E s c a p e | f r o m | R e a l i t y

Still around

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:42:31 GMT

So what happend in the last 3 weeks ...

got a new camera, a Nikon D80, and it's my new baby :D
went to a sleddog race in Switserland, and made tons of pictures
discovered the joys of animating with paint on glass
spent too much money at the International Rotterdam Film Festival
might get an internship in Oslo
went to Zaandijk for a week to visit a friend (with two huskies)
planning to run the outdoor valley sled dog race
And got a new layout from thefulcrum

White outside

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:41:54 GMT

It has been freezing the past week!! It was amazing, the cold excites me. Same for Husky. Although we didn't have actual snow, there was losts of frost (due to the mist), but it's all gone now.

This morning we went for a walk:

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 10:02:15 GMT

Haven't written anything for ages, I'm such a bad journal-owner :S

Yesterday was fun, I helped out at the open day at our academy, telling people about our education, and animation in general, and making silly pixelation video's. The week before that one of my films was screened at a festival in Brussels (Belgium) =)

I did lots of things during the past weeks of non-livejournal-writing, but I'm too lazy to write about it. Instead I'm reading this, it's entertaining (I don't like anime in general, and that's an understatement).

Life drawings

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:29:04 GMT

A couple of life drawings I did last week

Yesterday I went to the BUT festival (b movies, underground and trash films) and it was totally awsome! Too bad I could not see the end of the last movie, El Baron contra los demonios, because it was so awsome! I also saw Stag Knight, Acne and NyMpha.

I can't go to the Pampa :(. Turns out I need a special license to train in Belgium. And the temperatures got warmer too. I wish we finally had a really cold winter over here.

Husky

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 16:39:51 GMT

Woot!! It's finally starting to get colder around here, yesterday morning was the first time I could actually go and train my dog again, and he did quite well. I might go to here later this year:

But I'm now off to go biking with Husky, it was raining most of the day so it'll be muddy ^^.

Edit: just got back :) We met a girl who really liked Husky so I stopped and she could pet him and wanted to take a photo of him XD Silly Husky:

(he's not fat, he's just fluffy)

Pictures from a while ago

Haha guys lolz

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:26:10 GMT

Something funny happened, there is this guy that I've 'known' from kindergarden, then didn't see him for 10 years or so and ran into him again a couple of years ago, but we never said a word to each other. Now I occasionally see him on my way to the academy or home and he looks at me, I'd like to say hi but it's a bit weird because we never talked to each other before. Now twice on one day he walked after me to sit in the same train dep. as me. So I was like .... okaay ... if you like me just SAY so.
It's not the not talking part, but the shy part. I like guys that are confident and a bit dominant, and polite. I like it when they hold open doors for me and just small things like that.

And then is this other guy who actually does those things, but I'm not quite sure if he's really interested in me. But he holds doors open for me, looks at me when I'm not 'noticing', clearly told me that he can't say no to pretty girls and was really amused when I asked him a favor (and didn't say no ^^). And when we talk he looks me in the eyes a bit too long and even when we're not talking he keeps looking. When I'm with other people and he says hello to all of us but looks me in the eyes when he does so. Oh and he occasionally winks at me. But I'm just not sure, I'm afraid that he's like that to more girls then just me.

Meh, men are confusing.

A bit of everything

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 14:29:28 GMT

I feel like crap today, I'm having a nasty cold and it sucks :(

School however was fun, we're doing another group project and set up the greenscreen studio. We're going to make a movie combining live action and animation, it's really awsome! So now we have to find an actor and let him/her interact with our animated stuff.
We have this brandnew Panasonic HD camera and it's soo awsome, I love playing with it! I want one too but can't afford it (about 20,000 euro O_o ). And earlier this week camera people of a local tv station came and filmed my dad with Miss Zeeland lol XD. The camera guy was really nice and I went with him, helping with the camera and everthing. It was this huge 25,000 euro shouldercam, not HD, but it was really very cool nevertheless!!

Ahahahaha OMG it was the worst Harry Potter movie ever made! They cut too much stuff and it was stupid Harry heared the prophecy in the hall. Voldi was really cool though. And Tonks sucked, I really don't like the actress who playes her. And Bellatrix! God she was horrible! Book Bella is awsome but the hair of the actress XD. Snape was cool. So was Lucius. And Luna.

It was the best Harry Potter book, exept the part in the tent took just too long I think. And the last chapter was horrible, I'm never going to read that again! Can't believe Tonks and Lupin died, and Fred and Hedwig and Moody :'( I didn't like Lupin and Tonks getting married but got over that, then Lupin came to Harry and co all stressed up and everything and I sooo hoped they would divorce but instead Tonks got a baby! Nagini was awsome! The Malfoys rocked, they're so dorky. And Snape wasn't evil after all! And he could fly!

Albus Severus!!! That kid is sooo gonna get picked on when he gets older XD

Sweden!

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:15:38 GMT

Yes I'm home again ... actually for quite some time already ...

Sweden was absolutey fantastic, I want to live there! The lakes were so beautiful. We travelled somewhere between 4000 and 5000 kilometres and I've seen soo much I could write a book about it ^^ Lots and lots of photo's over here.

We spend a couple of days at Sweden's largest lake, which is about a third the size of the country I live in! It was like a sea, but with fresh water. Went to a dog show, more cultural things, more nature things, and spend most time around lakes, absolutely fantastic lakes, black water scattered with small islands and surrounded by trees. It was absolutely fantastic to swim in them during sunset and morning! Have a lake:

Öland was a really neat island, when we were at the almost northest part of it I decided to hike to the tip (which didn't seem too far, when I got back again after 6 hours or so I looked on the map and found out I just walked 27 km O_o awsome! Photo:

The most southern tip of the island was really neat as well, walked past Gustav's wall, which is 4 km long and crosses the island from the west coast to the east coast. It wasn't touristic at all (more like completely deserted) and I had to walk through pastures with horses and cows who didn't mind me walking there. And there was Lange Jan, not that long actually. It's a remote bird watching area:

Did see loads of cultural things, ancient graves, forts, castles (including Eketorp and Borholm castle). And trees and water. If anyone ever wonders what Sweden looks like, picture loads of trees and lakes, that sums it about up. God I wish I lived there ... must wait a bit longer though.

Okay so then when I got back I left again and went to a friend who lives halfway across the country. She has two siberian huskies and I spend a week there. We had to doggie sit a mini poodle and a boxer/dashhund/stafford(!) mix. The poodle was annoying but for some reason she thought I was awsome. I didn't think she was awsome but she didn't seem to mind.

School tomorrow so I actually should go to bed or something.
Ow and I finshed Harry Potter and the deathly hallows! I'll write about that historic event later.

Almost gone to Sweden!

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:13:11 GMT

I'm so anxious to go! With a bit of luck we leave this wednesday so we'll have 3 and a half weeks! Two days ago I picked up my tent, it's a green The North Face Mountain 25, an extreme expition tent that's also used on base camps at mout everest, it's an awsome tent.

We probably travel up to 1500 kilometers through Sweden (and we have to cross Germany and entire Denmark to get there), one of the places we're going is a Wilderness camping in South Sweden, VildMarks camping, 200 acres, no running water, no electricity =). And Hopefully visit a sled dog kennel just above Karlstad and travel across the coast up and down again past the lakes.

I want to go! :)

Summer stuff

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:24:18 GMT

Yesterday was the summer fair-thing we have every year in town, it's always helt in our street because of the shops. It was really busy and after spending 2 days of washing and polishing cars people finally could admire my hard work ^^.
My dog was outside with me most of the time, and it's amazing the attention you get with a 'pretty' dog. People come up to me to just talk and pet the dog. There was a little boy who wanted to pet him but the dad thought Husky was a bit big. I said it was okay so the little boy slowly walked to Husky who was laying flat out on the ground and he gently petted his head. Husky got up and even though he was about just as high as the kid the boy wasn't afraid. I was guite amazed by how gentle my dog was with the boy, no jumping, licking or hyper behaviour, he just stood still and let the boy pet him, I'm so proud of him =)

Last week was also Husky's first time on a bus, and I should mention he's afraid of car engines. I was already prepared for a big wrestle to get him in the bus but he jumped straight in, even though the engine was running! The way back went even better, he seemed exited to get in a bus, because he kept pulling and whining to get in another bus (the wrong one) that came earlier.

Just one and a half weeks until I'm going to Sweden for 3 weeks! Oww I'm so exited, did you know you are allowed to camp anywhere you want there? It's going to be awsome!

Animation and stuff

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 11:58:34 GMT

Blerghh only 2 more months before going back to school :(

Oh yeah and I made another shot animation, in 5 days! OMG it's for a contest and you can read more and see it here at my animation/art blog!

And I only just bought The Man who fell to Earth, hope it will arrive soon! And I'm after a couple of Luis Bunnuel films as well.
I thought I had lots of thin white duke pictures but apperantly not! *faints* OMFG is his hair hot or what?

Alaskans WIP

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:23:34 GMT

I will upload the Maya animation I made for school soon, but here's a rendered frame that looks really neat:

and (hopefully) a work in progress, I only just desided to add in an entire team instead just one dog:

Last night Maximum Overdrive was on tv, it's a movie directed by Stephen King and it's sure been a while since I laughed so hard during a movie XD

OMG

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:47:05 GMT

I've neglected my livejournal a bit lately but I'm sort of back again. Last week had my final presentation-school thing and now I have to wait 2 and a half months to go back to school again :( I like school *sobs*

Happy pomegranate

Sun, 13 May 2007 19:51:58 GMT

I usually drink just tea and water but for a change my mom bought this juice stuff and it's flavour is called 'happy pomegranate'. For some reason that really amuses me because I don't quite understand how that pomegranate can be possibly happy.

LOL!
OMG it's back on TV again! I used to watch 'allo 'allo with my parents every evening and now I'm watching it again with my parents every evening, lol. Helga, Flick and Gruber are still my favorites.

Yay!

Tue, 08 May 2007 08:04:28 GMT

I haven't vanished from livejournal, although it sort of appeared to. (I was too busy to post).

Last week we went to the International Festival of animated film Stuttgart and it was totally awsome! Our academy had a presentation there, and I watched way too much films (3 and a half days, from 11.00 in the morning till 13.00 at night). And I spend for €100 on DVDs =D. Great times.

A long time before that, 8 & 9 april, there was a info day organised by a brand new organisation (that gets my full support), the first dutch organisation that helps rehoming northern breeds. Lots of fun, I know the people who run the organisation along with many other familiar faces, great people. There were all kinds of demonstations and I participated in a doggy dance demo, you should try that once with sled dogs, it's fun (the only thing that goes on in their minds is pull, pull, pull, trying to make them do tricks is really very entertaining XD). An evening group walk went great however, they don't stop to pee and sniff all the time, they only pull, fun! Husky howled and whined and yelled at Quincey (they fought last summer and they officially hate each other) and Quincey growled back at him each time they walked past each other. And on a cool morning my dog proved to be faster than a 6-dog team! *go Husky!*

Me, Husky and Maaike's camera (I want one like that too!)

Maaike and Taiga

Our fire

Husky

This is one grumpy dog, no stanger can come near him without loosing a hand or worse

Beer and Nikita, rehomed through this wonderful organisation (their owner bought my old kickbike)

Husky in the middle and the husky girl on the left is his new best friend. I wish I had a slim build racing dog like the one on the right (mine's just as slim without all the long showline hair :S)

And yesterday was my birthday! OMG I'M 21 NOW! I'm getting old!! My mom baked me a fantastic cake and my dad gave me a small 80gig portable harddrive (really needed that!), and also got two more DVDs. And dracschick gave me a virtual gift, thank you!

Ouch crap!

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:52:23 GMT

We painted during life drawing classes this time and it was so much fun! I love messing with paint =D Oh and I watched Cars today and it rocked. Yes it did. I mean, talking cars, I can't believe no one else had ever thought of making a feature about talking cars! I loved it. Well, I watched The Wild as well and it totally sucked. I said it a while ago and I'll say it again: Disney is dead. The movie had no feeling, no soul, no whatever it is what makes films interesting and touching.

I will be on a quest tomorrow, finding Sergei Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible. I want to see that movie before next week because one of our teachers will show us a movie by russian animator Fedor Khitruk in which there are references to that movie. My teacher already mentioned Ivan the Terrible a couple of times now and he thinks I really should see it.

Now for the Ouch! part. So I was happily watching Cars and my dog has the annoying habbit to crawl as close as possible to the couch I'm sitting on. So when you put your feet down you stand on him and he snaps at your feet (it's just a panic reaction, no delebaret agressive bite). Usually it's just a sore spot but this time he bit slightly harder. It's actually quite deep but I've had dog bites before and it doesn't look that serious, I'll be totally fine (unless it gets infected but I cleened it extremely well). He can't help it, it's just a panic reaction.

New addition

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:24:38 GMT

Omg omg she's mine! Look! That is Rangda, the evil witch. I've been looking for an affordable Rangda mask for ages and I never ever believed the seller would agree with my €25 offer! Finally Barong on my wall can face his opponent.
The only problem now is how to get it here, but as soon as I get her I'll post photo's!

Besides that not much is going on right now, I've had a nice week off and I'm currently redoing my website. I did a bit of painting and drawing, tried to make paper (it sort of succeeded exept that it's slightly pink) and I'm about to mess around with clay.

Monkey head on a stick

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:29:37 GMT

I think my girly hormones seized controle over my brain. It's quite annoying when you mind wanders off the entire time while trying to do something useful *drags mind out of gutter and continuous post*

I 'collect' weird things and some of them remain complete mysteries. Including this little woodcarved fellow that I found at a small weird store in (out of all places) Denmark. It looked like a monkey head on a stick and I just had to take it with me.
But at this point I'm still not sure what it is or where it's from. At least it looks cool:

Martin Buser is leading this years Iditarod. Dee Dee Jonrowe scratched after she fell in Rainy Pass, quite a lot of mushers scratched this year in Finger Lake and Rainy Pass. Rick Swenson is 26th, HA! I don't like him at all, he ran in the top 5 until a few days ago, I don't know why he fell back so far. But go Buser and Jeff King!

March of the Penguins / La Marche de l'empereur *****

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:00:52 GMT

Wow.

That was one of the most impressive movies I've seen lately, visually truly breathtaking. At the end I was in tears and that hardly ever happens. More movies like this should be made. And if nobody does, I would happily do it (when I was a kid I already wanted to make nature docs).

The music. Okay, in general I hate when a non film composer writes the music and has to sing songs as well. But it surprised me how well and refreashing it worked to hear pop-ish music that sounds like ice while watching National Geographic-like footage.
The US version however has a real score (by Alex Wurman) which apparantly is quite boring. I'll have to buy that score and the US version of the film because I'm dead curious how different music will work with the same footage.

I've heard numerous complains that people didn't like the fact that the narrator gives the penguins human emotions. Whether animals have emotions or purely react instinctive is completely irrelevant, this is just beautiful storytelling. A documentary doesn't nessisarily have to be your standard discovery channel doc, it can be completely manipulative. There is no objective truth in film, deal with it.

I'm looking forward to the release of Le Renard et l'enfant , Luc Jacquet's next movie. But somehow I doubt that'll outdo La Marche de l'empereur.

"They say you are a man of good... taste."

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 10:18:13 GMT

Haha omg finally saw Dracula again, it's been years last time I saw it and I stayed up all night to watch it! Gary Oldman makes the best Dracula ever and Anthony Hopkins is hilarious as Van Helsing ^^.
Nosferatu is totally fantastic too btw, it's a German b&w movie made in 1922 and it still looks awsome! The part where you see him walking around in broad daylight with his coffin over his shoulder is priceless!

I got a haircut, which was about time, and now my hair is all bouncy and slightly curly ... and it keeps getting in my eyes lol. I have curls but usually my hair is too heavy to curl, so now it's cut in more and slightly shorter layers and it's curly now =)

My super-computer has been a serious pain in the butt for the last 5 months or so but apparantly it's all fixed now. Maya works, Premiere works (finally, Premiere just hates me) and I have now two screens to work with, it's awsome!

I allow my dog to be a dog, and mud isn't dirty it smells nice. He first just dug a hole but then came to the conclusion that digging a hole in a puddle is more fun.

Alaskan poochy

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:10:29 GMT

Felt like painting something fluffy yesterday aaand it's not finished yet.
Left eye will be fixed (moved more to the right).

Yay SNOW!

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:20:50 GMT

Yes!

We had snow two days ago, though it was pretty much all gone later that day ... but we had fun!

She's alive!

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:09:43 GMT

Okay so yeah, I was too lazy/busy to post.

Things that happened between my last post and now: finished stop-motion project which got me another set of 8's, painted stuff, watched movies, been to the international film festival rotterdam, bought movies, filmed stuff, drew stuff, met new people. Now for the long version:

New years day started off real good because all of a sudden I could draw people!
(note to self: photo's are bad, scanners are good)

And I could paint them too!!

Of course it was only temporary ... but the fun went on

Right now I'm having this minor-thing at school, in which I had to pick another subject then animation. I picked audiovisual and it's lots of fun. We have to make a documentry about 'the city' and we got to work on 8mm film, totally awsome! I already filmed test stuff (digital) and I might be making something abstact.

International film festival Rotterdam, I only went to see 3 movies, Half Moon, Johnnie To's Love on a Diet and an anime, Paprika. In general I don't like anime, but I promised a friend and this was sort of okay. I wanted to see loads of movies but didn't have enough time. I did buy stuff however, not all to much (box sets are too tempting but I resisted this time ;) ). There was also an exposition of sets and models by the Quay brothers that was absolutely impressive (I still need to see their movies *hides in shame* need.to.buy.boxset).
Within two weeks there is an animation festival in Brussels but I doubt I can go there because it's quite likely that I'm in Switzerland at that time.

Voyna i Mir FINALLY arrived in the mail (7 hour russian movie about Napoleon invasing Russia). Shipping took almost 2 months (!) and I got a bit worried because I ordered two boxes, 1 for one of my teachers as well and he paid me ages ago. I initially planned to see it in one day but after 2 and a half hours it became clear that at night I need sleep, not movies. So finished it the other day. Voyna i Mir is truely one of the most impressive movies I've ever seen. The battle scenes are HUGE, half the russian army is in it. No bluescreen whatsoever, just soldiers as far as you can see! It is soo massive ... you just have to see to understand.

Last sketch of 2006

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:27:04 GMT

Hope everyone had a fantastic chrismas and wish you all a grand new year!

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 18:29:45 GMT

The Trockadero's were on Mezzo today and they were totally fantastic!

I have decided to teach myself how to play violin.

I bought Freeway today (yes, directed by Matthew Bright aka Squeezit from Forbidden Zone) for 1 euro.