10 years of evolution...

...right there in front of my home.


While Technotronic was pumping your audio system, and Roxette rocking away, the 5th gen Celica's were born. Build upon 20 years of Celica history, constructed from 1990 to 1993. This generation would turn out to be the best rally car at its time. Carlos Sainz was the World Rally Champion driving a Toyota Celica 2.0 Turbo 4WD ST185. Only 5000 special edition Carlos Sainz Celica's were made, next to the regular 2.0 turbo.

One day in 1991 a blue ST-i 16v 1.6 went for it's first drive. A hot summer, 12 years later, it moved to a new owner, namely me ;) Looking for a car that would fit my budget, I remembered that back in the nineties I already liked the Celica. When a kid's dream becomes reality, great things happen. I had a ton of fun driving that car, and started to really enjoy the freedom and thrills of driving.

The year is 2000, the fear for the millennium bug reigns supreme. While the dot-com bubble started to burst, a new Celica saw the light of day. The 7th generation was born. It would be the last iteration of the Celica legend, because as of 2006, the Celica is discontinued. This was a sad commercial decision, but Toyota is not completely giving up on that niche market. In the USA a new Toyota brand was launched: Scion. It's latest model called the tC is said to be the replacement for the Celica. Being sold exclusively overseas, it remains questionable if the European market will ever see the Scion brand.

I'm very happy I now own a last generation Celica. However, 35 years of car history is now only left in our memories. RIP Celica.

666

Oh noes! The shock! The horror! Today is 6/6/6.
In the New Testament, Revelation 13:16-18 states:

"Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom: let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six."

So there you have it, number of the beast. Western societies commonly see it as the number of the Devil. So will we face the Devil's wrath today and enter a new dark era? Ha! Well the sun is shining over here, so I have my sincere doubts :D

Anyhow, we use the Gregorian calendar, which was starting to be implemented in the 16th century. The Bible however was, let's say, written a few years ahead of that. On top of that the new calendar system is filled with flaws. Check the link for extensive information. So even if 666 was meant to be a date, it would not be today.

The plot thickens...
Now let's have a look at this thing called the Devil. It is mentioned in the Bible as a fallen angel. Christianity used a mindset of duality: good and evil, God & the Devil. What they didn't tell you is the reason they did this: it was to control people by scaring them of all evil, the Devil and Hell. This was a walk in the park to do in that period of time. Nowadays, Christianity has lost it's control to some extent, fortunately.

666, Devil, today? I don't think so ;)

The one about the shoe

This is my shoe. Here is it's story.

On a sunny afternoon, a few summers ago, we met for the first time. It was one of those moments when you get that gutfeeling telling you that at that very moment you are at the right place, at the right time. It was love at first sight, we immediatly knew it was meant to be, and we were a perfect fit.

As with any new shoe, there is this time you are accomodating to eachother. And then suddenly, out of the blue, you hit that sweetspot: your shoe and you have become one. They fit perfectly, and when you slip them around your feet, it feels like coming home from a long and hard day at work. When that moment hits, the shoe is no more. It has become a part of your body, it's not a seperate entity any longer. The shoe and you have become one.

As with any new shoe, there are some strings attached. Without them your shoe and you cannot tie together as they should. Those are the nuts and bolts of life, they are there and it might bother you at the beginning, but you get used to it fairly quickly.

This is where our journey began. It's a remarkable journey, for it has no end. Because while time passes, memories are created. Memories do no fade, they are you history, and your future at the same time.
Without that shoe, I wouldn't be where I am right now, and nothing would have been the same. Without that shoe, the road ahead of me would not be the road I see now.
We've come a long way, we had some very fun and amusing moments, but along with that came the hard and difficult moments. It is ying and yang. You can't have one without the other.
We've come a long way, we travelled around the world, having the time of my life. It was also one of those moments the same gutfeeling surfaced again, telling me I was at the right place, at the right time. Those are the moments when you are experiencing heaven on earth, and feel the divine intervention.
We've come a long way, as you can see on the picture. Time goes by, years pass, roads and hills are conquered. Thousands of miles are walked, run and even rested. This comes at a price. While you are having the time of your life, the sole of your shoe starts to wear. It is key to recognise this, for it is of the upmost importance. The shoe needs to be taken care of, you have to prevent the wear. This is where I failed. As you can see, a gaping hole was created. Can it be fixed? I do not know.

As time goes by, and as things are looking now, I will probably wear them less and less. This is where the shoe and you get seperated. You do not know what to do, or where to go, for you have lost your guidance, your road, your past and your future all at once. This very moment will be engraved in your brain, never to be erased again.