and Bob's your bubble ring

cloud pointing birds the way

100 in 8

One of the difficulties in doing a long dive is the tendency to speed up round midway. On the one hand, it doesn't really matter much since you're already running on lactic acid rather than burning oxygen, on the other, it is slightly less efficient and actually not much quicker, plus you risk swimming straight into a BO. So i tried a bit of a consistent swim yesterday, 2 strokes per lane, no speeding up.



The next challenge is to do a 125 in 10 strokes. Then i want to explore this idea i had, about just doing 10 strokes and see how far that'll get me. I reckon i can get a bit further than 125 -or swim straight into a BO. But i'm pretty sure it's an interesting category, and i wonder how far a good swimmer can get that way.

Mr Van goes for a walk

Nordic Deep, or prejudices on a scale of Sweden

Ok, freediving trip to Sweden, so you kinda expect green above and below the surface



and about equal amounts of water on both sides





and perfect looking blonde people





but the strange thing is that -though we did have the type of sky you half expect Odin and Thor to appear in, throwing farming equipment at each other-



most of the time, the weather was actually lovely and we had skies that were postcard sweet



that's also the place where the competition boat moores



the other pier, near the camp site, had been roughed up a little by the elements



actually, they both had been



the little boat worked, though



and i worked as a safety diver, but completely fucked up as a competition diver



(announced dive: 50 no fins. Realized dive: 33, free immersion on the way back. No clue how to equalize. Photo by Maria Hovden)

the line was clean and straight



the competitors and safetydiver not always



Maria, Saint of Frisbees was with us



sending more than a few into fits of higher frisbewareness





even the bed got in on the action



but who needs beds?



i'm telling you, these Swedes get in some pretty cheeky situations



Weine even managed to catch the frisbee between his



Miha juggled



Peter tried



Ola became a Japanese sperm (with plans of world domination)



and i slept with Barbie



So even though it rained once



or twice



with other forms of splashing as well



and there were about a million and a half of these beautiful but mean fuckers



it was actually sunny most of the time



The people were sunny too -even the non-blondes





The kids were up to the usual



And while Sebastian proposed to Fanny with an oximeter, he was looking at me while doing so



Seb, by the way, doesn't quite live in the middle of nowhere -but you can see the road towards it from his house



Best parts, though, were the effervescent and horny Peter B



and of course the chicks





who knew sparrows had such cute butts?

the sexiest Rockstar of Sweden

This is my host, Peter Boivie; i am a lucky lucky girl

the happy hat ain't workin'

the anonymity of Mrs Mr

where the light is

orange smoke

Sometimes, when there's smoke, there's curtain

Pink Monday -definitely not a drag

The carnival is in town, and yesterday was its 'Pink Monday', on which traditionally all the gays and drag queens come. Having lived in both cities, i can say that the Tilburg drag queens rival those of New York in sheer flawlessness.



Ever since having met Aqua in the Meat Packing District (ironic place to meet a drag queen, n'est-ce pas?), who had goldfish-filled aquariums instead of boobs in her fabulous outfit, i've had a weak spot for drag that has over time developped into an admiration. Not only is it hard and technically difficult work to be a drag queen, it is also very brave socially. Without touching on the sexual aspect, just to be that loud and out in a society that values 'normal' above all, is a cool and fragrant breeze on an oppressing day. What i love most about it is how basic and innocent it really is; boys dressing up as girls, girls as boys, crossing lines and creating their own aesthetic. No one gets hurt (except for the waxing) and people's perspectives get flipped for a sec. Often, it illicits wonderful responses in people.



And i admire the aesthetic itself too. I used to think they just failed spectacularly at looking like women, but i've come to realize that's not the point at all. Men are too big and broad to look like women; it's about exaggerating that, with huge heels, endless shoulders and vast hair. So it's based on the principle that when something is too much and you can't take away, just add more till it's right. I like that idea.



For someone like me who dresses to not impress and whose main aesthetic is to make things simpler, these beautiful drag queens represent an opposite of a spectrum that shows there's always more than 1 option, more than either/or. I love that.

Oh, and i had a bit of a crush on this one, who literally stood out



More on the carnival here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7760788@N05/sets/72157624542675616/show/