Leo

Leo has been living on his house boat - no running water, no electricity - for over 18 years, alcohol problems and drug addictions have ruled and destroyed his live.
Problems a-plenty with the Amsterdam autorities made a mess out of his mental health.
I visited him today, his house boat is just down the road from where I live, and made this photo.

DVDs

one of these alcoholic tomcats from the park came over to my house today carying a bag full of videos and DVDs - did he find them in today`s rubbish? - hoping i would give him some change for his treasured half liter cans of cheap supermarket beer.
I have a quick peek, it contains every subject imagenable in the human species, from love and romance movies to war films, porn and sex, Evita from Madonna, detectives and police movies as well as .....well I`m sure you get the point.
This is entertainment to most people but to my alcoholic friend Rob it is merely a way to get HIS entertainment in live, his beer.
my way to relax is my artwork hence the combination in this photo.
enjoy.
p.s. hope that some of the titles of the DVDs do not shock you.

StresedOut

Amsterdam, 25 june 2008,
Tired and completely stressed out I return home from my volunteer job at the animal farm for children, my social participation "thing" I do here in Amsterdam, free of charge, no pay but plenty of cure.
It was a busy day with well over 150 children running around the place, climbing on top of the roof, letting the sheep into the field with the ponies that quite happily chased them around.
These kids are no supposed to do all this but their keepers don`t seem to mind, I`m in charge, I open , I have the keys......well I`m sure you get the idea...a stressed out day indeed....
When I return home I buy a bottle of Red Wine
Maybe two and do that what always relaxes me...painting...here is the result. Hope you enjoy.

BabyChicken

we have 14 little baby chicken at the animal farm for children where I do my volunteer job.
cute and lovely but ìt will be my job to clean their cage every week.

Jopie

I call this Blue Heron Jopie and always share my lunch with him when I sell my Mandalas in front of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
I`m the only one who can photograph him...he has a habit of swapping camaras out of tourist hands who come to close. He also likes to punch tourist legs coming within the reach of his huge beak.

Goodbey to the Gang of Evil Brothers.

Amsterdam, 02-06-2008. It`s early morning and my alarm clock wakes me up from my alcohol induced slumber, beer, Red Wine and pisang ambon did me in last night but at least it made me sleep, ready for the new day.
I`ve promised Magriet I`ll do two hours at the animal farm, today is the day they wanna clean the whole place, hard and heavy work is ahead of me but, luckily only for two hours.
Despite the tension and stress of both Magriet and Kyung, they always seem to have to take it out on the us, the volunteers, I survive the two hours of "Social Paticipation" and hurry back home to pick up my things and off to the Anne Frank House to sell my games.

Things are good for me today, I sell well and meet quite a few nice ladies.
These days everything seems to go well, my running in the park, my little one man Mandala business, my health, the things I do on the Internet.....it`s just all easy and well


I remember what Summer`s mother said to me while I was holding Summer - her daughter, you know - in my arms, ÿou`re touched by the hand of Lord Buddha, that is why you keep returning to Thailand".
Now that I`ve finally let the "Gang of Evil Brothers" go, and with themn the negativity that comes with it, it seems that things are finally going well.
Let`s wait and see.