Wonderful moments between hard times | Happy January

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Giulia Blocal

Jan 01, 2021

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Happy January!

How are you? Congratulations on completing 2020!

About a month ago, I finally acknowledged the fact that no, this year I won’t be spending Christmas with family. My reaction has been saying out loud what I’ve been feeling since March: I want to move back to Italy. I packed my stuff while everybody else was packing Christmas presents and tackled the logistics. (still a big mess, but that’s another story).

Then Christmas came and I just couldn’t hide behind those boxes anymore.

And so I cooked.

Cooking is the only thing that gave me a sense of accomplishment throughout this year. You set your mind on something, put in some efforts, mix it with patience and eventually something will come out of it. It might look different from the photo on the recipe, but still: an outcome. That thing that boils, fries, bakes, steams and roasts in the kitchen is not going to get cancelled. A basic casual link that reminds us why we are staying apart from the people we love. If we isolate today *casual link* we will hug again tomorrow.

Moreover, this Christmas I cooked family recipes that have always been cooked to me. This blessed me with the opportunity of seeing myself not only as a daughter and a granddaughter, but also like an adult who owns those traditions. And now I’m eager for more baking! If you want to inspire me with recipes traditional in your country, please reply to this email ;)

Happy new beginning and see you next month,

Giulia

NEW on Blocal’s Youtube channel

Be Local in Amsterdam: Exploring Vogelbuurt with Alex

The first time I ever visited Amsterdam, Alex invited me to join one of his street art tours and review it on the blog. We became friends and, when I moved to Amsterdam, he was the first person I reached out to. Eventually, we also got to work together -albeit shortly- since Alex is now in charge of the guided tours of the Street Art Museum STRAAT, where I worked during the 2 years leading towards the opening.

Giulia’s picks

Stuff I liked this month

As I’ve just confessed above, I quit my job at the Museum for Graffiti and Street Art -but not before completing the two main tasks I had in the past two years: writing the catalogue of the opening exhibition (which will be available in 2021) and creating multimedia content to support the digital experience of the collection on the website. This artworks database has just been released and you can browse through it here.
Now, let’s start the actual link parade with a bang: have you already seen the documentary Comedian? It focuses on the generation clash between stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfield and the up-and-coming comic Orny Adams. I loved seeing the behind the scenes of stand-up comedy through their drastically different approaches to the stage.
It goes without saying that, for the rest of the month, I’ve only watched stand-up comedy by Jerry Seinfield. So far my favorite show is Jerry before Seinfield, but I haven’t seen them all. Not yet.
Finally, to keep on stressing my obsessive behaviours, here is a list of 50 funny films chosen by comedians, compiled by The Guardian.
Something cool on Youtube:
This article on what female leaders did differently from their male counterparts in handling the pandemic.
This year the annual gathering of the street art scene in Miami (a.k.a. Wynwood Mural Fest) is not taking place in the way we were used to. My friend Markus curated this online exhibition showcasing 20 Dutch street artists for Art Week Miami.
My friend and street art blogger Stuart published this article about Prie Dieu Capitalist Worship, the powerful street intervention by Martyn Reed (founder of Nuart Festival).
Another project to which I wanna show my support is Ivana’s first fanzine The cat did it. It’s her love-letter to cats and street graffiti in Athens, the city where she lived for 3 years.
OPEN CALL for artists: let’s stay in Greece and I share with you the open call for (street) artists for the 6th Patras International Street Art Festival. This year’s slogan is “Change the city” and you can apply until February 2021.
This mockumentary by Black Mirror creators on the year that has just ended:
I really would like to know what you liked in the past month. Just reply to this email to send over your suggestions ;)

You somehow stumbled upon my blog and subscribed to the newsletter, but you have no idea who I am and how my blogging journey has unfolded so far? Here I share the ups and downs of my first 9 years of blogging :)

Songs I listen to while I bike my way around Amsterdam

Places that have inspired my writing

Top 55 Blocal’s destinations