Saturday, October 13, 2012

Pinguiss

OK, back to Basics: I need to get back to sharing you the backyard of Afrika, the great, the insolite, the fascinating... Honours today to Cameroun.

This country will always be special to me, as it is the most recent African experience I have and I really love the few years I spent there. The Camerounese are special, not always in a good way, BUT they have a lot of things going for them... PINGUISS!

PINGUISS is a new dance/ music style, invented in the streets of Douala, by an artist called Daniel BAKA'A. It's danced like the Ndombolo, the Bikutsi, the Makossa or even Coupé-décalé, but it is NOT Coupé-décalé, as the singer points out in his song. What makes this dance so popular is probably it's FREEDOM: you can dance it as you want, the only importance is the rhythm (God knows that is already a challenge to many). The only thing you need is a good physical condition... beware of your hips! :-) I have to restrain myself, before I break my foot again!!!

So Pump up the Jam, make some space and let yourself go: Rhythm is a Dancer! (ok, I might be a bit abusive of these titles)





Monday, October 1, 2012

Addicted

I have been less infatuated with Facebook the past weeks, the reason being that I have a new addiction: Pinterest. I have pinned enough projects to be busy until the rest of my life!! I have even purchased a sewing machine, and tons of material and supplies for all those projects, of which so far I have done none... Because I am too busy pinning and planning my next moves.

It also turns out that it is not that good for my self-esteem... when you get re-directed to all those fabulous blogs, of superwomen who cook the most delicious food (with ingredients from their very own garden of course), sew their own clothes, and are able to vamp-up about anything, live in the perfect home and are able to entertain their 5 kids in the most responsible way... I feel like a failure. Man, how to they do that! AND find the time to write about it, sharing all of that with the community? Do their days have more hours? They must have a time-machine or something: Men in Black, you were right, the world is infested with aliens!

Anyways, I DID spend the whole day yesterday vamping up the playground at my kids school AND might soon finish my first sewing project (of which the inspiration didn't come from Pinterest, but from the garbage can, where I found a maxi-cosy that I decided to clean and up-grade ;-) )... Stay tuned for the results!





Friday, September 7, 2012

When owning Jewelry becomes a Basic Need


I am in love with this jewelry... I want want want, I need need need!!

MURDER: VIOLENCE AND ELEGANCE HAVE BEEN THOUGHTFULLY CRAFTED IN INCREDIBLE DETAIL TO PRODUCE A RANGE OF BEAUTIFUL AND BREATHTAKING PIECES IN RUBIES, SAPPHIRES AND GARNETS, CAREFULLY SELECTED TO RESEMBLE BULLET WOUNDS, CUTS, MACHINE GUN FIRE TO THE BODY, SLASHES, BUTCHERING AND HACKING OF THE THROAT, HEAD AND EARS TO PORTRAY THE INHUMANITY AROUND THE WORLD

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Ode aan Marcelleke

Here I am... Tata! ... I AM Tata! And you didn't have to do anything special for it... just be born. And Tata I will be... as long as I get to see you splash about in the bath-tub, be upset, play with everything except with the truck-load of toys I will have gotten you. Draw on my holy sofa with the thickest pen you could find in the house. Pee in your pants just as we are about to leave to a party. Tease your cousin Mila. I am looking forward to forcing you to finish your first year of piano classes on behalf of my sister, and discovering your stack of weed and having to hide it from her. I hope I will be your confident as your first love breaks your heart (I have quite some experience with that). On long drives, we would leave no political party, radio-station or film unspoken. If you really insist, we can even talk about football. I am quite flexible. I am ready for your Marcelleke... Bring it on!


Monday, August 27, 2012

The Public Wants

... the Public Gets: Kizomba

Although I told the whole world why love Tarraxha better, I must say I am Happily surprised to see that Kizomba is gaining so much more interest throughout Europe. Personally, I don't like it when something I like becomes commercial and widely spread, but I can't fight this virus spreading ;-) 

The same thing happened when 15 years ago, I was really into Cuban salsa, dancing it with authentic Cuban friends... and then the crowd discovered it, "jan en alleman" became teachers, the US versions came over, and soon the sexy and fun latino dancers left the dance floor so that Mr Geek and Miss China could take over, losing all the soul of this great music and dance along the way. Dancing became a constant competition, girls started wearing adapted shoes and dresses, guys came with their little towels to dry their sweat... and it was fucked. I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to Kizomba, that it stays small scaled and fun, authentic!

In the meantime, one of the first commercial (and not so great) songs came out and even already showed on Trace Tropical. I prefer the Angolan or Cabo Verde ones, but I post the video, because I do find that the great basic steps in this video are showing clearly and it is an accessible song... Next time I will post a great tutorial, one that really helped me a lot! Stay tuned...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Mercenary World labelled me a Lesbian

What kind of world do we live in? I have been having discussions with people recently that always seem to end in a sombre picture of a mercenary world, where human nature is in decline, values being swept away by iPhones and the future scary...

But is it really so? I mean, I love my iPhone...

I think this subject is too vast and hard to write about, but I wanted to share a few random thoughts. I can only speak for myself, and I notice that people are so little tolerant and understanding, and that more then ever, we need to fit into a box (probably produced in China, of recycled material IF you are lucky).

We just chucked away the freedom our hippie-parents so proudly claimed for themselves together with the wrapping of our ready-made meal. In times of crisis, people go back to the safety of their protectionist and conservative lives and become more self-centered then ever. As if pointing out the weaknesses of the other will increase your own strength!

It makes me sad to see that people experience diversity as a threat, that anyone who wasn’t born in the “right” country, or the “right” family or didn't make the “right” choices has such a hard time to conquer their own place on this planet, in our society... did anyone ask themselves by whose standards we DO live? Who dictates all of this crap?

Genuine support, affection or help, completely deprived from any kind of pervert or mercenary objectives, seems to be no longer acceptable... and has earned me the Label of Lesbian... those of you that know me well, know better


Monday, August 6, 2012

I'm in my 30ies

And I don't dare to admit it is a great time of my life! ok.. sometimes I want to go 10 years back, but usually that is not to stay in my 20ies but to make different choices. This is what I would have done differently if I could go back in time:

I would have studied goldsmith and jewelry design, would have created my own company in organic food and cosmetics, would have had 3 kids in my twenties, taken better care of the beautiful body I had. I would have put less importance into finding Mr. Right and spent most time with family and friends...

Now that I am in my 30ies, I finally have the ability (material and especially mental) to make some real choices. I'll have to resolve the 3-kid dream in time before the biological bomb explodes, and I have a few new ideas: I need to find a way to merge the European and the African molecules of my body, expressing it through art, a clothing line, an ecological farm in Africa, or eco-friendly tourism...

These ideas will need to grow over time, but you will here from me in let's say... 10 years?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

One Little Frustration at a Time

I am like milk. I boil over real quickly... but take me off the heat and I'll calm down as quickly as I got onto my horse. But it happens a few times per day. I decided to start a small list of irritating situations. Feel free to pitch in or add to the list ;-)

1. Old people:
Not in general (because I know that it isn't politically correct and I know some great old people), but specifically those going to the super market on Saturday morning, chatting with the cashier. With all that time on their hands, why do they have to nag the young working class (who en passant provide for their pension) during rush hour? Can't they come on a Monday morning at... let's say 10am?

A few years ago, I went swimming before going to work. At 7am. I stopped because a group of old people started going there at 7am too, spreading all over the pool, blocking every single corridor. I guess it was followed by a cosy, old-people-breakfast thing... I had visions of poisoning them!

2. Young people:
Their is something about having your own kids: you can deal with their screaming (or not), but you can certainly not bring up the same patience for other people's kids. I am definitely one of those who will "tsss..." and throw nasty looks to mis-behaving kids and their parents, while my own daughter is ignoring my every instruction to obey. 

3. Dumb people:
Yes, I know... this piece isn't be very politically correct after all: I am a hugely tolerant person and don't discriminate against people of different racial, social, cultural, sexual,... backgrounds. Their is only one category I have the greatest issues with and that is dumb people. And oh boy, there are many. What a waist of time! Often they are also the ones discriminating against the racial, social etc... which just puts oil on my fire (and the milk boils even faster). 

I admit they are good fun to observe. I am hooked on the TV shows exposing dumb and dumber in their crappy (often happy I must admit) lives.. don't they make us feel better about our own averageness?

4. Traffic:
Although I am a blond, Belgian, woman (words of my French boss, who thinks this is hilarious btw) who literally bought her drivers license in Cameroon for 125euros, I think I am pretty damn-good driver ;-)... I like a nervous shift of gears, snaring tires, a bit of speed and loud music. 

Driving Mila to school is sometimes a real test to my stress resistance though: between the good house-wifes, driving their 4 kids in a mono-space that seems to go max at 30km/h; and the trucks on-loading in the middle of the street, I sometimes swear my heart out, my 7-year old holding on tight in the back... Jesus... Move!

Ha, and last night a friend of mine said that 40% of the traffic jams in Belgium are not related to people going into work or dropping off their kids at school, but are those old people driving to the super-market or swimming pools... get a life!



I Love My Mr. Wrong

People ask me why I am into Thug Love... I am not! I just happen to have fallen in love with a "bad boy", living a hysteric love story... I don't think I am attracted to bad boys in general, as this is the first (and last) of my life. I am fascinated by people who are different, and interesting people keep me awake, alert and help me question my own life and way of living. I have realised that many vilains are actually extremely sensitive to their entourage and to certain events. Noone is born a bad boy... It's hard to break the vicious circle though. Labelling people only conforts them and results in them behaving like everyone expects them to. Lack of self-esteem, opportunities to grow and proof that they can be responsible, are big hurdles. My bad boy will make it, because he is surrounded by people who care, opportunities and he is smart... I hope that maybe one day he will be able to use his experience to inspire others.


Monday, January 16, 2012

They Run The World

Beyonce seems to think women run the world... now, I would need to disagree with that, unless she meant Asian women! I've been out here again for nearly a week now, and I feel stupid. Ok, I admit, I have been spending my time in Singapore, Hong Kong (and Taipei is coming up), which might not be representative of "Asia", but... I have been to Malaysia, Thailand, Tokyo, Indonesia and Bali too and still believe some of the below applies in one way or another. I just feel like there are some words in the dictionary we don't have the seem meaning for:

SERVICE
Checking in a day early in the center of town rather then the airport; high-tech, clean, fast and punctual public transportation (Belgium and France, eat that!); friendly and high-quality assistance (France eat that!); elevators that take-off like Porche's and bring you to the 40th floor in 5seconds WITHOUT losing the phone signal; shopping malls that are open 7/7 until 10pm where you find the best of ALL worlds; free WIFI everywhere; clean toilets for free everywhere... I must admit, although I love chaos I could get used to this!

FOOD
Asian people spend their entire day eating. It's amasing they aren't taller and bigger! The smell of food is constantly in the air and literally everywhere are food-stands with the weirdest and most spectacular dishes... most of it I really like (good I am not scared of gastro-anteritis)! Last time my friends made me eat chicken feet, this time I stepped up a notch and had goose feet and baby-pork feet (sorry for the sensitive, vegetarians and Muslims amongst my readers). I did decline the chicken testicles, for now...

FRIENDS
This time I spend hours in the kitchen creating my own pralines (thanks for setting the example Valentine), in order to show my friends out here how much I appreciate them. They are very loyal and always go out of their way to spend time with me, then get the best and refuse I'd pay! I always come with a half-empty suitcase because I know I will have to take so much back... presents, food (famous cookies), shopping... I checked my bag this morning: it is 25kg, 2kg over-weight already, and I still need to go to Taipei! I might have to sneak some of my stuff into my bosses case when he looks the other way to get it across the border ;-)

There are other words that have a different meaning: CROWD, WORK, COMPETITION, MONEY... but maybe I'll cover them another time ;-) 

Friday, January 13, 2012

It was about time!

... I took the opportunity to get back into writing. I friend of mine told me he likes my writing style... don't know if that was:
a - pure flattery to get me into his bed
b - politeness
c - a way to make sure I would continue to spill my private life upon your screens
d - all of the above

But as usual, I hear only what I want to hear and to me it was purely because I am extremely talented, and I decided I shall no longer put that talent to waist: I am back!

Now, little recap since I created the blog a year ago: I was in a start-life crises (too young for mid-life), and wanted to change everything. So far, so good! 
- I have a new job, challenging as ever, fun and well paid
- I have a new boyfriend, challenging as ever, fun and well f**d
- I still eat only organic food when possible (thanks to the well paid job)

So what shall be the resolutions for 2012? 
- More time for my friends... for one! Traveling between Brussels and Geneva hasn't been good on my social life
- Work out a plan for the next 10 years of my life: moving? more kids? different career?
- Catch up time with Mila and Lais
- Consolidate my love-life (oh my God, I talk like a consultant!!)

No, but really, 2011 has been tiring, and turbulent. I will tell you all about it in my upcoming posts. For now, Happy New Year to all (23/1 is Chinese New Year too, so Happy Year of the Dragon). Lots of kisses from Hong Kong