Monday, February 26, 2007

How it all began

This is a flashback.

Maybe I've been watching a little bit too much of 'Lost' lately. But luckily I won't be telling about some island in some ocean where some airplane crashed upon and where some survivors have to deal with some other people.

This is about realizing I never started off properly with all of this writing, publishing and opening up to the cyberworld and beyond. I never managed to explain my why's, when's en where's. I never spoke about the who. Not that I feel the need to open up and elaborate on my most intimate details to a world for me too big to handle. No, not at all. A fundamental rule of someone who tries to tell something should be not to go too far. Not to forget that part of him- or herself the world should not be interfering with. There is a chance that one day nothing of that 'self-being' will be left, wasted in too much publicity. Dreams will be gone. And we will just belong to emptiness, to everything, to everybody and especially to nothing.

Anyway, we all do what we want with our secrets. And most of all, we all deal with the consequences of those secrets ourselves. Let's just not pretend not to have secrets, since that would mean not to be living. It would mean not to experience seconds, minutes, hours and all other indications of time set forth by the never ending ticking of that huge clock we sit on. So, secrets aside, this is a humble description of a journey we like to call 'life', brought together in one big soulsearch between words, thoughts, feelings, ideas, expressions, smiles, tears and all the other things coming from a place we like to describe as our 'heart'. A description however limited. To limits of life. To boundaries we set out, hoping never having to cross. To boundaries we'll never want to jump over. The barb-wired fence with a hungry big tree-headed dog at the other side is a nightmare we just do not want to encounter. So be aware of limits. Of limiting. Of being limited to where I want to go, to what I want you to know. Telling everything would mean giving up curiosity, mystery and willingness to keep on reading and to get to know more. Or am I just kidding myself?

It doesn't really matter. At least not for me. I like playing with that feeling. Just as you probibly like to play with the idea to know. So let's meet somewhere in between. Where we all can sit together underneath some big oak on a sunny day. A picnic basket. Some music if you want. I'll bring the wine, if you'll be willing to listen.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Days of happy b-days

For all of you I might have forgotten about. For all of you celebrating once more a day from the past where stars got together and the earth stopped turning. Just that one tiny moment. A moment of history. Even if it might only be a piece of history of our own, our little secret to keep for ourselves or to share. A sparkle of life let free in the big world. Maybe to make it a better place. In any case to make it our own.

Happy birthday Bart
Happy birthday Liesje
Happy birthday Marieke
Happy birthday Michel
Happy birthday Carole
Happy birthday Raf
Happy birthday Frederik
Happy birthday Annelies
Happy birthday Nonna
Happy birthday Annelies
Happy birthday Bert

Make the best of it. Of that moment. Of that day. Of your life.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Almost back

I've been away a while. Away from thoughts and inspiration. Away from daily business. Away from same old same old. You've got to see different things, you've got to give your eyes a chance to see difference and your hands to sense that difference. I thought a trip to New York would have been a nice way to do so. And actually it was. Without having to elaborate on the where, when and why. Just saying 'New York' is enough. I've you do not already know, just trust me, or go and see for yourself.

But still I'm not completely back. Time just is not at my side lately. So still some work to do. And some more traveling, without having to sit on an airplane for more than 8 hours this time, 'cause Barcelona is no more than 2 hours of flying. See you soon, more stories to come. More tales to tell. More feelings to share.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Legoland

Ik zag mijn buur net passeren met twee enorme dozen lego onder zijn arm. Neen, niet voor zichzelf. Dat denk ik toch. Want als ik hem was, dan was de kans groot dat ik er mijn handen toch niet helemaal van zou kunnen afhouden. Kleine blokjes in alle kleuren en geuren die op één of andere manier bij, in en op elkaar weten te passen, en de sleutel vormen tot een wereld van fantasie, van wegdromen tussen ridders en feeën.

Er ging geen dag voorbij zonder lego. En lego was waar een dag uit bestond. Zolang het pubergehalte nog niet voldoende was ontwikkeld, kon zelfs het blonde buurmeisje met de diepblauwe ogen niet in de weg van mijn heiligdom staan. Inderdaad, mijn heiligdom. Mijn wereld. Mijn kleine wereld waarin hooguit 30 mensen woonden, 10 auto's rondreden, er een trein was, een vliegveld, een politiekantoor en een veredelde brandweerkazerne. Van woningbouw was niet echt sprake, daar er niet meer was dan een paar schamele huizen, een middeleeuwse burcht die als ruïne fungeerde en een boerderij met paarden, een paar stalknechten en de nodige accessoires. Er waren wegen met verlichtingspalen en zelfs echt werkende verkeerslichten die ervoor moesten zorgen dat auto's het spoor niet zouden oversteken bij een passerende trein.

Maar die beperkingen, die kleinschaligheid, hoge staatsschulden en waarschijnlijk hoge belastingen maakten allemaal niet uit. Het was mijn droomwereld waarin ik de werkelijkheid kon bepalen zoals ik dat graag had. Een goede tiran die alles over had voor zijn volk, daar waar het volk zelf niet veel te zeggen had. In de echte wereld zou ik waarschijnlijk niet graag gezien zijn, maar dat maakte toen helemaal niet uit.

Het was mijn wereld.
Ik was koning.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Dirty inspiration

Inspiration is a strange thing. It's never there when you need it, when you sit behind your desk waiting for it to come. It's never there when we have time to do something with it, to unleash your creativity and start moulding a meaningless brick of clay into shapes of life.

Inspiration comes as you sleep, giving rise to your dreams. To thoughts you never experienced. To feelings you just did not know to be there. Putting it this way it all seems to be about remembering those thoughts and feelings as you wake up. But then, opening your eyes is like ringing a bell to bring you back to reality. Electric shocks making sure to clear your mind, erasing every single bit created in your sleep.

So maybe inspiration is all about being lucky. Lucky to discover a little piece that survived your process of waking up, bringing you back to what you created. Or just lucky to be struck by it as you dream away watching birds fly over in search of the warmth of the south. Maybe we should dream away a bit more. Just putting our sensors to zero and waiting for something, for nothing, for everything.

Or maybe we should just keep our eyes open at night, waiting for dreams to come before sleep takes a hold of us.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Jeugdsentiment

Om niet te vergeten hoe het ooit was. Om niet te vergeten dat dingen onomkeerbaar veranderen, andere wendingen nemen, telkens op zoek naar een compleet nieuwe horizon. Om niet te vergeten dat we ouder worden, ook al willen we er misschien niet aan worden herinnerd. Om onszelf niet te vergeten, onze dromen, onze vooruitzichten, onze jeugdliefjes met bijhorende vlinders in de buik en op hol slaande harten, ons huiswerk dat steeds mooi gemaakt - of net niet - diende te zijn. Om de leerkracht met de vergeelde sik van de sigaren niet te vergeten, maar ook de jonge vervangster met de veel te korte rok en diepe decolleté (niet dat iemand dat erg vond). Om onze weg te blijven vinden in hetzelfde dorp, in nieuwe steden of andere landen. Om te weten wie we waren en waarheen we gaan. Waarheen we ooit wilden gaan.

kvraagetaan - de fixkes

makkik binnen makkik binnen om een lieke te beginnen
over de dinges die kik mij ammaal herinner
uit de goeien ouwen tijd
van rekenen en vlijt
een leven zonder zorgen ambitie of spijt
heelder dagen gaan sjotten
voor den donkere thuis
alleen maar wa ravotten
en t school daar kwam niks van in huis
drei keer durven was doen
maskes plagen liefde vragen
en al wa ge zegt da waarde zelf
me uw broek in den helft
het was zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel as ik vraag het aan

kvraagetaan

er was nog gene gsm gene vtm
en niemand die hannibal of murdock wilde zen
rons honeymoon carolientje merlina met de parafix
en voerdes was er niks
we mochten niks mor dejen alles
urbanus was nen held
ons pa diejen oj nog haar en we telden al ons geld veur de kermis
showen in de boksauto’s
outrun in plaats van onze commodore
er waren geen cd’s geen mp3’s
alleen mor wa cassetjes
en buurman wa doet u nu
veur ons allereerste tetjes
het was zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel as ik vraag het aan

kvraagetaan

derde couplet potteke potteke potteke vet
de g’ed al honderd was men eerste brevet
’t songfestival jeuj later naar bed
the reflex fl-fl-fl-flex op ons tennisracket
ja jonges we zagen het groot
we wieren ammel profvoetballer of piloot
en haten was nog geen nationale sport
alleen misschient die koteletten op ons bord
bivakpotsen sponsen broekskes karbonaaien
die knielappen die z’ aan ons broekskes wilden naaien
betsaksaai bettemakemaai
ik stop ermee wa is men schaai
het was zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel ammaal
zo simpel as ik vraag het aan


Birth - School - Work - Death

Yesterday I had the chance to hear a song that just slipped my mind a long time ago. There just is so much music around that you can't remember everything. But once in a while it is nice to hear things you forgot about. Things you used to like. Or things you like to remember because of a special meaning, because of a connection with a specific chapter of your life, or just because of general values to give to a world giving meaning to your existence.

We all know about The Godfather, one of the best movie of all times. Or better, the 3 best movies of all times. But maybe not all of us know about The Godfathers [in plural that is]. It might be that referring to a song called birth, school, work, death might help a bit more. Not that it matters that much, but yesterday, hearing that song again, I realized how easily a lifetime can be brought together in a few words. I mean, a whóle lifetime. An average of something like 80 years summarized in barely 4 simple words! You can call me crazy, but I like to consider that quite scary. Because thinking about it, it's more or less exactly what it is. Ok, not for everybody, but at least for most of us...

A whole journey of neverending memories already made and stored away or still to make, to write down or to record. It does not matter. A few words and your book is written. Without the details maybe. Without the color schemes and the templates. Just the essentials. And ok, those few words mentioned in that title of that song might be subject of comments, a few more words might be added or replaced, but in the end the message is clear: live life your way. Live life in a special way. And most of all, make sure to remember it in more than a few words.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Two


Waiting is what it was.


Infinite, intense and fearful waiting.
Quick prayers. Burning candles. Soft whispering in the holy nothingness.
Sounds of grinding teeth.
Afraid hearts of doubt. Afraid hearts of infinite hope.

But in whichever way, pounding hearts.
Fast and strong. Pumping. In their own strong pounding rythm.

Two hearts.
Two small hearts.
On their way in their own world.
But not alone.

Free from violence. But also from protection.
Released. Free. Saved.

Steady.
Ready.
Go!

Two times welcome.

[to Aude and Maxine. To the proud parents]

[Thanking Ilana and Co. for the translation]