I just now discovered this song.

I was sitting at the bus stop and it made me cry. Okay it didn't, but almost.

Divine Fire

The other day I watched My Fair Lady again. I kind of hate musicals (or at least the songs) but I love watching this movie for the costumes and the brilliant dialogue. Kaas gave me this movie when I left because of our favorite quote, belted out by main character Professor Henry Higgins, who basically plays the asshole. As he finds out he is losing Miss Doolittle, the grumpy professor proclaims:

'I can do without anybody. I have my own soul, my own spark of divine fire!'

This quote obviously lends itself to various situations and opportunities.
Anyway, last week I completed my sewing class at the Apparel Arts school. I decided I really want to know how to make clothes (dresses!) but in order to do so you need to know the basics obviously. Finishing the project first in class gave me a secret feeling of great triumph -probably the Aries in me- and in my head I kept hearing Henry Higgins singing: I did it! I said that I could do it and indeed I did!



Here is the purse that I made all by myself! It had pockets! Lining! Pleats!

25

Last week I turned 25. Given the fact that this joyful occasion was to be celebrated in sunny California, I decided to throw a barbecue in the back yard. Food and drinks were abundant and the sun came out to party. And when I least expected it, out came the piñata. Growing up in Amsterdam, I was of course completely unfamiliar with this tradition, but luckily some of my friends are Mexican and brought out the little cardboard horse filled with candy, which I had to beat the shit out of. After it was done I could not stop laughing, and in the mean time everyone else stuffed their pockets with mini chocolate bars.
So much better that those stupid 'Celebrations' Ali B hands out back in the motherland!


Of course, I was filmed. Watch this video to see how it's (not) done. Unfortunately, as with beating a piñata, I don't know how to perform a simple task like rotating a video so you will have to twist your neck to see the action (which by the way is much better in High Definition.)

Thanks Adam!

Sitting at the dock of the bay

Naomi and I went to Fisherman's Wharf and amongst all the tourist traps, we found a completely abandoned pier with a view of the Golden Gate bridge and the Bay, where we were able to drink some white wine without having to hide the little bottles with a brown paper bag. As we were enjoying the scenario, a seal swam up to us, just to say hi and do a few flips before he swam off again. It was a lovely day.

Cleaning the hell up

Now that I live with five roommates, I have started to become the housewife of the bunch.
Yes, you read that right.
I, once jokingly called 'Messy Mees', am doing more cleaning than anyone in the household, from scrubbing the kitchen to doing hand wash to cooking fresh meals to organizing my shit. Not having a job may help. It's like everyday is one of those days when you try to avoid other responsibilities by cleaning house. Like when you have a paper to hand in, or when you have to study for a midterm, and you suddenly develop a very detailed interest in cleaning every damn corner of the stove. Plus, this house has so much dust I just want to mop every bit of it but it's quite big, so it kind of became a larger project.
Also, I have found someone who is my mess making equivalent, my close friend and roommate Karina. Since she was recently fired/laid off, we decided to clear out her work room, next to the kitchen.


The floor was gross.

The table wasn't positioned right.

I've always hated those hanging things.

We moved everything in the kitchen and nobody was able to cook all day.

But the result was so refreshing!

Karina sorted every tiny little sewing tool around.

And now there's space to work!

It felt like I was cleaning my own head along with that room. And now, back to getting my own life in order. Get on it, miss List!

The Castro Theatre

San Francisco, gay capital of the United States, home of marines who were thrown out of the army for their sexuality and never returned to their mothers and fathers! When I decided to move here, my professor (who also happens to be the head of Gay and Lesbian studies at the University of Amsterdam) said the climate in SF wasn't very good. I replied: 'I guess Los Angeles weather is warmer!' But apparently he was talking about the sexual climate. For people from Amsterdam, where there is at least an idea of complete gay tolerance (even though I still feel there are quite some problems there still) San Francisco is probably not very innovating. But for the rest of the U.S., it certainly still is.
Last Tuesday I finally went to see 'Milk'. I had wanted to see it earlier, but it only played in the Castro Theatre for a week or two, and I missed it. Somehow it seems like the only place to see this movie, when you live in this city. So, as I sat on the 24 bus on my way home from the spa, I spotted that the Castro Theatre had decided by popular demand, to return it to the screen for two more weeks.
I took my friends Femke and the Experimental Jetset there for a real San Francisco experience, and it was absolutely wonderful. I had never been to this theater and it reminds me in a way of the Tuschinski, mainly for being so old. Tuschinski is much more in the style of the twenties, whereas the Castro is built in baroque style. As we sat down, an old man started playing the organ, while pictures of the old Castro days were being shown. It was a strange feeling, watching a movie while sitting in a theater which is in almost every shot. And by the end we were all in tears. I really feel that had this movie come out a few months earlier, we might have been able to stop Proposition 8. But it gives us hope for the future. Now let's hope Sean wins an Oscar for his role as Hervey Milk this next Sunday!

Here's a grainy picture of the old man playing:

Here is a great NY Times review for the film.

I'm sorry

I will be back soon. I promise.