DIScourse

It's Sunday and I'm in Rotterdam since Monday is a National Holiday in Belgium and everything will be closed tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't really think about it and all the galleries and museums are closed in Rotterdam tomorrow.

Friday was a good day for me in Antwerp though. I mailed the current issue of Plazm magazine to Ann Demeulemeester's publicist in Paris and it looks like I may actually get to interview her for the forthcoming issue of Plazm. After going to the post office on my lunch break I rode my bike to the Demeulemeester boutique to see if there was anything left from the sales that I "needed" to get. Surprisingly there were still things left in size XS but I was a little disappointed that everything was still only 30% off. While I was there I was speaking to some of the staff and one person mentioned that they are looking for another sales person for the store and that he thought I would fit. While sales are not really my strong point, the employees at the shop also help with the runway shows, sales, etc in the company which seems really exciting to me. Anyway, immediately all these thoughts went swimming arounf in my head and I was trying to figure out a way that I could come back to Antwerp and work for Demeulmeester in case the job at Theo doens't work out. While I was in the store I also heard a John Parish song from his new album which made me really happy since I don't hear his music in public very often and I always like hearing music from friends.

When I got back to work after lunch I had an email from Vice magazine in my mailbox. I'm really not sure how they found me or why they wanted to contact me but it appears that they've seen my website and this blog. So, who knows if anything will come of it but it's nice that my website and blog are being viewed by people other than close friends and family.

Friday after work I went to STAN salon for a cut and color, my second since arriving in Antwerp and most likely the last time during this stay. I went for a shorted cut and got rid of the purple-ish red in favor of brown and black. As always it was a good experience and afterwards I was asked if I'd like to be a hair model for the salon. Of course I'd do it but I originally thought they'd just want me to come in and to be photographed but apparently they do a photo shoot or show twice a year and I might not be in Antwerp during the next shoot.

New Hair

After I was finished at the salon I called my American friend, whos sister was visting from Montana, and her husband came to pick me up for dinner at their home in Mortsel. So, we had a nice evening eating some of the seasons first mosselen (mussels), listening to music, drinking wine, having conversation and watching a great version of the "Ice Ice Baby" video.

Saturday was a pretty uneventful day. I slept in and when I woke up it was raining. I made and ate breakfast then watched some television and went grocery shopping. When I got home I fell asleep again. Later when I woke up it was still raining and I got dressed. By the time I was dressed it had cleared up and I decided to go back to the Demeulemeester shop. Half way there I got caught in a thunderstorm and downpour. I had my umbrella with me but still got soaked up to my knees. When I got to the shop the pair of pants I was thinking of getting had been sold. I tried on another pair of pants but decided that I should wait to see the fall collection before I bought anymore clothes. I also had brought in a jacket that I'd bought in Tokyo a year or so ago and had it marked for alterations. In the shop there was a blackened silver necklace/belt/bracelet from last fall that I'd been looking at that was still in the case and I decided I was something I "needed" especially since I couldn't get the necklace I saw in NY (which I still want). So, I got the accessory and went on my way home.

I ended up deciding not to do anything Saturday night since I didn't want to be tired for my trip to Rotterdam.

This morning I woke up really early and watched cartoons on television. It was my first time seeing the Smurfs (den Smurfen) on television in Belgium but it was some new version with a grandpa Smurf (he had yellow pants) and Gargamel had a boy assistant who I don't remember seeing. One thing that crossed my mind that had never crosses it before in my years of watching cartoons, is how do the Smurfs keep their shoes and pants so white even though they are walking on dirt and grass most of the time? If anyone knows the answer to this I'd like to know.

Rotterdam

I got to the train station about 1:00 and bought my tickets for Rotterdam but I has some time to kill to I had my first Belgian waffle from a cart and a cip of black coffee. The train to Rotterdam only takes an hour from Antwerp so I was at my hotel by 3:15. I put my things, plugged in my computer (€22.00 for 24 hours of internet) then went out to explore the city a little. Rotterdam seems much larger than Antwerp but it's a very new city having been bombed in the WWII. That said there is a lot of boring if not ugly architecture in the city. However, most of my favorite furniture/product design and architecture is coming from Rotterdam or the Netherlands in general, so things are getting better here. I noticed a lot more contemporary public in the city as well.

Rotterdam





















Since it's Sunday most shops are closed and the ones that were open today were closed by the time I got to them. I did manage to make it to a couple of small galleries and found a restaurant to have dinner at. After dinner, I walked around some more and ended up walking through a park before going back to the hotel.

Het Park





















So, now it's 11:00 and I'm watching The Gathering on television. Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it to some shops and if all goes well, to a couple studios of designers I like. In the evening I'm planning to meet a friend of a friend before I head back to Antwerp.