Monday, August 27, 2012

The Public Wants

... the Public Gets: Kizomba

Although I told the whole world why love Tarraxha better, I must say I am Happily surprised to see that Kizomba is gaining so much more interest throughout Europe. Personally, I don't like it when something I like becomes commercial and widely spread, but I can't fight this virus spreading ;-) 

The same thing happened when 15 years ago, I was really into Cuban salsa, dancing it with authentic Cuban friends... and then the crowd discovered it, "jan en alleman" became teachers, the US versions came over, and soon the sexy and fun latino dancers left the dance floor so that Mr Geek and Miss China could take over, losing all the soul of this great music and dance along the way. Dancing became a constant competition, girls started wearing adapted shoes and dresses, guys came with their little towels to dry their sweat... and it was fucked. I hope that the same thing doesn't happen to Kizomba, that it stays small scaled and fun, authentic!

In the meantime, one of the first commercial (and not so great) songs came out and even already showed on Trace Tropical. I prefer the Angolan or Cabo Verde ones, but I post the video, because I do find that the great basic steps in this video are showing clearly and it is an accessible song... Next time I will post a great tutorial, one that really helped me a lot! Stay tuned...

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Mercenary World labelled me a Lesbian

What kind of world do we live in? I have been having discussions with people recently that always seem to end in a sombre picture of a mercenary world, where human nature is in decline, values being swept away by iPhones and the future scary...

But is it really so? I mean, I love my iPhone...

I think this subject is too vast and hard to write about, but I wanted to share a few random thoughts. I can only speak for myself, and I notice that people are so little tolerant and understanding, and that more then ever, we need to fit into a box (probably produced in China, of recycled material IF you are lucky).

We just chucked away the freedom our hippie-parents so proudly claimed for themselves together with the wrapping of our ready-made meal. In times of crisis, people go back to the safety of their protectionist and conservative lives and become more self-centered then ever. As if pointing out the weaknesses of the other will increase your own strength!

It makes me sad to see that people experience diversity as a threat, that anyone who wasn’t born in the “right” country, or the “right” family or didn't make the “right” choices has such a hard time to conquer their own place on this planet, in our society... did anyone ask themselves by whose standards we DO live? Who dictates all of this crap?

Genuine support, affection or help, completely deprived from any kind of pervert or mercenary objectives, seems to be no longer acceptable... and has earned me the Label of Lesbian... those of you that know me well, know better


Monday, August 6, 2012

I'm in my 30ies

And I don't dare to admit it is a great time of my life! ok.. sometimes I want to go 10 years back, but usually that is not to stay in my 20ies but to make different choices. This is what I would have done differently if I could go back in time:

I would have studied goldsmith and jewelry design, would have created my own company in organic food and cosmetics, would have had 3 kids in my twenties, taken better care of the beautiful body I had. I would have put less importance into finding Mr. Right and spent most time with family and friends...

Now that I am in my 30ies, I finally have the ability (material and especially mental) to make some real choices. I'll have to resolve the 3-kid dream in time before the biological bomb explodes, and I have a few new ideas: I need to find a way to merge the European and the African molecules of my body, expressing it through art, a clothing line, an ecological farm in Africa, or eco-friendly tourism...

These ideas will need to grow over time, but you will here from me in let's say... 10 years?