Everybody's starry-eyed

About an hour ago I had my master paper printed. It possibly caused my parents' bankruptcy (damn you colour prints!), but all in all I'm very relieved. Another good thing is that this means I've got time to blog again! I've been the worst blogger in history for over a month, but was very pleased to get a few messages from readers who were looking forward to new posts - thank you for the support!

Working on my master paper meant that I spent the last 1,5 month mainly in the company of Vladimir Putin (not literally - my paper is about the reporting in Flemish newspapers on Russia during the 8 years under the reign of Putin) and not so much where and with who I'd rather be. But fortunately there were exceptions. A short overview of what I've been up to next to reading, analysing and reporting...

I went partying in Leuven...

(first four pictures by Maxim Solomaniuck, the others by Barbara Peremans)

For I haven't got the room in my head for these things

So what's going on lately?

- I've found a job I can practice whilst still being a student. It's a copywriting job which involves me writing commercial texts on the most divergent topics. I'm so glad I decided not to do an internship so I can do this job.

- In one of my other lives - the one as a student - I've started working on my master paper. It's about the way Russia is represented in Flemish newspapers during the eight years under Putin. I've always wanted to do research concerning Russia and/or Putin, and I might even prefer this topic over the one I picked for my bachelor paper (on the tactics and strategies McCain and Obama used in their three presidential debates).

- I've booked my Eurostar tickets to London!! I'm going there for six days mid-November. I'm staying over at a friend's place and there's heaps of things I want to do!

- I'm in one of my Editors phases. They occur about each time Editors release a new single/release a new album/play a gig I'm going to/or just for no special reason, except for the fact that I am completely in love with their music. Their new album 'In This Light And On This Evening' is simply brilliant - it's the record of the year and you should feel obliged to listen to it!!

- Remember my Finnish friend Ann-Sofi? Sadly she left Belgium a couple of months ago after working here as an au-pair for almost a year. But last week she was back in our country for a couple days and of course we had to meet up. We had some great chats and of course our dearly beloved Australian Ice Cream. :)

- It seriously freaks me out how many relatively young people are dying lately. Stephen Gately (my childhood idol), Frank Vandenbroucke, Felice, Michael Jackson, Yasmine... When does it end?

- It's suddenly getting a lot colder over here in Belgium. Days are getting shorter and the evenings and nights are really chilly. I'll probably get tired of it soon, but for now I'm quite enjoying this change in climate. I love buying new winter's clothes and I'm infected by the christmas fever already! The perfect soundtrack for this new atmosphere? The Leisure Society!

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

Night and day in Jette

After the Futureheads gig, Elke and I headed to her new student room in Jette where our good friend and Elke's brand new roomie Karolien was waiting to treat us on a nice welcome.

Karo and Elke

Elke and I cosying things up

Morning has broken in Jette and I made a little vid of the kitchen and my two darlings. Sorry for the non-Dutch speakers!