Month: November 2014
Innovation
Things you learn
I’ve made my place a bit more cozy for christmas.. I’m still on the hunt for picture frames so I can put some art on the walls but it’s really difficult to find nice wooden frames around here. I’ll wait for when I’m passing by Sweden and grab a bunch in a second hand store. :)
I know I haven’t shared anything personal on here since forever, so here’s a list of random things I’ve learnt about myself when living here, in no particular order:
– It takes me almost exactly 6 months to finish a tube of toothpaste.
– Taking out the garbage feels great, kind of like a fresh start.
– Plants don’t really like me. Which is understandable. Apparently I tend to kill them.
– I’m super mega vigilant and will jump straight out of bed in the middle of the night at the smallest sound. (Hey there, raccoon buddy..)
– The state of my apartment very much affects my mood. Or maybe it’s the other way around.
– I adore geckos to the extent that I tolerate that they poop on the walls. Anything that eats mosquitoes is my friend.
– Living alone makes it somehow magically possible to NOT EAT THE ENTIRE DARK CHOCOLATE BAR all at once. I’m amazed.
– I finally enjoy cooking. (This is a very big deal, seriously.)
– Learning how to stand on my head has seen the most entertaining random hobby ever.
– I love that I can have three kinds of shower gel and use them depending on the mood I’m in.
– Home is totally where the pants aren’t, and this is probably the best thing about living alone.
– Smoothies need to have blueberries in them.
– I have a thing for stocking up on stuff, particularly good pasta, coconut milk, toilet paper, canned chick peas, organic peanut butter, chocolate, wine and water.
In short: Zombie invasion ain’t got nothing on me! haha
That last point is also because Belize is a bit of a hit-or-miss place where you have to strike (buy five) when you see something you like.. this is particularly true for vegetables and fruits and it might take forever to see red tomatoes, avocados, mango, kale, okra or anything else interesting again.. we even have a thing with friends where we will write each other an alert on Whatsapp that a particular place has brought something in. I also buy boxes of nice pasta whenever I’m in Mexico. And wine. Wine is so expensive here in Belize! The choice is limited and you have to pay 20usd for a 10usd bottle that often hasn’t travelled very well. There is a 40% import tax on most things, so you can imagine how much cheaper things are in Mexico compared to here..! I’m happy that I’m mostly herbivorous here, veggies and fruits are cheap! You get a nice box of okra (that’s “good stuff”) for 1USD, or the classic: 8 bananas for 0.50USD.
And the Belizean peanut butter from Cayo is the world’s best ever!
FYI a jar like this is 6USD, and we’re talking 100% natural deliciousness without any added sugar or other nasties. Worth it.
That’s another thing I’ve learnt about myself here. I had no idea how much I love peanut butter.
sonder
Beautifully filmed for The Dicionary of Obscure Sorrows.
sonder – n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
I started thinking about and contemplating the complexity of the mind and experiences of bypassers and strangers when I was very young. But instead of it being a reason for sorrow, it has been an inspiration to talk to strangers, to photograph, to learn. Every person has something significant to share and tell, and for me that is one of the main things that make this world so utterly and unpredictably beautiful.
Now, where’s my violin when I need it?
Bbq
The Double
Celebrating 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Belize!
We’ve had a couple of very busy weeks in the office! Everything has been about planning and preparing for the event we had this Monday. My task was to coordinate, produce material and make sure the venue looked the way we want to, ensure that people know what to say, and ensure that things flow smoothly. Despite testing everything a million times before the event I was nervous every time when clicking play on a new video and crossing my fingers that the projector wouldn’t suddenly explode, but it was a great success, not a single glitch! Lots and lots of fun.
We had speakers from the government, civil society and a video message from the EU Ambassador that we had filmed the week before, as the EU were our official partners in hosting this event.
The main highlight of the event was the launch of the CRC@25 video that we finalized just the week before. (read more about that, here).
I have been filming kids around the country the last couple of weeks, asking them three simple questions: “What do you love about Belize? What do you dislike about Belize? What do you want for the future?” We used these videos to mark out the different parts of the event, and guide the speakers – people loved them.
And in the end, we celebrated. Meet my UNICEF Belize Family!
Thanks, all!
There will be a video summarizing the event, it is currently in production phase, cant wait to see it. :)
CRC@25 – UNICEF Belize video
It’s been quite busy over here.. :)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with UNICEF Belize, we wanted to showcase past achievements and look forward in identifying the challenges and priorities for children in the country.
Our aim was to share the data and statistics available on the situation of children in Belize over the past 25 years – but to do so in a child-friendly, entertaining and captivating way. I created the concept and supervised the production of the below video, which was launched on November 17th in a high-level event, featured on National TV and disseminated internationally.
The video was produced by the New York-based creative agency Big Yellow Taxi.
Throwback Thursday – The 2013 Mobile camera nostalgia
All lives matter.
#AmeriCAN is a short film and public service announcement that comes in response to events that have divided the country over racial lines. With the influx of violence against black males in America over the past few years, the piece strives to offer a unique perspective in examining the value of lives of the country’s citizens. The intention of the message, “all lives matter,” is to pull people together from both sides of the disparity and inspire the kind of empathy and mutual understanding necessary to promote meaningful discourse and domestic reconciliation. The goal is to bring all people together, without exception to race, religion, gender or age, and send the message that all blood flows red.
#AllLivesMatter
Nate Parker – Director/Writer.
James Lopez – Producer/Story By.
Kay Madsen – Director of Photography.
Valerie Bleth Sharp – Producer.
Mo McRae – Producer/Actor.
Hernany Perla – Producer.Featuring La La Anthony, Andre Royo, Affion Crockett, Brian White, Omar Benson Miller and David Franzoni
Song by J.Cole – Be Free