Plaisir and Jouisance: September 2015

Hallo-hallo!

No matter how academic the atmosphere and how little I understand of my fellow-students' "everyday" discussions, one can't just only study, right? At least I can't. So I've picked up some nice activities, many of which I've never done before.
They say you are what you eat. And you most definitely are what you do. So we'll see what turns out of me with all these hobbies or whether or not they'll last, but here they are:

1. From comedy to Debating
First of all things, I tried Comedy Club (just because it was on a Monday, not because it was my first priority). The point was, that some people who already have experience with stand-up comedy, theater, and other kinds of performing arts or public performing. would teach the "new people" how to perform, how to make comedy, how to be, talk, walk and behave on stage. It sounded such a good idea, and certainly about skills that one is going to need in life. Also, I was thinking, that if I am going to become a lifestyle counselor, I would only benefit out of knowing how to do public performances, how to look, and how to be amusing. And then once or twice a month, there are actual comedy evenings, where they then joke to whoever comes to listen.
I must say, I was a bit intimidated. I dont really think I can start joking just because I know I have to. And also, the way all these comedy people communicate to eachother, and to me, and how I feel like im not fast enough to react :D. So I took my friend Ben with, as a moral support or such. Ben already knew, he's never gonna join, but as a good friend (he's also my neighbor, so he probably just didnt wanna upset me :/:D), came with. Turned out, it was quite funny. I laughed several times and enjoyed myself. But..I dont know..somehow it all still seemed a bit odd and a bit like..not for me. I dont know why, but sometimes one can just feel it I guess. It wasn't made any better by Ben's announcement that if I am really gonna join this place, he promises, he will never laugh at any of my jokes ever again, because for sure I've just learned them there, so they're not really jokes but more like a practiced...art. or. what. Which really made me paranoid - suddenly I was sure that's how everybody would think, even, that that was what I was thinking myself. So that's where it ended for me and the comedy club.
Instead, I picked up yoga on Mondays, and made a mental note, to invite Ben to the first Comedy Evening to see what we'll think.
Yoga is cool, yoga I like, and there I am definitely going to stay. (and meditation I might pick up too ;) :P:P)

But to debating, then. That's on Thursdays, so I had a bit time to recover and reflect upon my strange feelings from the Comedy Club. As a starters, we all had to say why're we there. Everybody went like "..cause I used to do debating there and there and have done it all my life and.." so I got quite intimidated once again, because my only reason was that "I think it's a good skill to have in life". But all my concerns were totally wrong, debating is so much fun! Just as I felt a little off at the comedy thing, I felt perfectly "on" at the debating! Basically same - same, isn't it, you have to talk in front of many people, do a public performance, think of what you are saying and how; how you look, how you speak and what impression you make.
I actually didn't know much about debating before. But turns out it is not at all just a bunch of people arguing, and it is actually even nicer than when you see it on TV with the politicians. Everybody has equal amount of time to prepare, to speak, we have an order for speaking, and (my favourite of all:) you debate under the assumption that the other part will never change their mind. So it is not them you try to convince, but the judge. The judge gives points for arguments, and for role fulfillment (everyone is given a position either in the government or opposition, with different rules). Last time we were debating pro and against polygamy, which eventually got quite heated :D. but some topics are also more fun and sweet like "This house says there should also be green and yellow smurfs not just blue". :D. Anyway, debating I like, and I hope one day I go to the world's championships ;).

Running. Is of course no news, but seems to me I'm becoming an event-runner! :D. I've normally also done 1 or 2 running competitions a year, but here it's already like 2 in 7 days already! Last Saturday, me and my team of 11 people participated in a run around Wageningen, 88 km in total! Each of us ran a distance between 5 and 12 km, and all in all it took us from 8 in the morning until 19:30 in the evening. In total we ended the day 27th out of 57 teams. It was so much fun! Mostly, of course, we waited. I ran 8,8 km with just under 45 minutes, the rest of the day I was just waiting :D. Like we all. Luckily we had a really fun team and the sun was shining! When the run was finally done (another Estonian girl Helen ran the last bit and finished for our team ;)), we all went home, had shower, and met again for dinner. Pizzas and wine of course! Afterwards a few of us wanted to go out, so we all went first to one place which was too crowded, then to another one, for a beer, but then, when the party-mood-people wanted to go to yet another place, it was too much for most of us - everybody just wanted to go home and sleeeeep. So some did, some didnt. I gave dancing a try, but no..bed won real fast ;). I post some photos of the run in the end :).
Now on Thursday, me and Helen and some others from our saturday-team are going to participate in a survival run! and in November, we (I?) have this night-race planned, where the start for 11km run is given first at 23:15! sounds cool!
I also spent some unbelievable 40 euros on compression socks because my CEP running sleeves had to retire and I couldnt find any leg sleeves here, only socks, which is SO annoying for me, as I cant be bothered with the socks thing because you have to wash them allll the time and then theyre always wet when you need them. but anyway. Other than that I hope they'll be their money worth and hold my shins fine and happy :).

Then, on Sundays, I go to church. There's a student church here, in English, and it is so very good for the soul.

And then, on top all, I seem to have also started considering myself as an arty person :D. Or maybe I have just forgotten that I am not. Anyway, I have already painted 2 paintings to my room, + one finger-painting, which Ben and I made the other day, just cause we had nothing better to do.
On top of that I have the coolest self-decorated mirror (I must add a photo of that too ;)). I always wanted a mirrror, because as we all have heard, dutch people are really tall. And they really are. So my bathroom mirror only shows from my hair til just under my nose. (also I cant use the upper shelves of my kitchen cupboard cause they're too high up :/). So one day I finally found a mirror for free from the "physical dropbox", we have just down my street, but it was still hanging on someone's cupboard door. I didn't need the entire cupboard, but the mirror of course didnt come open from the door, so I ended up taking the whole door :D. But because the door then looked so ugly in the middle of my room, I had to decorate it. Now it has 21 flying persons and some flowers and butterflies on it. On the same time, the door hinges (???) which used to connect the door to the cupboard can perfectly be used as jewelry and hair-thing - holders ;). Such genius I am!

And then I learned that 70% of all farm land on Earth is under cattle; that there is equally many morbidly obese and starving to death people; that middle-class with their crazy meat consumption, is going to lead us all to starvation within the next couple hundred years (because we raise the cattle for their meat rather than taking care of the land and growing plants); then i watched some bad ugly movies about chicks and chicken and cows who are raised for becoming our food, and their sad little lives, and am more convinced than ever that it is the only right thing for me to do, not to cook meat when I am on my own. ( I love grill parties and when mum makes good food, which has food in, but I hate preparing meat on my own, so I never do). So I've been laughing for a while and calling myself a "home-vegetarian". But that I have been avoiding animal products as milk,cheese, eggs and all kinds of meat-products for a while too now, it seems that i am even becoming a "home-vegan". I dont know if one can call that a hobby though, but it is what it is, and I like it :).
Now, picture time!