CURRENT MISSION

Going to India for the 9th time to study Ayurvedic skincare/massage therapy

ABOUT ME

working with colours: first as an artist-painter, later as a make-up artist, then as a theatre lighting-technician. Right now i give workshops and talks about colour & styling on a regular basis for all kinds of people, from classy ladies till people with a handicap: it's a journey to help people express their inner beauty in daily life, with one vision: 'be more loving to yourself and radiate it to the world; the world will smile back at you! :°))

also like to create atmosphere by writing poetry.
creativity: i need to express myself, being active, but i can enjoy to relax...
i like surprising situations and people..
fun, fun, fun: a mix of crazy and absurd inspiration makes me feel great!
i am adventurous and straight forward. when i have an idea on my mind, i go for it: i'm just being spontaneous and going with the flow...i always like to develop myself and explore the world.
i can also be philosophic and idealistic, watching the clouds or stars at anytime..
i like the 'no-nonse way', that's why i also like children...
life and people are so interesting,
i like to get a lot of inspiration and learn and experience new things and meeting new people, like you!
my message is to be authentic, express it in daily life and remember that every moment is a gift:
so let's celebrate life and try to be positive as much as possible :°))

PHILOSOPHY

"The only way out of fear is to love,
be gratefull for this life...and never stop to explore.let's make some happy times, conquer the sad times, there's already enough negativity on this beautiful planet."

"When it's over, i want to say,
all my life i was a bride married to amazement,
i was the bridegroom taking the world into my arms,
i don't want to end up simply having visited this world."
-Mary Oliver°°°

"At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance."
- T.S. Eliot°°°

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

at a meeting in Brussels on the 5th of May 2007:
a new world to discover opened up!
we had a lot of fun and i met lots of great people :°)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

some new cs-friends live in my own country :great to have the chance to become friends and meet more often!
check the(old) meeting-photos on WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/CSBELGIUM
and the new ones on FACEBOOK...

Interests

social activism: loving;
exploring new ecological ways of living and renewable energy,..
diving Padi-certificats 'advanced Open water diver' and and 'Specialisation in Biorock' experience/work in the field of ecology sea conservation.
i adore dancing always, it's my fuell for living and it brings me on a higher level!
music: especially salsa and brazilian music, full of energy and good vibes!
Portuguese language: i adore the sensual sound..
drawing and painting: i have a calligraphic, abstract zen- style; from time to time i take part on exhibitions.
Writing poetry (from when i was a child..)makes me express my inner world full of fantasy..
styling and colours: from fashion till interiors.
grimage and make-up,sometimes assignment in photostudios...i like to paint on faces,they have their own unique expression..
reading all kind of books..
travelling and discovering- as 'deep' as possible- all kind of cultures, including it's rituals and beliefs..
nature, camping so i can feel free and spacious and full of energy!
i am a styling-and colourconsultant, so i can give advice to people how to create the look which reflects their personality best.
sports: diving, yoga, tai chi, dancing (salsa/folk/samba/tango), biking, hiking, jogging, badminton, indoor-climbing, horseriding, sailing, canoeing, snorkeling, swimming...
basics of juggling and acrobatics.

• arts
• writing
• books
• poetry
• fashion
• beauty
• festivals
• dancing
• tango
• yoga
• massage therapy
• partying
• boating
• shopping
• reading
• traveling
• juggling
• painting
• drawing
• music
• cycling
• fishing
• hiking
• canoeing
• camping
• scuba diving
• snorkeling
• sailing
• sports
• rock climbing
• swimming
• badminton
• ecology
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

-music:with rhythm and energetic,especially etnic styles as brazilian samba, forro, axé;
indian classical, bollywood; cuban salsa, son,
and many other styles: goa-trance and psy-trance; surf; nick cave; frank zappa; david byrne; the doors...
-books: true stories about peoples adventures 'off the beaten tracks'; eastern filosophy (tibetan book of living and dying); national geographic-magazine; 'make up'-professional literature; poetry: hafiz,kabir, wislava syborzka, sara hoste (a friend), t.s.eliot,o.wilde,; jorge amado, l.p.boon,...
-mexican contemporary movies; quentin tarantino; david lynch; almodovar; kyslovski; whale rider; cidade de deus; lord of the rings; house of the flying daggers; the idiots; tv: smack the pony,...
-actors: patricia arquette...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

one thing only?! dancing in salvador do bahia all night till dawn in the streets with a great sambaband...
going with a brazilian band 'cordel do fogo encantado', which i had .) to meet on sfinks festival in antwerp, on tour to paris in summertime...
getting 2 guest-passes (for the american and the european tour) of AC/DC, whith whom i worked one week as a stagebuilder.
fishing with Indian and Indonesian fishermen who i did not know(!)all night and sleeping in the boat under the stars.
meeting Amma (in Holland and India).
setting up a coral construction at the bottom of the Indonesian sea area Gili Islands and presenting my coral awareness project at the University of Lombok
....

Teach, Learn, Share

*started my new project/career all about aesthetics (on canvas and skin) 1 year ago: check www.straal.biz < "from relaxation tot expression"

*visiting my brother, floris, art-exhibitions:
u can also have a look on the site
www.art-wox.com....powerfull,colourfull,expressive paintings printed on hardboard (for a reasonable price).

*if u are intrested in indian colourfull, handicrafts, ayurvedic skincare products, music from classical to bollywood..have a look at my small shop and small prices: it's a FAIRTRADE shop: an amount of the money goes to the humanitairy help-organisation of 'AMMA' in india***

*i give u an extravagant make-up on theatre-festivals, trance-parties and other occasions...
if u need a facial before going out, a foot-or bodymassage if u had a long journey, waxing before going to the beach, a foot-treatment to make your sore feet happy again before going to a party,...

*i once teached some indian musicians, who became friends, how to swim and in return they offered me sitar-lessons!

*my internship in a circusschool in ghent: teaching the youngest all sorts of trics and learned the basics of acrobatics myself.

*i like to learn how to bcome a DJ, some computerskills,kanoeing: in wild water and touring

*what i really learn from everyone in my life, is to Love...it's an ongoing journey...and i like to share it with you too! :) i wish u lots of positive vibes :)
I learned that if u love, there are no questions, it's all about expressing who we really are x

*u can keep in touch on www.facebook.com

What I Can Share with Hosts

check above ;)

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Belgium, Indonesia, United Kingdom

•