My newyear's resolution: be innovative!

Goodbye Bafana

The story tells the life of James Gregory, the prisoner guard of Nelson Mandela. It's situated in South Africa when there is 'the apartheid regime'.  James Gregory is the personal prison guard of Nelson Mandela and needs to spy him, translate the things Mandela says to his wife,...  But there develops a unique friendship between the two.... When he reads 'the freedom chapter', he changes his opinion about black people and their freedom. 'Goodbye Bafana' means 'Goodbye friend' and applies in the final scene.

Bill white criticizes the movie because he finds that the life of James Gregory isn't enough to base a movie on.  He says that the life of James is dull. I don't agree with that because I find the life of James very interesting. His relationship with Mandela, and the way how the friendship creates, is amazing. You can see how a life of a normal man changes. Bill appreciates the trying to address the complexities of the political issues. There is one scene when Mandela and Gregory debate about the difference between nationalism and communism. This happens in eight meaningless phrases is, according to Bill, a daring act. This scene is according to me one of the bests in the movie. The actors mean their phrases. You believe it's real. The performance of Denis Haysbert  (Mandela) is, according to, Bill one-note. He remains always the same. He and his wife don't change in the years, only his hair is whiter. That's a negative point that I agree, but it's just a small detail.                   

trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wrk532Aum4

review: http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Goodbye-Bafana-Life-of-Mandela-s-guard-just-1258697.php

 

How to make your vacation cheap?

 

Vacation is always the time of your life. You can enjoy of your family and friends without stress or pressure. You can discover the whole world. But you say also goodbye to a lot of money. Vacation is always expensive. How to make it cheap?

travel free!

It sounds nice, but it's also reality. You can do a lot of things to make it free. Hitchhike is very popular and sometimes also interesting. You can learn in a conversation with the driver a lot of new things. But do it not alone. It's safer with more people. Dodge fare on the metro or train is an other option. There is a risk that they caught you, but if they don't caught you, have you a feeling of invincibility.  

make your location cheaper!

It's also easy to make your location cheap. You don't need to go to a magnificent hotel.  Go with friends and rent a house. If you share the house, is it cheaper  than when you go on hotel. There is probably more fun. You can do what you want because you are the big boss in the house. It's not necessary to go far away. A vacation in your our country can also be very nice! You don't have to go to the beaches in Spain or Egypt, there are also beaches in your own country.  You can also stay in a host family or do cough surfing. That's a new worldwide trend. It's very interesting because you meet new people and it's also very good to improve your language.    

or stay home...!

Why don't bring the vacation in your house? Do your phone off, don't go on the computer, laptop or tablet, watch TV as little as possible and have fun. Invite your friends and make a homeparty. Don't care about the neighbors because its vacation.  You can make a city tour in your own city, go to a nice restaurant in the town and sleep in a tent in your own garden. Your wife can be your own waiter.  A host for a coughsurfer is also a nice idea. People from over the whole world stays in your house and they bring pieces of their own culture.      But don't tell to your friends of your vacation because it makes you not very popular. It doesn't impress them.

imagination

How important is imagination and has the notion changed for you?

Imagination is very important for your personal life. It makes you think ‘out of the box’. You can enjoy of your own thoughts.  Imagination creates a new world. When I was a kid, I always thought that I was a lion. My home was like a zoo. With the years, my imagination changed. I am more realistic now. I think that I haven’t a lot of imagination. People who loves art are different then me. They have another story in their imagination. Imagination is for everyone different. I think that now one has the same imagination as my. Every person creates his own. You can relativize your own, personal life with imagination. Life would be different without imagination.

my road trip

‘Always look on the bright side of life’  sounds through the boxes of my Aston Martin DB5. This is the car that I prefer for my road trip. The Aston Martin DB5 is a popular midget. It became famous by the James Bond movie goldfinger from 1959.

The road trip goes from Los Angeles (with a detour to Seattle) to Alabama. I will sleep in my car in the backseat and trunk. It will take 3.869 miles or 6 226 km, 57 hours (without stops).  

 

I start with my car in Los Angeles. Before I leave this city, I visit Beverly Hills and Hollywood. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I couldn’t also leave without a basketball game of the LA Lakers and a football game of LA Galaxy ( the ex team of David Beckham, currently playing for PSG). In this games, I will see the stars of both teams. Naturally Kobe Bryant for the Lakers and Landon Donovan for Galaxy. Landon Donovan is the most popular footballer from the U.S.A. .

After these visits, I drive to San Francisco. In San Francisco I go on the Golden Gate Bridge. That must give me an amazing feeling of  invincibility. I continue the trip towards Portland. The next stop is Seattle now…

Seattle is one of the famous cities of the USA. It is the largest city in the state Washington.

The first thing that I will visit is the famous Space Needle. This tower is the symbol of Seattle. It was built for the World Fair of 1962. It gives you an amazing overview of Seattle.

Seattle is also the city of grunge. Pearl Jam and Nirvana are the most famous grunge bands. Nirvana is one of my favorite music bands. So I surely visit the EMP museum next to the Space Needle. Then I drive to Aberdeen. Aberdeen is the hometown of Nirvana. This excursion is 2 hours away from Seattle. During this trip, I listen to my favorite CD of Nirvana (MTV unplugged in New York). When I arrive in Aberdeen, I walk on the streets without a purpose and I listen in my headphones to Something In The Way. It is my favorite song and Kurt Cobain tells in this song his life when he was homeless. He lived then under a bridge.

This combination (walking without a purpose + listening to this song) must me give a fabulous feeling. It gives you a kind of freedom. After a couple of hours ‘wander’, I leave to Seattle again. For I leave, I must see a soccer match of the Seattle sounders because the atmosphere is amazing in Qwest Field (the stadium). Then I drive in the direction Alabama….

The next stop is Kansas city. Before I arrived there, I must drive trough valleys, mountains,… a lot of nature. I drive along South Dakota and his Sioux culture. In Kansas city, I enjoy of the typical American culture and atmosphere. The last stop is Alabama now…

‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is the last song of my road trip. When I arrive in Alabama, I visit the local college, Alabama Crimson Tide with the famous college football team. The team won this season the SEC championship against Notre Dame. A visit to the Bryan-Denny stadium is also worthwhile. This is the fifth largest stadium in the U.S.A. with a seating capacity of 101 821.  

  

‘All the world’s a stage’

Everywhere you go, everyone act an other role.

You act different when you are with friends or with your parents. It is unconsciously. When you are with friends, you feel a kind of freedom. You don’t think about school or work, nothing matters. You feel a kind of happiness. This feeling is yours. Your friends help to feel it.

If you visit your grandmother, you act an other role. You are always courteously. So show you respect to your grandmother. She gives you a lot to prove that she loves you. You are courteously because your grandmother loves you and you will give something back. You want that your grandmother proud is on you.

When you are home with your parents, you think about your behavior. You don’t will that they get angry on you. When you are outside your home with you parents, you act superior.

You will show that you are educated with respect.

Your role at school is always different. It depends off the teacher. You adjust yourself to his/her character. Sometimes you are quiet or sometimes you chat during the lesson.

You learn each role unconsciously. It depends off the situation. Sometimes you make mistakes, but that is normal. You learn also off your mistakes. The most important is to be yourself in each role.         

personal reflection of 2012:

The year 2012 is history. There were something remarkable. The best PIX moment was the trip to Paris. It was a journey that I never forget. We slept in dirty rooms of a youth hostel, but it was amazing. The best moment was the boat trip on the Seine. Also the Eiffel tower at night was fascinating. It’s a beautiful city.

Water for Elephants was the best movie that I saw. Its about a man ( who works in a circus) who falls in love with the wife of the director of the circus. This movie is a must for everyone.

The best photo of 2012:

 http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/12/2012-the-year-in-photos-part-3-of-3/100420/#img17

photo 17

The photo with the red deer is wonderful. The red deer hide himself in the beautiful nature. The colors  green, brown and red are gorgeous mixed. In the background can you see a river.

The red deer has also an amazing antlers.