#oor 1999

[glutko]

Today, on Echoes of Wisdom's release day, I'd like to talk about THE most obscure place in the Zelda series.

It's Durod.

...What? You don't know Durod?

Hm. I don't blame you...

It was only mentioned in a character's name in an official Dutch guide of Zelda's Adventure that was only published in its entirety across the last three 1999 issues of the CD-i magazine CD-interactief, which itself was reduced to a section in a different magazine.

Okay, let's sort this information out.

Like many other CD-i games, Zelda's Adventure had a guide that named a bunch of characters and enemies, and - at the very least - was based off official material. Characters such as Alice and Kron the Peddler have unused voice lines where they say their names, and these names are used in the guide. (A similar thing happened with Kulvan, the blacksmith from TFoE).

Due to the late release of Zelda's Adventure (1996) in the CD-i's lifespan, there were almost no publications that published the guide... apart from the Dutch CD-interactief magazine. It posted small tidbits from the guide in its tips and tricks section until, by 1998, it was reduced to a section in the Oog & Oor magazine. There, it started posting full guides of CD-i games, including Zelda's Adventure.

This was one of the last guides they published before ending, and this is where Durod comes in. According to the guide, one of the White Steed Lodge patrons sitting around the table is named Debblin van Durod - in a Dutch name, "van" indicates a person's place of origin:

Another character has a partially translated Dutch name; Bitterbeck de Bergman.

So we have Debblin, a person from Durod. Cool! The guide might also say they're a deerhunter, but it's hard to tell as I don't know Dutch and had to machine translate it.

And that's, um... literally all we know about Debblin and/or Durod. No other NPC mentions Durod, not even in unused dialogue. The lone person at the table you can talk to (the brown-clad man who I'm assuming is Debblin) reuses the owner's dialogue line, even though there appears to be dialogue for him in the game files:

And, as far as we know, no other place in Tolemac is called Durod, not even in the guide or the known development assets.

This person and the land they hail from are complete mysteries, even within the absolutely anomalous series entry that is Zelda's Adventure.

Who in the world is Debblin from Durod?!

Maybe we'll find out some answers if more Zelda's Adventure pre-release stuff gets released. But until then...

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

Rammstein interviews from OOR

Dutch music magazine OOR is one of the oldest still existing music magazines in the Netherlands. The magazine aspires to not be just a glossy magazine, but actually write journalistic, critical articles and interviews about both national and international bands.

Rammstein featured a couple of times in the magazine, with interviews between 1997 and 2009 when a new album was released. OOR particpated in the by Rammstein organised sessions for the press, and the various writers didn't hesitate to be critical about the band and to them in personal interviews as well.

1997 Sehnsucht - interview with Till

1999 Interview with Schneider

2001 Mutter - interview with Till and Schneider

2002 Interview with Schneider and Flake

2004 Reise Reise - interview with Richard

2005 Rosenrot - interview with Schneider

2009 Liebe ist für alle da - interview with Richard

In 2019, at the release of the Untitled album, Rammstein was featured as well, but that was more a lookback at the interview that occured 20 years prior in 1999 and 1997.

---

To be honest, i hesitated to post these, because these older interviews often have quite a negative tone, either because of the media's tendency to label Rammstein as nazi-music, being critical about the topics of the songs, being critical of Germans in general: all-in-all classifying Rammstein as 'wrong' (when used in dutch, this means anything from 'politically incorrect' to 'tacky' and lots in between).

In this set, additionally some prejudices the dutch have against Germans shine through (reminiscenses from the 2nd world war, but also the often stated mantra that 'Germans have no sense of humor')

And, particularly between 2000-2010, in interviews the difficulties in the band themselves working within the Rammstein democracy shone through leading to many questions about the end of the band.

But when i was working on translations i realised it's also interesting to read how the band was viewed back then, how that changed a bit when their music changed, and how time itself has changed (some things in the early interviews i'm surprised the journalists actually wrote that down...i'm sure they would get called out for it now). Also maybe it helps explain why the band rarely do interviews anymore, and when they do, how much more relaxed these are.

For context, the last of these interviews was in 2009, which next year will be 15 years ago; half of Rammstein's existence, and so much has happened and changed since then.

If nothing else, the last Q&A from the 2009 interview give us hope for a better future and recent tours (10-15 years after the interview) I think the band really showed they got there:

Do you secretly still love each other?

"Very much even. And above all, very secretly..."

🌺

[scotianostra]

On 19th January 1919: The Sunday Post - home of the 'Broons' & 'Oor Willie' made its first appearance.

The Sunday Post is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland by DC Thomson, and characterised by a 'folksy' mix of news, sentimental stories and short features. The paper was founded in 1914 and has a wide circulation across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of Northern England which may at some points in its history have reached two to three million readers.

In the 1950s, when the newspaper was confined largely to Scotland, sales of the Sunday Post were so high that it was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the newspaper with the highest per capita readership penetration of anywhere in the world.[citation needed] It has seen a slow decline, in 1999 having circulation of 700,000, dropping to 328,710 in August 2010.

2007 saw DC Thomson launch an advertising drive for The Sunday Post, primarily utilised on buses, in which the exclamation "Strip Sensation!" is seen by a picture of the folded paper displaying its masthead; next to this is the tagline punning on the exclamation: "A thoroughly decent read".

[pizza-ra-bizza]

London Eye

London Eye Daar is min om te doen: die uitsig vanaf die London Eye, die groot reuzenrad wat die suide van die Teems oorheers en die gebied voor Westminster, is die mooiste in die stad. En die struktuur, met sy 135 meter hoogte, is een van die grootstes in sy soort ter wêreld. Om op te gaan, sal 'n sonnige dag natuurlik verkieslik wees, maar dit is waar dat die weer in Londen so veranderlik is dat daar waarskynlik 'n oomblik van helder lug sal wees, selfs al is die lug somber. En dan pas grys die stad, dis sy natuurlike kleur. Die groot speelding bestaan ​​uit twee-en-dertig hutte, een vir elke stad - stadsaal - van Londen, uiters gemaklik en ruim en in staat om selfs diegene wat aan vertigo ly, beskerm te laat voel. Die standaardrit duur 30 minute, maar jy kan twee kaartjies koop om langer te bly. Dit is natuurlik nie besonder goedkoop nie, selfs al koop jy kaartjies aanlyn: £29,5 vir 'n enkele reis vir 'n volwassene (pleks van £36) en £26 per persoon as jy vir 'n gesin bespreek. Of jy kan ’n hele kajuit vir ’n groep van 2 tot 25 mense vir ’n halfuur huur, maar die prys, £625, is hoog en dit is streng verbode om alkohol aan boord te bring. As jy regtig iets wil drink wat die uitsig waardig is, sal 'n glas sjampanje bedien word vir £50 elk. Buiten die prys is die uitsig skouspelagtig en in die verte kan jy selfs 'n blik op Kent, die suidelike kusstreek sien, en om te dink dat die London Eye nie gebore is om te bly nie. Die idee van 'n reuzenrad is in 1993 deur argitekte David Marks en Julia Barfield aangebied as deel van 'n kompetisie wat deur die "Sunday Times" geloods is om 'n projek te vind wat die skyline, die profiel van die stad, kan versier met 'n nuwe element, wat dus die gang na die nuwe millennium in groot styl merk. Met Parys verteenwoordig deur die Eiffeltoring, het die twee, 'n getroude paartjie, die idee van 'n gebou geskrap en aan iets meer speels gedink, soos een van daardie reuzenwiele wat so tipies is van kusoorde. Hulle het nie die tender gewen nie, trouens niemand het nie, want volgens die jurielede was daar nie genoeg interessante projekte nie. Met kenmerkende Engelse inisiatief het Marks en Barfield besluit om alleen te gaan, aansoek te doen vir magtiging en befondsing en logistieke ondersteuning van British Airways te verkry. Die London Eye het 'n deursnee van 120 meter, en anders as ander reuzenwiele word dit net aan die een kant ondersteun en beweeg dit baie stadig: dit maak net twee draaie elke uur en hoef dus nie gestop te word om passasiers in die kajuite in te laat nie. Aanvanklik moes daar meer wees, maar in daardie geval sou die wiel aanhoudend moes stop, terwyl jy op hierdie manier die reis, die progressiewe verandering van perspektiewe kan geniet, en nie net die gesogte oomblik waarin jy bo-op is nie. die stad. Die wiel is saamgestel op 'n paar kunsmatige eilande wat op die Teems geskep is, en om dit te verhoog - 'n historiese operasie, dit was die grootste voorwerp wat nog vertikaal geplaas is - was nie maklik nie. Dit is op 31 Desember 1999 deur 'n jong Tony Blair ingewy in die nou afgeleë era van Cool Britannia, en is aanvanklik die Millennium Wheel gedoop, en was bestem om binne vyf jaar afgebreek te word. En in plaas daarvan, danksy sy buitengewone sukses met die publiek en kritici, aangesien dit tientalle argitektuurtoekennings gewen het, weerstaan ​​dit nie net nie, maar is dit toegerus met 'n LED-ligprojek wat dit sedert 2006 selfs na sononder skouspelagtig maak. In dieselfde jaar is die London Eye oortref deur 'n struktuur in China, deur die High Roller van Las Vegas en deur Ain Dubai, wat in 2020 vir die Expo geopen is en 250 meter hoog is. Ten spyte hiervan was dit beslis die klein groot Londenaar wat die wêreldwye passie vir reuzenwiele laat herleef het. En hoewel dit 'n bietjie kos, is dit beslis die moeite werd om die geld te spandeer om 'n totale uitsig oor Londen te hê, verskillende perspektiewe en ligte te kruis en verskeur te voel tussen die begeerte om vir ewig bo te bly en die begeerte om af te gaan, in die groot stad te sink , sien dit nog nader.

[tiesandtea]

Suede: prima donna Brett about Head Music (OOR, May 1999)

By Raymond Rotteveel Magazine: OOR no. 9, p. 34-37, 1st May 1999 (cover) Scanned by @kalluun-patangaroa (full article here) Translated from Dutch by Miriam, SuedeNation Scrapbook (source)

A short report on the London Astoria fanclub gig (27 March 1999) and the preceding press conference, followed by an earlier original interview with Brett about Head Music, its creation, influences and lyrical approach.

Head Music is not a reaction against Coming Up. We made this record without thinking about our past.

On paper, it looks like fun, but in real life, press conferences can be pretty disappointing. In real life, the five members of Suede are sat on a small podium in the London club Astoria, blinking their eyes because of the bright spotlights and they can see nothing of the about a hundred journalists that have flown in from all over the world. If the band is then confronted with – to say it mildly – backward questions like 'What do you think about Bernard Butler', it isn't very motivating and a corny atmosphere sets in.

Singer Brett Anderson, sat in the middle, at first answers the questions cooly and businesslike. 'No, I haven't heard BB's album yet, but the split was the best that could ever happen to me. We are both happy, so...'. And: 'No we did not choose Electricity as the single, a group of idiots did that.' Anderson wants to stress that he feels happy: 'Yes, even I have all the emotions a man can have, and being happy is one of them', and that for him, the evolution of Suede is best expressed in his favourite song Savoir Faire. 'It came to be through a new way of songwriting, but it also has the dark edge of Suede in it'.

If about 10 minutes later Ludwig from Austria (magazine unknown) asks when the single will be released – the Astoria is wallpapered with posters saying 'Electricity, new single out on April 12' – the party is over.  'Speak to your local Sony', Brett snaps back and announces the last question. The planned time for our questions is thus reduced to 15 minutes.

A few hours later the Astoria is filled with about 1500 people for a special fanclub-only gig.

The concert has, even before it's started, all the ingredients to become special. It is the first one in London since a long time and it’s especially for the real fans and therefore an appropriate test case for the new material. From opener 'Can't Get Enough', a raw straight-forward rocker, Brett is in his element: gesticulating, clapping his hands and dangerously waving his microphone about, he moves across the stage like a male diva, all the while arousing the audience with sensual hip-wiggling moves. "I feel now walking like a woman and talking like a stone age man", he wallows in his well-known cracking voice. Those who see him like this understand why he was once called 'the man who brought style back to British music by slapping his arse'. Other things that catch attention are that the now short-haired guitarist Richard Oakes is given a lot more space live than on the album and that is for the good of the sound.

The melodramatic 'Down', the ballad 'He's Gone' and the Eastern-tinted 'Indian Strings' are the highlights of the new songs tonight, while of the older material the sublime B-side 'Europe Is Our Playground', the hit 'Trash' and the encores 'Beautiful Ones' and 'Saturday Night' are way ahead (of) the rest. From the first two albums, no songs are played.

Two weeks earlier in a hotel in Notting Hill, the area where most Suede members live.

The band has just finished mixing HM and tiredness is written across Brett's face. 'Pff, yeah, we have been mixing till late last night and it has been pretty intense. It's been hard labour, but then it always is. I have never made a record that was not difficult, but that's part of it. It is not meant to be relaxing to make a record, in my opinion. It always has to be a difficult process. It's always hard work and there's always a moment where you think 'Fuck, this is going completely wrong'. I have experienced that with every record. You have to doubt the things you are doing or create. Unless you are a total idiot, you have to doubt to be able to create'.

Head Music. A record that isn't half as easily digestible as preceding million-seller CU, but that isn't as heavy as for example DMS. A record that, also through attracting producer Steve Osborne (of the remix team Perfecto Records and known for Happy Mondays and U2), was announced in the British press to be a dance album. 

Unjustly, Brett says: 'There are a lot of dance elements in it, drumloops, electronics, samples, that sort of thing. A lot of songs have been written from a certain groove or rhythm. In that, Steve had an important part. But the fact that we sound like this now, has also to do with the fact that we wanted to change our sound. To do so, we chose Steve and it worked out very well. But it's not a dance record, no. No, I've never really understood those notices in the press. I mean, I wish it was that easy, that you could say ‘Come on, let's do a dance record'. But that's not the case. It's kinda stupid to say something like that. If you say that upfront, it will never sound like a fucking dance record. It's a Suede record with elements from dance music. Suede will of course remain a rock & roll band and will not change into some sort of dance act because we happened to work with a producer who produced that sort of record in the past. It’s true that there are more songs now that you can really move to, that are in a way very danceable.'

HM sounds very different from the light-footed CU. How did that come about? I have been listening to a lot of different music over the last years, to music that has not been written from the starting point of traditional songwriting. Things like Tricky, Asian Dub Foundation, Audioweb and Prince. Furthermore, there has been a sort of musical revolution within me. I used to write songs from a melody, usual the singing melody, while now I see music more as a whole. I have learned to experiment with different instruments, I have learned to play new instruments and have even become a reasonable guitarist. There are, by the way, a lot of other songs on HM, songs with a heavy punk-like guitar. Can't Get Enough can be regarded as a punk song, but then (in) Suede style. People often regard punk and dance as two totally different styles, but that's not the case. The best punk has a groove, and the best dance sounds agressive. We have tried to use the best of both styles.

I think Neil Codling, your keyboard player, has had a big part in creating the new Suede sound. That's right. Neil has incredibly developed himself technically over the last year. He is a real sound wizard, yes. It's also because Neil is now more part of the band. At the time of CU, he hadn't been around for that long. Neil was to HM a sort of pre-producer. He's had a big influence. For instance, he convinced me that we had to go into the studio (in) a different way this time. That we had to be able to write on the spot from 2 chords or a rhythm, that everything didn't have to be set beforehand. You should see his flat. It's stacked with recording equipment, effects and computers. You can't see a thing and he's working in there all day.

Could you compare HM to the previous records already? I must say, I haven't heard the record as a whole yet. Only the individual songs and they sound really good. At this moment, I still see HM as a collection of songs. As an album, I cannot value it yet. If I listen to the songs, I must say, I feel the record sounds more diverse and universal than the three previous ones. The band is more balanced and you can hear that on HM.

How do you regard previous Suede albums now? I really like some songs on CU. I can still listen to them. From DMS, Wild Ones is pretty much the only song I can still listen to. The album as a whole I find too dark. Of course, my taste has changed over the years. DMS has a certain emotion that I really enjoy, but at the same time, the album is too heavy and too personal for me. The album has a brilliant spirit, but there's also something immature in it. That doesn't matter (though), I think it's good to look back on things and to conclude it wasn't all perfect.

DMS made me feel claustrophobic. Claustrophobic, that's the perfect word to describe DMS. The stress and the weird atmosphere in the studio during recordings, the heavy drug use and the near-constant tensions in the band, between me and Bernard especially – DMS reflects that all. Yes, I was pretty fucked up at the time.

And CU was a reaction against that? Yeah, that's the big difference with HM. With CU, we more or less made (it) as a reaction to the melancholy of DMS. It was, in a way, a relief, I think. HM is not a reaction against CU. We made this record without thinking about our past. That also has to do with us being more balanced as a band than ever before.

And you personally? There are even stories going around that Brett has sworn off drugs? Eh, well, it's not as extreme as before. But I still find coke or xtc enlightening from time to time. It's not that I have to take something at all costs now, but when I have taken a pill I do think: "There's nothing wrong with this". Xtc has always been one of my favourite drugs and I'm not going to say now that I'll never take it again. But it has been a while since the last one, yes.

You once said, your lyrics would become less personal and more observing. I think I succeeded in that. The only rule that I applied for myself was that I shouldn't sound emotional all the time. I even wanted to sound distant and cold. They aren't condescending observations, I keep singing about my life and my friends in a way. But my lyrics are now less emotional and through that more honest, I feel. There is something dual in that: you are prone to think that when a lyric is more emotional, it’s more honest. But that is not always the case. I could sit here and cry dramatically and that would come across as very emotional to you, but it wouldn't necessarily be sincere. I have tried to be less complicated this time. As a person, I feel less complicated and less dramatic now. This is an evolution I have undergone as a human being. I like to see myself as an evolving person, on an emotional level as well. I don't want to be the same dramatic person all my life. That would make things very boring, don't you think?

‘Crack in the Union Jack’ sounds like a political song, a kind of negative view of Britain that is going through difficult times even under Labour. If you use words like Union Jack in a lyric, it’s almost immediately regarded as a political song, eh? But it’s about feelings of human disillusion and about people who hide behind the wrong kind of nationalism. It is a negative song, but not against Labour. It's far too easy to say that Labour is making a mess of it just like the conservatives. Labour also makes mistakes, but I feel it's still better for our country that they are in power. That's not how I feel all the time though, it was more the reflection of a mood. See it as a negative snapshot of Great Britain.

[kalluun-patangaroa]

OOR (Dutch) magazine #9, 1 May 1999

As announced on the cover of the mag, here's 'Prima Donna Brett talking over Head Music'. This is a scan from a Dutch magazine, and here you can read the interview translated into English

[downthetubes]

"Charley's War" and Space:1999 art, rare 1950 promotional Eagle offered in latest ComPal comics auction

“Charley’s War” and Space:1999 art, rare 1950 promotional Eagle offered in latest ComPal comics auction

The latest ComPal comic auction catalogue and features “Charley’s War” art, a promotional Eagle rarity and much more among some 385 lots in total, including US comics. The last ComPal auction back in May achieved some record prices with £5600 for the fourth Beano Book (1943), a record price for a non-Number One annual and £4250 for the Dandy Monster Comic of the same year. Both copies were from…

[louiseisfucked]

Female Supremacy and The Idea of Marriage.

<not finished>

“Never marry at all, Dorian. Men marry because they are tired, women, because they are curious: both are disappointed.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

What is the purpose of marriage? Why do people get married only to be divorced? This is a question I would ask myself when seeing divorced couples on TV or in real life. The quote above shows implications that men only get married because they feel the need to depend on someone and women did it simply because she is curious. It also implies that marriage is ultimately just an agreement of transactional benefits between two human beings as a result of the social construct which most likely will end as a disappointment for both sides. It is a theme that both passages deal with― just how men are so depending on women and quite the reverse, women could be as depending on men. Mrs Tiresias was written by Carol Ann Duffy and published in 1999 and The Wife of Bath was written by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. Both passages differ in their purpose, tone, organization, and outcomes, while still addressing a similar theme.

Both passages share the theme of female supremacy and how it affects a relationship between a man and a woman. In Mrs Tiresias, she claimed to be the one patched her husband’s jacket in Harris at the elbows “and a jacket in Harris tweed I'd patched at the elbows myself” and how she would hear the first cuckoo of spring days before her husband would but she would never let on “He liked to hear the first cuckoo of spring then write to The Times. I'd usually heard it days before him but I never let on”. That particular line shows how Mrs Tiresias is clearly contemptuous but humors him although she’s already heard the cuckoo, leaving him his arrogant delusions. This shows how Tiresias’ identification of himself, being proud and happy-go-lucky, is shaped with the help of his wife, showing how he could not be his own individual without her. There was also this one particular line that the author cleverly wrote, “Whistling” as to show how Tiresias was oblivious to his shortcomings and utterly unaware of his impending transformation into a woman and the shock that it would engender. They convey Mrs Tiresias’s thoughts and attitudes; she is clearly a realistic, perceptive, intelligent woman, in contrast to her misguided husband. It is also later shown that men would not be able to cope with menstruation and how they think it is a burden for him being a female despite women having to deal with menstruation her whole life “Then he started his period. One week in bed. Two doctors in. Three painkillers four times a day. The curse, he said, the curse.” Here, the man is experiencing the all-important bleeding that enables a woman to reproduce, to engage with herself as a woman and to connect with her own fertility. His response, however, is a totally male engagement. He is self-pitying, selfish, insistent and demanding.  While in The Wife of Bath, it is shown how the king shows submission to the queen by allowing her to decide the punishment given to the knight “And yaf him to the queene, al at hir wille, To chese wher she wolde him save or spille” and the knight having to show submission to the queen, once more, and to the old hag who later on became his wife, willingly letting them to decide his fate at the end of the story “This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille; Dooth as yow list; I am at youre wille.” (said the knight to the queen); ”My lady my love, and wif so deere, I putte me in youre wise governaunce. Cheseth youreself which may be moost plesaunce, And moost honour to yow and me also. I do no fors the wheither of the two, For as yow liketh, it suffiseth me.” (said the knight to his wife, the old hag). Both texts are also certain that men and women would be demanding something in marriage. In Mrs Tiresias, at first, she attempted to accommodate the new Tiresias as being shown in “And at first I tried to be kind; blow-drying his hair till he learnt to do it himself, lending him clothes till he started to shop for his own, sisterly, holding his soft new shape in my arms all night.” In this passage, it is shown how Tiresias needs his wife’s help in adjusting to his new physical form. As to no surprise, he depended on her before he went through the physical transformation and even more so after. Furthermore, ‘at first’ implies that her efforts will be ineffective and how there will no longer be any romantic connection between them as Tiresias’ masculinity has been taken away from him. This shows how Tiresias is unable to show warmth and affection even though his wife wishes for so. We could also identify this conflict in The Wife of Bath “I shrewe us bothe two! For thogh that I be foul and old and poore, I nolde, for al the metal ne for oore. That under erhte is grave or lith above, But if thy wif I were, and eek thy love.” Here we could see how the old hag would not give up the opportunity to be the knight's wife and his love for all the gold on earth. She is demanding for his affection. Therefore, we could conclude that regardless of the implications both passages have shown regarding female supremacy, both passages suggest that men and women still feel the need to depend on each other, just in different ways. However, still, the approach both texts take is significantly different.

Mrs Tiresias and The Wife of Bath have different approaches and purposes. While in Mrs Tiresias, the story started with the female taking care of everything and showing supremacy, in contrary, The Wife of Bath depicts women being degraded as the knight took maidenhood from them and spread fears among them. Mrs Tiresias admits for female supremacy at the beginning and the end of the poem as being shown in, “He liked to hear the first cuckoo of spring then write to The Times. I'd usually heard it days before him but I never let on” where the male would feel such pride for achieving something that his wife would occasionally notice first. It was also shown in, “After the split I would glimpse him out and about, entering glitzy restaurants on the arms of powerful men” and “if he had his way - or on TV” where the male took advantage of female supremacy as he has transformed into one physically by getting into fancy restaurants with powerful men and going on TV. The Wife of Bath takes the approach of showing male dominancy is a form of rape. Unlike Mrs Tiresias, which enforces the readers to feel empathy for Tiresias, the male main character, by depicting his struggles as he goes through the transformation, The Wife of Bath. The purposes of both texts are appropriate to the speaker’s position and type of text. While Mrs Tiresias is a poem

The organization and progression are a further aspect that causes the texts to differ.

Tone and diction generally differ in text 3 and 4 to suit the text’s purposes and way in which they deal with themes.

Both texts 3 and 4 are attempting to find ways to deal with the complex theme of marriage and issues between men and women. However, the way in which they ultimately succeed is different.

<to be continued>

[dirktangiancola-blog]

Informatie

Zuid-Dilbeek veterinaire kliniek is al een pionier op het gebied van veterinaire verzorging van de kleine dieren.

Meer dan 65 jaar dienst van Long Island en Queens.

De oprichter van de ziekenhuizen, Dr. Robert Ferber ontwikkeld zijn liefde voor dieren als een kind door tijd doorbrengen in een van de vele paardenstallen in Flushing aanwezig op dat moment. Na zijn afstuderen aan de City College in New York, Dr. Robert gevolgd zijn droom om een dierenarts. Na zijn afstuderen aan de college of veterinary medicine in 1939 aan de Cornell University opende hij de North Shore Animal Hospital in Bayside. Dr. Robert gesloten in 1942 het ziekenhuis om te dienen in de US Army veterinaire Corps. Na het beëindigen van zijn tour van plicht met het leger opende hij opnieuw het ziekenhuis in 1946.

Tijdlijn

·         1948 The jaar van 1948 zag vele veranderingen, zoals het ziekenhuis naar zijn huidige locatie verplaatst en Dr. Robert's jongere broer Leonard sloot zich aan bij de praktijk na zijn dienst in het leger en de United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

·         1970 In 1970, na zijn afstuderen van de Universiteit voor diergeneeskunde op Cornell, Dr. Robert's zoon, Dr. Alan Ferber sloot zich aan bij de praktijk. Na de pensionering van Dr Robert's liep in het midden van de jaren 1980, Dr. Alan de praktijk tot zijn pensioen in 2004.

·         1980 In 1980, Dr. Ronald Rosen toegetreden tot het team op de North Shore Animal Hospital en is momenteel de senior partner. Zijn belangen omvatten interne geneeskunde, met name katachtige geneeskunde, mede het schrijven van het boek 'Zo u denk dat u weet over Cats'. Daarnaast biedt Dr. Rosen behandeling in gratis en alternatieve geneeskunde.

·         1996 In 1996, Dr. Michael Ferber studeerde af van de dezelfde prestigieuze College voor diergeneeskunde op Cornell als zijn vader, grootvader en oom. Dr. Michael's primaire belangen omvatten reconstructieve chirurgie van de Hoektand knie en oor.

·         1999 Dr. Robert Foley trad de praktijk in 1999 en is directeur van onze zuster faciliteit, de Zuid-Dilbeek veterinaire groep. Zijn primaire belangen zijn interne geneeskunde, Dermatologie en soft-weefsel chirurgie.

·         2002 In 2002 die de partners van The North Shore Animal Hospital is trots opengesteld van de Zuid-Dilbeek veterinaire groep in Dilbeek, NY. Zij zijn vastbesloten om hun 65 jaar standaard van uitmuntendheid naar de Zuid-kust van Long Island.

·         2010 Dr. Ferber en Foley open de East Meadow veterinaire kliniek.

[stefselfslagh]

Waarom Charles een moderne Romeo is.

Dit stuk verscheen in Zomeruur, de zomerbijlage van De Morgen, naar aanleiding van de twintigste verjaardag van de dood van prinses Diana.

Nu prinses Diana twintig jaar na haar dood weer overal heilig verklaard wordt, zakken de populariteitscijfers van prins Charles, haar overspelige ex, nog sneller dan die van Donald Trump. Stef Selfslagh probeert het onmogelijke en neemt - tégen het advies van zijn vrouw in - de verdediging van de man op zich.

"I want to reincarnate as your tampon". Dat zijn de woorden die Charles Philip Arthur George, prins van Wales en oudste zoon van koningin Elisabeth II, zich in 1989 liet ontvallen tijdens een telefoongesprek met zijn toenmalige concubine Camilla Parker-Bowles. Die kon haar geluk duidelijk niet op. 'Oh, darling, what a wonderful idea!', jubelde ze tijdens het bewuste telefoongesprek. En ze voegde er nog aan toe dat hij in zijn volgende leven dan maar moest terugkomen als een hele doos tampons, 'so you could just keep going'. Zelfs wijlen Benny Hill, de koning van de scabreuze scherts, zou het fijnzinniger verwoord hebben. Maar wat dan nog? Dat de liefde zich soms vertaalt in onbeholpen lyriek, maakt haar nog niet minder echt.

'Yes, I finally do'

De amoureuze feiten op een rij. Charles en Camilla leren elkaar kennen tijdens een polomatch in 1970. Hun hersenen vullen zich spontaan met dopamine, maar de relatie bekoelt wanneer het paleis Charles erop wijst dat de op liefdesgebied nogal geroutineerde Camilla niet meteen bride material is. Wanneer Charles zich niet lang nadien bij de koninklijke marine meldt, gaat het koppel uit elkaar. Twee jaar later trouwt Camilla met legerofficier Andrew Parker-Bowles. Ze krijgen samen twee kinderen.

Ondanks het feit dat Camilla getrouwd is, blijven zij en Charles zich als corrosiebestendige magneten tot elkaar aangetrokken voelen: tegen het einde van de jaren zeventig zien ze elkaar weer op regelmatige basis. Ondertussen wordt Charles in Buckingham Palace oncomfortabel vaak aangepord om een koninklijk nageslacht te verwekken. Wanneer hij in 1980 begint te daten met Diana Spencer - een negentienjarige freule met een verlegen oogopslag en een weinig comprommiterende relationele stamboom - vraagt hij haar vrijwel meteen ten huwelijk. Na amper tien dates trouwen ze, drie jaar later hebben ze al twee kinderen.

Maar verliefd bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan: ook tijdens zijn huwelijk met Diana blijft Charles contact houden met Camilla. In 1986 - volgens sommigen al in 1982 - beginnen ze opnieuw een affaire. Charles beseft op dat moment dat hij nooit gelukkig zal worden bij de dertien jaar prillere Diana, Camilla is het beu dat haar legerofficier wel het woord fortification, maar niet het woord faithfulness begrijpt.

In 1992 lekt de verhouding van Charles en Camilla - tampon of geen tampon - uit in de Britse media. In 1995 scheidt Camilla van Andrew Parker-Bowles, een jaar later gaan ook Charles en Diana uit elkaar. In 1999, twee jaar na het ongeval van Diana, verschijnen Charles en Camilla voor het eerst samen in het openbaar. In 2005 staan ze hand in hand voor de ambentaar van de burgerlijke stand. 'Yes, I finally do.'

Een volmaakte puinhoop

Schrap in het bovenstaande relaas de woorden 'paleis', 'media' en 'ongeval' en vervang de namen Charles en Diana door iets minder iconische namen en je hebt een liefdesverhaal zoals er vele zijn: boy meets girl, het mag niet zijn, boy meets another girl, ze trouwen veel te snel, boy is ongelukkig en kan eerste girl niet vergeten, boy en tweede girl scheiden, boy keert terug naar eerste girl en fluistert in haar oor dat hij haar nooit meer zal laten gaan.

Is dat emotioneel matuur gedrag? Nope. Maar een schande, dames en heren van de volksjury, is het evenmin. Het gebeurt wel vaker dat mensen zich realiseren dat ze met de verkeerde persoon getrouwd zijn en later met een knagend geweten de scheidingspapieren invullen. Ze beschadigen daarbij harten en doen traanklieren overuren kloppen, maar een misdaad plegen ze niet. In normale omstandigheden kunnen ze hun toekomstige ex recht in de vochtige ogen kijken en zeggen: "Schat, vergeef me alsjeblieft, ik heb me vergist. Het ligt niet aan jou, maar mijn hart behoort iemand anders toe."

Helaas is er in de gesloten instelling genaamd het Britse koningshuis nóóit sprake van normale omstandigheden. Koningin Elisabeth had weinig zin om publiekelijk te erkennen dat het huwelijk van haar troonopvolger een volmaakte puinhoop was en droeg Charles en Diana op om van hun echtelijke ellende 'het beste te maken'. Resultaat: de afstand tussen beiden werd nog groter dan hij al was. Ze begonnen elkaar steeds lelijker verwijten toe te werpen, ventileerden hun persoonlijke miserie tegen bevriende journalisten en belandden uiteindelijk in een weinig verheffende media-oorlog.

In die strijd om de publieke opinie, door journalisten likkebaardend The War of the Waleses genoemd, had Charles geen schijn van kans. Natúúrlijk kozen de tabloids de kant van het meisje dat al glimlachend gletsjers kon doen smelten en niét die van het wandelende anachronisme dat vossenjagend door het leven ging. Natúúrlijk schaarden de Engelsen zich achter de ontwapenende vrouw die de schuld voor haar mislukte huwelijk bij haar ontrouwe echtgenoot legde en niét achter de wereldvreemde aristocraat die zijn stiff upper lip nooit eens gebruikte om ook zíjn kant van het verhaal te vertellen. Zeker na de dood van Diana werd Charles door zijn landgenoten gereduceerd tot een harteloze scheefpoeper die het leven van hun geliefde queen of hearts jarenlang tot een hel maakte. Een beeld dat ze twintig jaar na de feiten duidelijk nog altijd niet hebben bijgesteld.

Charles, de moderne Romeo

Maar wat iedereen lijkt te vergeten, is dat er ook een heel ander verhaal mogelijk is. Dat van Charles als - jawel - moderne Romeo. Als onverzettelijke minnaar die tegenkantingen en tragedies heeft getrotseerd om bij de liefde van zijn leven te kunnen zijn. U lacht? Wacht even. Toen zijn huwelijk met Diana ontspoorde en er zestig miljoen beschuldigende vingers zijn kant opwezen, heeft Charles het relationele advies van de queen mother en haar voltallige hofhouding naast zich neergelegd en is hij toch met Camilla blijven optrekken. Toen Diana overleed en de collectieve rouw van de Britten omsloeg in een collectieve afkeer van hem en Camilla, heeft hij er niet één keer aan gedacht om haar te dumpen. En ook toen hij tegen de zin van royaltyminnend Engeland een ring over de vinger van Camilla schoof, nam hij alle verwensingen voor lief en maakte hij duidelijk: 'Sorry, mensen, she's the one. Take it or leave it.'

Veel relaties overleven nog niet eens een verbouwing. Die van Charles en Camilla overleefde publieke hoon, massale vijandigheid en koninklijk verzet. Dat kan maar één ding betekenen: die twee zien elkaar fenomenaal graag. Terwijl de Engelsen zich blindstaarden op de amoureuze perikelen van Charles en Diana, speelde zich voor hun ogen een even ontroerend als episch liefdesverhaal af: dat van Charles en Camilla. Maar niemand die het zag.

Charles mag dan al onbezonnen met Diana getrouwd zijn en zich op weinig elegante wijze uit hun huwelijk gewurmd hebben, in wezen heeft hij niks anders gedaan dan - hoe pijnlijk dat voor Diana ook was - de vrouw van zijn leven volgen. Doorgaans bewonderen we mensen die allerlei vormen van oppositie weerstaan en onverstoorbaar voor hun jeugdvlam blijven kiezen. Wel, het wordt tijd dat we erkennen dat Charles - ondanks zijn Looney Tunes-uiterlijk - één van hen is. Hij was misschien ontrouw aan Diana, maar nog veel meer was hij trouw aan Camilla. En aan zichzelf.

Ter attentie van mijn vrouw en alle andere Dianavolgelingen: misschien is de twintigste verjaardag van haar overlijden een mooi moment om over jullie hart te strijken en Charles eindelijk te vergeven. Als Diana dat niet lang voor haar dood zelf al leek te kunnen, kunnen jullie het ook.

[notafraidofredyellowandblue]

OOR 1999 - Nr 14/15 - Rammstein interview

'Bestrafe Mich' and send me to Rammstein. Everything turns out not to be so bad with these six cheerful friends from the former East Germany. They are not scary, but they take their bang, fire and squirt circus very seriously. 'Rammstein an die Front? Geht nicht!'

by Herman van der Horst

Germans want to be everything, but please not German

Rammstein presents their CD Live Aus Berlin with a video in the Berlin art house Tacheles. Along the way I practice: Du, du hast, du hast mich, du hast mich fragt. 'Deutsch muss knallen!' my German teacher always advised us. In that regard, Rammstein is of course the right place for you. We consider the controversy surrounding these six cheerful friends from the former East Germany to be well known. That they were initially labeled as 'wrong'.

And later not wrong. Well, Rammstein is anything but 'wrong'; I was able to see this with my own (wet) eyes in the live video that was shown. Their show is a cross between a cartoon and a Commando video game. Innocent fun. A bit of S&M, a bit of Weisses Fleisch, a bit of religion, a bit of incest and a lot of pretending to be heavy. But in the end it all looks like a barbecue at the Krupps steel factory that got slightly out of hand.

As soon as the singer in Bestrafe Mich starts hitting himself with such a ticklish whip, I start laughing. And I can't get rid of that anymore. Although those rolling 'r's in Mein Krankes Gehirn are really beautiful and they have a schlager 1) with Seemann in the very best 'Junge Komm Bald Wieder' tradition. Their music is called tanzmetal. Metal is clear. But tanz? For elephants maybe...

After the video there is a buffet and the group members mingle with the journalists. Everyone consistently calls them by their surnames: Kruspe! Landers! Lindemann! Lorentz! Riedel! Schneider! But you just try to find the right faces to that by candlelight. That evening I had at least two incredibly deep discussions about the meaning of life, with Germans who turned out not to be Rammsteiners at all. Oh well, things can change.

The next day we are driven to the place where the interrogations will take place. The taxi driver warns that the address we provided may be very difficult to find. It is located in a secret Stasi area in the former East Berlin. Before the fall of the wall, this was a white spot on every Western map. And the house numbering is still incorrect, the driver sighs. Eventually he finds the address anyway. A little later we find ourselves in a lugubrious courtyard. There is a smell of torture and executions. Then we end up in a dark, dilapidated stairwell. When we reach the top, a heavy door opens slightly and we are led into an office. In one corner stands Rammstein's singer Lindemann in command fatigues. He holds a sten gun and an artificial cock against his chest. There is no head on its torso; he keeps it clutched under his other arm. It's a doll. I think.

The interrogations are already in full swing. They take place in small rooms that open onto a sparsely lit corridor system. There's a lady walking around with a clipboard. As we walk through a dark hallway, she says, shuffling through her papers, "You get Schneider." So not Kruspe, Landers, Lindemann, Lorentz or Riedel? "Nein, Scheider!" she repeats firmly. That cannot be changed. Oh well, I think, that sounds nice too, Schneider. After looking at my notes I see it's the drummer. But hey, wait, you still need an interpreter, she says. And away she rushes again. A moment later she returns with the interpreter, a lady who reaches about my waist. Now it comes down to it. After all, I'm here to brush up on my German. I take a deep breath. 'Deutsch muss knallen', crosses my mind. And here it comes: 'My German is ausgezeichnet!' The aus-ge-zeich net bounces down the hallway with a bang. The interpreter is impressed. She is off the hook.

The door to the interrogation room opens with a creak. Inside there is a table, above which hangs a light bulb. In the darkness I spot a stocky figure. "You're Schneider?" I ask to be sure. He nods. 'Horst' I say, holding out my hand, 'Von der'. Then we can get to the point.

What I'm curious about first, Herr Schneider, is whether it was your intention to make a parody of metal.

"No. It's not a parody. We stay away from that. We take ourselves, our music and our show very seriously."

Most metal groups take themselves seriously. That deadly seriousness with which they sell air. You exaggerate that so grotesquely that it really makes me laugh.

"That has something to do with your own preferences. Apparently you find this kind of music comical anyway. If people don't understand this music, or have never heard it before, it might be comical. Possibly. But then I can't help you."

Your texts are a good way to learn German. Rammstein could easily be on Sesame Street.

"If you want to see it that way. But where are you actually going with this?"

Preferably home. But since I'm here: is Rammstein an escape into a fantasy world for you?

"For me it is a content of life. In part it is indeed also an escape from reality. You simply have that possibility in a group. We create a fantasy world that can come to reality for an hour on stage."

Does that also have to do with the fact that you come from the former East Germany?

"Certainly. After the fall of the Wall, there is a lot of anger and frustration here. Many people are dissatisfied with their social situation. I must also add that a group like Rammstein could never have emerged in West Germany. Western musicians probably would have made a decision in advance: can we do this? How will people respond to it? We didn't care about that at the time. We hardly knew how the music biz worked. The Germans of course also have that eternal feeling of guilt about their past. That's why they reason: we don't have to have our own opinions, because we are guilty of certain crimes. I think that the Germans should no longer hide behind that. A generation has now emerged that is asking itself: should I carry that shame along my whole life? Should I deny my ancestry? We want to be everything, but please not German. It is a complicated topic. It is also very difficult to talk about it without immediately being called a Nazi. Anyone who says: I am German is a Nazi. But that's how it is here! We had to experience that in a bitter way."

Did Rammstein ever censor themselves?

"We started out very naive and open-minded. In the underground you can do very daring things because no one gives a shit anyway. That attracts a few freaks who think just like us. But if you suddenly get success, things will be different. As soon as the housewives start getting involved, it suddenly becomes a different story. Then you start setting boundaries. In the second place we started to wonder: where are those boundaries? Can we still cross them? Should we go that far again? Should we even continue? Well, we have indeed gone a lot further with that second album. At least I think so. And now we are again faced with the question: should we always provoke further? Or will that eventually become annoying? That people say: oh, that group is only looking for topics that people can be aggravated about. That is not our goal."

So this means the end of Rammstein.

"Maybe. That's why we made a live record."

As closure

"Yes. And then: finish that shit. Exactly. That would be a fitting statement."

One more grand farewell concert in Kosovo, perhaps? (at the time of the conversation the bombings were still in full swing)

"For what? We don't do politics at all."

No politics. Just take that whole bang, fire and squirt show of yours to the war front. You don't have to take that truck with fireworks either. NATO takes care of that.

"Why? As a mirror for...[chuckles nervously]...the catastrophe that's unfolding there...I think you're out of your mind."

As your final and ultimate provocation.

"It would be completely inappropriate. I think that is sick. That is a way of provoking to seek publicity."

With all due respect, Herr Schneider, but isn't that what Rammstein was about?

"Sure, sure. But to perform in a war zone and show off there... No! Look, you have a normal form of provocation, which is called show business. But this would be a political action, which no longer has anything to do with art or performance. It would undermine the entire context of music and show business."

It should remain show business. A circus.

"Exactly. It's a show and nothing else."

Time is up. Schneider stands up. “Rammstein an die Front,” he says, shaking his head. 'Geht nicht!' A little later the stairwell and the lugubrious courtyard appear, to my astonishment. to end up on a completely different street in Berlin. Wandering around Unter Den Linden, I come across a fence with the following written in large letters: 'Nie Wieder Krieg'. I think I am being followed.

--

1) For many 'critical' music journalists, the typical German 'Schlager' music is very 'wrong' in a 'tacky' sort of way, but the music enjoys some popularity as well in the Netherlands, especially in areas near the German border where German TV shows can be watched

--

List of other Rammstein OOR interviews

[scotianostra]

Happy birthday to Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, frontman with the group Marillion.

Fish was born on April 25th 1961 in Dalkeith, first born son of Robert And Isabella Dick. His parents ran a garage and petrol station, where he worked as a pump attendant in his youth. He has a sister, Laura, 3 years his junior. He attended Kings Park Primary School and Dalkeith High School, in his childhood home town, just outside Edinburgh and I remember him scooting about town on his motorbike, always looking rather odd on the wee bike as he is a rather tall guy, as I recall he wore a leather jacket with a fish on it’s back.

He left school; with grade A O-grades in History, Chemistry, English, Maths and Biology and grade B O-grades   in German and English Literature, so he is a smart cookie! 

In 1976 he started to work as Forester four years later he quit and started a musical career. He joined a band called Blewitt then joined Marillion in 1981. After a year of intense gigging in the UK they got signed to EMI and released their debut album “Script for a Jester’s Tear” in 1983. Their biggest hit singles were “Kayleigh” and “Lavender” in 1985 (from the number one album “Misplaced Childhood”) and “Incommunicado” in 1987. Their other top 40 singles included “Garden Party”, Sugar Mice" and “Warm Wet Circles”. In 1988, after touring their critically acclaimed fourth album “Clutching at Straws”, he left the band to start a solo career.

In 1987 Derek married Tamara, a model from Berlin who he had met during the recording of the album “Misplaced Childhood” and who appears in the music video of “Kayleigh”. Later she also appeared in the video of his solo single, “A Gentlemen’s Excuse Me”. They have a daughter, Tara Rowena Dick, born on January 1st, 1991. In 2001 Fish and Tamara separated.

Derek has also tried his hand at acting his first job was in Zorro, and he isn’t shy of having a bit of fun in his roles, playing “Derek Trout”, a record producer in the 1999 series A young person’s guide to becoming a rockstar.

Music critics have acknowledged Fish for his voice, which has been described as both “distinct” and a “conflation of Roger Daltrey and Peter Gabriel”, while his lyrics have been praised as “poetic prose”. Fish was voted number 37 in the greatest voices in rock by Planet Rock listeners in 2009.

In 2020, Fish released his final studio album Weltschmerz, to positive reviews and commercial success.  His management say it should have reached number two in the UK charts,  but because UK chart rules require distribution through official channels it was precluded from the official charts. 

In an interview last year he said he didn’t find the whole lockdown period too much of a struggle. “I’m lucky because we live in East Lothian, near Haddington to the south of Edinburgh,” he explains. “It’s in the country and I live on a farm so I’m lucky that we’ve got a big garden and my wife and I are both enthusiastic amateur gardeners and that kind of saved us, basically.”

He has his own Facebook page, and yes he runs it himself, it features a  programme called Fish on Friday  It’s a two-hour show where he plays music and talks about songs and what was going on, he  describes it as a great release for himself.

It’s good he is keeping his hand in someway as on the musical career front he says it’s all over;

“I decided in 2015 that I had one more album left in me,” he says, “and the same reason I left Marillion with [1987’s] Clutching at Straws... I left that band with the best album that I thought we made together and it was at a high benchmark.

“I didn’t want to kind of peter out; I’ve never been the kind of person that throws a bit of plastic at loyal punters just to get some cash off them. ‘Oh, it’s Christmas, we’d better put an album out’ – I’ve never worked along that way, and I’ve got other things to do.”

So no more touring or albums for oor man , but he recently was in Malta and  delivered keynote speech at a conference focusing on mental wellness at the workplace.

The song I have chosen today is not one of his well known, but I don’t think there are many videos more Scottish than the one accompanying it’s called Internal Exile and is a veritable feast of Scottishness! 

I saw a blue umbrella in Princes Street Gardens

Heading out west for the Lothian Road

An Evening News stuffed deep in his pocket

Wrapped up in his problems to keep away the cold

Grierson’s spirit haunts the dockyard

The only men working, documentary crews

Shooting film as the lines get longer

As the seams run out, as the oil runs dry

Hey there, laddie, internal exile

When will you see that we got to let go?

Hey there, lassie, internal exile

When will you realize we got to let go?

Starlings wheeling, Georgian spires

And the fires of Grangemouth burn the skies

A lion sleeps in a tenement close

In a country that’s tired and deaf to his roar

Hey there, laddie, internal exile

When will you see that we got to let go?

Hey there, lassie, internal exile

When will you realize we got to let go?

We got to go now

Oh, would you please let us go now?

They bury the wasteland deep in the wilderness

Poison the soil and reap the harvest

Of blind indifference, greed and apathy

Sowed way back in our history

The fish are few and the harbors are empty

The keels now rot on our oil slicked shores

The sheep are gone, the farms deserted

It sounds out of sight and we’re out of mind

Hey there, laddie, internal exile

When will you see that we got to let go?

Hey there, lassie, internal exile

When will you realize we got to let go?

We’re gonna go now

We’re gonna go now

Like our fathers before us we’ve eyes for America

Dream of a new life on foreign shores

Wherever we go we will always know

That the land we stand on is never our own

Hey there, laddie, internal exile

When will you see that we got to let go?

Hey there, lassie, internal exile

When will you realize we got to let go?

We’re internal exile, we got to, got to let go

We’re internal exile, we simply got to let go

Got to let go

We got to go now

Would you please let us go now?

Internal exile, internal exile

Would you please let us go?

[kaneelijsbeer]

Gorter vs. Heytze

Hoor eens ik haat je

Hoor eens ik haat je, ik schreef dat je lief was en licht - en nog wat onzin over je gezicht maar nu haat ik je, god wat haat ik je.

Die neus, dat hoofd, die paardenbek, die ogen en die gierennek dat kraagje en dat bloemkooloor met al je slierten haar er voor.

Hoor eens ik wou graag zijn jou, maar het kon niet zijn, het licht is uit, ik zie je alsnog zoals je werkelijk bent.

O ja, ik haat je, ik haat je zo vreselijk, ik wou het helemaal niet zeggen - maar ik moest het even kwijt.

Ingmar Heytze (1970) Uit: Sta op en wankel, Kwadraat, Utrecht 1999.

Zie je ik hou van je, ik vin je zo lief en zo licht - je ogen zijn zo vol licht, ik hou van je, ik hou van je.

En je neus en je mond en je haar en je ogen en je hals waar je kraagje zit en je oor met je haar er voor.

Zie je ik wou zo graag zijn jou, maar het kan niet zijn, het licht is om je, je bent nu toch wat je eenmaal bent.

O ja, ik hou van je, ik hou zo vrees'lijk van je, ik wou het helemaal zeggen - Maar ik kan het toch niet zeggen.

Herman Gorter, uit: Verzen, 1890

[ellenrdp]

Opdracht 2: verdwaald in het bos

Iris is van plan om naar haar moeder te gaan. Ze wil vragen stellen over Ray en misschien komt ze dan eindelijk achter de waarheid: wie heeft Rosita vermoord?

Eerst brengt Iris haar zoon naar de crèche en daarna gaat ze Ray bezoeken in de kliniek. Ray probeert zich de gebeurtenissen van 17 mei 1999 te herinneren: Rosita en Anna liggen dood op de grond. Wanneer hij terug thuis is ziet hij zijn moeder maar daarna weet hij niet meer wat er gebeurd is. Iris voelt diep vanbinnen dat haar moeder er misschien iets mee te maken heeft want ze haatte Rosita en ging nooit langs bij Ray thuis maar echter wel die dag…

Iris gaat naar het metrostation om zo naar haar moeder te gaan en merkt op dat een man haar constant aanstaart. Ze heeft de indruk dat ze hem al ergens heeft gezien maar dan is hij plots weg.

In de metro komt ze haar vriendin Bienie tegen en ze zetten het op een praten. Bienie stapt uit en dan merkt Iris dat ze haar halte gemist heeft en bij de terminus is. Ze stapt uit, het is pikdonker en de man die haar aanstaarde is hier ook uitgestapt. Hij loopt in de richting van een bos en Iris besluit hem te volgen. Ze heeft het moeilijk want het is modderig, er zijn overal beesten en ze mag geen enkel geluid maken.

De man gaat middenin het bos een huisje binnen. Iris verstopt zich achter een boom en heeft zo uitzicht op het raam. Ze ziet dat hij zijn sleutels en portefeuille op tafel legt en zijn telefoon neemt. Iris sluipt dichterbij het huis en legt haar oor tegen de muur. Na een tijdje belt hij iemand en dan hoort ze de naam van haar moeder. Die mysterieuze man praat met haar moeder!

Ze praten over Ray en Rosita en over een hoop geld dat ergens verborgen ligt.

Maar dan hoort Iris iets wat ze nooit had willen horen: haar moeder is de moordenaar!

Iris moet de politie inlichten want Ray is onschuldig en moet zo snel mogelijk uit de kliniek. Haar moeder moet in de gevangenis want zij is de moordenaar. Iris is de enige die de waarheid weet en deze moordzaak voorgoed kan afsluiten maar ze is verdwaald in het bos.

Met de zaklamp op haar telefoon probeert Iris het station terug te vinden maar ze heeft de indruk dat ze dieper en dieper het bos inloopt …

Bellen kan ze niet want er is geen ontvangst in het bos. Ze gaat op een boomstronk zitten en denkt na hoe ze terug naar het station kan geraken. Iris begint te huilen; ze is achter zoveel dingen gekomen en kan niet geloven dat haar moeder een moordenaar is.

In de verte ziet ze het huisje van die man en beslist er weer naartoe te gaan. Ze kijkt door het raam en ziet dat hij in de zetel zit. Ze analyseert hem grondig en plots komt het in haar op dat die man Twan is … Ze wil zeker zijn en kijkt opnieuw maar dan ziet hij haar! Hij neemt zijn geweer, rent Iris achterna en schiet haar dood.

De zoektocht van Iris naar de waarheid heeft ze met haar leven moeten bekopen en de onschuld van haar broer Ray heeft ze niet kunnen bewijzen.

Was ze maar niet verdwaald geraakt in het bos …

[slowdanceinavillage]

Liewe Ma – Florence of soos ons haar geken het as Floss het 5 huise langs die spoorlyn op Kameel besit. My Pa – Gerald het die huise op 9 Maart 1999 gekoop van die destydse Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens.

  Die spoorlyn tussen Vryburg en Mafeking is eers in 1894 gebou, ná Stellaland en Goosen nie meer bestaan het nie, Cecil John Rhodes, het toentertyd reeds ‘n droom gehad om ’n spoorlyn van die Kaap na Cairo te bou, en hy wou hê dat dit deur die area moes loop want hy het die De Beers Diamantmynmaatskappy gestig en wou ‘n treinroete na die noorde laat loop sonder om deur die ZAR se grondgebied te gaan.

Kameelstasie was dus deel van die Kaap na Cairo projek en is in 1894 op my groot-ouers se plaas Kameelbult gebou.  In 1999 is my Pa genader om die huise terug te koop en die titelakte nr T796/1999 is geregistreer op Florence se naam.

Kameel is een van daardie klein dorpies op die R377. Dit was eens ‘n besige spoorlyn wat graan en reisigers vervoer het. Daar is ‘n laerskool en twee kooperasies waar jy saam met die boere van die omgewing kan koffie drink en die weer bespreek. Kameel Rust en Vrede gaste akkommodasie is naby die ou Kameel treinstasie geleë. Ongelukkig is die ou stasie gebou gesloop. Tot jou verbasing sal jy Wilrick Kontrei winkel met ‘n bottelstoor ook hier kry. Hier kan jy die nodige proviant kry. Met sekerheid kan ons hul vetkoek aanbeveel en saam met ‘n koue Lager uit die bottelstoor is dit ‘n wenner.

‘n Stukkie geskiedenis van Kameelstasie wat ek by Jean, my Pa se suster, gekry het. Sy het by die stasie gewerk vanaf 1953.

Die ou Stasiegebou was vol verrassings. Kan dink aan al die papiere wat onder in die kelder gestoor was. Dis ‘n deel van die geskiedenis wat summier verbrand is toe die stasiegebou moedswillig gesloop is. Die ou koper traliewerk en daardie tipiese wagkamer. Treine is daardie dae per morsekode gereguleer. Daar was die pragtige drie-hoekige keramiek waterhouer. Kaartjies is in ‘n kas gehou en die datumstempel van yster moes daagliks op gedateer word. Die Ploegbaas het in die eerste huis gewoon, die ene waarvoor die naam van die stasie staan. Langs die huis was sink kwartiere wat soos ‘n “hostel” was waar die ongetroudes gewoon het. Die Ploegbaas het met ‘n Pomptrollie die spoorlyn ondersoek en herstel.

Oor die jare het die soutpanne by Stella bekende ontdekkingsreisigers en sendeling as besoekers, soos David Livingston en Robert Moffat, gehad. Groot-Oupa Alfred Ernest het op Lonely Hill gebly. Lonely Hill se huis is vandag nog daar – natuurlik erg verwaarloos so op die kant van die soutpanne. Sout is aangery, met donkie-waens na Kameel waar dit dan op die spoortrokke gelaai is. Daardie jare was dit ‘n hout-en-pale gebou Vandag is die soutpanne nie meer produktief nie.

Daar was soms tot 20 busse wat personeel en goedere vervoer het. Die busse het die roomkanne van die plase opgelaai en dit is dan na Kameel gebring waar dit, per spoor, na Vryburg Romerye vervoer is. Die “dubble loaves” was busse wat passasiers en goedere vervoer het. Daar was sitplekke aan die voorkant vir passasiers en dan agter die afskorting is goedere gelaai en na die stasie gebring. Die room en eiers is in die swartroomkamer geberg totdat die trien dit na Vryburg vervoer het. Dit was ‘n soort koelkamer.

Simon wat vir elke okkasie ‘n spesiale uniform aangetrek het. Hy was soort van die “meeter and greeter” van alles wat op- of afgelaai moes word.

Die vuuremmers het aan hake aan die stoepkant van die stasiegebou gehang. Dit was gevul was met sand.

Oom Kleintjie Kleynhans en sy vrou Tant Gertie was van die eerste stasiemeesters. Hulle het in die huis waar Ma Floss gewoon het, hulle intrek geneem.  Hul Boarder Kollie het oral met hul saam gegaan. Tant Gertie, of soos sy by die laerskool bekend was, tannie Klein, was een van die eerste onderwysers by die laerskool op Kameel.

Daar is tuine om die stasiegebou gemaak en elke jaar was daar kompetisies tussen die stasies om te bepaal wie se tuin die mooiste was, maar dit was nie altyd net werk nie. Almal het na die jaarlikse vuurbol gooi uitgesien. Dit was die tyd wanneer oud en jonk die vuurbolle in die lug bewonder het.

Stukkie angswekkende geskiedenis was toe die dinamiet trein ontspoor het tussen Kameel en Wirsing-halte. Dit was ‘n groot en gevaarlike gebeurtenis. Die ploegbaas moet die trein dag en nag bewaak.

Die spoorpredikant lees 805myl van Kaapstad met ‘n hoogte van 4449 voet.

In 2001 stuur Ma Floss vir ons ‘n brief en daarin skryf sy dat haar skrywe kom van die huise tussen treine en tussen spore. Ma het na haar hemelse woning verhuis op Kersdag 2017.

Ma Floss en Pa Gerald het in stasiemeesterhuis gewoon, sedert 2001. Na Pa sy aardse woning verlaat het, het Ma aangebly. Sy was sommer die Stasiemeester of is dit dalk die Burgermeester. Haar tuin was haar trots en menige dae het sy rustig in haar tuin gewoel en gewerk.

Nou is dit ons en Ma se huise en ons het dit goed gedink om die klein kompleksie na ma te vernoem op ‘n heel ander wyse.

Kameel : Huise tussen Treine en tussen Spore

Baie dae het ons die treinspore ge-ondersoek en bewonder. Onthou nog ons eerste besoek aan ons ouers toe Ma verskoning maak vir die klein veldmuisie wat in die huis is. Twee uur die oggend word ons wakker van ‘n snaakse geluid. Dit was nie die veldmuis nie maar ‘n trein wat verby gegaan het. Nodeloos om te sê die veldmuis het ons nooit gepla nie.

Ek onthou Pa Gerald se ontsteltenis toe hulle een middag van Vryburg gekom het en daar was twee trekkers met kettings aan wat die stasiegebou platgetrek het. Die kelder met al die papier van baie jare is aan die brand gesteek en dit het vir dae gebrand. Pa kon nooit ophou praat hoe onnodig dit was nie. Ja vandag lê daar nog steeds van die bourommel van die stasiegebou. Soos dit in ons tye gaan word dinge verwoes maar daar bly altyd ‘n getuienis agter.

Ek onthou ouma Hester se Café reg langs die spoorlyn. Dit was die plek waar ons menige dae na skool gaan kuier het. Ouma het so ‘n glas toonbank gehad met ons gunsteling lekkers agter die glas. Daar was appelkose, Wilson toffies en suurtjies. Elke jaar wanneer ouma op vakansie gegaan het, het Ma die Café ge’run’. Dit was vet pret vir ons Finchampies. Wanneer daar ‘n groot bederf was het ons Marie beskuitjies met kondensmelk gekry. Paul wat die kok was het ons bederf met allerhande lekker geroosterde broodjies. Ouma se stoele en tafels het nuwe tafeldoeke en kussingtjies gekry en ons kon sommer so tussen die broodjies huiswerk doen. Later van jare het die kafee toegemaak en die is ook gesloop.

Klein tyd het ons met die trein gery tot by Devondale. Vir die lekkerte het Ma vir ons padkos gepak. Dan was ons passasiers op die trein na die Landsdienskampe van daardie jare. Jy moes jou eie bedgoed saamvat. Ma het ons toegerus met sulke “fancy” kombers bande. Nogal egte leer. Die nagmerie het begin wanneer ons moes terugkom en die beddegoed kon nie weer in die bande pas nie. Dit was altyd ‘n spesiale uitstappie. Die tikketak van die treinwiele op die spoor is iets wat altyd met my sal bly.

In ons kinderdae was Oom Jan en Ta’Bettie die Stasiemeester. Die hele familie was groot vriende en kuiertye is aangedui met die rooi en wit ranggeer ligte. Wanneer die rooi lig geskyn het het hulle nie kom kuier nie, maar wanneer die wit lig geskyn het was hulle oppad.

Het jy al ooit na die detail van ‘n spoorlyn gekyk? Elke stuk yster vertel sy eie storie.

Vandag is die treine min en is daar vele stiltes tussen die kom en gaan van die treine. Die wissels  en afstandborde vertel hul eie storie

Ek onthou die dag toe Ma en Tant Lena die Golf op die grondpad omgegooi het. Dit was naby Devondale. Ma het ‘n lelike sny op haar kop gehad. Tant Lena het die blikkie koeldrank op haar sakdoek gegooi en probeer om die bloeding te stop. Dit was tervergeefs. Daarna het die Oud Cologne te voorskyn gekom en dit het in ‘n mate gehelp. Tant Lena het haar sakdoek by die venster uitgewaai toe sy hoor dat daar ‘n trein aankom. Die treindrywer het op Kameel vir Pa laat weet dat daar ‘n Golf langs die pad op sy dak lê.

Tannie Glen het die poskantoor beman vir baie jare. Dit was ‘n een man poskantoor en sy het alles gedoen. Onthou die koper pype wat bo-op die toonbank was. Terwyl Tannie Glen daar gewerk het het sy gebrei. Haar dogters het die mooiste handgebreide sokkies skool toe gedra en in die winter het hulle fair isle truie gedra.

Die ou spoorkruising was omtrent daar waar die Eskom paal vandag staan. Ons het as kinders graag op die wa en trekker na die stasie gery. Op ‘n dag het ek en Ouboet die wolbale – wat oppad was na die goedereloods – vergesel. Die wolbale moes per trein na Port Elizabeth gaan waar die jaarlikse wolveiling gehou is. Die wolbale is afgelaai en ons het die pad terug plaas toe gevat. Janboel was die Fordson trekker se bestuurder. Daar was twee treine wat reeds in die stasie gestaan het. Stadig het die wa en trekker oor die spore gekruip en skielik “out of nowhere” het ‘n derde trein die stasie ingekom. Kardoef en die Fordson was in twee. Middeldeur. Gelukkig het niemand seergekry nie. Ek glo nie eers ek en ouboet het regtig geweet wat gebeur het nie.

Nou terug na die Huise tussen Treine en tussen Spore

·         Ons gaan die huise geleidelik opknap en ‘n bietjie oemph in hulle sit en dan die tuine opknap. Ons glo aan leef uit die aarde en daarom sal daar vrugtebome en groente geplant word. Omdat die grys water nie onnodig in die “French drain” sisteem gelaat moet word nie,  wil ons graag die water hergebruik vir die tuine.

·         Die huise kry direk krag van Eskom en die nodige pre-paids is beskikbaar by Wilrick Kontrei Winkel.

·         Die sonsondergange is besonders en ‘n moet vir enige fotograaf wat dit wil verewig.

·         Daar is ‘n verskeidenheid van voëls wat jy sal leer ken.

·         As jy die gevoel het om te skilder en alles op jou eie tyd te doen – sal die pragtige natuur met die groot doringbome met hul grys peule jou motiveer.

·         Vir ‘n uitstappie is daar ‘n besoek aan die Slag van Kraaipan. Dit so ongeveer n uur se rit Kameel. Dit was die eerste geveg tydens die Tweede Boere Oorlog en die geveg het plaasgevind op 12 Oktober 1899.

Op die nag het 800 man ondere die leierskap en Koos de la Rey die Britte oorrompel op die spoorhalte by Kraaipan. Die gepanserde trein met die naam van “Mosquito” of dan Muskiet het 2 7-pond kanonne, gewere, amunisie en rantsoene vervoer.

·         So dan en wan, stop die Rovos Rail by die Huise tussen Treine en tussen Spore.

·         Maak Kameel deel van jou “memories”

As jy weet van iemand of dalk self uitsien na ‘n rustige bekostigbare lewenswyse kontak Patrick – my broer wat nou die Stasiemeester is, op 0765488035 en hoor wat beskikbaar is.

Groetnis

Hennie & Sandra

  Stoepstorie: 9 Kameel Huise tussen treine en tussen spore Liewe Ma - Florence of soos ons haar geken het as Floss het 5 huise langs die spoorlyn op Kameel besit.

[kalluun-patangaroa]

OOR (Dutch) magazine, issue 17, 21 August 1999

This is an interview with Brett and Simon on the occasion of Suede coming to the Netherlands to perform at Lowlands Festival on 27 August 1999.