Thursday, October 4, 2007

A Rumbling of Barrels

"The Women of Rubens"
by Wislawa Szymborska

Giantesses, female fauna,
naked as the rumbling of barrels.
They sprawl in trampled beds,
sleep with mouths agape for crowing.
Their eyes have fled into the depths
and penetrate to the very core of glands
from which yeast seeps into the blood.

Daughters of the Baroque. Dough rises in kneading-troughs,
baths are asteam, wines glow ruby,
piglets of cloud gallop across the sky,
trumpets neigh an alert of the flesh.

O meloned, O excessive ones,
doubled by the flinging off of shifts,
trebled by the violence of posture,
you lavish dishes of love!

Their slender sisters had risen earlier,
before dawn broke in the picture.
No one noticed how, single file, they
had moved to the canvas's unpainted side.

Exiles of style. Their ribs all showing,
their feet and hands of birdlike nature.
Trying to take wing on bony shoulder blades.

The thirteenth century would have given them a golden background,
the twentieth -- a silver screen.
The seventeenth had nothing for the flat of chest.

For even the sky is convex,
convex the angels and convex the god --
mustachioed Phoebus who on a sweaty
mount rides into the seething alcove.


Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Don't mess with Zarz

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Cybervore's Dilemma

You could say that the Web is one big virtual market. But with the rise of Web 2.0 - and the unignorable surge and need for social media - I have been seasoning a new idea that could add an entirely different element to the virtual market.

I am currently reading a fascinating book by journalist Micheal Pollan called 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', which delves into the predicament of the human being who eats everything. In this modern age of industrialisation in the western world, we have become stymied by the cornucopia of choice available. Stymied to the point that, as the true nature of our food is lost in the capital process, so is the natural personal bond and connection that we have with our food.

I think this can be applied to the "Cybervore" if you will. Normally, when one browses, surfs or Googles the Web, one is inundated with 'Buy, buy, buy!'. Often this is via unwanted, intrusive banners or (worse yet) pop-ups that ruin our experience and cause the exact opposite of the desired goal - the user experience is negative, one of disgust and absolutely not resulting with any bonding to the brand.

When we last met, class, I told you of my fondness and obsession with my neighbourhood market. Today we will be bringing that into a new realm.

'Cooking is both a fusion of different cultures as well as a bridge between them.' - Michelin Tri-Star Chef and Catalan Culinary Magician Carmen Ruscalleda

I am a firm believer in the divine Ms. Ruscalleda's philosophy. But I will take it a step further and say that it is the entire universe that evolves around cooking - from the marketplace, to its community, to the food, to the table, to the guests - that brings cultures together.

So if this cornucopia can be a successful social stimulus in the real world, what happens when we apply it to the virtual world?

My colleague, friend and imho genius Fatima (Timi) Alcala answered this question not too long ago in her final thesis, "The Pinay Fiesta Table'', as a graduate of Interactive Media at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
A Filipina ("Pinay") by origin, Timi created the blueprint for what she refers to as:

...an interactive artifact that is envisioned to bring together migrant women in one place by seamlessly merging elements of eating and storytelling to form a natural experience.
In other words, this is a virtual table, where migrant Filipina's throughout the diaspora (within the Netherlands) can come together to enjoy a virtual feast - sharing stories, recipes and experiences.

The site consists of a virtual 'table', where napkin holders contain recipe cards, glasses contain text or images that relate to food in the Philippeans society, where the table is covered in Filipino artwork, and where the pots placed in the centre act as tools for recording the stories of the women who guest at this banquet table.

By now you must understand why I think this woman is a genius...

This has been on my mind ever since Timi modestly told me of her 'cultural artifact project' in the hall by our office kitchen one day.

I have been thinking about it a lot lately, as this theme of the marketplace has been running through my head. And I have been asking myself this: What if we took this idea and broadened it to bring diverse communities together? What if we created a virtual market with the goal of re-creating the cohesion found on my little Dappermarkt?

A virtual market - one that places social cohesion and community as the primary goal. One where the community of this virtual market decides for itself what it wants in the market stalls. One where the market sellers would be part of this community - with as much of a responsibility to it as the people who visit it. One where you could ask for wild apricots that would indeed run off. ;)

I see it as this concept: A site that consists of a virtual neighbourhood market, where the community decides what they want to have in this market, and where the social activities within this market are just as important as the carefully selected wares found in the market stands. A user-generated market that would decide together on the guidelines for opening up a stand in this market, voting to select those proposing to open their stands. A platform where the seller is just as much a part of - and just as responsible for - developing the community as the community itself.

What would - what could - happen?

Tell me...

Monday, June 25, 2007

Meedoen... dan doe je al gek genoeg.

Can I tell you how much I love my neighbourhood?

Alright then, I will.

I have lived all throughout the city of Amsterdam, in all kinds of quarters and neighbourhoods. From the Waterlooplein to Lelylaan to Albert Cuyp/the Pijp to Oud West and now, finally Oost/Watergraafsmeer - the Dapperbuurt.

I have never experienced such a close-knit community. People here are friendly. They look after you, they look after eachother. They talk to you. They talk to each other. They have good hearts.

And it all centres around my market - the Dappermarkt.

Every Saturday, my husband and I wake up looking forward to our cheerful, happy, funny little market. It is a place that automatically brings a smile to your face.
Not just because of the bargain prices. Not just because of the variety.

And not only because of those cheeky market sellers:

Me: Are those regular or wild dried apricots?

Dried Fruit Seller: Well, I've never seen one run off, Ma'am.


Because it is a mecca of culture. The Dappermarkt and the surrounding streets and neighbourhoods are not about co-existence. They are about cohesion. Community.

Sadly, a few years ago, someone from outside the community, some frustrated, sad, disenfranchised and highly distrubed guy decided to shoot and kill another frustrated, sad, highly distubred - and quite untalented imho - film maker/provacateur.

And now some higherr-ups over in the Hague - those with no real links or ties to such communities - have decided to place this neighbourhood - this very microcosm of community - on some random list of worst neighbourhoods in the country.

But wait - it gets worse.

See, this lovely market of ours - the Dappermarkt recently received this title:


'Best Market in the Netherlands', 2007

Fantastic. The entire market was draped in banners and flags to celebrate.

For two days.

And then, before we knew it, those flags and banners - symbols of the tight community spirit this neighbourhood had achieved - were replaced by some dumb PR campaign thought up by out-of-touch idiots without a clue:



Integrate. Another word for 'participate'.

WTF?!?!?!?! LOL!

If this is how the government thinks they will speed up the integration process, they are in for a big curb-kicking. Integration is a two-way street. And this street just happens to be the best one in the city. And apparently one of the best in the country.

What banners are they planning to hang up next....'Meedoen macht frei'?