Art time

My absolute number one favourite museum is the Joán Miro museum in Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona. Foremost I admire the architecture of the building which has been built on one of the most beautiful areas of the city. I have visited the museum three times now, and it always makes me calm and brings me in an ecstastic mood. The grand white spaces breathe an athmosphere of purity and calmness. Opposite of many other museums where I always want to hurry myself through exhibitions, the Miro museum makes me want to be there for many hours.

Currently there are two special exhibitions which are both fascinating. A broad variety of Sean Scully's work is shown. Scully is an Irish artist who works with oil paintings, pastels, watercolours, prints and photographs, all abstract work with a fascinating combination of colours and lines.

The other fascinating project was the rather more moder work of Qubo Gas. Colourful landscapes which are created through a group process of three French artists. Visit their website!

Holiday heroes therarpy

This morning I woke up in the quietness of an idyllic fisherman village looking out over the Adriatic sea. I finished the biography of Nelson Mandela, after reading Gandhi during my previous holidays yet another humble servant of women and men to a nation that went through so much sacrifice for achieving only equality. It was here where my holiday also came to an end. Would I have known before that the works of these men have a revatilising power then earlier holidays would have looked differently.

Having spent two wonderful weeks with wonderful friends both in Barcelona (Sant Feliu de Llobregat to be more precisely) and Ljubljana I now have returned to Amsterdam to resume my duties with new energy.

A few hectic weeks behind me. I attended the massive Euro pride in Madrid, together with almost 2 million other people. The Cologne pride also was very impressive, not only for its political message, but moreover for the merge of local citizens with the LGBT community whom were partying together. This afternoon I got a glimpse of the EuroGames, parallel to this big LGBT sport event Wel Jong Niet Hetero organised a very good youth conference. Powerful events - and they are organised in solidarity with prides as those held in Istanbul and Budapest (where numerous people severely have been beaten up).

In between much work at the office. Colleagues abroad, sick or on holidays, whilst we're already undermanned. A team-building session - which of course are never meant to be peaceful and silent.

And then stories out the lives of many dear friends, which make the every day office hectics so irrelevant. Just those few things in life we would like to control mostly - we cannot control.

Tonight I am finishing some last work before my break to Barcelona and Slovenia.

A letter of a friend

"The pride week which was organised by Lambda Istanbul came to the end with a magnificant final. Istiklal street was painted colours of rainbow flag. it was the biggest march in Turkey with the most participation we have ever seen. Some people watched as with bewildered eyes, some didn't want to be contended with watching but also applauded and some joined our slogans as well. t was a honour to be in Istiklal street, holding the big rainbow flag and to be able to scream that we shouldn't be silent. t was a day which already took the part in the LGBT history in Turkey. I've been in Gay Pride Marches in european countries several times, it made me feel free to be there but something was missing for me. But Istanbul... Istiklal Street... it had something more sense to be there and also was emotional as much as meaningful. In our country, with our language, we were telling our people that we are here and we won't be silent anymore. At the beginning, while we were preparing for the march there were some people from us watching us from far but then I realized that they joined the march in few minutes. Was it possible not to impress the scene? was it possible be indifferent to this athmosphere? and not to wish to be a part of this magnificent event! Our feelings met in a common point and we became a unique heart in Istiklal Street. I really felt what the Pride's meaning! We were just 1.000 people there, I know it's nothing comparing with the march in European countries, but I felt that we, all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in Turkey were there. We all felt so strong ourselves while we were screaming as "don't be silent, scream, we are here"

Ismail