IBCOM ISSUE 3
MAGAZINE
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taBLe oF CoNTeNTs Spotted: Spring New Beginnings Abroad: The Exchange Guide Marie Kondo’s Magic Cleaning Out Your Closet: A Sustainable Initiative Thinking Outside the Box While Packing Boxes
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How To Deal When You Just Can’t Anymore Keep Comparing Yourself Cleaning Your Relationships In Shape in Spring EveryBODY is Beautiful
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One Shot, One Blossom: The Photoshoot
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Book review: The Road Less Traveled Spiritual Cleaning Let’s Clean Up the Earth! Sustainable Iniatiative: EUR Wardrobe
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eDiToRiAL LeTTeR
Ah, spring - new beginnings, cleaning up, good weather - well, if the Netherlands permits, and allergies. Beautiful. Whether you are an exchange student coming back to EUR, planning for your minor or exchange experience, or desperate for a break - we have something for you. Take this Spring to work on yourself and your surroundings. Clean up the messes in your life through Marie Kondo, thinking outside the box, or honestly, re-evaluating some toxic relationships. Work on your New Year’s resolutions by realizing maybe all you needed was some more self love. Find places to go to when the sun makes its long awaited here in Rotterdam. But most of all, remember, this Spring is what you make it. Even if your allergies are getting the best of you, grab your meds and get out the door, because this is the time for new beginnings, even if it’s of the same old things. Best wishes, The Editorial Team (Angel, Ashe, and Temi)
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By Fe
un’s out! Or at least, that’s what we hope for when it’s spring in The Netherlands. Anyways, time to go outside; to sit on terraces and to drink beers. Tired of the usual spots? Take it from us, there are so many more places to go to besides Biergarten and De Kralingse Plas in the city. Coming soon in Rotterdam: the grand openings of both De Tuin (Dutch lesson: De Tuin means ‘the garden’) and Garden of BIRD. And if that ain’t enough yet, several food festivals will take place in different city parks. Let’s go!
1. Poppin’ bottles @ De Tuin On the 19th of May, De Tuin will open its doors -a pop-up cocktail bar (or social jungle), right under the notorious Rotterdam cube houses at Blaak. Located: Slepersvest 3
2. Wining and dining @ Garden of BIRD From the 5th of April on, the Garden of BIRD is ready for us. Entrance is free! You can either lounge in one of their designated chairs and drink wine (seasoned with herbs from the Garden!) or bring your own picnic blanket and enjoy pizza. Located: Raampoortstraat 24/26/28
3. Through the roof @ Luchtpark Hofbogen Into heights? Go to Luchtpark Hofbogen, a.k.a. the biggest public rooftop one may find in The Netherlands. Opened everyday from 10 until the sun sets! Bring your own food and drinks (budget proof: check) and enjoy the view. Located: Raampoortstraat 6
4. Food and fun @ Vroesenpark Right across Diergaarde Blijdorp (yes, the zoo) lies Vroesenpark. Besides picnicking, the parc brings along several food truck festivals to Rotterdam. Write down the following in your calendar: TREK festival, 9-12 May; Rrrollend Rotterdam, 19-21 July. Located: Stadhoudersweg 181
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n g s i w n e begin abr N
The exchange guide! Written by: Tessa
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or some IBCoM students it will be yet another country to settle in, for others it will be the first time ever they will be building a new life abroad – no matter the situation, exchange is always an exciting time and not to mention, a time of new beginnings that is quickly approaching for many of us. To help make sure you make the most out of this experience, we have selected some tips that former exchange students wished they knew before.
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Homework. I know the word in itself sounds horrible and it is one of the things that you probably do not want to worry about until classes start. That being said, you will probably thank yourself later if you do a thorough background check on your host country before you leave. Most governments provide all sorts of information on foreign countries for their citizens online, such as the most up-to-date safety situation, fair currency exchange rates and potential risks. A quick Google search can thus give you some good insights into how to prepare. It is also useful to look up beforehand the address of your home country’s embassy in case of any problems. Do not forget to already learn a few sentences in the local language before your trip, so that in the first couple of days you can smoothly manage your way around the grocery store and can easily ask locals for help when needed.
Minimize cash exchange Though it is useful to prepare some things beforehand, you do not have to do everything from home already. For instance, bringing big piles of local cash with you on the airplane is not much of a use according to former travellers. It is easiest to pay for as much as possible with your debit card. This way no one can rip you off with ambiguous cash exchange rates. Also make sure to always bring a credit card, a back up debit card (preferably from a different bank) and some cash with you. You never know when banks go on strike or when shops do not accept your cards. Better be safe than sorry.
Scan all of your important documents
Exciting
scary
roa
Do your homework beforehand
It is common to look at exchange as if this will be a wonderful time in which no problems will occur at all. Quick reality check, not everything will go as planned. One of the worst things that can happen to you is losing your passport while being abroad, so make sure to save a digital copy of all important legal documents -passports, IDs, health insurance passes, admission documents etc.- on your laptop. Or give a copy to someone you trust at home so that they can send you one when necessary. It can also be very handy to store all important information that you will need for your arrival online, like addresses, names and contact information. For example in Google Docs. No matter what happens to your laptop or phone during your travels, you’ll be able to get to your dream destination anyhow.
Being slightly uncomfortable is often part of the deal – and makes the best stories Did you know that eating snails is a delicacy in France, taking a jump in freezingly cold water is considered winter fun in Finland, and in some parts of China you might be asked for a photo several times a day. When being invited to all kinds of new activities they might sound not too appealing at first. Especially if you’re out of money after a couple of weeks the temptation to say no to everything increases. But it sometimes pays off to break out of your ‘bubble’ with things you are familiar with. Telling the story of how you did that one really weird thing in that faraway country probably works great at parties. Of course you are not supposed to do things you are completely uncomfortable with, but when your common sense tells you it is safe to partake in something make sure to do so.
Do not forget to take photos! If we may believe former exchange students it is easy to fully lose yourself in the flow of exchange. Exciting trips here, new experiences there. At some point you even tend to forget you’re on exchange and really start seeing your host city as your home, taking everything for granted. Make sure to remember to document the whole experience, from all of your sight-seeing to regular everyday things like your room and your meals.
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Marie Kond
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“ does it spark joy? “
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do’s
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Magic
mong the many things spring relates to, the idea of spring cleaning tends to be one of the least positive there is. Some people feel like it’s invasive, it’s usually reluctant, and no one ever completely follows through with their spring cleaning goals. With the theme of new beginnings, Marie Kondo is here to help you reorganize and clean your home, even if it’s not springtime.
Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizing consultant and author, recently popularized by her reality TV show on Netflix “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.” Her four published books are all about organizing and tidying your personal belongings to improve home life and mental health, and she created the KonMari method as a way to gather belongings and only keeping the ones what “spark joy”. This has become a buzz word of sorts in the last few months, particularly because of this idea that we should only keep things that bring us joy and to personally examine how the value of clutter we may have. It has also prompted people to look at all kinds of other aspects unrelated to tidying up and organizing and considering whether it spark joy or not, like whether spending time with certain people truly makes you happy or not, or whether you genuinely enjoy eating healthy. The KonMari was partially inspired by the Shinto religion, where cleaning and organizing belongings can be a spiritual practice in Shintoism. It concerns the energy of your possession (known as kami) and the natural order of things (kannagara). Kondo believes that you should treat personal objects as valuable, disregarding any monetary value, which is part of the Shinto ways of living. And you can see how many people transfer this energy and the natural order of life into different aspects other than cleaning.
Although Kondo was a published author, popularity in the West really sparked when Netflix added her reality TV show on January 1st. Quite the coincidence if many people set their new year’s resolutions to be more organized, it was like an effort to help people set and stick to these goals of a decluttered home and state of mind. She gained some popularity in the US and Europe for her quirky habits and genuine, positive attitude to those she helps, but this doesn’t come without criticism. Sometimes Kondo is made fun of, and the concept of sparking joy is misused. Other people have questioned the extent to which Kondo’s methods work to clean a house and some have even criticized how Kondo’s method suggests that mundane activities like folding clothes can bring joy when it is based on some kind of energy that is life changing (Amy Olberding’s article has an interesting perspective on this). For people who have a hard time organizing and cleaning their things, Kondo gives you the perfect guide to decluttering your life and gives you the motivation to assess what belongings make you happy. Perhaps the KonMari method is not for everyone (that is, feeling messy may be better than feeling overwhelmed by trying to clean), but she does deserve recognition for turning her organizational skill into a guide and even a lifestyle.
Written by Kat Nivera 11
A
tHinKiNg
few years ago I would’ve never even guessed I would be in this situation of having moved more than 6 times in less than 3 years. In the short spawn of 3 years I moved out from my parents home to another apartment in Argentina, then I moved across the Atlantic ocean to The Netherlands where I moved 5 times. Moving is messy. It is annoying and hard work, but finally sitting inside of your room or apartment, sipping tea and looking around thinking to yourself “I made this happen” is a really rewarding feeling, and this is what I am here to talk about. Movies always portray moving like a person holding one cardboard box to an already filled apartment with all the furniture built inside, but that is a vile lie. Moving is about disassembling, packing, transporting, re-assembling and decorating a new space, all while having to continue your daily life and chores. But don’t worry, besides a bit of tears, moving is a good moment to get rid of things you don’t use and Marie-Kondo your life, and also to get to know yourself better, to express yourself in a new way. So, first step: Disassembling and packing. Annoying but necessary. To disarm all that Ikea furniture you have, always make sure you keep all the screws and tiny parts inside of a plastic bag (and label it, you’ll thank me later). Ikea and some other sites have the instructions online, so it will be fine even if you lost the little paper that comes in the mountain of cardboard and plastic that your furniture was wrapped in when it first arrived to your life. Besides dismantling your things, you also need to get some cardboard boxes to put all your belongings in, and I bought all mine in Action because they are really cheap and they work just fine. To move things it really depends on where are you moving and who can help out. Moving services can be really expensive, but there are also van rentals and if you’re moving close by, you can even rent a bakfiets (Cargo bike) and load the stuff in the front.
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wHiLe PAcK
OuTsiDE
To have a pinterest worthy room or apartment you don’t necessarily have to spend all your money on it, it’s also about being resourceful and having a vision. When you get your new space, keep in mind the size of it, where are the doors, windows and heaters, visualize how you want it to look and start your google search on the things you would like. Possible sites to check: Marktplaats, Xenos, Hema (not the cheapest but sometimes they have sale items), jysk, Facebook groups and marketplaces, bol.com, leenbakker, karwai, kwantum and Ikea. My advise, check them regularly and also check out this Instagram page I found while moving this last time (Literally a week ago): @budgethome. I love online shopping and scrolling through pages like Asos and Zalando relaxes me, so I just changed it to furniture places and I’ve got some really nice deals. About the style, my advice is always: Keep it simple, you can always accessorize your house and dress it up with wall art and decorations. Also, light colours help every room feel bigger!
Your apartment or room has to be an expression of yourself, it is the one place that you can be fully comfortable and has to represent who you are. Whatever you decide to do with it, it is going to be great and should make you proud. Even though it’s a stressful thing to do, it’s something that you will think about in some years and look back to all you accomplished. My wish is that if you have to move, you can make the most out of this situation and actually have fun doing it. I hope you sit on your room or house, light some candles and sip on tea or some celebratory wine while looking around your new place feeling accomplished and happy, and ready to enjoy the new phase of your life that begins in that room.
KiNg bOXes
Written b Cece Ar y royo 13
“ mOViNg bOXeS
MOviNg PLaCes
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Edits by AnAnO 15
How to deal when you just can’t anymore.
H
i and welcome back to my little corner of this renowned publication also known as the portion that probably belongs in an insane asylum. Before we start, I just wanna apologize for depriving you of my particular brand of crazy because this queen was going through an extreme mental episode. So, In effort to be a supportive sister, I thought I’d give you a simple guide on how to deal with life’s bullshit when you just can’t anymore. As a person with anxiety and bipolar disorder, I know what it feels like to have a really bad period in life. So, I figured why not share what I did to get out of it because you never know who might need to hear that out there and if it might truly help some. I invite you to grab a teacup .I’m spilling all of my tea sis. To start, I wanna say that my process consists of two very simple steps 1. Chill the fuck out 2. Get help By now you’re probably wondering: Well, how do I chill the fuck out ? and I think the best way to that is to change things up a bit. Take a class in something you love, go on a mini vacation or watch a movie do whatever it takes to make you feel like yourself again. In the words of the great Mama Ru, “If you don’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else ?”
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Also, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Whether that be from your friends, your teachers or even the academic support staff. We’re all very lucky to be a part of program that has such a tightknit family-like community full of people that truly wanna help you become the best you. All you gotta do is ask. To end this, I would just like to say that mental health is a very individual thing and what works for me may not always work for you and that’s ok. You do you bae but just remember, whatever it is you’re going through, it will get better and all you have to do is believe that. If you ever need any support, don’t ever hesitate to contact me. Whenever you need me, I’m a google search away. Written by: Karim Eloteify
too too too too too too too too too too
much much much much much much much much much much
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Keep comparing
yourself. Written by: Crystal
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K
eep Comparing Yourself. We nonchalantly scroll through social media regardless of the endless reminders that you shouldn’t. But, there’s still a voice that lingers in the back of our heads that tell us that we’re lacking some material product, feature, or person. Which means every scroll is just constant consumption making the picture ‘perfect’ life present in front of our eyes no matter what the subject is whether it be travel, relationship, clothes, or skincare. But reality is our own construction, and we all choose what we show and so, it may not all be perfect after all. This spring, walk outside. How often do you find yourself looking down? Look up. How often do you take-for-granted the lives that walk by you everyday? Do you ever wonder about them? Do you ever feel like you’re missing something? You’re not sure what, but maybe through sheer boredom, you keep endlessly scrolling? Do we ever notice that we’ve been increasingly disconnected from the now? What’s in front of us? Well, we all do sometimes. But, should we blame social media for enticing the thought that we’re missing something, or is it our own self-infliction? There’s an ongoing debate about whether or not we should try to change the media community to be more realistic about what an average person would be experiencing in a day to day life, but the fact remains that many people will post the best parts of their life. It’s just natural as humans to want to portray the best parts of ourselves. And because of this, we (even the people who we feel are ‘perfect’) often have a sense that we’re missing something in our lives. There’s a constant comparison of what we ‘need’ in order to be happier, or more satisfied than our current mood. But it’s all subjective, and reality is what we make it.
So maybe, it’s our own intuition to compare ourselves—the want to see what others have in order to feel more ‘complete’ in some sense. In reality, we have complete control in what we consume. So why do we place a certain burden on ourselves by voluntarily consuming the ‘perfect’ life of others? No matter what, there isn’t a contract that can physically bind us to social media, but there is always a way to take a break from it to connect more with nature, or ourselves in order to fulfill ourselves in a way that others’ validation can’t give. I wasn’t wrong about comparing yourself because you should but to who you were yesterday, not to someone else. Instead of seeing what others have, and what you lack, look at the person you were yesterday without the influence of social media and try to better yourself in that sense. There isn’t something more fulfilling than your own validation of yourself because the minute that’s locked down, nothing can truly hurt you and how you see yourself. Social media is obviously a great tool. This isn’t a PSA to rid everyone of social media completely, because there’s benefits to using it like self-expression, art, and comedy but it gets to a point where we’re driven to participate in a vicious cycle of comparison. It’s just about the balance of physical real life experience and one that we all construct to showcase our best parts of our lives in social media. As I said before, there will always be a constant voice in your head that compares to others, but at the end of the day, we are all capable of blocking out the noise to focus on what’s more important. We have full choice and 100% responsibility of what we consume. So cleanse yourself this spring, and keep renewing yourself but not by immersing yourself in the lives of others but you. So keep comparing yourself.
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S P
LOVE
R I N G Cleaning y o u r relationships Toxic relationships are like rain showers in the summer; unwanted and not good for your vibe. Unfortunately, toxic relationships come by more often than not. Whether they are with friends, exes, or yourself they can be consuming and draining. Definitely not a good place to be in. So, if there has ever been a time where you felt like you were ready to move on from toxicity, Spring is the perfect time to start. It may seem kind of harsh to say you want to ‘clean out’ your inner circle, but sometimes that can be quite the liberating experience. It allows you to tackle the relationship head on, understand and overcome negativity, and be ready to grow for the future. Are you ready for the Spring equinox to bring you major positive vibes?
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T
o start off, how can we define a toxic relationship with friends? We can look at friendships as a road going in two directions, there needs to be effort coming from both ends. If you feel like you’re always the one planning things, you’re only doing thinwgs because your friends are, or you feel obligated to tag along, that friendship street is not a two-way one anymore. In such situations, you can often find yourself losing your distinct personality, and even your values. Before you end up losing yourself in a never-ending cycle of unappreciated friendship, it might be wise to cut ties with those preventing you from growing. Fear not, cutting ties is definitely not as bad as it may sound. Sometimes, you need to get your priorities straight and put your own name on top of your list. Putting effort into an unreciprocated friendship will mentally hurt you in the long run. However, it is important to realise that people can grow apart over the years and suddenly want different things in life. It’s only natural to gain new friends and lose old ones, people will still be a part of you and your journey through life. Just not in the same way as before, and that is fine. It’s important to find out what you are looking for in your friendships and what you are willing to give to them.
So, how do we move on from losing friendships? First, don’t think of it as a loss, but more as a transition on to better things. Think about all the different kinds of people in the world, maybe it is time for you to meet and hang out with people you might not be used to. Through expanding your horizon and encountering people with different cultures, beliefs, and ideas you will find yourself growing personally. It may also help you become more open-minded and ready to encounter potential difficulties, both personally and professionally. However, the most important message you should take from this, is that it is never too late to end old friendships or start new ones.
“Ultimately,you have the power to decide how you feel”.
“It’s essential to understand that, yes, it can be difficult to cut ties with a long-term friend “. Although toxic relationships may seem to occur only with other people, it is also possible to have a toxic relationship with yourself. You may find yourself often thinking negatively and having a glass half-empty approach to life. Having an increased sense of pessimistic ideas can also influence your emotions, such as jealousy. Maybe you let jealousy overpower your feelings, to the point where it starts to interfere with your life by not feeling confident enough or not having faith in yourself and your talents. At this point, it is important to get to the core of the negativity. Ask yourself what triggers it, what is feeding it, and why. Once you feel like you understand where the negative vibes are coming from, you can start to work on overcoming it.
When you wake up in the morning, decide what mood you are going to be in that day. This doesn’t imply that you need to be super happy-golucky all the time (although that wouldn’t be the worst thing), but just make sure the positive vibes outnumber the negative ones. Guaranteed, you will find that the energy you put out into the world will come back to you, maybe even in new friendships. Once you have flipped this mindset switch, you can only continue to learn and grow. So, get inspired by spring and the new beginnings this season symbolizes by cleaning and get rid of all things toxic in your relationships. Starting fresh does not mean completely disregarding the past, but rather understanding the past to be better in the future. It only looks brighter from here.
Written by: Donya
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Illustrations by Louise Lu & Mr.Donothing
Spring is commonly known as the time of new beginnings. How about you see that as a motivational booster and start your own new beginning? Now is the time for you to start feeling confident and fit! Become the best version of yourself so that you feel most comfortable in your own skin. Summer is right around the corner and perhaps you want to become the fittest version of yourself in whatever terms you define that. The new beginning, I am mentioning here, can be interpreted in various ways and this goal you want to reach through this can be as arbitrary as you want, as long as it makes you happy and feel more confident! You should not start your ‘physical cleansing’ due to pressure, but rather because you have the motivation to see and feel a change in yourself. Through this article, I want to give you all the necessary motivation and tips that will make it easy and fun to work out. Written by Antonia Radmacher
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First of all, I want you to think about the following quote: “The Journey is more important than the Destination”. In terms of working out and ‘physical cleansing’, think about the journey being your motivation. It is vital that you find your motivation so that your ‘journey’ can begin. For now, I have to disappoint you because the destination, namely that you reach your personal goal, will not be prominent for quite some time. After a while, however, you will see that the journey becomes easier and the destination – fitness results – will be noticeable by you. Until then, here are some tips and tricks for how you can find your motivation and start your journey:
Tips and Tricks: - Have a gym buddy ○ This way you can motivate and help each other - Create a workout playlist - Make a workout plan ○ Start out on your level and slowly build on your strength - Buy a trendy outfit you feel comfortable in - Join a sports club (tennis, basketball, football, golf, horse-back riding, hoc key, etc.) As for your results, do not get upset if you have setbacks since they are not a big deal. Remember, we are all only human and if baby steps are your way to go: embrace them! Please keep in mind that every success, regardless of its size, is important when it makes you happy and can be seen as a victory. My idea of ‘in shape in spring’ derives mostly from one thing, namely motivation. For myself, motivation, especially self-motivation, is generally one of the most important characteristics a person needs in order to become successful in whatever terms you define that for yourself. It takes strength to motivate yourself, but I am sure that you can do this. Just believe in yourself and pull through.
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Body- posi: A pro
One of the most im cognize in a journey is that it is a process forever. Body positiv mething that is easily but is always chang There will always be beautiful or confide is all part of the pro being human. So do see it as part of grow beautiful the next da
Social b
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n 2019, it is safe to say everyone is aware of the “body positive movement” aka body- posi. A worldwide movement, preaching acceptance and positive attitudes towards body diversity. The movement has led to an overall better look on social media towards all different types of bodies: slim, thick, curvy, plus- size, bodies in all glorious ways! In the theme of “New Beginnings” and the coming of Spring, it is therefore important for everyone to create a more positive and accepting attitude towards themselves and their appearance- as a new beginning towards themselves and their outlook on body diversity.
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Whilst scro see 50 diffe Social med versity, it ha rocentric b is left out. ceptance body isn’t As much a sing and a own hand representa is by follow Instagram, don’t shy the differe vourites!
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ocess
mportant things to rey of body acceptance s- one that could take vity is not always soy achieved and fixed, ging from day to day. e days you’ll feel more ent than others- which ocess and of course, on’t feel discouraged, wth to feel even more ay.
1. @SonnyTurner
bodies
3. @Palomija
olling through Instagram, it is inevitable to erent bodies that only represent one type. dia has not only contributed to body dias simultaneously promoted a certain Eubody type, where a variety of body types This can make the process of body acso much harder, as you’ll feel like your being represented on social platforms. as I believe social media is both a blesa curse to body positivity, it is much in our ds how we decide to deal with a lack of ation. One way I personally deal with this, wing as many body- posi influencers on , who represent different body types and away from portraying their bodies in all ent moods (#foodbaby). Here are my fa-
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Jamaican- Swedish curvy model from England. Her beautiful, colourful feed is filled with inspiring quotes, diversity promotion and her body in its raw, truest state. I have been following her since forever, and can greatly say she has contributed to my body acceptance.
2. @Chubstr
An instagram page targeted towards curvy men. This page provides styling tips, clothing stores and guides for men and how they can improve their fashion sense.
Paloma started out as posting pictures on Instagram for fun, but has since then been featured in Vogue magazine over 3 different times. She makes body- posi real, true and shares her past and current struggles with accepting her body. An amazing insight into a model’s life that shares her two- way attitude towards labels such as ‘plus size’ and ‘petite’.
4. @TabriaMajors
One of my personal favourites! Tabria always makes sure to daily remind her followers of the body- posi journey and how she finds herself in it, with better and lesssuccessful days. Besides modelling, she also holds speeches and panels in which she discusses body diversity in the media and how it can be improved in inclusivity.
Check some of these out and hopefully it can improve your perspective towards body diversity and your own body: how it is unique and deserves all the love and self- care you allow yourself to give it. Because always remember and tell yourself daily: EveryBODY is Beautiful.
- Written by Salem Asghdom 25
Project director - Diana Zavyalova Photographer - Anano Shalamberidze Make-up artist - Maria PĂŽrvănescu 26
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Maxime Tian & Erden Karso
Written by diana Zavyalova
Freedom of Opportunity You’re out in the open. The day is long and the path is wide. Will you slowly strut alongside the curb, gently picking at rare flowers and stopping every few meters to relish in the rays of sunshine dancing on your skin? Will you rush far into the horizon, catching whatever gulps of fresh air you can hold onto inside your lungs for split seconds? Will you merge the two opposite elements to form harmony? This world bears no shadows, for the blinding sun seems to be ahead of you at all times. Do not hesitate – the world belongs to you.
Sofia Hussein & Max de Mier Acceptance of my Own Discoveries Sunlight glistens weakly through the green, thorny maze. The leaves are slapping the soft skin, leaving red imprints for days on end; the thorns scratching the surface but never getting to the oozing center inside – the magma-like essence. After all, you don’t know what it is. You must move your feet. Because living anew is easier, knowing what fits the best in the jigsaw puzzle of your spirit. Because having a whole universe contained in one person is a heavy weight to carry on fragile shoulders, and you are so glad you’ve volunteered.
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Questions of Change The warm, all-engulfing light shines around you in new, soft colors caressing your smiling face and lulling you back into tranquility. You open your eyes – the world has changed. You crave for more: more certainty; more greatness; more failure; m o r e. Is this – where it ends? Is this – where it begins? The light shines indefinitely, without giving away the secrets of the great order. Perhaps, you no longer need them.
Yara Terpsma & Lotte van Berkel
Untested Opportunities The spotlight shines brighter, hotter by the minute. Which way must you go now? Which one is new, and which one is stepping on the same rake twice? So many opportunities; so many uncertainties. All you must know is, moving on is enough. Keeping your own pace. Floating on top of the waves of your own capacity. How many mountains will be conquered? How many tears – wiped away for better choices to be made? The answers are irrelevant.
Alexander Krug & Luigi Mele-Krause
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Book Review 01
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Written by: Louise
The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth By M. Scott Peck I have always been a reader, though that reader in me has slowly vanihed over the past few years. A dear friend of mine recommended me this self-help book, which is also the book that II will be reviewing today. The book is called ‘’The Road Less Travelled’’ and takes on 4 topics in total: discipline, love, growth and religion and grace, which is said to be all interconnected and can ultimately advise us on ‘’spiritual growth’’. At first glance, the book sounds like any other self-help book that notes the importance of self-love, suffering, communication, and other popular topics in the realm of psychology. However, I would like to note that, even though my knowledge on self-help books is not substantial in any way, this books gives more than just common known insights. The author has noticeably his own way of thinking and wording the self and the concept of life. That is particularly noticeable in the first sentence of the book that immediately grasps your attention. As quoted:
w ‘
Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.
Although we may already know that life is difficult, we may not acknowledge it as a ‘truth’. This interesting way of wording life continues as the author talks about what it takes to be disciplined, the definition of love and how the concept of ‘falling in love’ is not love, the way we must all take our time when it comes to appreciating and aiming for grace and so on. Of course, not all sections may be to your interest, but in my opinion, the section of discipline and love are a must. Overall, this book helped me to reflect on my actions to identify repeated unhealthy actions and helped me to find answers to questions which I something wake up with such as ‘what is life’ as well as ‘what is love’. After finishing it, I believe that this books title can give two interpretations. One is that the book helps you take less of a detour when uncovering truths in life, causing you also to travel less to come to your end destination. Two is that it embodies how we have to make choices in life that are uncomfortable, that are hard, in order to truly manifest. I do want to warn future readers that the book is very based on a psychologist’s perspective. To me it seems that the author, who wrote this book, mostly focuses on an audience that are or have been in contact with psychiatrists. Therefore, it can be hard to get through the advices on how to perform a better psychiatrist session, what to take into account in one and on reminiscences of old cases to illustrate concepts. However, in busy days where we hustle and bustle in bureaucratic organizations, only focus on rationality and efficiency, earn money and try our hardest to be ‘happy’, we need to rethink if that is all that life has to offer. People may forget about themselves in the midst of all. People may see the notion of spiritual growth as superficial, though it is not. I dare to ask, what is you, if you do not nurture your unconscious? To conclude, yes I would recommend this book as a read as much as I advise people to read in general.
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W
hen thinking about the term spiritual cleaning, numerous thoughts may come to your head, some of them connected to witches or supernatural powers. However, let’s say that spiritual cleaning is much less exciting than that but very beneficial! Spiritual cleaning is based on identifying and cleaning the spiritual problems within yourself and your soul or just giving yourself a simple energy cleanse for a better feeling on the day-to-day basis. Spiritual cleaning is connected to energy or the concept that everything is energy. Energies impact and change each other thus a good spiritual cleanse once in a while may help with the release of the negative energy held within ourselves and the absorption of positive energy. But you may wonder yourselves, how can we do that ourselves? There are a couple of techniques for spiritual cleaning and those are the use of crystals or so called healing stones, sage smudging, the practice of meditations and mantras or simply having a positive mindset and practicing the law of attraction.
CRYSTAL Rose Quartz - This healing stone opens up our heart chakra and aid in the way of finding every possible kind of love we need, whether it is self-love, romantic love or family love. The rose quartz healing stone releases a wave of compassion, gratitude and forgiveness within our souls which also benefits the release of every toxic emotion within our soul which blocks our spirit from being free. Amethyst - The amethyst is a relaxing healing stone. It focuses on soothing our stresses and it works with our third eye and crown chakras to produce relaxing energy, balance our mind from the problems and provide our innate desires such as relaxation and sound sleep. Citrine - As the name itself says, the citrine healing stone has a vivid yellow colour like a citron and its healing characteristics are based on the energizing the solar plexus chakra to radiate power, endurance and confidence. Its sunny attitude also cultivates positive energy and instead of absorbing the negative energy, the citrine clears it thus making a place for happiness and light. Aventurine - Aventurine is a healing stone which is connected to luck and is sometimes referred as the gambler’s stone. The aventurine connects with the heart chakra and helps when wanting to leap into a non-comfort zone easily. It graces our spirits with confidence and produces a feeling within us which makes us decide between security and risk.
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sage smudging ritual This sage smudging ritual is basically like giving your living space an energetic shower. The smoke literally changes the air by modifying the ionic composition of the air. The ritual is practiced for 2000 years already, starting from the indigenous Americans. The sage smudging can be done at any time but is specifically beneficial after an argument, illness, moving into a new living space or having a guest at your home. 1. For practical reasons, I use a white sage incense stick but a bundle of dried white sage leaves is even better. 2. Light the stick or bundle by holding a flame to it until it brings to smoke. If the flame is still present, shake the bundle gently or if you are using a stick, blow into it until it is just smoke. 3. Use your hands to direct your smoke over your body while visualizing the release of negative energy. This will help the cleansing of yourself before beginning to clean the space around us. 4. After our inner cleanse is finished, begin to wave to smoke into the corners of the room and vividly imagine the cleansing of negative energy from the room.
MEDITATION The goal of a meditation is to gain focus and understanding of your mind and eventually reaching a higher level of awareness and inner calm. Meditation does not have to be the one we often see on the TV, with people sitting in a lotus position and chanting “Om”. Instead, the meditation can be modified for our personal needs and what we feel most comfortable with. However, a couple of things are the same for every meditation. First, the meditation needs to be done in a calm environment, where you would feel safe, relaxed and comfortable. Then, comfortable clothes are preferred so as to feel at ease and not being influenced by external distractions. The shoes need to be removed. When it comes to the meditation itself, we may struggle with it at the beginning as numerous thoughts will flow into our head and it will be hard to clean your mind from any thoughts and focus on the mindfulness. This is why using an app for meditation can be a great source for a successful meditation. One of my favourite apps is called Simple Habit, where there are numerous meditations, each characterized by a different topic. Whether you are looking for a meditation regarding your sleep or study patterns, or perhaps just a daily boost for a positive feeling, Simple Habit has it all. My personal favourites are “Racing Mind at Bedtime - Bedtime Relief” and “Thought Detox”. At the end, I would like to wish you all good luck on your calming journey. I hope that this spiritual journey brings you comfort and a sense of tranquility. After all, we are all just energy floating around and changing shapes.
Written by Ana Mishkovska 35
Cleaning out your closet A sustainable initiative
By Renee
Spring is in the air. The season of flowers, sunshine and butterflies. However, since somewhere in the 16th century, spring is also the season of cleaning. Getting a fresh, new beginning of a hopefully great year, has become somewhat of a tradition in very many households. Hence, this article with facts, tips and DIY’s to help you clean out your winter closet. “One part of wisdom is knowing what you don't need anymore and letting it go.” – Jane Fonda
When it is time to clean out your closet, think carefully about what to do with clothes you don’t like or wear anymore. If you realize that it can take up to 2700 liters of water to grow enough cotton to make one t-shirt, do you really decide to just toss that t-shirt out in the trash? Or do you recycle it? Seen that there are so many possibilities to recycle clothing nowadays, throwing away clothes just seems so out of date and is quite unnecessary.
RECYCLING Recycling is not just about making new clothes from old clothes. It is about finding new and inspiring ways to use your clothes. For example, give them to a charity in your neighbourhood, create new items from combining or just restyling your older clothes or hold a clothing swap with your friends! Some fun DIY-projects include for example the old trick of turning jeans into shorts. However, if you think that is too easy or mainstream, try decorating it with new buttons or use colourful thread to re-sew the seams. Another fun idea is to make your old t-shirts look new by cutting of the sleeves and turning it into a tank top, or by cutting the back in horizontal lines and making ribbons, or even by making bags out of t-shirt cloth. 36
: MEDIA For more ideas to recycle clothes yourself or for more inspiration while working, here is a list of media accounts with posts worthy to check out!
For tutorials for easy, no-sew projects and more: AndreasChoice. For easy (storage) projects that are doable super-fast: 5-minute Crafts For fun videos with even more DIY-projects: Craft Panda
For detailed tutorials about upcycling and repurpose, use www.sadieseasongoods.com For DIY-ideas for more than clothing, go to https://helloglow.co For an elaborate list of links to websites with many options for different DIY-projects, try www.diycraftsy.com
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SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE: EUR WARDROBE If you do not have friends who share the same taste in clothing as you and therefore a clothing swap would only result in some awkward “thanks, but no thanks”; if you are hopeless and miserable only thinking about sewing clothes and decorating them… try the EUR wardrobe! This is a super-sustainable initiative by the Sustainability Hub at the Erasmus University and accessible for everyone (during the opening hours ). The goal of this initiative is to raise awareness for the mass production and consumption of fashion, which is immensely harmful to the environment.
Maria Seidler, a first year IBCoM-student and a proud member of
the EUR Sustainability Hub, was a volunteer at the fashion show and clothing swap in the EUR Sustainability days from 4 until 7 March 2019. She became a member as soon as she got to Rotterdam, because she was impressed by all the sustainable efforts and initiative being taken on campus, like the Foodlab, the campus garden and of course the EURWardrobe. She has a unique but very inspiring view on sustainability: ‘I think we as people have to take responsibilities for our actions and think about how our consumption behavior affects other people.’. Many people just don’t realise the consequences of this mass consumption. However, she says ‘Europe is privileged, because we have the money to take responsibilities for our actions, and therefore it is our duty.’.
In terms of clothing and fashion, she advises
to actually think your consumption through. Do you really need that new shirt? Do you realise where it was produced, by whom and with what resources? Don’t get scared to buy anything though... just try to be more aware. Start with small things like bringing a spare bag instead of using plastic ones.
Maria confesses that she herself is still in the learning process of beco-
ming more sustainable: ‘I love the Lebanese bread from Spar, it is my favorite snack, but it uses a lot of plastic – for a snack I finish in only 10 minutes’. Lastly, Maria mentioned that she loves the idea that sustainability is becoming
more
publicly
addressed.
For
example,
during
the
Erasmus
Sustainability Days; ‘the fashion show was so fun to watch! Also, vintage clothing (that was presented) is in fact recycled, can be quite cheap and can also look really good! Keep up the good work!’
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Artist: RenĂŠe Gouin 39
LET’S CLEAN UP THE EARTH! By Effie
Every minute, a truckload worth of waste is being dumped in the ocean. Animals are currently the ones suffering from the consequences, and people are starting to feel it too. Although it is often believed that car emissions are the biggest air polluters, the methane the bio-industry produces causes twice the amount of harm. Pollution, probably the biggest issue of our time and generation, is taking over. It is time to clean up the mess we made for future generations, and here is what you can do to help!
1. Get educated Knowing the facts is extremely important in forming an educated opinion. There are multiple ways to do this: movies and documentaries like Cowspiracy, An Inconvenient Truth, Before The flood and Forks over Knives are all available on streaming services such as Netflix and are, in my opinion, extremely eye-opening. Their goal is not to force you to change your diet and go fully vegan or sell your car. Instead, they are trying to raise and spread awareness on everyday activities that are causing harm to people, animals and the environment.
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2. Take action I know that Starbucks cup with your name on it is very Instagram worthy and aesthetically pleasing, and the cute colored straw in your milkshake is very convenient, however, they are causing more damage than most people think. Single-use cups are an enormous source of plastic waste, and regardless of what many coffee shops claim, they hardly ever get recycled. By buying a stylish, reusable coffee cup and a nice bamboo or glass straw you will minimize the pollution you add to our oceans and landfills. And, there is a bonus: most coffee shops give you a discount when you bring your own cup, that’s nice for the bank account! The same thing goes for plastic shopping bags, canvas bags are so much more stylish anyways!
3. Continue to feel inspired I have to admit, it is hard to maintain these habits. My bag is mostly filled with reusable cups, bottles and containers, taking up much space and requiring regular rinsing and cleaning. It can be very tempting to just not bring your own cup and get the plastic cup from Starbucks for just that one time. However, the danger for us lies in falling back into old habits. Therefore, it is good to be inspired and reminded of the benefits every day! Here are some Instagram accounts you could follow to get your daily reminders in and continue to feel inspired!
• @wholesomeculture – Great source for eco-education! • @jackharries – former YouTube vlogger and current activist based in London • @educatedearthling – sells super cute clothing too! • @pelacase – produces and sells eco-friendly phone cases • @Patagonia – very eco-friendly clothing brand sponsoring many projects promoting sustainability
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cReDiTS. EDITORIAL TEAM
Alejandra Murcia Femke van Bruggen Myley van Prehn
Salem Asghdom Ana Mishkovska Cece Arroyo Effie Korpershoek Fé van Ham Karim Oteify Diana Zavyalova Crystal Goh Rawding Tessa Peterse Renée Mötter Donya Kaersenhout Antonia Radmacher Kat Nivera
Bloggers
ILLUSTRATORS
Editor-in-Chief Temi de Groen Copy Editor Ashe
Managing Editor/Art Director Angel Esajas
DESIGNERS
Nicky Papilaja Nicoleta Ciobanu Floortje Passchier Tasha Mhishi Zeynep Kundaracilar Varvara Porenchenkova Giani Kasanmonadi
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WRITERS
Roos de Waard Zofia Jalowieka Louise Lu
Photographers
Anano Shalamberidze Max Peeters
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BLOSSOM BY BLOSSOM, THE SPRING BEGINS
