Double Standard

A discussion with a new inhabitant in my neighbourhood.

He – “So, the street you live in… I heard there are a lot of illegal people living there. You know, I do not like illegal people – they abuse our social system.”

Well then.

We are waiting for a bus together. Ignoring him is not really an option. We proceed to some small talk. When I tell him I’m working in a restaurant every once in a while he asks:

“Ah, I am actually looking for a job… Is there any possibility to work unregistered at that restaurant? I mean, without paying taxes and all that?”

Wishlist

Pretty often I get film recommendations from friends and acquaintances. Too many to keep up with, really. During the year of 2010, I gathered this selection (in order of recommendation):

• Zhestoky Romans – Eldar Ryazanov (1984)
• Czérny Peter - Milos Forman (1964)
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (1965)
• Transylvania – Tony Gatlif (2006)
• La Dolce Vita – Federico Fellini (1960)
• Dikkenek – Olivier van Hoofstadt (2006)
• Dagen zonder lief – Felix van Groeningen (2007)
• Altiplano - Brosens & Woodworth (2009)
• Güz Sancisi (Plains of Autumn) – T. Giritlioglu (2009)
• Kinsey - Bill Cordon (2004)
• Underground - Emir Kusturica (1995)
• Les Invasions Barbares – D. Arcand (2003)
• Zerkalo (Mirror) – A. Tarkovskiy (1975)
• A Foreign Affair - Billy Wilder (1948)
• Metropolis - Fritz Lang (1927)

Now I’m hoping for a week or two of non-stop rain.

Rien

Just read on Facebook:

“Rien N-VA plus”

(NV-A is one of the political parties involved in the formation of a government in Belgium, a thing which is still not exactly working out).

Travelling book

During the last day of the Madrid-Lisboa travel I made recently, I found a book on the bookshelf of a hostel. On the first page, a note was written:

I am a free book! I am not lost or forgotten! I was left here on purpose, so that I can travel far and wide. Please go to www.bookcrossing.com and tell my former owner how you found me. Read me and let me go again!

Of course I did take the book – and finished it in about 4 hours. I left a reference on the website:

This book was found by a backpacker on the last day of his travel through Spain and Portugal, in a hostel in Alfama (Lisbon) – Portugal. It was hidden between its colleagues ‘Europe on a Shoestring’ on the left and ‘Architecture Now’ on the right.

It was read – and enjoyed – in an airplane between Madrid and Brussels. It is currently laying on a kitchen table near the Belgian seaside – where it’s enjoying a well-deserved holiday kind of close to its birthplace.

Soon it is going to take off to be released again.

Now I’m in doubt where to leave it.

Johnny Cash?

Radio

Some days ago I was at some friends’ place to have dinner. Apparantly their shower is in the kitchen, to which I said that I regretted the fact that I did not have a camera with me. Today I received this picture (and the following message: attached – a photo replacing the fact that you didn’t have a camera last time):

I replied: ”a radio next to the shower, isn’t it dangerous?”

She: “No, not if it’s Radio Modern*”

Me: “Well if I didn’t tell you, then probably tomorrow you would look like Black Elvis**”

 

*Radio Modern is a music festival we went to see a few weeks ago.
** Black Elvis is the name of one of the performers we saw there.

From a short improvisation theater play at work the other day:

-Jens, you want to marry me?
-Hmm, not really, I’m already married.
-Waah, romantic! So you already know how it works!

The audience (3-12 y old) loved it!

Zaterdagmiddag, in de veranda

Twee schrijvers (de ene 26, de ander 10). Een leeg A5je. De ene schrijft twee zinnen, en laat enkel de tweede zin zien. De tweede borduurt verder. Twee nieuwe zinnen. Enkel de laatste wordt getoond. Enzovoort. Dat leidt tot vreemde resultaten.

 

Er was eens een kopje thee.
Haar naam was Elisabeth.

Ze had een hondje,
dat Ik eet graag macaroni heette.

Maar niet met zalm was een goede vriend van hen.
Toen kwam er een kersenboomverkoper.

Die zei “Ik heb een hondje. Hij heet
Ik eet graag spaghetti.”

Maar helaas was de tabasco op.
Dus ging Jan naar de winkel (Jan is de kersenboomverkoper).

Hij kocht spaghetti voor
Ik eet graag spaghetti.

Maar het liefst met tabasco toch wel.
Doch die was op.

Dan bestel ik er wel, voor
Ik eet graag spaghetti.

Toen scheen de zon, het was echt barbeque-weer.
Iedereen zocht hout om een groot vuur te maken.

Om Ik eet graag spaghetti eten te geven.

Olivia Newton-John

According to adult critics, the song ‘Let’s Get Physical’ by Olivia Newton-John praised sexuality without emotional attachment. One in three youngsters, hovever, described it as a song about the importance of having a healthy body and how hard one has to work on it to keep fit. (This confusion probably stems from the video clip, which is entirely set in a fitness club.)

A quote from an article about the effects of popular music on young people. It’s good to stumble upon this kind of examples in texts full of academic language.

Coffee Break

During coffee break at a university lecture, I am standing in a little circle with the smokers. Smokers always have stories, though generally more intellectual than today, as will become clear soon. One guy – never seen him before – makes his disregard to silence clear from the first second, with the legendary words:

“I am not a racist, but allow me to say that I don’t like Muslims. They go to the unemployment office with their big fat BMW. They catch money here. And than they also subscribe in Antwerp and in Brussels. Result: they catch money three times. And don’t think we should try this. We would end up in jail. They don’t – they are just put over the border, in the Netherlands, where they start their little business over again.”

Too crazy to answer. But the best is yet to come. A young lady  – he is hitting on her since the beginning of the lecture already – is sending smsses without interruption, walking up and down the little yard. He says, “Guys, who feels like setting up a 6969-sms service? Minimum investment – maximum turnout. And you know, it’s not even black money.” No-one really knows what to answer. The young lady is approaching, she seems to have finished her session of electronic communication. The guy addresses her. “Young lady, wouldn’t it be your dream job to answer text messages from the 6969-sms service me and my friends here are about to set up?”. To my absolute surprise, she answers “Well, why not. Give me your mail address. We’ll be in contact.”

Totally puzzled I tell this story to my friends later on. One says, “This guy seems to have his head on his neck. He may be rich some day – you will see.”

It’s a strange world.