Sch3lp’s Blog

My last weekend was almost entirely filled with practicing Kendo.
We were invited by our teacher to come over to De Panne to prepare us for our upcoming exams. (Mine is next saturday)

Saturday, I went to pick up Stein and Bren in Antwerp, to ride together to the Federal Kendo Training in Sint Niklaas.
After that nice practice, Bart and Nick joined us to De Panne where we were welcomed with a good meal by sOn.
Fred and his 2 daughters were also present, they were planning on visiting Plopsaland the next day.
We went to the beach to practice the 3 Kendo Kata’s with Kodashi (small sword or dirk).

Sunday, we woke up at 8:30 to go to the Kendo training in Lille, but we arrived late because of the market that blocked certain important roads to the Dojo. We still got to practice and each of us learned about his flaws. After the training we went for a drink together with sensei J.P. Raick (7th Dan). Then, we went back to De Panne. Fred & Bren had to leave already, the rest of us got to stay another day. So we went to the sauna to relax a little, afterwards had great food in a chinese restaurant and had even better cocktails in the excellent cocktail bar “Oasis”.

Monday, being a holiday for the most of us, we could stay a bit longer in bed, and woke up at about noon.
Then we went for another kendo practice in a squash room in SunParks, where the passers by could watch us practice through the windows.
After that training we went straight to our next event: horseback riding! It had been a while since my last time, and it brought back a lot of good memories.

Finally we returned home, the only thing that bothered me was that I had to go to work the next morning. But it was well worth it all. Thanks for the hospitality, the organisation and the kindness go out to our host sOn, for yet another succesful weekend. Also thanks to the group for the great atmosphere.

Pictures of those three days are posted on our club’s website, here (courtesy of sOn).

A few weeks ago I attained an IFSA Judge Course in Groningen.

The results are posted on the IFSA website, and everyone passed (including me, yay!).
So congratulations to everyone

‘Wolf like me’ by the band ‘TV on the radio’ is another superb song I randomly encountered while browsing the intarwebs.
I really like the lyrics in this one. Coming from me that means a whole lot by the way, I’ll explain.

You see, when I hear a song, first thing that comes to my attention and what makes me like it or not, is the melody.
When I really like what they’re singing, I look up the lyrics. And this time the lyrics made it even better.
They add to the atmosphere the entire song is radiating with.

In this particular song, the writings are also excellently put together with carefully chosen words. I have this sort of feeling that this song is “complete” because of all its elements…and I find it hard to explain, but I’ll try.

The song is about how it feels to be a werewolf and how at first it seems unpleasant and a bad thing, but there’s this urge that just forces you to give in to the “curse”. The “disease” quickly finds its way into your system and you start to enjoy it more and more with every minute that passes.

As I said I love the choice of words, particularly because of how they seem to sound “old”, kind of “vintage” if you will. I think this really matches the setting for the werewolf subject.

Enough of my jabbering, watch the video and listen to the song:

And read the lyrics (before, during, or afterwards):
TV on the radio - Wolf like me

Say say my playmate
wont you lay hands on me
mirror my malady
transfer my tragedy

Got a curse i cannot lift
shines when the sunset shifts
when the moon is round and full
gotta bust that box gotta gut that fish

My mind’s aflame

We could jet in a stolen car
but i bet we wouldnt get too far
before the transformation takes
and bloodlust tanks and
crave gets slaked

My mind has changed
my bodys frame but god i like it
my hearts aflame
my bodys strained but god i like it

My mind has changed
my bodys frame but god i like it
my hearts aflame
my bodys strained but god i like it

Charge me your day rate
ill turn you out in kind
when the moon is round and full
gonna teach you tricks that’ll blow your
mongrel mind
baby doll i recognize
you’re a hideous thing inside
if ever there were a lucky kind it’s
you you you you

I know its strange another way to get to know you
you’ll never know unless we go so let me show you
i know its strange another way to get to know you
we’ve got till noon here comes the moon
so let it show you
show you now

Dream me oh dreamer
down to the floor
open my hands and let them
weave onto yours

Feel me, completer
down to my core
open my heart and let it
bleed onto yours

Feeding on fever
down all fours
show you what all that
howl is for

Hey hey my playmate
let me lay waste to thee
burned down their hanging trees
it’s hot … hot…hot…hot here

Got a curse we cannot lift
shines when the sunset shifts
there’s a cure comes with a kiss
the bite that binds the gift that gives

now that we got gone for good
writhing under your riding hood
tell your gra’ma and your mama too
it’s true
we’re howling forever

This morning, the new Studio Brussel website went live.
After registering (they now also have a community module among other things), I noticed they were using Drupal.
It’s hardly noticeable with all the customizations the webmasters added and it’s nicely done.

Our kendo club also uses Drupal, but we don’t have the pretty styling and are still using an older version of the open source CMS.

Congratulations with your new site guys!