English will be Dutch

My name is Melanie E. Rijkers - pronounce Rikers - I am a ZIENer. Ziener is a Dutch word for prophet. I am not the prophet who predicts, but I am a human being who SEES what other people don't (see).

ZIENer in Dutch is also 'person who sees'. ZIEN = to SEE. Capitals, as people often look at the world, but don't really SEE it. My faith is to make all of you see, the beauty of this world. SEE and feel its positive energy.

Mindful? Yes, very. But also very Miksang. In Tibetian "Good, Pure Eye". Pure contemplative photography.

My photography shows subjects of life as they are, SEEN as they are. Struck by its beauty or remarkable appearance, in detail often, life is photographed by me. Pure, real people and places. I love the world - and yes, I travel a lot. Check out my photos on my Flickr account.

Follow my Tweets and Instagram. I will keep you posted and hope to inspire you by my positivity. 

Just my brain - photo: Julian Cash - light painting of me at a SFMusicTech in San Francisco

Search for photos from the heart

Which 'Kodak Moment' gave you the ULTIMATE feeling of HAPPINESS when you took it? Was it that tropical sunset or the tiny face of your newborn baby, or? I'd like to see that photo, and share it as well.  It's not about the best or most beautiful photo, it's about the ultimate feeling of happiness you've experienced when you took that photo. A true photo from the heart. ♥

When you don't like to upload via Facebook: info@mery.nl ONE photo per person. Thank you!

Melanie Rijkers (FB)

Photos from my heart: to capture Saar's happiness

New Fyra Train...

The new Fyra train.

Pity this train only runs between Amsterdam-Rotterdam. As I live in Breda (one stop further from Rotterdam) I can never take this new, wonderful train. When I travel to Schiphol airport (and I did that a lot the last two years) I like to take the Fyra train, as it reduces my time to the airport with alsmost an hour! Only 53 minutes Breda-Schiphol, what a bless. 

You can't compete by car, as the roads in the 'Randstad' (4 biggest citites of the Netherlands, Rotterdam, The Hague, Anmsterdanm and Utrecht) always are crowded and jammed. Too much cars in our small country :( the traffic is horrible on our narrow roads.

Anyway, the new Fyra train. Welcomed by almost everyone, especially as it was meant to go to Antwerp (Belgium) too. Well...it doesn't. Not this year.

So people living in the South (Noord-Brabant) will have to commute an hour longer as the regular intercity trains are also gone per 1 November. Why??? What's this nonsense!? The new train is a wonderful experience, it feels like flying, comfy chairs and fast, fast, fast. Well, if it would take you to Breda that is. 

Last night I had to transfer at Rotterdam station to the regular train...so it took me no 53 minutes, but 1,5 hours single way...

Boohoo.

Fremont Street, what happened??

When working in Las Vegas last week I had to check out the city and its lights, kitsch and people. With only one day off, I decided to a) relax at the pool b) go to the Neon-boneyard c) check out Old Vegas Centre - Fremont Street with its famous cowboy.

Being Dutch, I only know this neon cowboy (with the waving arm) from movies we watched on tv. Staying on the Strip and with the Neon Museum closed (boohoo) this month, I took the bus to the Old City Centre.
O yeah, Golden Nuggit, here I come!

Then my heart broke.

I got out of the bus and just couldn't believe my eyes. America, what have you done?!?

Fremont Street... 15 September 2012... I nearly cried when I saw this...

Pilars blocking the famous cowboy?? (and the neon cowgirl) then the Golden Nugget...where are the typical shaped corners of the building???

photo: Judy Green - Fremont St. '70/'80s

Fremont St. opposite direction 2012

Ok, the 4 Queens looks like the old Golden Nugget now, but nothing else is still there... what a deception...they call this the Fremont Experience... OMG!! In Europe we like to treasure old sites, and this should be considered as one...why don't Americans treasure their cultural heritage??

In 1951 the Pioneer Club did away with its cactus and covered-wagon neon signs and replaced them with thiswell-known and long-lived, Las Vegas icon-landmark. In its early days the cowboy's glowing cigarette would emit a puff of smoke, the arm would swing and a loudspeaker would boom out the famous words: "Howdy Podner".

Yes, I was right, the arm moved! Now the only moving part is the mouth and eye (neon, no sound)...let's have a look at the old days:

This is the kind of photo I wanted to take... 

Photos and text: In Old Las Vegas.com

The Golden Nuggit had a lot of different shapes...but this is the one in my head...this is the one that stayed, even though I never been to Vegas before...gone baby, gone.