(Last) Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

In an attempt to catch up, here’s the photo challenge we missed. Initially, then I saw “Mine”, I thought mining. Like this:

From: Merriam Webster Visual Dictionary online

And then I thought, hey, let’s google “Mine”. Which brought me to Taylor Swift’s song of that name.

Which then made me think of this clip, which is much better than the song, at the very least, it’s much funnier:

But none of this really refers to the challenge. And so, here is a view that’s mine (or, rather “ours”). This is at dusk, using my tripod that’s now out of storage at long last (leaving me to wonder why I ever put it there), and is the view from our balcony, across Wellington, towards the University. Home is ours, the view is ours, but the photo is mine.

– PJD

Photos by PJD, this week, missing the feeling of hitting the “Publish” button.

Watching the thone: Kanye West and Jay-Z, Gelredome, Arnhem

It was a drizzly evening, and after checking into our rather underwhelming accommodation in Arnhem, we were nevertheless excited to see the duo that shifted Arena Rock to Arena Rap. On a shuttle from Arnhem Station to the Gelredome (het Grootste theatre van Nederland) we overheard a couple of New Yorkers* one of whom remarked “I wonder how Dutch people will feel Jay-Z?”. We wondered how many people going to the concert were actually Dutch. Certainly, it was fairly international – we heard various British accents, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders, some German, as well as plenty of Nederlanders. It would seem that Watch the Throne has fairly broad cross-cultural appeal. Which completely makes sense. When you listen to the album you can see two masters of their art selecting songs and instrumentation (not to mention politics and lyrics) that will hit the mark with as broad an audience as possible, whilst also maintaining a sense of authenticity – whatever that might mean to whoever is listening.

Anyway, apparently Jay-Z and Kanye’s entourage was sufficiently large that they needed their own parking area**, certainly, judging from the impressive rigging of speakers, lights and other paraphernalia, as well as the enormous stage, looming mixing desk and massive screens, we believed it was possible the parking sign referred to the entourage.

We timed our arrival well – we located the purveyors of Heineken (what else?), Vietnamese Food, overpriced t-shirts (€40 is too much for any t-shirt, especially one with only “NIP” in a gothic script). We drifted towards the stage, and then the lights cut out. If you had checked the European setlist on wikipedia before you went to the concert*** then you would not have been surprised at the thumping bass of H.A.M. The crowd promptly went one of two kinds of crazy: either they danced like their lives depended on it, or they took photos on their cameras or phones. We took a photo of people taking photos, because we like the “meta” thing…