What do you really think about the iPhone?

"I can tell you many stories about the iPhone and all the nice functions and applications, but they've all been told, everybody knows them already. I think it comes down to either you love the iPhone or you hate it... and if you love it, the battery is your worst enemy, and if you hate it, then the battery still sux."

Mike Fugers, Amsterdam, Netherlands by BRIAN HILL 

What do you really think about the future?

My future? My future is condemned. I don't see the future in my life. Honestly, I've never looked so deep into my life... my future is dark, very dark. My attitude, the way I live - I won't make it in life.

Anonymous, 29, Fietas, Johannesburg, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about the future?

"The future? It's dying out, there's no future man, it's all shit... nobody knows what's coming? Hey man, don't forget this picture costs you 2 euros, I'll show you some break dance moves if you give me 3. Yeah, the future is all shit."

Michael, Arnhem, Netherlands by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about marijuana?

"No! I'm not smoking anymore! It was doing nothing to me! It depends on your mind, your own mind. If you are uncivilized, you're uncivilized. I stopped because I was wasting money. I'm old you see, smoking is wasting money. No trouble. I was a policeman too, in 1960. And in 1962 I changed. I went to the security. I've been working all kinds of rubbish jobs... I grew up like that." 

Efrahim Xulu, 67, Vrededorp, Johannesburg, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about marijuana?

"It's been given a bad reputation... years of negative propaganda and it gets blamed for everything from laziness to murder. I really hate the way every smoker gets tarred with the same brush and any mistakes, no matter how big or small are blamed on their marijuana use. Like many things in life, it affects different people in different ways. There are far more forgetful, lazy and stupid people that don't smoke marijuana, than do. As a plant, it's brilliant and has many good uses. It's 30% cheaper and easier to make paper from marijuana plants... AND it's a seasonal plant, which means a new crop can be grown in the same place each year and just about anybody can grow it. That's a problem for mill companies who have bought up and are destroying forests everywhere. Alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug companies also have major issues with marijuana, all directly linked to loss of profits. Basically, marijuana is illegal in most parts of the world, but for all the wrong reasons and people believe it's bad because that's what we're told. It's a fantastic plant and drug and the conspiracy behind it is second only to religion."

Colin, 27, Amsterdam, Netherlands by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about the Sex Pistols?

"I like Johnny Rotten. I think Sid Vicious is overrated. And as a band they were important but not very good. I'm a much bigger fan of Malcolm McLaren."

Tymon Smith, at the Literary Festival, Franschoek, Western Cape, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about the Sex Pistols?

"I saw them at the Brixton accademy not so long ago, and I think they're not so good anymore. I think they've sold out dude, I mean Jonny Rotten is doing butter commercials, what's that all about? He's sold out for sure, gone for the money. They used to stand for something, they used to be british punk." 

Marc Kyle, 21, London, England by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about coffee?

"No, I don't want coffee! One doctor told me that I have a chest problem and that I shouldn't drink coffee, I should rather take tea. He was a normal doctor, not a witch doctor! Ha ha ha!"

Albert Musharawa, sculptor from Zimbabwe, photographed in Bothasig, Cape Town by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about coffee?

"Coffee? That's fucking hard drugs man! I'm telling you."

Jeroen Bont on his 29th. birthday sporting his brand new birthday tattoo, Amsterdam, Netherlands, by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about Paris Hilton?

"You'll have to explain to me who that is... I don't know who she is."

Cliff Masanga, 34, Fourways, Johannesburg, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT.

What do you really think about Paris Hilton?

"I don't know her personally, so I can't really form a proper opinion about her... and I only have one eye, but with what I see through my one eye, I think she is a fine looking woman hahahahaha!!! That's about all I can really say about her."

Henry, 62 years old, the one-eyed homeless guy from Germany, Muntplein, Amsterdam, the Netherlands by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about getting older?

"Um, I think I'm excited to get old, to grow old, and see how I change - mentally and physically and emotionally. And I'm not nervous to get older because Asians age gracefully! Ha ha! Ja, I'm excited to grow old, I just down wanna grow old alone..."

Michelle Son on her 27th. birthday, Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about getting older?

"I really like getting older, I can't wait to be a teenager and get boobs, but not the other woman problems... you know. I'm not getting older fast enough. Being older does scare me a little bit sometimes, but actually I am looking forward to it."

Ysis, 10 years old, Den Hague, Netherlands by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about the last boyfriend/girlfriend that dumped you?

"Ah, I don't really think that much. I don't really feel fond nor negative. I just kind of... I think there's a sincere lack of interest - which sort of reflects upon myself as well, but whatever... I don't know..."

Angie Lawson at the Italian Club, Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT.

What do you really think about the last boyfriend/girlfriend that dumped you?

"Hmmm, well actually she first became my wife for many years, what do I think of her now?... If I say an adulterous wench, I'm being nice."

Stef, 69 years old, Den Hague, The Netherlands  by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about China?

"I don't have much information about China, but what I know is that China is overpopulated, that's what I know. There is a lot of industry - that's what I know theoretically, but I have never been to China. I don't want to go there. What I understand is that there are lots of people, that means there are not a lot of jobs there."

David Tumaniwena, 36 (right), along with two co-workers, cleaning the streets in Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about China?

"China? When I think about China, I firstly think of my favourite food, I can eat Chinese food all day and forever, preferably without MSG, which makes you ill. This, automatically gets me thinking of my second thought about China, they do a lot over there that makes many people very, very ill. They also manufacture a lot of stuff cheaply, which is very tempting..., just like the food, so I think that this is "the war" that Nostradamus was talking about and it affects the whole world. This is what I think about China in a nutshell. I'm keeping it short, because 'ik hou 't graag gezellig', but it seems that my secondhand store will stay overloaded till the end of days."

Jolanda, in her shop in the Hague, Netherlands (www.superfly-ttt.nl)
by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about Barack Obama?

"Um, well... it's interesting, but there's a lot of hype around this new black president for America - I would like to see what he actually really does, and for me that's more important. After 8 years of ineptitude with Bush it's a good change - it's a drastic change from Bush to another president - and he's black! And he's gonna close down Guatonamo Bay and all those things. Just very, very different from Bush."

Yameng Li, at the Bonsai House in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about Barack Obama?

"I could be wrong... I could be wrong, but I think he's not strong enough, he's to young. I don't think he is the correct man for the job, he's not mature enough, he's not ready yet. I hope I am wrong, but I think it's a mistake for him to be in power. We will see in over time."

Salvatore, the parrot guy from Italy, The Hague, Netherlands by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about Cristiano Ronaldo?

"He's fucking amazing. He's brilliant man! He's so good, he's brilliant, he's skillful, he's got everything man. I would like to be like him one day... I play like him sometimes. I try to be as good as him, you know? I always watch him play and he's just so good man! He's my role model."

Colin Davids, 18, Sea Point Promenade, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about Cristiano Ronaldo?

"He's good, he's very very good! He's got all the best moves, especially his 'step-over', he's sooooo fast. My favourite football club is PSV, but still, I love Ronaldo, he's very very good. I also like him because he's a player that loves to play, he loves football and always wants to score. I like that."

Pedro, 11 years old, in the supermarket, bumming football cards off all the customers.

(Albert Heijn supermarket is giving away packs of football collect cards at the checkout to customers spending over 10 euros, Pedro has the entire checkout covered and is asking every customer, with great success, for their free football cards.)

Amsterdam, Netherlands, by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about contemporary family values?

"I think it's all up to your own discretions, so I don't know... I think things like that need to be liberated more and I think every single family needs to place their own moral values on everything, so it would differ from family to family. Contemporary morals will differ."

Nastassja Nel, 19, at the Cape Town International Tattoo Convention, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about contemporary family values?

"I can't speak for anybody else, but I'm happy I freed myself from any and all family values... and my family, because they weren't very nice to me."

Cornelie Tollens, at her home in Amsterdam. 

Tollens has just published her 2nd photography book Hard Love.

www.cornelietollens.com 

by BRIAN HILL

What do you really think about the global recession?

"I don't know about that... oh, you mean how everything - petrol and everything - is so expensive? Yes, it's been very hard. But now I hope things will be better, now that petrol is cheaper. I hope so. It must get better before the World Cup comes in 2010. I hope so..."

J.N. Nombakuse, somewhere next to R310 highway, close to Khayelitsha township, Cape Town, South Africa by STAN ENGELBRECHT

What do you really think about the global recession?

"Ja, wat moet ik er over zegen..., ik heb er geen last van."

Translation: Yes, what should I say about it... it hasn't caused me any trouble.

Willem, Rijswijk, The Netherlands by BRiAN HILL