Italian History
Today is April 25, Liberation Day in Italy, and I have been thinking about home in the way certain dates make me do. I woke up in Amsterdam, made coffee...
History & Places
ECLIXAR
digital diary
Journal.
fragments of quiet intelligence
There is a manner in which certain things ask to be written, not so that they may be found, but because to exist in silence, for too long, eventually becomes insufficient. It is not urgency. It is something closer to a necessity that makes no noise, waiting patiently until it discovers the proper form. This archive was born in such a way.
Not as a diary. Not as a blog. Not as something that is updated merely for the sake of appearing alive. It is a place where certain thoughts come to rest, those which do not dissolve, those which return, those which insist with the silent obstinacy of things that truly belong to you...
Every article is a scene. Every word, a frame of something that would not have remained, had it not
been writtenFrom the archive.
Traditions & Culture
Vrijmarkt Planning
I spent part of this afternoon planning what I want to see at the vrijmarkt on King’s Day, which is slightly ridiculous because the whole pleasure of a street market...
Traditions & Culture
Orange Incoming
Amsterdam is beginning to turn orange, and I am enjoying every ridiculous minute of it. Shop windows are filling with orange decorations, people are talking about King’s Day plans and...
Music & Sound
Music Never Really Disappears
I spent part of today thinking about how music stays with us long after the moment when we first hear it. The news about Prince yesterday made me return to...
Music & Sound
Purple
I have had Purple Rain in my head for most of the evening. After hearing the news about Prince, I started listening to his music and found myself returning to...
Power & Society
People Can Cross Them by Following Rules
I had an interesting conversation today about immigration, and it reminded me how important precise language is when discussing complicated subjects. People often use the same words to describe very...
Power & Society
Borders Exist for a Reason
I have been thinking about borders today, partly because of the political discussions in Europe and partly because I spent my lunch break reading an article about travel and security....
Power & Society
Unpopular Opinions /2
I have been thinking about unpopular opinions again, partly because of the referendum and partly because of a conversation I had earlier today. It is strange how quickly people can...
Personal Diary
Vrijdag
Friday arrived with sunshine, a cold breeze and the kind of mood that makes me want to finish work quickly and go somewhere with music. I was standing in the...
Power & Society
Europe of Nations
I was reading about European history this evening when I started thinking about the idea of a Europe of nations. It is a phrase that appears often in political discussions,...
Questions & Musings
Why This Word Makes So Many People Nervous
I had an interesting conversation at work today about sovereignty, and it made me realise how differently people understand the same word. A colleague said he worried that discussions about...
Power & Society
Sovereignty
I have been thinking about the word sovereignty today. It appears constantly in political discussions, often spoken with great confidence and very little explanation. Some people use it to mean...
Why?
Because every thought leaves a trace. If something moved you, disturbed you, softened you, or made you think, leave it here, quietly.