Berlin Part I

One of the things that I've wanted to do for a long time was hitchhiking. Last weekend I finally got to do it, with my friend Heleen. I wanted to visit Berlin in my week off, because I'm going to write my bachelor thesis on the reaction of the Dutch government to the building of the Wall in 1961. I wanted to see the Wall and visit the Mauermuseum. I was short on cash though, so I wanted to go either alone (by train) or hitchhiking.

Heleen came to my place last week and I told her "I think I'm going to Berlin next week".
-"With whom?", she said.
"Alone, probably".
-"Oh, I can come with you!".
"Ok, awesome! Shall we try to hitchhike our way there?"
-"Ok, sure why not!"
And so the plans were made and we set the date on friday 17 april. We had to come back on sunday 19 april, because I had to work on monday again. Effectively we would only have one day in Berlin; short I know. I really wanted to go however, also because the hitchhiking would be part of the experience.

Thursday 16 april
I was stressing quite a bit this day. Had to work in the morning and then had only a few hours to buy the neccesary stuff like: wetties, a map of Germany, a guide (borrowed it in the library), food for the first day. In the evening I was trying to pack my bag, but I was so nervous for the hitchhiking that it took me three hours just to pack my 20 liter yellow backpack (I didn't want to bring the big one just for three days). I called Heleen and we made sure that we weren't bringing the same stuff (like shampoo and showergel) that would take up too much useless space. I decided to wear the same pants for three days and just bring clean underwear and shirts. It all fit in my backpack at last. I think I walked up and down the house for two hours, bugging my roommates with silly questions ("name some silly things you think I'll forget" they="toothbrush" me="oh crap, thanks!"). I'm such a dumbass when it comes to packing. I can forget the most silly things, this time I managed to forget a towel. That sucks balls if you sleep in a hostel that doesn't include such things. I went to bed at 11 pm, the alarm set at 6 am. I was quite nervous for the big adventure!

Friday 17 april
During the night, I woke up several times, fearing that I had slept through the alarm. I got up at 5:45 because I couldn't sleep anymore and took a shower. I was trying to eat something, but at this point it wasn't really succesful. Nervously I ran through all the things I migh forget in my head and could think of nothing more. I biked to the soccerstadium in Utrecht to meet Heleen there. At the stadium is an official hiking spot and we figured that would be the best place to start our trip. It turned out to be the perfect spot. Heleen had made signs, and the first one we used was Amersfoort (a city some 30km east from Utrecht). We both were nervous and put our thumbs up, curious how fast we would get a ride. The second car stopped. The second! It was a woman driving to work in Amersfoort. It was the first time she took hitchhikers with her, so we both had 'our first time'. We chatted a bit about hitchhiking and after the short 25 minute ride she dropped us off at a big gasstation. There we decided to go for 'active hitchhiking', which means that you go up to people to ask for a ride. This was also very succesful. Within 10 minutes we found a guy that went all the way to the German border. This guy, Gert-Jan, was very cool to talk to. During the 1,5 hour trip we never stopped chatting and we had a great time. He dropped us of at the last gasstation before the border with Germany.

This place was not so crowded so we were wondering if we could get a ride quickly. We put up our first German sign: Hannover. The first van already stopped. It was a Dutch guy, Ronald, offering us a ride to a little town before Hannover. We almost couldn't believe our luck. This guy was also very nice and again we chatted all the way. Hannover is already 2/3 of the distance to Berlin! At 11:30 we were there, only 4,5 hours on our way. If you would go by car yourself from Utrecht to Berlin it would mean a 7 hour drive. At the rate we were hitchhiking we went at the same speed.

The gasstation where Ronald dropped us off was big and crowded. We were hoping to catch a ride soon, but this time it took a little longer. We combined standing with a sign with asking. Some people wanted to take us with them, but their car was full or they were going the wrong way. We didn't mind standing for a bit though, we already felt lucky enough. After 15 minutes or so, a Dutch couple parked their car. Heleen boldly asked the woman if they were going to Berlin. "Yeah, but I have to talk with my husband about taking us with you. We kind of need our days". We were both pondering about what 'needing our days' would mean when the man passed us by and said "you can come with us. We are going to downtown Berlin". We both looked at eachother with big smiles on our faces. This was an überride! All the way from Hannover to Berlin centrum!

The couple, named Fred and Ria, had experience with hitchhiking. Fred did it when he was younger, and they took hitchhikers with them sometimes. Most of the trip I slept though, I was so tired from the short night before. If we hadn't had traffic jam (that took 1,5 hours) we could have been in Berlin at 3 pm. Now, they dropped us off at the Holocaust Memorial at 4:30 pm. We got out and thanked them happily. We were in Berlin centrum and it had cost us 0 euro... We were really euphoric and high-fived eachother.

After walking through the Holocaust Memorial we bought a map of the city and asked where hostel The Three Little Pigs was at an info-point. I found this hostel on the internet, and it looked very nice. It was also very close to Checkpoint Charlie and the Mauermuseum that I wanted to visit. After an hour of walking we found the hostel and checked in. We shared a room with three Italian guys. They were morons that didn't speak English. In general I dislike Italians, because they are noisy and don't care about it. Luckily, the first night they were out all night long. When we got up at 8 am in the morning the next day they still weren't back. We made pasta for dinner in the common kitchen, drank a very bad German pilsener and went to bed at 11 pm. I slept very good, because there were no snoring Italians in the room. How different would that be the next night!

Saturday 18 april
We got up at 8 am and ate our breakfast in the common room. We decided to rent the pink bikes from the hostel. I hate pink, but the bikes looked cool. They were actually very good, especially the saddle (the saddle on my own bike gives me pain in my butt after 15 mins <_<). I wanted to do at least the following: Visit Checkpoint Charlie and the museum there, drink coffee at Starbucks (there's only one Starbucks in NL and it's at Schiphol airport), eat at Subway (there's no Subway in Utrecht, though you can find them in other places in NL), visit some other landmarks.

We biked to Checkpoint Charlie, and I was kind of dissapointed. It was clearly a fake thing, the site as it used to be was not preserved. There were two fake guards in front of the fake house and for 1 euro you could take a picture with them. Argh. Oh well, the museum would be better, I hoped. But it really wasn't. It was kind of outdated in the sense that the museum itself wasn't modern. The collection wasn't set up in a logical way, everything was in disorder. There was too much to read and not enough to see. The guy who set up the museum, Hildebrandt, is a legend, but I found the museum really oldfashioned. They should make it more in harmony with modern times: more interaction, more kids-friendly for example. We took our time reading lots of the information, but it was just too much. We decided to leave the museum to drink a coffee at Starbucks. I really enjoyed my soya cappuchino, it always makes me happy to have a vegan option.

Now that I had visited the essential, we were looking at the map and in our guide what to do next. I saw the Philharmonie, near Potsdamer Platz and wanted to see if the Berliner Philharmoniker might be playing something interesting tonight. We biked there via the Brandeburger Tor, the Bundestag and Potsdamer Platz. The Philharmonie is an interesting building, with modern shapes. We went inside and looked at the programme. This is when I went crazy. They would be playing the Cello Concerto from Dvorak, one of my favorite pieces and on my to-see wishlist. The thought of being able to see one of the best orchestras in the world play this awesome cello concert made my heart beat superfast. I just HAD to see this!

[End of Part I, going to write the rest later]

For the pictures go to: HERE

Wat oefent het Wegenbouworkest?

Ik speel klarinet in de Bouw & Infra Harmonie, oftewel het Wegenbouworkest. We zijn momenteel heel hard aan het oefenen voor een tweetal concerten in Zeeland, 20 en 21 juni. Het programma is sterk klassiek gericht en sommige stukken zijn erg moeilijk. Ik heb op YouTube opgezocht of er video's zijn van de wat bekendere klassieke stukken. De filmpjes zijn wel voor een symfonieorkest, terwijl de Wegenbouw een harmonieorkest is. Daardoor klinken onze versies wel wat anders, maar het gaat om het idee ;)

Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien (1/2)

Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien (2/2)

Gimenez - La Boda de Louis Alonso

Leonard Bernstein - Candide Overture

Verdi - I Vespri Siciliani


Dit zijn de zwaarste stukken die we momenteel spelen, een lichter stuk wat wel speciaal voor harmonieorkest is gecomponeerd is Ross Roy, van Jacob de Haan.
Jacob de Haan - Ross Roy

Traveling For Brahms

The internet is for lazy people. Sometimes that can backfire on you, though. I found that out today.

Three weeks ago I ordered a cd-box with the complete works of Johannes Brahms, one of my favorite composers. It was a 60 cd-box for just 45 euro; I just couldn't resist! Instead of waiting one day to go to the store to get it (it was sunday), I decided to be lazy and order online. The thing will just come to ya, aight?

For one week, nothing happened and I started to get worried. I wanted my Brahms! Then I found a note in my mailbox...the first delivery failed. The second day, same story. Well crap, I have a life, I cannot always be home right? Then the stupidest thing was that the third time UPS tried to deliver the package I was chillin' on the balcony with my neighbours; enjoying the first warm day of spring with a couple of beers. I didn't hear my doorbell....

Now, what I didn't realise was that UPS tries to deliver a package three times, but then..you have to come and get it! I called customer service, and the lady on the phone refused to make a new delivery appointment. And of course, their customer service is in some remote industrial area, way out of town. Crap! I wanted to get the cd-box before Easter and decided to get it this night. It took me 2,5 hours. That's what you get for being lazy and ordering things on the internet!

On the bright side: it was a very lovely spring day. Actually, I think this was the first day that you could really smell the spring. There was a scent of blossom, flowers, and trees in the air. Also, the air felt warm. The cold of winter is slowly fading, and I can't say I dread to see it go. Yesterday, when I did my 45 minute biking trip to work it had just rained, and then the air smelled lovely as well...like fresh earth, I don't know how else to describe it.

Anyway, after a train trip, bus trip, getting the package, bus trip, another bus trip and a 30 minute walk I was finally home. With Brahms. This box better be consisting of fine conductors and orchestra's playing!
Made some pics with my phone:

this is where the fuss was all about..
spring!

reflections in  the water

lovely flowers

"De Vertraging"

Normaal ben ik niet zo'n fan van poëzie, maar tijdens een studiedagje in de letterenbieb zat ik bij de sectie Nederlands en liet me afleiden door de talloze interessante boeken om mee heen die zoveel boeiender waren dan de taaie stof waar ik me doorheen probeerde te worstelen. Ik bladerde door een verzamelbundel van Remco Campert en stuitte op dit gedicht:

Naar de vertraging der vlakten
verlang ik, naar het gras der rust,
naar wolken van eenzaam varen
en de wattenwind der zuiverheid,
naar de lommerdorpen van ontspanning
en pastorieën der voltooide liefde.

Ik vind gedichten vaak te vaag en nietszeggend, maar deze riep gelijk een mooi beeld bij me op van wuivend gras, een Nederlandse polder. Ik wilde eigenlijk meteen zo'n dag beleven, zo'n dag waarbij je heerlijk op je rug in het gras kunt liggen om naar voorbijdrijvende wolken te staren. Maar ik zat in de bieb, met op schoot een boek over de Koude Oorlog. Ik wenste dat ik ook zo kon dichten als Rempo Campert. Ik kom niet verder dan zoiets (opgeschreven tijdens een heel saai college en dit wordt tevens mijn eerste publicatie van een gedicht, dat is eng):

Mijn leven blijkt
een tragedie,
een zoektocht
naar mezelf.

En al wat ik doe
is ontsnappen,
want ik ben niet
geinteresseerd in mij.

Ik wil weg
naar een wereld
vol epische verhalen
daarin ben ik
jonkvrouw
ridder
en tovenaar tegelijk.

Dit soort troep schrijf ik op. Er staan gedichten over World of Warcraft in mijn Moleskine. Zodra hij vol is ga ik hem stiekem verbranden, zodat niemand die ooit onder ogen kan komen :D

Redacteur carriere van start

Mijn eerste recensies als redacteur van zwaremetalen.com staan online.

Black Messiah - First War of the World
Heideroosjes concert review
Aleph - Seven Steps of Stone

Komende tijd:

Toner Low - II (Drone/Stoner metal)
Callisto – Providence (Postrock)
Fear Falls Burning - The Carnival of Ourselves (Drone)
Fear Falls Burning - I'm One of those Monsters Numb with Grace (Drone)

Ik heb net de promo's binnengekregen:

Het albumwork van Callisto is zeer stemmig, de bomen die je ziet zijn een plastic sleeve die over het album heen getrokken moet worden.

Het boekje ga ik nog nader bekijken als ik hem ga luisteren; hier maak ik altijd graag een 'experience' van.

Lekker voor een nieuw album gaan zitten met een kopje thee en dan rustig met de nummers meelezen, heerlijk! De promo's van Fear Falls Burning zijn voor promo's vrij mooi, maar het lijken net single'tjes te zijn. Ben zeer benieuwd!

Drie Jaar Geleden

Drie jaar geleden woonde ik nog bij mijn ouders, maar zat wel vaak in het kraakpand met Christiaan Mulder.
Drie jaar geleden is mijn relatie met Christiaan Huigens uitgegaan na 3,5 jaar. Het hoe en waarom doet er niet toe, maar het uitgaan van deze relatie heeft tot grote veranderingen in m'n leven geleid. 
Drie jaar geleden heb ik mijn tatoeage laten zetten, de feniks die op mijn onderrug zit. Twee jaar lang had ik erover nagedacht en het uitgaan van de relatie met Christiaan en het langzame proces van zelfstandig gaan wonen vormden een goede aangelegenheid om het toch eens te gaan doen. 
Drie jaar geleden ben ik vegetariër geworden. De keuze heb ik in een andere blogpost al uitgelegd, maar dit is een zeer drastische verandering in m'n leven geweest. Ik veranderde van een stilzittende tiener in een bewuste eter en sporter. 
Drie jaar geleden zou ik mezelf nog een onvolwassen persoon hebben genoemd, nu heb ik de verantwoordelijkheid in eigen handen. Ik stond er laatst pas bij stil hoe fijn dat eigenlijk is. Het voelt als iets om trots op te zijn, om niet meer van je ouwe lui te hoeven leven. Ik ben er nog niet compleet, m'n ouders betalen het collegegeld nog, maar dat vind ik op zich niet iets vreemds. 

Als je deze blog leest, dan is het misschien leuk om je af te vragen of er in de afgelopen drie jaar veel is veranderd in je leven. Vind je dit prettig? Heb je het gevoel alsof je vooruit gaat? Of is er veel reden tot ontevredenheid? Als er iets is wat ik heb geleerd deze afgelopen drie jaar is dat het geluk in het leven veel te maken heeft met wat voor keuzes je maakt. Niet dat ik altijd super gelukkig ben geweest in mijn leven als zelfstandige student, maar het besef dat ik mijn eigen boontjes dopte heeft altijd wel in mijn achterhoofd gezeten. Veel dank gaat natuurlijk wel uit naar mijn vrienden, die me in moeilijke tijden van advies en knuffels hebben voorzien! :D

<3 Agalloch

You always hope for these shows that near perfection. 
Agalloch have managed that with their last show in the Netherlands.
This was the fourth time I saw them and their best gig ever imo.
I got in the W2 a little early; Don saw me and still recognised me, how cool!

They started the show after Mely and Dornenreich.
The incense sticks brought the perfect atmosphere right away.
The smell reminded me of catholic church .... John was giving them away and I got one, yay :D

Then the songs....They started of with some of the old work: Dead Winter Days and As Embers Dress the Sky from the album Pale Folklore.
Then they went on to play songs from The Mantle: I Am the Wooden Doors and In The Shadow of Our Pale Compagnion.
The sound was a little bad at first (could barely hear John's vocals)
but that got better and better. It was loud...loud...but good.

I felt in heaven. I was all up front together with a friend (Nik) who
came all the way from London with his wife Milla to see Agalloch here as well.
We consider ourselves to be hardcore fans :D
Agalloch also played Limbs, Not Unlike the Waves and Bloodbirds from Ashes Against the Grain. That was their 'first' last track. Don recognised Nik and me up front and waved at us. The audience yelled for more and got more.
What a suprise, the played The Lodge (dismantled), a 9 minute postrock/postcore track. They ended (as they mostly do) with NOISE. Don ripped strings from his guitar and John even gave me and Nik his guitar-effects-thingie to play with.
That was awesome! I made 'music' with John Haughm. For me, as diehard 
fan that was a wish come true! It even got better when John grabbed my hand and Nik's hand and the three of us shared a minute or so just going into the noise, sharing our energy. It was a spiritual experience for me and I cannot believe how lucky I got to be able to share a moment like that with one of my heroes. This proves once more that music is a binding factor for humans. We can go 'into' music and move beyond the 'real world', into the spiritual world. I felt energetic and insanely happy.

After the gig we saw Don very quickly. John also came out and also recognised me and we talked for quite a bit. We made a pic with the band + Nik and me. There was chatting with John and Don for awhile longer and I bought the last tshirt from merchandise and a poster that everybody signed. 
John told me that Aesop (the drummer) bought lots of weed that he has to smoke in one night so that guy is prolly fucking wasted right now as I write this.

All in all it was an awesome experience from the best band of earth.
I invited them to come and play in Utrecht next year so hopefully they'll listen to me, their hardcore fan :D


PS: Dornenreich was also very cool, but due to me being exhausted now I won't write a review about them.