How to Write a Thesis: Flashmobbing and Sailing

Sorry sorry sorry. I’ve neglected the blog of late. But I’m probably the only one who’s noticed so it’s ok.

Anyway for those sticklers who require an explanation, I have a thesis due in 5 weeks and since I moved back to Leiden 3 weeks ago I’ve been spending my hours in the library with the other members of the Masters dream team (Birgit and Claire, and sometimes Evi) along with what seems to be most of the Leiden University student population – must be crunch time folks! I don’t know why I bothered to rent another apartment. I could have saved myself some cash and hidden under a desk in here during closing hours.

So the last thing I feel like doing in my spare time is writing more crap (yes the thesis is pure crap at the moment) on my blog. I have a crap quotient and it’s currently being filled. I’ll get back to writing crap here after the Master is done. This is a just a by-the-way post to keep the blog a little active till then.

When I’m not in the library I like to do non writing-and-looking-at-computer-screeny type things.

Saturday I went to the Leiden market, my favourite Leiden past-time, and then spent the afternoon filming my friends in a flashmob they had conceived of and created. The flashmob was themed ‘Dances of the World’ and was comprised of five different genres of dance

A: Salsa
B: Samba/hip hop
C: Bollywood
D: Country
E: Rock&Roll

And a grand finale.

I’ve been trying to work on my filming skillz when I have the time so I volunteered to film the flashmob (along with hundreds of others it seemed) on my trusty little Canon IXUS 220 HS, which for a little teensy camera does a great job with HD video (sound quality in the wind leaves something to be desired but you get what you pay for). The result is below. Aren’t my friends so awesome for doing this!:

If I wasn’t writing my thesis I might try and write some attempt at a social science-y analysis of the rise of flashmobs and their potential to do good/make things visible/or do harm but I can’t be bothered so lucky you. I will however re-post this flashmob doco that my friend Pip posted on facebook awhile ago which is a really cute story about how a flashmob made a little guy’s day:

Sunday I spent on the Ijsselmeer with the Dutch family sailing in a cool old-style boat, and that is all I will say about the matter because I know nothing about sailing. We sailed, we listed on the seas, the mast tilted…..arrrrrr me hearties, we drank rum and sang sea shanties. No, unfortunately we didn’t, but it was an excellent opportunity for me to get some Vitamin D, see some lovely family and get out of the little English bubble I’ve been living in in the Leiden international community by listening to a stream of Dutch all day whilst quietly cursing myself for not doing better with becoming fluent. Turns out studying a Master in English wasn’t the best way to learn Dutch (although my Rotterdam fieldwork time significantly increased Dutch speaking opportunities ).

Here is a few clips of us living the dream on the boat:

And that, my friends, is how you write a thesis. On the weekends anyway.