Wedding dancers

There are more goodies to come from this fantastic wedding that I attended in Mozambique on the day before my departure from the country.

This beautiful experience left me with a nostalgia and love for the people, the athmosphere and the dancing that I can’t let go of. The families in the wedding were amazing people and I felt increibly honoured to be there and attend as a part of it all. I cannot imagine a better wedding than one where everybody dances, smiles and gives their best to create a positive and happy vibe.

Sp here, I give you the world’s coolest bride, and a lot of dancing. Enjoy.

Dark mornings

Starting off like something out of a David Lynch movie, this tune kind of conveys what the mornings and days feel over like over here in the distant Nordic lands. Dark.

So I listened to this when it popped up in my Soundclud feed without even realising that it was made by my old roommate David from Barcelona. High-five, Dave.

Moonlight & Bach

As I am spending another still Sunday in this cold and melancholic country, I give you Debussy’s masterpiece Clair de Lune as interpreted by very talented Angela Hewitt. Drag it up to 1080HD quality, wait.. and indulge in the details and tones as they completely fill your mind, if you let them do so.

I always end up with Debussy or Satie when starting to youtube piano videos. This time, I was inspired as a friend posted the following video to Facebook, it’s an interesting walkthrough of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Jeremy Denk. Go to 02:15 if you don’t understand anything of what he’s saying or if you are very impatient and just want the music. I’m pretty happy and proud to be sharing last name’s with this genius.

I wish I was alone at home right now so I could go sit by my piano and see if I remember anything.. it’s been very long since I played.

Anyway, Elma sweetie, this post is for you! :)

Dança da Familia

I am currently missing Mozambique and this collective dance that one would get to dance at weddings, birthdays and sometimes even in nightclubs. It’s called the family dance, you can dance it to all kinds of music, and here are two ways to do it.

Both videos are from Celio’s and Mena’s wedding in December, on the day before I left the country.

The choices you are forced to make.

The lady next to me on the train looked much younger than she later told me she actually was. We started speaking after I had invited her for a cookie and some small talk, and what I got in return was a story about choices, war and a life on the run.

She told me about her childhood in a country always on the verge of war, living in a disputed area only a bridge away from the enemy. She was dreaming of studies abroad and awarded a visa for doing highschool overseas in the far west when war suddenly cancelled all visas and she was forced to stay. She and her family had to leave their home in a simple car, leaving all their belongings behind.

“It’s just such a stupid detail.. but I was 17 and remember that I had just bought a pair of beautiful Lee jeans, they had the perfect fit! I wanted to wear them for the first day at school.. so I decided to leave them in the house because I was so sure I would be back, but I never saw those jeans again..”

Some years later, she was on the last flight to leave the country as all airports were closed during very critical times, with the pilot getting live reports during the flight and telling everybody through the speakers about what was happening on the ground.

She went back a year later to find her country transformed. She studied. Fell crazy in love with an intense man. Got married. Had a child. Started working.

Then things worsened again. Escape. Illegal smugglers. Dangers. Fear.

“One of my girlfriends ended up in jail with horrendous conditions. /…/ I was too afraid, I couldn’t risk it with my baby.”

He went first, she came after. And then finally, of all places, cold Sweden.

Things were good. A small village in the north. Friendly people. Completely new language. Free education. Helpful strangers. New friends. New reality. New possibilities. Support.

But the person living in her home was still causing fear. Betrayal. Threat. Abuse. Psychological oppression. Pride based violence. Irrational ambivalence.

Lawyers didn’t help. Social services tried. Manipulation won.

“You can’t win a battle against a proud person if you don’t let them believe they are actually the one’s winning it.”

The realisation of rights. Custody. Another escape. Freedom.

Then she told me about life after freedom. About tranquile comfort and love without passion. About cultural differences and boredom. About work, about people, about friends, about the future, about dreams and other little details.

“You know, people always talk about choices and how the choices you made or didn’t make have shaped your life.. and I agree, I have made many choices that have changed the course of my life completely – but what about all those choices that you are forced to make, or the choices that are suddenly taken from you?”

I never asked for her name as I understood she had been given a new one.

We just hugged good-bye.

STHLM WKND

I have spent the weekend here in Stockholm with my beloved childhood friends who now are all grown up with serious jobs and pretty apartments.

There is a lot to do in this city and I’ve had a great time so far.. we have danced, walked around, celebrated Miruna’s birthday – and this morning Avina made the world’s best banana pancakes for breakfast.

Three days left here and I have meetings, lunches and stand up comedy in my schedule. Let me know if you’re around for coffee!