Prose

Narrative writings: essays, reviews, polemics, short stories, etc

Do you mind?

Sometimes we better use the rear view mirror for our observations, instead of the headlights. Like with deer. - old trucker saying
There is too much literature about the "I", the ego, the self, or the mind, and too much of this literature is so terribly organised, structured in chapters, paragraphs, sections, with proud ...
Writing. Laughing.
What is the value of writing? Thinking, shared. The ability to think old thoughts again, sharpen them, create a monument for our live thinking that otherwise would exist only as marginal comments to whatever circumstances we've concentrated our thoughts on. Systems of thoughts can be dangerous; history is full of examples. See the system of ...
Is truth=beauty is true?
We all know people who occasionally proclaim that truth is beauty. But have you ever shared a table with somebody who made the statement in such a convincing way, that you felt that their whole existence was breathing this truth? I did, last week. I met a stage designer somewhere in Amsterdam, and there he ...
What do I think about Zizek?
What is he thinking?As a learned philosopher with a funny blog, I should have an opinion or two about the Thinking Beast of Ljubljana, the populist, famous, celebrated, roaring, one and only, please welcome Slavoj Zizek (the adornments on the Zs are intentionally left out) who twists psychoanalytical theories together with rabid Marxism and generates ...
Preparing for East Africa
We have been living in Istanbul for six weeks and love this city a lot. But if all goes well, we will move south to Nairobi soon. We are, after all, on a mission. Istanbul has treated us very well and we were able to get ourselves more or less organized for the upcoming journey. In this ...
June 1. Stay another day…
On our extra day we visit Peuan Mit again, have a nice cup of coffee there and I donate what is left in kip to their program. That is a no-brainer for travelers, of course. Whatever you have left IS part of your budget so don't come with "I don't have money" it won't work ...
May 31. Worst War crimes ever?
Cornflakes and coffee, and it's already ten. Lazy bastards, you think. Where's the early morning gymnastics, the 2-mile-walk, the 150 pushups and the rigor-vigor?


Anyway, we visit COPE today and have a good look at the museum that displays handmade prostheses, we are talking about wooden leg, cast iron pparts nailed together with ...
May 30. Volleyball in rural Laos.
It is so nice to have 100cc of boiling hot metal shafts between my legs, that I decide to rent a motorbike in the afternoon and tour around Vientiane. We take the main highway north (direction Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang) with the option of taking a dirttrack to a beautiful waterfall. An option that ...
May 29. Borrowing vintage bike.
Shaun, a friendly Australian guy living here offers us his little vintage motorbike in the morning, and we gladly accept that enhancement of our mobility.

We will be taking that green bike to the friendship bridge and back today. Not that there's much to see - the friendship bridge is essentialy a concrete corridor ...