in a place where the sky is the limit. Time is everything and nothing in this place.
London has a far superior public transportation system than Holland.
Italians make the best subs.
Our Zoo here is an embarrassment. I always knew that the animals here that are in the zoo are living under unfavorable conditions, but Jeezus H Jamima Christ! Over there every single habitat of every singe animal, is tailored to be exactly as their natural habitat. The people have made sure of that, and I who know plenty of animals can confirm, that these animals have a nice life there. Maybe not as great as in the wild, but I can swear that the difference can be disregarded. It’s wonderful. Please learn from this. Please help make our zoo better. It’s about quality of life. If they are going to be an entertaining muse for us to gawk at, and point fingers at, make sure the animals like it as it is.
I miscalculated the taste of the Europeans when it comes to body mods. Their ink pretty much sucks. I didn’t see all that many tattoos worthy of my respect up there. Turns out that I came back with the nicest one I saw there; My own.
Europe is expensive, but you get fine quality in return and friendly service. If that is the price I pay, I really don’t mind it.
Family is the most important thing one can have. Ever.
Life is beautiful.
Milk is a nice drink to have with lunch.
The island has a negative effect on me.
There is such a thing as a hobby. On the island unless you are into sports or attend a gym, people don’t have hobbies. There, everyone has hobbies. Anything, everything. There are hobby shops. There’s a market for it. It’s booming. It’s throbbing. It’s wonderful. Hobby is a reflection of passion. Which means people are passionate and ambitious over there, and well…over here..you get the picture.
All people can coexist. Respect and honor can reign.
Woodpeckers are big birds.
Giant anteaters are giant.
One cannot live his/her life, learning from books and film, and music. It’s what I have done all my life. I know so much, and yet I know nothing at all. I was constantly surprised and rediscovering things I was already very familiar with. It makes all the difference in the world that you can stand and touch, taste, smell something. Scale enough is reason to get out and live. Let’s not even talk about everything else. Travel or die a slow death.
To live life any other way than the exact way you want to live it, is a complete waste and you are spitting in the face of life, and scratching its eyes out.
Riding the underground is jolly fun.
Fresh veggies taste a million times better than the frozen mulch we get here.
I saw Brad Cooper, Jessica Biel and Sharlto Copley.
I bought fine art, and had many interesting conversations with many inspiring and aspiring artists. Some of the best conversations I’ve had.
I like myself a little bit.
Fish and chips is shit.
H&M is a gift to mankind.
Now I know what it’s like to fall in love with a landmass.

That is it for now, but keep in mind that if I think of something else along the road, I might edit this post and add more bulletpoints! I told you I felt Raw about it! Fools…

As they say in the loveliest country in the world; Cheers mate!

I’d also like to thank everyone who were a part of my trip, you guys made me feel alive for a little bit. I love you all.

A special thanks goes out to Daniel and family, Daisy and Jean Louis, Shirley and Tony and Edison!

And a special shout out to Yannich who’s about to be a dad! All the best man. You’ll be a great dad!

Thank you all again for reading. It lifts me up.

Posted at 9:31am and tagged with: Rambling, Travel Plans, one column,.

August 22nd 2010

My Inception Review.

Wow…

How else do you start a review for a movie like this, truly..

The movie was perfect. Let me start by saying that this joins “Karate Kid” this summer as the two best I have seen thus far this summer of oh ten.

Firstly, the cast, was absolutely immaculate in their performance, and they compliment eachother perfectly. They work as a team, they’re good at what they do, and they feel like family.

I am not going to make this review very long, eventhough I would like to, because this movie is so intricately put together, that I wouldn’t want to slip spoilers in here and ruin anyone’s experience either with leakage of information or by somehow conveying my opinions and theories about what the movie is really about or whether or not the top stopped spinning during the very last scene of the movie. (And the great debate continues)

I will say though, that this movie is smart, entertaining, compelling, deep and absolutely refreshing in a day and age where all we see are remakes and sequels and rehashing of old formulas. This is a breath of fresh air in a cellar that has not been touched in years and years.

Simply put, this is a must see and a must own. If you have not seen it yet, see it as soon as humanly possible, and see it in a theater near you. Why? Because if you don’t, you’re a pussay.

Nolan and cast have absolutely outdone themselves. They have given me a movie to mull over for quite a while to come. This one isn’t forgettable. You walk out of the movies the way you would a 3 course meal at a fine restaurant. Full and content.

Since the Matrix, I have not pondered this hard over plot and meaning. Thanks for feeding my mind.

Ladies and Gentlemen, won’t you stand up and give a strong round of applause to Inception.

10/10

Posted at 6:24pm and tagged with: one column,.

August 21st 2010

My The Other Guys Review.

This movie was actually more fun than I expected it to be. The bad ass men.

I figured the comedic weight of this feature would rest on the shoulders of Will Ferrell, but boy oh boy was I wrong.

Mark Wahlberg did a really fantastic job as the sidekick of Will, the comedic powerhouse. It’s a very different character for Mark, but he did a fantastic job of it. Michael Keaton was also hillarious in here.

This movie had a whole many really strong moments that really makes you laugh. Of course what comedy nowadays is not without it’s flaws, but they are minimal in this movie.

If you liked “Superbad” or “Taladega Nights”, you should definitely check this one out. I really wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel to this one to see how the other guys carry on with their new found career as heroes.

7/10

Fuck you and your momz.

Posted at 7:14pm and tagged with: Reviews, one column,.