Wednesday, August 31, 2011

De laatste doei

I haven't really concluded my exchange year, but now I'm going to do it somehow since I'm on my way to somewhere else. Though there are yet stories worth telling, but more of them at some point.

Anyways, de laatste doei, meaning the last bye. Why this? Well because during the last days I got so tired of saying constantly bye to others. Now some might think that I'm mean, but no others felt the same too. Maybe I should have gone earlier, or maybe it was good that I got kind of tired and was ready to leave back home.

When I was writing my exchange report, they asked for 6 practical tips for people going to Breda. Here's one of mine; don't trust your fellow student's information about school.

As weeks passed by in Finland, I started to miss Breda and everyone again. On the other hand I feel that a longer stay in Finland would have been better. But a sushi dinner is waiting and I must go. And oh, did I mention that I'm literally on my way to somewhere else?


Blogging up in the air. Perhaps I should take that as a motto, to get as high as I can in whatever I do. The good thing in not being in Holland is to be not misunderstood.

I've also got a new friend already, she smells lovely, more of her later on. But now a little video of the old useless friends.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

life-changing-educating-mind-blowing-rumble-hassle-i-will-never-be-the-same-i-will-(maybe)-come-back-(maybe)-as-a-better-person-than-i-was-when-i-left-experience

24.8.2011

Exactly a year ago I arrived in Breda. The Netherlands. From these two links you can look back at my adventures and thoughts of that day;

after one or two heinekens
kill two birds with one stone

Feels like only yesterday. No year has ever passed so fast. Also no year has ever been that amazing.

Exactly one week from now I'm going to be "killing a new bird"; England. It's going to be tough to outdo the exchange year, but I'm ready for the challenge. With all the lessons learned in NL to bring along and opportunities of London to use.

Here's a video with some of my favorite pictures and moments from the first semester. I wanted to do one from the whole year, but there was just too much footage that part 2 will come soon.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Circle of Life

First time I met those people from NHTV, Breda Holland was here in my own school JAMK in my hometown.
2009

Then I went there myself.

2010

And now one of the friends I got there is here.

2011

It feels surreal and weird, but clearly it's the circle of life. It just goes by the name Eramus Exchange Program.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Oceansize @ Bibelot, Dordrecht

9.10.2010

Last part of the Dordrecht trilogy brings us back to Bibelot to see one of my favorite bands Oceansize. This time I went to the city with Janne, and we decided to have a look at it before the gig. The weather was perfect, when we first went to the biggest market in Holland to have fries and freshly squeezed sour orange juice.




Having the biggest market, they also had the longest shopping street. Kind of strange that the not so big and quite despized city has those records for itself. Though the shopping street was a disappointment, since many business spaces were empty. But the bar sits outside were lively and buildings beautiful.





We walked around a lot and came across with many interesting things.





it stood on 1 leg for 15s, and put it down when i took a pic







As the evening came, we headed to Bibelot to wait for the doors to open. There this one guy noticed we were talking Finnish, and he started to talk it to us as well. He travelled all the way from Brussels (it isn't that far actually) to see the British indie progressive rock band.

finnish eurovision winners lordi!

I bought the band shirt, which became the famous pubic hair shirt for some. They didn't have size S at all, I guess they assumed that only big men go to their gigs. Another surprise was waiting for me, when I went to get a beer.



The music started with warm-up band The Vessels, nice instrumental music from them that I bought their album.



Second warm-up band Rhinoa was more of a hard core progressive punk. The thing, which caught my eye (and ears) was the passionate gut screaming singing style of the singer.



:D
Finally it was time for the band, I am lucky to have seen, since they broke up last winter :( First row, of course, though it was quite loud in the front and you couldn't hear the singing that well. But I did get the set list, and also lyrics for one of the songs, on which the singer had spilt a bit of red wine, also on my bag. Doesn't matter though.








Here's also a video from the gig filmed by someone in the back. In the end you can see me in the left corner filming myself with bad audio.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

SENS11

25.9.2010

Second part of my Dordrecht trilogy brings me to the local music venue Bibelot. There I had the chance to experience an event similar to Sencity, a club event for the hard-of-hearing and hearing people, but now for the mentally disabled.


 SENS11 was created, when one of the organizers noticed how the mentally disabled like to move when they hear music, especially drum n' base, and how there wasn't any events for them. I was wondering what "sens eleven" meant, but apparently you have to pronounce in Dutch, which would be "sen self". And it made more sense.

Like in Sencity, they had everything for each sense; a vibrating dancefloor (I prefer the wooden one, on which you can feel the base better, though this one looks much better), a masseur, hair dressers, snacks, aroma jockeys, colorful visuals and music, which made the visitors jump around. Seeing the target group dance put a smile on everyone's face, since they were truly sincerely enjoying themselves.











Everyone got to draw on shirts to take home, train to be a DJ with a professional, but my very favorite was this thing called "personal treatment".






It felt like I was drugged. In this case it was good though.

I feel lucky to have met the friendly and incredible staff consisting of volunteers, and to see some of the production process. Thanks to them for arranging a memorable event! So, if you ever have the chance to visit this event, do it!

Lucky also to catch the last train, which I like in Holland that there are still trains going quite late. But what I don't like is the constant track repairment always somewhere; first time travelling alone by train and immediately having to figure out the connections in the middle of nowhere. And finding Bibelot! A quick look at home at Google Maps and trying to remember it later on. Just walk forward and you'll end up there sooner or later, that philosophy has worked well so far.

A day full of learning and enjoyment. LIKE.


In the next and last part of my Dordrecht trilogy ->


Until then, Nobody Beats The Drum!