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Three! Weeks! already have passed since I wrote my last post. It’s now almost been a month of living in Manchester and I can finally say that I really feel at home here. I’ve found my routine, I am discovering more and more nice coffee places, vintage stores and even a cat cafe… yes, I know. I am no longer homesick, but I would be lying if I said that that I didn’t miss my cats so much. Just the little fur balls that are always around – yes, you are going to miss that.

But these past few weeks have been amazing. Last week I started my first week at MMU, Manchester Metropolitan University, and despite I got lost and late the first day (…..), I still had a really nice week. I learned a lot already, and also learned that my English may be fluent, but that English on an university level is something else. It’s the first time in years that I have to look up words again and actually check my spelling and grammar… Nonetheless I really enjoyed myself this week. I had classes in Crimes of the Powerful, mental health and sociology and gender rolls and how society affects us in our genders. Totally something different than journalism, but very interesting and I already see ways how I can incorporate things I have learned here in my own work.

Apart from being back in uni, I have also found my way back to the gym. Finally. I took a three month break last summer, just because I wasn’t feeling it anymore and I had to drag myself to go instead of actually going because I wanted to. So I stopped and just enjoyed my summer (which consisted of two weeks walking across Italy and exploring New York in six days.. you can imagine that I haven’t rested for one bit). But not being in the gym, actually made me excited to go back, so last week I took a gym membership. Yes, even a membership! It was only 50 pounds for three months so that was the biggest reason I said yes. But I can happily say that I enjoy it again and that’s its actually fun to go again.

To wrap it all up: I am feeling at home in Manchester. Despite the rain, it’s an amazing city and so happy, alive and diverse.

My first few weeks in Manchester Three! Weeks! already have passed since I wrote my last post. It's now almost been a month of living in Manchester and I can finally say that I really feel at home here.

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Studying abroad. It’s something I have always wanted to do. Long before I started college and got the opportunity to study abroad. I worked extremely hard the past few mo the to be able to go on a study abroad and here we are…. I am in Manchester, United Kingdom, for four months. I arrived on Wednesday and moved in, in my residence on Thursday. It’s cute, it’s tiny, but it already kind of feels like home. Not home-home yet, but home and that’s a start.

For the upcoming months I’m gonna start studying sociology at the Manchester Metropolitan University and I am very excited, but also a bit nervous. I know my English is fine and I am pretty sure it will be classes and information that interests me; but there’s always that “what if” – “what if I don’t like it” – “what if I can’t find anyone who likes me?” Stupid thoughts. Unnecessary at most. But they are there. I know they’ll fade once I had my first week of school, but now it’s still a week of being a little bit nervous.

Nerves aren’t however the only feelings I feel. I feel happy, pride, excited, but also a little homesick. I miss my cats, my mom and my at home friends (who are amazing and are already planning trips to come and visit me). Nonetheless I am very excited for the upcoming months. I already met some really nice people and it’s good to have some months to really come together again with myself.

As I am writing this I am sitting in Castlefield with strawberries that were discounted to less than one pound and a skinny Starbucks latte, because they didn’t have a normal one. Skinny latte’s aren’t that nice and overpriced. But the sun’s out and in England I know that’s a special occasion, so I’m gonna enjoy it and soak up the last bit of vitamin D before the winter starts again.

❤️

Yes, I am living in Manchester! Studying abroad. It’s something I have always wanted to do. Long before I started college and got the opportunity to study abroad.

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Pro-life and pro-choice

Opinions about this subject are extremely divided and it splits our world in two: pro-life and pro-choice. Which one you choose is completely up to you, because we live in a democracy and we have the freedom that we are entitled to our own opinions. But why are pro-life people not content enough with their own choice? Why do they have to force their opinion on to other people?

That’s something I…

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I am going to the city of my dreams...

I am going to the city of my dreams…

New York Fucking City or better known as: my dream city. The people who know me closely, know that I have always wanted to go to America and especially to NYC. Why? I don’t know, the whole vibe it seems to have just attracts me so much. The art, the buildings, the skyline and of course, the Gossip Girl places. Yes, among thousands of others, I also am a huge Gossip Girl fan and always wanted to…

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Moving out. It’s happening today. And it’s making me excited and also kind of sad at the time. Or it’s more nerves and nostalgia. I have moved a few times I my life, but I never moved out before.

I finally have packed things and now my house is covered in boxes, piles of clothes, bags and suitcases. I know that I am ‘only’ going for three months and that I don’t have to buy furniture, but it surprises me how much stuff I actually have. I have a small room at home-home, but apparently I have loads of things in it because it’s still full while all the bags, suitcases and boxes are also full.

This morning I handed in my last deadline of the semester and as I handed it in, I suddenly got nervous. These last few weeks, months even, I didn’t really realize that I was actually going to move out and having to live for most of the time on my own – without my cats or my mother. It’s not that I am nervous about living on my own, because I know I am independent enough for that, but I am more nervous about missing my home-home and meeting all these new people. But on the other hand: I am excited, excited for this new adventure and very excited to be able to ‘sleep-in’ even when you have an early morning class.

After we packed, what seemed as the whole house, we managed to get it all on the bicycles and into the train. Which was a bit of a struggle. Imagine two people with five big bags and suitcases trying to pass through a narrow train aisle. Yeah – a struggle. But a funny one I do have to say. Pretty sure a lot of people were thinking: where the heck are those to going, on a world trip? Nope! Just moving! Without furniture! Just stuff!

The same thoughts people probably had while we were passing through the train station and into the bus. Again, with narrow aisles. But after a little bit more than an hour we made it to the student house – my house. But moving is never as easy as they make it seem in movies. Firstly, I had to text someone to open the front door and I hate feeling like I am bothering people. Secondly the keys of my own door were with a girl who wasn’t home and wouldn’t be home for hours. Oh. Help. Thankfully we found a spare key that worked. I didn’t even want to think of the idea that I came all this way, with all my stuff, and that I couldn’t enter my room because there was no key. Yeah, I am a worse-case-scenario thinker. I am trying to change that!

So, we finally had a key and could enter the room. Even though I had five bags full of things, it didn’t take long before everything had its own place. I right away lit a scented candle and it made the room smell like home. Also, I hung up over twenty photos from friends, my cats, my mom and more memories. Photos do really make a place feel like home. And it has lights. After that I gave my beloved record player a place and filled the room with the one and only Katy Perry. Obviously.

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But even though I was moving in and making the room my own, my mom was still there. And she wouldn’t be staying. It was a little hard to say goodbye, I think for the both of us. But it’s a ‘good’ sad if that makes sense. I am proud of myself for taking this step.

All wrapped up: it was a good first day and night. I didn’t get time to be sad that I was alone or something like that, instead I got the time to go to a party and finally not having to crash at someone else’s places. Not always having to find a place to sleep after a night out, or not being able to leave whenever you want to leave, is really not nice. It was truly such a nice feeling to bike home and to crawl into my own bed. I think I am going to love it here.

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Moving out for the first time (part 3) Moving out. It’s happening today. And it’s making me excited and also kind of sad at the time.

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Moving out for the first time (part 2)

Moving out for the first time (part 2)

About one and a half week to go till I am going to take the train to Utrecht for a whole other reason than class. It’s so weird that moving out is suddenly becoming real and not something that ‘I would do in the future’. I have been, and still am, so busy with school that I don’t even have the time to stand still by the idea. Which is maybe good because if I think about it too much, I do get…

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Moving out for the first time

Moving out for the first time

Writing a blog about it might even be scarier than saying it out loud, because as soon as I post it it’s kind of official. But to be honest, it’s already official. I start paying rent in three weeks, so I guess that makes it real. But yes: I am moving out. Part-time. Due to work here in my hometown and not being able to not see my cats (and my family) every week, I will be traveling back and…

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Hello, it's been a while!

Hello, it’s been a while!

It’s been a while. I’ve had this blog for over two years now, but never really found the time to commit to it one hundred procent. I think the most honest reason for that was that I don’t feel like I have a life ‘worth’ blogging about, I’m not a glamours girl from the USA who constantly travels around the world and goes to this crazy events, I am just me. But a few days ago I started to think…

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#blog #blogger #blogging #culture #English #fashion #Female #food #inspiration #journalism #journalist #lifestyle #media #movies #photographer #photography #reviews #the Netherlands #travel #Woman #writing

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07.00

It’s the day. THE day. The day 10 year old Cassandra never had dared to dream it would actually happen. I am going to meet Katy Perry. It’s the only thought that goes through my mind when our alarm goes. Considering all the crazy times we woke up the past few days, is this 7 am wake up call, a sleep-in. But weirdly enough I don’t feel that exhausted. It’s probably because I am still a baby and I can sleep everywhere and anywhere and didn’t miss out on that much sleep the past few days.

07.30

Pretty much first in line. I’m exhausted, cold, hungry but also very very excited. And very nervous, but that’s normal right? I never thought I would be sitting in a line, knowing that I would go in and MEET the artist I would be seeing in concert later that night. Fuck damn, it is actually happening. And the thought of it makes me even more nervous.

13.00

Thomas has his very small, but better than our hostel room, hotel room until 1 so both Renske and I hurry to his room to get our faces a little bit more prepared for this day. We both decided to go with baby faces to the queue this morning, because it’s a hot day and it would melt of before we even would go inside the venue. In 15 minutes I manage to transform my baby face into a somewhat more appropriate look, but leave the things like eyeliner for later, because otherwise they will be on my knees due to the heat when we go in. I give myself a smile into the mirror, because I am maybe the happiest I have ever been at this point. Fuck damn heck. I am meeting Katy Perry.

16.00

You think picking up your meet and greet wristbands would go without stress? Well you’re wrong. In the e-mail we received from KPF we had to go to the ticket box to collect our meet and greet wristbands, but when Renske said her first and lastname the man behind the desk couldn’t find her/our names. A literal heart attack. He looked a second time and found them, but man, we both could cry right that minute. But we are now a few minutes later and we have them. It are green, papier, wristbands that say ‘Katy Perry Witness the Tour’ and it has ‘KC’ written on it, what I think stands for KatyCat. It feels so weird having this wristbands. It feels so weird to be actually that person who is going to meet Katy Perry. In all the years that I have been a fan I have seen people meet her, seeing friends of mine meet her, but it never was ME and now it is. Weird. Very weird.

18.30

We can go in. Even though we have the meet and greet and have to leave a bit after the doors open, we go in and make sure we have a barricade spot. Not center barricade this time, but I am not complaining. It seems like good spot and I know after meeting her, I couldn’t care less what I was standing. Behind us are the two sweetest persons, a mother and a daughter, who are so happy for us and already offered to keep our spots reserved. What a sweethearts.

(Right after the meet and greet I wrote a pretty long story about the meet and greet and everything around it and I will make a whole separated blog post about that) 

+/- 21.00

Oh my flipping fuck. I can’t even understand what just all happened. We are now standing against the barricade and I only can laugh. I am so happy. Literally, so so happy. I already know this is gonna be an amazing show, whatever happens.

+/- 23.00

What a show. What a night. I cried, I laughed, I screamed, I sang and as cherry on top: Tamra stood in front of us filming Katy and everyone. The mother and the daughter behind us really seemed like they had the time of their life’s and it was so fun to see. I barely recorded this night, I just enjoyed everything in the moment and was just so insanely happy. I am so tired, but I can’t even bring into words how amazing this song once again was. Seeing Katy on stage, just after you met her, is really really weird. You see her performing these amazing songs, with her amazing voice and all the people singing along and you think: fuck, I actually just stood besides her; hugged her. It’s weird. Very weird. But amazing nonetheless. Onto the next show: STOCKHOLM!

WITNESS THE TOUR: 27.05.2018 AMSTERDAM 07.00 It's the day. THE day. The day 10 year old Cassandra never had dared to dream it would actually happen.

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07:30

I don’t think I ever experienced tiredness like this but oh well. We need to work in order to afford this crazy rollercoaster. 6 hours of work and then off to Amsterdam to meet Yael, who I never thought I would be meeting this soon because the distance Amsterdam – Israel isn’t the easiest one to break. But it’s actually happening after like what, 3 years of talking? But first, work. I will spare you the details of a work day with very little sleep and a lot of nerves. 

15:00

AMSTERDAM! I get out of the train on a very crowded Amsterdam Central Station. What’s new though? However, there are already a LOT of pink themed people for the Toppers in Pink (wow really?) concert that’s this weekend in the arena. I hop on a tram and make a pit stop to score the cheapest short dress at the H&M. It’s unusually hot in Amsterdam and I somehow thought putting on long jeans, long black thick Levi’s jeans, was a smart idea. With my newly bought dress I hop on another tram to the cat cafe. Is it weird to say that I am nervous? It has been ages since I met up with “internet” friends.

21:00

My cat-café date with Yael was genuinely lovely. What a sweet girl she is. Nerves weren’t necessary at all. Talking with her felt so natural and like we have been friends for years. And her purple hair – I am obsessed. I’m now in the hostel, waiting on Renske and Thomas to come back from grocery shopping because if you’re gonna queue all day you’re gonna need food. And drinks. And coffee. Loads of strong coffee. The metro ride to this hostel was quite a ride. We were surrounded by pink and drunk Topper fans. Nothing against them, but I don’t think I can see or hear the word pink anymore after this weekend. 

21:30

We are in the room and it isn’t even that bad. Renske and I claim the big bed, because… well because we are gonna meet Katy this weekend and we need a good night rest? Something like that. Anyway, Renske managed to arrange that we were all in the same room together and it actually worked out. We drop our stuff and go out to find something to eat. We end up at Domino’s, where the weirdest atmosphere is hanging. As soon as we have our pizza’s, we head back to the hostel where Patrick and Emma join us. The pizza was delicious by the way. 

22:00

Nervous. I am definitely nervous. And also exhausted. Dead exhausted. And we still have 6 shows to go. But I couldn’t be more hyped. 

06:00

Our alarm goes off a little bit later than in Antwerp, but you still can’t call it sleeping in. We jump in our outfits and head to the Ziggo Dome. I don’t think I’m lying when I’m saying that we are all a little bit nervous. Amsterdam is our hometown show and when you get up at a crazy time like this, you do wanna be the first. And we are the first. Number 1-2-3-4-5-6. I can finally breath a bit again and maybe sleep a bit again, because I am tired. 

08:00

“Why are we doing this again?” Is the little sentence that spooked around in my head this past two hours. Sleeping isn’t gonna happen anymore, so we kill the time with eating,  feeling sorry for ourselves, but most off all being very excited for tonight. After the Antwerp-drama, I make sure I feed myself every two hours because we don’t want that to happen ever again. 

12:00

On a bandage-mission I leave the queue to go to the hostel. I can’t deny that I’m not nervous leaving the queue, despite all my friends still being in it. I get on the metro, that’s again FULL of pink people. I’m actually scared of the color pink now. And disgusted by the beer smell. I get out at the stop, quickly change in the room and go downstairs to ask for a scissor to actually cut the bandages. The girl doesn’t speak Dutch so the conversation is partly English and partly hand gestures, but she eventually gets what I mean. 

15:00 

Two hours to go. The worst part I didn’t even tell you yet. We actually do not have our tickets yet. Our physical tickets that we NEED to get inside the arena. We still have to pick them up at the ticketbox, that won’t open until 4 PM. Originally it wouldn’t open until 5 PM, but I think after all the complain e-mails and tweets they received about that, they changed it to 4 PM. Thankfully it goes without too much stress. It’s now half an hour later and we actually have our tickets in our hand. Diamond Witness. Dropzone. Amsterdam. Ziggo Dome. 275 euro’s. The last time i’m just trying to forget. 

17:00

We are INSIDE. Well, not inside-inside yet, but we are in the hallway of the Ziggo Dome. Right across the merchandise AND close to the toilets, which is for me with the peanut-bladder, very nice. We have our blue-glittery wristbands on and have our VIP-bag with all the VIP-goodies. I’m already terrified of dropping that mug. 

19:00

A school class going somewhere. That’s how I would describe the queue. Arm in arm, two by two and in one long line we WALK (yes, actually WALK) the arena in and the dropzone in. We are actually the first to enter that dropzone. But still, I only have the feeling that I can breath again, when I touch the barrier. Mainstage barrier. Center Mainstage barrier. 

19:30

Tove! I had to get used to her music and style, but I start to really like her. And she’s so cute. 

21:00 – 23:00

“Hot ‘N Cold in dutch?” Im pretty sure I almost pushed my insides out while leaning so far over the barrier as soon as I realized she was asking it to me. Me. I didn’t know what was happening around me, I didn’t even see the big camera that was right in my face, I was just busy trying to make Katy understand what is “Hot ‘N Cold” in Dutch. Obviously the over emotional Cassandra broke down in tears after this. Bare with me. 

23:00 

My dear God. What a show. What. A. Show. I know that Katy likes, loves, Amsterdam and that she loves the legal weed and the coffee shops and what not, but I didn’t know she could be THIS happy during a show. And to not even mention all the laughs, smiles, interactions and.. weird hand gestures during California Gurls. I love her. 

00:00

With a huge ass smile Renske and I are laying in our EMTPY 6-PERSONS SHARED BEDROOM. Empty. Not one pink Topper fan to see. I don’t know how it happened the room is empty, but I’m not complaining at all. 

WITNESS THE TOUR: 25/26.05.2018 07:30 I don’t think I ever experienced tiredness like this but oh well. We need to work in order to afford this crazy rollercoaster.

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20:00

Antwerp. Here we go. The second show of the European leg of Witness The Tour. The world tour by Katy Perry. The four of us all, my four amazing friends and tour buddies, met up in the train to Antwerp, where we are heading now as we speak. Is it weird to say that I am a little nervous? Doing multiple shows always has been a dream of mine, for the past 7 years, and now it’s finally happening. Antwerp, tomorrow, the kick off from 7 shows across Europe. While we are riding in the direction of Antwerp, we are kind of enjoying some not-really-tasty dutch candy to silence the hunger for a bit.

21:00

“WE ARE HERE” is what I send in our group chat the minute we arrive in Antwerp. We make it to our hotel and the plan to sneak Patrick in starts. We originally booked a 3 persons bedroom but due to last minute changes, we have to sneak Patrick in our hotel room. And surprisingly it goes easy. Renske and I check in, as if it’s the most normal thing on earth, and we go upstairs to our tiny and crammed, but clean, room where Patrick joins us a few moments later. It actually worked.

21:15

Mission filling an air mattress without a pomp has started. Renske, with her kind of incredibly big long capacity, is blowing air into the mattress and it actually works. Let me tell you that this is a normal, big, sized sleeping mattress. Normally mattresses like that have to be filled with air with an automatic blowing system (or however you call that)

21:30

MC DONALDS. I have a feeling MC Donald’s is gonna be our friend this upcoming few weeks. We order some very delicious sounding chili cheese fries and an ice cream, of course.

23:00

Bed time. I have to admit that I am nervous, but also very very very excited. We set our alarm for 5 am – early, too early. In the 3 shows I did for Katy the past 7 years I never got up this early to queue. With CDT I didn’t even know the word queueing, I just went right after school. With PWT I thought 12 pm was early enough. Well, tomorrow it is gonna be 5 am. So goodnight.

5:00

The alarm. Kind of want to slap it out and sleep further, but I turn it off and get up slowly. Surprisedly I slept 5 solid hours, without waking up once and I didn’t feel too shattered. Unfortunately enough, I was the only one who slept well for the entire night. But that doesn’t make the others less bubbly than I am. I think the adrenaline is already in our bodies.

5:30

We made it to the metro and the way there wasn’t a nice, quiet, walk to the metro station. No, we RAN. And I actually mean running on a high tempo through a deserted Antwerp Central Station because we left the hotel too late and had a metro to catch. A metro going to the arena. Now we are sitting down, waiting for the metro, it actually sinks in that it is happening tonight. The first show. I am actually really nervous. Stupid, right?

6:00

FIRST IN LINE! Number 1, 2, 3 and 4. I feel like I can finally breath again now we are sitting against the fenches in front of the arena. Nobody is here, apart from people passing by and looking at us like we are crazy. We probably are. But does it matter? We are first. And it’s cold. And the ground is very hard. But we are first. Half an hour later two Finnish girls join us. As we are only with 6 and we are all experiencing the same tiredness and have a mutal interest (obviously that’s Katy Perry! As if you couldn’t guess that yet) we roll into a converstaiton with them. We even learn how to say I love you in Finnish. I can’t pronounce it, but Renske can. Very fluently and quickly. I am impressed. Minä rakastan sinua!

10:00 

Toilet break. The nearest toilet is in a gas station nearby. Well, 10 minutes walking, but that’s semi nearby. Out of guilt of having to constantly pee and not having to pee and out of a very high need for caffeine, I buy coffee for everyone. A latte, a thee and a very needed cappuccino. With sucker. Because I need the extra energy.

12:00

While walking back from the toilet, Patrick and I make a quick de-tour and go behind the arena, where are the big tour trucks come in and surprisingly nobody is making us leave. Now it really, really feels real. We see all the props, the flamingo’s, the roulette dices and the basketballs. All the tour busses have ‘WITNESS THE TOUR’ on it and I can feel the nerves rushing through me. Also we find some confetti laying on the ground. Can’t wait to be covered in confetti tonight though. After a while we walk back because I have to admit I was kind of scared they were gonna throw us out of there.

17:00 

Stress. That’s the one emotion I am feeling right now. Also extreme happiness and nerves, but good nerves. A few hours ago they moved the queue to the doors and we are now two by two in front of the opening of the gates. The people behind us got up and are now standing, nervously as well, behind us. I hate this part. No matter how many concerts you do, when you want front row and you’ve been all day in the queue, the moment when the doors open is terrible. On top of that, apart from Patrick we all have never been into the Sportpaleis and have no clue how the arena looks or how to walk. Distraction from the stress is given by the soundcheck that Katy now is doing. Because they have the doors opened, we can hear here voice loud and clearly. I. am. so. excited. And nervous, did I already say that? I still feel the same nerves as 7 years ago during the California Dreams Tour and as 3 years ago, during the Prismatic World Tour. I guess age doesn’t matter.

18:30 

BARRIER. FRONT ROW. Now I feel like I can actually and finally breath again. It took some time and stress, but we have made it. All the way to the front. The spot we had anticipated to get. I can feel my hands shaking as I lean on the barrier, but I can also feel a huge relief. The stress slowly fades away and happiness comes in the place of that.

20:37 – 22:30

Witness. Obviously there are tears in my eyes. Yes I am over emotional sometimes. Bare with me. I do blame it on the fact that I realized for the first time when she came on stage that I am actually gonna be MEETING her. Because, if you didn’t know already. my amazing best friend Renske won a meet and greet for the Amsterdam show and decided to take me with her. Me. Still can’t believe that. It’s in three days. And I’m nervous. Help.  (If you’re reading this, I love you Renske). But the show: wow. Despite wanting to throw up and throw my guts out during the show, I was given nothing but an amazing amazing show. I had my doubts before actually attending a show, but wow. It was incredible. What a tour. What a way to kick off the 7 shows I am going to do. The interaction, the laughs and smiles to us, the rose she gave to Patrick, the ‘I see you’ she said to Thomas. Oh and, what an amazing, fantastic and incredible version of Hot ‘N Cold.

Somewhere after 23:00

I am exhausted, but also so filled with adrenaline that I am not sure I can sleep soon. Patrick’s mum drives us to his house, where I get picked up by my mom. I am now sitting on my bed, kind of forcing myself to go to bed, because my alarm goes early tomorrow to work. And after that straight to Amsterdam, for the next two shows. Tour life: I already love you.

    WITNESS THE TOUR: 24.05.2018 ANTWERP 20:00 Antwerp. Here we go. The second show of the European leg of Witness The Tour. The world tour by Katy Perry.

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Hiatus?

It’s been a while,

Well it’s been a year.

The past year has been crazy to say the least. I graduated high school, travelled around Europe last summer, started college and rolled into two new jobs. Now it’s august 2018 and I have just come back from three months back-to-back traveling in Europe. To summarize: I have been very busy, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to write about everything I…

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  Stray cats and dogs always have been a problem in Greece, in all of the southern countries actually. Here in the Netherlands you barely have stray animals and if so, you can call the animal ambulance and they’ll take care of it. I think the main reason is that here in the Netherlands we see cats and dogs really as “pets”, meaning animals you have with you in your home and in foreign countries it’s more often seen as just animals. And that makes a difference.

In the many times I’ve visited Greece, I’ve cuddled tons and tons of stray cats. Some looking closer to death than to being alive, but I (the girl who is obsessed with cats) would never hesitate to cuddle them or to “accidentally” drop some fish from my plate on the ground in a restaurant. But not all cats can live off some nice tourists and sadly enough some of them still die because of the lack of food, drinking water or health care.

But this summer holiday I saw something that might help and make a difference about that. As my mom and I were spending a part of our vacation on the little Greek island Kythera, right underneath the Peloponnesos, we saw this “machine” across our bus stop with pictures of cats and dogs on it. And can you guess what it did? It basically recycled empty plastic bottles, provided cat and dog food and clear water. The system was very easy: once you’d throw an empty plastic bottle (which you’ve loads from as Greece often doesn’t have drinkable tap water and you’re basically forced to constantly buy new water bottles) into the machine, new food would drop out of it into a bowl and next to the bowl stood clear drinking water.

One word: woah

On one side, it keeps the streets clean and throwing away plastic gets a real meaning now. And on the other side, it keeps the stray animals alive and gives them clear drinking water and normal eatable food.

Really, the person who invited this is a genius.

Obviously we tested it out and it worked. From on then, we tried to collect our empty bottles and not throw them away in the regular bins but in the machine. We’ve seen a few more popping up on the island and some other inventions that are similar to this one on other islands but I was really impressed by this one. I, as a sucker for animals, have ended up in tears or begged my mom to take a cat with us to home because I saw an animal that looked like it was starving. So seeing things like this pop up, really makes me smile. Animals are just as worthy as human beings and also should have access to the basic human things, as food and water.

So, props to whoever created this: you’re amazing.

Loves,

Cassandra

  Miauw? Stray cats and dogs always have been a problem in Greece, in all of the southern countries actually.

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To the bone

My thoughts on the Netflix Original: To the bone (Side note: these are my thoughts and my opinions on this topic, if you think differently you’re completely free to do so but also accept my thoughts ❤) I’ve heard a lot, and then I literally mean A LOT, about this movie. To the bone is a netflix original movie with Lily Collins. Quickly said: it’s a story about a girl with an eating disorder. At…

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Best friend💖

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The imperfections of perfection

The influence of social media. In order to graduate, I had to write a big essay. I chose the subject depression and then focused on depression among young people. While working on that essay and spending hours scrolling through the internet and books from the library (because yes, books are sometimes more helpful than internet. Even in 2017) I came across the subject social media and the…

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