Happy Halloween!

I kind of liked this video I found on YouTube:

Beautiful women are invisible

Yesterday evening I went to the cinema to watch 'Elegy', the best film I've seen for quite a while.

'Elegy' is an intense drama by Isabel Coixet based on a Philip Roth novel.
The film is about an older professor/critic (Ben Kingsley) who never committed himself to a decent relationship after a marriage in his younger years left him completely desillusioned. All he is really looking for is sex, until he gets to know the Cuban beauty Consuela (Penelope Cruz), one of his students, right after graduation.
What he feels for her is more than just sexual attraction, but still he doesn't seem to be able to get involved in the relationship like people traditionally do, partly because he finds it hard to believe he can have a future with such a young, gorgeous girl.
But I'll stop here, since I don't believe in spoilers.

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed this film. It was very beautiful, painful, emotional, intelligent and intense at the same time.
I loved all the performances. Kingsley was great as ever, but also lots of kudos to Dennis Hopper (who plays Kinglsey's best mate), Penelope Cruz (what's not to love about her, she's stunning but - as this movie proves - also a good actress) and Peter Sarsgaard (absolutely one of my favourite actors, he plays Kingsley's son).

I read in a review that 'Elegy' isn't destined to anyone under the age of 40, but I do not completely agree with that. I can see why it could be a more relevant movie for those people, but there were many ways in which I could relate to the characters as well.

However, definitely a must-see!

You're not nineteen forever

Today my friend Liesbeth is turning 20 and she's one of the last of our high school 'gang' to do so. The very last one will be me, on the 21st of December. I've got some pretty ambiguous feelings on the subject.
In some way I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I honestly can barely wait until I'm 21, finish university and I can finally really start to try and do what I really want to do with my life.
Then again, the idea of turning 20 creeps me out. I like being young. I like having such endless amounts of energy. I like being critical but at the same time still free from too much cynicism.
It's not that turning 20 will suddenly transform me into a tired, worn person full of bitterness, but it is a step away from youth, a certain chapter that you leave behind.
I guess this is just another reason to live every part of my life to the fullest.

Recently watched

Louder louder, and we'll run for our lives

I visited my friends in Leuven on Tuesday.

After having dinner at an extremely cheap but good Italian restaurant and finally meeting Liesbeth's boyfriend Wouter, she and I took off to a 24-hours estafette that was going on between the different faculties of the KUL (Leuven Uni). We weren't too active ourselves, but I like to believe we were good supporters.

Afterwards, we - Liesbeth and I, joined by Sam - went back to Liesbeth's room where the three of us spent hours (well, Liesbeth fell asleep after a while, so that makes it the two uf us, I guess) chatting underneath the covers of her bed.

Wouter and Liesbeth

Stef

Liesbeth and I won ugly blue sunglasses that made me look like Liam Gallagher

Sam

Vodka cran in your hand and whose little girl are you now?

I downloaded the free Webcammax trial onto my computer, so all I'll be doing for a while is playing around with this new toy of mine.

Don't look back in anger

There's not a single better place for a party than the Make-Up Club in Ghent. Last weekend, I headed there for the third edition of Hindu Nights (the second one for me to attend) and I had the best time EVER.

My companions were Leehana, Karolien, Stef (Karolien's boyfriend) and Ann-Sofi (a great Finnish girl I met on the Internet, who is working as an au-pair in Brussels). Once I was in the club, I also met up with the lovely Neon Enlightenment girls and some other people I knew.

It was the kind of party that absolutely deserves to be called a party. The evening/night consisted of one gig (Freaky Age) and three dj-sets (Paul Gallagher, Shut Up and Dance (with Sam De Bruyn) and Eppo Janssen.

The music was amazing - all of my favourites were included: Joy Division, Oasis, Babyshambles, Editors, The Jam, The Beatles, MGMT, Franz Ferdinand... and - woohoo! - The Libertines!

The ultimate highlight was "Don't look back in anger" - of course picked by Peter (Hindu Nights organiser en huge Oasis fan) himself - when everybody gathered around the dj booth as if they still had to make clear how much of a great anthem that song is.

Two days later, the Belgian Oasis gig in January got announced - of course I'll be there.

(the pictures are partly mine, partly Ann-Sofi's)

(the stare - it frightens Gisèle)

pretending to steal bikes

"breakfast"

On the neon, neon side of town

Oh, how I love dressing up! Thanks for the wig, Jonathan!

Most Played

Most played during the last two weeks according to my iTunes.

1. Five O'Clock Heroes ft. Agyness Deyn - Who


2. Oasis - The Shock of the Lightning


3. Rosie and the Goldbug - Lover


4. Iglu & Hartly - In This City (don't ask, everybody is allowed a few guilty pleasures)


5. Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire

Yes this is a kiss that I swear will blow your mind

On Monday, I went to another gig in Brussels. Emiliana Torrini was playing at the AB Club, the smaller and cosier venue of the Ancienne Belgique.

After an okay yet not very memorable support act called Island Line, Emiliana treated us on a 18-song set. Her singing was absolutely breath-taking and so were quite a lot of her songs, but the set was a little too long and not daring enough for me to be able to speak of a really great gig.

(my review: http://www.digg.be/gigs.php?id=449)

Island Line:




Emiliana Torrini: