Christmas!!!!

Hey all,

yes, I know I said in my last post I'd start writing in Dutch again, but not yet :). At this moment, I feel like writing English, so that's what I will do.

So, Christmas!!!
At first, I wish you all a very good christmas. I hope you all have a nice day!

I don't know how these things go in other country's, but most people in the Netherlands give eachother presents at christmas, traditionally under the christmastree. (In my case this will be the table, since our christmastree stands on a very small table and there isn't really any room for presents.)

So, my presents!

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I'm quite a big fan of wolves. And pillows. So this is the perfect combination! And I'm in love with it... :) It is added to my collection: a cat-pillow, a owls-pillow, a pillow-with-a-handmade-cover and now a wolf-pillow!!

In English:
Green banner: The big sheetmusic collection
Title: Short Pieces
Part 1/Part 2
Red banner: For Piano

Since a while, I started playing piano again and now I'm teaching myself. These are two books with short piano-pieces in it, part one and two. So you know what I'll be doing the rest of the day!

I always get a calendar with christmas. Last years, I had wofcalendars and my parents searched for one as well this year, but they couldn't find one with as beautiful pictures as in the ones I've had. So, a different one this year, and I have to say, I really like it. I mean, just look at the owls on the cover! They are amazing!!

Last but not least, I also got a beautiful sweater but I'm wearing it right now and I'm too lazy to try to make a proper photo of me wearing it. Sorry. Maybe later :).

I don't really know what else to say, so I'll leave it with this.

Bye,
Raevyn

ps. I'm still trying to get the background of the wolfpicture transparent. Anyone suggestions? (Without Photoshop or anything like that please)

Nederlands - Dutch

Hey allemaal,

ik zit er over te denken om weer een tijdje in het Nederlands te gaan bloggen, omdat ik het idee heb dat dat me toch wat makkelijker afgaat, zeker op momenten dat ik gewoon even snel iets wil posten. Ik denk dat ik overal wel een engelse vertaling onder ga zetten, in ieder geval bij dit bericht. Waarschijnlijk komt die iets later, maar so be it. (lol, ik ga nu al weer over op engels...)

Bye, Raevyn



English
Hey all,

I think I'm going to change the main language of my blog back to Dutch again, since I feel that still is a little easier to me, especially on moments I just want to make a quick post. I think I'll make an english translation of everything, like this. That will probably come a little later, but so be it.

Bye, Raevyn

Crap

hey all,

Just a little update between all my schoolwork! Well, not like that I've got so much to do, but my concentration level currently lays below zero, so that one test I've to make tomorrow is turning into a little big problem because I want to get a good grade and I CAN'T CONCENTRATE!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

That also explains the worthless english sentences and words spelled wrong etcetera....

But anyway. I don't know what else to say.  I just Don't Want To Study!!!! O.o

Well, I think I've bored you long enough.
And I guess I should go and study.
At least I'll try.
Maybe.
If I can get myself to it.

Raevyn

P.S. I KNOW I CAN'T ENGLISH AND I CAN'T SPELL AND I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW!!!!

Runes and other stuff (you probably don't really care about)

hey,

I thought you might be interested in what's been going on in my life lately. So, a little list.

1. School. Ofcourse... I'm in the fifth class of high school in the Netherlands. That means I have chosen subjects I want to have and not have chosen the subjects I don't want to have. Last year, I also had a couple of subjects that I couldn't get rid of, because they're required. This year, I don't have these subjects anymore, which means I've got more time for the other subjects. Yeey... In my case, it means there are days I'm sitting at my desk staring at the monitor of my computer and doing nothing, except for sitting and staring. Like today. And there are days I suddenly figure out I've got to do homework for three subjects the following day, and I have to do stupid things like projects and book-reports. And at those days I'm all stressed and working very hard (mostly at getting myself to work).
   But, today is a day of the first kind, so there's nothing to worry about. Right?
2. Reading. I am finally able to read again. Lately (since the summer holidays) I've had something like a writers-block, only in my case it was a readers-block. It was like I just couldn't get myself to read. But now, I think I'm finally through it and I can read again. I think it was because I had a really good book; De Raven Jongens, the dutch translation of The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. You all should read it. It's a very good book, it's easy to read but not too easy and once you've started, you won't be able to stop until you've finished it. (And, when you're reading already, you should read all her books. They're great.)
3. Runes. You probably think "ehhh.... What?". So, a little Runes for Dummies. There are a lot of ways to specify them but in basic they are characters, letters maybe. They are (were) used , ofcourse, to write with, but also for rituals and other things involving the supernatural. The Runic alphabet is known as Futhark, after the first six letters of the alphabet.
   
   This are the runes with the 'translation' of the characters to our Latin script. Each Rune has a name, a power and a symbol. Next to that, when you use runes you can give each Rune other symbols and meanings if you feel that's what they stand for.
   Runes can used like Tarot or the stars: to find guidance in a situation you're in need of it. Which can be almost every situation. When you have (made) a set of rune-stones, you can carry one of them in your pocket to give you a little extra confidence at a test, for example.
   I hope so far you could understand what I've tried to explain. At this moment, I won't say any more. I am still learning more about the runes and how I'm going to make my own set of rune-stones.
   If you want to learn more about the Futhark, you can go to this website. There you can find a little more information about the origin of the Futhark and about the different versions there are of the Runic alphabet.
   If you want to learn more avout what all you can do with the Runes, I advise you to find a bout that tells you more, rather than the internet. The book I use is called De Roep van de Runen (The Call of the Runes) by Igor Warneck, originally in German. I'm not sure whether there's a English version of the book, but I'm sure there are more books about Runes and how to handle them!

So, that's quite a long story! I'll leave it to that. Hope you've learned something today, and I'll see you next time!

Bye,
Raevyn

P.S. I hope you're able to read the little letters in the picture.

New E-Mail-Adress

hey,

Finally, I've got my own e-mail-adress!! Untill now, I've been using one of my older sister and I had to use a pseudonym for my blog.
Not anymore! I've got my own, I've got my own, I've got my own! Now I can also make an account on other sites! Yay!

So, that was it, actually...

bye, Raevyn

P.S. I think I'm going to do something about the lay-out soon

Another Vacation

Hey,

Tomorrow I'm leaving again. I'm going to the west coast of Holland with a friend and her family. I'm so, so happy I can come with them!! Last year I've been on vacation with them to another place and that was really great. We've swum (is that the correct form?) almost every day... :)

So, no posts next week I suppose.

Have fun!

bye,

Raevyn

Back

Hey,

Here I am again, back from Timboektoe (don't know how to write it in english)!!

Allright, allright, just the other side of the country...

BUT YOU GET MY POINT!!

You know what I've missed the most? My cats, and Wi-Fi...
I really don't like to admit that, but I really missed it. Okay, to be honest, I didn't miss the internet. I just missed my friends, I missed to talk to them. I hate it to be angry or sad or upset and not be able to tell my friends and let them cheer me up.

Except for the fact I really missed my friends, it was fun. We had really good weather and I had a great time down there.

xx
Raevyn

P.S. Pictures coming soon

Holidays

Hey,

yes, it's really going to happen, I'm going on holiday!! :D Coming Sunday, we'll try to get more stuff in the car than possible, try to get ourselves also in it and drive to the south of Holland. I know, I know, we aren't even going abroad, but anyway. It's still holiday.

So, I kind of forgot what I was going to write... The most important thing is I won't be posting the next two weeks.

Bye,

Raevyn

Oh, I just found out I still had a concept post with the same name from a week ago. I'll put it at the bottom of this post.

Holidays (the original)

yes, I almost can't believe it myself, but I've got HOLIDAYS!!!

I can't say how happy I am. No school, no annoying teachers, no classes and enough sleep every day. It's simply amazing.

I was trying to upload a photo or a nice summer-picture here, but Blogger isn't working very good today... So, no pictures.

Well, I have to say I'll miss the other students. I'm not a person that easily becomes friens with everyone and at this moment I've got three good friends. One of them has to do this year again, one of them is maybe sent off the school because his marks are bad and he's already done the year twice. So, that means I've probably one friend left. And she has completely different classes, so I'm afraid to be a little alone next year...

But I shouldn't be worrying about that right now. I've got seven weeks of holidays in front of me and I'm going to get everything out of it.

If only the sun would shine...

bye,
Raevyn 

Music

22-06 23:10
I think in the city where I live, these are the weeks of music. Or summer is the tims of music.

Right now, there's a music and theatre festival going on in a museum. I hear bits of music on the wind and I suppose it's coming from there.

23-06 09:41
Today, there's a lot music as well. As every Sunday during the summer, today is Park Open. It's a music festival in a pa rk in the city. There's a stage and everyone sits on the grass and watches. Well, unless it's raining, I think no-one will sit down on grass when it's raining.
18:05
So, I went to the Young Adult stage at Park Open with Hailey, a good friend of mine. With 'Young Adult stage' is meant there are no people performing older than the age of twenty-one.

02-07 10:37
So, I thought maybe it was time to finish this post. I really should stop making posts and finishing them a week or more later...
Well, I think I'll post something new this afternoon or tomorrow.

Bye,
Raevyn

English (didn't I use that heading before?)

hey,

at the moment, I'm reading an english book and I'm watching a couple of english television series and as a result, I'm thinking in english half the time. The point is, I don't speak (or think) english that well. Does any of you have any ideas what can help me to improve my knowledge of the english language? Except for moving to Britain or America and speak it all day...

xx,

Raevyn

Stresssss

Hey,

in Holland at middle school, we don't really have exams except for the final year, but we have test-weeks. Since that word really sounds stupid, I'll call them exams or just tests.

So, these tests.
Thuesday: last day with actual lessons
Wednesday: English and Mathematics
Thursday: Latin and History
Friday: Dutch (yes!!! No leaning for this one!!) and ehhhmmm let's call it Society or something like that
WEEKEND!!! (OMG I play in an performance in the middle of exams...)
Monday: Informatics and History of Art
Thuesday: Sportsday...

So, as the title of this post sais: STRESS over here...
And again, what am I doing?
Yes indeed.
Blogging...

So,

xx Raevyn

English Book Report

hey,

I just was about to start writing when I suddenly remembered I still have to finish my English Book Report. Oops... (I don't know if that's and English word but anyway).

So I'll post the review of the book that I had to write. I hope you'll like it, and maybe read the book yourself!
The book is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. I think I've posted a piece earlier.

xx Raevyn

P.S. Ow crap, the only thing I forgot was that it's in Duch... Sorry!!! If I have the time for it, I'll translate it and post it again in English.

Bloedstollende race op vleesetende paarden

 “Ik wil al een lange tijd over waterpaarden schrijven. Ik heb het ook meerdere keren geprobeerd. Eerst toen ik op school zat, toen daarna nog een keer. Ik had het bijna opgegeven, maar een paar jaar geleden – nadat ik drie boeken had gepubliceerd en echt zou moeten weten wat ik aan het doen was – heb ik mezelf er nog één keer op geworpen. En het is weer mislukt. […] Ik hoefde de waterpaarden niet letterlijk te nemen. Ik kon zo kieskeurig zijn als ik wilde met mijn mythologie.

Ik heb alles wat ik niet nodig had over de waterpaarden er uit gegooid, en ik eindigde met The Scorpio Races, een verhaal dat niet echt over waterpaarden of feeën gaat, nu ik er over nadenk.” The Scorpio Races, p. 483-485 (Author’s Note).

Dit is wat Maggie Stiefvater zegt over haar boek, en ik denk dat ze gelijk heeft. Natuurlijk, het boek gaat over waterpaarden, maar het is zoveel meer dan alleen een verhaal over mysterieuze paarden. Het gaat over vriendschap, liefde, moed en doorzettingsvermogen.

Op het eiland Thisby worden ieder jaar de Scorpio Races gereden, races met waterpaarden die vlees eten en bloed drinken. Sean Kendrick heeft al vier keer gewonnen en doet nu weer mee. Als hij deze keer wint kan hij eindelijk zijn paard Corr kopen, zodat hij echt van hem is. Puck (ze heet Kate, maar iedereen noemt haar Puck) Conolly doet als eerste meisje ooit, op haar gewone eilandpony Dove, mee aan de races omdat ze het geld nodig heeft om hun huis te kunnen afbetalen. Sean en Puck ontmoeten elkaar en hoewel ze allebei moeten winnen, trainen ze samen en worden verliefd. Uiteindelijk, tijdens de grote race, wordt Sean gedwarsboomd door een andere ruiter en Puck weet te winnen. Een deel van de prijs gebruikt ze om Corr te kopen voor Sean.

Het is absoluut geen standaard romance, met mensen die verliefd zijn, elkaar verraden en uiteindelijk toch weer bij elkaar komen. Er wordt zelfs maar één keer gezoend. Het is een prachtig verhaal dat maakt dat je de karakters zo voor je ziet. Het ruige landschap van Thisby en de kliffen met daaronder de oktoberzee met af en toe een golf die niet door de wind wordt veroorzaakt. Puck’s ouders zijn gedood door waterpaarden en ze weigert op een te rijden, maar door Corr leert ze de andere kant van de bloeddorstige wezens kennen. De ongelofelijke kracht en snelheid van de paarden en de magie die nodig is om ze in bedwang te houden.

Als je naar de titel kijkt zou je verwachten dat het verhaal zich afspeelt tijdens de Races, maar het verhaal begint aan het begin van oktober en duurt tot het eind van de Races, aan het eind van November. Zo krijg je de hele voorbereiding op de Races mee, en dat maakt dat je al veel dieper in het verhaal zit als de Races beginnen, waardoor het verhaal beter loopt. Het verhaal loopt ook door het taalgebruik van de auteur. Ze schrijft zo, dat je de hele situatie voor je ziet, je waant je in het verhaal, maar tegelijkertijd loopt het verhaal wel lekker door en is het geen moment langdradig. Het Engels loopt zo lekker door en is zo goed te lezen dat het boek gelezen kan worden door de doelgroep waar het voor bedoeld is, ook al is voor het Engels niet altijd de moedertaal, zoals bij mij.

Als je dit leest zul je je waarschijnlijk afvragen of er geen minpunten zijn. Die zijn er vast wel. Ieder boek heeft minpunten. Ik heb ze alleen niet gevonden. Ik vind het een ontzettend goed en mooi boek. Van alle boeken van Maggie Stiefvater die ik heb gelezen vind ik deze het beste, door de omschrijvingen van het eiland en de humor in het boek. Al met al; een goed boek dat zeker het lezen waard is.

The line between frienship and love

hey,

do you know the moment when you become friends with a boy and then, suddenly, you wonder if you love him. You wonder what it would be like to love him. How it would feel.
Well, I do. It isn't that I want to love the boy, but I'm just wondering whether I do and how I know I do.

I wrote this a while ago and I'm feeling a bit more confident now. I don't love him. I just really like him and I hope we can be friends for a long, long time.

I think this line, the line between friendship and love, can be very thin, if you're not careful. But, if you are, or if you don't need to be careful, it can be thick and clear. Also, I think the line lies somewhere else for everyone. Which, ofcourse, gives trouble and miscommunication.

I hope you followed my thoughts and don't understand me wrong.

Love,
Raevyn

P.S. And, if you wondered, I think a boy and a girl can be best friends.

Concentration (or the lack of it)

As you probably already've guessed, I have a test tomorrow and I have to study, so I'm blogging. Logic, not? I just can't concentrate, as always. Does anyone of you have some tips to concentrate better? I mean, I know I should have my computer on, but I need it. The problem with this subject is there is no practice-test or anything like that. The only thing you can do is summarize and summarize again, and read that about twenty times. But when I've read it twice, it gets B O R I N G...

So, what do you do when you have a subject like this? Go on, do something else, or whatever?

I think I'll start and read again...

xx Raevyn

Random Stuff

Hey,

I don´t know yet what this post is about. I´m really sorry for posting this few, I think I ran out of inspiration. So, I guess, this will be a post just about how things are going around here and about everything else I think of now. Btw, I´m sorry for my bad English, I´m sitting in bed and I don´t feel like searching every word I use to check if it´s correct.

So, how is everything going around here. Quite well, I have to say. I´m healthy, I like school (I still prefer holidays), my notes are good and I have holidays. Yes, again. That's something really weird about Holland, we have 7 weeks of holidays in the summer, then school untill the autumnholidays (1 week), then school, 2 weeks christmas and new-year holidays, then school for a long time, then in april and may holidays again and then school untill the summerholidays start. So, what I'm trying to say: sometimes we have a lot of holidays and sometimes we have a lot of school, instead of spreading the holidays a bit more.

Tomorrow is a very special day in Holland: it's queensday.
This year is even more special, because tomorrow our queen will retire and our new king will be crowned. As you can expect, there is a lot of publicity. The dutch television stations, news papers and magazines are bombed with programs about the queen, quizzes about our new king and queen and photoreports of their children.

Prince Willem-Alexander, queen Beatrix and princess Maxima

So, when you're from Holland, what will you be doing tomorrow?

xx Raevyn

The Gathering of the Clouds

hey,

I guess all of you who read The Hobbit by Tolkien, know this as the title of one of the chapters. Well, I can tell you, this is exactly what is happening here right know. Allright, not as figurative as in the book, but still. The sky has been grey the whole day, but now, suddenly, the color changed into a very much darker and grimmer colour. Also, the wind is blowing around the house, singing it's mysterious songs. The rain started about ten minutes ago, and only contributes to the cliché.

Okay, I have to be honest, the clouds aren't as dark as they were when I started writing this post, but I just want you all to think there's a big storm or something coming and I'm going to be locked up in the house for the next week ;)

xx Raevyn

Songbird

Fleetwood Mac - Songbird

Written and sung by Christine McVie

For you, there'll be no more crying,
For you, the sun will be shining,
And I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right

To you, I'll give the world
To you, I'll never be cold
'Cause I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right.

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before, like never before.

hey,

I just had to post this. It's such a beautiful song, and at the same time, it's quite sad. So, to you all, first read the lyrics above (and make a comment, what do you think when you read it?) and then listen to the song.

xx Raevyn

 

Oh, and if you find the time, listen the whole album Rumours, it's just great. (I think the program will seize if I try to upload that video too...)

Sun

hey,

Finally! The sun is shining! The wind is still blowing very hard, but when you're inside, that doesn't matter. I was trying to find a nice poem, but there isn't anything that describes how I feel now. So I'll post a picture that makes me feel happy.

When I see this, I just want to lay down in that field and watch the wind blowing through the grass (I know, it isn't really grass, but I can't find the right word now) and feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Oh, I feel my poetical side coming up. Maybe I should try to make a poem myself, or a story or something.
Well, anyway, I am happy right now, because the sun is shining, and I have to be at school today from 5 past eleven to a quarter to one in the afternoon, so I have a lot of time today. Okay, I admit, I have to learn for my tests, but I just like the idea of having seas of time.

So, a bit strange post today, I suppose, but I hope you still liked it (:

xx Raevyn

Masking tape

hey,

I was bored (read: I had to learn for three tests) and I was Googling (is that a word?) with random words. After a while, I found something interesting: masking tape (see head 'Other types'). It is tape that you can use to stick things to your wall, or to decorate things.

For example, to decorate the keys of your keyboard. I really want to do this, but there are two problems.
First: I don't have masking tape...
Second: It's quite expensive. The tape used on the picture, Washi Masking Tape, costs between €2,50 and €10,- per roll (?). So that's maybe a bit too much money for a coloured keyboard.
You can also use something else: normal sticky tape, with colours and patterns. That costs about €2,50 per three rolls. The disadventage is that this sort of tape just isn't as good as the original one. You can't get it off you wall and everything as easy, and that's a pity.
So, I don't know yet what I'm going to do, but I really like the idea, and I'm going to do something with it.

Have you ever used this tape? And what have you done with it? I'd really like to hear!

xx, Raevyn

What you call spring

hey,

What a horrible weather! The spring has just started and it is snowing. Snowing! I was hoping we'd had our part of that. It wasn't even good snow, the nice one that makes everything looking white and soft.
No, it was wet, cold snow, that doesn't lay on the streets, and is blown into your face and eyes by the wind, making going somewhere by bike almost impossible. So, ofcourse, I had to go home by bike, as always, and I didn't really like this ride. I guess I had my eyes closed half the ride.

This all happened on wednesday. Yesterday the weather was much better, the sun was shining and it was almost warm. Today we're back to the start again, since it was freezing tonight, the wind is blowing hard, it is still freezing (or at least it feels like that) and for the weekend they expect weather that feels like it is freezing 10 or 15 degrees. Nice. What you call spring.

Just one nice thing to say: it's finally weekend! And exept for the fact that we've testweek (is that a word?), which means we've got about eight tests in one week and no normal classes, that's a very nice thing. Two days no school, enough time to sleep and to get up late.
So, I'm going to enyoy my weekend (and learn for my tests...)!

I wish you all very nice weather and a long weekend,

Raevyn

First Post

hey,

A while ago, I started a blog, Hello Everybody!. I wrote it in Dutch, and very soon I began to notice how many of my viewers weren't from the Netherlands. From that moment on, I was wondering whether I should make another blog, in English. So now (read: yesterday evening, when I should've been sleeping, or at least laying in bed with the light turned out) I've done it. So, here it is, my brand new blog!
It's a bit different from the old one, for the readers who were reading it. I've got some new ideas, so here it is. I will be posting updates about my life and everything that happens to me. Besides I will be posting some of the stories I've written. Most of them (actually, all except for one) aren't finished yet, and I was hoping you all could give me some tips and ideas, and maybe motivation to write more. I'll try to translate them into English, but maybe some of them will be in Dutch, since my English isn't very well (as you might have noticed).
Finally, I've got an idea that includes trees, but I've to work that out first. If I'm sure, I'll make a post and explain it all.

So, that were my plans for now. Since I'm actually writing this at ten o'clock in the evening, I'm going to stop and sleep.

See y'all later,
xx

Raevyn