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contributors
Editor’s note
Nicki van Campenhout
Growing pains- we’ve all had them. Whether physically: those 6 cm that you suddenly grew overnight. Or metaphorically: the harsh transitions that we all face when growing up and trying to find our place in this complicated world. It can be argued that the metaphorical growing pains are the ones that we feel the most. Life is an interesting and complex journey, we somehow never quite end up where we thought we would, or being who we thought we would become. Just as summer starts to show its shy face, we realize that the year has almost come to an end. Personally, I always consider summer a season of reflection. A time to look back at what has been accomplished before enjoying some sun-filled repose. In our last edition of this years Globetrotter for this year, we realized that we also have been looking back while at the same time looking to the future. What lessons can we take from the past and use to our benefit in the future? In this last issue, we have explored everything from what we’ve learned while growing up, to how art as therapy can be used to help ease those ‘growing pains.’ E.E Cummings wisely once said, “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” We all know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. But, never forget, it was Wendy who was the courageous one, not Peter. Wendy, she, accepted the responsibilities and opportunities that adulthood brought. On behalf of the entire Globetrotter team, we wish you happy reading, we applaud your courage for embracing this challenging yet wonderful process that should never truly end. The world needs you. Here’s to the no-longer lost boys and girls. Isabelle Brooking
Tereza Janotova
Emily van den Heuvel
Damjan Stefanov Esther van der Plas Bella Franco Jet van der Kolk Kaçkar Özkaya
Design Bianka Urbanovska Martin Vybostok
The Edge ... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over. Hunter S. Thompson
Adulting: Enjoy your junk food
learning along the way
leader of your own life
when art becomes a therapy
growing up in... Saudi arabia & Madagascar
C O N T E N T
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Pløjning
to go or not to go on exchange?
lost in translation
the rocky road to adolescence
growing pains of technology: user Interfaces
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g n i t l Adu
By Esther van der
Plas
d o o f k n u j Enjoy your being adult and and n a g in e b n e e w e cream for ference bet ic if e d v e a h h t n y a a c s u y o The now y ldn’t. What no n adult you k u a o h s s a , u o is y e t r a u h t t ma owing e g mature is kn n eat your cak a in c e b y t, ll s a e fa r k u a o e y r b times us is that some . one ever told and have it too food . Because junk e id s y h lt a e h sa rent - junk food ha cuss four diffe is d o t g in Breaking news o g e bad. Now, we ar h. is not all that d and its healt o fo k n u j f o types
BREAK ING NE Junk fo WS od HAS a health y side?!
Let’s start with ch ocolate. Yes, chocolate, I absolu tely love it! Since the last couple of year s, there is more an d more information on the good parts of chocolate. Accor ding to the Dutch Voedingscentrum , chocolate can he lp prevent cardiovasc ular disease, beca use of the special type of antioxidants. Those antioxidants are called flavonols and are in cacao. H owever, it is only in bitter chocolate, because the flavo nols are destroyed in th e process of makin g chocolate less bitt er.
e is is list is cola. Ther th of e bl ta ba de t is full The mos t the soda. Sure, it ns ai ag n ig pa m ca lots of heard e. But I bet you’ve in ffe ca d an rs ga of su A nurse t stomach aches. ns ai ag s lp he la co e that her once and sinc ot m y m to it d recommende a bottle of cola in tr ex an ve ha s ay at then we alw is no proof yet th e er th , er ev ow H ut the house. stomach aches. B t ns ai ag s lp he n be it actually oofs that cola ca pr at th y ud st a there is thene e University of A Th e. in ic ed m a ainst used as perfect medicine ag e th is la co at th found less and rs. It is cheap, pain oa ez ob yt ph ric gast people ar. Only 4 out of 46 zo be e th ys ro st it de have surgery in to d ha t en rim pe who did the ex y cured. rs were completel the end. The othe
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Popcorn is a heal thy snack. I didn’t believe it at first According to a rese too, but it is. arch study of the University of Scran is full of polyphen ton, popcorn ols and dietary fib ers. Polyphenols ar and very good fo e antioxidants r you. A portion of fruits only contai polyphenols of po ns half of the pcorn. The most po lyphenols and diet found in the little ar y brown skin of the fibers are popcorn. You know that get stuck be , th os e things tween your teet h. According to researcher of the U Jo e V niversity of Scranto inson, a n, popcorn is the pe rfect snack.
l. And finally, alcoho at the end of the k in dr ol co a e lik l. Who doesn’t bad side of alcoho e th s ow kn y od n day? Everyb horrid stories. It ca e th d ar he l al ve I think we’ ur liver. And let’s yo d an n ai br ur yo damage alcohol abuse and t ou ab lk ta t no y certainl gs. Yes, out the good thin ab t ha w ut B n. io addict ll about alcohol, te to ve ti si po ng there is somethi feeling. besides the good some According to duce the chance of re n ca l ho co al , m ng to Voedingscentru dementia. Accordi e pl am ex r fo , es vascular chronical diseas so reduces cardio al it , rd va ar H by e risk of a study done that it reduces th s gn si en ev e ar e disease. Ther ink responsible, of dr u yo n he w ly on er, lps lung cancer. Howev m, alcohol only he ru nt ce gs in ed Vo to e course. According at means about on Th y. da r pe am gr when you drink 15 ax. and a half glass m
To conclude, choco late prevents card iovascular disease, cola help s against bezoars, popcorn is the healthy snack and drinking alcoho l reduces the chances of m ore than one dis ease. Who would have thoug ht? And this is just four types of food. Of course , you shouldn’t ea t too much of this. But at le ast when you ea t your junk food, you don’t ha ve to feel bad abo ut it. Now, enjoy your food. Graphics by Freepik.com
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Learning along the way by Isabelle Brooking
The process of growing up never really ends, every day we learn something new, and grow a little more. However, more often than not, we leave school with a diploma in hand and the impression that we truly are adults. Thus, the realization that we really are not can be all the more jarring. I’m, like everyone else, trying to figure it out, but along the way I think I’ve learned some pretty valuable lessons, some of which I think are worth sharing. Romantic relationships don’t define you I was 18 years old, in a relationship with an older man, extremely out of my depth, and I didn’t even know it. He was my first serious boyfriend, and I threw myself into the relationship head first- like one does when in love for the first time. I convinced myself that with all of my 18 years I was adult enough to navigate the murky waters of a serious long term relationship. I spent my weekends with my much older, more experienced boyfriend and his friends, going to his work functions, staying at his apartment, cooking his favorite meals. Do I regret this relationship? No, not really. It taught me a valuable
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lesson- it’s easy to be consumed by a relationship, whether it be romantic or platonic. But, especially in romantic relationships, when one is so in love it’s easy to sweep everything else to the side, and simply revel in that feeling of love. But, when it comes to an end, you’re suddenly there, realizing just how much you’ve given up for that single person. And that. That, is what can truly be heartbreaking. The realization that you’ve sacrificed certain opportunities and experiences for another person can be more than a little weird. Especially, when that is not at all the person you consider yourself to be.
That was the thing, I had always considered myself to be a strong, independent young woman, who knew better than to let a relationship define her. Low and behold, I was wrong. But, like I said, it did teach me something. In more recent relationships I’ve been very vigilant, maybe even hyper vigilant about maintaining my own personal sphere. That doesn’t mean avoiding commitment, however it means that I make sure to maintain the things and people that are important to me. I should add that I am now in a very happy relationship. I have found someone who encourages me, supports me, and is the best teammate anyone could ask for. So yay me! Sometimes you really do learn from your mistakes. Take care of yourself For you Parks and Recreation fans #treatyoself. This doesn’t mean suddenly becoming a vegan (let’s face it- life without cheese is super sad) nor does it mean shelling out 200 euros for a magic cream or potion, promising to revolutionize your life. What is means is doing the things that make you feel good, both mentally and physically. Trying to strike a balance between the healthy and the not so healthy. I still occasionally finish a pint of Haagen Daz Macadamia Nut Brittle by myself with absolutely zero regrets (I’m considering adding this particular capability to the special skills section of my LinkedIn page). However, I do also occasionally force myself to put on those pesky tennis shoes and go for a run. See! Balance. From a mental standpoint, make sure you check in with yourself, university and early to mid twenties can be a stressful time, full of changes, and definitely growth. Make sure you’re giving you self some time to adjust and cutting yourself some slack when needed. Only you know what you need from yourself, but remember to actually take the time to listen. That one pause, can make all the difference. Choose your friends wisely As we grow up, the things we require from our friendships begin to change. No longer are we in search of the friend who is best at hide and seek or who has the parents that let you stay up the longest during sleep overs. Our needs start to evolve; we look for friends that we can truly count on. The friends that text you to make sure you have gotten home safely, the friends that bring you soup and lecture notes if you’re ill. When we move away from our family we have the urge to recreate our own in a way. A family of friends, the basis that gives us the stability to feel safe and secure in our environment. While it may sound trite, or trivial, I truly believe there is truth in the saying, ‘quality over quantity,’ especially when it comes to friends. Your tribe doesn’t need to have twenty people that you would be willing to grab a drink with. Your tribe are those five people that you call whenever your heart hurts, or you’ve managed to get yourself into deep trouble. Also, be careful of the friendships that no longer serve you. It’s easy to feel certain obligations when it comes to friendships especially if you’ve been friends for a while. However, at a certain point it’s important to realize that friendships are a two-way street, if you feel like you are being used or that your efforts aren’t being reciprocated, don’t be afraid to cut ties. But most importantly remember that your value isn’t measured by the number of people who write happy birthday on your Facebook wall, true friends are the ones who help and motivate you to be a better version of yourself.
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Stay true to who you are and who you want to become With growth comes uncertainty. There are two types of people in this world, those who embrace the uncertainty or those who panic at the thought of an unsure future. I happen to fall in the latter category. The thought of not having a five-year plan with a guiding mission and vision statement fills me with fear, and makes me break out in stress hives. However, don’t fall into the trap of doing something you don’t actually enjoy or that doesn’t fill you with passion simply for the sake of doing something or having a plan. It’s easy to accept other people’s ideas of what you should be doing especially if you don’t know what you actually want to do. Take heed of this, because a time will come when you may start to resent that person for having given you a life plan (be it career or personal) that you don’t actually agree with, or that isn’t your own. Be the person you want to become, don’t stress if figuring that out takes longer than you would like. Even knowing who or what you don’t want to become is already progress. True knowledge of what you want comes from simply trying things out and not being afraid to fail. Honor the ones you love Honor the ones you love can mean lots of different things to lots of different people. Start with the people who mean most to you, the first people you think of when you think of your loved ones. Honor those people, be it through kind words, or thoughtful actions. My mom (hi mom, I know you’ll read my article…) is the single most influential person in my life. Now, that most definitely does not mean that we never fight or that tears aren’t shed because of the other person. However, there is no one who means more to me than the tall brunette who listens to French rap when she’s mad. Do I always honor her? Honestly, no, there are moments where I am nowhere near the daughter she deserves. But, I do my best. Because she’s awesome, and she deserves my best. Those little texts, quick calls, or even post cards can mean the world to someone. Simply showing someone that you thought of them and took the time to say something, or do something about it is sometimes all it takes.
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Be patient This is the kind of advice that if on the receiving end, used to make me want to become physically violent. There was no piece of advice I hated more than “be patient” what a pile of shit, I used to think. But, there is some truth to it after all, as much as I hate to admit it. I’m not advocating waiting for life to happen to you, but don’t expect everything to happen at once. Sometimes no matter how ready we thing we are, the universe proves us wrong. Trust in life’s timing to give you what you need, when you need it.
Know when to ask for help Growing up, you come to realize that not everything can be accomplished alone. A sign of maturity is knowing when to ask for help and not being embarrassed by asking. There is nothing wrong with asking for a hand especially since the people you’ll ask are those who want you to succeed anyway. Like everything else in life, growing up takes courage, moving from the known into the unknown. Finding your place in an unsure environment, figuring out who you are, and who you want to become, being happy with who you are and where you are in life. All of these things take courage and entail a certain amount of risk. Be bold, be brave. Embrace the journey and trust that you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be.
of your own life
By Esther van der Plas
Leader
Have you ever wanted to change a habit? Or wanted to reach a certain goal and didn’t succeed? I think we’ve all been there. That no matter how hard you try, you fail, and you have no idea what went wrong. Failing decreases our motivation and after a while, we just stop trying. Last time I was talking to my friend about this, she recommended the book by Ben Tiggelaar, called “Dream Dare Do’’. Now, I would like to share with you, what I have learned. For everyone who has ever wanted to reach a goal or change a habit. The first question you have to ask yourself is, what do I want to change exactly? This is very important, because in order to reach a goal or to change a habit you have to know exactly what is standing in your way. A good way to do this is by being aware of your actions, what you do everyday, because most of our actions happen unconsciously. This is called unconscious behaviour or automatic behaviour. Think about your behaviour and examine it. Pay attention to your actions and see if you can find your motives for your particular behaviour. This also helps to better understand yourself. If you know what it is you want to change exactly, you can start thinking about how to do that. Changing habits is hard. We like our automatic behaviour and it is hard to adjust to something new. And although our motivation increases when we finally see the finish line you must go through the
challenging part, and take the first step. If you start new behaviour, the reaction that follows up immediately is the most effective. That influences us the most. If you reward yourself right after the new behaviour, your brain will link this and will understand that this new behaviour is right, because it feels good. And that is exactly why we do certain things: because it feels right. For example, junk food is delicious and gives you a good feeling in short term. But if you eat vegetables and reward yourself right away, it has the same effect. Another thing that will help during your change is measuring your behaviour. Seeing the progress, you’ve made keeps you motivated and reminds you why you wanted to do this in the first place. To summarize, ask yourself the question what you want to change and start measuring your progress and reward yourself based on that progress. If you have trouble with this, the book will certainly help. But, even when you’re not in search of changing a habit, it is a good read.
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When art becomes a therapy Alain de Botton and John Armstrong’s solution for challenging problems - Bella Franco -
Using art as a therapy to overcome life changes is something I have been doing recently, without even realizing that it was already a patented approach.
Madrid had always been my dream city to live in. The other day, I found myself in the National Museum of El Prado walking around its corridors and contemplating in silence, and on my own, the beauty of the artworks there. Art has been my passion since I was small, but more and more often I realize the power that art has to help me get through difficult situations. Dealing with my time-consuming bachelor, or my wrong expectations when I went to the Spanish capital for the first time, are some of the growing pains that I had to face in the last years. As well as, going abroad to The Netherlands on exchange. In a context in which describing art is getting complicated, two European writers came up with a book entitled Art as Therapy to help people overcome daily problems using art for a new different purpose.
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Painting: Sir William Quiller Orchardson, The First Cloud 1887
Alain de Botton, Swiss writer and philosopher, in collaboration with John Armstrong, British historian of art and philosopher, designed a therapeutic book in which art is used as a new soltuion to face problems. What if in the most challenging times of our lives we make out of art a therapy? In the same way music therapy can help people in difficult situations or even stimulate those affected by diseases, art is willing to turn into a vital alternative to solve daily issues and, also, big existential crises’.
The book of these two authors is called ‘Art as Therapy’ and contains a compilation of 150 well-known artworks, architecture and design with a reflexion of how art is meaningful for us, what is the purpose an artwork has and the way it can be used therapeutically. Also in the webpage with the same title, http://www.artastherapy.com/, a painting or artwork is proposed to the reader followed by a contextualized reflexion in one of the particular topics addressed. These topics are the result of using art as a cure for: love, work, politics, anxiety, self and free time.
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Some of the concrete questions or statements that has been considered are: I don’t understand myself, I find it hard to relax, I can’t afford nice things, I want to break up, Where might my country go?, I can’t concentrate, Why make art? Here is one of the examples: Can’t it last forever? A painting by William Quiller Orchardson, The first cloud (1887) He’s really upset her, and she’s showing it by going off in a huff. What did he do wrong? He doesn’t know – and that’s part of the problem. Is she being hyper-sensitive? Or is he really selfish and unreasonable? He was just being the way he always is, and now it’s a disaster. Relationships deliver terrible moments of self-doubt. Of course, we hope that love will flourish, and relationships be satisfying, because we are basically quite decent, well-intentioned people –at least in our own eyes. Orchardson’s work is helpful because it is not concerned with blame. It does not suggest that either he or she is at fault. Rather, it gives us a clear, sympathetic sense that it is inherently difficult to live happily with another person. In doing so it propels us to a good question: what are the qualities that I need to develop – beyond just being my own good self – in order to get a relationship to work well? What would be your interpretation of the mentioned painting? If you saw it for the first time, would you analyse the technique, the colours used, the historical context, the furniture or the outfits? Would you relate it with a turbulent relationship? The example given is just one of the multiple mentioned in the
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book by Alain de Botton and John Armstrong. The same exercise proposed by these authors can be done with any artwork you find, anywhere. No rules. Despite this fact, some book reviews are critical with the reduction of art as the need of men for it or the attempt to rearrange museums, following the example of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to make them more aligned to the personal ideal of fulfilment that the authors sustain. Even though this approach of art as therapy seems innovative, in the last years some trends such as colour books have become more popular among people of different ages with a therapeutical objective. Colouring mandalas or similar drawings have been proved to be beneficial for mental health as they aid concentration, they favour reflexion and promote imagination. Our society has reached a point in which a new paradigm shift has occurred or is in the transition to take place soon, art has no longer only a contemplative goal but is willing to be an active part of people’s life.
Photo credit: Nachett (Flickr)
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Growing up in ...
Saudi
Article by Nicki van Campenhout Interview with: Ms. Athary Hamad M Al Fayadh (Saudi Arabia) Ms. Christelle Miangaly Rarivo (Madagascar)
Teaching at European Studies and PREP school enables me to meet students from all over the world, which is one of the most interesting and satisfying aspects of the job. Currently we have a few students who come from not so usual national backgrounds; in fact they are the first ones from their countries that I’ve had the pleasure to meet! Both countries are rather unknown to us, except for what we see, hear and read about in the media. Time to set the record straight and let them tell us what Saudi Arabia and Madagascar are really like!
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Arabia and Madagascar What are one or two things that you would want other people to know about your country? Athary: Saudi Arabia is a great example of a rich blend of modernization and technology and the deep roots of Arabic and Islamic culture and architecture. It is located in the Arabian Peninsula. It has a great geopolitical location, since it lies between three continents; Asia, Africa, and Europe. Saudi Arabia is known among the Muslim community because it has the two holy mosques, and as a result millions of people visit it annually. We don’t have any taxes in Saudi Arabia and have a lot of high level public hospitals and schools that are free. Christelle: Most people only know Madagascar from the movie. Madagascar is a pretty big country, much bigger than the Netherlands. We have about 21 or 22 million inhabitants. I come from the capital, Antananarivo, which is located in the middle of the country. The coast and the beach are about 6 hours away, so when I go there it is for a holiday. Many people have this idea about Madagascar that it is all beach and resorts, but it is a pretty big country with different sides and climates to it. Actually, Madagascar is also a fairly poor country, so most people cannot afford to study abroad. As a former French colony, we have our national language Malagasy and many people speak French. I’ve had my schooling all in French. Around the capital, we have only winter and summer, with the lowest temperature being 13 degrees and the average summer temperature at 29 degrees. What do you miss most about your country now that you live here? Christelle: Of course, my parents and family, but I also miss the weather. I do however prefer the lifestyle here. Athary: I don’t miss the weather, because it is cold in the winter in Saudi Arabia, about 5 to 15 degrees, and summer is boiling, reaching 50 degrees sometime. I really miss my mother and my family there.
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How do you view religion? Athary: Many people ask me why I don’t wear a headscarf. The reason is that I believe the first and most important step in Islam is to fulfill the five important pillars of Islam; to believe there is only one God, Allah; to pray five times a day; to give to the poor; to fast during Ramadan, and to go to Mecca once in your life to perform Hajj. The second step is to try to live as a good person, which is something that can be found in all religions. You should not steal, you should be respectful, you should not cheat and all this. Only after that comes the third step for me; the outside .To cover your head for women and for men to have a beard. For me, the other two steps are more important. What I notice is that nowadays, many people focus on this third step but not on the first two, especially people on the outside and in the media. I am currently still working on the first two steps, and I hope that I will cover all the steps in the future. Christelle: The main religion in Madagascar is Christianity. Most people are Catholic. I was raised without religion and I feel that sometimes the extremity of religion has an adverse affect, especially on young people. There are many things that are taboo in my country due to religion and that is why many young people go behind their parents’ backs and there is no openness in terms of sexuality.
What is something you would miss about the Netherlands when you leave? Athary: The rule of law here. People really have a lot of respect for each other here and people follow the rules. Before coming here I heard that many people are against Muslims and Islam, but I found that Dutch people respect all religions and all people and that the Netherlands truly is a multinational society. In my three years here, I’ve never had a negative experience regarding my nationality or religion. Christelle: I would miss the infrastructure here and the way people respect each other. Also the way people drive here, because people really do not respect any traffic rules in Madagascar. What are common stereotypes that people have about your country? Christelle: People only know about the movie and think that Madagascar is a very tropical island and it’s always a holiday atmosphere. It is not tropical everywhere as it is a big country, so it’s a completely different story. Athary: Like The Netherlands, there are many stereotypes regarding Saudi Arabia. Western media focuses only on the negatives regarding Saudi Arabia and many things are not true at all. The most important stereotype is that ladies in Saudi Arabia are not treated well by men, but that is not true. We have all the rights to do what we want. The way that I live, my friends
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and family live and my community lives is almost like we are princesses. The fact that women can’t drive is not a big deal for us, but it is something that foreign media like to focus on in highlighting women’s rights. In my experience and from what I have seen, ladies inside the home and sometimes outside as well are the leaders, they are the bosses. This contradicts what the media really focuses on, and shows that the reality is different. Middle class families usually live in a nice house and have some servants, like a cook, maid and driver. So, who needs a license if you have a driver! What stereotypes did you have about the Netherlands? Athary: Four years ago, my husband received a great job offer at a sub-company of Aramco based in the Netherlands, but I refused to go with him and take my family there, because I had heard from the media that the Netherlands has high taxes, there are red light districts and drugs are legal. I did not want my children to grow up in such a society. After moving here, three years ago, my heart now turned orange. What I realize that I focused too much on the black spot on a white paper; you focus so much on the bad things that you do not see all the good things. This is also what happens in the media; there is too much focus on the black spot and not on the white paper of wonderful things that can be found in the Netherlands. Christelle: I did not know that much about the Netherlands. I knew it was located next to Belgium and Germany and I knew about the tulips, the windmills, farmers, Amsterdam and weed…….. What do you dislike about the Netherlands? Athary: In the beginning, I was a bit shocked about the direct way of communicating by Dutch people. In my country, a direct way of talking should be avoided and we are not direct at all. Here sometimes people tell you something that you really don’t need to hear. In my country, if you want to criticize someone you need to list a whole lot of positive things first before you can carefully insert a comment
of indirect criticism. Now I actually notice after this three-year period of acculturation, that I am becoming more direct myself! What is the biggest difference between your culture and Dutch culture? Christelle: Wow, that is a difficult question! Everything is different! From the landscape, to the language and people. I don’t see any similarities really. Athary:In Saudi Arabia, family is very important and as families we are very close. One of the good aspects of my culture, of which I am very proud, is that our elderly homes are almost empty. Most elderly will live with and be taken care of by their family. Respect for elderly is very important. There is a big difference between Dutch individualism and our more collectivistic society in that sense. Christelle: Wow, that is a difficult question! Everything is different! From the landscape, to the language and people. I don’t see any similarities really. My country’s biggest hero is… Athary: In my opinion, the biggest hero in Saudi Arabia is the former King Abdullah who died in 2015. He brought about a lot of positive changes in Saudi Arabia. For example, he enabled many students to go abroad with scholarships. He made all the Saudis proud of Saudi Arabia and he was like a father to the nation. When he died, we Saudis mourned him like we lost our own father... My country’s most important holiday is... Christelle: Christmas, New Year’s and our independence day. Athary: Eid al Fitr, the feast of breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan. We also have our national day and we have a holiday for the Hajj pilgrimage.
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Up there, I am both the sun and lightning. My love and desire for what I do is unfailing and loyal. But is there any sense of reflection when I am indeed there? Can the average person dive into me like an ocean? Or is it me, who cannot dive into them? In any matter, these days my perception seems to be failing me more often. I read, I study and think countless hours. Confined in a small metal can, never really alone but often alone in spirit and in thought. The endless amount of ways paved before my time both physically and mentally cloud my thoughts and gives me a headache. Though it is well known, nobody ever tries to stop my destructive ways. The amount of guilt I feel when that syringe is full is on par with the worst war criminals, yet I still carry on. It is at those moments when the grey matter in my skull is at war, a conflict of ego and self-esteem that makes my guts wrench and my head pound like a sledgehammer.
Pløjning by Damjan Stefanov
I am a piece of rubbish, the miniscule bit of fecal matter on the bottom of a beloved shoe. But when I perform, I feel like universal royalty, a cynosure of every galaxy out there. The affection shown is incredible. No drug even comes close to it, and I must painfully admit I have had my share of experience in too many of those. But recently the affection has become disconnected. My libretto seems to have become an incantation. I consider myself to be transcendent. I am bigger than this planet alone. When two galaxies collide, both perish and form a black hole. Devoid of any life and never ending is the black hole that comes in its place. Before that though, the black canvas that is outer space is lit up by bouncing stars and supernovas. The collision had already taken place, my body being one of the two
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milky ways. My act might nearly be up, sadly enough. The ascendance towards this upper echelon of being has not been without any obstacles. Living out of a suitcase was something I have been accustomed to most of my adult life, but never before with this current purpose. Life on the road is tearing me down brick by brick, but not for obvious reasons. An abundant manner of stumbling through the 86400 seconds a day provides us is also something I am not strange to. As abundant as it is, it is nearly as narcissistic. I would elaborate on this more, but between the self-loathing you could probably already tell.
The backstory of all of this is quite complicated, but the foundations were laid in the places any rational human being would want them to be laid: opium dens, abandoned houses and the sludgy floors of basement clubs (if you can call them that). These are the kind of establishments (another stretch) which attract only the mind of the non-conformist, also known as the rational thinker. These days, I am not certain whether I am still one of those though. Even though I am revered by many, when it comes to the bare necessities of human companionship I piss against the moon like Pieter Bruegel. I do not always blame myself, as the pedestal that is presented to me is will never justify me is a satisfactory manner. As such, it can that it is unblemished, unlike the person I turned into. I think it is evident that this process has been built on a heap of ambiguities, but there is no point in sharing the complete story. The point is that there is no real need for details, as time will forget everything in the end. However, I do think I owe you somewhat of a summary.
The rise initially was Godspeed in overdrive. Out of nowhere, we had vultures and bats circling us everywhere we would play. All of them out there to suck us dry and leave us in the end like a drunken sailor picking the next best prostitute he could find to still his desire for finding any resemblance of understanding life at sea. It was without question that we were what punk needed and had been longing for all this time. I never considered us that much, because that was not what I wanted to be. I would not want to lose my sanity in the way G.G. Allin had done, though I admired him for his brashness. The packaging the suit wearing bloodsuckers wanted us to be encaged by was met with a resounding eye-poke like response. Inconspicuous and bit dirty, but it was what was needed at that instance. In the end, it logically meant a downfall. Paper and metals rule us like no king or slave owner ever could. The subjection ultimately meant that us too received the unmerciful judgement of being skint, to put it bluntly. The posterior remains to be seen, but the precedent does not paint something Previati-esque.
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Michelle
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To go or not to go on ? e g n a h c Ex
or eam of travelling dr ts en ud st f o t A lo been a . This has always the studying abroad l and it is one of el w as e in m f o dream Studies, to do European se o ch I ns o as re datory change is a man since going on ex oving y. The idea of m part of the stud ar m hing that is fa ili away from everyt one ts me. I believe ac tr at t an rt po and im a lot on and finds out rs pe a as s w o gr . are when abroad about who they you comment is that Also, a common ve ills you would ha obtain certain sk at home, such as never obtained ills. mmunication sk international co an ted with Europe Since I have star to d te nly been exci Studies, I have o it wever, now that o H . ge an ch ex n go o this aving to Bulgaria is official, I am le I have me a bit scared. fall, I have beco this will yself before, so m by ed liv r ve ne for me. new experience be a completely ar, lle this school ye he ic M et m I , ily Luck student ropean Studies ue a 19-year-old Eu ently in The Hag rr cu is e Sh . ta al from M hool mester of this sc se nd co se e th r g fo t about adjustin lo a e m ht ug ta year and to a new culture.
lk By Jet van der Ko
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You’re originally from Malta. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? I have travelled to a lot of countries in Europe, and the Netherlands was just one of the countries I had never been to. Also, I wanted to live somewhere other than the South of Europe. Malta is a small island, close to Italy and that is why the Maltese culture is very much influenced by the Italians. I wanted to know what living in Northern Europe feels like, the different people, rituals and surroundings. Another reason for me to go on exchange to this country, is because they were one of the six founding members of the European Union. I find it really interesting to experience such a pro-EU vibe.
Have you ever lived by yourself before? No, I have lived with my parents on Malta for the past 19 years. I feel like I have learned a lot since I came here. For example, I am way better at managing my time now, since my mother does not cook for me anymore. I have to do the groceries, cook for myself and clean my apartment. This was not something I was used to in the past, but it grows on you and I have definitely become more independent.
Were you scared to leave your home country? It has always been a dream of mine to go on an Erasmus exchange, so I was just excited the entire time. However, two days before I would leave to The Hague, the nerves kicked in. I was really scared about suddenly having to live on my own, in a foreign and unknown country where they spoke a language I did not understand one word of. But I think this is normal and everyone who is leaving for such a long time experiences this. It is just something you have to go through.
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Did you receive a warm welcome in the Netherlands? Now, I would say yes. But back then, I had to get used to the directness of the Dutch. The people here just tell you how it is, while the Maltese are way more careful with their words and like to chitchat around the point. The other thing I really had to get used to, was the climate. The weather in Malta is most of the time quite nice, while it rains a lot here and sometimes I find this a bit depressing. What I have learned about myself is that I am more productive in the Netherlands than in Malta. The Dutch tend to do their work in a more direct way, which makes it easier to start my schoolwork.
Do you have a lot of contact with the people from home? Definitely. I call my mother every day, because we are very close. We talk about everything and she gives me great advice, it is hard not having her around. When it comes to my friends, they have almost all visited me here in The Hague. Together with them I have travelled to Germany, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. That is the advantage of living in the Netherlands, it is fairly easy and cheap to travel to the neighboring countries.
Do you ever plan on leaving Malta again for such a long period? I hope so, but this time for work. Very soon I am going to apply for an internship in Brussels, at the European Parliament. If I am accepted, I obviously will have to live there for another six months.
Do you have a lot of contact with the people from home? I am still the same person, that funny girl next door. Everything I do, I do with a smile, I am just more responsible now. I do feel like I have grown as a person, I learned a lot. Practical things, such as cooking, but also a lot about myself. I have become more open to other cultures and people and I engage more in other cultures. Before I came here, I was scared I would feel alone, but this is not the case. I travel a lot and school and my friends keep me busy.
Could you give the students from the HHS some advice for when it’s their time to go on exchange? - Wherever you’re going, always be yourself. - Always be friendly and approachable, since this is the best way to meet others. - Travel as much as possible. Most of the time, going on exchange gives you a lot of spare time, which you should spend wisely. Also, travelling through Europe is not expensive, if you do it the smart way, by taking the bus to Germany for example. - Start learning how to cook at home. I did not do this and I regret it, because I could not even crack an egg before I came here! - The last one is really clichÊ: Do not be afraid to make mistakes. You will only learn from them and make you grow as a person. You will come back as a totally different person.
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Lost in Translation by Tereza Janotova
ng on your own? vi li t ar st to me ti When is the right
d th birthday, I move Shortly after my 17 I y. another countr for high school to d rough too much, an did not think it th . it r fo ed ly prepar I wasn’t particular d an ck from school One day, I came ba s t news to my parent announced the grea so happy for me up (who I thought were mained speechless. to the point they re mpletely the case). Ok, it was not co , had packed my bags In three months, I , ew kn I everybody said farewell to in to high school and set off to go . Germany for a year
As a girl from quite small town, most of the people I met were kind and so were kids in my home school. Oh, and did I mention, that I did not know German too well? Did not think this through too much either. As far as being different from other kids in school was bad, not being able to understand what others were saying was worse. Laughing when everybody else was laughing did no prove to be the best strategy either. For at least the first month, I was just one of those weird kids desperately trying to fit in. I tried so hard to learn the language as soon as possible, but eventually others stopped trying to explain everything twice and slowly. I must admit, that having less ability to communicate than Koko the gorilla wasn’t helping me much.
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Even though I was not completely flying the nest and I knew, that this change was from the beginning supposed to be temporary, I was rather unhappy. This wasn’t the thing I signed up for! I had hoped I would find some friends eventually. I was ready for this! I was 17, and I was almost an adult (who was too afraid to call her parents that something was wrong)! I just could not admit that I may have made a mistake. On the first day, I befriended another girl from my country who I got along well with. Even though neither of us were planning to hang with fellow country-men, we starting to spend more time together. Out of the blue, things changed. People seemed friendlier, some of them were inviting us to lunch, and even though neither of us could completely catch up with what they were saying, we were finally starting to get through. And then it happened. Around Halloween, we were invited to join kids from our boarding house for the diner. Armed with all weird slang words we learned from the internet and from other schoolers, we went to battle to win their stamp of approval. The two of us sat at the table with 10 other teenagers, and we all started to eat. At the beginning, everything went smoothly. They were mainly the ones to talk, sometimes we managed to respond. If you ever thought, that being new in a group of people was bad, try to be in such a group if you do not understand their language. In the heat of the conversation, everybody started speaking across each other and we lost the thread. After a while, we managed to catch up and we could laugh with them about the jokes they were making. Problem was, that somebody noticed that we were lost for a
moment and instead of helping us, he decided it would be interesting to make fun of us for it. He looked at us and told rest of the group in German we were dumb for laughing despite not knowing the language and what they were talking about. We did understand, both of us. If it was only me, I would probably have just gotten up and walked away. Why should you interact with somebody who does not like you? But not my friend. She stood up and asked the guy in German (translated in mild language) what is it that he had accomplished by judging us? Does he want to have this conversation in some other language so that we could be equal? We walked off in victory. A week later, the rest of their group started speaking to us, eventually we also befriended
Being a teenager in foreign country is not always the easiest thing
the guy who was making fun of us and spent a great year with those people. We travelled, we went to concerts, got in trouble with junkies in Munich and most of the time, my parents had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I learned to deal with people and problems on my own and I am grateful for those experiences. Was there a turning point? I guess when people realized, that being a teenager in foreign country is not always the easiest and when they stopped being judgmental about our language skills and started being helpful instead. The start of our year wasn’t easy, but we managed not only to get through, but to enjoy it to the fullest. This experience made a me the person I am today and it surely helped me to grow up. There were many opportunities that came from it and even though I do not approve of all the things we were doing as teenagers in foreign country, I would not change a single thing about it.
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The rocky road to adolescence by Emily van der Heuvel
According to the Oxford Dictionary, an adolescent is the adjective used for a young person who is developing from a child into an adult. The adolescent phase often takes place between the thirteen and 24 years old, although this may differ per culture. An important part of the adolescence phase is puberty. Puberty often kicks in at the age of ten to eleven for girls and at the age of eleven to twelve for boys. Boys and girls become men and women and mature both sexually and mentally. The behavior that characterizes teenagers during puberty is often described as unexpected behavior and going against the parental authority. Dramatic changes occur in physical, sexual, psychological, mental
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and social areas. A first acquaintance with sexuality, more complex thinking processes that arise and a search for identity are just a few of the issues teenagers have to deal with. On average puberty ends for girls around the age of fifteen to seventeen and for boys around the age of sixteen to seventeen. After puberty has ended the ‘last phase’ of adolescence starts which will end around the age of 24 for both women and men. Where after both men and women are seen as adults. During puberty youngsters develop themselves in different ways and create an idea of who they are which will continue until they are adults.
The search for identity
The struggle of Twenty-somethings
Youngsters are searching. They are searching for a goal in their life, for their identity. This is a though and important search for youngsters in their adolescent phase. During this search important questions arise such as, who am I? What do I like? What is it I don’t like? This is a process that goes together with a lot of questions, insecurities and doubts. Youngsters are creating their own identity, are striving for independence, individuality and autonomy. During the search for identity, teenagers try numerous things to identify what suits them and what does not. Experimenting with their sexuality, drinking and drugs are part of that. To find out what your identity is and dare to be who you are.
The issue of young adults in their twenties suffering from depression is getting more and more attention nowadays. In the Netherlands, campaigns were set up by among others, the government and health agencies to break with the taboo of twenty-somethings suffering from depression. The current generation of twenty-somethings is expected to live life to the fullest. We are in the eyes of the elder generations the first generation who have the world at their feet. We are the generation with the unlimited possibilities. This feeling is translated into performance pressure by the twenty-somethings, since they want to meet these high-set expectations. You, yourself are responsible for your own success. But, this isn’t the only reason why more and more twenty-somethings are suffering from depression or a dip in morale. Other reasons for this phenomenon are choice stress, limited possibilities on the labor market and the transition from the safe home environment to an independent life. Especially the latter seems to have a significant impact on this generation. Many seem to have trouble finding their place in the world. They step from their safe home non-adult environment into the real world as an adult, and suddenly have to figure life out on their own. The adult life hits them in the face, and that can be scary. A negative experience in this new independent life can thereby make a significant impact on them and leave a mark. Another reason that is indicated is the constant comparisons that we make. We need to be successful and compare our own success with that of others. There is always someone who is more successful and therefore you pressure yourself to also become more successful. To measure our own success, we look at others instead of ourselves. Success is competitive. Something in which social media also plays an important part.
Identity refers to the characteristics that gives a person a sense of selfhood and continuity and that makes that person to one and the same person in the eyes of others. When creating an identity youngsters tend to search for role models and try to identify with friends and sub-cultures. Besides these role models youngsters are also influenced by their other surroundings, relatives such as family. According to the ‘domain theory’ both of these have their own sphere of influence. Norms and values are often learned by adults, whereas youngsters are role models for each other in terms of the latest fashion.
Young and Depressed The years to adulthood are thus intense and important years for youngsters. In these years, they get to know themselves, create an identity and become ready for adult life and its responsibilities. During these years’ youngsters are very vulnerable. They are easily influenced by their environment and are more prone for negative experiences. One of those experiences that is getting more and more attention is adolescent depression. According to the survey that was undertaken by the ‘Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek’ around the 3% of the youngsters between twelve and eighteen years old in the Netherlands have been diagnosed with depression. Under the young adults (between the 20 and 30 years old) the percentage is even higher, in this age category around the 9% has been diagnosed with depression in 2016. In comparison by a survey that was conducted by the same body in 2014, an increase has been indicated in youngsters and young adults suffering depression.
Feeling depressed or down as a twenty-something thus seems to be more common in current society, and clear indicators for this phenomenon have been given. So, if you are feeling this way it is nothing to be ashamed for. You are not the only one. So don’t be ashamed to talk about it. Let your heart speak and take care of the issues you have to cope with. Eventually you will start feeling better again. And maybe you will notice that you have grown as a person and have got to know yourself better. At least that is what I did when I got out of my dip.
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Growing pains of technology:
User interfaces By Kaçkar Özkaya
At this stage, it has become almost inevitable to ignore user interfaces. Whether you are reading this on your phone, desktop, or other device, it is embedded in the user interface. Not everyone ‘understands’ user interfaces in the same way, but user interfaces also vary greatly - depending on many factors such as device size, operating system, and applications ran. Chances are that you can work with the typical Windows user interface, with the main menu in the bottom left from where you can access your applications and settings. You probably realise that this works okay when the expected input device is a mouse, as a user can be fairly precise when it comes to pinpointing locations to click. However, with the rise of touch based devices, Windows changed too. If you have ever used Windows 8, you must have realised that it was a radical change from previous versions. Microsoft, of course attempted to overcome the precision problem of the previous Windows versions by making active areas bigger which would make it easier to press. However, the ‘legacy’ mouse was and still is being widely used, and so mouse users on Windows 8 struggled to achieve what they intended to. Luckily for both mouse and touch users, the latest Windows, 10, has both the traditional user interface with the menu button, as well as the touch oriented interface.
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Even though Windows is the main operating system on desktop systems, Android is the most widely used operating system all around. Now, Android’s default user interface is probably not very widely known by Android users, as device manufacturers almost always apply their own skin to their products in order to differentiate themselves from their competitions. Luckily, the skins are mostly limited to aesthetics rather than functionality - so if you know how to use a Samsung device you will most likely find your way on a Sony device’s interface too. Now, Windows and Android are operating systems. But that’s just one part of the user interface. The operating system’s interface matters when you’re in the settings or when the developer chooses to use the default elements. A typical default element on mobile would be the so-called ‘hamburger menu’, the button with 3 horizontal bars that opens a side menu from where you can jump to other views. Now this isn’t the most intuitive element as you wouldn’t know what it meant on first sight, you could quickly become acquainted with it after realising what it does. However, developers oftentimes choose to implement their own user interfaces to distinguish their apps from others. A common application that doesn’t adhere to typical standards would be Snapchat. For example, a typical camera application will have a slider to change to video mode, whereas with Snapchat
you hold for the duration you want to record. Also, to navigate to other menu’s you have to swipe in various directions. You might understand the application after using it several times, but what if every application you use implemented their own user interface? Naturally we have to change user interfaces as we use different devices, but users would be better off if at least each platform used a mostly identical user interface. We will unfortunately see more of these problems in the future with new platforms. For example, Virtual Reality is a potential new platform, but as it is in 3 dimensions, we will need input devices which in turn will need new user interfaces. You can probably imagine the complications in learning such a user interface, especially if you have been struggling with current interfaces. However, there is also some positive progress, Microsoft, a potential leader in Virtual Reality, has announced their “Fluent Design System”, which will slowly roll-out to most Microsoft products. The Fluent Design System aims to be a universal look for user interfaces, being compatible with almost every platform - such as traditional mice, touch devices, 3 dimensional devices. Hopefully this project, if not another, will succeed to unify most user interfaces so users no longer have to struggle with the constant changes in appearances and functionalities.
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G Globetrotter June 2017 - Edition 4 of 2016/2017 Magazine made by students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences