The Great Outdoors

A few months ago, we went to see the movie De Nieuwe Wildernis (The New Wilderness), about the animal kingdom in the nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen not far from here. It was amazing to see the enormous variety of animals living on a piece of land the size of a stamp, and how they were all connected in an endless cycle of life. The cinematography was very impressive and the story of life in the wetlands very captivating.

So when I was offered the opportunity to watch the movie again, I didn't have to think twice. The screening was an initiative of Nudge, a social enterprise aimed at connecting individuals and companies that wish to create a positive and long-lasting change for society. Nudge announced the dates of the showing on their website and everybody who read it was invited. They would take care of a location and an inflatable screen (all powered by sustainable sources of energy of course!), and all moviegoers were to bring their own chair, blanket, picnic basket and whatever they deemed necessary to watch a movie.

Despite it being the end of June, the evening was bitter cold, so by the time the movie ended, we were all huddled up in our coats and blankets. The movie and its music were still incredibly beautiful and watching it outdoors less than 5 kilometers away from where the events had actually taken place made it even more special!

The grass is always greener...

I have an immense fondness for cereals. I’m not talking about breakfast cereal (I’m more of a yoghurt/English breakfast kind of gnome), but the crops. Everything about them fascinates me: the color range of greens and yellows, the way the wind creates waves in them, the soft rustling sound in the breeze...

My childhood was spent amidst trees, grass and cows. Cereals weren’t very popular in our part of the country, so I only knew  what ears looked like from pictures in books. As a kid, I firmly believed this was the source of our daily bread:

I used to collect the ears and take them home with me, adding to our family’s daily needs. I would carefully pick out the grains and smash them with a stone to create flower. I was outraged and utterly disappointed when my dad told me it was ‘just’ grass, and unsuitable for making bread. Well, it was the only thing around that remotely looked like ears, so it *had* to be cereal, right?

As I grew older and started taking biology classes, it all became clear to me. But I still can’t walk past a grainy grass without remembering and smiling.

Don't quit the day job

It's been a really hot week. I felt sorry for Pippin in his long coat. I tried using clippers on him, but they went *splut* instead of *bzzzzt*. So I took the liberty of freeing Pip from his long coat using scissors. The idea was to turn him into a siamese cat. It didn't work out that way. He looks more like a sheep. A fuzzy, not-so-hot-anymore siamese sheep.