The Music in My Head Festival Day 2

The Music is Dead, sadly the last day of the festival is also the last day of the Festival for ever, The Music is now Dead. Either way the music rocked and Supergrass ended the show in great style. Please respect the photo copyright is mine.

Joan as a Police Woman

Fanfarlo

The Charlatans

Tokyo Police Club

Supergrass

The Music in My Head Festival Day 1

A few weeks ago I got a great chance to take some photos at The Music in My Head festival.. here are the results. Please respect the copyright that is Mine.

The Notwist

Steven Malkimus and the Jicks

Sinead O'Connor
(as if you could not tell)

Where have you been lately?

Geeze it is amazing how quickly life can run away from you. I did not run away to hone my super powers as wonderwoman nor have I been driven mad by the Orange fever that seem to have swept Holland away (Until they got knocked out last week, go Russia go) life has been just happening.
here are some of the places I have been to in April and May,

A section of a wall near Julietts manor in Verona

view of Soave from the castle.
and more photos from the trip can be found here. Italy

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36979&l=51bdb&id=588197679

view of Lake Balaton

Croatia & Hungary
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38127&l=5183f&id=588197679

I have no Super Powers

On Feb 9th I went to a costume party for my friends C&W I went as Wonder Woman, H as White Trash and G as Wolverine.... After a few great hours in the company of Cat Woman, a cross dressing Wonder Woman, A woopie cushion, 2 William Wallaces, a WIFI hotspot, a wanker, and William of Orange the 1st and many cats and witches we headed home.

If you live in the Netherlands and ride a bike you are at a risk of riding into a tram track it took me about 8 years but it happened. It happens to everyone!!

I wrenched my knee, there is nothing broken but the damage seems to be soft cartalidge

A X-ray and a MRI later I will find out the results on Monday.

The moral of the story is if you dress as a super hero you do not actually have Super Powers.

37th Film Festival Rotterdam

Ironically the Film Festival has been going as long as I have been alive, but even so I have been enjoying it for at least 5 years now and although have not seen as many as usual this year I have enjoyed a good few.

I missed the first one due to the fantastic Dutch train service which needless to say was not delivering me to my destination on time.
Thursday January 24th
So I missed The Existence
Unfinished Sky; a remake of a Dutch movie The Polish Bride in fact I am not sure of the logistics as the same Leading actress played the same part in both movies. One set in Holland the other Australia. I liked the filming and acting. It is a great story if only a little predicable.
Monday January 28th
Falling from Earth I can’t say I really liked this movie but interesting story to be told about the situation in Beirut over what has been happening in Lebanon over the past few years.
Tuesday January 29th
A Song of Good Australian movie about a pathetic guy trying to turn his life around. I was not convinced about the story and thought the situations were to ridiculous to be believed and not convincing enough for me to feel sorry for the character.
English, August An Indian movie that I must admit I felt was not as interesting as catching my train. But it portrayed the hot and humid province in India where it was filmed.
Wednesday January 30th
Das Herz ist ein dunkler Wald German movie portraying a young mother who discovers her husbands’ infidelity, and how she deals with her own psychological issues in dealing with them.
Encarnacion A Argentinean movie about a 80’s movie star who is struggling with getting older and her life. On a trip to her niece’s birthday party she discovers how to do all those things. For me one of the interesting parts of the movie is that the actual lead role is played by a former 80’s star in Argentina and I wonder how much was real or scripted.
Thursday January 31st
Dolls Czech road movie in which three girlfriends want to go to Holland after secondary school and find their way to the border with many obsticals along the way. Love, Life & Friendship. Can some girls be so naieve.
Strizh A Kazakhstan movie about a teenage girl who is trying to deal with the life she has, I liked the character but am beginning to wonder if the eastern countries are all depressed and alcoholic.
Friday February 1st
Autumn Ball – Estonian movie, which was fascinating I walked out on this one, not because it was bad so to say but because I was annoyed with the long long shots and that last few moments of a woman who was just so pathetic. As well the director just kept on introducing new characters all the way through the movie.
Persepolis Iranian animated movie about a girl growing up in Iran over a 25 year period. This movie won the public prize at the festival/
Men’s Group Australian, I loved this movie. Not perfect but real and interesting. I loved the story behind how the movie was produced and shot. Not having a script but working with real scenarios and only giving bits and pieces as the shooting when on.
Saturday February 2nd
Deciding between sleep and a movie I have to admit sleep was more important so I passed on Rail Road Crossing, which I hope was really great and am sorry I missed it.
King of Ping Pong Swedish, story of two brothers coming of age and trying to deal with the hardships of life.
Chouga - based on Anna Karenina, the classic by Tolstoy, set in the nouveau-riche world of a rapidly changing and modernising Kazakhstan. Chouga faces the same dilemmas as Anna. I liked it, but did not love it.
Cordero de Dios – Lamb of God – Argentinean, great story of family torn apart by the civil unrest of the 70’s and how to forgive acts of love.
Hidden Faces – Turkish, I actually decided not to go to this, only because I was so exhausted and I heard how emotional it was. I opted for sleep and home instead.

much more music

In the past few months I have had the luck of being able to attend and take some photos of a few gigs.

My dear friend Mark was on tour with a pretty famous Canadian band The Tragically Hip where they played 2 nights at the Paradiso, the first night was truely amazing Gordon giave 200% to his performance. A huge difference since the first time I saw them in Victoria at the Forge back in about 1991. The second night was also good but you could just tell they were a little exhausted from the night before. The best thing about it was though being able to hang out with Mark for a couple of days which we have not done since he was on tour with Dido over 4 years ago.

The second gig I saw was h Natural This link is a little out dated), the lovely singer from Marillion was on a solo tour and was playing in the strangest little town very close to the Hague. It was the quietest gig I have ever attended but wonderful and nice to be in such close proximity to see his humour and talent up close and personal.

The third gig was a small Belgium band called Das Pop which my friend Martin invited me along, the band was lively and fun, but I was told that they used to be much more entertaining and the older songs were better. Either way for Euro 1o it was a good way to spend a Friday night.

Can you guess where this is?

1. Your coworker has 8 body piercings and none are visible. 2. You make over $250,000 and still can't afford a house. 3. You take a bus and are shocked at 2 people carrying on a conversation in English. 4. You know what these acronyms mean: PNE, VPL, GVRD, YVR. 5. You're shocked when it snows in the winter. 6. You've had California roll for lunch. 7. Know more than 10 ways to order coffee. 8. Know how to pronounce Coquihalla. 9. A really great parking space can move you to tears. 10. Your hairdresser is straight, your plumber is gay, the woman who delivers your mail is into BDSM, and your next door neighbour grows weed. 11. The guy at 8:30 am at Starbucks wearing the baseball cap and sunglasses who looks like George Clooney IS George Clooney. 12. Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment. 13. The gym is packed at 3 PM ....on a work day. 14. Can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food. 15. You watch the weather from a Seattle TV station because it's more accurate (see 18). 16. You pass an elementary school and the children are all busy with their cell phones or pagers while waiting for their personal rides home. 17. You're sure you're the only one on the road with a REAL driver's license. 18. You don't even listen when the forecast announces "chance of showers"; 19. The more expensive the car, the worse the driver. 20. Can taste the difference between Starbucks, Second Cup, and Tim Horton's. 21. Feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash. 22. You're not suprised to see geese throughout the whole year. 23. You cant remember.... is pot still illegal? 24. If there's a day of snowfall, however, you consider not going to school/work. 25. You realize there are far more Rainbow flags in the city than Canadian flags. 26. Can name 10 starbucks locations in less than a minute.




Lotus Landers Unite!

Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp

Last weekend I went to the Rotterdam Zoo. Now I am not really a fan of zoo's but thought it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon and an opportunity to take some photos.

I know the zoo is trying to be more modern but I really think they should maybe put a coat of paint on the origional gates and perhaps another person on the cash register for the sunday crowds.

Perhaps it was not the fact the zoo felt a little claustrophobic and the huge amount of screaming kids and their families did not help me feel cozy.

Apparently even a few months ago one of the gorillias, a silverback male named Bokito escaped http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/18/europe/EU-GEN-Netherlands-Escaped-Gorilla.php and caused injuries to some of the people there because the containment fence was not high enough and he must have just got bored with sitting around all day.

I know I would be.

I wanted most to see the aquarium tunnel they have built, it goes to show what a good photo can do as the tunnel is very short and to be honest not that exciting IMHO.

Oh well I guess it just reassures me how much I am not really a fan of zoos, in prtucular the larger animals that are held, the tigers, lepoards and large birds of prey.

Hospital Music

I know it has been a long long time, but I have been lured to the otherside by the interactive pages, friends popping by and ability to post photos without problems....

Oh but on another note Hospital Music, Matthew Good's lastest is deep, beautiful and heartbreaking and his usual genius. Buy it now!

snippet from the biography:

Prior to recording Hospital Music I spent a great deal of time confronting the past. In doing so I discovered something interesting, that through it all I viewed myself as beholden to the needs of others, even if it meant that I would endure immense anxiety because of it. I spent a great deal of time wading through past relationships and honestly examining their purpose, and in doing so came to the realization that, for years, I had not been all that honest with myself. That, more than anything else, influenced the material on this record, producing, at times, uncomfortable realizations represented in song. Some might, upon examination, call them bitter. Others might disregard them altogether, searching more for the comfortable familiarity of past work. But the truth is that what was ultimately produced was beyond my control in that, given everything that had transpired, it either had to be honest or I would have to walk away from music altogether. In the end, these fifteen songs combine to represent a remembrance, one that, in no small way, both began and ended on the floor of a shower.

High quality of living in Australasian and Canadian cities

Cities in Australia, New Zealand and Canada dominate the rankings of the best cities to live in, according to the 2007 Mercer Human Resource Consulting Quality of Living Survey.
Of the top 25 cities, nine are from these countries, with Vancouver, Auckland and Sydney all in the top ten.The analysis is based on a detailed assessment and evaluation of 39 criteria for each city including political, social, economic and environmental factors, personal safety and health, education, transport and other public services.The rankings are based on data collected on 215 cities between September and November 2006. The data is regularly updated to take account of changing circumstances. Top Australasian cities are Auckland (tied for 5th), Sydney (tied for 9th), Wellington (12th), Melbourne (17th) and Perth (21st).Highly ranked Canadian cities are Vancouver (3rd), Toronto (15th), Ottawa (tied for 18th), Montreal (22nd) and Calgary (24th).Swiss cities Zurich and Geneva are at the top of the rankings this year.In a separate study, Mercer ranked cities on health and sanitation. Canadian city Calgary tops this list.This survey is based on the quality and availability of hospital and medical supplies and levels of air pollution and infectious diseases. The efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems, water potability and the presence of harmful animals and insects are also taken into account.

Marillion Weekend 2007

And what a weekend it was. fantasic, the best ever. Thanks guys!

All Photos copywrite. Berlinergirl 2007

more Good words...

Once again one of my most admired singer/songwriter blogger has said words that are just so right.

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Good love is a few months. Of bliss, of nothing wrongs, of sparkle, of tight gripping hands, of the inability to get close enough.

Bad love is a lifetime.

Bad love is the greatest test known to us. It is our most prized pain - so sought after, so hard to find. Bad love is work, giving-in, compromise, forgiveness, the unflinching support for another even at their most humiliated, their most vulnerable. Bad love is not on television, at the movies, on vacation, or at the bank. Bad love is not in the church, the temple, or under the dome. Bad love is not all around us.

Bad love is what we find when we let go enough to actually be found by someone else.
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Perth, WA

It seems so long ago now but back at the end of November 2006 I was given a great gift of a trip to Perth Australia by G who was going there for work and invited me along. I was very busy the last half year with my work and could really use the break. After a very long flight and a stopover in Kuala Lumpur I arrived in sunny Australia. Perth being the most remote city in the world you would not know it as we drove into the centre. Immediately it reminded me of a mixture of Vancouver and Victoria, with the tall glass skyscrapers and smaller turn of the century buildings.

I arrived at the hotel where we were staying in the CBD and freshened up before going out for dinner.
Having had very little sleep on the way over I was already in a bit of a jet lagged state so sitting down to eat was a relief until I looked out the window and saw that the cement wall enclosing the gardens across the sidewalk was moving. I asked the server if they were large beetles or something more nefarious. He laughed and replied, yet those are WA’s finest cockroaches, but they aren’t half as bad as the flying ones. Yuck and oh joy! There is one insect that I cannot stand and that is a cockroach.
Anyway I had a full two weeks to get to know all the creatures and critters in the town.
I think the first full day after I arrived I just walked around and got to know the place and acclimatize to the weather, that evening we went out to the Swan valley to a wine tasting tour and dinner. The Swan Valley is actually the oldest wine region in WA. There was some good wine to be had and I even bought a couple of bottles from Lancaster Vineyard (Chenin Blanc) and Windy Creek (Old vine Shiraz). Day two was much the same, wandering to the beach and exploring the city but in the evening I went for a traditional BBQ at Neil’s place; he being British and his girlfriend Canadian. But I was introduced to Dukka a dry dip made of almost anything but usually spices, nuts and held in place on the bread with extra virgin olive oil, which I make at every opportunity since I have been back.

Sunday Geoff had the day off so we went to the beach, Cottesloe beach to be exact. Apparently The beach to see and be seen. I just love salt water and being able to swim in a warm ocean. We had to go and find G some Crocs for his for poor feet. Sitting on the beach and reading, listening to music and swimming. After some hours we walked back to the train and took it to the end of the line and went to look for some food in Fremantle or Freo as the locals call it. The thing we did not know on that Sunday was that there was some kind of carnival / parade throughout the whole town. And it was extremely difficult to find a place to eat that was not jammed full. So we decided to head back towards Perth to find some food after a long day. One side note was earlier in the day we had gotten off at the wrong station and happen to walk past a small church (there are MANY in WA) that had a sign out front Free WIFI to God.
The following weeks went something like wake up when G was heading off for breakfast I would join him and his colleague then usually get ready and head out. I rented a bike for a very good deal and spent most days riding around and outwardly from the city.
I visited the Museum of WA, very interesting to see stuffed animals from my home town. My favourite part being the butterfly hall. It was amazing! Some bigger than my hand spread wide, and I have quite large hands for a woman.
I rode out to City Beach, Cottesloe, Freo, Hilary’s Boat Harbour where the Western Aquarium is.

The one thing I have to say is after living in Holland for so long is that it was hard work getting used to hills. I ride my bike everywhere, but there are no hills just small slopes here. So riding some of the big hills I found around Perth was good hard work.
The following weekend we were invited by Neil to go and see some small village outside Perth called York. It was quaint and apparently a favourite for weekend getaways. Personally I did not really get it but hey I guess out there in such remoteness you take what you can. And there is a couple of good pubs and restaurants there. Neil even put an offer down on a house, which I guess is something you can do when you earn expat salaries and the AUD is so low.
Every night we ate out and tried as much of what Perth’s finest had to offer. I can promise you there were some amazing meals to be had, and of course some not so wonderful. Frasers at the top of King’s park where we had kangaroo steak and two amazing bottles of wine, Voyager Estate Shiraz and another that I can’t remember the name of. Another might we went to Kings no. 44 and also had very good meals, with a recommendation from the sommelier to not go for the 65AUD bottle but a 33 AUD bottle from Shield Estate. It was an excellent choice I must admit. Not to forget the lovely Subiaco where I spent several afternoons and even dinner one night while we listened to the Robbie Williams concert from the Oval near by.
While G and his colleagues had to work most days I was free to get out and about on my bike and explore as much as possible. I must have ridden over 250 Km in total the entire time I was there.

Another day the boys took free and we decided to do what not many people in their lives do, swim with wild dolphins, but not after getting up at the crack of dawn to meet the bus. It was kind of silly as it was so commercial but really cool to hear there little squeaks and clicks cause they just swam away if they were not interested in your being around. And I think the team that makes up Rockingham Dolphins knows they have pretty special jobs. After this we went to Penguin Island nearby to see some little fairy penguins and other odd creatures, and another opportunity for me to swim in the sea. Then we headed back to Freo for a drink and some food. We ended up at Little Creatures Brewery for some great beers then on to an Indian Restaurant Maya for food which was also very good. Then we headed home.
On our last weekend we decided to rent bikes for G and Bjorn and take them on the train out to the Swan Valley for another wine tasting tour and a visit to the Animal/ Safari park where we got to pet Kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. As well as see another host of very unusual creatures. by bike. Unfortunately we were either to late for some places or they just were not open for visitors. But we did try some more wines and ended up at a really good pub for some food and wine before making our way back to the hotel after the long day.
My last few days seemed to fly by, but not without one last trip to Freo and Little Creatures Brewery for that delicious Pale Ale.
So before I knew it I was was packing and heading back to NL. It was really a wonderful trip with some much to do. I was sad that I did not have more time to explore more north and south of the city and Western Aus.