My girl

First time I saw her, we were in a café.
I didn’t know her and she didn’t know me, yet it felt as if we did.

We shared glances, had the same sense of humour.
We connected. And from that point forward our lives were intertwined.
Thoughts began to coincide and somehow it seemed a perfect fit.
We never became lovers, but that wasn’t necessary, we already shared an intimacy that is mostly reserved for young lovers.
In some way I think that the lack of romance in our relationship strengthened our friendship even further.
At some point she became me and I became her.

And ever since that first meeting at the café, almost four years ago.
She is the person I see myself growing old with, growing wise with.
She is what I need when I need it and who I love when there is nobody else to love.

Life in cyberspace

Internet, it has become so vastly incorporated in our lives that it is difficult to pull away from its powerful embrace. But why do we cling on to something that is basically just ones and zeros or emptiness in cyberspace?

Studies show that within the next five years, there will be more Internet users than television viewers. Within fifty years the technological gap should become a distant memory. Six billion people all united in cyberspace, the ultimate peace treaty. A world without boundaries, without end. Nothing but endless amounts of megabytes waiting to be filled up with people's hopes, dreams, experiences, tragedies, facts of life, etcetera.

In a world where people can't seem to tear away from their ever-growing screens what happens to communication? What happens to face-to-face contact? Will it evolve into screen-to-screen or webcam-to-webcam? It would be a shame to see society devolve into a social network of digital friendships and email accounts.

Anonymity is what draws people to the world wide web. From the moment you open up the Internet you can become whoever you want to be. You can start all over again; invent the family that you never had, the friends you always wanted or the love of your life that always seemed to slip away.

Yes, the Internet undoubtedly has countless benefits, but people seem to forget that there is a world out there in between chat sessions and status-checkings. And that world doesn't care about your life in cyberspace, it will go on, with or without you. The only question is if you will even remember the world when you finally shut down your already overheated computer.

A surprise visitor

Eden had been coming to the diner every day for almost five years. She didn't quite know why she kept coming back to it, she has just never been able to find another place that gave her that sense of comfort and security. Today was a day like any other so why would today be the day that Eden's whole life changed?

It started with the ringing of the bell and the slow, but steady footsteps of someone walking into the diner. Normally Eden would just go about her business and not even look up, but today was different. She turned around and looked at the man who had just walked in. He was tall, had dark hair and something quite mysterious about him. He had his back turned towards her, but then he suddenly turned around and looked right at her, as if he knew she was watching or that she would be there. He smiled.

The man started walking towards her and the way he walked revealed that he was someone who had a great deal of confidence. Eden braced herself and quickly wiped some of the crumbs off the table. The man had now reached her table and was standing right beside her. Eden looked up at him and she couldn't help but smile. There was this sense of familiarity about him, had she seen him before?

"You don't remember me, do you?" He said.
"Actually," Eden said, "I think I do. But I can't seem to remember. Would you mind joining me?"
"There's nothing that I would rather do", he said, and now both of them were smiling at each other.

It was as if no time had passed at all.

Review (draft)

Inception
Bye bye Newton

Almost two years ago the world was stunned by the awe-inspiring Batman The Dark Knight at the hands of Christopher Nolan. The movie grossed about 1 billion dollars worldwide and has been the most successful movie in the Batman franchise. Fans are still waiting on a worthy sequel, but Nolan has decided to throw us a different kind of bone: Inception.

Inception is described as a sci-fi action movie that will erase the lines between reality and our imagination. It starts with DiCaprio's ominous intro: "What is the most resilient parasite? An idea." Judging from the trailer, this might just be the movie that puts the Laws of Newton to shame.

For those of you who are practically foaming at the mouth, I suggest you check out the trailer on the official website, in one word: phenomenal. We see a city being folded up like a madman's origami dream, a glass of water that is behaving most unnatural, a train that is cutting through street traffic and two men fighting in a hallway that defies gravity. Interested yet?

So far, Nolan hasn't released a lot of information regarding the movie, which is undoubtedly a power move, considering the massive media attention it will garnish in a few weeks. Still there is a small synopsis about the story: Cobb (DiCaprio) plays a CEO-type whose mission it is to steal an idea that is so powerful it could change the entire world. Saito (Watanabe) portrays the villain and is blackmailing Cobb. Now, we don't know a lot about this idea, but by the looks of the trailer it could very well be the end of physics as we know it.

Inception promises to cause a lot of raised eyebrows, dropped mouths and heavy headaches, but it's a small price to pay for a movie that will most certainly completely blow you away.



Inception, July 2010,
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island), Ken Watanabe (Memoirs of a Geisha), Ellen Page (Juno), Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), Joseph-Gordon Levitt (GI Joe).
 
 
This is my first draft for a review for the school paper. Don't know if it's any good of if it will even be incorporated in the first edition, but here's to hoping!

Thursday night drinks

Thursday night. Party night in the city of Louvain. A time of senseless partying, abundant consumation of alcohol, outrageous dance moves, incredibly shallow and unbelievably deep conversations, ... I'm telling you, Thursday night is a night of opportunities. The stress of the day is cast off like a heavy load that has been riding on your back all day and that you can now throw away into a corner and never look at again - that is, until the dawn breaks through. But between sundown and sunrise everything seems possible.

Now I won't say that a large part of the ambience is due to the gentle and soothing touch of alcohol, but I also won't deny it. In my experience, I've learnt that the right amount of liquor can unveil the true nature of the person. The higher the percentage, the higher the level of trust and the closer you get to that person. Forget ethanol or temazepam, if you really want to get to know someone, I'd suggest a few shot glasses and an unlimited supply of "I never" questions. Guaranteed personal growth and sincere conversations with unvarnished tongues and unwavering honesty.

People have said that I have some sort of problem with alcohol, but I really don't. I know when to get out, but sometimes it just feels good to succumb to the madness and the obliviousness. To not care, if only for a few hours, is total bliss. To be shielded from judgement, to be totally and unconditionally out of it, can be someone's salvation. Not that I condone irresponsible drinking, but there is always a fine line between sobriety and decadance. It is a dangerous yet seductive way of flirting with transformation. On one hand you can be responsible and down to earth, but on the other hand you can let go for a while and ride the comfortable wave of intoxication.

Intoxicated, what an amazing way of saying you're completely shit-faced. The known symptoms for alcohol intoxication are: slurred speech, impaired balance, poor coordination, flushed faces, reddened eyes, reduced inhibition and erratic behaviour. To the untrained eye this screams after-school special, but to worshippers of the bottle, this sounds like a pretty damn good deal. Slurred speech, fine, who needs it when you've got body language? Impaired balance, totally unnecessary, if you're gonna get hit by a bus, ain't enough balance in the world to protect you from that. Poor coordination in turn, is a trait that some people are given at birth (up to this day I still have trouble distinguishing left from right). Flushed face? It's called shame and we all gotta deal with it. Reddened eyes? Sounds like hay fever to me. Reduced inhibition and erratic behaviour? Seems to be a hell of a fun way to spend an evening, free from social constraints and conformity!

As for the youngsters reading, it's probably wise to quickly mention that alcohol is bad and if you drink it you will go to hell and mommy and daddy will be very upset, but who am I kidding? If that were the case, hell would have been booked solid since the day people started squashing grapes together and calling it wine.

Realizing that I have wandered far away from my original subject, it's best if I now focus on what I was actually trying to say. Thursday night = drink night.

I've been studying at the HUB for quite some time now and yet I've never been out with the people I met there. So I suggested we go drink something in Louvain. It started with a shot of Goldstrike in café Giraf, for the ignorant, Goldstrike is propably one of the greatest beaverages you will ever consume in your entire life. For god sakes, it contains actual flakes of gold foil and the delicousness reeks of cinnamon and sweetness. So after we had taken in this divine drink, we set course for another bar.

Being more at ease there, we started playing "I never". In normal circumstances I'm already a pretty open guy, but with a few shots in me I really loosen up. The same goes for my company of the evening. We quickly shared intimate details about our sex life and other personal things. I don't get why people are so uptight about it sometimes. I have this good friend of mine at school with whom I can genuinely and openly talk about sex and it doesn't bother her. Considering the time and age it's hard to think that a well-known subject like sex is still considered taboo.

As we learned more about each other, I also saw a whole other side to them. A side that is reserved for life outside of school, free from social supervision. We were able to talk and act freely which is a wonderful feeling. In the past, getting to know this other side of a person has served me well.

One of my best friends couldn't stand me before, but at one of my parties I got to ask him about the reasons why and ever since that moment we've been best friends. Although I like to think it all happened quite natural, I know that alcohol somehow functioned as a lubricant to smoothen the rough edges that divided us.

This is why I truly love Thursday night drinks. It is an almost magical time of day when boundaries are surpassed, ancient grudges forgotten and new relationships are formed. So if you have a friend that isn't really your friend, but you still want there to be some sort of connection, I highly recommand having a drink with him. And it's perfectly fine if you decide to have some coke (the drink, not the drugs) with your liquor, there's no rule that says you need to be inebriated to forge a bond, all it takes is a little nudge - or sip.

Spark of inspiration

Okay, so the next post came a little sooner than expected, but I was feeling particularly in the mood for short texts, the result is the following:

Love's casualties

It's been months
social network imploded
censored chatrooms
blocked numbers
caller ID salvation


Then suddenly
a new post
a renewed sense of hope
false beliefs
shattered


Maybe this is it
misplaced expectations
closeted desires
touch and go
quick glances


Maybe, just maybe
this bond symbiotic
has an expiration date
and when the hourglass runs dry
mutually assured destruction



Life's trials

Don't bring me violins
I care not for them

Don't offer condolensces
People are never really gone

Don't try to judge
It's already been done

Don't turn on the light
I'll find my way in the dark

Let all earthly things fade
Let metal corrode
And time slip away

Do not rebuild what is broken
It shall never be the same

Be prepared to let go of people
They are not meant to be possessed

Try to write it all down
Even though paper burns

Let history breathe
And take over

Dare to see further
When everyone else looks back

Feel what others can't
What has never been felt before

Change if you must
But only if you're the catalyst

Defy what can be defied
And do not let boundaries be defining

Break free if you must
No living man should be held

But most of all
Look around
See what you like?
Is it what you want it to be?

Count your blessings
Cherish raindrops
Adore sunshine
Honor life

This is what you must do
Despair has never been man's best friend

A world of words

It's been a few days since my last post, but I thought I ought to wait until something truly noteworthy happened to me. Like I've said in a previous post, I applied for the up-and-coming newspaper at my school. Today was the first meeting of the minds.

From the minute I sat around the conference table alongside some of my friends I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. It's a strange thing to be overtaken by such a profound sense of dedication and certitude. To truly and honestly know what you want to do with the rest of your life is a gift that few people receive so when it strucks you, you can only feel elation and a certain sense of calmness.

So there I was, feeling pretty good about myself and already imagining my life ten years into the future when I would be sitting in a similar conference room and surrounded by bright minds and great writers all the while knowing that you're doing something you really love. The meeting itself functioned mainly as an introduction, names were exchanged, ideas, prospects and fun facts about one another. Arrangements were made to meet again next week and we were given the assignment - although that's not really what is was - to find out what it is that we wanted to do for the paper.

For me, it is important that I can write something, that I can express my ideas. Others preferred photography, which is fine by me since I have accepted the fact that I will probably never be an Annie Leibovitz or an Alfred Eisenstaedt. If I manage to take a picture without thumbs or other fingers in the shot and featuring a somewhat straight angle, I'm happy. Although I can absolutely appreciate a photograph and be mesmerized by it, I don't feel the need to try and imitate it as good as possible.

My heart will always belong to writing. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I will always value those words more because that it just who I am.

That is also why I will always try to read a novel in its original language, simply because something always gets lost in translation. I want to be able to read the very words the author imagined, to read the very same sentence that he created, not the interpretation of someone else. Although I do admire the effort of the translator and I appreciate what he does, in my mind, he will never live up to the original. That being said, it is always possible that the translated text might in fact be better than the original text.

Since the subject of literature has been brought up, I might as well talk a little about the book that I'm reading at the moment: Bright shiny morning by James Frey. It's a novel about life in Los Angeles. It revolves around individuals, all from different backgrounds, different skin colour, different life goals and most importantly a different perspective on life. You have Maddie and Dylan, the blissfully happy young couple from somewhere in the Mid-West who have come to LA to start over, the celebrity couple with three adorable children, only the husband is a closeted gay man and the whole wedding turns out to be a publicity stunt / sham, you also have the story of Esperanza, a girl whose parents desperately wanted a different life for their daughter so they fled South America where they lived happily together, but Esperanza wants more out of life, but therefore she has to be willing to compromise.

I've only read the first 80 pages but already I find myself unable to put it down. Frey is able to captivate me with the enthralling lives of all of his characters and at the same time providing me with interesting "did you know" facts about the county of Los Angeles. I'll let you know what I think of the book just as soon as I've turned the final page.

But for now, Easter holiday approaching, I should get back to work. There are still a lot of summaries of courses to be made and lessons to be learned, so its back to the trenches for me.