One blog too far: the boundaries of free speech

Living in the “free West”, we take freedom of speech often for granted. But did you ever crash right into the free speech limits we face when expressing our thoughts, opinions, experiences or feelings online in the blogosphere? Like you may have noticed by now, my personal details at this blog are 100% fake. As a radical transsexual lesbian born out of Imperial wedlock I must protect my identity in order to enjoy the benefits of free speech online.

Blogging basically should stay a ‘fun’ activity, regardless of the subject. Most of us are no NGOs exposing injustice or suffering, we’re individuals: our safety and wellbeing is vital. Am I not tough enough to take the heat? Guess I wouldn’t lose much sleep over someone else’s conflicting opinion online - in fact, I actually enjoy igniting a full-blown heated discussion and I appear to be quite resilient when facing criticism. But ‘criticism’ and ‘online’ is where I draw the line. However, some individual bloggers do go way out of their comfort zone, exposing social issues or injustice while refusing to be silenced or intimidated. What kind of blogger are you?

Skywalking at 200 feet

It had been a childhood fantasy of mine since I was a 6 years old: walking on top of the huge, 200 feet high glass/steel dome of Antwerp Central railway station, a 100 year old building resembling a cathedral in downtown Antwerp. But that famous landmark rooftop was in a deplorable state of disrepair, until the whole station got a majestic facelift, two new underground levels and a high-speed North-South tunnel, along with a major overhaul of the entire area.

Today my fantasy became reality. Along with a number of daredevils (well, not really, some had no idea this unique ‘free tour’ would go straight towards the top of the 60m high iron and glass trainshed) I signed a disclaimer/release form, just in case I would be truly depressed and ready to jump, and there I was: on top of a very narrow ’service personnel only’ suspended gangway, a metal passageway never intended for regular travelers, overlooking one of Belgium’s most beautiful railway stations. The view was stunning: from the condensation clouds near the Dutch border to the green belt in the south, I was actually skywalking on top of Antwerp railway station.

I wonder, are you afraid of heights?

European Heritage Days 2007

Quote: “European Heritage Days: an opportunity for everyone to access
treasures previously a privilege of the elite”. This year, ‘living’ is the focus.
Like most Parisians ignore the Eiffel Tower, many inhabitants of Antwerp
tend to ignore the beauty that is right in their back yard. I’ll post some shots
you probably won’t find in regular guidebooks. Photo: water pump, located
in “House the golden hand”, build 1505, currently a Spanish specialty store

Saying goodbye to Summer, Antwerp, September 2007

I had such high hopes for the summer of 2007.

The yearly southern package-vacation-to-the sun with the people I care about, endless weeks of ‘dolce far niente’, lingering along Antwerp’s quaint riverbanks at night, enjoying the atmosphere of this medieval downtown that only since the unseasonably hot Belgian Y2000 summers could get away with pretending to be part of the Mediterranean.

No such luck. While the effects of global warming destroyed parts of the real Mediterranean coastline, Antwerp saw an abundance of rainy, overcast days during the passed summer. Sure, there were those rare moments that I could enjoy a swim in the left-bank Olympic open air pool, but those days were few and far between.

After a weird heatwave last April, most outdoor pools and city beaches were soon deserted after the predicted “hot summer of 2007″ failed to arrive. [Photo: abandoned Antwerp leftbank beach GVA tennis club, August 29, 2007, 19°C/68°F].

Even more to my surprise, this chilly summer became a pivotal moment in my life. A spinal injury left me with minor, but permanent damage, forcing me to overhaul my future’s blueprint. Long-time diving buddies disappeared forever, confirming my belief that thin tubes with compressed air don’t build strong bonds, leaving me with a void that has temporarily broken the continuity in my social life. A grossly miscalculated trip to France proved once again that it’s not the places one visits, but the people whose company one enjoys that really matter.

During the summer of 2007 I finally realized that no matter how hard I tried, I could not write a fail-safe script for my own life. So, leaving behind any feelings of regret, I continue on the road we all have to follow, the road into uncharted territory.

How was your summer?

“Americans can’t find America, because they don’t have maps”

Miss Teen USA, when asked why 1 out of every 5 Americans can’t locate the USA on a world map. She mentions Irak..

The Naked King

Unlike foreignpolicy.com (politely posting “We’re still not sure how seriously we should be taking this, but Belgium appears to be in the midst of a political crisis that has many questioning whether the country even has a future“), the Belgian Dutch-speaking press decided today that is was time to move in for the kill.

Belgian weekly Humo, as always fond of more than just regular parody, farcically photoshopped King Albert of Belgium (left), calling his ‘weak’ approach during the failing government talks “The end of monarchy”, while trying (but failing) to air a slightly controversial radio commercial (original mp3-version), featuring King Albert’s edited voice, exclaiming how proud he was to be part of a deviant, dysfunctional royal family. Reality check: search for “royal” at this blog.

Unlike the stations who bluntly refused to air the benign spoof (10 sec TV commercial in mpg video), most Dutch speaking Belgians remembered the recent royal scandals and acknowledged the insanity of how Belgium still lacks a new government, three months after the elections.

Facing up to reality can be tough: Belgium is much like a Dutch/French speaking couple, whose only reason to keep the failed marriage on life support is their inability to sell the house [=Brussels, the capital]. Many countries managed to “separate” peacefully when their respective regions felt that a “break up” served both their aspirations best, but how do you exercise your power as a sovereign, when half the country screams “we want a divorce, and the house”?

OK, you’re now reading the boring details of a European “bad marriage kingdom issue” and you (+75%) are probably not even Belgian. Is this tale basically a non-issue for a non-Belgian audience?

Laundry Day 2007

How could I forget: September 1st: it must be Laundry Day in good old Antwerp, Belgium.

Before you imagine some quaint “European women in a gigantic let’s do our laundry in the streets” kind of day, let me assure you: the name is more than slightly misleading.

Laundry Day is one of those “100 deejays, 7 stages, countless spaced out 20-somethings” dance festivals in the port of Antwerp that has no real value whatsoever.

It all boils down to buying your ticket, drinking Bacardi (the main sponsor) until you forget your name and dancing to the deafening sound of 100,000 watts of brain-blowing trance music.

When you’re done shaking, breaking and screaming you can chill at Laundry Night, along with 50,000 other idiots who paid to temporarily lose their senses.

This “cool” event is as usual sponsored by a national TV network, Coke, Wrangler and a major Belgian bank. Somehow, they must feel it pays off to get their potential customers intoxicated with huge amounts of booze while being exposed to a level of noise that will very likely cause hearing loss.

But then again, isn’t that a small price to pay in order to be a part of the “coolest DJ festival of the galaxy”? I wonder, am I getting old or is there something fundamentally wrong with these mega-dance festivals?