natalie or Da dudette

2005-12-30T14:59:00.000+01:00

After about 20 minutes we arrived at the Baghdad Hilton. Saïd opened the door for me (such a gentleman) and checked me in at the reception. I had room 450. Inside the hotel, you couldn't tell that you were in Iraq. It looked just the same as the Hilton in Paris. Except for the armed guards and the army trucks at the entrance...
I was still looking around when Saïd was calling my name. He was waiting at the elevator. I was walking towards him when I suddenly noticed a nun sitting on one of the sofas near the entrance. Huh, that's funny. I thought. I guess I didn't lie to my mother after all. I was probably staring at her, when I suddenly tripped over something. "What the Fuck?" came out of my mouth before I realized it. I couldn't believe my eyes, there were two nuns on the ground. I apparently had bumped into them. They were so small that I hadn't seen them. They were looking very viciously at me. I guess they didn't like the cursing. "Oh, I'm sooo sorry." I helped them up and they walked away without saying anything.
I was very confused now. Wtf are nuns doing in a hotel in Baghdad? In the Hilton? Were they allowed to stay at such expensive hotels? I thought God and the Bible were against such kinds of wealth?
Going up to the 4th floor I was still pondering about what just happened. Was it some kind of sign or just coincidence? But I don't believe in coincidence... Saïd broke my train of thought. "Here we are, I'll leave you to rest for an hour and then we're off to meet someone." And then suddenly I was alone in the room. A huge room. With balcony and a giant bed. Oh, and chocolates and mints on the pillow!!! I lay down on the bed. Cool, a water bed. I suddenly realized that I was giggling. Oh grow up, natalie! I told myself. I thought about the nuns but my eyes felt so heavy...

2005-12-27T15:15:00.000+01:00

This is a pic of Sa�d, he has sent me afterwards

2005-12-27T14:03:00.000+01:00

I could tell you about the dreams I had while I was sleeping on the plane. But since some people are getting really impatient with my story, I'll just leave that out and get on with my story. 4 hours and 45 minutes later we landed at Baghdad International airport.
An interpreter was supposed to meet me in the arrivals hall. Ever since I was young I hated if there was sb waiting for you with a sign with your name on. So stressing! Especially when you're supposed to wear glasses, and it's almost impossible to read the signs, unless you get really close... and then the people holding up the sign think you're the one they're waiting for. Pfff. I hate it.
So, I already had the shivers once I stepped foot in the very busy hall. Pff, how was I'm going to find this guy...
And then suddenly a tall, dark (for the girls: very handsome) guy walked towards me. "Are you miss Natalie?" he said in perfect English. I was totally overwhelmed. "Euh, yyyes" I stuttered. "I'm Saïd, your interpreter for the next few days."
How the hell did he recognize me?
"They told me you have long blonde hair, and since you're the only one in the entire airport who looks like that, it was kinda obvious" He seemed to read my mind.
He guided me to the exit of the airport, carrying my bag. Handsome, and a gentleman too? There was a car waiting in front of the airport exit. Saïd put my bag in the trunk told me to make myself comfortable in the car and got into the car himself.
"Welcome to Iraq, enjoy your stay" he joked. "Let me tell you what exactely you are supposed to do here. The hotel is only 20 minutes away, if we're lucky. Here in Iraq you never know what's going to happen. Maybe a car bomb on our way..." he said with a wink.

2005-12-26T12:12:00.000+01:00

My mum was waiting at the door. "So, where are you really going?" She asked with a penetrating gaze. "Mum, I'm in a hurry, I don't have time for this. I'll be back in a few days. Don't worry, okay, I'll be fine! " I grabbed my suitcase from behind her back and started walking back to the taxi. I felt a bit guilty and turned around. "I'll call you when I land" The cabdriver honked and made some impatient gestures. "I really have to go now" I said while I was running towards the cab. I jumped into the backseat and the driver pressed down the accelerator.

In less than half an hour we reached the airport entrance.
"There we are! We made it just in time... Just go to the Iraqi Air-counter in the departure hall. Your plane tickets are waiting for you there. Here's your bag... Don't forget to contact the number I wrote down for you. I'll call him tonight and ask him if he wants to meet you. Well, good luck!"
The next 15 minutes are a blur... It's like I flew through customs or something. It just happened so fast... Before I realized it, I was sitting in a plane. Business Class. Glass orange juice and newspaper in front of me. "Mmm, nice" I thought. I made myself comfortable in my seat when the pilot announced that the flight would take 4 hours 45 minutes. After that I dozed off...

2005-12-24T12:31:00.000+01:00

So where was I? Oh yes, I was on my way home to pick up my stuff... I know that I probably wouldn't have enough time to pack everything I needed (When I pack, I have to wait half an hour afterwards to leave and think about what I could have forgotten) so I called my mum to ask her if she could pack my stuff. I took my cell phone out of my backpack and dialed her number. She almost picked up her phone immediately, which is a miracle. "Ah, mum, it's me. Could you do something for me? They asked me to go somewhere for a few days, and I have to catch a plane in two hours. I'm in a cab right now on my way home. Could you pack my stuff?"
"Where are you going? For how long? Alone? " was the expected serenade of questions. "Oh, nothing special, somewhere in France. But it's a very dry part of France, so I'll need appropriate clothes for that. Oh, yeah, and there's a woman, a nun, coming with me, so i'll need clothes that cover most of my body... Maybe something for my head as well, she's very conservative..." There was silence on the other end of the line... "I gotta go now, mum, we're about to enter a tunnel. I'll see you in 30 minutes." I quickly hung up the phone. I wondered if she actually believed the story.

I noticed that the cabdriver was staring at me through his rearview mirror. "Don't you know that lying is a capital sin in any religion?" he reproached me. "I know, but it's for her own good" I answered him. He still looked at me with a reproaching look. I was just happy he stopped speaking. I wanted to think about what was about to happen. The driver granted me 15 minutes of peace before he tried to make conversation again. "So, you're going to Iraq? You know, I'm Iraqi, I mean I was born in Iraq. Some of my family's still there. You know, my uncle is one of the guards of the secret prison in which Saddam is held. He is a very important man there" I wasn't really listening to the guy, but now he suddenly caught my attention. "Really? Do you think I can meet this uncle of yours?" I asked him. "Euhm, I don't know. He's very religious. He doesn't like Westerners and especially women." "Mmm, and what if I wear an all-covering burka?" "Mmmaybe, I'll give him a call and see what I can do. I'll write down his address for you. But you have to promise that you won't give it to anyone else. There are lots of people who would prefer to see him dead." At that time, we arrived at my house. I told him that I would rather die than give this address to anyone else. He wrote it down on a small piece of paper, handed it to me and told me: "Now go and grab you bag, we 're on a tight schedule" I jumped out of the car and ran towards my house... My mum was already waiting for me at the door....

And yet again, i have to cut off the story, gotta go

my trip to iraq

2005-12-22T10:43:00.000+01:00

Last week my internship at the VRT started. I'm at the Foreign News Desk. My first day went fine, not one mistake with the subtitles or anything. Between 1 o'clock and 6 o'clock news I have time to work on the compilation for Peter Verlinden about Congo. On the second day, after the 1 o'clock news, I went back to the editing room to put my things back. The woman who sits a desk further got a phone call. It was Rudi Vranx from Iraq. He had gotten ill and was supposed to visit Saddam the next morning. He asked if they could send someone else. The woman, An is her name, said she would call him back in just 5 minutes. She hung up the phone and looked around... But there was nobody there, everybody was at lunch. She went to speak to one of the editors-in-chief. They suddenly looked my way. I pretended as if I hadn't seen that and just stared at the computer screen. An came up to my desk. "Do you have anything special to do in the next few days?" She asked me. I answered that I had Portuguese class the next morning, and that there was a christmas party, but nothing that I couldn't miss. "Great, a taxi is waiting at the front door for you. It's gonna take you home and then to the airport. You're going to Iraq" I didn't know what to say. And before I could think of something to say, she was heading back to her desk and called Rudi. I just took my coat and backpack and left the room. As I was walking through the hallway, up and down the stairs, some more hallways, I was thinking about what I would tell my mother. She was not going to like this... "I'll tell her something else" I decided. At the end of the hallway, just outside the building I saw the taxi waiting for me. I greeted the driver and got in the car...

Sorry, I don't have more time right now to tell you 'bout what happened next. I promise I'll be back to you soon

2005-12-20T17:20:00.000+01:00

I just wanna announce: I'm working on a post, it won't be for today, but it'll be: One Day in the Life of Saddam. I've been away for a while, and I visited the famous dictator in his prison cell... I followed him for a day. Report follows

2005-12-12T14:36:00.000+01:00

I was just rereading some of my first posts... it's really funny to read those again. They were a lot funnier than the ones i'm posting lately. Maybe I should get back to trying to be funny? What do you guys think, should i just relate my weeks to you, or make up stories or funny things? Or a combination of both? OPINIONS PLEASE

2005-12-11T19:06:00.000+01:00

Wow, it seems only a day ago that I said: let this new week begin... And it's Sunday again. Time really does fly.
Any news this week? Oh yeah I want to brag (I have the right to brag once in a while, don't I?) On Tuesday was our weekly dinner with the whole house. Asger cooked this week and it was delicious! After that we decided to do a Cantus, with ten people. At first I was the 'Schachtentemmer' I just had to say people what to do (mostly tell them to drink ad fundums) That was cool, of course. After that I was just one of the 'Schachten. To cut a long story short: I ruled. I was the only one not to get totally drunk. I had to push the other to go to their rooms. They couldn't walk anymore. We (me and another girl) had to get two of them in a bar and support them walking back. There was a lot of puke, and the kitchen was totally destroyed... But the clue of this story is of course: I ruled!! And it was a lot of fun too of course. The following morning I couldn't get to class on time...

On Thursday, it was Charlotte's birthday (happy birthday again!) and I went to Ghent. Although I hate the Overpoort, that was of course where we ended up, as always...

Oh and on friday, it was suprise time! We (me and lieselot) finally got our birthday surprise! It was a Brazilian Night, with a lot of food and coctails. It was really nice, if I think about the food I get hungry again! It got a bit out of hand, because we ended up in a police car. The police took us for a ride through the Citadel park (Ghent's Central Park, gay meeting place at night). Because we are so sweet and pretty of course they didn't arrest us but left us at Isabelle's place again. Yeah I know, who said that the police doesn't do anything useful? (sorry mel). Then we tried to sleep but there was one very annoying person who kept ringing our cellphones while she was waiting for her loverboy to send her a message ;-)

And believe it or not: we went to portuguese class the following morning. Alive or not doesn't matter. We were there, that the most important thing... In the afternoon I went to visit my new niece (well, daughter of my cousin), aurélie. And it was so small. I don't know why, but I keep refering to it with 'IT'. Damn, I did it again: I keep refering to her, I mean...

Today I've been very lazy, haven't done anything worthy to mention...

This week my internship starts!!!! I'll tell you guys about it soon!

2005-12-04T18:48:00.000+01:00

another week has gone... nothing much to report, I've been sick all week. I slept a lot, saw some dvds, spent a lot of time on internet... I've also been locked up in my room! My housemates, at least two of them, thought it was funny to take my keys and lock me up, until I admitted (lied) that West-Flemish people are superior to East-Flemish (which is a big lie of course). In the end I said it, because I didn't want to be locked up all night... I know, I'm deeply ashamed right now.
On Friday, we participated in a quiz. We didn't win (I know, can you imagine???) but finished somewhere in the middle. Thank god we finished higher than my brother...

On Saturday, Portuguese class: There was a multicultural christmas-market with food of all different nationalities. Pretty nice.

Okay, let this new week begin

more lyrics

2005-11-26T18:10:00.000+01:00

Have you ever loved someone so much, you'd give an arm for? Not the expression, no, literally give an arm for? When they know they're your heart And you know you were their armour And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm 'em But what happens when karma, turns right around and bites you? And everything you stand for, turns on you, despite you?What happens when you become the main source of a pain?
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel no pain Just smile back... (Eminem)

2005-11-26T17:44:00.000+01:00

Right now I feel like a bird
Caged without a key
Everyone comes to stare at me
With so much joy and rivalry
They din't know how I feel inside
Through my smile I cry
They don't know what they're doin' to me
Keeping me from flyin'
That's why I say that
I know why the caged bird sings
Only joy comes from song
She's so rare and beautiful to others
Why not just set her free
So she can Fly, fly, fly
Spreadin her wings and her song
Let herFly, fly fly
For the whole world to see
She's like caged bird
Fly, fly
Ooh just let her fly
Just let her fly
Just let her fly
Spread the wings
Spread the beauty

-Alicia Keys-

I love song lyrics, I love how they have the power to express your own feelings. That's probably why I love hiphop so much. A lot of text. Those songs are my poetry. I got songs that I need when I'm angry (I'm an aggressive person, without those songs, I don't know how I'd survive), songs that I listen to when I'm happy, when I'm sad...

Somedays I just wanna up and call the quits
I feel like I'm surrounded by a wall of bricks
Everytime I go to get up I just fall in pits
My life's like one great big ball of shit!
If I could, just put it all onto what I spit
Instead of always tryina swallow it
Instead of starin' at this wall and shit
While I sit writin' this plot, sick of all this shit
Kid, Call it Shit!
All I know is I'm about to hit the wall
If I ever have to see another one of Mom's alcaholic fits
This is it last straw
That's all, That's it
I ain't dealin' with another f**kin' politic
I'm like a skillet bubblin', until it filters up
I'm about to kill it, I can fill it buildin' up
Blow this buliding up, I've been sealed enough
My cup, When its over I'da filled it up
Then it explodes, and spills my guts
You think all I do is stand here and feel my nuts
Well.. Imma show you what, You gon' feel my rush
If you don't feel it, then it must be too real to touch
Build the dutch, Im about to tear shit up
Goosebumps, Yea Imma make your hair sit up, Yea sit up
Imma tell you who I be, Imma make you hate me, Cuz you ain't me
You ate, it ain't too late for you to finally see
What you close-minded F**ks, What you Blind to see
Whoever finds me is gonna get a finders fee
Out this world, they no it ain't a mind to me
You need piece of mind? Here's a piece of mine
All I need's a line, Sometimes I don't always find the words torhyme
To express how I'm really feeling at that time,
YesSometimes, Sometimes, Sometimes
Its just sometimes is always me
How dark can these hallways be
The clock strikes midnight 1, 2, then half passed 3
This half-ass rhyme, with this half-ass piece of paper
I'm desperate in my task
If I could just get the rest of this shit off my chest, Again
Stuck in this slump, Can't think of nothing
F**k, I'm stumped, Oh Wait Here comes something, No!
Its not good enough, scribble it out
New pad, crinkle it up, and throw the shit out
I'm fizzling out, thought I figured it out
Balls in my court but I'm scared to dribble it out
I'm afraid, but why am I afraid? Why am I a slave
To this Tray? Sign not to spit to the grave
Real enough to route you up, Want me to flip it? I can rip it
any style you want. Imma switch to the bitch Jimmy Smith aint aquitter
Imma sitter till I get enough finally hit a boiling point
Put some oil in your joints, Flip the coin, Bitch come getdestroyed
And MC's worst dream, I make them tensed, they hate me
See me and Shape like a Chainlink fence
By the looks of em you would swear that Jaws was coming
By the screams of them you would swear Im sawin someone
By the way they runnin', you could swear that the law was coming
Its now or never, And tonight is all or nothing
Momma, Jimmy keeps leaving on us, He said he'd be back
He pinky promised, I don't think he's honest
I'll be back baby, I just gotta beat this clock F**k this clock! Imma make them
Eat this watch
Don't believe me Watch! Imma win this race
And Imma come back and rub my shit on your face, Bitch!
I found my nitch, You gonna fear my voice
Till your SICK of it you ain't gonna have a choice
If I gotta scream till I have half a lung
If I have have a chance, Imma grab it,
Rabbit Run!

2005-11-21T21:48:00.000+01:00

finally i got internet in my room! so you'll be seeing more of me around the net!
long and hard day today. Felt kinda bad after class, so i went shopping, because that's what they always tell you to do. And guess what? It actually works, I bought a skirt and I felt a lot better afterwards...

2005-11-13T18:54:00.000+01:00

for kimberly: Ik kan dus nog kleiner schrijven!!!! ;-)

But I don't wanna punish the others by writing too small... so i won't write tiny but just small. What happened this week. Well, I'll just tell the fun stuff. On monday we had our 'kotfuif' at our house in brussels. It was a lot of fun! Especially in the end, all my housemates were drunk, and it was hilarious! One of the guys had picked up a girl and was kissing, the rest of us were all watching, we even followed him on the street. Later he told us that he was too drunk to get it up (if u know what i mean, if you don't... well, no comment) Another one of the guys fell through a chair, and a third one puked. In short, hilarious. And I managed to get to class in the morning. I was only half an hour late. Someone told the teacher that there was a party, so he reacted kinda funny when i came in. I didn't manage to do a lot during that class: writing skills (I even had to think and that was too much at that time) After that I cleaned a bit, but nobody was awake yet... The house smelled sooo bad... you can't even imagine how bad...

I couldn't clean any longer because i had to go to class and after class to ghent for an interview with Andre denys, the governor. We were kinda intimidated by the building and his office. But it went fine, I think. Next morning we had another interview, with Jef Tavernier. Very nice guy, he even joined us on the train to Brussels. I had a busy day on wednesday. Work in the afternoon...

At night we could pick up a gift bag from quartier latin in a cafe. It had free tickets for drinks in it... of course my housemates wanted to use some of them right away, so we had three Vedetts, Nice beer btw, not my favorite yet, but close! it's from Duvel... Well, that was a fun night as well...

The rest was not that exciting, or I don't remember it... On friday there was no class because of the end of some war, or something? :-D At night we went to dinner for Evelyne's birthday: at Fonduehuisje in Ghent. Very nice food (very expensive too)...
Busy weekend as well, yesterday all day on the road, this morning work. ( I had to cut a rabbit in 6 and touch the tongue of a cow, a dead cow!) the butcher even called me a 'tough girl' who doesn't look away when something gross happens. Yep, still didn't tell nobody that i'm a veggie...

owkay, that's it, hope you enjoyed it, and if you didn't: f*ck you and go to hell (I'm tough, remember!)

2005-11-05T16:56:00.000+01:00

This time I don't wanna let it come too far. I'm back already... So where was I? Did I already tell you about the cold the ear-throat-nose-doctor left me with... Yep, first cold of the winter. Well, not exactly winter. You can't call it winter with temperatures up to 24 degrees! It's amazing. It's good, I guess. But I'm sick of my summer clothes, I wanna wear my winterclothes!!!! And all insects have to die! Anyway, I can't change anything about it. But I heard that it's getting colder.

On thursday we visited the VRT. Half of it was cool, the other half was boring. But we saw some famous people, so that made my day. Hehe. The newsstudio was nice to see. And we saw the rehearsal of FC De Kampioenen! That was worth the visit, definitely! After that we went to eat french fries with the class and went to someone's house, and then to a bar. Next day I had to edit something in the school and then I went home. It was kinda exciting on the train. It stopped in Deinze but the doors didn't open!!! The train left again, but luckily someone pushed the emergency brake, so we could get out! What a story, huh?

Actually, that's about it... till next time

2005-11-01T16:50:00.000+01:00

I know, it's been too long ago!!! But I'm back, after constant nagging of certain persons!! (You know who you are!) So what's up with me... I started at a new school, I live in Brussels, I work, I have new hobbies, I got black hair and gained 20 kilos*... That's about it.

*don't believe everything I write, you really believe I gained 20 kilos? And I painted my hair in black? You think I want to look like Kelly Osbourne???

I love Brussels, it has so many cosy places. The difference with Ghent is that not everything is at the same place. You got numerous neighborhoods with each their own marketplace or shopping street. You got every kind of people there, white, black, chinese, arabs,... everything. I live next to a mosque, a pakistani mosque. Except during the ramadan, it's not that nice. Every night they sing from 8 to 11pm... and it's louder than the tv... but besides that it's nice. My housemates are nice too, except that they don't wash their dishes!!! My room is on the groundfloor and before, it was a shop, so it has these very big windows. If I would put some blue and red lights, it would most definitely look like a whorehouse :-) Yeah, that's funny... I know.
And I do cook once in a while: most of the time I make something with rice. It's so much easier to make rice than to make potatoes. Yeah, I know you don't believe me about my cooking art, but you'd better, it's so true.

Then, new class. We're with 39. Lots of classes but no studying. A lot of practice. We have to do a project every week. The first week we had to make a piece about the Dansaertstraat, a very exclusive street in Brussels. 2nd week we had to present a neighborhood in Brussels, we did the Matonge. That was my choice, of course :-) Last week we did a Vox Pop and this week a stage-act. Yesterday we went to a concert of Admiral Freebee. We filmed the concert and afterwards we could interview him. That was cool! He's so tall in real life... Anyone jealous already? I could try harder but I don't feel like it.

I didn't even tell you about my internship. I'll do an internship from the 12th of december onwards at VRT (Flemish tv) foreign news. My colleagues will be Rudi Vranx, Peter Vanderlinden, Djamel Zerrouk (cute in real life), Martine en Sigrid... Hehe, I look forward to it although i'll probably be nervous.

And I work on sunday morning. In the GB, at the butcher's... You can start laughing now, i'll give you some time........................... in case you're not laughing: you probably don't know that i'm a vegetarian (8 years already) Some time? ....................................

you know what? You can laugh all you want, I'm off. More later

2005-09-25T16:09:00.000+02:00

here he is: Charlie Hunnam

2005-09-25T16:08:00.000+02:00

we went to the movies in dublin: Green Street! I loved the movie... and especially Charlie Hunnam

2005-09-25T15:59:00.000+02:00

den oscar

2005-09-25T15:58:00.001+02:00

the cliffs of moher

2005-09-25T15:58:00.000+02:00

molly malone

2005-09-25T15:57:00.000+02:00

no ireland without guiness

2005-09-25T15:56:00.000+02:00

irish landscape

2005-09-25T15:54:00.000+02:00

the cat and the rat: I managed to drop it

2005-09-25T15:21:00.000+02:00

so what have I done since I last wrote here? I worked most of the time, made some good money, finally, after spending too much of it! I especially liked my co-workers there: conversations were mainly about their kids, and since I hope you know that I don't really like kids, I had to fake a lot of smiles and make myself talk about such things. OH god, the crap I said. Now I remember why I don't want children: those people work all day until 5pm, then they get home, have to clean, cook, look after the hyperactive children and at night you have to get up 4 times... Sounds like hell to me. Anywayz...
Last saturday I went to Ireland for a week with Lieselot. See pics!!!

We stayed in Dublin for 3 nights, visiting the city and making a day trip to the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough... We met some nice people along the way. We've also spent 2 days in Galway and visited the Cliffs of Moher. We had a nice night out with some people from the hostel! The only disadvantage about that hostel was our neighbor: an old lady with a loud clock, accompanied by the smell of alcohol. But like always I was sound asleep... btw a big shoutout to our drivers Desmond and Pol!!! They were great! Especially Desmond, Lieselot completely loved him, didn't you lieselot? :-) What more can I tell you? We walked a lot, ate a lot, although lieselot doesn't think so, she claims we didn't :-) Oh, and I had my favorite food in the world: the nachos in Hardrock cafe! Oh god they're so good. The weather? it was okay, apparently worse than in belgium, but we didn't have a lot of rain... Oh yeah, and we were almost married too!! A drifter of about 50 years old with a small doll on his finger... He was actually not too bad, a friendly guy, not too annoying.

But... holidays are over, tomorrow my classes in Brussels start... Tonight I'm going to brussels... I hope i get along with my housemates, but I normally get along with most people so... I just need my tv then everything is okay :-)

thats all for now, folks

2005-09-03T18:11:00.000+02:00

another one... I caught nine!!!!

2005-09-03T18:08:00.000+02:00

first fish!! at los roques, venezuela

2005-09-03T17:29:00.000+02:00

camping on the beach, me feeding the birds, a lot of fun. That's my tent you see there... Photo was taken by Guido, an Italian friend... I didn't take any photos in Los Roques, the tropical islands, I filmed, I hope I can show it to all of you some day... it's really nice

2005-09-03T17:27:00.000+02:00

copacabana beach! Me and a Finnish girl, oh and Ehud, our Israelian friend

2005-09-03T17:25:00.001+02:00

okay, there goes the chronology: Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio

2005-09-03T17:25:00.000+02:00

too hot for me

2005-09-03T17:24:00.000+02:00

the beach of the last weekend, some kind of beach club resort thing, for rich people

2005-09-03T17:22:00.000+02:00

I love this pic, the sight coming down the mountain, with the sun on Caracas and the clouds coming down

2005-09-03T17:21:00.000+02:00

nice pic of claudia when we are going up the mountain in a cablecar

2005-09-03T17:20:00.000+02:00

Natalie, Venezuelan style

2005-09-03T17:19:00.000+02:00

the same neighborhood, with behind it, the real barrios, the slums...

2005-09-03T17:18:00.000+02:00

Caracas, the only clean barrio of the city... and Claudia

2005-09-03T17:17:00.000+02:00

very dark photo, sorry. But this is a samba-party (actually it's not samba, but something close to it)

2005-09-03T17:16:00.000+02:00

a sight of a favela from a mountain. They build their houses more and more up the mountain. You can clearly see the difference between the favelas and the rest of the city, even from above

2005-09-03T17:15:00.000+02:00

The Christ again

2005-09-03T17:14:00.000+02:00

I finally met the man himself!!! Rio de Janeiro

2005-09-03T17:13:00.000+02:00

I just realized that i'm too lazy to type my travel diary, I promise I will soon!! some photos first: This is me and my Brazilian friend Carmen in China Town, Sao Paulo

back

2005-08-20T16:38:00.001+02:00

i'm back in the civilized world!!! sorry it took so long to write here again but i've been so busy since I came back. I came home on Tuesday at 6 pm and started working the next morning in Demival until this evening... I'm tired now.

About my trip: it was great... I've got a whole journal written down about the first two weeks (then i couldn't keep it up) but i m too tired right now to write it down here. Just some general impressions:
- I LOVE the people in Brazil (the guys in particular: they're of all colors and all mixed
- Rio is my new favorite city
- Venezuela's nature is the best, esp. its beaches
- both countries are very dangerous and poorer than you think
- rich people drive bulletproof cars
- windows are blinded
- they all have maids in their houses, who live there too
- venezuelan society makes me think of segregation
- Venezuela is on the verge of civil war: the two groups (pro and contra Chavez, government)
- in venezuela rich people (who are the only not-poors, there's no middle class) live in neighborhoods surrounded by fences, smtimes even barbwire, and guards.
- they all have guns in their houses
- girls have to have a boyfriend, otherwise you can't leave the house after dark, since you should accompanied by a boy for your own safety
- it's immoral to live together, you should get married first... that's why most young people marry very young, around 21
- Even if you're together with your bf for years, you can't sleep in the same room, if it concerns your parents

mm that's all i can come up with right now...

I made 88 euros today!!! I worked on Saturday... from 7am this morning, that sucked, but it's over now... It does suck doing the same thing all the time. But i got a day off now so I'll survive next week. Okay, got lots to do now!!! Eating f.i.: French Fries: I really missed them in South-America!!!!!

2005-07-17T18:06:00.000+02:00

the magic mushroom

2005-07-17T18:04:00.000+02:00

attributen

2005-07-17T18:01:00.000+02:00

de wonderen van amsterdam

2005-07-17T18:00:00.000+02:00

lauryn hill

2005-07-17T16:32:00.000+02:00

Another week of holidays is over... I tried to relax a bit, didn't always work out because I still have a lot to do. Some chores or some things I have to arrange.
Last Sunday I went to Cactus Festival: I saw Gabriel Rios and Lauryn Hill among others. And yes, Gabriel's still hot as hell :-) (but who has a doubt about that?) Lauryn Hill's concert was very ... swinging, I don't know how else to put it. It was different but great.
I had lunch at my one grandma's place on Wednesday and we went to lunch with my other grandparents on Thursday. I ate my first 'moules frites' of the year! I was so full after that, we didn't even eat that evening. What else? Oh yes, I started my classes of Russian as well. And boy, is that difficult! I didn't realize it before. I started off with the alphabet, because it's so totally different than ours. So now I can read it, and I know some words... I would type one, but it would take forever because the signs aren't on my keyboard... Sorry, maybe next time ;-)

I also finally went to see Star Wars III, and I liked it. But I think I like the 1st one best, the 2nd is good too though. Difficult choice. My favorite character is, besides Yoda of course (I love his way of talking ;-) Samuel L. Jackson's character. can't explain why.

On Wednesday, it was also the first time this year I went to the Kaandelfeesten: the huge festival of Deinze!! That usually means: looking at people that you haven't seen for ages and talking about how they got fat or what an ugly boyfriend/girlfriend they have... Just kidding (in case someone recognizes her/himself in this)

Then, Friday night we actually made it by (cracking, squeeking) car to Amsterdam!!! We left at 7.30 pm in Deinze and arrived at 11 at a camping close to Amsterdam. We put up our tents and took the bus to the city center. And yes of course we went to one of the coffee shops... That was after trying to get out of the red light district for hours. It is impossible!! Each street we took, took us back to it. There was some kind of strange attraction that took us there time after time. It was interesting never the less. Anywayz, so that was fun. The next day we did like every other tourist, even though I wasn't really a pleasure to walk around with :-D I wasn't really physically okay. But we visited the Anne Frank museum a.o. It was worth it, very interesting. It'd better've been, after waiting for an hour to get in. All those damn tourists!!!

Last night we got back at 11.30, and I should congratulate Isa: she was a great driver...

Today I forgot my dad's birthday, like I do every year, I seem to confuse my dad's birthday and the 21st of July, the Belgian national holiday... Don't know why...

2005-07-09T15:28:00.000+02:00

cava and tapas... Is this Valencia?

2005-07-09T15:27:00.000+02:00

this is me, hassling my brother, acting like paparazzi

2005-07-09T15:25:00.000+02:00

most of the barracks were burnt down... Photos don't show everything, I filmed the whole thing, so whoever wants to see it ...

2005-07-09T15:24:00.000+02:00

inside the barracks

2005-07-09T15:23:00.000+02:00

birkenau

2005-07-09T15:22:00.000+02:00

at the back you see the wall where people were executed

2005-07-09T15:20:00.000+02:00

Auschwitz I

2005-07-09T15:18:00.001+02:00

my brother and me in the car

2005-07-09T15:18:00.000+02:00

as promised: some photos... This picture speaks for itself I guess :-)

2005-07-08T16:09:00.000+02:00

You're talking to a new master!!! I passed and even with distinction. That's better than I expected... A huge 'Bravo' for myself! I deserve it ;-)

But I'd rather tell you about my trip to Poland... On Wednesday, excuse me Thursday, my memory has still not recovered from the exams..., we left Machelen City. We drove (220 km/Hr, while I was sleeping, because otherwise I would have done sth about it) until Dresden. And one of the first things I observed in EAst-GErmany, is that they're still sooo different from the WEst-GErmans and other West-Europeans. Anyway, next morning we continued our way to Krakow. Around Katowice in Poland, Fate struck again: our car broke down again... (As it already did a couple of times before) in one of the communist ghettos of the city. Try to picture it: A grey, smoky neighborhood, those typical communist living blocks, people coming from their work, dirty... And then we, with our golden-colored Mercedes, clean as hell... Funny sight. After 3 hours, the Mercedes Service finally arrived and took us to the garage. But oh problem: There was only space for two persons in the truck. So the Polish solution: put two in the car on the truck. And yes, of course I was one of the victims. It was a different experience, being in a car, on a truck, on the terrible roads, full of holes.

Thank god it was not too serious. We finally got to Krakow that same day. I was amazed how modern that city is! Really, I felt like walking in Ghent or so. Really hip and modern people, nice nightlife, ... I admit I had some prejudices... and they proved very wrong. Plus everything is very cheap there: so it's excellent for shopping and drinking & eating!

Of course I really looked forward to Auschwitz. Auschwitz I, that's the camp with the famous gate: Arbeit macht frei, is the museum. You have the piles of hair, shoes, clothes, ... that the soviets found when they conquered the camp. It's really amazing! Then Birkenau, they kept like they found it. The Germans had tried to burn it down, so not a lot remains. Some barracks, those you see in all the movies about the camps, and of course the famouse gates with the railroad... It is so huge, there were so many barracks, and there were so many people in such one barrack... Once I have my photos on my computer I'll post them...

On Monday we left Krakow and paid the Slovakians a visit. We stayed there two nights, on wednesday we raced back to Belgium...

Then Thursday it was results-day. I wasn't too nervous. And I broke the spell: I actually went to listen inside the room instead of waiting outside... After the proclamation we went to eat at my favorite Turkish Restaurant, after that to the Polé Polé Cafe.

When I got back to my room I suddenly noticed that I'd lost my paper with my notes on it... (Yeah I know, typically me) So this morning I went to the university to ask for a new. They got me one, but I have to wait until next week to get the paper saying that I passed... :-D

Oh, and this afternoon I got my yellow-fever shot! so i'm almost ready to go to South-America!! But first, Gentse Feesten!

2005-06-28T19:25:00.000+02:00

halleluja! it's over!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! At this moment i can't keep my eyes open, but as they say in Dutch: moe maar tevreden (Valencia-people: look it up!) I just got my feedback of my thesis, and I got 3 A's. God, I'm too tired right now to be happy about that. This morning I had to get up at 7 and at that time I had only been 3 hours asleep... Hup, on the train to Brussels... I had that exam today for next year. I'm too tired to explain all that, it's boring anyway. After that: my moment of glory: AAA!!! -God I'm tired- Thursday we travel to Krakau, Auschwitz here we come! Okay, I know it sounds weird, but I've always wanted to see that: I've heard so much about it... It'll have a huge impact on me, I'm sure. I wonder if my culture-barbarous brother can appreciate it too :-D I doubt it.
-I can't think anymore... my sofa is my best friend tonight!!! goodynight

heal my broken wings

2005-06-24T23:13:00.000+02:00

okay, i really don't need this right now: my shoulder hurts like hell... Last night I was constantly tossin and turnin in my bed to find a good position to sleep in. Or any position that was supportable. But noooo... Thank god for painkillers, is one of my favorite sayings. Which doesn't mean that I'm addicted to them. Don't get me wrong, I almost never take them: but in these last few weeks more, after my wisdomteeth, the regular tummy ache, my respiration-back-collarbone whatever-pain, and now: my left shoulder...

And pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase, take a few degrees away from Belgium, especially Eastern-Flanders... How am I supposed to sleep with a shoulder-from-hell and in hell-weather conditions??? If anyone has any tips, please don't hesitate to tell me!

olé one more to go

2005-06-22T09:55:00.000+02:00

It went okay yesterday. I didn't get sick, but I was terribly frustrated: I got there at 9 and I did my exam at 12 or so... Just waiting, and waiting... I hate it, especially just before an exam, it gets me nervous! I did meet a friend: the spanish girl who's now here on erasmus. It was kinda funny. I asked her when she would be heading home. - In August- And then I wondered if her boyfriend would come to belgium once again... But she's finished with her boyfriend (after 5 years) and what's more, she has a Belgian boyfriend... That's another confirmation of my these that most relationships don't survive during an erasmus... I'm so smart... (right?)

Yesterday afternoon I did completely nothing. That felt so good. But once again I noticed how time flies when you're trying to make the most of you free time. Why doesn't time fly when you're studying? At 8 pm I had an appointment at the doctor's to get my first hepatitis A & B injection. It didn't hurt at all, :-) But 5 seconds afterwards I began feeling something strange in my arm. I told the doctor, and he replied: "Are you serious?" I didn't really feel like staying or sth so I told him it was probably in my head... In the car I imagined that I didn't have any feeling in my fingers anymore... One advice: never read the side effects just before you go in. Not a good idea! Now my arm's just a bit stiff. When I was back home, mel came and we just sat outside. Of course she thought it was cold (?), but not me, I've got warm-blood. And now after a good night's sleep I'm fresh and happy to start studying again!!!! Yeah!

Anyway, I should really start now... Last one, baby, last one (hmm, I remember this sentence from a song, but I don't remember: oh I think it's from an Eminem-song, or is it Jay Z, whatever)

2005-06-20T08:33:00.000+02:00

another hot day in Belgium...

I was just looking out my window and noticing the thousands of people passing by by bike... I just don't understand why people just go for a ride on their bikes. A bike is a means of transport to me, which means that I only get on my bike to go somewhere, a means to an end. But most of these people just get on their bikes, going nowhere. What's the fun about that? They're doing the same routes over and over again. And they do that in family!!! If there's one thing I want to thank my parents about, it's that we never did such 'family-things'. I can't imagine my parents, me and my brother just riding our bikes around the block... That would be hilarious! I guess we're just not that kind of family. I can understand why people go for a walk in the city... but here where I live? You're not supposed to walk these streets... Stay on your premises, and please, keep your children quiet when people are trying to study!!!

Another frustration and probably the explanation why i'm so bad-tempered today: I'm thinking about giving up my vegetarian life. Why? Because I HATE cows! Tomorrow at 5 o'clock they just started doing MOOOOOO, for two hours, until my alarm clock went off. If I'd had my shotgun close to me, I could've done something I'd have regret afterwards. Reminds me that I'll definitely live in the city ...

Yesterday evening I was chatting with my friend in Brazil. The one i'll be visiting in about a month!! (Oh shit, the nerves, only a month left!!!) She was watching the soccer game on tv: Brazil-Mexico. It's amazing how those people get excited about soccer... But I guess if we would actually have a team, maybe we would as well.
Today I have to call to have my injection against the yellow fever... I'm not afraid of the injection, I just really don't like calling.

Okay, now i'll go over my notes once again: tomorrow morning exam American Culture! You better wish me luck ;-)
oh great, now it smells like chicken in my room: my window's open and the neighbors finally decided to give up their chicken breed-barn or whatever... The years of smelling are over!! Finally I've won!

anywayzzzz... Cya

2005-06-19T10:31:00.000+02:00

and last but not least, el benicio... next time more

2005-06-19T10:29:00.000+02:00

my personal favorite: I know no one else will prob agree

2005-06-19T10:28:00.000+02:00

casillas

2005-06-19T10:27:00.000+02:00

taye diggs, people

2005-06-19T10:26:00.000+02:00

again not my type, but undeniably hot

2005-06-19T10:24:00.000+02:00

not really my type, but maybe one of you likes him: fabio cannavaro btw

2005-06-19T10:23:00.000+02:00

I need some distraction during the exams... People who need extra motivation... here some pics that 'll get your spirits up

2005-06-17T22:53:00.000+02:00

two more to go! Yesterday I had an oral exam: I think I did okay. I prevailed once again as a real comic talent... Well, the professor laughed with/at me. And I laughed at myself. Sometimes I'm such a dumb blonde... Well at least I gave the right answers, I think... We'll see.

I think I'm going to bed now: again nothing happened today. This weekend promises to be very hot! so I'll probably take my books outside, probably in the shade because I saw a documentary about skin cancer, and you should not be in the sun between 11 and 2 at least, and after that not more than 2 hours. In such a weather I mean. And I care more about living to see 70 than have a tan now... So people, be careful, don't say I didn't warn you! :-) Hehe, I sound like a preacher or sth... Well okay, enjoy the weekend and to fellow-sufferers: good luck!

2005-06-15T12:44:00.000+02:00

exams were okay up to now... Stop... some stupid mistakes in first exam...Stop...typical me...STop...Second exam, cramps in my fingers...Stop...tomorrow exam German Lit...Stop...Oral...Stop...don't feel like it...stop...after tomorrow 2 more...Over and out

Yesterday the strangest thing happened: the bottom of my glass just popped out!!! all the spa-water that was in it on my books and on my pants. Really weird. I think it was a sign from up there. I don't know what it means: could be good, 'you don't need to study for this' or bad: 'don't even bother, you won't pass for your thesis' ... The sign wasn't really clear. So if You would mind sending a clearer one?!

And of course thé news of this week: Michael jackson is acquitted. I knew it all along that he was innocent. He's just a really weird guy... or whatever he is.

Okay off to watch the news, look if something more interesting in the world has happened than in my life

2005-06-07T21:53:00.000+02:00

Nadal made my week!!

But already a new week is peeping around the corner, and terrible things are going to happen... the reconstruction of indo-european, the back-formation, Kuryluwicz and especially the e-and o-trappen are launching an attack!!!! I can't resist any longer.... I'm getting the hell out of here, Hope i'll reach safe territory... See you in a couple of dayssss, if i survive

2005-06-07T21:52:00.000+02:00

Victory!!!! (I wish I was that trophee)

2005-06-04T12:59:00.000+02:00

Wasn't I right? In case you're completely ignorant: Nadal's the guy on the right...

2005-06-04T12:51:00.000+02:00

Hey, I don't have to commit suicide! I got tickets for the eminem & 50 cent concert in Paris in the Stade de France on the 7th of september! Isn't that good news? (I guess only for me, I hear you thinking ' Who Cares?')

Next, my psychology experiment worked! Both my favorites are in the finals. JHH is playing in exactly two hours, If it doesn't start raining. And Nadal won against Federer. I decided Nadal will be my next future husband :-) Especially that left arm is amazing, I could eat it. And he's even cuter in normal clothes. You know what I'll include a pic!!! But don't even try to steal him from me!

2005-06-02T12:43:00.000+02:00

I'm so excited!!!! And it has nothing to do with the upcoming exams or tennis!!! Eminem and 50 cent announced their European tour! They're not coming to Belgium, but they are coming to Amsterdam, Paris and Gelsenkirchen... And those cities are not too far away. Today the tickets for germany were being sold, I was excited all morning, but I decided to go for Paris tomorrow. And if that doesn't work out, for amsterdam on saturday... I'm gonna kill myself if those two don't work, because there are still tickets for Germany.

This had as a result that I haven't done anything this morning! And I really hope i'll get tickets tomorrow, otherwise that's another day of doing nothing...

So, please think of me tomorrow and wish me luck! I'll be a wreck if i can't get any.... (just to make you all feel sorry for poor old me)

Anyway, there's still tennis: this afternoon Henin will lose (this I say so she'll win, I'm a fan of opposite psychology) and tomorrow Nadal will lose (this will probably happen anyway) Okay off to Hemingway's

a sad day

2005-05-29T22:30:00.000+02:00

I knew it, I shouldn't have had that much confidence... but well what's done is done... Wimbledon is in 3 weeks so i'll survive... and Safin and Nadal are still in there. I'm hoping for a final Safin-Nadal, but i'd better shut up, or tomorrow the same thing happens... Has anyone seen a match of Nadal, his left arm is amazing... I'm in love with that arm... Anyway, I'm off to bed, a new day of boring studying awaits me! Olé! But last night I had a great dream: I received my results and I had a distinction... You should now: I always have nightmares normally, I get killed every night. The weird thing is that those aren't really nightmares, it's very exciting. It probably has something to do with my love of wars :-) Okay I don't wanna seem to weird, so I'll just shut up now. But I do really hope that dream will come true, of the distinction i mean, although I would be very happy if I pass... VERY happy! goodnight!!!

2005-05-29T08:53:00.000+02:00

So up to now, my top-favorites are still in the tournament: Kim Clijsters will play her fourth-round against DAvenport at 11 o'clock. I'll be watching that! I hope Kim gets to the quarters, otherwise my next week will be boring! So Kim do it for me :-D
Henin is still in as well, so that's good, she can get to the finals as long as she'll lose to Clijsters (I don't think that will happen, but hey a girl can dream, especially in the exams)

And, even Safin has made it to the fourth-round, that's great, because i really didn't expect that. He beat Ferrero, and he's really good. So fingers crossed for a Safin-Nadal final!!!! two of my favorites, and actually the only two favorites that remain...

Anyway, there's no other news: oh yeah, of course: my teeth, well they're okay now. I haven't eaten a lot yet, but it's coming, yesterday i ate some french fries. Which obviously wasn't a good idea because my stomach couldn't handle those after four days of almost no real food.

Oh yes and the weather... I should comment on that! As most of you know I love studying outside, so for me personally it's no problem, but i can imagine it is for most people, who can't study outside. I do prefer some degrees less to study outside because now (or at least yesterday) it's really hot to study. Wow, i'm really into studying, i've used the word like ten times. That's good: I'll focus: study study study study (tennis) oops.

Roland Garros

2005-05-22T09:28:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow it starts again: No, not the exams, but the first real Grand Slam this year. Okay, the Australian Open was the first, but Clijsters wasn't in the draw, so that doesn't count for me... So who will I root for:

Women: definitely Kim Clijsters of course: I hope she gets far, although she comes back from injury... But a fourth round against Davenport should be possible... And she totally owns Davenport, so she should get to the Quarters, if she doesn't feel her knee of course... In the quarters she'll probably get Schnyder, and that's possible as well... Semis against Venus? But I'm not thinking that far: Now I just hope she doesn't feel her injury anymore and wins her first round match. A fourth round would be good.
JHH: although I don't like her too much, she is Belgian, so I guess she's my second favorite.
Dinara Safina: I like how she plays, plus she's Marat's little sister. She's not like the other russians a la Sharapova.
Ai Sugiyama: Kim's former double partner. A really nice girl
I guess that's it: I don't like women's tennis that much, except for the Belgians then.

Men: no. 1 Marat Safin definitely, okay he already won the Australian Open, but he's not one of the favorites. He has lost practically all his matches since the AO. And he has a third round against Ferrero (a former winner) if he gets that far of course... But I hope he does, his spirits are low now, he could use a good performance! Plus he doesn't like Wimbledon, so he has to go all the way in RG.
Rafael Nadal: a new favorite of mine, only 18 years old and Spanish. He's a real fighter. He is definitely one of the favorites, he has one two big dirt tournaments already...
Gustavo Kuerten: I don't even know if he's in the draw. I guess he is and he really need a good performance after a lot of injury misery...
Guillermo Coria: the finalist of last year
Tommy Haas: Although German, he's cute
The Belgians: Olivier Rochus, Christophe Rochus, Xavier Malisse, Kristof Vliegen, Dick Norman: they all have very difficult draws. I would especially like Malisse going far, but he has one helluva draw, so I don't think so...
James Blake: although American, I like him, he is very cute. Too bad he shaved off his hair
Youhzny: A typical Russian, I especially like his eyes and his fighting spirit
J-C Ferrero: too bad he has a third-round against Safin, because he's also one of my favorites...
Gael Monfils: he's young and cool and a hiphop-fan. I like his attitude on court
Okay I guess that's it... I have some minor favorites, but i only root for them if the others are out, like Federer. I especially root against a lot of players :-D like Andy Roddick f.i.

Okay, so I'd say: Let the games begin!!!!

let me just say it now before you read this: it's boring

2005-05-20T19:37:00.000+02:00

jow! so i'm studying now! my thesis is gone!!! olé finally... now let's hope i haven't done it for nothing... i am capable of killing someone! ;-)

what's new?! Euhm, not a lot, i'm afraid. On wednesday i went to the movies: kingdom of heaven. It was good. I'm not a fan of orlando bloom's but he was okay in the movie... It was also the first Star Wars-day... People in costumes all around the cinema, and one even 'didn't speak dutch', only djfisyh!uieh, some kind of star wars-language. Djeezes!

And other big news: on wednesday I'm gonna have my teeth done: my 'wijsheidstanden' (i don't have a clue how to translate that, sorry) So I'm getting ready for a week looking like a .... euhm whatever creature has one big cheek? and fruitpap. Woohoo!

So yes, like you see, I don't have a lot to talk about: Oh, but i didn't tell you about last sunday, the raymond vh groenewoud-gig. Well, I had to help, but I saw and heard most of the songs. It was okay.

God, I think I'd better stop: it's too boring. I can't help it: studying is boring... but just 6 weeks or so and i'm done forever! (let's hope so, because I don't wanna jinx myself)

Well i think i'll watch 'never been kissed' tonight: one of my favorite 'bad, stupid' movies... hehe...
ps: people that laugh at me because i'll watch this movie, probably like those movies themselves :-) Nah!

okay that's it: sorry for the boredom-level

it sucks

2005-05-06T19:22:00.000+02:00

I'm afraid I don't have a lot to tell: pre-exam weeks are soo boring. Oh, on monday i had a good time. We went to the turkish-pizza place in the sleepstraat: let me just say; the pizza i ate was delicious, really. I think the place was called Murhan or something. But I almost puked it all out when i was listening to one of val's stories. I really don't wanna write it down here, I rrreally don't... It's worse than you imagine, really, believe me.
Annnnywayz, after that we went to the korenlei, the weather was nice so we sat outside. Val sent a message to her bf and he promissed to come. Mel couldn't let that happen, so she texted her bf as well... It almost didn't end good ;-) bottomline is: I had to go home alone, in those dark, dangerous ghent-streets... and no one even harassed me. I'm shocked and terribly disappointed! (okay for the less intellectual people - read: stupid - this is a joke!)
That was kinda it for this week... Tomorrow's mel's birthday, hope we'll have a good time tomorrownight.

Oh- almost forgot. I won't get through the exams... Well actually my diversion would've been tennis, but now my fave player, kim clijsters in case you didn't know, probably won't play roland garros. So what am i supposed to do now???? Safin is losing all the time, so i guess that will be nothing... Hewitt is going to be a dad (the world's definitely gone crazy), so he won't win. and I don't like henin...
Conclusion: on the woman side, i only like clijsters, and she prob won't be there... on the men side, i like safin and i guess nadal and ferrero and some others, but not that much. And safin definitely won't win. Bring on those holidays

2005-05-02T09:45:00.000+02:00

I hope you all enjoyed the nice weather yesterday!!! I know I did. Thesis can go to hell! :-)
This week I only have two classes, this afternoon en wednesday morning. Well, I guess that sounds good to most people, but to me that means staring at the computer 5 days this week! Jeij!

But it's almost over, thank god! There are some nice things this week too: tonight we go to dinner, that is to say the ones who don't have to study (or rather: who don't want to study) and Saturday it's mel's birthday.

It's present-time again: mel's birthday, my brother's birthday the 10th, and mothersday. It's not really difficult to buy sth for my mother: she told me what she wants; the Bruce Springsteen-cd.
well okay, gotta go now, in two hours i'm going, c u

update

2005-04-30T14:54:00.000+02:00

It's almost a week ago that I told u i finished writing. Mmm, guess what I'm doing right now. Writing. Actually, rewriting a part that i already wrote before: my first chapter. And it's a hell of a job! luckily, i'm almost finished... It took me a week!

but enough about the t-word... let's talk about last week. I went to the movies (again! i know, i guess i like movies) to Kinsey. If you haven't seen it yet, go and see it! it's worth it. Oh, if you're really conservative: don't go! there are penisses everywhere!

After the movies we went to a cafe/pub called de geus v gent. It's a place where intellectual people invent intellectual plans ;-) So what's the plan: we start lifting in ghent or in deinze, and in one day we have to get to a certain city, hitchhiking. It's a race, two days and it's called de geus-route! If you wanna join us, give me a sign. We still don't know exactly when and where, but that'll be worked out in the next few weeks...

Something else, yesterday after the radio progr, we went over to Isa's place (in deinze) and guess who is her neighbor: an ex mister belgium, Joachim dejonckheere, he was also in Stanley's route, a show on tv. We spied on him. hehe. He is really handsome ;-)

okay, i should go back to ... (you know what) xxx

thank Benedict

2005-04-24T13:47:00.000+02:00

Halleluja!!!!!!! I just finished the real writing for my thesis! The introduction, I swear it is the hardest part to write, is done! Don't worry, still a lot of work to do: reread everything, correct it, lay-out, and some other things. But hey, it's a big step.... Thank you, Pope Benedict the whatever number! I just know that you stood next to me. I was thinking which name I would pick if I would become poem: I think I like Pius the best, short and strong. John-Paul was okay too, but that's my uncle's name (well the french variant ;-) But since I'm female, I would be Pia: sounds good, doesn't it? I actually know someone with that name, a girl from Denmark.

Anyway, this week was okay: Saw Million Dollar Baby: good movie, but not Oscar-good, in my opinion. Because of this, I missed the first episode of Temptation Island. Thank Benedict, they repeat it tonight! On Thursday, we went to a party of the Filologica in the Sioux. Oh and on wednesday I saw the Pianist again; I so love that movie. I wish I could have seen such a Jewish Ghetto, but they're all gone (on second thought, maybe it's good that they are gone ;-) I'm already glad that i'll see Auschwitz this summer, one of my dreams come true. (I know, I'm weird)

This afternoon, i'm going to my grandma and tonight back to ghent. I hope Rudi Vranx will be there tomorrow! With the pope-mania, he had to stay in rome, but he'll probably be there tomorrow. Halleluja!

that's it for now ...

2005-04-16T17:19:00.000+02:00

I know something to make you all jealous!!!!!! Guess where i'm going tonight? And guess what I'm eating tonight? That's right!!! I'm going to my favorite mexican restaurant! jihhhhhhaaaaaaaaa...

INterNet

2005-04-13T14:36:00.000+02:00

we got internet in ghent! so you can expect more frequent posts! I know you're delighted to hear that. Too bad I don't have a lot to report... I've been sick since saturday, throwing up incl. On Sunday I saw how den tom boonen won paris-roubaix, jeij!
On monday we were invited to evelyne's new house: it's so big! and her new dog: it's so hairy! I am so jealous of her garden and balcony!!! so cool to have that in the centre of a city! After a tour of the house we had chinese (food!) It was yummie. Not so yummie the day after :-) I puked it all out. Well I don't know if it was the chinese noodles, I didn't actually look at it, but I guess so. Tuesday I did nothing: rested all day on my bed and read. Today I had class: the one thing that was funny about that was the pigeon on the ceiling. Hehe, the poor pigeon fell asleep during the class, can you imagine how boring it was? And now I'm here, and I really should start reading again, I want to read 100 pages today! c'mon natalie, get up and take your book! Internet's the devil!!!!

2005-04-09T12:16:00.000+02:00

So yesterday I took a day off... just being lazy all day... I saw this documentary about a mother who had left her two children (2 and 4) alone at home for two weeks, and they died. They showed a pic of the room they lived in, it was really shocking! I can't even describe it: garbage all over the place, no mattresses on the beds, used diapers on the floor... A lot of people from the very marginal neighborhood, talked about the mother and their own children. And the mother got to speak as well, and after having seen the documentary, I understand her arguments and such, I'm definitely not saying that I approve of them, not at all, of course. But I mean she was 23 when it happened, she had her first child at 16, at 23 she had four. All four from different fathers who left her after they knew she was pregnant. The two boys were kind of hyperactive. I mean I understand how somebody like that can go crazy... She had a new boyfriend and spent a lot of time at his place, those 14 days as well, she thought her mother would take care of the children. But only the girl was staying at the grandmother's place. It was all very sad, but it obviously was too much for a 23-year old, to take care of three children, and she was very labile as well. I know I don't want any children :-D but you guys know that

So that documentary took like 2 hours or something... As it was friday it was also chix-in-the-mix time and afterwards we went to the birthdayparty of melissa's sister. She got a dog!!! I remember I used to ask for a dog, but as my beloved brother is allergic to all animals (except fish and turtles) I couldn't. Now I don't want one anymore. They lose hair (and 1 person losing hair in one house is enough: Moi) they smell, plus I don't have the time to take care of a dog. And I'm sure that neither my parents nor my brother would wanna take care of it when I'm gone :-)

BUT one day I'll have a fish!! BE sure about that! I actually had a fish when I was young: actually four, their names were mum, dad, natalie and maxime :-) Very original, isn't it? Natalie lived the longest!

Lunch now!

2005-04-07T15:40:00.000+02:00

So, what do you think of the new color? Nice, huh? Now anybody can comment on my posts! Keep it clean, guys! :-)

Oh and my hair's shorter, but not that much, so i guess no one will notice... At least all the knots are gone now :) For me it's more painful to go to the hairdresser's than the dentist. Really...

AAAAAAAAAAH

2005-04-06T23:02:00.000+02:00

Ever had the feeling you were going mad? You feel the energy inside of you and it wants to come out, burst out... You have to hit something, throw something, jump on something... But at the same time you don't have any strength. I give you one advice: better to stay away from me now! I'm dangerous when i'm in this mood. Except if you're a candidate to be hit...
And of course there's fuckin nothing on the fucking tv tonight, as yesterday!

I know what I have to do, what I have been doing for years now when I feel like this: Put my ipod on and play some eminem-song on, not any one of course, i have a few that got me through my second year of uni. Without those songs one in particular actually I wouldn't have passed. Maybe it can help me again. Too bad the new cd doesn't have such songs on it, the guy's way too happy now. no worries, i'll listen to his old cd. ANGRY MUSIC!!!!

Oh, tomorrow i go to the hairdresser's. I hate hairdressers, I guess you can see that on the way my hair looks :-), I hate the waiting, and I especially hate the washbassins, my poor neck!!

2005-04-05T23:00:00.000+02:00

tuderuduruduru... holidays are so boring if you have to study. Yesterday I watched The Beach on tv, wish I was there now!*daydream* makes me look forward to summer. I like Leonardo Dicaprio as an actor, he has actually done some pretty good movies. Only too bad he did Titanic, he became too famous and underrated because of that. I haven't seen the Aviator yet, but since he was nominated for an oscar, I presume he did well. People who know me from way back, probably know about my teenage obsession with leo. That's obviously over, but I still admire him, because of his performances then I mean.

Oh, and can they please shut up about the pope! he's dead now! no use to keep on talking about him... people die every day... Oh and: Danneels for pope! :-) and if not: an african pope will do, or maybe a south-american, please no Italian again. Not that I'm that catholic :-D I haven't been to church in like ten years, but anyhoo.

okaaay, cu lata

Nas

2005-04-04T20:00:00.000+02:00

What I forgot to tell you about: I don't know if you guys know, but Nas is one of my favorite rappers, because of his conscious lyrics. So the 30th of March he comes to Belgium, and although I have been to a concert of his two years ago, I really wanted to go. But nobody wanted to come with me... (PITY me, egoistic people, and know that I WILL kill all of you if you would do the same with an Eminem concert, moehahaha, seriously) So I decided not to go alone to Schaarbeek, maybe if it would be in the Ab in brussels again or in Ghent I would've gone by myself. So a couple of weeks ago I entered a competition to win tickets. I didn't hear anything so I thought I didn't win. (I already had obliged a lot of people to enter it too, so I had more chance to win it) The 31st of march I check my email and notice an email by the title of: You've won 2 tickets to the concert of Nas. The email was sent, three hours before the concert, to my junk mail. You can't even imagine how frustrated, mad, aggressive,... I was at that moment. How life is ironic! So yes... That's it, not funny at all, although I have to laugh at it, it's kinda funny, but stupid. Who fucking sends an email just three hours before the concert? Not everybody checks his email every hour? I checked my email at 4 pm that day, and ten minutes later they sent the email, how stupid is that? Okay, now that i've written it down, maybe i'll forget about it (nope).

Okay, peace out, m@thàf@ck&rS

2005-04-03T03:00:00.000+02:00

2nd attempt: three days ago or sth i wrote a message, but when i tried to submit it: gone! Internet rules!

anyway, don't remember what i wrote in it, but should've been sth like this: About the Eifeesten: For those of you, who don't know about the Eierworp: it's a legal suicide attempt, ten times worse than a moshpit at a slipknot-show. Can you imagine sth? I was in the mids of all that. As you can imagine, I fell, on my head, almost trampled to death, but I did survive. Okay, now I still didn't explain what the eierworp is about: Eggs (not real ones, plastic ones) are falling from the air, inside there are prizes, up to 250 euros. People fight for that... But nuf said about that, it's a trauma for life

So that was monday, the rest of the week, not really anything happened. On wednesday I watched soccer, and it was boring. On Thursday I was supposed to go to ghent, but my loving brother, who's the youngest by the way!!!!!, had 'the right' to the car that night. I didn't know about that (the older sister should have the first chance to the car, don't you think?) Anyway i stayed home on thursday, jeij! Yesterday there was chix in the mix... Everything okay, afterwards Desperate Housewives. Although they said in the newspaper that it was the last episode, IT IS NOT!!! Three more follow!

Today I went for lunch with my grandparents, little brother and nephew. Pizza. Nice food, nagging company. Grandparents...

Okay, update soon, I promise

2005-03-28T13:20:00.000+02:00

holidays! oh i already told that joke about workidays, didn't I? mmm
Well, I did some shopping last week: bought some new thing. I guess you really don't care what I bought... So I won't tell you. The following things are not among them: some leopard print strings, leather pants with holes on the ass, or anything for the nose...

What else? On monday I went to a show of the Medicins: I'm so happy I don't study Medicins.

On Saturday I actually went to a party in Deinze and it was actually fun! and there were actually cute guys, actually more than when i go to a party in ghent! What happened to the world? So yes, it was nice. And please don't ask what I have been doing the rest of the time: i hope you can guess. If you don't know, you're 1. stupid 2. you don't know me at all

In ten minutes: Eifeesten in Kruishoutem. I'll try to catch the big one: 250 euros. (Like hell I will) and the idols are coming, olé

2005-03-20T04:00:00.000+01:00

i had a week of ups and downs, but i only talk about the ups :-) gotta stay positive, right?
On Wednesday, there was Nacht van het examen, and too bad, but I didn't win. I know it comes as a surprise for all of you, but there were actually ten people who knew more than me. What a shock! Some questions were easy: who is Kevin Federline's wife? (duuh, who doesn't know that?) and some more difficult: from which country is king Gumbool (or sth like that)? After the exam, there was the premiere of de indringer, a new flemish movie, with Koen de Bouw (mmm, do i need to say more?) and it was a good movie too. We got free chips!!! After the movie, Vic De wachter, one of the actors from the movie, announced the winners. And again, I wasn't one of them... But no worries, we got some free things like M&Ms and a comic and other stuff.

What did I do on Thursdaynight: Mexican restaurant - St. Patricks day in an Irish Pub - the Limonada and then the Chocolat (that's a new hiphopclub on the Beestenmarkt). I had a fun night, and that's positive, isn't it? Some new energy to continue the thesis. One week left before the holidays, or should I say workidays?

Yesterday the radio show went good too, after that Desperate Housewives, and I didn't eat any chips! In case I didn't mention it: I'm trying to detoxicate from chips: I was addicted to them. No kidding, really. Last friday I tried to stay away from them, and I was suffering really bad, until I went to sleep, but I did it! On Saturday I can eat some, so I'm looking forward to it (in one hour or sth).

Oh and of course sth else: Kim Clijsters plays the finals in two hours. What a comeback, I really hope she wins! I'll be definitely watching! In between Meglio Gioventu II.

Maybe tomorrow more about this week: I have a kinda blackout or sth... Must be the headache I had for two days now... Peace out!!!

2005-03-13T22:14:00.000+01:00

Wow, it's already Sunday and I still haven't updated... So what happened this week: (I've blocked out all the thesis-things from my mind, so you won't find anything on that: but just know, half of the week was spent on it)
On Monday, I went to see Ray: cool movie! I've been listening all weekend to a Ray Charles Hits-cd of my dad's so I guess that says enough. Although I like him a lot: he was a sex maniac, damn, how he cheated on his wife. But then again, he really had some great tricks to seduce women. Being blind helps as well, then you're sure he doesn't want you just because of how you look :-D
Anywayz, on Tuesday, we went for dinner in a Turkish Restaurant in Ghent: it was really nice and good food. Afterwards we went to 'het Dreupelkot', and after that to ' t galgenhuisje' with some new friends: Val picked them up on the street. I guess she likes older men: it was a Dutch guy (30 years old, wife plus two kids) a South-African Guy (his name was actually Guy, he was 48 or so and had two kids as well) and then a spanish guy, named Jorge, of 28. We were like prostitutes: company for money (well, actually drinks). Some of us of course ordered the most expensive drink on the menu: Guess who? :-D It was not that bad: we got to learn a lot about ourselves: Isa has all the traits (from promiscuous to responsible to studious) you can think of, and some others have none :-D After this, we left our new friends and went to the Hasta Manana for a last drink.
Wednesday was my French class and on Thursday, again movies: Hide and Seek this time. Not bad, scary, surprise at the end... After a drink in the Hasta Manana, we witnessed a fighting: and you know how I love that :-) as a disaster tourist.

This week: 'Nacht vh examen' on wednesday, which I'm definitely gonna win and after that a premiere of a flemish movie with one of the actors present (Koen de Bouw, plz)...

Allez Spirou!

2005-03-06T20:43:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was cool! You're talking now to a new fan of Spirou Charleroi... :-) We left around 5 o'clock here and just 30 km away from Charleroi, it began snowing like crazy. Not cool. But anyway, we got there safe and sound. Inside we were brought to the vip-section and we got champagne! always nice. We got a lot of food too, but i was anxious to go to the match. It was really exciting until the end: spirou was behind with 8-5 points all the time but in the end they won by 1 point: 75-74, if i'm not mistaken. After the match we met with one player, the hope of belgian basketball. I took a photo of him with matthias, i'll add it later today. After some more food, we headed back to Machelen city. And now i got some new things to decorate my room: i'm officially a new fan of Spirou Charleroi :-)
Today full force thesis again: I lost a lot of time yesterday: teaching english and leaving at 5 to charleroi, so it has to happen today :-)

And I actually have a busy week this week... More about that next time

white spring

2005-03-05T21:42:00.000+01:00

tonight i'm going to Spirou Charleroi - Pepinster... and that's not soccer, as most people think: it's basketball, i would never go and see a soccergame of Charleroi on a Saturdaynight... Basketball on the other hand, yes. Tall, cute, muscular guys... half-nude :-) and it's Vip, so we get free food and drinks! Yeah!
I hope it won't snow too much tonight, I don't feel too comfortable in a car.

After lunch i teach someone english for an hour and then three more hours of 'the interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano or, Gustavus Vassa, The African' : only fifty pages left! olé, then i have to read some articles and back to writing again... and then the same thing starts again and again and again...

Oh i remember now what i forgot to write: or did I? whatever, short memory, i'll just tell it again: Rudi Vranx, my idol, in case you don't know, for non-belgians or stupid belgians: he's a war journalist. And since that's what i'd like to do when i'm old and wise, he's my idol :-D . Well so, my point is: he's coming to our class on Monday morning: 'Historische kritiek van woord en beeld in de massamedia' to speak about something (something about objectivity or whatever)

Okay, time for lunch

snow snow snow

2005-03-05T00:37:00.000+01:00

another week has gone by... And again the same story, a lot of my time is in function of my thesis... - I start to hate the word 'thesis', it's the most often used word this year - But I did some cool things as well: Sunday I finally booked my plane ticket to Brazil for this summer: In case you're interested: from the 22nd of july until the 16th of august I'll be somewhere around South-America... I'm looking forward to it...

What else... On Wednesday I went to Brussels: it was sooo freezing cold that day. Can you believe it: it's March and it's snowing at this very moment. It's supposed to be raining in March!!! That's what March is all about: thunder- lightning - rain, maybe a little bit of spring. But noooo, snow, temperatures below zero... It's hell to go outside in this weather, although maybe not hell... They always say hell is hot. Mmm, okay more like Siberia then. Actually I'd like to go to Siberia one day, but I don't want Siberia to come to me!!! So stop snowing and give me some degrees more! Thanx, whoever's up there.

On Wednesday (yeah it was a busy day) I had my first french class: it was okay. Not too difficult, just the way i like it ;-) Suprisingly, there are a lot of non-flemish people in my class: there's a chinese girl, a Slovakian girl, two spanish people, and some others. But it was okay.

That same night (yeah very busy day) we went to the moiano concert in the charlatan. And guess what, Gabriel Rios and Balo from Starflam were guest-singers. Guess how happy val was... She attacked me with her camera, so I didn't see a lot of gabriel. But that's okay, the poor girl even gets an orgasm in the gym :-D

Okay, maybe tomorrow more, my brains have 'frozen down'... cccccciao

thank god this week is over

2005-02-26T02:23:00.000+01:00

I'm so glad that this week is over. I had two exams, spanish and french. They both went good, I think.
but so i didn't do anything fun this week: just classes and studying. Boring!

Oh yeah, on monday we have a cool class: it's called 'historische kritiek van woord en beeld in de massamedia' and i'm not gonna translate that. I did too much of thinking this week... My poor brains... in 24 hours, i had to switch between french, german, english, dutch and spanish... That's why I went home last night, i needed the rest... Plus there were two 3T-groupies in the room next to me... With 90s-earrings and everything.

oh and yeah: sth positive this week: Hotel Rwanda. It's a great movie. You should all go and see it, so the world finally knows what's happening in Africa. I think twice i had tears in my eyes. Really sad. one funny element: belgium is in the movie! Especially Sabena... hehe. I didn't know that it were belgians who invented the difference between hutus and tutsis. I knew we could be bad as h(w)ell!! so yeah: go and see it!!!!

Up to next week! (first the weekend of course)

tennis!!!

2005-02-20T20:13:00.000+01:00

I have tttttons of work to do: i have a spanish exam on thursday and a french one on wednesday... I'm behind my schedule for my thesis and have to read a lot for classes this week. But nevertheless I went to the tennis tournament yesterday in antwerp... We had VIP tickets so we could eat before we went to see the game... Anyway, the match was good: Amelie Mauresmo - Alicia Molik. We've got Mauresmo's autograph! Afterwards we went to the VIP-zone... The guy we got the tickets from knew like everyone... We were sitting together with the manager of the Davitamon-team... He knew Tom Boonen!!! Too bad he's not available... Not that I like him that much, but all others are so stupid... Afterwards there was a double-match with Els callens, and we have hers and her partner's authograph too. Olé!

When I was back home, of course I didn't do anything any more... I fell asleep in the sofa at 10.30 while watching black hawk down... So I really was tired, falling asleep when josh hartnett is on tv! So I just went to bed and got up a bit earlier this morning... Now I'm working on my thesis, tonight i'm going back to ghent and tomorrow class at 9... Waaaaaay too early

n*a*t*a*l*i*e or Da dudette