Generation gap

Yesterday we started celebrating the 60th anniversary of COC. A special occasion, for me it was the first time I saw such a big part of the living COC history together. I regret I did not speak to many interesting people. Those who prepared our roads, who fought for our rights when the people wouldn't not accept homosexuals in their family. Those who couldn't benefit from international solidarity, those who were often alone in their struggle for a good and equal life. Most of those important people, such as Niek Engelschman and Benno Premsela are no longer alive, and it's said to realise that the rest of the generation is getting very, very old. Seeing them made me proud of being part of COC, and it gave me new energy to do the work that I am doing.

Sixty years after the first meeting of COC Netherlands (which was called 'Shakespear Club' in those early days), we are meeting on a beautiful location in the centre of Amsterdam. With over 300 people we commemorate the history, but also look forward to all the work that still has to be carried out. Unfortunately there was a huge generation gap. Those who are now in their thirtees and fourtees were under represented. They have benefited from the rights that were granted to our communities in the ninetees. The little discrimination that they faced in their younger years is perceived as 'normal', I think something that the current generation doesn't acknowledge any longer. The norm should be no discrimination. It was nice to see young people represented, two young researchers that wrote about the problems of young (minus 16) LGBT people were awarded a Bob Angelo award (synonime for Niek Engelschman).

The LGBT youth group Outsite from Delft performed with their band 'Straight from the closet' the winning song of the COC song festival 2005, which was a nice contrast with the older generation.

And for the rest my weekend has been filled with not doing too much... I met my old school friend Marije on Saturday evening, and went out the evening before. And that means that I'm now gonna put myself together and finish all the work that is waiting...

Judit in Brussels

Yesterday I saw Kris' new appartment in Leuven. Both Leuven as well as the appartment are impressing! According Kris Leuven is a bourgeouis city, full of students and social housing possibilities. A bit of a contradictus in term I thought, but maybe he's right.

Today I spent a nice day together with Judit in Brussels. She showed me this nice peeing dog in a Brussels street. Now I am at home trying not to work. Cristian and I are doing our best not to be annoyed by the bad working Skype.

I just red on the internet that the Secretary General of the European Council of Bisshops opposes that the statement that passed this week in the European Parliament which condemns homophobia and calls member states to take acknowledge rights of same sex couples. It would damage family values and would fall outside of the Parliaments portfolio. And I just thought we are trying to separate state and church and acknowledging Human Rights. I don't think that this statement makes mr. Aldo Giordano very popular in his own circles...

Bureaucracy

I missed a big part of my sleep last night because the European Commission told us to redo the budget for the famous A3029 application in their format. Now I knew that they are strict, but thought that my budget was better than their format. Of course that is stubborn, but I thought it was a bit ridiculous to make such a complicated budget in a improvised word format, and made it in a clearer excel sheet. Well, and so I did. Now I am finished and prepared the other documents that we had to send them (originals, they want originals). I think that the whole process of writing this application has cost three of for weeks together now... We better get the money!

Anyhow, now I woke up with pain in my shoulders, which came through the fact I went to the sport school. The pain is welcome because it assures me that I have trained :-) Being in the sport school was a refreshing experience. I suddenly remembered how much I like cardio, but how much I hate fitness... Most of it I can do, but I can't do the thingies for the belly muscles. It is true: I can belly dance but I can not train my belly. Guess I am going to do this at home the coming weeks, so that I can enter and leave the gym without any shame...

Back to work

After the holidays work has started again. Last
I have been catching up with a lot of things, and we started the year with a first board meeting together with the new board. I am very happy: we decided a lot of things, many procudures were handed over, tasks were divided and responsibilities were taken. It seems like it is going to be a another very interesting year for IGLYO....

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From London to Bucharest

I celebrated Christmas in London, which was fabulous! London was not what I expected it to be during Christmas: it was desserted! Only on second Xmas day, when the sales began, everybody was suddenly rushing into Oxford street. We had great fun with decent amounts of alcohol, huge amounts of food and lots of sleep in between all the things we did. It was nice spending Christmas time once not as usual with family, but with other beloved ones. On my way from London to Bucharest I bought myself a digital camera, which will enable me to keep to keep a better visual history of my life.

Romania was beautiful! And I can't believe that this holiday already ended. It was great meeting lots of nice people, all being so friendly and welcoming. We travelled quite a lot. After we started in Bucharest (in which the house of People was absolutely the most amazing thing I was), we went to Brasov, a lovely winter resort. Unfortunately it was raining a lot and the wind was blowing so hard that tiles fell of the roof next to our room. We moved on with a train (Romania has a very well organised and cheap public transport system) to Sibiu cultural capital of Europe 2007: a very promising city! A nice ancient city centre where we also celebrated new years evening.

Then we went to the Romantic city Sighisoara (see photo on the right). This is where Dracula has been born! It was not him who made this place special though, it was the well preserved medieval surroundings! Eventhough the city is not registered as protected by UNESCO (a true shame!), the people take very well care of it. Except from the cars it was like walking around in the middle ages, which is wonderful.

Many impressions later I am sitting again behind my table in my Amsterdam flat. It is good being home, I am ready for the new year and just subscribed myself to the fitness so that I'll make sure it will be a healthy one. Above all the start of this year is already a very happy one!