WhatIsThatSound

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Damn, I wish I could play like that

(xxxGirlygirlxxx) Thank you for listening to me.
(xxxGirlygirlxxx) You know your a really good listener.
(xxxGirlygirlxxx) Sweety please say something.
(Sandaedar) Ok I’m back.

It’s been a while. Been busy with a lot of “life-changing” events. First of all, it seems like my dad got out the radiation therapy allright, allthough the outcome is still unclear. At least the therapy didn’t bother him physically as we feared. The doctor practically ordered him to take it easy for a while, but in his case that means he’ll only build one house himself instead of two…(sigh). You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, can ya…. As from september, I’m going back to school (to study, not to work, hehe). I wasn’t able to find a job as an art historian, so I’m trying something different now. I’m still in doubt about what to choose (I narrowed it down to two options though), so I’ll let you know when I made some kind of decision. Last but not least, I’m moving. It still needs a lot of work but it looks promising and I’m really looking forward to it. Just to give an impression, this is it: Cosy, isn’t it? I’ll post some pics of the interior when it’s worth showing. Be safe! Oh and don’t be a stranger and give us a comment when you feel like it. If you have a blog of your own, I’m really curious what it’s like!

Back from my schooltrip to Barcelona and is was even better than last year. Weather was great, the food was delicious (especially when you like fish, just don’t buy them at the market, ’cause most of the fish is still alive when you buy some) and we travelled with a great bunch of kids. Seen lots of sights like the still unfinished Sagrada Familia Church of Gaudi, which at times makes you feel like you’re walking inside the Elven city of Rivendel and the Camp Nou Football stadium, home of Champions League winner FC Barcelona. Furthermore, we visited the Cathedral of Barcelona (with live geese inside!!) , hung out the the beach and got to see the Ramblas with lots of living statues. The thing standing out the most, however, was Parc Güell. Except from being a beautiful Park with the longest bench I’ve ever seen, we met up with some Brazilian street musicians called Selton playing Beatles-covers. Everyone was tired of walking through Barca all week and we had still more places to visit that day. But everyone forgot their fatigue when hearing these cheerful Brazilians and started to sing along!

We decided to stay a little longer and drop some items from the program that day. I (and about 15 others) bought their CD and their music hasn’t been out of my head yet. On my radio thingy, there’s a Brazilian song from Selton (also a cover). When I hear them, I’m in Barca again…! I made some photo’s and I’m currently in the process of compiling a photo album of my *ahum* “best” work. Check back for that later. Alongside Selton, I put Röyksopp on the jukebox with Remind me. Appropriate I think, as music has a tendency to remind you of places you’ve visited before or persons you’ve met before (mind you, that’s not always a good thing!). I listened to that song a lot when I was trying to sleep during the busride. Take care and be safe!

Sheryl Crow

Quiet hour
You have always been my wildflower
Showing up wherever beauty’s lost its way
Your heart must break

I was free
Until I heard the song you sang me to me
Pulling me away from everything I knew
To be with you

And everything I know just fades away
And every time you go it hurts me so
I don’t know why when I know we’re free
Free to fly

Here we are
Burning faster than the cursed star
Falling back down to the Earth
I love you so it sometimes hurts

Closer still
You will find me standing on the hill
Waiting for you with my arms stretched open wide
Now, come inside

And everything I know just fades away
And every time you go it hurts me so
I don’t know why when I know we’re free
Free to fly

And everything I know just fades away
And where the wildflower grows it picks its space
And that’s the way it is when nature plays its lovely hand
We’ll understand everything

Everything, everything

The non-native Dutch speakers might have noticed I put the qaint little song Flamingo on my music thingy. It’s from the ever enigmatic Dutch artist Spinvis and yes people, it’s completely sung in Dutch. You see, I expect the visitors of this blog to be multi-lingual. In other words, at this time I’m too lazy to translate the whole song. Same with the next poem from Rainer Maria Rilke, which is in German. What is it about? Oww, allright! Ever wandered past the lions or tigers in some zoo’s and wondered if they rather wanted to be somewhere else? Sure, they get proper food and they are safe from poachers and animal traders, but if they could choose (silly concept maybe, but bear with me on this one..) would’t they rather be in their native environment? I’m sure that’s what some other people think and maybe what Rilke thought when he saw the panther he made the next poem about. Heh, maybe food and shelter is the only thing animals care about and maybe animals adapt quickly to a new environment. Heck, Zoo’s are probably the reason that some species aren’t already extinct. But do animals look more like themselves when the’re not caged? Same with people. Don’t cage other people with your words and actions and don’t get caged by others. You see, you’ll look more like yourself with every passing second and see others a little clearer. Food is great, but it’s not the only necessity in life… There, enough hints to decrypt the poem (next to using a dictionary). As a favour of you, don’t let me hear a single bad word about my English. At least I didn’t need a dictionary for this one ,lol. … Be safe!

Der Panther (Im Jardin des Plantes, Paris)

Sein Blick ist vom Vorübergehn der Stäbe
so müd geworden, daß er nichts mehr hält.
Ihm ist, als ob es tausend Stäbe gäbe
und hinter tausend Stäben keine Welt.

Der weiche Gang geschmeidig starker Schritte,
der sich im allerkleinsten Kreise dreht,
ist wie ein Tanz von Kraft um eine Mitte,
in der betäubt ein großer Wille steht.

Nur manchmal schiebt der Vorhang der Pupille
sich lautlos auf -. Dann geht ein Bild hinein,
geht durch der Glieder angespannte Stille -
und hört im Herzen auf zu sein.

Well, the results of the checkup are in. And…it’s not good. His blood stats were a little worse than last time and to be on the safe side, they are going to start with radiation therapy. According to the doctor’s my dad’s got good prospects, but that’s only a small concilation. We’ll support him in every way possible and hope for the best. I wanted to thank all of you that read my last post and kept their fingers crossed. It’s always nice to know that you don’t have to know each other that thoroughly to wish each other the best. Again…thanks. Keep crossing those fingers people, i’ll do the same for you. Be safe.

They say “once a cancer patient, always a cancer patient”. It’s true. I see it when I look at my dad. He’s always been so healthy and never thought of getting sick (who does?). No one is indestructable but in my mind, he came very close to being just that. Now he really doesn’t live without this throat-grabbing tension, especially when the next medical checkup is coming up. The next one is tomorrow. I wish I could say something to help him or distract him or something. Sometimes I can, but the fear and unrest never seem to seaze… Heh, I wish I was allmighty for a day. Then again, Jim Carey didn’t do so swell in Bruce Allmighty…

Be safe, enjoy life and music as much as you can and … keep your fingers crossed for my dad and everyone else that has a hard time right now.