Lovely day

"The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly. The soul must languish when we give all our thought to the body."

The Quote of the Day is, not surprisingly, on by Mahatma Gandhi.

Today I feel all good. Might be because I have reason to celebrate. Celebrate the sunny sky, the warm day, feeling remembered first thing in the morning, my fancy dress I'll wear today, the cake that I finished this morning, the excellent African coffee beans that made my espresso taste like gold, the joy that takes over my body cell by cell. Yes, it's a lovely day.

I am a bit ashamed of forgetting about introducing Wax Tailor properly, as I promised I'd do some days ago. I'll do my best to do that as well today. But first, have a look at the marvelous cake and the fancy dress!





Now you see why this day is special, right?

Anyhow - Wax Tailor. I have always loved when mixing and mashing different styles of music. On the right hand side of this page you have a list of artists, and many of these have been put there just because of that. Wax Tailor, alias Jean-Christophe Le Saoût, will be put on the top of that list for the same reason.

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I like the horns and the certain retro vibes of Wax's s tunes. For some reason I "see" his music in sepia. Say Yes is definitely one of my favs. And what is most exiting about Wax is that the music resembles a lot to another favourite of mine, Don Johnson Big Band. Check out Check the record from the latest album, it's awesome.

Here. The game you play, by Wax Tailor and even a bit more mellow, Going home by Don Johnson Big Band. Enjoy, folks!

Thank you Charlie!

I was extremely lucky today. I guess. Remember Charlie from my previous post? Of course you do. Anyhow. I won two tickets to his show in London next week. Yeih!! Is that fab or what? Unfortunately I can't be there. Bummer. But don't you agree that it was sort of a lucky strike anyway? No, I am not being paid by the tobacco company...

So isn't that just great! Something else I consider great is the salsa this Monday. Oh God. Sometimes I feel I could die happy after having an hour of salsa. It is that overwhelming feeling of being as content as can be, of being one with - yourself - strangely enough.

So this week my regular partner was on vacation, but I covered my own back early on, making sure I'd have a partner anyway and wasn't gonna miss out on anything. And a partner I got. Yes! You cannot believe the amount of energy - positive energy - that fills my blood vessels when everything falls in place! And this partner really got my blood rushing! I think we are a perfect match - at least on the dance floor. We did not manage to do the perfect salsa just yet, it takes me a few more minutes than 60 to get used to a new partner, but somehow I felt that the energy was flowing in the same direction with the same speed within, through and around these two bodies, merging to the rhythms of a great salsa.

And the best thing with a new partner is that you actually get the possibility to learn so much since the things are done in a different way than what you're used to. Different steps, different way of communication. Ah. No wonder I love dancing so much, it really is communication. Nonverbal.

And yes, that is confirmed by Wikipedia.

Go get me in that mood, Charlie

Thank God for slow summer days at the office. If it wasn't for today's slow pace, I would probably not have found Charlie.

Oh Charlie, you make me feel like having a drink. A strawberry daiquiri. And as I lay back in my relaxation, I drink those southern vibes, letting them linger on my tongue together with the melting ice from my drink. It takes a world full of resistance to keep myself from tracing an imaginary stocking with the cold metal of the spoon. I can feel it anyway, behind my closed eyelids. Cold metal slowly tracing its way from the ankle, up towards the thigh. Sweet surrender.

Charlie Who? Sorry. Charlie Winston.

Since I rarely watch TV and as rarely listen to the radio - it is nowadays hard to say for me if what I suddenly "found" has been there forever or if it's just bubbling. It's the same with Charlie. So for those who have known him "forever", please bear with me.

Anyhow. Enjoy this clip to get what I'm so psyched over!


Charlie Winston - In Your Hands (official video)
by ATMOSPHERIQUES

And an extra treat:

I actually found something else today as well. Love. In shape of a French Hip-hopper. Wax Tailor. But that's for another post. (Ok, if you can't wait, just click that link and listen to Say Yes).

Update on my friend the hedgehog

So I met my friend the hedgehog again. This time I was, again, in company of my cat, who never wants to miss out on an adventure. 

She sat steadily next to me in silence. 

"When he comes closer, don't make any sudden moves" I told her. "And stay quiet. He's so little he might be scared off." 

My cat looked at me with her wise eyes. I never get over the feeling of that there's so much more to her than the animal. Like the wisest person inside a body of a cat. Anyhow.

The hedgehog felt brave this evening. He came running - yes, running! - towards us. I talked to him gently. 

"How are you, little one? You are in such a hurry!" He ran and ran and stopped just half a meter in front of me. 

"MEOW" said my cat. Loud and clear. Off went the hedgehog.

"What was that?" I asked her. 

"He got scared. See, he doesn't know you yet so he might be a bit frightened."

I looked away from the cat and looked for the hedgehog. There he was again, running again, coming towards us. My cat got bored. Her eyes said "Been there, done that. He won't get over it." 

But she was wrong. My little spiky friend came closer again. My knees hurt, so I had to stand up. He got scared, turned around and ran a meter in the other direction. Then he got enough of courage to again try to come closer. This time he didn't stop before he was just by my feet.

"Raf, raf" he said and lifted his nose up in the air.

I noticed that hedgehogs' eyes don't sparkle at all.

"What did you say, little friend?". I didn't know that hedgehogs spoke. To humans.

"Raf, raf."

He repeated his statement and looked at me again with black eyes, and continued his run. 

I wonder what that was supposed to mean.

Law of attraction

Ok, here we go. I have thoughts upon thoughts in my mind right now, so excuse me for the lack of structure in this post.

For anyone who has read my posts during the past year it has been evident that I've gone through a transformation within. I've come closer to the core of myself, and at the same time I have felt closer to the greater meaning of life. I've been lucky enough to look at life from a different perspective than before, pushed into it by life-altering experiences. All this time I have felt so blessed.

Today I sat down after work and watched a TV-show where the subject was the law of attraction. I was very early on in life thought by my brother that it always speeds up the realization of dreams to visualize what we want. He always told me "First visualize it, then act like it, then be it." The TV-show of today, how ever, gave some new thoughts on the law of attraction as well as created new thoughts in my simple mind as well. For example, and this is quite clear, positive thinking will attract positive things. A definite yes from me. Visualize what you want, say it out loud or write it down - it will come to you. And in connection to that - and here's one of my ahaa's - if you hang on to something, wishing for it more than anything, holding on to it with your teeth - it won't come to you. We need to be able to wish for something, visualize it happening, and then release it. Wow! I'm with them on this.

We've all surely experienced the moments when we say something out loud, and then it just happens within minutes. Like saying "Why can't I find a paper clip when I need it?" and there it suddenly is, in front of you, or as I once experienced, pushing my luck further when something came up seconds after asking, asking for even more - and the same thing there - it just happened. I was really blown away - two things, small but still, happening like by pushing a button. Why do small things happen when we wish for them, but big things won't? I have my theory on this: Could it be the small things are coming true in order for us to keep our faith in bigger things?

Then again, bigger things have come true, sometimes just to fade shortly. Like life would be saying: You asked for it so here you have it, but it ain't right for you. Maybe we sometimes "get there" too soon, when we aren't really ready or when the circumstances really are not in place. Like a year ago I got the job of my dreams - the job I always wanted to have. (Not to forget the job I had at the point was the best thing ever, even though I'd never known that beforehand). And what was the outcome? I soon realized that what I had dreamt about almost for a lifetime, really was not what made me happy.

I believe there are big things ahead of each and everyone of us. Things we never knew to dream about, but that will make us more fulfilled and happy than anything else. I believe there is a plan for all of us. Like stations we will visit to leave our mark on our own or somebody else's life. The path to and between those stations are filled with our dreams and our struggles to achieve them, but no matter if we do or we don't, we will get to those stations. [Because it's written].

Sorry. This must be a mess to read. See it as my mindmap. (Just as well-organized as my mind:)

I need to say one more thing.

The Hedgehog
A few nights ago I was outside watering the flowers around my parents' house. I was talking to my cat (she makes me so happy) as she was following me around, trying to help in her own way. There was a hedgehog moving in the same circles as we did, and a couple of times it looked at us, clearly wanted to spend some time with us, but too shy to really do it. Well, maybe another night.

Anyhow. It didn't take me long to notice that everytime I spoke, the little nozy thing approached me. When I stopped talking, it moved away again, like frightened of its own courage to come closer. I did test it a few times and there's no doubt. I reasoned: It must be that my mother who sometimes gives the hedgehog some treats, must be talking to the animal whilst coming closer. So "the hedge" maybe thinks I'm my mother and thinks I'll feed it. So I asked my mother about it. No, she said, I never talk to him, I might scare him away.

Tortellini in Piazza Santo Spirito

My favourite dish at the most beautiful location.

The hour was late and the day of arrival had been a hot one. The location was close to the apartment and close also to one of my all-time favourite spots; Giardino di Boboli.

There is a magic to Florence that I probably never will grasp. It entered my heart 10 years ago and now I can't escape it - neither would I like to.

So back to the location. Piazza Santo Spirito. Beautiful. I remember the scent in the air. A scent of night. A scent of home. The course was served. It was a piatto of Tortellini alle uova di pesce, A wonderful plate of tortellini with roe in a white sauce. A piece of heaven on a plate. After that I have had the chance to be served a great amount of dishes, one more extravagant than the other, but without really finding a match. I admit, the location had much to do with it, but still...

And what was it that took my heart and soul back to la bella Firenze this early evening? Well, today I set myself a goal. I decided to get myself an apartment in Florence at some point, let's say within 10 years. And checking the prices it doesn't seem to be a mission impossible. Would that be a treat or what! From me to myself, with love.

The beauty of life part 2

You know it only takes fractions of seconds to discover the beauty of life when it passes you by. You have surely seen that in my earlier posts. So from what direction is the wind blowing today, you might ask? I'll tell you. This day - or actually a whole week of it - has been great. I've been moving through the bad stuff like a drunk. Closing my eyes to it - why block the sun when it's out again?

I'll tell you about the beauty of life. Again. Part 2.

On Saturday morning I was making my way home from an excellent night out with my crew. It was half past three in the morning and the sun was still up, it looked like half past three in the afternoon. It coloured the city beautifully! And as I enjoyed my walk in my suede boots, I got accompanied (I'm still quite sure it was the boots) by someone I'd never met before, but a nice new acquaintance. Chatting away about this and that, laughing because of the late hour, the marvelously beautiful sky and the sun that never set that night. That is the beauty of life, part 2, lesson 1.

On Saturday evening the total coincidence occurred: I met my new acquaintance again. A few more minutes of chatter and laughter. Beauty of life, part 2, lesson 1b.

On Monday evening it was hot like no day before. I was unsure, but I finally came to my decision: Yes, regardless of the heat I would enjoy a good hour of salsa. And wow! Was I happy to have made that decision or what?? We were awesome, me and my partner, we were like two flamingos on that dance floor! The evening was hot but so were we. Sometimes I wish one really could see oneself when in one's true element. I'd like to know whether I look the way I feel - filled to the maximum with pure joy! Beauty of life, part 2, lesson 2.

Today: Yet another hot day and a not too inspiring one at the office. I decided to head for a nice cup of coffee after work. It didn't take too long before I again was accompanied by a fellow world-citizen. Two hours of exchanging thoughts about culture, politics, travelling, work, tipping. You name it, we covered it. It was refreshing and enlightening in many ways. Beauty of life, part 2, lesson 3.

Then later on in the evening, great to meet up with some friends at the gym, I had an excellent workout and now I feel the beauty of life in both body and soul. Beauty of life, part 2, lesson 4.

I thought it would stop there, but then I read this post and realized that shiny happy people spread joy the best :) And that's the beauty of life part 2, lesson 5.

So enjoy life today, here's a cookie for everyone!