Our Uncle (2008)

Since I'm following his blog for a while, I decided to read a book of Arnon Grunberg again. His latest work is Onze Oom (Our Uncle).

It's a very long story, the book is more than 600 pages. That wouldn't be so bad if I didn't found an awful lot of repeating sentences. Still, the story is... Well... Typical Grunberg? It's something absurd, something nihilistic, something humourous and yet interesting enough to read on. The main story is from the viewpoint of a little girl, which sometimes made me think I was reading a Roald Dahl novel (Matilda?), but only less imaginative.

As most of his books, I always have the feeling that something isn't right. It's also the reason why I like to read some of his books. Our Uncle definitly belongs to this collection.

There are a lot of remarkable quotes, but none of them really describes the theme, I guess... Like I said, I always have the feeling that something isn't right. I don't want to say that's the theme, but it makes me think and I believe it can make you think about things too.

Fish Bowl

Believe it or not, I work in this building since February, even though it's just a customer of a customer of my employer (this is not a typo!).

It's a greenhouse which futuristic design is inspired by palm houses and The Crystal Palace, but I always think of a fish bowl when I walk to it. The official opening was last Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I couldn't be there, but it's a good reason to dedicate a post to this remarkable building with some original pictures.

The building has a land area of 12 ha. The company that owns this building is a world wide distributer of anthuriums. I've heard people say that the daily revenue is about 1 million euro.

The pictures on the wall of the The Crystal Palace are a cruel joke compared to the actual inside of the building. The actual inside is of course all about production and making things happen as efficient and as quick as possible.

Argh, I hate to talk about work when I'm home. Sure, it's a really cool place if you've never seen it before, but in the end it's just a big fish bowl.

If you want some more information, click here.

Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs Inc.

You've probaby never seen a music video like this one.

Info from the creator(s): Neurosonics Audiomedical Laboratory footage.

Kingdom of the unreal but also a higher state of being, ultimately free of the limitations of the material world through the agency of science, technology, and imagination.

I'm not sure about the ultimately free part, but nevertheless, it's a nice piece of work.

Original source: http://www.neurosonicsaudiomedical.com

Turtle Person

There was a period in my life I used to discuss with a friend about really ethical/philosophical/open-minded stuff almost all the time we were together. After a long time doing this, I just got tired of discussing and talking. It suddenly made no sense to me to keep talking and discussing as if that would radically change the world. I'm honestly grateful for the precious times we talked whole evenings long about the most sensible and senseless stuff, but in the end I guess I really liked to be alone with my own thoughts.

I was thinking about this when I read the next lines:

"We talk too much", he said with an unusual seriousness. "That sensible talking has no value at all, not one. With that you get the further and more distant of yourself and that's a shame. You should be able to crawl back into yourself, like a turtle."* - from Demian by Hermann Hesse

Even now when people keep stressing their own opinions I don't agree with, I let them. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

When people repeating their opinions trying to convince me, I only get more suspicious. I start thinking they must be after something, appreciation or something, and with that, the opposite of what they say seems more likely to be true.

I guess I am a turtle person. I actually use to have a turtle. Her name is Dino, she is a red-eared slider and she lives with my mom now.

* roughly translated from the dutch version: "We praten te veel", zei hij met ongewone ernst. "Dat verstandige gepraat heeft helemaal geen waarde, geen enkele. Je raakt daardoor hoe langer hoe meer verwijderd van jezelf en dat is een zonde. Je moet helemaal in jezelf weg kunnen kruipen, net als een schildpad."