I find it quite hard to update my blog on a regular basis. I know I should, especially because it’ll improve my writing skills. Nevertheless, there’s nothing interesting happening in my life that’s worth telling you about. Autumn has started, although the temperatures would indicate winter to me. My internship started last week and I’m having a blast, to be really honest.

Despite I like teaching and English, both as seperate subjects and combined, I’m not in favour of all the forms we have to fill in and all the extra exercises we have to do. I’m sure I’ll be alright. It’s just another way of living my life I have to get used to… again.

The one thing I really hate about these months (so actually autumn and winter) is that it’s so dark early. I wake up in the morning and go to school, in the dark. I’ll go home again, in the dark, and the most awful aspect of the entire matter is that it impedes my horse riding schedule.

November has almost passed entirely and in a few days it’ll be December. In other words, it’s almost 2011 and it’s time to come up with pressies for both Sinterklaas and Christmas, but also the infamous New Year’s Resolutions. The latter, I’ve been thinking about and although I’m not one for actually carrying out these plans, 2011 might be the exception on that rule. I’ve been pondering about my eating habits. I eat too much candy, I love the piece of meat that goes with every dinner a bit too much, and therefore I thought it’d be an idea to become a vegetarian, Sophie style. (It’s quite scary I’ve been considering this)

Veggie Sophie style isn’t exactly the same as what a regular vegetarian would eat, but it’s a start. Every step in a healthier direction is an improvement. I know it’s sad all these animals are being killed to feed us, I’ve been inculcated the exact same way as everyone else, but I also know that meat contains some valuable nutritions we human beings need. I do know one thing: I’m not going to take vitamine pills to compensate for it. So, Sophie style does include meat. Although I won’t be eating pork (there will be some exceptions) and I’m trying to cut down on the beef. I do have to apologise to the chooks, but I can’t and won’t say goodbye to the chickenwings or a filet. Fish will be the substitude for the beef and pork.

I’m also cutting down on candies and the amount of crisps I normally consume. A piece of fruit will be their replacement. More salades will be served in the near future. Besides eating healthier I should do more exercises.

The only thing left to do is, to inform my mom. I’m not quite sure she’s going to like my plans, although we have been eating more salades over the last few weeks because I mysteriously started eating it.

Oeh! Class has ended. I’ll be back soon. I hope.

As some of you might know, I’ve been watching ‘Flikken Maastricht’ a  lot lately. When I heard they were going to shoot another series of episodes (and I was told you could sign in to be an extra for the series), I took my chance and wrote the production company an email. I hadn’t heard anything about my email until they called me a few weeks ago. They asked me if could come to Maastricht to be an extra, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to go.

Last Friday I got another call. They asked me if I had anything to do on Sunday (July 4th). Since I hadn’t anything planned for that day, I agreed to come to Maastricht. They told me I was allowed to bring a friend, so I called my FM buddy Lisa and she decided she’d join me to have a fun day out.

Although we both knew we didn’t have to do much acting (which is actually a good thing xD), we were still a bit nervous. We awoke early and had to kill some time because we weren’t going anywhere until half past 11. We had to be at the set at 2 o’clock. It took us only an hour to get there, so if you do the maths… we were early.

We went to a small café where I used to go when I was little, but that took some time because there was this stupid Christian parade with heaps of incense. I thought it took too long, because I really had to pee and I don’t see the point of religious parades.  After I finally went to the loo, we ordered our drinks and waited… impatiently. I drank my choco and my friend Lisa, had some orange juice. My mom and Gerard ordered some coffee.

Because we both lost our nerve and patience, we left the café half an hour later and went to the set; we were forty-five minutes early. Because our contact wasn’t there yet, we had to wait. So we sat down on a work bench and waited. Meanwhile the crew was busy preparing food and Lisa and I watch what they served. I’m somehow addicted to food, so I had to watch! While watching we also saw some of the (main) actors grabbing a bite. Mr Reinier and Mrs Spelbos were two of them. We politely said ‘hello’  because we didn’t know what else to say.

When our contact arrived at the set, we were moved to the other side and got some of the instructions. We had to wait for the others before we went to the park, where they were actually going to shoot the scenes. In the park, we had to wait again for further instructions.

After fifteen to twenty minutes we were all put on our spot. Lisa had to sit on a bench and I was dropped somewhere along side the road in the grass. Lisa had to sit on the bench for two to three hours, while I was moved to another spot because otherwise I wouldn’t be enough people in the background.

My starting point was a street lamp and I had to stroll along a path until I had to go back to the lamp again to do the same all over again. The first time I was a bit surprised, because at the end of the road there were a few benches and on one of them sat a bear made of stone. I wasn’t prepared for that. Between the takes I made some small talk with Mr IJssel.

When they started filming in another angle, we had to wait again, because we needn’t to be in the background. Lisa was still sitting on her bench. We watched a few scenes enroll and tried to figure out what it was all about, but I still don’t know exactly what it was about. I guess I have to wait until they are going to broadcast it.

After two to three hours we went back to the bus (the place where we had to wait in the beginning). We had to sign a form that we did this on a voluntary basis and we wouldn’t claim any rights and they had the permission to use the footage we were in. We also got a DVD box of the 4th season as a gift, but both Lisa and I had bought it the day it was released. So now I have two of them.

There was another scene that had to be filmed, so we went back to the park where we were given some new instructions and starting points. This time Lisa and I had to wait behind some bushes and when we were given our cue we had to walk down the road.

During this scene, Eva van Dongen (the character played by Mrs Schijf) had to arrest somebody. But since the scene had to be done several times (read: 25-30 times xD), he was arrested a lot. I wouldn’t have mind to be in his shoes. Sounds like fun to be arrested in a series xD.

The first 15 times we could watch the scene because we weren’t in it yet. When they changed angles, we had to do our ‘job’ and we walked down that road… a lot.

Not long after that, they had finished the scenes in the park and we were done. We got some drinks and managed to take a photo with Mrs Schijf and Mr Reinier, before we went back home again.

Although I’m really glad I quit my last study, which was about theatre and television science, it was an awesome experience and I wouldn’t mind doing it again, but not for a living. It would drive me crazy.

Looking back, it’s sort of strange that I might be part of an episode of one of my favourite series. It gave me a bit more insight in the process of making a series and I admire the cast and crew even more for what they are doing to make such an excellent TV drama. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it for the world.

Mood: Tired, but content
Music: none