124. Short and sweet
By the time you read this, Iāll be in London for the Oasis reunion concert at Wembley. It still feels strange to type that ā a boyhood dream come true. Iāll tell you all about it next week. This time, a slightly shorter blog post.
Iāve already written briefly about A.L. Snijdersā collection Tat Tvam Asi. As Iāve been saving sentences from the book all along, this blog seems the perfect moment to share a few of them.
- The birds only come when thereās food. When Iād forgotten the food, I didnāt see any birds anymore; I felt abandoned. I wanted to punish them; they were to blame for my loneliness. I couldnāt punish them; they were no longer there. I always thought they came for me, out of gratitude that I had hung up the food for them. My nearest neighbour, 800 metres away, said: āYou can lead a horse to water, but you canāt make it drink. I asked: āWhatās that got to do with it?ā The neighbour replied: āI donāt know, but Iām sure the horse and those birds do.ā Because of this reply, the neighbour and I have been at loggerheads for some time now. From: Standplaats.
- I was alone in the woods again. I felt good; in a wood, youāre meant to be alone, otherwise you might as well go for a walk in a meadow. ā From: Uspud.
- When Iām in France, I only understand what the Frenchman is saying if he adds the translation in Dutch. That never happens; Iāve never met a Frenchman who spoke a foreign language. From: Grandioos.
- If someone tries to explain to me what an algorithm is, I donāt bother; I give in and try to be content. From: Storm.
- āCan I tell a forgotten story?ā asks a man in the queue at the cheese shop. Itās always very busy there, and because itās cheap, it stays busy. Iāve been standing there for years with people I only know from that queue. If I meet them somewhere else, on the move, recognition often fails to materialise. Recognition in confusion. Now that a man like this asks me if I can tell a forgotten story, of all things, the confusion is greater than usual. I remark that a forgotten story can no longer be told; that is its defining feature. From: Forgotten Story.
- My father left the house disillusioned; I remember his last words: āIām holding my breath and getting on with the dayās business.ā From: Scream.
- When I got home, there was a message about a dead cat that had died peacefully after a long life. Its owner had come to terms with it, but was sometimes overcome by brief moments of intense grief. Could I find some words of comfort for that? I wrote: āThe cat is dead, you are grieving, the birds are relieved?ā From: Anger and Grief.
In Portland, USA, there are colourful, homemade signs put up by a handyman. Kate Bingaman-Burt enjoyed those advertisements so much that she rang the number on the signs. This led to a charming conversation. āIāve learnt that I really like doodling, drawing, and colouring. Itās just fun. And honestly, thatās enough for me.ā
Blogger Dan Sinker is looking for a final resting place for his late fatherās stamp collection and ends up at The Stamp King in Chicago. The Stamp King is a man with a white curly moustache who conducts business amidst gigantic piles of paperwork. Sinker writes a lovely little portrait, but what sticks with me most is his fatherās virtually worthless collection. A lifetime of saving yields 25 dollars. āWe fill our boxes and we stack them up. Not every box is filled with good memories. Most of them, if weāre lucky, I think fall into the best category the Stamp King offered: fun, but worthless.ā
Iād almost missed it: thereās a new film coming from director Luca Guadagnino, who previously made Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria and Challengers. Reason enough to get excited ā and the trailer looks good too. The film is called After The Hunt.
- - -Keanu Reeves plays an angel in the film Good Fortune. Complete with fake wings on his back. Itās a comedy starring Aziz Ansari, Sandra Oh and Seth (hehehe) Rogen.
- - -And while weāre on the subject of trailers, thereās a documentary coming out about the life of singer Jeff Buckley. Youāll probably know him from his incredible cover of Leonard Cohenās Hallelujah. But actually, his only album, Grace, is incredible from start to finish. The mega-talent drowned at the age of thirty, in 1997, when he was sucked underwater by a passing tugboat whilst swimming. Really looking forward to this film: Itās Never Over, Jeff Buckley.
- - -Ozzy Osbourne, the iconic celebrity and founder of heavy metal, has passed away. A few weeks ago, I was still watching Black Sabbathās farewell concert on YouTube. Probably illegally, as I canāt find it anymore. Chained to a huge bat-shaped chair, the Prince of Darkness ā his voice still in pretty good shape, despite everything ā thrilled a stadium for the last time. Just in time. I was never a huge fan (I actually know Ozzy better from his reality TV show), but hits like War Pigs and Paranoid have earned a place in my life. A rock legend has passed away.
- - -This week I finished Death Stranding 2 on the PlayStation 5. In terms of graphics, itās probably the most beautiful game Iāve played so far. And story-wise, itās a rollercoaster ride. In the final chapters, I found myself cheering at ridiculous, constantly over-the-top action scenes, and moments later I was watching the credits roll with a lump in my throat. Game director Hideo Kojima has been making games that are right up my street for years, and this one was phenomenal once again.
Youāve just read blog post ā124, written during the week of 21 to 27 July 2025. Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive this blog in your inbox every Sunday.